Training Log: Entry 3531

**OPERATION PLANET MONGO**

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 1

MAIN WORK

Buffalo Bar Squat (higher bar)

3x5x295

ALTERNATE w/

Axle strict press from rack

3x5x153+1 push press rep per set

4 chins between sets (55 total by end)

ASSISTANCE

20 minute EMOM of

* 9 dips

* 4 chins

* 2 Hanging leg raises

* 10 pull aparts

Lateral raise dropset (35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty hands)

CONDITIONING

8 rounds on the rower

* 30 seconds max effort

* 60 seconds rest

3 minute cooldown

Notes:

*  I put the bar at practically high bar height today, just to see how it felt.  It was a little tougher than my stupidly low bar height, but still within my abilities, which I think might be a solid way forward on the lightest week of the cycle.  Spares my forearms some pain, gets me stronger, gives me room to grow.   Really focusing on sinking the depth.  The video is unsatisfying, but I know I’m out of ROM at the bottom.

* Went with sets of 6 for chins on the warm-up, which got me to 30 total.  They’re feeling better and better, which is the goal of Planet Mongo.  I went without the chins yesterday, but did get in the sandbag.  I’m feeling better about managing the balancing act here.

* Press felt solid enough.

* My chins felt better on the assistance circuit, but still fell apart a bit at the end.  I used the underhand grip more, which helped.  Meanwhile, dips continue to climb, and this week I got 180 in the 20 minutes, which is 40 more than what I started with.  It dawned on me how this day pretty much is BtM day 1: 3x5 squats, 3x5 press, and all the same assistance work.  Just slightly different percentages.  

* I really liked the interval I came up with on the rower.  1:2 work to rest ratio really seems to be pretty gold as far as power output goes.  Saw my heart rate get into the 130s.  

* Weighed in at 81.1kg.  That’s a 1kg drop from last week.  These continue to be post carb-up weigh ins, for the sake of consistency, and I’ll throw in a Thursday weigh in as well when I’m fairly depleted to keep that standard tracked, but things continue to trend in the leaning out direction with the Maximum Definition Diet.  Last night was spaghetti with 93% lean grassfed piedmontese meat sauce, some breadsticks, and a dessert of 2 cookies and 2 brownies from the Valkyrie with some honey and a mug of fairlife skim.  Upon reflection, this actually was a pretty light weekend for food.  We went out more than we usually do, for the Mother’s Day weekend, and aside from my full rack of ribs on Friday, I was eating lighter portions from a combination of 1: being so goddamn full from those ribs and 2: going out to eat and not wanting to buy 2 entrees worth of food.  We’re pretty good at family style these days, and so I split my rice and mac salad at the Hawaiian BBQ place between the kiddo and the Valkyrie and they gave me some extra helpings of BBQ chicken and kalbi ribs, and at First Watch I gave the Valkyrie and kiddo my fruit and toast in exchange for their breakfast sausage, sunny side up eggs and butter, but even still, it’s lighter fare than usual.  I say it not to complain (I still love how little food I need to be satiated for a LONG time), but more to document in case I see a bump up next week.

* Heck, while I’m talking about food, lemme just say that this week started week 3 of chuck roast for breakfast, and like a dog with kibble, I am SO excited for my breakfast every morning.  It’s legit what motivates me to get out of bed and train: knowing that I have that waiting for me at the end of the workout.  I genuinely don’t know if there’s ever any going back from this Maximum Definition Diet approach.

* I’m thinking VERY far into the future and thinking about my mass gaining phase after my second round of Operator before my competition on 26 Jul.  I came up with the idea of taking Grey Man and making it Building the Monolith-esque.  Instead of A/B/A, B/A/B, just stick with A/B/A on repeat each week.  This would have me squatting twice a week and deadlifting once a week, and that deadlift workout would be a ROM progression mat pull cycle.  I’d pair a press with the squat workout, because I’m prioritizing that lift, and then a bench press with the deadlift workout.  This makes the assistance pretty simple to figure out as well: I’d put GHRs on the squat days and lever squats on the deadlift day, so I’m still training posterior and anterior chain 3x a week.  I’m thinking either incline bench or dips on the press days, and behind the neck press on the bench days.  For that “either incline or dips” discussion, I could legit do 1 on 1 day and 1 on the other, but I’d be straying a bit far from the frequency principle at that point.  I’d want some back work, although there’s a fair chance I’ll keep the chins between sets of everything as that’s been good to bring back.  So perhaps make chins a “free movement” and then have a row on the press days: either DB rows or a landmine row.  What’s left is not programmed assistance: abs, reverse hyper, pull aparts, and possibly some shrugs.  I learned from my last go-round that I don’t want to program weight/loads for those things.  And there’s a fair chance I’ll keep in the daily sandbags, and perhaps be naughty on the weekends and still do some sort of strongman loading work, taking full accountability of the impact it will have on my recovery.  I’ve run the Mass Protocol in earnest at least one time: I get to play around with it now and take full responsibility for my actions.  

* My kid is done with music theater for the season, so we get our Monday nights back.  I’ll still most likely get in some sort of walk today after dinner, but it’ll be good to breathe.