Update:
I trained to compete in a strongman competition and run a half marathon one week later (my 37th birthday). My goal for the half was sub 2 hours, and my goal for the comp (aside from winning) was to maintain as much strength as possible. I was successful - I PRed my half time by over 10 minutes, and only lost about 5% of my strength during the process.
My boxing rematch never happened. It was a charity event and I never got the call, but I’m okay with that. I really wanted to explore this whole hybrid athlete angle, and the timing couldn’t have been better: a relatively light show with a half the following week on my birthday/entrance into “late” 30s.
Results
Half Marathon time: 1:52:38.9
Strongman comp. ( I was the only one in my division)
Weigh in at 174
Training
I rain Tactical Barbell’s Operator IA template with Black Professional Conditioning protocol, and Hal Higdon’s half marathon routine for the long E sessions. My schedule is often a mess, and the floating template was the perfect fit. Black protocol was also floated. I just wanted to get all of the sessions in before the deadline.
Wheels began to fall off toward the end schedule wise. Work picked up, we have a new baby coming any day now (that’ll make three kids under five for us) and not enough hours in the day so training took more of a back seat, BUT i heartily front loaded it and it still paid off.
35 conditioning sessions (2.5/week) + race
24 HIC, 12 E (long run)
Long run distance
6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 5k race, 9,9,10k race, 10,10, half race
27 strength sessions (2.25/week (2,2,2,3 or 3/12 are 3x/week) for 12 weeks
Full weekly Breakdown (after Base Building)
3 blocks of operator I/A, with 2:1 weighted pull-up (250 TM) / sumo deadlift (365 TM), strict press (160 TM), front squat (255 TM)
WEEK 1 (2 conditioning, 1 strength)
Monday: off
Tuesday: recovery jeep run 1.5miles easy
Wednesday: HIC1 - GC 12 mod (1.5-2 mi jeep run + 25,20,15,10,5 dips , band pullaparts, hanging knee raises)
Thursday: OP 75%x6(3FS,4SD,5OHP)
Friday: HIC2 Fobbit - 5 laps + 5x5 DE bench & box zercher
Saturday: off/ sporting clays & pool
Sunday: recovery beach play
WEEK 2 (3 conditioning, 3 strength)
Monday: OP 75%x6 (3x FS, OHP, WPU)
Tuesday: E1 - 6mi run; heat exhaustion
Wednesday: full round of golf
Thursday: OP 75%x6 (5x FSQ, OHP, WPU)
Friday: HIC3 2mi Jeep funrun/fobbit-inspired w/navy seal burpees at stops
Saturday: off
Sunday: OP 80% x5reps (5OHP, 3FSQ, 3SDL) + HIC4 disarmed (3 rounds), forgot core work
WEEK 3 (2 conditioning, 2 strength)
Monday: HIC5 - beat your face HR burpees (2 rounds, accident 2 min rest between rounds -136 total) + messing around with kids In garage
Tuesday: off
Wednesday: E2 - fobbit - 1 lap & 3 hang cleans @ 155lbs x 13 rounds… about an hour
Thursday: OP 80%x5 (3xOHP, WPU, FSQ)
Friday: off/walking/mobility
Saturday: OP 80%x5 (7WPU, 5-6OHP, 5FSQ) Sunday: Off - reorganized kitchen
WEEK 4 (3 conditioning, 2 strength)
Monday: off
Tuesday: OP 85%x4 (6OHP,3FSQ,3SDL @ EMOM 2:15)
Wednesday: HIC 6 - fobbit: 5x 1 lap + 5x135lb hang cleans
Thursday: OP 85%x4 (3 WPU OHP FSQ) + 100 axle curls & 50 band face pulls
Friday: E3 - 7 mi easy run
Saturday: HIC 7 - 30-25-20-15-10 (100) dips / leg raises on dip station + 3 rounds BOO (30x50lb db swings + 740yds run @ faster than race pace)
Sunday: off
WEEK 5 (3 conditioning, 3 strength)
Monday: zilch - busy day
Tuesday: OP 90% (3WPU OHP FSQ) + HIC8 Connaught 1-10
Wednesday: E4 - 8 mile run
Thursday: off
Friday: OP 75%x6 (7 OHP, 5 FSQ, 1 SDL)
Saturday: pool day
Sunday: OP 75% x6 (3WPU OHP FSQ) + HIC9 - fobbit (OG, 20 min air bike + 40lb bells). Felt under recovered so minimums/easier.
WEEK 6 (2 conditioning, 2strength)
Monday: off
Tuesday: OP 75%x6 (3 WPU OHP FSQ)
Wednesday: HIC 10 - short fobbit. 3k +burpees every 500m
Thursday: off
Friday: OP 80%x5 (4WPU OHP FSQ)
Saturday: off
Sunday: E5 - fast 5. 3.3 miles in 26:08 (7:58/mi)
WEEK 7 (2 conditioning, 2 strength)
Monday: off
Tuesday: HIC 11 - 10x50yd bw farmer walks +10 push-ups & 20 ab kick outs
Wednesday: off
Thursday: OP 80% (4OHP, 1FSQ, 3 TBDL)
Friday: HIC 12 - fobbit: 2 minutes air bike + pullovers or calf raises for 20 minutes
Saturday: OP 80% (4 WPU OHP FSQ)
Sunday: off. Travel day.
WEEK 8 (2 conditioning, 2 strength)
Monday: HIC 13 - strongman stuff. Mostly stone to shoulder, yoke walk and 3x10 back raises
Tuesday: OP 90% (4-6 strict log & WPU, 3 FSQ)
Wednesday: E6 - 9 mile run
Thursday: HIC 14 - 2 mile keep jog, 35 chins & playing at trampoline park
Friday: off
Saturday: off
Sunday: OP 95% (5 OHP WPU) FSQ x 2 @90%, fail at 95%. SSB box squats 4x5 @ 85-90% of TM, then via ferrata
WEEK 9: (2 strength, 2 conditioning)
Monday: E7 - 9 mile run
Tuesday: HIC 15 - fobbit. 20 minutes +
65lb KB x 20 swings or 5 clean squat & press/side
Wednesday: OP 90% (3 DBOHP WPU FSQ). Short on time and felt a bit crummy. Did a hike later
Thursday: off/travel
Friday: OP3 75% (4 TBOHP, 1 TBD). Feeling burnt out… thinking of dropping FSQ and WPU this final cycle and just doing OHP and TBDL to lower volume and up specificity, and focus HIC on event practice.
Saturday: beach day
Sunday: park & pool
New lifts and training maxes:
Trap bar dl TM 385, axle clean & press TM 185
WEEK 10
Monday: off
Tuesday: OP 75% (3 c&p, 1 tbdl) + HIC 16: fobbit with 50 yard zercher carry AND 50 yd farmer walk. 180lbs for 4-5 runs
Wednesday: work day
Thursday: kids off
Friday: off
Saturday: off
Sunday: off
(185 tm clean and press, 385 tm tbdl)
WEEK 11
Monday: off
Tuesday: op 75% 4CP, 1 tbdl
Wednesday: E8 - 10k “race” - turned into fartlek because it was hot AF and I didn’t eat enough
Thursday: op 80% ← did this really happen? I feel like it didn’t… but maybe.
Friday: HIC 17 - 2 mile jeep run
Saturday: OP 80% - 3 CP, 1 TBDL
Sunday: HIC 18 1.5 mile Jeep run + 15-10-5 pull-ups
WEEK 12:
No clue… really busy week
Thursday: still nothing
Friday: OP 80% - 3 CP & 1 TBDL
Saturday: OP 90% - 3 CP & 1 TBDL
WEEK 13
Deload, strongman competition Saturday
WEEK 14
Deload, half marathon Saturday
Looking ahead
I’ve spent over a year prioritizing conditioning work, and am ready to get back to the business of putting on some strength and size, particularly to drive up my static deadlift and overhead. I have another strongman competition coming up in January and then plan on a LONG offseason to work on it. I’ve been training constantly for some sort of competition for about two years now, and I’m ready to just have some fun again without some having to worry about ultra-specificity.
January comp (it’s ALSO a kids comp, so my kids and I will all be “competing”)
Adult:
Log Clean & press for reps
Tire Deadlift for reps
Yoke/Standing sled pull
Hercules Hold
Overhead throw
Kids*
Car Deadlift
Press Medley
Fingal Finger
Sandbag Carry
For the January competition, I just started 531 Limited Time, BBB with a twist:
Leaders
throws
Yoke/sled - up to “TM” x1
Squat variation BBB
Bench - PR
throws
Clean & press - TMx1
press variation BBB
Trap Bar DL - PR
kroc rows
Anchor
Throws
Yoke/standing Sled Pull- PR
Bench - PR
Throws
Clean & Press - PR
Trap Bar Deadlift - PR
(with the volume of standing sled pull and the cleans, I am pulling way back on Kroc rows)
Assistance Days
Jim says to do jumps/throws followed by a bodyweight circuit. I am not going to do that. Rather, I will be doing throws on my lifting days, and just accumulating volume throughout the day. Much less stressful, more time-concious, and can probably accumulate a TON of volume with a whole day window.
Conditioning days
Recovery-oriented. Will probably steal from TB Mass’ green or black workouts, or Jim’s active recovery stuff. I’ve conditioned like hell for a year plus, time to let it ride a bit and build up other qualities.
*Not going to “train” my kids, but I will help them get used to moving extrnal resistance around. My 4 y/o can already press 15lbs overhead and carry a 20lb med ball.
They saw a video of me deadlifting a truck, and told all of their friends that their dad could pick up a truck. Proud moment.