A Revolutionary Ranger's Training Log in the Age of Zombie Capitalism

[Al Raven]

It's not so much "abandoning losing/burning fat" as "changing the focus" to getting fitter and stronger, and packing some muscle/tone.

 

[Al Raven]

Monday July 21 Workout
Part one

1. warmup
2. Touch the bar: 2 x max negative pullups: 5, 3.
3. 2min jump rope
4. 3 x max pushups: 8, 5, 3.
5. 2min jump rope
6. wall sit: aimed for 2min, managed 1min20sec
7. 2min jump rope

Part two

1. Barbell squats: warmup sets then 3 x 5 @ 70kg
2. Barbell hip thrusts: 4 x 5 @ 60kg
3. Dumbbell one-arm rows (both sides): 3 x max reps @ 12.5kg -> reps = 20, 15, 10
4. Chair leg raises: 3 x max -> 15, 10, 10 (1min rest btw sets)
5. Barbell deadlift 1 x 5 @ 90kg
6. Dumbbell alternating bicep curls (total): 3 x 10 @ 12.5kg

I had planned to do more but this is what I managed!

 

[nell]

Congrats for achieving your goals and exercising continously. This is the most important.
For me better eating habbits are more difficult then workouts. I don't do intermittent fasting. But I want to change my habbits for less "fast" carbs, like white flour, white rice and convinient noodles.

 

[Al Raven]

Wednesday July 23 Workout
Very straightforward, I did 30min of jump rope with pushups (5/4/3/2/1 laddder) + bicep curls (more or less to failure, with two 10kg dumbbells) every 5min.
For the jump rope, I mainly did double bounces but every now and then for about 1min I'd do regular fast skips.

 

[Yurishka]

Hi, I catched your post.
I have problem also with elbow plank.
I'm trying to reach 5 min plank challenge, but I struggle with it few month and I can't get over 3:20.
Yesterday I found article that if man with 40+ can endure 90 sec he has exceptionally strong core, and I'm 49.
https://www.eatthis.com/plank-hold-core-strength-test-over-forty/

So I'm bit confused, should I even try to get to 5 minutes

Try changing the plank type. For example, dynamic ones, or side ones. I think it would help you pass this plateau since other groups of muscles would be trained as well. Plus, it would be funnier for you.
Even though there is this study with "plank above 40", you should not let this stop you. My fellow martial artists (not professionals, not even overtrained), hold 2 min 30 and more and they are around 40-45.
Keep going !

 

[Gurg]

Try changing the plank type. For example, dynamic ones, or side ones. I think it would help you pass this plateau since other groups of muscles would be trained as well. Plus, it would be funnier for you.
Even though there is this study with "plank above 40", you should not let this stop you. My fellow martial artists (not professionals, not even overtrained), hold 2 min 30 and more and they are around 40-45.
Keep going !

@Yurishka Thanks for motivation! I'll try your suggestions, and if I ever get to 5 minute plank, I will call it Yurishka Achievement. Btw, in my language yurish (juriš) is storm assault/attack
@Al Raven sorry for chatting around in your backyard

 

[Al Raven]

Friday July 25 Wkt

1. Warmup
2. Max dead hang - completed 1 minute!
3. Barbell circuit:
   1. Bent-over rows: 5 x 5+ @ 60kg (switch grips)
   2. Squats: warmup sets then 3 x 5 @ 72.5kg
   3. Wanted to do hip thrusts but there wasn't the foamy protection thing!!
   4. Deadlifts: 1 x 5 @ 92.5kg
4. Core circuit:
   1. 1min hollow hold
   2. Chair leg raises (max)
   3. 1min (high) plank
   4. Chair leg raises (max)
   5. 1min superman hold
   6. Chair leg raises (max)
5. Dumbbell circuit:
   1. One-arm rows (both sides each set): 3 x max @ 12.5kg -> I completed 20, 20 and 20/13.
   2. Arnold presses: 3 x (10) @ 12.5kg -> reps completed 10, 10 and 5.
   3. Alternating bicep/hammer curls: 3 x 10 @ 12.5kg

Good workout, besides the full-body effort I have to say it was a killer for grip strength!

 

[Al Raven]

Yesterday I did a kettlebell and bdw strength workout at home, I won't necessarily write it down here but it was good!

 

[Al Raven]

Today I completed ~40-50 pushups by doing 5 reps hourly. I think I'm gonna do this (sometimes called "Greasing the Groove") for pushups and pullups (and maybe some other bdw stuff) quite often moving forward, because I don't want to do full workouts all the time (e.g. some weeks I do 3-4 of those, but sometimes less...). This week (and last one too) I've also done some nice long walks in the forest/hills/etc.

 

[Al Raven]

Also good news: I completed my first (full) chin-ups (aka as I prefer to call them: supinated pullups) in a while!

 

[graoumia]

congratulations

 

[Al Raven]

congratulations

Merci^^

 

[Al Raven]

Yesterday I did a 30-40ish min workout with jump rope and some planks and bicep curls.

 

[Mamatigerj]

Cheers for the supinated pullups!

 

[Al Raven]

Today I'm doing hourly "Greasing the Groove"-style pullups and pushups. Namely 1 supinated pullup + 5 pushups.
Btw I feel like something similar could be done with planks and isometric exercises!
For people who work from home or have space and/or a pull-up bar at work, this is a great way to train without doing full workouts!

 

[Al Raven]

Wednesday August 6 Workout
0. Warmup
1. Pushups: 3 x max, 1min rest btw sets - 10, 6, 4
2. Bent-over rows: 5 x 5+ @ 62.5kg (switch grips)
3. Chair leg raises: 3 x max, 30" rest - completed 3 x 20
4. Squats: warmup sets then 3 x 5 @ 75kg
5. Shoulder presses: 3 x max @ 20kg (empty barbell)
6. Hip thrusts: 5 x 5 @ 70kg
7. Deadlifts: 1 x 5 @ 95
8. Supinated pullups
9. Overhead carries w/ 16kg kettlebell
10. Farmer's walks: 4 x14m back-and-forth @ two 24kg kettlebells

 

[Al Raven]

I haven't looked at the scale for a few weeks and now I'm at 93.8kg haha! Sometimes you just have to keep training and life is kind to you

 

[Al Raven]

Big workout this morning, I went real early (5:30am)

1. 12-5-3 pushups
2. 65 kg bent-over rows (5x5)
3. 3 x 20 chair leg raises
4. 77.5 kg squats (3x5)
5. shoulder presses 3 x max @ 25kg
6. 75 kg hip thrusts (5x5, YEAH BABY!!!)
7. 97.5 kg deadlifts (1x5)
8. band-assisted supinated pullups
9. 16kg kettlebell overhead carries - 4 x 14-meter-back-and-forth (or I guess forth-and-back lol), i.e. 2 for each arm
10. double-24kg kettlebell farmer's walks/carries - 4 x 14-meter-back-and-forth

Yesterday I did "Grease the Groove/Throughout the Day" pushups and pullups.

 

[Al Raven]

Not writing down all my workouts these days (and I'm not sure I will moving forward, we will see...), but enough to say that I reached 80 kg squats and 100 kg deadlifts back on Saturday!

 

[Al Raven]

I'm still alive and still training folks, might write some update soon but I hope you're all doing well!

 

[graoumia]

take care

 

[Al Raven]

Alright, so I've picked a workout plan that I think suits me best. It's sth I cooked up based on my own goals + my experience/knowledge in terms of weightlifting. For this latter part it's mostly what I've learned thanks to Starting Strength and Stronglifts, which I'm pretty sure are the best beginner weightlifting programs out there (and both also go into how you can progress after the "novice gains" wear off).
I'm pretty happy with happy with my current weight, there's still a bit of belly fat I'd like to get rid off at some point in the future but I feel good/it's not a priority.
At the moment I'm trying to build a baseline of strength in terms of both bodyweight and weightlifting training; obviously I'm also eager to get some more muscle tone but it's not purely aesthetic by any means.
So my current schedule - I'll try sticking with this for a few months at least - is made up of two main strength workouts, and the basic weekly schedule is ABA or BAB (week 1 ABA, week two BAB, and so on).

Workout A	Workout B
Pushups 3 x max	Pushups 3 x max
Pullups 3 x max	Pullups 3 x max
Squats 5 x 5	Squats 5 x 5
Hip Thrusts / Bulgarian Split Squats 5 x 5 (or 3 x 8-10)	Overhead Press 3-5 x 5
Deadlifts	Barbell rows 3-5 x 5
Dips 5 x 5 (or 3 x 8-10+)

 

[Al Raven]

On other days, based on how I feel/how busy I am/how much energy (or lack thereof)/etc, I can do:

• Mobility/stretching
• Movement/skill practice
• Pushups and pullups
• Cardio/Metcon/HIIT/Jump rope workout
• Walks
• Just rest!

 

[Al Raven]

The advantage for me is that I frankly don't care about the bench press. I think for developing shoulders (muscle and strength) the barbell overhead press - I don't just think it, it's been shown in studies (although both the barbell or dumbbell variations are very good!) - is essential. Apart from that "shoulder strength/health" is mostly about bodyweight, mobility, movement stuff rather than weightlifting! In fact it's no problem completely bypassing the OH press, but it does fit nicely into my program. I'll keep doing it for a while - I actually enjoy it! (which is always a big factor for my exercise selection) - until I get stuck and then I won't mind ditching it...

But in terms of the chest, for me pushups and (full) dips are more than enough. Plus (more reasons): the bench press is probably the most injury prone/less safe of the classic lifts, and it's MUCH harder to make progress with it than with squats and deadlifts, and to be properly safe once you reach heavier loads you do have to get a spotter which is annoying.

While pushups and pullups to failure is challenging, it's not as taxing "neurologically" (loosely speaking) as loaded lifts. So I thought it made most sense to put them at the start of the workouts, when I'm still fresh (otherwise sets to failure is a bad idea lmao) and it minimally impacts my lifts (rather than already being exhausted after squats etc and then having to do sets of pushups and pullups to failure.

At the moment for pullups and dips I'm doing assisted sets/reps; in my gym there are bands for assisted pullups, and also an assisted pullups/tricep dips station/thing which is neat. The goal is to gradually build up to 3 x 10 (with either grip for the pullups) and then add some weight. For pushups my goal is to build up to being able to complete 20 pushups comfortably, and completing 5 x 20. I don't think it's really necessary to aim for bigger than that, pushups are awesome but it's best when you stick with very good form!

 

[Al Raven]

I don't have exact goals for how far I want to go in terms of squats and deadlifts, I think the range is 100-150kg for squats and 120-200kg for deadlifts. I don't really care about going beyond that, after that I'd rather go back to a more hybrid training approach that isn't so heavy on doing all that lifting every week (and has more mobility, metcon, "natural" movement, maybe combat, walking, running, etc)

In terms of overall weightlifting, my goal is to reach a kind of "intermediate" (or low-intermediate) level where I'm quite strong - stronger than many people lol - but I have zero interest going into "crazy numbers" (let alone doing any competitive stuff). Because a) at some point the always-weightlifting process and weekly program becomes really tedious and boring, b) my ideal of fitness is more in polyvalent and functional movement and training than ONLY lifting, c) beyond the novice/beginner/early-intermediate phase(s) of lifting you do have to get huge to keep progressing because it's no longer mainly "neurological" gains that help you become stronger (you just need more muscle tissue/fibers lol, it's as simple as that!), and I'm pretty sure I don't want that.

It might not be realistic but my ideal is to eventually reach a point where I only do heavy barbell squats and deadlifts once a week, without necessarily seeking to add anymore weight/load (which requires training 3+ times a week).

Anyways, that's quite far off from now. I don't know how long and far I'll go with weightlifting before doing more metcon (which might involve finally getting rid of that stubborn belly bulge!)

 

[Al Raven]

What's gonna be challenging for me is getting enough proteins specifically. Because I'm relatively heavy (95kg), to build muscle I need quite a lot of daily protein to build/gain muscle. And obviously balanced/healthy nutrition more generally is important, I think without being optimal I'm pretty good with that now.
But I should be good with a milk-based protein shake and the protein I get from meals!

 

[Cathulhu]

What's gonna be challenging for me is getting enough proteins specifically. Because I'm relatively heavy (95kg), to build muscle I need quite a lot of daily protein to build/gain muscle. And obviously balanced/healthy nutrition more generally is important, I think without being optimal I'm pretty good with that now.
But I should be good with a milk-based protein shake and the protein I get from meals!

I encountered the same issue when i calculated how much protein i get and how much i needed. That was at 90kg, not a massive difference though.

Luckily i only had to slightly tweak my current diet and add a low cal high protein shake from a local drug store into the mix, mixed with 0.3l 1.5% milk and 0.1l water, as otherwise the shake gets rather thick.

My breakfast consists of 150g low fat greek style yoghurt, 50g oat based muesli without raisins or chocolate and 10g honey
Lunch differs daily
Dinner is a slice of bread with (not sure how to translate it, but it's pig meat based) Kasselerbraten, a hard boiled egg and a slice of edamer cheese.

Together with the shake in the evening and half a liter of buttermilk in the afternoon i need only about 20g protein in lunch to meet my needs.

My calorie intake is usually a bit under 2k kcal.

 

[Al Raven]

I'm progressing on the pushups and pullups (I can currently do 14 pushups (i.e. when going to muscle failure), my primary goal is to reach 20!), but more notably today I completed 110kg deadlifts (1 x 5) and 90kg squats (5 x 5). My respective PRs are 120kg for deadlifts and 100kg for squats, hopefully I'll get there by the end of the month or so...

 

[Al Raven]

• Completed today: 15 pushups (to failure... I really grinded these last two reps), 35kg overhead press/push press (3 sets of the former, and I did push presses within the last two sets), 92.5 kg squats (5 x 5), and some other exercises (see my workout program which I outlined recently!) but that aren't as noteworthy.
• My goal for pushups - like I mentioned previously - is reaching 20 reps, then being able to do them relatively comfortably, until I can complete 3-5 sets of 20 reps. I think that's a better benchmark (for me at least) than trying to endlessly increase the maximum # (which would only get harder and harder especially at my bodyweight)
• For squats and deadlifts, I'm gonna continue as I'm doing right now until I reach 100kg for the squats and 120kg for the deadlifts (currently at 92.5kg and 110kg respectively) and then I'll do a brief reassessment with regard to how much heavier I want to aim for (or if I'm satisfied with that)
• Pullups and dips - the goal is to reach 10 reps, then multiple sets of it (+ use all grips for pullups), then adding some weight
• (I don't have particular benchmarks in mind for the other exercises - I'm just using them to get stronger but there's no specific goal)

 

[Al Raven]

It's a very banal thing to say at this point (for anyone who's ever done weightlifting) but it's incredible how much harder - not in terms of fatigue or intensity, but purely regarding strength - exercises like the overhead press that use much fewer and smaller muscles than the squats or deadlifts, can feel. They're (in)famously harder to train despite the fact you're often not even using half of the load you can squat or deadlift comfortably! I'm at only 35kg for the overhead press, and I'm already getting nearer to failing reps than I am with a 92.5kg squat or a 110kg deadlift!

 

[Al Raven]

It's a very banal thing to say at this point (for anyone who's ever done weightlifting) but it's incredible how much harder - not in terms of fatigue or intensity, but purely regarding strength - exercises like the overhead press that use much fewer and smaller muscles than the squats or deadlifts, can feel. They're (in)famously harder to train despite the fact you're often not even using half of the load you can squat or deadlift comfortably! I'm at only 35kg for the overhead press, and I'm already getting nearer to failing reps than I am with a 92.5kg squat or a 110kg deadlift!

It's part of why I don't really care about hitting PRs with either the overhead press or the bench press. I don't mean to do actual competitive weightlifting and in terms of aesthetics the bench press doesn't seem necessary to me (overhead press is excellent to develop bigger shoulders, though - however even then I could switch to dumbbell shoulder presses anytime with probably similar results)
Also why I don't mind using push presses when the standard OH press becomes too hard to finish a given set...

 

[Al Raven]

Yesterday's workout

Saturday, 13 September 2025, 07:57

Push Up
Set 1: 12 reps
Set 2: 6 reps
Set 3: 5 reps


Pull Up (band-assisted)
Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 4 reps
Set 3: 3 reps


Squat (Barbell)
W: 65 kg × 5 reps
W: 80 kg × 3 reps
Set 1: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 2: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 3: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 4: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 5: 95 kg × 5 reps


Bulgarian Split Squat
Set 1: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 2: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 3: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 4: 52.5 kg × 5 reps


Deadlift (Barbell)
W: 80 kg × 5 reps
W: 95 kg × 3 reps
Set 1: 112.5 kg × 5 reps


Triceps Dip (with tricep dip machine - sth like 13kg support)
Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps
Set 3: 5 reps

 

[Al Raven]

Little setback as I "regressed" a bit on pushups (last time I completed 15 pushups) and (band-assisted) pullups (last time 7). It is how it is, I'll see if I can get back up next time...

 

[Al Raven]

Yesterday's workout

Saturday, 13 September 2025, 07:57

Push Up
Set 1: 12 reps
Set 2: 6 reps
Set 3: 5 reps


Pull Up (band-assisted)
Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 4 reps
Set 3: 3 reps


Squat (Barbell)
W: 65 kg × 5 reps
W: 80 kg × 3 reps
Set 1: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 2: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 3: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 4: 95 kg × 5 reps
Set 5: 95 kg × 5 reps


Bulgarian Split Squat
Set 1: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 2: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 3: 52.5 kg × 5 reps
Set 4: 52.5 kg × 5 reps


Deadlift (Barbell)
W: 80 kg × 5 reps
W: 95 kg × 3 reps
Set 1: 112.5 kg × 5 reps


Triceps Dip (with tricep dip machine - sth like 13kg support)
Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 5 reps
Set 3: 5 reps

I don't think I'll keep doing barbell bulgarian split squats. It's a fantastic exercise BUT I feel like it's too hard and risky with a barbell. Because you're inherently unbalanced, and the way the weight is positioned with barbells makes it both awkward and potentially risky. I'll probably switch to kettlebells

 

[Al Raven]

Tuesday workout

1. Pushups to failure: 15, 5, 5. I really grinded #15 but it's good to be back up!
2. Pullups (supine grip): 2, 2, 1. I dropped the band this time...The race to #10 reps is on!
3. Squats: 5 x 5 @ 97.5kg
4. Overhead barbell press/push press: 5 x 5 @ 37.5kg
5. Bent-over row (barbell): 3 x 5 @ 65kg
6. Tricep dips negatives: ~3 sets

 

[Al Raven]

Thursday workout

1. Pushups: 10, 10, 3. Back down. I'm pretty sure my way to close from 15 to 20 reps is to spread a TON of pushups throughout the week. Right now I'm only doing 3 times a week - 3 sets to failure - which doesn't give me enough push-up practice (I think) to improve beyond the 10-15 reps range. TL;DR: I need to do a shit ton of pushups!
2. Pullups (supine grip): 3, 2, 2.
3. Squats (barbell): 3 W sets + 5 x 5 100kg
4. Bulgarian Split Squats (kettlebell): 3 x 10 (5 reps per leg) @ 16kg. I had technically planned to do heavy barbell hip thrusts, but I'm not sure I'm gonna keep doing this exercise because bulgarian split squats are just as good if not better for glutes and FAR LESS awkward to do in front of people in the gym lol
5. Deadlifts (barbell): 2 W sets + 1 x 5 @ 115kg
6. Tricep dips practice - still mostly doing negatives

 

[GentleOx]

I'm glad to see lots of workout tidbits in your thread. Carry on making progress!

 

[Al Raven]

Wednesday September 24 Workout

1. Pushups: 15, 8, 5. Back up! I still feel that to close that #16-20 gap, I'll just have to do a shitload of pushups everyday. More on this later...
2. Pullups (supine): 4, 2, 2. It's not "regular" (pronated) pullups, but I'm still happy of being almost halfway through to my (first) goal (10 reps)
3. Squats: (W sets +) 4 x 5 @ 102.5 kg. This was tougher than usual, I'm probably getting closer to end of the initial "novice gains" phase for heavy squats...
4. Deadlifts: (W sets +) 1 x 5 @ 117.5 kg. Used chalk and completed it!
5. Bulgarian split squats (20kg kettlebell): 3 x 10, 5 reps per leg.
6. Tricep dips (not full ROM, only smaller angle/upper portion of the move): 5, 3, 3.

 

[Al Raven]

So, by tomorrow I should be able to complete my first goals/benchmarks for the barbell squats and deadlifts, namely lifting 100kg (already done) and 120kg respectively.
I will see if I'll continue to do so much weightlifting with the barbell, I might not and switch things up a bit. I'll almost certainly continue to do *some* heavy squatting and deadlifting, but I might not use it as the center of my weekly workout program...
Current progress on my various strength goals:

• Pushups: at 15 out of 20 reps (only to maximum/failure, though - my goal is completing 20 pushups without maxing out)
• Pullups: only supine grip so far, but I'm at 4 out of 10 reps
• Squats: completed 100kg which was my first benchmark (nice, round number and greater than my own bodyweight)
• Deadlifts: at 117.5kg out of 120kg

For pushups and pullups, there's a clear progression I have in mind after I reach these first benchmarks, for squats and deadlifts I'm not sure yet.

 

[Al Raven]

Friday September 26 Workout

1. Pullups (supine): 4, 3, 3.
2. Tricep dips (more or less standard form/full ROM): 3, 3, 1. Another great strength exercise I've finally "unlocked"!
3. Squats: (W sets +) 3 x 10 @ 80 kg. It felt good to try a new rep range for once!!
4. Deadlifts: (W sets +) 1 x 5 @ 120 kg. Had to use mixed grips for reps #3 to 5
5. Overhead press/Push press (barbell): 3 sets at 40 kg. First set strict OH press and sets #2 and #3 as push presses.
6. Bent-over barbell rows: 3 x 5 @ 67.5 kg. Simply one of the best bicep + back exercises, I highly recommend it!

 

[Al Raven]

Wednesday October 15 Workout

1. As many rounds as possible - 1 supinated pullups, 30" rest: 17 total rounds/reps completed.
2. As many rounds as possible - 3 pushups, 30" rest: 10 total rounds/30 total reps completed.

 

[Al Raven]

Completed 30 pushups today, each time 10 reps. Perhaps I'll complete more later but I wanted to write it down