Strength Training and the American Working Father, Published on Elite FTS.com

Strength training and the American Working Father

American Working Father, now what exactly does that mean? Coming from a small town, or a big town, it may mean different things. While we all have our own unique challenges in our journey to be our best selves, we also have many similarities. How exactly do we balance time with family, food, training, work, and most importantly sleep??? In this article I will discuss my own unique challenges and how I balance my overall life as a father, Nuclear Security Officer, Student, as well as relationships and most importantly and furthermost TRAINING.

As a divorced man freshly out of the Marine Corps I faced challenges we all as divorcées and veterans face. PTSD, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and depression. I delved into drinking 12 beers a night and sitting in my garage feeling sorry for myself. But what was I sorry for, was I sorry for a failed relationship? Missing my veteran friends? Or was it a deeper meaning??

In my past life before the hard times, I was a successful athlete, competing at high levels in High School Football, Basketball, Track, and Weightlifting. The deeper meaning after many trips to counseling was, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I developed my identity as Brian the broken veteran who came back from deployment divorced, with a daughter who passed away, not Brian Gallagher 26-year-old from Two Rivers Wisconsin. I wasn’t myself; the deeper meaning was I had to find something I loved; I had to find my purpose. I completely delved into Strongman.

With this passion I've developed I had to make do with child time, since I have 2 children of my own. Not wanting to sacrifice time with them, I decided I would convert my entire garage into a gym. Now I'm not talking about fancy gym stuff. I had a multi gym, with a small squat rack unable to walk weights out. Smith machine attached, with a Lat pull machine on the back, a single barbell, one atlas stone and 500 lbs. of weight plates. Not much to start with, right?? But what did I have? I had my kids watching me, learning, joining in, I had friends who came to help me set up, I had determination, and I slowly had myself.

Now let’s back track, what was my list of who I am, I am a father. I created a gym at home so I’m always with my children, what's next? Nuclear Security Officer, working a 2-2-3 schedule is less than ideal on night shift. So, when do I train?? The answer is 1 o’clock every day. As six hours of sleep isn't ideal sleep for muscle growth, it is enough. Getting home at 615 am, I sleep until 1230, wake up and before my training I get 16oz of water in, fruit and a protein shake. Work out, then the food comes. More on that in the training aspect. 3o clock comes kid pick up, 5pm comes work. At work I utilize my entire time to concentrate on recovery. Since im sacrificing 2 hours of sleep to get my training I must make up the difference of recovery, correct?? That’s where the food comes in.

As training time consists of lots of heavy movements and fast movements (conjugate), I usually burn 6-800 calories just in my session. I must replenish and maintain weight. Being 5-10 and competing at 220, I prefer to walk pre-comp weight at between 220-228. 230 is a bit heavy for my liking as I'm very lethargic. My food intake per day, every day, will be listed below. I prep my food on my day off for 2 days as it's a lot of meat. Below will be listed as a single day, but I do not deviate from this, until its cut time. All rice is cooked in bone broth.

1.     16oz water and fruit pre work out for fast acting sugar, hydration, potassium in bananas.

2.     During workout 32oz of water with just some mild electrolytes to help with the water I've lost.

3.     Post workout meal, 6 whole eggs, unless its cut time then its just egg whites, 12oz of water

4.     ½ lb of ground venison, cup of cooked rice, cup of cooked veggies, carrots, peas, green beans.

5.     ½ lb of ground venison, cup of cooked rice, cup of cooked veggies, carrots, peas, green beans.

6.     ½ lb of ground venison, cup of cooked rice, cup of cooked veggies, carrots, peas, green beans.

7.     2 oranges, to help keep blood sugar levels in check, cholesterol in check, Vitamin C

8.     Protein shake at 5 am to get one last fuel in before sleep at 6.

My meat portions will change from ½ lb to ¾ lb depending on my weight and how I'm recovering. This holds my calories at about 3000-4000 all depending on my weight. During closer times to competition, I will change my carbs to virtually nothing 4-6 days out to help with a 5-6 lb cut. I feel cutting only 5-6 lbs keeps me from losing to much energy, and that weak feeling a lot of people get when in a caloric deficit. Most of the weight I lose is water intake. What I'm trying to say is dads, moms with kids, there is no excuse, you can do it. You just need a routine. Once you write the routine down, you will stick to it. Writing down our goals and routines works. It will force you to make a mental outline of the program you are trying to follow. Make it a part of your life, because it's a lifestyle not a diet. I'm not saying how I eat is perfect, or correct, but I'm saying it works for me. Find the routine of foods that works for you!!! Red meat is a great source of micronutrients and fats; rice converts to glucose and is carried throughout the body to fuel your cells. There is no greater meat than red meat. Say I want to cut weight for example, take the rice out of this and eat red meat and water. The veggies are just fillers, good source of Vitamin A, K, Potassium, Peas high in plant-based protein, and BCAA’s, Green beans are low starch options for keeping you in that “full feeling.” Research foods but this is very close to the Monster Mash done by Stan Efferding.

The last I will discuss is training. As the great Louie Simmons said getting stronger is a mathematical formula, not a mindset. F=MA, Force, or strength equals Mass(weight)X acceleration(speed). And I utilize this in my training every week. My days are broken into a Conjugate method, but not specifically conjugate program.

Press days or upper days consist of 6 exercises, 2 of those exercises on Max effort days are barbell movements. Compound barbell movements use more muscle fibers. The purpose of compound barbell movements is to utilize more muscle units on that day. For example, strongman means overhead pressing. I will do 4 sets of 2 at a heavy weight, you cannot miss reps. 95 percent of your max overhead pressing. Then into heavy single arm seated dumbbell press 4 sets of 6. The compound barbell movement for the shoulder was first with the barbell, now we are tearing the muscle with slight increase of volume and set ranges but keeping the weight heavy. Then into 2 upper back movements for the exact same style of training. Heavy bent over rows, then into chest supported rows. Keeping the weight heavy. This is utilized on all Max Effort Work, whether it is an upper day, a deadlift day, a squat day. The only thing that will change is the exercise, and the barbell, but the style of training is the same.

Dynamic days are for speed, remember the formula??? Speed days consist of exercises like box squats, tempo eccentric squat to explosive concentric. There are hundreds of examples, but for one I recently did is the following.

1.     15 sets of 3 box squats with grey bands attached safety bars 135 bar weight, hands out wide pulling the bar in to tax the lats. 30-45 second rest in between

2.     Then into sets of 10 on belt squat

The purpose of this day is to get the weight moving as physically fast as possible, explosive movements. Once achieved, you can work on accessory movements. Accessory movements throw blood into the muscle. That pump feeling, while its painful, it is healing the muscle. It is a filling of all the blood which carries oxygen into the muscle. Speed days are more important into the development of strength. As the weight gets heavier, we tend to have an effect to only press or push to equal the weight. We are meeting the weights resistance with our own ability; speed days help us achieve maximum velocity to the barbell and push past sticking points.

While I am by no means an expert, or a professional, I have had experience in the field of strongman, and life. Being a student of strength at the University of Concordia Exercise Science program, a Marine Corps HIIT instructor, and a competitive Men's Open Competitor in USS Strongman, these are tips and tricks that work. I will list basic rules to follow when following conjugate below. I hope this helps readers and subscribers of Elitefts develop strength and a little bit more understanding of strength. Feel free to reach out to me via email, or follow me on Instagram @0311b_gallagher. Strength is my life, I want others to achieve happiness and virtue in their life, as I achieved it in my own.  Thank you for your time, stay strong and stay motivated. We can all get through this life together and create our own happiness, our own dreams.

Brian Gallagher

Owner Darkside Strength

Strength Coach for Jessica Evil Eye

20+ All conference Athletes

@darkside_strength_llc

@0311b_gallagher

Basic Conjugate Guidelines

1.     Speed days keep weights at 75 percent of max, get the volume in with moving as fast as possible, 15 sets of 3, 20 sets of 2 for example

2.     Accessories are just that, they are accessories, get 2 compound barbell movements in, example; press day do a compound press, a compound row movement, then do different accessory movements.

3.     Change the bar, change the exercise, after 3 weeks or so your body will adapt to different exercises and barbells. You will have a detraining effect. CHANGE THE METHOD.

4.     Max Effort days 95 percent of max, DO NOT MISS REPS. Back off sets are nice, but they are just that, back off sets. Less muscle units used; they are used to get more WORK in after the main max effort is utilized.

5.     Hamstring development is more important than you think. While everyone works those pretty muscles, the hamstring is the biggest start of movements like squats and deadlifts. It is not quad dominant; it is hamstring weak squats.

6.     Utilize bands and chains, bands are inexpensive ways to increase bar weight, they move the bar faster than gravity. Forcing out muscles to develop speed to overcome the kinetic energy produced by the band. Chains are great to overload the bar at the top end of movements, but they do not force the bar down faster.

7.     Tricep power is more important than chest development, don’t just train pec flys for big bench presses. Press the weight!!

While this is all basic coverage of conjugate, and to prevent taking up too much time, follow these guidelines. It's your choice, just things as a competitor I have found helped me over the years. Thank you for your time reading this, and I hope this helps a bit. Research this system, Westside barbell and Elite fts have information on these topics in depth. Keep positive, keep strong, and thank you.