Member Introductions Thread

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Barkadion
Posts: 4674
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Barkadion »

ICBM09 wrote:Hello All!

I'm a 24 year old buck who has been silently perusing the forums for a while and finally decided to sign up so I can join in on the discussion. I'm starting a new TB block next week, so now I can post my logs for the community to see. I found TB via some Google search one night as I was trying to find programs for general strength and conditioning. I don't have any LEO/military background but I'm still interested in the enormous physical and mental benefits that come from improving the body across multiple fitness domains. Just your average desk jockey wanting to pursue elite levels of fitness!

I've been working out sporadically since 2014 and have run the gambit when it comes to programming: Starting Strength, Stronglifts, Garage Gym Athlete, Goruck preparation, Stew Smith, Barbell Medicine programming, triathlon training, "primal movement" programs, bodybuilding, Kinobody, bodyweight only, and even a TB block or two. As you may tell, I have a hard time sticking with a particular fitness goal and as a result I'm constantly hoping programs. I've been lucky to stick with the same program for longer than two weeks at times. While I may look like a fit guy, I know that my performance is lacking.

My desire is to not only be strong, but to be athletic as well. I've learned that bloating up and gaining a lot of weight to be able to increase your squat 1RM is miserable and doesn't translate well into the real world. So, I've been looking for a way to increase my strength as much as possible while still feeling fit and capable to tackle any situation. I want to know that I can defend myself and my family at any given moment, and I don't want my fitness to be a liability, I want it to be an asset.

I've read both books cover to cover multiple times and really connect with a lot of what KB has to say. His no BS approach to everything is incredibly refreshing. I like that this system is simple, repeatable, and very effective. I'm eager to begin my new block next week and actually get all the way through it!

So here's to finally committing to the process and pursuing my most fit self! Excited to start this journey alongside you all.
Welcome! Consistency always wins! Good luck.
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

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ICBM09
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:15 pm
Location: Birmingham, AL

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by ICBM09 »

Barkadion wrote:
Welcome! Consistency always wins! Good luck.
A lesson I've learned the hard way. I appreciate the encouragement!

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J-Madd
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 4:26 pm

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by J-Madd »

bull205 wrote: Thanks KB and J-MADD for all your work.
You're welcome, and thank you for giving these books a chance! Stay after it!

Ducky
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2018 10:35 pm

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Ducky »

Hello all,
33 year old looking to get into shape. No Military or LEO background. Never been physically active in the past (in fact been quite sedentary) so health and fitness is something new to me. Weight gain, chronic joint pain and aging is motivating me to start taking responsibility for my own health. I am looking forward to the challenge :) Living in a small rural town in Australia can get a little boring at times so why not use exercise to change that!
I am still waiting for my hard copies of TB 1 and 2 to arrive so I have been reading through kindle editions and trying to get my head around the material. By the look of things I might go with a pre-base build block as suggested by grouchyjarhead before hitting BB because my conditioning is pretty poor TBH. I should have my numbers soon when my gym membership goes through. Wish me luck everyone and looking forward to learning as much as I can from the awesome community here :)

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Barkadion
Posts: 4674
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Barkadion »

Ducky wrote:Hello all,
33 year old looking to get into shape. No Military or LEO background. Never been physically active in the past (in fact been quite sedentary) so health and fitness is something new to me. Weight gain, chronic joint pain and aging is motivating me to start taking responsibility for my own health. I am looking forward to the challenge :) Living in a small rural town in Australia can get a little boring at times so why not use exercise to change that!
I am still waiting for my hard copies of TB 1 and 2 to arrive so I have been reading through kindle editions and trying to get my head around the material. By the look of things I might go with a pre-base build block as suggested by grouchyjarhead before hitting BB because my conditioning is pretty poor TBH. I should have my numbers soon when my gym membership goes through. Wish me luck everyone and looking forward to learning as much as I can from the awesome community here :)
Good luck mate! Enjoy the journey!
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

VenomousCoffee
Posts: 2006
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 6:14 pm

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by VenomousCoffee »

Sitting here the day before the Thanksgiving, and I realized I never took the time to do one of these.

I've been posting a training log for a little while. But anyway, I'm 42 years old, 5'9 and 250 lbs. I'm a teacher, so completely sedentary at work and zero interest in joining LE or the military. I've been lifting since I was about 30, with a break of about a year when I didn't exercise at all, and then after that for about two years I was going to the gym but very casual about it all. I was probably about 36 when I quit, so it's been about two years that I've been lifting more seriously again like I did around 30. I quit for that spell because I'd just gotten worn out physically and mentally, because I was just constantly going all out at whichever thing I'd chosen to attack. Plus, the injury-type problems add up over the years; I remember thinking "I've run out of joints to work around" at the time I took that break, ha ha. So the last two years I've been 'lifting heavy and eating heavy.' I got to the point around July 4 that I deadlifted 585 x 3 and incline benched 275 x 7. But I couldn't deny that I also felt like crap.

I had tried a few times over the past year to get off that 'lift and eat' treadmill, but I kept falling into the same habits. Then I saw someone mention TB someplace else online. I bought the books on Kindle and happened to read them while I was at a conference in SoCal for work in mid-July. And the conference was the usual 'walk from hotel to meetings, walk to dinner at night' routine, and while I wasn't getting winded or anything, I hadn't walked like that multiple times a day in forever, and it kind of sucked. And then reading the books at night in the hotel room, I knew I needed to make a change. I started base building when I got home from the conference.

This is the first time I've ever followed a program like this and the first time I've stuck to a conditioning program for this long. (I also have asthma, so weights were always a more natural draw for me than running.) I think TB has worked for me for two reasons. One, base building is a key insight and probably the thing that really sells the program, in my mind. I can't stress enough how much better I feel now, just in general, after that jogging-type work in the summer. The other thing is that the program has a pretty clear model it's working from (as in, an abstract model of what you're working toward, e.g., SoF for some clusters and SWAT for others and so on). And having an abstract goal/plan has kept me focused a lot better than the phases of "you should eat less and run sprints occasionally" that I'd gone through on my own.

Take home lesson here for anyone reading this who hasn't started TB yet is definitely "old dogs, tricks, etc."

Rydo
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:06 pm

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Rydo »

Evening gents.

Signed up here last year but never got round to posting with heading off to sea shortly after. Should have a long stretch at home now from work so looking to start training as per TB methods and going to start a training log to keep me accountable!

Cheers

Trip
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:34 pm

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Trip »

Ok - formal introduction.

57 year old engineer. I live in NE Georgia. 6'4", 210#. I've spent the last couple of years mostly running without a great deal of progress and fighting recovery issues. I discovered TB a few months ago and have been working on implementation. I haven't done a great deal of BB work over the last couple of years except the occasional DL. I've been doing LP in the back squat and BP recently, grooving the moments with the goal of establishing maxes. I finished that this week so I will be starting % work next week using the Fighter template and SQ, BP & DB row.
After a hamstring pull during a 5k last month I decided to implement daily walking. My neighborhood and the surrounding area is quite hilly so that's a big plus. My intention is to walk 30 mins per day working towards 15 minute miles and adding E, SE & Fighter on top of that.
I started what I'm calling Apex Hill Jr 2 weeks ago - fast walk up a 0.20 mile hill followed by swings. I'm working up to 10 sets with the 20kg bell and when I finish that I will start back at 5 reps with the 24kg. bell. When I finish 10 sets with the 24 I will start running up the same hill starting back over with 5 sets.

So........

Sunday - 30 min walk
Monday - 30 min walk + 30 jog or 60 min walk
Tues - 30 min walk + Fighter
Weds - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Thurs - 30 min walk + Figher
Fri - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Sat - 30 min walk + 30 min jog or 60 min walk

We'll see how it goes. Right now I feel great. Good energy, recovery etc.
Comments welcome.

Cheers and thanks to all who contribute here and with the TB docs.

Bill

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Barkadion
Posts: 4674
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 3:09 am
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Barkadion »

Trip wrote:Ok - formal introduction.

57 year old engineer. I live in NE Georgia. 6'4", 210#. I've spent the last couple of years mostly running without a great deal of progress and fighting recovery issues. I discovered TB a few months ago and have been working on implementation. I haven't done a great deal of BB work over the last couple of years except the occasional DL. I've been doing LP in the back squat and BP recently, grooving the moments with the goal of establishing maxes. I finished that this week so I will be starting % work next week using the Fighter template and SQ, BP & DB row.
After a hamstring pull during a 5k last month I decided to implement daily walking. My neighborhood and the surrounding area is quite hilly so that's a big plus. My intention is to walk 30 mins per day working towards 15 minute miles and adding E, SE & Fighter on top of that.
I started what I'm calling Apex Hill Jr 2 weeks ago - fast walk up a 0.20 mile hill followed by swings. I'm working up to 10 sets with the 20kg bell and when I finish that I will start back at 5 reps with the 24kg. bell. When I finish 10 sets with the 24 I will start running up the same hill starting back over with 5 sets.

So........

Sunday - 30 min walk
Monday - 30 min walk + 30 jog or 60 min walk
Tues - 30 min walk + Fighter
Weds - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Thurs - 30 min walk + Figher
Fri - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Sat - 30 min walk + 30 min jog or 60 min walk

We'll see how it goes. Right now I feel great. Good energy, recovery etc.
Comments welcome.

Cheers and thanks to all who contribute here and with the TB docs.

Bill
Welcome, mate! I wish the best with your training.

BTW, I am about to do something similar to your AH J with my rucking. I have some hilly parts of the road close to my place. I want to march to the spot, do few rounds of upNdown the "hill" and march back with the 30lb.. I hope that the weather cooperates.

Cheers!
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky

Maxrip13
Posts: 1977
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 6:23 am

Re: Member Introductions Thread

Post by Maxrip13 »

Trip wrote:Ok - formal introduction.

57 year old engineer. I live in NE Georgia. 6'4", 210#. I've spent the last couple of years mostly running without a great deal of progress and fighting recovery issues. I discovered TB a few months ago and have been working on implementation. I haven't done a great deal of BB work over the last couple of years except the occasional DL. I've been doing LP in the back squat and BP recently, grooving the moments with the goal of establishing maxes. I finished that this week so I will be starting % work next week using the Fighter template and SQ, BP & DB row.
After a hamstring pull during a 5k last month I decided to implement daily walking. My neighborhood and the surrounding area is quite hilly so that's a big plus. My intention is to walk 30 mins per day working towards 15 minute miles and adding E, SE & Fighter on top of that.
I started what I'm calling Apex Hill Jr 2 weeks ago - fast walk up a 0.20 mile hill followed by swings. I'm working up to 10 sets with the 20kg bell and when I finish that I will start back at 5 reps with the 24kg. bell. When I finish 10 sets with the 24 I will start running up the same hill starting back over with 5 sets.

So........

Sunday - 30 min walk
Monday - 30 min walk + 30 jog or 60 min walk
Tues - 30 min walk + Fighter
Weds - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Thurs - 30 min walk + Figher
Fri - 30 min walk + Apex Hills Jr.
Sat - 30 min walk + 30 min jog or 60 min walk

We'll see how it goes. Right now I feel great. Good energy, recovery etc.
Comments welcome.

Cheers and thanks to all who contribute here and with the TB docs.

Bill

I just added a daily walk into my training and absolutely love it. Best thing I ever did for my health and recovery.

Good luck mate

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