1.36 x BW for reps. I’d image they should feel heavy! Way to get at it mate!!!
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Looking strong in here still!
I’m just popping in to let you know that my coach’s coach’s most recent black belt is competing in F2W in Austin tonight.
Keep an eye on Mark “Pockets” Jack. Nobody has made black belt faster at Jays gym. He’s Jay’s adopted son and lives for martial arts.
He should put on a good show.
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Thanks for the heads up. It’s been too long since I’ve watched a F2W.
Attended two back in Seattle. Such a great time. I don’t think Seth gets enough credit. I’d argue that F2W is the best thing in jiu-jitsu right now.
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FRIDAY
BW: 153.0 lbs
waist: 34"
Thursday steps: 14.4k
AM weighted walk
32:48 min / AvHR(Max): 117 (145)
Notes:
Lower back was stiff all day. Standing, fine. Sitting, fine. But going back and forth between the two took a little work. Better now, sans chemical intervention, though I don’t see myself doing back squats tomorrow.
That said, so much better than yesterday at this time. I’ve added hinges to my workout and I’m going to make sure I progressively overload them to make sure my posterior chain (weakness) keeps up with my anterior chain.
I’m also going to stop the DB rows. I’m nearing 1/2 bodyweight and I think there’s more bang for the buck in compound back work rather than isolation work, where I’ve got to think about bracing etc. The idea of TB’s max strength is overall strength. And that means compound.
Thrilled to be at 153.0 lbs this morning. Best news of the day.
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Update: Saturday - Thursday
BW average: 154.0 lbs
waist average: 34 1/8"
step average: 15.5k
Took some time off to let my lower back heal up. Kept activity levels up with walks and work in the yard and being a bit more mindful about snacking. I’m also practicing guitar at night before I go to bed and that’s helping avoid the boredom/distraction that tends to lead to bad habits.
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FRIDAY
BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34 1/4"
Thursday steps: 13.7k
Block 3, Week 2 - Max strength (3/3) - 80%
Barbell back squat
(warmups superset with 24" box jumps BW 3 x 5 & BW hypertensions 3 x10)
210 lbs x 3 x 5
Shoulder rehab circuit
(superset with squat work sets)
2 rounds of 15 w/ 5 lb DBs
Seated Arnold press
Seated rear lateral
Standing side lateral
Standing front raise
Back (Lats) - LowPro Row
140 lbs x 6 (!), 6 (!)
Chest - Seated cable flye
55 lbs x 9, 9
Notes:
Squats felt especially heavy after almost a week away from the bar. That said, no lower back issues. Soreness, but nothing that impeded the squat. Onward!
Going to do three different back/row workouts, all CS after last Saturday’s debacle: LowPro (lower lats, pronated grip), HighPro (upper back, pronated grip), and NG (overall back, neutral grip).
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SATURDAY
BW: 154.6 lbs
waist: 34"
Friday steps:14.0k
AM weighted walk
30:52 minutes / AvHR (Max): 123 (148)
Block 3, Week 3 - Conditioning - Blue zone (3/3)
Weighted walk
48:49 minutes / AvHR (Max): 128 (157)
Notes:
Best Friday weigh-in of the year. It’s taking me about two weeks to lose 1% BW so far this month. That’s probably not the worst pace in the world if I can stay consistent. Three-day weekends are historically tricky in the overeating department. I’ll have to be vigilant.
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SUNDAY
BW: 155.0 lbs
waist: 34 1/4"
Saturday steps: 16.3k
AM weighted walk
34:56 minutes / AvHR (Max): 117 (146)
Block 3, Week 3 - Max strength (1/3) - 90%
Barbell back squat
(warmups superset with 24" box jumps BW 3 x 5 & BW hypertensions 3 x10)
240 lbs x 3 x 3
Shoulder rehab circuit
(superset with squat work sets)
2 rounds of 15 w/ 5 lb DBs
Seated Arnold press
Seated rear lateral
Standing side lateral
Standing front raise
Back (Upper back) - HighPro Row
(superset with scapular pushups BW 2 x 15)
120 lbs x 9, 9
Triceps - Overhead cable extension
67 1/2 lbs x 9 (!), 9 (!)
Biceps - Single arm cable curl
30 lbs x 9 (!), 9 (!)
Notes: Lower back still holding up. Sore, but not a limiting factor. Was a little anxious about the triples at 240 lbs. They were definitely stout. About what I’d expect for a first effort out. Two more shots at it before I head to the saner side of the Atlantic for a week.
W/re2 the back work, I’m going to rotate out the NG rows in favor of Kelso shrugs to really hit the upper back. Also going to alternate chest with arms every other day for now. Chest will be cable crossovers and flyes (cable/pec deck).
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MONDAY
BW: 152.8 lbs
waist: 34"
Sunday steps: 15.6k
Block 3, Week 3 - Conditioning (1/3) - “Easy HIC”
AM weighted walk
31:35 min / AvHR (Max): 116 (147)
Notes:
TB calls for “Easy HIC” during 3rd and 6th weeks. This plus hauling around bags of soil for half an hour this afternoon will have to suffice.
Very happy with the movement in BW. Steady as we go.
Heading out of town at the end of the week for work, but should be able to get in a full week of training using my travel day as a day off. Business trips are always a good opportunity to shed body fat. I’d love to head out with some good fat loss momentum.
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TUESDAY
BW: 154.2 lbs
waist: 34 1/4"
Monday steps: 12.8k
AM weighted walk
30:44 min / AvHR (Max): 120 (149)
Block 3, Week 3 - Max strength (2/3) - 90%
Barbell back squat
(warmups superset with 24" box jumps BW 3 x 5 & BW hypertensions 3 x10)
240 lbs x 3 x 3
Shoulder rehab circuit
(superset with squat work sets)
2 rounds of 15 w/ 5 lb DBs
Seated Arnold press
Seated rear lateral
Standing side lateral
Standing front raise
Back (Upper back) - Kelso shrugs
(superset with scapular pushups BW 2 x 15)
35 lb DBs x 9, 9
Chest - Cable crossover
30 1/2 lbs (61 lbs total weight) x 9, 9
Notes:
Still working on form for Kelso shrugs. Didn’t feel quite right, maybe because of the built-in small ROM. Cable crossover felt good, though I’m going to need a heavier bench because the end would tip up at the bottom of the press.
Squats took some effort. About the same as Sunday. Will hit them one more time on Thursday to close out week 3’s max strength work.
In other Project #2025 news, I completed my seventh consecutive day of guitar practice this evening. 12 hours so far this month compared to only 5 hours in January. #thatoldfeeling
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WEDNESDAY
BW: 154.2 lbs
waist: ???
Tuesday steps: 15.0k
AM weighted walk
30:01 minutes / AvHR (Max): 114 (143)
THURSDAY
BW: 152.4 lbs
waist: 34"
Wednesday steps: 12.6k
AM weighted walk
29:36 minutes / AvHR (Max): 128 (155)
Block 3, Week 3 - Max strength (3/3) - 90%
Barbell back squat
(warmups superset with 24" box jumps BW 3 x 5 & BW hypertensions 3 x10)
240 lbs x 3 x 3
Shoulder rehab circuit
(superset with squat work sets)
2 rounds of 15 w/ 5 lb DBs
Seated Arnold press
Seated rear lateral
Standing side lateral
Standing front raise
Back (Middle back) - LoPro row
(superset with scapular pushups BW 2 x 15)
140 lbs x 6 (!), 6 (!)
Chest - Pec deck
130 lbs x 9, 9 (!)
Notes:
Squats felt heavy in the hole, but felt just fine at parallel and above on the way up. Hotel gym for a week coming up. Fortunately, Week 4 is a “light” week (200lbs 5 x 5) so if I’m forced to use a leg press or Smith machine squat, it won’t be the worst thing in the world …
Weight was awesome this morning. BP was better, too. #onedayatatime
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FRIDAY
Travel day
SATURDAY
Thursday steps: 15.7k
Friday steps: 5.9k
Incline treadmill
60 minutes / AvHR (Max): 115 (122)
Notes:
Jet lagged as F. After about 35 minutes it was a struggle to stay awake…
SUNDAY
Saturday steps: 12.5k
Incline treadmill walk
30:08 min / AvHR 120 (132)
(three hours later)
Smith machine back squat
90 kg x 2
80 kg x 2
60 kg x 5 x 5
Seated leg curl
50 kg x 6, 6
Seated leg extensions
50 kg x 7, 7
Shoulder rehab circuit
(superset with leg curl/leg extension work sets)
2 rounds of 15 w/ 4 kg DBs
Seated Arnold press
Seated rear lateral
Standing side lateral
Standing front raise
Notes:
Glad to get some work in. Smith machine squats felt very awkward, and it was hard to push the weight with good form. Dropped back to something manageable and maintenance-like at 60kg 5 x 5. Better than nothing. Threw in some more leg work to help make up for it.
SRC went surprisingly well. 4kg was the lightest they had in DBs, but my shoulders seem to tolerate the additional 3-odd pounds compared to my usual SRC weight. Nice to know.
Time will get scarce over the next three days. I’ll do what I can. If I can get one more session in before heading home, then I’ll be totally in clover.
No scale. Brought the tape measure for waist. Will note if significantly above 34" or below.
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Update:
Light on training after returning from London. Sobering to have conversations with Europeans these days. Hard to accept being one of the “bad guys”. But here we are.
Surgery last week went well. Post-op incision check this morning good. Will look to resume some level of activity this week, but not much (my sling is humongous). Weighed in around 151 lbs this morning, which was a relief.
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Any movement of late worth logging? Slow and steady on the recovery/rehab I’m sure!
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Not much worth logging. Just resumed morning walks a few days ago. Will start a new, four-week, at-home pre-rehab routine over the weekend. Goal is to be back in the gym by the first week of April.
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ChatGPT cooked up this prehab routine for me. I’ll do this for the next few weeks. It’s a program based on a less-than-equipped home gym. So as soon as I get the doctor’s OK to drive, I’ll make a few changes based on access to my regular gym.
Thu 3.13 (one week after surgery) - Sat 3.22
Average weight: 152.24 lbs
Average daily steps: 12.3k
Going in for a check up on Wednesday. Might get lucky and get out of this sling (and be ok to drive), but April 3rd is the official 28th - and final - sling day. Either way, I’m looking to get four solid weeks of training (sparing upper body pressing/loading on the right side) before heading out of town again for work.
After that, another three weeks until I should be cleared to start using the repaired shoulder (first week of June). It will be a great way to celebrate turning 58! Still hoping to make a decent showing out of T-ransformation 2025. 10 weeks is more than enough time.
SUNDAY
BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34 1/2"
Saturday steps: 13.3k
Neighborhood walk (non-weighted)
44:01 minutes / 315 calories
AvHR (MaxHR): 111 (139)
Macros: TBA
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MONDAY
BW: 156.4 lbs
waist: 34 3/4"
Sunday steps: 13.8k
AM Walk
41:58 minutes / 291 calories
AvHR (MaxHR): 109 (137)
TB Rehab 1.0 / Week 1, Day 1
Conditioning Day: HIC - Red Zone Intervals
Warmup - recumbent bike
10 minutes
Stairmill
4 minutes Max Effort (154 bpm)
3 minutes Rest
4 minutes Max Effort (157 bpm)
Rest = HR <120 (approximately 75 seconds)
4 minutes Max Effort (162 bpm)
Rest = HR <120 (approximately 75 seconds)
4 minutes Max Effort (166 bpm)
“Max Effort” 85-95% of MaxHR, for me that’s between 153-171.
“Rest = HR < 120” means rest until HR drops below 120
Experimenting with HIC protocols. This is a variation on Norwegian 4x4. I skipped the five-minute cooldown (as usual). I tried using both the standard three minute rest and the HR-related rest strategies. For VO2 max, the passive rest is probably better, but I’m thinking I might alternate (passive on Monday, active on Friday). Wednesday will be sprint intervals on bike (20-30 seconds on; 90-120 seconds rest, active rest one week, passive rest the next).
Will modify the TB programming for eight weeks, by doing the HIC protocol for Week 1 twice (Weeks 1 and 2).
Guidelines say not to worry if it takes a minute or two to work up to the red zone. That suggests that I want a minimum of eight minutes in the red zone across the four reps. Today I managed 8:31 minutes in the Red zone vs 10:32 minutes in the Green zone (155 bpm - 135 bpm), and 7:15 minutes in the Blue zone (under 134).
Total calories: 1726
P 132
F 46
C 37
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TUESDAY
BW: 153.6 lbs
waist: 34 3/4"
Monday steps: 13.0k
AM Walk
39:40 minutes / 327 calories
AvHR (MaxHR): 121 (143)
TB Rehab 1.0 / Week 1, Day 2
Strength Day: Max Effort
Warmup - recumbent bike
10 minutes
Seated leg curls
130 lbs x 6, 150 lbs x 6
SSB squat
135 lbs x 5 x 3
superset with BW 45s 3 x 10
One-arm cable flyes
22 1/2 lbs x 6, 27 1/2 lbs x 6
One-arm pronated trap row
80 lbs x 6, 70 lbs x 9
Felt good to be back in the iron side of the gym. Also grateful to have figured out a squat variation that doesn’t aggravate my shoulder so I don’t have to resort to leg presses, hack squats, etc. Lower back a little sore, but I’m optimistic that it’s just waking up after a month’s slumber. Research into SSB squats suggests that there may be more benefits for me than regular high-bar squatting due to greater challenge to upper and lower back. Eager to see how this goes.
Speaking of research, read some interesting notes about arm length, tricep dominance, and pec hypertrophy. Going to prioritize flyes over presses for eight weeks and see where I end up. Emphasizing traps over lats for the first four weeks, also.
Also going to slow the TB progression down by making it a 4 session week instead of three. So I’ll do 135 lbs 3 sets of five for four sessions before progressing. That fits better into the eight weeks between now the the end of the T-ransformation.
Total calories: 1797
P 153
F 66
C 19
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So plenty of shoulder work on non-surgery side to help bloodflow to both sides? Glad to read you’re back moving heavy things here mate!
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I almost broke into song when I realized that I could use the SSB instead of having to do leg presses, hack squats, etc. Wanted to stay with the TB framework as much as possible with a good, whole body strength exercise at the top.
I don’t know if the unilateral work helps blood flow, but I’ll take it! I hear there’s some benefit to just working the non-injured side due to the “cross-education” effect …
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