Essential Heretics: Cara Brennan- Strongwoman, Actress, and Badass Psychonaut, Part 3 (Training, Diet, and Random Shit)

Q: We’re in the third part of this interview and I haven’t asked you a single training question. I’m sure that perplexes people, but I’d honestly rather talk about anything else- discussing training is like discussing fucking. There’s no point beyond, “it was awesome,” “it sucked,” “he/she had a shy bladder,” and whatnot. I’m not gonna discuss the details of my training with someone any more than I am my masturbation schedule- not only is it mostly uninteresting, but it’s no one’s fucking business, haha.

But since I know there are a lot of people out there who are dying to know- what’s your training split, must have exercises, and typical rest period between sets?

A: I work with a coach, my friend Andy Triana of the The Performance Vibe (mentioned in Part 2). Andy is a bit of a mad scientist when it comes to programming, and uses a holistic approach that is sort of built around neuroplasticity, energy system maximization, and coordination/movement quality development. Most sessions start with some kind of circuit that primes specific movement patterns (duh), potentiates specific muscle groups (duh), creates a mental-alertness and attention to movement quality (less duh) and increases HR for a sustained period to put me into an optimal state to lift, both physiologically and neurally.

One warm up we used a while back that I liked was:

• 10 moderate weight KB swings
• 6 reciprocal med ball rotational slams
• 15 sec all out sprint on ski erg
• 2 rounds through no rest, Rest 2 min, then repeat.

That one preceded a leg-focused, full-body, capacity/bodybuilding day. The idea with these warm ups is that they both develop movement quality, capacity, prep your body for work obviously, but also cultivate a little bit of the headspace that you want for whatever your main work is. So for me, getting the HR up and doing these movements where I can get really aggressive puts me in a good headspace to smash the work. It’s using exercise to chemically alter your mind-state intentionally, in order to set you up for the most successful lifts possible (In acting school we called this “outside-in” work, where you perform the movements and behaviors to generate the emotions/characterizations you want to express).

In terms of the split, we are in a capacity/hypertrophy phase right now. I like lifting heavy year- round as much as possible; so we have a mix of 1 day that is a higher rep, full body day that repeats (leg press, row, delt work, hamstring curls, some DB pressing, etc); a heavier press focused volume day (log jerk, log strict press and incline dumbbell), and a heavier lower body compound volume day (squats and deaaaddds). We will often just have two days that look identical and repeat them, but change them more frequently. For example, Days 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 will be identical for 2-3 weeks, so that we can more quickly max out the neurological and tissue adaptations in those movements. In a scheme like that, one day will usually be higher rep, machine and dumbbell work, and the other day will be more technical barbell or strongman movements. The “bodybuilding” or capacity/substrate day I can just go a little crazy, and the “skill” or “development” day I have to think a little harder, but I get a lot out of those movements because my whole body is already pretty fatigued from the capacity day.  I almost never train more than 4 days a week; I like to train like 2 hours + and rip my face off, and I can’t really do that more than 4x. If I have a 5th day it’s a short recovery based day.

Current favorites: high bar squats, Keiser leg press (air pressure machine; if you ever get a chance to use their stuff, do it, the pump is wild and feels great on your joints), log press (jerk and strict).

Some love-to-hate and all time favorites: safety squat bar squats and split squats (any variation, really), zercher squats, RDLs, pendlay rows, pull ups, hamstring curls forever and ever amen. Farmer holds and carries, of course. Oh, and LATERAL RAISE IS BAE.

Rest times are rarely more than 3 minutes, and that’s usually only for really heavier work or work with a hard eccentric component. Rests are usually around 60 sec-2 min, most of my workouts I’ll have a slightly sustained HR almost the whole time; with the exception of planned breaks. After the 1-2 warm up circuits, the program might say “Rest 8 min, have intra carbs, let HR come down. Then start next movement.”  Strongman is REALLY about high capacity and endurance, particularly for the smaller weight-classes. Of course you have to strong as hell, but you also have to be able to haul ass. Placings are often decided by a difference of milliseconds on carry/loading races.

Q: Your method for cultivating the headspace is an interesting one. I think that’s an excellent way to put it, and far less pretentious and intellectually dishonest than “priming the CNS” or whatever nonsense people claim they’re doing. Having your head right for heavy lifting is a critical component, and one that is all too often ignored these days.

Speaking of the stupid bullshit going on these days, any thoughts on deloading?  I only ask because I was discussing new jack lifters with the cool-as-fuck owner of Dover Gym the other night, and we can’t understand why they think they need them, because most people train like fucking zombies and exert the least effort imaginable.  He and I are crotchety old men who think these young whippersnappers are a bunch of useless tits who wouldn’t even make good fuel for a furnace if we were to just burn them, however, so I’m curious about your take.

A:  I don’t think it’s super necessary; like deloading every month is silly to me for a healthy lifter. Like most things, it really depends. I deload for 1-2 weeks after I compete, and then I’ll deload like maybe every 7-8 weeks? But a deload is usually just a slight drop in overall volume and intensity, I still train fairly hard. It’s just enough of a dip to bring down cumulative fatigue, and that’s it. If we’re talking post-comp deload, I usually will not exercise at all for 4-7 days, and then ease in with totally new movements I haven’t touched in a while. People also forget that because of neural specificity, if you just do a different movement variation, you won’t be as efficient at it, and will thus decrease intensity/load accordingly while still training at relatively high effort. That IS a deload. Deloading doesn’t mean sitting on the couch for a week. How and when is totally individually dependent, like most things; you probably don’t need to do it super often, but pay attention to your training, and if your numbers/output starts to tank, and you feel like dogshit, deload for 5-7 days and see what happens.

Can’t get enough Cara? Here’s her on the news in NYC. I happened to stumble upon this while looking for pics.

Q: I couldn’t be further from beginners in this industry and have no interest in dealing with them. You were a late bloomer, though, so you have any tips and tricks for people just getting into strength sports?

A: The good news is that the internet can make it way easier to find out where people are going to lift heavy. You also have to sort through a lot of nonsense, of course, but get OUT there, go to new gyms,  go to meets, go to competitions and watch. Figure out where the strongest people are and try to hang out/lift with them; people who are working hard and really working for something. That’s invaluable to me.  Then sign up for a meet. I did my first contest within a month of even starting to train with strongman implements. Signing up and putting your name out there will motivate you like crazy to bust ass and discover new capacities within yourself. In strongman, the weights for your class are pre-determined, so you may sign up something and not know if you’re going to be able to lift it; that’s a compelling reason enough to train really hard. And then you get the added bonus of competing and discovering how much real power adrenaline can convey when harnessed.  And again, it’s the internet age, there is limitless information out there now, and a lot of very accessible high level lifters. Find them, and their coaches, and ask them every question imaginable. Question everything you hear; there’s also a lot of dogma out there. Learn everything, but take it all under consideration /with a grain of salt. Experiment constantly.

Q: Wow- your approach to lifting is about the most contrary approach to mine of which I could conceive. I wouldn’t even consider entering a compeition unless I knew I was so strong that unless someone showed up in 40k-style Space Marines power armor, no one is gonna even come close to touching me. Interesting.

What kinda diet are you running?  Has that been a major issue with training?  For me dieting isn’t an issue (though living with a woman who refuses to eat the same thing meal after meal poses difficulties, haha), but I know a lot of people struggle with weight classes and all of that shit.

A: Diet is my Achilles’ heel in a lot of ways. I tend to eat an average-moderate protein amount (I aim for 120-160 g day ballpark), and a pretty even carb/fat split, a little higher carb on training days. I try to get a lot of nutrient variety in my veggies and fats, and I am totally sold on fermented veggies and drinks for gut health – since becoming regular with fermented ingredients, my stomach has never felt better. I think there’s both emerging data as well as decent historical wisdom indicating that high/diverse gut bacteria is a good overall health indicator. I would say I eat VERY well from a nutritional standpoint for a normal person, but not nearly enough for my chosen activities, which is my ongoing experiment; it mostly has to do with my too-hectic lifestyle.

I really, really hate overeating. I hate feeling super bloated and full. My day job (personal training)has me on my feet (burning calories) and makes it very hard to get in lots food, logistically. This is an area where I’m still trying to figure out the best way for me to consistently get in enough calories; I’m doing a better job these days, but it’s definitely one of the trickier things for me. I don’t like too many junk calories for the sake of calories, and I’m a diva about meat quality (I spend all my money on food, basically) – there are some things I can definitely gorge on (Mexican), but I feel like crap if I eat too much low nutrient highly processed stuff, so the “just eat more fast food to gain” thing; while I’ve tried it, really does not work sustainably.

With regard to weight classes; I typically compete in the 140-180 lbs class (I am about 170 now and used to float around 160); sometimes there is a 160 lbs subclass (like at Strongman Corporation Nationals) and the other amateur fed I compete in, USS, has a 165 lbs class and I cut a little weight. It’s pretty easy for me to cut about 8-10 lbs of water, so I’ve never had a super hard weight-cut. In general, I don’t think most people should cut weight while they’re starting out, especially if they only have a few years of lifting in them – they just have so much growing to do. That said, the limited weight th classes in strongwoman kind of force a lot of people to cut, unless they want to get absolutely stomped by people way bigger than them. My class has a lot of people who walk around at 190ish and cut down; if you’re 155 and lean, you’re gonna HAVE to do a hard cut to 140, or struggle to put on weight. I have way too big a frame at almost 5’9 to ever cut to 140 (lol), so my lifting life is just a constant battle to gain weight strategically without making myself miserable.  

If you’re trying to figure out weight classes; get a few opinions from a seasoned coaches and/or nutritionists. If you’re a woman, be especially leery about cutting unless you absolutely have to.

Q: This interview has already gone on crazy long, but at some point I will have to get you to expound upon why women shouldn’t cut weight. Part of the reason I was interested in this interview for for stuff like that- there are significant gender differences that I don’t think most male coaches are equipped to tackle when it comes to female competitors, like water shedding/weight cutting for women. You are a mysterious bunch of creatures and your bodies work far different from a lean male’s, in my experience.

On a less intensive note, what are your top five movies and books, and what are your favorite albums for training?

A: Books – all time top two; Frank Herbert’s Dune and Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire (his other historical fiction is solid, and his books on being an artist/writer were immensely helpful to me).

Childhood favorite I’m due for a re-read: Lord of the Rings.

Two I’ve read recently that were both fantastic books that gave me life-tools and blew my mind (esp the latter), Atomic Habits by James Clear, and The Chaos Protocols by Gordon White. Honorable mentions, The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge, which kickstarted my interest in neuroplasticity and radical intentional self-development, and Food of the Gods by Terence McKenna, which almost convinced me to drop caffeine cold turkey on philosophical principles (I managed to cut caffeine for a month about a year later, out of curiosity. It was a worthwhile experiment, but I’m back on the sauce). That’s six, sue me.

Movies – This is tough, but some all time faves I find incredibly re-watchable are 28 Days Later, Constantine, LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring, T2, Serenity, The Matrix, Equilibrium.

Music – I just started listening to this band Heilung that makes badass sounding folk music inspired by Iron and Viking Age texts that is surely going to become regular training and meditation music. Simulation Theory by Muse is a pretty constant listen (only a few tracks that are up tempo enough for training, but it’s a great album), and Blood for Blood’s Outlaw Anthems is an oldie but a goodie for angry days. I listen to a lot of mixes that are very random combos of shitty mainstream pop (Despacitooooo), rap (Anything POS or Astronautalis, they recently came out with a collar album called 6666 that is awesome, the opening track Nobody’s Biz in particular), and whatever Spotify recommends based on the band Des Rocs, who’s another recent favorite. Zeal & Ardor, an experimental metal band that mixes spiritual-devotional mixed with black metal (“Gravediggers Chant” is great). Oh, lest I forget, Akira the Don, a dj who mixes audio from people like Jocko Willink and Alan Watts into chill and upbeat lofi songs; I love it. Most of it’s a little too low key for training, but I think it’s the bee’s knees in general.

Q: I am so with you on Gates of Fire– I’ve written multiple times that I’ve used that book as a preworkout in the past. I still get chills reading that book, and I’ve likely read it a dozen times! The Chaos Protocols was definitely a great book, and it was interesting to see the principles of chaos magic applied to personal finance, because as White said, chaos magicians are never money motivated people.

Last one. Fuck, Marry, Kill- Derek Poundstone, Mariusz Pudzianowski, and Hafþór Björnsson.

A: Pudz is arguably the hottest, and well rounded. I’m gonna have to say fuck Derek, marry Pudz and kill Thor. I like Thor, but Derek is an OG.

DAAAAAAAAMN. YOU KILLED THOR!?! Hahaha. That was an awesome way to end it. So plug whatever you have to plug- online coaching, upcoming projects, Asher, and whatever else you have!

A: The Patreon for Asher is now live! You can also bookmark AshertheSeries.com, follow @AshertheSeries on IG, or email me to get on the mailing list for updates (carapatriciabrennan@gmail.com). You can watch all 5 episodes of Season 1 on YouTube (links at AshertheSeries.com). If you dig it, leaving a comment, subscribing to our YouTube (Lonely Cow), Liking it, and sending it to friends goes a long way. Advertising on par with big studios is not feasible yet, so word of mouth is greatly appreciated. The more grassroots support we get, the more we can keep investing the building the show. If you’re interested in investing in production, feel free to email me at the above address as well.

I also offer online interactive coaching for general fitness and strongman; I would love to help someone prep for a strongman competition. If you’re in NYC I offer one on one training in Manhattan. Same email above if you’d like to learn more.

If you want to connect with me on social media, follow me and shoot me a DM at @captainstarbuck (as in BSG, not the coffee) on Instagram. I’m not on Facebook a ton and don’t friend people much anymore, so you can Like my Cara Brennan or Asher the Series page (which I would greatly appreciate) but I don’t really answer friend requests.

These were some great questions, thanks for inviting me on the site!

Up next, I’ve got an article about Zuver’s Gym, which was the ultimate gym on the planet (if you could put up with the religious music) while it existed, then finishing up the Bill West series after that. If you’ve been missing the porn, expect some in the Zuver’s entry, which is certain to earn me no friends whatsoever among fans of the Christian Muscularity movement, but fuck it- I’m here to win. I ain’t tryin’ to make friends.

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