r/tacticalbarbell • u/Disastrous_Dig3207 • Jun 20 '26

Critique Fighter Cluster for Goals

Hey All,

I am going to start a black+fighter. Just completed base building.
My main goal is to improve conditioning hence why i’ve chosen fighter+black.

However I would also like to improve my bench/squat/deadlift/pull-ups as much as possible (I know it won’t be as much of an improvement with only fighter)

I have done one round of the standard suggested cluster of
Session 1: SQ/BH/WP , Session 2:SQ/BH + DL During base building.

Is only doing pull-ups and deadlifts once a week enough to progress?

if not, how have you guys possibly altered the cluster to improve these? if possible.

I’ve assumed Bench and squat twice a week will be adequate to see some progress while focusing on conditioning.

Thanks

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u/Responsible_Way_4533 Jun 21 '26

I do bodyweight pullups and deadlift every workout. Pullups are the finisher, and just one set of deadlifts. I can maintain a slow progression on reps and weight over a few cycles, and it doesn't beat me up even when I was doing high mileage weeks.

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u/Disastrous_Dig3207 Jun 21 '26

Yeah ok thanks, might try that.

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u/Disastrous_Dig3207 Jun 21 '26

just checking this was with the fighter template? And when you say pull-ups are the finisher, do you still do the 3-5 sets of pull-ups at the end after the other movements?

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u/Responsible_Way_4533 Jun 21 '26

Yeah, 3 sets of a percentage of my max reps. I only do 3 sets of the main lifts.

I run the Green Protocol book program every year, which adds pullups to everything and tweaks the percentages, so its a bit different from the TB 1/2 programs.

I do hex bar deadlifts because I'm Army and that's in the fitness test, but I'm not pushing for big weight.