Standing ab wheel 1x10 w/10 second plank on final rep
Chins through workout
Notes:
1 min rest on first 3 sets of squats, then 90 seconds. 1 min for all lever belt. 2 minutes on axle. 1:30, 1:45, 1:55 on DB bench. 2 minutes on dips.
There is certainly a reality where I could have gotten all 4 sets of squats with just 1 minute of rest between sets, but I imagine it would have taken more out of me and compromised the remainder of the workout. It’s what I dig about this protocol: I make the first day as strict as possible so I have room to stretch out on the second day.
Because of all the slightly longer rest periods, I had to cut the ab work short at the end, so I held a plank on the final rep to make it suck more.
For the dips, I rest paused to get all the remaining reps. I’m going to keep that weight for next week, since it’s sets of 8, and see if I can do it with shorter rest periods.
Weighed in at 83.4kg this morning, which is my more traditional weigh in day. That’s a delta of .7kg from Monday.
Keg carry yesterday was 238.5lbs. It’s definitely feeling heavy on the return trip, although carrying it on deadlift day will typically feel heavy.
Tang Soo Do was a decent workout last night. Final night of it tonight.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3621
AM WORKOUT (0333 natural wake up, snoozed until 0400)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 3
MAIN WORK
(5) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls 11+5+5x455
DB rows 5x10x120
Axle curls 5x10x70
GHRs 5x10x40
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up 3x10
Reverse hyper/band pull apart superset circuit (no rest, back and forth) 3x15x340/3x50
Notes:
1 minute rest between sets of everything, except 90 seconds for final set of curls
The mat pulls were in an interesting place, where the weight felt heavy on all the warm-ups, and I acknowledged that it was heavy during the work sets, but it moved easier than it did last week. No pain either. It was as though I had it in my head that it was going to feel so heavy that it managed to just be reasonable when the time came to perform. Goal was 10 reps on the first pull and I got 11. Blew out a bunch of blood vessels in my shoulders as well. Like old times. I feel my strength coming back well.
Weight belt is still fitting well this deep into gaining, and I’m not looking sloppy. Feel like I’ve really landed on something solid here.
Weighed in at 83.7kg this morning: .4 drop from Monday. I typically weigh in on Thurs, but we’re getting a break in heat today, so I figured today would be my closest to a post-sweat weigh in that I typically got on Thursdays.
Tang Soo Do was a solid workout last night. Tonight should be similar. Sprained my thumb on my left hand either in class or in my sleep: it’s swollen, but not enough to impact training.
Keg carry yesterday was 237.5lbs. It felt pretty light, but the return trips are getting slower and slower.
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3620
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 2
“ROWER RESET 20S”
5 rounds on the rower
20 seconds max effort
2 minutes rest
8 minute cooldown row
Notes:
Much better power output today compared to last week: I got back into the groove. Was actually pulling the rower off the floor with my strokes. Also was able to shave a minute off the final rest time compared to last week and still get in the power output.
My body feels a lot better after these days. Good restorative effect between the power work and the cooldown. I abide by the “no more than 20 minutes” rule and use that to determine my cooldown time.
Keg carry yesterday was 236lbs.
Tang So Do tonight. It’s “Wildcard cardio” week, so should be a decent workout. I haven’t achieved my 10k step goal over the past 3 days, so it’ll be good to get in some extra activity.
Monday, September 15, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3619
AM WORKOUT (0402 natural wake up: didn’t set my first alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvpPnGlK48
MAIN WORK
SSB squat 4x10x260
Lever belt squat 4x10x205
Axle strict press from rack 3x10x123 1x8+2x123
(3) DB incline bench 4x10x65s
Dips 10x55 9x55 10x55 8+3x55
ASSISTANCE
Standing ab wheel 3x10
Lateral raises 50x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Rest 1 minute between sets for the lower body work. Went 60-90-120 on the axle, 60-75-75 on the DB, and 60-120-120 on the dips.
The squats remain a total ball buster but still within my capabilities. The pressing is challenging. Rest paused as needed.
Keg carry was 235lbs yesterday.
Weighed in at 84.1kg this morning. I’m keeping quite lean through this gaining process this time. Think the 2 meal a day approach has paired well.
Last night was the family meal. We reheated the baked spaghetti from last week, alongside some bread fried in ghee, 3 sunny side up eggs, and 5 of the Valkyrie’s peanut butter oatmeal cookies with some local raw honey and some fairlife skim milk.
This is log worthy: our grocery store had a special of $.99 per pound of pork shoulder. I picked up 3, ranging from 8.5-9lbs. We already have one on the pressure cooker for tonight, and the Valkyrie says we may just have to do weekly kalua pigs to make use of this deal. That’s a good situation to be in. Suffice it to say, pork is going to continue being a regular in the rotation.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3618
PM WORKOUT (1930)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 1, Workout 6
Stone of Steel over bar
Notes:
160lb stone, 50” bar, 3 rounds of 1 min on/2 minutes off
Got 8 reps in the first round, 9 in the final 2
Technique felt sharp. I was exhausted today, as I drove 5 hours total so we could go see a new puppy we’re planning on getting. 2.5 hours down, see the pup for an hour, 2.5 hours back, then dinner and got this done.
Keg carry yesterday was 232.5lbs. Did the keg carry right after this workout with 233.5. The keg felt light, after the stone work.
Took 1 min rest on everything except for the curls, which were 90 seconds.
For the chins, I got through the first 2 sets without rest pause, and then rest paused as needed for the remainder, but was able to at least get through 7 reps before needing to break. I’m deciding between add weight and adding reps for the follow on.
This was a good training day in general. It’s weird not having a “big” lift, but it felt good as far as sparing my body weight. No spinal loading, and no knee flexion work, so my body gets a little break but I still got a pretty solid pump.
I woke up fantastically sore. Novel stimulus is still working.
Very decent pump from the chins. Curls were tough. Felt some good hamstring cramping on the GHRs.
Another low intensity night at Tang Soo Do, but high IQ sorta stuff. It’s fun learning new material with the new belt.
Keg carry was 231lbs yesterday, and felt much lighter than yesterday’s 230lbs I carry this thing down my driveway and then back up, which means it’s a slight downhill incline down and uphill incline up. I’m feeling that incline a lot more these days…
Forecasting the future, I have a bridge week and then 3 weeks of Operator coming up, and I think I may actually use those 4 weeks to do the 10k swing challenge as my conditioning work for Operator. It should slot well: just do the swings and bodyweight work for the bridge week, and then do swings and bodyweight work after the lifting of Operator. I can then also do swings and a ruck for conditioning and then some sort of swing based HIC. I’m liking this idea because it reduces decision fatigue, and gives me a chance to actually run the challenge legit for once. We’ll see, but so far it’s where I’m leaning.
Another decent back shot for the thumbnail. I’ve been eating my face off for 7 weeks and haven’t put on any appreciable bodyfat: that’s pretty awesome.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3616
AM WORKOUT (0355 natural wake up)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 1, Workout 3
MAIN WORK
SSB squat 4x12x240
Lever belt squat 4x12x200
Axle strict press from rack 3x12x113 1x10+2x113
(3) DB incline bench 4x12x60s
Dips 3x12x30 1x10+2x30
ASSISTANCE
Standing ab wheel 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Phone ran out of memory: full workout not captured. But I got the squats, and those were the most brutal part.
1 minute rest for all the lower body work. For the press, went 90 seconds, 1:45 and 2:00 respectively. For the incline, went 60-90-1:45. For the dips, went 90-120-120.
Strict 1 minute rests between those squats is absolutely brutal. I’m a big fan of what that brings to the table as far as new stimulus goes. For a 3 week wave, this is definitely valuable.
Kept those rests short on the first workout for this exact situation: was able to push the rests a little longer while still staying within program parameters. The pressing was challenging, but should be beneficial.
That pinched nerve in my back has resolved thankfully.
Last night’s Tang Soo Do was light on activity again but high on learning. Another night tonight should round us out.
Keg carry was 230lbs yesterday. It felt heavy, but that tends to be the case when I do it on the day I do deadlifts.
Weighed in at 83.6kg this morning. Thursday was typically my lighter weigh in, because it was after 90 minutes of walking, but that’s changed with this program. I’m still including it, because it’s 4 days post carb load and a decent enough data point.
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3615
AM WORKOUT (0352 wake up via alarm, snooze until 0400)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 1, Workout 3
MAIN WORK
(6) Texas Deadlift bar Mat Pulls 11+5+5x455
DB rows 5x12x100
Axle curls 5x12x60
GHRs 5x12x20.4
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups 3x10
Reverse hyper/band pull apart superset circuit (no rest, just back and forth) 3x12x340/3x50
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
1 minute rest between all movements.
Went with 5 sets here, since I’m doing 1 fewer movement than my push day. Timed out about the same, so that works well.
Those mat pulls had a tough start, but not a painful one, which is a big difference. The follow-up pulls on the sets of 5 felt stronger. The weight feels heavy in general, but a part of that is that I’m not taking a deload between cycles. Instead, my bridge week will hit at the end of this cycle of Specificity, so right in the middle of the cycle.
Pinched a nerve in my upper back on my left side at some point. Felt it during the rows. Minorly annoying. I’m dealing with sprained fingers on that same side, so I’ve got some nerve dysfunction going on in general.
Didn’t get footage of the reverse hypers, just because I was dealing with some technical issues.
Tang Soo Do had us learning new material last night, which was fun. We’ll reinforce tonight.
Keg carry yesterday was 228.5lbs.
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3614
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 1, Workout 2
“REST 20s” rower
5 rounds of 20 seconds max intensity
5 minute low intensity cooldown.
Notes:
2 minutes rest between first 4 rounds, 3 minutes for final round. Emphasis was on being fully recovered and able to give maximum effort for the 20 seconds, making it a for real sprint. I need a few more sessions to really dial in my ability to do that: it’s been a while since I’ve really gone to town on the rower.
I was divided between this and Fobbits, but decided the latter was a bit too similar to what I’ve been doing for the past training block and wanted to introduce something new. The change in stimulus should be good. Meanwhile, the cooldown still gives me a recovery effect.
Keg carry last night was 227.5lbs. I went with my Elitefts SHD knee sleeves this time.
Just one day on specificity and already my connective tissue feels better. I’m sore muscularly, but not beat down like I’ve been. It’s a good change.
Tang Soo Do tonight. It’s one-steps week, which tends to be pretty light in activity.
Monday, September 8, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3613
AM WORKOUT (0350 natural wake up, snoozed until 0400)
TACTICAL BARBELL SPECIFICITY BRAVO
Operation MILO Cycle 3, Week 1, Workout 1
MAIN WORK
SSB Squat 4x12x215
Lever belt squat 4x12x182.5
Axle strict press from rack 3x12x103 1x10+2x103 (rest pause)
1 minute rest between sets, except for final set of strict press and incline bench (90 seconds rest)
I have missed strict 1 minute rest between hard sets of main lifts. It’s a different kind of challenge, and keeps me sharp and honest. The light weights are a good break for my body as well. And it’s why I’m such a big fan of this system in general, because after this cycle I’ll swing into Operator, where it will be heavy with longer rests.
Went with 4 sets with everything just to see how my time shook out at the end. As you can see with all the assistance work at the end, I had ample time, which means I can do more sets next time and/or take longer rests as things get heavy. My strategy is to take as little rest as possible as early as I can so that I have room to rest longer as things get harder. I’m also figuring on hitting more sets on the lighter workouts so I can do fewer sets on the heavier. Lots of room to maneuver.
Since I’m already doing 3 kinds of pressing exercises, I cut out flat bench. It makes the most sense from a logistics standpoint, as you can see the set-up I’m working with. I’ve contemplated adding another lower body lift, but Jim Wendler said something recently that has resonated with my own training history, and that is that the lower body just doesn’t seem to need as much assistance as the upper body to grow, and when we slam it with too much, it has the reverse effect.
Weighed in at 83.5kg this morning. Really enjoyed the family meal yesterday: bacon cheeseburger alfredo casserole, using pancetta, piedmontese 93% lean grassfed beef, drum wheat pasta, grassfed cheddar, and some good quality cream, alongside 2 biscuits with grassfed butter and raw local honey and then 5 of the Valkyrie’s homemade cookies with some more honey and some fairlife skim milk. In terms of “all things health”, I’ve noticed how much I look forward to my Sundays now, where I take a day off of training and enjoy a meal that we all cook together as a family, whereas before I had to really talk myself into these days. It’s a nice place to be in.
Keg carry was 226lbs yesterday. Felt light.
My back looks pretty awesome in that thumbnail.
Friday, September 5, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3612
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN (FINAL LIFTING WORKOUT)
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 3, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo bar squat (low bar) 5x3x340
Axle strict press from rack 5x3x163
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) DB incline bench 4x8x70s
DB row 4x8x125
GHRs 4x8x50s
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups 3x10
Lateral raise 50x10lb
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Was dragging this morning. Felt some allergies before bed, popped Benadryl and was still feeling it in the morning. Valkyrie also reminded me that we did lunges in Tang Soo Do on Wed, and they really had my knees wrecked (I appreciate Dan John’s sentiment that those who can do lunges don’t need to do lunges, and those who can’t shouldn’t), so I was just beat. Knowing that this was the final workout gave me some consolation, and once I started things felt better.
Went up to the full 5 sets for the squat and the press. The squats were slow, but form was solid, and press was strong.
Didn’t have the bandwidth for my full on lateral raise work, but getting in some work felt good.
Keg carry last night was 222.5lbs. Tang Soo Do was a moderate workout.
Valkyrie and I are going out tonight for that whole hog live fire dinner. May not post any photos for Operation MILO, but I’ll be eating well between pulled pork, open fire grilled chicken, and possibly some off menu items as well.
Woke up feeling really stiff. Combination of heavy deadlifts and a solid Tang Soo Do class last night. When I first joined, the demands of the martial art were pretty light, but as we’re getting more advanced more is being demanded of us. 3 nights in a row has me pretty stiff by the end of the week. The walk, in turn, tends to be pretty tonic.
Digestion seems to finally be in a better place. Was rough the past few days.
Weighed in at 81.1 post workout, which is pretty low. This week has been a bit unique in terms of food, so I’m not going to be too concerned about it, but something to keep an eye on. Plan is 3 more weeks of gaining with specificity, then 4 weeks of leaning out with a combination of bridge week and Operator, then back to gaining.
Keg carry was 221lbs yesterday.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3610
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 3, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press 5x3x246
Texas Deadlift Bar Deadlifts 10x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat 4x8x230
Dip/axle curl superset 4x8x70/76
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset 3x15x320/3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
I was excited for this training session, which is a great sign. This is my first early morning session since Thursday of last week: I’ve had a lot of opportunities to sleep in. Despite 0400 coming earlier than I remember, I was feeling strong and able, and it shone through on the deadlifts, which were the highlight of the workout.
I set a goal of 10 and achieved it, and shut it down at that point. I am pretty confident I could have fought for another rep, and 12 would have matched what I’ve been pulling all cycle, but this one particular workout wasn’t going to make me stronger: it was all the work leading up to it that mattered. This was more the realization of that effort, and it’s a 15lb PR from last cycle, so that’s just outstanding. To move more weight easier is exactly the goal.
I moved my body closer to the lever belt, and it helped take some pressure off my knee.
Keg carry yesterday was 220lbs.
Tang Soo Do wasn’t too stressful last night, but we got all the way through our new hyung, which impressed our instructor. He talked about how our whole family is timing out to test for black belt at the same time, and he’s never had that before. I’m happy for him that we can do that.
Digestion has been off these past few days. Wondering if Texas Roadhouse is to blame.
Weighed 83.3kg this morning. Wednesday is an atypical weigh in day for me, but schedule is different this week, and tonight we’re doing a ham for dinner, so sodium load is going to be higher than usual for tomorrow’s weigh in. Getting data points where I can.
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3609
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week, 3, Workout 2
“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”
21 minute recovery row
Notes:
Had a rough time sleeping last night. Was overheating and felt like I had some heart burn. Curious if all the pork is reacting poorly. I suppose this week will be an experiment in that.
My joints feel awesome though. Inflammation is reduced, and this recovery row really hit the spot.
We’ve been doing a little extra Tang Soo Do practice at home these past few nights, learning our new hyungs. We have a tournament in mid-October we want to be prepared for. We’ll have a legit class tonight.
Keg carry yesterday was 218.5lbs.
Monday, September 1, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3608
AM WORKOUT (1000)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 3, Workout 1
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo Bar Squat (higher bar) 4x3x340
Axle strict press from rack 4x3x163
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 4x8x70s
DB rows 4x8x125
GHRs 4x8x50lb vest
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Have the day off for Labor day, so slept in with the Valkyrie, fasted through breakfast while we went for a donut run, and got this done when I got home. It was nice to have a few more hours to let my hips and knees warm up.
Triples week is always nice. Goes by fast and I feel strong. I had the bar really high up on the squats and still felt solid. Elbows appreciated it.
Didn’t do the chins between warm ups sets, to make the workout go faster, so I could get back with the family.
Yesterday’s keg carry was 217.5. It’s been raining a ton, so I’ll see what carry conditions are like later today.
Saturday, August 30, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3607
PM WORKOUT (1400)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 6
EMOM Stone of Steel over Bar
160+lb stone, 50” bar
Pattern was 2x4, 1x3, repeat
Notes:
Honestly wasn’t feeling this today, but after mowing the lawn and doing some other yardwork for 2 hours, I felt warmed up enough.
This was a solid conditioning effort. Once again, more reps is getting me better technique. Along with getting my hands over the top of the stone, I did a better job popping up on my toes and getting decent extension on the stone. Felt it actually clearing the bar, vs rolling over it.
Lower back was a little stiff coming into this. I’m sore in general. Trying to keep the nutrition going, but Mass Protocol definitely hits different.
Already did my keg carry. Yesterday was 215, today was 216
Friday, August 29, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3606
AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo Bar Squat (low bar) 5x6x320
Axle strict press from rack 5x6x153
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 4x10x65s
DB rows 4x10x120
GHRs 4x10x40lb vest
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit ups 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
Got the day off work, so slept in until the Valkyrie’s alarm and got this knocked out before getting the kiddo up and taking them out for breakfast. Got those beef short ribs on the smoker for a post training meal. Going to be a good day.
I cut out the chins during the warm up to meet my timeline. Honestly wasn’t feeling super strong coming into this workout, but performed well enough. Learning the new stuff in Tang Soo Do is most likely beating me up a little.
Put the bar lower on my back today. Been a good habit of higher bar for the first workout and lower for the second. Also got the 5 sets on squats and press done.
This was the best one in a while. Time passed quickly. I honestly attribute it to picking a good show to watch (Marvel’s “Thunderbolts”, first time seeing it, so it had my attention).
I always wake up for this workout completely thrashed, since it’s the day after pulls, and come away from it feeling so much better.
Weighed in at 82.5kg. Gains are happening. Zero delta between Monday and Today, wheresa I typically see a 2kg drop there. Part of that MAY be that gigantic steak I had for dinner last night still needing to settle.
Tang Soo Do was a moderate workout last night. We got all the way through our new hyung. Will be drilling it some more tonight.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 212.5lbs. I started wearing my knee sleeves for the carry for the past 3 carries. I’ve technically altered the variables in doing so, but it feels better on my joints.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3604
AM WORKOUT (0353 natural wake up)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press 5x6x231
(2) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat pulls 12+3+3x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat 4x10x212.5
Dips/axle curl superset 4x10x57.5/71 (had to rest pause final rep of final set of dips)
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset 3x15x320/3x10
Band pull aparts 1x75
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
The mat pulls were interesting today. I felt very strong for them during the warm ups, but also just plain didn’t want to do them. It was the same with the chins. Pulling anything just wasn’t going with my psychology today. I had a great performance on them, but I also cut the follow on sets short for the sake of not digging too deep into my recovery well. This was a hard pull, and as much as I don’t want to create a negative feedback loop, if I were to call my shots, THIS workout today would be the one where I got the most out of the cycle, and next week’s workout, where I pull from the floor, would be the one where I go to pull and find nothing there. Tends to happen once per cycle and sort of act as a natural deload, but it sucks when it ends up being the floor pull. We’ll see how it goes.
Keg carry was 211lbs yesterday. I actually tripped and fell while carrying it, landing on the keg, bruising my hip and getting some road rash on my elbows. I was concerned it was going to impact my pulls, but no issue.
Tang Soo Do wasn’t much of a workout last night. We’re learning new material, so it’s moving slow. Be more of that today as well. The Valkyrie was crowned the Dojang sparring champ of the month, with my kiddo in second place by 3 points, so that was awesome.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3603
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 2
“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”
20 minute recovery row
Notes:
Every week, the hardest part about this workout is not turning it into a barn burner. But, in turn, this is one of the biggest favors I do for myself, because I feel awesome afterwards.
No real hip pain this time compared to previous. Didn’t quite have the output I normally do: felt like I was struggling to get my legs into it.
We ended up getting in a 3 mile walk after dinner as a family last night, as the weather is getting much better. Keg carry was 210lbs. Tang Soo Do tonight: get to start learning my new hyung/form/kata with my new belt, so that will be exciting.
2 minutes rest on main cluster, 1 minute everywhere else
Despite my knees feeling absolutely shot all weekend, they felt great come training time. Wondering if sparring was just a bit much on them. I felt my left one buckle during my belt test twice, so it may have just been difficult to catch up on recovery. I wasn’t pleased with the depth of my very first squat, but otherwise everything was where I needed it.
Pressing strength was strong, and DB rows didn’t kick my butt nearly as much as usual.
GHRs and GHR sit ups felt very strong today.
Weighed in at 82.4kg this morning. I wasn’t sweating nearly as much during this workout, as we’re finally out of our heatwave, which means that weight is quite light compared to last week. Need to continue to push the nutrition. Last night was the carb up meal: a repeat of baked spaghetti, some local bread (3 ingredients: wheat, salt and yeast) fried in ghee and 5 of the Valkyrie’s cookies with raw local honey and a mug of fairlife. In truth, after my Golden Corral debauchery on Friday, my guts were pretty wrecked for the weekend, so maybe there’s something impacting things there.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 208.5lbs
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3601
AM WORKOUT (0900)
TACTIACL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 6
EMOM Stone of Steel over bar
Notes:
160lb stone, 50” bar. Alternating 4s on the odd minute and 3s on the even.
Very solid workout. Taxed my conditioning just as I needed. Technique improved as time went on: was really getting my hands on top of the stone and getting good ROM.
I came into this really sore and stiff. Thinking a week of sparring along with the hard training came to a head. The GHRs are most likely really doing me some good.
Also got in a sparring class today. I got all the way to the finals this time, sparring against one of our more advanced students before squaring off against the Valkyrie. From there, we did king of the ring, and I went through a full rotation of our class. Played around with setting up combos to drop the guard and follow up with a sneaky round/hook kick.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 206, and today was 207.5.
Friday, August 22, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3600
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 5
MAIN CLUSTER
Buffalo Bar Squat (low bar) 5x8x300
Axle strict press from rack 3x8x143 1x7+1 (rest pause) x 143
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
(3) Incline DB bench 2x12x60s 1x11x60 1x10+3RP x 60
DB row 4x12x115
GHRs 4x12x20.4
ASSISTANCE
GHR sit up 3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
This was really not on my list of things to do this morning. Sparring week tends to beat me up, since we get to bed later and tend to get a little jacked up from it. It was honestly breakfast that motivated me to get the training in, so take the wins where we get them.
Belt actually fit looser than Monday. It was pinching a little on my right hip as a result. Squats felt nice and deep though.
Pressing strength was just not there. I did jack up my right shoulder a little yesterday when it got trapped during an exchange, so maybe that played a role in it.
Went max sets on the squats, but since I was struggling so much on the press, I capped it at 4.
As I was finishing up my GHRs, I thought to myself how my mat pulls have been going very well this cycle, and figured the GHRs were the contributor. But then I remembered that I was also doing DB rows, which have always helped. And then I thought about how I was putting on bodyweight, which can help. There’s a lot factors at play there, which is why I like Grey Man: a chance to shore up all sorts of weaknesses.
Didn’t get in much sparring last night: was paired with the kiddo in my first match, so I fed them some opportunities to capitalize on. It worked though: they were able to win their second match against a senior student and then beat the Valkyrie in the final match to finish as the Dojang champion for the night.
Slept in the extra 5 minutes and cut out the extra .25 miles. Worth it. Actually some really good sleep last night.
This was a good walk. 2 weeks ago things were off and I was unable to zone out, but today went quickly and felt very tonic after my deadlift workout.
Sparring last night went well. Got to defeat a senior student in the first round, and had a very good back and forth with the Valkryie before she took it in overtime. We broke for “king of the ring” at the end, and I was able to score on our senior black belt with some aggressive hand work. Decent workout as well.
Weighed in at 82.0 kg this morning, which is a 1.2kg gain from last week’s Thursday weigh in. Things are trending in the right direction. Strength is matching, and my weight belt still fits well. And doing this completely carnivore, outside of 1 meal a week, is pretty cool.
Keg carry was 203.5lb yesterday.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3598
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press 5x8x216
(3) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls 12+5+4x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat 4x12x195
Dips/axle curl superset 4x12x37.5/63
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset 3x15x320/3x10
Chins throughout workout
Notes:
2 min rest between sets of bench, 1 min for everything else
Bench weight is just right. Struggle on the last reps. Same with dips and curls. Lever belt may be a little on the heavy side, but I can get through it. Adding the spotter arm for support helped. I’m not using it like Hatfield squats, but more just to keep my torso upright and provide balance.
Mat pulls felt VERY strong this morning. Good positioning and not much struggle to break off the floor. 12 reps wasn’t pushing me to the absolute limit, but I cut the final pull short at 4 reps vs 5, so as to not grind too much.
Was feeling pretty wiped during the ab wheel. Think the dehydration was getting to me.
Sparring again tonight. Last night wasn’t much activity for me, as I went up against the kiddo in the first round. Gave them a fight and let them get in their 3 points, but it worked out well, because they had an awesome match in the semi-finals with a beautiful ax kick, and then went on tot he finals and scored a point against one of our black belts.
Keg carry weight yesterday was 202.5lbs.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3597
AM WORKOUT (0515 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN
Operation MILO Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 1
“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”
20 minute recovery row
Notes:
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.
* Keg carry yesterday was 178.5lbs.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3582
AM WORKOUT (0353 natural wake up)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 4
“GO RUCK YOURSELF”
Treadmill walk w/20.4lb tac carrier
Speed: 3.5
Incline: 4.0
Distance: 5.25 miles
Time: 90 minutes
Notes:
* So this is technically violating the conditioning protocols of Mass Protocol, as it says to ruck for 30-60 minutes, but the book ALSO says that those with experience with training and recovery can take conditioning protocols from Tactical Barbell II and apply them during Mass Protocol…which is what I did. In truth, with that natural wake up, I just made the most of the situation. If I COULD have slept more, I would have, and trained less, but I was already awake. In general, I’m not married to getting in 90 minutes of rucking a week, but if the opportunity presents, I’ll take it.
* I at least let the intensity go down a touch by setting the incline to 4 instead of 6. I do want to keep the goal the goal here, and create an anabolic environment for growth during this growth phase.
* Weighed 81.1 this morning, so a .5lb drop from Monday, and a 1kg drop from yesterday. I imagine I’m seeing the effects of inflammation with the weight spike, as it correlates with the DOMS I’ve been feeling. The ruck was good for getting my body feeling limber again.
* Tang Soo Do was a decent workout last night. We may be going again tonight, but the rest of the family seems to be coming down with something, so we’ll see. Also got in a 2.3 mile walk with the tac vest.
* Keg carry yesterday was 177.5lbs. Slow and steady. I’m actually considering getting a loadable hussafel stone for this little project of mine, as I feel like it would meet intent more. Something to think about.
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3581
AM WORKOUT (0356 natural wake up)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 3
MAIN CLUSTER
Axle bench press
5x8x196
(6) Texas Deadlift Bar mat pulls (12 deep breaths between attempts)
12+5+5x440/200kg
SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER
Lever belt squat
4x8x192.5
Dips/axle curls superset
4x8x30/63 (final set of dips pushed to 10 reps)
ASSISTANCE
Reverse hyper/standing ab wheel superset
3x15x320/3x8
Various chins throughout workout
Notes:
* I continue to be a fan of swapping to the Mass Protocol. It’s nice to not barbell squat 3x a week, while still squatting 3x a week with that lever squat there. Just the break up of movements and variety seems to have my body in a good way. Funny enough, my lower back was feeling a little taxed/sore for this workout, but once I started pulling I really surprised myself with what I could do. I was going to be content with 10 reps on the first pull, but 12 came easy enough. I’m keeping myself from pushing deep into the recovery well on these, especially since I have the rest of the workout to get done once that pull is over.
* I went with 5 sets of bench instead of 4, since I’ll only be benching once a week with this approach. This is also my first time benching in about 6 months, so it was nice to not miss a step. Everything was dialed in just about right as far as weight goes for this workout.
* I’m using a more natural squatting stance for the lever belt squats, and it feels much better on my knees as a result. Still a little sheering force on the right knee, but not agony like before.
* No real plan on the chins, just want to keep it sub max to spare my elbows.
* We’re finally getting a break from the heat. Yesterday’s heat index was 115, but today we’re looking at a high of mid 70s and it should be that way the rest of the week, which will allow my garage to cool down a little.
* Carried 176lbs with the keg yesterday, using spacers to get 1lb added. Tang Soo Do was a moderate workout: going again tonight.
* Stepped on the scale and saw 82.1kg this morning: .5 gain from Monday. Be curious to see how things trend.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3580
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
**TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN**
*Operation MILO* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 2
“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT” (Recovery row)
23 minutes low intensity rowing
Notes:
* Yes, it’s just the recovery row, but I’m giggling at that name I came up with for a Mass protocol conditioning workout. Recovery row was 100% the right call as well, as I woke up with some pretty decent DOMS in my quads and the rest of my body, which was a re-assuring sign that, despite my views on the depth of my squats from the video, they’re still effective for my intended purposes. And this functioned well FOR recovery was well, because my body is feeling awesome post workout. I’m sure just some time with lighter weights and higher reps in general is going to bode well for me. The cyclical nature of Tactical Barbell just continues to shine, despite the views of others that cycles should be avoided and we should just maintain a consistent rhythm until we die…
* I ended up mowing the lawn yesterday as my evening post dinner activity, with a heat index of 115. Was great for getting a good sweat going and getting in a little sun. Tonight is Tang Soo Do, which is a little more active these days as we get prepared for belt testing.
* Last night’s keg carry was 175lbs, carried one full lap in my driveway (1 length down, 1 length back), which I’ve calculated to be about an 80’ trip. I think I’ll keep that distance. I should be able to add just 1 lb by using the spacers for the keg and continue my gradual increase.
* Total of 90 chins, various grips this workout (15 during warm-up, then sets of 15 between main exercise changes)
* 2 min rest between main work, 1 minute between supplemental and assistance
* I didn’t test 1rms for this, and instead used what was leftover from the last time I ran the Mass Protocol. I increased everything by a little, and apparently too much on the pressing, so I’m going to walk that back down a touch. GHRs I went intentionally light, since it’d been so long since I’d run them. I feel confident adding weight to that next time.
* I came into this workout feeling so much better physically than I did the last time I ran Mass Protocol after a strongman competition, which I feel speaks to how awesome Tactical Barbell in general has been for my body.
* Looking at the video, I don’t care for the depth of the squats, but I realize it’s primarily because my knees are tracking so far forward. I know as far as ROM goes, I was moving about as far as I can. I may try to focus on sitting back more. Bar placement was higher than typical low bar for me, which was a plus. Had a little bit of sliding on the third set, so I chalked up for the 4th, which seemed to help.
* This is Operation MILO because my intent is to do a daily keg carry where I add 1-1.5lbs every day until I no longer can sustain it, ala the legend of Milo of Croton and the Bull. I feel like my choice to increase my bodyweight as I increase the keg weight should make this pretty sustainable, and I’m starting purposefully light at 175lbs. That’s going to get done in the evenings, after dinner. I also like how I've laid out the acronym, because it's all about "keeping the goal the goal". We're going to increase mass and overload our lifts. That's the goal. Conditioning is there to support those goals: not replace them. Bodyfat will do what bodyfat does.
* And on that note, unlike Operation Conan, I’m not going to employ the PSMF until dinner OMAD approach, but instead sticking with the Maximum Definition Diet set-up I’ve been employing up until this point with 2 meals a day. Also unlike Operation Conan, I won’t be relying on cottage cheese and pork cracklin to bring up my energy intake, but instead focusing primarily on meat and eggs. I’ll abide by the restrictions of the Maximum Definition Diet for the most part regarding limited dairy intake, but will be a little looser with cheese without making it a daily occurrence, as that tends to get dangerous with me. But I started off this morning with 1lb of air fried brisket alongside some beef liver and my omelet of 3 whole eggs and 5 whites topped with some ghee, so we’re off to a good start. The brisket was actually a corned beef, as our local grocer stumbled upon a bunch of frozen ones that they were heavily discounting, so I bought up a bunch and soaked it in water overnight to wash off the brine before air frying it. Quick and cheap way to get in some quality nutrition.
* Starting weight was 81.6kg this morning. Had a wonderful family meal yesterday, with a spaghetti casserole (very similar to lasagna, just using spaghetti noodles) and birthday cake. My starting weight before Mass Protocol in Sep was 79.1kg, so there's some year to year progress. I'll soon be on Tactical Barbell for a year, which is the longest I've run any program ever. It's got it's hooks in me.
Friday, July 25, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3578
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
BRIDGE WEEK
Treadmill walk
Speed: 3.5
Incline: 1
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 86 minutes
Notes:
* Final bridge week workout: competition is tomorrow. In turn, I kept it stupid easy and took off the vest. Watched the majority of Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix. It's ok. Free was the right price, and it was a good distracter. Barely sweat for this workout and still weighed 79.7 for post workout weigh in, so my weight is in a real good place for the comp. As long as I don't eat too physically heavy of a dinner tonight, I should still be able to have breakfast in the morning before weigh ins, which is always a good thing.
* Sparring was fun last night. Actually got in 3 rounds, taking down a senior student in the second round and having a spirited match against the Valkyrie in the third. With the bridge week, my hips feel better, which meant I was a lot more active and had a stronger kick game.
* Been adding a little more food to my breakfast, trying to keep my weight from submarining too much.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3577
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
BRIDGE WEEK
"GO RUCK YOURSELF" (lightly)
Treadmill walk w/20.4lb tac carrier
Incline: 1.0
Speed: 3.5
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 86 minutes
Notes:
* Started with incline 6.0 and it felt challenging compared to yesterday, so I dropped it to 1. It's bridge week, and the point is to go into the competition feeling strong. Don't need to turn this into workouts: this is just recovery.
* Sparring night was a little more active than yesterday. I'm feeling healthier, so I'm a big springier and faster.
* Woke up at 80.2kg. I tend to get this sort of free fall on these weeks, which I attribute to the reduced inflammation from the lack of training. It's a balancing act now though: I don't want to show up TOO light. As a result, I'll be including a little more food in my meals, and soon enough it's just going to be gaining time.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3576
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
BRIDGE WEEK
"GO RUCK YOURSELF"
Teadmill Walk w/20.4lb tac vest
Speed: 3.5
Incline: 6
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 86 minutes
Notes:
* I'm pushing things a little harder this bridge week compared to last by including the tac vest and the incline, but I'm feeling really strong. I kept wondering if I had set the treadmill wrong, because this walk felt incredibly easy. Seem to be healing and recovering well. Which, upon my reflection from yesterday's write-up assessing how the SSB for 5 sets was beating me up, I forgot to take under consideration that I was also training in a deficit state, which further contributes to difficulty recovering. My engines are revved up to start growing again.
* Weighed 81.3kg post workout shower, again with a low sweat workout. Weight is staying on point. I'm at the point where I'm not concerned about fat gain but about physical mass in my guts and water retention, so dietary choices are made to impact that.
* Sparring was pretty low intensity last night: ended up going out in the first round and then the Valkyrie got hit with a foul shot in her own match that had me tending to her. Got in as decent a workout as I could. The AC has been broken in the Dojang, so we've been limiting activity, but it's supposed to be getting fixed today, so hopefully things will pick up.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3575
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)
BRIDGE WEEK
22 minutes low intensity rower
Notes:
* It’s so hard to not push harder, as I’m so used to doing so, but this week is accomplishing exactly what it needs to. My body really feels incredible. Which has a 2 part benefit, as for one, I’ll feel great for my competition, but secondly, it’s good to know that the only reason I was feeling so beat up and hurt was because I was pushing myself too hard and needed rest. I’m at the age where it’s hard to determine what pain is from training and what pain is just something I have to live with. Bridge weeks are good, and this is a sure sign that it’s time to move away from Operator and onto Mass/Specificity so I can reduce the loads. However, it also means I was most likely pushing too hard on Operator in general: it shouldn’t be beating me up. I think, moving forward, if I prioritize the SSB, I’ll do so with a reduced volume approach to Operator: 3 work sets vs 5. Save the higher work sets for front squats or buffalo bar squat.
* Weighed in at 81.8 post workout. I’m not sweating much for these workouts, so those weigh ins bode well.
* Tang Soo Do sparring night tonight. Have to make sure to avoid getting some sort of stupid injury from this.
Monday, July 21, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3574
AM WORKOUT (0358 natural wake up)
BRIDGE WEEK
Deadlift
10x425
Treadmill walk w/20.4lb tac vest
Incline: 6.0
Speed: 3.5
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 51:30
Notes:
* I know it doesn’t seem very “bridge week” to pull a heavy set of deads, but this was the end of the ROM progression cycle. I exercised discipline and kept it very controlled and did not push past my limits on it. Very controlled on the concentric and eccentric. In turn, 10 reps is a pretty significant drop off, but I’m please that I can still churn out that number in these circumstances. That’s a good “every day strength” marker.
* Treadmill walk is what the rest of this week is going to look like. Want to stay active, keep weight controlled, and promote recovery. I walked 3 miles today because that’s what I had time for, but without the deadlift at the start of the workout, I’ll most likely get in longer distances for the rest of the week.
* My body is already feeling strong from the time away from squatting. I definitely think 6 weeks is the longest I should run SSB as a main lift. It got me strong, but it was beating me up, and this week of recovery and supercompensation will be good for me.
* Weighed in at 81.6kg this morning, same as last week. It bodes well, as I didn’t sweat as much with this workout as I do on typical ones, so less water weight loss. I had my carby meal yesterday: cheeseburger alfredo casserole, made with piedmontese 93% lean beef, drum wheat pasta, Tillamook cheddar, no sugar cured bacon, whole cream and parmesan, alongside 3 of the Valkyrie’s oatmeal peanut butter butterscotch chocolate chip cookies with some local raw honey and a mug of fairlife skim milk. I absolutely could have eaten the entire casserole dish and many more cookies on top of that, it was phenomenal. I continue to be excited at the prospect of no longer needing to meet a weight class. Which, on that note, a 4th person has signed up for the weight class (counting myself), which is the largest competition I’ve had in quite some time. I’m excited about that.
* That's a PR for performance, hitting it perfectly on the training cycle. I really found my rhythm on this these past few weeks. I went without the long socks and it paid off, because I didn't get hung up on them. I'll remember that come contest day.
* I imagine foregoing the squats yesterday also helped on this, although to the surprise of absolutely no one, I am a bit sore from 300 burpee chins.
Friday, July 18, 2025
Training Log: Entry 3572
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
300 Burpee Chins in 60 Minutes (5 EMOM)
Notes:
* This was supposed to be the final lifting workout for Tactical Barbell. I woke up feeling really good and like it was going to be a good day. When I get under 315 for the squat warm-up, I noticed how heavy it felt during the walkout, and how my lower back was saying “stop” when I started squatting, and I recalled how the deadlifts on Wednesday went and concluded that I’ve simply pushed myself to my limits and it was time to shut it down. One more workout isn’t going to make me any stronger for my competition, but it can certainly mess me up, so the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. At that point, I found myself with an abundance of time, and knowing that Cindy was only going to take around 23 minutes, I decided to do something I’d been wanting to do for a while that would require no external load on my body.
* Yes, the decision to having "Somewhat Damaged" on a loop the entire time was intentional and metaphorical.
* I originally was going to do just 50 minutes, but my schedule was pretty flexible this morning and I was able to push the workout a little longer into a far more satisfying full hour/300 reps. I ended up spraining my right middle finger somewhere in the mid 40s due to a misgrab on the chinning bar. That finger has been injured before, so this is a re-injury. It’s already quite purple and swollen, but should most likely be good by the day of the comp.
* Tang Soo Do went well last night. Kiddo and I knocked out our Hyung and got in a decent workout. We’re going out for Texas Roadhouse tonight, so more steak and eggs on the horizon.
* Incline: 6.0 for the first 2.5 miles, 7.0 for the next 1.5, 8.0 for 1 mile, 15.0 for the final .25 mile
Notes:
* With how brutal training has been, I opted to reduce the vest weight and focus on the incline today. Figured this would be more restorative. That final quarter mile at 15 was a fantastic challenge: at the end, my heart rate on my watch was showing 160, which, given than my RHR is 36, that’s quite a jump.
* Weighed in at 79.6kg post workout. Weight is in a very good place for the competition, and I got 2 ketobricks in the mail, which will most likely be competition fuel, so that bodes well.
* Tang Soo Do was an outstanding workout last night. We would roll a six sided die, and whatever the number was, we’d do that many forms/hyung/kata, and then we’d draw a card from a pack of exercise cards and perform that movement either for 10x the die roll in seconds or 10x the die role in repetitions. We rolled a lot of 5s and 6s, and people were making the smart call and picking seconds instead of reps. It came to me, I rolled a 6, and I drew a card that was effectively half a burpee (start in the push up position, bring your legs to your chest, kick them back out, do a push up, repeat) and I selected repetitions. 60 of those on top of everything else we did was a challenge, and then trying to do hyungs with blown out shoulders was an exercise in overcoming. We’ve got another class tonight, where I’ll be performing a hyung with my kid on my shoulders, so that should be a pretty solid workout as well.
* I’m definitely reaching some levels of burn out here. Did the thing where I woke up and tried to figure out if there was some way I could push this workout off and realized my schedule couldn’t support. That this was my deadlift day and the day I only have to do 3 sets of the main work tends to be enough to motivate met to get going, but it was a no sale. In turn, when it came time to pull the deadlifts, I was fried. The first rep was much harder than it should have been, so I shut it down. I’m 10 days out from comp, and grinding through a set I have no business doing won’t do me any good but will do me harm.
* Reading the tealeaves, this was something to expect. I noted that my output yesterday wasn’t as good as last week, and I had a REALLY good week last week on pulls, which most likely means I went further into my recovery reserves than normal to get that good outcome. Combine that with the oppressive heat we’ve been dealing with, and it just wasn’t the best day for pulling. Deadlifts are a sensitive lift.
* Highlight includes crushing the squat now that I have the correct weight loaded on it. 345 on the SSB was plenty heavy and these were challenging squats, which also most likely contributed to my deadlift, but it was awesome to get through them. Meanwhile, the press felt very light compared to Monday’s misload. I’m thinking I’ll finish the week off going 3-4x2 with the final week loads, to blend weeks 5 and 6 together before the comp. Planning on using next week Monday to do a set of pulls off the floor and from there head into the bridge week for the comp. Body can definitely use the break.
* Weighed in at 80.9kg. Weight is dropping and body is presenting very lean, and this coincides with INCREASING the fat and decreasing the protein. The alchemy explanation from the carnivore community is that a body fed high fat recognizes that we’re in a period of feast rather than famine, so it sheds bodyfat knowing that it no longer needs to store it for energy reserves, whereas when we feed the body lean foods and restrict fat, it stores fat because it thinks we’re in a period of famine. This, of course, directly contradicts the notion of a protein sparing modified fast, but I can’t discount how often this experience has run true for me. I seem to get my leanest when eating the fattiest foods, and Robert Sikes has presented a similar construct. Another less alchemical explanation is that ketones are muscle sparing, and protein requirements are reduced when the body is producing ketones, which is what tends to happen when fats are high and protein is moderate to low in the absence of carbs. All this to say, things are going well, rib fingers are delicious, and I’m really excited to start gaining after this competition.
* Tang Soo Do tonight. Last night wasn’t too terrible of a workout. I’ve got a good warmup going though: I’ve been doing my staff form 5-10 times in a row, and it really blows up my shoulders.
