EXP: It Looked Great On Paper

Well, after getting sick with the broken-glass throat virus/creeping crud from the fall valley air, I'm here to admit that the EXP system was a failed test. And, yeah, it did make perfect sense on paper in excel. I have a few takeaways, one of which is a good spreadsheet full of predicted max/predicted 3RM tables.

I'd not done that much volume - or attempted that much volume - since I'd been logging workouts. I shot high a couple years ago in June with 9x/week. Last year wasn't nearly as frequent, but sessions were longer - but not as intense in terms of resistance.
Juggling the sessions was the first indicator that things were amiss, either in my daily schedule or with my ability to meet the schedule on its terms. Feeling tired, overreached and beat up was second. The nagging knee pain was third. Getting sick and laying around for 5 days was the final.

The comeback trail will traverse the old mountainside of 531 with BBB, but adding in a Pull day, a second (front) Squat day, an every-5th-day-off clause (which was omitted from EXP, but I've known for long years is a hard/fast real-world law), and adding in the Monday/Thursday PM metcons as sprint/row work. Gonna make sure that this cycle incorporates Y-Pulls, Croc rows, and heavy pulls with the dipping belt.

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

EXP 24 Pull ME Everything Changes - Apr 19

Supposed to be a Bench for max reps at light weight day, but without a spotter, I'm just working at bBW. And, with all the pulling, it's more of a Pull ME day

5 rounds, max reps, HT timer


4x25#//4x20#//3x20#
6 mins.

Bench
5x max reps @ 225, HT timer
7/8/9/5/4
7 mins.

Single arm cable pull downs
4 rounds, 1 min RI
7x90/4x120/7x90/11x75
7 mins.

7.5 hours - 2230/0600. 21 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 231/15.

EXP 23 Press - Apr 17

Today's an approximation of an ME GtO, as I can't really move my right knee.

No buy in (FtB)

Press
Rx: GtO @ 150/165/175/185/200
Actual: 6 rounds, on the HT timer
7x max reps Y-Pulls
6x max reps Press @ 135/145/155 (4's)//145/135

8.5 - 1 hours - 2230/0700. 16 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours.

EXP 22 Pay the TaxMan in Squats - Apr 15

Buy in
3x10
Extensions @ 200
Leg curl @ 110
5 mins.

...leg curls still feel like the knife behind the right knee.

Squat
Rx: 5x5 or 3x5 at
230/250/270/285/305
Actual: barx10/135x10/185x7/225x5/245x5/275x5 (form broke down here)/225x5
16 mins.

Back squat just doesn't feel right at all. I hindu stretched easily between sets, but put any weight on my back and everything just locks up. Anyway, opted for form rather than going with the posted loads and doing idiot reps.

PS. This note from the day after. Woke up and hobbled about, my vastus medialis was locked up, not from overwork from the light-low volume extensions, but from straining to keep my ACL in position(?). I'm thinking of hi-bar squats and front squats only for the duration of this EXP cycle. I believe in the back squat, but low bar is not agreeing with me.

Cash out
Standing Calf x10 @ 225/240/255
4 mins.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 7. 30 hours.

EXP 21 Pull CA - Apr 14

Light and easy, not trying to blow up here.

4 rounds, on the HT timer
Ring rows x10
Ring dips xmax reps (10's)
Chins (5's)
15 mins.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 15 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours.

EXP (15) Hinge - Apr 13

4 rounds, on the HT timer
Hang power clean @120# x10///8
KB swing x10 @ 2 pood
Curl @ 80# - narrow 2x10, wide 2x7
19 mins.

Tabata bag work
20 rounds, 14 punching/6 kicking.
10 mins.

8 sessions this week, most of them were hi-intensity. A hard week, but a good one.

9.5 hours - 2200/0630. 29 minutes total, PE: 8. 18 hours.

EXP (24?) - Bench ME - Apr 12

Buy in
Y-pulls, 3 rounds
3 mins.

5x5 Bench
Rx@ 225/240/260/275/290
Actual: 225/245/265/275/295
12 mins.
Wasn't feeling great coming in, tired and overextended - didn't think I'd get the 290x5. 295x5 wasn't really a stretch. Should have known I'd rise to the challenge.

And, It's Official: I can bench more than I can deadlift. I'm fucked.

4 rounds, on the HT timer, in .30 on 1.15
Pulls
Underbar horz pulls
10 mins.

Scottish Games Injury Watch Update: Getting up this morning, felt my right ACL ginch up, and with the twinge associated with that lock up, almost found myself going down to the ground. Torn and flapping in the wind? Massively inflamed so it catches down there in all the machinery? An MRI would tell.

9.5 hours - 2130/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 6. 18 hours.

EXP Ground to Overhead test, CL + S Run - Apr 11

Heck, I don't even know what EXP day this is anymore, working off the old chart. I need to make a deck and just work through the cards - whatever's on the top of the deck is the current session.

Death by GtO
8.5 rounds at 115#
9 mins.

4 rounds, on 2:00
RDL x10 @ 135/140///
Seated calf x11 @ 70#
8 mins.

Feeling overextended, which I now realize in a Biblical sense, is the point of a 40-day high frequency program. Just had to remind myself that this wasn't a workout, it was a session. Just get through this session.

PM
Brighthouse Hill run up/walk downs
12 on 1.40
20 mins.

Katsup, since I rowed last night, and missed these on Monday PM.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 18 + 20 minutes, PE: 9. 18 hours.

EXP 16 Pull ME + EXP 19 Dead ME - Apr 10

Main set
5x5 Pulls w/ 25# x5/5/4/4/3
8 mins.

Push Pull
4 rounds, 1 min RI
DB recline press @ 75# x10
DB croc row @ 105# x5's
10 mins.

Cash out
3x 10 Y-pulls
4 mins.

PM
Dead ME 5x5, 1 min RI
Rx: 225/240/255/270/285
Actual: 225/245/255/275/285/295 (3)
16 mins.

Row 3k
PR at 12.27.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 25 + 29 minutes, PE: 9. 24 hours. 228/14.

EXP 17 Squat DE - Apr 9

Hi Bar Squat 5x5, for form
Rx: 160/170/180/195/205
Actual: 165/175/185/205/215
In .30, on 2.00 - Ass to the grass.
11 mins.

3x10 antagonists
Leg curl @ 110
Extensions @ 195
5 mins.

8 - 1 hours - 2200/0600. 17 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours.

EXP (18) Worl's Easiest Squat Day - Apr 8

What do you do on Squat day when there's no squat bar available? You let Deppen talk you into doing Press day early.

Buy in
FtB - 3 rounds
10/10/8
4 min.

Press 5x5, 1 min RI
125/135/145/155/165 (3)
then
4 rounds, in .30 on 1.15
Neutral grip pulls
Ring dips
7's, plus or minus
22 mins.

BeatDown UpDate: The Scottish Games knee issue has moved from inside of my knee (with some residual clicking and tightness) to the back of the knee (where it fed by tightening up my lateral collateral ligament like a guitarstring) to my interior gastroc. No running for me tonight.

6 hours - 000/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 7. 54 hours.

EXP 11 CL/Deads ME - Apr 5

Still one session behind on the EXP schedule, but Sunday's an off day, so I'll be back on track for next week. I blurred through day 10 last night, and just need to log a heavy squat day over the weekend.
By the way, I also kinda hurt all over, and the knee pain has moved and housed itself in my right calf.

Cl
4 rounds x10-12, on the .30 in 1.15 timer:
leg curl @ 90/105///
extensions @ 195
--
(3 rounds)
Seated calf @ 70
A-frame @ 5
17 mins.

Deads
5x5 Rx @ 205/225/240/255/270
Actual: 205/225/245/255/275/ 10x 225
11 mins.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 28 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours.

EXP 9 Squat DE/CL + Press ME - Apr 4

Buy in
Overhead squat x10 @ 45/65/85
7 mins.

Front Squat
5x5 @ 140/150/160/170/180+ (7)
9 mins.

CL quad
4 rounds x10-12
Seated Calf @ 70
Standing calf @ 210/225/240/225
Extensions 195#
Leg curl 110#
11 mins.

PM
Buy in
3x max reps Y-pulls
1 round of rotator cuff stuff
4 mins.

4x5 Cable pulldown singles
@ 90/105/120 (3)/115
6 mins.

Press ME
Rx: 115/125/130/140/150
5x115/5x135/10x140/5x155/2x155
140 seemed easy, so I just kept going.
10 mins.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 49 minutes total, PE: 7. 18 hours.

EXP 8 Doing Wahteva H Push ME + S Run - Apr 3

Fast forwarded past the CL PM workout from yesterday, to blowing off the Day 6 Pull Metcon (Helen) completely, to considering my Saturday bonus quad a sub for the Day 7 Hinge day, to jumping into this Push ME day - which was supposed to happen yesterday. Nothing like missing a couple days in a high-frequency cycle to create a juggling act.

Changed the buy in today from tabata planking to a short Death by pulls - 6 rounds.
6 mins.

Bench 5x5
Rx: 210/225/240/260/275
Actual: 210/225/245/265/275
8 mins.

DB Croc row
5x5 @ 100#
8 mins.

On the way out the door, I counted the cardio machines at DoucheX. 68. And one power rack. That's a bullshit to real shit ratio of 68:1.

PM
8 220's on the potholed soccer field at Yokuts - in just under .50 on 3.00. First one really hurt my right knee. Ran them pretty gingerly and tried to short-stride.
24 mins.

8 + 2 hours - 2200/0600. 46 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours.

EXP 5 Squat ME - Apr 2

Tired after a long weekend and bad sleep, allergies.

Buy in
Overhead Squat 3x10 @
45/65/95
8 mins.

5x5 Squat @
230/250/270/285/305
17 mins.

This video shows me trying to get down into the hole at 305.

Left wrist felt like murder during the overheads. Some really ugly, barely-parallel back squats today. One of those sessions you just say you were glad that you tried, and didn't cheese on.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 25 minutes total, PE: 8. 72 hours.

EXP 4 Bench ME + The Chief - Mar 29

5x5 Bench
Rx@ 195/210/225/240/260
Actual: 195/210/225/245/265 x6
11 mins.

The Chief - 4 rounds
Would have been nice to try for a PR here, but 4 rounds was plenty today. Squats were the most painful of the three, go figure and blame DLs yesterday.
16 mins.

OH, and the manager of DoucheXchange came over to tell us not to drop the weights. Was catching the bar and dropping from knee level. Should have full on dismissed the bar from the rack position. Man, this gym is an embarassment - and it has a rep here as one of the most hardcore gyms in town.
And I have a membership. FML.

9 hours - 2100/0600. 27 minutes total, PE: 9. 24 hours.

EXP 3 DL + Pull ME - Mar 28

5 hours sleep yesterday, and not great sleep at that.  Did the ASSE show and didn't have the right kind of blood to do this last night. Behind a day.

Pull ME - test
1x5 BW pull/3x20#/2x25/3x20/5xBW
Trying for 5 reps at 20#. Not there yet.
6 mins.

DL - ME
Rx: 5x5 @190/205/225/240/255
As rx'ed, 1 min RI. All too easy.
13 mins.

Cash out
Seated calves @70/A-Frame @5 x10
7 mins.

9 hours - 210/0600. 26 minutes total, PE: 6. 48 hours. 231/12.

EXP 2 Press ME - Mar 26

Knee's a mess today. Running, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Buy in
Y-pulls on the .30 in 1.15 timer
4 rounds, 4 mins.

Press
5x5 @ 100/105/115/120/130
These weights are 65%-85% from my new chart, but they were way to low and easy - because f*cking Excel changed the formulas. Real weights wouldashoulda been 125/130/140/150/160... which would have been a stretch. But hey, It's ME Day biatches.
First cycle in this period should run 60-80% in the future.
10 mins.

4 rounds in .30 on 1.15
DB rows x6 @ 95/
DB recline presses x12 @ 60
14 mins.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 30 minutes total, PE: 8. 18 hours.

EXP 1 Squat DE + S Run - Mar 25

Okay, new 40 day cycle, focusing as best I can on explosive work with super-high frequency (10.5 sessions per 7 days, but we're on a trek of 4 ten-day weeks). Lots of variety compared to 531. Let's see how the homebrew tastes.

Buy in
Overhead Squat x10 @ 45/65/85
Wrists really needed the stretch.
8 mins.

Front Squat
95x7/115x5/135x5/155x5/175x5
Just establishing a 5 rep weight here. We'll start off at 115 next time and see how a top at 195 feels.
10 mins.

Cash out
3x12
Extensions @ 195
Leg curls @ 125/110//
6 mins.

Pretty beat up after Highland Games. The knee's very tight, and I pretty much hurt all over my right side. Was worried I wouldn't be able to squat today, but nothing hurt as much as that first set of prone leg curls. That felt like a knife to the back of my leg.

PM
10 Run up/Walk downs at Brighthouse Hill on 1.45. Knee felt great, sprints felt smooth, never really had a hard time breathing - even on a beautiful spring evening with the air chokingly thick with pollens.
16 mins.

5 hours - 2230/0330. 41 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours.