Training Log: Entry 3738

AM WORKOUT (0345 wake up via dog, snoozed until 0400, but honestly a terrible night of sleep with windstorms)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 4, Workout 1

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo Bar Squat
4x8x330

Axle strict press from rack
2x8x158
7x158
5x158

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) DB incline bench
2x12x70s
2x10x70s w/4 rep rest pause on final set

DB rows
4x12x125

GHRs
4x12x55

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
20

Notes:

• It’s absolutely bonkers weather right now. Wind gusts up to 50mph, tore the fascia off my neighbors house and heard it scrapping all night, made it hard to sleep. Still having really vivid dreams as well, so it’s honestly like a mixed blessing to not be able to sleep much.

• As much as sets of 8 suck, I continue to feel unjustifiably strong on the squat. I think my right knee was just holding me back for longer than I realized. It’s awesome feeling healthy again, and figuring out to use my grip shirt has gone a long way to make the low bar squat more viable. I feel really locked in.

• For rest periods, it was 2 minutes on the squat, 1-2-2 on the incline press, 1s on the rows and GHRs. For the press, I went 2-3-2, seeing if resting 3 minutes would let me get in all 8 reps on the third set. Since it didn’t, didn’t seem worth repeating. Next workout, I’ll rest pause to get all the reps if I need to, similar to what I did with the incline bench. I was running a little short on time due to some morning logistics.

• Elbows are feeling good enough. I have awareness of them, but no agony. I got through all 7 days doing 3x16 chins. I may only go 2x16/1x17 for this week. These past few goes, I’ve been focusing on moving my body by contracting the lats, rather than pulling with my hands, and it seems to help move through pain. I’m also noticing better body awareness on the rows as a result. My hips are doing decent as well.

• Weighed 83.2kg this morning. Teetering between these weights. Wonderful family meal last night: another go with sourdough crust pizza, topped with pancetta, bacon, leftover kalua pork, pineapple and black olives. We had it cafeteria style on a baking sheet. I had something like 5 or 6 slices, and then 5 cookies with some raw honey. It’s awesome to have sourdough in the house: the Valkyrie is experimenting will all sorts of recipes. In turn, I’ve been considering how to work a cyclical or targeting ketogenic diet approach. I also used a 10 minute rower workout post meal ala the 10 minute walk, and that felt pretty nice.

 Training Log: Entry 3737

PM WORKOUT (1400)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 6

“Fran” Crossfit WOD w/no-kip chins

Time: 7:35

Notes:

• I had already gotten in 2x16 chins earlier in the day, and figured I’d get in the rest and then some with a classic.

• Been a LONG time since I’ve done this one. Haven’t felt healthy enough for it in a while. My right elbow/forearm is still kinda pissy over it, but I think it will adapt.

• Used to get this done around 4 minutes. Used to weigh 20lbs more as well.

• Along with this, I got in a 3 mile walk with the puppy while I wore the 20.4lb tac carrier earlier in the day. Good day of activity.

 Training Log: Entry 3736

AM WORKOUT (0320 wake up via windstorm, snooze until 0400 alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 5

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo bar squats
4x3x367

Axle strict press from rack
4x3x176

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) DB incline bench
4x8x75s

DB rows
4x8x145

GHRs
4x8x55

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
2x15

Lateral raise dropset
35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands

Band pull aparts
20

Notes:

• I felt really strong coming into today. Knee came ready to play, weights felt right, no significant sources of pain to contend with. I also skipped TSD last night: do wonder if there is a correlation there. But I’ve also been skipping that Thursday ruck to get in more sleep. I think I’ve just been making a lot of good choices.

• Elbow pain has resolved. I’m using a little more variety in my chin grip selection, which I think is helping. I’ve kept up 3x16 this week without interruption. I’m enjoying it, rather than feeling obligated to do so.

• Changed up the ab work to get the same rep total in fewer sets. Also had enough extra time at the end for a little more assistance work.

• Weighed in at 82.4kg this morning. I believe I have discovered maintenance. This FEELS really sustainable as well.

 Training Log: Entry 3735

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

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 4

“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”

20 minute recovery row

Notes:

• 3rd week in a row I’ve picked this over getting in a ruck, and I think this is just going to be a way forward during Mass Protocol. This makes a lot of sense. Train the muscles hard, do work to help recover from workouts, get in some daily activity, save the rucking for Operator. Before, the ruck was something of a means to control nutrient partitioning and keep control over the intake, but given that I fast on these mornings now, that seems more effective. My physique and gym performance is reflecting as such as well. I think the extra sleep is also giving me more benefits than the ruck would. If I had something more significant to train for, things may be different. I DO have a 10 mile race in a month that is most likely going to hit like a freight train, but I can deal with that.

• My hips are a little achy from deadlifts, but not cripplingly so. The row was definitely just going through the motions and getting some flood flowing.

• Weighed in at 83.0. Housing a bunch of corned beef is probably a great way to up sodium.

• Tang Soo Do was active for 90 minutes but not terribly intense. Breakfalls/rollfalls for the first 45 minutes and 1 step self defense for the rest. New belts are nice, because we get new material. I was also recruited to help test a choke defense the black belts were working on. It was the typical “psycho strangle” choke, where you straddle the person and wrap your hands around their neck. They were effectively supposed to chop my elbows at the joint to break the grab, but noted that my arms were so large that all it did was make the choke tighter around their neck. So, basically, the defense only works if you’re being attacked by someone smaller and weaker than you. Back to the drawing board.

• We’re skipping TSD tonight, as my puppy is getting neutered and we’re going to hang out with him and make sure he’s doing ok.

 Training Log: Entry 3734

AM WORKOUT (0352 natural wake up, snooze until 0400 alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 3

MAIN CLUSTER

Axle bench press
4x3x256

(4) Texas Deadlift Bar Mat Pulls
15x440

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

Lever belt squat
4x8x250

Dips
3x8x80
7+1x80

Axle curl
4x8x88

ASSISTANCE

Reverse hyper
3x15x360

Ab wheel
2x10

Band pull aparts
75

Notes:

• Been having some wild/vivid dreams these past few nights. Jon Heck and I were trying to get out of an escape room. Can’t make that stuff up.

• Was excited to train. This is definitely my favorite lifting day of the program. My right hip was a little buggy in Tang Soo Do last night, but it showed up to play today. Funny enough, it was the ab wheel at the end that gave it a little trouble.

• Pleased to get through the benches without my pec acting up, and I actually had some more reps in me on the mat pulls, but I’ve been appreciating being able to progress week to week WITHOUT being in agony by pushing too far. “Enough”, per Dan John. The break off the mats is getting harder, but it’s not “strength miracle” levels yet like it was last training cycle.

• Belt squats are feeling better each week. Getting my knee in a good way has gone far.

• Weighed in at 82.3kg this morning. Down half a kilo after eating an entire chuck roast. I think I could sell this diet.

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 Training Log: Entry 3733

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

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 2

“VIKING RAID”

15 minutes

• 100m row

• 150lb sandbag carry

• Add 100m each round, max rounds in 15 minutes

Notes:

• Finished the 6th round this time and was starting the second when time expired. Further than last week, not as far as the first week.

• My elbows are a little achy: a telltale sign I’m pushing the daily chins too hard. I am notoriously stupid for always upping my chin volume at the same time that I reintroduce low bar squats into the equation. It made the bag picks a little more tender than usual.

• I came up with an idea to make this even MORE “viking raid-y”: I could incorporate some heavy bag/Body Action System work into the workout. Row, get off the rower and hit the bag, then do the carry. It would fit the story of rowing to the shore, fighting the locals, and stealing their stuff. I’d have to come up with a specific combo or something like that, since I don’t have a round timer going, but it could be a fun way to work even more variety into this, and I have all this gear in my basement. Another approach would be to include a bag over shoulder first, to simulate throwing an opponent.

• Tang Soo Do is tonight. It’s one-step week, which is low activity, but we should get the results of our belt test back.

• I think Stan Efferding and others have been on point regarding the value of sleeping vs training, as these shorter training days will more sleep seem to be doing me some positives. I also just plain like this training day in general because it includes the coffee fast post workout. This has been one of my better nutritional experiments. The every other day intermittent fasting gives my guts a rest from the food, the mornings that I coffee fast are excellent “high speed/low drag” mornings where I don’t have to do a bunch of dishes before I go to work, whereas the mornings that I DO have breakfast are mornings where I just plain look forward to getting to have breakfast. With it being every other day, I look forward to each day due to the unique reward it brings. On my fasting days I go to bed thinking “Oh good: I get breakfast tomorrow”, and on my fed days I go to bed thinking “Oh good, I have an easy morning tomorrow”.

• On the above, woke up at 82.8kg again this morning. I am thinking to just let this training cycle play out a bit more naturally and see where I fall.

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Training Log: Entry 3732

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 3, Workout 1

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo Bar Squat
4x3x367

Axle strict press
4x3x176

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) DB incline bench
4x8x75s

DB rows
4x8x145

GHRs
4x8x55

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
3x10

Notes:

• Got a little less sleep than usual, since the in-laws are in town and we stayed up a little later, but it was deeper sleep. Felt energized and ready. My right elbow is a little tender from getting it cranked in belt testing, and my right knuckle is the same from the board break

  

• As it was a backfist, and my instructor’s words were “They’re YOUR knuckles”. I said that, thankfully, I don’t have piano lessons any more.

• Boy I love this week. Triples are such a treat after 8s and 6s. Workouts go faster too. Felt strong, took the squats deep, knee is feeling solid. Managed to tweak something in my right trap putting the plates away overhead, so there’s a reason why you shouldn’t clean up after yourself.

• Incline DB benching felt the best yet.

• Weighed 82.8kg this morning, which means all those squats were over double bodyweight. That’s pretty cool. It’s been difficult for me to calibrate sub 400 to have any sort of significance, but those little reminders help.

• I picked today’s soundtrack because yesterday was the 32nd Anniversary of “The Downward Spiral”…and also the 33rd Anniversary of “Bevis and Butthead”

• Last week, I went all 7 days getting in 3x15 chins. I opened up today with a set of 16. We’ll see where this goes.