8/22/2025
TB Operator / Black - Cycle 1, Test Week, Day ???
4 mile hike, with occasional sprinting up hills
Also going to hit arms tonight before going out to dinner. Just a mess around day before starting up the new program.
4 Likes
8/23/2025
Rest day. Have already walked 4 miles with my wife and will walk some more and go fishing later.
Playing around with some fasting today, only going to get protein powder in until late afternoon. Feels good to get some fasted movement in, literally feels like it gives me a buzz if that makes sense.
Other notes…reverse hypers have my lower back SORE. In a great way. I think my lower back is weak and that’s led to some issues. Going to keep hammering this.
5 Likes
8/24/2025
BW 188.5. Have been high since AYCE sushi last week but also might just be that initial 1-2lbs from starting to eat more.
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 1
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 165x8 165x8 165x8 165x8
Chin-Up BWx8 BWx8 BWx8 BWx12
Squat 235x8 235x8 235x8 235x8
Tricep Pushdown 135x8 135x8 135x8
Cable Crunches 90x15 110x15 130x10 130x10
Sit-Ups BWx3sets
First day of Mass Protocol. Higher reps, more sets, and less rest time than I’ve been doing. This was actually a hard workout and had a good sweat going the whole time.
I did pushdowns today thinking I would add an assistance exercise each day but I don’t think I will need it. Going to stick with the program recommendations and can add more accessories in the next phase.
Accessories that I will be doing are going to be loosely defined as “core work.” Abs, lower back, rear delts, etc. I will add some sets after my main work.
Starting a new program is always fun and these short 3-week cycles will keep things interesting. Adding weight every few weeks will force progress.
Food Log
Program calls for eating whatever you want 1x per week and I’m going to run with that. Today was the day and Sunday most likely will be for the foreseeable future. Nothing too off besides the two donuts.
- 66g cream of rice + 32g PB (pre-workout)
- bagel + 3 eggs + 2 blueberry donuts
- nonfat Greek yogurt + 2 scoops whey + banana + blueberries + strawberries
- 12oz chicken + 1c rice + huge salad
9 Likes
Excited to see how this goes for you dude!
1 Like
8/25/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 2
4 miles walking (2 miles x2)
My main conditioning plan for this block is to use the “Endurance Predator” workout from the Mass book, which is a long walk/hike with an all out sprint every 5 minutes. My legs are painfully sore after yesterday’s squats, so I opted just to get some walking in today. Conditioning is toned down in this block and walking is considered acceptable.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 60g oats, 32g PB, banana
- greek yogurt, whey, strawberries, blueberries, 16g PB
- 2 cans tuna, 2 corn tortillas, lite mayo, 1oz taco cheese
- dinner will be heaps of chicken, 1c rice, black beans, salsa, jalapenos
- will have 1 scoop whey before bed
Going to progressively up my calories over the next few weeks. Not eating too differently than I have been, just adding a bit more each meal. Not counting calories but am measuring things that I tend to overeat like rice, oats, peanut butter. Putting no limit on meat, yogurt, eggs, fruits/veg.
7 Likes
That squat looked easy, love the sound of those metal plates.
1 Like
@simo74 thanks Simo - just like Tom Platz said, keep that little space between the weights so you can hear them! haha.
8/26/2025
BW 187.5
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 3
Agile 8 + Jumps
Bench 165x8 165x8 165x8 165x8
Chin-Ups BWx8 BWx8 BWx8 BWx13
Squat 235x8 235x8 235x8 235x8
No core work today. Got a work call on the first set of squats for something that needed to be done quickly so got out of there after the main work. That’s the way it goes trying to work out on the lunch break.
Legs are still wildly sore but felt better after squatting. Going from 5 or less reps to 4x8 was tough but growth is on the way. Shooting for 1/2lb per week and gaining for ~6 months. 3 weigh-ins and will track the average of that each week, and use that average to track gains.
Food Log
- 3 eggs + 60g oats + strawberries + blueberries + 32g PB
- greek yogurt + 1 scoop whey + 32g PB + fruits
- chicken + 2 corn tortilla + 1oz taco cheese + 1 scoop whey
- will be 2 eggs + chicken + 1c rice + salsa + jalapenos
Wife is away all day/night and I was WFH so a lot of leftovers straight out of the fridge today. Ideally I will cut some peanut butter and replace with protein or pre-workout carbs. I love peanut butter but I feel like it’s one of those things that isn’t really adding any benefit and the calories can be better replaced elsewhere.
7 Likes
Wife is away all day/night and I was WFH so a lot of leftovers straight out of the fridge today. Ideally I will cut some peanut butter and replace with protein or pre-workout carbs. I love peanut butter but I feel like it’s one of those things that isn’t really adding any benefit and the calories can be better replaced elsewhere.
I, too, embrace savagery in the absence of my better half, haha. It’s typically when I eat a lot of food that requires no silverware.
Agree with your conclusion on the peanut butter. Very easy to accumulate some slow toxicity with it as well. If nothing else, might be worthwhile to have a variety of butters to rotate through to give the system a break from one particular legume/nut (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, etc). Otherwise, for a “grab and go” that I find goes with a lot of stuff, I’m a big fan of cottage cheese. It’s old school bodybuilding food, and it pairs well with savory or sweet.
2 Likes
I guess I’ve always known it, but it kind of clicked in my head today eating my second meal. I have 32g of peanut butter in this yogurt and barely even taste it, so why have it? Why not have another scoop of whey, a banana, or more yogurt instead? Same thoughts on cheese, it ends up just getting mixed in and barely tasted, so why not just have more chicken?
The toxicity is interesting and good to know, that is something I’ll look into.
2 Likes
8/27/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 4
Endurance Predator
45 minute walk, all out sprint every 3-5 minutes. Did 10 sprints of 10-30 seconds. I like this session. No real pressure of performance or timeline, just get some walking in and run some sprints when fully rested.
Did some other walking and pushups outside this morning. Will walk again later.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 2 slices homemade sourdough, 1/2 avocado, banana
- Greek yogurt, whey, strawberries
- 2 tortilla, 2 cans tuna, 1oz taco cheese, Kombucha
- Will be ground turkey stuffed peppers. 8oz ground turkey, rice, beans, jalapeños, etc. big Mexican week here, haha.
- 1 scoop whey before bed
8 Likes
8/28/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 5
Bench 245x1 165x8 165x8 165x8 165x8
Chin-ups x8 x8 x8 x14
Squat 315x1 235x8 235x8 235x8 235x8
Decline Sit-up x3 sets
Ab Wheel x3 sets
Rear Delt DB Raise 15x10 15x10 15x10
Good workout today, felt I was firing on all cylinders. Deadlift day tomorrow which will basically just be a traditional pull day with a row and curls.
Not counting reps on the abs but hammering until failure or near failure. I want big blocky abs for the next cut. I should have had them at 185 and that’s on my years of neglecting them.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 2 slice sourdough, 1/2 avocado, banana
- Concoction bowl: cream of rice, yogurt, whey
- 2 corn tortilla, 6oz turkey, 1oz cheese
- Greek yogurt, whey
- Will be chicken salad: 10oz chicken, salad, crouton, oil and vinegar
10 Likes
8/29/2025
BW 188.4. weekly average is just about 1/2lb gain which is what I am targeting for the foreseeable future.
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 6
Deadlift 305x5 305x5 305x5 305x5
Plate Loaded Row 2.5plx8 2plx4x12-15. High rep back work is going to be a staple on this day, felt great.
DB Hammer Curls 35x13 35x11 35x11
BB Curls 80x10 80x9 80x9
Reverse Hyper Unloaded x 5 sets. These also feel great and therapeutic. Going to slowly add weight, but even unloaded feels right.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado, Dave’s Killer Bagel
- cream of rice + yogurt + whey
- leftover chicken ~6oz, 1oz taco cheese, 1/2 avocado, 2 corn tortilla
- will be turkey sandwich w/ mozzarella, lettuce, and mustard on whole wheat roll. Going to the Mets game and bringing this to the tailgate.
- whey + yogurt when I get back from the game if hungry
Another good workout today. Every exercise felt great and had an awesome pump from the 5 sets of rows and 6 sets of curls.
Tomorrow is opening day of college football and my fantasy football draft. After a morning hike, I will be using my one weekly “eat whatever you want” day tomorrow with some donuts and New Haven pizza/wings later on. The extra calories should go a long way for the Sunday morning lift, weights go up next week.
9 Likes
@T3hPwnisher really enjoyed yesterday’s blog post and a lot of it resonated with me and my past experiences. On the training front: I’ve seen the results lately of actually diving into a program and following it, seeing it through. Had some great strength and conditioning gains by actually following Operator and Black conditioning.
I am definitely rethinking my weight gain approach and totally agree with your outlook. I fall into the camp of worrying about getting too fat and limiting myself. I typically hate the way I start to look around 200lbs. BUT if I am training properly and fueling myself, theoretically 200lbs this go around should look a lot better than it has in the past. Not sure limiting myself is worth it. I think the goal of eating properly to recover, able to hit the next workout hard, and grow is the way to do it.
Not saying I’ll go full on dirty bulk 10k calories a day, but limiting myself makes no sense. If I am hungry, my body is telling me to eat so I can recover. Telling myself I’ve eaten enough when I am hungry is crazy! Especially since I hit 185 and didn’t think I had enough muscle.
2 Likes
Really glad you dug that blog dude! Also happy to hear you’re finding similar experiences.
It’s so fascinating how this is the dichotomy that is out there. We can either lean bulk and put on ONLY pure muscle and no fat whatsoever, or it’s a dreamer bulk (which, in that regard, I’m also upset that the internet screwed up what a “dirty bulk” is by associating it with fat gain rather than eating “dirty food”, whereas a “clean bulk” was done by eating clean food…but I digress). Somewhere in the middle is reality, but it requires nuance. As you’ve noted: it’s about following the METHOD. Eating a blanket number of calories “because” is missing the point. Unless our specific goal is “I want to eat X amount of calories a day”, we have to remember WHY we’re eating, and then make sure our method matches that. If we keep eating the same amount of calories a day and we’re dragging in the weight room, we’re not meeting our training goal.
And the best part is: you have the best insurance in the world. You’ve lost fat before, you KNOW you can do it. So if you gain fat, you’ll just do what has worked before.
3 Likes
8/31/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 1
Bench 195x6 195x6 195x6 195x6
Squat 275x6 275x6 275x6 275x6
Chin Up +25x6 +25x6 +25x6 +25x6
Cable Crunch 130x12 13x11 130x11
Face Pulls 75 x 3 sets
Gym was absolutely packed today so accessories weren’t too much or very focused. Lots of walking today and time in the sun. Nice final weekend of summer.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado, Daves killer bagel
- Cream of rice + whey
- Yogurt + whey + berries + banana
- tuna + sourdough + jalapeños
- 2 big burgers (90/10 beef) on 2 homemade English muffins
7 Likes
9/1/2025
BW 189.2
REST DAY
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 4oz burger, 1/2 avocado, Dave’s killer bagel
- 6oz smoked salmon, clams, crab meat
- Turkey, Swiss, mustard on rye
- Chorizo, shrimp, rice, peppers, other veggies
- Greek yogurt + whey tonight.
No workout today, travel day seeing family for BBQs. Rest day this week is today rather than Saturday. Eating a bit more this week.
7 Likes
9/2/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 2
Bench 195x4x6
Squat 275x4x6
Chin Ups 25x3x6, 25x1x8
DB Rear Delts 15x3x10-15
ss w/
Side Delt Raise 20x3x10-15
Cable Crunches 130x3sets
Machine Crunches 90x3sets
Not much to report, getting through these days. Squats are significantly harder than the other movements. Last reps still moving fast but I’m so sore after.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado, banana, Daves bagel
- Cream of rice + whey + strawberries
- Tuna + leftover salad, huge bowl of nonfat Greek yogurt (probably 1lb) whey + banana + strawberries
- Will be 8-12oz chicken, potatoes, broccoli
- Whey before bed
9 Likes
9/3/2025
BW 189.2
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 3
Endurance Predator
1 hour walk, all out sprint every 3-5 mins. Went a little over 4 miles total
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado, banana, Dave’s bagel
- Greek yogurt + whey + banana + cranberries
- 2 slices sourdough, 6oz chicken cold cuts, 1oz Swiss cheese, 1/2 avocado
- will be large helping of chicken breast, 1c rice, black beans, salsa, jalapeños
- 2 scoops whey before bed
I am working hard in the gym, getting a lot of steps in, and work is busy. I’m absolutely ravenous lately, which is a good feeling. Perhaps bro science but things feel very anabolic lately. Sprints and lifting heavy.
My right quad is extra sore/strained so I’ll swap in my deadlift day to tomorrow instead of Friday to give the quad an extra day of rest.
9 Likes
9/4/2025
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 4
Deadlift 345x4x5
Row Machine 2plx14 2plx14 2plx12
Shrugs 245x3x15
Hammer Curls 40x12 40x10 40x10
BB Curls (not sure of bar weight, weight is per side) +25x10 +25x10 +25x8
Reverse Hyper 50x4x12
Feeling confident in all my lifts. Third week of this program is a quasi-test week where you go for triples, doubles, or singles, in one exercise per day. Goals will be Deadlift 500x1, Bench 255x2+, Squat 365x3+.
Food Log
- 3 eggs, 1/2 avocado, Dave’s Bagel, banana
- greek yogurt, whey, strawberries, banana
- will be tuna, 2 slices sourdough, 1/2 avocado, 1oz cheese
- will be 8-12oz turkey, 1c couscous, mixed veggies, homemade tzatziki sauce
- 2 scoops whey and fruit salad
Already thinking through my next cycles. I will do one more cycle of Mass Template, for a total of 6 weeks. Then I will switch over to the Alpha program within TB. This is 2 max strength days (3-6 reps SBD) and 2 hypertrophy days. Going to make my 2 days an upper body day and a lower body day, detailed below. First 3-week cycle will be a good time to figure out the proper weights for the hypertrophy days to hit the rep targets. Then I go to Europe and will continue once back for a few more cycles or adjust if I want. I want a full 6-month period dedicated to building muscle, which takes us into mid-February.
Day 1: Bench / Squat / Deadlift / Core + Rear Delts
Day 2: DB Incline / Weighted Dip / Row / Weighted Chin-up / Biceps / Triceps
Day 3: Bench / Squat / Deadlift / Core + Rear Delts
Day 4: Hack Squat / Leg Press / Leg Curls / Hip Thrust / Calves / Biceps
9 Likes
9/5/2025
BW 189.7
TB Mass Template - Cycle 2, Week 2, Workout 5
Bench 195x4x6
Squat 275x4x6
Chin-up 25x4x6
DB Rear Delts 20x3x10
ss w/
Seated DB Side Delts 20x3x10
Decline Sit-ups x3sets
Cable Crunches x3sets @ 130lbs
Pretty tired for this workout, seeing why the deadlift day is scheduled after this day. My hamstrings were sore and so was my upper back for pull-ups. Still got it in.
Progress photo below. My gym has these “posing rooms” with the brightest Instagram-esque lights and I hate them, but it’s the only private spot to take progress pictures.
9 Likes