Superb my man 
Fuxking ripping it.
Can’t beat a bit of meat eater.
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Where I live now and the places I’ve lived (expect for uni), it’s usually around 33C with 70+% humidity everyday by 10am 
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This is genuinely just distressing to read.
Which reminds me:
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On the flip side, I start freaking out when the temps dip below 10C
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Phoenix can be pleasant depending on the time of year. Sure, it’s brutally hot in the summer, but overall it’s not very humid. I hate humidity.
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- Clean and Press 50kg - 3x8 01:00 rest
Finally hit this. Super happy given how little sleep I got and how sorry I was feeling for myself.
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Power Curls 50kg - 3x8 01:00 rest
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Inchworms 3x8
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Front Squats 70kg - 1x8, 1x7, 1x5 01:00 rest
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Overhead Squats 40kg - 1x5, 1x4, 1x3 01:00 rest
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Inchworms and a pushup - 3x8 01:00 rest
Really like that variation on the inchworm.
I have a very love/hate relationship with this program. I hate how little work it is but I’m enjoying the results. It’s secretly an Olympic lifting program. My legs and upper back are improving, as well as my triple extension. My cleans are much quicker and snappier than they were before this. Obviously they still look awful because I’m doing everything with an axle.
It’s also given me far too much time to think about training. Program hopping in my head is okay. Just have to be sure I don’t do it in practise. My big goal is to press 80kg so I think Easy Strength again would be prudent. Then I can absolutely send it on Mass Made Simple. Come back to college as a pure bloatlord. After that it’ll need to be a lot of park bench training.
Between my thesis, work, societies, and the general stress of doing my degree it’ll be a very busy year. I also have to make a plan for after college. I’ve been having a lot of doubts about CS as a career and my friend took me aside to say it was fairly obvious this isn’t what I should be doing long-term. The military was always a big option for me but my current gf has said that’s a red line for her. So lots to think about there.
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FWIW, I have a career in CS. That can mean a lot of different things—it’s a very flexible field—but if it’s not for you, it’s better to know sooner rather than later.
At the same time, I have managed to learn that nothing’s set in stone. You can always try it on, and change fields later—maybe harder, potentially less efficient, but never wasted time.
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Thanks for commenting. I’m currently working as a developer in the university so I think I’m getting an okay view of what it’s like to be a developer. You’re definitely right about always having the option to do something else later on
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- Whip Snatch 40kg - x8, x3, x4 01:00 minute’s rest
Definitely sandbagged the second set but I’ll live
- Close Grip Snatch 40kg - x8, x5, x6 01:00 minute’s rest
Once again, sandbagged the second set but my nephew was over and he was cheering me on for the last set. He’s only 8 months old but was waving his hands at uncle doing stupid jumps in the back garden. Had to do it for him.
- Inchworms with a pushup - 2x8, 1x6 01:00 minute’s rest
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From this article:
Rows x8
Cleans x8
Front Squats x8
Overhead Press x8
Back Squat x8
Good Morning x8
Did a set with 20kg, 30kg, 40kg with 01:00 minute’s rest between rounds.
Really did a number on me trying to get through the presses on set 3. Also weighed myself an I’m 94kg which is great, because I’m still gaining bw. Albeit, at a slower pace
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Been reading Scrawny to Brawny all morning because I saw Pwn had reviewed it. I really like the idea of a full program being laid out like that. Realistically I can’t run it without butchering the exercise selection to fit what I’ve got. Which I’m always cautious about doing
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- Power Curl 55kg - 3x8 01:00 rest
- Clean and Press 55kg - 1x8, 2x6
- Inchworms and a pushup (feet together) - 2x8, 1x7
Great workout. Nephew was spectating so I knew I had to look good. I never thought I’d be one to be mushy about babies but here I am.
Scrawny to Brawny has really infested my brain. I really like the idea of peaking for a high volume hypertrophy program. Back and forth about running the program but I think there’s still lots to takeaway regardless. The diet stuff has really got me thinking. I did a rough calorie count and was pleased to see I’m hitting the recommendations. I haven’t counted calories in a while so I’m happy that I’ve learned to eat enough without them.
My biggest take away so far from the book has been to make good choices 90% of the time and you’ll make great progress.
I’m up a kilo from a few weeks ago (93kg → 94kg) and pretty pleased about that too. If I made good progress like this for a year I’d be pretty happy with the results.
Really glad you dug that book. It’s a bit of a hidden gem. Something you’d find in the bargain section at a bookstore and not think anything of, but Berardi had the chops to really make it something solid.
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I was looking for another book to read on fitness and found Stuart McRobert’s Brawn. I can’t say I am a fan, so I just wrote down my feelings about it here:
I found the start of the book to be really unpalatable. Just a lot of whining about how genetically deficient we all are. Surely if the majority of people have “poor genetics” it just makes them “average genetics”?
“Drugs are bad” was also a frequent adage. I really dislike the moralising, leave people alone.
He’s also very into the “you need to get stronger to get big” thing. I do agree with that sentiment to an extent, however, these he seems to take it way too far.
I won’t comment on the routines because I haven’t run them, but the volume really looks like nothing. I would really like if it were possible to get huge with just one hard set per bodypart per week but, in my limited experience, I have not found that to be the case.
I have achieved a few of his strength standards too and I would say I have a lot of growing left in me yet.
I think I would have a bit more faith in him if he was a particularly big or accomplished guy. Maybe if he had even coached someone to be either of those things. But as far as I can tell he hasn’t, and we’re supposed to trust him regardless.
I did like a few things. He emphasises the importance of conditioning. He’s also really stresses consistency of effort over time will produce results, no matter how low your starting point. He does make a point of saying you shouldn’t use poor genetics as an excuse to give up.
Still returned the book though.
Brawn was good at the time it was released, but has absolutely aged poorly, as you’ve noted. I liked his discussion on nutrition, and he offers some decent permutations on 20 rep squats, but yeah, a very tough author to read. “Beyond Brawn” is even more agonizing.
Super Squats was far more digestible. And “Complete Keys to Progress” is an awesome read. And, of course, if you’ve not read “Powerlifting Basics Texas Style” by Paul Kelso, you owe it to yourself to.
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Apologies for missing a couple of workout logs. I had a very busy few days.
I originally intended to start the Dan John’s online programming on Monday but I got very excited by the workout it made up and started today. Shame me all you want.
Today was:
- Jump Squats - BWx8
- Half Kneeling Press - 20kgx8
- Side Planks - BWx30 secs
- Single Leg DL - BWx30secs
- Barbell Rows - 60kgx8
For three rounds.
Followed up with suitcase carry - 30kgx20m/hand
I will also be running some proper conditioning. 3 days a week is the plan but we’ll see how that goes.
I got a new phone too, still trying to figure out the camera for my after photo from the Transformation Program. I’m solidly at 94kg, still holding the diet. I expect at a certain bodyweight it will become “maintenance”.
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Today was sprints, plan called for:
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3x25m flying starts
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4x200m for time, finished in 10:30, including rest times
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- Bulgarian Split Squats - 30kg 3x8
- Dips - BW+20kg 2x8, 1x5
- Feet-elevated Planks - 3x30secs
- Hip Thrusts - 60kg 3x8
Hip thrusts are a strange exercise.
- 3x20secs chinup hold
This was meant to be in the giant set but my chinup bar is on the second story of the house and the rest of my stuff is in the garden.
- Horn Carry - 20kg 3x20m
Felt too light, prior to the bulk and round 2 of the Transformation Program I found 16kg to be pretty hard on my upper back. Maybe a good sign. Maybe a sign that things were bad before.
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- Goblet Squats – 30kg 3x8
- One Arm Press - 25kg 3x8
- Windmill - 3x8
- Single Leg DL - BW 3x8
- DB Row - 25kg 3x8
Carries:
- Waiter Carry - 25kg 3x20m
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