Training Log: Entry 3028

AM WORKOUT (0405 wake up via alarm)

**MESS (Mass-Easy/Strength-Simple)** Workout 25: Easy Strength for Fat Loss

Axle continental and press away/weighted chins
3x3x166
3x3x50

(3) Axle double overhand deficit deadlift
3x3x246+chains

Standing ab wheel
1x10

100lb shouldered keg carry w/60lb weighted vest
3 trips per side

1+ mile walk w/weighted vest w/5 burpees every 3 minutes 

4 minutes of burpee chins (34 total)

Notes:

* After so much training  yesterday, today seemed like a good day for ES4FL vs something harder.  I’m also taking tomorrow off from work, so most likely won’t be lifting in the AM, so it all kind of fit.

* Was feeling an odd combination of strong and fatigued, so I kept the weight on the lighter side on the press and focused on just making it move as fast as possible and having short transitions.  The chins were too heavy: gotta knock that off.  Deads moved very solid.

* Huge fan of the keg shoulder carries.  I think that’s one of the most valuable things I’ve picked up so far.  

* Took a page from Tactical Barbell and turned the weighted vest walk into a “fun run”.  60lb weighted vest burpees definitely keep the heart rate up.  And then got back in the garage and knocked out the burpee chins for a solid finisher.

 Training Log: Entry 3027

AM WORKOUT (0406 wake up via alarm) FASTED

**MESS (Mass Easy/Strength Simple** Workout 22: Mass Made Simple Workout 12

*EASY STRENGTH WORK*

Axle continental and press away/weighted chin

3x3x166

3x3x40

(3) Axle deficit double overhand deadlift

3x3x246+chains

Standing ab wheel

1x10

Reverse hyper

75x240

*MASS MADE SIMPLE WORK*

Complex A (row-clean-front squat-press-squat-good morning)
3x3x145 (1 min rest)

Buffalo bar Squat
10x102
5x142
*55x192* (5 rep PR)

9 mins of assistance work (conan curls, lateral raises, pull aparts and pressdowns)

Breakfast

2 mile walk w/dog

Notes: 

* 

* I wasn’t feeling the strongest this morning, so I kept things on the lighter side for the Easy Strength work, which is pretty awesome when I think of how my “lighter side” work these days is so much heavier than what I started with.  In particular, I focused on really getting that continental moving quickly and without drama.  In general, this program has been absolutely stellar for my pressing, and it might be something I steal in the future irrespective of whatever else I do.  “To press a lot, you must press a lot”.  It still holds true.

* Last night’s carb up meal was rigatoni casserole and some absolutely baller chocolate cookies with mint chips.  The former is a family recipe that my mom passed on to my wife, and that was just awesome, because it filled up my body and my soul.  

* That was just the fuel I needed for that squat set too.  I’m still working up a weight class per the book’s RX.  This WOULD have been 135lbs, but I’ve already met the goal for my weight class if hitting bodyweight (and then some) for 50, so I went with the RX for the next class, which was this weight “to 50”, and I went beyond.  Once again, felt like quitting at rep 10.  It doesn’t get better: I just get better at dealing with the suck.

* The complexes were perfectly dialed in for weight and rest.  

* Glad I got in that assistance work.  I keep forgetting to do it.  

* Going off appetite cues today with a protein sparring modified fast.  Not really hungry.  I reached satiety pretty early in last night’s meal as well.  I am dealing with a minor annoying illness which seems to be causing some fatigue, but no real other symptoms.  It’s been pretty awesome to be able to listen to my body.

PM WORKOUT

5 mile run with the Mrs

 Training Log: Entry 3026

Weekend summary: Tested for brown belt.  2+hours long, felt awesome, did a great board break and ate a lot of mexican food afterwards to celebrate

There's been lots of walking, general activity, and good eating.  Got in this workout this afternoon and it was surprisingly brutal. 

And got a great deal on some pork ribs at Costco

 Training Log: Entry 3025

AM WORKOUT (0407 wake up via alarm) FASTED

**MESS (Mass Easy/Strength Simple)** Workout 22: Mass Made Simple Workout 11

*EASY STRENGTH WORK*

Axle continental and press away/weighted chin superset

3x3x171

3x3x45

(3) Axle Double Overhand Deficit Deadlift

3x3x246+chains

Standing ab wheel

1x10

Reverse hyper

75x235

*MASS MADE SIMPLE WORK*

Complex A (row-clean-press-squat-good morning)

5x145

2x5x135

1 min rest between complexes, many failures on pressing

Buffalo bar squat

10x102

5x112

10x192

212 “to 50”

27+8+7+8 (12 deep breaths between attempts)

Breakfast

Walk w/dog

Notes: 

* Didn’t log it yesterday, but after dinner got in a 4 mile run and 1.5 mile walk with the Mrs.  Totally unplanned, but Chaos is the plan.  Came into this fatigued, but had a solid enough meal the evening before that I was feeling mighty, so the press, chin, deadlift and reverse hyper were strong.  Complexes fell apart.  I am not eating enough in general, and the complexes are where that comes through, because I’m not progressing on them in the manner prescribed.  The clean is ultimately my downfall on these.   There’s actually a weightlifting gym not too far from my home, when life settles down, I might invest in some private lessons to learn the basics of the movement.  OR I may re-run this program using a different complex, or a different implement.  No shortage of avenues for success here.

* Really digging how fast I’m getting on my continentals.  This consistent practice is paying off.

* Major victory on the squat today.  25 was the goal, 27 a bonus, and getting the whole thing done in 1 fewer set a significant win.  Also less time spent feeling sorry for myself between attempts: 12 breaths and get after it.  

* I’m testing for brown belt in Tang Soo Do tomorrow, and demonstrating my “creativity hyung” tonight in class.  I call it “Fight in a phonebooth”: all short range attacks like elbows and knees.  Really, it’s Muay Thai done in a Tang Soo Do dobak.

 Training Log: Entry 3024

AM WORKOUT (0435 wake up via alarm, short night of sleep) FASTED

**MESS** Workout 22: Conditioning

Axle continental and press away/weighted chin superset

3x3x156

3x3x40

(3) Axle double overhand deficit deadlift

3x3x231+chains

Standing ab wheel

1x10

Multiple trips carrying a circus dumbbell while wearing chains

***CONDITIONING***

3 ladders up to 5 of

* CDB goblet squat

* Burpee chin

Accomplished within 15 minutes

BREAKFAST

Walked dog

Notes:

* Got a short night of sleep and woke up pretty exhausted, so made this a REAL “Easy Strength” workout. Tomorrow is MMS day, so be good to come into it a bit more recovered.

* Time is short, maybe more details later.

 Training Log: Entry 3023

AM WORKOUT (0405 wake up via alarm) FASTED

**MESS (Mass-Easy, Strength Simple)** Workout 21: Easy Strength for Fat Loss Day

Axle continental and press away/weighted chin superset

3x3x166

3x3x42.5

(3) Axle double overhand deficit deadlift

3x3x246+chains

Standing ab wheel

1x10

Loaded carry

100lb keg on back+40lb weight vest for several trips

1 mile weighted vest walk

1 mile run (rain started falling, so abandoned the vest)

Conan Curls

Notes:

* Pretty exhausted from my “day off” yesterday.  Knees, in particular, are beat up, most likely from the run.  But in that regard, it was my first time running at this new bodyweight, and that was an interesting experience.  I definitely “felt” lighter, and moved faster.  

* Really focusing on moving quickly on the first 2 movements of the day here, and on the continental and press in particular trying to speed up that continental.  All the practice has really been a boon.  And now, on my “weak days”, I’m still moving good weight.  Halfway through the program and I’m really digging the results.

* The deadlift was similar today.  I think my grip is finally solid enough that I can really maximize the benefit of this approach to pulling.

* The carry was another moment of “lets try THIS out”, since I’m doing everything I can to not repeat the same workout.  Interestingly taxing.  I prefer shoulder vs on the back, but this still achieved something.

* As you can see from all the lightning crashing, it was stormy weather, and I had a suspicion that I wouldn’t be able to walk my dog this morning, and with Tang Soo Do tonight a post dinner walk wasn’t on the agenda, so I settled on making this a “For Fat Loss” day.  Managed a mile walk before the rain started, and since my vest uses iron plates I didn’t wanna rust it out, so I booked it back to the garage, shed the vest and ran out the rest.

* I plan to do a write-up in the near future, but I wanna log this down here: “Easy Strength” is the solution to the shortcoming of “To Valhalla”.  I noted that the latter wasn’t really building my strength, and I was naturally neglecting my direct ab work.  Given that those workouts tended to run 30-40 minutes and Easy Strength is around 20-25 minutes, opening up a “To Valhalla” workout with an Easy Strength workout would allow for a full 60 minutes of work wherein I get in my strength work at the start and my conditioning at the end.  I can definitely foresee a block of that in the future.

 Training Log: Entry 3022

Holy cow days off are the busiest.

Sum

Woke up at 0430, lifted

**MESS** Day 20: Hard Conditioning

Axle Continental and Strict Press/weighted chins

3x3x171

3x3x40

(3) Axle double overhand deficit deadlift

3x3x241+chains

Standing ab wheel

1x10

Carrying kettlebells while wearing chains

*Conditioning*

20 rounds EMOM of burpee chin into burpee 24kg swing into burpee log viper w/150lb log

* Press is moving along well.  Continuing to focus on moving quickly.

Took the kid fishing, then walked dog 1.5 miles while wearing 40lb vest, then a lot of fried chicken (pulled the skin off) and hardboiled eggs at Pizza Ranch for lunch, then tried rollerblading (still got it...kiddo not so much, only managed half an hour before we ran out of fun), smoked pork chops for dinner, 5.5 mile run post dinner, got in my push ups and squats.