Tactical Strenght Challenge Log.

Hey dc!

you're really doing well on that plan. Nice rack pull, especially after the weak range partials before! The dips are big too!

About the espresso, I'm well known to be a coffee junkee but a quadruple! I need to try that next WO (tomorrow).

Best,

Franco

Capt,

"You should be in great shape for the contest... unless they test for caffeine, in which case you are screwed." LOL. I have not laughed that hard in while!!! Thank you for your kind comments.

I agree, the rest pause is kind of tricky, I think in general I am underestimating what I can do with the exception of the first rep.

This time I tried the expresso and I have to say I like the Monster much better. More kick and just seems perfect preworkout. Normally I buy the large Low Carb Monster which has 2 servings in it and drink the whole thing!!! You may want to start with one serving and see how how it goes.

Franco,

Thanks for your compliments! Add one shot to the quad and let me know how your workout goes. I'll bet you kill it. I just love a huge dose of caffeine preworkoutHave you seen the caffeine studies? They show increased strenght, increased endurance and reduced sensation of PAIN!!!

David

Wow... great work Dave! 40 lbs pull ups ... Strong! 135 for dips... again strong!
Leg pressing great weight also... especially deep!

Great job... this is getting exciting!

Keep up the awesome work!

Best regards and blessings,
Bill

Well, I did a triple (after I had a standard 20 minutes
earlier) today and I kicked ass!

Pain? What's that?

Franco

You guys are too funny!

I think next time I will try a Monster... sounds like it kicks the espresso... but like Franco... I love the espresso. Maybe I will mix the two... and see how that fares??? All we will see is asses and elbows :-)

Have a great one!

Sorry Bill, but the double serving of Monster just seemed stronger. How about this. Do your ususal five shot expresso and have a single serving of monster. Of course do this after taking three weeks off training and caffeine of any sort. I think I'd have to call in sick form the DOMS after that.

Franco,

Were you considerably stronger? How much?

Capt,

Sorry, I just realized that I did not answer your cardio question. My cardio: I am currently doing cardio for 2-3 days per week using an Elliptical at home. I normally do 2 steady state session with my HR at about 130-135 and one brutal session of intervals depending on how I feel. After many years of Zero cardio, I am enjoying it and I feel it is helping my recovery and ability to generate intensity( of course dont forget the MONSTER).

I know many HIT'rs are cardio phobic. However MM was not. Personally I don't see how low intensity cardio can hinder recovery at all.

David

I think next time I will try a Monster... sounds like it kicks the espresso... but like Franco... I love the espresso. Maybe I will mix the two... and see how that fares???

-billsahli

This is absolutely hilarious.  I'm starting to think that if Bill had a chemistry set as a kid there were surely explosions and\or billowing smoke pouring out of his room every night.  Definitely report in if you try this!

David, thanks for the info on your cardio!  I was just curious about whether you might be doing something targeted at meeting the demands of the Kettlebell Snatch or something like that.

Capt,

OOPS forgot that part. Yes the cardio is for the Kettlebell lift. I may increase the brutal intervals If I need to but so far things ar progressing nicely!

Bill is an absolute character no doubt!!!

David

OMG... you will not believe what I just received not 15 minutes ago for my birthday! Yes it is ahead of time for good reason...

An Espresso Maker... digital as the day is long.

It actually has a Monster Button to mix percentages and degrees and right next to the frothing tube it has another tube called Monster Froth for ... you guested it... frothing with a Monster Drink! (I know it has been a long day and am still finishing the Newsletter!) Ok so I am kidding about the Monster Button and Tube but I did get an brande new Espresso Machine!

Dave I am going to try the Monster Mix for sure, especially since I have the new digital machine. I love presents! LOL. The possibilities are endless.

Cardio... it is true that we are made to move. Whether you do cardio or not is based on the individual and their goals. Mike did very well with cardio... as usually without it his calories had to be very low and unhealthy... as low as 400 calories on days. When he introduced the aerobics it allowed him to bring it up to human levels, even though 2000 would be a diet level for most of us... we had discussions about this once Mike and I.

Although you would not think it, strong men competitors definitely benefit from Cardio and cross training due to the function-ability required to do what they do. There are those who do not but they never win... you have to be conditioned to run around with cars and such.

I personally have done it both ways... but I have always moved. Walked, swam, hiked or rode bike recreation-ally... very low low intensity. The trick is this. Figure out what you want to accomplish, plan it well ahead of time and then coast into it... do the hard stuff up front so that whatever your competition is, you peak without the added stress of fat loss, making weight or condition.

I never had a chemistry set but I did have an erector set and an electric train. I took the train apart and with the erector set created a robot that no one could figure out how it walked and worked or how I wired it... go figure... I love to experiment and make stuff... including big muscles! :-)

A Great Night to all!

Bill, That was soo funny!!! Don't hurt yourself You guys are cracking me up.
 
David

That is what happens when delirium sets in from over work! LOL...

Blessings!
Bill

Hey, happy birthday Bill!  Sweet birthday present.  Let us know how the Monster mix goes.

I like what you're saying about putting the hard stuff up front and coasting into "the big day", whatever that may mean for the individual.  This feeds into a larger anti-procrastination philosophy.  There's a reason that all diets which fail always start "tomorrow"!

Something else -- I'm assuming that Mike would only need to theoretically drop to 400 KCal if he was up against a contest deadline, right?  I'd imagine a guy his size could easily lose on 1800-2000 KCal per day without cardio, but perhaps not fast enough to make shredded condition for a show.  Or did he truly feel like he couldn't hit his leanest condition without the additional activity?

Yes... it certainly is the contest deadline that affected his decision but sometimes, depending on genetics, extremes are used. Mike did go very low when not using cardio... it depends on your genetics to remove that last little bit that you are striving for. :-)

Sorry Bill, but the double serving of Monster just seemed stronger. How about this. Do your ususal five shot expresso and have a single serving of monster. Of course do this after taking three weeks off training and caffeine of any sort. I think I'd have to call in sick form the DOMS after that[image].
Franco,
Were you considerably stronger? How much?

-dcshores

5kg/11 lbs more on chin, dip, squat for same TUL. Expected was a drop in TUL/reps but it didn't happen. I felt very energized. And the squat was static at parallel, so no form change possible.

Franco

Franco, Sounds like it definately helped! Cool.

Bill, When is your B-day? You said the present was early!

Workout - Tuesday BW 226 up 1 from LWO

Monster 2 servings - I see they are selling a 3 serving can now
High pull floor - 205 for 5 + 1prt, LWO 185 for 6 +1prt Personal Record

Hammer Machine One Arm  Curl Rest Pause - 47.5 lbs/1, 40/1, 35/1, 70 for 6 sec static   hold. LWO 40/1, 40/1, 40/1 + 65 SH for 5-6 sec. Much stronger today.

Lying Tri Ext - 100 for 4.5 SS close grip 135 for 11
           LWO 90 for 6, 135 for 9.

Solid WO - If I can keep gaining like this for the next six months I'll be a 42 year old natural beast!!
I want to reinforce that before Bill started helping me I was gaining a rep here and there only. Now in less that a couple months I've gone from high pulls with 135 to 205!!! 300lbs + is the next goal for the high pull!

http://calendar.yahoo.com/dcshores@sbcglobal.net

Go to this link and you can view my training callender. I left September blank because I figures Bill would want to change thing up!

God Bless,

David

I want to reinforce that before Bill started helping me I was gaining a rep here and there only. Now in less that a couple months I've gone from high pulls with 135 to 205!!! 300lbs + is the next goal for the high pull!

-dcshores

Seriously, this is great stuff!  That's really amazing progress.  What would you say has made the difference on Bill's routine versus your training before?

"Seriously, this is great stuff!  That's really amazing progress.  What would you say has made the difference on Bill's routine versus your training before?"

Capt,

The difference is several things:

1) He has customized my routine based on how I am built structurally and my strong and weak body parts. Also considering what exercises work well for me and which ones do not.
The routine is custom for me. Although templated workouts are good for most there is no way they can come close to a routine designed for your structure and goals. I would think that customization is vitaly important for anyone advanced or anyone who is not really making meaningfull progress. The program he made for me is working fantastic for me but I'll bet that it won't work all that great for someone else.

2) When I run into problems( and I have), he knows how to correct immediatly, this saves valuable time and frustration. As you know things change big time as you get stronger. Knowing when to change and what to change is of huge importance. In the past when I ran into trouble, I had one answer, decrease frequency, that did not work out very well. There are just so many variables to manage, I have a hard time manageing myself and the variable objectively.

I hope that answers you question!

God Bless

David