10-20-20 01:29 PM - Post#903753    

Now with the virus exploding in the Northern hemisphere just as predicted, who’s hunkering in the bunker with a program? Here in SW WA/PDX we kicked off the US viral party and never let up. Just for giggles, we added in nightly protests. So with no race season this year, I’m taking my summer strength gains into the usual winter “off season” strength focus. Giant sacks of beans and rice, and all the kale the winter garden can produce. Keep that going until March then see if the world still exists.

Whether or not formal lockdowns return, sheltering in place as much as possible will probably be a good idea.

What are y’all planning? Getting jacked? Minimalist? Maintain? Try something new? Or stick to the old tried and true?

Re: Bunker Jacked Redux?
10-20-20 03:58 PM - Post#903759    

I'm really sorry to hear you had no race season.

We did pretty well in the UK on this front: the first track and field meetings happened 1st August, and once procedures were established every club was doing them, and they are still going on. And the last month has been "official trials" of wave based formats for road races; last weekend I watched 120 guys starting in waves of 12 (sadly, I was only the reserve ;-)), setting off 1 minute apart, having a really great inter-club 5k battle - everyone was decently spaced out after the first minute or two. My site actually takes a lot of the entries and does the results.

So far there is still virtually zero evidence of outdoor transmission, and despite rising waves of infection, we don't think sport has anything to do with it.

So, I'm looking forwards to a busy season of competition on the roads and XC. It will be different, but it will keep people motivated and keep some social interaction and team spirit going while people are pretty depressed about everything else...

Edited by Old Miler on 10-20-20 03:59 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

10-20-20 04:42 PM - Post#903765    

I'm fortunate enough to have a home gym that meets all of my needs. Well, I guess it's part good fortune, and part good saving and planning. Regardless, I'm doing Dan's 'Post Deployment Program' as I'm focused on healing some long term injuries. Like all of Dan's work it seems too sensible not to try. It's a lot of carries, OS work, and some basic lifts; one for each movement pattern.

So, to answer your original question that's my plan until the end of the calendar year.

my training log: What Mr. Kent is Doing Now

10-20-20 04:43 PM - Post#903766    

Likely the same thing I did last winter/early spring; DMPM and OS. If this tracks the same way the 1917-18 pandemic did I will need as strong an immune system as I can muster.

Since people are so much more "woke" now than a century ago I suspect that the second wave will be a hum-dinger. Since I'm sixty-four I might be able to qualify for a vaccine a bit sooner than is projected for the rest of Ohio, once they manage to produce a safe, effective one, that is.

10-20-20 06:57 PM - Post#903776    

The Post Deployment, for men, might be my best work. No substitutions, just do the damn thing as written.

It's easy until you do it.

Daniel John Just handing down what I was handed down... Make a Difference. Live. Love. Laugh. Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude) Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk. Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth. Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights. Reread great books. Say thank you

10-20-20 10:05 PM - Post#903780    

After ~seven months of A&A snatching the 32kg I'm following the original 10,000 swing program on days I don't ruck. Not necessarily shooting for 10,000 swings but will likely hit that number, as I'm swinging about four days a week.

Doing the 10, 15, and 25 swings with a 28kg and two, then three 28 kg presses each side after the first two swing sets. Then it's five presses each side with the 24kg and 50 24kg swings. Doing 500 swings daily and remembering why I loved that program when it came out!!

Just my 2¢

10-21-20 12:08 AM - Post#903782    

I turn 60 in January.
I am trying to get down around 190 by then.
And get my deadlift up around 325

10-21-20 10:14 AM - Post#903794    

• Upside Said:

The operative words here being "safe" and "effective." I'm a couple of years older than you (also in Ohio) and very much looking forward to a vaccine. But I have no interest in being first in line for a vaccine rushed to market in a politically charged environment. Myself, I might wait an extra month or two.

10-21-20 10:56 AM - Post#903798    

I'm 70 and definitely will NOT be a vaccine beta tester.

Current training mostly bodyweight using GMB Elements, starting week 5 tomorrow. I tweaked the programming a little, adding in on extra active recovery day so I can also add 1 day/cycle of A+A swings alternating sets w/ horizontal pullups. I have one shoulder that prohibits both snatches and vert pullups hence the swing/horiz pullup combo.

10-21-20 11:16 AM - Post#903800    

Nothing changes. I have my kettlebells, I go to Planet Fitness. a couple of days a week. Can run outside for now. I don't mind running in the cold, I just have ZERO patience for wind.

Still need to tighten up the diet. Ditching the alcohol for a month.

Hopefully with the increase in number of positives, the strain of the virus has weakened.

10-21-20 03:14 PM - Post#903809    

I really want to be race-fit when I hit 55 in late March, as there's a European masters mile champs in Portugal 3 days after my birthday. (Throws too, for anyone interested...)

However, I have a heel injury which will seriously limit running for a few weeks. So I think my priorities should be..
(a) get serious about diet, 6kg to lose
(b) do "some other cardio" (bike/row/swim) on days when I can get to the gym)
(c) do a KB complex or home circuit on other days.

Maybe one set of deadlifts weekly to maintain where I am now, while I diet down close to 2.0xBW

10-21-20 08:09 PM - Post#903823    

Around here, the trail races that interest me are pretty low key, family run affairs that rely a lot on volunteers. There’s also quite a bit of time consuming and frequently complicated permitting with multiple local authorities. When people are dying every day, races really aren’t that important. Let’s keep people safe first.

That said, I see a couple possibilities for next season.

One, a miraculous return to near normal. Perhaps America gets its act together from the federal top to regular folk and we control th spread. Vaccines become widely available and help a lot. A typical race calendar takes shape, and other than some new safety protocols, things progress as they should.

That’s the least likely, but hey, it could happen.

The flip side, and more likely, little or no racing happens because everything is too risky, or it’s impossible to plan far enough ahead. We’re on our own again..

Also possible is something in between. Maybe a couple races manage to go off, but it’s impossible to get in, perhaps due to deferrals from this year.

I’m already set on a winter strength focus as usual. The miserable winter weather here means I don’t have to make any big decision until March. By then hopefully we’ll have a better idea how big a mess we’re in.

At that point, do I:

Switch to an endurance season and just maintain strength? Do I do structured training for a race goal? Or just ride lots and try to find my own challenges?

Stick to a more balanced strength and endurance blend, like my 2+2+2? Wait again till the following year..

So far, things have unfolded pretty much the way the experts have said. So for the next four months it looks pretty bleak.

Stay safe y’all.

10-22-20 10:10 AM - Post#903837    

• vegpedlr Said:

I would do both of these! Ride lots, find your own challenges, but keep the strength. If you do not have it/have not read it, I think some of the stuff in Tactical Barbell might be of interest to you. Particularly the grunt/fighter template options.

And I'll just throw in my (frequent) plug for Dan's twice a week strength suggestions, found, e.g., here: https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/2-times-a-we ek-for-twice-the-gains

10-22-20 11:59 AM - Post#903848    

Brian, thanks for that DJ article. I’ve been seriously considering a two day program. After learning about TB here, I ran a plain vanilla Operator program for a couple months the past two winters as off season training.

As for roll your own challenges I’m at a bit of a loss since I’m ne to the area. The one idea I have is back to back circumnavigation of Mt. Hood, once on foot and once on bike. The run is straightforward, a forty-ish mile jaunt in the Timberline trail. The bike is trickier, since the t-line trail goes through so much wilderness area, no bikes. A multi day traverse is possible, but I ant something a bit shorter. Hmmm.

Bunker Jacked Redux?
10-22-20 02:26 PM - Post#903854    

At 74, fatigue management is becoming a bear. So, I might be forced to join you and Brian with something similar to Dan's two day routine. If so, I'll probably do easy sled work on a third.

If the gyms are allowed to stay open, I'll continue to train during off hours. Been having some fun with trap bar deadlifts lately and hitting some nice numbers. They're a lot easier on the spine than conventionals. So, I might stick with them 'til the end of the year to see if I can set some PRs.

Since early summer, there have been a surprising number of powerlifting meets within two hours of my home, and my mates are rumbling about putting a team together for a comp next year. They'll surely need a representative for the age 75+ division. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

If forced to isolate again, I'll again become a Garage Gorilla. That will mean no trap bar, squat rack, or spotters. Will go back to the circuit training routines I had success with during the shutdown. Lost some strength, but conditioning was awesome.

Be strong. Be in shape. Be a man among men, regardless of your age or circumstances.

Edited by AAnnunz on 10-22-20 02:49 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.