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Getting Artificially Strong (and complaining about Cardio)

Giant 1.1 W1D2 24 kgs
10 sets

I had eleven sets in the bag but my form broke down on the ninth set. Took a five minute break and hit the final set very cleanly. These high rep sets definitely hit different than the rest of the program, I’m not used to the long recoveries and how much more you have to grind them out. As this set count continues through 1.2, setting a goal of 13 rounds with a stretch goal of 15 rounds.
 
Giant 1.1 W1D3 24kg
13 sets

Was hoping for 15, but wasn’t in the cards. I knew I was going to lose volume from the other micro cycles but wasn’t expecting this sort of drop. (I thought I would still match week one numbers from 1.0 and 2.0)

Added in some squats at the end, a ladder up to ten at 125#. Super light but I haven’t squatted at all since January so I’m praying I went light enough to be able to sit for the next couple days. Finally going to commit and add squats in as the weather here hasn’t been kind for running. (Dust storms and now summer temps)
 
Giant W2D1 24 kgs
18 rounds

Tied my PR from 1.0, next week is time to starting set new ones! On Saturday I did an ascending ladder to ten of 125# back squats, thinking that going so ridiculously light would prevent me from suffering DOMS. Dead wrong lol. I could barely walked on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday I still couldn’t descend stairs. So ridiculous that squats that light wrecked me so badly, good thing I didn’t go heavier lol. Going to hit some goblet squats later tonight to keep working out the residual soreness, playing around with how I want to program them.
 
Giant 1.1 W2D2 24kgs
11 rounds

A one round PR! These long breaks are so weird after the go go nature of the first three, but the long reps definitely need the rest. Got a trip to Belize planned in September, so three months to get fit enough to look like Tarzan.
 
Giant 1.1 W2D3 24 kgs
14 rounds

Squats 125#
13 rounds

A one round PR for the C&P! I’m running the back squats with the same rep parameters of Giant but at 20 minutes instead of 30. I held back a bit on these as I’m still scarred from the DOMs from only 55 reps last week, but these are so light they feel automatic.
 
Giant 1.1 W3D1 24 kgs
18 rounds

Tied it up again, still a bit stuck on this rep scheme. Planning to have an extra rest day before I hit it again so hopefully a PR on its last week. Still playing around with squats, did 20 minutes at the giant rep scheme. DOMS still around but not as rough as previously.
 
Giant 1.1 W3D2
11 rounds

Another tie, albeit with asterisks lol. I drank a bit last night and felt it throughout the day. My gymnastics grips have also worn and become sticky, so I ditched them and that blew my forearms up. With grips and sobriety, I think I could have crushed my PR, but that isn’t what happened. Next week 12 is within grasp for sure.
 
Giant 1.1 W3D3 24 kgs
13 rounds

Lost a round, was not feeling it this week. I don’t know if the third week slump is really a thing or a self fulfilling prophecy at this point, but it’s every program for whatever reason. Weekly total dropped, let’s hope for a surge and three PRs next week!
 
Giant 1.1 W4D1 24kgs
18 rounds

Came out gunning hard for 21 rounds, to set a total rep PR. Like Icarus I flew too close to the sun and redlined hard at 12 minutes. My forearms could barely grip and I had to dial the pace back a lot to keep my cleans crisp, then agonized through the remainder. I never did beat my PR from 1.0 week 4, but I basically tied it almost every week. Oh well, hopefully I can finish strong on the last two days with some PRs.
 
Giant 1.1 W4D2 24kgs
12 rounds

A PR finally again! This one was hard fought, my eleventh round had an ugly ugly clean on the 8th rep and I was debating about stopping but as it’s the final week I decided to push it. Ended up with a clean 8 reps, nowhere near as bad as the round before. I think this is going to be a tough one to beat in 1.2.
 
Giant 1.2 W4D3 24kgs
14 rounds

Another tie, damn. I still finished with a weekly rep PR for the cycle, so a positive finish even as the PRs are allowed to bear a halt. A bit intimidating that this is about to be my low rep day for the next four weeks, but with all the pain there should be gains. Forearms are currently holding me back, they start to give way before my shoulders. Ended up with a better improvement on total reps than I was expecting with 27 more total reps.
 

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Giant 1.2 W1D2 24 kgs
8 rounds

First day of the dreaded nine, it did indeed suck. I think this is the day I’m going to get my weekly gains from in this cycle, goal of 10 rounds, stretch goal of 11.
 
Giant 1.2 W1D3 24 kgs
10 rounds

Lost two rounds. I overdid it on the drinking yesterday and it showed in training. The 9s also kicked my a#@ on Thursday, I went to sleep early and slept hard with some light DOMs yesterday. I need to control my drinking a bit better, but it’s difficult with work. Gonna cut to one day a week through the end of the program.
 
Giant 1.2 W2D1 24kg
14 rounds

Another tie, that wall at 10-12 minutes is so real. I pushed through to the 10 and it left me pretty gassed for the last four. Still hopeful for fifteen, but it’s going to retire a lot of Red Bull I think.
 
Giant 1.2 W2D2 24kg
9 rounds

Another tie. I think 10 is doable, but I’m still hitting that wall at the 12 minute mark. Interesting that it’s traveling across rep ranges and round counts, I think it’s a mixture of conditioning and forearm strength. In the mega thread someone mentioned I might be over gripping on the back swing, which could be occurring as my recovery starts to be impacted. I’m focusing on my grip so let’s see if it improves.
 
Giant 1.2 W2D3 24 kg 11 rounds

One more round than last week, one less than the PR. I ran out of gas and took a super long break before the last round (6 minutes). My form was atrocious on the tenth and the rest let me finish clean, but I feel like I should have pressed for the 12 rounds. This day moving to the third of the week has made it suck way more. 1.2 is kicking my a#@ in general, but I’m halfway home.
 
Giant 1.2 W3D1 24kgs
14 rounds

I decided instead of trying to pace for 15, I would take a longer break at the mid point and then push it. I ended up hitting the same rep count and it was the same level of exhausting lol. Well back to brainstorming. One more week on this!
 
Giant 1.2 W3D2 24 kg
10 rounds

Finally a PR!! I didn’t expect this as today was a very blah morning, I almost pushed the workout to the evening because my dogs kept me up all night. Glad I pushed, great workout that left me dead. Forearm pump was crazy, struggled to unlace my shoes and take off my sweatbands. Excited to be done with 1.2 next week.
 
Giant 1.2 W4D1 24kg
14 rounds

The fifth week in a row with a tie. Damn. At least I never went backwards as a positive note. Missed my goal of 15, but I would never have guessed that 14 would be such a maximum for me. Today still hurt about as much as five weeks ago as well. I really need to bring back the LISS, I think that’s what I’ve been lacking these mesocycles.
 
Giant 1.2 W4D2 24 kg
10 rounds

Tied my PR, which I’m pretty happy with lol. 1.2 and particularly these 9s were really f****** brutal. Thank god I’m done for now, 16 more weeks till this torture begins anew.
 
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