Kdjohn: Physical Philosophy & Iron Insights

Ok cool. I just started boring but big beefcake which does 5 x 10 fsl with a 20 min time limit and I’m just wondering how the third and six weeks are going to be lol. The first squat session wasn’t so bad but I could definitely feel the lactic acid buildup in my legs and it got tougher on the last set.

I can usually get through the 5x10 in about 15 minutes, but I do very well with volume that borders on endurance. I’m just wrapping up the 2nd week now, so like you I’ll have to see how the 3rd and 6th week go.

Damn, that’s pretty fast. Yeah this is my first go with high rep anything in a while so it is taking some getting used to. I typically just do 5 sets of 5 for squats. Deadlifts are even lower. I usually just do one set of those. Guess I’ll just have to see how it goes.

28/10/2019

  • Yoga: 15 minutes

Notes:

  • Just a recovery day today. I used to do yoga and other mobility/flexibility modalities regularly, but with life being busy the last few months, it fell to the wayside. This session was embarrassing for me; poses I used to have no trouble getting into were very difficult. Gonna commit to at least 2 sessions of yoga per week.

29/10/2019

  • Press (main): 70x5, 80x5, 90x5, 105x5, 115x5
  • Press (supplemental): 5x10 @ 90
  • Dips: 50 total reps
  • Seated band row (heavy band): 50 total reps

Notes:

  • Aaaaaand my other shitty upper body lift; the press. Always stall out on this lift. I attribute it to my lack of weight gain over the last year.
  • My upper body pump after the dips and rows was INSANE. Felt like a freaking balloon. I let myself get pulled forward on the seated band row, so that I can get a full stretch in my lats, then sit up straight once the band is rowed in to make sure I contract fully. My lats were burning. It was a pain I haven’t experienced in a long time.

30/10/2019

  • Yoga: 15 minutes

Notes:

  • I was originally going to do some conditioning today, but with tomorrow being squats, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t gassing out, so I swapped it for some yoga.

31/10/2019

  • Squats (main): 120x5, 170x5, 220x5, 250x5, 280x5
  • Squats (supplemental): 5x10 @ 220
  • Goblet cyclist squats (aka: hell): 1x25 @ 50, 1x15 @ 50, 1x10 @ 50

Notes:

  • Squats felt good, good speed on the last set. The 5x10 has good speed as well, but I definitely caught by butt shooting up slightly faster than my chest on the last few reps of the last couple sets.
  • Those goblet cyclist squats were PAINFUL. Holy shit, I’ve never had a quad pump so intense before. It felt like someone was pouring hot molten lava through my legs. Definitely gonna do those again!

Well sounds like you took the 5x10 like a champ. So I guess it wasn’t so bad. I am not gonna lie though my legs hurt just thinking about having to do that weight in a couple of weeks hahaha.

What is a goblet cyclist squat btw?

For the first cycle, haha. We’ll see how the next one goes. I have to be careful not to psyche myself out for the squats; I’m confident I can get the 5x10 on the other 3 exercises no matter the week, but squats always give me pause.

Cyclist squats are a narrow stance, heel elevated squat popularized by Charles Poliquin. They heavily target the quads, so I like to use them as a way to build up my quads, because I naturally have a posterior chain that wants to take over. Goblet cyclist squats are just doing regular goblet squats (holding a dumbbell against your chest) in a cyclist squat style. Burns like hell.

I am only in my first week, but I am thinking I will end up with the same feeling about squats as well. The only other thing is jumping in to high volume deadlifts after my back injury but it has been long enough so I’m sure it will be fine. Just something I’m not used to.

I’ll have to try the exercise sometime. I’m not a fan of messing with heel height or today height but if Charles poliquin popularized it, then it probably works. His stuff was always on point.

High rep/volume deadlifts are definitely not for everyone, and take a while to get used to. I personally love them; my last great record was 315x20 done touch-and-go style. But like I’ve said, I do really well with volume that borders on endurance.

You’re doing Beefcake too, right?

Yeah except for bench. Bench I am doing something more strength focused.

Nice. I’ll make sure to check in on your log!

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01/11/2019

  • Conditioning: 6x40 yards keg carry, 100lbs

Notes:

  • Tried to move as quick as possible with rest periods just long enough to stop gulping air. Eventually want to work up to 10 total sets.

02/11/2019

  • Bench (main): 120x5, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5
  • Bench (supplemental): 5x10 @ 140
  • Seated band chest press: 1x25, 1x15, 1x10
  • Barbell row: 1x25, 1x15, 1x10, all @ 140

Notes:

  • Bench felt better this week; I was able to set my shoulders and keep everything tight.
  • Splitting up the 50 reps into sets of 25/15/10 really helps, as I find I’m able to feel out the weight/movement and get a good pump going on the set of 25, then the set of 15 is a tough work set, and the final set of 10 I can really squeeze the muscle and work on the tempo to burn everything out.

03/11/2019

  • Keg shoulder carry: 40 yards L/40 yards R, 5 sets @ 100lbs keg
  • Kneeling ab wheel SS w/ band good mornings: 1x25, 1x15, 1x10
  • Standing side bends: 1x25 @ 50, 1x15 @ 60, 1x10 @ 70

Notes:

  • Since I never do ab work at the end of my training sessions, I decided to just add a day where I do a loaded carry (which I love) for a few rounds of conditioning, followed by basic ab/low back work. Doesn’t tax me too much, and I means I’m at least training my abs once a week.

05/11/2019

  • Deadlift (main): 120x5, 170x5, 220x5, 270x5, 305x5, 345x5, 375x5
  • Deadlift (supplemental): 5x10 @ 305
  • Kirk Shrug: 50 total reps + a bunch of regular shrugs until grip failure

Notes:

  • Good session overall, nothing stood out too much.

06/11/2019

  • Sprints: 10 sets

07/11/2019

  • Press (main): 70x5, 80x5, 95x5, 110x5, 125x5
  • Press (supplemental): 5x10 @ 95
  • Dips: 50 reps
  • Seated band rows: 50 reps

Notes:

  • Catching up on a couple days; sprints were nothing special, just working on being fast.
  • Press felt good, for once. Every rep was solid and smooth.

09/11/2019

  • Squats (main): 120x5, 170x5, 200x5, 230x5, 260x5
  • Squats (supplemental): 5x10 @ 200
  • Band squats: 50 total reps
  • Band pull-throughs: 50 total reps

Notes:

  • The first few sets of main squats felt super heavy for some reason today. By the last set though, they flew up.
  • The band squats had the band anchored in front of me, with it looped around the back of my knees to add resistance to my quads; the band fights to shorten and bend your knees. Almost like a squatting leg extension, I guess.
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