Member Introductions Thread

[Benny]

Hello TBers..
I am 42 yo, been training since around grade eight. Bodybuilder stuff, Milo, super squats, Pavel, etc. The one common problem was that most of these authors are writing the programs for athletes and 9 to 5ers. I have been in LE for 20 years. Most of that time has been frontline patrol, with it's never ending rotating shifts.
With the TB books and Ageless Athlete i'm excited to see flexibility that I will be able to utilize for recuperating from my shift schedule, and dealing with family priorities.
Impressed with what I have seen so far on this forum, glad to be here.
Benny

[grouchyjarhead]

Welcome to the TB forums Benny.

[Barkadion]

Hello TBers..
I am 42 yo, been training since around grade eight. Bodybuilder stuff, Milo, super squats, Pavel, etc. The one common problem was that most of these authors are writing the programs for athletes and 9 to 5ers. I have been in LE for 20 years. Most of that time has been frontline patrol, with it's never ending rotating shifts.
With the TB books and Ageless Athlete i'm excited to see flexibility that I will be able to utilize for recuperating from my shift schedule, and dealing with family priorities.
Impressed with what I have seen so far on this forum, glad to be here.
Benny

Welcome mate! Good luck with TB journey!

[J-Madd]

Hello TBers..
I am 42 yo, been training since around grade eight. Bodybuilder stuff, Milo, super squats, Pavel, etc. The one common problem was that most of these authors are writing the programs for athletes and 9 to 5ers. I have been in LE for 20 years. Most of that time has been frontline patrol, with it's never ending rotating shifts.
With the TB books and Ageless Athlete i'm excited to see flexibility that I will be able to utilize for recuperating from my shift schedule, and dealing with family priorities.
Impressed with what I have seen so far on this forum, glad to be here.
Benny

Welcome aboard Benny, and thanks for your support for TB!

[Classico]

Hello All,

I'm a 24 old guy whose primary goal is to increase strength, with the additional and slightly more secondary goal of increasing my conditioning levels. As of this post, I'm at 6'1" and around 193lbs. I was a swimmer in high school and didn't start strength training until 2014. I'm one of those that has a hard time sticking to the same program/goals for any decent length of time, so my strength gains have been less than stellar, even though the majority of all weightlifting has been powerlifting based (Starting Strength).

I got tired of chasing the heaviest squat possible and not actually feeling athletic. Despite what Mark Rippetoe may say, there is a difference between being powerlifting strong and being fit. Thus, I found Tactical Barbell. I have no LEO/military background, but I'm still interested in the results that TB has to offer, so here I am. I have read both books cover to cover (even highlighted and took notes) twice. I've already gone through one block and am currently in week one of my second block. I'm working with standard Operator for strength, and working with Black for my conditioning protocol. I can't wait to see where this takes me in the years to come, as I'm already happy with my results. I'm the strongest I've ever been, and my conditioning levels are steadily improving.

I'm naturally a very weak/skinny dude, so I have to fight for every pound. It's a work in progress. Here are my current numbers, for those who are interested:

1 Rep Max:
OHP - 148
Bench - 225
Squat - 330
Deadlift - 388
WPU - 260

1.5mi run:
12:00

I'm looking forward to becoming active here on the forums and learning more from all the experienced TBers here! I'll see you out there!

[K.B.]

Hello All,

I'm a 24 old guy whose primary goal is to increase strength, with the additional and slightly more secondary goal of increasing my conditioning levels. As of this post, I'm at 6'1" and around 193lbs. I was a swimmer in high school and didn't start strength training until 2014. I'm one of those that has a hard time sticking to the same program/goals for any decent length of time, so my strength gains have been less than stellar, even though the majority of all weightlifting has been powerlifting based (Starting Strength).

I got tired of chasing the heaviest squat possible and not actually feeling athletic. Despite what Mark Rippetoe may say, there is a difference between being powerlifting strong and being fit. Thus, I found Tactical Barbell. I have no LEO/military background, but I'm still interested in the results that TB has to offer, so here I am. I have read both books cover to cover (even highlighted and took notes) twice. I've already gone through one block and am currently in week one of my second block. I'm working with standard Operator for strength, and working with Black for my conditioning protocol. I can't wait to see where this takes me in the years to come, as I'm already happy with my results. I'm the strongest I've ever been, and my conditioning levels are steadily improving.

I'm naturally a very weak/skinny dude, so I have to fight for every pound. It's a work in progress. Here are my current numbers, for those who are interested:

1 Rep Max:
OHP - 148
Bench - 225
Squat - 330
Deadlift - 388
WPU - 260

1.5mi run:
12:00

I'm looking forward to becoming active here on the forums and learning more from all the experienced TBers here! I'll see you out there!

Welcome aboard Classico!

[claude512]

Hello All,

I guess I should start here as a new member and provide a bit of information (warning: brevity is not my strong point, obviously)!
40 years old, father of 1, and generally what you would consider a thin weak guy (think posterchild ectomorph). Also currently no requirement for physical fitness other than general health and I enjoy it. Also currently not active in any sports, and not interested in changing that.

I have some years of experience in strength/conditioning training, starting off with a few kettlebells. My very first routine some years ago was Right of Passage from Pavel, which I had to scale back to a 12kg for the presses as I was very weak. The volume did catch up with me, and for some reason I never got past the 16kg bell (I was also inexperienced then and had no idea what I was doing).

Throughout the years then I kept up some form of training. I got into many things like Starting Strength (I ended up stronger but also burned out somewhat as I struggled with the weight increases), Pavel's Power to the People which improved my DL and BP numbers tremendously and worked so well I stopped doing it (still one of the best routines for people with not much time at all), a bout with 531 which while probably excellent never really clicked for me, Simple and Sinister (achieved the simple goal for getups but not really for swings and then shifted priorities, as seen later), and a lot of back-and-forth between different things and programs, but never any real progress to show for (not a surprise really).

After quite some time on Simple and Sinister I actually felt good and started to think I might actually be athletic, so I got into triathlon (which was always something I thought I might enjoy).
I did Tri training for about a year and a half, together with a higher amount of strength training than usually prescribed.

I got coached by Al Ciampa over from StrongFirst and he did a GREAT job in getting me ready and strong for my goals. Lots of strength work (mostly KB presses), lots of power work (through KB Snatches and swings), and lots of LSS work on swim bike and run following Lydiard and Maffetone principles (hence low-ish heartrates and a bit of interval work, which is exactly what TB prescribes for endurance athletes).
It worked really well, to the point of going from not ever having ran more than 3km to being able to complete an Olympic distance Tri, and possibly more if I had wanted to. It worked very well, and I enjoyed it!
However at that point in time my work load got significantly higher (I am a project manager and went from regular projects to managing high-risk major projects at that time) so I decided I need a break from the high-volume triathlon training. I was getting close to burn out and needed to make a change.

After a lackluster return to Simple and Sinister and getting thoroughly sick of KB work I wanted to do some barbell stuff for a while and started 531 again, with the same finding than before (doesn't click for me). I learn the same lessons very quickly, over and over again

Then I found TB, and for the first time found a program that understands the importance of different training domains (strength, HIIT, LSS, and everything in between), incorporated them all in one full concept (unlike every other program where it either works well for one or the other but not all together), and gave lots of options for plans. Also the rep ranges, frequency, and weights used in the operator template clicked with me right away!

Long story short, here I am. I have completed 3 6-week cycles of operator (with the standard SQ/BP/WPU and DL cluster), and I am extremely happy with it. I have gotten stronger in SQ and BP, my deadlift has improved also beyond my PR numbers from PTTP, and I am generally thrilled with TB! It is what I have been looking for for a long time! I am still a long way from very strong, but I enjoy getting there now!

I have slacked on my conditioning work, but plan to gradually get into it again. I need to really focus on strength for a while hence I prioritized strength work and ran the 3 cycles to understand the TB lifting system and it's intricacies, not doing any conditioning work other than a weekly ruck or bike (a remnant from my endurance junkie days), and daily walks for about 30-40 minutes (still not a bad plan). I am lazy also and good at making excuses

For the next cycle I plan to ease into more conditioning work by adding swings based HICs (I have a good solid swing from S&S), and some apex sprints.
I think I will start with doing 10x10 swings based on S&S principles twice a week, and move into apex sprints when i feel ready?

I got sick of running as a triathlete so I will do E work with rucks (which I love), and bike rides. I am very well used to moderating intensity and going slower than expected, so E work is easy for me. I might alternative apex sprint with E work, as my aerobic conditioning is quite good still from tri training, and weekly rucks/bikes. I haven't decided yet, but will experiment for a few cycles.

That's it! Just to give you a long winded introduction should I want to post more in the future, but most of all to say THANK YOU for TB and this community!

Claude

[Barkadion]

Hello All,

I guess I should start here as a new member and provide a bit of information (warning: brevity is not my strong point, obviously)!
40 years old, father of 1, and generally what you would consider a thin weak guy (think posterchild ectomorph). Also currently no requirement for physical fitness other than general health and I enjoy it. Also currently not active in any sports, and not interested in changing that.

I have some years of experience in strength/conditioning training, starting off with a few kettlebells. My very first routine some years ago was Right of Passage from Pavel, which I had to scale back to a 12kg for the presses as I was very weak. The volume did catch up with me, and for some reason I never got past the 16kg bell (I was also inexperienced then and had no idea what I was doing).

Throughout the years then I kept up some form of training. I got into many things like Starting Strength (I ended up stronger but also burned out somewhat as I struggled with the weight increases), Pavel's Power to the People which improved my DL and BP numbers tremendously and worked so well I stopped doing it (still one of the best routines for people with not much time at all), a bout with 531 which while probably excellent never really clicked for me, Simple and Sinister (achieved the simple goal for getups but not really for swings and then shifted priorities, as seen later), and a lot of back-and-forth between different things and programs, but never any real progress to show for (not a surprise really).

After quite some time on Simple and Sinister I actually felt good and started to think I might actually be athletic, so I got into triathlon (which was always something I thought I might enjoy).
I did Tri training for about a year and a half, together with a higher amount of strength training than usually prescribed.

I got coached by Al Ciampa over from StrongFirst and he did a GREAT job in getting me ready and strong for my goals. Lots of strength work (mostly KB presses), lots of power work (through KB Snatches and swings), and lots of LSS work on swim bike and run following Lydiard and Maffetone principles (hence low-ish heartrates and a bit of interval work, which is exactly what TB prescribes for endurance athletes).
It worked really well, to the point of going from not ever having ran more than 3km to being able to complete an Olympic distance Tri, and possibly more if I had wanted to. It worked very well, and I enjoyed it!
However at that point in time my work load got significantly higher (I am a project manager and went from regular projects to managing high-risk major projects at that time) so I decided I need a break from the high-volume triathlon training. I was getting close to burn out and needed to make a change.

After a lackluster return to Simple and Sinister and getting thoroughly sick of KB work I wanted to do some barbell stuff for a while and started 531 again, with the same finding than before (doesn't click for me). I learn the same lessons very quickly, over and over again

Then I found TB, and for the first time found a program that understands the importance of different training domains (strength, HIIT, LSS, and everything in between), incorporated them all in one full concept (unlike every other program where it either works well for one or the other but not all together), and gave lots of options for plans. Also the rep ranges, frequency, and weights used in the operator template clicked with me right away!

Long story short, here I am. I have completed 3 6-week cycles of operator (with the standard SQ/BP/WPU and DL cluster), and I am extremely happy with it. I have gotten stronger in SQ and BP, my deadlift has improved also beyond my PR numbers from PTTP, and I am generally thrilled with TB! It is what I have been looking for for a long time! I am still a long way from very strong, but I enjoy getting there now!

I have slacked on my conditioning work, but plan to gradually get into it again. I need to really focus on strength for a while hence I prioritized strength work and ran the 3 cycles to understand the TB lifting system and it's intricacies, not doing any conditioning work other than a weekly ruck or bike (a remnant from my endurance junkie days), and daily walks for about 30-40 minutes (still not a bad plan). I am lazy also and good at making excuses

For the next cycle I plan to ease into more conditioning work by adding swings based HICs (I have a good solid swing from S&S), and some apex sprints.
I think I will start with doing 10x10 swings based on S&S principles twice a week, and move into apex sprints when i feel ready?

I got sick of running as a triathlete so I will do E work with rucks (which I love), and bike rides. I am very well used to moderating intensity and going slower than expected, so E work is easy for me. I might alternative apex sprint with E work, as my aerobic conditioning is quite good still from tri training, and weekly rucks/bikes. I haven't decided yet, but will experiment for a few cycles.

That's it! Just to give you a long winded introduction should I want to post more in the future, but most of all to say THANK YOU for TB and this community!

Claude

Cheers, mate! Good luck with TB journey!

[Barkadion]

Hello All,

I'm a 24 old guy whose primary goal is to increase strength, with the additional and slightly more secondary goal of increasing my conditioning levels. As of this post, I'm at 6'1" and around 193lbs. I was a swimmer in high school and didn't start strength training until 2014. I'm one of those that has a hard time sticking to the same program/goals for any decent length of time, so my strength gains have been less than stellar, even though the majority of all weightlifting has been powerlifting based (Starting Strength).

I got tired of chasing the heaviest squat possible and not actually feeling athletic. Despite what Mark Rippetoe may say, there is a difference between being powerlifting strong and being fit. Thus, I found Tactical Barbell. I have no LEO/military background, but I'm still interested in the results that TB has to offer, so here I am. I have read both books cover to cover (even highlighted and took notes) twice. I've already gone through one block and am currently in week one of my second block. I'm working with standard Operator for strength, and working with Black for my conditioning protocol. I can't wait to see where this takes me in the years to come, as I'm already happy with my results. I'm the strongest I've ever been, and my conditioning levels are steadily improving.

I'm naturally a very weak/skinny dude, so I have to fight for every pound. It's a work in progress. Here are my current numbers, for those who are interested:

1 Rep Max:
OHP - 148
Bench - 225
Squat - 330
Deadlift - 388
WPU - 260

1.5mi run:
12:00

I'm looking forward to becoming active here on the forums and learning more from all the experienced TBers here! I'll see you out there!

Cheers mate!

[Aelian]

Hello All,

I guess I should start here as a new member and provide a bit of information (warning: brevity is not my strong point, obviously)!
40 years old, father of 1, and generally what you would consider a thin weak guy (think posterchild ectomorph). Also currently no requirement for physical fitness other than general health and I enjoy it. Also currently not active in any sports, and not interested in changing that.

I have some years of experience in strength/conditioning training, starting off with a few kettlebells. My very first routine some years ago was Right of Passage from Pavel, which I had to scale back to a 12kg for the presses as I was very weak. The volume did catch up with me, and for some reason I never got past the 16kg bell (I was also inexperienced then and had no idea what I was doing).

Throughout the years then I kept up some form of training. I got into many things like Starting Strength (I ended up stronger but also burned out somewhat as I struggled with the weight increases), Pavel's Power to the People which improved my DL and BP numbers tremendously and worked so well I stopped doing it (still one of the best routines for people with not much time at all), a bout with 531 which while probably excellent never really clicked for me, Simple and Sinister (achieved the simple goal for getups but not really for swings and then shifted priorities, as seen later), and a lot of back-and-forth between different things and programs, but never any real progress to show for (not a surprise really).

After quite some time on Simple and Sinister I actually felt good and started to think I might actually be athletic, so I got into triathlon (which was always something I thought I might enjoy).
I did Tri training for about a year and a half, together with a higher amount of strength training than usually prescribed.

I got coached by Al Ciampa over from StrongFirst and he did a GREAT job in getting me ready and strong for my goals. Lots of strength work (mostly KB presses), lots of power work (through KB Snatches and swings), and lots of LSS work on swim bike and run following Lydiard and Maffetone principles (hence low-ish heartrates and a bit of interval work, which is exactly what TB prescribes for endurance athletes).
It worked really well, to the point of going from not ever having ran more than 3km to being able to complete an Olympic distance Tri, and possibly more if I had wanted to. It worked very well, and I enjoyed it!
However at that point in time my work load got significantly higher (I am a project manager and went from regular projects to managing high-risk major projects at that time) so I decided I need a break from the high-volume triathlon training. I was getting close to burn out and needed to make a change.

After a lackluster return to Simple and Sinister and getting thoroughly sick of KB work I wanted to do some barbell stuff for a while and started 531 again, with the same finding than before (doesn't click for me). I learn the same lessons very quickly, over and over again

Then I found TB, and for the first time found a program that understands the importance of different training domains (strength, HIIT, LSS, and everything in between), incorporated them all in one full concept (unlike every other program where it either works well for one or the other but not all together), and gave lots of options for plans. Also the rep ranges, frequency, and weights used in the operator template clicked with me right away!

Long story short, here I am. I have completed 3 6-week cycles of operator (with the standard SQ/BP/WPU and DL cluster), and I am extremely happy with it. I have gotten stronger in SQ and BP, my deadlift has improved also beyond my PR numbers from PTTP, and I am generally thrilled with TB! It is what I have been looking for for a long time! I am still a long way from very strong, but I enjoy getting there now!

I have slacked on my conditioning work, but plan to gradually get into it again. I need to really focus on strength for a while hence I prioritized strength work and ran the 3 cycles to understand the TB lifting system and it's intricacies, not doing any conditioning work other than a weekly ruck or bike (a remnant from my endurance junkie days), and daily walks for about 30-40 minutes (still not a bad plan). I am lazy also and good at making excuses

For the next cycle I plan to ease into more conditioning work by adding swings based HICs (I have a good solid swing from S&S), and some apex sprints.
I think I will start with doing 10x10 swings based on S&S principles twice a week, and move into apex sprints when i feel ready?

I got sick of running as a triathlete so I will do E work with rucks (which I love), and bike rides. I am very well used to moderating intensity and going slower than expected, so E work is easy for me. I might alternative apex sprint with E work, as my aerobic conditioning is quite good still from tri training, and weekly rucks/bikes. I haven't decided yet, but will experiment for a few cycles.

That's it! Just to give you a long winded introduction should I want to post more in the future, but most of all to say THANK YOU for TB and this community!

Claude

Welcome! Great introduction.