Training Log: Entry 3807

AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie's alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 1

16 chins
16 dips

"FOBBITS" on rower

• 2 minutes rower

• 1 Naihanchi Cho Don

• Repeat for 20 minutes total

Notes:

• I was pretty sore this morning. The workout yesterday, plus the yardwork (realized it was more like 90 minutes because I did some detail work as well), plus taking all the donations out of my basement to load into my truck (steps and loading after loading...) plus walking the dog plus chores and errands...yeah, it adds up. Great day for activity, and this workout was excellent for recovery. I'm moving better than when I started, which is always a plus, and being able to sleep in a little just lights me up.

• Really trying to work on the details of the Hyung while keeping the intensity. I keep getting the same feedback to "relax", and it's tricky when I compete in a sport where tension wins

• Tonight is sparring for Tang Soo Do. Sadly, with my parents coming into town, I'll be missing one night, and this is my favorite week, but that is, of course, a worthwhile sacrifice.

• Weighed 83.8kg this morning. Doing another day of fasting, as it's still quite effortless with how well I've been eating.

Training Log: Entry 3806

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 1

MAIN MOVEMENT

SSB front squat
2xBar
1x135
1x185
1x225
1x275
3x315 (1 rep PR)

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

Log clean and strict press away
3x10x150
8x150
8+4x150

Stone of steel to platform
5x10x135

ASSISTANCE (circuit)

SSB front rack hold
2x30 seconds x315

Hanging leg raise
2x10

Band pull apart
2x25

Notes:

• I have the day off work, but still got up early so I could get this knocked out and take care of some other chores.

• I set up stupidly for the first rep of the front squat, so I'm really delighted I managed another rep on it for the PR. It was hard fought.

• Ran out of gas on the log at the end. Felt strong, but it's a LOT of pressing.

• Really got some solid technique work with the stone. Integrated the lapping with the dip for the hips to get a solid slick rep.

• Cut the assistance by 1 round for the sake of time. This was a long workout, but a good one.

• Weighed in at 84.2kg. Was honestly expecting 85. Brisket and cheesecake: a great Father's day. And makes today an easy fasting day.

Training Log: Entry 3805

AM WORKOUT (0700 natural wake up, 0930 training)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Week 3, Workout 5

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

Log clean and press away
2xLog
1x150
1x170
1x190
3x210 (5lb PR from last week)

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

SSB front squat
5x6x235

Stone of Steel to platform
5x5x170

Notes:

• Day off for all of us because of Juneteenth, so slept in and got this done. Still fasted.

• The log keeps feeling awesome, which means I'm going to change NOTHING and let it keep feeling that way. If I can nudge my way up to a PR, that's awesome.

• Front squats felt better than they've been.

• Still had to deal with some sweat/slip issues with the stone. Missed the 4th rep on one of the sets, but it was close enough.

• Cut out the assistance work for the sake of time, to get back to the family. I was pretty wiped out from this effort. It dawns on me that this is the "hard week", so I'm supposed to keep the effort on the conditioning easier. Oops.

 Training Log: Entry 3804

AM WORKOUT (0430 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Week 3, Workout 4

"PROWLER SPRINTS"

16 chins
16 dips

5 rounds of prowler sprints w/5 minute rest between rounds

15 chins
15 dips

Notes:

• 90lbs loaded on the prowler, high handles, the "long course".

• First 2 sprints were about 45 seconds, then 50, 52, 49

• Really found another gear today. The first sprint moved so easily I thought I had misloaded the prowler, and my recovery between rounds was much better, to the point that I added another sprint today and actually improved my time compared to the penultimate sprint. Really focused on driving through vs just getting to the end.

• My back felt like it was going to snap in half yesterday, and I quit bowing during Tang Soo Do because it was just agonizing. This morning felt much better once I got the first sprint in. Very tonic.

• The extra half hour I get to sleep in on this day is amazing beneficial for my psychology.

• Tang Soo Do last night was a moderate amount of intensity. Lot of time spent doing hyungs, but class was so big we had to split our time on the training floor. One more class tonight.

• Weighed 83.5kg this morning: up .9kg from my weigh ins though the week. 2 meals yesterday, and I haven't been getting in my lunchtime walks.

• I have the next 4 days off, so schedule is going to be off. Chaos, as always, is the plan.

 Training Log: Entry 3803

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Week 3, Workout 3

16 Chins
16 Dips

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

Log clean and strict press away
3x6x170

SSB front squats
3x6x235

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

(4) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls
16x405+chains

ASSISTANCE

Axle curls
3x6x106

Reverse hyper/hanging leg raise/band pull apart circuit
3x12x270/3x10/3x25

Notes:

• Not unmotivated to train this morning, but woke up still sleepy. Since today is the 90 minute TSD day, it means I have no possible way to get this workout in any other time, and I had breakfast waiting for me when it was done, so enough motivators to get it done.

• Log felt incredibly strong today. Front squat took until the final rep of the second set to really find my groove, and then the third set was better than the first 2. I have to just sink even DEEPER than I think I can. If I stop too soon, my knees hurt, but if I go until rock bottom, there is no pressure on them.

• Figured out that the starting pull on the deads is heavily influenced by the strength of my bracing, which shouldn't be a shock, but explains why I have some good days and some not. In turn, today was a good day, and though 16 reps is fewer than last workout by 1, I didn't kill myself to get there, which is the real goal. These need to be submaximal efforts so I can replicate them.

• Curls were quite heavy, but there's value in that.

• Weighed in at 82.6: third day in a row. Very unique experience. Good data point there. In terms of physique, Valkyrie caught me in the middle of changing and blurted out "holy cow you're hot", and our Tang Soo Do instructor last night was demonstrating a spear hand strike and emphasizing "hard on soft" saying "you want to strike a soft target, like the throat or the stomach...well, maybe the stomach isn't a soft target on you..." So things are in a good way.

• I am seeing how infrequently I can get away with my physical therapy at this point, going with an every other day approach. So far so good.

 Training Log: Entry 3802

AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie's alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Week 3, Workout 2

16 chins
16 dips

Rower Fobbits for 20 minutes

• 2 minutes on rower

• One Naihanchi Chodan

• Repeat until done

Notes:

• I continue to really like this, and I may include it even in mass gaining phases. I push harder during the 2 minutes on the rower, because I have the intervals to break it up, and I perform the Hyung under further and further states of fatigue. However, getting up off the rower every 2 minutes also keeps my hips from binding up, which is really the one thing I don't care for about the rower, so it obviates that. It's great getting in the reps on the hyung as well.

• My body feels really good all things considered. Muscles are sore but joints and connective tissues are happy, which is exactly where you want to land.

• It's a given that before every workout, I do the chins and dips, but when I DO remember to log it, I will.

• Weighed in at 82.6kg this morning: first time I've had a repeat weight, whereas typically I gain slightly on Tuesdays when I eat 2 meals, so another good data point. Also noted indications of increased leanness this morning: abdominals are tightening up and I'm getting more of that "shrink wrapped" effect. The big thing is for me to make sure I'm still pushing the weights hard. During previous leaning out phases, my training wasn't prioritizing maximal strength, and I'd end up stringy by the end of it. I'm also at peace with the notion that just because I HAVE 13 weeks to lean out doesn't mean I need to use them: if I meet the goal, I can transition to a maintenance approach and just focus on competition prep. Thankfully, "Red Meat and Black Coffee" makes this incredibly simple: go from 2 breakfasts in a work week to 3.

• Tang Soo Do tonight. It's "Wildcard/Cardio" week, so should be decent activity.

 Training Log: Entry 3801

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CORNHISTERKUR

TACTICAL BARBELL OPERATOR PRO Week 3, Workout 1

PRIMARY MOVEMENT

SSB Front squat
2xBar
2x135
1x185
1x225
1x275
2x315 (matches last week)

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS

Log clean and strict press away
5x6x170

Stone of Steel to platform
5x6x160

ASSISTANCE (circuit)

SSB front rack hold
3x30 seconds x 315

Hanging leg raise
3x10

Band pull apart
3x25

Notes:

• Another solid training motivation day. I feel it's worth observing that my motivation to TRAIN is high while my motivation to learn about training/nutrition is exhausted. I typically listen to podcasts when I drive, and for the past 2 weeks I've listened to music when I drive, with the only exception being on Thursdays when Dan John's podcast is released. This may actually be something to look into: I wonder if I become oversaturated with stimulus.

• I was feeling quite stiff today, and honestly most of the weekend as well. The front squat was a struggle, with the second rep being a fight, bar falling forward, having to carry the weight in my arms. Harder than last week. Part of that is being lower weight (to be discussed), but I feel the stiffness is attributable to sitting in some awful wooden chairs for an hour on Friday at a Verizon store getting a new phone for the kiddo, and then we spent 2 hours sitting in some awful folding chairs on Saturday to get some judging certifications for Tang Soo Do. "Sitting is the new smoking", and it's like a hotboxed a carton ala Bobby Hill this weekend.

• Log keeps feeling stronger. Biffed the clean on the third set: snagged it on the belt vs the shirt.

• The stone keeps improving. More touches mean more learning opportunities. Understood the value of really getting under it and hugging it into my lap vs trying to row it today. The hot spot on my chest is continuing to harden up, and in a few weeks I imagine I'll stop bleeding when I do this.

• Got trough 1x16 and 3x15 chins last week. This week starts 2x16/2x15

• Yesterday was a high activity day, but no training. Walked the dogs for 3 miles and did a little over an hour of yard work. Also had our family meal: 6 slices of homemade sourdough pizza and 4 of the Valkyrie's peanutbutter butterscotch cookies with raw local honey. We carpet bombed these pizzas with meat toppings: it was wonderful. Weekends keep highlighting to me how well the healing continues: I have no anxiety regarding "having" to train, and, instead, think to myself "I trained enough this week: I need to rest and recover so I can do it again next week".

• Weighed in at 82.6kg this morning: down a full kilo from last week. The plan is working incredibly well and absolutely painlessly, as demonstrated above, and with proof of concept being that I'm fasting today because I didn't feel hungry post training. Works out well with it being Father's day/Juneteenth weekend, as we'll be going out on Friday and I'll be making a brisket on Sunday.