Starting the week off right. I really like this workout. I can get a lot of sweat going very quickly. It only takes a little motivation. I’m fat. I don’t want to be. #motivation.

This pic sums up today’s workout. My workout ‘Monday’ starts on Wednesday. Normally on Wednesday, I get my ass out of bed around 4 AM. I do my T25. I have to be at Bull Run by 630 AM, and I have a golf league that starts at 530 PM. That normally gets me to the gym around 830 PM. One hour workout later, and I’m home at 945-10. If I have to work at the golf course again, I am really cutting my recovery sleep by a lot. So, today, I booked it from the golf course. Crushed this workout in about 40 minutes. I have been talking about ‘time under tension’ on here, but today, I went explosive. I also think it really helped me kill today’s main lift. Bench Press! The run down…

This is the 3rd week in the overload progression. 4 Sets. 3 Reps. 70% 1RM, 80%, 90%, 90%

Bench Press: 130/150/165/165. I grabbed a dude for a spot on the last set just to make sure I wasn’t going to not get that last rep. Well, I threw that metal bitch up 6 times. Felt good.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 35/35/35/35. I thought I’d get a couple sets in with the added 5lbs. but I crushed them out with extreme prejudice.

Barbell Shoulder Press: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 70/70/70/70. Same thing here. At this point, I have been racing through the lifts.  Good form maintained, but a lot less time between reps. I did take a little extra rest before the last set, but I still threw it up.

Scare Crow. 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 20/20/20/20. I really got a good burn in this work out this week. I think I will change this one up next month and use a band with more of a lateral pull to really workout my rotator cuff.

Super Set Time!

Dips/Pull Downs: 3 Sets, 10/12 Reps: Bench Dips with a leg raised/55lbs. on the pull down. Ripped through them.

Lateral/Front/Rear Fly/Overhead Press: 3 Sets (8*8*8). Luckily, Gold’s gym has 12.5lbs. dumbbells. I don’t think I could have gone up 5 pounds on this lift this week. It’s a lot harder than most of you might think. I challenge you to get through this workout and take a heavy weight for this super set. Anyway. The set went like this. boom. Boom. BOOM!!

We won our match in the league. I’m going to bed early!

 

 

Sundays are going to be tough, but I felt very good today. I didn’t get enough sleep according to my Oura Ring, but my deep sleep and REM sleep were up.

Started the day with a little ab rippin’. This is fun, and it can get pretty tough if you do it right.

Deadlift Day:

Deadlift: 4 Sets, 4 Reps: 160/185/215/215

Man I had to grunt that last one out, but I got it with good form. Leonard da Vinci should sculpt this form, bruh.

Romanian Deadlift: 4 Sts, 10 Reps: 110/110/110/110

Felt really good. Back got hot, but I made sure to go slow.

Zercher Squats: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 110/110/110/110. Boom!

Super Set:

Weighted Sit Ups/Landmines: 4 Sets, 10/20 Reps: 15/15, 15/15, 15/15, 15/15

I love this workout finisher. Flinging a heavy bar around gets the heart rate up, and it makes me feel macho.

Got home. Hit the T25 right off the bat. This is a good one to finish the week on. I can get quick, and it has a few little stretches in there that are greatly appreciated.

That’s it for week 2 of Para Bellum Corpus. I’ll be stretching and foam rolling until Wednesday. I’ll keep you posted.

Today is going to be good. Felt really good this morning. My Oura Ring told me I wasn’t quite ready to go, but I think I can. I am having a hard to getting the engine going. These workouts don’t last too long, and it is taking me 5-8 minutes to really get going. I am doing this silly things at 4 in the morning, but I am getting stronger. My stamina has gone way up over the past 3 1/2 weeks.

Chest Day at the Gym

I mentioned in an earlier post that our gym is going through some renovations. Things are pretty cramped in there, but I can work the parts I need to. Had to modify a couple things today. But damn I felt good. Even after a 5 freakin’ hour round of golf. (Father’s Day weekend).

Incline Dumbbell Drop Set: 4 (6*6): 50/30, 50/30, 50/30, 50/30

I moved up the first weight by 5lbs. this week. I thought that I’d get a couple sets in before dropping back down, but I straight crushed this one. I even did some slow ‘time under tension’ reps at the end of the last 6 with the 30’s.

3* Drop: 4 Sets (6*6*6): 30/30/30/30

Again, I went up a little in the weight thinking that I’d have to drop down, but I really moved through this one with power.

The cable fly machine was being used, and I didn’t want to stay at the gym until 11 PM, so I just hit the Pec Deck or Fly machine. I don’t normally use this guy so I didn’t know where to start. I just made sure that I did long, slow movements to get the most time under tension.

Pec Deck: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 85/85/100/100

The only bench was also being used so the ‘Narrow Bench Press’ prescribed for today was not going to happen. By this point I had really toasted my chest so I figured that if I just did some ‘Diamond’ push ups to failure that I’d really get the workout I needed.

Diamond PushUps (to failure each set): 8/6.5/5.5/7 (got a second wind on the last).

I didn’t have a curl bar so I just grabbed a couple 20 pounds dumbbells for over head tricep extensions (OTE) and the Tricep pull downs (PD).

OTE/PD: 40/35, 40/35, 20/35 (my neck didn’t like that strain), 20/35.

And just like that, the day was done.

On a lighter note, I did play an exceptional round of golf…tee to green, but I didn’t putt very well at all. shot an 83, but I missed 4 easy birdies; I had a fuckin’ 4 putt; add a triple bogey to that and you have a really crappy round of golf. Irons were good though.

 

Well, I started my Pull Up Progression today. I’ll snap a pic and throw it on here tomorrow. In order for me to do this day’s workout the way it’s set up, I’ll have to be able to do more pull ups than I can now.

Pull Ups: 4/3/3/2/2. The Oura Ring was a little uncomfortable, but I think it will be fine to lift with.

Single Arm Rows: 4 Sets, 10 Reps, 55/55/55/55. I made sure the last 3 on each set were slow. Ol’ Jeff Cavalier just put out a post on ‘time under tension’ which I always forget about.

TRX Body Weight Rows: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: X/X/X/X

Incline Curls: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 30/25/25/25. I was feeling good so I went a little heavier on the first set. Got a little ‘cheaty’ so I dropped it down.

Super Set:

Zottman/Cross Body/ Pronate Curls: 4 Sets, 8 Reps each: 22.5lbs.(all 3)/ 20/20/20. Again, felt pretty good on the first set. I had to swing the last couple on each set of curls. My grip is what kills me. My hands get pretty tired, but a good pump none the less. I’m going to get some sleep tonight.

Hit me up. I’ve gained a good amount of knowledge over the years. If I don’t know it, I can find the answer for you.

I’m wearing the Oura Ring as we speak. It is probably telling me that I should be asleep, or rather, I should have been asleep 4 hours ago. This morning my little precious tells me that my “readiness” score was a 62, i.e., not fit to get fit. I believe it. I’m going to ignore this thing for the first month. So, I got up, and I kicked the Full Body Circuit.

I part time at Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket, VA. It is one of my favorite places in this entire state, and they pay me to hang around and set golfers on their way around our beautiful course. It was hot, muggy, and there was no breeze to speak of. I was operating under a mild sweat all day. Heat can wear you down, but I think my diet and supplementation is getting me through this.

The wife and I are in the beginnings of buying a home. I had no idea how time consuming such an endeavor is. I really intended to check out a couple houses and hit the gym. We looked at 4, and we really like 2 of them. This led to a few long debates. Needless to say, I got to the gym late again. But I got there.

LEG DAY!

Same things going on with the main lift: 65%b 1RM, 75%, 85%, 85%.

Back Squat: 4 Sets, 4 Reps: 160/185/210/210 killed it. Full Range

Front Squat: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 110/110/110/110 Boom

Our gym is under going some renovations so the only Bosu Ball I could find was being used by a couple of get-fit chicks. I was already behind schedule, so I just did…you know what. I’m going to rant just a second. I can take a positive note from this, but like I said, the gym is under going some renovations. There were only 2 squat racks in the entire gym. 2 guys were squatting a ridiculous amount of weight in one, and then another dude doing shoulder presses. There was a wide open shoulder press rack not being used. I nicely asked the guy how many sets he had left. “7”. F’n 7 when the entire gym is crammed together and people are doubling up, and this Joker is busting out 95lbs. of behind the neck shoulder presses. He said that he couldn’t use the Press Rack. Any way. Motivation was thrown in. Also, everyone else was scoffing at this douche leaning on the rack scanning his FB or whatever.

Where was I?

Single Leg Press: 4 Sets, 10 Reps each leg: 100/105/105/105

Calf Crunchers: 35 lbs. Good burn.

Super Set

Leg Raise/Ab Roll out: 3 Sets, 12/10 Reps. Boom/Boom/Boom.

I’m tired. I can probably get 5 hours of sleep. I wonder what the Dark Ring is going to tell me in the morning.

Hit me up on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/quests4josh/ or Twitter @Quests4josh

Well, it was late considering what all I had done today. I started at 6 A.M. with the T25 Cardio. Then, among my other chores, I did some foam rolling. Had to get loose for the Wednesday Night Golf League.

It was a hot one too. No breeze. 90 degrees. My buddy Bob and I are leading this thing. We both played like crap last week for our first loss, but we got it together this week. It’s a 2-man best ball. I shot a 38, but Bob made the birdie. I missed 6 birdie putts. I think I know where practice time will go this week. It was just a little before 9 P.M. when I got to the gym. I was a little concerned about the workout. I did get a big meal after the league (Bull Run Golf Club treats us right!), but I was very hot for a very long time. I was worried I’d run out of gas. But I exceeded my expectations!

This week the Overload Progression Starts at 65% 1RM, 75%/85%/85%

Bench Press: 4 Sets, 4 Reps: 120/140/160/160…5REPS! The 3rd set was a little sketchy so I decided to ask a guy for a spot. I guess knowing that the bar isn’t going to crush you helps add a little mustard.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 30/30/30/30 (I upped the weight 5lbs. Felt fairly easy. I’ll go up again next week).

Barbell Shoulder Press: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 65/65/65/65 (I threw an eXtra 10lbs. on. Clean & Pressed a few on each set.)

Scare Crow: 4 Sets, 10 Reps: 15/15/15/15. I think I’ll use a band next month with more of a lateral cross body movement. This will help strengthen the rotator cuff.

Super Set:

Bench Dips/Pull Downs: 3 Sets, 10/12 Reps: (I raise one leg & switch every 5 Reps on the dips ‘LR’) LR/52.5/ LR/52.5/ LR/52.5

Super Set (I think I’ll call this ‘Marvel Shoulders’): 4 Sets 8x8x8x8 Reps

Lateral Raise/Front Raise/Rear Fly/Overhead Press: 10/10/10/10.

Got it done in under an hour. I need some water and a nap. I did get my Oura Ring today. I’m very curious on what it is going to tell me. (I’m going to ignore it for the 1st month.)

https://ouraring.com/

 Look of shock that I finished today!

Just a little Cardio to start the week. I felt really good this morning. Normally on Tuesdays, I am awake nearly 24 hours. Yesterday, I hit the sack around 4 P.M. and did not wake until 6 A.M. So I was ready to go! Shaun T had nothin’ on me!

I did have to get up early. Got’sta pay the bills. I felt pretty decent today. I did eat a lot of food (chicken wings aside) that was nutritious. I chugged a bunch of mineral water. I got about 7 hours of sleep! That may have been the key.

I know what I’m doing is probably not the best way to go about reaching my goals, but I really want to see what I am capable of. I have ordered my secret weapon. The Oura Ring. I’ll talk about this more soon enough. Basically this guy is going to tell me just how deep a hole I’m digging with this training. I know I’m not sleeping enough, but right now circadian rhythm is the main culprit. I think I have enough time to get everything in during the day. I did not get my golf practice in this week, but I played like crap in my Wednesday Night League (first loss of the season). I had to let that wound fester a little.

This month will be the toughest. I am going to grit and bare it. I am already contemplating some modifications to the workouts. I did just take it easy today, but tomorrow will include a full body stretch or maybe P90X’s Yoga. I think an ice bath and some magnesium lotion is in order. If you have been keeping up, I thank you. Please send me some encouragement in the comments. I’m going to need it!

This was a long, hard day. Mentally and Physically challenging. Good morning abs!

I had a lot of motivation this morning. Body was stiff, but I felt good. I knew today led to rest days!

Hit the gym after work. Deadlift Day. Same ratios as the others.

Deadlift: 4 Sets. 5 Reps.: 150/170/190/190

Romanian Deadlift: 4 Sets. 10 Reps: 105/105/105/105

Zercher Squats: 4 Sets, 12 Reps: 105/105/105/105

Super Set:

Weighted Incline Situps & Landmines: 4 Sets, 10Reps/20Reps: 10 lbs. on the chest. 10 lbs. on the bar!! Now to the what ever masochistic nonsense T25 has in store.

Jesus! This week was a Total Body Circuit! I had to dig deep on this one. There was a lot…a lot of quit in my mind at this point. BUT…I grunted it out. Big Salad, Chicken wings, and pizza (gluten free) for dinner was sadly my motivation. Made it through it!

 

Today’s Major lift is a little different. It’s a drop set. Same ratio’s for the first 6 Reps, but drop the weight for the next 6 Reps.

Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 Sets 6×6: 45/30, 45/30, 45/30, 45/30

3*Drop (Drop the angle of the bench after 6 Reps). 4 Sets (6x6x6): 25/25/25/25

Cable Fly: 4 Sets. 10 reps: 20/20/20/20

Close Grip Bench Press: 4 Sets. 10 Reps: 85/85/85/75 (11). Didn’t think I was going to get the last set in with 85lbs.

Super Set:

Skul Crushers/Pull Downs: 4 Sets. 12×12 Reps.: 40/35, 40/35, 30/25, 30/25. Had to drop the weight because I was almost toast. I did get the reps in. Necessary sometimes.