this sounds like @wiseman83
1 Like
My dream. Lol
1 Like
Great fight on that deadlift, looked absolutely brutal.
Dude, I remember first finding your log back when I was still in high school. Back in your like 220-230 days, doing those insane ROM progressions with chains, and just thinking that was the sickest shit I had ever seen. I know some of that is behind you for noble reasons, but damn Iād be excited to see that dog come out to play again.
7 Likes
Haha I was part way through reading the update and began wondering what the future plans were for you, we all know youāre capable, but itās whether the juice is worth the squeeze for you at this point, with healthy joints, a healthy balance in terms of training/family/life, and healthy attitudes towards eating.
Assuming youāre not wanting to sacrifice any of this? So Iām curious about this:
Iām sure youāll find a way and excited to see it.
1 Like
@atlas13 Appreciate you swinging by dude! I feel so old knowing you were in high school back then, haha. I never officially made it to 220: 217 was my all time highest, back in 2008, but I was definitely my strongest hanging right around 202. I appreciate you recognizing the reasoning for the change. I was thinking about this morning how I how to basically base my week around those workouts, and how ritualistic it was, to include the pre-deadlift meal that was almost ALWAYS Taco Bell, haha. Switching to morning training had a big impact, as, of course, the nutritional overhaul. Finding the balance will be interesting, but I always talked about how there is assurance that, should I ever REALLY decide that I want to become that beast again, I know exactly what to do to get there: itās just a matter of if I WANT to do that.
@alex_uk That balance is definitely the priority, but in that regard, I feel like I may finally be at a point where I HAVE that balance. Pretty much as soon as I started treatment, my priority has been healing, and it took a lot of changes to get there. That included changing pretty much everything I was doing IN my training, which had me using that close foot/high bar squat stance for so long among other changes. With the start of Operator, Iāve finally allowed myself to start going back to those things I used to do to get stronger. I think the biggest thing is that Iām in a good enough headspace now that I wonāt let training take control, which, in turn, will perpetuate staying healthy.
AM WORKOUT (0510 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 4
āGENERAL CONDITIONING 5ā Beginner
3 rounds of
30 seconds max dips
90 seconds rest
30 seconds max push ups
90 seconds rest
2 min rest
3 rounds of
5 pull ups
10 burpees
BREAKFAST
Short walk w/dog
Notes:
-
Sticking with the plan and did the easy/beginner version of this protocol. RX is a full minute of dips and push ups. But this was still a very solid pump, and the finisher at the end did a good job getting me breathing hard and my heart rate up. It snowed a touch last night and was cold enough that some indoor training was the right call, and with all the sparring weāre doing this week, I liked something that was a little gentler on my knees.
-
Got the finisher done in 3:05. I used kipping pull ups as necessary, once again, per the program guidelines.
-
Slept in as much as I could, taking full advantage of the situation here and recovering as hard as I can.
-
Last night was back to back classes of sparring. The first class had some lower ranks in it, so I ended up facing off against 2 white belts before squaring off with the Valkyrie again. I did my typical āhands onlyā approach with the white belt, left them some openings to chase after, let the matches go the full distance to let them get in some reps. Valkyrie and I went to sudden death/overtime, while I once again tried my best to be springy on my feet and try out some new material. While my hips are feeling good, Iām trying to take advantage of it. She finished with a body punch, and from there we worked some free sparring with a rotation of opponents. For the second class, Valkyrie and I got paired off in the first round and she ended up going 3 to 1 against me. Sheās good at landing the body kick. We have one more class tonight, and then another on Saturday.
-
Iām looking leaner/tighter. Post carb magic and general reduction of food showing through. The gaining experiment was excellent, as I learned that, even while turning every meal into an eating competition for 14 weeks straight, followed by a 1 week cruise, I still couldnāt eat myself fat enough to a point that I couldnāt get lean again in a matter of weeks. I forget who I was listening to, but someone was talking about the assurance that comes with keeping yourself a few weeks out from lean while gaining. If nothing else, Iām sure itās positive from a nutrient partitioning standpoint. Itās also funny to me how Iāve effectively defaulted to the Velocity Diet without any drama about it. The first time I did it, it was such a big paradigm shift, and now itās just what I gravitate toward. I really love how much I donāt have to think when it comes to packing lunch for work, and the cost/time savings.
10 Likes
my legitimate goals for this year are to pretty much copy you in that time frame. My conditioning focus is a little more LISS endurance than I remember you doing, little less HIIT/WOD/whatever you call just gassing yourself, but otherwise my peak strength goals are trying to get to about where you were. Maybe a bit under, but I got some room to go lol.
I felt this way this past year when my squat finally started taking off for the first time. I was putting my SOUL into AMRAP sets on 531. Id legit feelā¦ anxiety isnāt the right word, but definitely nerves the night before knowing what I had planned the next day. In some ways, I hated it, but also Iāve never had a more locked in training than I did then.
This is actually part of my reasoning for trying to build such a base of static strength and muscle NOW. Despite my size, my heart rate, blood pressure, bloodwork, all of it says Iām pretty much peak health. Which honestly, I think Iāve just got some genetics on my side, coupled with years of athletic background keeping my heart strong. I want to build up as much as I can NOW so that later, as age catches up to me, I have that room to fall back on and still be able to push some (for me) impressive numbers. Including a ton of zone 2 just to delay the day as much as I can when I need to start training primarily for health, but I want that foundation of muscle to carry with me once that happens.
Oh brother, you really donāt wanna know what school I went to in 2008ā¦. Haha
1 Like
I know that exact feeling youāre talking about the night before those workouts. It honestly feels like being on death row the night before execution. You know that itās inevitable, but itās just looming there. Itās where I developed that mentality that āthis has all already happened: I just have to experience it nowā, which helped me get through the other end of so many workouts. Deadlifts, in particular, in my mind, are just pain tolerance exercises. Heavy deadlifts ALWAYS hurt/suck, and itās just a matter of enduring it until itās over.
Very much appreciate the high regard you hold me in there, and I think you have some solid priorities, paired with good self-awareness. Youāre way ahead of where I was in the nutrition front, which is going to do you some favors later down the line as well.
LISS was never that big while I was logging, primarily because it was big BEFORE that, haha. I ran 16 miles a day, every day, in the summer when I was in high school. 2 8 mile runs a day. Funny enough, I was doing it in a quest for abs, thinking I could train away all my bodyfat. It went as well as youād expect, but after enough of that, it became a lower priority in my training. These days, itās walking that I love.
And man, youāll be on this end of the timeline one day too, haha. Itās really still mindblowing to me the impacts I can have across the net. Iāve got dudes that tell me they grew up reading my blog in high school and college, and I have to come to terms with the fact that Iāve written it for that long that itās possible.
5 Likes
I know Iām not there yet, but Iāve definitely had my moments. I remember the first time one of my sailors told me they werenāt alive on 9/11. I almost just left work after that one haha
1 Like
I heard a stat the other day that 75% of active duty service members joined AFTER the pandemic startedā¦just let THAT sink in, haha.
1 Like
This is how I view most of life. Particularly difficult meetings at work. If I have already physically prepared and suffered in mental preparation, then all thatās left is living the situation.
2 Likes
The whole āsuffer in training, laugh in battleā thing. I end up going a bit more existential as well: the theory of relativity relays to us the notion that time can be perceived at differing ratesā¦which means that time must have ALREADY happened, and weāre simply perceiving it. Like watching a movie. In that case: everything has already happened: weāre just experiencing it at differing rates. The outcome already occurred: I have havenāt experienced it yet, but my actions have no influence on this outcome.
1 Like
Love this. I often refer to events as theater. In a professional setting, I have already previewed items with folks, so the actual meeting is just a formality with all parties. On a personal side, people are completely unaware of their patterns and idiosyncrasies to the point of being very predictable. Very very occasionally, will I be caught off guard and I attribute that to the value āchoiceā, which, ironically, is very often not chosen.
Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tverskey referred to this as lizard brain. Thereās also an element of disassociation. Iām certainly not higher than that and do this myself. However, I have an awareness of when I do it and when I need to engage. In the instance when Iām not aware, my wife is quick to wake me up. ha
1 Like
Like most things worth having, in achieving them, āpain is mandatory. Suffering is optional.ā
- Haruki Murakami
2 Likes
@dchris That predictability is all too true, to the point that I find most people operate off āscriptsā. Itās genuinely frustrating at times: people have these preset default phrases and exchanges they operate off of, just auto-piloting through life, and they get caught off guard when called out on it. Asking āHow are you?ā and not prepared for a real answer. Or the perpetual Debbie Downer, when you ask āHow are you?ā and they go āIām survivingā and you follow up āYeah? Everything ok?ā āWorking hard or hardly working?ā Come on dude: say something original or just let the silence exist.
Appreciate you sharing those two names: Iāll have to look into them.
@The_Myth Love it. So very true. Funny how Marcus Aurelius had a similar sentiment from a different perspective. I also dug this one that Jim Wendler captured from elsewhere
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 5
MAIN WORK
SSB front squat
4x3x255
ALTERNATE w/
Log clean and press away
4x3x170
Weighted NG chin
4x3x40
KB Swing
100x24kg
ASSISTANCE
Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)
SSB front rack hold
3x30 seconds x 345lb
SUPERSET w/
Standing ab wheel
3x10
BPA
4x25
15 minute walk around my basement
Notes:
-
Havenāt been logging it, but still sticking with 2 minutes rest. Until there is a demand to go longer, thatās the way forward.
-
I genuinely didnāt think this week would be all that fatiguing, but Iāll admit that I was feeling pretty beat down today. Little lacking in the āoomphā. By the third set on the squats, things were clicking nicely, and I had a few decent cleans on the log, but it looks like K. Black knows what heās doing by prescribing lighter conditioning on this week. This being a week of multiple sparring classes probably doesnāt help there.
-
KB swings felt better. Really trying to make it that āvertical plankā Dan John talks about, along with whipping the bell back on the concentric. Also trying to get as much ROM as I can on the chins.
-
Since yesterdayās conditioning already got me a decent chest pump, I didnāt go for more today, and instead used the extra time to get in some steps. Itās still stupid cold, so I stayed in the basement and just walked around. If I keep that up, I could always throw on a weight vest and walk the stairs in the basement, or I could break out my bike/rower combo, although the set-up for the latter eats into my time. Thereās always the jump rope too. Dan John always talks about the value of a post lift walk, and I dig that.
-
Didnāt get much for reps in tournament sparring last night. Was immediately paired up against my kiddo, and I want them to get more reps, so I played hands only and went 1 to 3 against them. Iām really proud of how much of a swarm fighter my kid is. Relentless pressure. Weāre at a bit of an impasse, because our head instructor is an outfighter, and coaches all the students to do the same, whereas Iām an infighter, and I advise my kid the same way. I always defer to the head instructor, because itās his Dojang and weāre here to learn Tang Soo Do, but I can tell my kid also prefers to be an infighter vs an outfighterā¦primarily because theyāre smaller, so it kinda makes sense. But hey: maybe them getting coached from two different perspectives will allow them to develop a variety of skillsets.
-
All was not lost on my end, as we had free sparring as a warm-up and alternated partners through out. I had a chance to spar our tallest student, who stands about 6ā5 and weighs less than me, so heās like a big daddy longlegs. I was able to crack his patter: draws guard with a kick and then goes for a long lunging body punch. I took to shin checking him and then moving off to an angle to get my body punch in while deflecting his. Did it enough times that I saw him have to start re-calculating his plan, and then, meanwhile, I got to share my info with my wife and kiddo for whenever they have to spar them. Itās kinda fun: they look to me to develop strategies for the other students.
-
My plan is to break out the stone this weekend and begin the official prep for the competition. Weāll see how that pans out. Iāve got one more sparring class tomorrow.
14 Likes
I got a shout out on the blog post! Another good read. I canāt remember if it came up in the conversation with Alex and us, but you touched on exactly what Iāve concluded as well - every session and even every cycle is not going going to be a āhitā. You need some light days, some builder days, some builder months and so forth to keep progressing and from burning out. One of my biggest sins is thinking I need to set some kind of PR every session or else Iām regressing. That attitude might work for a beginner but not someone with some miles under the bar, at least in my opinion. Iām excited to start this next chapter with the Alsruhe stuff and just trust that this dude has forgotten way more than I will ever know. Small world - he actually lives less than an hour from me, in the same county I grew up in. Call it supporting local business, haha.
4 Likes
@BrandonCrawford Dude, my thanks go to you for the inspiration, which is something I can say for a LOT of your posting here. And itās awesome youāre supporting Brian as well: that dude is a positive force multiplier in the world. And what youāre speaking to there is very much the āmaturityā of training. Itās why we see so many dudes rise up in the ranks of powerlifting/strongman and then fade away: theyāre all on board when the gains come easy every workout, but once you have to start grinding, they go away.
PM WORKOUT (1430)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE CERYNEIAN HIND
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 6
āReset 60s: Atlas Stonesā
- 135lb stone of steel
- 60 seconds on, 2 mins rest
- 5 rounds
- 48" bar off the ground
Notes:
-
This marks the start of my specialization. Iāll be including conditioning workouts that are more strongman focused.
-
First time doing a stone over bar in a LONG time, to the point that Iām pretty sure itās my first time doing it in this house, which I moved in to almost 6 years ago. I really like the set up I came up with: bands hold the axle in place and the mats are at an incline and can feed the stone back to me in many cases. I was also incredibly out of practice and decided to go with an unloaded stone and do my best to remember how to strongman.
-
I went all out as far as gear goes: Iām wanting to take this as seriously as possible and not waste these sessions. Using my grip shirt and a tacky towel, and they both made a big difference and allowed me to train technique that I normally canāt manage. I was doing my old style of arms low on the stone and practically curling it into place at first, but by the end I was able to train some arms over the top of the stone.
-
I was averaging about 7 reps per round, with the third getting me 8. My left bicep feels a little tender, and given thatās the one I tore, it makes sense. Iāll keep my eye on it. My elbows feel great though, which is a positive, as normally this stuff tears them up.
-
Giving a remainder of the weekend update: I got in 18k steps yesterday with a few different walks, and had the final sparring class of the week. It was the ONE sparring class where I didnāt get paired up with any members of my family, so I was able to actually make it to and through the final round to be the champion for that day. I got to face off against one of the black belts in the semis and our senior student in the final. The latter is a pretty dirty player, and the stupid games he played won him stupid prizes. He had a tendency to step on my foot in order to prevent me from employing my footwork to evade him, and he tried to use my immobility to keep me trapped and land a body punch on me. Instead, I caught on to his game, and both times he tried it I immediately blasted him with a lead hand body punch as he tried to capitalize on it. It didnāt help that he had done some dirty tricks to the Valkyrie leading up to this match. I already wanted to beat him, but each time he stepped on my foot I saw red. I should be betterā¦but Iām not.
-
Been eating well, but sticking with the plan as well. I only managed to eat half a rack of ribs on Friday, vs my typical full. Zero restriction: I simply stopped eating when I stopped wanting more ribs. Went out to our favorite buffet, and I loaded up on grilled shrimp, fish, and some thin cut new york strips. Swapping out whole eggs with whites, focusing on driving up protein wherever I can. Honestly, the biggest thing is to not UNDEReat. My appetite is so low these days, but I donāt want to jettison too much weight.
12 Likes
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 1
MAIN WORK
SSB front squat
5x5x210
ALTERNATE w/
Log clean and press away
5x5x145
NG chins
3x5x32.5
KB swings
100x24
ASSISTANCE WORK
Ab circuit (no rest between exercises)
3x30seconds x 345
HLR
3x10
Lateral raise dropset
35x10, 35x5, 35x2.5, 35xEmpty Hands
Band pull aparts
4x25
Notes:
-
Most obvious thing to discuss is that my right elbow is really sore from yesterdayās stone work, so I cut out sets of chins, and I may actually consider removing the exercise entirely for the duration of my specialization as a means to allow for better recovery. Or I might do everything in my power to train strongman on Saturday vs Sunday for better recovery. But in either case, Iām prioritizing recovery, which is a big step for me.
-
Pain makes us smart sometimes though: I realized Iāve been rowing the log into my lap rather than deadlifting it. Wanting to save my elbow, I did it correctly today, and it was a big difference when it came to getting the second pop up. Puts me in a much better position. Good to remember that.
-
Fronts squats felt fantastic. Very smooth, no knee pain.
-
Swings are feeling better as well. In general, things are clicking.
-
Meant to log this yesterday, but training with the stones was legit fun for me. Been a long time since I had fun in training. I think about how I started to fall out of love with strongman, and I feel like that was another manifestation of illness. Itās good to remember the spirit of this. That said, I also need to listen to my body and be smart and not break myself in the pursuit of relighting this passion.
-
Weighed in at 85.0 kg, which is a .1kg drop from last week. Iām honestly really excited about that, as I actually anticipated a rebound up from last week, considering how dramatic of a drop it was from week to week. Iām trending in a good direction, and this is still while dealing with some digestive issues. As much as I donāt want to admit to it, I think those ribs from my favorite BBQ place donāt agree with my digestion, as it seems like every Friday I eat them, and I spend the weekend dealing with them. I make a point to squeeze them out with some paper towels and wipe off the dry rub, but even if taking care of the obvious issues, itās still a LOT of pork fat to take in, even with me cutting down to half a rack this last time. Itās something I can be aware of, if nothing else.
-
High carb meal coming tonight, and then Iām thinking tomorrowās workout is going to be a ruck. Something that wonāt beat up the elbows any more.
14 Likes
Honestly, I feel this a lot with my current training. Iām doing tons of volume and submax work, which i intellectually believe worksā¦. But the workouts do not excite me. Itās my PR week so today I walked into the gym, and even warming up I just felt different. Excited, like this is why I love lifting. Not too much longer on this hypertrophy block thankfully, but Iām ready for it to be āfunā again lol
1 Like
@atlas13 Itās one of those things you āgetā as an athlete. Practice isnāt fun. The GAME is where the fun is. And this last session really felt more like a game than like practice. But, of course, we do the not fun things in practice SO that the game is fun, because itās not as much fun when you get totally shut out, haha.
AM WORKOUT (0359 natural wake up)
12 LABORS: CAPTURING THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR
Tactical Barbell Operator Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 2
ā90 Minute Ruckā
Treadmill walk w/45lb vest
5 miles in 1:30:24
Incline 4
Notes:
-
Started at 3.2mph pace, and gradually upped it to 3.4. Got in over 11k steps before 0600. Good day there.
-
Slept really well last night, and got up 30 seconds before my alarm was going to go off. Thatās a great feeling.
-
Got in a 2.3 mile walk last night post dinner with the Mrs as well, so activity has been good.
-
The last 20 minutes of this walk sucked a little. The vest wasnāt bugging me too bad, but after 70 minutes I was just kinda over it. Still, should be conditioning me well for a 10 mile run. The soles of my feet are a little torn up because Iām still wearing my barefoot shoes but with socks that arenāt very awesome, so they got scrapped up.
-
Right elbow/extensor is continuing to mend, which meant I was happy to have settled on this workout vs anything more intensive. Recovery is going to be key here.
-
Tang Soo Do tonight. Itās basics week, which can be a mixed bag as far as intensity goes.
-
Family meal last night was an excellent opportunity to carb up. Farmerās casserole with bison meat, alongside a biscuit with some grassfed butter, and 4 of the Valkyrieās peanut butter cookies with some raw local honey and some fairlife skim. Kept the potions reasonable. I need to factor in that I typically finish off the kiddoās plate, so I donāt need to serve myself much of a second helping. Still cool to observe myself continue to display metabolic flexibility: each time I eat a meal like this, I feel/respond better.
16 Likes
As usual always killing it and saw some of the food pics from a little bit ago and made my ass hungry lol
1 Like