Training Log: Entry 3752

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 6, Workout 5

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo Bar Squat
4x3x377

Axle strict press from rack
4x3x181

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) Incline DB bench
4x8x80s

DB rows
4x8x145

GHR
4x8x65

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
20, 15

Notes:

• Though I had the day off work, I still got up early to get this knocked out so I could have full time with my family. And, truthfully, I just plain hate working out so much that I don’t want to put it off any longer than I have to. Sleeping in is cool, but sleeping in and THEN having to work out kinda sucks.

• Yet another “I feel undeservedly strong” workout, which is such a contrast to last cycle’s “strength miracles” workouts. My right forearm/bicep was extremely pissy yesterday and I thought I’d reached the end of my limit on low bar squatting, but today there were zero issues. Lower back was a little sore, primarily from Tang Soo Do. This new form is really challenging the core.

• My right hip still flares up a little on the overhead press. This is what was bothering me 18 months ago when I first started Tactical Barbell, and it’s not as severe, but I may need to take more proactive measures soon to resolve it.

• Tang Soo Do last night wasn’t extremely exhausting, but moderate activity. Highlight was doing a partner self-defense drill where both individuals tried to grab the other while defending against the grab. Was paired off against the Valkyrie, and like a venus flytrap I waited for her to grab me, and then spun around and picked her up from behind in a psuedo-suplex. Of course, didn’t slam her, but lifting her a bunch of times was fun.

• Weighed in at 82.5kg. Repeat of yesterday’s weight. I honestly haven’t been looking at myself in the mirror much through this process, but today I noticed a degree of leanness I haven’t seen in quite a while. This recomp approach has really been successful. Going easier on the conditioning has put me in a lower cortisol state and seems to be allowing for more fat burning/loss. With how I’ve been able to eat through this process, I’m pretty jazzed about that.

• 10 mile race tomorrow. Bad decisions make good stories.

 Training Log: Entry 3751

AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm, best night of sleep in a long time)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 6, Workout 4

“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”

20m recovery row

Notes:

• Every week, this is what I need when I need it. Alarm went off, I went to stretch, and every single muscle cramped. Got out of bed like the Tin Man, stumbled onto the rower, and went for no records whatsoever: just moved my body through space for 20 minutes and got some blood flowing. It’s one of those workouts where you consider skipping it because “what’s the point”, but it’s so much better to do it than to not.

• Opened up the workout with 17 chins.

• Weighed 82.5kg. Big contributor was last night’s Tang Soo Do class, which, as a 90 minute class, was an excellent workout. We spent the first half drilling techniques in increasing complex combinations that had us pouring sweat, and finished up with forms. Consequently, the “water weight shenanigans” I spoke of earlier are most likely still at play, explaining the weight drop despite the big meals yesterday, due to just how much we sweat. One more class tonight.

• I took the day off work tomorrow so the kiddo and I can catch the Mario movie. I’ve already got lunch in the sous vide (beef rib and beef shank), as we have our 10 mile race on Saturday and I’ll need to properly fuel. Still semi-undecided on the most immediate follow-on training phase, but part of that will be seeing how I feel after that race.

 Training Log: Entry 3750

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm, good night of sleep)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 6, Workout 3

MAIN CLUSTER

Axle Bench Press
4x3x266

Texas Deadlift Bar Deadlifts
12x440

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

Lever belt squat
4x8x275

Dips
3x8x85
7+1x85

Axle curls
4x8x91

ASSISTANCE CIRCUIT

Reverse hyper/Hanging leg raise
3x15x360/3x10

Notes:

• Sleep was good, so I didn’t wanna get up when the alarm went off, but I’ve been excited about this training day enough that I told myself, if I really wanted to, I could just walk away after the deadlift.

• On that note: I’m quite pleased with the deadlift. I noticed I was low backing it today, which seems to be me trying to save my hips, but even with that, the weight felt SO much lighter than my previous attempt at this weight. I’ve grown significantly stronger, and this was a 2 rep PR. I also saw places where I can chill out on the hips a little during the concentric. 12 reps was my goal and I met it. Grinded out a bit more than I should have, but so far no worse for wear. And the moonwalk afterwards was legit, as was seeing all the blown out blood vessels in my shoulders after my shower. I’m coming back to what I was.

• Benching was ok. Little bit of elbow pain to deal with. Felt it on the dips as well, and really showed itself on the hanging leg raise when I’d get off the bar. Felt more specifically in the bicep, similar to how my left felt before I tore it. Something to keep an eye on.

• Happy with how the belt squat is feeling these days. Far more viable movement when I don’t have knee pain.

• Tang Soo Do last night was a good traditional class of basics and forms. I’m really trying to get my stances deeper, now that my knees play nicer. Tonight is the 90 minute class.

• Weighed in at 82.8kg this morning: a full kilo drop from yesterday, despite eating like an absolute champ. Definitely some water weight shenanigans going on.

• On the topic of weight, this training phase has made me think I’ve got a decent year-round protocol going so far. Gain Oct-Dec, lean out first 6 weeks of new year, Recomp/reverse diet to June, lean out/be active outside for the summer, repeat. I’ve naturally fallen into the pattern and it’s really working well for me.

Training Log: Entry 3749

AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via Valkyrie’s alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 6, Workout 2

“VIKING RAID”

15 minutes

• 100m row

• 150lb sandbag carry

• Add 100m each round

Notes:

• Got all the way through the 6th round before the timer hit. Second best performance of the training cycle. Really tried to make it up in the rowing portion, as I was being a bit ginger on the carries.

• Opened up the workout with 17 chins.

• My hip has turned a corner thankfully in time for a deadlift PR attempt tomorrow. I was on the fence with doing this workout in order to spare the hip for said attempt, but this didn’t seem to bother it too much. Tang Soo Do may be another story. Right elbow/forearm is still a little pissy with this workout in general, but far better than it usually is this deep into Grey Man.

• Yes: I specifically wear my shirt that says “Viking” for this workout.

• Weighed 83.8kg this morning. Highest so far in the training block. With it being a gaining block, that’s not a bad thing, but I’ve also been living off the most sodium laden foods for the past several days, between kalua pig, corned beef and that Hawaiian BBQ spread last night. Consequently, thirst levels have been elevated as well.

 Training Log: Entry 3748

AM WORKOUT (0359 natural wake up)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 6, Workout 1

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo Bar Squat
4x3x377

Axle strict press from rack
4x3x181

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) DB incline bench
4x8x80s

DB rows
4x8x145

GHRs
4x8x65

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
20, 15

Notes:

• I was already dreading this workout before I went to bed last night, although “dread” is hyperbolic. It was more just plain not wanting to wake up early to go lift weights. But, as the natural wake up shows, my body was ready to go when it was time, and I actually felt much more physically restored. The Valkyrie gave me a massage last night around my SI joint, and that seemed to do the trick. Much more effective than rolling out on the LAX ball. Gives me hope for Wed’s deadlift workout.

• The week of triples suits me well. Still a wannabe-powerlifter. I felt strong on the squats and undeservably strong on the press. Geting into the squat position torqued my forearm a little, but I’m still MUCH healthier come week 6 than I typically am. And the press didn’t bother my hip like it did last workout.

• I’m actually challenging myself on the ab work at the end. Feel a decent cramp.

• Got in a full 7 days of 17-17-16 chins. Going for triple 17s this week.

• Weighed in at 83.3kg. I earned that, because I ate like a champ this weekend, with a capstone last night of 5 slices of sourdough crust pizza (2 slices with that guanciale…it was glorious) and 2 and a quarter large sourdough cookies with some raw local honey. Once again: I am such a fan of how I get to eat.

To give perspective, when I say “large cookies”, the ones in the photo are the “small ones”. The large ones didn’t make it into the shot, but they resembled Mrs. Field’s cookies in terms of thickness and size. Just wonderful.

 Training Log: Entry 3747

AM WORKOUT (0358 natural wakeup)

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 5, Workout 5

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo bar Squat
4x6x352

Axle strict press from rack
3x6x168
5+1x168

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) Incline DB bench
4x10x75s

DB row
4x10x135

GHRs
4x10x60

GHR sit ups
20
15

Notes:

• I came into this feeling absolutely destroyed. My hips are a wreck from 3 nights of sparring (more on that), but knowing it was Friday and I had breakfast waiting for me compelled me through. Surprisingly, it was the press that was the biggest X-factor, rather than the squats. I DID note that I wasn’t standing fully locked out at the top of the squats, with some forward lean to take some pressure off the hips, but the first set of press sent some electricity down my back/hip, and I lost the second rep forward and had to fight for it as a result. Had to really make a point to keep my glutes locked down. I took a full 3 minutes of rest before the final set to help out there. In general, it was a workout I was happy to come out the other side on.

• I giggled to myself while filming my GHRs realizing that my youtube channel is effectively the world’s slowest snuff film.

• I at least earned my hip pain. I was the Dojang champion last night, sparring through 1 junior student, 1 senior student, and our senior black belt that is always the biggest challenge. In the case of the latter, I threw him off my starting off in the bladed stance that they always tell us to start off in that I refuse to adopt. Much like Inigo Montoya in Princess Bride, it dawned on them that, suddenly “I am not left handed”. But after that, I couldn’t stand to fight like that, so went back to my original stance. It had the intended effect though: suddenly I was unpredictable. This also included sending a rear like side kick to his head, which, for reference, he’s 6’3-6’4 and I am 5’9. It worked because NO ONE expected me to be able to do that. And all it cost me was my hips. A real pyrhric victory: the best kind. Got to watch the Valkyrie take on the entire dojang one after the other in the redemption bracket and work her way back up to me. We had an awesome match, getting into overtime at 2-2, with her scoring a beautiful head crescent kick on me at the end. Good night for the family.

• All THIS said, each sparring week I come out of it pretty wrecked. Even though this is “no-contact” point sparring (or maybe ESPECIALLY because of that), it requires a fair degree of athleticism and agility regularly practiced, and I keep getting older while these kids keep growing more and more into their primes. Our schedules force us to go 3 nights in a row, rather than having a break in between, and by Thurs the Valkyrie and I are totaled. In light of all this, I’m considering pivoting my training and making the sparring week a week where I adopt one of the “Fighter” programs from Tactical Barbell. Basically cut the lifting from 3x week to 2x week. Simplest solution would be cut out the middle day and make it JUST the deadlift workout.

• Weighed in at 82.5kg. Weight continues to remain pretty stable.

• My coffee consumption has increased. I just plain enjoy it, and people at my work are enablers by asking if someone else will have a cup if they make another pot.

 Training Log: Entry 3746

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

TACTICAL BARBELL MASS PROTOCOL GREY MAN Week 5, Workout 4

“ROW ROW ROW YOUR BLOAT”

20 minute recovery row

Notes:

• This was just what the doctor ordered (I suppose that would be Dr. Shawn Baker, as he’s super into rowing). I was exhausted at the end of the day yesterday and just passed out, and woke up “broken, bruised, forgotten, sore”. Immediately post row I felt worse, but after going through the rest of my morning, I feel restored and able.

• This continues to be the most “all-in” this block of Mass Protocol has been as far as priorities go. I’ve picked sleep over rucking, and have used the rower as a recovery tool, and the outcomes continues to demonstrate that this is the right call. I make peace with the reality that, when it comes time to emphasize conditioning, that’s what Operator is for.

• Weighed in at 83.2kg. Between a diet rich in salty corned beef and housing a ton of water and electrolytes before bed, that checks.

• Sparring night wasn’t quite as intense last night, but it was a full 90 minute class. We had a lot more junior students, and I was paired off with my kiddo in the first round, so I only got to spar that one round of our tournament. Post tournament we did some rounds of free sparring, and I couldn’t get any of the junior students to come play with me, so I did matches with my hands behind my back to make it a challenge.