Haha, I guess as long as they’re not happening 100% of the time
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Thursday or Friday
Push-ups: rest-pause
Commando pull-ups: rest-pause
Pike push-ups: rest-pause
Inverted rows: rest-pause
Saturday:
No training. It was the first day this month that my fiancee and I had off together, so instead of training I made her breakfast & we hung out all day loafing about.
NOTES:
SO, Ws4sb has done me well, but I’m feeling the need to move on for what I feel are pretty good reasons, being:
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I don’t feel like I’m getting enough exposure to lower body lifts. I think It’s a weakness and I need to bring up my squats and deads.
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Were I not having shoulder trouble, I think ME upper would be okay, but I think a sub-maximal approach would heal it up faster.
So, I’m going to do the 6 week Building the Monolith program with low training maxes, very low for the press. After which, I’m going to do 2 cycles of a modified young Jim Wendler template using jokers for my split jerk work and down-sets for my upper body supplemental work, and events as my lower body supplemental work.
It’ll look like this:
Monday 10/24/61
Building the Monolith: week 1, day 1
High Bar Back Squat
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
210 x 5
240 x 5 x 5 (last set was more like 3, 1, 1)
Neutral press
bar x 5
90 x 5
100 x 5
115 x 10 (capped)
Chins of various grips: 20 sets of 5 in between pretty much everything
band pull-aparts: 10 sets of 10 reps
dips: 10 sets of 10 reps
Notes: this was pretty god damn hard.not used to this much work but I think I’ll adapt. The squats felt heavy, but I think I’m just rusty at back squatting. I;m trying to do this as close to what Wendler described as possible down to the diet. Shoulder is a little pissy from the dips so I may change them out with push-ups.
Tuesday 10/25/16
Building the Monolith: week 1, day 2
Conditioning
1-2 mile walk w/ 45lb vest
Tuesday 10/26/16
Building the Monolith: week 1, day 3
Trap Bar Deadlift
45 x 5
135 x 5
225 x 5
250 x 5
290 x 5
350 x 3x5
Axle Close-Grip Bench Press
45 x 5
95 x 5
150 x 5
170 x 5
195 x 5x5
DB rows (50lbs)
5 x 10-20
Straight Bar Curls (30lbs)
50-100 reps
Notes:
These sessions are pretty damn hard, definitely not used to this much work!
Haven’t logged in a minute. Since I’m just following the plan nothin’ much to log beyond my musings, which don’t always warrant a post.
Finished off last week. Saturday I did lots of carries; mostly running with the 105# stone shouldered. Did back-to-back lifting Tuesday & yesterday; wasn’t too bad. Been doing lots of weight vest walking for conditioning.
I woke up at 178 which is about 5lbs heavier than about a month ago. Ready for week 3!
After week 6 (and the subsequent deload) I plan on running the young Jim Wendler template, pretty much as is but for conditioning I’m going to do hill sprints carrying a bag of rocks or something likely after I lift. I don’t and won;t have access to implements during the week, but since my contest is mostly carrying stuff I don’t see how running up hills carrying rocks could be a bad thing. Saturday will be implement-focused
11-4-16
Building the Monolith Week 2, Day 3
Did everything as a giant set
-en sets of pressing with 65lbs
-5x5 chins
-squats
Notes: squats felt off and I leaned too far forward during the 20 reps (135#) and tweaked my back a bit. Feeling better now though.
11-5-16
Conditioning
We ran a local half marathon. she started cramping pretty bad about halfway through so we went for a completion grade lol.
Been not commenting for a bit, but I’m really excited to follow your progress on Building the Monolith. I wanna run it sometime. I like your creative substitutions to make it a little more strongmannish.
Glad to have you lookin’ is as always man. I like it a lot so far, it really is a nice change of pace to just have an X amount of work to put in versus trying to beat a pr or weight record or something. And to be honest, I’m not used to getting in this much overall volume, especially condensed into what usually is about an hour, so I’m happy looking forward to how this should affect my overall work capacity. My only reservation was such frequent overhead pressing, but hopefully the low TM will help that; we shall see in a few weeks!
Hey, gotta throw in those axles where you can! Also the trap bar is nice on the low back & should have some good carryover to the frame (minus the balancing act that the frame’s got going on for it). Plus having “easy” conditioning prescribed allows me to mentally focus more on speed than weight for carries.
EDIT btw I liked it, but awesome job on the continental!
11/8/16
Building the Monolith Week 3, Session 2/3, Part A
Close-Grip axle Bench
Bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5 x 5
Chins (all to the sternum; varied grips)
5 reps between every pressing set
Notes:
Doing part B after work, and maybe part C this evening. Just didn’t have the time over lunch and I don’t see how rushing through this one would be okay.
EDIT: mo’ notez. I REALLY like doing sets of 5 for chins’ volume work. It feels like the perfect number to really rack up total reps, and I’ve noticed the sets getting easier & easier with each session.
Part B of 11/8
High Bar Back Squats
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
200 x 5
225 x 5
250 x 5
145 x 20
Got caught up in election stuff & forgot to log. I realized that I messed up and benched when I should have pressed! oh well.
I did the 5s pro 20 rep squats since I had no time for 5x5s
Little back-logged since no prs.
Wednesday
Giant set with
-Trap bar deads up to 350 x 3 x5
- Weighted chins (like 60lbs i guess) 5x5
-bb press up to 120 x 5 (straight bar, so i didn’t want to pr)
Friday
Giant set of
-squats ramped to 250 5x5
-10x5 swiss bar press with 95lbs
-rows, rows, ROWS!
Notes: cycle 1 of monolith over! Getting used to the volume. Excited to bring back front squatting after this block though. Chad weekday wesley smith said strongman beginners should do back squats, deadlift, and front squats on three separate days with events as assistance. Nearly identical to young jim wendler template
11-16-16
Cycle 2: Building the Monolith p2, week 1, session A
Axle Close-Grip Bench
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 5
200 x 5x5
Trap Bar Deads
Bar x 5
135 x 5
225 x 5
285 x 5
315 x 5
340 x 2 x 5
340 x 10
Rowz
Notes: Fudged up the day a bit. Could have sworn that today was deadlift day so I didn’t bring any of my squatting gear. I know I know, but I’ve gotten to the point where squatting sans knee sleeves feels like it does more harm than good, and since my back has been a tad achy didn’t want to go beltless.
But good session either way. I felt great on the last set of deads, said screw it, pushed for reps, and hit a pr at an 453 estimated max
11-17-16
1 mile run
11-18-16
Cycle 2 - building the monolith: week 1, session 2
am
Neutral press
45x5
65x5
90x5
105x5
115x10
Chins: 10 reps between every press
pm
10 Giant sets of:
5 chins
5 squats
10 dips
10 pull-aparts
Squats went
45x5
95x5
135x5
195x5
220x5
250x5x5
notes
Really didn’t want to squat 5x5 today lol. Those giant sets had my lungs pumping something fierce though!
11-20-16
Cycle 2 - building the monolith: week 1, session 3
(Everything done as a giant set)
Chins:
5 x bodyweight
5 x + Small chain (30lbs+/-)
5 x +Anchor chain (chain is at least 60lbs)
3 x small & large chain
5 x large chain
5 x small chain
Squats
5 x 45
5 x 95
5 x 135
5 x 195
5 x 220
5 x 250
20 x 140
Neutral-grip press
80lbs x “12” x 5
Wierd rear delt/shrugs from the paul carter article x50-100
Notes: good session. Warm-up sets of squat felt heavy but the 250 flew up. I don’t know how anyone keeps track of sets beyond ten in the throws of a workout, so I just did enough sets to where I was confident that I passed up 12 sets.
11-?-16
Cycle 2 -Building the Monolith: Week 2, Session 1
(Every done as a giant set)
Squats
45 x 5
95 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
235 x 5 x 5
Neutral-Grip Press
45 x 5
5 x 90
5 x 105
10? I don’t remember x 115
Chins: around 100
dips: around 100
face-pulls around 100
11-30-16
Cycle 2 -Building the Monolith: Week 2, Session 2
10-20 kettlebell swings
Trap bar deadlifts
5 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 225
5 x 245
5 x 285
5 x 315
Bench press (regular barbell)
5 x 45
5 x 95
5 x 145
5 x 165
5x5 x 185
rows 5 x 8-12
curls 5 x 8-12
NOTES
Been traveling like crazy for both the holidays and for work, going to one city after another. Things are settling down now though. I came into town around 7 last night, and went straight into the gym for a fairly unenergized workout.
11-2-16
**Cycle 2 - building the monolith p2: week 2, session 3 **
Squats
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
235 x 5
185 x 20
Neutral bar press
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 12 x 5
Chins
Bw x 5
30# chain x 5
30# chain x 5
60# chain x 5
30# chain x 5
Front rack shrugs: 50-100
Pull-aparts: 100ish
12-3-16
strongman conditioning
Farmers walk
2 × 115# (each hand) for like 100’
2 x 165# for about 60’
2 x 185# for about 30’
1 x 165# for 60’
1 x 115# for about 100’
Single axle clean with 190#
About 250# frame carry
4 x 60’
notes
The guys mentioned that I’ve gained size since i last say them (about 6 weeks ago) which is awesome. I have indeed put on about 5lbs of mostly lbm, sitting closer to 180 in the am. One more week of monolith then i get to move into my 7-week pre-competition block (young jim wendler using events as supplemental work)
Hey man, good to hear that you are making progress! How is your shoulder feeling? Any better?
Hey - not sure if this was every posted but are you living / using gyms in Austin area? If so, which ones?
Thanks bro! It’s feeling much better, all those tips you have me I’ve been doing with bands frequency, coupled with light, high-volume neutral bar work has helped immensely. There’s still a little twinge still and my strength levels aren’t near what they were, but all-in-all much better. I’m just hoping that it holds up through these next six weeks, which it should if i build up slowly to competition weights and don’t over reach. Luckily with young jim wendler i can build my clean & my overhead separately, and do jerks after getting my shoulders warm with neutral ohp