More Trouble Than I Am Worth: Chaos Is The Plan (T3hPwnisher Log)

Training Training Logs
5682

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

OPERATION CONAN Spec Ops Insertion Phase

Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol Specialization Bravo, Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 2

WARM UP
Roll out on LAX ball
50x90 Reverse hyper
Trap bar lifts w/135, 225, 295

MAIN WORK

Low handle trap bar pulls
4x10x345

NG chins
4x12

Axle curls
4x10x66

GHRs
4x10x27.5 (KB held behind head)

Reverse hyper
4x10x430

ASSISTANCE WORK

Standing ab wheel/band pull apart superset
3x10/20

BREAKFAST

Short walk w/dogs

Notes:

  • Strict 1 minute rests between sets. Especially challenging on the trap bar lifts, as usual. Really think there is magic happening there. The axle curls were actually challenging today as well.

  • After watching video, Iā€™ve changed up my GHR technique to try end the eccentric on a flat line rather than all the way forward. Iā€™ve noticed my lower back is less taxed as a result. I think I was doing a combination back raise AND GHR before, and this is a bit more targeted. Should be good for mitigating fatigue.

  • Chins are slowly improving, but I have to consider that Iā€™m adding bodyweight as I progress through the cycle, so Iā€™m not going to beat myself up over it too much. Do wonder if the torn bicep and lats are showing themselves these days as well.

  • Got the day off work and a double Tang Soo Do class tonight, so walking may be on the menu, but not super high priority.

  • Finally hung up the posters I got for my birthday. Gym wall is looking full these days. You can really see the influence of nerd culture in my upbringing.

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Starting on the left moving right, that Jolly Rogers came from a Disneyworld Trip we all did 7 years ago, then weā€™ve got the Yawgmoth Demon from Magic the Gathering above that, then the newest Juggernaut poster, next to a wood painting of a Punisher Berserker I got at a Ren Faire 2 years ago, with the Juggernaut Gym banner above Brian Alsruheā€™s Neversate banner, then next to that is a Punisher poster my wife made for me back in college before we were even dating, as a birthday present (which has been in every home gym Iā€™ve had since the first one in 2008), next to my new Conan poster, with the Westside Barbell ā€œWeak Things Breakā€ banner above that and Derek Poundstone tackling the Cyr stone from Fotissimus back in 2008 (an Ironmind poster)

Here are the two newest ones

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5683

That has got to be one of the most anabolic walls out there. Very nice.

I think your GHR analysis makes a lot of sense; hopefully you see a lot of benefit from tweaking the motion.

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5684

I need to seriously step up my decoration game. My only real piece right now is a hand-me-down poster of Klokov.

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5685

@PowPowPunishment Thanks brother! I gotta get you out here sometime to train in that garage and help me shut down Texas De Brazil, haha.

@BrandonCrawford Hey man, I dig your ā€œSoviet Chicā€ thing you got going there. Iā€™m always struggling between ā€œget more toysā€ and ā€œminimalismā€.

Operation Conan nightly SITREP

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Did a burger night for the family and got a little fancy. Thatā€™s 1lb of venison between the two meatball burgers, topped with Jarlsburg swiss, one on a bun made of crushed pork cracklin, egg whites and gelatin, topped with grassfed sour cream. Alongside 5 pastured hard boiled eggs topped with grasafed ghee, grassfed cottage cheese and cracklin.

Was feeling a little under the weather and figured the food would help. Also got a 1.5 hour nap today.

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5686

AM WORKOUT (0520 wake up via Valkyrieā€™s alarm)

OPERATION CONAN Spec Ops Insertion Phase

Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol Specialization Bravo, Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 3

Hill sprints
7 rounds

Notes:

  • Still feeling sickish. Phlegmy cough and mucus generation is biggest issue, which impacts breathing slightly. Slightly out of my head and fatigued (reference the 1.5 hour nap yesterday). With all that, along with getting to bed late, I slept in as late as I could, knowing that this was going to be a quick workout. I cut out my traditional reverse hyper warm-up, and just did a brief walk before getting into the sprints. Also tried out a different hill. Itā€™s honestly tough to find steep hills here in Nebraska, so these are more like ā€œincline sprintsā€, but I feel like thatā€™s a better approach for me compared to a flat surface. Itā€™s good to have the road rise to meet my feet: seems to be a little gentler on my knees.

  • Took a few runs to get my distance dialed in. First 2 sprints were more around the 15 second mark, but the rest of them were right about 18-20 seconds. Rested strict 2 minutes between rounds. 7 was how much I could get done within the 15 minute time cap.

  • I am really enjoying this protocol. I feel athletic again getting in these sprints. Itā€™s also very hard to NOT turn these into complete and total burnouts where I blow out my lungs and want to puke, but itā€™s a bit easier when Iā€™ve turned the keys over to someone else and just trust the process. Because along with everything else, despite feeling sick, I physically feel the best I have in a LONG time. Got my hips, back and knees sorted out, very little pain, minimal stiffness, etc.

  • That got to show through at Tang Soo Do last night. We did a double class, and at the end the Valkyrie and I both got new stripes on our belt. Itā€™s been awesome to be able to get in more jump kicks and other insanity again.

  • It should go without saying, but thereā€™s not going to be an Operation Conan SITREP for Thanksgiving. My Valkyrie is already awesome enough with how much of my insanity she deals with, and Iā€™m not going to push that further by fetishizing a meal thatā€™s about coming together with family and celebrating. So just assume it was awesome, meaty and delicious, and that I absolutely will be eating both drumsticks.

6 Likes
5687

Sorry probably my reading comprehension failing me here, does this mean that there isnā€™t a photo or that the meal was just a more standard American thanks giving meal not a carnivore approximation of a Thanksgiving meal?

Not that it really matters either way, but I ask because this:

Struck me as usual wording, and I couldnā€™t figure out if thatā€™s just a throw away comment on the nature of taking photos of food, or a deeper commentary on your approach to food these days?

(I might have just massively over thought that - my brain is trying to get me to avoid doing the actual stuff I need to do).

1 Like
5688

Hey no worries dude: appreciate you swinging by. Thanksgiving hasnā€™t happened yet here in the states (itā€™s always on a Thursday), so Iā€™m more giving a heads up for the future. Iā€™m saying Iā€™m not going to be taking photos of my plate to upload. I typically try to avoid doing that at the table in general, and instead will snap one before I bring my food out, but with this being a family gathering, Iā€™m not going to whip my phone out and snap a photo of my plate of food that the Valkyrie spent so much time and energy on to prepare. Iā€™m going to just be with family and enjoy the moment.

The fetishizing comment wasnā€™t a throw away comment, but it was specifically regarding the taking of photos of food. I feel like my approach to nutrition these days is very much the opposite of fetishizing food: Iā€™m eating what I want to eat when I want to eat it, which is something I havenā€™t done in a LONG time. I did that when I was a kid, and it was very natural, but led to less than desirable outcomes. Having better access and ability with nutrition has made it a lot more desirable. And in the interim I exercised constant restriction to the point that my life revolved around food, whereas now itā€™s so much the opposite: I eat once a day, and when itā€™s time to eat, I just eat.

2 Likes
5689

Always a pleasure your journal is full of great stuff.

That was what I had thought would be the case and Iā€™m the same RE taking photos of food, not at the table only really the counter (unless Iā€™m eating solo).

All of this post was great but really good to hear this and just generally how good things are with you mentally and physically, going forward in a really health spot, be great to see how this all translates to your next comp!

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5690

Hey!

How do you like your mammoth belt squat? Might be my space friendly alternative to a leg press

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5691

Hey dude!

Iā€™m a fan of it. Iā€™m not sure it can replace a leg press, but it can definitely get some focused quad work, and as you noted: VERY space economic. It can also be used for rows, with the right set up. The kickstand is money, as it the loading pin on the top. HOWEVER, youā€™ll want some traditional metal plates, rather than all bumpers, if you go with it: the pin isnā€™t terribly tall.

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5692

Thanks for the quick reply!

I know it wouldnā€™t be a true replacement, but Iā€™m not sure if I can fit a legit leg press in my garageā€¦ haha. some sort of less fatiguing extra quad work is really what Iā€™m looking for here. Seems like this may be a good alternative.

And Iā€™m doing all steel plates. Maybe bumpers eventually, but I know these iron plates will last til I die lol.

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5693

Operation Conan Nightly SITREP

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Another classic leftovers night. I went big on it, because Iā€™m hoping that will help me get over this bug. Leftover piedmontese grassfed beef bone in chuck short rib, 5 pastured eggs with some grassfed ghee on top, most 1.5 grassfed beef burger patties, a venison meatball (both of those topped with grassfed sour cream), grassfed cottage cheese and some cracklin.

Forgot to document, but another Masters athlete signed up in my weight class. Heā€™s Masters 1 vs Masters 2 (because f**k me Iā€™m getting older), but itā€™ll be nice to have someone close to my own age to play with.

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5694

Brilliant peice, mate. Thoroughly enjoyed reading that.

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5695

Happy Thanksgiving

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5696

Finally got reading to reading the write up. Enjoyed it, bonus marks for introducing me to Ivan Putski, some good stories to read on him when you dig deep enough.

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5697

AM WORKOUT (1130, day off work with Thanksgiving)

OPERATION CONAN Spec Ops Insertion Phase

Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol Specialization Bravo, Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 4

WARM UP
50x90 reverse hyper
Sets of bar, 85 and 175 for squats, w/265 walkout

MAIN WORK

Buffalo bar squat
4x10x265

Lever belt squat
4x10x225

Axle strict press
4x10x118 (rest pause used for last 2 sets)

Axle bench press
4x10x176 (rest pause used for last set)

(3) Incline DB Bench
4x10x60s (rest pause used for third set)

Dips
4x10x25 (rest pause used on final set)

ASSISTANCE

Superset circuit (no rest) of Hanging Leg Raise/Band pull apart
3x10/20

Notes:

  • Delighted I got this in. I woke up sounding like hell: all the phlegm had gathered while I laid down last night, but once I got upright it drained and I started feeling better. Was helping out prep for Thanksgiving, and when we had some downtime, I managed to sneak this in.

  • Kept the rest times strict 1 minute for the squats, but started to fall off that with the pressing, just resting long enough to survive, but keeping it under 2. Used every trick in the book too: belts on the squat and pressing, sleeves where I could.

  • Iā€™m going to blame some of the struggle on illness and medication. I took some prescription strength Mucinex, which is awesome, but dehydrates the hell out of me. Iā€™m thankful that I didnā€™t have a major coughing fit to deal with during the squats.

  • Really pleased with how the squats went. I like my strategy of first workout beltless second one belted. I appreciate the belt, rather than rely on it.

  • On the ā€œOperation Conanā€ front, itā€™s kinda funny: Iā€™ve been feasting for so long that Thanksgiving honestly lost itā€™s novelty. My Valkyrie prepared a wonderful feast, and I fully enjoyed 2 drumsticks, a wing, all the skin off the bird (no one else cares for it, so I just pull it all off and pile it onto my plate), some of the connective tissues and a small amount of ā€œoff menuā€ goodies, but this was the first year where I didnā€™t binge at the table. I ate until I was satisfied, and when it was time to put away the food, I didnā€™t eat another portion of turkey while putting it away. We still have pumpkin cheesecake waiting for us, which Iā€™m excited about, but I think transitioning to one meal a day on the daily has really changed things for the positive. This was also the first Thanksgiving where I wasnā€™t absolutely starving by the time I got to the table, which is also a part of that.

  • Iā€™ll also cop to that I didnā€™t do my traditional ā€œhigh handle trap bar deadlift for 300+ repsā€ workout that Iā€™ve been doing for the past 4 years. A few reasons, one being that I really want to give Tactical Barbell a fair shake and not screw with it, and another being that I just plain didnā€™t feel like doing it. Being sick played into that, but Iā€™ve done it with a torn hamstring before. Iā€™m more appreciating that this was the first Thanksgiving in a long time where I didnā€™t feel like I needed to ā€œearnā€ my feast. It feels good to feel good.

EDIT: Oh yeah: Chaos is the plan. We ended up booking a cruise for my kidā€™s spring break, which interferes slightly with that Tactical Barbell plan I laid out. Looking at things now

Finish out this cycle of Specialization Bravo, then do one more. That carries me to 28 Dec, when I go on one cruise (bridge week), returning on 4 Jan. From there, I can do 6 weeks of a Tactical Barbell protocol (leaning toward Grey Man again). That carries me to 15 Feb. I can then do 1 cycle of Operator, which carries me to 7 Mar, which will be the date we leave for the next cruise. I can call this another bridge week, get back 16 Mar, and do a final cycle of Operator, finishing at 5 Apr, bridge week into the comp (with a 10 mile race on 5 Aprā€¦Iā€™m not smart).

Another option would be to just do 3 weeks of Grey Man upon my return, as a break in, and then go hit up Operator for an extra cycle, so I can get in 3 cycles instead of 2. Few different avenues for success here.

Oh yeah, and I still gotta do that grappling comp on 8 Dec.

11 Likes
5698

This reminds me of the bible verse where Jesus says that says Sabbath was made for the man, not the man for Sabbath.

It feels to me like youā€™ve come to the point where youā€™re generally only doing what is beneficial and not being a slave to performance for the sake of performance.

Anyway musing over happy Thanks Giving!

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@alex_uk Hey thanks so much man! Youā€™ve absolutely nailed it. I lived so long feeling this obligation to train. I would have such anxiety about it: knowing it was waiting for me and I HAD to fight this demon daily. Even though I donā€™t care to train still, itā€™s my choice to do so. Very Camus/Myth of Sisyphus.

AM WORKOUT (0600 wake up via Valkyrieā€™s alarm)

OPERATION CONAN Spec Ops Insertion Phase

Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol Specialization Bravo, Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 5

Camera shut off, so I had to upload in 2 parts

WARM UP
Roll out on LAX ball
50x90 reverse hyper
Sets of 175 and 265 on low handle trap bar pull

MAIN WORK

Low handle trap bar pull
4x10x375

NG chins
12,10,8,6

Axle curls
4x10x73 (rest pause employed on final 3 sets)

GHRs
4x10x30lb (KB held behind head)

Reverse hyper
4x10x450

ASSISTANCE

Standing ab wheel/band pull apart superset
3x10/20

Notes:

  • Holy cow I felt incredibly awful coming into this. I think itā€™s the difference between giving the Mucinex some time to work vs coming in cold. Although I also speculate I may have actually underate yesterday, which is a funny thing to do on Thanksgiving. Either way, this was a VERY challenging workout, and I had to push the rest periods to 2 minutes for a good amount of it. I also cut the chins short, because I could tell I was doing more damage than good by trying to grind through it. I am very pleased to knock out this workout and stay on target through the holidays.

  • I pulled the first rep on the first set of trap bars pure low back, and learned my lesson from there and brought my legs into play for the final 3 sets. I like the fact I can tell when Iā€™m doing that and can correct. My body will default to itā€™s strong suit when Iā€™m not thinking, but because Iā€™m combating low back fatigue, itā€™s a less than ideal situation to rely on that. This is something Iā€™ll have to watch for the car deadlift in my competition.

  • I canā€™t load my reverse hyper much heavier than this. Iā€™ll get creative from here.

  • No walk with the dogs: since I got up late, I took them right to doggie day care. Probably good to reduce activity a little.

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5700

Operation Conan Nightly SITREP

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Hit up our favorite buffet. I ended up kinda accidentally fasting today, only having my post training Metabolic Drive this morning and nothing else, so I tried to make this count. Filled up half the plate with beef, then about 3/4 of the remainder with shrimp and the rest with crab, along with 5 eggs. And then grabbed some goodies off the line as well. Went back for more shirmp, fish, and octopus and eggs on a second round.

EDIT: Realized I forgot to give back some love in the comments.

@wiseman83 Appreciate you taking the time to read it! Glad you enjoyed.

@Friedrich Thanks so much! Hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving as well.

@Greyhound90 So glad you dug it dude! And Putski was the man. All those cats that competed back in WSM back in the day were so legit. Not to say the current generation isnā€™t, but I loved when it was like the wild west days of MMA.

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5701

A buffet that offers crab and octopus. Love it. Who runs it? (I wonder if thereā€™s anything like it in my area!)

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