Thursday 9/15/16
BW 267
Deload week
Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
Press
95x5
115x5
135x5
Pull ups
3 sets of 5
That’s a Rogue 88, correct?
I love my Rogue kettlebells.
Yes it is. My 50 is a CAP. Any future kettle bells will be Rogue. The finish and feel is far superior.
Agreed. My first several, being an assortment of Craigslist purchases, included a Cap, a GoFit or two, one from “Kettlebells USA” before I decided to spend some cash all at once and outfit myself with a full(ish) set of Rogues. With my now-wife and I living together, we sold off the old ones and just kept all the Rogues (26, 35, 44, 53, 88).
@max13 I meant to reply to you yesterday, but I was on my phone and my thoughts just don’t flow the same way they do when I’m at a keyboard. Most people will tell you to lose the fat, but I’ll tell you to do what you want to do. I have no regrets about chasing strength as a 300 pound fatty. It is what I needed to do at the time.
No one here gets out alive and anything can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye, so pursue whatever gives you the most fulfillment!
@ActivitiesGuy I bought myself the 88 for Christmas last year, and I think Rogue kettlebells will be my gift to myself again. I’d like to have a complete set of 44-88 pounders, and perhaps even a pair of 53’s or 62’s. I should just sell that piece of crap CAP on craigslist and put the money toward a Rogue bell. That glossy finish is just awful.
I’m also intrigued by the monster bells for swings, but I think the 88 is heavy enough for me to get all of the conditioning benefit I need. Someday, perhaps.
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I think you should go for at least one Demonbell 
I will note that I bought myself a second 44, thinking that I would do more double movements, but it hasn’t really taken. I still do virtually all single-bell work (and just leave the second 44 in the car as our traveling kettlebell for road trips).
I’m toying with the idea of buying a 70 (I would like something in between the 53 and 88) but I don’t think I really need it. I also kind of like the idea of a 106 for heavy-heavy swings and to challenge myself to press it, but there’s no way I’m buying that before my wife and I move to a more permanent place…
I wouldn’t substitute any kettlebell work for that good lifting you’re doing in gym. If you insist on using kettlebell(s) how about trying Dave John’s 10,000 swing routine? Guaranteed to lose weight on that with 500 swings 4 times a week. His article’s in the articles section on this website.
@ChickenLittle I gave it some consideration, along with getting the badass-looking 88 pounder from Ironskull Fitness. In the end they were just too damn expensive. If I were to purchase a novelty kettlebell, I would probably go with one of these.
@ActivitiesGuy Interesting to know about the 2 kettlebells. I think you should buy the 106!
@biker Don’t worry. Kettlebells aren’t making their way into my training any more than they already are. I may run the 10k Swing routine sometime in the future, but for now I’m sticking with what’s been working for me. I miss beer already, but I missed losing fat more. Let’s see what I can string together here in the coming weeks.
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Such an interesting kettlebell. Is there some version for women?
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@kpsnap I suppose that would depend on your preferences. All I’ve seen that might excite someone are boob and animal kettlebells.
Monday 9/19/16
BW 268
Squat
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x1
455x1
475x1
500x1 (5lb PR)
405x4
Leg Press
3 sets of 560x10
Leg Curls
3 sets of 12
Kettlebell Swings - 88 pounder
1 set of 50
Notes: Partner hit a 550 squat, a 35 lb PR for him. We also had a guest squatter today, a stout lad who frequents the bar I bounce at. He did well for his first time under the bar in quite some time.
500 was the biggest grinder squat I’ve ever performed, bar none. But I’m pleased to have done it, and my partner never actually made contact. It was all me. The last time I had five plates on my back is when I squatted 495 over a year and a half ago as a much fatter man.
This squat also makes it somewhat official. I’ve lost absolutely no strength from dropping fat. I’ve now surpassed every lift I ever performed as a 300+ pound man.
Here’s 475, which felt really good.
And here’s 500. I was dizzy after racking this. I don’t plan on too many more squats that look like that, but we’ll see.
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Congratulations on the PR! You are unstoppable!
This is incredibly encouraging, as I’ve made the decision to commit to dropping a few pounds. With work getting super busy and my out-of-town October competition looking like it wouldn’t get the preparation it merits, I figured I’d clean up the diet. After cutting carbs roughly to 1/3 and ditching the junk food, I am down 6 pounds since last week. Of course this is nearly all water weight and bloat from shitty eating, but its still encouraging and I feel great.
In any case, I will get back on the platform, at a lower weight class. So it is good to hear that your strength has not faded, and even increased. Even your bench hasn’t gone down?
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Good work on the PR, 2JS!
That’s a lot of weight to move.
Good work in here. Dizzy or not, 500 probably still feels good.
@ChickenLittle Thank you very much! I always feel unstoppable after a heavy squat, but I’m pretty sure another five pounds on the bar would have stopped me yesterday.
@2busy Thanks! I agree, and I don’t think I’m going to be attempting anything over 475 for the near future.
@biker Thanks! I was going to tone with some kettlebell goblet squats today, but I remembered your words and decided to go for a 500 pound barbell squat instead.
@max13 I don’t think you will regret this. You don’t want to wake up my age and realize you have over 100 pounds to lose in order to survive the looming array of preventable illnesses on your horizon. Shedding fat doesn’t get any easier as you get older, and you are young, strong and lifting in a manner that will give you really great results if you commit to yourself and see the process through.
And yes, even my bench has survived intact. I hit 305 not too long ago, a 5 pound PR over my best bench at 300+. However, reports of lost strength from fat loss are not without basis. I think a lot of those reports are just panicked lifters who may be a week of rest and few good meals away from performing as well as they ever have. I certainly have had many, many workouts where I felt weak or just did not perform anywhere close to where I expected myself to. I didn’t get weaker, I was just weakened that day from the fat loss process. This is important to remember, and being certain of this is why I’ve been compelled to test my strength lately.
I’ve actually gotten significantly stronger on the deadlift, especially pushing it for reps. 585 and 495x4 were my best pulls at 300+. 605 and 495x7 are my recent bests below 270. I never did anything like 405x15 at my higher bodyweight. According to my projections, I should be pulling 800 pounds if I can make it to a bodyweight of 190.
All other lifts have gone up in the higher rep ranges too. I’m pushing 225 for more reps than ever on bench. I’m pushing 315 for way higher reps on squat, taking myself to places of misery I never knew existed. All good stuff.
My strict press has more or less held steady, but even that I’m probably a BIT stronger on. So it really has been all benefit, no drawback with me and fat loss. I can’t complain at all about how things have unfolded.
Commit. Follow-through with it. Trust the process and your body. I’m sure you will have great success!
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That was a good squat grind. Way to stay with the weight!
And very encouraging news that you can maintain your strength at a lower bodyweight. I always think it’s an interesting experiment when people play around with weight to see where they’re strongest, especially competitive powerlifters. For example, I stay at a really low weight class because my numbers are no more impressive when I weigh more.
@kpsnap Thanks! I don’t forsee any strength drop-off in my near future, but I suppose I’ll need to achieve a lower bodyweight to find out for sure.
Tuesday 9/20/16
BW 268
Bench Press
95x8
135x5
185x5
225x3
245x3
275x4
225x10
185x10
135xMany
Barbell Rows
135x10
4 sets of 225x10
Cable Circuit
Curls
Facepulls
Tricep Pushdowns
3 rounds no rest.
Notes: Feeling good and my partner is getting stronger on bench. He hit 275x8.
WHOOT!!! Just fantastic. Think about that. 500 pounds!!!
@anon71262119 Thanks! I’m still riding high from that squat!
Thursday 9/22/16
BW 268
Deadlift
135xMany
225x5
315x3
405x3
495x8 (1 rep PR)
495x1
495x1
405x1
405x1
Leg Press
200x20
290x20
380x20
470x20
560x20
Kettlebell Swings - 88 pounder
5 sets of 20
Notes: Partner also set a 1 rep PR with 495x13. I used straps for my top set, so I suppose I will call this a strapped PR. It was a tough set for sure, I’m quite pleased. The young lad who’s been pulling with us also hit a rep PR of 495x5. I like it when everyone brings their best.
Today was also my first foray into high-rep leg pressing. I need to do more work on deadlift day, and working up to a ball-buster set on leg presses seems to be worth a shot.
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