(stole the Iron Hussar Experiment from a S&C thread on a different forum from several years ago - guy basically beat the shit out of himself for a month or two to see how much punishment he could take and still recover/improve)
I’ve had to take the last couple months off due to chronic tennis elbow (trying to let it heal), ITB, then a training course for work which kept me out of the gym for over a month, followed by a Scotland trip with the wifey (which we just got back from yesterday). Designed this beat down while I was sitting around, and thought I’d throw up a log for the fun of it.
Tested bench today, got 285 which makes for about a 50 pound drop (and pretty close to what I was expecting). That’s the only one I’m testing, so I can use it to figure percentages for the next 4-6 weeks using 531 (only lift which will follow 531).
So this ‘program’ will be based around two things, the program outlined here:
( Myofibrillar Growth & Conditioning – The Program ); and a little something I’ve done a few times over the years. Forget where I read this and have not been able to find it again, but some coach had proposed front squatting every day for two weeks. Weight would start at 50% of 1RM and increase by 5 pounds every day - this adds up to 65 pound increase in the two week period, with the point being to drastically improve form while also inducing rapid growth of the quads. I don’t recall what the set/rep scheme was supposed to be, so I’ve always used 5x5 - the idea being that the daily workout is ‘easy’, the intensity factor comes from daily use and weight increase (sneaking up on volume). I am going a bit stupid with this one this time however, as I intend to start at 135 (5x5) and continue increasing by 5 pounds every day until I basically can’t. Goal is to do this for 6 weeks, but we’ll see what happens. This would see a drastic increase in poundage, approximately 210 pounds added by the end. At whatever point I end this (6 weeks or ‘can’t go on’), I will wait about a week and then test my 1RM.
So breakdown will look something like this, with some modifications possible along the way.
Front squat every day (in addition to what’s listed below)
Saturday - KB HIRT (from article) (exact set/rep scheme still TBD)
Sunday - just front squat
Monday - KB HIRT (ditto)
Tuesday - pull up workout (weighted, haven’t decided on set/rep here either, maybe 531), bench BBB
Wednesday - KB HIRT
Thursday - haven’t decided yet
Friday - Bench, pullup BBB
Abs and calves will be added most days, snatch grip high pulls will probably go every other day or something similar, and I may try to add some direct arm training. As weight goes up on front squats, this will easily become a 2-a-day routine. Goal is to gain size and strength back in rapid fashion, along with the conditioning element from the heavy-ass KB swings. Biggest bell I have is a 53, so I made a T-bar contraption from pipe which will allow me to do heavy swings using 25# plates - should be big enough to accommodate 150+ pounds for swings (I’ve done swings with 150 and 200 pound KBs before, when I was lifting at a strongman gym in VA). Also (on the subject of KBs), I will use tubular nylon and fat grips to put DBs in the same position as KBs for the overhead pressing since I don’t have access to much in the way of kettle bells.
Starting this debacle tomorrow, so strap in - it should be fun.