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March 24

Barbell Squats

205 lbs x 10 reps x 8 x 6 x 4 x 3 x 1

225 lbs x 1 PR Not a lot of weight for most here but that was damn tough for my skinny a$$!!


Top Range Rack Pull Static Hold

315 lbs x 10s x 14s

Prone Leg Curl

110 lbs x 3 sets of 10

On to Cruise!!!!!!!

Some thoughts on what I've learned about weight training so far:

Ok. That was the last 3.0 workout and there are somethings I learned.
There is actually a very good instructional poster in the gym for squats. I find it helpful to look at this poster between sets, learn the parts of the knee and legs, and visualize myself completing the next set. No talking, no socializing or non sense.

Since I'm a noob, I've decided to write down a few of the lessons I've learned about squatting from my experiences during this run. This should be helpful to me, especially since I intend to do the Super-Squats program next.

1. When visualizing, start from head to toe or toe to head, just make sure to go in order and visualize the movement before you attempt it.

2. Head position should not be looking down, nor is it beneficial to crane the neck back. Head position should be fairly neutral but SLIGHTLY up (see #3) Tongue is on the roof of the mouth, tip touching the hard palate just behind the incisor... mouth closed.

3. The muscles of the erector spinae should be flexed and strong, pulling the upper body slightly up creating an arched back. THIS IS WHAT ALLOWS THE HEAD TO LOOK SLIGHTLY UP, NOT BY CRANING THE NECK UP.

4. Hands should be next to shoulders with elbows back and muscles tight.
A false grip allows me to drop the bar lower (just a little lower, not like a low bar position!)

5. Core should be set and strong, squeezing like a sponge. Squeeze the pee muscles and anal sphincter too.

5. It's best to actually go slightly below parallel to initiate the stretch reflex on the bottom of the lift. This will allow me to "blast" out of the hole.

6. Knees should be pressed outward and should not collape in at any time

7. the lower leg, or the muscles thereof, should be rotating in a screw like manner, laterally not medially. i.e. the right leg should be twisting to the right and the left leg to the left. This will not be visible to others but it adds considerable stability and power to the lift.

8. Keep lower back strong! and arched at the bottom.

9. feet are in the same line directly under the shoulders (a bit wider if you are tall) and feet out at about 30 to 35 degrees.
You should feel the weight in the blade of the feet and heels, not the toes.

10. When training alone, use a cage and a box for safety. If you use a box make sure it is not hard and has some recoil. An aerobic step device stacked to just under parallel is your best bet.

If you fail and need to dump the weight, the box needs to have spring and give, so your back does not absorb all the compressive force.

11. If you intend to go to failure use a squat cage and chains. If you don't have those do not go till failure, use a squat belt.

RAINING PR's here! So glad I checked in...

I'm just happy, you're happy...

Thanks Rob. Its been hard but fun. Friends and co-workers and myself have seen a difference in my physique.

Dragon wrote:Thanks Rob. Its been hard but fun. Friends and co-workers and myself have seen a difference in my physique.

Nice work bro! Take a well earned rest after cruise, then do it all over again!

Cruise Workout 1

Started cruise today and plan to do a 1 day on 2 day off for 2 weeks. I adhered to a 3-4 minute rest between sets.

Supplements: BIU, The Formula, BCAA, Creatine Mono

30 minutes full body stretch

Bench Press
1) 95 lbs. x 5 (50%) warm up
2) 110 lbs. x 5 (60%) warm up
3) 150 x 5 (80%)

Seated Press
1) 45 x 10 warm up
2)95 x 5 warm up
3)100 lbs. x 5

Close Grip Bench Press
275 x 15s + a lecture by an old man about using too much weight LOL - I then explained to him what I was doing and he calmed down a bit

Additional core work included 3 sets of 12 hyperextensions and cable crunches; standing, kneeling, and SITTING (my God that hurt so good!).


A BIG shout out to the Spud Long abs strap which is a fantastic product, I used it for the first time today and it took the stress off my elbow.

Alright... CRUISE WORKOUT 2

Belt Squats
145 lbs 5 x 5

These seem harder in some ways. This is only about 65% of my 1RM for the Barbell squat but I wasn't able to do 80%. The hip belt takes some getting used to and I almost fell of the platform a couple of times cause' the weight was swinging back and forth at first. Strange.

Leg Press Static Hold
450 lbs x 12s

Prone Leg Curl
70 lbs 5 x 5

Chin Ups (which I believe is supination at the wrist and flexion at the elbow with arms overhead; I often get these confused with Pull ups)
25 lbs. 5 x 5

Preacher Curl Machine Static Hold
150 lbs x 13s

Calf Rotation Machine
250 lbs x 30s

A good machine that looks like this:
https://www.lifefitness.com/static/cms_w ... E-hero.png

My reservation about these duel limb machines, such as the curl machine and prone leg curl, is that they will always allow the stronger leg to take over. I'm sure there is a solution to this, I just don't know what it is.
It's a pretty big concern for me because extreme strength differences will often effect my ability to stretch a limb for the martial arts. I would like to achieve a front and side split at some point. Just haven't made it a clear goal yet.

Again, the Spud ab strap is f**ing great. If you lower the weight, pull up a chair and spread your legs in front of you, you can completely isolate the entire abdominal rectus. They just released an OBLIQUE ab strap too.

Standing and Seated Cable Crunches
60 lbs 3 x 12

Hyperextension (I think we should change the name of this exercise)
25 lbs. 3 x 12

matter2003 wrote:

Dragon wrote:Thanks Rob. Its been hard but fun. Friends and co-workers and myself have seen a difference in my physique.

Nice work bro! Take a well earned rest after cruise, then do it all over again!

Thanks man, you've been kicking a$$ too I see. Down in the 180's now.

Cruise Workout 3

Bench Press
warm up
155 x 5 (83%)

Seated Press
100 lbs. x 5

Close Grip Bench Press Static Hold
225 x 15s Bar set lower on rack than previous attempt makes for lower numbers but I felt it more in my tris

Hammer strength ab machine
110 lbs. 3 x 12

HyperExtensions
BW 3 x 12

upper back still sore from last workout, it felt particularly bad. Like I over did it. Mainly the terres minor and major, infraspinatus and levator scapulae muscles. Still haven't recovered.

Cruise Workout 4

Hip Belt Squat - ironmind
after warm up
145 lbs 3 x 5
180 lbs 2 x 5

Chin Up
25 lbs. 5 x 5

Leg Press Static Hold
450 lbs x 15s

Calf Rotation Machine Static Hold
250 lbs. x 20s

Preacher Curl Static Hold
150 lbs x 42s


Core Circuit
Hyperextension
50 lbs. 3 x 5

Long Ab Strap Standing Crunch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M24hnAr643Q
60 lbs. 3 x 10

Standing Oblique Ab Strap Crunch
30lbs 3 x 6

Standing Stump Strap Rotations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO_CtVrA3XU
30 lbs 3 x 10

A big shout out to the standing oblique ab strap. Another great strap by spud inc. Really has been helping me.

Cruise Workout 5

after warm up
bench press
155 lbs 5 x 5

seated barbell press
100 lbs. 5 x 5

static hold triceps
225 lbs x 40s

Core Circuit
hyperextension
50 lbs. 2 x 10
25 lbs 2 x 10
BW 1 x 10

Oblique ab strap
20 lbs 3 x 10

Long ab strap
60 lbs 3 x 10

nice stats coming out of that run, man. I'm impressed, I'll have to try and catch my bench and my shoulder press up to yours on my next run

one thing - you don't need to hold your static holds for more than 15sec.; at least, it won't do you any good in terms of stimulating further muscle growth, according to Pete Sisco/John Little, the guys who wrote "Static Contraction Training". granted it's a really shitty book that I regret spending $4 on, but, that's what they advise.

I didn't notice much in the way of notations regarding your bodyweight; how much weight did you gain/how much did you retain after ceasing Feast's glycogen supercompensation?

nigh70wl wrote:nice stats coming out of that run, man. I'm impressed, I'll have to try and catch my bench and my shoulder press up to yours on my next run

one thing - you don't need to hold your static holds for more than 15sec.; at least, it won't do you any good in terms of stimulating further muscle growth, according to Pete Sisco/John Little, the guys who wrote "Static Contraction Training". granted it's a really shitty book that I regret spending $4 on, but, that's what they advise.

I didn't notice much in the way of notations regarding your bodyweight; how much weight did you gain/how much did you retain after ceasing Feast's glycogen supercompensation?

Yes, i think there was a couple workouts where i thought to myself "lets see how long u can go", but actually thats how cruise is set up. Rob prescribes longer holds for biceps n calfs.

As far as my bodyweight i wanted that to be a surprise for the end of the run. I have before pics plus i'll take after picks. But I'll just let u know...... 170 lbs!!!!! Of course by the end of cruise I expect that to come down cause my Cals are leveling out to 80 - 90% of maintenance as 3.0 suggest.
from 155 to 170, and i still have a six pack. I found out at the dr's office last wednesday. He also gave me a PH test which he was very impressed with. He says its a rare day when some one is alkaline (thats thanks to alkaplex and the lemon, and cherry juice, and organic apple cider vinegar). He warned my blood pressure was too high though. Salty popcorn is the only snack I've allowed myself of late.

I was listening to an episode of SHR where carl warned listeners, overweight and under too, to not get carried away with the scale and bmi etc.
I have a pair of grey levi's i bought at the beginning of the run and they still fit me even as i get ready for work right now! All i can say is that the BP works bro.

Last year i was 138 and following rippltoes program which got me nice and injured for reasons I now understand thanks to Rob.
Because i have consistent gym attendance, and i'm not there to chase girls, I have been very blessed to have met trainers and actual pro bodybuilders at the gyms i train at who have helped guide me, talk to me, and council me, and many have warned against rippletoe but have really been impressed with BP. BTW, notice Rob doesn' t even MENTION him?
Anyways, last night after work one of the girls in the office that i like came up me at the water cooler and said " hey!, i noticed you're not skinny anymore... What are you doing?".

that's an amazing weight gain, man. congratulations on the success and on the hard work. question - what kind of macronutrient template is your diet following during your Cruise?

what about Rippetoe's program got you injured, the low-bar squats? I remember you advising against those. what sort of injury did you incur, and do you know why it happened?

nigh70wl wrote:that's an amazing weight gain, man. congratulations on the success and on the hard work. question - what kind of macronutrient template is your diet following during your Cruise?

what about Rippetoe's program got you injured, the low-bar squats? I remember you advising against those. what sort of injury did you incur, and do you know why it happened?

I opted for a high fat/ high protein template as opposed to a high protein/high carb.

For breakfast I almost always do "Dr. Ali's Breakfast" which can be found on youtube.

Fish oil during feast, ground flax during cruise and famine. For me, the mineral profile plus the lignans far out-weigh any silly concerns about estrogen. For those who can't afford fish oil (good stuff like nordic naturals not crap) there is almost no better way to get a balanced ratio of the omegas, maybe except for chia seeds which taste terrible. I only buy quality stuff so I only use fish oil during feast to help with recovery and joints. With freshly ground flax powder there is virtually no concern about rancidity of the oil. As for flax oil, I think it's pretty much a waste of money.

In between my sit down meals I usually do one of two things.
2 raw eggs every hour with liver tablets. Or a drink (recommended by Carl Lanore) made of 2 servings of milk with 2 tablespoons of raw honey, 2 oz of organic pineapple juice (credit Rob), two tablespoons of lecithin (credit Rob), and 2 tablespoons brewer's yeast with some added lactase enzyme.

Consuming liquids makes it easier for me to count calories plus expedites gastric emptying which is really controlled through the baroreceptors which talk to the brain and the chemoreceptors which talk to the thyroid.

I do a warrior style diet on non training days while snacking on herbs and drinking stinging nettle tea (some supermarkets carry this), a skin detox tea and a adaptogenic/herbal personal prescription formulated by my doctor. I usually begin feeding phase around 1pm.
This keeps my cells sensitive to insulin plus makes it WAY easier to "over eat" - that is, consume more than 100% of maintenance - on training days.

Because its mostly liquid I can almost always be sure I'm making my calories for the day.

I basically followed most everything Rob said in 3.0 with the exception of adding intermittent fasting and focusing more on fat than carbs. I did that because I noticed, for me, the fats are very healing for my mood and my skin which cleared up nicely during feast. One caveat is that higher fat intake, even healthy and healing fats, makes it hard to achieve a "dry" look, hence warrior diet on non training days.

Some diet staples for me include organic eggs, rib eye steaks (the only beef I'll eat), raw milk with added lactase, coconut butter and coconut oil, flax powder, butter from raw milk, olive oil, sesame oil, warrior whey, Alkaplex and Just Barley (I include these because I don't really consider these two supplements but important staples which give the nutrients and phytochemicals without the filling fiber and constant chewing), liver tablets, raw honey, Very Veggie vegetable juice, and millet instead of rice because it's alkalizing, and Quest protein bars which I have on auto ship.

Next run I intend to incorporate more amylopectins from brown rice, red potatoes, and yams.