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.