Training Log: Entry 2613

AM WORKOUT (0340 wake up via alarm)

**SUPER SQUATS** Workout 11

Axle clean and strict press away/band pull apart superset (1 min rest)
2x10x161, 1x9x161/50 reps total (continentaled the first set)

Weighted dip/axle row superset
3x12x85/2x15x218

Breathing Squats/pull overs
23x315/20x20lbs

Try to stop the spin from rooming.

Axle SLDL
15x268

Poundstone curls
159xAxle

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**
**ASSISTANCE**

20 standing ab wheels
40x90 reverse hypers
25 pushdowns
30 GHRs

Notes:

* I really dig where I’m taking this.  I am going far into the red on these squats despite the weight not moving up.  When you have to get to 20 reps just to START the hard work, you’re in a good way.  And having my leg wrapped up like that is almost like bloodflow restriction training.  Didn’t have too much issue with hands going numb: bar placement seems good.  Hamstring is feeling a lot more stable and pain is very tolerable.  I feel like, by the end of the program, I should be able to squat without wrapping it, which might actually allow me to go even further along.  But there’s no question I’m hitting the intensity intent on these squats.  Rep 23 was a stretch, and I barely had enough in me to rack the bar when it was over.

* Was moving a little slow on the cleans this morning.  My shoulders are feeling nuked from yesterday’s 30 minute insanity.  Decided to live to fight another day so I could come back and crush 161 next workout.  My rows have been super rest-pause up until this point anyway, so it’s good to spend more time with the weight.

* Doing ANYTHING after those squats is really becoming interesting.  Those SLDLs about took a year off my life, the Poundstone curls were another form of Hell, and when my assistance work was all done I went to do some conditioning and literally just had nothing left in me.  Incredible to just leave it all out there like that.

* RSV and sinus infection are about 99% healed.  I get an occasional phlegmy cough and that’s about it.

* I cut out the start of my videos, but I saw my back while I was getting set up for squats and I look like a goddamn shaved gorilla.  This program is working amazingly.

PM WORKOUT

Got in TABEARTA when I got home, and then Tang Soo Do.  Lotta work on the basics.  I'm really trying to focus on not dropping my hands when I kick.  Started noticing that bad habit picking up.

 Training Log: Entry 2612

AM WORKOUT (0440 natural wake up) FASTED

3 rounds of:

* 5 minutes of ABCs w/24kg bells
* TABEARTA w/95lbs

Notes:

* Breakdown shook out to 20 ABCs in the first round, then 3-2-1-3-2-1-3-2 for bears, then 3 EMOM for 5 minutes on ABCS, then 2-2-2-1-2-2-2-1 for bears, then 2-3-2-4-2 for ABCs and 1-2-2-2-2-1-3-2 for bears.  So a total of 48 ABCs and 46 bear complexes in 30 minutes.

* Had an alarm set for earlier and rolled it back about 20 minutes.  Once again, the workouts between Super Squats don’t really grab me, so I’m just winging it and going for high heart rate and max suck.  But I have to appreciate that this is my “lazy workout”, and it’s being done on a torn hamstring.

* In that regard, I’m moving a little slow because of that issue, but still near top performance.  I’m at a high 85% recovered at this point.  The last little bit tends to take FOREVER to heal, but I’m incredibly functional.  The bruise has spread all over my leg and is tiger striped, so that’s cool.

* If I find myself with some more time today, I’ll get in some daily work.

PM WORKOUT

Finished the day off with one more TABEARTA, this time with 3 complexes per round.  Garage is set up for Super Squats workout 11 tomorrow, and my new shirts came in that are awesome for squatting, so game on.

 Training Log: Entry 2611

AM WORKOUT (0339 natural wake up)

**SUPER SQUATS** Workout 10

(3) Incline DB bench/weighted chins SUPERSET
2x12x95s, 1x10x95s/2x15x20 (13 on first set before re-setting)

BtN Press/Band pull apart superset
3x10x115/50 reps total

Breathing Squats/Pull-overs
21x315/20x20lbs

Contemplate donating body to science fiction

Kroc rows
18x115

Reverse hypers
50x180

**POST WORKOUT SHAKE**
**ASSISTANCE/CONDITIONING**

30 GHRs
20 standing ab wheels
50 dips
25 pushdowns
20 band curls

30 double kettle bell clean each rep and strict press w/24kg
Time: 3:49

Notes:

* Hamstring was feeling pretty solid waking up this morning.  Pain is reduced, mobility is improved.  Given it’s been a week since the tear, that checks.  Still playing it smart-ish and went with double wrapping it and keeping the weight at 315.  I could actually feel the moments when I was letting my technique deviate due to fatigue and could focus on course correcting it this time.  Benefits of a few decades under the bar: some decent body awareness.  In turn, 21 reps, though short of where I wanted to be, was the right stopping point, as I could tell I was in the “danger zone” there, and that’s a 5 rep improvement from last time.  AND, based on the stagger at the end there, I still hit the intended goal of pushing as hard as I could.

* Once again, it’s outstanding seeing all my other lifts progressing on this program.  Testament to eating big and shaving down the volume.  DB and BtN press are moving along well, and those chins are moving well.  I JUST realized I forgot to do shrugs, so I’ll have to knock those out later.

* That conditioning workout at the end was very solid.  Like a mini-Grace.  I wanted to get in a little more hinging, but traditional swings still have me running into my own hamstring, so this was the choice and it went well.  

PM WORKOUT

22 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kg bells

Hamstring is getting better at playing nice.  Thinking tomorrow morning is just going to be alternating ABCs and TABEARTAs, because I'm not caring to be creative at this point.

 Training Log: Entry 2610

Got up around 0630 and got in 25 burpees over bar fasted.  Ran around like a lunatic all day, got in 2 hours of yard work taking care of leaves and then hit the following while my air fryer worked on some green beans

5 minutes of ABCs w/24kg bells (20 total)

straight into

TABEARTA (went 3-3-2-2-3-1-3 for complexes per round)

Getting 20 ABCs with a torn hamstring in 5 minutes is pretty damn awesome.  

Tomorrow is Super Squats.  Either taking 315 for a ride on squats or we're doing Good Mornings.  We're in the second half of the program now and I'm learning a TON.  

I have an idea for the future based on my experience here.  

* The book talks about doing Super Squats for 6 weeks and then something different for 6 weeks before coming back.  

* 5/3/1 programs tend to run for 6 weeks (among others, sure, but still)

* I have 5/3/1 Forever, which has about 50 different 5/3/1 programs in it.

* I'm considering doing a cycle of Super Squats, then a different 5/3/1 program each time to test them all out and see what I like/what I can learn.

* On top of that, each cycle of Super Squats itself can ALSO be a unique run of it.  Some can be traditional 20 reps/increase weight each time.  Some can be fixed weight increase reps.  Some can meet in the middle.  Some can be Super Good Mornings.  Some can be Super Trap Bar lifts.  There is SO much room for variation while ALSO keeping things the same.  The ultimate "Chaos is the Plan".  And I have SO much room to pivot.

* Getting back into Super Squats really re-lit something, and at this point "playing the game how I want to play it" is what keeps me going.  There's still room for some Deep Water runs in there too.  This has a lot of room to be something.

 Training Log: Entry 2609

Woke up at 0700, got in a fasted workout of Tabata 5 count burpees with lateral jumps over bar between rounds.  Definitely blew up my heart.

For the PM workout

Axle Grace w/135lbs (took around 3:26) straight into Fran (took around 9:30) straight into EMOM ABCs w/24kg at 3 per round for 5 rounds straight into 95lb TABEARTA going 3-2-1-3-2-1-3-2

It was after that I went to take a shower and saw how bruised my hamstring was

so I'm dealing with a tear vs a pull, but it's clear I'm healing based on how I'm moving.  I am primed to keep training, eating and growing.

 Training Log: Entry 2608

Slept until 0700, woke up and hit a fasted workout of Tabata burpee chins w/bear complexes between rounds.

Then

PM WORKOUT

**SUPER SQUATS** Workout 9

Axle clean and strict press/band pull aparts superset (1 min rests)
3x10x156/50 reps total

Weighted Dips/axle rows superset (a min rests)
3x12x80/2x15x213

Breathing Squats/pull over
16+1x315/20

Very brief interlude to have this entire exchange with my hamstring

20x245/20

Because I'm f--king stupid.  I don't give a f--k about jail.  That's my business.  That's what I do.

Axle SLDL
12x263

Poundstone Curls
158xAxle

25 pushdowns
20 standing ab wheels

Notes:

* Hamstring is coming along, and was well enough for 16 reps of 315 while wrapped up before it started giving me some warnings.  Against all my instincts, I racked the bar, went for 17 and still felt it being stupid, so racked it again, got in the pull overs, realize I still had more in me, so stripped off an appropriate amount of weight and got in a legit 20 breathing squat workout.  One of the biggest lessons I've learned from this process is something Randall Strossen wrote 30+ years ago: you can still get the benefits of this workout without a lot of weight on the bar.  That was a legit Super Squats set at the end there.

* People constantly ask me "what do I do if I fail to get the 20 reps?"  Let this be an answer; YOU F--KING GET AFTER IT!  That's the answer!

* Realized I've been 10lbs off logging all my SLDL workouts.  I'm simply logging it more accurately now.

* I may actually make the second half of this run of Super Squats one where I go back to 315 and get in 25-30 reps, as a means of meeting intent while keeping loading on the leg lighter.  Gives me room to also give this ANOTHER run when I get back from my cruise with a more traditional approach.  Chaos is the plan and I am LOVING it.  I am learning a ton and just living this experience. 

 Training Log: Entry 2607

Slept until 0700, upon waking did fasted TABEARTA, got 3s for the majority of the rounds.

A few hours later, though Chaos is the Plan, traditions continue

High handle trap bar pulls: 135lbs for 401 reps (36 rep PR)

Last year, I took 3 prep workouts to nail 365.  This year, with a broken hamstring, the day after Super Good Mornings, with no prep, I smashed 401.  I told myself so many lies to get through it, you can literally see me dancing around the pain between reps as it surged through my body, but there was no question that this was the inevitable conclusion for today.

I remain, more trouble than I am worth.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone: I'm going to eat all the limbs off my bird and celebrate with an appropriate feast.