TacticalBarbell.com

Hi Everyone,

I bought the books for my Kindle about a year ago. I did a base-building phase last January using the Alpha circuit. I loved it and had some good endurance gains. Then I fell off the fitness wagon after my son was born in March. I did my best to maintain endurance levels by going out for short runs 1-2 times per week, but for the most part, I became a couch potato.

In August I bought a squat rack for my basement and I'm resolved to get back into things.

I just finished week 3 of my SE-First Base Building block. It's been amazing. I've never had this much energy or been this good at running. I'm running a sub-60-minute 10 km without even trying (keeping my HR around 70% and maintaining a sub-6:00/KM pace is unheard of for me). In the beginning, I had to keep my pace between 6:30-7:00 to keep my HR down.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble. My question: in TBII, it shows Week 4 as SE 1x50 for both SE days instead of 3x50 and 2x50. Is this intentional? Week 5 goes back up to the 3 and 2 sets. Is Week 4 meant to be a bit of a SE recovery? I'm doing the barbell routine from the book for my SE routine using a 45lb olympic bar with 2.5lb plates (so 50lb total): Push press, squat, BP, BB Row, Shrugs, RDLs. I've been going strong. Each week was difficult but I could feel my body adapting quickly. I was able to do 3x40 with no mid-set breaks but I took the 30 second breaks between exercises and 3 minutes between sets. I was able to complete the 3x40 in just under 30 minutes.

Should I do the 1x50 this week, or try for 3x50?

Thanks,

Fogull

Fogull wrote: I was able to do 3x40 with no mid-set breaks but I took the 30 second breaks between exercises and 3 minutes between sets. I was able to complete the 3x40 in just under 30 minutes.

Nice work! That is some seriously high-speed SE you have going on. Do you have any training or experience with SE prior to TB?

Dropping down to 1x50 is a way to taper off and give you an easy week. Gives your joints, ligaments and mind a break because come week 5 you'll be ramping back up to multiple circuits of 50. The muscles themselves don't need as much of a break from SE, it's more for connective tissue, joints.

I did 1x50 this morning and I was glad that I did. With no set breaks and taking 30 seconds between movements, I was able to complete it in about 10 minutes. But I know for sure I'll need to take some mid-set breaks on the 3rd set and maybe the 2nd set during next week's 3x50.

I do have an athletic background. I'm not in any sort of military or 1st responder group. I used to be on the national team of my sport for a number of years. But that was a decade ago. I've kept up with strength training and some running but I've never done any type of SE work since I quit my sport. I did do BB back in January & February. It was much more difficult then. Maybe constantly carrying my newborn has led to some SE adaptations lol...

Thanks for the comment.