Tactical Barbell Base Building

Straight after spin I had a workout.

Both sessions were performed fasted.

Training fasted has become a shit ton easier over the last few months.

Been using the BDW principles lately just going with how I feel on any given day.

Iā€™ve lately been feeling a little out my comfort zone as Iā€™ve started a new gym and the clientele is freaking me the fuck out

I feel old and disenfranchised to a certain degree.

Gym culture sickens me right now to be brutally honest.

Also been doing a lot of thinking about where Iā€™m going with this shit again

I started this log with a clear aim in mind however Iā€™m now off the path. Iā€™ve went back to monotonous gym lifting and itā€™s doing nothing for me.

Having a child on the way has also made me re-evaluate things. I think that Iā€™m going to go back to Tactical Barbell and run another base building block. It will likely be the most accessible option when my good woman pops this baby out.

Would be good to hear some input from folk as I have his feel Iā€™m coming to a crossroads with my training.

Hey man - I apologize; I should have discovered your log a long time ago.

In your last post you were struggling a little, but itā€™s been a few weeks and you mentioned you found some PPL you like.

Howā€™s it going? Back on track?

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No worries mate. Thanks for popping in.

I was inspired by our last chat a while back regarding training on the fly and doing whatever you felt like on any given dayā€¦

At this point itā€™s all about taking the stress out of the whole process.

Not becoming locked into a rigid program and going into panic mode if I miss a lift or donā€™t get an extra rep.

If I want to go for a run, I go for a run.

If I want to cycle then I take a spin class.

If I want to hit 100 chins then GTF our the gymā€¦

Just doing something and enjoying the processā€¦

Regardless Iā€™ve been hitting the cardio hard while lifting 4 times a week, following a push pull template.

Day 1 Push is mostly strength based whereas day 2 focuses more on myo reps/rest pause. Pull days follow the same format

Itā€™s more a low volume approach, focusing more on intensity. Iā€™m in the gym for 40 minutes at most.

I take 4/5 spin classes a week with the odd run thrown in.

Overall itā€™s a fun style of training and it fits into my lifestyle which as you can imagine, is pretty hectic at this point.

Physique goals are ticking along I suppose however have kind of took a back seat with regards to nutrition. Moving house has meant eating on the hop however the cardio has kept fat gain at bay.

Have been logging all my lifts on the Strong app so havenā€™t felt the need to log up on here.

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Thatā€™s awesome and Iā€™m glad to hear it.

I think thereā€™s a lot to be said for just doing what you feel like - this is supposed to be enjoyable. And we all have real life stuff we have to do, so, like you said, getting too hung into a program isnā€™t realistic anyway. Although I have never, ever, felt like going on a run or doing 4 or 5 spin classes a week - good on ya!

Youā€™re looking pretty lean! If all the cardio is doing that for you and you can be looser with your diet, I may need to switch things up! I hate being real strict on my diet and I am very willing to change my gym stuff around to being more cardio-based.

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Cheers my man

Cardio has been a game changer for me over the last 2 years. More or less with regards to how it actually makes me feelā€¦

Lifting makes you look good.

Cardio makes you feel good.

I love lifting and all however when do you actually feel the fruits of your labours? When youā€™re moving house or moving a cupboard from room to room? Big wow man!

Or when youā€™re getting those warm, fuzzy feels from admiring your physique?

I understand that I need the ā€˜lookā€™ per say as I work in the fitness industry and I believe you need to look like you train however once I got that cardio ā€˜highā€™, I knew I was into something.

Rambling a bit now mate however I would strongly advise you work some cardio into your regime over the next few weeks.

Go for a 30 minute run. Forget about distance. Do it for time

Keep the HR between 130-150

Above 150? Slow down

Below 130? Speed up

Let your HR regulate your effort and intensity.

Let me know if you go for it mate. Would be good to hear!

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Thanks for that. I definitely will up my cardio game.

I actually used to be (I love how all old dudes ā€œused to be awesome,ā€ and now Iā€™m telling my own stories) really fit. We just had to be pretty high endurance for work.

I Definitely would like to feel more fit, I just need to get into it. Running is tough for me. I blame injuries, but itā€™s just as likely I suck at it because I donā€™t do it. To your point, if I just ā€œmoveā€ for time it will probably take care of itself. I did a bunch of elliptical and things like that to lose weight, and hated it, but thatā€™s because those things arenā€™t fun.

Sooooo - thanks for the advice and Iā€™ll dig into it more! Iā€™m going to google some old-man basketball leagues right now!

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Still training hard.

No set plan right now however.

Subscribing to the laissez faire style of training known as ā€˜Whatevsā€™, named by my man @TrainForPain.

Also known as Anything>Nothing, christened by @TriednTrue

Been hammering the spin classes as of late, mostly due to earning some hard cash. Theyā€™re a money maker for sure and you get a good workout as well.

500kcals burnt on average.

Working out 4/5 times a week as well however going to have to reign it in as Iā€™m feeling tired as shit right now

Todayā€¦

Shoulder press - myo reps

Hack Squat - kept increasing weight and doing sets of 10 until I couldnā€™t do any more said sets of ten(thanks for that one @TrainForPain

Incline Bench - Same as above

That was all I could muster up today. Had done a spin class before hand

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Welcome back to your log!

Good stuff on the spin classes - killers for sure.

I like working up to a heavy weight and just being done. It keeps me realistic on my jumps because I donā€™t want to have to be done. That way, I get some volume in and I fatigue before I go too heavy.

Weā€™re going to have a whole club of folks who do whatever they want (which is probably not what we want to be known for, but you know what I mean). A more hardcore generation would call it ā€œno excusesā€.

Anyway, great stuff!

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Exactly mate.

Stress should come from bringing up kids and getting your new house decorated under the watchful eye of the wifešŸ˜‚

Not through lifting or keeping fit. Thatā€™s meditation time!

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Deadlift - worked up to a set of 3

Lat Pulldown - worked up to a set of 6

Seated row - worked up to a set of 8

Preacher Curl - worked up to a set of 8

3 x 45 minute spin classes

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Front Squat 3 x 12

Bench Press 3 x 12

Shoulder Press 3 x 12

Tricep Pushdown 3 x 12

2 x Spin Classes

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Romanian DL 3 x 12

Chin ups 3 x 12

T Bar Row 3 x 12

Bicep Cable Curl 3 x 12

1 x Spin Class

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You definitely have written the book in here on straight-to-the-point sessions.

P.S. 3 x 45-minute spin classes + lifting in a day is absolutely disgusting. Nice work!

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Iā€™ve been lagging on the log here, but physique is looking good man. I agree with TfP, 3 x spin classes and then lifting?? Impressive.

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Hah just trying to keep the log ticking over mate. I thought it would be better to fire in the workouts at least as opposed to nothing at all.

Those 3 classes were not a choice mate. Iā€™m in full hunter gatherer mode right now and need every penny I can get, even if itā€™s at the expense of muscleā€‹:joy::joy:

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Cheers buddy. The grind is strongšŸ‘

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Incline Bench 3 x 12

DB Shoulder Press 3 x 12

Leg press 1 x 12, 2 x 10

Tricep pushdown 3 x 15

Iā€™ve decided to concentrate on volume over the next few weeks.

Work up to 4 x 12 before increasing weight

Probably working at 65-75% 1rm on all lifts

Tracking volume meticulously

4 days a week, no more. Doing way too much cardio to go any higher.

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Leg Curl 3 x 12

Back Extension 3 x 12

Lat Pulldown 3 x 12

Seated Row 3 x 12

Bicep Curl 3 x 12

30 minute run on treadmill

Do your ever superset leg curls with back extensions or dumbbell RDLs? Fierce.

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