I probably would have had to be carried after beer 2. Lol
2 Likes
@QuadQueen unfortunately I felt the same, haha
7/20/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 1
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 205x3 205x3 205x3
Squats 295x3 295x3 295x3
alternating w/ 1:30 rest
WPU +55x3 +55x3 +55x3
Dips x50
Leg Lifts x5 rounds
Didn’t feel great but the weights moved so successful day. Track day tomorrow.
7 Likes
7/21/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 2
400m Resets
Agile 8
1 mile warmup
6x400m w/ 5:00 rest between
Fastest today was 1:17. Went all out on the final lap.
Easy conditioning week as it’s a hard lifting week. Cut the usual 600m resets to 400m. Will get some casual walking in tonight as well.
The program calls for 1x per week deadlifts, which I currently have in the middle of the week. Think I’m gonna switch this to the final workout for the extra rest after the DL session. I was doing the DL workout into hill sprints and it was taxing on the lower back for the rest of the week.
5 Likes
7/22/2025
BW 187.0
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 3
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 205x3 205x3 205x3
Squat 295x3 295x3 295x3
alternating w/ 1:30 rest
WPU +55x3 +55x3 +55x3
Dips x50 (5x10)
ss w/
KB Swings x100 (5x20)
2 mile weighted vest walk
Notes
- Weights moved really well today. Eating a bit more lately. I’ve stayed relatively lean since March, around 185 the whole time. Going to start upping the calories a bit and then am going to switch over to the TB Mass Protocol after this cycle of Operator. Thinking Grey Man → Alpha for those who have read the books. I was planning my schedule out a few weeks ago to do another Operator cycle, but 3 3-week cycles of Grey Man would get me right into my Europe trip.
- Ordered a pair of TYR lifting shoes. Found my size for the prior generation shoe and a 30% code online so I ended up getting them for $75.
- Had some bloodwork done recently which showed elevated AST levels. Had a liver ultrasound today so hopefully nothing wrong. The doctor said that many times high AST levels can be attributed to working out, so hoping that is the case.
5 Likes
Had some bloodwork done recently which showed elevated AST levels. Had a liver ultrasound today so hopefully nothing wrong. The doctor said that many times high AST levels can be attributed to working out, so hoping that is the case.
That’s exactly what I was going to say as well. They REALLY need to tell people to NOT train before these labs, because otherwise this is just going to keep happening. Happened to me.
Grey Man to specificity works so well, as you pretty much already have the supplemental exercises worked out. I originally was going to do Alpha, but ended up with Bravo: the time away from heavy weights was a nice break.
1 Like
And I think this flexibility is why the programming is so appealing. It is so easy to change course when/if needed. There are so many options and all are very well written. Beat down from something? Run a template without max strength work, or run Fighter with only 2x lifting per week.
OMS protocol looks awesome and truly something that can be done in perpetuity if you wanted. Cycles in strength/mass/BB work, and different types of conditioning too. I can see myself doing this in the long-term and using that Operator phase to taper back some fat if needed, while ideally maintaining strength.
1 Like
Man, if you’re selling I’m buying! Haha. I had the exact same conclusions. This really just feels like something you can run forever. It’s what I wanted 5/3/1 to be for me. And on that note, you can totally slot in a cycle of a 5/3/1 program at some point, or Super Squats, Deep Water, Mass Made Simple: all these little 6 week diversions can totally find a home and then just have you get right back on course with TB.
2 Likes
7/23/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 4
Standard Hills
Hill sprints x10
Walk down hill for rest
Easy conditioning week continues. Sprints were at about 80-90% effort. Hoping work isn’t crazy and I can get both a lunch walk and an after work walk in today.
I have an LSS run on the schedule this week, which I’ll do tomorrow instead of Friday due to rain.
4 Likes
7/24/2025
BW 187.4
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 5
Agile 8 + Swings
Bench 205x3 205x3 205x3
Deadlift 365x3
Squats 295x3 295x3 295x3
Planks / Back Extensions x5 rounds
Pull-ups - did various grips. 3 reps between resting sets just to get some additional work in.
Was going to do LSS today but ended up lifting. I can squeeze a ruck/vest walk in tomorrow morning before commuting to work.
Only one set of deadlifts. I’m re-acclimating to this movement and it’s starting to fly up. So I’ll let my body readjust with warmups and doing less work sets until I need to. Especially with lingering back injury this year.
Recorded a bench set, honestly because I never do and wanted to see how it looked. 205x3 moved fast but these reps felt slow. I think I am underestimating my bench.
4 Likes
if your goals are to have a better bench press, watch these.
But if you’re really just going for hypertrophy, consider switching to dumbbell bench. BB bench is far more technical than most people realize.
*speaking as someone with a dogshit bench
1 Like
@Andrewgen_Receptors Definitely still want some hypertrophy but am focused on getting the numbers up. Thanks for sharing this man, there’s like an hour of solid info there that I’ll look through
1 Like
Great video linked below. I’ve fallen into a lot of these traps of the optimal bro. I traded big movements for machines and variations for awhile. Time to get big and strong.
5 Likes
7/26/2025
BW 187.0 - after eating a big breakfast
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 3, Workout 6
LSS
3.5 mile walk with weighted vest. Got on a hilly route and HR was > 100 for a lot of it. Felt good and restorative.
Lifting day tomorrow, week 4 begins. First day squatting with the new lifting shoes. Even just trying them on and doing BW squats I felt great depth and comfort with the heel drop. Excited to try them out.
6 Likes
7/27/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 1
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 225x1 175x5 175x5 175x5 175x5
Squat 315x1 245x5 245x5 245x5
alternating w/ 1:30 rest
WPU +20x5 +20x5 +20x5
Dips BWx75
Ab Wheel x3sets
Decline Sit-ups x3sets
Felt good today and it being a weekend I had some extra time so hit some easy singles before the prescribed work. 315 squat and 225 bench both flew up faster than they did when I was 205lbs. Feel like I could’ve gotten 10+ reps. Getting strong again feels good. Excited to test my numbers after this cycle.
Lifting Sunday mornings really has me ready for football season. Nothing like a great morning lift and then getting into some food and growing. Coming soon!
8 Likes
7/28/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 2
Random HIC
0.5 mile run
12 x 100m sprint / 100m walk
0.5 mile run
There was a summer camp using the track so did this on a field in place of 600m resets. Will finish the week of conditioning with Hills on Wednesday and 600m resets, which may end up being on the rower based on how the weather looks.
5 Likes
7/29/2025
BW 186.4
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 3
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 175x5 175x5 175x5. All paused.
Squat 315x1 245x5 245x5 245x5
alternating w/ 1:30 rest
WPU +20x5 +20x5 +20x5
- Did the basic work only today. Flat ground sprints yesterday have me sore from head to toe. So much more impact on the CNS than hill sprints. Will keep that in mind and use them sparingly, but it is probably good to expose myself to this more often. Maybe with shorter sprints than 100m.
- Squats feel insanely good. I am liking the system of warming up to an easy weight that is above my working weight for the day. Makes the rest of the sets feel very light.
- Somber day and a bit mentally shaken up from the NYC shooting last night. I work in the building next to that one. Not in a “this could have been me and I am scared” sense, as I wasn’t in the office yesterday, but I know the feeling of leaving the office late and all you want to do is get home. It’s sickening and not fair that some people didn’t get to go home yesterday for no reason at all. Makes me think of my wife or my mom leaving their offices; these victims were someone to somebody not just victims 1-5. It’s really troubling to think about the evil out there.
7 Likes
7/30/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 4
3.5mi walk + weighted vest
Still sore from those sprints. Otherwise boring and easy session, nothing to report.
4 Likes
7/31/2025
BW 187.0
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Week 4, Workout 5
Agile 8 + Swings
Bench 225x1 175x5 175x5 175x5
Deadlifts 305x5 305x5 305x5. Technically 308 since I used kilo plates.
Squats 245x5 245x5 245x5
Dips x75. Done between sets of squats including warmups.
Planks / Back Extensions x4sets
Another solid workout. Leaving every lifting day feeling strong. Focusing on each day and getting through the program.
Thinking through my next training block of Mass Protocol…I am loving Squat/Bench/WPU 3x per week and the frequency is doing wonders for me. I was going to run Grey Man which is a template with alternating days. I think to keep the momentum going on these exercises, I will run the “Mass Template” which is 3 days of BP/SQ/WPU then a day of deadlifts.
Can’t really explain why, but every time I have run a program that was working I start thinking about what’s next and what can I change…well how about I keep the exercises that are working and continue on. My rep scheme will change as it will be focused on gaining mass, but no doubt I’ll continue to gain strength. It even has AMRAP/peaking sets programmed similar to 5/3/1 + sets and joker sets.
This template has a 4th day of lifting which is just deadlifts. I don’t love the idea of going to the gym just to hit deadlifts and leave. BUT, there are “Power Development” HIC sessions listed in the conditioning book (think power cleans, push press, plyos, etc.), which I think will fit perfectly on this day and will be beneficial to me overall athletically and aesthetically.
I am itching at this point to start getting bigger. I’m so confident in my ability to drop weight now that I have no worries about going on a 6-month mass building phase, I now know I am capable of dropping weight.
Long post but just getting my thoughts out and my next block set mentally. Easier to write out my thoughts than keep them in my head, haha.
8 Likes
I’m excited to see how it goes for you dude!
1 Like
Pulling a hamstring on a hill sprint is definitely some bad luck: hills are supposed to be protective of that. A sign that you are really beasting up that hill!
Hope the referral proves beneficial. If they can determine the allergy, that’s an easy call moving forward.
You’re too strong to kill, and that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so you’re basically set for life for a positive feedback loop of always getting stronger.
1 Like