close_fox TB Log

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Been a while since I updated here.

Went TDY for a while. Had to abandon Block 19.

Pretty isolated location. No barbell. I had access to:

C2 rower
TRX system
Pull-up bar (Actually climbing up a ladder to hang from a ceiling truss. Not ideal but it gets the pull-ups in or else it gets the hose again)
Light KBs
A 1.5-ish loop including several steep inclines

With no other real options, I ran traditional BB.

Cluster (all TRX except KB swing)
Chest press
Row
Squat
"Fallout"
KB swing

Reps per TBII (working up to 3 circuits x 50 reps each exercise)

E (LSS)Walking. Typically 1-2 hours. Always the same loop, which includes several steep inclines. Running was not an option, as the inclines would have immediately jacked up my HR.

Did the above for 5 weeks. Would have been time for the MS/HIC phase of BB. But I had no MS equipment. So I transitioned to something like Green + SE.

Cardio remained slow hill walking.

For PT, I did MTI's 3 week push-up & pull-up improvement program. I did sit-ups as well, using the same methodology. Day 1 is a test, followed by some sets. After that, it's the same number of sets per day. Reps are % based on your test #s. Reps change (increase) as the program progresses. 

Results

I liked my TRX cluster in terms of general preparedness. My PT #s suffered from it though. Push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups were all way down after the 5 weeks of strictly TRX training. Doing TRX made me better at doing TRX. I did not see the same carryover as from barbell-based MS to PT exercises. 

The MTI program returned my PT numbers to "not pathetic."

Walking (with hills) yielded great results for my RHR, about 10bpm lower. 

Long term training now. Classroom (so online due to COVID). Completely on my own. No operational duties.

I am running a lot (for me). Really taking advantage of the summer weather and long days.

My week looks like:

3 easy runs (3-4 miles each)
1 either tempo run or repeats on track
1 longer run
1 cross train (Rowing...will swim when the pool opens)
3 PT sessions (pull/sit/push...found a great PT spot at a park nearby)
2 lifts (About 15 exercises/movements. One set of 10 reps. Hitting all movement patterns and plenty of prehab...focusing on injury prevention.)

Having a home gym really spoiled me. It will be about a year until I see that stuff again (PCS). The gym I'm using is overrun with bros and former high school heroes. I don't have the patience to wait for one of the three racks. I will have to lift again eventually. But my above plan feels good for now.

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Block 19
Operator + Black

Cluster
Bench Press
Back Squat
Pull-up (Bodyweight)
Deadlift 1 set, 1x/week (trap bar)

Finishers
1) DL (one set, treating like a finisher)

2) Plank + Shank & Farmer's Carry
Above alternate each week

3) KB Swings (percentage reps per AA)

HIC
600m Resets
Standard Issue Hills
Fast 5 (20min max)

E: Run

Notes from Block 19

This has been a long, unfocused year for me in terms of fitness. TDY stuff, COVID, etc. I didn't lose much fitness, but I certainly didn't gain anything. I'm finally stable enough to get back to basics. I went with Operator + Black, and it's been great. It feels good to have completed a solid block. I'm gonna stay here for a while.

I had a serious lack of MS so far this year, so I decided to go full meat for this block. Back squats for the first time in a long time (vice front squats). And.....deadlifts. Trap bar deadlifts. One set, one day per week. I treated them like a finisher. I kept PU on my DL day. I'm not giving up a day of PU for one set of DL. If it becomes a problem, I will drop DL.

Staying on topic of DLs. I ended my test at 415. A decent weight, nothing special. It's trap bar (I know...). It went up easy, and I have no doubt I could have pulled 470 (2x bodyweight). I would have bet on me to pull 500 as well. But I turned off the testosterone in favor of not getting injured on a lift I haven't practiced in 20 years.

Here is my point. That test was the first time I had done DL in about 20 years. An easy 415 after doing ZERO deadlifts, but many thousands of squats (front and back), pull-ups, and KB swings. So that's one (anecdotal) example of how other lifts can keep someone in pretty decent DL shape.

KB swings felt great as always. Really enjoyed Farmer's Walks also.

Notes for Block 20

Staying with Op + Black

MS: Get back to WPU. Did BW this block to ease back into pull-ups after doing them irregularly all year. Will do 4 and maybe 5 sets of MS exercises on some days.

Finishers: No change.

HIC/E: Still running. Might alternate 600m Resets with Oxygen Debt 101.

Retest after Block 20 (will make 12 weeks of Op + Black). End the year on (hopefully) a positive note. And give me reliable numbers to start 2021 programming.

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Block 20
Templates
Operator + Black (Attempt 1...canx during Week 6 due to COVID)
Operator + Black Pro (Attempt 2)

MS Cluster
3 sets; 3-5min rest; 90% TM
Bench Press
Back Squat
Pull-up (BW during Attempt 1; WPU during Attempt 2)
Deadlift 1 set, 1x/week (trap bar)

Finishers
1) DL (one set, treating like a finisher)
2) Farmer's Walk
3) KB Swings (3-5 sets x 10 reps @ 70lbs; # of sets increase along with lifting %)

HIC
Good mix of
Fast 5
Standard Issue Hills
600m Resets
Short Hills
Oxygen Debt 101
Indoor Power Intervals (a couple times due to weather)

E
Running (no HR restriction)

This block took a long time. Eleven weeks of training and several weeks of recovery/rest during and after COVID.

My first time through (Attempt 1 above), I tested positive for COVID on day 6.3. Seemed unnecessary to call the Block complete with four days missing from Week 6. Then I was out of commission for a month. I didn’t have a bad case, but I wanted to make sure I was recovered before returning to training.

Made it through all six weeks on Attempt 2 with no missed days. I capped conditioning at two sessions during some weeks because my lungs were still not 100%. So I generally did one HIC and one E per week.

Stayed at three sets for all MS exercises (one set of DL). Attempt 2 was generally 3min RIs. I like 5min RIs because I am trying to absolutely minimize hypertrophy. But I can’t deny 3min RIs decrease the time it takes me to lift.

Really enjoyed the Farmer’s Walk. I worked up to 3 “trips” of 100m with 60lb DBs.

Happy with my mix of conditioning sessions. My heart rate and efficiency is still not back to normal after COVID. My RHR decreased during Attempt 2, so I know training is helping me heal. I pushed a little during each session, but I was not going 100%. It was a victory to get the sessions done.


Looking ahead to Block 21

MS
Might increase # of sets. Maybe. Covid really killed my HIC/E. MS is good at the moment relative to HIC/E. I probably need to stay at 3 sets of MS and give more attention to other domains.

Probably won’t force progress overall. I am going to bump up my weights for WPU +2.5 or 5 lbs during the lighter weeks. I could get away with increasing SQ and BP. But I think increasing adding sets is the way to progress for this block (if anything).

Conditioning
Need to return conditioning to at least 3x/week. I want to run Green, but I don’t want to give up Operator. As I type this, not sure what I will decide.

I will stay with Black Pro because my lungs need at least one E per week. Also, I’ve been doing a group run once per week and I want to keep doing that. So that is my E session for the week. Almost everyone is faster than me (especially right now, after Covid). So it’s an opportunity to push when I can.

I am due for basebuilding. Gonna hold off because there is a decent chance I will be lose access to barbells for a while in the future. BB will be a good answer if that happens.

Finishers
Not sure what I might change here either. I like my current finisher regime of DL, Farmer’s Walk, and KB swings (one per MS day). But I am overdue for a block of focused core work. So do I just add some core exercises on MS days?

I don’t want to give up Farmer’s Walk. I feel it is helping WPU. It makes everything feel better. Great mental aspect. Just a great exercise all around.

Same with KB swings. They are just too high value to give up. During Attempt 2 of Block 20, I increased weight to 70lbs and decreased reps to 10 (from 20). Sets were 3 (70-75% weeks), 4 (80-85% weeks), and 5 (90-95%) weeks.

So that brings me to DL. How much good is my one set per week doing? Not sure. It hasn’t hurt my recovery at all. So I am inclined to keep it also.

So I’m kind of stuck. I don’t want to spend too long on finishers. To me the point is quickly do something extra and be done. Not a second string of main sets.

I’m not going to come to a decision as I type this. But it does feel good to type it out.

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Back to Basebuilding

After completing the first two weeks of Block 22 as Operator + Black Pro, my schedule just can't do it. I'm spending about half my time with minimal equipment (no access to barbells). That won't change for about two months. I have tried to find a way, and the days just aren't there.

So my solution is to run Basebuilding. I'm overdue for it anyway. In both calendar terms and because my lungs are still not 100% post Covid. I'm hoping BB's extensive LSS running will help.

Standard Template (SE first)
Cluster:
Push-up
Step-up
Pull-up to TRX row (start with easy set of pull-ups, stop well short of failure, remaining reps as TRX rows)
Plank
KB swing

E will be LSS running. Unfortunately, some of it will probably on the treadmill.

Just finished Week 1. Will check back in after the block.

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Block 21
Basebuilding + COVID recovery

I am about seven months post COVID. I had a light case in most ways. I lost taste and smell (that was the only reason I got tested). Really my only symptom was runny nose and some fatigue. No fever, no body aches. I had zero cardiovascular symptoms while I was sick.

I was out of commission for about six weeks. I wanted to make sure I was recovered before exercising again. Once I was cleared to workout, I went back to Operator + Black (Block 20).

MS was fine. Rusty due to time off, but that fixed itself quickly. I was feeling really strong by the end of the Block. But my cardio was absolutely wrecked. My heart rate immediately spiked when I started running and stayed way too high. Even at 50% perceived effort, my HR was redlined. It was a very strange sensation. I cut some HIC sessions short because of it. My E sessions were an absolute suck fest. HR redlined the entire time, pushing through it.

After speaking with some of our medical and fitness people, I decided to do Basebuilding for Block 21.

SE/E phase

SE Cluster notes:

Push-ups
Nothing unusual to report.

Step-ups
I think these really translated to running. My hips were sore at the end of SE phase. But part of that is probably my old running shoes.

Pull-ups to TRX row
Little experiment here. I didn’t want to totally abandon pull-ups. So I did a sub-max set then switched immediately to TRX row for the remaining reps. Not sure how much good it did. My pull-ups (and MS in general) really fell off during this block. Not sure what is up with that.

Plank
I did one second per rep of other exercises (e.g., 3x50sec). Seemed logical.

KB swings
Get my hinge on.

Overall, I am happy with this cluster.


I ran in the upper ranges (per text) of E, keeping HR between 120 – 150. I tried to stay in the 130s. Used talk test as a backup to make sure I was going slowly enough.

The beginning was a grind. Some HR spiking. I found that walking before I started jogging helped with the spiking. I required a few walk breaks to stay under 150.

My HR (and RHR) steadily decreased as the sessions went on. At the end of Week 2, I jogged 60min with no spiking. A slow, pathetic jog. But I was jogging.

The latter weeks felt good. Normal jogging with HR down in the 130s. My longest run was 105min.


MS/HIC phase

MS feels weaker than during past basebuilding blocks.

HIC (600m Resets and Fast 5) started out slow (as always) because my leg turnover was down after weeks of very slow LSS. But I had more room to push in the upper HR ranges. “This sucks, but I can do it” instead of “I might be literally dying of a heart attack.”


Overall results

Success. HR (including RHR) is at pre-COVID levels. I am confident Basebuilding is responsible for a lot of that progress.

So my takeaway is if you are having cardio issues post COVID – and IF YOUR DOCTOR AGREES – consider doing basebuilding.


Injury prevention

I did some injury prevention work after my SE and MS sessions. Probably 10-12 exercises, head to toe. One set of 10 reps for each exercise w/ extremely light weight. I don’t consider this extra lifting. It’s more like stretching and range-of-motion. My joints felt really good afterwards.

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Block 23 (Pretty sure this is #23)
Operator + Black Pro
Swimming x2

MS

PU (Bodyweight, 5 sets, Pavel’s Fighter program)
3 sets; 90% TM
SQ 275
BP 225

I wrecked my shoulder a week before this block started. No idea how. I woke up and it was jacked up. I tested some WPU and it was a no go. Then I got five bodyweight pull-ups without pain. I decided to run Pavel’s fighter pull-up program starting at level 5-4-3-2-1.

Light maxes and minimal (three) sets for SQ and BP.

PU went well. Fighter PU is supposed to be five days on, one day off. I did it three days per week. I just needed a way to structure three days of pull-ups per week. It went well. I progressed to 8-7-6-5-5 with no pain.

SQ and BP were easy. But I needed to stay light for my shoulder and because I am swimming with more structure than I have in a while.


Finishers

1) TBDL (315 notional max, one set, treating like a finisher)
2) Farmer's Walk (50lb DBs; worked up to 2x100yds)
3) KB Swings (3-5 sets x 10 reps @ 50lbs; # of sets increase along with lifting %)

KB Swings and Farmer’s Walk were great as always. TBDL was fine. Not sure it added much value.


HICs
Oxygen Debt 101
Fast 5

Nothing much to say. Pushed hard.


E
LSS Run 30min
Bare minimum.


Swimming 2x/week

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Updating my TB block history here. Currently in week 7 of probably my best BB block ever.

0: 4 week BB on-ramp
1: BB
2: Op + Black
3A: Op + Black Pro (three weeks)
3B: PFT prep (three weeks)
4: Op + Black Pro
5: BB
6: Op I/A + Green? (30min runs)
7: Op I/A + Green? (2xE, 1xHIC)
8: Op I/A + PFT prep
9: Op + Black
10: Op + Black Pro
11: Op + Black Pro
11.1: PFT Prep (two weeks…SE + running)
11.2: Op + Black Pro (four weeks)
12: BB (strength first)
13: Op + Black Pro w/ KB swings and some SE
14: Op + Black Pro w/ AA KB swings
15: Op + Black Pro w/ AA KB swings
16: Fighter Bangkok + Green
17: Fighter Bangkok + Green
18: BB (12 weeks, all E)
19: Op + Black
20: Op + Black (12 weeks; covid in week 6 1st time thru)
21: Op + Black Pro
22: BB
23: Op + Black Pro
24: BB (injury)
25: Op + minimal conditioning
26: BB