Training Log: Entry 3835

AM WORKOUT (0450 wake up via Valkyrie's alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 3, Workout 4

17 chins
17 dips
30x90 reverse hyper

"ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT"

20 minute recovery row

Notes:

• Leaning into the "easy conditioning week" finally, in no small part to that back tweak. Was able to sleep in WITHOUT crippling myself, so that's a big win. Still making sure to slowly exit the bed and just take my time when I get up. On that note, I felt a little electric jolt in my back once during the row and a few times just walking around the house, so I'm still not fully Humpty Dumptied together again, but in better shape than before.

• Got 4150m done in the 20 minutes, which is a good showing on this day.

• I'm still getting those daily chins and dips. The chins aren't really getting easier as I'd hoped, but I'm still able to do them, and the accumulation of volume is paying off. If I were to stop now at 4x17 daily, that is 68 per day, 476 per week, and 24,752 per year. But, since I'm increasing by 1 weekly, that number changes in a way that I'm sure there IS a method to calculate it, but I took stats rather than calculus in my undergrad, and I'm glad I did.

• Weighed 81.9kg this morning, which is stupid light for a Friday weigh in without a big workout. And given that all the coffee I am drinking this morning is rushing out of me, it looks like any weight I DID "gain" yesterday is water looking to exit. My kiddo is in their last week of summer next week and I took of Wed to take them out to Toy Story 5 followed by lunch at our favorite Brazilian steakhouse, so I've got some big eating in my future. And the next day I take a physical fitness test...so I'll have some good fuel for that too.

• Valkyrie and I were commenting on how physically exhausted we felt at Tang Soo Do last night. 3 nights in a row of slamming hyungs and physical testing requirements is starting to manifest. However, we also got our second stripe on our belt for our weapons form, we we're delighted for that.

Training Log: Entry 3834

AM WORKOUT (0300 Wake Up Via dog, then 0400 wake up via Alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 3, Workout 2

17 chins
17 dips
30x90 reverse hyper

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

Log clean and strict press away
3x5x175

SSB front squat
3x5x250

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

(4) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls
9x425+chains

ASSISTANCE

Axle curls
3x5x116

Reverse hyper
15x90

Hanging leg raise
1x10

Band pull apart
1x25

Notes:

• Kiddo knocked on the door at 0300 because the puppy was having a bad night. I got up EXTREMELY slowly and purposefully to answer the door, and then did the same thing when my alarm went off this morning. Moved slowly through the morning, spent some extra time rolling out my glutes/lower back, and a slow war up (this is still my favorite thing to write. I think I'm going to make a blog post about it). At the start of the morning, I still wasn't excited about bending at the trunk, but by the end of the workout I was moving and feeling pain free again. It's like I knocked the disk back into place and compressed it to where it needed to be. Sometimes rest is the answer, and sometimes it's Steve Pulcinella's "Paleo rehab".

• Very first set of presses felt like Bambi on ice, but after that I was feeling secure and able to give it some output. Front squats are heavy enough to suck, but I can get through them.

• The mat pulls were the real W for today. Last week, I was so thrashed I had to pscyhe myself up for the war up with 335, and I ended up scrapping the topset. Today, I came in with no expectations: didn't even know if I COULD pull. All my sets leading up to the topset felt great, and when I got to the topset, it was my LEFT hip that was upset vs my right side, which in itself is a victory. I also got 1 rep more than I did at the start of the cycle, and absolutely COULD have done more: it just would have been really stupid given how I almost couldn't walk yesterday Took the reps, took the W, shut it down and moved on.

• The curls are high school levels of cheating. It's good to do that every once in a while.

• Tang Soo Do last night was a good workout. We got there early and drilled hyungs for about 20 solid minutes, did the physical testing requirements of 50 push ups, sit ups and jumping jacks, then drilled hyungs for the 90 minutes of class. Lots of movement.

• Which is probably why I weighed 80.3kg this morning. Won't lie: the scale flashed "79" before it settled at 80kg and I had a slight panic moment. In turn, the original plan was to fast again today, but decided I'm light and lean enough that I should have some breakfast after deadlifts.

Training Log: Entry 3833

AM WORKOUT (0510 Wake Up Via Valkyrie's Alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 3, Workout 2

17 chins
17 dips

Various reverse hypers, and work, twists and turns

17 chins
17 dips

Notes:

• This was SUPPOSED to be a 20 minute recovery row. I woke up, got out of bed, went to go pick up my socks off the floor, felt a slight twinge in my back, and then it was like someone shot me with a tranq dart, because I fell back on the bed in agony and couldn't figure up how to get back up. Once again: getting out of bed is a hazard. I'm actually noticing it's the days I sleep in that this keeps happening.

• Thankfully, one of the "nice" things about recurring injuries is you get good at figuring out how to treat them. This is a nerve issue: something is slipping out of place and pressing on it. So I hung from a chinning bar a lot and did a lot of twists and turns to knock whatever it is back into place, and once I was able to load the reverse hyper with some weight, that traction helped get things back into alignment as well. I went from thinking I needed to go to a hospital this morning to now just getting a little wincing pain if I bend over wrong: I'll take it. Sucks I missed out on rowing, but I decided this was going to be a light conditioning week AND that I was going to slide my schedule to the right, so I think Friday will be a rower workout.

• Another contributing factor: weighed in at 81.1kg this morning. Down a kilo from yesterday, second lightest Wed weigh in of the training block, and that's WITHOUT an hour workout ahead of time to generate more sweat. All of my worse injuries have happened when I was my leannest (ruptured ACL, torn bicep, and whatever the hell this is). It makes sense: less fluff to keep the body safe. I need to have some awareness here.

• Tang Soo Do was a decent workout last night. Got in some good hyung practice, and my back was able to move fine then. We have the 90 minute class tonight: I'll see how things go.

Training Log: Entry 3832

AM WORKOUT (0400 natural wake up)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 3, Workout 1

17 chins
17 dips
25x90 reverse hyper

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

SSB Front Squat
2x325

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

Log clean and strict press away
2x5x175
3x4x175

Keg load to platform
1x210
1x215
1x225
1x235
1x240 (attempted a second rep, did not finish)

ASSISTANCE (giant sets)

SSB front rack hold
2x30 seconds x 325

Hanging leg raise
2x10

Band pull apart
2x25

Notes:

• By the end of day yesterday, I was moving painfree and easy. I woke up this morning feeling better but still stiff, and had a few nerve twinges (which, yesterday, the toes in my left foot kept going numb, so something is definitely pinching a nerve). Had a few COAs in mind, with one being just to do a SE circuit and call it good if I couldn't load any weight on my body. Took a long and slow "war up", to ape from simo74 and honestly felt solid on the front squats and "good enough" on the press, so I went for it.

• The front squat matches the past few weeks as far as reps go, but I'm really appreciating the notion of EASE of reps as far as progression goes. Each week this double is getting easier, and if I wasn't in a spot where grinding would put me in a bad way, I may have gone for the triple. It's in my future, and this is what sustainable and slow progression looks like.

• In a similar way, I cut the reps short on the log because I wasn't willing to commit my body in a manner that would secure those 5 reps. Get in the work I can with what I got.

• Switched to singles for the keg load, and just kept adding weight. I think there IS a time for higher rep loading work, but I could tell it was beating the hell out of me, and this close to comp I'll get more out of heavier singles. The rep work will be magic when it's time to gain.

• I'm now about 4 hours removed from the training and I don't feel awesome, but I also don't feel the pain I was in yesterday. I'm sliding my training schedule to the right 1 day this week, to account for yesterday, and it's "easy conditioning week", so I should have even more time to recover.

• Tang Soo Do tonight. Basics and hyungs. Can be a decent workout. I'm going to stay within my abilities.

• Weighed in at 82.1kg. I'm honestly pretty surprised: that's the second lowest Tuesday weigh in I've had this whole cycle, with the lightest being last week. This is after the family meal on Sunday and birthday cake/eating out yesterday. In turn, I'm actually expecting a weight spike tomorrow, despite this being a single meal day, but if nothing else things will be chaotic.

 Training Log: Entry 3831

AM WORKOUT (0700 natural wake up)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 6

1 hour of martial arts training (self-directed, hyungs)

Notes:

• Accomplished from 1000-1100, as we are trying to win the hyung challenge and had an opportunity to accomplish some extra ones. Really trying to focus on technique, deep stances and power generation. Felt awesome: like back in the old days training martial arts.

• I don't typically train on Saturdays or consider them training days, but this was intense enough that I'm willing to count it. Otherwise, still got in my 10k steps, chins and dips

 Training Log: Entry 3830

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 5

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

Log clean and press
2xLog
1x150
1x170
1x200
1x220

SECONDARY MOVEMENT

SSB front squat
5x5x235

Stone of steel load to platform
5x1 minute max reps w/135 (3x7, 1x6, 1x7)

ASSISTANCE Giant Set (rack, abs, BPA)

SSB front rack hold
2x30 seconds x 345

Hanging leg raise
2x10

Band pull aparts
2x25

Notes:

• My back/hips continue to recover, but are still not 100%, and that came into effect on the log. I struggled to get into a strong position to press from, which made the rep of 220 even more significant to me, but I definitely would have preferred a stronger showing. That said, my bodyweight is rock bottom (more to follow), and it dawned on me I'm pressing at least 40lbs more than that over my head...so that's pretty cool.

• Front squats took some doing before they felt good, but after that the depth was bottomed out.

• Went with speed/technique work on the stone, and it was the right call. It's thankfully been cool enough that I could use the stone and not worry about slippage. Supposed to get back over 100 tomorrow though.

• Great night of sparring last night. I shut out one blackbelt twice: 3-0 both times. By the time class rolled around, my hips and back felt ok. First thing in the morning is rough: still quite stiff.

• Weighed 80.9kg this morning. Dropped a full kilo off of yesterday and this is the lightest I've been on a Friday the entire training cycle. I'm at the point where goal is achieved as far as leanness and lightness goes and I've proven whatever I need to prove to myself. This weekend is a celebratory weekend, so I'll enjoy the food, dry out a little afterwards, self-assess, and then start considering maintenance until the comp/cruise before I start building again.

Training Log: Entry 3829

AM WORKOUT (0430 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR Phase 2

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 3, Week 2, Workout 4

17 chins
17 dips

4 Prowler sprints, high handle, 90lb load

17 chins
17 dips

Notes:

• Times were 45, 45, 52 and 72 seconds. Caught prowler flu on the 4th sprint, so shut it down at that point. This is slower than last week, but I expected that with how overtaxed and underweight I am. I was more just delighted to be able to sprint at all, and to get the conditioning effect I was after.

• I am certainly doing BETTER as time goes on, but it's amazing just how much I beat myself to hell to get to this point. 7 hours of driving, then a martial arts tournament with lots of sitting on the floor, then 7 hours of driving, then straight into heavy keg loading: bonehead play. I'm planning on doing speed/technique work for my loading tomorrow to help out there. But I'm pleased that things are recovering and my IT band is no longer forcing me to consider elective surgery to have it removed.

• Sparring went well last night. Got to spar against 3 black belts, defeating 2 (going 3 and 0 against one) and going 2:3 against our most senior one. Lotta matches in general, big bracket, and was still able to move well despite myself. The martial arts are actually helpful in opening the movement patterns back up: gets me limbered up and fluid. Got another class tonight, and we're looking toward Saturday as well.

• Weighed 81.9kg this morning. Big jump, but with 2 meals and a heavy focus on getting my hydration sorted, that's expected. This is the longest I've gone without seeing 82kg on the scale, making this week my lowest weigh in week. I am excited at the prospect of reversing course soon enough and getting back on the gain train. Gotta lot of meat in the freezer to get through. All that said, I find I enjoy my fasting days more than my multiple meal days at this point. I feel like I'm "doing" more when I fast, and it's just been nice on my digestion. The large/unrestricted meal at the end of the day feels rewarding as well. But breakfast is also a nice incentive to get through a training session, so pros all around