Diets based on willpower always fail. Its a finite resource. And this creates a negative feedback loop. Don’t try to willpower yourself away from donuts. If you want to eat a donut, eat it, factor it into your nutrition strategy and move on. If you want to not eat donuts, figure out what’s compelling you to eat them and address that. But if the only thing that stops you is sheer willpower, you’re using up valuable resources that could be better employed toward your self-improvement and setting yourself up for a binge.
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November 26 2025: W1D3 OHP+Deadlift, and BB curl, Dips, and lunges
Muscles are still pretty sore, mostly my biceps, triceps, quads, and traps (from the tricep extensions… ?) I didn’t mention anything, but why do I feel my traps getting worked during tricep extension? I keep my elbows locked, but near the end I feel my traps getting worked.
Breakfast:
3 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp honey
5 raspberries
4 blackberries
1 cup milk
… 1 donut
----Total: 1053 Kcal, 57g fat, 74g carbs, 58g protein
I had to donut because I know I will need carbs today for my workout.
I get to help carry down Christmas decorations today.
Did that. Now not much to do.
I don’t like the giving part of christmas. Not because of the giving itself, I love that. Im just always so stressed out about making the gifts good enough. This year though I have a plan that I’m making puffy blankets.
I will finish the game I started playing yesterday, and then start working on the blankets. I need to make three.
I don’t know what to eat today. Im just not in the mood to eat honestly. So that sucks.
I get to workout later. Im excited. A bit worried, though, since my biceps are sore, and with the other sore muscles, not sure if my deadlifting will be as strong as they should. Oh well. My body will adapt. Il be doing
OHP 4-5 sets of 70lbs x 8 reps
Deadlift 4-5 sets 200lbs x 8 reps
and
Dips- we will see
BB curl- 4 sets of 55lbs x 12
Lunge- 4 sets +70 (2 35lb DB) x 12 reps each leg
Im probably gonna be even more sore tomorrow… fun. Atleast I get to stuff myself fuller than the turkey lol. (Well, actually were eating duck, but, yeah).
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Im not sure what exactly it was that I was confused about with dips. I just need to use the percentage of the total. It would be bodyweight.
I did, however, do the rep test. I got 22 reps in a row, and 55% of that is… (drumroll)
12 (.1)
TWELVE REPS
All of that time thinking and thinking. FOR IT TO BE 12 REPS.
Oh well.
The workout went well. I tried using the elliptical but I don’t like theirs. It doesn’t move in a way that I like.
Workout
OHP
45 x 7
55 x 3
70 x 8
70 x 8
70 x 8
70 x 8
70 x 8
These felt good. Tough, but good.
Deadlift:
135 x 3
155 x 3
175 x 2
200 x 8
200 x 8
200 x 8
200 x 8
200 x 8
…ow… These hurt my shins a lot. I even wore sweatpants. By the end of the reps on the last few sets, and the last set in general though, I think the pain started to wear away. I wonder how bruised I’m going to be tomorrow lol. The deadlifting was pretty good. Felt it a lot in my lower back, but in a good way, so that was nice.
Dips
22 reps (testing)
BW x 12
BW x 12
BW x 12
I cut it a set short, since I counted the 22 as a good set. These felt pretty good. Nice chest pump. Oh, I did test out with the weight belt. Yeah, I’m not getting 25lbs x 12, let alone 60lbs. Ha.
BB curl
45 x 6
55 x 12
55 x 10
55 x 6+2+1
55 x 5+1+1
These were challenging.They felt awesome though. Haven’t gotten a direct bicep workout in awhile. OOH they are going to be sore! I think I could have rested a little while longer for these, I was only doing like 3 minutes and a little. Still, great.
Lunge:
BW x 3
35s x 12
35s x 12
35s x 12
35s x 12
These were good. Not quite brutal, but close. Grip was definitely something that was worked. Didn’t drop them though, so that’s good.
2 hours right about again. Well, it looks like I’ll be staying after school every day I workout. Not a slight chance I’m fitting it within the 45-50 minutes we have during class to lift. Is there an way to cut the time down? I don’t think there would be. I think I read I can not superset the exercises (in order to cut down the rest time)? Or is my mind misremembering?
This workout, all in all, was great. Really enjoyed it.
Should I drop the weight on some of the supplementary exercises? I don’t want to, and I feel like It is good for me to get it the way it is, with some I go to failure and then have to do a few rest pauses. I know my body can (or at least did) handle that. When I lifted for bodybuilding type stuff before I switched to TB, I went to failure for EVERY SET (well, except squat I think). I also wasn’t very social, so obviously I didn’t use the bench often except sometimes during strength class. When I workout out after school, I went to the chest press machine.
When I worked out this way, I focused on the rep range. 8-12 reps. I barely rested, a minute maybe minute and a half TOPS. If I couldn’t complete the reps, I moved the weight down. This is the likely reason why I did NOT gain much strength. I peaked at 135lbs for 3 reps with this method (starting from 95lbs at the beginning of the school year, so a total of +40lbs in 8 months/34 weeks, which is roughly 13lbs per 12 weeks). Im so glad I started Tactical Barbell. In that same amount of time I went from 175 to 200 (my progress from 135 x 3 to 160 x 3 was due to my training method changing to not dropping the weight immediately, staying at low rep ranges (3-6) and resting a little more. That made my strength go up.)
Anyways, food.
Lunch:
1 pack beef jerky
1/4 cup spaghetti, with a little sauce
2 oz mozzarella cheese
1 pack protein oatmeal
----Total: 478 Kcal, 14g fat, 45g carbs, 41g protein
Dinner:
1 can chicken
1 can chickpeas
2 eggs
2 oz mozzarella cheese
1 cup grape juice
2 mini sausages links
another egg
1 piece french toast
a bit of butter
1 cup milk
----Total: 1579 Kcal, 68g fat, 118g carbs, 116g protein
Days total: A little more than I would like, but, its not bad.
----3110 Kcal, 138g fat, 237g carbs, 215g protein
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Won’t have trouble eating enough. Don’t care about limiting my food. The goal is to eat as much as humanly possible. Scratch that. Just eat as much as possible. Throw out the human part lol. I’ll limit myself of course. Just one plate, though, not a ton.
(Obviously not my own picture, I wish I had a plate that big)
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The home gym is being put aside for the spring (big renovations for the garage, were planning on adding a second floor). Im going to focus on aquiring items for my apothecary. Im going to have all my chemistry stuff, and Im focusing on making herbal medicine for my studies. I will have my scribing table, which I will write my manuscripts. It will be functional, useful, helpful, and something really neat.
Tomorrow (if time allows) I will work heavily on my laboratory. I need to get it clean up very nicely.
November 27 2025: W1D4 Big Fat Rest day
Todays Thanksgiving. No issues eating today.
Its not about the food though. Its about family, and being thankful. Im thankful for a lot, and for brevity I will keep it short: My home, my breath, my brain, my soul, my physical ability, and having a loving family.
Im sore today as I expected. Not as sore as I thought I would be, however. Traps are very sore, but my whole upper body has a bit of soreness. Shins are VERY bruised and nice and red in one spot. Il probably ice it or heat it or something.
Time for a small breakfast so I can save some room for later.
An easy change to implement would be to go “dip-curl-lunge-repeat” rather than run them as straight sets with long rests. Your biceps can catch a break while your legs work, etc.
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Got it, that should cut down on a good amount of time. Im sure it will be brutal to execute, but im all for that (says my word, my body might object strongly)
How long are you resting between sets?
You can check my log for how to get the workouts done in under an hour.
Regarding superset, you can do them, but per the book you still rest 1-2 minutes between exercises
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I normally rest about 3 minutes, my method is normally: “wait until the clock hits the next minute, then wait 2-3 minutes”. I normally go towards the longer end of this, but if it feels easy I wont rest as long.
I can check that a bit later.
That’s too long for the supplemental work: keep it at 1-2 minutes per the book.
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Huh. I thought it said 2-3, but yeah looking back at the book it does say 1-2. No problem. Thanks.
Also, Im not going to be very active here for the rest of the day; my eye has a bloodshot spot, and its probably from WAY too much screentime lately. So I will update food at the end of the day.
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Dang it. I still need 32g protein! no… I don’t want to eat any more…
I weighed in at 171lbs after dinner. Im such a fatass lol. I ate like 5-7lbs of food apparently haha.
Breakfast:
2 Jimmy Dean sandwiches
1 drakes cherry pie
1 cup milk
1 pack m&ms
1 pack beef jerky
----Total: 1360 Kcal, 77g fat, 109g carbs, 50g protein
THanksgiving Lunch: Only had 3 large plates, out of moderation. I could have had more but didn’t want to make a hog out of myself
6 oz duck pieces (with some fatty skin)
3/4 cup mashed potatos
1 oz ground sausage
1/4 cup corn
3 cups candied sweet potatos
1/4 cup green beans
2 rolls (homemade)
1/2 tbsp butter
1 cup grape juice
----Total: 2098 Kcal, 69g fat, 278g carbs, 82g protein
Looked pregnant after this, but I definitely could have eaten more. Stupid “manners” and “moderation” lol.
Took a fat nap from 4-7. Woke up, and was confused why the downstairs light was on. I checked my alarm clock, it said 7:00. I was like “…what? Ohhh yeah its still today…”
DInner:
3 oz duck
2 oz ground sausage
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 roll
1/4 candied sweet potatos
1/4 cup corn
1 piece of pumpkin pie, with whipped cream
----Total: 1043 Kcal, 55g fat, 86g carbs, 49g protein
Days total: A whopping…
4500 Kcal, 201g fat, 472g carbs, and a measly 180.7g protein
I really don’t want to eat… Do I have to get the rest of my protein (32g)?
I ate, slept, ate again, now Its time to sleep again.
No. You have enough nutrition
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That’s great to hear.
I feel oddly offended by you saying I “have enough nutrition”, but not really. I know you don’t mean it in any offensive way, its simply an statement of fact.
Time to sleep off this food.
November 28 2025 W1D5 Bench+Squat, S1
Im excited for todays workout. Almost a full week done. I get to do kettlebell swings again today, exciting.
Traps are still very sore. I hope that doesn’t affect my workout much.
Todays assignments:
- Clean my desk
- Clean my lab area
- Write down notes on herbal extraction procedures.
I will want to get a new piece or two of new glassware so I will be able to perform the necessary procedures. I learned about percolation, its commonly used in coffee. You have to take the percolating tube (or bottle, or whatever), and have the stopcock switched on until its ready. You put a filter or cotton balls in the bottom part, and then you take prepared herb materials. The herb material is dried, powdered plant, to which has been added enough solvent to moisten it to the consistency of wet sand. Then, after allowing it to fully absorb for about 2 hours, it is placed in the apparatus, and gently packed down to remove any air pockets. A filter is then placed on top of it, to prevent the materials from comming back up. Then the device is topped with the rest of the solvent being used. A 1:5 ratio of plant:solvent is used (I believe). It is crucial to check that the solvent layer moves down the apparatus at a uniform rate, and once it reached the bottom and starts dripping out, the stopcock is closed. This is done in order to prevent the air from bubbling upward, disrupting the plant layer. Then this is allowed to sit for about 12 hours. After resting, it is allowed to drip into the receiving flask at a rate of approximately 1 drip every 3-5 seconds. Depending on the amount use, this can take an extensive amount of time.
I learned this from a video I watched last night. And I managed to retain the info. I had a general idea of it before, so it wasn’t all foreign knowledge.
Time to have breakfast in a bit.
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Breakfast:
2 oz ground sausage
2 oz duck
1 roll
----Total: 454 Kcal, 27g fat, 21g carbs, 31g protein
Snack:
1 roll
1 cup milk
1 packet protein oatmeal
----Total: 431 Kcal, 10g fat, 59g carbs, 24g protein
Lunch:
1 oz ground sausage
3 eggs
2 oz duck
1/8 cup corn
1 can tuna
a bit of mustard
----Total: 613 Kcal, 33g fat, 5g carbs, 71g protein
Okay. I’ve been slacking on the whole recovery/cardio part of mass protocol. I’ve been treating the days as just do whatever days. Thats not what its meant to be. I NEED to do the actual cardio to get my blood pumping. It will help me not get fat.
I took the fat that was in the pan that had the ducks in it, and I boiled it with water, strained it, and now I’m letting it solidify in the fridge. Im purifying the duck fat and I plan on using it for something. Its been a few hours and the bowl still has a tinge of residual warmth.
Im excited for my workout today, I’ll be heading the gym soon.
I cleaned my desk a bit, and organized a few things in the garage.
What to do with a bunch of rendered duck fat..? And what’s a good way to store it? I put the bowl into the freezer. I guess I can cook with it but if I eat it in a reasonable amount of time I might put on a few dozen pounds, and not the nice looking kind. 1 tbsp is 113 Kcal… This is CUPS of duck fat.
Sorry for not using a shoe for scale.
Snack:
1 oz duck
1 piece of candied sweet potato
1/4 cup mashed potatoes with sausage bits
1 piece of pumpkin pie
some whipped cream
----Total: 442 Kcal, 21g fat, 46g carbs, 17g protein
Dinner:
1 Jimmy Dean sausage egg and cheese croissant
1/4 cup spaghetti Os and meatballs
6 oz tilapia
1 roll
1/2 tbsp duck fat
1 cup milk
----Total: 990 Kcal, 48g fat, 64g carbs, 72g protein
Days total: 2930 Kcal, 138g fat, 195g carbs, 215g protein
Good eating today.
I think tomorrow morning I will fry some eggs in the duck fat.
My brother is going on a hunting trip. If he gets one, he will be bringing back some (alot) bear meat. Never had it but I would love to try it. Hows the nutritional profile? @T3hPwnisher you’ve eaten enough animal products to counteract the veganism movement, have you tried bear? If so, how does it taste?
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Workout:
Bench
95 x 7
115 x 5
140 x 8
140 x 8
140 x 8
140 x 8
140 x 8
Squat:
115 x 5
135 x 6
155 x 3
180 x 8
180 x 8
180 x 8
180 x 8
180 x 8
Pullups:
11
5
4 chinups
5 normal
These sucked. Couldn’t even get all 12 pullups for ONE set. I tried chinups, but I didn’t like how they felt.
Tricep extension (using a bent bar handle, like an upside down V)
52.5 x 12
52.5 x 12
52.5 x 12
52.5 x 12
Nice. Got them all in. The first set my elbow wasn’t happy, but after I warmed it up it was fine.
KB swings
70 x 20
70 x 20
70 x 20
70 x 20
I supersetted these 3 movements, and it cut like 30 minutes off of my time. So I MIGHT be able to fit in all my workouts on the school day counting after school time. I have an hour in class (a little under actually. I might have to ask coach if I can skip the warmup, or part of it)
I continued an old chemistry project (I scrapped the current one since its of no use). After letting dried mint leaves soak in isopropyl alcohol for 40 weeks (40 days was the plan, then I never got around to actually messing with it), I started a procedure that will distill off all the alcohol and at the same time dripping in water in an effort to prevent it from all drying out (if Im doing this right, I might be able to extract the oil)
Next year, I have plans for our garden. I want to grow Lavender, Chamomile, some others ones. Lots of stuff planned for next year.
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Bear is on my bucket list, but I haven’t had it. People say it tends to taste pretty awful. Bears can eat a lot of weird stuff. It can be greasy too, apparently. I still want to give it a go. I like the idea of eating big powerful animals. Its one of the reasons I like bison.
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