Thor's Thunder: Electrake's Epic Training Tales
- Thread starter Electrake
- Start date
Electrake
Active member
I'm a big fan of 5x5/3/1 FSL as an anchor. Im not a big fan of jokers and spinal tap etc, seems like a good opportunity to hurt myself. About every six months or 2 complete cycles I'll work in a PR test week before resetting the next cycle.
With the anchor I mentioned, I try to get in 100 reps of each of my assistance work in 5 sets, so lower intensity and crank up the volume.
Edit to add - when I was building up to where I am now, I wasn't too worried about jokers and stuff. Seems pedantic, but I based a lot of how much work I put in off my Wilkes score for various reasons. Worked well for me.
slimsaw00
Well-known member
See this is where I struggle….. so many templates look fun, or ones that I’d like to try. Do you have a template progression that you’d suggest for someone at my level? I’ve eyed 5x5/3/1 as well. Too many options!
Electrake
Active member
Really depends on you man, I wanted to focus on strength>size and found a plan with lots of volume (Negative Birth, bbs). With the high volume, I took the opportunity to move quickly through the sets to help with some endurance.
If you're looking to get big and strong, I'd imagine some of those BBB templates would be killer, ive always wanted to run Building the Monolith.
Electrake
Active member
I found negative birth pretty quickly on and it did everything I was looking for. I really want to work in the prowler challenge, but I either need to buy one or move so I have access to a gym with one lol.
slimsaw00
Well-known member
I have a goal of the 1000lb club and doing a PL meet later this year.
slimsaw00
Well-known member
Yeah I don’t have a prowler either since I lift in my basement. Some of the conditioning aspects of what Wendler suggests I have to tweak.
Electrake
Active member
Yeah, i don't take his word as gospel. I don't do dynamic warm-ups, I can't jump around and stuff from arthritis in the feets, etc. But I do row 3-4 days a week, flip a big ass tire and hit it with a mallet when there's not feet of snow on the ground. If you can make it work in regards to what he preaches, im sure it'd make you into a bad ass. Or maybe as self righteous as him. But I have issues lol
slimsaw00
Well-known member
Yeah I’m usually in my basement at 4:30 am and usually just grab my barbell and start with the main lift of the day. I figure over time grabbing a barbell 3-4 times a week and doing some kind of conditioning a few times a week will be good! Maybe I’ll just keep doing my thing since it’s working! Maybe at my level just focusing on the main lift of the day will work!
Electrake
Active member
Yeah you're at a great place where you can only get better. Just put in the work and you will see results. I'm at a place where food is my restrictor, I can't seem to eat enough.
Hyde
Legend
Would not recommend. Maybe I’m a little salty because I popped an erector on frontsquats 2/3 of the way through it, but in general size comes from eating a surplus and creating a sufficient hypertrophy stimulus. That’s it.
You don’t need to pound the iron into oblivion for that, and you can only gain actual muscle so fast so just get into a true surplus for you. As far as strength, the faster you push to get stronger the sooner you run out of road or get hurt, so that has to be balanced for you as well.
It’s going to come down to your recoverability. Think about what you can actually recover from sustainably on a surplus diet, then dial your training up one notch higher into something you can push only for about 6 weeks. That’s all you need to do. Train hard, eat hard, but you do need to be able to make it to the end. Anything extra becomes inefficient at best, and a liability at worst.
He was on Dave Tate’s podcast this week again and said he doesn’t have his football players/high schoolers do any of that dynamic stuff anymore. He has been peeling more and more back from the warmups and found some simple bodyweight/calisthenic type stuff to be sufficient generally.
Just get your body moving to where you can begin moving dynamically was the takeaway, to me. They’re less advanced obviously, beginners, but what he was getting at is that you only need to do what you really need to do for you, and you don’t want to waste time.
Electrake
Active member
Bless your heart, I was going to @ you. I dont communicate well when I cant blabber.
Electrake
Active member
Hey Bro, we heard you like to press, so went ahead and added some presses to your presses
1/22/24
warm up - light plate work to open up shoulders, band pull aparts, pvc dislocates, bicep stretch, wrist Invalid Link Removed (this has changed my life)
Main - OHP (strict)
Weight 213.1
Lots to say about this one...
This weekend kicked my ass, trying to play damage control with the weather. I lost water yesterday which has never happened before, my pipes are in the basement ceiling and the water line comes in from a foot underground. Still not thawed. That'll learn me to not drip water in negative weather. That being said, I went in fairly dehydrated and basically fasted the whole weekend. Down 10lb in 2.5 weeks, definitely water weight, but regardless my weight is heavily trending down although my lifts are increasing generally. For now.
About the lifts and this weeks schedule. I actually felt great with this workout, top set was no big deal at all, however my last supplemental press was a grind. But I like to do awful things like superset accessories that are in use at the same time lol. I missed press day last week from weather, so I did that today. I'm going to repeating last week's sets as well, week 2/3, my notes here show my sets sucked so I'll take the time for improvement.
edit: Just realized I forgot Han Swolo today. Noticed no difference.
1/22/24
warm up - light plate work to open up shoulders, band pull aparts, pvc dislocates, bicep stretch, wrist Invalid Link Removed (this has changed my life)
Main - OHP (strict)
- 5 x 70lb
- 5 x 85
- 5 x 105
- 5 x 120
- 5 x 140
- 5 x 155 (My app says this is a 1RM. I suppose it is for my current split, but messing around is 225)
- 10 x 5 @ 120
- Arnold Press 5 x 10 @ 55
- Face Pulls 5 x 10 @ 75 (slow slow tempo)
- Hack squat 5 x 10 @ 185 (again, tempo. 5sec down, pause, explode up controlled)
Weight 213.1
Lots to say about this one...
This weekend kicked my ass, trying to play damage control with the weather. I lost water yesterday which has never happened before, my pipes are in the basement ceiling and the water line comes in from a foot underground. Still not thawed. That'll learn me to not drip water in negative weather. That being said, I went in fairly dehydrated and basically fasted the whole weekend. Down 10lb in 2.5 weeks, definitely water weight, but regardless my weight is heavily trending down although my lifts are increasing generally. For now.
About the lifts and this weeks schedule. I actually felt great with this workout, top set was no big deal at all, however my last supplemental press was a grind. But I like to do awful things like superset accessories that are in use at the same time lol. I missed press day last week from weather, so I did that today. I'm going to repeating last week's sets as well, week 2/3, my notes here show my sets sucked so I'll take the time for improvement.
edit: Just realized I forgot Han Swolo today. Noticed no difference.
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Electrake
Active member
Appreciate, hopefully nothing burst underground.
Electrake
Active member
Hydrate or Die-drate
Main - Squat
Weight - 214.2
Easy push through. Slowed down the supplemental work today to focus on form and relieve calf tightness. Upper back/center of shoulder area is sore as hell from pressing and face pulls yesterday. Tomorrow's a recovery day and some easy cardio. I'm going to put all of the food in my face hole today.
Waters back on today, time to rehydrate (and shower
)
Main - Squat
- 5 x 150lb
- 5 x 190
- 5 x 230
- 5 x 265
- 5 x 315
- 5 x 345
- 10 x 5 @ 265
- seated row 5 x 10 @ 225
- straight arm pushdown 5 x 10 @ 75 (focus on traps.)
- Weighted crunches 4 x 50 @120
- Ab wheel 4 x 10
Weight - 214.2
Easy push through. Slowed down the supplemental work today to focus on form and relieve calf tightness. Upper back/center of shoulder area is sore as hell from pressing and face pulls yesterday. Tomorrow's a recovery day and some easy cardio. I'm going to put all of the food in my face hole today.
Waters back on today, time to rehydrate (and shower
)
Electrake
Active member
Another thought, I'm mid week 2 of my Black Lion stack. Need to decide in the next day or two if I'm going to buy another months worth, or switch it up. Been eyeballing an SNS stack, but I don't think I've given my current BLR stack a fair go at only one month based on reviews.
Hyde
Legend
This is how it goes, as you continue the journey. One day 345 will be under his top squat warmups very likely, and so on.
It is only a curiosity to you because you haven’t gotten enough gym wins yet, to believe in your absolute ability to continue to progress past certain points. There is merit to not putting the cart before the horse, but you also probably have a much greater ceiling than you have yet acknowledged.
Invalid Link Removed
Electrake
Active member
This is a very important aspect of strength sports that goes overlooked very often. Right up there with mind over matter when moving big weights imo. I'll never forget the very first time I squatted 3 plates, I reracked and adjusted the safeties for some piece of mind lol.
Dude if you stick with it and keep a good food intake, your working set will catch up to me waaaaay faster than I will be progressing.
I'm considering Anabolic XT + Anabolic Effect + Epi-Plex and trying to decide if I want to throw recomp20 in there.
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slimsaw00
Well-known member
Thanks guys! My top set today was probably like an RPE 6-7 (max), it felt very good. I thought that it could be like that after my rough December and TM reset. I’m just gonna keep plugging away! I have been more diligent about my food intake. Not counting calories or anything but just being more mindful.
Electrake
Active member
Been a bit of a stranger today.
1/24/24
Rest day from the gym today, decided to do a brief row at lunch, knocked out a 5k pretty slowly, about 3 episodes of Metalocalypse lol.
Also had another ton of pellets to move. Moving 50 40lb bags gets to you. Lower back is definitely feeling it, had to stack them in my truck, drive to the garage, and unload and stack. It's like an exercise in futility.
Tomorrow is DL day at the gym, I'll assess the back recovery in the morning, might turn into Bench and Press day.
1/24/24
Rest day from the gym today, decided to do a brief row at lunch, knocked out a 5k pretty slowly, about 3 episodes of Metalocalypse lol.
Also had another ton of pellets to move. Moving 50 40lb bags gets to you. Lower back is definitely feeling it, had to stack them in my truck, drive to the garage, and unload and stack. It's like an exercise in futility.
Tomorrow is DL day at the gym, I'll assess the back recovery in the morning, might turn into Bench and Press day.
Electrake
Active member
1/25/24
Main - Bench
Weight - 216
Blew through this like nothing, took time and tempo into consideration since this was a repeat workout from last week. Slept like ass so I expected a rough workout, but the body was up to the challenge. Used a different hack squat machine today and was able to get into a much better position than the angled one, 455 wasn't even a big deal. The shoulder pump was real, reracking a 2.5lb weight took work.
This morning I had my usual 1 cup oatmeal and banana, slam my mesomorph on the way to the gym and sip Karbolyn during the session. Have to keep watering it down, way too sweet but tastes great. Maybe I just need a bigger bottle
12oz almond milk, scoop whey protein, and 2 tablespoon pb fit thereafter.
Main - Bench
- 5 x 110lb
- 5 x 140
- 5 x 165
- 5 x 185
- 5 x 210
- 5 x 235
- 10 x 5 @ 130
- Kroc Row (dumbbell w/ fat grip) 5 x 10 @ 100
- Front Raises (cable) 5 x 10 @ 20
- Hack Squat 5 x 10 @ 455
Weight - 216
Blew through this like nothing, took time and tempo into consideration since this was a repeat workout from last week. Slept like ass so I expected a rough workout, but the body was up to the challenge. Used a different hack squat machine today and was able to get into a much better position than the angled one, 455 wasn't even a big deal. The shoulder pump was real, reracking a 2.5lb weight took work.
This morning I had my usual 1 cup oatmeal and banana, slam my mesomorph on the way to the gym and sip Karbolyn during the session. Have to keep watering it down, way too sweet but tastes great. Maybe I just need a bigger bottle
12oz almond milk, scoop whey protein, and 2 tablespoon pb fit thereafter.
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Electrake
Active member
I'm signing up for Invalid Link Removed competition that's on March 16th. I'm torn between Novice and Open. I messed around with the weight (320lb) on axle bar deadlifts last week, had a rough time moving the bar with double overhand, but alternating grip I could move the weight like it was nothing and quit at 20reps. The pressing medley is nbd even pushing strict, although I really want to get my split down. Would be competing at 220lb.
Electrake
Active member
I'm fluctuating around 216 at the moment
Dustin07
Legend
ha, I'd take that over what we get. we are either 15f and dry, or 44f and torrential rains. rarely do we just get wet 32f and snow lol
no joke. It always cracks me up that I can walk through a DL session and then it's hauling wood that blows my back up.
Hyde
Legend
The 15” axle deadlift event is for max - it just starts at 320lbs, but you’re going to max out and grip is going to fail, so you need to practice DOH with figure 8s (sized one size up from your barbell size, to fit an axle).
If you have no fear of zeroing the 215 log/axle press, you have no reason to go Novice. The deadlift starts the same weight, the stone to shoulder is same weight, only the press and farmers are a tad heavier (and 225 farmers is light for that class). Basically, the only reason you would go Novice is because you want to say you competed, but don’t actually want to “compete”. I promise you will be happier with yourself if you go Open, as the entire point of the sport is to compare strength. Novice is there to make it more inclusive, so more people can try it, but nobody cares if you win Novice. Better to be last in Open than the winner of the kid’s table. Novice is ideal if you can’t lift the open weights yet.
Electrake
Active member
Open it is!
The deadlift event is worded poorly to me, usually what I've seen is the static weight like this for reps, or else they tell you the weight increments to jump up. But I guess this might be more like powerlifting rules. I'll snag some figure 8's asap. Most I've tried raw on the axle was 435, that was alternating grip and not pretty, but it got up.
Also I need to travel to get some stone time, it's been a while.
Hyde
Legend
That’s the spirit
The thing with straps is you have to be able to get your air & get tight at the bottom, and you don’t get to store any energy on a fast drop, but once you accommodate to that having even lats does help you hold your brace better. Plus DOH creates a shorter pull, as split grip has your underhand elevated.
If you can borrow or get a lighter stone from wherever to practice at home frequently, that would be really helpful. Stone to shoulder is technical. Martins probably has some good videos somewhere, or just watch Mateusz Kieliszkowski. It’s a hip lift that’s guided by the arms, kind of like a clean.
For tug of war, try to be pulling a sled or your truck (with someone working the brakes in neutral) with a rope periodically if you can.
Electrake
Active member
I did the truck thing last year training to pull a UPS truck lol. I think my wife had more fun than I did. There's no one close that sells stones, I've considered buying a mold a few times, the price point doesn't sit well with me for how often it'd get used, but I suppose I could make them for others.That’s the spirit
The thing with straps is you have to be able to get your air & get tight at the bottom, and you don’t get to store any energy on a fast drop, but once you accommodate to that having even lats does help you hold your brace better. Plus DOH creates a shorter pull, as split grip has your underhand elevated.
If you can borrow or get a lighter stone from wherever to practice at home frequently, that would be really helpful. Stone to shoulder is technical. Martins probably has some good videos somewhere, or just watch Mateusz Kieliszkowski. It’s a hip lift that’s guided by the arms, kind of like a clean.
For tug of war, try to be pulling a sled or your truck (with someone working the brakes in neutral) with a rope periodically if you can.
Hyde
Legend
My thought was you could possibly ask whoever you visit to borrow the stone for like a month. People will sometimes loan strongman stuff if they can. Sometimes it’s just sitting around, or they have several similar size, so they will be generous to help you out.
This guy we drove 3 hours to in Chicago to use his $600 Slater db lent it to us, so my wife could train it a few more times before her ATWR attempt. He wouldn’t even take money as collateral, just wanted to help for love of the game. My wife has probably loaned half of our implements out for free at some point or another for people getting ready for different shows.
Electrake
Active member
1/26/23
Main - Deadlift
Weight 216.6
Main - Deadlift
- 5 x 205lb
- 5 x 255
- 5 x 315
- 5 x 355
- 5 x 405
- 5 x 455
- 1 x 505 (birthday max)
- 10 x 5 @ 265
- Pullups 5 x 10
- One arm upright row (Handle and loading pin) 5 x 10 @ 155
- Reverse crunch 3 x 20
- Flutter kicks 3 x failure
Weight 216.6
Electrake
Active member
Lol yeah it was, thanks
Electrake
Active member
Happy birthday to her! I saw your post at 330am, sounded like one hell of a busy weekend. Hopefully you all found some time to hang out.
Hyde
Legend
lol we did - that’s why it was exhausting. My wife works 6 days a week, so if she takes a single day off work she tries to max out that 48 hour window. She’ll probably sleep when she’s dead.
Electrake
Active member
Dude, same. My wife works EMS 2.5 hours away and stays there, I may see her 3 days a week and not all in one go. Those days, she does music planning and scheduling for a local winery and also runs a candle business on the side. When she gets a minute, it's always something beer/wine related and I won't complain.
In the mean time, I'm a house husband that works full time, goes to school, and takes care of 3 big ass dogs
She wonders why I'm not interested in having a kid.
Hyde
Legend
Dude, same. My wife works EMS 2.5 hours away and stays there, I may see her 3 days a week and not all in one go. Those days, she does music planning and scheduling for a local winery and also runs a candle business on the side. When she gets a minute, it's always something beer/wine related and I won't complain.
In the mean time, I'm a house husband that works full time, goes to school, and takes care of 3 big ass dogs
Get through school first lol
Electrake
Active member
Definitely.. It's grad school for me and she's finishing a degree so she can work towards PA school or something.
Electrake
Active member
1/29/24
Week3 day 1. Last week of first leader.
Main - Squat
Weight - 216.2
Notes:
Holy ****
Week3 day 1. Last week of first leader.
Main - Squat
- 5 x 150lb
- 5 x 190
- 5 x 230
- 5 x 285
- 5 x 325
- 5 x 365 (2 through 5RM apaprently)
- 10 x 5 @ 285
- pendlay row 5 x 10 @ 185
- straight arm pushdown 5 x 10 @ 75 (focus on traps.) 1-2-1 tempo
- Just... no
Weight - 216.2
Notes:
Holy ****
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Hyde
Legend
Get some extra clean food in if possible. A long, slow hot shower with some meditation/relaxation-type music helps wind me down and restore my appetite faster after a heavy session that destroyed me.
Electrake
Active member
Literally my next move. Pound a protein shake and my mid day follidrone, then that. Then stare at computer code until the day ends lol.
Electrake
Active member
Order another FF stack from BLR, one month isn't long enough to give a solid review imo. I am fairly confident in stating that I have some pretty significant recomp going on, I usually carry a significant portion of my body fat in the pelvic area, that is diminishing as well as some ab definition is improving.
Caveat to that as before, my diet changed pretty significantly Jan 4, however my intake has increased in every macro. All to say fat loss at this point could be cumulative between metabolism and BLR stuff.
I wanted to add in some SNS products, but I'm going to have to wait for a sale or payday $$$. Or both.
Caveat to that as before, my diet changed pretty significantly Jan 4, however my intake has increased in every macro. All to say fat loss at this point could be cumulative between metabolism and BLR stuff.
I wanted to add in some SNS products, but I'm going to have to wait for a sale or payday $$$. Or both.
Dustin07
Legend
Electrake
Active member
1/30/24
warm up - light plate work to open up shoulders, band pull aparts, pvc dislocates, bicep stretch, wrist Invalid Link Removed
Main - OHP (strict)
Weight 217.2
Slept like crap, should have considered an afternoon session, but after my alarm goes off, there is no more chance of sleep for me. Training went well, perhaps moved too quickly, but everything was smooth and methodical. I did put a belt on for my top OHP set, a bit wobbly and VERY sore from yesterday, wanted the extra support. Supposed to be bench day, but small gym problems, someone was on it.
Looking towards the comp I shared in March, if the next 3 weeks of training go as planned, I should be finishing a deload right at the competition.
Song of the day
Invalid Link Removed
warm up - light plate work to open up shoulders, band pull aparts, pvc dislocates, bicep stretch, wrist Invalid Link Removed
Main - OHP (strict)
- 5 x 70lb
- 5 x 85
- 5 x 105
- 5 x 135
- 5 x 150
- 5 x 165 (4-5 rep PR) belted
- 10 x 5 @ 135
- cable lateral raises 5 x 10 @ 17.5
- Face Pulls 5 x 10 @ 75 2-1-2 tempo
- Weighted crunch 3 x 50 @ 150lb
- Knee Raises 3 x 20
Weight 217.2
Slept like crap, should have considered an afternoon session, but after my alarm goes off, there is no more chance of sleep for me. Training went well, perhaps moved too quickly, but everything was smooth and methodical. I did put a belt on for my top OHP set, a bit wobbly and VERY sore from yesterday, wanted the extra support. Supposed to be bench day, but small gym problems, someone was on it.
Looking towards the comp I shared in March, if the next 3 weeks of training go as planned, I should be finishing a deload right at the competition.
Song of the day
Invalid Link Removed