Maple Syrup Strength (littlesleeper)

Training Logs
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745

04/19/2017

Woke up at 203.0lbs (Weight loss PR)

Wave 2/Week 1/Day 3 - Wednesday

SPEED & CONDITIONING
At the Top of Every Minute for 12 Minutes, Complete
3 Clean & Presses @ 165lbs
4 Lateral Jumps Over the Bar

Lungs were feeling these more than anything. I probably should have warmed my shoulders up a bit more before jumping into this. My right shoulder wasn’t too happy. Nothing major.

STRENGTH GIANT SET - 4 Rounds
Max Reps Chin-Ups (10, 10, 10, 15)
Max Reps Strict Presses (Out of a Rack) @ 165lbs (6, 6, 6, 8)
10 Dragon Flags (6, 6, 6, 6)

OH strength seemed to have been a little fatigued from the previous set as 165lbs for 6 reps was challenging.
It has been pouring rain all day today. I decided to skip the farmer’s walks and just do a little circuit to burn some more cals.

Giant Set - 3 Rounds
70lb DB Waiter’s Walk (100’, 100’, 150’)
Back Ext with 25lb Plate (10, 10, 10)
Jump Rope (50, 50, 100)

On Monday I did waiter’s walks with a 50lb DB and they were VERY easy. Today with the 70lb DB they were VERY tough. I don’t have DBs in between, so I guess I better start getting good with the 70’s!

Diet was good today other than the 7TBSP of natural peanut butter I munched on before bed…I just couldn’t put the damn jar down…then basically once you see the bottom of the container, you have committed to finishing it…so ya.

5 Likes
746

You do crunchy or creamy? natural or jiffy’s lol? I find creamy (non natural) to be super easy to put down.

747

This looks fun. Did you stop a few seconds shy of the minute? How could you do the clean & press while gasping for air?

748

@isdatnutty - Kraft Crunchy Natural! Soooo good. The switch from non-natural to natural took some getting used to, due to the consistency. But honestly now, I don’t even like the ‘fake’ peanut butter. Nasty. I’ve definitely acquired much more of a taste for healthy foods compared to a few years ago when the more processed it was the better it tasted to me.

@Frank_C - It was just at the top of each minute. So I would do the 3 cleans, then do four jumps over the bar. That typically took ~30s to complete. Then I had 30s to try and slow my breathing before doing it over again. Brian forces you to do a lot of your lifts while gasping for air, and it isn’t easy!

2 Likes
749

When reading from my phone I missed the 4 next to Lateral Jumps. I thought you were doing 3 clean and presses, then jumping over the bar for the remainder of the minute. I think some of the CrossFit WOD’s I’ve seen while searching for one I like sunk into my head… I see quite a few of “do this lift x 2, then burpees/jump rope/20m sprints for the remainder of the minute”.

750

Haha yes, that would have proved much more difficult. However, this was no walk in the park!

751

Hey, jut started checking out your log after seeing the impressive transformation in that thread. Nice work!

You were very strong to begin with, obviously. How are you liking the Neversate workouts?

1 Like
752

Thanks man. The more followers the merrier!

I’m LOVING the Neversate workouts. They are a completely different beast from what I’m used to. The variation of lifts is huge, the program challenges you with weights that should be ‘easy’ by giant setting them with other movements. Getting under the bar for an 85% squat after you just did a minute of burpee lateral jumps is easier said than done. Bracing proves to be a difficult task, while gasping for air.

My conditioning has definitely improved, and working out 5 days a week (compared to 3-4 for my usual 5/3/1 rotations) is definitely helping me drop some fat while keeping my calories relatively high. I haven’t really had to dip to a calorie level where I’m hungry much, which is a huge bonus.

I honestly don’t see myself running it too long term, for two reasons:

  1. 5 days a week is a bit much for me to accommodate. 4 days/week seems to be a maximum sustainable program for me.
  2. Due to the massive variance of lifts, supersets, giant sets, etc. I’m finding it difficult to auto-regulate/adjust. Some workouts call for exercises that are done outside (for me) such as atlas stones, tire flips, keg carries etc. Depending on weather and time sometimes I need to exclude these but I feel like I am missing a big piece of the workout. I have become very comfortable with 5/3/1 and therefore feel confident pushing certain workouts on good days and dialing them back on poor days and have realized a great list of substitutions along the way.

I can see myself running the program again if I see my conditioning starting to suffer, or maybe leading up to a strongman competition.

I’ve learned a lot from this type of program and will definitely keep some of Brian’s conditioning super/giant sets in my back pocket for future training.

I’m currently waiting on the new 5/3/1 book and once I familiarize myself with the new program, I will likely embrace it for the long term.

5 Likes
753

04/20/2017

REST DAY

LISS: 20 dog walk
HIIT: 2mins steady (40rpm), 30s sprint (90-100rpm) on AirDyne - 15total mins (6rounds - 3.6miles)

Followed up with some foam rolling/mobility.

1 Like
754

I don’t doubt it. I like seeing your conditioning because it gives me ideas and inspiration for my lagging cardio.

755

That looks so good it makes me angry. :joy: Way to enjoy and keep it clean man!

2 Likes
756

@Frank_C - Ya man, it’s been an eye opener for conditioning.

@robstein - Haha, you should have a filter on your browser that doesn’t let food pictures pop up on your screen when you’re this far into your prep! You’re looking unreal man, and I’m loving your log. So much information I’ve pulled from it, from meal suggestions/timing to different workouts and forms of cardio. Thanks for being so thorough through your prep! Oh, and I’m excited for your refeed day as well lol That angel cake looks phenomenal.

2 Likes
757

04/21/2017

Woke up at 203.0lbs again which is encouraging. Typically I’ll hit a PR low, and then not see it again for 3-4 days. Let’s hope to see a 202.X tomorrow morning. I need to make sure I don’t do any post dinner snacking!

Wave 2/Week 1/Day 5 - Friday

CONDITIONING - Bring Sally Up Front Squats
Load a bar lighter than your ego wants you to and hit “play” on the song. Then follow the lyrics.
If you do not make it the entire way through the song with front squats, continue to follow the lyrics with Burpees in place of your front squats.

Well this sucked. I made it to ~2min 15s with front squats @ 95lbs. HUMBLED. Upper back gave out first. Damn you paused front squats. Might have to start working these into my program a bit more to try and strengthen my upper back. Finished off the last 1min 15s with burpees following the lyrics. Good warmup for the deadlifts.

STRENGTH
Complete as Many Deadlifts @ 75% of your 1RM As possible in 12 Minutes.

Slapped 405lbs on the bar and managed to get 24 reps in 12 mins.
3 ← no belt, mixed grip
Since mixed grip feels awful on these squat stance deads, I decided to strap up.
4 ← belt and straps
3 ← tried conventional here to see how it felt in comparison. Definitely a higher RPE than with semi-sumo
4 ← back to semi sumo (still straps/belt)
4
6 ← I had 24 reps in my head going into this after looking at prilepin’s chart for 75%. Pushed this last set pretty far. Still a couple left in the tank but I was right at the 12min mark anyways.

Energy definitely isn’t at 100% tonight. End of a shitty long work week.

Finished it up with a 1mile 50lb weighted vest walk. Cheers to the weekend.
EDIT: Anyone else do weighted vest walks? They torch my traps (in a good way).

Side note, I can’t friggin’ wait until I get the new 5/3/1 book and my NEVERsate T-shirts.

6 Likes
758

Mini Rant:

Ok, I’ve seen numerous people/threads/comments about the foaming “issue” of Plazma. People recommending mixing it the night before, people asking for advice on how to get rid of the foam, etc.

This is only the 4-5 time I’ve used it but I am having trouble relating to anyone who is complaining about the foam. You shake the crap out of it, and it foams. In LESS THAN 5 MINUTES the foam is GONE. I can only assume I have some magical bag of Plazma and that this doesn’t happen for everyone, because I can’t fathom all of those complaints came from having to wait 5 freaking minutes to let the foam settle.

3024×4032 3.67 MB

3024×4032 4.08 MB

6 Likes
759

04/22/2017

Wave 2/Week 1/Day 6 - Saturday
CONDITIONING - 3 Rounds of the Following Circuit. :40 Seconds Work / :20 Seconds to Rest & Rotate to your next station.

  1. Explosive Straight Arm Pulldowns (simulating battle ropes) (30reps)
  2. Handstand Push-Ups (10 reps)
  3. Hollow Rocks (15 reps)
  4. 50lb DB Swings (15 reps)
  5. Regular Jump Rope (40 jumps)
  6. Neutral Grip Chins (12 reps)
  7. Overhead Lunges (45lb BB, 8 reps per leg)
  8. Plate Touches (25lb plate crunched to touch toes in air)
  9. Box Jumps (10 jumps)
  10. Wall Sit (40s)
    1:00 Minute Rest at the end of each Round

Fun little circuit. I wasn’t near as torched as I thought I would be. My conditioning is definitely improving. Good news.

STRENGTH - 5 Rounds
a) 5 Barbell Rows (As Heavy As Possible)
b) 2 Flat Bench Presses @ 85% of your 1RM
c) 10 Burpees
a/b/c
115 x 10 / 135 x 10 / 10
165 x 8 / 185 x 8 / 10
215 x 5 (added straps) / 225 x 5 / 10
235 x 5 / 275 x 3 / 10
235 x 5 / 320 x 2 / 10
235 x 5 / 320 x 2
235 x 5 / 320 x 2
235 x 5 / 320 x 2
235 x 5 / 320 x 2

The 320lb bench for doubles was probably the perfect weight. RPE around 9 for each set, no grinding but tough sets.

3 Likes
760

Nope, not just you. I’ve never had an issue with the foaming.

2 Likes
761

04/24/2017

I’ve now completed a full 4 weeks of Brian’s daily workouts. My conditioning has no doubt improved and I feel more comfortable being uncomfortable (yep, I meant to write that). But, I think it is time to drop back down to 4 training days per week and I miss my beloved 5/3/1. With the new book on its way, I figured I’d pop back into 5/3/1 and do a cycle of 5’s PRO, BBB which I will be starting tonight.

I’ll run this while I’m getting myself familiar with the new book/program. I’m also going to start training in the morning (starting tomorrow…hopefully), and these workouts are more predictable in length (which is helpful for not running late for work due to long workouts and losing track of time).

I’m still going to mix in some conditioning work and some Strongman movements regularly, as I feel that two elements have really made me a better overall lifter.

3 Likes
762

If training four days a week is one of the main things making you want to stop have you seen Brian’s videos on how he sets up his conjugate and linear progression with the giant sets etc?

763

You gonna squeeze in the Mantathlon Challenge before you start your new program?? C’mon, you know you want to…

1 Like
764

@caesium32 - Reduced training frequency is definitely one of the main reasons for switching. Another is program simplicity. I took a stab at his conjugate program awhile back but it just doesn’t jive with my training preferences. I like the barebones, basic approach of 5/3/1. While mixing in, paused reps, banded resistance, lift variations and ‘dynamic effort’ work all keep things from getting stale, they seem to detract from my overall training experience. I want to make the most of my training, but if that means not fully enjoying it, then it isn’t worth it in my eyes.

@Frank_C - Maybe this can be a little bonus workout for me this coming weekend. I’ve been quite busy lately and have just been skimming threads for the most part. I haven’t sat down to read through what the currently challenge is all about yet. But I’ll likely be participating, unless it has olympic lifts!

2 Likes