TacticalBarbell.com

I'm 45, I'm a new Dad to twin girls, and last summer I re-joined the military. With these factors in mind, my training goals have changed. I used to just want to lift weight and look good or, at least, not be fat. But now I want more. I want to move better so I can be active with my kids. I want to increase my work capacity so I can crush my PFT. I want to push heavy weights and crank out pull-ups with ease because it's f*cking cool. Now I want more than just looks. Now I want it all.

I found TB and found the books spoke my language. (When the student is ready the teacher will appear?) If I'm smart about how I train, it looks like I can do it all and do it better than I ever did.

My plan is to complete Block 1 and then move into a Continuation phase (probably Operator and probably Black).

Block 1: Week 1

I am doing Base Building using the AA modifications.

Sun 26 Mar 17
SE: 2 x TANGO circuits with an empty Olympic Bar
This workout wasn't as brutal as I had feared. I certainly worked but I didn't leave feeling crushed by the workout.

The TB books helped me get in the right mindset for the training session and about Block 1 overall: this is a chance to build a base and it won't always be pretty. Using the timed intervals helped me think less in terms of a specific number of sets to do (and not worry that I had "failed" to crank out the requisite number) and think more of putting in the work, getting in as many reps as possible, to build the base.

Mon 27 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
The run went very well. I warmed up with foam rolling and hip stretches (I have noticed that I've been really, really tight in the hips recently). I kept a nice, easy pace for the full 30 minutes such that I breathed in and out through my nose the entire time. It was actually quite pleasant.

I was quite nervous about this. I have never really had great endurance and I haven't run for distance in ages. I wasn't looking forward to sucking wind (and feeling like a failure because of it) and then suffering with sore knees for days afterwards.
Again, the books helped me stay in the right mindset. The admonition to keep the pace slow and comfortable let me give myself permission to go for an easy run and not feel guilty for not pushing it.
No issues with the knees - although I suspect the new running shoes I bought helped significantly (I had bought into the minimalist and toe-shoe hype).

Tue 28 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
The run went very well again. I had the odd sensation of actually looking forward to going for the run. I cannot remember the last time that running didn't feel like a chore.

Wed 29 Mar 17
Rest day. Did nothing.

Thu 30 Mar 17
SE: 2 x TANGO circuit.
Went well again. I feel like I was even more in the groove mentally - using an empty bar and air squats seemed to reinforce that I'm not trying to push weight, I'm trying to build work capacity. I was winded but not wrecked.

Fri 31 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
Another good run. I thought my knees might give me grief, but so far, so good. Again, I was looking forward to the run - in fact, I'm really looking forward to warmer weather when I can run outside.

Overall
1) I have really enjoyed this first week. I didn't expect to enjoy running so much.
2) The overuse-type injuries/general creakiness I feared didn't materialize. It's possible that my new emphasis on hip mobility (+ the new shoes) improved things.
3) Possibly related to the hip stretching and new shoes is the fact that my bedtime foot cramps seemed to have eased off. Another nice little benefit.
4) My appetite increased significantly. Despite eating more than I usually do (and not actively tracking intake) and being too liberal with treats, I actually dropped 1 lb this week and lost a little off the waist, which I hadn't expected given my dodgy diet.

B71 wrote:Block 1: Week 1

I am doing Base Building using the AA modifications.

Sun 26 Mar 17
SE: 2 x TANGO circuits with an empty Olympic Bar
This workout wasn't as brutal as I had feared. I certainly worked but I didn't leave feeling crushed by the workout.

The TB books helped me get in the right mindset for the training session and about Block 1 overall: this is a chance to build a base and it won't always be pretty. Using the timed intervals helped me think less in terms of a specific number of sets to do (and not worry that I had "failed" to crank out the requisite number) and think more of putting in the work, getting in as many reps as possible, to build the base.

Mon 27 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
The run went very well. I warmed up with foam rolling and hip stretches (I have noticed that I've been really, really tight in the hips recently). I kept a nice, easy pace for the full 30 minutes such that I breathed in and out through my nose the entire time. It was actually quite pleasant.

I was quite nervous about this. I have never really had great endurance and I haven't run for distance in ages. I wasn't looking forward to sucking wind (and feeling like a failure because of it) and then suffering with sore knees for days afterwards.
Again, the books helped me stay in the right mindset. The admonition to keep the pace slow and comfortable let me give myself permission to go for an easy run and not feel guilty for not pushing it.
No issues with the knees - although I suspect the new running shoes I bought helped significantly (I had bought into the minimalist and toe-shoe hype).

Tue 28 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
The run went very well again. I had the odd sensation of actually looking forward to going for the run. I cannot remember the last time that running didn't feel like a chore.

Wed 29 Mar 17
Rest day. Did nothing.

Thu 30 Mar 17
SE: 2 x TANGO circuit.
Went well again. I feel like I was even more in the groove mentally - using an empty bar and air squats seemed to reinforce that I'm not trying to push weight, I'm trying to build work capacity. I was winded but not wrecked.

Fri 31 Mar 17
E: 30 min run indoors.
Another good run. I thought my knees might give me grief, but so far, so good. Again, I was looking forward to the run - in fact, I'm really looking forward to warmer weather when I can run outside.

Overall
1) I have really enjoyed this first week. I didn't expect to enjoy running so much.
2) The overuse-type injuries/general creakiness I feared didn't materialize. It's possible that my new emphasis on hip mobility (+ the new shoes) improved things.
3) Possibly related to the hip stretching and new shoes is the fact that my bedtime foot cramps seemed to have eased off. Another nice little benefit.
4) My appetite increased significantly. Despite eating more than I usually do (and not actively tracking intake) and being too liberal with treats, I actually dropped 1 lb this week and lost a little off the waist, which I hadn't expected given my dodgy diet.

This makes my day B71. Excellent first week!!!! Keep putting in the work, and you will be amazed by the results.

Nicely done, B71! Which cluster are you using for Tango circuits?

'

nickgoldma wrote:Nicely done, B71!

Thanks. I confess I'm feeling a little smug.

nickgoldma wrote:Which cluster are you using for Tango circuits?

I'm using the bone-stock one used in the TB example: push-press, air squat (vice KB goblet squat), RDL, V-ups, BB rows. (I don't know if it has a cool name.) I'm only using an empty Olympic bar and BW for the loads. I expect that adding extra circuits in the coming weeks will be plenty of work for me at this point.

I want to try to stay as close to the books as I can for this first run-through. Once I finish the base building and one Continuation block, I'll have a better idea of how I respond to this training and then I can think about ad-libbing.

I was very pleased with the first week of BB using the AA modifications. Here goes Week 2.

Sun 2 Apr 17
SE: 3 x TANGO circuits (BB push-press / air squat / RDL / V-up / BB row)

I think the TANGO circuit was a good choice for me. If I had gone with a rep-based circuit, I think my ego would have demanded I start too heavy and/or I would have gotten too fixated on hitting the number. With a time-based circuit, I just have to do the work.

Added one circuit from last week. It felt good but I was certainly winded at the end.
I concentrated on pushing through the heels on the push-press because I find I often push through the balls of my feet. I'm not sure how much it matters, but I'm thinking that despite squatting and deadlifting, I've probably been neglecting the posterior chain.
I focused on working the hamstrings during the RDL - the hammies were a little sore later, so I think it worked.
I used the full RIs of 1 min between exercises and 3 minutes between sets.
I'm looking forward to building my SE but right now, the thought of reducing the RI and adding more circuits is a bit frightening.

Mon 3 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on indoor track.

Warmed up with foam roller and some hip stretches.
Kept a slow and comfortable pace, breathing through the nose the entire time. I use nose-breathing as my HR metric, instead of a HR monitor or the talk test. I figure if I don't have to open my mouth to breathe, I'm doing ok.
Felt like I could have went longer.

Tue 4 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on indoor track.

As I went to sleep on Monday night, I found myself looking forward to running again. This still weirds me out because endurance has never been my thing. In addition to the enjoyment I'm getting from anticipating progress in the E and SE areas, I'm finding the solitude and monotony of plugging in my earbuds and running for 30 minutes fairly meditative.

Warmed up with foam roller and some hip stretches. I'm really focusing on rolling the lower calves because they seem to need it. Hips/IT bands (if I have my anatomy right) seem to be loosening up. Before I started I could really feel the tightness in my hips when I was driving to work.

Maintained the same slow and comfortable pace. Breathed through the nose the entire time. Felt like I could have gone further. Had to fight a bizarre urge to break into a sprint on the last lap.

My knees are still holding up. I was worried that they wouldn't be able to hack the running, which would have been dispiriting. So far, it seems the new running shoes (vice minimalist shoes) and the foam rolling/hip stretching are working.

Wed 5 Apr 17
Rest day. Nothing happened.

*I'm still finding I'm ravenous on this program. I didn't track food on MyFitnessPal last week and I lost a pound. I'm now not tracking as a pseudo-scientific experiment, rather than just laziness. I'm curious to see if I drop a little more weight, even though I'm being somewhat cavalier about my diet.

Thu 6 Apr 17
SE: 3 x TANGO circuits (BB push-press / air squat / RDL / V-up / BB row)

I encountered 'the suck' today. It felt like my second set reps dropped further than Sunday's set and the third set was brutal. On air squats and RDLs, my legs started shaking and I had nothing left. I sort of stood there huffing and puffing at myself in the mirror for the last 10 seconds or so.

I was going to say, "I don't know how I'm going to manage 3 sets with reduced rest" but I guess the point of this is to push myself and not to fear being completely gassed and fighting to squeeze out fewer reps.

Fri 7 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on indoor track.

The run went well again. No physical problems and I breathed through my nose the entire time. On a couple of laps, I wondered a little if the pace was too quick, but my breathing was steady (and not laboured) through my nose, so I figured I was ok.

The novelty may have worn off, since I didn't find I looked forward to this session as much as the others, and I didn't enjoy it to the same extent. It's also possible I was a bit bummed out that I put on 1.5 lbs over the week (which should not have been shocking, given that I intentionally pushed my diet).

If the weather continues to improve, I think I'll try to move these sessions outside.

While I am still looking forward to building better endurance - and not sucking at running in general - I think I'm starting to miss doing weights.

Sat 8 Apr 17
Rest day. No planned workout.

Week 3

Sun 9 Apr 17
SE: 3 x TANGO circuits (Push-Press / Air Squat / RDL / V-Ups / BB Row); decreased rest - 45 s RI / 2 min RI between ccts

This was tough. Reps went down considerably for each circuit. I was certainly aerobically challenged (I was huffing and puffing) but it was more muscular fatigue that affected me.

Mon 10 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on an indoor track.

These LSS runs are pretty easy now. The slow pace makes completing them a sure thing. I am trying to trust the process and trust that I am getting benefits from going so slowly and easily. I am so used to feeling wrecked after running. If nothing else, these runs seem to work to clear my head in the morning, which is a positive thing.

The weather here is still just a little too cold and wet to run outside. I'm looking forward to getting out of the gym to run.

After reading AA I have cut back both volume and tempo of my runs. First I worried that I might loose the little gains I had made since September. After 2 weeks of doing only the 3 x 30 runs, I did a longer one ( 60 mins ) on Saturday and it felt much easier and I was faster than before taking up AA. So going easy works pretty well for me.
And try running outdoors it's so much better than indoors. I liked it even during winter, but now after spring has started here it's just wonderfull.

uwewhttp wrote:After reading AA I have cut back both volume and tempo of my runs. First I worried that I might loose the little gains I had made since September. After 2 weeks of doing only the 3 x 30 runs, I did a longer one ( 60 mins ) on Saturday and it felt much easier and I was faster than before taking up AA. So going easy works pretty well for me.
And try running outdoors it's so much better than indoors. I liked it even during winter, but now after spring has started here it's just wonderfull.

Uwe, it's good to see more confirmation that the slow-and-steady approach works. It's a hard concept for me to grasp but I'm going to trust the experts on this. I'll stick with the plan as written and then, sometime after week 5, I'll test myself with a max-effort mile and a half (~2.6 km).

Maybe I'll run outside later this week despite the cold and wet. One of the reasons I stayed indoors was to test out the new shoes (you can't return them if you run outside). After two weeks and 8 runs so far, I guess I'll be keeping them.

Week 3 continued...

Tue 11 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on an indoor track.

Same warmup, same run. Taking it slow and easy.

Wed 12 Apr 17
Rest day. No workout.

Thu 13 Apr 17
SE: 3 x TANGO circuits (BB push-press / Air Squat / RDL / V-Ups / BB Row) 45 s / 2 min

Today sucked. I felt pretty strong through circuits 1 and 2 but I just couldn't do the third circuit. I false-started the 3rd set after the reduced 2 minute rest, then waited an extra minute (for a full 3-minute rest) but I still felt a little light-headed and couldn't get going.

I can't decide if not doing the 3rd set was wise in the "live to fight another day" sense, or if it was weak in the "you are a p*ssy" sense.

This was the first time in 3 weeks that I haven't been able to finish a workout. I'm going to have to think about whether I advance to a 4th SE set next week or re-do this week or just re-do this one botched SE TANGO session.

Fri 14 Apr 17
E: 30 min LSS run on an indoor track.

Same warmup, same run. I think I might have increased the pace slightly, though. It's hard to tell and I'm trying not to get too 'in my head' about it. Found it a shade boring today.

I was a little concerned I was going to have knee problems. Waaaay back in my 20s, I had issues with my knees getting a bit overworked when I ran. I started to feel a little muscle fatigue (a bit achy) around the left knee on Wednesday and just a bit into Thursday. That said, the knees held up during the run today but it's still something I should keep an eye on.