I posted this in Reddit and thought I’d share with the troops on here.
The more on the Tactical Barbell the merrier
Mass Protocol Results
Lockdown 1 was a harsh bastard.
The lack of clarity with regards to what direction we where taking seeped into my lifting schedule.
This resulted in a 4/5 month hiatus which had a devastating effect on my fitness and physique.
Once lockdown 1 was over, I headed right into a calorie deficit and a 5/6 day lifting program with a shit ton of Airdyne fuelled cardio on top.
Unfortunately for me, this resulted in me becoming ‘skinny’ for the first time in my life.
I had lost a shit ton of muscle.
I resembled a 60 year old eunuch who had been OMADing on a fruitarian diet all his life.
This called for action.
I had rode the Tactical Barbell express a couple of years back. Base Building was my first venture into the murky waters and holy f%^k it was profound.
The cardio high and 3 x 50 week will stay with me for the rest of my days. It sent a shockwave through my body and a matrix like data dump into my brain.
Operator was the next port of call. I felt as fit as the proverbial fiddle.
Unfortunately Fuckarounditis kicked in and I moved on however it always remained lodged in the back of my training brain, waiting to be unleashed.
Fast forward to Jan 2021.
Light at the end of the Covid tunnel.
I wanted mass after my disastrous foray into getting back into ‘shape’
What better way that to utilise the book Tactical Barbell Mass Protocol which I had purchased a year ago, purely out of respect for the program and legendary mad scientist, K.Black
Lifting
I decided to keep it super simple.
For a few reasons.
To minimise training stress and increase laser focus mainly.
General Mass was the desired choice.
The cluster was Safety Bar Squat, Bench Press and Weighted Chin.
Deadlift day consisted of RDLs.
I stuck rigidly to the set protocol. I wanted to make sure I remained true to the protocol.
No thrills.
Conditioning
I went with the recommended green protocol.
This consisted of 30 minute Airdyne rides. Heart rate was kept between 120-150 at all times.
This was the only phase where I deviated a little.
Every Sunday I would fire out a HIIT session, mainly a 10 miler done for time. This was mainly to scratch an itch more than anything.
Sorry K.Black. Sometimes you have to go rogue.
I kept the conditioning to 3 times a week.
Diet
Another slight deviation.
I used Carbon Diet to calculate macros and keep myself accountable.
I floated between 3200-3400kcals on a daily basis.
Mostly clean goods however due to peer pressure from the missus, the odd KFC and kebabs were consumed.
All meticulously tracked however. To the point of almost creating an eating disorder which I’m trying to shake. Calorie counting doesn’t sit right with me and this has affirmed it.
Results
Went from 95kg for 1 to 105kg for 3 on the safety bar squat.
90kg for 2 to 95kg for 3 on the bench.
Could have easily pushed these harder I feel however I’m enjoying the slow approach. No rush. I’m in this for the long haul.
I also went from 70kg to 73.5kg in weight.
As you can see from the photos, fat gain appeared minimal.
Overall
This program blew my mind. It was simple, tough and unforgiving.
Minimal lift selection allowed me to channel rage into the exercises. It also cured the Fuckarounditis that has plagued me for years.
TBMP works. It works so hard. I love it.
I recommend it to anyone who just wants a solid program with no distractions, no shiny shit to lure them away and those who have a demanding schedule ie family, work