TacticalBarbell.com

I'm posting this to keep me on track/accountable when I inevitably start to waver at some stage as I have done with other programs in the past

Current one rep max:
1. Bench Press 95 kg
2. Squat 70 kg
3. Deadlift 68 kg
4. Weighted chin up 12 kg

I will carry out the operator program:
Bench Press 4 x 5 reps
Squat 4 x 5 reps
Weighted chin up 4 x 5 reps
Deadlift 1 x 5 reps

Combine that with:
2 x HIC sessions
1) Meat eater - anaerobic (5 x 100 metre sprints working with 16kg KB - working up to 10 sprints and increasing KB
weight)
2) GC 1 - 1 round of burpee's building up to 3 over time
1 x LSS running - 7 mile run

I am hopeful that I will eventually achieve the following:
1) To be able to squat/bench/deadlift 150% of my current body weight (87kg) - 130 kg and to be able to chin up 50% of my body weight - 42.5 kg

2) To be able to complete and improve - burpee's for the mentally disturbed and Duka-Duka from the Tactical barbell conditioning book

I will post my progress once a week and will follow this program for a minimum of one year

Week 1

Day 1/3/6
Squat 4 sets/5 reps @ 50 kg
Weighted chin ups 4 sets/5 reps @ 7.5 kg
Bench press 4 sets/5 reps @ 67.5 kg
Deadlift 1 set/5 reps @ 47.5 kg
Hanging straight leg raises 3 sets of 12 reps

Day 2
LSS Run 7.1 miles 71 min 40 sec (av hbpm 147)

Day 4
GC 1 - 1 round 82 reps

Day 5
Indoor power intervals (unable to train outside) 2 min run/3 min rest for 5 sets
Set 1/2/3 16 kph @ 1%
Set 4/5 17 kph @ 2%

Hanging straight leg raises 10 reps s/s 12 kg one arm KB swings 10 reps for 5 sets

All done some stiffness day after conditioning which we’ll hopefully reduce as I adapt

Week 2

Day 1/3/6
Squat 4 sets 55 kg for 5 reps
Weighted chin up 4 sets 10 kg for 5 reps
Bench Press 4 sets 75 kg for 5 reps
Deadlift 1 set 55 kg for 5 reps
Hanging straight leg raise 3 sets for 12 reps

Day 2
Meateater - 100 metre sprint + 10 lh 16 kg KB swing/10 rh 16 kg KB swing - 5 reps
50 lying leg raises

Day 4
GC 1 - 86 burpee's (3 min/3min/2min/2min/1min)
10 hanging straight leg raises s/s 20 16kg KB swings

Day 5
LSS run 7.15 miles an hbpm 142 1 hour 9 minutes 5 secs

Weights feel good, LSS felt better this week, GC 1 was tough

Week 3

Day 1/3/5
Squat 4 sets/3 reps @ 62.5 kg
Weighted chin up 4 sets/5 reps @ 11.25 kg
Bench press 4 sets/3 reps @ 85 kg
Deadlift 1 set/3 reps @ 60 kg
Hanging straight leg raises 3 sets/12 reps

(Bench press is the only one that felt anywhere near max)

Day 2 (supposed to be easy HIC but went to boxing gym for an hour and did combination of skipping/shadow/bodyweight circuit/bag work/body sparing/weighted circuit) lacked some endurance but importantly enjoyed it

Day 4
AM 3.15 mile LSS av hbpm 146 30 mins
PM Boxing gym (as above)

Day 6/7 will be rest days

Week 4

Day 1/3/5
Squat 55kg/5 reps for 4 sets
Weighted chin up 10 kg/5 reps for 4 sets
Bench Press 72.5 kg/5 reps for 4 sets

20 kg KB swings (30 sec) s/s Plank (30 sec) for 10 sets

Day 2/4
AM 30 min LSS run (3.2 miles)
PM Boxing (skip/bodyweight circuit/bags/body spar/weighted circuit) mixture of HIC/SE

1. Left out deadlift this week as pushed for time and wanted to get short core circuit at the end of session
2. Weights felt solid - no stiffness the following day therefore able to train twice (Day 2/4)
3. AM LSS run leaves plenty in tank for PM boxing

Day 6/7 will be rest

Week 5

Day 1/5/7 (85%)
Squat 60 kg/5 reps for 4 sets
Weighted chin up 10 kg/5 reps for 4 sets
Bench Press 80 kg/5 reps for 4 sets

KB swings @20kg for 30 seconds/Plank for 30 seconds for 10 sets

Day 2/4
AM LSS Run 3.2 miles in 30 minutes (av hbpm approx 135)
PM Boxing training 1 hour (Skipping/Shadow/Body weight circuit/body spar/heavy bag/weighted circuit)

Mistakenly performed 5 reps (should have been 3) but they all feel solid so don't feel too bad at deviating slightly

Have also deviated from initial plan of 2 HIC/1 LSS per week, not overthinking this the 30 minute LSS doesn't make me feel overtrained for boxing and the hour boxing is a mixture of (E, GC, SE, HIC) so feel I'm getting benefit anyway

Quick question - nearing end of 6 week block weights have felt good and therefore looking to do test day, reading the book it mentions taking a couple of days off from any training with any intensity.

Which I think means taking a week off from Operator Program doing some maintenance then starting Operator the following week with new numbers ?

I can't see how I can incorporate with other commitments or anyone just drop a session off Operator that week, I know it doesn't make a great deal of difference in the long run just curious what works best in people's experience

For me in the past, when I was planning on testing my 1RMs, I would just take an easy week of lifting. Normally I would work out Mon/Wed/Thu/Sat back then, so I wouldn't lift Mon or Wed, then test it on Thursdays, then resume lifting the next Monday. I wouldn't deviate from my other training at the time (I was training in Kyokushinkai three times a week), just from strength training.

Me now, using the TB philosophy, I would use the same idea but take the whole week as a recovery week just to take things easy from training in general. Then, starting that next Monday, start using my new template with a training max. If using a training max before, that's what I'd start with to test my new 1RM (e.g. if my true 1RM was 300 and my training max was 270, I'd use 270 to see how many reps I could get).

Great thanks appreciate your advice..i'll finish the 6 week block take a recovery week incorporate a test day then start my next block. Good advice on what weight use for test day too. Thanks

Week 6

Day 2/4/6
Squat 67.5 kg@3 reps for 4 sets
Weighted chin up 11.25 kg@3 reps for 4 sets
Bench press 90 kg@2 reps for 4 sets

16 kg KB swings for 30 secs/plank 30 sec for 10 sets

Day 3/5
LSS Run 3.2 miles 29m30s av hbpm 135

Leg raises 10/ab roller 10/dorsal raise10/jack knives 10 for 3 sets

Took this week as easy conditioning wise, weights felt good only bench press feels anywhere near maximum

Operator program has felt good have never felt over trained which had enabled me to do some conditioning without being tired/stiff as have been in the past with other programs

Test week next week will get back on conditioning take easy week weights wise