TacticalBarbell.com

Starting this training log to keep me accountable. Previous background in endurance running up to 100 mile ultra marathons and reasonably competitive to 50 mile running events with top 10 finishes. Burnt myself out overtraining / under-eating and messed up my hormones. They took over a year to recover during which time I completely stopped running and took up strength training.

Now looking to balance the two, as I’m frankly embarrassed at the current state of my cardio, I doubt I could run 5k.

I don’t plan to go back into endurance events but it would be nice to get out there running again and have the cardio fitness to run a half marathon at a reasonable / fun pace if I wanted to. I would also like to drop a bit of body fat in the process while trying to maintain my higher levels of Strength / LBM and having a better all round functional fitness.

Lifts - Current 1RM (derived)
Squat 173kg
DL 183kg
Bench 109kg
OHP 71kg
WPU 133kg (Inc BW)

186cm tall at 87kg and probably ~17% BF. Back when I was running I was ~72kg and maybe 10-12% BF.

I’ve not had a week off lifting for 7 months until last week following a LP / AMRAP program. Ive got to the point where my upper body lifts have stalled and I’m struggling with maintaining form in the lower body weights leading to a couple of lower back injuries. Though I’m lifting sub maximal weights, AMRAP means every workout is tough.

I used last week to reevaluate where I’m going and found tactical barbell / read the books. I plan to run the BB exactly as written for the next 8 weeks (SE first) giving me a nice break away from the barbell then reevaluate again for my first block.

Diet wise my TDEE is around 2,800 which I plan to eat at tracking my calories in MFP. The additional E and SE workouts should put me in a very marginal deficit to slowly drop some BF.

Welcome onboard, mate. Have a nice BB. I bet you going to love the feeling of it!

Cheers.

Barkadion wrote:Welcome onboard, mate. Have a nice BB. I bet you going to love the feeling of it!

Cheers.

Thanks, will be nice to mix things up after only strength training.

First two days done, surprised myself, ran 2.9m in 31min. It’s a start.

First week of BB done.

M SE 3x20
T 31min run 2.9m 10:24mm
W 30min run 2.9m 10:16mm
T SE 2x20
F Recovery Stretching
S 60m run 5.1m 11:27mm
S - Rest

My SE circuit is:
Pushups
KB row
Leg raise
Goblet KB Squat
Dips
Back extensions
KB Swings - 24kg

SE felt reasonably ok at sets of 20 keeping to 30 seconds rest between each exercise, 2 min between rounds. Third set was a little more challenging on the first day. Runs were harder but tried to keep in the conversational HR zone which meant I walked a few of the steepest inclines but still surprised myself on how far I could go.

Second week of B.B. complete

M SE 3x30 43min 142AHR
T 42min run 3.6m 11:39mm 144AHR
W 42min run 3.5m 11:55mm 143AHR
T SE 2x30 27min 136AHR
F Rest
S 62min run 5.0m 12:21mm 146AHR

Week went well, Monday’s SE felt like the toughest workout this week. Found my running watch & HR monitor, realised that I was probably exceeding the HR zone on week 1. On the runs this week kept my HR under 150, walking inclines if I had to. Decided not to extend my Saturday run out any further for time as I’ve already put 20min additional running in this week over Tues and Wed and want to ease back into it considering I’m 15kg heavier than I was when I last ran.

Diet is dialled in, averaged 2,849 calories with no change in weight.

Third week of BB complete.

M SE 3x40 69min
T 50min run 4.3m 11:42mm 145AHR
W 58min run 4.9m 11:47mm 142AHR
T SE 2x40 35min
F Recovery
S 60min run 5.4m 11:07mm 143AHR
S Rest

Runs are feeling stronger. Again decided not to push the Saturday run out any further time wise as had already put an additional 20+ min extra in the week with Tues and Wed increases. Monday’s SE workout felt like hell! Tried to keep to the 30s rest intervals but the last set killed me.

Fourth week of BB complete

M 1x50 18min
T 60min run 5.6m 10:38mm 144AHR
W Rest
T 1x50 18min
F 60min run 5.7m 10:34mm 145AHR
S 61min run 5.6m 10:47mm 146AHR
S Rest

Had to move a couple of workouts this week due to work but got them all in. SE this week was relatively easy compared to the previous week and next week is going to be tough! Runs continue to feel strong though again didn’t push out my Saturday run as had already added 20min this week. Last run was done in 30C heat so was tougher to keep my HR down so was a bit slower.

This is the first week I’ve noticed any weight loss, averaged 2,850 calories a day but dropped 1.5kg. I had noticed being hungry more often this week, will up my calories next week by 200 a day as I’m not aiming to lose weight so quickly and want to maintain muscle mass.

Fifth week of BB complete

M 3x50 73min
T 60min run 5.5m 10:55mm 146AHR
W 60min run 5.4m 11:11mm 146AHR
T 2x50 41min
F Rest
S 70min run 6.8m 10:18mm 148AHR
S Rest

Monday’s SE was a ball breaker. Not helped that I was doing it on a roof terrace in 30c heat. First two rounds were reasonable and kept to a 30sec rest interval for the most part, third had me retching. Seen some good improvements though such as push ups 24 (Wk2) to 40 (Wk5) and 24KB swings from 26 (wk2) to 50 (wk5). I regret putting dips in there as they are far too taxing in this quantity but lesson learnt. When I do this again I will put more thought into the exercise cluster.

First two runs in the week I kept to 60min but they were in 29/30c heat which really impacted my performance with the average minute mile time regressing. Today’s run was a more comfortable 24c and felt much easier so extended to 70min all running apart from a short strap 50m incline near the end.

In some ways I’m glad to be moving onto max strength but I still have a lot of work to do on Endurance and Strength Endurance which I will contemplate some more before deciding my first continuation block.

Halted the weight loss keeping it constant this week after increasing calories by 200 per day. Will continue at this level.

Went over some of my old running logs, two years ago I was running 8:40mm with an average HR of 146 vs my 10:18mm now. It’s getting better but still a lot of scope for improvement and I weigh circa 30lbs more now which will be a factor.

Next week I will be doing the BP/SQ/WPU fighter template with DL once a week. I have a reasonable estimate of my 1RM from my previous lifting but will go conservative with an 85% TM for these three weeks to ease me back in and reevaluate at the continuation point. I’m doing this as the load will be high with the HICs and I don’t know how my body will react / want to stay injury free. HICs will be running focussed.

Week 6 of BB complete

M MS 75% of 85% TM. B 70kg 5x5, S 105KG 5x5 PU 5x5 (BW), DL 115kg 1x5.
T HIC - Fast 5. 1m WU, 3m at 8:30mm 160AHR, 1m CD.
W Rest
T MS as Monday
F HIC - Short Hills 10x13 second hill 2.1m total including WU and CD.
S E 59m run. 5.2m, 11:18mm, 145AHR.

Training felt good other than the first MS day. Coming back from a 7 week break from lifting I really felt it. Weights felt heavier than they should have but the second MS session on Thursday was easier. Will probably take the rest of BB to get back into the groove. Amended the DL to one working set of n each session as I was feeling it in my back after the first set on Monday.

Fast 5 felt comfortably uncomfortable, I was closely watching my HR to keep in the zone. Still sore from the hill sprints 36 hours later.

Calories averaged 3,200 per day, wasn’t as disciplined this week as had a couple of BBQs but the odd day here and there is not going to impact my goals too much.

Week 7 of BB complete

M - MS 80% of 85% TM. B 75kg 5x5, S 115kg 5x5, WPU 90kg 5x5, DL 125 1x5.
T - HIC Fast 5. 1m WU, 3m @ 8:37mm 162 AHR, 1m CD.
W - Rest
T - As M though felt a tweak in my back so DL was 1x2.
F - HIC Short Hills 10x14
S - E 60m run 5.6m, 10:42mm, 149 AHR

Good week, protected my back by abandoning DL on second MS day rather than powering through, right decision. Weather continues to get warmer which is impacting my running efficiency but I have another 10 weeks of that before it cools down.

Diet wise I hit 2,850 average this week. Always find it harder to eat in the heat and dropped 1kg of weight. Need to get this back above 3,000 this week.

One week of BB to go.