Training Log: Entry 3452

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 5

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

5x5x210

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and strict press away

5x5x142.5

Weighted NG chins

5x5x32.5

KB swings

100x24kg

ASSISTANCE WORK

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x 345lb

Standing ab wheel

3x10

BPA

2x25, 1x50

1 min max dips

1 min max push ups

1 min max push ups w/reactive slingshot

1 min w/slingshot

1 min w/Metal Catapult

Notes:

* This was the first week we did 3 TSD classes in a row in a while: our lives had us doing more of an every other day schedule.  In turn, my hips and glutes were pretty torqued yesterday from a variety of kicks, and I had to do a little rolling out before the squats, and the first set felt pretty awful.  Lower back was carrying some fatigue as well, which may be from that and the trap bar lifts.  I noticed my lats were sore yesterday as well, which could be from the increased volume on that.  Similar to an elimination diet, one of the nice things about such abbreviated training is I can see immediate impacts from deviations and decisions.  By set 3, everything was clicking along well.

* On the subject of clicking, my log clean continues to improve.  Getting 15 attempts at it this week has been helpful in that regard.  I am thinking about including a heavy clean at the end of each workout, similar to the KB swing finisher, just to be able to not waste energy when the time comes.  In fact, as I’m writing this and talking about the KB swing finisher, I realize I DON’T do that movement on the trap bar day, so maybe, before the trap bar pull, I can do one heavy single of log clean.  I like that idea.

* Forearms gave me a hint that they weren’t going to play nice, but they felt just fine on the chins.  I’m thinking I found a good balance point here, and if need be, I may completely cut the chins out of Day 1, or just continue on a reduced set load.  

* The push work at the end was more of that “hypertrophy preservation effort”.  Stole the idea from General Conditioning 35: going for time rather than reps.  I’m a little mixed on it.  My goal was a chest pump, but it was more my front delts that were screaming at the end.  I think assigning me a time value had me too focused on rep total in time, whereas before I was more focused on chasing the pump and hitting failure.  Still, a worthwhile experiment.  

* Tang Soo Do last night was pretty interesting.  Lotta ad hoc stuff.  At one point, our instructor had a drill where we’d strike 3 differently spaced bags with kicks, with a  goal to reach each bag as efficiently as possible, and once we were finished, he’d charge us and we’d have to defend close quarters/grappling range.  He got through 2 students before me, and once he approached me, he said “This is probably a mistake”.  And as soon as me made contact he went “Yep”.  Got a smile outa me.

* I was feeling light, so I weighed myself out of cycle at 84.5kg.  Down half a kilo from Monday.  I think I may go with Mon/Fri weigh ins, since I’ll be weighing in on a Friday for my competition.  Gives me an idea of where I’ll be around that time.  I’m planning on overcorrecting a little, as I have that cruise coming up in Mar that I want to enjoy, and being able to eat UP to the competition would be much more preferable than having to diet down.

 Training Log: Entry 3451

AM WORKOUT (0445 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 4

“BLACK OUT ON OXYGEN”

* 60 seconds of KB swings

* 800m run as fast as possible

* 2 min rest

* 5 rounds of the above

Total time: 36:16

BREAKFAST

Moderate walk w/dogs

Notes:

* Somehow, Texas, Louisiana and Florida have had more snow than us this winter, so I took advantage of the season and got in some running this morning.  I was torn between this and a carry medley, but my forearms continue to feel better by the day, so delaying hammering them seems to be a good call.  I may alternate between stones and carries each week to spare the body, but I need to make sure to get some throws in as well.

*   Once again, my 800m isn’t a true 800m, but close enough for the purposes of this workout.  I’m still running in my bearfoot shoes, which I still have no idea if that’s a good idea or not, but I’d rather run in bearfoots so that I can swing in them on the swings vs swing wearing running shoes.  Come game day for the 10 mile run, I may wear running shoes…or I may just be REAL stupid and stick with the bearfoots.

* The very first round was the hardest.  Cold air hitting my lungs and breaking into the movement.  “Blowing out your first lung” as Brian Alsruhe put it.  I tried to really focus on output during the run, but I’m never satisfied with myself when told to do something as fast/hard as possible.  I do much better when given a specific limit to train against.  “Run 800m in under 150 seconds”, for example.  Perhaps I need to self-impose.

* Was averaging about 39 swings in that 1 minute interval.

* Tang Soo Do was a surprisingly good workout last night.  Pretty much didn’t stop moving for the whole class.  Lots of combination work, then some open hand and weapons forms.  We have another class tonight as well.  

* Yesterday was like a full on PSMF day.  I stuck with Metabolic Drive through the day, and then dinner was 3 Don Lee Farms chicken breast patties and 300g of egg whites, which boiled down to 435 calories with 84g of protein, with 2g of fat and carbs per chicken patty.  Weaving Apex Predator in and out as I go.

 Training Log: Entry 3450

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 2

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

5x5x210

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and strict press away

5x5x145

Low handle trap bar lift

3x5x375

ASSISTANCE WORK

Core circuit (no rest between exercises)

Reverse hyper

3x20x180

Standing ab wheel

3x10

BPA

2x50

Axle curls

1x50

Band pushdowns

1x35

Notes:

* Had a rough night of sleep, and honestly contemplated sleeping in and getting this done in the afternoon.  Glad I decided otherwise, because while I was getting ready, my kid came out of their room and informed me the dog threw up and their blankets needed to get washed.  So sleeping it wasn’t going to happen either way.  

* The front squats felt the best they’ve felt since starting the cycle.  Smooth, fluid, and painfree.  My right knee is really getting in a good way, to the point that I’m catching myself NOT thinking about it, particularly when going up stairs.  It’s been in pain for so long that I forgot what being painfree was like.

* Which, on that note, I’m thinking of retiring the trap bar after this training cycle.  Another one of those “I think I’ve proven my point” sorta moments.  It just doesn’t feel good on my knee, whereas a barbell deadlift doesn’t run into that issue for me.  The barbell WAS killing my hip, but I seem to have that sorted out now.  I think sticking with a deadlift bar will go a long way for me.  The flex tends to spare my body while still allowing me to go heavy.  I also foresee myself deviating from the TB protocol ever so slightly by doing once a week mat pulls with ROM progression rather than once a week deadlifts.  But this is all future stuff: for now, the trap bar is staying in because it’s close enough to a car deadlift for me.

* Was looking at my reverse hyper in between sets and thinking about how it’s always been good for me to do that, and given “plank and shank” is a recommended protocol with TB, I didn’t feel like I violated the spirit of the program by including it in some ab assistance work.  Kept it light, with a goal of traction/decompression over anything else.  Was a nice circuit.

* My forearms/elbows are gradually improving, so, in turn, I included some direct arm work but kept it well shy of failure, really focusing on technique and the pump.  

* Tang Soo Do was a decent workout last night.  Any time we weren’t on the floor training forms, we were in a plank.  I appreciated how much that DIDN’T bother me, compared to my classmates, who were in agony.  Also, my Valkyrie was crowned the Dojang sparring champion of the week, making her ALSO the first FEMALE sparring champion of the Dojang, dethrowning our resident Black Belt champion from a 5 month run of it.  Super proud of her.  And we’ve got another class tonight.

 Training Log: Entry 3449

AM WORKOUT (0359 natural wake up)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 2

“90 Minute Ruck”

Treadmill walk w/45lb vest

5 miles in 1:30:24

Incline 4

Notes:

* Started at 3.2mph pace, and gradually upped it to 3.4.  Got in over 11k steps before 0600.  Good day there. 

* Slept really well last night, and got up 30 seconds before my alarm was going to go off.  That’s a great feeling.  

* Got in a 2.3 mile walk last night post dinner with the Mrs as well, so activity has been good.

* The last 20 minutes of this walk sucked a little.  The vest wasn’t bugging me too bad, but after 70 minutes I was just kinda over it.  Still, should be conditioning me well for a 10 mile run.  The soles of my feet are a little torn up because I’m still wearing my barefoot shoes but with socks that aren’t very awesome, so they got scrapped up.  

* Right elbow/extensor is continuing to mend, which meant I was happy to have settled on this workout vs anything more intensive.  Recovery is going to be key here.

* Tang Soo Do tonight.  It’s basics week, which can be a mixed bag as far as intensity goes.

* Family meal last night was an excellent opportunity to carb up.  Farmer’s casserole with bison meat, alongside a biscuit with some grassfed butter, and 4 of the Valkyrie’s peanut butter cookies with some raw local honey and some fairlife skim.   Kept the potions reasonable.  I need to factor in that I typically finish off the kiddo’s plate, so I don’t need to serve myself much of a second helping.  Still cool to observe myself continue to display metabolic flexibility: each time I eat a meal like this, I feel/respond better.

 Training Log: Entry 3448

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 1

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

5x5x210

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

5x5x145

NG chins

3x5x32.5

KB swings

100x24

ASSISTANCE WORK

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

3x30seconds x 345

HLR

3x10

Lateral raise dropset

35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands

Band pull aparts

4x25

Notes:

* Most obvious thing to discuss is that my right elbow is really sore from yesterday’s stone work, so I cut out sets of chins, and I may actually consider removing the exercise entirely for the duration of my specialization as a means to allow for better recovery.  Or I might do everything in my power to train strongman on Saturday vs Sunday for better recovery.  But in either case, I’m prioritizing recovery, which is a big step for me.

* Pain makes us smart sometimes though: I realized I’ve been rowing the log into my lap rather than deadlifting it.  Wanting to save my elbow, I did it correctly today, and it was a big difference when it came to getting the second pop up.  Puts me in a much better position.   Good to remember that.

* Fronts squats felt fantastic.  Very smooth, no knee pain.

* Swings are feeling better as well.  In general, things are clicking.

* Meant to log this yesterday, but training with the stones was legit fun for me.  Been a long time since I had fun in training.  I think about how I started to fall out of love with strongman, and I feel like that was another manifestation of illness.  It’s good to remember the spirit of this.  That said, I also need to listen to my body and be smart and not break myself in the pursuit of relighting this passion.

* Weighed in at 85.0 kg, which is a .1kg drop from last week.  I’m honestly really excited about that, as I actually anticipated a rebound up from last week, considering how dramatic of a drop it was from week to week.  I’m trending in a good direction, and this is still while dealing with some digestive issues.  As much as I don’t want to admit to it, I think those ribs from my favorite BBQ place don’t agree with my digestion, as it seems like every Friday I eat them, and I spend the weekend dealing with them.  I make a point to squeeze them out with some paper towels and wipe off the dry rub, but even if taking care of the obvious issues, it’s still a LOT of pork fat to take in, even with me cutting down to half a rack this last time.  It’s something I can be aware of, if nothing else.

* High carb meal coming tonight, and then I’m thinking tomorrow’s workout is going to be a ruck.  Something that won’t beat up the elbows any more.

 Training Log: Entry 3447

PM WORKOUT (1430)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 6

"Reset 60s: Atlas Stones"

* 135lb stone of steel

* 60 seconds on, 2 mins rest

* 5 rounds

* 48" bar off the ground

Notes:

* This marks the start of my specialization.  I'll be including conditioning workouts that are more strongman focused.

* First time doing a stone over bar in a LONG time, to the point that I'm pretty sure it's my first time doing it in this house, which I moved in to almost 6 years ago.  I really like the set up I came up with: bands hold the axle in place and the mats are at an incline and can feed the stone back to me in many cases.  I was also incredibly out of practice and decided to go with an unloaded stone and do my best to remember how to strongman.

* I went all out as far as gear goes: I'm wanting to take this as seriously as possible and not waste these sessions.  Using my grip shirt and a tacky towel, and they both made a big difference and allowed me to train technique that I normally can't manage.  I was doing my old style of arms low on the stone and practically curling it into place at first, but by the end I was able to train some arms over the top of the stone. 

* I was averaging about 7 reps per round, with the third getting me 8.  My left bicep feels a little tender, and given that's the one I tore, it makes sense.  I'll keep my eye on it.  My elbows feel great though, which is a positive, as normally this stuff tears them up.

* Giving a remainder of the weekend update: I got in 18k steps yesterday with a few different walks, and had the final sparring class of the week.  It was the ONE sparring class where I didn't get paired up with any members of my family, so I was able to actually make it to and through the final round to be the champion for that day.  I got to face off against one of the black belts in the semis and our senior student in the final.  The latter is a pretty dirty player, and the stupid games he played won him stupid prizes.  He had a tendency to step on my foot in order to prevent me from employing my footwork to evade him, and he tried to use my immobility to keep me trapped and land a body punch on me.  Instead, I caught on to his game, and both times he tried it I immediately blasted him with a lead hand body punch as he tried to capitalize on it.  It didn't help that he had done some dirty tricks to the Valkyrie leading up to this match.  I already wanted to beat him, but each time he stepped on my foot I saw red.  I should be better...but I'm not.

* Been eating well, but sticking with the plan as well.  I only managed to eat half a rack of ribs on Friday, vs my typical full.  Zero restriction: I simply stopped eating when I stopped wanting more ribs.  Went out to our favorite buffet, and I loaded up on grilled shrimp, fish, and some thin cut new york strips.  Swapping out whole eggs with whites, focusing on driving up protein wherever I can.  Honestly, the biggest thing is to not UNDEReat.  My appetite is so low these days, but I don't want to jettison too much weight.

 Training Log: Entry 3446

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 5

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

4x3x255

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

4x3x170

Weighted NG chin

4x3x40

KB Swing

100x24kg

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x 345lb

SUPERSET w/

Standing ab wheel

3x10

BPA

4x25

15 minute walk around my basement

Notes:

* Haven’t been logging it, but still sticking with 2 minutes rest.  Until there is a demand to go longer, that’s the way forward.

* I genuinely didn’t think this week would be all that fatiguing, but I’ll admit that I was feeling pretty beat down today.  Little lacking in the “oomph”.  By the third set on the squats, things were clicking nicely, and I had a few decent cleans on the log, but it looks like K. Black knows what he’s doing by prescribing lighter conditioning on this week.  This being a week of multiple sparring classes probably doesn’t help there.

* KB swings felt better.  Really trying to make it that “vertical plank” Dan John talks about, along with whipping the bell back on the concentric.  Also trying to get as much ROM as I can on the chins.

* Since yesterday’s conditioning already got me a decent chest pump, I didn’t go for more today, and instead used the extra time to get in some steps.  It’s still stupid cold, so I stayed in the basement and just walked around.  If I keep that up, I could always throw on a weight vest and walk the stairs in the basement, or I could break out my bike/rower combo, although the set-up for the latter eats into my time.  There’s always the jump rope too.  Dan John always talks about the value of a post lift walk, and I dig that.  

* Didn’t get much for reps in tournament sparring last night.  Was immediately paired up against my kiddo, and I want them to get more reps, so I played hands only and went 1 to 3 against them.  I’m really proud of how much of a swarm fighter my kid is.  Relentless pressure.  We’re at a bit of an impasse, because our head instructor is an outfighter, and coaches all the students to do the same, whereas I’m an infighter, and I advise my kid the same way.  I always defer to the head instructor, because it’s his Dojang and we’re here to learn Tang Soo Do, but I can tell my kid also prefers to be an infighter vs an outfighter…primarily because they’re smaller, so it kinda makes sense.  But hey: maybe them getting coached from two different perspectives will allow them to develop a variety of skillsets.

* All was not lost on my end, as we had free sparring as a warm-up and alternated partners through out.  I had a chance to spar our tallest student, who stands about 6’5 and weighs less than me, so he’s like a big daddy longlegs. I was able to crack his patter: draws guard with a kick and then goes for a long lunging body punch.  I took to shin checking him and then moving off to an angle to get my body punch in while deflecting his.  Did it enough times that I saw him have to start re-calculating his plan, and then, meanwhile, I got to share my info with my wife and kiddo for whenever they have to spar them.  It’s kinda fun: they look to me to develop strategies for the other students.

* My plan is to break out the stone this weekend and begin the official prep for the competition.  We’ll see how that pans out.  I’ve got one more sparring class tomorrow.

 Training Log: Entry 3445

AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 4

“GENERAL CONDITIONING 5” Beginner

3 rounds of

30 seconds max dips

90 seconds rest

30 seconds max push ups

90 seconds rest

2 min rest

3 rounds of

5 pull ups

10 burpees

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dog

Notes:

* Sticking with the plan and did the easy/beginner version of this protocol.  RX is a full minute of dips and push ups.  But this was still a very solid pump, and the finisher at the end did a good job getting me breathing hard and my heart rate up.  It snowed a touch last night and was cold enough that some indoor training was the right call, and with all the sparring we’re doing this week, I liked something that was a little gentler on my knees.

* Got the finisher done in 3:05.  I used kipping pull ups as necessary, once again, per the program guidelines.  

* Slept in as much as I could, taking full advantage of the situation here and recovering as hard as I can.

* Last night was back to back classes of sparring.  The first class had some lower ranks in it, so I ended up facing off against 2 white belts before squaring off with the Valkyrie again.  I did my typical “hands only” approach with the white belt, left them some openings to chase after, let the matches go the full distance to let them get in some reps.  Valkyrie and I went to sudden death/overtime, while I once again tried my best to be springy on my feet and try out some new material.  While my hips are feeling good, I’m trying to take advantage of it.  She finished with a body punch, and from there we worked some free sparring with a rotation of opponents.  For the second class, Valkyrie and I got paired off in the first round and she ended up going 3 to 1 against me.  She’s good at landing the body kick.  We have one more class tonight, and then another on Saturday.

* I’m looking leaner/tighter.  Post carb magic and general reduction of food showing through.  The gaining experiment was excellent, as I learned that, even while turning every meal into an eating competition for 14 weeks straight, followed by a 1 week cruise, I still couldn’t eat myself fat enough to a point that I couldn’t get lean again in a matter of weeks.  I forget who I was listening to, but someone was talking about the assurance that comes with keeping yourself a few weeks out from lean while gaining.  If nothing else, I’m sure it’s positive from a nutrient partitioning standpoint.  It’s also funny to me how I’ve effectively defaulted to the Velocity Diet without any drama about it.  The first time I did it, it was such a big paradigm shift, and now it’s just what I gravitate toward.  I really love how much I don’t have to think when it comes to packing lunch for work, and the cost/time savings.

 Training Log: Entry 3444

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 2

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

4x3x255

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

4x3x170

Trap bar lift

1x495

ASSISTANCE

HLR

3x10

Axle curls

66 unbroken reps

BPA

2x50

Notes:

* Slept hard last night.  Woke up 6 minutes before the alarm, went back to sleep and had a full dream in that time.  

* I’m going to start with the elephant: that was the most ridiculous pull I’ve managed in a LONG time.  That’s a 12 second concentric.  I thought for sure I was going to blackout at around the 4 second mark, but I decided at that point to just pull UNTIL that happened.  I legit felt like I was standing still at one point.  I realized that, without a straight bar, I don’t really have any “tricks” to pull off when the bar stops moving.  I couldn’t ramp it or hitch or anything: I just had to keep on pushing until SOMETHING happened.  And yes, I DID rest at the top in the attempt to try to get in more reps after that, but decided I finally had enough as I was bringing it back down.  This was supposed to be a triple, and, in turn, I once again realize the difference in my capabilities between reps and heavy singles.  This definitely needs to become my new max for the rest of this cycle, which is going to mean some lighter weights on the easier weeks, but I could always try for more sets at that point.  Ultimately, I’ve got mixed emotions, as it’s a nutkick to not be as strong on the pulls as I used to be, but I am SO elated that I still have this kinda fight in me ON a heavy pull.  It’s been a long time since I’ve fought that hard for a rep: good to still have it in me.

* I nixed the front squat rack hold for 2 reasons.  1 being logistical, as I have to unload the trap bar to load up the SSB, and the second is that, with this day having a heavy pull on it, I’m thinking I’m already loading my CNS enough and don’t need the additional stress.  This should also keep my knees feeling springy.  Since I alternate between HLR and ab wheel every workout, this will allow me equal opportunities to pair those with the holds still.

* On the note of knees, my right knee is feeling a little achy today, but that’s because I was being VERY bouncy in sparring last night.  Since I’m feeling healthier, I’m trying to move healthier and take advantage of it, moving in and out, working angles, throwing lots of kicks at weird angles, etc.  It’s also nice as it’s added some unpredictability to my game, since most folks there are used to sparring me while I’m beat up.

* I made it through 2 rounds of our tournament last night.  Went against a junior student, so I stuck with just hands (we’re only allowed 3 punches: front, reverse and side, and can only punch the body) and focused on using footwork for evasion.  I managed 1 body punch early in the match, and then just trying to create openings while evading kicks.  Ran out the clock, second round was against the Valkyrie.  Used it as an opportunity to try out a bunch of new tricks, threw a jump spin back kick at one point, chained together a lot of spin crescent kicks, etc.  We ended up going 2 to 1 in her favor.  I gave her a little assist on her match for champion: in the match before hers, I called out the guy she was going to face, pointing out “He’s only got 2 moves: a low to high roundhouse that he follows up with a hook kick”.  The dude got a shocked look on his face, realizing he was exposed, and it totally threw him off his game for his match with the Valkyrie: he NEVER threw his pet combo.  I watched her land 2 solid bodypunches and then run out the clock to win for the night: solid victory.

* We’re doing a double sparring class tonight, to make up for some missed classes. 

* That deadlift is still in my head.   I want to be the deadlifter I was again.  I think I got some plans for my future.

 Training Log: Entry 3443

AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via alarm)

12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND

Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 2

"HEAVY BAG RESETS"-beginner

1 min max effort heavy bag (Bas Rutten Body Action System) strikes
2 min rest

5 rounds

Notes:

* Per the program instructions, since this is the heavy week for lifting, we're doing the easy/beginner workouts for conditioning.  Instead of 90 seconds of strikes, it's 60.  That said, it was still enough to be able to tax my system and allow me to "sprint" with striking.  Technique wasn't great at all, but effort was there, and that was the goal.

* I've got Tang Soo Do tonight as well, which is sparring week, so that's even more opportunities to put some work in.  It was -11 ambient this morning, which drove my decision to do some indoor work.  Also why there was no walk with the dog.

* Because this was such a short workout, I was able to sleep in, which helps perpetuate performing well on the heavy week.

 Training Log: Entry 3442

PM WORKOUT (1500)

12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND

Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 1

MAIN WORK

SSB Front Squats
4x3x255

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away
4x3x170

NG chins
4x3x40lb

KB swings
100x24 KG bell

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front squat hold
3x30 seconds x 345

Standing ab wheel
3x10

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

BPA
100 reps

Notes:

* Had the day off work, so slept in and got this done before dinner.  It's stupidly cold today, with a high of 9 and a low of -6 ambient, which meant my hands were going numb through the workout.  Aside from that, this went well.  I was stiff on that first set of front squats, but at the end I was bouncy and the log was moving well.  I'm delighted to feel as strong as I do on the log, even if I am far away from the strongest I've ever been.  Been a bit of reclamation going on.

* Speaking of feeling good, my knees feel absolutely incredible.  I've been handling stairs just fine, to say nothing of squats, jumps, Tang Soo Do, etc.  My hips feel awesome too, and I'm able to kick higher and move freer.  I'm dealing with a pulled muscle in my right psoas/ab, but it's not debilitating.  In general, this is the best I've felt physically in a long time.  Turning over the reigns 100% has really been beneficial toward healing while still getting stronger, and this style of training is aligning with my psychology well enough that I'm not dreading training or constantly fighting my inner dialog, so mentally I'm in a pretty good place as well.  I'm really drinking the Tactical Barbell Koolaid at this point.

* Today, I fasted through breakfast, since the whole family had the day off and I wanted to have lunch with them, and I'm at a point where 3 meals is just an absurd amount of meals for me.  They went out for donuts, I had some tea with them, and then we had lunch at that burger place where I ate the 5lb cheeseburger.  They finally have my photo up on the wall, which was cool.  I was more reserved and had just 3 burger patties today.  But tonight was also our family meal, so after training I had spaghetti with bison meat sauce, a slice of garlic bread, and then dessert of 3 of my wife's cookies and a small slice of homemade peppermint cheesecake.  Afterwards, I've felt the best I ever have after one of these high carb meals.  I'm not sure if it's a product of eating it post training and getting that effect or a product of the extending fasting, but it leads me to want to experiment more.  It feels good to feel good.

* I weighed in at 85.1kg this morning, which is a 1.3kg drop from last week.  Last week was a post workout weigh in, while this was just a first thing in the morning one, so they're not 100% matching, but the trend is there.  I'm going to stay the course with my current approach and see how I continue to trend, as I know the first few weeks tend to be drastic.

 Training Log: Entry 3441

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 6

"CONNAUGHT RANGE 10 TO 1S"

10 burpees
100m sprint
9 burpees
100m sprint
to 1 burpee

Time: 8:15 (1m 8s PR from last attempt)

Notes:

* I'm not logging my weekends as much as I used to, but they're still awesome and busy.  Now that I'm regularly training 1 day on the weekends, I figure I'll log that.

* Since these ARE weekends, I really don't want to spend a whole lot of time training, so I picked this workout again.  It's currently 11 degrees and feels like -1 with windchill, but STILL no snow, so I took advantage of being able to be outside.  My lungs BURNED from that cold air, and my legs felt like they were pumping battery acid.  I thought for sure I was dogging it and that I was going to double my previous time, so seeing that PR was awesome.  It's that "fun" thing about conditioning: the better you get at it, the worse it feels, because you can push harder.

* I have the day off work tomorrow, and I intend to sleep in.  I'll try to train sometime before dinner, which should be a carby meal.  Clothes continue to fit better, so body comp is improving, but I've once again picked up some sort of stomach bug, or I never got over the initial one I had, so weight is going to be all over the place.

 Training Log: Entry 3440

AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via alarm, slept in with day off)

12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA

Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 5

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat
5x5x225

Alternate w/

Log clean and press away
5x5x155

Weighted NG chins
5x5x35

KB swings
100x24kg bell

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold
3x30 seconds x 348lb

HLR
3x10

Dip-push up dropset
Max reps dips, then push ups, then push ups w/reactive slingshot, then slingshot, then metal catapult

100 BPAs

Notes:

* Got the day off work, so slept in and got this knocked out.  Knees are feeling a little twitchy.  I'm wondering if I need to cut back on the front rack holds, since it's effectively a short range lockout exercise and puts some pressure on them, but it could also be from so much time running around the Dojang and just running in general.

* Didn't feel as strong in this workout as I did last week at the end, but by the middle set things were clicking.

* Chins feel like they're moving in a good way.  Part of that may also be the weight loss.

* Dip/push up dropset is part of my ongoing "hypertrophy preservation" effort.  I feel that 2-3 minutes of work at the end of these workouts isn't going to compromise recovery.  Lateral raises on day 1, curls on day 2 and this on day 3 should put me in a good way.

 Training Log: Entry 3439

AM WORKOUT (0430 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 4

"BLACK OUT ON OXYGEN (BOO) II"

10 burpees

800m run

5 burpees

400m run max effort

Rest 2 minutes

3 rounds total

Time: 28:53

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dogs

Notes:

* Once again, the distances aren't exact, but close enough.  Running in my neighborhood, vs on a track.  Taking advantage of the lack of snow and decent weather for now.  

* Still wearing my bearfeet shoes for this.  No idea if that's a good or bad idea, but it's what I'm doing.  I don't feel any worse running in them.  

* The most difficult part is finding the pace for the 800m.  It's not supposed to be max effort, but also supposed to be harder than a jog.  But I'm appreciating getting in the reps for running here.  This is a very digestible format for it, and it should carry over well for my race.

* It's nice being able to shut off my brain and just pick a workout from the book.  I DO have to fight the voice inside my head telling me to absolutely nuke myself with conditioning.  I'm really trying to find that balance of recovery to get better at all things rather than make Faustian deals in my training.  Just sticking with the plan.

* On the note of sticking with the plan, I've excited the no-man's-land of fat loss, where you spend the first two weeks looking worse than when you started.  Midsection is tightening up again and I'm feeling leaner.  Good to be in touch with my hunger signals again too.  Had 12 chicken wings for dinner last night, and it was enough food.  It's why I always chuckle at the kids that never want to have a cutting phase: there is a LOT of value to be had in getting re-sensitized to food.

* Tang Soo Do is on the schedule for tonight.  Should be another solid workout.

 Training Log: Entry 3438

AM WORKOUT (0404 natural wake up: forgot to set my first alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 3

MAIN WORK

SSB Front Squat

5x5x225

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

5x5x155

Low handle trap bar lift

1x5x440

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x355

Superset w/

Standing ab wheel

3x10

BPA

4x25

Axle curls

1x65

Notes:

* I’m no longer logging the warm-ups, as they’ve reduced as I’ve healed.  I’m pretty much just sticking with the Hatfield squats/jump squats and then some light sets of squats.

* Kept it at 2 minutes rest between sets.

* The log still isn’t feeling awesome, but it’s not soul crushing either.  I’ll have to eventually start training the push press again, as much as I hate it.  Might include it in conditioning, or maybe finish off each set with 1 push press rep.

* Those pulls felt absolutely incredible.  Really goes to speak to the impact of fatigue and small injuries.  A few weeks ago, I couldn’t break the weight off the floor, and only managed 425 for a very grindy single.  315 exploded off the floor for my warm-up, and 440 moved without drama.  Didn’t feel awesome, but I had more in me than just those 5 reps.  DID blow out a bunch of blood vessels still, so something to be aware of.

* This was my first time wearing my powerbelt since I left on vacation, primarily because I didn’t want to run the risk of trying to put it on while bloated, having it not fit, freaking out and torpedoing my bodyweight.  In turn, it actually fit the best it’s fit in a LONG time.  Given my elevated bodyweight, the fact my waistline has remained set to “svelte” leads me to believe I’ve put on some quality mass in these past 4 months.  Should be good as I continue to trim down.

* Rather than do full Poundstone curls, I went until I stopped, and got a good pump.  I'm going to see how my elbows feel with this approach.  

* Tang Soo Do was a really solid workout last night.  We stayed in motion for the full hour.  We were broken into 3 groups, 1 in the middle working on something specific, and the other 2 running laps around the Dojang until it was their turn.  Idea was about performing under fatigue.  Valkyrie and I never fell out, whereas we watched a bunch of kids unable to hang, at a running pace I would best describe as “leisurely”.   Our instructor is a much better human than I: emphasizing “if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, fall out and recover”, whereas I’m of the mindset “that means it’s working!”  But, in turn, I was proud of my kiddo for not falling out and just grinding through the suck.

* We’re getting takeout tonight in support of my kid’s school’s fundraiser “Chef’s Night Out”.  Gonna get some chicken wings from a local pizza place, as that’s about as “Apex Predator” as this diet can get, ala Jamie Lewis’ recommendation.  It dawned on me the other day that I wrote about not being good at maintenance, but I suppose that was the point of “Feast, Famine and Ferocity”: it was a manner of maintenance VIA extremes.  I might bring that back after this initial weight cut: maybe let it guide me to my cruise in June.

 Training Log: Entry 3437

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 2

Weighted vest treadmill walk

Speed: 3.0

Incline: 3.0 for first 45 minutes, 4.0 for final 45 minutes

Total Distance: 4.5 miles

Weight: 45lbs

Notes:

* TB calls for a 90 minute ruck for E work.  This was more leisurely than a ruck, but given I haven’t walked with a vest in quite a while, and I haven’t done that for 90 minutes ever, I decided to ease into it.  I upped the incline at the halfway point to add a little more challenge.  I’m pleased with how it went, and at the end there was discomfort but not anyting intolerable.  I wanna keep this up as an every-other-week thing, per the Black Protocol, and make this my primary prep for my 10 mile run.  If I get used to just moving at a constant rate for 90 minutes, I’ll be in a good way.  This got me over 11k steps before 0600, so that’s a good way to start the day.

* I also managed to get in 8k steps yesterday in the hour during my kid’s show choir practice, so it’s been a good time for walking.  It’s good to be active again.  I definitely appreciated the “softening up” ala John McCallum I did from Oct through Dec, but I like moving.  In general, I like the idea of reserving that period of the year for softening up, and then, as cliché as it is, starting the year off getting back in shape.  Oct is my birthmonth, followed by Thanksgiving in Nov, Christmas in Dec, and our new year’s cruises.  It’s a great time for feasting, celebrating, and easing off the throttle of training.  And once that’s all over, everyone else is in New Year’s mode, so cleaning up the diet and getting back to activity doesn’t feel out of the norm at all.  I may be onto something.

* Had my family meal last night, and even there I’m being a little more conservative than I was during the gaining.  I’m not restricting myself: I’m simply not eating BEYOND satiety at this point.  We did some 4 cheese tortellini with garlic bread, and then I had 2 of my wife’s oatmeal peanut butter cookies with some raw local honey alongside a more reasonable slice of homemade peppermint cheesecake and a small mug of Fairlife skim milk.  

* Digestion finally seems to have sorted itself out.

* Tang Soo Do tonight.  This is “Wildcard/Cardio Week”, so should be some physical activity in store.  We’re skipping class on Wed and making it up on Sat, due to schedule.

 Training Log: Entry 3436

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 1

MAIN WORK

SSB Front Squat

5x5x225

ALTERNATE W/

Log Clean and Press Away

5x5x155

Weighted NG chins

5x5x35

KB swings

100x24kg

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x 348lb

SUPERSET w/

HLR

3x10

BPA

4x25

Lateral raise dropset

35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dog

Notes:

* First workout at 80%, and it’s feeling solid.  I’m thinking the program is working as designed.  Really focusing on getting that front squat smooth.  Instead of the 2 stage approach I’ve used where I squat, hit my natural depth, relax and get deeper, I’m trying to get it all into one solid motion while keeping tight/braced.  Along with that, focusing on getting that log clean as explosive as possible so I don’t waste any energy on it.  Wearing my grip shirt will help too, but I don’t want to rely on gear: I want to have strong mechanics.  It’s why I’m wearing my belt so early into the training phase: I want to practice it the way I need it to be.

* Still keeping 2 minutes rest.  If I need more, I’ll take it, but right now it’s still plenty.

* My left hip was a little achy from the swings from yesterday, and I considered not doing them today, thinking maybe I’m doing too much, but I reflected on how the 10k swing challenge requires 500 per day 5 days a week and people manage.  I’m sure I’m out of condition, but I can fix that.  I’ll still listen to my body as best I can, but it’s a balancing act.

* Allowing myself a little bit of hypertrophy maintenance work in the assistance if time permits.  Lateral raises, some direct arm work on my deadlift day, and maybe some chest work somewhere else.  I don’t intent to do a workout on top of a workout, but I can spend a few minutes if I have the time to get a slight pump that won’t interfere with recovery.

* Weighed in at 86.4kg this morning.  When I finished Mass Protocol, I was 84.6, so that’s up almost 2 full KG 2 weeks after finishing the program.  I also know I’ve dropped some weight since last week, based on how my weight belt was fitting this morning, alongside my rings.  Some of that is definitely inflammation, as the whole family is still overcoming some manner of stomach bug we contracted while traveling, but I’m also calling this a “hypertrophy hangover”.  Even though the TRAINING for mass had stopped, the RECOVERYING from the training did not, and that 1 week on the cruise gave me ample time to eat, recover and grow.  Having “too much muscle” is a great problem to have, but it’s also something for me to keep in mind for future training cycles in relation to proximity to competitions and weigh ins.  I’m not at all concerned about making weight for 12 Apr at 181lbs at this point, but I’m also delighted to have so much “runway” as far as nutrition goes.  Primarily because I’m really not good at maintenance, so being 9lbs over gives me plenty of time to slowly lose some weight while focusing on getting my strength up.

* Already making small, simple changes that will add up big.  Swapped out some whole eggs for egg whites, ditched the pork rinds, going with leaner cuts of steaks, including a little more lean white meat, etc.  We ate out twice this week (we tend to on the weekends), and I went to my favorite Hibachi place and had a plateful of shrimp with a touch of beef, compared to my normal half/half approach, and I went with the full rack of ribs at our BBQ place with no extra sides.  I’m still sticking with solid meal a day and the rest being Metabolic Drive, because I really like that approach, and it means far fewer variables to control as far as nutritional manipulation goes.  Whereas my 1 meal a day used to be an eating competition, now I just eat to satiety with leaner foods.  We’ll see how it all shakes out.

* Going to try to get in some more walking today while my kid is at show choir.  It was 5 degrees this morning when I walked the dog, so it’ll be chilly, but I don’t mind bundling up, as long as it’s not raining.

 Training Log: Entry 3435

12 LABORS: SLAYING THE NEMEAN LION

Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 6

"MEATEATER"

100m sprint
20kb swings w/24kg bell
Walk back to start

10 total rounds

Time: 21:10

Notes:

* Got this done around 12:30.  Figuring out training on weekends.  It was stupidly cold outside, but no snow, so I wanted to take advantage of that and do some outdoor stuff.  I'm feeling speedier on the sprints.  Last 2 rounds my legs were done, but still got my heart rate up and breathing hard.

 Training Log: Entry 3434

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE NAMEAN LION**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 5

MAIN WORK

SSB front squats

5x5x195

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

5x5x135

Weighted NG chins

5x5x30

KB swings

100x24kg

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x 358lb

Standing ab wheel

3x10

Band pull aparts

2x25, 1x50

Notes:

* 3rd lifting workout of the week, keeping the weights the same, and I’m really digging how this all works.  Today felt the best it’s felt, and I moved smooth and quick on everything.  It took me quite a while to be mature enough to “get” this program, but I’m in the right spot for it now.

* Focused on really bracing hard on those front squats and really trying to pop the log up on the clean.  No wasted energy.  Chins felt strong as well.

* The swings come from K. Black discussing one of his clients (I forget if it was TB 1 or 2) that performs Operator with squat, bench and 100 swings with a 36 or 48kg bell.  I’m blending ideas here, but as far as I can tell, still complying with the protocol, as Operator allows for 3 movemetns+1 BW, which would grant me the ability to include those 100 swings alongside the weighted chins.  I feel like having the swings on Mon and Fri and the deads on Wed should work well for me.  Allow me to still train the hinge/triple extension without beating myself up too much.  Having the deads on Wed and then stones on the weekend gives me longer breaks between heavy posterior chain work to recover.  I really dig the puzzle solving when it comes to this stuff.

* My right knee is feeling so much better, which bodes well in a lot of ways.  It’s good to know I didn’t permanently destroy it: I simply wasn’t giving it enough time to recover because I kept hammering it with that squat style that just wasn’t a good fit for me.  Going back to a more normal stance has me moving fast and feeling strong again.  I do want to keep that other stance as a tool in my backpocket, but I think 2-ish years of squatting that way was enough to accomplish whatever I needed to accomplish.  

* I keep upping the weight on the front rack hold, with no real end goal.  This may have been heavy enough at this point to settle in for a while.  I don’t need to be a front rack champion: just have to get some benefit from it.

* I keep talking about wanting to do 3/5/1 for TB, and I can definitely do that in the future, but I realized I have an avenue to employ something similar within the week itself.  It’s 3-5 sets, which means I could always do something like open up the week with 4 sets, do 3 sets on the second workout and then finish up with 5 sets. There’s also the potential to do 4 sets, then 5 sets, then 3 sets on the final workout, saving my back a little before I do events work on the weekend.  Both have their advantages: having the low amount of sets in the mid workout correlates with the workout where I do trap bar lifts, so I can save myself for that OR I could do more than 1 workset of the trap bar that day.  It’s funny how, the more limited the training, the more creative I get.

* We ended up only doing 1 TSD class last night.  We all are still feeling a little crummy post travel.  We’ll get in one more class on Saturday.

 Training Log: Entry 3433

12 LABORS: SLAYING THE NAMEAN LION

Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 4

"CONNAUGHT RANGE 10 TO 1"

10 burpees

100m sprint

9 burpees

100m sprint...

to 1 Burpee

Time: 9:23

Notes:

* Day off due to national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter, so slept in, got some breakfast with the Valkyrie and got this in while she went off to get her nails done.  The weather was good enough that I wanted to get in an outdoor session with some running, but still keep it on the short side.  This worked out perfect.  Those "sprints" were definitely fast runs, but I'm getting back into shape.  I also measured off the distance using strava, so nothing is precise here.

* This met the intent of breaking my lungs.  12 weeks of this is going to be good for me.

* Doubled up Tang Soo Do last night.  Did a lot of roll/break falls.  Doubling up tonight as well, with some intent to get in some walking today as well.

* Digestion still a mess.  Constantly changing diet, but I'm keeping the protein stupidly high while keeping the energy low.

 Training Log: Entry 3432

AM WORKOUT (0415 natural wake up)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE NEMEAN LION**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 3

MAIN WORK

SSB front squats

5x5x195

ALERNATE W/

Log clean and press away

5x5x135

Low handle trap bar lift

5x385

ASSISTANCE

Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)

SSB front squat rack hold

3x30 seconds x 315lbs

HLR

3x10

Band pull apart

4x25

BREAKFAST

No walk w/dogs (weather)

Notes:

* Sticking with 2 minutes rest between exercises.  Still kills my soul to do that.

* I’m employing the “1 day of deadlifts” protocol from the book, rather than a workset every training session.  I’ve settled on one set for now, as, historically, I’ve done quite well with one big set of deads per week vs multiple sets.  I’m willing to play around with that, but I feel like once I start regularly training stones and carries, this will be the right call.  Since the weight was light, I went with the soft belt/power belt set up vs my traditional power belt set up, and that’s not something I’m going to do again, because it felt awful.

* On that note, I’m already losing some of the travel boat, as the belt is fitting better.  My digestion has been absolutely wrecked, which is another reason I’m taking a week to dry out and get situated.

* The squats and presses both felt smoother today than Monday, which is the exact goal of this protocol.  This is like a programmed take on Easy Strength.  Let the strength be the strength work and the conditioning be the conditioning work.

* Meant to mention it on the first day, but I started doing those front rack holds, as I feel like that should have some solid carryover to trying to be a strongman again.  I remember these were really popular about a decade back.  It’s like doing an upright heavy loaded plank.  This becomes almost like the “plank and shank” when I combine it with the ab wheel or HLRs.

* Most likely not going to get in much walking with the dogs as winter is setting in, but thankfully we haven’t had any legit snowfall yet.  It’s just cold.

* Tang Soo Do was pretty low impact yesterday.  Our instructor was wanting to ease people back in after the 2 week break.  We’re doing a double class today, so we’ll see how that goes.

* Leaning into the lower rations at this point.  I don’t tend to count calories, but we’re eating more quick meals as we’ve returned from vacation and didn’t do any sort of legit shopping, and yesterday’s dinner was 3 Don Lee chicken breast patties, a quarter cup of Kalona grassfed sour cream and 200g of egg whites, which was exactly 500 calories according to labels, and around 95g of protein.   I’m really good at not eating, but, in turn, I have to make sure I don’t fly too close to the sun there.

 Training Log: Entry 3431

AM WORKOUT (0430 wake up via alarm)

**12 LABORS: SLAYING THE NEMEAN LION**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 2

“BUFFALO LAPS”

4 rounds of

* 10 burpees

* 400m (ish) run

* 10 KB swings w/24kg bell

* 45 seconds rest

Total time: 17:07

400m cooldown walk

BREAKFAST

No walk w/dogs (weather/schedule)

Notes:

* The headings on these posts are getting ridiculous, but I’m too bought in at this point.  In keeping with the 12 labors, each week will be labeled sequentially as the labors of Heracles, the first being the Slaying of the Nemean lion.  I don’t necessarily have sins to atone for here, unless we’re going Judeo-Christian and counting gluttony these past 14 weeks, along with pride, but if nothing else, it’s a good story and lead into a montage.  Which, actually, the Super Mario Brother Super Show had a great episode on this

* It should surprise absolutely no one how influential that episode was for me as a kid, along with the “Karate Koopa” one.  

* This was a good wake-up call.  After the second round, I was getting that copper taste in my mouth, which I’ve had explained to me is the taste of blood.  Something about metabolic waste products and blood vessels.  It’s all alchemy to my simple barbarian mind.  But I was breathing hard but also remembering how to recover between rounds.  

* Running definitely wasn’t setting any landspeed records.  I actually ran in my bearfeet shoes, which may be a good idea, or it might be terrible, but with the short distance and need to perform burpees and swings, it was my preference.  My distance wasn’t exactly 400m: I was running around the block my house is on, but I’ve measured it out that 4 laps of that is .97 miles based on my GPS, so it’s close enough for my purposes.  The big takeaway for the conditioning work is to meet the spirit of the exercises from TB II, rather than the exact letter, especially once the strongman stuff comes in.

* It was 17 degrees outside according to my phone.  Toward the end, the swings were a little challenging as my hands were numb.  Tried to focus on exploding up AND back down, per Dan John.  Tried to keep the burpee form sharp as well.  I liked this workout structure in general to hit just about everything: some running, some getting off the floor, some triple extension.  All areas I’m weak in.   

* We have Tang Soo Do tonight.  We might do a double class: we have to make up for some lost time.

* I had my carby meal yesterday.  Some tater tots with my dinner, and then a dessert of 3 of my wife's cookies with some honey alongside a slide of a "peppermint bark" cheesecake she made.  Heckuva way to start a leaning out phase, but it's been about 10 days since I've had any sort of carb, and I know I do better with the cyclical approach.

 Training Log: Entry 3430

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm, semi-restless sleep)

**12 LABORS**

*Tactical Barbell Operator* Cycle 1, Week 1, Workout 1

MAIN WORK

SSB front squat

5x5x195

ALTERNATE w/

Log clean and press away

5x5x135

NG chins

5x5x30

ASSISTANCE

Superset circuit (no rest) of

SSB front rack hold

3x30 seconds x 140kg

Standing ab wheel

3x10

Band pull aparts

2x25, 1x50

BREAKFAST

No walk w/dogs (no dogs…still in the kennel)

Notes:

* This is the start of the next training phase.  I’ll go into further detail in a later post, but the “12 Labors” is a reference to Heracles, and it coincides with me having 12 weeks of training until my next strongman competition, along with the fact that, in June I will be going on a cruise to Greece and Rome to celebrate the year I’m turning 40, and I fully intend to look, feel and perform like Heracles when that time arrives.

* I employed 2 minutes of rest between sets.  It absolutely killed me to wait that long, but I am, once again, fully complying with this program.  2 minutes is the absolute minimum amount of rest to take between sets, so I’m doing that, with an option to extend further as weights get heavier.  You ARE allowed to alternate between exercises, but with 2 minutes of rest between EACH exercise, so I’m really taking like 4 minutes of rest between squats with this approach.  

* I paired up the squats and the press together because they both used the same belt set up, and I didn’t want to deal with taking the belt off and putting it back on if I were to throw in the chins as well…primarily because, while wearing this many layers and with my increased abdominal circumference from 7 days of feasting, putting the belt on over top the soft-belt is a chore.

* I have finally returned to a more traditional wider squat stance.  I’ve proven whatever point it was I was trying to prove, and, in returning, also validated a few other theories I had.  One being that my mobility/depth in the wider stance would be much better than it ever was before, and the other being that the narrow stance has been the reason my right knee feels like absolute garbage.  I tore the meniscus in it on a log viper about 1.5 year back, but all this time narrow stance squatting has just been grinding it to a pulp.  Sitting for prolonged periods in confined spaces has been agony.  Meanwhile, today, there was minimal pain DURING the squat, and minimal pain after the workout.  I think the big takeaway is that the majority of my squatting needs to be a more traditional stance, and the close stance stuff should be used sparingly, and for high rep sets.

* I’m also belting up because my intention is for my lower back to get hammered during strongman prep, which I will also expand upon in a later post.  But I’m really trying to learn how to balance the training demands throughout the training program.

* I’m going to spend this week “drying out” from my vacation, and not do any weighing in.  Next week, I’ll take a weigh in and assess where I am in regards to my comp on 12 Apr.  However, “diet starts Monday”, so I’m already on my way to leaning out.  “Operation Conan” has ended, as I’m no longer trying to gain size at this point and, in turn, the nightly updates on meals have ended.  I intended to prove that I could gain on carnivore, and I did, but there was never any doubt you could LOSE fat on carnivore, so there’s no novelty there.

* May get in some more walking tonight while my kid is at their Monday activities.