* Yesterday, I got in another round of shoveling and the remainder of my push ups. In turn, this morning I woke up and this was so not on my list of things to do. I am dealing with a minor annoying cold, which I need to recognize that I seem to get some sort of small illness every time I enter a famine. Reduced calories and fats can very likely be compromising my immune system. And I know that, at the end of a famine, my training motivation is totally shot. This one is unique, since I started it upon my return from my cruise last week, so I’m already 7 days in while only being 3 days into the training. What motivated me was the thought that, if I got through the training this morning, it’d mean I’d get to have the evening with my wife and kid.
* Getting out of my own head on the squats, the weight is low for heavy triples, but I’m squatting in probably the least mechanically advantageous manner I possibly can. Stance is narrow, bar is high, knees are forward, depth is rock bottom, and I’m not wearing a belt. If I can get stronger from here, I can be REALLY strong when I need to be. That 50 repper was hard to rack, knowing that, if I rested more, I was sure I could pump out even more reps, but eventually I had to wonder when the juice was worth the squeeze. As you can see with the stumbling about after the fact, it still hit hard enough.
* Re-learning how to calf raise, and it was good to get back to GHRs. Walk this morning was brutal with the cold, ice and snow. Good to get out in those elements.
* Tang Soo Do was canceled last night due to weather. Next class will be tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3151
AM WORKOUT (0513 wake up via dog, slept in due to another snow day)
22 rounds completed, ran out of time after 15 squats from 23 round
Got in 30 push ups to total 250
Shovel snow for 1 hour, then breakfast
Notes:
* The storm continues, thus Chaos is the plan. I switched the order of days and did day 3 of Famine for day 2. We had delayed reporting for work and I saw no need to get up stupid early at that point, so slept in and went with the shorter workout, which timed out perfect, for as I finished my final push up my wife came into the garage to start shoveling the driveway, so I threw on my coat and joined her. Gonna count the shoveling toward my walk, and I'm already 300 squats and 250 push ups into today. Good start.
* On that note, yesterday I got in 300 squats and 75 push ups, along with a 2+ mile weighted vest walk on top of my other training. Doing my best to comply with the full demands, but not going to kill myself over it.
* Supposed to have Tang Soo Do tonight, but we'll see what the weather has to say about that.
* 30 minutes of Cindy is pretty solid. The chins were falling off at the end there. If I allowed myself to kip it'd be totally viable. But getting 20 rounds is getting in all the bodyweight work from Murph, so that's pretty cool.
Monday, January 8, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3150
AM WORKOUT (0545 wake up via spouse's alarm)
**PESTILENCE** Week 1, Day 1
GIANT SET (axle-incline-viking-dips-abs)
Axle continental and strict press away 5x161 2x4x161 3x161
Incline bench 6x155 3x6x135 2xAMRAPx135
Viking press 4xAMRAP 2xAMRAP w/triple dropset
Weighted dips 3x105 2x105 2x3x105
Ab wheel rollout 10,8,6,4,4
Poundstone curls 100xAxle
Overhead tricep extensons
100xAxle
Notes:
* This is a heavily modified "Famine" from Plague of Strength, so I saw fit to give it a homage/tribute name vs a cover. I slept late, as work was canx due to snow, and, in turn, I cut time where I could in the workout so I could recover my morning. No walk this morning, as I plan to be shoveling a LOT of snow later.
* I really like how this went. It was absolutely exhausting for all of my pushing muscles, and I got a crazy arm pump at the end. Jamie's RX of 15 minutes of curls and extensions never really did it for me, but he encourages experimentation, and this was absolutely what I needed.
* Since this is a 2 week program done under a big deficit, I'm not too concerned with chasing PRs: just wanna put in max effort.
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3149
Weekend is going awesome, eating well and did another version of the EMOM alternating axle Grace and Fran, this time with kettlebells. Makes it much more viable
Went to a new place for lunch called Cheeseburgers Omaha. First time having a smash burger. Had a funny convo with the cashier.
"I wanna do the build your own burger, no cheese, add 3 extra patties"
"Gotcha, triple hamburger"
"No no, I wanna add 3 EXTRA patties"
"Yeah, no, I get you dude. It comes with one patty already, so we'll add 2 to make it a triple" he holds up his hand to show me a 3
I hold up four fingers "I want FOUR patties total"
pregnant pause
"...Oh"
"What can I say: I'm a hungry dude"
And it was yummy. Knife and fork of course.
Friday, January 5, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3148
AM WORKOUT (0520 wake up via spouse’s alarm)
10 minutes of burpee into keg overhead (34 reps total)
* In full disclosure, my original plan was to burpee OVER the keg each rep, but it looked like a bridge too far when it came time to do the jump, so I called this audible. That most likely speaks to how much I need to bring jumps back into my training. But I at least appreciated level change into a floor to overhead. Just a classic combo.
* Was good to get in that morning walk again.
* Tang Soo Do was a decent workout last night. We had 3 bags set up, and would run from one to the other and perform a technique on it. Just constant movement.
* Been doing a pretty hard protein sparing modified fast upon my return from the cruise, totally in “non-martyr” mode. After 10 days of eating my face off, my appetite is absolutely satiated and I have no real hunger. I’m basically doing 1 meal a day, with 2 Metabolic Drive feedings and 1 egg whites feeding otherwise (Metabolic Drive in the morning, Egg Whites for “lunch”). I’m starting to feel my appetite return ever so slightly, but I really feel like I figured out the feast portion of the nutrition this time around. Feast hard enough and you will welcome the famine.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3147
AM WORKOUT (0416 natural wake up, snoozed until 0425)
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of
225lb buffalo bar squat
80lb dip
315lb deadlift
Notes:
* Breaking myself back into lifting after the downtime, figured this would be a solid way to “remember”. Basically a powerlifting meet, except dips are more awesome than benching. The transition from the deadlift to the squat is the roughest part. Also, I was pulling in weightlifting shoes, because I didn’t want to deal with taking shoes off and putting them back on each round, nor did I want to squat flat soled. Deadlifting in the weightlifters tends to actually feel pretty “right”, I can get more leg drive that way, but it’s also more of a challenge and adds some ROM.
* My lower back has really gone to crap. It was in agony through this all. The most obvious issue is I haven’t done any manner of reverse hyper in a LONG time. My core is strong, sure, but the lower back in particular is not near as bulletproof as it used to be. My next training phase needs to bring those back, along with GHRs. Basically, it’s time for some harmony disruption. I’ve been training what comes naturally for a long time, so now it’s time to be unnatural.
* You can watch me get more and more limber as the workout goes on. Product of not warming up and training first thing upon waking. The first round of 10 was effectively the warm-up FOR the workout. Squatting in particular was feeling more natural toward the end, and I so rarely pull from the floor these days that it was good to get in some reps. I WAS using my deadlift bar, but the weight was light enough that I didn’t get much of a flex benefit from it. It was more like just choosing the right tool for the job.
* No walk this morning. My in-laws depart today, and with that life will get back to a bit more normal. I have another cruise coming up in 64 days, which will impact plans. I have a 10 mile run coming up in Apr, and I’m looking at some possible strongman competitions. The sad reality of the latter is I’ve really just placed myself out of any decent weightclass. My walk around weight is in the low 170s, and though there is technically a 165lb class, I pretty much never see it at a comp. 181 is effectively a class for dudes that walk around at 200lbs, and though I CAN be that guy, I’m really at a point where I don’t want to be that guy. Or, more specifically, I don’t want to do what it takes to be that guy. I’m keeping my eyes open for more martial arts stuff, and we’ll have a local Tang Soo Do tournament this year, although that doesn’t do too much to excite me. But I suppose it’s a good sign I still want to go compete in something. But ultimately I wrote all this out to say that my training is going to be dictated by schedule and possibly by upcoming events. With the cruise in 64 days, I wanna try a similar approach of a hard famine leading up to it and then gigantic rebound/recomp. Right now, I’m looking at doing a 2 week famine coming back from the cruise, which I’ll officially start on Monday 8 Jan, which would mean 60 days remaining from there. 2 weeks of famine training would give me 46 days. If I do a 4 week feast after that, then I’ve got 18 days remaining for a famine, which works out pretty decent. I may just keep it simple and run Jamie’s Famine-Feast-Famine so I can shut off my brain, but perhaps something else will catch the attention of my squirrel brain.
* I have Tang Soo Do tonight. The schedule has shifted this year: we do Tues and Thurs now vs Tues and Fri. I like that more.
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Training Log: Entry 3146
Training from this morning: 21-15-9 of 225lb squats and 20kg KB snatch
Some cruise feasting
The Gaston shirt was too perfect, so my wife had to snap a photo.On the plate is 4 steamed eggs, 3 poached (ala eggs Benedict, I tossed the bread), a 2 egg omelet and about 4-5 eggs scrambled, and then that number to the side of me is for my order of 2 sunny side up eggs. And after this plate I got 3 more steamed eggs and another plate of scrambled. (There is also so salmon and trout on the small plate next to it, but we’ll just pretend I was eating Ariel’s friends there)
And here is a post cruise physique update
Alrighty, time to update for real. This is gonna be stream of consciousness so bear with me.
**Travel Days/Pre-Cruise**
I departed on 26 Dec for my cruise, which left out of Galveston TX on 27 Dec and returned on 2 Jan. I kicked off the travel day with that set of 85x185lb squats because I’m a psycho and apparently don’t care about being comfortable while flying. I had a side of steak from a Baja Fresh in an airport for lunch. Our connecting flight had significant delays and we didn’t get to our hotel until about 2130. We were on the pier and there were limited food options and we were exhausted, so we hit up a Jimmy Johns and I got a double roastbeef sub with extra roast beef and some provolone cheese, and then a rotisserie chicken and cheddar sub. Threw out the bread on both and just ate the meat. Less than ideal, but still “on the plan”.
Next day, woke up, went on a long walk while I waiting for a pharmacy to open to pick up some last minute travel supplies, and during that walk stumbled across a legit burrito shop and got a steak and egg breakfast burrito. Always an awesome morning when you can get steak and eggs. Walked around more and eventually boarded the cruise ship, and that’s where all manner of feasting totally kicked off.
**Cruise feasting**
I had a 3 week famine leading up to this, to absolutely and totally prime myself for being able to totally feast. There was a “practice” feast a few days beforehand at Texas de Brazil, but now I arrived at the “big game”. I had no intentions of going “off carnivore”, but, in turn, I was NOT denying myself anything. Meat and eggs are what I genuinely enjoy eating, and there are SO many options for that on a cruise that I was set. My only “restrictions” were on cheese. I’d eat it if it came with a meal, but I didn’t go out of my way to acquire it, because it was always available at every meal and the option was there for it, but I know for myself that I can pretty much eat a near unlimited amount of cheese and never really get a satisfying/full feeling from it compared to meat and eggs.
* According to my kiddo, I was averaging 21 eggs per breakfast, and that wasn’t ALL I was eating at breakfast: that was just the egg count. I would also have salmon, trout, and on the day they did steak and eggs, I had 6 sirloin steaks (about 5-6oz each). I tended to employ butter pretty judiciously on my eggs as well.
* Lunch was always at the buffet for me, although I’d sometimes make it a “progressive lunch” and do rounds at the buffet and finish off poolside at the burger and shawrma stations. As a cruising pro, I’d always grab my plate and head STRAIGHT to the carving station first and THEN get to the start of the buffet. I was able to convince them to give me the drumsticks and thighs whenever they were cutting into a bird, and otherwise wasn’t shy to ask for 3-4 slices at a time of whatever they were carving off of. Also helped myself to 7 steaks at one lunch alongside a barrage of other meaty goodies (all manner of fish, fowl, pork, lamb, etc).
* I became pretty skilled at learning where my “too much” point was and knowing to back off from that. I basically abiding by the principle of “eat until food no longer sounds good”. There was only one lunch where, after finishing, I felt uncomfortably full and needed to take a nap and let my digestion sort itself out, but even then, by the time dinner rolled around, I was ready to eat again. But otherwise, I’d walk away from every meal feeling happy and full but not uncomfortable. There was no binging: I was enjoying every single bite. And the fattier the cut, the better.
**Cruise physical activity**
* I’d start every morning off with 50 prisoner squats and 50 push ups. I’d do this by doing 2 rounds of Dan John’s ladder (2-3-5-10), and then finish up with 10 reps of prisoner squat to push up, similar to a burpee. This was basically just a morning mobility routine, and helped me get loose and limber and “awake” before I headed off to conquer breakfast.
* My wife and I have a rule to NEVER take the elevators on a cruise, so we were always going up and down stairs. Beyond that, whenever we have downtime, we walk around the ship and explore or walk around on the sundeck and get some Vitamin D. 10k steps was always a goal, and on New Year’s Eve we managed 24k from a combination of walking and dancing.
* When my wife would shower before our dinners, I’d take it upon myself to get in a 10-15 minute bodyweight workout on our veranda. This would be more prisoner squats and push ups, but there was also an I-beam that I could do pull ups on. Which, by the way, my wife has seen me deadlift cars, load stones, press logs, etc, but when I just busted out 8 deadhang pull ups on the I-beam after my morning routine, I turned around and saw her jaw on the floor. Some things just speak to us on a primal level.
* I came up with a few winners for workouts. One was EMOM do 8 squats, 8 push ups and 5 burpees for 10 minutes. I did another that was 6-6-5 and then 2 pull ups. Also one where I did 10 tabata rounds of burpees on the 20 and 2 pull ups on the 10, then 10 rounds of prisoner squats or push ups on the 20 and 2 pull ups on the 10, then 5 rounds of burpees/pull ups and 5 rounds of squats/push ups and pull ups.
* I managed to get to the fitness center twice on the trip. I had no plans to do so, but in one case the Mrs was needed a nap and the kiddo was away, and in another the wife and kiddo had an activity booked for just the two of them. For one workout, I took 2 45lb dumbbells and did a circuit of 5 devil presses-5 DB front squats-5 (each arm) alternating DB snatch, then 4s, 3s, down to 1, back up to 5, back down to 1. The first 2 rounds didn’t seem awful, but at the halfway point I knew I found magic. The second workout, I did a heavily modified version of Linda, took 2 75lb DBs and did 10 goblet squats with 1 DB, then incline benched for max reps (10 was the goal, but I got 8), then DB SLDL for 10, then 9s, 8s, etc down to 1. I lowered the incline each round until I was eventually flat benching, and at that point I was able to make the reps match up. THAT workout was really pretty clutch, although by the time you hit the 4s the magic tends to fade a little. Probably a Juarez Valley approach would really clinch it.
* Also, I got to swim with dolphins and a manatee, and got to explore some Mayan Ruins. In the case of the former, we were in the ocean in a pen, so we were getting rocked by the waves the entire time (it was stormy/choppy out). When it was done, my appetite was through the roof. There’s definitely something to be said about cold water and waves.
**Takeaways**
* Despite eating my face off, I gained no noticeable fat during my feasting. I’ve discovered dietary cheat codes. I know I’m annoying with how much I beat the drum about my nutritional approach, but I genuinely hope others can benefit from it if they decide to try it themselves. T-Nation has a ton of articles about how you can’t overeat protein and how it won’t lead to fat gain, and I’m definitely feeling that. And I am more than confident that if anyone ran the numbers, I was taking in over 6k calories a day. Again, just in eggs alone at breakfast, with 21 eggs, that’s nearly 1.5k calories. To say nothing of the butter used to cook the eggs, or the extra butter I was throwing on it.
* In regards to the above, I believe that I may be famine-ing too hard and feasting too light in my day to day living. THIS was a week of REAL feasting, and I absolutely experienced the benefits of it. As I said, just like my last cruise, right around day 5 my Mrs made the observation of “how can you eat so much and look so good?” I genuinely feel like I got leaner over this time frame. Now, that said, I was frequently not LOOKING my leannest, but that was because my stomach was so full of food that it was pushing out, swollen and bloated. And THAT is the downfall of so many trainees that NEED to eat to gain: they’ll freak out as soon as their abs get blurry and think they’re putting on SO much fat. If you’re eating big, your guts are gonna get big. Now, that said, I CAN see carbs making things even trickier, because you’ll hold onto more water and really get that bloat experience. With me eating just meat and eggs, I was effectively just a bowel movement away from being “lean” again.
* The other benefit of feasting this way? I am SO over food. I am absolutely looking forward to this famine. I enjoyed every meal, don’t get me wrong, but by the end of the cruise I noticed a reduction in intake at meals. It wasn’t a conscious decision, I wasn’t “reining it in”: I was just satiated. Being able to his this reset will be great, ESPECIALLY when you consider that my body is so used to taking in 6k calories a day that a sharp reduction will be just the thing to throw it out of equilibrium and trigger some changes.
* I’ll most likely do some commentary on the state of people on the cruise at some point as well, but it’s so weird to be a “fellow glutton” on the cruise while also just shaking my head at the state physical state of humanity.
* Oh yeah, one more nutritional "win": on the way back home, there was a Jack in the Box at the airport, which was awesome. I had an Ultimate Cheeseburger, no ketchup, ate with a fork and knife. At my connecting flight, there was a Buffalo Wild Wings of all things, so I had 10 traditional bone in wings, naked, no sauce/rub. BWWs cooks their wings in beef tallow: how cool is that?
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Boy could I talk more and more about this, but if there’s no other takeaway, just remember the question “Before I bring out dessert, may I interest you in a steak?”
