Munen Muso: Turtle Bear's Log

[TurtleBear]

5/22/2024

Rebuild Day 5

Bench: 4x6 @ 175
Squats 4x6 @ 270 Back to fast and snappy!
Dips: 21 reps in 7 minutes
Sandbag work: "Bunny Slope" Even minutes were various reps of sprawl to sandbag over shoulder
Odd minutes were a 100ft sandbag carry.
Completed with 110lb sandbag.

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

Great session to end off a great day.
Found out my wife is pregnant with kid 5 today!!!

[DanCR]

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

I haven’t lifted to early aughts butt rock since the last time that we discussed it. Tomorrow it is lol.

Great session to end off a great day.
Found out my wife is pregnant with kid 5 today!!!

Congratulations!

[TurtleBear]

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

I haven’t lifted to early aughts butt rock since the last time that we discussed it. Tomorrow it is lol.

Make sure you wear mascara...

and thank you for the congrats!!
Im really excited

[TurtleBear]

5/25/24:
Quick run, 12 minutes. Gonna start building duration of going without having to walk. I had more in the tank, but my tendency is to push stuff way to hard out of the gate and not be patient with a process.

I'm not really sure how serious Im gonna push this, I don't want it to cut into the lifting or my martial arts stuff too much but I am really enjoying it thus far.

Running is oddly specific. I can walk into a fast paced jujitsu or kyokushin class multiple times a week and cardio-wise I can hang just fine.
I'm not doing them right now, but as you guys have seen from my training history, I am no stranger to giant sets. It's my default way to train and I usually feel really good there. I am no stranger to manual labor or even just the weird fatigue of re-doing ones basement. All of it is usually pretty comfortable for me.

Running is still a weird sort of hard.


More lifts tonight!

[TurtleBear]

Still here.

My wife had a miscarriage earlier this week. It happened only after a few days of finding out she was even pregnant. She's never had one before. We are both shocked and sad.

I have trained almost every day this week, but it was mostly whatever I felt like doing lifting wise.

Gonna do some reflecting if you will all indulge me.
Combat sports (and lifting) has no shortage of what I would call "tough" guys both genuine and not. I have never been one of those people. I am a big softy. My 6 year old sometimes asks me “why are my emotions so big?!” and it’s because she gets it from me. Blessedly, I’ve always been on the happier end of the emotional spectrum, so most of the time I am excited or genuinely really happy to be somewhere. When I get sad or angry though it tends to be rather a lot. Luckily I have had some really great people in my life who have shown me how to keep my head on straight.
I also have always had a lot of energy. I am 32 years old now and still feel about the same as I did when I was 18 even though my tendons and ligaments don’t always agree.
One of the reasons I have such a hard time sticking to regular powerlifting/strength programs and instead run Alsruhe/Giant sets based stuff is because I have a really really hard time sitting still between sets. Its also one of the reasons I tend to be very consistent in my jujitsu and karate stuff.
When I was growing up, the number one way people would describe me would be “intense” or “a lot”. That hasn’t really changed much.

All that is to say is that when I get sad, I don’t get depressed or slow down. I get filled with this weird sort of nervous energy. I started off the rebuild with trying a sets across approach even though that’s not typically my speed. I know its objectively better for building strength and I wanted to try to make a go at it. Yet, with the weird “Sad energy” I have this week I would end up pacing back and forth or doing supplemental stuff just to keep myself moving. So instead I scrapped that and just did a bunch of different stuff based on feel and in my usual giant set format. I’m not sure if I will get back to those regular sets across sessions in the coming days or if I will just keep doing this. I am feeling a bit better now, but I am still pretty wound up. Regardless of which direction I go in, I will make sure to log stuff better going forward. I think it’ll help keep my head above water.

Thanks guys.

[Clearwater47]

Very sorry about the miscarriage. My partner had one probably about 14 years ago, before we were together. Emotions around that still stir up for her sometimes. It's an understandably difficult thing to deal emotionally for anyone who actually has a heart. It's no surprise at all that it would be difficult to deal with emotionally. Wish I had some good advice, but the best I can do is extend my condolences, and some encouragement to continue moving forward in whatever way feels right to you.

[DanCR]

@TurtleBear, I’m sorry to hear that and hope that your wife and you are able to recover together as soon as can be expected.

You clearly know yourself very well, which is more than 99% of the population can say. I’d lean into “you.” Fuck a strength program if it isn’t satisfying. You know what makes you happy and works. Who cares if it’s optimal for 1RM strength? You’re 32 and have all the time in the world to peak stuff if you’re ever so inclined.

[TurtleBear]

Wish I had some good advice, but the best I can do is extend my condolences, and some encouragement to continue moving forward in whatever way feels right to you.

@Clearwater47 I really appreciate your kind words man thank you. It gets a little better every day. Just trying to be as attentive as I can be for my wife. It's still pretty raw for her. One day at a time as they say.

[TurtleBear]

TurtleBear, I’m sorry to hear that and hope that your wife and you are able to recover together as soon as can be expected.

You clearly know yourself very well, which is more than 99% of the population can say. I’d lean into “you.” Fuck a strength program if it isn’t satisfying. You know what makes you happy and works. Who cares if it’s optimal for 1RM strength? You’re 32 and have all the time in the world to peak stuff if you’re ever so inclined.

Thank you @DanCR. We're getting through.

Also thank you for the advice, I've been leaning the same way. Its helpful to hear it from someone else though. You're the man dude.

[TurtleBear]

Alright, I did write down my session from a few nights ago. So I thought I'd throw that in.

Rebuild Day 6 (5/31/2024)

Round 1:
8 pull downs with 115lbs
10 push presses w 95 lbs (No belt)
8 bandy twisty things/wood chops
90 seconds jump rope
90 seconds rest

Round 2:
6 pull downs w 135lbs
9 push presses w 95lbs (No belt)
8 bandy twisty things/woodchops
90 seconds jump rope
90 seconds rest

Round 3:
4 pull downs w 135lbs
8 push presses w 115lbs (No belt)
8 bandy twisty thingys/woodchops
90 seconds jump rope
90 seconds rest.


4 Rounds:
8 Barbell Rows: 135, 150, 150, 150
8 Bench presses: 150, 150, 150, 150
30 seconds flutter kicks
60 seconds rest

Dips: 7 minute density set. Didn't count reps.

[TurtleBear]

Rebuild Day 7 (6/2/2024)

Primary:
Round 1:
15 seconds of kettlebell swings (ala @DanCR 35 lbs
15 rack deads with 225lbs
100ft frame carry with 225lbs
5 hanging knee raises
8 burpees
90 seconds rest.

Round 2:
15 seconds of kettlebell swings 35lbs
10 rack deads with 275
100 ft frame carry with 275lbs
5 hanging knee raises
8 burpees
90 seconds rest

Round 3:
15 seconds of kettlebell swings 35lbs
6 rack deads with 315
100 ft frame carry with 225lbs
5 hanging knee raises
8 burpees
90 seconds rest.

Supplemental:
4 Rounds:
a.7 Squats with 225
b.15 Bw Squats
c. 10 Standing banded crunches
d. 90 seconds rest

Sandbag work: 5 rounds
20 seconds sandbag over shoulder
10 seconds sandbag sprawl
30 seconds rest


Notes:
Main:
Round 2: Farmers carry was supposed to be 225 again. Oops. Frame carries are total weight, not weight each hand as in a farmers carry.

Supplemental:
a). I was gonna shoot for 265 (Right around 70%) but 225 felt quite heavy after the main work for the day. So I stuck with that.

Sandbag work: I wanted 10 rounds of this but was pretty gassed after 5. My lungs were doing okay, but my body was quite shot at this point. I had some bodyweight conditioning I wanted to throw in as well but didn't have it today.

[DanCR]

15 seconds of kettlebell swings (ala DanCR 35 lbs

Greeeeeeeat, now I’m the light kettlebell guy.

[TurtleBear]

15 seconds of kettlebell swings (ala DanCR 35 lbs

Greeeeeeeat, now I’m the light kettlebell guy.

I was promised Early Aughts butt rock.
You have not delivered.
So you get to be the light kettlebell guy now

[TurtleBear]

Rebuild Day 8 (6/3/2024)

1.
Round 1:
10 DB Rows: 78lbs
10 Close grip bench presses (60%) 135
6 Dragon Flag Negatives
Rest 90 seconds

Round 2:
8 DB Rows: 88lbs
8 Close grip bench presses (70%) 157.5
6 Dragon Flag Negatives
Rest 90 Seconds

Round 3:
6 DB Rows: 100lbs
7 Close Grip Bench presses (80% Amrap) 180lbs
6 Dragon Flag Negatives
Rest 90 Seconds

2.
10 min EMOM
3 Overhead presses @ 55% 85lbs
2 Bodyweight man makers

3 10 Min EMOM
5 Barbell Rows with 150lbs
3 Dips

Conditioning: As many rounds as I can get through
at the top of every minute: 5 Burpees
then
As many bench presses as possible with the empty bar:

I don't know how many rounds it was, but I got 87 total bench reps before I could not burpee anymore. Shoulders didnt wanna hold me up when Id drop down haha.


Music: The album "Disease" by Beartooth. I never listened to them before. Didnt hate it. They have a weird way of playing heavy on one track and then sounding whiny on the next.



Notes:
Came into this session wound up and ready to train.

1. The 100lb dumbbell row was a highlight today. I was happy with the close grip as well.
Dragon flags need more work as always, but I really enjoy working toward them.

2. Happy with how this went. I sort of "Pff"'d at the 85lbs but by the end I was thankful I stayed with it.

3. Same here. Finished all the volume. Dips already feel better than they did last upper session.


Conditioning:
Reeeaaaaally wanted 100 reps of before the fatigue finally kicked my butt. Didn't make it this time.

[DanCR]

^ This all made me very tired haha.

[lehman906]

5/22/2024

Rebuild Day 5

Bench: 4x6 @ 175
Squats 4x6 @ 270 Back to fast and snappy!
Dips: 21 reps in 7 minutes
Sandbag work: "Bunny Slope" Even minutes were various reps of sprawl to sandbag over shoulder
Odd minutes were a 100ft sandbag carry.
Completed with 110lb sandbag.

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

Great session to end off a great day.
Found out my wife is pregnant with kid 5 today!!!

Any kind of carrying is an absolute game changer, and sandbags will have you fighting for your life. Also, five kids?! You've gone full Gaffigan!

[mouse]

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

Some decently catchy songs with some of the absolute worst lyrics I've ever heard in my life...

Homeboy really wrote down 'I built my life like my bike, on a rigid frame' and went "Hell yes".

Colors was a dope ass song though.

Really came here to say I was perusing and sorry to here about the pregnancy, we went through a similar experience before #3 and while it was also very early on its still an awful and awkward feeling to go through...

[TurtleBear]

Music: Crossfade's self-titled album (Throwback to the angsty teenage years)

Some decently catchy songs with some of the absolute worst lyrics I've ever heard in my life...

Homeboy really wrote down 'I built my life like my bike, on a rigid frame' and went "Hell yes".

Colors was a dope ass song though.

Really came here to say I was perusing and sorry to here about the pregnancy, we went through a similar experience before #3 and while it was also very early on its still an awful and awkward feeling to go through...

"where nothing bends it only breaks into.....pieces and pieces"
Yea thats about right.
I am always taking music recommendations. you and @DCR seem to be of a similar speed with gym music. So feel free man!

And thank you. Things get a bit better every day. I am just trying to do the best I can to be attentive to my wife and girls.

[TurtleBear]

Rebuild Day 9 (6/6/2024)

1.
Round 1.
10 Sandbag Squats w 110lb
10 Squat Jumps
30 Second RKC Plank
8 Burpees
90 Seconds Rest

Round 2
8 Sandbag Squats w 155lbs
10 squat jumps
30 second RKC plank
8 burpees
90 Seconds Rest

Round 3
5 Sandbag Squats with 220lb sandbag PR!
10 Squat jumps
Could...not...plank haha
8 burpees
90 Seconds Rest


2.
3 Deadlifts EMOM for 10 mins with 235 (55% 1 RM)

3.
1 round 60lb sandbag
1 min sandbag lunges (Sandbag on left side)
1 min sandbag lunges (sandbag on right side)
1 min sandbage squats.
1 min rest.


Also did a 5 mile hike this morning and have sparring tonight.


Notes:
I am feeling much better today. My head is in a more positive place.

1. Super happy with the sandbag squat PR. Was a bit embarrising I couldnt hold myself up for a plank after haha.

3. I wanted 2 more rounds of this, but I was honestly shot. I cannot handle as much work with my lowerbody as I can with my upper yet apparently.
It shall improve!