Nordic Blood: Climbing And Lifting / Lifting And Climbing

Depends a whole lot on the person, but I’d say that it wouldn’t take more than 8 weeks max

Sounds about right, I figure I’m further away than 4 weeks, but less than 12. 6-8 probably. I’ll try not to add on too much fat now in the interim. Cheers for stopping by! Hope all is well.

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After looking at some videos I realise my high pulls today were shit and probably with proper form I can go for a heavier load. We’ll see though, might just be Weak insert trademark symbol here

Wednesday, 19th of September 2018

Weight: 75.6kg (+1kg) Uhm, ate too much yesterday. Ate for what I was going to do (climb) but I was so weak on the wall that the session was very inactive.
Sleep: ~5hrs, not too happy about that. Woke up numerous times as well despite taking a Melatonin, 5-htp, red tea, carbs, L-theanin+ZMA combo before bed.
Mirror: lookin’ okay, but I could tell I hadn’t slept very well

Cold rages on with an added fervor courtesy of my lack of sleep

Workout

5x3

  • Strict OHP @ 40kg [0]
  • Push press @ 45 kg [1]
  • Dumbbell BP @ 28 per hand [2]

3x3

  • Back Squat @ 90kg ATG. Oly shoes [3]

[0] First two sets at 45, pull-ups between sets. Last session was 10/5/5 pull-ups, today I did 10/8/7 reps this time
[1] First set at 50, did kettlebell rows between sets for the first 3 sets.
[2] First set at 32, but that was a bit too heavy.
[3] The sad thing about wearing Oly shoes is I can’t do box jumps to prime my posterior. Might start bringing two pairs as you couldn’t pay me to jump barefoot on the boxes we have. Hello splinterville.

The astute reader will recognize that these are the same weights (except for squats) as last time, and anyone familiar with Look Like a Bodybuilder, Perform Like an Athlete would know that today’s session is supposed to be heavier than the Monday session.

So what gives? Well, I knew I ran the last session a bit heavy, I was supposed to run Strict OHP @ 35kg and Push-press @ 40kg but the gym was a bit cramped and the plate selection was a bit sparse that session so I just rolled with what I could get my hands on.

But yeah, basically these weights are my Zone 3 weights, and I should go lighter for a Zone 2 workout. I tried to go heavier, as you can tell from [0], [1] and [2] but I didn’t have the rep quality that you’re supposed to maintain when training like this. So, I set my ego aside and went for a weight where I could do the reps explosively.

Finished the session with concentration curls with constant tension to muscle fatigue, and when muscle fatigue hit I did a final yielding eccentric. Good fun!

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Thursday, 20th of September 2018

Weight: 73.7kg (-1.9kg) Unexpected, had 3k calorie yesterday
Sleep: ~7hrs
Mirror: looking okay, a bit blurred.

Cold rages on even further

Workout

8x3

  • Snatch Grip High Pull @ 45kg [0]
  • Muscle Snatch @ 35kg [1]
  • Snatch Grip Deadlift @ 90kg [2]

[0] Started out with 3 reps at 60, I think that is my MTW. Watching those Klokov technique videos really paid off
[1]: Should really have used 40 but the rep quality was sub-par. Dropped the weight to keep explosive
[2]: These felt so damn good

No assistance work today because of the cold but I think the lower body training days will be well paired with some unilateral work, good mornings and maybe some abductor/adductor work. My glutes get fried from the DLs.

Was a bit bored as I didn’t do anything extra in between sets so the pace felt a bit slow.

Forgot to mix BCAAs in my intra-workout so it was entirely flavourless except for sea salt, yuck.


Note to self, I might be too weak for this style of training but I like it for now. It’s nice not to train on the nerve everyday and focus on technique. I can imagine that my relatively low strength level might mean I can get away with progressing faster than the program intends.

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Hey Allberg
Hope you’ll get over that cold quickly.
Two things comes to mind, when you’re sick I think the body uses a lot of energy just to fight the illness.
Second is about

Explosive lifting (snatches and high pulls) are supposed to be done with lighter weights. I don’t think the goal is to lift more weights in training rather it’s to be faster with better technique.

But I really don’t know. It’s what I’ve read, I’m about as explosive as a slug :slight_smile:

I don’t know what happens metabolically when you are sick, maybe @danteism knows, but I know that when you are injured your metabolic needs are higher: Injuries: Nutrition and Recovery

This is true, but let us set aside the lifts and focus on the training philosophy of low volume/high frequency training: if you are weak can you create enough damage during a training session to prompt the body to grow muscle/increase strength?

If I remember correctly (that’s a big if, it has been a while) your metabolism goes up when you get sick, as your body needs extra energy to heal, much like in the case of injury.

Friday, 21st of September 2018

Weight: 74.4kg (+0.7kg)
Sleep: 9-10hrs
Mirror: didn’t check

Workout

8x3

  • Strict OHP @ 35
  • Push Press @ 40
  • Dumbbell BP @ 26 per hand

6x3

  • Back Squat @ 80kg [0]

[0]: Forgot to wear my Oly shoes today so I had two tiny plates under my heels instead.

Notes: Got to the gym a bit later than normal so it was cramped with people. Attractive people. I felt the inclination to just load up for deadlifts and have a murder workout but I didn’t and kept it light. My ego was very confused by this.

Did 10/10/7 pull-ups first three sets of OHP, then band pull aparts for 12 reps for the remaining sets. Between push presses I did BB rows with the same weight. Did a few box jumps between squats to potentiate my posterior. Ab work (weighted sit-ups) between dumbbell bench press.

Took more than an hour, so it was good I wasn’t in a hurry anywhere today so that I know for my next friday session that this session is lengthier than the others.

Yep especially if you have a fever, your body needs the energy to turn up the heat so to speak

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Saturday, 22nd of September

Weight: 75.9kg (+1.5kg)
Sleep: 6-7hrs

Hosting a mate over the weekend, he arrived a bit late so dinner+pre-bed snack was one big meal. Shrimp tacos, with salmon bits, beans, and an infinite amount of vegetables. Some nacho chips too. So, not the healthiest. Definitely hit a caloric surplus yesterday.

Expecting to see a lower number on the scale tomorrow though - I mean the scale of the meal we had was just… beyond.

However, we did start off today with a salmon burgers & sweet potato fries breakfast. I did hit the gym beforehand though, but I didn’t do any assistance work to not be away for too long and I wasn’t feeling it either. 1.5k calories and haven’t even had lunch yet. He’s going to a wedding today, which is why I’m hosting the fellow, and I wanted to give him a hearty breakfast to sustain him so.


As stated, I’ll do weekly check-ins on Saturday’s from here on,

  • Weight: 75.9kg (+1.2kg weekly)
  • Shoulders: 114 (+1cm)
  • Lower Waist: 78 (+2cm - I believe this is mostly just having a full stomach)
  • Chest: 95 (+3.5cm - doubt)
  • Arm: 30.5 (-1cm)
  • Neck: 35.5 (-0.5cm)
  • Calf: 35.5 (-0.5cm)
  • Thigh: 55 (+1cm)

Sorry about the underlit leg pic

Workout

5x3

  • Snatch Grip High Pull @ 60kg. [0]
  • Muscle Snatch @ 40-45kg [1]
  • Snatch Grip Deadlift @ 105 [2]

[0] This is maybe a tad over my MTW
[1] I’m thinking 42.5 should be my MTW for this cycle
[2] These felt perfect.

I wasn’t feeling in peak condition for this workout, I still have a cold. My grip was kind of lackluster, which told me I’m not at my greatest.

Total time: 35 minutes. I’m thinking about skewing the days. Yesterday’s session runs a bit too long for a workday, but today’s session had an ideal duration for a regular weekday. If at all possible, it would be preferable for me to have my longer workouts during the weekend and shorter ones during the weekday.

Fortunately, skewing like that also fits in alright with climbing and (if this ends up happening) gymnastics.

Not sure when to do this, ASAP or after the first cycle. Haven’t decided yet.


I know it’s just Saturday but I have a few thoughts for the next week anyway. It has been tough to use this week to gauge my maintenance caloric intake as both Thursday and Friday I worked from home to not spread the cold around the office.

I would say that on a normal workday, with

  • a gym workout,
  • biking to- and from the office,
  • and a 40 minute walk,

something around 2.7-3k calories is maintenance.

Hopefully, I get to kick my cold now during the weekend and can get a better sense of what my maintenance level really is.

I’ll also call my weights the day before, so I’ll say “tomorrow I’m doing this workout” so that I can save myself using my brain early in the morning and making a mistake :slight_smile: It will also mean I can just open the log on my phone during my workout and do the weights I have written down.

Here are my MTWs as I’ve perceived them to be during the week,

  • Snatch Grip Deadlift 105

  • High Pull 55, I mean, the 60s were okay but they felt more 3RM-y than MTW-y. I might revisit this, it also comes down to technique.

  • Muscle Snatch 42.5

  • OHP 40

  • Push Press 45

  • Dumbbell BP 28-30 per hand

  • Back Squat 100kg

Maybe these weights are a bit low, they feel low, but I’d rather run that and be pleasantly surprised week 5 when I test my 3RMs for the first time.

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So, to align better with my schedule I’ll to revamp this → this

Mon: Upper Body Zone 2    Mon: Lower Body Zone 3
Tue: Lower Body Zone 2    Tue: Neural Charge     + Climbing
Wed: Upper Body Zone 3    Wed: Upper Body Zone 2 + Gymnastics
Thu: Lower Body Zone 1 -> Thu: Lower Body Zone 2 + (Climbing)
Fri: Upper Body Zone 1    Fri: Upper Body Zone 3 + Climbing (over lunch with coworkers)
Sat: Lower Body Zone 3    Sat: Lower Body Zone 1
Sun: Neural Charge        Sun: Upper Body Zone 1 + Gymnastics

and specifically, I think I’ll do tomorrow by feel. Neural charge if I feel I need it, otherwise Upper Body Zone 1.

On Thursday climbs are optional, it depends on who’s playing at the jazz studio and I have to go by how I’m feeling physically. Gymnastics don’t start just yet, I think it’s two weeks out.

I also want to focus in on my weaknesses a bit with my assistance work, this week I just did whatever struck my fancy.

So, what sucks besides my general strength level? Heh.

I’ve identified my lower back as my biggest weakness. Let’s keep it simple and do good mornings on lower body days. Maybe headstand leg raises as well if I feel exceptionally fresh in the PM. They might be too demanding though.

Another problem is my ability to exhibit unilateral strength. Both hip-hinge wise and knee-oriented wise. My current rehabilitation for my shoulder oddly enough forces me to practice the former but I should definitely try and find something to do for the latter. But, I don’t want to do everything all at once. I’ll add lunges in eventually if I feel I can get away with it.

And I need to hypertrophy my abs a bit, so let’s do that on upper body days (between push presses or squats). I’ll bring my ab wheel to the gym, let’s start there and also do leg raises.

And, let us hit rear delts as well, because who overdoes their rear delt work, right? I’ll do band pull aparts (all upper body days), face pulls (when I feel like I am not running behind on time), and some rear delt raises (small ROM - between dumbbell BPs).

I’d like to hit biceps but I think my biceps are kind of okay in proportion to other parts of my body, so I’ll save that for the future. I mean, look at my chest in my side pictures, talk about flat.

What else is important? Rehab! I’d love to find the time to do that in the PM. But, might be tough. At least on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The most important thing about scheduling that I feel is to do it before my upper body days because my shoulder feels the best on the days after rehab. So, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I’m only supposed to do it 3 days a week so that is perfect. This is both shoulder rehab and glute rehab.

Another thought is to start doing front lever progressions again and have that as my ab work. Should probably start now seeing as I’m at my lightest. It hits the lats pretty hard though.

You say you used to be fat but I can’t tell. You’re holding that stubborn bit in your belly but that’s it. And it’s a small spot. Your back and sides look lean. I’m jealous because I tend to spread my fat around and my “love handles” grow and my back looks soft because of it. I know you want that six pack and that stupid little stubborn spot is the only thing in the way of it, but the rest of your body has done a great job of leaning out. Keep up the good work.

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Thank you man, that is very kind of you to say!

Sunday, 23rd of September

Weight: 75.2 (-0.7kg)
Mirror: didn’t check
Sleep: 8-9hrs
Lower waist measurement 76.5 (curiosity got the best of me, - 1.5 since yesterday)

8x3

  • Strict OHP @ 35, BPA between sets
  • Push Press @ 40, hanging leg raises
  • Dumbbell BP @ 26 per hand, chest supported rear delt raises

6x3

  • Back Squat @ 80kg ATG, Barbell rollouts

Squats were amazing. Rear delt raises caused a weird pain whenever I let go of the weight. Did box jumps before the squats and had one bad landing which made my lower back cry wolf but it seems okay.

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Monday, 24th of September

Weight: 76 (+0.8kg) Unexpected
Mirror: Less vascular
Sleep: 9-10hrs

Workout

5x3

  • Snatch Grip High Pull @ 55kg [0]
  • Muscle Snatch @ 40kg, tried 45 but it didn’t fly
  • Snatch Grip Deadlift @ 105kg, felt okay

Finished with 5 rep Goodmornings at 40, 60, 80kg.

[0] Did lunges in between, but the pulls themselves were only so-so since I managed to aggravate my shoulder adjusting my gymbag so that it sat firmly on my packet holder as I went to the gym. This aggravation also affected the muscle snatches.

Didn’t really have any fire today, I guess I had some residual fatigue from running this workout on Saturday and not doing a neural charge workout yesterday. Also ran with 70g malto intra-workout which is just too much for these workouts so I kinda crashed after.

I wonder how — if at all — these workouts will fly during the diet. No real EPOC.


There were some crossfitters working out today, was really fun seeing a 100+ full clean in real life.

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Tuesday, 25th of September

Weight: 75.2 (-0.8kg, puh)
Sleep: No more than 7hrs
Mirror: Looking A-okay, but my love handles are flabby and I feel mooby. Body image issues, yay

Workout

Neural charge workout. Plyo pushups, jumps, medicine ball slam. Did some handstands/handstand walks and two-three muscle-ups as well. I’ll upload a video of the muscle-up later. Form is shit, wondering if I’m compensating for any particular imbalance/tightness or if I just need to get better at the movement.

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Now during my maintenance phase, I’ve had the time to rediscover some food items, think more about meal frequency, and notice some other things.

Rediscovery: Wok greens

in the past, during my diet, I stuck with a frozen bag of greens (mix of carrots 37%=(21% orange, 16% yellow), cauliflower (15%), peas (30%), beans (18%)) split across lunch and dinner. Well, turns out, there are other bags of frozen greens that are less caloric than that one so with wok greens I can have get more volume and feel full for longer. So obviously, as I go back into diet mode later, I’ll be opting for this.

Meal frequency

Another thing that I have noticed is that, as I’ve been able to have bigger meals, and most notably, a more solid breakfast is that I have felt better during my workday, so I want to steal calories from later in the day and have them earlier in the day instead. I never did notice pre-bed oats making a major difference in my sleep quality and way back in August I was smart enough to have my oats post-workout: Natty on Pennies - #1275 by Voxel

Also, as my portions have grown more voluminous I find that my pre-bed snack is too close to my dinner, but I don’t want to eat that snack later and will instead significantly scale it down to the point where it can almost be disregarded (although not entirely true).

With a greater caloric allowance, I’ve been eating more oats - in particular: after my workouts, and I think that with both pre-bed oats and post-workout outs I’ve reached an intake that my digestive system is unhappy with. And so, I’ll be experimenting with quinoa as a replacement later this week.

This has all culminated in my latest design that I’m still sketching out, and which is something that will ideally be able to serve as my workday template. It’s meant to be the same regardless of my phase, so it works for a diet, maintenance, or a surplus phase.

Pre-workout

  • Coffee w cacao nibs + 2g cinnamon
  • 2-3 plums or 2 nectarines
  • 16g whey + 3g cinnamon. 1 scoop if not on a diet.
  • 1 serving of Superfood (diet only)
  • 6g sea salt

Intra-workout

  • 50g maltodextrin (I crash if I have more. This value can go down to 30g as a diet deepens)
  • 40g BCAA (15-20 is enough when I’m not on a diet)
  • 8g sea salt

Post-workout

  • 50g pineapple
  • 50g blueberries
  • 50g quinoa (more if not on a diet)
  • 1 scoop whey
  • 1 scoop casein (might just run 2 scoops whey when the casein runs out)

Peri-workout: 972 calories, 113p/119.7c/6.6f

Lunch: 676 calories, 48.5p/30.8c/33.6f (+180 calories, 3.5p/40.5c/0.3f with rice) [0]

  • 200g chicken
  • 600g greens
  • 50g avocado
  • 160g tomatoes (I cook the chicken in a tomato sauce that contains tomatoes, butter, and one onion. I won’t count the onion but the half-tablespoon of butter I include: World's Easiest Tomato Sauce Is Also the Most Delicious)
  • 8g fish oil
  • Curcumin
  • 10,000 IU D-vitamin - it’s getting dark and cold here now, we’ve already seen below freezing temperatures.
  • (Fridays/Sundays: 50g jasmine rice boiled in coconut oil here if climbing/gymnastics)

Dinner: 442 calories, 33.5p/16c/24.2f (+180 calories, 3.5p/40.5c/0.3f with rice)

  • 125-140g salmon (depending on which is on sale)/250g shrimp
  • 300g greens
  • 100g sauerkraut
  • 50g Spinach, kale, etc
  • Curcumin
  • (Tuesdays/Thursdays: 50g jasmine rice boiled in coconut oil here if climbing)

Pre-bed snack: 205 calories, 5p/3.4c/19f

  • 6g fish oil
  • 25g almonds
  • Curcumin
  • Superfood (diet only, might pair this with gelatin and glycine. Undecided. That bumps the calories of course, and the protein)

Total: 2204 calories, +180 (rice) +80 (BCAAs) on Sun/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri

This might be a little higher than ideal. For instance, let’s say my maintenance level is 2.7k, and I want to run a 30% deficit, then I should be at 1900 calories. But… I’m trusting here that a calorie isn’t always a calorie. I’d like to have this as my starting point at least and then if I’m not losing fat “fast enough” I’ll tweak it.

One thing I don’t have figured as of yet is exactly what I’ll do pre-bed on Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays after climbing/gymnastics. During I’ll roll with 20g BCAAs, but not sure how much extra carbs I want after the sessions. I might be fine with a quark+granola combo.

I’ll also not take fish-oil+curcumin after my climbing sessions and so on.

[0]: might end up splitting this into two meals actually, so once at 11:30, and again at 14:30 - need to experiment with hunger levels. Ideally, consumed as a single meal

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