Burien Top Team | Training Log

Training Logs
1972

SUNDAY

BW: 152.4 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
BP: Red
Friday steps: 15.7k+
Saturday steps: 15.6k+

Took Saturday off. Had a really bad night Friday that only boosted the high BP readings I’ve had since the year began. I’m thinking (i.e., hoping) that dehydration is making my blood thicker than usual - particularly this month, now that I’m back to training jiu-jitsu - and adding an extra 7-10 points to my scores (that’s about the average increase since the new year and returning to the mat).

Goal will be to ensure that I’m getting the recommended amount of fluid daily. Part of that will also be prioritizing protein shakes, which will give me about 40 oz. I think the Huberman protocol calls for around 100 oz a day give or take. So that should get me half way there. If I can average 80 oz a day, that will be huge improvement over what I’m doing now.

As a kid - and even up into my college years - I had a bad habit of seeing how long I could go without water. Even when training (football, track, wrestling). Just a childish, how-tough-am-I? thing I guess I haven’t fully grown out of.

RPM Full Body 2.0, Wave 2, Day 11

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
10 minutes / 65 calories

Deadlift (L) as BB SLDL
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 135 lbs x 5

These felt stout. If I go any heavier, I lose track of what’s doing the work and it becomes a lower back exercise instead of a glute/hamstring exercise. I do front foot elevated, thanks to some insights from CT’s seminar on limb length and lifting (a godsend of a presentation!). Worked up a nice sweat to start the session. That’s a benefit of beginning each workout with a squat or deadlift variation.

Vertical pull (M) as Weighted chin-ups
10 minutes EMOM +10 lbs x 4

Used a thicker than usual chin-up bar with an odd curve, which made it a little tricky to get a decent chin-up grip that didn’t mangle my thumb. But good controlled eccentrics throughout and no broken sets.

Vertical push (H) as Standing OHP
bar x 10 / 65 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 90 lbs x 3

These felt right. Nice to be progressing on the OHP again after my debacle with Easy Strength back in the fall of 2022.

BJJ tomorrow. Will finish Wave 2 of RPM Full Body on Tuesday and start Wave 3 on Thursday. Bumping up weights a bit and removing one rep from each set (4/3/2 reps for light/medium/heavy instead of 5/4/3 reps).

3 Likes
1973

Track your urine colour too, if it’s not clear, drink even more! simples!

2 Likes
1974

Thanks for that reminder!

I typically have to get up sometime in the middle of the night to get rid of extra fluid. I was thinking a few days ago that it’s been many weeks since I did that.

I thought it might be because I’d shifted from low carb to low fat. But now I think it’s just been dehydration.

1 Like
1975

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I’m curious to get a sense of the sport jiu-jitsu scene here in Southern Arizona and looking forward to checking out this event in a couple of months.

I’m also using the tournament as an intermediate target for T-ransformation 2024. I’m not going to compete, but I’m going to start tuning my training (weights and BJJ) as if I am.

No crazy deliverables. BW < 150 lbs … waist < 34" … but I’ll leverage the date to ensure I’m on track near the 60 days left mark.

BJJ training is harder to quantify, especially since I’m retooling things for larger training partners. I’ll give myself a week to figure out some more specific goals here (other than than d#mn toreando pass …). Then again, maybe something as straightforward as finding a third BJJ training session each week would be goal enough.

Very tempted to see what happens if I run RPM Full Body for an entire year. Especially at 3x/wk instead of 4x/wk to make room for BJJ and recovery. I think I might be thrilled at the results.

Stumbled into this video recently. What I liked was the reminder about using the time it takes for your heartbeat to return to “ready to go” after a burst of max effort as a quantitative conditioning indicator. Joel “8 Weeks Out” Jamieson was the first person to turn me on to the importance of using HR as tool to measure and increase performance capacity over time. This was a nice short application of that basic point.

3 Likes
1976

Nice vid share there too thanks! I swear the air dyne at my gym has more resistance than that, or I’m just weak… maybe more of the latter? :wink:

Keep pumping that water! It’ll help on so many levels.

1 Like
1977

MONDAY

BW: 153.0 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Sunday steps: 13.4k+

BJJ Training
Warmup, Instruction, Drills: 60 minutes

Was asked by the instructor to partner with a guy who was taking a free trial class. I considered it a major honor: these folks barely know me and they felt comfortable enough deliberately pairing me with someone who was deciding whether or not to join their team.

I absolutely love working with people in their first 30 days of jiu-jitsu. It’s probably one of the most rewarding things I do in life and, to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I’d get the opportunity after leaving my home academy of 15+ years for a new school. A truly great day on the mat.

Final day of Wave 2 of RPM Full Body tomorrow. Paused BB back squats. Heavy CS rows. Incline DB presses.

3 Likes
1978

now tell the whole truth, how many times did you make him tap out during the grappling sessions? :wink:

1 Like
1979

Honestly, I’m the other guy. I never submit white belts if I can help it. I prefer wrestling them a bit and escaping from their attempts to pin me.

Blue belts on the other hand …

2 Likes
1980

TUESDAY

BW: 152.8 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Monday steps: 7.9k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 2, Day 12

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
12 minutes / 80 calories

Squat (M) as Paused BB back squat
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 140 lbs x 4

Nice 3-4 count pauses in the hole. Big Brain-Quad connection on these.

Horizontal pull (H) as Chest-supported plate-loaded seated neutral grip row
90 lbs x 10 / 145 lbs x 8 / 185 lbs x 5
10 minutes EMOM 225 lbs x 3

Two-count squeeze before the eccentric.

Horizontal push (L) One-plate DB incline bench
20s x 10 / 30s x 8
10 minutes EMOM 40s x 5

Focused on the stretch, slow eccentrics, flaring the elbows to test the shoulder as much as I can. So far so good.

That’s it for Wave 2. Wave 3 starts on Thursday. Less reps, more weight.

I’ve been slipping on my daily delt routine the past two weeks. I may have to hit it twice tomorrow. I can really feel how all that band work has supported my pressing.

3 Likes
1981

MONDAY

BW: 153.8 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Sunday steps: 10.8k+

Took some unplanned time off between Wave 2 and Wave 3. Felt good to be back at it. Weight has been steady. Steps have been steady. Gearing up to accelerate things a bit with a Fitness Competition at work for the month of February. It’s based on minutes of activity, so my colleague who has a walking desk has been virtually impossible to beat.

I’m aiming for consistency this time around: 90 minutes a day for 29 days. There’s some business travel late in the month that will make things interesting. But I’ve got my number.

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 1

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
15 minutes / 0.8 miles / 100 calories

Deadlift (H) as Rack pull
95 lbs x 10 / 135 lbs x 8 / 185 lbs x 5
4 minutes EMOM 230 lbs x 2 (at knee, lowest setting on squat rack)
4 minutes EMOM 230 lbs x 2 (5" below knee, standing on Reebok stepper)
2 minutes EMOM 230 lbs x 2 (just below knee, standing on regular iron plate)

Struggled to get just the right level. I think standing on a bumper plate might get me where I want to be in terms of the bar height.

Vertical pull (L) as Weighted neutral grip chins
10 minutes EMOM +10 lbs x 4

Slow eccentrics and narrow grip for first five sets. Wider grip on last five.

Vertical push (M) as High incline seated Smith machine press
bar x 10 / +30 lbs x 10 / +50 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM +70 lbs x 3

The first five sets almost felt harder than the last five. Still slacking on DDD.

Going to train RPM Full Body 4x this week to make sure I get in Wave 3 before I’ve got to travel. Squats, rows, and bench pressing tomorrow.

2 Likes
1982

TUESDAY

BW: 153.2 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Yellow (!)
Monday steps: 14.6k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 2

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
10 minutes / 0.55 miles / 67 calories

Squat (L) as Zercher squat
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8 / 115 lbs x 6
10 minutes EMOM 135 lbs x 4

Solid sets and reps.

Horizontal pull (M) as CS Upper grip pronated seated row
85 lbs x 10 / 105 lbs x 8 / 125 lbs x 6
10 minutes EMOM 145 lbs x 3

Horizontal push (H) as Seated machine chest press
75 lbs x 10 / 105 lbs x 8 / 120 lbs x 4
10 minutes EMOM 135 lbs x 2

These felt very good on my shoulder. I think the weeks of DDD have definitely helped. All the more reason to get back at it.

2 Likes
1983

THURSDAY

BW: 152.6 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Yellow
Tuesday steps: 8.7k+
Wednesday steps: 12.5k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 3

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
10:03 minutes / 0.55 miles / 67 calories

Deadlift (M) as Snatch-grip conventional
95 lbs x 5 / 135 lbs x 4 / 175 lbs x 3
10 minutes EMOM 200 lbs x 3

Felt my grip slip a little in the final rep of the final set. Otherwise solid and tough.

Vertical pull (H) as Weighted pullups
10 minutes EMOM +20 lbs x 2

Strong pulls with slow, five-second eccentrics and a good stretch at the end.

Vertical push (L) as Seated DB Arnolds
20 lbs x 10 / 25 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 30 lbs x 4

Shoulder holding up nicely. The first five sets are a little cranky. The second five are always smoother.

Month-long fitness competition at work begins today. 100 minutes logged, which is my daily target. My goal is to reach 3,000 minutes by the end of the month.

My other big goal for February is to get my waistline below 33 1/2". I’ve gotten back to a “tight” 34". Time to make another push toward 33".

3 Likes
1984

FRIDAY

BW: 152.6 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Thursday steps: 14.6k+

Conditioning

Zone 2 Cardio - as Weighted incline treadmill walk
3.3 miles / 491 calories / 60 minutes

Back squats, eccentric-heavy rows, and incline bench pressing on the Smith machine are on the menu for tomorrow’s session 4 of wave 3. Looking forward to doing some training without looking over my shoulder at the clock all the time.

Ugly week in terms of mat time. Hoping to fix that next week. Too many domestic distractions. I need to remember that the mat is almost always the most sane environment in my ecosystem. I tend to feel a little embarrassed to admit that, but it’s true.

3 Likes
1985

SATURDAY

BW: 151.4 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Friday steps: 22.9k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 4

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
10 minutes / 0.55 miles / 67 calories

Squat (H) as BB back squat
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8 / 135 lbs x 5
10 minutes EMOM 185 lbs x 2

Horizontal pull (L) as Seated CT 4-count row
35 lbs x 10 / 45 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 55 lbs x 4

Horizontal push (M) as One-plate incline bench press
bar x 10 / 85 lbs x 8 / 105 lbs x 6
10 minutes EMOM 125 lbs x 3

Really appreciating the growing stability in my shoulder with this pressing. Slow and steady eccentrics.

Going to plow through to the next session tomorrow: SLDLs, weighted chins, and heavy OHP as I drop back to 3x/week pace and get my BJJ training on track.

2 Likes
1986

SUNDAY

BW: 152.6 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Red
Saturday steps: 9.2k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 5

Warmup - Incline treadmill walk
10 minutes / 0.55 miles / 67 calories

Deadlift (L) as BB SLDL
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8 / 135 lbs x 5
10 minutes EMOM 165 lbs x 4

Hate this exercise, but it’s one of my most necessary.

Vertical pull (M) as Weighted chins
10 minutes EMOM +20 lbs x 3

Wide-grip with 5-count eccentrics on the first five sets. Narrow grip on the second five. Lat stretch was especially powerful on the second set.

Vertical push (H) as Standing BB OHP
bar x 10 / 75 lbs x 8
10 minutes EMOM 95 lbs x 2

3 Likes
1987

TUESDAY

BW: 152.8 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Red
Sunday steps: 14.7k+
Monday steps: 9.0k+

RPM Full Body 2.0 | Wave 3, Day 6

Warmup - Incline treadmill
10 minutes / 0.55 miles / 67 calories

Squat (M) as Paused BB back squat
bar x 10 / 95 lbs x 8 / 135 lbs x 5
10 minutes EMOM 150 lbs x 3

Three-second holds in the hole for the pause. Felt solid. Will work on slowing the eccentric in addition to the hold in the hole in Wave 3.

Horizontal pull (H) as CS plate-loaded NG seated row
180 lbs x 10 / 200 lbs x 8 / 220 lbs x 4
10 minutes EMOM 240 lbs x 2

Three-count contractions. Felt good. Looking forward to adding a rep in Wave 3.

Horizontal press (L) as One-plate DB incline press
25s x 10 / 35s x 8
10 minutes EMOM 45s x 4

John Meadows said you only need one plate. So I only use one plate. Very happy with the way my shoulder has been holding up with the pressing.

2 Likes
1988

Hey mate, any tips on not burning my tank so early in bjj grappling? Speaking to the experienced guys they say it’s typical for new players, and it just takes time and experience. Got shown a few more things to work on like not holding on so tight (semi relaxed once into a position sort of thing) - something i’m defo guilty of. I’m also often up against guys far more experienced (no suprise there) but also they tend to be 10-20kg+ on me and more reach of course… loving it though.

1 Like
1989

Sure thing!

There are a lot of things you can do to improve your conditioning for grappling. I tend to think building aerobic capacity is underrated, for example.

That said, for new folks, efficiency is the biggest challenge. There tends to be a lot of movement, activity, etc. that isn’t constructive (doesn’t lead to a guard pass or a sweep/reversal or an escape or a submission). The more you learn - and CRITICALLY implement as part of your own style - the less time you will spend on energy-draining movements that are not getting you where you want to go.

It’s far, far too early for you to specialize (that’s one solution). But you can imitate that by focusing on trying to do in sparring/Live Training whatever the lesson of the day/week is. Try to do that move over and over, without switching to a lot of other techniques. You might get frustrated if it isn’t working - especially with larger, more experienced training partners. But it’s a great way to do “homework” on the lesson being taught AND to have a specific path of actions - rather than a random set of moves or worse, reactions - that you can develop, measure progress, and become increasingly comfortable doing.

Not sure if I’m being clear. Apologies if not. But this is one of the biggest things I’ve realized in 15+ years of training. These days I chose tactics/moves/strategies from guys I’ve watched for years rather than in-class lessons, necessarily. Still the basic idea is the same.

2 Likes
1990

WEDNESDAY

BW: 152.4 lbs
waist: 34"
BP: Orange
Tuesday steps: 14.5k+

BJJ Training

30 minutes instruction and drills
4 five-minute Live Training rounds

Back on the mat after more than a week away. Still trying to get into BJJ shape, but was very pleasantly surprised to get all four rounds of sparring in. One main difference between training at GB Seattle and now at Mako BJJ is that I’m training with consistently larger, consistently higher belts. For example, today I sparred first with a judo guy/BJJ white belt - about my height but probably 10-20 pounds heavier. It was a great first session for me to work my movement, minimize gripping, etc.

My next three sparring partners were the black belt instructor (welterweight-ish) and a pair of purple belts that were probably middleweight - light heavyweight. I can’t remember the last time I had three rolls in a row like that.

Suffice to say, I’m really enjoying training at Mako. I’m finding it easier to push myself in ways I had stopped doing back in Seattle. Knock on wood to stay injury-free. But today was a good, good day on the mat.

3 Likes
1991

@raven78 This might be something that’s more valuable after you’ve spent a little more time on the mat. But it’s a great point from “the Oracle” John Danaher that I’m embracing as much as any other concept in my return to regular training this year.

Sparring tired: It’s common to feel utterly exhausted some days in the middle of your sparring rounds. Sometimes you come in feeling fine and have a couple of very tough rounds and feel very fatigued. It’s natural to feel like stopping, maybe taking off a round a two and then starting again. You think this way because you are thinking in terms of WINNING OR LOSING rounds. If you’re exhausted it’s going to be very difficult to win and quite likely you’ll lose to your next partner. So you take some rounds off and start again when you’ve recovered a little. This not good if you want to play at a competitive level. Doing this means you will never get the experience of performing through exhaustion. Change your mindset. Tell yourself - I’m exhausted - but I will keep going with a lowered set of expectations. Let’s imagine I’m ahead in a tough match and have to protect my lead and not get submitted. This will simulate the skill of operating under great fatigue and duress - a common thing in tough matches. You don’t want the finals of a tough competition to be the first time you do this - your own mind will start to fight against you - learn to tame it in the gym first and it will be much better than trying to learn it in the middle of a big match. Obviously if you are more recreational, older, perhaps not in competition shape, this will not apply as much, but you can still experiment with it to some degree. Remember, you don’t have to stop completely, just lower your goals and keep going - you will learn a lot about yourself in those rounds.

2 Likes