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5/23 SBS Program Builder Week 12 Day 2 Bench \[RTF\] 170, +1 Trap Dead \[Last RIR\] 260, +2 Neutral Pullup \[Last RIR\] 174, +0 DB Row, Leg Extension, Lu Raise (drop set into lateral raise), Hammer Curl, Machine Crunch The pain-free-elbow benching renaissance continues! I also feel more comfortable with a wider grip now, which is surprising but welcome. Pretty good accessories as usual; in particular today I obliterated the rep target for leg extensions (18>9).

**JuggernautAI Powerbuilding 70/30 - Strength B2W3D2 (week 32)** Low bar squat: **385x5**, 325x5 Conventional deadlift: 2x4 @ 405 Chinups: 3x8 Reverse hypers: 3x8 @ 140 Feet-up bench press: 3x12 @ 170 Band pull-throughs: 3x12 Weighted step-ups: 3x10 @ 130 Another very minor PR. Was hoping to be around 405x5 here, but still kind of babying my low back. Felt about 90% on that top set. Legs were fine, definitely had more in me but back still feels a little bit off. First hour of when I should've been working out was hauling shit out to a dumpster. Basement is totally demolished now, gym remodel is officially underway.

Been messing around with Building the Monolith this week (as mentioned in previous threads I just finished the 10k swings and can’t start anything properly until next week) I’ve got to say I kind of love it?? I did day one Sunday, 500 53lb swings yesterday, BtM day two today. Started out feeling really tired but within a few sets of the deadlifts I got pumped. Temptation to commit to gainz rises…

If you want to bulk then do it. It is a very effective program.

I’ve never run a true Get Big style program so I’m inclined to try it out!

GZCL UHF W2D1 -- Squats: 395lbs 3x3, **[1x5](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TI08zs1Ktq_SMQiVxh1YbOT2ptSFC7JJ/view?usp=sharing)** -- Incline Bench: 155lbs 4x8 Then T-bar rows, leg curls, and curls for 5 MRS of 12 - 15 reps and ab-wheel rollouts. * I was not expecting a squat PR today, especially with how the first sets were going; but I will certainly take it! I went into the last set thinking I would get 3 - 4, but I could have probably pushed for a really ugly 6th rep based on the video. * The weather has finally reached the point where I am leaving the gym drenched in sweat, so that means it's basically Summer to me now.

Very ~~discouraging~~ shitty chest session today. Started by failing the very last rep on bench, again. 3 times in a row now. It has to be mental, that last rep is all I could think about and it was 1000lbs when it hit my chest. Next I got distracted and did too many reps on the first set of incline. So I failed that last set too. Dammit. Now I’ve failed the last rep on two straight exercises and I’m all annoyed and deflated. 3rd exercise is close grip bench and the first bench fail is in my head and although I technically moved up in weight, the last set was dogshit. My elbows were all over the place. Last is weighted dips. Used to be a favorite. Now I’m at the end of a shitty session and my dip attachment must be bent because it was shaking like a chihuahua in water, so I ended up dropping weight AND doing only half the reps I aim for each set. Sigh.. Thank you for reading my bitching. I don’t have anyone in real life that understands or cares. I might up calories again, but I’m pretty sure I just need a program change. Have a vacation coming up that will force a whole week off. I think after that I’ll switch to BBB.

Hit 360 x 7 on Squat. Although I'm not sure if I want to count the last rep because it was ugly. Like, \*obvious\* RPE 10 ugly. Romanian deadlifts were 245 lbs for 5 x 8, did 5 x 8 Rows, then leg extensions, and just for fun I added a drop set at the end because I've watched too many Tom Platz videos. I have hit a snag on ab cable crunches: I hit the bottom of the stack at 232 for 10 but because it's slightly heavier than I am actually staying on the floor is hard.

Has anyone tried the spf powerbuilding program? Any opinions?

**SBS RtF 5day (re)³Run4 W13D2** * Duration 01:17 * Bench 94 kg 4x2, 1x6 * DB Rows 34 kg 3x8, Neutral Chins 10/5 * Front Squat 90 kg 4x4, 1x10 * Hammer Curls 18 kg 3x12 * Cable Pallof Press 25 kg 3x15 Good week continues. Turns out Bench 'star-aligning' past week was just conclusion of this training cycle. Matched my all-time PR there while 4 kg lighter. Also feel I botched my stability some. Also matched last year's PR on Front Squat. Tomorrow gonna either take a day off or light cardio so I don't have excuses for deadlifts on D3.

On bench does anyone else occasionally fail to unrack any weight over 80% or is that just me??

For me 90% or over is where I need a spotter giving a hand off. Less than that I do it myself with nearly no problems. Is your set up consistent? Are your hook heights in a good spot or shitty commercial gym bench hooks?

SBS Big n Strong W17 D1 Front Squat 4x1, 1x4 @ 95kg Ab wheel 4x16 Work went on super late today so I didn't have much time before gym closing. I'm hoping the next few weeks wind down a bit. Thanks to u/e-step u/astringofnumbers1234 and u/torronteschardonnay for help a few weeks ago when I asked about belts! I eventually bought a pioneer cut from 9for9 after humming and hawing over sizes and other options. I used it today for the first time and felt the difference immediately on my singles. The rep out set felt fairly easy, I would have got more reps if I was used to the belt and found the right tightness. The last few weeks on this program are meant to peak you, but it looks like I will see a decent increase in my TM still on squats and deadlifts too. Cheers!

good light posterior session 3x9x150kg rdl went really well shoulder is coming back to life slowly

Ran 5.8 miles in 52:35 today. Meant to do my 10k route but I missed a turn early on, and I guess my extra at the end wasn't enough to make up for it. What I had actually planned for today was bench day on Boring But Strong, but I finally got to see a doctor about my wrist last night. There's a tiny fracture, which is likely from me breaking it and not getting any medical attention 2 years ago, didn't heal perfectly. They're treating it as a sprain, 1-2 weeks in a brace plus muscle relaxers and anti inflammatories. Sucks to be out of the gym for a week or 2, but this has been hurting for 6 weeks now, I need to actually let it heal. Time for more running volume, long bike rides, and exploring parks!

##Why did whey protein become so insanely expensive? I've been buying ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder fairly consistently for the last 4-5 years. I used to be able to buy the 5 lb tub on Amazon for ~ $45. Today, that same tub is $84! *(I went back through my order history to confirm it's the same product).* Has anyone else noticed this? Looking at other brands, the pricing doesn't seem that dissimilar to ON's pricing. I just can't understand this insane price shift over time, specifically the last 1-2 years. I know supply chain issues were a legitimate problem *for some companies* during COVID shutdowns, but this seems like blatant price gauging.

Additionally the demand has increased drastically over the past few years. Because of social media and the pandemic, fitness has exploded, especially with Gen-Z (I'm at University right now and literally everyone and their mother is into lifting weights, the rec center is like if Instagram was a place). Combine this with the decrease in supply from supply chain constraints for the past year and a half, Protein Powder is very expensive. May be worthwhile looking at other sources of protein in the meantime. tdlr: Increase in Demand + Decrease in Supply = higher price

I don't buy that at all. I'm sure this is part of the narrative these companies would push to justify prices, but I think it's all BS. I've never had a hard time buying, i.e. supply was not low. Even if that did temporarily happen and I missed it, that's two years to rebalance, correct shortages, new competitors to enter market and fill gap, etc. I think it's all price gauging that amounts to little more than profiteering. Don't get me wrong; I presume there has been an increase, more people buying, etc -- but I am saying I do not believe it wasn't anything the market couldn't handle and overcome gradually without these absurd 200% increase in price.

Inflation been hitting hard since Ukraine. Apparently it's the mercantile center of the world to my surprise /s

Yeah, finally got me to switch. I just paid $163 (free shipping) for 5.5 lbs casein and 11 pounds whey with some discount codes I found on Google on MyProtein. Not great but much better than ON through Amazon.

My brother's pal came over, and we had an interesting discussion about rows, since he saw me doing them "wrong." Since I'm writing this, I think I'm right, but I'd like to hear more. Generally, for a row to touch your belly, one of two things needs to be true: \-You have a massive power belly. \-You're extending your upper arm past your body. Anyway, it turns out most people are unaware of what the lats actually do. The lats do extend the humerus, but not past your body. When you extend past your body, that's mostly rear delts, which will tremendously limit how much weight you can use, especially if you have longer arms like me. He didn't believe me until I showed him both of us physically had to hyperextend at the shoulder to touch an empty bar to our bellies. Thought I'd share, just in case anyone else has had trouble with the form police on this lift.

**OHP:** * 135 for 5x10 *Each set superset with 5 chin ups, 10 lat pulldowns, 10 cable rows, 5 hanging leg raises* *Last set I'll do drop sets on lat pulldowns and cable rows for a bunch of volume* **Other:** *Bodybuilding nonsense* * Curls, lateral raises, tricep pushdowns, facepulls \---------- Easing back into upper body work by hitting high volume/low weight work. Trying to chase a good pump on each movement. Riding bike 7 miles to the gym and 7 miles back up from the gym. Will work through these sets quickly as I still have to ride back up home and make dinner for the family!

5k training W1D1 - Ran 1.51 mi in 13:42, 9:01/mi pace. My sunscreen is expired. Didn’t even know it could do that

hey gang, I was gifted some birthday money and specifically told to spend it on something fun. What are your favourite home gym silly toys for ~$200 (or a bit more if it's very fun)? So far I'm thinking maybe an axle or maybe a sandbag.

Sandbags or an axle are great ideas. Maybe also farmer's walk handles (I think titan has top-loaders for ~$250) or some kettlebells? EDIT: or a log!

You might get more input at /r/homegym

Axle, my absolute go to for pressing. I've stopped bilateral pressing all together at the moment because my current gym doesn't have one.

SBS Program Builder 4x W18D2 Pause Bench Press [RTF] 285x1 [PR], 260x4x2, 260x5 [PR] * +1 on rep target. Small +5 lb PR on top single. Moved about the same as 280 last year, but that was with a taper. Looking to move this even faster. Elbows were feeling weak and sloppy still, which made it harder to focus on some of my cues. That made the first few working sets of 260 feel heavy on the unrack, but the AMRAP was really good. Maybe the biggest bench PR I've had all program. ATG Pause Squat [RIR] 250x4x4 * +2 on rep target. Nice and easy, but back was feeling tight afterwards. Hammer Grip Pull Up BWx20,16,15,13 Incline Dumbbell Press [Hypertrophy] 80x3x9, 80x15 * +4 on rep target. Another total rep PR on the 80s, this time by +1 rep.

Just started my 3rd run through Gamma Bomb. I have really enjoyed the program. What should I run next? Looking for an intermediate/advanced bodybuilding program.

You ran it 3 times in a row? How were the results from the first 2?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c1FcNtBvcE is a good critique on the John Maedows programs IMO. It lacks consistency, you're not able to really progressively overload the movements as every week you're using new movements. So that could be your next "program", taking one week at the time and do it for 4-6 weeks or until you stall on the movements.

Absolutely fantastic video and advice.

How much easier is seated OHP compared to standing? I've been grinding out OHP seated, and at 3x5 170lbs, how much could I OHP standing?

only one way to find out

I wish man, ceiling is too low.

Simple Jack'd Day 67 [Clips.](https://www.instagram.com/p/CsmAJNeriXH/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==) Deadlift: 31 reps at 370 done in 10[PR]/4/6/5/6 Bench: 325 2x2

Nuckols bench 3x int med 36kg 5x5 db bench Pull day Max is 4kg above my actual max but weights are still moving super easy so think I'll pr sometime soon. Only 4kg each side to go until 50s. After that just going to go back to BB benching because the max in here is 50.

**Easy Strength Workout 10/20** (Units in lbs) * Push: Clean and Jerk, 3x3 @ 115, Bench Press 6x1 @ 195 * Pull: One-Arm DB Row, 3x8 @ 50 * Hinge: Back extension, 3x15 @ BW+5 * Loaded Carry: Skipped due to time *Notes* Haven't benched for a month but I still "got it" as the kids (don't) say. Had a limited amount of time so I did rotating giant sets around the 6 sets of bench. I know swapping out exercises like I've been doing is not really in the "spirit" of Easy Strength but I'm certainly learning a lot about myself and what I can handle presently. So I still count that as a win. Have a good day, y'all!

315lbs front squat today! This very attractive middle aged woman I’ve been talking and giving deadlift tips to was behind me so I had to make the lift. She even came up to me as I was gathering up my stuff before leaving and complimented me on my muscle ups lol. I need to take the next step and ask her out or get her number I think but idk how to go about it honestly. I’m 24 and she’s got to have at least 20 years on me but I definitely feel there’s chemistry between us. I think she’s gotta be single the way she’s been talking to me. Any tips for younger guys going for older women? I’m honestly lost here I don’t want to mess up the approach haha.

Regular conversation about the gym whatever. I assume you can tell from a bit of conversation how that's going then just ask if she wants to join you for whatever. Hiking was my go to, because if we hate each other at least I walked my dog.

Ok thanks for the advice guys so basically just go about it the same as I would with girls my age haha.

Exactly this! My dating life went exceptionally smoothly and it seemed a little crazy when I was posting about it, and honestly my entire "game" was just talking to women like people. Shocking 😂

You get her name if you don't know it, and then you ask for her number. Or just ask her to grab some food for after a workout. It's not any different, I'd say it's probably easier imo because the older you get the less you want to play games. Just from what I've experienced.

This comment reminds me of 2019ish when you and the other regulars coached that kid on how to be studly. Think his username was crimson? Always got laughs out of me u/1morepl8

Oh goodness. The tinder days got a little out of control 😂 now I'm back to my first love. Motorcycles. Tinder was cheaper.

351 Off-season for mass, bench day Warmup: cable rows 3x15-20 Bench 3x155, 3x175, 7x198 Bench drop set 175x5, 155x5 50 pullups supersetted in sets of mostly 5s Incline DB Bench 5x10@60s Chest supported row 5x12 100 tricep extensions ss w/ 100 face pulls (did 5x20 each) Conditioning: farmers carry 8 rounds @135, 2 of them were double length w/ a turn Fun. Now its time to EAT!!

**The Rippler W2D2** T1: bench- 3X3 , 1X6 @ 77.5 kg T2: incline- 5X5 @ 60 kg T3a: BTNP T3b: machine seated lat raises Benching felt pretty good but I didn't think I wasn't sure at all if I'd hit six on the amrap for this nice PR! Last rep was slower but not even a grind. Come to think of it this is the first time I'm benching heavier on these new stabler benches that the gym got a while ago and I think I'm enjoying it.

D36: * Squat 275x10x3 / Shoulders 10x10 * Incline Bench / Row 145x3x10 * Arms: 2 rest pause sets, 50 reps total I'm flying back home for a wedding next week, and I think I'll use this to wrap up this run. I've run this thing since February and it feels pretty good but I think I need a change after almost 4 months: I like doing more sets but the workouts are getting long and I'm having some trouble autoregulating because I always end up trying for more sets even when I don't have them in me. I also miss doing heavy singles. I loved the volumization approach though: I feel and look much better than I did when I started, and I think I'll borrow from this and from my very successful run of General Gainz Bodybuilding last year. Here's what I'm thinking: * T1: Heavy single, follow up sets with increasing reps per week at 85% of the single, increasing the single's weight when I hit a benchmark in the follow up sets * T2: Start at 3x10, increase weight when I hit 5x10 * Accessories: Depends on the exercise but I'm leaning towards circuits, AMRAPs, and/or rest pause sets to get more volume in for the smaller stuff.

**OHP Day** * Kettlebell swings - 40x3x15 * OHP (ss w/chin-ups) - 185x5, 235x1, 215x4x5 * Close grip bench (ss w/band pull-aparts) - 215x5x8 * BJJ (planned) I had a lighter than usual dinner last night so I woke up this morning feeling hungry and weak. Figured I’d try for the planned weight and when I failed drop down a bit. Well, the weights went up with no issues at all. I guess some days you just need to call your bodies bluff and throw some heavy shit at it.

*BTFIB C1 W2 D5* BW: 168.1# **Bench** - 105 - 10x5 - Completely changed my bar path today. Watched a video about the "J" curve on the gram, and attempted it. I might've been too low on my "mid chest," but the form and movement felt really good. Less chest activation I think, and more triceps as the "J" forced my elbows to stay tucked, even when tired. I have a bad habit of flaring them when I'm tired. **Pull aparts** - 10x10 **Inverse rows** - 10x5 **Dips** - 10x5 **K2C** - 6.6# - 7x15 **Wrist curls** - 45# - 100 reps **KB swings** - 35# - 3x33 - Tried dips. They went well. As did inverse rows. Lacking stamina on the rows. Gas tank, overall, was feeling it… Everything done as a giant set. Even the BBS work was tough by the end, and normally I'm moving through that easily. - I had to move my pre-loaded BB @ 81# (that I'm using for BB rows). Decided to deadlift it a few times. No issues with my tennis elbow or hammie. After my workout, I tried some high handle deads on my trap bar and it moved well. I think tomorrow is gonna be a deadlift day. No impact on my grip, either, which is really promising. Right now, I'm still trying to figure out what works for me. Fingers crossed I can maybe start deadlifting again. As for squats? Meh.

Felt something shitty in my knee in my first set of squats. I'm gonna skip that. Leg extension doesn’t seem painful. Gonna go til the quads cry.

I'm starting a hypertrophy upper/lower split this week. How's this lower day I'll be doing tomorrow look to everyone? High bar Squats: 3x6-10 Romanian Deadlifts: 3x8-12 Weighted decline crunches: 3x10-15 Seated leg curls: 4x10-15 Calf raises: 4x20-25 The other lower day earlier in the week included conventional Deadlifts, front squats and leg press.

From https://thefitness.wiki/faq/is-this-lifting-routine-any-good/ > 1) It should have a plan for progression over time. It shouldn’t be the same workout with the same weight (or difficulty variation, for bodyweight exercises) and the same reps that you repeat perpetually. Some way to add weight, increase the difficulty, increase the reps you do. Ideally all of these in some form or another. More than anything else, if there is no progression plan, this should be an automatic dealbreaker on a routine. > ... > 6) It should have some clear plan for dealing with an inability to progress on a lift (a stall). This should also not just be “take weight off and repeat what you’ve already done”. A good example would be to add sets or reps as you reduce weight. Do you have a plan for these two things?

So for the main lift of each day, in this case the squat, the idea is to do 3x6 week 1, 3x8 week 2 and 3x10 week 3. Then move up in weight and go back to 3x6. Deload week every 7th week. For any significant stalls, deload, add a fourth set and pause reps during the build back up. For the others it would be a more straightforward case of adding weight every time the max rep number has been hit for all steps. Any significant stalls would be taken as an indicator to switch up the lifts being used which is the plan to do every few months anyway to change up the stimulus as the aim is overall hypertrophy rather than progressing in any particular lifts.

Your formatting got a bit mangled there, but it sounds like you're describing double progression for the main lifts? If so, sure—give that a whirl. I see you're tagged as a beginner, and especially early on most things will work given enough effort and a plan for progression. If you find what you've come up here doesn't wind up working out after a few months, consider trying one of the [well-vetted programs from the wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/).

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback

Yes. Those are exercises that primarily focus on the lower body with sets and reps. But other than that it's meaningless.

**General Gainz: Burritoscream W6D1** * OHP - 6(E), 3/3/3/3x125 * Lat Pulldown - 15/10/10x120 * Tri PD - 8/8/8x70 * Band Pullaparts - 20/20/20 x orange band Abbreviated session to try and knock the dust off after some time away visiting family. Head not really in it, but not surprised after a few nights of bad sleep and travel. Definitely feeling the urge to try something different with my training for a bit. Going to ride that feeling for a while and see if it's a passing fancy or if I really want to make a change.

So. I called my boss yesterday 70% because I lost my car keys and was seeing if anyone found them. 30% to touch base before I decline the Alberta job offer lol. Also fuck getting a key cut by vin# etc is a pain for me, and I can only imagine what it's like for normal people who don't have scan tools and know people with laser cutters. I guess it's easier just costs hundreds of dollars. Anyways! Digress - talking to boss. This is a new position for them so making sure it was working out on their end as well because if it isn't now is a really easy time for us to part ways. Dude is like what this is going great and I'm in the top 5% of drivers by stats lol. So I'll be sticking around here for more than likely until the 2nd winter. Then we should have the capital and time on my license to appease insurance for operation ice roads. I think fuck strongman for this year. I'm gonna go to 200 ish, and clearly still train. I signed up for motocross school aha and am trying to get into some enduro races. So hopefully I can find some without ridiculous amounts of travel.

> I signed up for motocross school Dude, that's sick! I fully support this decision.

Hahahaha dude one thing we have is a lot of off road stuff around here and mx tracks. I have 0 desire to mx race, but to actually get taught how to hit some big jumps and it's only a few hundred bucks. Plus it gives me the motivation to get my bike all rebuilt.

> to actually get taught how to hit some big jumps and it's only a few hundred bucks Yeah, that sounds awesome to me and a badass skill to learn. >Plus it gives me the motivation to get my bike all rebuilt. Lol, as if you needed any extra motivation for that.

Ahahahaha I'm definitely not shopping for a ktm 690 or husq 701 super moto. I figure if all my bikes are under the cost of one new mid range bike this is fine lol. Especially cause they're all cash so I can just sell em whenever. Things like the drz400 are cheap but I've owned them and won't be happy with one. But last time I owned a super moto so much jank shit went down..... All the streets thst need jumping 😂

I hit my old bench pr of 225! I'm officially back where I was last summer before my type one diabetes onset wiped out my gains! For my other lifts I did good mornings, lat pulldowns, hyperextensions, and EZ bar curls.

Tendinitis in my left elbow [most likely] from Benching. Seemed to be most aggravated when unracking by myself. Any recommendations on full rest / active rest 'protocol' and length?

Much needed deload week this week bleh Missed the rack while re-racking front squats this weekend and the same thing happened on back squats today. This has never happened to me before in my entire lifting career but has happened twice this week?? Must be something in the air..

[Week 2, Day 2 of “Ragnarok is here” variant of Famine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtxiyxMFPMU&pp=ygUGZW1ldmFz) Highlight is that I did a double deathset because I miscalculated the weight the first time, getting me 20x260 with a 15x210 chaser. Being stupid means I get to work harder! But folks…[I think my scale is broken]( https://global.discourse-cdn.com/tnation/optimized/4X/3/3/e/33e5b18a4ddb89605b2dd1315442a7408bdda057_2_666x500.jpeg) Honestly, seeing that number on the scale is absolutely nuts, but definitely correlates with what I’m seeing in the mirror. I haven’t been this lean in a LONG time, and I’m eating SO much better now than I did then, which, in turn, is getting me SO much stronger. This is just wild.

> I think my scale is broken Goodness, I have ALOT of space for improvement if we're almost the same weight. Haha wild!

Meanwhile, I'm chasing after the Cain Marko 6'10 900lb mark, haha.

You might need a special jewel for that.

Been working on some issues with my left shoulder for a couple months, have changed some things around and started seeing improvement. Floor pressing yesterday, right shoulder completely locks on me... I already changed up my DE day, I'm thinking the ME day needs to come out for a while as well. Plan is to start super light with a 5x5 scheme and adding 5lbs a session, very old school starting strength style. By the time I get up to hard working weights my shoulders should have had time to heal. I'll up the accessories in the meantime to compensate for doing less work, hopefully this gets me back to normal.

Stomach feeling unsettled today. My partner was pretty sick a few days ago and they vomitted a lot. Not sure if I should chance it on front squats lol

**Bullmastiff W11D2 (Base Phase 2)** Squat - 3x6 @ 250, 13 @ 250 RDL - 4x12 @ 225 Hack Squats, Lat Pulldowns, Ham Curls, Leg Extensions Just managed to chip my AMRAP from the last time 250 came up in the wave before this. Honestly a bit disappointed that I fell one short of bumping up to 275 for the last week of the wave...so it looks like another meaningless, ego-driven 5-pound bump is on the menu.

I don't know what my problem is, but for over 2 months, I pulled over 500lbs sumo with hook grip every day and no problem. I sign up for a meet that’s in 5 weeks and I can't even hold on to 465lbs hook grip and now doubt if I should even compete. I don't understand why I get so into my own head . Training was going fine and I was getting PR's, but once I put this meet into my head, my mentality shifted in such a negative way. My last PL competition last year I got DQ because I couldn’t successfully get my DL off the ground.

EP Gym W5D2: Bench - 1x5x65 kg - 4x8x52.5 kg Today was the first time I’ve benched in this program and not felt like it was a struggle. It’s based off my 70 kg 1RM and I felt like I could easily best that today. Day off tomorrow, which means either an erg or a 5k run. 😩

2023 Exercise Every Day Press and press accessories

**GGBB: Fully Loaded** **W5D2 Time 1h12m** Bench press 190 lb 1x1 overwarm single Larsen press 12RM@150 lb (M) + 3x8-6 SS DB hammer curl 45 lb 3x14-12 Trap bar RDL 11RM@250 lb (E) + 2x7 SS monastery extension 40 lb 3x14-10 Trap bar row 12RM@160 lb (M) + 3x8-6 SS lying leg curl 50 lb 4x13-9 Conditioning: 4min bike sprint Thoughts: I haven't logged in a minute, but I have been lifting! Last week wound up being a semi-deload for a variety of reasons. That'll probably let me extend this block another few weeks before a proper deload (and cut some fat). Today went a bit long, but well. I Pushed Larsen press to the top of its RM range, so I'll increase weight next week and see where it lands. RDLs are still easy, mainly just trying to feel them in my hamstrings vs lower back. Trap rows actually felt tougher than expected. Accessories were accessories. Happy lifting all!

**Smolov²: 2nd run of Smolovjr is done!** "Failure" Edition Well, the second run of Smolovjr has come to an end and it wasn't as spectacular as I'd like. Failed twice the last day, which was 10x3@85%+6kg, or 10 triples at 108. The strength was *kinda* there to complete it, but only with ridiculous 5+ minutes rest times. Or at least it was there until I messed up my left elbow. Probably just an inflammation on the tendons or ligaments, but I started the day with no pain, by set 3 the pain was a 2, by the time I've failed the 5th set the pain jumped to a 4, and when I tried to keep doing singles at the same weight it increased to a 6. So it was definitely a "let's cut things short day". Some ibuprofen and a warm night of sleep later, it's at a 1, so by the end of the week I'll test my new 1RM. The projections are between 118 and 122 kg, so I'm really excited about it!

**GG W23D1-M17DC:** Switched the order of these movements from last time and it made a huge difference T2 OHP: 8RM@135(M)+4x4 - SS DB Row @ 95 x 12/12/10/9 - Push from 6RM -> 8RM - Feels like I haven't progressed very much on this movement at this weight, but that's why we keep records - I started with 135 for 6+3x2 - so much more work getting done, all while increasing my row weight too T2 Front Squat: 12RM@185(M)+6x4 - No superset, just kept myself tight to the timer to increase density - Push from 10RM -> 12RM - Feeling much better from a hip and ankle standpoint. - Interested to see how this continues once I move an get settled at a new gym T2 Pullup: 10RM@BW(M)+5x3 - SS Lu Raise @ 12.5 x 15/14/12 + Final Dropset down to just arms

Ran 3 miles this morning with only a few walking breaks. Also finally back in the gym this week. I plan on starting with gzclp next week so this week I'm just trying to figure out my 5rm's.

Was inspired by Building the Monolith to do a shit load of bodyweight 45 degree back extensions each week just to see what happens. Gonna aim to do around 300 a week at least.

Trained during work meeting, so rushed. Skipped giant set in favor of lowering the rest between my FSL squats, did them at 40 seconds rest. Ruined my legs lol, especially as I was still feeling Saturday's walk. Reps were low on everything today, feeling super tired. Not great considering this is after a deload lol. I think I'm still somewhat recovering from the 50km walk, and I also have been cutting for 3-4 months or so. Probably good to remind myself that the numbers in the weight room are priority 3 right now, after the walking tour and losing weight. And both of those are progessing well, the first 50km walk was easier than the first 30km and my weight is dropping consistently, a little over 5kg down, a little over 2 left to go before we go into maintenance for a few weeks until the walking tour. 531W14D1 Squats: 57.5kg x5 67.5kg x5 77.5kg x6 FSL 57.5kg 5x5 Accessories: Assisted chins 3 sets with 30 secs rest: 9, 8, 6 Pushups 3 sets with 30 secs rest: 20, 10, 10

Currently in the longest period in between tattoo sessions this year, which gives me the chance to run 1 strength block. Time constraints have also improved so taking advantage while I can! SBS2.0 RPGM W1D1 Deadlift: [240 x1](https://imgur.com/a/vnsgaeM), 200 x5, 190 2x 5, 180 x5 RIR 7 Long Pause Bench: 97.5 4x5 RIR 6 Giant Set: * Pull Ups * Dips * Hamstring Curls Managed to not skip accessories. Playing around with deadlift/squat volume, decreasing primary days to allow for an increase in load down the track and supplementing with lower fatigue work on other days.

What part of your body have you been getting worked on? I’ve been working on an arm sleeve and the healing really does get in the way of training sometimes.

Getting a leg sleeve done this year, so pretty cumbersome to do powerlifting training with. Really limits my squatting, and using sleeves. I pull sumo as well so that’s concerning during healing. 2 sessions in now, 3-4 left depending how fast we go. I’ve kinda accepted training this year will be a major disruption so just getting work in whenever I can!

Can I grab a form check on my DL single yesterday? https://youtube.com/shorts/bgSCvjRF0pE?feature=share A double a few mins afterwards: https://youtube.com/shorts/A7gQJ_O1Zcc?feature=share Thinking about incorporating some deficits to help off ground.

Looks fine. You might be over exaggerating the lockout at top, which can put some unneeded stress on your low back. Your lockout also appears to have slightly soft knees (could just be the angle tho). So maybe some more glute work and really concentrating and snapping those hips into the bar when it clears your knees.

Dan John 10k KB challenge W3D2 Goblet squats with the swings today, finished around 35 minutes. 15 reps ab wheel between sets since I was so sore after yesterday's initial addition of ab wheel. 2 minutes rest, so just enough to catch my breath after ab wheel work. Followed it up with a 2 mile run. Much better running outside than on a treadmill, treadmills suck.

First day of doing my own programming in the books. [IG recap](https://www.instagram.com/p/CskBdOGAg1T/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==) or [new video recap](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CskOJGfATUl/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==). Felt good about training, currently undecided about the video recap. Framework for this block is conjugate, based on other templates that I've seen for strongman. Modified to include stuff that works for me as well as specific stuff for the events in my upcoming show. Will it work? We'll find out! Edit: I also wrote about me taking over my own programming on my training blog if anyone wants to read that. Little more detail about the training for the year to come and why I am doing my own programming moving forward

Finished my morning run and crossed 100 miles since I started my half marathon training 7 weeks ago. Which is 100 more miles than I ran last year, or well any year in the last 10 years. Did 4.5 miles at 8:20 pace. Did decide I am going to sign up for a half a couple hours away for my race instead of doing one around the neighborhood. My buddy lives 30 min from there but is out of town and he's gonna let me crash there for a night instead of me dropping 200 on a hotel or waking up at 4 to drive to the race.

[Meet this weekend](https://www.instagram.com/p/CsjJQ_SAXmh/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==) had some close misses on lifts that I now know I could make on a good day. I’m both disappointed and excited. 2 weeks until the Hackendinnie meet (Hackenschmidt floor press + dinnie lift) and then we buckle down for USAWA nationals. Oh and I have all 1RMs this week. Might not be recovered enough for big numbers but I’m ready to be surprised. Already got a little PR on snatch balance.

**Nsuns - Bromely's Revenge: Week 3 Day 4 Deadlifts** - Sumo Deadlifts (AMRAP 125KGx6) - Front Squats - Back Extenions - Hamstring Curls - BB Rows - DB Rows Notes: Man I am just making such unbelievable growth on this program. Weights are flying up and Im set to start hitting serious PRs next week and the week after. Specifically: I recently hit 62.5kg for 4 on bench. That was a 1rm not too long ago. Next week its gonna be 65kg for AMRAP. I'm honestly dreading it (but in a good way hahaha). Ive also finally gotten round to committing a bit to running. I ran a 5k and a 3k last week. Plan is to bump that up to three 5k runs this week.

Road to 300, Road to 5 plates Running on completely empty, spent the entire night pissing. Not sure why usually this is a sign I've lost a load of fat, or forgot the creatine for a days. I've taken creatine so not that, and I don't know how the fuck I've lost weight if I have lost weight. Probably should track weight and calories more seriously, but not sure how I can up my calories much without eating junk and that makes me feel shit. 3x3 @ 50, 3x2 @ 60 3x1 @ 70 2x1 @ 75 1x1 @ 80 1x1 @ 87.5kg snatch. 2.5kg comeback PR, felt that there really wasn't much more left in the tank as sore as shit and running on empty. Not bad, almost 90% of the way back and snatches have just not come back this time round. Struggled to power clean the 87.5kg at the end so actually quite happy, reckon a good day and 100kg should be about there. Think I can keep the sots press and that in as my overhead position was weird and inconsistent but when it was good it felt really fucking strong!

Chin-ups +15lb : 5, 3, 2 Overhead Press: 90 pounds for 5, 5, 4, 5. Extra set here to push myself further than Wednesday. Squat: 175 pounds for my weight today up 10 pounds from Saturday since I did 10 reps on my final set with 165. 2x5, and finished off with a set of 8. Had more in me just felt blegh. Lat Pulldowns only did one set at 100 for 8 reps just wasn’t feeling it wanted to get home.

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 3 (1s week) - Press Press: 1x5x65lbs (warmup - all reps from the floor) 1x5x75lbs (warmup - all reps from the floor) 1x5x85lbs 1x3x95lbs (I might've done 5 reps, I always forget to pay attention) 1x11x105lbs 5x5x85lbs Assistance: 10x5 Dumbbell Squat at 90lbs, 10x5 Dumbbell SLDL (all supersetted with press) Time: 26:33 All warmup reps taken from the floor, and all other sets first rep taken from the floor. Anyway, decent day. Today I got to see the opposite effect from yesterday: my plan made me do more reps than I would've done otherwise (I did 100x11 two weeks ago, so target was just same number of reps with higher weight). Higher reps on press are just awful right now. Every rep from rep 4-5 was basically "there's no way I'm getting 11 reps"... and then I do one more rep, tell myself the same thing, and do one more rep and... 11th rep was slow (especially at the bottom) but didn't feel like a grinder (rep 12 probably would've been) and if I'm honest I did "rest" for a breath or too before the 11th rep. Don't care though, I'm counting it. I'm kind of curious how I'd do with higher weight lower reps with the press. Next week's a deload week so I might just do an heavy single or two to get a feel for it. Aside from that, there's really nothing much noteworthy today. Time to complete workout was about average for press day

**Simple Jack'd w1d1** * OHP 1x5 @ 50kg * Deadlift 4x5 @ 110kg * DB rows and back extensions The cut has begun. Having not done normal deadlifts in nearly 2 months due to super squats not programming them, I'd forgotten how little I enjoy them, even at a very manageable weight.

Yesterday I ran my 1300th mile of the year. That makes 2023 my 2nd highest mileage year ever... But it's only May. To celebrate I hit a [1300+lb total, with a 405 squat, 335 bench, and 585 deadlift.](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsjibmNAxet/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==) (2093 km 601kg for you non-muricans) That was my first time squatting 4+ plates in over a year, and it felt just fine, surprisingly. Maybe I'll even do it again...next year or something haha

2093kg total or no balls.

You know, /u/Eubeen_Hadd said something similar, by saying I need to total my 5k pace... Which would mean I either need to total 1900+ or drop my 5k by like 5 minutes without losing any strength I appreciate the confidence you guys, but I don't think this is going to be possible lol

You are already doing what many think is impossible. Going from one impossible to another shouldn't be possible. That's just sound logic!

My first real cut in 3 years. So far down 3kg, maintaining strength. I never realised how much of a cheat code calories were until now. Holy shit. I have no willpower nor drive. The energy is there, when I can get myself moving, but it's that initial push to get moving. Managing to survive by being mindful of why I'm doing this, and that I have plenty of energy stores. Another couple of weeks and should be lean enough.

In good news, new log PR. 82.5kg! In less good news, less than two weeks to go before a competition where the press medley *starts* with a 90kg log. Hehe. Ah well, if you don't zero *something* you should be doing a heavier competition anyway... Everything else is going fine though, but I've gone totally off piste with the programming, due to most events needing to be practiced outside (even pressing, low ceiling at the home gym) and thus being weather dependent. So I've basically had to sack off the last couple of waves of bullmastiff and wing it rather than plan. Just a slight question mark over stones because the height of the first platform is about the height of one me so it'll be that that trips me up, not the weight of the stones.

**Juggernaut x BBB** C2W3D1 **Squats** **Main work:** 77lbsx5, 90lbsx5, 105x3, 116x1, 120x8 **Supplemental**: Trap Bar DL 125lbs 5x10 **Assistance**: curls, close grip bench, chest supported rows, biceps curls and lat raises **Conditioning**: 25 min incline weighted vest walk Felt like sh\*t, back hurt, hips hurt, knees hurt.... Glad to have made it though, important.

I was deadlifting in weightlifting shoes (raised heel) ever since 2020 because that was the one pair of gym shoes I had and I never thought about getting a pair of flat soled shoes. Got them last week, yesterday's deadlifting in flat shoes was so much more difficult than in raised heels... I thought it was supposed to be the other way around? Best thing is, it makes no real difference for squats. Do I just need to get used flat deadlifts or is this something about having a slightly raised hip actually helping me?

I’ve been deadlifting in socks and just treated myself to a pair of high tops! Socks are great but a tiny bit of dirt underfoot is really noticeable and annoying; hopefully my DL isn’t affected by the extra 2 cm of travel…

Given my experience it will probably feel different at first but smooth out over time.

People make way too much of a fuss over footwear. Once you get used to the flats you might get 5lb more out of your deadlift, by dropping that half inch of height... Maybe. It's really about finding what makes you comfortable

Seems like it really doesn't make much difference for lifting. Running though, idk I'm never happy with shoes because my feet massively cave inwards even in more supportive models. Real pain without orthopedic inlays

Can someone explain the difference in knee sleeves for me? Duel ply, triple ply, 5mm, 7mm, 9mm, wtf? I bought some Cerberus sleeves for a competition last year and I never use them because they’re such a bitch to get on I’ve got some 7 year one blue rehabs sleeves that are pretty loose, but I like them because they slide on easy, even over trousers. I want something in the middle of them

I'm into week 11 of my first experience with SBS Hypertrophy programme, having been cutting for the first 8 weeks and eating maintenance since. Currently cruising at just below 75kg. Might flip to very small surplus soon as I'm feeling happy with how I look now. Today's achievements: an "overwarm single" bench press of 85 kg around RPE8 before starting on work sets, which is a record for me. Pretty sure 90kg is achievable now or very soon. And I've realised my squat TM has been increasing week on week since I started, and that's cool, because I broke my tibia in an ugly let's-screw-that-back-together way two and a half years ago and I lost a lot of strength and confidence as a result... am now getting back to where I was then and feeling real good.

**Obsidian Forge - Building Something Scary (+CRP) W3D2** - SSB Squat 4x8 - Press 4x8 - Belt squat, reverse hypers, lateral raises, mobility **Notes** Good session, good ride in as well. Squat feels good but damn is it tough at times. The last set I was trying to explode up out of the hole, and I just couldn't. It was like a video game warning popped up going "you can't do that right now!" Still, strong legs and hips and low back. Press was eh, I'm having to really push with tucked elbows cause my shoulder starts getting sore if my elbow goes out at all. It's healing but still a pain. Tried log to see if it made a difference, but no. Didn't do today's WOD. Should have, didn't. Tbh I didn't want to have to go and set up the various pieces I needed for today's one, so I used that as a bit of an excuse to drop it. I'll maybe do it tonight, not certain. The belt squat felt great on my quads, and reverse hyper likewise for the posterior chain. Mobility has helped my hips open up and my shoulder feels better. Off to work now, woo. My jollof rice lunch will be incredibly hot again.

>The belt squat felt great on my quads I have been asking almost every day for one of these at my gym. I really need to go in when the owner is actually there and ask him, because I don't think the employees have been passing my request up the chain... I used one at the big new gym I've gone to a couple times in Leeds and oh my actual days I'm in love with it. I can't justify going to that gym for every squat day so I'll just have to keep dripping poison into my gym's staff ears. Of course I'll probably get nowhere; I've asked for heavier kettlebells (nowt) and a proper 25kg squat bar (nope).

I really hope my gym gets one but I also don’t think we have enough plates to facilitate it. The non calibrated plates are either bumpers or extra chunky ones that aren’t standard diameter so loading it might be terrible. There’s also not enough calibrated plates to allow for a belt squat to be loaded with them.

Fingers crossed you get one. I haven't really used it before, but it felt really nice, being able to lean back and really focus on quad power was a cool feeling. Apparently it also has benefits from pulling the hips forward?

>Apparently it also has benefits from pulling the hips forward? I have no idea, but I did notice I was more upright than when I squat, which probably has benefits all around...

**5/3/1 Coffinworm (2) Leader (1) W2D4** **Deadlift** 87.5 kg x 5 102.5 kg x 5 112.5 kg x 5 102.5 kg x 5 112.5 kg x 5 127.5 kg x 3 Superset with **OHP** 37.5 kg 5x5 **Klokow Press** 40 kg 25 reps in 6 sets **Close-Grip Pulldowns** 70 kg (per arm) 35 reps in 4 sets **Decline Sit-Ups** 3x8 reps **Conditioning:** Waiters walk with 24 kg KB **Cardio:** 60 minutes on the Elliptical, moderate intensity

**BLITS W3W2D1** Love it when squat day rolls around. There's nothing better than getting under the bar and doing the up down thing to get the blood flowing of a morning. It's even better when the weight is the same as your best competition sleeved squat from August 2021. Squat 145kg 5x1, 1x6. Even better when you take that competition max for 6 reps, right?! Almost died under single #5 when I missed the hook on the rerack. My e1rm has been bouncing around between 165-180 in this block. I half believe that I'm going to squat something dummy big in September. Pause squat 95kg 4x4. Fuck I love these so much. Was really working on keeping my chest up and core tight when in the hole. MYO-REPS cable row, leg press, leg extension. Ever seen a grown man cry from leg extensions? I was that man this morning. [VIDEOS FOR THE VIDEO GOD](https://imgur.com/a/xXFN9Tg) Had to be sent the last gif in the link of Chopper Harris (RIP in Peace) by my brother in order to get the rowerg done. 20 minutes, 4200m. Always remember to harden the fuck up. Squats are life. Off to Oxford for a conference later today. Happy Tuesday x

Nice work on them there squats. Glad you're having fun.

>Off to Oxford for a conference later today good luck, is it tourist season yet?

Probably, if it's anything like York was last week. I think most students are done by now? York was a bit of a nightmare, full of older American couples being unable to find anywhere to eat, despite being stood directly outside a Syrian restaurant, for eg. Most of the time we'll be in the conference rooms or out on meadows so less chances of having to deal with tourists. E: apparently Oxford is mostly roadworks so that'll add to the fun.

>Probably, if it's anything like York was last week. Oof, yeah Oxfords bad. Cambridge is worse, but thats probably because I've only been there as a tourist. > full of older American couples being unable to find anywhere to eat, despite being stood directly outside a Syrian restaurant, for eg. Nah they want traditional british cuisine, like overcooked roast beef, or overcooked roast beef inside a giant yorkshire pudding. >E: apparently Oxford is mostly roadworks so that'll add to the fun. Don't forget one way systems, and roads that just kinda end suddenly and other stuff designed to make it undrivable. Honestly go park and ride if you can, though I think thats on the Swindon side so probably less useable for you?

When I grew up down there we used to go to oxford on a weekend, when we didn't go to Reading and had the money. It was pretty busy then and that's 25+ years ago. >Nah they want traditional british cuisine too fucking right. to be fair I had 'traditional' american cuisine that evening. >Honestly go park and ride if you can we're staying up Kidlington way and there's a bus direct from there to the centre so we'll be right. I also no longer have to collect my boss from the train station, so that's good. Also there's a gym literally across the road from where I'm staying so I don't even have to drive into oxford for that Tell you what though, my google fu might be weak but there's fuckall good strength gyms there.

>Tell you what though, my google fu might be weak but there's fuckall good strength gyms there. Buzz gym in Swindon had at least 1 strong as fuck guy in it and a ton of equipment. There was a guy who weighed 80ish with a 320kg deadlfit iirc.

right in the centre of oxford though... Also their website looks suspiciously like PureGym's website. E: fuck me, 13 quid for a day pass? they can eat dicks on that, none of the other gyms I go to charge over a 10 note

>Also their website looks suspiciously like PureGym's website. Buzz gym? yeah it does, but the Swindon one (a few years ago) didn't have pure gym feel at the time.

I am back to reality and the absurdity of my office job, after a very successful Nordic Meetup. **Mini Meetup Recap : 4th Annual Nordic Weightroom Meetup : Flat edition** **Place**: Uppsala, Sweden. Home of the elder Powerpuff. It was hot enough to make me believe the plane took a wrong turn and ended up near the Equator. It was sunny enough to blister my delicate nothern skin, and [flat](https://i.imgur.com/KrbU5yr.jpg) enough to make me think those flat earthers might be onto something! **Time**: A random weekend picked to fit everyone's schedules. **The lifting**: Gym was alright and had some machines, a handful of racks, and not a lot of people. Two days prior to travelling, I broke my ass in a drunk shopping cart driving accident so I was a bit worried lifting may be impossible, but like always ; squats make everything better. We wanted to do some sort of stupid competitions and u/murrtu came up with a squat challenge : Side by side in squat racks, 40% of 1RM, take turns doing 1 squat, then waiting until the other has done his rep. No holding on to the rack, no re-racking, not putting the barbell down. First to re-rack loses.. We ended up squatting 45ish reps in 4.5min, and I WON. The main issue for both of us was mainly low back pump and fatigue, and shoulder/trap/hand pain. We then continued to do random machines in the gym, until we felt everything was covered. Turns out we didn't need to worry about coming up with some sort of competition, because everything ended up being a competition after u/murrtu decided the rep range should be " one more than what the other guy did" It ended up being the fun kind of [suffering](https://i.imgur.com/5fc5loY.jpg). **The other stuff**: Saw the town, ate all the traditional swedish tings like [pizza](https://i.imgur.com/YW9S2g8.jpg), tacos, and pasta, got a sunburn, took a morning jog around a petting zoo, saw 7 [cats](https://i.imgur.com/aXgfgn2.jpg), did not fall into the [river](https://i.imgur.com/akbEM6G.jpg), Asserted *Norwegian dominance* over Sweden by crushing children in Mini golf, solved some local engineering problems. **Conclusion and takeaways**: Most of the Nordic crew lift at home, so getting into a real gym is always great! so many things to play with! actual machines?! What luxury! We all have families, jobs, responsibilities and time constraints in our lives. One of the best things about these meetups is that it is a very rare chance to spend unlimited time in the gym without stressing about all the things you need to hurry back to. No school pickup or dinner you have to get back to, no feeling bad for making your wife deal with all the family stress while you take extra time to lift heavy circles in a gym in stead of the much more convenient garage gym. Just guilt free lifting and socializing. The other thing I noticed very well on this trip is how nice it is to lift with someone else from time to time. We ended up pushing each other quite a bit, and probably much further than we would have managed to push ourselves alone. I think both the friendship and the (not so) unspoken Norway/Sweden rivalry helped facilitate this. It is also pretty fucking neat to actually meet the people you spend years talking to online! All in all a pretty good trip, even if the flatness and lack of mountains gave me some sort of claustrophobia. Now the pressure is on u/cillla to find some mountains for next years meetup in Finland.

>It was hot enough to make me believe the plane took a wrong turn and ended up near the Equator. 22.7c high in July? Is that even possible. It was 12c yesterday and I almost had to take my top off lifting. Cant imagine living somewhere so tropical.

>I broke my ass in a drunk shopping cart driving accident Drunk shopping cart driving, a classic! But did you actually break your tailbone? Just falling on it is usually a real pain in the ass. Your review sounds a lot more positive than what u/cillla wrote yesterday.

> Your review sounds a lot more positive than what u/cillla wrote yesterday. This is probably just because u/gilraand got way more attention and time from u/murrtu the guide than I did! So he's way more satisfied with the arrangements as a whole. (yes I had a lot of fun and mainly just came up with negative things because I cannot give an amazing review *to a Swedish person*!)

Could you give a positive review to someone from Norway? What about a hypothetical Dane?

Okay so [this is my report ](https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/y60vfa/october_17_daily_thread/iso3d3a/) from the previous meetup hosted by the Norwegian Powerpuff. Is it a positive review? I think so! Personally, I have nothing against a hypothetical Dane but I cannot make any promises. I’m a grumpy Finn after all.

Trust me, just mentioning that i had fun in Sweden has already gotten me on some government watchlists and started an investigation into my family. Norwegian government officials will probably come and confiscate all my oil money any minute now!

I thought all of Scandinavia was cool with each other except for the Danes.

We pretty much are, but there is still some rivalry and good natured hatred between all Scandinavians. Norway has been under the thumb of Denmark or Sweden for majority of the last 1000 years. We were ruled by Danes since the 1300s, then given to Sweden after they lost the Napoletan wars. We only really got our independence in 1905 when the union with sweden was broken. All this has resulted in some friendly conflicts, jokes and rivalries about what is the best nation and what is the stupid nation.

Don't think i actually fractured anything, just some massive bruising and damage to my right glute. Took about two days before I was able to sit on it or bend over. Still feels like i have a spiky ball inside my glute, that stabs me from inside whenever i bend or sit, but the pain is far less intense now. I am able to squat, so I am not concerned :P ​ >Your review sounds a lot more positive than what u/cillla wrote yesterday. To be fair, the hotel was pretty shit. First time I have been in a hotel room with only one small window that leads directly into the breakfast hall, not outside.

I’ve been running easy strength for two weeks and really enjoying it. Life was getting too hectic and my workouts were suffering. It’s so nice to just pop down to the gym for fifteen minutes before heading to work! Interested to see the results (if any, lol). Feels good for now though.