Realized this is actually the start of a second cycle, rather than week 4 of the first cycle, since the maxes have been reset. Mass protocol goes in 3 week waves vs 6.
Hips didn’t bother me today like they have in previous weeks. In general, a good recovery day on the rower. Still have to fight the temptation to turn this into a real workout, but that’s what specificity is for.
Keg carry was 201lbs last night. Tang Soo Do tonight. It’s sparring week, and we should earn our new belts tonight. Valkyrie and I will be 2nd Gups, meaning only 2 more belts before black and kiddo will be a 3rd Gup. Crazy how close we’re getting.
Monday, August 18, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3596
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 1
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo bar squats 4x8x300
Axle strict press from rack 4x8x143
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) DB incline bench 4x12x60s
DB row 4x12x115
GHR 4x12x20.4
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up 3x10
Lateral raise 50x10lb
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
2 min rest on main cluster, 1 min rest on supplemental, except final set of DB incline was 90 seconds
Changed up the chins to do sets of 3 between sets of main work, rather than 1 big set at the end. Going to see how I respond. Should be gentler on the elbows to stay so far away from failure.
Felt very strong for this workout, which is funny because I spent the weekend feeling physically exhausted. Between the heat and the martial arts testing, I was beat. But squats and pressing felt awesome.
Weighed 82.5kg post workout. Last night was the carby meal: baked spaghetti, and 5 of the Valkyrie’s cookies (3 oatmeal peanut butter butterscotch, 2 vanilla cake with triple chocolate chips) with some raw local honey and a mug of fairlife skim.
Yesterday’s keg carry was 200lbs.
Friday, August 15, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3595
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week, 3, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo bar squat (low bar) 5x3x332
Axle strict press from rack 5x3x156
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 4x8x65s
DB row 4x8x125
GHRs 4x8x40lb vest
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
2 min rest on main cluster, 1 min for rest
Stayed up late last night. We had tickets to see Penn and Teller live. My kid actually got called up on stage to help with a trick. Totally worth it. But it meant I came into the workout dragging.
Set the bar lower on my back for this one. There’s a relationship between how low on my back I set the bar and how good my right knee feels, as I trade off knee flexion with hip flexion at that point. I did the first workout of the week with higher bar placement: maybe I’ll make that a thing I do moving forward. Workout 1 higher bar, workout 2 lower bar. The tradeoff with the lower bar is that it places more stress on my forearms.
On that note, I’m thinking the prudent choice is to do 3-6 week cycles with the buffalo bar, then switch to SSB or SSB front squats for the 3 weeks of specificity or operator. Mixing things up, getting stronger and getting less beat up.
Incline benching is feeling stronger. Wonder if I just needed to relearn the movement.
Got our Tang Soo Do belt test tomorrow, so I’ll most likely not do the stone work. The tests tend to run for 2.5 hours in full uniform in the summer, so they’re a workout.
Last night’s keg carry was 196lbs.
Thursday, August 14, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3594
AM WORKOUT (0355 natural wake up)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 4
“GO RUCK YOURSELF”
Treadmill walk w/20.4lb tac vest
Speed: 3.5mph Incline: 4.0 Distance: 5.25 miles Time: 90 minutes
Notes:
This felt much better than last week. Far less awareness throughout the process: was able to just shut off my mind and go for a walk. Right calf is kinda bunched up and crampy: most likely dehydrated.
Took my Thursday weigh in at 80.8kg, which is a 2kg drop from Tuesday but also a .2kg increase from last week, so I’m moving in the right direction, slowly but surely. It is nuts given the sheer volume of food I’m eating. It times out well, as my kid is now walking to school vs my driving them there, because my breakfasts are taking longer to eat these days and I’m making use of the extra time. I remember having a similar issue with Deep Water: you just run out of time to eat all the food you need to eat.
Tang Soo Do was an ok workout last night. Nothing too strenuous, but got the heart rate up. Which, speaking of, still clocking in around 37-39 for RHR.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 195lbs. 20lbs up from the start of this process.
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3593
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press 5x3x241
(4) Texas Deadlift bar mat pulls 12+5+5x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat 4x8x227.5
Dip/axle curl superset 4x8x65/73
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset 3x15x320/3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
2 minutes rest between bench, 1 min for rest of workout, 12 deep breaths between pulls on mat pulls
Unlike last week, my knee wasn’t feeling super awesome before this workout, but just the normal amount of discomfort. But, in turn, my mat pulls felt much stronger this week compared to last week. Interesting how that works out.
Lever belt squats were quite challenging. I want to bring back something to reach out and hold onto to help keep my posture upright. I’ll have to remember that next workout.
Dips were challenging as well. Weights seem well dialed in for this workout in general.
Keg carry yesterday was 193.5lbs. Tang Soo Do wasn’t too terribly challenging of a workout. We have one more class tonight, then skipping Thursday’s class and our belt test on Saturday.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3592
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 2
“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”
21 minute low intensity row
Notes:
Just getting in the work here. Keeping intensity low and recovering from training. Body feeling pretty good. This tends to make my hips ache a little, just because it’s a lot of sitting for 1 time.
Didn’t weigh in yesterday, since it was weird schedule wise. Weighed in this morning at 82.8kg Quite a jump, but I don’t normally do Tuesday weigh ins, and I ate out quite a bit, so I’m not going to consider it a relevant datapoint.
Tang Soo Do tonight. Family seems healthy enough that we should be able to make it.
Monday, August 11, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3591
AM WORKOUT (1145, day off work)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 1
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo Bar Squat 4x3x332
Axle strict press from rack 4x3x156
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) DB incline bench 4x8x65s
DB row 4x8x125
GHR 4x8x40lb vest
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Took the day off work, slept in and got this knocked out with the kiddo and Valkyrie had lunch.
Heaviest week and fewest reps, it moves fast. 2 minutes rest between sets on main cluster, 1 minute for everything else.
Went without weight on the sit-ups. I get a better ROM that way.
Putting the bar pretty high on my back for the squats for as long as I can get away with it.
Really trying to focus on pulling with my back on the rows. Could feel my right elbow being a little sensitive, so I’ll keep an eye on that.
Already did my keg carry today, 192.5lbs.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3590
AM WORKOUT (0900)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 6
EMOM Stone of Steel over bar >10 minutes >160lb stone >50” bar >4 reps on first 2 rounds, 3 reps for remainder
Notes:
Very first round my lower back felt stiff, but after that came back into my own. Really getting a solid conditioning hit out of this. Nice to let the weight be a little lighter.
Also got in some general activity today with lawn care and my morning push ups and squat
Friday, August 8, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3589
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo Bar Squat 5x6x312
Axle strict press from rack 5x6x143
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 4x10x60s
DB row 4x10x115
GHR 4x10x20.4lb tac carrier
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups 2x10x20.4 10xBW
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
* 2 minutes rest between main cluster work, 1 minute between supplemental/assistance
* Implemented my plan of doing 5 sets for the main work on this workout compared to the 4 on Monday, allowing for progression between the two workouts
* I honestly wasn’t feeling too awesome coming into this workout, but I performed well. Kiddo was sick earlier, Valkyrie has been down for a few days, there’s a chance that I may have something, or it could just be the stress of keeping all the plates spinning while the family is down.
* I realized in the middle of this workout that I completely biffed Wednesday’s workout. Along with doing too many reps on the main work, I did too few on the supplemental work: sets of 8 instead of 10. I jacked up that whole thing, but thankfully that’s my once a week workout. I can recover next week.
* Shucked off the vest for the final set of sit ups. Really want to focus on getting the abdominals to contract vs letting the hip flexors take over.
* Scrubbed TSD last night, but we should be good for next week.
This actually felt pretty rough today. It wasn’t exhausting or anything: I just never settled into a rhythm. Usually, after the first 2 laps, I can just shut off my brain and watch some television, but today I was aware of every step until about the 11th lap, and then I came back online around the 14th.
Was a little sedentary yesterday. Got caught in a rainstorm on my way into work and my boots were soaked all day, so I didn’t want to go on my lunchtime walk with waterlogged feet. We pushed off Tang Soo Do for one more night as well, to let the Valkyrie heal up.
Right knee is continuing to feel incredible. Wonder if going from 3x a week squats to 2x has been the difference maker.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 186lbs.
Weighed in this morning at 80.6kg. That’s a .5kg DROP from last week, along with a .9kg drop from the start of the week and a 1.3kg drop from yesterday. I did sweat a bit during this workout, but still, it’s fun to watch this happen as the food intake goes up.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3587
AM WORKOUT (0352 natural wake up)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press 5x8x211 (supposed to be sets of 6)
(5) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls 12+5+5x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat 4x10x210
Dip/axle curl superset 4x10x55/66
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset 3x15x320/3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Good night of sleep, just woke up slightly before the alarm and decided to make the most of it.
Body is feeling the best it’s felt in a long time. Right knee is pain free. We also skipped Tang Soo Do last night since the Valkyrie was still feeling sick, and I can’t ignore that correlation. I do think the 3 nights in a row of martial arts take their toll on me, despite this being not very intense training.
In that regard, breaking the bar off on deadlifts was a struggle today until I finished the first set of the mat pulls. The follow ups felt a lot more natural and strong. Not quite sure what happened there. Still not pushing to my absolute limit.
I mixed up my supplemental and main work set reps, and did sets of 8 on the bench, only realizing my mistake after set 4. Decided to just finish it out, and I’ll recalculate my max based on today’s performance.
Weighed in at 81.9kg this morning. Just gathering data points. Hydration is getting a little unique as weather changes.
Keg carry last night was 185lbs, marking 10lbs added since the start of this experimentt.
Tang Soo Do may get scrubbed again tonight.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3586
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie's alarm)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 2
"ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BLOAT"
21 minute recovery row
Notes:
* The times on this workout vary based on how quickly I get downstairs to the rowing machine. In this instance, the Valkyrie was down sick yesterday, so when her alarm went off, I checked on her to see how she was doing and see if she needed anything. Since this is a recovery workout, a few minutes is pretty inconsequential.
* The sleeping in also helps make this a good recovery day in general. I'm really happy I've included this weekly. And my body is feeling pretty awesome as well. This is leading me to believe I was running Operator a bit too hard, but part of that too was that my nutrition was set up for making weight rather than building. Even though Mass Protocol is "harder" training, the recovery modalities are in place to make it work.
* Keg carry was 183.5 yesterday. Tang Soo Do may not happen tonight: Valkyrie is still feeling a little down, and it's one-steps night, so she's my training partner. I'm not too heart broken either way.
Monday, August 4, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3585
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREYMAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 1
MAIN CLUSTER
SSB Squat
4x6x312
Axle strict press from rack
4x6x146
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench
4x10x60s
DB rows
4x10x115
GHRs
4x10x20.4lb tac carrier
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up
3x10x20.4
Lateral raise dropset
35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands
50 band pull aparts
Chins throughout the workout
Notes:
* 2 min rest between main cluster work, 1 min rest between assistance
* I am excited to train, which is awesome. The training itself is still miserable, but being in a building phase my motivation is always turned up. Knowing that what you’re doing is contributing to growth just really inspires things.
* The squats felt smoother than last week. Sunk right to the bottom, rather than having a 2 phase eccentric. Focused on keeping the bar higher on my back, trying not to go fully low bar crazy. Did notice my feet have gotten a little wider, but I’m just going to use what come natural.
* It’s crazy how much faster this workout went. Cutting out those few reps in the main cluster really seems to pay out. It gave me room to get in those lateral raises.
* Yesterday’s keg carry weight was 187.5lbs. Also got in a 3 mile walk with the tac vest on, alongside mowing the lawn/various yard work. Sunday is just an activity day.
* Weighed in 81.5kg this morning, which is a .1kg drop from last week. Had my carb meal of bacon cheeseburger casserole: 1lb piedmontese 93% lean, 5 strips no sugar added Costco bacon, 1.5 cups shredded Tillamook cheddar, 1 pint of heavy cream, 1 pack of drum wheat pasta, some chopped up pickles, various seasonings, all prepped in a skillet. Served alongside 3 sunny side up eggs, and dessert was 5 of the Valkyrie’s cookies (3 peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip, 2 chocolate chip butterscotch) topped with raw honey with a mug of fairlife skim. I feel like, with each week I include the meal, my body’s ability to use the food improves. Metabolic flexibility.
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3584
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 6
Stone of Steel over bar EMOM
* 160lb stone
* 50" bar
* Triples for 10 rounds
Notes:
* Lightened up the weight, since I'm away from a comp now and it gives me a chance to heal, and it means more reps so greater conditioning effect. Was nice to get away from the sandbag for a bit and re-develop skills
* Keg carry was 181lbs today
Friday, August 1, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3583
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo bar squat (low bar)
5x8x290
Axle strict press
4x8138
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 55s
2x12x55s
10x55
11+3x55 (rest pause)
DB row
4x12x105
GHRs
4x12
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups
3x10
Various chins between sets
Notes:
* 2 minutes rest between main cluster work, 1 min between supplemental/assistance
* In reviewing the video, it looks like the GHRs/sit ups never recorded.
* Got in 1 more set on the squats compared to Monday. Wanted to get in 1 more set on the press as well, to make that the protocol between Mon and Fri, but 4 sets was definitely the limit. I failed on the 8th rep of the 4th set.
* Struggled with the incline DB benching as well. My right should has been a little buggy this week, so maybe that’s at play. I don’t want to tweak the maxes yet: I’ll see how next week treats me.
* My abs have been torn up since Monday. Those GHR sit ups have been a good slap in the face for me. Glad I brought them back.
* Bar slipped down my back on the third set of squats again. That seems to be the witching hour for me. I’ll have to remember to chalk up starting there in the future. It will eventually be cool enough that I can wear a shirt while I train again, which will help. I also made a point to sink these as deep as I could, so now I know, if it looks bad on video, that's just how my squats look.
* We ended up skipping Tang Soo Do last night: kiddo is under the weather.
