Training Log: Entry 3389

AM WORKOUT (0355 natural wake up)

**OPERATION CONAN** Occupation Phase

*Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol* Grey Man-Cycle 2, Week 3, Workout 3

WARM UP

Roll out on LAX ball

Speed bodyweight squats holding onto barbell

50x180 reverse hypers

Sets of squats w/bar, 85, 175, 225 and overwarm walkout w/335

MAIN WORK

Buffalo bar Squats

4x8x280

Superset (30 second hang from bar between sets)

Axle strict press

4x8x123

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER giant set

(3)Incline DB bench

2x12x60

2x12x55

NG chins

4x12 (last 2 sets stopped at 9 to regroup)

Standing ab wheel

3x10

SUPPLEMENTAL WORK

GHRs

4x27

TOTAL TRAINING TIME: 51.5 minutes

BREAKFAST

No walk w/dogs (schedule)

Notes:

* Before I get any further, I want to log that I think the ab wheels may be the sneaky culprit to my hip pain.  I got through this workout fairly unscathed, but once I started doing them, my hips started screaming, and I reflected and realized that, whereas these used to help open up my hips after compression, they seem to be having the opposite effect these days.  Going forward, I’m planning on doing hanging leg raises on squat days and ab wheel on deadlift days.  I feel like the ab wheel still helps me unlock after pulls, but after squats I think hanging will do me some good.

* Getting that out of the way, the extra day of rest I took yesterday paid off, as I came into this feeling pretty awesome, and minus a bit of nerve pain right now, I’m feeling solid.  I really tried to focus on moving quickly through the squats, because I’m fairly certain that taking them slow is a big contributor to many of my issues.  I move slow because of my knees, which, if I can get them to cooperate, will spare the hips.  Lots of links in the chain to deal with.  

* I’m loving how my press is coming back.  Slowly but surely, and that’s how I built it the first time too.

* I only upped the squat max by 5lbs vs 10 for this cycle.  Slow and steady again, but it’s progression.

* Kept very close to 1 min rest per set on everything.

* The NG chins aren’t moving much, but with bodyweight increasing, there is progression.  On that note, didn’t weigh myself yesterday, but this week is pretty wild with the celebrating and eating out so much. This will give me some time to re-establish a baseline.

* Which, on that note, I’m going to continue on my one-meal-a-day approach for the foreseeable future.  I’m really digging how it works out.  It seems I’ve abandoned feast and famine for now and am just staying on Apex Predator, but I’ll leave some room for a famine as needed.  May have to do one before my grappling competition on 8 Dec.  There’s finally another dude in my weight class.   He’s 10 years younger than me, but those are the cards I’m dealt.

* I got in 29.5k steps yesterday.  That’s pretty awesome.  I got Tang Soo Do tonight, so more activity on the horizon.

* Got in my carb up last night too with my birthday “cake”.  Had some very generous servings topped with some of that honey from Costa Maya.  And I feel awesome.   It’s amazing what quality ingredients can do.