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.