TacticalBarbell.com

Hi all,

I'm a recreational runner in his mid-40s who discovered heavy lifting a year ago. After I plateaued on a linear program, JMadd got me onto TB, and I've been a fan ever since.

In consultation with JMadd, I'm doing a standard Operator block with only two lifts: BP and DL. That means 9 sets of DL per week. Following the recommendation in AA, I'm going to run the block as 3-1-3-1 in terms of weeks.

For conditioning, I'm going to have to be very flexible, as I'm moving from 3 sets of DL per week to 9, which is likely going to impact my energy levels, even in the beginning stages. My plan is to maintain my one long run per week (as in Black Professional) and probably just do stationary bike the other two sessions--or maybe even simply walk home from work, which might be all I can do on certain days. I have a job that is sometimes very easy, sometimes very crazy, so I have to take that into account, as well.

Anyway, I'm fairly new to this, so tips/slams/GTFOH are welcomed.

Week 1, 70% (with 85% training max)
Bodyweight: 194 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs

Day 1: 5x5x145 BP; 3x3x185 DL
Day 2: Rest
Day 3: 5x5x145 BP; 3x3x185 DL
Day 4: Easy walk to and from work, 30 minutes or so total
Day 5: 5x5x145 BP; 3x3x185 DL. After, walked home with a 50-lb KB in a backpack, 16 minutes
Day 6: Run, 7 miles, 56:25
Day 7: Rest

Notes: No soreness to speak of, but the HLF (Heavy Lifting Fatigue) was immediate and intense even after Day 1. Conditioning on day 2 would have been a mistake; I rested. Started to feel good enough to walk to work on day 4. Rucking home with a 50-lb kettle after day 5 was a particularly dumb idea. It didn't hit my legs very much, but my upper back was sore for days afterwards. The day 6 run was a little faster than I was expecting; my impression was that the DLs were already helping my running. Important: JMadd cautions me not to do pull-ups on conditioning days, as doing so might affect my grip and/or back while I'm recovering from the high-frequency DLs. If I do some, it should be within the Operator workout; JMadd recommends between BP sets. I'll see how that goes. Overall, a good and exciting start to this block.

FortyPlusRunner wrote:JMadd got me onto TB, and I've been a fan ever since.

Same here J-Madd introduced me to the TB world on Ross's forum. And I appreciate it a lot! Happy training, mate!

Barkadion wrote:Same here J-Madd introduced me to the TB world on Ross's forum. And I appreciate it a lot! Happy training, mate!

Thanks! JMadd seems to be racking up quite the hit count here.

Week 2, 80% (with 85% training max)
Bodyweight: 195 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs

Day 1: 5x5x165 BP; 3x3x210 DL
Day 2: SBike 9.35 miles, 30 mins
Day 3: 5x5x165 BP; 3x3x210 DL
Day 4: SBike 9.55 miles, 30 mins. After, threw in 6 bodyweight, deadhang pull-ups
Day 5: 5x5x165 BP; 3x3x210 DL
Day 6: Run, 7 miles, 55:25
Day 7: Rest

Milestone: The run on day 6 was the first sub-8:00 long run I've done in more than a year. It was a good 10 seconds per mile faster than last week's; it was on the same course; and actually the weather conditions were worse. I was pushing it a bit, yeah, but there's no doubt that the DLs are helping the running.

Notes: Some of the old aches and pains that heavy lifting inevitably finds starting making themselves known. They resolved themselves by the next workout--sometimes during the workout. I cut down on the number of warm-up sets this week, which turned out to be a bad idea; it took me longer to get into the groove with the work sets. The bodyweight, deadhang pull-ups on day 4 were a stupid mistake (especially inept because JMadd warned me not to do that). They gave me some back pain for a few days. I'm just going to stay away from pull-ups for this block. The Stationary Bike sessions were invigorating and not at all tiring; they're working well with this block. As I get more accustomed to high-frequency DLs, I may substitute recovery jogs for the SBike sessions ("recovery jog" = 1:30/mile slower than standard training pace).

Week 3, 90% (with 85% training max)
Bodyweight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs

Day 1: 5x3x185 BP; 3x2x235 DL
Day 2: Easy walk home from work, 16 mins
Day 3: 4x3x185 BP; 3x2x235 DL
Day 4: SBike 9.3 miles, 30 mins
Day 5: 6x3x185 BP; 5x2x235 DL
Day 6: Run, 8 miles, 1:10:00
Day 7: Rest

Milestone: I've never done six work sets of BP before, nor have I ever done five work sets of DL. But everything was clicking on day 5, so in the spirit of Operator I/A, I went for it, knowing I had a recovery week coming up.

Regression: Oh, I did pay for those extra sets, though: the run on day 6 was nearly 50 seconds slower per mile than last week's long run. No specific aches or pains; just deep heavy lifting fatigue overall. I was figuring on a significantly slower long run for a couple reasons. First, KBlack counsels the "easy week" conditioning principle especially during the 90/95% lifting weeks for a reason: those weights make heavy demands on the body. Yes indeed! Second, the SBike session on day 4 was difficult; I could sense that I was reaching my training limits.

Bodyweight note: Before starting this block I'd kept my weight steady at 194 lbs for at least a month. Since starting this block, I've gained a pound a week. I haven't drastically changed my diet.

Notes: I sensed some deep-down muscle soreness off and on throughout the week. In BP, the deep soreness was in the forearms and triceps; DL, the spinal erectors, right front hip, and right middle back. A scary moment on day 3: a bit of a twinge in the right groin during the second set of DL. I adjusted my stance wider for the third set, and no issues, and I didn't feel it at all on day 5. I'll be keeping the wider stance. Important: I sensed greater readiness in my body for day 5 than for day 3. There are probably several reasons for that, but one, I think, is having done some aerobic work on day 4. I've often found that even a little aerobic work the day before lifting helps prepare the body for it. I'll see if this bears out in further training.

Okay, this log is now officially caught up. We're going to real time and/or live updates after this post.

Next week: Recovery (3-1-3-1 pattern). Plan is to do some easy SE (probably 1x30), easy medium-length runs, and then a flexible-pace long run.

Week 4: Recovery (3-1-3-1 block pattern)
Bodyweight: 196 lbs

Day 1: SE 1x30 (with 16 different exercises)
Days 2-5: Easy walk to & from work, ~32 minutes total each day
Day 6: Run 6.28 miles, 56:14
Day 7: Run 5.11 miles, 42:26

Sick leave: On days 2-5 I was fighting off a minor sinus infection (I get 1-3 of these per year), so I kept things very easy. As is typical when I get sick, all the soreness in my body amplified. It had eased up by day 6.

Notes: I've tried 3x30, 3x40, etc., SE with 3 sets of only five or six exercises, but I much prefer a 1x30 with 15-18 different exercises. I experience fewer overuse pains, and I enjoy the variety. Important to note, though, is that every exercise I select for SE is somehow tuned to helping my running. Thus, one SE exercise I always include is a "runner's swing," in which I hold dumbbells in each hand and swing them alternately in straight lines, like I'm running, up to eyeball level and then back down. It's like anterior deltoid DB work except done with a swing and in alternation. Anyway, I sensed some lingering, deep muscle soreness in the deltoids, upper right back, and lower back from last week's heavy lifting.
Day 6's run was with a friend, and we kept things very easy, which was a good idea anyway since the first 5K was directly into a 20-25mph headwind.
For day 7's run, I let myself settle into "comfortably hard" pace, which is my default running pace. I sensed some soreness in the left hip flexor, which I'd strained in the past. It will probably just resolve itself.

Plan: With the overall fatigue I've been experiencing in this block so far, my plan is to switch to minimum sets in the second half of the block. We'll see how much of a difference that makes.

Week 5, 75% (with 85% training max)
Bodyweight: 197 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
TM = treadmill

Day 1: 3x5x155 BP, 3x3x200 DL
Day 2: Run, TM, 5 miles, 47:12
Day 3: 3x5x155 BP, 3x3x200 DL
Day 4: Run, TM, 5 miles, 46:22
Day 5: 3x5x155 BP, 3x3x200 DL
Day 6: Run, 7.2 miles total; 5 miles in 39:01; with warm up and cool down, 59:16
Day 7: Rest / 1 hour medium-duty yardwork

Notes: Day 1 BP was "snappy," as J-Madd would say: easy, solid, could have kept going. DL wasn't quite so snappy, but that's understandable because I ran two days in a row for the first time in a long time right before this barbell session.
Day 2 run was easy. Still a little soreness in the left hip flexor, but it eased up as the run continued.
On day 3, both BP and DL were snappy. In fact, DL was snappier than it had been in a long time. Very efficient, straightforward workout.
Day 4 run was easy and straightforward.
Day 5 was, interestingly, the "easiest" of the lifting days this week. Everything went smoothly (and it was 6:30 AM!).
The "fast 5 miles" workout on day 6 was both exhilarating and frustrating. It was wonderful because I could easily sense the strength in my legs from all this DL work I've been doing. The frustrating part was my own stupid fault: I had a double espresso in the morning, and I've long known that caffeine and running do NOT go together for me. Still, I was happy with the run.
The yardwork on day 7 caused some pain in my upper back, only on the right side. I have an old injury there that I have to watch out for. I'll try switching up shoulders when carrying around bags of leaves next time.

my apologies for my curiosity - do u suffer from some form of lower back pain/hip flexor tightness?

i am asking this because your BP vs DL ratio is somewhat out of whack - ie DL is low relative to BP. I had similar issues when I first started out as I had a legacy lower back injury, but I solved it by using sumo deadlifts to warm up (fires up the glutes); kettlebell swings (just throwing in a couple every now and then on "rest" days), and using some Original Strength resets (notably marching cross-crawls, crawls, and rolls).

I have been using a similar cluster of DL + Press of some variant, but I use a Fighter setup so I do need more sets within sessions. I suspect you could survive with less sets within sessions if you are in an Operator mode.

godjira1 wrote:my apologies for my curiosity - do u suffer from some form of lower back pain/hip flexor tightness?

i am asking this because your BP vs DL ratio is somewhat out of whack - ie DL is low relative to BP.

No worries--I appreciate your input. No, I don't sense any regular tightness in those areas, just the occasional soreness one expects. The explanation, I think, is much more boring: I have only been deadlifting for one year, and I have done benchpressing on and off for many, many years! So, there is a better "base" for my BP that I'm building on, I expect.