wtmarcus' first BP run (3.0)

[wtmarcus]

Just got hold of the BP documents a day ago and after reading the pdfs over and over, combined with browsing the forum a bit I have decided to postpone my upcoming smolov squat cycle and give BP3.0 a try.

2.0 seems more appealing but I need the recomp more than biggest gains at the moment

Been dabbling with EDT with great success a couple of times earlier. It's fantastic for burning off fat imo. Just coming off a cycle off it and feeling a bit overtrained so the week off is just perfect.

Random stats:
Age: 31
Height: 178cm (5'10" I think?)
Weight: 98kg (216lbs)
BF: 18% (which is why I'm doing 3.0 and not 2.0)

max bench: 130kg / 286lbs
max squat: no idea. Haven't maxed it in years. I'm guessing 180kg-ish.
max deadlift: same as the squat.
max one arm military press: 48kg kettlebell.


Training history is mostly a mix of freeweights, body weight, and kettlebell training (I'm part of the RKC cult).


Sups will be zinc, multivitamin, magnesium oil, omega-3. If I do another run I might incorporate some kre-albolyn.

I also will be drinking 'the formula' sans the GPA because I can't find a good source for it in Sweden/Europe.


For the cardio I'll mostly be doing HIIT (either kettlebell style ala Viking Warrior Conditioning or running), or doing the LISS-running outdoors.

CC will be incorporated on cardio days. I'm not a big CC fan in general.. the progressions are complete shiet and some of the top level exercises are just not possible. But... I like the addition of it all because I can't live without pull ups.


Now a question:

leg curl.. I work out at a 24hr fitness-spa and for some bizarre reason they have decided that a "seated leg curl" is a superior device. I reckon it is because the majority of their clients like to sit down and read a magazine while training.. anyway it's a complete pain to use and I don't get the same good feel as I get from a normal leg curl machine. Are there any good alternatives to the leg curl? I'm thinking GHR here.



grip work.. I enjoy grip work. Nail bending, grippers, levering, pinch grip holds etc. Can I add some of this on my workout days without too much of an issue? Also thinking of some of the hang progressions from CC2 here. Looking at the training template it doesn't seem that adding some heavy grip work should be too much of an issue.

Which also brings me to the last question. Fat gripz on the curls? yay or nay?

[wtmarcus]

Another Q.

Do I still do the 5 heavy duty HIT workouts as part of 3.0?

[matter2003]

Another Q.

Do I still do the 5 heavy duty HIT workouts as part of 3.0?

WTMarcus,

First off welcome to the BP family! If you have any questions be sure to ask and you will receive as much help as we can give you...

Are you talking about the bridge workouts in 2.0? No, those are not utilized in 3.0

[drtda]

In regards to your hamstring dilemma, I personally like seated leg curls, but you have to have a good machine. Some of them have terrible strength curves and just plain bad set-ups. If that is the case I would go with the GHR, which is probably a superior exercise to any type of leg curl anyway.

[wtmarcus]

@matter2003: Yeah. The bridge. Thanks. Too bad! Was looking forward to it.

In regards to your hamstring dilemma, I personally like seated leg curls, but you have to have a good machine. Some of them have terrible strength curves and just plain bad set-ups. If that is the case I would go with the GHR, which is probably a superior exercise to any type of leg curl anyway.

I'm sure some seated leg curls are great. This specific one is one of the most vile machines I have ever had the bad luck of using.

[wtmarcus]

Ok. A week of resting is done. Resting pulse is at an average of 54 and the famine is ON.

Had a not so nice workout all in all. Woke up at 04:30 instead of my normal 08:30. Went to the gym pretty early and nothing felt very good.

Did some light squat warm ups and already at 130kg I felt something was off so I backed up a bit.

Squats: 3x6 @ 100kg.
Seated cable row: 3x6 @ 50kg.
Barbell curl: 1x6 @ 35kg.
Incline dumbbell curl: 1x6 @ 17,5kg.
Preacher curl: 1x6 @ 30kg. (felt way too light).


Washed it all down with 50 minutes on the treadmill going at 6.5km/h (4mph I believe). Even with SHR in my headphones doing the treadmill is insanely boring. Went home and ate a sallad.


Eatin':
1 avocado
2 pears

1 cucumber
1 bunch of parsley
a bit of olive oil
3 bananas

1 package of frozen blueberries

1 package of frozen mango
1/2 cup walnuts

Kcal: 1730.

A couple of litres of pu-erh tea on top of this.

[wtmarcus]

Day 2 of famine sucked. Hungerpangs. Fantasies about raw meat all day long.

Day 3 turned out even worse as I hit the gym! So.. weak!

Warmup:
benchpress: 10 @ 20kg, 8 @ 60 kg, 6 @ 80 kg @ 4 @ 100kg

This is light weights. I can normally knock out a good 10 reps at 120kg but I had to back all the way down to 60kg. And my shoulder press dayyymn! Had to repeatedly cut the weights down. Famine is not my cup o' tea! Neither is training in the 'morn and fasted training.

Superset 1:
Bench press: 4x6@60kg.
Sitting dumbell shoulder press: 2x8@20+20kg, 1x6@20+20kg, 1x6@17.5kg

Superset 2:
Incline bench press: 1x8 @ 50kg, 3x8 @ 40kg.
Sitting dumbell shoulder press: 1x8 @ 15+15kg, 1x8 @ 12,5+12,5kg, 2x8 @ 10kg

Superset 3:
Decline dumbbell bench press: 4x8 @ 17,5+17,5kg. Never done decline in my entire life. This was too light a weight though.
Sitting dumbell shoulder press: 4x8 @ 9+9kg.

Decline close grip bench press (in the smith machine): 1x8@36kg. waaay too light working weight here too.
Skull crushers: 1x8@30kg.
Cable pushdowns: 1x8@36kg.

Washed it all down with 50 minutes on the treadmill at an average of 6.8km/h.


So far my resting pulse in the morning is still at 54. I hope it hits 64 by tomorrow so I can end this madness.

[wtmarcus]

Day 5 of famine.

Slept extremely bad. No energy to walk all the way over to the gym either. Did a workout at home instead.

30 second rest made it short (~10 minutes) and very sweaty.

Superset:
32kg kettlebell goblet squat : 12 12 12 12 9
32kg kettlebell one arm row: 12 4 9 5 4

20kg Barbell curl: 12 12 12 12 8

Washed it down with a 15 minute run in the park. Worst run of my life. Felt like total shit. Looking forward to banana pancakes and chicken tomorrow.

[aron7awol]

What's your resting heart rate been the last couple of days?

[wtmarcus]

What's your resting heart rate been the last couple of days?

It's been 60 at wake up. Normally I'm about 54. I was hoping yesterday that I had hit the magic 8bpm increase but sadly no so I did this last horrid day of famine.


So much looking forward to the mashed potatoes and chicken I have ready for tomorrow!

[wtmarcus]

First day of the feast.. chillin' out relaxin' thinkin' I am cool...

Energy intake for the day: 4248kcal, and 395,5g protein, about 100g fat, and the rest some carbs.

[wtmarcus]

Keeping week 1 at 3900kcal on training days, 3200 on non-training days.

Workout #1 finished and it went a lil' something like this:

warmup: a few dips and rows.

Barbell decline hold: 2x15sec @ 100kg. Lack of decline bench and good place to do these made it tricky.. but it worked out.

Dips: 6x6 @ bw.
1 arm cable rows: 6x6 @ 30kg.

Seated barbell press hold: 1x15sec @ 60kg, 1x15sec @ 70kg.

Incline DB curl: 6x6 @ 17,5kg.
Overhead triceps extension: 6x6 @ 30kg.

Finished off with some uneven towel hangs (one hand with a towel, other hand on th bar, shifting hands each set): 20, 25, 20, 19, 17, 21.

[wtmarcus]

Right.. two days after the first workout and still sore. Loving it so far!

Not so happy with the ungodly amount of carbs though.. Might remodel the diet a bit towards more fat / less carbs.

Yesterday: 3200kcal. Did the level 1 CC bridging. Next stop.. level 2!

Today: 3200kcal. Energy levels are a bit low. The plan was to head outside with two kettlebells (40+32 kg) and do "litvi farmer's walks." ie. Farmer's walk 'til I drop the suckers then do a sprint. Walk back. Rinse and repeat. The rain at the moment is terrible though. Having done snatches out in the snow last winter I know that wet kettlebells will leave rust marks on my floor.

Did some "conditioning" circuit instead. 1 minutes of tabata sprints on the bike. 20 seconds max load + peddaling like a madman, 10 seconds rest. 2 rounds of that and I was gasping for air.

3 rounds of:
macebell 360s (10 each direction)
CC level 1 push ups
macebell 360s (10 each direction)
CC level 1 squats


Not a big CC fan but I will give it a go. I might replace the pushups with something more Steve Maxwellian (iranian twists for example) or go with occluded pushups with varying hand positioning.

[wtmarcus]

Ok double update!

Workout #2:

Rack pull: 15seconds @ 140kg, 15seconds @ 160kg. Pretty new exercise to me this so trying it on for size!

Block 1:
Squats 6x6 @ 100kg
Hamstring curl 6x6 @ 40kg.

Seated calf raise (one legged in the smith machine). 2x15seconds @ 118kg.

Romanian deadlift : 2x10 @ 90kg. Feel sooo good with this stretch after the previous leg work!!

Block 2:
Cable crunches: 1x6 @ 25kg, 5@6 @ 30kg. Also new one for me.
Hyperextensions: 1x6 @ 15kg, 1x6 @ 25kg, 4x6 @ 30kg. Trying to get a feel for the right load...

Washed it down with some dumbbell farmer's walk. 30kg+30kg, 3 walks to grip fail.


Followed with a rest day, and then "cardio day" which was

level 1 CC pulls + leg raises. Finished these off. The level one leg raises are worse than they look on paper!

Kettlebell complex with 20kg bell. 5xOA swing, 5xOA clean & jerk. Right arm then directly left arm. Rest. Then 3 more rounds.


Haven't quite gotten enough sleep these last two days. Tomorrow is workout #3 planned at 4 am.