In an attempt to follow the path of Jim Wendler and the other pioneers or linear periodization, week 4 heralded the unload week and week 5 is here. Now we can start all over again 🙂

To start the new cycle, I have taken my notes (remember how we track our progress) and added 5 lbs to every lift as goal for this cycle. Now, some of these goals may not be achieved and some will be exceeded. This is why we take notes and adjust on the fly as necessary. If I had to remember all of my weights and reps I would lose my mind and lose focus, which is not something that we want happening in the gym. When a caveman loses focus, it is very similar to the Hulk losing at checkers.

You won’t like me when I’m angry!

Week 5 follows the same path as described here, except heavier.

The week was looking like this:

Monday: Bench

Tuesday: Squats:

Wednesday: Cardio

Thursday: Deadlift

Now, here is where we had a little hiccup. While doing deadlifts, I was able to list a personal best and really repped out the final set. I felt like a freaking machine! It truly is amazing how good form can really up your gains.

When I got home at night, Mrs. Caveman invited me to a boot camp that she does a few days a week. We dropped baby cavegirl off at the babysitter and I thought “gee, I lift, I should be good.”

Man, was I wrong. They brought the intensity for a solid hour and I was wiped. The guy who ran the boot camp Kody Smith really kept us motivated but was I ever exhausted.

Friday Morning

Ugh, the morning after walk of pain….

I said walk of “pain”

Although I didn’t feel much different from this girl.

My muscles were sore. I was tired. I was gassed. How on earth was I suppose to give it 100% in the gym? How nice would it feel to sleep in another hour?

You know what? Not working out is NOT an option.

So, I woke my ass up, fed the cat, drank my shake, kissed the wife and baby and got my ass out of the house.

The Workout

The plan was military press.

The goal:

Warmup

105 x 5

115 x 5

125 x 5 (to failure)

The Result:

Warmup

105 x 5

115 x 3

115 x 2 (at failure)

Do you see what happened there? I still attempted the weight. When I couldn’t complete the set at a given weight, I did NOT add more weight.

Did I complete the set? YES.

Did I reach my goal? NO

Was I upset? HELL NO!

I got my ass in the gym, tired and sore. I worked out at 100%, even though I was at 60%.  I listened to my body and avoided injury. I didn’t blindly follow my workout plan. I adapted.

When prehistoric man went on a Mammoth hunt and didn’t see a Mammoth, did he cry about it? Did he get depressed and see a therapist who prescribed meds? NO

He improvised. He hunted something else. He picked some mother f-ing berries. He did what it took to survive.

Now, in the modern world, many of us have the luxury of not living in a life or death scenario. I think this is one of the things that makes us squishy. If you enjoy that luxury, then improvise. Approach your workouts like are a “failure is not an option” sort of scenario. Getting to the gym is how some of you are going to save your own lives. With obesity and diabetes at the rates they are today, getting into the gym and cleaning up our diets is a life or death scenario. Breath in the enormity of that thought. The next time you are tired, sore, hung over, achy,  or sick, if you have a workout scheduled you had damn well better improvise.

I made a promise to myself when I started this adventure. I will only ADD workouts. That is all. There is no compromise.

Silence.

I want to see everyone out there, and I don’t want to hear any excuses.

As this develops look forward to some more technical content as well as more diversity in the posts.

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