4th Cycle: Deload Week 4.1

I strained my neck at the gym yesterday doing shrugs.  Not sure how but it is still bugging me so I decided just to talk today and do some yoga.  Good timing for the deload week.

Walking

Time	Speed	Incline
30 mins	3mph	1

Yoga

Time

23 mins

4th Cycle: 3.4

Squats (Max: 215lbs)

Weight	Reps
160lbs	5
185lbs	3
205lbs	4

Barbell Shrugs

Weight	Sets	Reps
140lbs	2	10

Back Extensions

Sets	Reps
5	10

Sit Ups

Sets	Reps
5	10

Happy Thanksgiving

Conditioning

Distance	Reps
400m	2

Mobility

Limber 11

4th Cycle: 3.3

Bench Press (Max: 195lbs)

Weight	Reps
150lbs	5
165lbs	3
185lbs	5

Dumbbell Military Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	10

Dumbbell Rows

Weight	Sets	Reps
45lbs	5	10

Ez Bar Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
50lbs	5	10

4th Cycle: 3.2

Deadlift (Max: 175lbs)

Weight	Reps
135lbs	5
150lbs	3
170lbs	10

Dumbbell Lunges

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	5

Leg Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
80lbs	5	10

Hanging Leg Raises

Sets	Reps
5	10

Pullups*

Reps

3

4th Cycle: 3.1

Military Press (Max: 135lbs)

Weight	Reps
105lbs	5
115lbs	3
130lbs	5

Dumbbell Bench Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
40lbs	5	10

Lat Pull Downs

Weight	Sets	Reps
100lbs	5	10

Dips

Sets	Reps
2	10

Farmer Walks

Weight	Reps
55	2

Strong Body, Strong Mind

Mobility

Limber 11

4th Cycle: Week 2 Weigh In & Review

Starting Measurements
Weight - 240lbs

Today's Measurements
Weight - 219lbs

I had a pretty good week.  Didn't lose any weight according to the scale but had a couple people this week tell me I am looking leaner.  I have to think its the creatine still, but who knows.  My diet was ok this week, but I can tell its getting to the tough stage.  I am getting tired of eating soup for lunch.  I need to find another healthy-ish option that I like to keep this going.

I've added a couple things this week to try to make myself 1% better.  I started taking ice baths (haven't gotten up to putting ice in yet, the cold water is pretty damn cold) and adding 1 set of pullups at the end of deadlift and squat days.  I signed up for the Savage Race and did a little reading about them and decided to add some more consistent conditioning to my weekly plan.  Not 100% sure on how often or when exactly I am going to do it, but I am starting to run 400m "sprints."  I use the quotes because its not really a sprint, especially at the end.  In the T Nation article, Running Man, they author talks about how the 400m will improve conditioning, lean you out and not take away from strength goals.

Gotta keep pressing forward.  Make savage the body.

Conditioning

Distance	Reps
400m	2

4th Cycle: 2.4

Squats (Max: 215lbs)

Weight	Reps
150lbs	3
175lbs	3
195lbs	5

Barbell Shrugs

Weight	Sets	Reps
140lbs	5	10

Back Extensions

Sets	Reps
5	10

Sit Ups

Sets	Reps
5	10

4th Cycle: 2.3

Bench Press (Max: 195lbs)

Weight	Reps
140lbs	3
160lbs	3
175lbs	5

Dumbbell Military Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	10

Dumbbell Rows

Weight	Sets	Reps
45lbs	5	10

Ez Bar Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
50lbs	5	10

Farmer Walks

Weight	Reps
55	2

Let's Go

I've been reading a bunch of stuff recently about making life uncomfortable so that you get comfortable being uncomfortable.  Two articles that really stuck me were Are You a Dangerous Man by Zach Even-Esh and Moderation Nation by Terence Mitchell.  The whole process of training and eating better is to obviously look better, but to also become more dangerous or more difficult to kill.  As a father and as a man, part of my role is protector.  What good am I to my family if I am fat and out of shape and can't defend myself or them.  What good am I to them if I am dead?

Train in a way that pushes you beyond the norms, beyond what other “normal” men would do. If you’re wondering WHY I keep training the way I do and why I am always driven for more, it comes back to being dangerous. Being dangerous for myself and for my family. -Zach Even-Esh

 I am training almost every day in order to improve my strength, my conditioning, my knowledge, my spirit.  Its something I am becoming obsessed with.  I think about it daily, especially on recovery days.  What can I do that will help my recovery or something that will help me get better without effecting my recovery?

The reason why I have such an issue with ‘Everything in moderation’ is because it negates the need for obsession. Obsession fuels legitimate change, both mental and physical self-advancement. Moderation is the antithesis of everything I strive to improve upon in my life.

Moderation is submission. Moderation is for those of weaker constitutions. Moderation is not for me and nor should it be for you. -Terence Mitchell

Every day I strive to be a better man.  Stronger, faster, smarter.  Some days its a bitch.  Hell yea I want to park my ass in front of the Oreos and clean them out, but I see my kids and know why I am doing what I am doing.


Challenge yourself every day.  Make yourself 1% better every day.  Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.


Yoga

Time

23 mins

4th Cycle 2.2

Deadlift (Max: 175lbs)

Weight	Reps
125lbs	3
140lbs	3
160lbs	10

Dumbbell Lunges

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	5

Leg Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
80lbs	5	10

Hanging Leg Raises

Sets	Reps
5	10

Pullups*

Reps

3

*Read an article on Jim Wendler's website and it inspired me to add pull ups to workouts a couple days a week.

4th Cycle 2.1

Military Press (Max: 135lbs)

Weight	Reps
95lbs	3
110lbs	3
120lbs	7

Dumbbell Bench Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
40lbs	5	10

Lat Pull Downs

Weight	Sets	Reps
100lbs	5	10

Dips

Sets	Reps
2	10

Farmer Walks

Weight	Reps
55	2

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

4th Cycle: Week 1 Weigh In & Review

Starting Measurements
Weight - 240lbs

Today's Measurements
Weight - 218lbs


I didn't have a great week nutrition wise. I have a heard time when I get off my normal routine. I am not sure if the added weight is from a bad diet week or maybe water weight from the creatine.

I decided to take a break from alcohol until the end of the year. I read in a T Nation article that, "Calories aside, alcohol itself isn't so much a fat storer as it is a fat burning suppressor. If your goal is fat loss, getting yourself out of that mode for several hours isn't wise. And heavy drinking has several mechanisms that'll smash muscle protein synthesis (gainz, bro!) and recovery."

I set a goal of being at 200lbs by Jan 1 so I need to buckle down if I want to achieve that. I am also going to incorporate more conditioning and try to use the cold weather to activate my brown adipose tissue which targets fat to keep my body temperature normal.

Gotta keep making progress to become harder to kill by making savage the body.

Yoga

Time

23 mins

4th Cycle: 1.4

Squats (Max: 215lbs)

Weight	Reps
140lbs	5
160lbs	5
185lbs	8

Barbell Shrugs

Weight	Sets	Reps
140lbs	5	10

Back Extensions

Sets	Reps
5	10

Sit Ups

Sets	Reps
5	10

Conditioning

Two-mile walk

4th Cycle 1.3

Bench Press (Max: 195lbs)

Weight	Reps
130lbs	5
145lbs	5
165lbs	5

Dumbbell Military Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	10

Dumbbell Rows

Weight	Sets	Reps
45lbs	5	10

Ez Bar Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
50lbs	5	10

Farmer Walks

Weight	Reps
55	2

Veterans Day

Yoga

Time

23 mins

4th Cycle 1.2

Deadlift (Max: 175lbs)

Weight	Reps
115lbs	5
130lbs	5
150lbs	10

Dumbbell Lunges

Weight	Sets	Reps
30lbs	5	5

Leg Curls

Weight	Sets	Reps
80lbs	5	10

Hanging Leg Raises

Sets	Reps
5	10

4th Cycle 1.1

Military Press (Max: 135lbs)

Weight	Reps
90lbs	5
105lbs	5
115lbs	6

Dumbbell Bench Press

Weight	Sets	Reps
40lbs	5	10

Lat Pull Downs

Weight	Sets	Reps
100lbs	5	10

Dips

Sets	Reps
2	10

Farmer Walks

Weight	Reps
55	2

Strength Goals

Military Press

Decent	Good	Great
105lbs	165lbs	225lbs
0.60 x bw	0.90 x bw	1.25 x bw

Bench Press

Decent	Good	Great
225lbs	315lbs	365lbs
1.25 x bw	1.50 x bw	2.00 x bw

Squats

Decent	Good	Great
315lbs	405lbs	455lbs
1.50 x bw	2.00 x bw	2.50 x bw

Deadlift

Decent	Good	Great
315lbs	405lbs	495lbs
1.50 x bw	2.00 x bw	2.75 x bw

Push ups

Decent	Good	Great
30	60	90

Pull ups

Decent	Good	Great
10	20	30

Dips

Decent	Good	Great
20	40	60

Taken from T-Nation article, Are You Strong.

Yoga

Time

23 mins

3rd Cycle: Week 4 Weigh In & Review

Starting Measurements
Weight - 240lbs

Today's Measurements
Weight - 218lbs

This was my first week ever doing a deload week.  That combined with starting to take creatine I figured I'd maintain my weight from last week, if not put on weight, but I dropped 2lbs.

I did some light lifting this week and yoga and I am still sore from the yoga on Wednesday.  I need to continue doing that regularly, once or twice a week.

I am looking forward to getting back into the regular routine this week and continuing the process of making savage the body.

3rd Cycle: Deload Day 3

Bench Press (Max: 190lbs)

Weight	Reps
75lbs	5
95lbs	5
115lbs	5

Squats (Max: 205lbs)

Weight	Reps
85lbs	5
105lbs	5
125lbs	5

Walking

Time	Speed	Incline
15 mins	2.5mph	1%

3rd Cycle: Deload Day 2

Yoga

Time

23 mins

Today was just a light stretching day.  I did Sean Vigue's Energizing Morning Yoga Flexibility Class.  I did this previously in the mornings before I went to work out and plan on doing it a couple times a week moving forward to improve my flexibility and hopefully prevent injury.

"Yoga hasn't been used for thousands of years by women only. It’s not just for old people that live in Asia. It’s actually a tool that’s helped millions of men, monks, and—yes—even elite athletes find their focus, get strong, and discover their ultimate ability.
-Yuri Elkaim"

The Deload Week

"The longer I train, the less and less shit I do. The less shit I do, the stronger I get. The more I emphasize recovery, the stronger I get." 

- Paul Carter

This is the first time I've done a deload week.  Read a lot about it but since I was a beginner, I figured I could skip it.  Over the weekend I knew this week was the deload week so I decided to do some research on it.  Found some good stuff which is why I am doing it this time around and will be going forward.

Jeff Barnett wrote an article giving the basics of a deload week and the reason for it. "Consistent training eventually builds a deficit that cannot be repaid in a single rest day. A deload week is a chance for your body to recover from that deficit. The deload week allows your body to catch up – to repair connective tissue and restore testosterone/cortisol ratios. Muscle can recover more quickly than connective tissue. A deload week keeps tendons and ligaments healthy. If you chronically develop tendonitis, then scheduled deload weeks are definitely part of the solution."

"I get asked a lot of questions about the deload and if it is necessary. Or 'Can I skip the deload? I’m a beginner.' Or if they can do dynamic barbell work in place of the normal training. I’d like to answer, 'If I didn’t believe in the deload, then I wouldn’t have written it.'" 

-Jim Wendler

3rd Cycle: Deload Day 1

Military Press (Max: 130lbs)

Weight	Reps
55lbs	5
65lbs	5
80lbs	5

Dead Lift (Max: 170lbs)

Weight	Reps
70lbs	5
85lbs	5
105lbs	5

Walking

Time	Speed	Incline
15 mins	2.5mph	1%

Mental Toughness

If you want to keep building your mental toughness, try mixing in any of the following:

• Train alone, with no music and in an uncomfortable environment / time. 
• Train earlier or later than normal. 
• Train in the cold or the heat, temps that are not the norm for you. 
• Do your durability work First and your Heavy lifting last. 
• Train when you don’t want to train. 
• Dedicate yourself to become good at something you normally avoid. 
• “Be Tougher” – Jocko Willink

Check out more about overall toughness at Underground Strength.

Conditioning

Two-mile walk