TacticalBarbell.com

Background:

I've been exploring the ins and outs of Tactical Barbell now for several years now. I had a log on here that stopped updating when I switched to a "brick phone" about 2 years ago. I have since re-joined the modern age, with a modern smartphone, and remembered how motivating it was to log my workouts on this site.

Obligatory Biographical Info:

I'm a 36 yo Army POG. I'm 6'1", 225 lbs. I have a family and a demanding, yet sedentary, job. So, I consider myself a pretty busy guy.

Current Template:

After extensive experimentation with this program, I have arrived at what I feel is the optimal setup for me. Its a standard Zulu template with the following cluster;

A: WPU, Bench, Squat
B: WPU, OHP, Dead

I've been following this program for almost a year now, and I think that its dang near perfect.

My conditioning for the last 4 months has been almost entirely LSS running at about a 10 min mile pace, working up to a 7 mile run last week. I'm about ready to switch back to some more high intensity stuff; more to follow on that as I figure out what that will look like.

You guys are joining me as I'm already deep into my current Zulu Cycle, specifically, week 4, day 3 (workout 4.3)

WPU: 5 sets of 5 reps at Body Weight
OHP: 5 sets of 5 reps at 125lbs
Dead: 5 sets of 5 reps at 275lbs

It felt really good. I super set between the WPU and OHP in the squat rack, which makes the workout go quicker. Total gym time is about 30 min.

For conditioning, I ran 3 miles at an absurdly slow pace earlier in the day.

Zulu 4.4

Chinups, BW, 5x5
Squat, 215lbs, 5x5
Bench, 195lbs, 5x5

2x 1 mile on treeadmill
1st mile was 7:50, 2nd mile about 7:40 (lost track of the second interval). Rested about 4 minutes between intervals.

Good workout.

Long Slow Distance Run

5 miles, 49:20 min.

felt rough.

Zulu, 5.1, 85%

WPU, BW+15lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
OHP, 145lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
Dead, 305lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps

No conditioning today. Messed around with abs since I have an APFT coming up.

The weights went up easy. The ab stuff was a bit of a wake-up call.

Zulu 5.2

WPU, BW+15 lbs , 5 sets x 3 reps
Bench, 215 lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
Squat, 245 lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps

Did 4 sets of the following for abs;
10x situps on the steep sit-up bench
1 min of planks
one set between each exercise. I'm going to keep this going, where I do something for abs between each exercise. This way, I figure I won't be leaving it all for the end of the session, where its easy to blow off.

Ran 3 miles, sorta LSS, 27:58 min

Today's workout felt really good, everything felt like it just clicked.

Zulu 5.3

Rest Day Yesterday.

Today:

WPU, BW+15lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
OHP, 145lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
Dead, 305lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps

Same Abs stuff as yesterday, put in between exercises for 4x total sets

no conditioning today.

Felt good.

Zulu 5.4

WPU, BW+15lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
Bench, 215lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps
Squat, 245lbs, 5 sets x 3 reps

Abs, 4 sets
12 reps incline sit-ups
1 min plank

Conditioning:

5 x 400 meter repeats, with ~2 min rest between
1st split was 1:22, then the rest were 1:17-1:16

Felt good.

Ran 5 miles, LSS on the treadmill. Time was 49:10.

Felt pretty good.

Zulu 6.1

Rough one today.

I've been experimenting with a technique where for w/o 6.1 and 6.2 of each Zulu cycle I do an AMRAP for the first set of 5 sets. The idea is to get my working maxes for my next cycle without having to dedicate a whole day to checking maxes.

For example, in the Zulu template, week 6 is 95% for 1-2 reps. So, for my first set of WPU (BW+45lbs =270lbs), I got 3 reps. Plug this into a 1 rep max calculator online, and I get 290lbs. So, for next cycle, I use 290lbs as the max that I base all my working weights off of.

Anyhow, this briefs well, but has been met with mixed results. Not sure that I recommend it. I hit 160lbs on the overhead press today for 3 reps, but I tweaked something in my right trap/neck and I couldn't do the rest of my working sets. I dropped the weight to 135lbs, just to get some shoulder work in, and I couldn't lift it. Decided discretion was the better part of valor, and retreated to the deadlift, where I just did the prescribed sets/weights, no AMRAPs.

WPU (BW+45lbs), 1 set x 3 reps, 4 sets x 2 reps
OHP, 160lbs, 1 set x 3 reps
Dead, 345lbs, 5 sets x 2 reps

Abs between exercises, 4 sets
12 reps situps on the incline bench, 1 min planks

No conditioning today.

Yesterday (9/11), Zulu 6.2

WPU (BW +45lbs) 2 reps x 5 sets
Bench 240lbs, 2 reps x 5 sets
Squat 270lbs, 2 reps x 5 sets

Abs, same stuff, 4 sets

No conditioning yesterday

Today:

6x 400 meter repeats, in the 1:28 -1:31 range. About 2 min rest.

Back at the house, so my 400 meter course is between 2 mailboxes on my street, which explains the split differences between this week and last week.