Burien Top Team | Training Log

[burien_top_team]

SATURDAY

BW: 155.2 lbs
waist: ?

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.03 miles / 445 calories / 48:02 minutes

Tried out one of Alsrushe’s “No Gym” routines this morning. Three minutes of squats, horizontal rows, horizontal presses, then two minutes of each, then one minute. Used very light weight (10 lbs dumbbells) and had to stop multiple times (which the program allows). Definitely convinced me that I should spend spring and summer improving work capacity (i.e., Alsrushe-based programming) instead of more strength work.

[burien_top_team]

SUNDAY

BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34 1/4"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.03 miles / 444 calories / 48:02 minutes

Watched a few of the matches in the 2021 10th Planet Team Duel during cardio.

Today is my lowest weight of the year… It feels as if my diet is finally starting to kick in. Taking control of the weekend’s eating and drinking has been a major factor. This is the first time this year that my Sunday morning weight was lower than my Friday morning weight.

Another big factor has been weighing my food. Bought a cheap food scale from the local Bartell’s and realize that I’ve been underdosing my protein servings by as much as two ounces (especially with chicken) … Eating more protein has really helped with satiety.

[burien_top_team]

MONDAY

BWL 155.2 lbs
waist: 34 1/2"

Boring But Big v. 2, Third Challenge, Week 5, Day 3

Bench Major (Swiss bar)
Bent over row bar x 10 x 2
bar x 10 x 2
BoR 65 lbs x 8
65 lbs x 8
BoR 85 lbs x 5
85 lbs x 5
BoR 105 lbs x 4
105 lbs x 4
BoR 115 lbs x 3
115 lbs x 3
BoR 132 lbs x 3
132 lbs x 3
BoR 147 lbs x 3
147 lbs x 7

OHP Minor
bar x 10 x 2
65 lbs x 8
85 lbs x 5
pullups +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
pullups +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
neutral grip chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3

Total training time: 85 minutes

I can feel myself yearning for CT’s 8/6/4. Still plan on focusing on work capacity for the spring and summer, but when I return to strength in the fall, I’m definitely going to ease the reps up and the weight down a bit.

Looking at blending CT’s Eternal Athlete program with Alsrushe’s RPM Full Body program. The main issue is training frequency. Still trying to figure out how I want to re-insert jiu-jitsu back into my life in April and how to balance it with my weight training.

[burien_top_team]

TUESDAY

BW: 156.0 lbs
waist: 34"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.02 miles / 445 calories / 48:01 minutes

More of this …

[burien_top_team]

WEDNESDAY

BW: 157.0 lbs
waist: 34 1/4"

Boring But Big v. 2, Third Challenge, Week 5, Day 4

Squat Major
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
abs +25 lbs x 20
135 lbs x 5
abs +25 lbs x 20
150 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
167 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
192 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
217 lbs x 6

Deadlift Minor
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
135 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 3
225 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3

Total training time: 75 minutes.

Starting to feel like there’s not going to be any fat loss of consequence until I’m done strength training and switch to work capacity workouts. Coming in at 157.0 lbs - my heaviest weight in three weeks - just days after recording my lowest weight of the year was beyond depressing and set a negative tone for a day that just felt like it got worse as the hours rolled by.

Today’s training was good, mostly happy with my process with the deadlifts, bracing properly, etc. Final week of the Third Challenge begins on Friday. A little ready for the transition to work capacity training, to be honest.

[burien_top_team]

THURSDAY

BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.02 miles / 446 calories / 48:02 minutes

I don’t know what to say about the weigh-in. Maybe I need a new scale. We’ll see what things look like on Friday. Either way, I’m done worrying about it. I’ll do as best I can and hope that the shift in training in April helps me get where I want to be:

April 1. waist 34"
June 1. waist 33"
October 1. waist 32"

More jiu-jitsu watching during cardio. Checked out the 10th Planet welterweight EBI qualifiers from earlier this month. There are times when I wonder if going back to jiu-jitsu post-pandemic is worth it after all these years (I’ll be 55 in June, started training at 38). But then I watch something like this and remember why I love it so much.

[burien_top_team]

FRIDAY

BW: 153.6 lbs
waist: 34 3/4"

Boring But Big v.2, Third Challenge, Week 6, Day 1

OHP Major
bar x 10 x 2
pullups +35 lbs x 5
65 lbs x 8
pullups +35 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 5
neutral grip chins +35 lbs x 5
97 lbs x 5
chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
chins +35 lbs x 5
120 lbs x 3

Bench press Minor (Swiss bar)
Bent over Row (BoR) bar x 10 x 2
bar x 10 x 2
BoR 65 lbs x 8
65 lbs x 8
BoR 95 lbs x 5
95 lbs x 5
BoR 120 lbs x 3
120 lbs x 3
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3

Total training time: 80 minutes

[burien_top_team]

SATURDAY

BW: 156.0 lbs
waist: 34 1/2"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.02 miles / 445 calories / 48:02 minutes

=>

SUNDAY

BW: 155.8 lbs
waist: 34 3/4"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.03 miles / 447 calories / 48:03 minutes

Film study all weekend. Checked in with the 10pQ 10 (10th Planet Qualifiers) The Middleweights from 2018.

[burien_top_team]

MONDAY

BW: 156.4 lbs
waist: ?

Boring But Big v. 2, Third Challenge, Week 6, Day 2

Deadlift Major
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
135 lbs x 5
HLR x 10
185 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
205 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
227 lbs x 5
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
290 lbs x 1 1/2

Squat Minor
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
135 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3

Total training time: 80 minutes

Overthought my top set. The first rep went better than expected, so I decided mid-set to do the set as singles. I think that threw off my focus enough to screw up my second rep a little. Good up until mid-thigh, then hitched a bit in the finish.

Still double overhand. I think a triple here is doable if part of a deadlift testing day.

One of my primary goals is to surpass the strength levels I had when I last did 5/3/1 BBB training in 2017-2018. My deadlift topped out at 310 lbs for one double overhand (355 lbs x 1 mixed grip). With today’s work, I feel as if my deadlift is almost back to where it was.

[burien_top_team]

TUESDAY

BW: 155.6 ;bs
waist: 34"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.04 miles / 454 calories / 48:02 minutes

Film study

Read a line from Jim Wendler that I’d read before:

“The time spent in the weight room must be devoted to getting stronger, not running around doing circuits. You are in the weight room to get stronger, NOT to mimic another practice. Every time I see someone prescribing conditioning circuits for MMA strength training, I breathe a sigh of relief. As long as this person is deemed an expert, I will always have a job.”

I’ve been thinking about how to train when I return to the mat, ostensibly in April. And while I’ve been longing to do an Alsrushe-style strength and conditioning type program like RPM Full Body, I wonder if I’m falling into the trap that Wendler is talking about.

Long story short, I’m looking at Thib’s strength-skill training as my plan for the spring and summer.

[raven78]

@burien_top_team

I don’t know what to say about the weigh-in. Maybe I need a new scale. We’ll see what things look like on Friday. Either way, I’m done worrying about it. I’ll do as best I can and hope that the shift in training in April helps me get where I want to be:

April 1. waist 34"
June 1. waist 33"
October 1. waist 32"

Been lurking for a while here. Solid lifting!

The metrics you’re tracking (BW, waist) numbers appear to oscillate slightly, but generally trending at a fairly steady average over time?

I’d be interested to know if there’s been a transition to more muscle and less fat with your nutrition, noting the volume of work etc. Has bf% been dropping steadily?

(I’m pretty much same BW but I’m lifting less on my big lifts).

[burien_top_team]

Thanks for the compliment. One good thing about tracking workouts is that you can see whether or not you’ve made real progress. Even though I often feel as if I’m not as strong as I’d like to be, the data tells me I’m moving toward my goals.

Speaking of data, here’s what my BW has been over the past 90 days. I’m trying to lose body fat slowly to preserve as much muscle as possible. Waistline has oscillated between 35" and 34" (currently closer to 34") which is my main judge of how much BF I’m losing (not a lot so far).

[burien_top_team]

WEDNESDAY

BW: 154.4 lbs
waist: 34"

Boring But Big v. 2, Third Challenge, Week 6, Day 3

Bench Major (Swiss bar)
Bent over row bar x 10 x 2
bar x 10 x 2
BoR 65 lbs x 8
65 lbs x 8
BoR 85 lbs x 5
85 lbs x 5
BoR 105 lbs x 3
105 lbs x 3
BoR 125 lbs x 5
125 lbs x 5
BoR 140 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
BoR 157 lbs x 3
157 lbs x 5

OHP Minor
bar x 10 x 2
65 lbs x 8
85 lbs x 5
pullups +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
pullups +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
neutral-grip chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3
chins +35 lbs x 5
110 lbs x 3

Total training time: 75 minutes

One more session on Friday to go. Funny that the last time I was doing 5/3/1 regularly, my final session came right before a business trip to London. That was back in February 2019. Actually I think my final session was in London. It was a pretty poor night at the opera: took me forever to find the tiny gym, the place was in a bit of disarray, all the plates were in kilos so I had to convert everything as I worked up to what was supposed to be my heaviest deadlift since I started training …

I ended up just doing 10 sets of triples at about 75% of my deadlift TM at the time (which came out to about 235 lbs) and called it a day.

At least I’ll get the final session done stateside this time around.

Interestingly, that was the last time I trained heavy. From March 2019 to March 2020, I did mostly bodybuilding workouts. Then, when COVID hit, lack of heavy weights in my improvised garage gym, meant more bodybuilding-style workouts until last August.

I think that’s part of my wanting to do strength-skill workouts next. I want to change it up a bit, but I want to stick with heavy weights (85% of TM). Thib’s strength-skill program will give me that and better position me for the next round of 5/3/1 in the fall.

Speaking of London, I can’t believe I’m going to be in London one day after UFC Fight Night: London on Saturday. What I would give to be in a nice rowdy pub when THAT event was going on!

[burien_top_team]

THURSDAY

BW: 155.0 lbs
waist: 34"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.05 miles / 454 caloires / 48:02 minutes

More Medusa Film study

[burien_top_team]

FRIDAY

BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34"

Boring But Big v. 2, Third Challenge, Week 6, Day 4

Squat Major
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
abs +25 lbs x 20
135 lbs x 5
abs +25 lbs x 20
160 lbs x 3

abs +25 lbs x 20
180 lbs x 5
abs +25 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 3
abs +25 lbs x 20
227 lbs x 5

Deadlift Minor
bar x 10 x 2
95 lbs x 8
135 lbs x 5
180 lbs x 3
225 lbs x 3

HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3
HLR x 10
260 lbs x 3

Total training time: 80 minutes

That’s the final session of my third “Six Week” Boring But Big Challenge. Starting TMs from late September were 105 / 140 / 190 / 255. Ending TMs here in mid-March? 130 / 165 / 240 / 305. Minor work went from 5 of 10 for six weeks at 50%, then 5 of 5 for six weeks at 65%, then 5 of 3 for six weeks at 85%.

Will take a week off for deload (and business travel to the UK). I’ll probably self-quarantine in the hotel as much as possible so as maximize my odds of testing negative and being able to come home on time.

Will start the new program on Monday the 28th. I’ve considered Alsruhe’s RPM Full Body, CT’s Strength Skill training, German Volume Training, and CT’s Type 3 Version of 5/3/1 which I call 8/6/4. I’m leaning toward Strength Skill and will probably spend the next few days wavering between my options. I also planned on returning to jiu-jitsu next month, so that will impact the kind of training I decide to do - and the frequency - as well.

[raven78]

@burien_top_team

Starting TMs from late September were 105 / 140 / 190 / 255. Ending TMs here in mid-March? 130 / 165 / 240 / 305.

I’m expecting this post of yours to get more love soon. Great effort and consistent work here reaping benefits! Travel safe, looking forward to reading your next training block.

(forgot to mention last post, i’m digging the tunes choices - right up my alley with similar heavy tunes in my sesions)

[burien_top_team]

Thanks! Looks like you’re putting in good steady work yourself!

For some reason, I decided years ago that I would only listen to the Deftones when I was lifting weights. I wasn’t allowed to listen to their music unless I was specifically training - cardio didn’t count. One album per workout (repeated if necessary). It’s become a fun sort of way to build a little extra anticipation when I’m getting ready for my next session.

And Meshuggah for cardio is hard to beat. I used to do cardio to Lamb of God mostly. But ever since I discovered the boys from Sweden …

[burien_top_team]

Back from London with some sort of something. Tested negative for COVID Wednesday morning. Developed some nasal pain on one side after the swabbing - which turned into a runny nose and then congestion by the time I was boarding my flight home about 30 hours later. Seems like a lot of folks are sick lately, and much of it not COVID. Maybe this is just the return of all those illnesses that were restrained by all the mask-wearing of the past two years.

Convalescing with UFC Fight Night: Blaydes v. Daukaus. With Mrs. Burien Top Team out at a retirement party for one of her former co-workers, I’ve got the place to myself all day. So in addition to the fights - and finally setting up my new PC - I’m going to stuff that grappling dummy I bought months ago.

[burien_top_team]

Coming up next … Thibaudeau’s Strength Skill Circuits

Considering neutral grips for these, using the Swiss bar for bent over rows and OHP, as well as bench press, and swapping out pullups for neutral grip chins.

[burien_top_team]

TUESDAY

BW: 151.8 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"

Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.04 miles / 439 calories / 49:01 minutes (8.9 cpm)