Training Log: Entry 2991

AM WORKOUT (0505 wake up via spouse’s alarm) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: RAGNAROK IS HERE** Week 2, Workout 3 (Final for Now) Squats

8 rounds EMOM of

* Odd minute: 4x225 SSB Front squats
* Even minute: 4x225 SSB squats
* Immediately afterward: 28x115 SSB front squats into 16x225 SSB squats

Die in battle

Get carried away by Valkryies to Valhalla

5 standing ab wheels

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk in the rain

Notes:

* Woke up exhausted.  Massive thunder and lightning storms through the night with the doggo in the bed meant very little sleep, which, combined with all the coughing I’m still doing, meant a rough evening. I’m also just plain dog-ass tired, to quote Ken Shamrock, after hitting 2 weeks of Famine.  The system works: I am anatomy chart lean again and the lowest bodyweight I’ve seen in a LOOOOOOONG time.  I am SO primed to grow.  In turn, this was all I had in me this morning, so I gave it everything.  You’ll see when I upload how I left nothing behind.  I am so ready to get after some mass.

* Listening to Dan John’s latest podcast on my way to work and, honestly, my Easy Strength/MMS smash-up sounds 100% in line with his intent.  Use ES to build strength, and the rest of your time to build whatever else needs building.  

* Despite everything, my mental state could not be better.  I am legit just so f**king happy and excited about so much, and especially so now that the food floodgates are open.  I got SO much to cook and eat ahead of me, and so much living to do.

* Oh yeah, forgot: got in an extra 2.5 mile walk with the wife and kiddo out in the sun yesterday, which helped overcome the awful morning walk.

 Training Log: Entry 2990

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: RAGNAROK IS HERE** Week 2, Day 2: Circuit Workout/Dealer’s Choice

40 minutes of 5 burpee chins EMOM w/10lb weighted vest followed immediately by Tabata unweighted burpee chins (3 per round)

Breakfast

2 mile walk in a torrential downpour/thunderstorm with hail

Notes:

* Got to be late last night and this sounded like the right way forward as a result. Something straight forward, brutal, with few moving parts.  The AK-47 of workouts.  And it killed me dead just like an AK. 

* You can see/hear me still dealing with that cough.  Been the worst part of this virus.  I had to sit out a piece of Tang Soo Do last night because, by the end of the day, I’m so nauseas from ingesting so much phlegm through the day.

* Tried my best to execute rep quality with each individual component of the burpee.  A good squat, a strong push up, and chin over the bar on the chin.  

* The follow on unweighted workout was a good cherry on top.  Go from solid and strong to ballistic.  

* I didn’t intend on going for a walk in a storm this morning.  It started off with light rain, but at the 1 mile mark it totally turned on me, and at that point my only option was to just endure and get home.  It was just a Viking kind of day at that point.  I have breakfast for dinner to look forward to tonight, which will make it all worth it.  Also, I think I had the most brilliant idea of having a quiche for my birthday cake this year.  You can still put candles in a quiche.  I REALLY like this idea.

* Saw 168.6 this morning.  This is just nutty. Tomorrow marks 2 weeks of Famine, and it’s absolutely time to start feasting.  My Easy Strength and Mass Made Simple combo should be perfect, especially since I can see my schedule is already getting screwy.  Fully intend to keep up the carnivore approach for this, so this means it’s time to really break out my inner-Conan.  Meat off the bone as much as I can, and steaks and steaks and steaks.  I’ve got a freezer full of ribs, steaks, pork shoulder, lamb, etc.  Game, f**king, on.

Dinner could not have been more anabolic or amazing

 Training Log: Entry 2989

AM WORKOUT (0423 natural wake up) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: RAGNAROK IS HERE VARIANT** Week 2, Day 1: Press

AS A CIRCUIT (Press-dip-incline-viking-abs)

Keg clean and press away
1x185
2x2x185
2 cleans of 185, 1 shaky near press

Dips
4x3x130lbs

Incline Axle Bench
6xAMRAP (first 3 sets using doubled minibands w/83lbs, next 3 w/66lbs)

Viking press
4x12x70lbs
2x12+triple dropset

Hanging leg raise
5xAMRAP

15 minutes of arms (bands only)

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk outside

Notes:

* Set my alarm incorrectly so slept in an extra 3 minutes.  Robbed me of some conditioning time at the end of the workout, so I’ll find a place to get in some squats and push ups.  May be doing Tang Soo Do tonight, which has some opportunities.

* It dawned on me on my final set of keg pressing that, with my awareness of my current bodyweight, this keg is rather significantly MORE than my bodyweight.  And then I biffed the press that I had been crushing up until that point.  Teaches me not to think too much.  But also take some pride in my performance up until then.  I’ve been losing too much energy on the clean, and it gets me blacking out too often.  If I can get it done snappy and sharp, I’m in a good way.

* I was exhausted with each round, but performance was stronger than previous week.  Still hacking up nasty stuff out of my lungs, which is the biggest factor.  It’s made sleep a little rough, and a fit can hit in the middle of a set.

* Better incline set-up this week compared to last.  Doubling the bands is the way.  Also liked using the bands on the arm work.  Particularly liked the curl variants where I had the band around my wrists vs in the hands.  Considering calling them “Conan curls”, as it’s like having the hands cuffed, and Conan’s time in slavery is when he built his strength.  Definitely leading toward a Cimmerian themed story for my next run.

* Right foot and abs are still a little tender.

 Training Log: Entry 2988

AM WORKOUT (0415 wake up via dog) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: “RAGNAROK IS HERE”** Week 1, Day 5: Rows and Squats

GIANT SET (row-squat-row-abs) 60 second rest between rounds.

Trap bar row
4x5x265

SSB wide hands squat to straps (beltless)
6x4x225+chains

Seated band row
4x20xLight
2x20 w/triple dropset

Hanging leg raise
5xAMRAP

20 rounds EMOM of 5 burpee chins w/10lb vest

100 calf-raises w/SSB

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk outside

Notes:

* Saw this this morning

* So with that bodyweight weigh in and all the hacking you can hear during the workout, I’m beginning to understand why my strength isn’t QUITE what it used to be.  Honestly, that’s just absolutely nuts.  I haven’t seen that number since high school.  And you saw what I ate on Sunday.  I’m eating like a goddamn king and my weight is just flying down.  Mass Made Simple is sounding more and more appealing.

* I REALLY liked that squat variant.  I’ve seen Brian Alsruhe do it quite a few times, and it seemed absolutely perfect for something different to force me out of my comfort zone.  Going beltless even moreso.  I could really feel my quads “turn on” coming out of the hole.  I definitely see potential in this.

* Violated the program and instead of doing 20 minutes of straight chins I went with the burpee chins, and then threw on the vest to make it seem ok.  I also went with strict technique as much as I could.  That was surprisingly awesome.  5 reps per round hit just right.  And I’m willing to count this toward conditioning and daily reqs.

* Right foot is experiencing a small amount of discomfort in it.  Possibly a product of the bearfoot shoes.

* My abs have been super sore since that bodyweight circuit.  I imagine throwing the ab wheel in was part of it.  Good to have that back.

PM 

Got in a 3ish mile walk with the kiddo and the remainder of my bodyweight work.   My piedmontese order came in, which is awesome, because I am planning on turning the 4th into an ultimate feast and celebration of my country's Independence.  And the 2nd of July is always significant to me, because it was that day when I was 14 that I decided to turn my life around physically.  23 years later and I'm still at it.

Tonight was pretty baller for dinner.  I made Paleo Sloppy Joes, and they were very close to pure carnivore as well.

Training Log: Entry 2987

AM WORKOUT (0415 natural wake up) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: “RAGNAROK IS HERE** Week 1, Workout 4: Bench

GIANT SET (bench-press-abs-curls) 60 second rests between sets

Axle Incline Bench
5x135+Chains
2x4x135+Chains
1x4x135+chains w/burnout set w/o chains

Trap bar press
6xAMRAPx85-95lbs w/2second lockout

Hanging leg raise
5xAMRAP

FG DB concentration curl
5x20x10lbs

20 minutes of dips w/Tabata timing

333 total

OFF CAMERA

2 minutes of BW squats (153 total)

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk outside

Notes:

* I’m still not 100%, which reflects in performance here, but I’m in a much better way than I’ve been.  This was a good start to the week: something not terribly strenuous but allows me to push myself.  Plus it’s Monday: international bench press day.

* I’m switching up movements a bunch this run because my body is in a weird place and this is keeping me from trying to compare old and new numbers.  Learned that trick decades ago from Dave Tate and it is still so valuable.

* I have always been awful at incline, so it’s good to emphasize it for a bit.  And since it beats up my shoulders, making the rest of my pressing NG seems smart.  Chains added a nice variable.  

* Time was tight at the end, so just slammed some squats to get ahead of that number.   I’ll work some more later today.  

* Been meaning to log this for a while, but one of the benefits of my “To Valhalla” run is that gravitating toward my strengths and away from my weaknesses really helped me heal.  My right knee FINALLY feels better after Super Squats.  It’s been making all these bodyweight squats and full ROM work so much more manageable.  Wondering if all the time in the bearfoot shoes is helping too.

* Physique has returned to something more recognizable since my illness.  It’s wild how sickness now has a severe physical manifestation in me.

Got in 2+ more mile walk with the kiddo and all the required bodyweight work in the PM

 Training Log: Entry 2986

Typical weekend update.  Slept until 0730, got up and hit 200 push ups and 100 squats fasted, had a fantastic breakfast

Went shopping, got to Trader Joes.  Folks: cheese is back on the menu!

I am so excited to try out all those different kinds of goat cheese.  The Brie and Cheddar snacks are for the Mrs.  I also picked up some outstanding bacon WITHOUT GODDAMN SUGAR (man that's hard to find).

Went to Panda Express for lunch.  Got my large entre of chicken teriyaki. 

My guts have been upset for a while, which I attribute to a Mexican place I was at yesterday for a very disappointing lunch.   Ordered 2 entrees off the lunch menu, carnivored them by having all the veggies put to the side, and in doing so got to see just how little meat was actually in the dish.  Chorizo con huevos and a fajita taco salad of steak and chicken, and I get the impression the chicken was undercooked, because the steak itself was pretty rare.  Was feeling pretty loogie as a result, and thought to try out my new rower, but genuinely couldn't figure out how to set up the damn thing, so I just went with Jamie Lewis' recommendation in Famine of a 30 minute bodyweight circuit

I think that move I came up with at the end is more fitting of the title "Burpserker".  Burpee into a full squat into a chin into a hanging leg raise.  The leg raise is a LITTLE iffy: might be more streamlined to do knees to chest or even a windshield wiper so that I don't need to spend so much time stabilizing.  But, no joke, I made just do a half hour of that next time.

Felt much better after that.  Breaking a sweat seems to help.  I'm FINALLY shedding the water my body was holding onto from that illness I picked up and subsequent meds I went on.  I was thinking I was experiencing some sort of dietary misstep, but I'm thinking now I can simply visibly trace the difference between a body thriving and a body surviving.  Something Jon Andersen spoke of.

Just placed a piedmontese order, because I'm on their mailing list and they enticed me with a deal on some ribeyes.  

I highlighted the part I'm most excited about.  Oh my goodness: legit dino ribs

I've seen how things things can turn out

This is me reclaiming my barbarian birthright.

Dinner was not as exciting, but that was in prep for brunch tomorrow.  I had a "deer chop" from a buddy of mine, which I threw on the grill for a quick turn, made into a wrap with some egg whites, and had the remains as a side

I've also been experimenting with Metabolic Drive "ice cream", using shaved ice and salt along with a little beef broth for fluid...it's pretty tasty on hot summer nights.

Weekends for food porn.  Weekdays for hardcore training.  Balance.

 Training Log: Entry 2985

AM WORKOUT (0420 natural wake up, good night of sleep) FASTED

**PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S “FAMINE”: RAGNAROK IS HERE** Week 1, Workout 2: Squats

GIANT SET (squat-row-abs) 60 second rests

SSB Front Squats
4x3x225+chains
40x115+chains + 10x115

Viking rows
6x20x50 on axle

Hanging leg raise
5xAMRAP

SUPERSETS (calves and legs)

SSB Calf raises
5x5 w/weights of some sort

Leg extensions
3x25x90s

Reverse hypers
3x25x180s

OFF CAMERA

Tabata squats and push ups (210 squats and 200 push ups achieved)

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk in the sun

Notes:

* Feeling significantly better.  Not 100%, but performance capable/ready.  Sweating profusely and my cardio isn’t all there.  I was struggling on the deathset primarily because of that, which made the SSB front squat a good choice since I could recoup so well.  

* Went with a new movement variant so I’d come in without expectations.  This wasn’t quite the amount of weight I needed, but I made up for it with some crazy depth.  I’m also stealing more and more from Dan John, who has said on many occasions that, if he could do it all over, he’d always squat with chains.  Dan is a genius.

* Reverse hypers aren’t part of the program.  Leg curls are.  Jamie has gone on record trash talking the reverse hyper.  I like the reverse hyper.  I break rules.

* My body and face are finally unswelling.  Honestly, I think intermittent fasting was a total disaster and this was a lesson learned.  Dan John supports IF.  The carnivore community is big into it.  I break more rules.  But protein sparring modified fasting absolutely works, and that’s what Famine is, and Apex Predator, and Velocity Diet, and all the stuff that works for me. 

PM

Got in another 3 miles outside with the family and then some bagwork and sparring in TSD.

 Training Log: Entry 2984

AM

Made one of the hardest decisions in my life this morning to NOT get up and train. I am for real sick, and the best call is rest. I managed 100 squats and push ups which got me a fever sweat going, and took the dog for a 2 mile walk

THROUGH OUT DAY

Lunch to recover

Deer steak, egg whites and beef broth, because meat heals

PM

Feeling a million percent better. I got an extra 3.5 hours of sleep over a span of 2 naps and the Mrs made me the most anabolic dinner ever. She is my Valkyrie.

There is a TON of deer steak in that omelet: what’s on the plate was just what was left over.

I got in my remaining 200 push ups and squats for 300 total, and another 3 miles of walking outside in the sun. Meat heals, sun heals, movement heals.

 Training Log: Entry 2983

AM WORKOUT (0420 natural wake up, rough night of sleep due to illness) FASTED

**”FAMINE: RAGNAROK IS HERE** Week 1, Workout 1: Press

AS A CIRCUIT: Press-dip-bench-viking-abs (90 seconds rest at end)

Keg clean and strict press
2x1x185
2x2x185

Weighted dips
4x3x130

Axle incline bench
6xAMRAPx115+minibands

Viking press
4x10-12x70 on axle
2xTriple dropset starting w/70, then 65, 60, 55

Hanging leg raise
5xAMRAP

15 minutes of arms

TABATA bodyweight squats/push ups, totaling 200 squats and 150+ push ups

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk outside with sun exposure

Notes:

* It’s good to come back to what works.  My topend strength needs bringing up, and this will do just that.  Kept blacking out with the keg, solid challenge.  Need to get those dips back in order.  Viking press was landmine vs the set-up I was using before, which is far more streamlined.  In general, I keep learning more every time I re-rerun this.  

* Cutting away from my personal challenge on the KB swings was the right call.  No longer dreading training, no more albatross around my neck.

* In thinking about “what am I doing different” and why I’m not getting the results I was before, training was a part of it, trying out real fasting vs PSMF was part of it, but I realized that I just flat out haven’t had a real Rampage in 2 weeks.  I didn’t want to eat that way, but the results are obvious.  Calorie cycling is part of this: I need a day with a BIG calorie dump so my body gets disrupted.  Our brunch buffet has moved closer by.  We’re gonna hit it up this weekend.  I need to make peace with eating the way that reaches my goals.  Ideally, I’d like to Rampage on Sat vs Sun, but I’ll adapt as needed.

 Training Log: Entry 2982

AM WORKOUT (0420 natural wake up, rough night of sleep between illness and excitement) FASTED

**”TO VALHALLA** FINAL WORKOUT (FOR NOW) **”TEARING OFF GRENDAL’S ARM”**

(2) Mat Pulls
7+3+3x415+chains

Straight into

Buffalo bar squat stripset

10x315
15x225
20x135
**100**x85

Straight into

13 rounds in 15 minutes of

* 20 KB swings
* 5 burpee chins

Notes:

* Between travel, illness, poor eating, etc, I just wanted a workout where I could give my all without expectations.  Opened up with mat pulls, then just went for max suck.  It worked.

* Had to pick up my dog from the kennel, so my walk got tabled.  Try to get it in later today.  I got in 40 extra swings, so I’m at a total of 300 for that: halfway to the daily.  

* I’ve strayed too far, nutritionally, from what was working, so I’m trying to course correct.  Back to more of an Apex Predator/Velocity Diet approach during the weekdays and carnivore on the weekends. I most likely need a legit Rampage as well.  As much as I don’t care to eat that way, the results speak for themselves.

* Plan is to return to Famine for 2 weeks.  That also worked.  I’m counting these past 4 days toward Famine time, so I’m gonna truncate the program a touch to re-vector and go from there.

* Figuring out training plans for the future.

PM 

Got in a 2+ mile walk outside with my kiddo.

I'm done with swings for now.  It's the right call.

Outstanding carnivore dinner

 Training Log: Entry 2981

Been away for a weekend with family.  Lots to say, but not much time to update.  Might flesh this out more, but I tried my hand at IF and found it lacking.  I'm at 8391 swings in 13 days.  Got in all my daily recs otherwise, and I'm ready to come back strong.  Gonna continue the famine for a bit and then get back to a plan.

Some photos

 Training Log: Entry 2980

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm) FASTED

**TO VALHALLA** Week 3, Workout 5 **"Bail Out The Last Of The Vasa's Deep Water And Row To Shore"**

* 600 unbroken KB swings w/24kg bell

* 100 reps of strict Viking press w/45lbs on axle

* 100 reps of Viking rows

Throw on 80lb vest and go for 1.25 mile walk.

REMAIN FASTED (no breakfast)

Lawn mowing

50 burpee chins in 5:40

Finish out with 300 total squats and 200 total push ups

Notes:

* Took it in a slightly different direction to have more of a Dan John-esque morning, training fasted, going for a walk, and getting in coffee.  Original plan was 575 swings, but that was close enough to 600 it seemed silly to stop.  So now I'm at 7016 in 11 days.  

* My shoulders were absolutely on fire from those Viking strict presses.  I really like how I can "rest" in the up position there.  That's something to keep around.  And the rows were absolutely brutal.

* The story: the shoreline is in sight, so we bail out all the Deep Water we can and then row hard until we hit the beach.  Throw on our armor and head into battle.  This is Ragnarok gents: it's what we've been rowing toward!  To Valhalla!

* I've been continuing the fast to kickstart the Famine and just see what I can get away with.  I'm about 12 hours in and about to break the fast for lunch, which is going to be egg whites and beef bone broth mixed with Metabolic Drive, going from fasting to protein sparing modified fasting.  This is really just more of a "see if I can" sorta thing: I'm a bit unsold on legit fasting for PSMF as far as being jacked and strong goes.  But I also like the idea of a fasting DAY every once in a while vs making it a total lifestyle thing.  Just always tinkering and experimenting.  

* Big part of the above has been about keeping busy, which the lawn mowing and other chores have been helping.  Got in that bodyweight workout just to get in my daily reps as well.  It's a travel day, but a short 3 hour trip to be with family over the long weekend.  Food is going to be scarce while I'm there, so I figured making it an intention fast would work out well.

Training Log: Entry 2979

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm) FED

**”TO VALHALLA**Week 3, Workout 4**”Prisoners Earn Freedom When The Vasa Hits Deep Water”**

* 10x10x295 Trap Bar Pulls while wearing chains

* 50 KB swings w/24kg bell between sets

* 2 min rests between sets, ultimately boiled down to non-stop movement

* On final set, take off chains and do another 10 reps

OFF CAMERA
5xAMRAP leg raises and 200 bodyweight squats

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk with my “Bearfoot” shoes, then 75 swings

Notes:

* I had to talk myself into this workout.  I woke up exhausted, and all I wanted to do was go for a walk.  But this week has been about training AGAINST my nature, and today will mark the final day of feasting (which will have us go out big with our County Fair tonight…getting my turkey leg on), so a brutal workout fit the bill.  Factor of that exhaustion is my Valkyrie Queen fell ill yesterday and I spent the day tending to her, and may have contracted a touch of whatever plagued her.  But also so much time in Deep Water has most likely taxed me.  The compromise I came to was high handles vs low.

* Wearing the chains is such a money move.  Aside from making this “more Viking”, it forces a more upright torso and I feel like strikes a decent balance of “Ox lift” without having to deal with the silliness of set-up.  Less weight in the hands, but still heavy weight being moved.  And easier/faster than having to deal with a vest.

* The story: the Vasa continues to take on Deep Water, and in such situations, even those taken prisoner will pitch in, because we all drown together if we drown.  So we wear our chains and take on the Deep Water, and through our valor we are granted our freedom.  First, we shed the chains, then we shed the shackles (straps) and from there we stand equal.  We are warriors.  To Valhalla!

* Digging my bearfoot shoes so far.  2 miles wasn’t too big an ask for my feet.  They are remarkably sensitive.  I was able to tell when very small pebbles had gotten caught in the tread.  

* Swing count is at 6416 in 10 days.  I owe 100 squats and 300 push ups, and should get in a lot of outside walking at the fair tonight.

PM 

Got in my training, and got my carnivore on at the fair, and a sweet hat

 Training Log: Entry 2978

AM WORKOUT (0420 natural wake up): FED

**”TO VALHALLA** Week 3, Workout 3 “Bailing Out The Vasa When It Hits Deep Water” Part 3: Keg Cleans and Swings

10x10x155lb Keg clean

* 2 min rest between sets
* 50KB swings w/24kg bell between sets
* Rest periods starts at end of clean: swing on your rest times

OFF CAMERA

12 rounds of combinations of daily work and 300 squats and 120 push ups.   Got in 5xAMRAP leg raises, 2x25 band pull aparts, 2 sets of curls, 2 sets of lateral raises.

BREAKFAST 

2 mile walk

Notes:

* Gotta save the loot from the Deep Water!

* This was absolutely brutal.  The posterior chain gets no rest at all.  

* Went non-berserker because the powder coat on that keg will tear the hell out of my skin even THROUGH the shirt.  In turn, I was soaked in sweat at the end.  Just fantastically challenging and exactly what I needed.  My legs are still nuked from Monday.  

* Still need to get in 75 more swings to get to 5841 for the day, and the remaining push ups as well.  Really glad I could get in that extra work though.  It’s good to return to some ab training.

PM UPDATE

Med appointment confirmed that this way of living suits me

Also, got my new shoes.  I like them.

And I got in my 75 swings and 180 push ups.  TSD was canx, but oh well.

 Training Log: Entry 2977

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm) FED

**”TO VALHALLA** Week 3, Workout 2: “Bailing out the Vasa in Deep Water” Part 2: Viking Thrusters and Swings

* 10x10x115 (on the axle) Viking Thrusters w/2 min rest between thrusters

* 50 KB swings between thrusters

* Rest time starts at end of Thrusters.  Swings done DURING rest.

* Finish the 10x10, transition to 5 minutes of Burpserkers (yes, I’m renaming burpee chins to be more Viking and I love it): 38 total

OFF CAMERA

300 push ups and squats
3 AMRAP hanging leg raises
Curls w/20lb DBs until pumped

BREAKFAST

75 swings

2 mile walk

Notes:

* Continuing on with my terrible idea of combining Vikings with Deep Water with the swing challenge.  This was an interesting combination where it seemed like it wasn’t challenging enough except I am clearly dying in the later rounds due to the stupid short rest times and full ROM movement of a thruster.   The second and third round of swings in both of these workouts are when I feel the most like puking.  Finishing the workout in 28 minutes put me in a mood to throw in those Burpserkers, which, also, @ChongLordUno , I’m failry certain you should don the title of “Burpserker” in general and also consider picking a burpee variant and giving it that title.

* Kept it 2 minutes the whole time for rest times, which was a fantastic added challenge.  The overhead work is always a balancing act when it comes to weight.

* My legs are absolutely trashed from yesterday, as are my glutes, which is quite a sensation.  My bodyweight is up to 181.0, which I imagine a big part of that is simply inflammation from how totally swollen my entire lower body has become.

* It was good to get some direct ab and arm training in.  I recognize that, left to my own devices these things DON’T get done, and it’s what Jamie’s program was good for to me.  I’ll need to get back into something like that.  

* Tang Soo Do may be happening tonight.  Schedules are a little screwy with travel.

* In my quest for continual process improvement, I believe I’ve found a way to address my compulsive gum chewing (like a smoker, I’m almost a pack a day dude) and underhydration by switching to ice chips.  The gum chewing is a holdover from my days of always EATING something, and it seems I’m just used to my mouth always being in motion (yes, make your jokes now).  Meanwhile, because I was always chewing gum, I wasn’t drinking fluids.  So now I’m chomping on a bunch of ice chips at work, which is getting me some water, satiating the need to chew something, and some argue raising my metabolic rate ever so slightly.  Aside from being a little weird on the social side, I feel like this is a win.

* I am digging my switch from plastic egg cookers to glass jars.  This is such a small thing and a big thing at the same time.  Today I’ll try whole eggs vs just whites.

* I have been including this bone broth WITH many of my egg white creations, along with mixing it with my coffee and a few other spots, and plan to make it the base of my carnivore chili when I come around to it.  Also used it for the chuck roast that I cut up this week for sandwich meat and it was amazing.  I love all the things I’m discovering through this process.  They also have a chicken and veggie variant.

* My bearfoot shoes are supposed to come in tomorrow, and a Piedmontese order soon after.  I’m thinking I’m gonna have a summer of “Rampage” meals where it’s family steak night/BBQ and I eat some real, authentic goddamn delicious Nebraska sweet corn, sweet potatoes, local raw honey and sourdough bread.  I’m already seeing the benefits from my carb up on Sunday, there’s no denying that I need these weekly carbs, but I also really just don’t need to eat junk, and I can FEEL the difference when I load up on junk vs not.  I wrote on my past 2 previous Rampage meal post workouts how the workout was “cleansing” and I was “sweating Crisco”, and could observe how foul my body odor was, whereas doing the Deep Water squats off of homemade sourdough and local honey just had me training hard and feeling fine.  And I have plenty of Finibars for dessert, which are delicious.

* 5266 swings so far: halfway to 10k and a third of the way to 15.

PM UPDATE

Pretty proud of this

I made a casserole out of leftovers using the microwave.

4 egg whites mixed with a splash of beef broth, 12 chicken meatballs cut in half, and a shaving of grassfed Dubliner cheese.  About 4 minutes in the microwave total.  Just a little soupy on the bottom, which I have a few ways I could address it, but otherwise the slices came out clean.  Pasta-less casserole.  I topped with some grassfed sour cream because that stuff is delicious.  "Cooked" it in some glassware storage: stupidly simple.

Tang Soo Do was a decent workout.  More evil in store for tomorrow.

 Training Log: Entry 2796

AM WORKOUT (0420 wake up via alarm) FED

**"To Valhalla"** Week 3, Workout 1: **"Bailing Out The Vasa When It Hits Deep Water On Way To Ragnarok"**

Deep Water meets the 10k swing challenge.  Seriously, f- -k you: I’m a Viking.

SSB Squats
10x10x275+chains

Rest no longer than 4 minutes between squats.

Do 50 KB swings between sets.

The swings are done DURING the rest period.  You do not start the rest after the swings.  The ship is SINKING gets: bail it out!

BREAKFAST

75 more swings
50 push ups
50 squats
2 mile walk

Notes:

* I came up with this yesterday and got giddy with myself for being so twisted.  I was thinking to myself that the instinctive training has been awesome, but that I’m FULLY aware that, instinctively, I am a hedonist, not an ascetic.  The WODs have been hard, but not challenging.  They were not pushing me beyond my limits.  So it was time to take something that does EXACTLY that.  I’m thinking of doing a whole week of Deep Water workouts with a Viking twist and that 15k challenge looming.  

* The story: The Vasa is a ship with an amazing history that you should look up, but ultimately it serves as a fantastic symbol of man’s hubris.   It’s a warship that is too big to sail.  It sunk on its maiden voyage due to its own volume.  What a fantastic metaphor.  “I don’t care if I die, as long as they bury me in a BIG goddamn box!”  We should all strive to be so large that we capsize.  But, in turn, just imagine the SHEER amount of force and strength it would take to row such a beast to KEEP it afloat on your way to war?   This requires the labor and strength of legendary fallen warriors.  But even THEY can only keep the Vasa afloat for so long: it WILL take on water.  Which is why, after each set, we bail it out with 50 KB swings.  We are rowing into DEEP WATER my friends: we cannot stop or we will drown.  

* We lost 2 oarsmen at set 8 and one at set 9.  We went back for them.  We will need every man for this war.

* I kept it at 2 min of rest for the first 3 sets, then like 2:15 for a few, then 2:45 and some 3:00s in there.

* The SSB is ABSOLUTELY the most Viking bar one could squat with, no question.  Another option would be actual Viking squats with the landmine, but this is what I settled on.  Chains, of course, are far more Viking than without chains.  If I wanted to make it even more Viking, the swings would be replaced with something like Viking handle deadlifts or floor to overhead.  Thrusters would be TOO stupid, because it’d be squats on top of squats.  Oh yeah, and, of course, actual rowing would make the most sense.

* This was ABSOLUTELY what I was looking for as far as pushing my limits goes.  And I’m opening myself up to all sorts of possibilities in that regard.  I’m thinking that I could have some weeks where it’s pure intuitive/instinctive training, followed by 1 week of “counterintuitive” training BY DESIGN to create disruption/intentional dissonance and chaos to force growth.  Harmony is beautiful: disharmony DRIVES a necessary adaptation to return TO harmony, and it’s that adaptation that IS growth, and that growth IS strength.  

* Like, I could do a Viking Deep Water week, a Viking Building the Monolith week, a Viking Super Squats Week, etc.  Fully understanding these are PROGRAMS, with their own logical build up and structure, and a week of them isn’t necessarily meeting THEIR design…but it SURE meets mine.  

* My glutes and hamstrings are locking up like mad.  This was a fantastic stimulus.  This week, I travel out on Friday and spend time with family, away from the gym and my modern conveniences.  I’m planning on bringing the kettlebell, to stay with the challenge, and will accomplish my daily minimums and regular physical activity, but will otherwise run a mini-famine, if not kickstart the full famine from that starting point.  

* While talking nutrition: it honestly felt good to skip the Rampage for a week and just do a simple, “wholesome” carb up.  I’m running into the issue I ran into with “Deep Mountain”: this style of eating is so sustainable and suitable that I honestly don’t WANT to deviate from it.  And it’s so simple that I have to consciously choose to NOT eat the way that I want to eat.  Everywhere we went that had an opportunity to Rampage and carb up ALSO had an opportunity to just eat meat, and I wanted to MEAT, NOT the carbs.  I was never a sugar addicted, and pretty much the only reason I ever “craved” carbs was because I was limiting myself on meat for SOME reason, but once I told myself “if it’s animal, it’s allowed”, I have no desire to eat anything beyond that.  BUT, I recognized that this training had COMPLETELY drained my glycogen stores.  I am looking and feeling flat, and I DO experience improvements in training and physique when I include a regular weekly carb up.  Holy hell, this speaks EXACTLY to what I wrote about above creating intentional disharmony for the sake of growth: that’s nuts!  

* So all THAT said, I REALLY dug how this carb up shook out.  Homemade bread, local honey, minimally processed nut butters, etc.  Very “clean” carbs, and I tried to go as low fat as possible while keeping protein higher to really shake things up.  The dirtiest carb was the breakfast cereal and, consequentially, it was the least enjoyable part of it.  If I were to do it over, I’d get a sweet potato instead: I always liked those.  Capping it off with the Finibar was the perfect touch, because it’s gentle on the guts and definitely had me feeling satiated, to say nothing of the fact that those things are just goddamn delicious.  I microwaved it, to make it a real treat.  And I went to bed feeling GREAT: not bloated, stuffed, sweating and miserable like I do after the Rampages.  I’m still going to eat what I want from here on out, which means that, if I find myself in a state that a REAL Rampage sounds great, I’ll do exactly that.  The Brunch I had last weekend, with French toast and pancakes and etc, was exactly that. But the brunch I had THIS weekend was ALSO fantastic, and it was pure carnivore.  I’m not going to eat junk just to eat junk, because that’s stupid, but if I want to eat it, there’s a great avenue for it, and otherwise, I know how to get in some carbs and meet the objectives.

* A few other nutrition points: we called this “Carb backloading” back in the day, so that’s cool.  Also, I swapped out the grassfed whole cream I was putting in my coffee with beef broth, which makes it more like a soup, and I’m totally ok with.  I honestly didn’t care for the cream in the coffee: was just looking for an opportunity to consume a bit more animal.  ALSO, I made my egg whites in a mason jar this morning vs my microwave egg cooker, and now there’s no going back.  The fewer heated plastics, the better.

* I pulled the trigger on some "barefoot shoes".  Went with the Ursus

* I legit picked them because they're made of leather and I'm full on embracing this "animal based" thing.  And Brian Alsruhe supports the company, and Chris Duffin is a part owner of it, and it's a North Dakota based company so it all lined up.  I'm excited to give them a go.

* I also bought Brian's newest e-book on EMOM training.  It's evil, as expected.

* Current swing total is 4691 in 7 days.

 Training Log: Entry 2795

Ok, another wild day, as usual for weekends.  All good things.

Slept off and on until about 0800, immediately upon waking got in 150 push ups and 100 squats, then soon after 400 swings done in 2 sets of 200, each taking about 5:10 to accomplish, so that's good to know for baseline.  Fasted all the way to brunch at 1000, which was pure carnivore. 

 

Did chores, came home, knocked out 180 more swings in and used the remaining time of a 10 minute timer to get in another 100 push ups and squats.  

Saw a play with the family, picked up Panda Express on the way home, large entre of Teriyaki Chicken and then I made "Noodles" using those egg wraps.  Turned out pretty decent.  Bottom right is just some piedmontese steak tips I cut up small for some gyros/tacos this week.

Got in a deadlift workout immediately after dinner: 

405+chains off 3 mats for 8+4+3

Went for immediate 3 mile walk and then 50 push ups and squats.

Didn't do a Rampage this week, but got in a carb up after dinner.  

Some thin sliced homemade sourdough with some raw local honey mixed with pumpkin, a small smear of some peanut butter, sunflower butter or nuts n' more depending on the slice, sprinkled with naked PB, some slices toasted, some not, alongside 100 calories of applejax with some protein powder mixed in, some of that protein egg white cake I made and a cereal bar that I actually swapped out for a Peanut Butter Finibar because I realized, if I wanted a Peanut Butter bar, I HAD better choices I could make.

I have some VERY evil intentions for my workout tomorrow morning. This was an awesome day.

 Training Log: Entry 2794

Figured out a better way to do the food porn

Here we go, sum up the day.  Bottom right is breakfast: omelet 3 whole pasture raised eggs, grassfed dubliner cheese, grassfied piedmontese steak tips, chicken bacon, an egg white, next to a Don Lee farms chicken patty, paleo chicken sausages, and this kickass bacon I found

I honestly need to just hook up with our local butcher, but that will do for now.

Lunch was some leftover air fried chicken thighs and egg whites, bottom left.

Upper right is meal prep: took a piedmontese chuck roast and pressure cooked it in some beef bone broth...and that was it.  And it turned out fantastic, and I sliced it thin and I'm thinking tacos or gyros now.

Upperleft is dinner: pork ribs and chopped brisket from our favorite local BBQ place. This chopped brisket really redeemed them, because their sliced brisket was very sub-par.  Once again, I traded my kid my cornbread for their brisket.  Sucker!

And upper middle...a "nailed it" esque attempt at a protein egg white cake in the slow cooker.  I think cooking it was the mistake.  Even though it's egg whites, I feel safe enough making it a no-bake next time and seeing how that goes.  It's edible, but dry.  I can resolve that, of course, but the attempts are part of the fun.  And it only took 15 minutes to get the bottom of the instant pot cleaned out!

As far as training goes, first thing upon waking up my feet hit the floor, 150 push ups and 250 squats.  100 KB swings while taking out the trash, another 50 after taking the dog for a 2+ mile walk, then I got in this Viking WOD

**"To Valhalla" Week 2, Workout 6: "Berserker POW of Ragnarok"**

* Max swings, EMOM 3 burpee chins.  425 was the goal to reach my 575 for the day, but I had enough time to go over that.  24kg bell.

So I'm at a total of 3536 in 6 days, and ahead of schedule.  Good place to be...again.

Then got in a 3 mile walk with my kiddo after dinner, and somewhere along the line the rest of my push ups and squats.

I bought a rower!  It's this model

I know that's like a kid's toy for the rowers out there, but the price was right, since I got it off facebook market.  It fits in perfectly in the gym.

We're trying for brunch again tomorrow, but I'm honestly not feeling a rampage right now.  I may make it a carnivore brunch, purely for the challenge of it, and then just have a nice carb up meal at lunch or dinner instead, and keep it a bit on the cleaner side.  But, of course...

Chaos is the plan.

 Training Log: Entry 2793

AM WORKOUT (0440 wake up via alarm, absolutely exhausted from yesterday) FED

**TO VALHALLA** Week 2, Workout 5 **”Blacksmith of Valhalla Outfits the Fallen”**

575 kb swings w/24kg bell, but EMOM do a Viking Armor Building Complex w/90lbs loaded on axle. 

225 squats and push ups in 6 minutes

BREAKFAST

2+ mile walk in the sun

Notes:

* Got it done inside 35 rounds. It was awful. We are building armor here folks! Gotta swing that hammer.

* I was absolutely EXHAUSTED coming into this.  Genuinely did not want to do it.  Spent some time looking at my feet and wondering if there was any room to not train today.  Discovered there was not.  Yesterday was INCREDIBLE.  I had the most fun training and living I’ve had in a LONG time.  My wife told me she literally could not remember the last time she had seen me so happy.  But BOY was it a LOT of activity.  Orm would be proud.  I may have to make that an annual thing.

* Got in the majority of push ups and squats, but wanted to keep the workout time lower and get some stuff done.  I have Tang Soo Do tonight, which will provide more opportunities for activity.

* 575 swings done, so I’m at 2936 in 5 days: ahead of schedule.  Good place to be.

 Training Log: Entry 2792

AM WORKOUT (0440 natural wake up) FED

**TO VALHALLA** Week 2, Workout 4 **"Festival of Orm Stórolfsson Part 1: Feats of Endurance"**

38 rounds of

15 KB swings w/24kg bell
8 squats
8 push-ups

While wearing our armor (10lb vest)

BREAKFAST

2+ mile walk w/dog

Notes:

The festival runs through the day and ends with a feast!  We start off the morning with a light breakfast and feats of endurance

"Why 38 rounds?"  Because we're still going to get 15k swings in 26 days, and 38 rounds of 15 got us to 570, with 5 more tacked on for 575, which puts us on pace.  8s for push ups and squats got us slightly over 300: our daily goal.

---

Folks, the festival continues to be fantastic. We feasted for lunch

3 air fried chicken thighs, skin on, seasoned only with duck fat, because MEAT IS DELICIOUS.  Served with a side of egg whites.

From there, we paid tribute to Orm in the most satisfactory of manner: a Viking Powerlifting Meet and Timed hold with the bar on our back

**"VIKING POWERLIFTING MEET & TRIBUTE TO ORM"**

A Viking would not debase himself by lying down, so there is no benching here.  

Double bodyweight on squats, bodyweight on log, 3/4 bodyweight on stone.  I weighed in at 177 this morning

, so rounded it to 175 for 355 on the squat, 175 on the log and 135 on the stone.

2 reps per lift: one for me and one for Orm.

18 rounds, because 6 attempts per lift: once again, 1 meet for me, 1 meet for Orm.

When it's over, we load up the bar much like the ships mast that did in our hero and we hold for as long as we can.  That was 645lbs.  Nothing significant about the number: it was the heaviest I could load onto the bar in the fastest time.

---

This evening, I feast at some manner of Texas steakhouse, whereupon I have been informed the ribs of a swine await me alongside some manner of barely warmed bovine.  To Valhalla!

---

EDIT/UPDATE

Honestly thought I was done logging, but the evening turned out pretty awesome. I got an 8oz thick cut NY Strip Steak at Texas Roadhouse. For my side, I asked for 2 house salads with no lettuce, tomato or crutons “just eggs and cheese”. Our server made me a SALAD out of shredded cheddar cheese and eggs. I brought home like a pound of shredded cheese, because eating it would have been absurd. I also got a sidekick of ribs without sauce, and they were delicious AND free because they took a while to come out. It was a fantastic meal, and then my kiddo pitched the idea of a 5 mile walk after dinner, which I just got back from. No finer way to celebrate the memory of Orm: feasting and festival.

 Training Log: Entry 2791

AM WORKOUT (0430 natural wake up, rough night of sleep, mind racing, too excited about training) FED

**TO VALHALLA** Week 2, Workout 3 “Carried Away By Valkyries: Grace, Fran and Cindy”

“Valkyrie Grace”

* 30 floor to overheads w/Viking handle
* 9x135 on the axle to start, and then...

* Took off a 45 and got in the remaining 21 reps

“Valkyrie Fran”

* 21-15-9 Viking thruster and strict chins

“Valkyrie Cindy”

20 minutes AMRAP of

* 5 chins-10 push ups-15 squats-20 KB swings w/24kg bell 

15 rounds completed

OFF CAMERA

8 rounds of

* 27 swings
* 15 push ups
* 8 squats

And then 65 swings, 20 squats and 30 push ups, to get all my daily totals and then some.  Totaled out 581 swings, and 1786 for 3 days so far.

BREAKFAST

2 mile walk in the sun

Notes:

* Not really sure what happened with Grace.  It was moving along real well, and alluva sudden I just couldn’t get that clean any more.  The transition from floor to rack can be a little tricky, but I was running into some weird resistance.  The handle ripped up my chest a little bit there, but it looks worse than it is.  Had to swallow my pride.  I proved myself undeserving of Grace, and, in turn, had to do battle with Fran and Cindy to earn my place in Valhalla.

* In general, I like these variations of the WODs, as the Viking handle is a lot more sparing of tissue compared to traditional barbell work.  However, I abandoned my plan of getting in some cosmetic work, and it honestly needs happening.  I can see my arms getting a little smaller from the lack of direct stimulus.   I’m taking on a lot with this swing challenge, but that’s part of just pivoting with my schedule.  I’ll be traveling over the long Juneteenth weekend, and it’s better having no plan in turn vs a disrupted plan.  Chaos IS the plan.

* Cindy was a good way to sneak in my own daily requirements on top of some training.  Cleaned up what was left after the official close of the WODs.  Nice to get in some chins: been neglecting that.

Was able to get in some lawn mowing, Tang Soo Do, and piedmontese grassfed hot dogs on egg white wraps with grassfed cheese/sour cream and pork rinds for dinner

Solid afternoon/evening

 Training Log: Entry 2790

AM WORKOUT (0430 natural wake up) FED

**TO VALHALLA** Week 2, Workout 2: “Viking Raid: Varangian Guard Ambushed At High Tide”

10 rounds of:

* 20 Viking rows w/25lbs on axle
* 30 KB swings w/24kg bell
* Keg carry (carry locked out overhead on way up, cross body carry on way down, alternate each round)
* 30 KB swings
* While wearing 10lb vest

Increase Viking rows reps by 5 every odd round

* Total time: 37:30, then 1 bonus round of 20 rows, 30 swings and 1 keg carry locked out overhead
* Then 300 squats and 300 push ups in 7:30

BREAKFAST

2+ mile walk in the sun with the dog

Notes:

* Here’s the story behind the workout: we’re back to the Viking raid.  We’re wearing our armor (10lb vest) because we are a raiding party.  BUT, we planned poorly, and high tide rolled in.  This is why the keg has to be carried to the boat locked out overhead: gotta keep it above the water.  The tide has also made a quick escape impossible, and our victims have more fight in them than before.   So this means we row to the shore, swing our weapon 30 times, take the bounty, load it on the boat, swing our weapon at the reinforcements, and row it back home.  We get home and find that the province has come under invasion from marauders who sought to strike the homefront while we were away, so we fend them off, unload the bounty, get in some quick weapon training to stay sharp, and row out for the next raid.  And, of course, since we are Varangian, there are many Rus among us, which is why our weapon is the mighty kettlebell.  …oh my goodness, yes, that is SUCH a stretch and I absolutely love it. I’m having so much fun role-playing my training, and I am a jacked enough DnD nerd that if anyone wants to give me any crap about it I will stuff them in a locker.

* Increasing the row reps had me finishing out with 40 reps for rounds 9 and 10.  It's trying to create that whole "row to the shore, row back home" construct.

* Swings with a vest on is next level!  Since swings have you moving your torso through space, this adds a new element of challenge to things.  Doing 630 of the f—king things just makes it more ridiculous.  But I’m glad I could do so, as it’s contributed well to my goal of getting in the 15k swings.

* Really trying to focus on rep quality on said swings.  I wanna make the most of this.  I remember how transformative this was the first time, and I’m excited for that.  

* This workout itself was absolutely outstanding.  Total gasser, moving through all sorts of spaces and getting all sorts of quality work in.  And I hit the Dan John checklists of push (push ups) pull (Viking row), squat (squats) hinge (swings) loaded carry (keg).  

* I put in for a day off work on Thursday, so I’m going to pivot things around and make THAT the day I do the Festival of Orm Storolfsson, since I’ll have a bit more time to get things done that day.

And wanted to share dinner, one, because I’m doing that a lot these days, but also because it’s something pretty cool that I slapped together.

Tacos, on those egg wraps, with grassfed sour cream, grassfed Dubliner cheese, grassfed piedmontese steak tips, fajita style chicken (pre-cooked/frozen stuff leftover from a past life), and then I crumbled up a pork rind on top, to make it 3 different animals in each taco AND made it a crispy taco from the inside out. This was a lot of leftovers and ready made stuff, and is still carnivore/animal the whole way through, and something I whipped together after coming home late from work so I could still have time with the family and get in a 10+ minute walk outside in the sun.

 Training Log: Entry 2789

AM WORKOUT (0440 wake up via alarm) FASTED (unintentional: literally forgot to eat this morning)

**TO VALHALLA** Week 2, Workout 1: "Erik, Baleog and Olaf Get Lost in the Woods of DanJöhneimr"

* 575 kettlebell swings w/24kg bell in as few rounds as possible, BUT…
    * EMOM: First 25 minutes: 2x 1 burpee into 1 Viking thruster w/110lbs on axl
    * EMOM: Remaining rounds: 1 burpee into 2 Viking thrusters (so effectively 1 fewer burpee per             round)

Finished inside of 42 rounds, then 17 burpees I felt I owed to Lee Hazard for cutting them out of my remaining rounds

OFF CAMERA

300 bodyweight squats and 300 push ups

2 mile walk with dog

THEN breakfast (figured, I was already fasted, might as well extend it.

Notes:

**DECLARATION OF INTENT**

* I am doing 15k swings in 26 days on top of my "To Valhalla" Viking WODs to close out June. It breaks down to 575 swings a day for 24 of the 26 days, and 2 days of 600 swings. Sticking with 24kg bell. Lonnie123 at t-nation infected me, and for that I thank you. In addition: I am LIVING intuitively through the month of June. That’s already what the diet is. I am eating what I want (meat) and I am eating until I am done eating. That’s already been a huge positive, and yesterday was a demonstration of such, as I had my massive feast, I gorged but did NOT binge, when I was done, I was done…and I was DONE. A half chicken breast for dinner 8 hours later and some protein to feed the muscles while I slept, a fasted workout in the morning (which wasn’t by design, but a testament to how I still wasn’t hungry), and still continuing the protein sparing modified fast while the appetite returns. But this is intuitive TRAINING. I noted that, the morning I was supposed to start “Feast”, I just plain didn’t want to…so I didn’t. What I wanted to do was all these crazy Viking WODs, so that’s what I’m doing.

* THIS was an awesome way to get there. I was hurting, to the point that, as you see, I had to shave off a burpee just to get some swings in. Enough rounds of 3-4 swings let me know that I had swam into the Deep Water and needed a life-preserver if I wanted to make the swim back home.

* This was a cleansing workout. I’ve really dug these the day after my Rampage. Despite that giant opus on nutrition I just put out, I could keep going, and part of that is that the hard/sharp fast following the feast has really been a positive for me. I come into these workouts still surviving off the feast and I sweat grease and Crisco out of my pores and, when it’s over, I finally have an appetite again and feel “right”. Being able to throw my walk in immediately afterwards was all the more perfect. I’m still going shirtless, to get in maximum sun exposure, but I do wish I could also work the weight vest in there that way.

* Level change and overhead: when you can do them BOTH, you’re onto something, and that’s why I go from burpee into thruster. It’s really worth pursuing.

* As for the way forward with June: 575 swings a day will be the feature, with the 300 squats, push ups and 2 mile walk also remaining. I’m planning on employing similarly structured workouts as the first week of Valhalla, but including swings where I can to get in my daily 575. However, there’s a noted absence of max strength work here, so my plan is, on Wed/mid-week, I’ll do a pseudo powerlifting meet WOD dubbed “Festival of Orm Stórolfsson”. In addition, I don’t have the small parts work here that was in feast, so I’m thinking of using my Valkyries workout to include some “curls for the girls”, because when the Valkyries come to carry you away, you wanna look JACKED.

* And on THAT subject: I call my wife my Valkyrie. She loves it. And then the other day she said “If I’m you’re Valkyrie, that makes you my Viking…but you’re really my Berserker”. And I told her I didn’t think I could love her any more before that moment and somehow proved me wrong, haha.

WORK LUNCH

Double hamburger. Added bacon and egg because I wanted that. Ate until I was done. Knife and fork. It just makes sense. I used to be such a martyr at these things.

Breakfast for dinner and another 2 mile walk with my kid afterwards. Thats a great day right there.

Training Log: Entry 2788

Another crazy weekend.

Slept until 0730, got up, 160 push ups and 125 squats done right away, live life, get to brunch buffet at 1000, have my Indigo 3-G and 2 scoop Metabolic Drive beforehand, as per Rampage tradition.

That photo is round 1.  Rounds 2 and 3 weren't nearly as substantial, just going for highlights (round 2 was 4 maple sausages and a slice of crab rangoon cream cheese pizza, round 3 was 2 slices of bacon and a biscuit drenched in sausage gravy, since I had so little my first go round)

Round 1, based off the photo and memory, was 1 blueberry muffin, 1 cinnamon roll, 2 pancakes (one was blueberry stuffed) with a bunch of chocolate/syrup/butter/spread between them acting like a sandwich, a slice of french toast, some blueberries, strawberries and oats with honey, a TON of bacon, eggs, some maple sausage, mac n cheese, a slice of cheese pizza, a biscuit with sausage gravy, some breakfast potatoes, 3 different varities of macaroni salad, oreo pudding, vanilla pudding, pistachio pudding, and some cold cuts.

The bacon was legit some of the best I've had in my life, left alone on a buffet line.  This was the opening day of this places brunch offering, and it's here to stay, and the wife and I LOVE brunch buffets, and if this became my weekly rampage I'd die and go to Valhalla just fine, so that's awesome.

Lived more life.  Guts completely rebelled on me.  Good that the system still works the way it's supposed to.

Got in THIS workout

But for context: we got home after some errands, so about 2 hours since I had put my fork down.  We're all feeling loggie, so we go for a 5.5 mile walk.  I went shirtless for sun exposure, but we actually got rained on quite a bit.  I didn't want to break momentum, so as soon as I got in the garage, I started the workout, hitting a fast warm-up and going for the pull.  I wanted to blackout on rep ONE, and by rep 4 I had to breathe out to keep it from actually happening.  The bar was snagging on my bare skin a lot, which added resistance, which is awesome.

Got in that KB workout at the end to round out rep totals for daily work.

For those that did not care to watch the whole thing, the video was

* 8+3+3 mat pulls w/415+chains off of a 4 mat high pull

10 rounds of

* 15 KB swings
* 5 goblet squats
* 15 push ups

Got a NASTY workout hangover from this, so asked my wife to drive while we ran a few quick errands and had a dinner out at a fast food place at around 1800, where I had half a chicken breast before I tapped out.

Came home, walked the dog 1.5 miles for a total of 7 miles traveled for the day.

I just had 3 egg whites with a scoop of Metabolic drive, more out of principle than anything else, but I am STILL quite full.  Absolutely nailed the meal.

Alright, Chaos is the Plan.  I'm going to run this "To Valhalla" another week, and quite honestly it's possible through the end of June/the finish of the feast.  I'm wanting to do the 10k swing challenge alongside it, so if nothing else, find a way to do 500 swings a day as well.  I think that'll be just incredible. We'll see what happens.  Go chaos.  I have plans to include one day of heavier lifting in a powerlifting style format as well: when I have more time I'll flesh that out.

Training Log: Entry 2787

Ok, let's make some sense of all that madness

A typical "hair on fire" weekend.  Slept until 0740 with the Mrs. immediately rolled out of bed and knocked out 100 bodyweight squats and 225 push ups.  I had actually gotten 100 bodyweight squats done in the middle of the night during a bathroom break, which I counted toward my daily total, because I'm nuts, so I was at 200 squats and 225 push ups for the day.  I owed 150 swings, 100 squats, and 75 push ups.

Had breakfast

Was amazing.  Carnivore weekends continue.  That's 3 whole eggs in that omelet alongside an egg white, 2 strips real bacon, and the usual suspects otherwise.  Omelet stuffed with deer and bison alongside grassfed dairy.

Went garage sale shopping with the kiddo, we walked, and got in 3 miles that way.  Actually found a book on the Dukan Diet I picked up for $1.  I remember Jamie Lewis writing about it so I figured why not.  

Chores, shopping, lunch at BBQ place. 

Pork ribs, my kid's pulled chicken (I trade them my cornbread for their chicken...SUCKER!) and a DOUBLE serving of pulled pork.  They originally came out of the kitchen with JUST a double order of pulled pork, when I ordered a single serving of pork and the ribs.  I asked where my ribs where, they confessed to their sins, brought them to me and let me keep the extra pork.  But, to quote famed philosopher Robert Hill

Ate it all.  Love living this way.

Got home, unloaded groceries, worked on dinner prep and lunch prep for the week (details to follow) and continued the Viking themed workouts with 

**"To Valhalla"** Week 1, Workout 5: **"Jörmungandr Siege Engine"**

10 rounds:
* INhumane burpee (15 swings, 10 goblet squats and 5 push ups) w/24kg bell
* Carry 100lb keg between burpee

After that, 10 rounds of
* Keg one motion press into 5 push ups

Wanted a 20 minute workout and got exactly that.  

Then dinner.  New recipe: proud of it.  Took 2lbs Piedmontese grassfed beef tips, air fried them with a little spray duck fat, one of the pounds I mixed with Kevin's Teriyaki Sauce

The other I just left as air fried beef, for my kiddo that won't touch sauces...and for me to keep carnivore.  But I did allow myself a little bit of the sauced stuff.

I took a slice of that egg white cake I made and turned it into "riced egg whites" something I've been doing a lot of recently.

It's also the base of my "oatmeal" these days.  So now I had an Asian beef rice bowl

Dinner was a win across the whole family!

As for work lunches: tried my hand at smoking chicken drummies and wings.  Used a new seasoning I picked up yesterday

It's not carnivore, but Paleo enough.  The low FODMAP won me over.  I think I may use it in my carnivore chili, when that comes around (it's pretty much ready to go, but I have so much other food to work through first).  

Ready on the smoker

Midway through and looking good

Fully smoked and...

Ready for work lunches.  I'll throw some egg whites or eggs in there to round it out later in the week.  Only 4 lunches, because I'm going to a going away on Monday...actually held at the same place that served "The Stellanator".  I'll have something lighter this time.

I also smoked some beef liver.  No photos, nothing awesome there, but now I have my vitamins.

Oh yeah, also, I use cereal keepers for my pellets, which I think is pretty smart

We're going out for a brunch buffet tomorrow, so the Rampage is all set and ready.  What a day!