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.