TacticalBarbell.com

Hey guys,

I've been using TB for a little less than 2 years, and I've really enjoyed it. The 2 reasons that I have enjoyed 1) it is because it gives me results without killing me in the process and 2) it allows me to maintain my conditioning while also improving strength. Now I'm not a strong guy by anyone's standards. I'm 43yo, 5'5", and 140 lbs. My maxes aren't great, but as long as I see progress, I'm happy. I've kept a log on a different website before, and it helped me to log my activity and to be able to look back in order to plan ahead. Also reading J-Madd's, G2B's, and grouchyjarhead's logs kind of inspired me to give it a try here. So here's what I am doing:

I'm currently in the middle of an Op I/A cycle. Awhile back I took my maxes, knocked off 10%, and started from there. I'm doing a SQ/BP/ WCU (chin-ups)/DL cluster with DL'ing every 3rd workout for 3 sets. I play around with 3-5 sets on the other lifts depending on the time that I have available. My Op I/A cycle looks like this:

Op I/A + core
HIC
Op I/A
Rest
HIC
Op I/A + core
E/GC
Rest

These are a few of the "rules" that I have set for myself:
1. I will do 24-day cycles (an 8-day week x 3 weeks) and then take a deload week (ala the original 5/3/1). At 43yo, I find that I like the deload week in order to keep fresh.
2. I do core work after a lift day 2x per 8-day week. This is only 5-7 minutes. It includes the corework from 5/3/1 and TB2.
3. The second HIC of the week is always a "run only" type of HIC (600M resets, Hill Sprints, Short Hills, etc.) I want to stay away from upper body or lower back work (swings) before doing DLs on that 3rd Op workout of the week.
4. After the deload week, I'll add 5 lbs to upper body and 10 lbs to lower body via forced progression.
5. My plan (and tell me if this doesn't make sense) is to do forced progression until I can't hit my reps anymore. Then I'll switch BP for OHP, start OHP at a 90%TM and do the same (force progression until I can't progress anymore). Then I'll switch back to BP. When I can't hit WCU reps, I'll switch to either bodyweight work or weighted pull-ups, progress awhile, and then switch back. I'll keep SQ and DL in the cluster and just reset them as needed.
6. I will alternate E/GC as follows: 1-hour E runs on weeks 1 and 3, a full GC session in week 2, a half GC session in week 4 (deload week).
7. I'm not doing the Easy Week from TB2 during the 3rd week but during the deload week. So I will cut in half my HIC work and my GC work that week. I know that doesn't really align with the way that KB wrote it in TB2, but since I'm working off of a TM and since I'm planning to do the 3rd week at 85/85/90 and not at 95, I don't think that a full-on HIC will take too much away from my 3rd week of the cycle. Deload week looks like this:

Rest (after finishing my Op I/A cycle)
SQ/BP (at deload percentages) + HIC (half)
Rest
DL (at deload percentages) + HIC (half) (I can't deload the WPUs enough to get down to the 40/50/60% of Wendler's deload so I'm just resting from them unless they are included in the GC later this week at bodyweight).
Rest
GC (half)
Rest
Start Op I/A again.

My goal is to be fit and healthy until I move on from this earth to a better place. I live and work overseas (as an aid worker, not LEO/military; although, I respect the heck outta you guys). I'll be back in the States in late 2017 for about 6-8 months and hope to be able to run some obstacle races while there. Those sound like a ton of fun.

I guess that's about it. As I said, I'm in the middle of an Op I/A cycle now so I'll just start posting from there in the next couple of days. Today is a rest day and tomorrow is 600 Meter Resets. See you soon.

Looking forward to this! Well structured plan, great presentation.

1. You know back when I did 5/3/1 in my 20's I thought deloading that often was crazy. In my 30's I see it as essential.

5. Totally makes sense. Sounds like a good plan. Maybe pendlay instead of, WPU, front squats or safety bar squats instead of squats, and power cleans or trap deads instead of deads? Just an idea.

7. I think this is fine. You'll be deloading your conditioning less, but deloading your strength more.

Green2Blue wrote: 5. Totally makes sense. Sounds like a good plan. Maybe pendlay instead of, WPU, front squats or safety bar squats instead of squats, and power cleans or trap deads instead of deads? Just an idea.

G2B, hey thanks for the input. As a garage gym guy, I don't have a trap bar or a safety bar...yet. I'd love to get a trap bar at some point in the future. We'll see. I have also thought about subbing in front squats at some point and may give it a try. Thanks again.

Great plan Mikhou. Your rules are cool!

Great to see you logging Mikhou!

600 Meter Resets today.

Out of all of the HICs in the book, this is one of the hardest for me (and I used to be a distance runner!). I can do KB swings and burpees and short sprints, but going all out for 600 meters 6 times is tough. But I did it, and (I think) it went well. On to my last 80% day tomorrow. Legs feel good,and one of the benefits of doing DLs once per week (tomorrow) is that I actually look forward to them being on the schedule!

Like I said, my lifts aren't very high and I am working up from a pretty low training max, but this was the workout today:

Op I/A - Session 6
SQ 5x5 @ 82.7 kg
BP 5x5 @ 71.5 kg
DL 3x5 @ 87.7 kg
2 rounds of light RDL's (10 reps), hanging leg raises (10 reps), 45 second plank, 45 second shank

I've got a mix of plates. I have pairs for all of them, but sometimes I end up with partial kg's. For exactness, I went ahead and typed out actual weights used.

For core work, I do find that heavy lifting takes care of my core pretty well so I am just doing 5-7 minutes of core work 2x per week after a lifting day.

mikhou wrote: For core work, I do find that heavy lifting takes care of my core pretty well so I am just doing 5-7 minutes of core work 2x per week after a lifting day.

When I cut out some accessories "core" work was the first to go, for this reason. I'll throw some in when I have extra time but that's it.

Loving the log!

GC4 today.

I knew that pull-ups would be a limiting factor so rather than doing the SE exercises straight through as written in the book, I broke them up into 3 sets like this:

Exercise 1 (max pull-ups)
Exercise 2 (1/3 of total)
Exercise 3 (1/3 of total)
Sprint
repeat 3x (no rest periods)

I'm not going to put the workout here as it's copyrighted material. That being said, doing it as above, I hit the goals for exercises 2 and 3 and for the sprints, and I got in 54 total pull-ups. I was going to keep going on pull-ups until hitting the goal, but I ran out of time and had to cut my workout off.

Op I/A - Session 7
BP - 4x3 @ 75.5 kg
SQ - 4x3 @ 88.7 kg
WCU - 5x3 @ 76.5 kg
Core work - 2 rounds of 10 reps light RDL, 10 reps straight leg raises, 45 second plank, 45 second plank

This is my first time through an Operator cycle since TB, 3rd edition was released so this is the first time that I am doing 85% at 3 reps. This is also my first time through Op I/A and I am choosing to do it as written with the last 3 workouts at 85 /85/ 90. My initial reaction to the 3-rep sets at 85% is that I like it. I feel super fresh after my workout today. After 2 days of 85%, I feel like I am going to crush the 90% day later this week.