Training Log: Entry 2590

AM WORKOUT (0347 natural wake up)

**SUPER SQUATS** Workout 2

(3)Incline DB bench superset w/weighted chins
3x12x80s/2x15x10lbs

Behind the neck press
3x10x95

Band pull aparts
1x50

Breathing squats/DB pull overs
20x320/20x20lbs

Say the f-word AMRAP in one minute

Kroc rows
15x115

Axle shrugs against bands
1x30

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**

**CONDITIONING**

5 minutes of ABCs w/24kg bells (15 total) followed immediately by TABEARTA (3 complexes per round for 3 rounds, 2 per round after that...clearly I was hurting)

Reverse hyper
40x90lb

GHRs
1x30

Breakfast of champions afterwards: ribs and eggs

Notes:

* Feeling almost 100% recovered from flu like symptoms yesterday.  Great turn around.  My body was also less beat up than the first time I did this, which meant getting into position worked better.  Breathing was better at the start: was still rushing it at the end there.  Right shoulder was clicking and crunching a bunch.  I either need to compromise on my stupidly low bar position, put some athletic tape on my buffalo bar to create knurling, switch to a power bar, or get even more creative with my shirts...or just deal with it. That works too.

* That first squat is always the roughest, but by rep 10 I was really feeling smooth and deep on them.  I'm appreciating being able to slow down vs trying to blitz reps.

* Weights on everything else were just about perfect.  

* Tried to re-capture that lightning in a bottle with that conditioning workout.  It still absolutely sucked, but coughing fits and wobbly legs kept me from really pushing into the redline.

* Travel day today.  Might get in some burpees or something upon arrival, but I've definitely trained "enough" today.

 Training Log: Entry 2589

Slept off and on until 0700 WITH the daylight savings extra hour. I’m definitely sick with whatever my family came down with. Feel flu-ish. Whole body is achy…which could also be Super Squats.

Got in Tabata burpee chins w/ABC in between. Wheels totally fell off there. Coughing fit on the third round, and at that point just fighting to survive. But I feel like teaching my body that, irrespective of illness we WILL perform will go along way toward accelerating the healing process.

PM WORKOUT

Pushing it was the right call.  Later in the day I did TABEARTA, followed immediately by an 80lb 2 mile weighted vest walk (the new Ironmind weight vest is pretty awesome), then hit up 22 ABCs in 5 minutes as soon as I got back.  Feeling much better.  Still definitely sick, but far more human feeling.

Super Squats day 2 tomorrow, then traveling for a work trip.  Will get in some hotel workouts and get back on the program on Friday.  After that, I'll get on the normal 3x a week schedule for the program, but chaos remains the plan.

 Training Log: Entry 2588

* Slept off and on until 0700. Mrs was having a rough night dealing with being sick.  

* Upon waking, I immediately did Tabata burpee chins with a bear complex during the 10 seconds off.  I might start calling this "Bacon and Eggs", as it's my morning workout before breakfast on weekends.  And maybe the variant with the ABC will be "Sesame Street", since that show comes on stupidly early.

* But either way, I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck, which I attribute to Super Squats on top of most likely coming down with whatever is sweeping through the family, so this was helpful to get me "back online".

* Through out the day, I got in my daily work, and then, when it was time to train, I spent 5 minutes pitying myself which meant I had to come up with a REALLY brutal workout since I had cut into my own training time, so I did this

25 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kg bells straight into TABEARTA

* Holy f--k I cannot remember the last time I've worked so hard in 10 minutes.  I was absolutely redlined when it was done.  PBJs are great whenever you're hungry and don't know what to eat, Kindergarten is a fantastic 20 minute back to basics, but this is going to occupy a special place in the training pantheon.  I took 2 of my daily 4-5 minute conditioning blasts and put them back to back, because of course I did, and the results did NOT disappoint.

* The first clean on the ABC IS becoming a bit too cheaty even for me.  I'm getting more swing into it, which is cool, but I need to at least pull it to my shoulders.

 Training Log: Entry 2587

AM WORKOUT (0345 natural wake up)

**SUPER SQUATS** WORKOUT 1

Axle clean and strict presss away
3x10x136

Weight dips/axle row superset
3x12x55/2x15x183

Squats
1x20x315

Pull overs
1x20x20

Axle SLDL
1x20x233

Poundstone curls
150xAxle

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**

**CONDITIONING/ASSISTANCE**

Juarez Valley burpee chins/KB swing

10-1 on the BCs, 5 swings between BCs w/40kg bell

Time: 11:49

* 20 standing ab wheels

* 25 pushdowns

* 30 GHRs

* Got a bunch of pull aparts done during the main workout

Notes:

* Here we go.  15 years later, and what’s cool is, when I finished the program way back when, it was with 310lbs.  I wanted 315 but never got there.  Cool to pick up where I left off.  

* Breathing wasn’t as deep as I would like. Something to work on.  Been a long time since I pushed a workset beltless, so needed to get a feel/confidence there.  My right hip being a little buggy didn’t help.  Right shoulder is hindering me a touch after my 45 meets in 45 minutes.  Also need to wear a better shirt next time, as the bar kept slipping.  I owe it to myself to order a few more of the ones I like for squatting.

* The pull-overs were perfect.  I know exactly what I want as far as stretching goes.

* It’s amazing just how much those squats take out of you, as proof of my Poundstone curl numbers.  Well below previous PRs, but that might by my new baseline to work with on the program.  Same with the conditioning: I was hurting when it was done.  Family has been down with the flu the past few days as well, so there’s a chance I’m dealing with some of that.

* It’s unique for me to get my training done in 45 minutes, but this was definitely “enough” training.  The presses might be a touch too heavy, but everything else was dialed in well.

* I still suck at rows.

 Training Log: Entry 2586

AM WORKOUT (0409 natural wake up) FASTED

CHAOS IS THE PLAN Week 4, Workout 4 (Final workout…for now. Chaos IS the plan)

Tabata burpee chins w/ABC during the 10 seconds straight into a 2 mile 80lb weight vest walk, immediately upon return shuck off vest and do the same Tabata workout

Notes:

* I really dig this kind of workout. Do something stupid and hard to get the heart rate up, ride it out with something miserable, then close it out. Being able to do the same workout back to back is clutch because I can track the delta between them. First go round, I got 4 per round on the first 4 rounds and 3 for the last 4 on burpee chins. On the second go, I started with 3s, quickly devolved to 2s, and was at 1s for the final 2 rounds. Being in a fasted state even more awesome, as it means a huge meal as a reward. It’s just very “primal”: wake up hungry, go for a hunt, feast.

* Tomorrow is Super Squats. I got a wild idea of making Paul Kelso proud and doing trap bar press, trap bar row and trap bar SLDL vs axle. That might happen.

PM WORKOUT

22 ABCs in 5 minutes

Notes:

* Feeling absolutely dead.  I'm starting to think 45 powerlifting meets in 45 minutes might be a little taxing.  But the fact I can sleepwalk through 22 ABCs means I am in a GOOD way. 

 Training Log: Entry 2585

AM WORKOUT

**CHAOS IS THE PLAN** Week 4, Workout 3

*Neutral Grip Powerlifting Meet*

EMOM

* 300lb SSB squat

* 200lb swiss bar bench

* 400lb high handle trap bar pull

For 45 rounds

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**

**CONDITIONING/ASSISTANCE**

EMOM rounds of putting plates away as fast as possible, buy in each minute with some chins until 50 reached, then knock out 50 pull aparts, 25 pushdowns, curls and 20 standing ab wheels

Notes:

* This was awesome. Perfect level of fatigue generation, solid challenge, held my interest and made time pass at a good rate.  Only real downside is the trap bar tore the hell out of my hands.  Wouldn’t be shy about running it again with the gloves I wore for the KB challenge.  My right hip was buggy coming into it, which made the trap bar the most challenging portion of it, despite the short ROM. 

* The set up is strategic: all these variations are far less technical than their straight bar components, which meant I could move MUCH faster between lifts because the set-up time was shaved away.  I still had to strategize though and shave off seconds where I could.  The bench is where most of the money is made: if I’m willing to go flat back and minimal leg drive I can just blitz through it.  Walkout on the squat was also a place to save time.  I was averaging about 20 seconds of rest between rounds.

* Nice round numbers on the lifts, for no other particular reason, but a 900lb total EMOM is also pretty cool.  1000 would, of course, be more awesome, but I am clearly “done” at the 45 minute mark.

* Filler work at the end there.  I’m working late today, so fair chance I won’t be able to get in my usual 3-5 minute conditioning blast, but somehow I’ll manage.

PM WORKOUT

Tabata burpee chins, with an ABC w/24kg bells during the 10 second rest

Notes:

* I figured this would work out similar to the bear complex between rounds.  Timed out just about right.  Had to go 3 BCs on the 8th vs 4, as there's a little bit of creep there, but in general I liked this, and the set up is even easier.

* No idea what I'm doing tomorrow.  Final workout before the start of Super Squats.  Be good to eat again.  Times out well with holidays and the cruise. 

 Training Log: Entry 2584

AM WORKOUT (0420 natural wake up)

**CHAOS IS THE PLAN** Week 4, Workout 2

9 rounds in 30 min of:

* 10 thrusters w/95lbs

* 5 log vipers w/135lbs

Got through 5 thrusters on the 10th round before time expired

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**

Poundstone curls

100xAxle+5lbs

Notes:

* This is the deload to Chaos.  Getting more sleep and keeping training light.  This was a good combination of greatest hits through the week, and lessons learned as well.  My right forearm was still achy from squats, but this selection of movements was far more survivable than the previous run where I was using the barbell the whole time.  Real limiter was just training space: you can see how I have to push the log to the very edge of the crash mat to have room to do thrusters without hitting the garage door opener motor.  I honestly dig how the confined training space has forced me to become so creative.  And in that regard, this is a solid burner for 30 minutes.  It ascribes to my “put heavy things over your head” approach to physical transformation, and thrusters and vipers are different enough that you can bounce between them.  Quads vs hips.  Could do something similar with thrusters and snatches, which I’ve written about before.

* Threw weight on the Poundstones just to make things move faster, as I was short on time.  Got a solid pump out of it.

PM WORKOUT 

Tabata workout, 4 burpee chins during the 20s/Bear Complex for the 10s.