Lean Kids.
I know a subset of teenagers that seem able to eat anything. They practise and compete in their sports with incredible dedication. Phy Ed class of that sport, after school optional class, then they go to team practise. You see them on the Whatsapp group figuring out how to play a match in the morning then get to another match of something else starting lunch time.
Almost without exception great parental support driving them around, at that age its not fear over weight or eating, more a case of keeping them with the right people.
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That is a fair observation as well. I remember being a high school athlete, and though I was never lean, coming out of growing up as a fat kid, I was definitely far leaner than my nutrition should have let me be. Which is another, unfortunate, slippery slope that can occur once the activity tapers off while the eating habits are still present.
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AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 2
Weighted vest treadmill walk
Speed: 3.0
Incline: 3.0 for first 45 minutes, 4.0 for final 45 minutes
Total Distance: 4.5 miles
Weight: 45lbs
Notes:
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TB calls for a 90 minute ruck for E work. This was more leisurely than a ruck, but given I havenāt walked with a vest in quite a while, and I havenāt done that for 90 minutes ever, I decided to ease into it. I upped the incline at the halfway point to add a little more challenge. Iām pleased with how it went, and at the end there was discomfort but not anyting intolerable. I wanna keep this up as an every-other-week thing, per the Black Protocol, and make this my primary prep for my 10 mile run. If I get used to just moving at a constant rate for 90 minutes, Iāll be in a good way. This got me over 11k steps before 0600, so thatās a good way to start the day.
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I also managed to get in 8k steps yesterday in the hour during my kidās show choir practice, so itās been a good time for walking. Itās good to be active again. I definitely appreciated the āsoftening upā ala John McCallum I did from Oct through Dec, but I like moving. In general, I like the idea of reserving that period of the year for softening up, and then, as clichĆ© as it is, starting the year off getting back in shape. Oct is my birthmonth, followed by Thanksgiving in Nov, Christmas in Dec, and our new yearās cruises. Itās a great time for feasting, celebrating, and easing off the throttle of training. And once thatās all over, everyone else is in New Yearās mode, so cleaning up the diet and getting back to activity doesnāt feel out of the norm at all. I may be onto something.
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Had my family meal last night, and even there Iām being a little more conservative than I was during the gaining. Iām not restricting myself: Iām simply not eating BEYOND satiety at this point. We did some 4 cheese tortellini with garlic bread, and then I had 2 of my wifeās oatmeal peanut butter cookies with some raw local honey alongside a more reasonable slice of homemade peppermint cheesecake and a small mug of Fairlife skim milk.
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Digestion finally seems to have sorted itself out.
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Tang Soo Do tonight. This is āWildcard/Cardio Weekā, so should be some physical activity in store. Weāre skipping class on Wed and making it up on Sat, due to schedule.
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AM WORKOUT (0404 natural wake up: forgot to set my first alarm)
12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 3
MAIN WORK
SSB Front Squat
5x5x225
ALTERNATE w/
Log clean and press away
5x5x155
Low handle trap bar lift
1x5x440
ASSISTANCE
Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)
SSB front rack hold
3x30 seconds x355
Superset w/
Standing ab wheel
3x10
BPA
4x25
Axle curls
1x65
Notes:
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Iām no longer logging the warm-ups, as theyāve reduced as Iāve healed. Iām pretty much just sticking with the Hatfield squats/jump squats and then some light sets of squats.
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Kept it at 2 minutes rest between sets.
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The log still isnāt feeling awesome, but itās not soul crushing either. Iāll have to eventually start training the push press again, as much as I hate it. Might include it in conditioning, or maybe finish off each set with 1 push press rep.
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Those pulls felt absolutely incredible. Really goes to speak to the impact of fatigue and small injuries. A few weeks ago, I couldnāt break the weight off the floor, and only managed 425 for a very grindy single. 315 exploded off the floor for my warm-up, and 440 moved without drama. Didnāt feel awesome, but I had more in me than just those 5 reps. DID blow out a bunch of blood vessels still, so something to be aware of.
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This was my first time wearing my powerbelt since I left on vacation, primarily because I didnāt want to run the risk of trying to put it on while bloated, having it not fit, freaking out and torpedoing my bodyweight. In turn, it actually fit the best itās fit in a LONG time. Given my elevated bodyweight, the fact my waistline has remained set to āsvelteā leads me to believe Iāve put on some quality mass in these past 4 months. Should be good as I continue to trim down.
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Rather than do full Poundstone curls, I went until I stopped, and got a good pump. Iām going to see how my elbows feel with this approach.
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Tang Soo Do was a really solid workout last night. We stayed in motion for the full hour. We were broken into 3 groups, 1 in the middle working on something specific, and the other 2 running laps around the Dojang until it was their turn. Idea was about performing under fatigue. Valkyrie and I never fell out, whereas we watched a bunch of kids unable to hang, at a running pace I would best describe as āleisurelyā. Our instructor is a much better human than I: emphasizing āif you feel dizzy or lightheaded, fall out and recoverā, whereas Iām of the mindset āthat means itās working!ā But, in turn, I was proud of my kiddo for not falling out and just grinding through the suck.
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Weāre getting takeout tonight in support of my kidās schoolās fundraiser āChefās Night Outā. Gonna get some chicken wings from a local pizza place, as thatās about as āApex Predatorā as this diet can get, ala Jamie Lewisā recommendation. It dawned on me the other day that I wrote about not being good at maintenance, but I suppose that was the point of āFeast, Famine and Ferocityā: it was a manner of maintenance VIA extremes. I might bring that back after this initial weight cut: maybe let it guide me to my cruise in June.
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That makes a lot of sense. I really didnāt like the weeks of straight protein fasting and weeks of real food really because of the time inconsistencies.
I find that apex predator is way more flexible. Really busy? Cool just have all protein shakes that day. Got time to cook? Cool make some great meat. Random dinner popped up? Cool go have some carbs and stuff for the week
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This makes a lot of sense to me, and Iām thinking I should maybe try to do a weekly or every other week long TM walk rather than looking for lots of shorter ones. I do a lot of hour-plus walking, but itās at elderly dog pace.
I have a very similar dynamic, except for me itās Autumn in New England, which is very social. By January, Iām very content to clean up my diet - in fact, this year I realized that January is actually one of my favorite months. Itās an entire month of me-time. My goals, my diet, my workouts. Social takes a far backseat because everyone is exhausted. Iām not tired, just content to busy myself with myself.
1 Like
@freshyfresh Thatās a solid observation: there is a fair bit of flexibility in Apex Predator. It may just be on me to figure out how to make it maintenance, haha. I also liked how Jamie had different phases of the diet itself based on your current level of leanness.
@EmilyQ Thatās such a great point regarding January: itās the one month out of the year where āself-centerednessā is actually applauded. Itās SUPPOSED to be about us for that month, as weāre all trying to ānew year, new meā through it. Itās expected weāll all fall off in Feb as well, haha, but at least no one will bat an eye if you are getting up early to train and prioritizing healthy eating during that time. Itās a great time to dry out.
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Exactly! And as I donāt mind going outside in the snow thereās nothing for me to dislike about it.
1 Like
AM WORKOUT (0430 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 4
āBLACK OUT ON OXYGEN (BOO) IIā
10 burpees
800m run
5 burpees
400m run max effort
Rest 2 minutes
3 rounds total
Time: 28:53
BREAKFAST
Short walk w/dogs
Notes:
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Once again, the distances arenāt exact, but close enough. Running in my neighborhood, vs on a track. Taking advantage of the lack of snow and decent weather for now.
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Still wearing my bearfeet shoes for this. No idea if thatās a good or bad idea, but itās what Iām doing. I donāt feel any worse running in them.
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The most difficult part is finding the pace for the 800m. Itās not supposed to be max effort, but also supposed to be harder than a jog. But Iām appreciating getting in the reps for running here. This is a very digestible format for it, and it should carry over well for my race.
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Itās nice being able to shut off my brain and just pick a workout from the book. I DO have to fight the voice inside my head telling me to absolutely nuke myself with conditioning. Iām really trying to find that balance of recovery to get better at all things rather than make Faustian deals in my training. Just sticking with the plan.
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On the note of sticking with the plan, Iāve excited the no-manās-land of fat loss, where you spend the first two weeks looking worse than when you started. Midsection is tightening up again and Iām feeling leaner. Good to be in touch with my hunger signals again too. Had 12 chicken wings for dinner last night, and it was enough food. Itās why I always chuckle at the kids that never want to have a cutting phase: there is a LOT of value to be had in getting re-sensitized to food.
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Tang Soo Do is on the schedule for tonight. Should be another solid workout.
11 Likes
AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via alarm, slept in with day off)
12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 5
MAIN WORK
SSB front squat
5x5x225
Alternate w/
Log clean and press away
5x5x155
Weighted NG chins
5x5x35
KB swings
100x24kg bell
ASSISTANCE
Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)
SSB front rack hold
3x30 seconds x 348lb
HLR
3x10
Dip-push up dropset
Max reps dips, then push ups, then push ups w/reactive slingshot, then slingshot, then metal catapult
100 BPAs
Notes:
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Got the day off work, so slept in and got this knocked out. Knees are feeling a little twitchy. Iām wondering if I need to cut back on the front rack holds, since itās effectively a short range lockout exercise and puts some pressure on them, but it could also be from so much time running around the Dojang and just running in general.
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Didnāt feel as strong in this workout as I did last week at the end, but by the middle set things were clicking.
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Chins feel like theyāre moving in a good way. Part of that may also be the weight loss.
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Dip/push up dropset is part of my ongoing āhypertrophy preservationā effort. I feel that 2-3 minutes of work at the end of these workouts isnāt going to compromise recovery. Lateral raises on day 1, curls on day 2 and this on day 3 should put me in a good way.
15 Likes
12 LABORS: SLAYING THE LERNAEAN HYDRA
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 2, Workout 6
āCONNAUGHT RANGE 10 TO 1Sā
10 burpees
100m sprint
9 burpees
100m sprint
to 1 burpee
Time: 8:15 (1m 8s PR from last attempt)
Notes:
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Iām not logging my weekends as much as I used to, but theyāre still awesome and busy. Now that Iām regularly training 1 day on the weekends, I figure Iāll log that.
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Since these ARE weekends, I really donāt want to spend a whole lot of time training, so I picked this workout again. Itās currently 11 degrees and feels like -1 with windchill, but STILL no snow, so I took advantage of being able to be outside. My lungs BURNED from that cold air, and my legs felt like they were pumping battery acid. I thought for sure I was dogging it and that I was going to double my previous time, so seeing that PR was awesome. Itās that āfunā thing about conditioning: the better you get at it, the worse it feels, because you can push harder.
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I have the day off work tomorrow, and I intend to sleep in. Iāll try to train sometime before dinner, which should be a carby meal. Clothes continue to fit better, so body comp is improving, but Iāve once again picked up some sort of stomach bug, or I never got over the initial one I had, so weight is going to be all over the place.
20 Likes
@simo74 Itās such a negative feedback loop, haha.
PM WORKOUT (1500)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 1
MAIN WORK
SSB Front Squats
4x3x255
ALTERNATE w/
Log clean and press away
4x3x170
NG chins
4x3x40lb
KB swings
100x24 KG bell
ASSISTANCE
Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)
SSB front squat hold
3x30 seconds x 345
Standing ab wheel
3x10
Lateral raise dropset (35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands)
BPA
100 reps
Notes:
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Had the day off work, so slept in and got this done before dinner. Itās stupidly cold today, with a high of 9 and a low of -6 ambient, which meant my hands were going numb through the workout. Aside from that, this went well. I was stiff on that first set of front squats, but at the end I was bouncy and the log was moving well. Iām delighted to feel as strong as I do on the log, even if I am far away from the strongest Iāve ever been. Been a bit of reclamation going on.
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Speaking of feeling good, my knees feel absolutely incredible. Iāve been handling stairs just fine, to say nothing of squats, jumps, Tang Soo Do, etc. My hips feel awesome too, and Iām able to kick higher and move freer. Iām dealing with a pulled muscle in my right psoas/ab, but itās not debilitating. In general, this is the best Iāve felt physically in a long time. Turning over the reigns 100% has really been beneficial toward healing while still getting stronger, and this style of training is aligning with my psychology well enough that Iām not dreading training or constantly fighting my inner dialog, so mentally Iām in a pretty good place as well. Iām really drinking the Tactical Barbell Koolaid at this point.
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Today, I fasted through breakfast, since the whole family had the day off and I wanted to have lunch with them, and Iām at a point where 3 meals is just an absurd amount of meals for me. They went out for donuts, I had some tea with them, and then we had lunch at that burger place where I ate the 5lb cheeseburger. They finally have my photo up on the wall, which was cool. I was more reserved and had just 3 burger patties today. But tonight was also our family meal, so after training I had spaghetti with bison meat sauce, a slice of garlic bread, and then dessert of 3 of my wifeās cookies and a small slice of homemade peppermint cheesecake. Afterwards, Iāve felt the best I ever have after one of these high carb meals. Iām not sure if itās a product of eating it post training and getting that effect or a product of the extending fasting, but it leads me to want to experiment more. It feels good to feel good.
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I weighed in at 85.1kg this morning, which is a 1.3kg drop from last week. Last week was a post workout weigh in, while this was just a first thing in the morning one, so theyāre not 100% matching, but the trend is there. Iām going to stay the course with my current approach and see how I continue to trend, as I know the first few weeks tend to be drastic.
14 Likes
AM WORKOUT (0500 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 2
āHEAVY BAG RESETSā-beginner
1 min max effort heavy bag (Bas Rutten Body Action System) strikes
2 min rest
5 rounds
Notes:
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Per the program instructions, since this is the heavy week for lifting, weāre doing the easy/beginner workouts for conditioning. Instead of 90 seconds of strikes, itās 60. That said, it was still enough to be able to tax my system and allow me to āsprintā with striking. Technique wasnāt great at all, but effort was there, and that was the goal.
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Iāve got Tang Soo Do tonight as well, which is sparring week, so thatās even more opportunities to put some work in. It was -11 ambient this morning, which drove my decision to do some indoor work. Also why there was no walk with the dog.
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Because this was such a short workout, I was able to sleep in, which helps perpetuate performing well on the heavy week.
12 Likes
Anaerobic conditioning sucks so much in cold weather. Good choice to do it inside even if there is no snow!
I find zone 2 aerobic conditioning not so bad though with the right clothing. Ski touring in -40 weather is where I found my limit.
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Much appreciated man! Iāve dealt with -60 a few times, and I have the capacity to deal with it should the need arise, but itās definitely a juice vs squeeze sorta moment there, haha. Getting older and having my circulation not be as good plays into it. My hands were numb for quite a while after just 8 minutes being outside doing burpees and sprints on Sunday.
I DO like getting out in the cold and feeling alive like thatā¦but the āaliveā part is important, haha.
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Iāll just sit here and not comment about skipping a walk last night because it was 18F out. 
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Walks are pretty hard to get motivated about, haha. Itās easy to say āIām gonna go out there and kill some sprints!ā. But when itās like āIām gonna go get in my low impact strollingā, the cold can f**k right off.
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Damn dude! I live in Canada and still the only conditioning I do at -60 is shoveling snow or removing ice vigorously because I HAVE NO CHOICE if want to go to work or to the grocery store.
The ski touring story were I set my limit was because we had been outside for hours and at one point I saw that my girlfriendās nose was turning white. I was like āCover your nose and letās go down!ā hoping her nose donāt turn black. After we got down, one hour car ride with the heat on and some food, she still was cold and had blue lips. A warm bath was the only thing she could do to warm up.
But yeah, I still like the cold too and going outside on dark nights or dark mornings. There is something special about that bundle of clothes, the darkness and the cold that brings me a calm feeling of peace. Itās hard to explain.
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@Hugo_Fillion Oh, believe me: when it was -60, all I was doing was trying not to die, haha. We didnāt bother shoveling at that point. That story rings so true: people canāt fathom being somewhere where itās so cold you can die. Yet that same cold really does center you. Thereās so much tranquility.
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 3
MAIN WORK
SSB front squat
4x3x255
ALTERNATE w/
Log clean and press away
4x3x170
Trap bar lift
1x495
ASSISTANCE
HLR
3x10
Axle curls
66 unbroken reps
BPA
2x50
Notes:
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Slept hard last night. Woke up 6 minutes before the alarm, went back to sleep and had a full dream in that time.
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Iām going to start with the elephant: that was the most ridiculous pull Iāve managed in a LONG time. Thatās a 12 second concentric. I thought for sure I was going to blackout at around the 4 second mark, but I decided at that point to just pull UNTIL that happened. I legit felt like I was standing still at one point. I realized that, without a straight bar, I donāt really have any ātricksā to pull off when the bar stops moving. I couldnāt ramp it or hitch or anything: I just had to keep on pushing until SOMETHING happened. And yes, I DID rest at the top in the attempt to try to get in more reps after that, but decided I finally had enough as I was bringing it back down. This was supposed to be a triple, and, in turn, I once again realize the difference in my capabilities between reps and heavy singles. This definitely needs to become my new max for the rest of this cycle, which is going to mean some lighter weights on the easier weeks, but I could always try for more sets at that point. Ultimately, Iāve got mixed emotions, as itās a nutkick to not be as strong on the pulls as I used to be, but I am SO elated that I still have this kinda fight in me ON a heavy pull. Itās been a long time since Iāve fought that hard for a rep: good to still have it in me.
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I nixed the front squat rack hold for 2 reasons. 1 being logistical, as I have to unload the trap bar to load up the SSB, and the second is that, with this day having a heavy pull on it, Iām thinking Iām already loading my CNS enough and donāt need the additional stress. This should also keep my knees feeling springy. Since I alternate between HLR and ab wheel every workout, this will allow me equal opportunities to pair those with the holds still.
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On the note of knees, my right knee is feeling a little achy today, but thatās because I was being VERY bouncy in sparring last night. Since Iām feeling healthier, Iām trying to move healthier and take advantage of it, moving in and out, working angles, throwing lots of kicks at weird angles, etc. Itās also nice as itās added some unpredictability to my game, since most folks there are used to sparring me while Iām beat up.
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I made it through 2 rounds of our tournament last night. Went against a junior student, so I stuck with just hands (weāre only allowed 3 punches: front, reverse and side, and can only punch the body) and focused on using footwork for evasion. I managed 1 body punch early in the match, and then just trying to create openings while evading kicks. Ran out the clock, second round was against the Valkyrie. Used it as an opportunity to try out a bunch of new tricks, threw a jump spin back kick at one point, chained together a lot of spin crescent kicks, etc. We ended up going 2 to 1 in her favor. I gave her a little assist on her match for champion: in the match before hers, I called out the guy she was going to face, pointing out āHeās only got 2 moves: a low to high roundhouse that he follows up with a hook kickā. The dude got a shocked look on his face, realizing he was exposed, and it totally threw him off his game for his match with the Valkyrie: he NEVER threw his pet combo. I watched her land 2 solid bodypunches and then run out the clock to win for the night: solid victory.
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Weāre doing a double sparring class tonight, to make up for some missed classes.
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That deadlift is still in my head. I want to be the deadlifter I was again. I think I got some plans for my future.
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