February 01, 2012 - Extra Workout & February 02, 2012 - ME UB

Got a lot on my mind as of late.

For starters, I was incredibly sore after Tuesday’s workout. Hamstring scar tissue was acting up and my upper back was sore to the touch. Nothing rest, recovery work and food can’t handle.

I think I now know why my deadlifting didn’t go so well that workout. The 12” block pull and my pull off the floor are too similar. Instead of going for a max deadlift once a cycle, it’s twice a cycle and that is far too frequent. I’m going to count that 12” block pull session as my “max deadlift attempt” for that cycle in order to allow more time to get recovered for my real attempt. Also, upon realizing the absolute beating wide grip rdls laid down on my hamstrings, glutes and upper back, I’m going to be doing a deadlift supplementary exercise every ME LB workout. I feel them way more than gms and I find risks outweigh the benefits with them.

As I mentioned last time, I’ve been talking with Jenkins about overhead training. It is my worst “static” event (along with deadlift) and Jenkins is kind of good at it. As far as my typical training, I like to keep both axle and log in my routine to have a constant familiarity with them. Jenkins suggestions that I drop the one if it is not in a contest. In this case, it would mean do log. One day of log clean and press (as well as rack push press work) and another day of strict pressing with supplemental exercises. A change from three gym workouts and events to four gym workouts and events. The clean and press day would actually be the event specific pressing day. I am concerned my recovery will take a hit and it would require me to move my lifting days around to accommodate it. If I do make the changes, it will be starting next week.

Finally, the events for the Orlando Plat Plus are listed. Well most of them are. Really the big “IF” for me is what the opening/starting weight is going to be for the last man standing axle. 300lbs to 310lbs range would leave the door open for me. I feel I can do the farmer’s walk now, a few weeks to get used to a heavy and a few sessions to get used to higher rep stone stuff. The big plus is that there isn’t a deadlift event. On the downside, I don’t have much access to circus dumbbells and the weight is up 20lbs from last year. I’m really out of practice with circus dumbbell but since it is so heavy, I won’t have to worry about much in the way of reps. Another issue is actually body weight related. That may be a problem with the medley on the last day which is going to be 875lbs not including the sled weight. I’ll make a definite decision once all of the details are released. On to my workouts.

February 01, 2012 - Extra Workout

Walking - 32.5 minutes

Band Face Pulls
IW#1'sx100

Band Press Downs
IW#1'sx100

Band Straight Arm Lat Pulls
IW#1'sx100

Comments: Scar tissue in my left hamstring was acting up a lot and my upper back was just beyond tender. Walking felt good though. Waited until later at night for the bands.

February 02, 2012 - ME UB

Dynamic Warm-ups

Reverse Band 12” Log Push Presses w/ IW#3’s dbl
No Bands
90x5
90x5
130x3
160x3
Add Bands (-185lbs)
190x3
220x3
250x1
280x1
310x1
340x1
370x1
390x0
390x1

Close Grip Barbell 4-Board Presses
215x12
245x12
275x12 PR+25lbs
305x12 PR+55lbs

Seated Overhead Cable Triceps
80x12
95x12
110x12
125x9 PR+5lbs

34 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: I feel this workout went better than Tuesday. Haven’t done reverse band log work in a while and when I did, it was jerks and not push pressing. Used a lot of band assistance to really overload the top of the lift. Little bit of a double dip on the second attempt with 390lbs. I wanted it and I wasn’t going to stop. Went on to do 4-board work. I haven’t done higher reps on these in a long time so I was very happy to be making quick work with 55lbs more than I’ve done in the past. Cable triceps went well. Some other guys who lift at the Y had switched over from doing skull crushers to the cable triceps setup and they actually came up with a better linking system than I had so I switched to that. Much easier to setup. Lot of hamstring stretching.