“A 40oz to freedom is the only chance I have to feel good...” – Sublime

“...two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.” – Henry Rollins

“Adult males > 200lbs” – 70’s Big

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

- Press: 77.5/171 x 2 (PR), 60/130 x 10
- Weighted Chin: 50/110 x 3(PR), 27.5/60 x 9
- Squat: 152.5/336 x 3



What do you do when you’ve got the flu, the chips are down and your resolve and self-belief have been tested?

First you load the bar with over your bodyweight and press a double, hitting an all time PR in the process.

Secondly you load up the belt with 110lbs and bang out 3 weighted chins, smashing your previous best.

Thirdly, you load the bar with twice your bodyweight and squat an easy triple.

And finally, you humbly recognise the meagreness of today’s achievements, consolidate your progress and move onto bigger and better things, pillaging and plundering along the way.

Oh, and you gain some fucking weight so you’re no longer 168lbs.

Friday, May 25, 2012

- Squat: 110/242 x 3, 125/275 x 3, 140/308 x 3

Don’t know what happened today or what’s going on. 140 felt like 160. Never experienced such a dramatic loss in strength. Left the garage in disgust and despair.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

- Bench: 77/170 x 3, 89/196 x 3, 100/220 x 6
- Incline: 58.5/129 x 8, 68.5/151 x 8, 77.5/171 x 6
- DB Row: 42/92 x 3 x 10
- Bi/Tri: 1 x 15 (rest-pause)
- Pull Ups: 8,7,5,5,5

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

- Conditioning: Hill sprint x 8
- Pull Ups: 8,7,5,5,5

Tried to walk around the mall yesterday – knee felt like someone was digging a screwdriver into the joint.  Going back to the physio this afternoon.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

- Deadlift: 127.5/281 x 3, 146/322 x 3, 165/364 x 10
- Safety Squat: 90/198 x 8, 105/231 x 8, 120/264 x 6
- GHR: BW x 3 x 10
- Pull Ups: 8,7,5,5,5
- Neck Harness: 24/53x4x50
- Ab circuit
- Conditioning: Prowler - 10 x 20m trips with 185lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

Monday, May 21, 2012

- Press: 53/117 x 3, 60/130 x 3, 68/150 x 6
- Close Grip Bench: 65/143 x 8, 75/165 x 8, 85/187 x 6
- Weighted Chin: 42.5/93 x 5 (PR), 20/44 x 10
- Inverted V Handle Row: 3 x 10
- Bi/Tri: 5 x 10

Saturday, May 19, 2012


- Pull Ups: 7,6,5,4,4
- Conditioning: 100m x 8

Knee pain is back; with a vengeance. Knew it was too good to be true.

Friday, May 18, 2012

- Squat: 101/222 x 5, 117.5/259 x 5, 132/291 x 8
- RDL: 60/130 x 3 x 10
- Neck Harness: 24/53x4x50
- Ab circuit
- Conditioning: Prowler - 10 x 20m trips with 185lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

My hip flexor is still a bit tight, so I took it easy and stopped a good few reps short of failure on the last set of squats.

My new physio almost instantly fixed my knee. He released my rectus femoris and did some shit with my hamstring and it provided instant relief. It’s still not one hundred percent but in time and with more therapy it should be all good.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

- Bench: 72/159 x 5, 83/183 x 5, 94/207 x 8
- Incline: 48.5/107 x 10, 58.5/123 x 10, 68.5/151 x 10
- DB Row: 37/81 x 3 x 15
- Pull Up: BW x 7,6,5,4,4
- Bi/Tri: 1 x 15 (rest-pause)

I had decided that I wasn’t going to be a hero today and this morning had already settled on 8 reps for my final set of bench. Just trying to pick up some momentum again and hit 105kg for 5 in the 3rd week of this cycle.

I’m going to the physio tomorrow about my (left) knee, as it hasn’t improved at all. I want to be back pushing the prowler and sprinting and running hills so badly. When this shit passes I’m going to savor every second of every day that I’m injury free.

Peaks and valleys, peaks and valleys.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

- Deadlift: 120/264 x 5, 137.5/303 x 5, 156/344 x 10
- Safety Squat: 75/165 x 10, 90/198 x 10, 105/231 x 10
- Pull Ups: BW x 6,5,5,4,3
- Abs

So I was able to pull and squat without too much pain in my left knee, which I was really happy about. I took it fairly easy on the dead though.

I still can’t walk (or run or push the prowler) without pain, hence the lack of my usual conditioning.  I went to the doctor and he told me it was just a superficial injury and to rest it. Let’s hope he’s right (I’m not so sure however).

Oh and I've started the Recon Ron Pull Up Program. Thanks to Atlas for letting me know about that one. I may have to skip a few weeks ahead though, as today may have been too easy.

Monday, May 14, 2012


- Press: 49/108 x 5, 57/125 x 5, 64/141 x 6
- Close Grip Bench: 55/121 x 10, 65/143 x 10, 75/165 x 10
- Weighted Chin: 30/66 x 8
- Bi/Tri: 5 x 10

We ended up hiking about 70km over 3 days, so I took it real easy today, only hitting the prescribed reps +1 on the final set of the press. In all reality I probably lost a bit of bodyweight and strength over the weekend, so I wasn’t going to be setting any records anyway. I also intend to follow this piece of advice from Wendler:

“Sometimes I think people get a little too nuts on the last set and I think many people would be best served if they did the last set for the set reps…or just a few over and call it a day. This is not a license to be a pussy; just understand that we are training for something bigger than today.”

On day 2 of the hike I sustained some kind of injury to my left knee (not my problem knee, the other one, the one I thought was bulletproof). I had to walk over 30km, with a 35lb pack, on a swollen knee to get back to the car. At the moment, I can’t walk without pain (although I think I can squat/dead), so I’m just hoping it’s not too serious.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

- Bench: Deload
- Squat: Deload
- DB Row: 40/88 x 3 x 10

I’m going hiking all weekend, so I combined Thursday and Friday and just did the bare minimum today.

We leave tomorrow (Friday) and get back on Sunday and will be hiking about 50km over the 3 days.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Tuesday, May 8, 2012


- Deadlift: DELOAD
- Safety Squat: DEOAD
- Neck Harness: 24/53x4x50
- Ab circuit
- Conditioning: Prowler - 12 x 20m trips with 185lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

Monday, May 7, 2012

- Press: DELOAD
- Chin: BW x 50 total
- Inverted Row: 3 x 10
- Bi/Tri: 3 x 12

Sunday, May 6, 2012

- Conditioning: 40m x 5, 400m x 1 (:58 – PR), 100m x 5

I wasn’t planning on attempting a PR on the 400m, but when I got to the track I just felt like today was the day. Really happy with this – 58 seconds, fuckin aye.

Friday, May 4, 2012

- Squat: 115/253 x 5, 130/286 x 3, 145/320 x 8 (rep PR)
- RDL: 70/154 x 3 x 10
- Neck Harness: 24/53x4x50
- Ab circuit
- Conditioning: Prowler - 10 x 20m trips with 185lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

Squats were good. That’s a 3 rep PR I believe. Last two reps were grinders, but it’s a deload next week, so I thought fuck it and just went for it.

Next cycle, at least for my upper body lifts, I think I’m going to try Wendler’s 3/5/1 approach, with the 3s week first and only hit the prescribed reps on the 5s week. I’m trying to be smart about this and just make one change at a time, so I can learn what works for me and what doesn’t work.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

- Bench: 82/180 x 5, 93/205 x 3, 104/229 x 6 (rep PR)
- Incline: 62.5/138 x 5, 72.5/160 x 5, 80/176 x 5
- DB Row: 40/88 x 3 x 10
- Pull Up: 30 total
- Bi/Tri: 2 x 15

Pretty disappointed with my bench. Yeah, I got the 6 reps which is a PR, but the last rep was a real fucking grind – I mean, the hardest fucking rep I’ve ever done, on any lift. I can’t say that this came as a complete surprise, because my press on Monday felt heavier than it should have (and I find the press to be a pretty good indicator of my bench strength) and so I had a suspicion that something was up with my upper body lifts.

So the first thing I’m going to do is drop the frequency method pushups all together. I’m currently doing 5 sets of 42 with ease and while I don’t feel that they are doing me any harm (in that I’m not sore and they haven’t gotten any harder) I want to determine if they are in fact negatively effecting my presses. If my pressing continues to stall despite dropping the FM pushups, I will have to look at maybe not pushing quite so hard on the upper body stuff, so for example, maybe on the second wave of each month only performing the requisite reps, and pushing a little harder in the first and third waves (I’m pretty sure Wendler discusses this very thing, though I can’t find where).

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

- Conditioning: Hill sprints x 8

Hill sprints and PRs. Why choose one when you can do them both.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

- Deadlift: 135/297 x 5, 152.5/336 x 3, 170/375 x 10 (rep PR)
- Safety Squat: 95/209 x 5, 110/242 x 5, 125/275 x 5
- GHR: BW x 3 x 12
- Neck Harness: 24/53x4x50
- Ab circuit
- Conditioning: Prowler - 10 x 20m trips with 185lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

170kg has never felt so light.

One PR down for the week, two to go.