January 31, 2016 – Week 2, Day 4

Dynamic Warm-ups

Paused Front Squats (2 second pauses)
No Pauses
45x10
95x5
95x5
145x3
145x3
195x1
195x1
Added Pauses
245x5
245x5
245x5

6” Trap Bar Block Pulls
No Straps
170x5
280x3
370x1
Added Straps
420x1
480x1
530x1
585x1
585x3
585x2

Deadlifts (straps)
245x1
335x1
405x1
465x5

Uphill Sled Pulls
605x75 seconds (3 runs)
605x75 seconds (3 runs and some change)
605x75 seconds (3 runs and some change)

Neutral Grip Pull-ups
bw+30x8
bw+30x8
bw+30x8

Ab Wheel
bwx7
bwx7
bwx7

33 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Normal I have a day of rest before this one but I wanted to get back to a normal schedule so again I lift. A bit warmer out today so a bit of the snow has melted. Still a ton of it. Started things off with paused front squats. These went better this week. No leg soreness but still tougher than I’d like these to be. On to block pulls with the trap bar. At Max Fitness so I had my wooden platforms to use for block pulls. No worry of crushing them really. Took the lessons I learned from last session with the trap bar and applied them here. Goal was to do a single, a triple and then a double with the working weight. Single went up kind of rough so I knew I had to be ready for the triple. Actually went up way better than expected. Had another two in me a feel. Then it got tough again on the double. By this point, I was trying to move things along as I was going to attempt the exergenie again. But first, more deadlifts. Less sets and just singles up to the working weight. Again, attempting to not fatigue my lower back any more than I have to while getting ready for the pulls. Very much the same as last week here. Attempting to make the weight as inert as possible. I went outside to try using the exergenie again. After five failed attempts (it kept jamming) it was home to let off some steam doing sled drags up the driveway. I added weight to last week’s working weight and prepared for the leg destruction. The attachment from the sled to the harness was a bit too short but didn’t matter. Tough but I wasn’t a mess like I was at the end of it like last week. Over to the Y for the last two exercises. I knew the pull-ups were going to be tough after the rope stuff. Even knowing what was coming, it was still pretty tough. Ab wheel to finish off the workout and home to stretch.

January 30, 2016 – Week 2, Day 3

Dynamic Warm-ups

Barbell Strict Presses
45x10
85x5
85x5
125x3
125x3
165x1
165x1
205x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1
240x1

Close Grip Barbell Bench Presses
45x10
95x5
95x5
145x3
145x3
195x1
195x1
245x1
290x3
290x3
290x10

Super Set: Dumbbell Trap 3 Raises/Cybex Dual Axis Rear Delts
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15

Straight Arm Pulldowns
120x15
120x15
120x15

30 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Last day with the workouts a day off. Slept a good 12 hours. I think I just need to stay awake and moving so that the aches, pains, fatigue and soreness don’t catch up to me haha. My shoulders were aching like crazy today. Strict pressing for singles for lots of sets. Added another single in to warm-up. I wanted to make sure my form was on point and then the working weight wouldn’t be such a shock to the system. Little more weight this time. Difficulty was really fluctuating from set to set. I’d say the second and last set felt the best really. Arms weren’t tight like last time but upper back quite sore (now on my left side). Close grip work after that. More sets for warm-up but lighter weights used. Seemed to do just the trick as the working weight felt easier this time. Excitement was high unracking the weight of the last set. Very close to PR territory on the max rep set. Got to remember that I’m using a closer grip than in the past on these. Right hamstring cramped up real good on the last rep. Upper back superset darn near killed me this time. First set was somewhat easy but the difficulty increased drastically and I was feeling it in the last two sets. Had to stop once on the machine the third set and twice on the fourth set. Perhaps I was trying to not overdo it like last week. Into the straight arm pulldowns after that. No issues in my lats or triceps this time. Got a bit tougher each set but better than last time for sure. Stretched and then home.

January 28, 2016 – Week 2, Day 2

Dynamic Warm-ups

Keg Tosses (15’7”)
half kegx6 (11 attempts)
half kegx6 (6 attempts)
half kegx6 (7 attempts)
half kegx6 (6 attempts)

Axle Cleans
116x5
160x3
190x1
210x1
230x3
230x3
230x3

Hatfield Overload Squats
180x5
180x5
280x3
280x3
380x1
380x1
460x1
555x3
555x3
555x3

Sandbag Carry and Load Over Bar (55”) (turns at 20’)
200x3x40’
200x3x40’
200x3x40’

Nordic Leg Curls (5 second negatives)
bwx4
bwx4
bwx4

Kneeling Cable Abs
170x12
170x12
170x12

31 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: One week down but really, it is seeing how I do after a week’s worth of work has been piled on. I was feeling pretty beat from the day before. Lower back pretty stiff still and left side of my upper back was painfully sore. Same as last week in that I went home, then to the gym, back home and then back to the gym. The snow did complicate things a bit. Below freezing keg tosses in the snow. Had to have the keg toss setup in the front yard and dig some of the snow out so I could put the yoke there. My first set was much like my first set last week as far as misses and gets. The keg kept getting snow on it and with the impact from the toss, it was getting packed on it haha. Better on the other three sets as I got all but one of my tosses out those. I was able to film these as I was able to get more light in the front yard. I will say I wasn’t as beat as last week from these. To the gym and on to axle cleans. Little more weight this week. I tested out doing a false grip on the axle to see if that would put less stress on the biceps. It does but I have less control of the bar and as a result, I have to pull it up harder. Felt it a lot more in my lower back and just felt harder to pop under the bar for the last bit to get it to the shoulders. I did this style for the first two sets of working weight and then went back to how I was doing it and it felt a lot better. Guess I’m sticking with that style then. Hatfields up next. I meant to do this weight last week. Just keeping this here as a baseline. Still feels heavy but I feel it moved a little better this time. Upper back soreness and tight lower back probably didn’t help. My right hamstring right behind the knee got sore after the second work set, so I was thinking about it on the third set. Just in my head. Home for more event training. Sandbag work again. Same as last week. I knew what to expect this time and I think I was about 10 seconds faster overall on my runs compared to last week. Only really felt the fatigue by the last set. Back in the car to the gym to finish up. Nordic leg curls again. I felt I had better control on the negatives this time. Definitely feeling these in my hamstrings. Abs were pretty decent as well. I attempted to keep upright as possible to really work the abs. Stretched and home for meatloaf. Man my knees were sore after this and I really needed sleep and meatloaf.

January 27, 2016 – Week 2, Day 1

Dynamic Warm-ups

Axle Clean and Jerks (one clean)
72x5
72x5
116x3
116x3
160x3
160x3
195x1
225x1
255x3
255x3
255x3

Seated Axle Lockouts (6” ROM)
255x1
305x1
355x2
355x2
355x4 PR+1 rep & 5lbs

Incline Barbell Bench Presses
45x10
95x5
95x5
135x3
135x3
185x1
185x1
225x1
265x3
265x3
265x6

Band Pull A-parts
LBx12
LBx12
LBx12
LBx12

Super Set: Paused Floor Dumbbell Extensions/Dumbbell Hammer Curls
40’sx14/50’sx12
40’sx14/50’sx12
40’sx14/50’sx12

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: The weather has kind of thrown things a bit off track as far as the workout schedule. Still feeling the last workout in my back and legs. Started off with axle clean and jerks like last week. I realize that my technique would be different if I was prepping for a rep event here so I’m not too concerned about how long I’m taking with my setup on the initial pull. Better this week (mostly). It is hard to make a lighter weight feel like a max weight with the explosive nature of the clean. Time will tell, this cycle just started but it will be a short one. I’m not sure what happened with the last one but I must have been thinking too much as I short changed the second pull of the clean which lead me to having to catch the bar in a much lower rack position. Threw me off a bit and made that last set quite a bit tougher than it should have been. Rack work from there. I figured this would be easier this go around since I would have been testing it last week (at least that is usually how partials work for me haha) but not the case. I did minimal warm-ups and got into the work sets. Heavy, I missed the first attempts on every set and had to regroup. Really had to push for that last max rep set. Deep ache in my body from these. Got to push it on these if I want to be anywhere close to attempting this weight at the show. Incline after this. I felt my form was smoother this time, focusing on keeping my shoulders and upper back tight and tucking my elbows. I may have rushed things on the max rep set as the bar kept drifting down my chest and it made it even tougher to lockout the weight (still the hardest part). Matched my best but I feel I should be better than that. Band pull aparts were my active rest from incline to the arm work. Difficulty kind of fluctuated. I really tried to feel the muscles doing the work here. Arms to finish off the day. Same weight, just more reps. These actually felt easier than last time so I was kind of checking to see if someone had switched the weights on me.

January 25, 2016 – Week 1, Day 4

Dynamic Warm-ups

Paused Front Squats (2 second pauses)
No Pauses
45x10
95x5
95x5
145x3
145x3
195x1
195x1
Added Pauses
245x5
245x5
245x5

6” Trap Bar Block Pulls
No Straps
155x5
245x3
335x1
425x1
Added Straps
475x1
515x1
565x1
605x1

Deadlifts (straps)
135x1
225x1
315x1
385x1
455x5

Uphill Sled Pulls
585x75 seconds (3 runs)
585x75 seconds (3 runs)
585x75 seconds (2 runs and some change)

Neutral Grip Pull-ups
bw+30x7
bw+30x7
bw+30x7

Ab Wheel
bwx7
bwx7
bwx7

36 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Crazy last few days. Hard to prepare for a snow storm that drops record snow. Haven’t seen this much snow in about 20 years here. Really put a damper on training haha. Heck of a workout shoveling it. No work today because of it as the city really has nowhere to put it. Meant I could do an earlier workout. Started things off with paused front squats. Didn’t feel bad warming up but then I got to the work sets. Legs were immediately sore and these were the toughest they’ve been in a long time. Had to move fast though. trap bar block pulls were next. Used step blocks to elevate the bar. Not ideal and I felt bad for the steps with the weight I was using. Lower back a tad toasted from all the shoveling the previous two days. Goal for the workout was to do near max triple. 565lbs didn’t feel like my limit so I went up more. Unfortunately, I felt like I was going to blow chunks strapping into the bar. First rep flew up so I was truly shocked when I couldn’t get a second rep. Stupid. On to regular deadlifts from the floor. Tried to minimize warm-ups here. All the good bars with knurling were in use so I just did singles and used my straps. Stiff bars, which are probably ok for this cycle. Top set felt fine at the start but about halfway through I was fighting to keep my nutrients down. Home to do truck pull simulations. The plan was to do these with the exergenie I bought but it was not to be. Had to use my driveway due to all the snow so I couldn’t go a full length (60’) for the cord. Then it got wet and jammed up. Couldn’t even budget 9lbs of resistance (I was shaking both anchor points trying to move). Plan B was doing a sled drag up the driveway. Not ideal but it will do. Plan here was to do as many runs as I could in 75 seconds. I had to have someone keep time and someone take the leader rope. The uphill nature would cut down on the amount of weight I needed and it would make it easier to reset. The weight wasn’t too tough but the work was. I was not recovering even with the five minute breaks. By the end, I just had to sit down. Needed to get sugar in me. Legs were jelly but back to the gym to finish up the workout. Pull-ups were a bit tougher than I would have liked but considering the upper body work of the rope pulling, it’s not that bad. Ab wheel was nice way to stretch out my hips and abs. Workouts are going to be a bit off getting back on track.

January 22, 2016 – Week 1, Day 3

Dynamic Warm-ups

Barbell Strict Presses
45x10
85x5
85x5
125x3
125x3
165x1
205x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1

Close Grip Barbell Bench Presses
45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x3
275x3
275x12

Super Set: Dumbbell Trap 3 Raises/Cybex Dual Axis Rear Delts
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15
10’sx12—90x15

Straight Arm Pulldowns
120x15
120x15
120x15

32 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: On paper this workout didn’t seem to be too tough. Impending snow storm made getting through the workout quick and back home a priority, especially since the snow started a good five hours earlier than it was supposed to. Barbell strict presses to start things off. Pretty much the same deal as last cycle as I was doing for push presses. Lots of singles with short rests. My anterior deltoids were not liking even the bar for warm-ups. Stuff felt slow and sluggish. Not a matter of getting the numbers, just how easy they felt. Left wrist was a tad achy on these warming up. The actual working sets went well. Good power. Arms and chest felt really tight on these. Next was close grip bench press. Pretty easy weight and I was more concerned with warming up in a way that would get me ready but not tire me out. Two sets of three followed by a max rep set. I wasn’t sure on how many reps I’ve done with 275lbs before but I kind of felt like I needed to hit a dozen. Felt really light on that last set and things were going well until the tenth rep when I grazed the pins and it threw me off. I had to reposition my legs in a non-optimal stance which made it really tough to get another two reps. Without that issue, I think I had another rep there. Upstairs for the upper back superset again. I had thought this would be changed but nope haha. As I expected, this was tough again. I didn’t have to stop on any of the sets but my upper back and triceps were incredibly sore by the end. Straight arm pulldowns after that. My right triceps was super sore from the last few exercises (right were the lat insert is) so this wasn’t pleasant. No stops here, just not very easy. Got home during a brief break in the snow to stretch, eat meatloaf and sleep. The snow is going me this week (and possibly the next few) very interesting.

January 20, 2016 – Week 1, Day 2

Dynamic Warm-ups

Keg Tosses (15’7”)
half kegx6 (11 attempts)
half kegx6 (7 attempts)
half kegx6 (6 attempts)
half kegx6 (8 attempts)

Axle Cleans
116x5
160x3
195x1
225x3
225x3
225x3

Hatfield Overload Squats
170x5
170x5
270x3
270x3
370x1
370x1
460x1
550x3
550x3
550x3

Sandbag Carry and Load Over Bar (55”) (turns at 20’)
200x3x40’
200x3x40’
200x3x40’

Nordic Leg Curls (5 second negatives)
bwx3
bwx3
bwx3

Kneeling Cable Abs
160x12
160x12
160x12

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Quite sore from yesterday in my quads, shoulders and triceps. This was going to be the toughest workout as far as setup and execution. Home then gym then home and then gym again. I could’ve changed the exercise order but I wanted to keep as true to the program as I could. The gym is maybe 2 miles away. I had been looking into going to a gym about 45 minutes away (when there is no rush hour traffic) so that I could do everything in one spot but it just didn’t make sense with how late it would be when I got home. Home to start off the session. Below freezing keg tosses. It was pretty dark so I had another set of eyes to let me know if I was clearing the bar. Ground was frozen so the keg got just as many dents as the ground did haha. I was all over the place on that first set. Didn’t help matters that I had to chase down the keg each time (it’s good for me haha). About 50/50 with misses and makes. I was getting plenty of height but I was usually too far away for the trajectory I was going for. Thankfully the pvc pipe setup held up to the abuse of the misses. Some were thrown top over and end and some sideways. After that debacle of a set, I got the groove down and made much better tosses. I even got one set with no misses. Then to the gym for some more stuff. Axle cleans to start things off. So different from how I address a log clean. It needs to be fast. I was pretty toasty from keg tossing so I didn’t do so many warm-ups on these. I accidentally wore a slick shirt so it made the continental a bit tougher. I was also taking my time with setup for the first pull, constantly watching my biceps. Not awesome but not terrible. Definitely room to improve. Hatfield squats were up next on the agenda. Not used to starting this heavy in the start of the cycle. But I got to remember I just did a strength peak cycle and this current cycle is a contest prep one that is going to be short. Felt heavier than I would have liked but bar speed was okay most of the time. Definitely noticed a slow down on the last rep of the last two sets. Home for more event training. Darn sandbag training in the garage. Nice thing about having my own place is I don’t have to do these in the street haha. Contest event is less intense then Nationals was but doesn’t mean I can slack off here. Using a fairly light weight but increased the loading height by 6”. My driveway is also slanted so about ¾s of the course was either on an incline or decline. I tried taping the holes in the sandbag but that didn’t work. This was very tough and the cold air made it hard to breath. Good training. Even with the light weight, the constant moving worked my posterior chain hard and having to load to a much higher bar required explosive hip drive while fatigued (contest will only be to 38”). Back in the car to the gym to finish up. No GHR so I did the alternative of Nordic leg curls, fighting the negative as much as I could. Hard but easy to recover from each set. Abs to end the day and then much needed recovery burritos.

January 19, 2016 – Week 1, Day 1

Last week was not so good. I’m very thankful it was scheduled off week. Lots of unneeded stress and then getting a bit of cold. I was kind of out of it. As my dad, said “this week is kicking your ass and it’s only Tuesday”. Had to reschedule a massage for Monday (supposed to be last week) with the stuff going on. Definitely needed it, my back, hamstrings and neck were very tight. Started trying out the new supplements last week too. Now time to see how they work with actual workouts haha.

Dynamic Warm-ups

Axle Clean and Jerks (one clean)
72x5
72x5
116x3
116x3
160x3
160x3
190x1
220x1
245x3
245x3
245x3

Seated Axle Lockouts (6” ROM)
250x1
300x3
325x3
350x3
375x1

Incline Barbell Bench Presses
45x10
75x5
105x5
135x3
165x3
195x1
225x1
255x3
255x3
255x8 PR+5lbs

Band Pull A-parts
LBx12
LBx12
LBx12
LBx12

Super Set: Paused Floor Dumbbell Extensions/Dumbbell Hammer Curls
40’sx12/50’sx10
40’sx12/50’sx10
40’sx12/50’sx10

27 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: I was legitimately nervous getting ready for this workout. Kind of bordering on the good and bad kind of nervous. Started off with axle clean and jerks. Pretty light weight to start but I knew my form was going to be off. Probably didn’t help that I was leery about my biceps. One thing I noticed right away was that my normal grip was too narrow now as my arms and upper body are a bit larger than they were two years ago. I didn’t pull as hard on the second pulls of the first two sets but I got comfortable for the last one. The denseness threw me off a little but I got better and adjusted during the sets. Legs were more sore than anything from the lower body drive. From there, I moved on to seated axle lockouts. Plan was a top triple. 300lbs felt so light that I figured I’d be going up quite a bit. I went for another set but it was too much this early. My triceps were really tired from these and I really noticed it on the incline bench. Regular grip feels so weird after doing nothing but really close grip for so long. Felt weird with the form (can’t mimic my close grip style) so this was quite a bit tougher than I would have liked. Made sure I got a spotter for the max rep set. Hardest thing was locking out the weights. Moved on to the ol’ standby; band pull a-parts. These are usually a bit tougher after a break but they weren’t as tough as I thought they’d be. None of the usual shoulder aches. Last thing of the workout was a triceps/biceps superset. All dumbbells; paused floor extensions and hammer curls. Triceps were good, I like these extensions a lot. The dumbbells felt heavy for the curls but once I started lifting them, that feeling went away. Home for stretching.

January 8, 2016 – Test Day – Deadlift

Deadlift has been feeling good this cycle, especially my double overhand without straps pulls. Confidence has been up and I’ve been able to pull over 600lbs in the last few weeks twice. In the past, this was usually a once in every two or three months. Granted, I still felt slow off the floor with my straps but I knew I was getting stronger and that all lifts this cycle had not been all the way into my max intensity and focus. Going into this workout, I even had the audacity to think I could pull a lifetime PR, not just a post-injury one.

Dynamic Warm-ups

Deadlifts
135x5
135x5
225x3
225x3
315x1
315x1
Added Straps
405x1
475x1
545x1
600x1
650x0

35 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Lead up was not ideal stress level wise. Unneeded stress but my hope had been it would be agitation enough to help me pull with even more vigor. Straps were on much sooner than last time I did this about a year ago to grease the groove on the pulls. I felt slower than I would have liked. I will say that 600lbs felt the easiest it has ever felt. Definitely not super easy but I still felt that a lifetime PR could happen. I got set and pulled. It moved and it felt like I would be able to grind through. But it stopped and I knew it was over for today. Disappointed but I wasn’t feeling the usual deep devastation I feel when I fail a deadlift. The confidence it there though. I did notice that the bar seemed to wander out in front of me a little after the initial break off the ground. This is only the second time I’ve ever attempted this weight before. I feel that 635lbs would have gone today. Time to rest and get ready for the next thing.

January 5, 2016 – Test Day – Strict Press

It got down to about 14 degrees last night. Choking down turkey meat patties and chicken breasts. Trying to get into the right mindset for lifting. Thinking the food on my plate was preventing me from my goals. Like most of my pressing, it can be fickle. But I’ve been improving and improving.

Dynamic Warm-ups

Barbell Strict Presses
45x10
85x5
85x5
125x3
125x3
165x1
195x1
225x1
255x1
275x1
290x1 PR+5lbs
305x0

31 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: I was nervous heading to the gym. This was a good sign, it means I care. Much like the last testing day I did about 11 months ago, I took my time. Only thing I needed to think about was pressing weight. Only thinking about hitting a small PR and go from there. The bar went a little in front on 255lbs so it felt heavy. I knew what was off and knew I could keep going. A bit slow off the shoulders with 275lbs so lockout was quite a bit tougher than it should have been. Took off the limiters for the next set. Really flew up there. I knew it wasn’t my max but hard to gauge when I’m really hyped like this. Mentally draining to do it. I made a gamble and went heavier than I was originally planning. It didn’t feel impossible and it was close. Nothing left but to keep pushing it and rest until Friday.

January 3, 2016 – Week 12, Day 4

Dynamic Warm-ups

Paused Front Squats (2 second pauses)
No Pauses
45x10
100x5
100x5
150x3
150x3
Added Pauses
200x5
200x5

Deadlifts
No Straps
135x5
135x5
225x3
225x3
315x1
315x1
Added Straps
405x3
405x3
405x3

Circuits (no rest between exercises)
Shrugs/T-Bar Prison Rows/Neutral Grip Pull-ups/Ab Wheel/Glute Ham Raises
425x6/+200x6/bwx3/bwx3/bwx3
425x6/+200x6/bwx3/bwx3/bwx3

29 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Still feeling a little beat. Little bit later lifting this weekend as well. Perhaps winter is finally here to stay this time. Weighed myself and I was 275lbs on the dot. Last workout of this cycle (minus testing next week). Started off with front squats with pauses. Kept my long pants on for these. Knees were a bit achy. I’m not sure why but staring at the floor on these seemed to make the lifts feel better. Deadlifts followed that. Usually with the deload week, I’m not wearing anything for support like rehband, wrist wraps or a hard belt. However, the idea is to get more time with the form I will be using to max so I used straps for the deload pulls. It can definitely be trickier to get my midsection tight with being strapped to the bar. Not horrible but not my best. Then again, I’m trying to use the same mental state I would use to pick up a briefcase. Circuits after that. Usual for the shrugs and rows but just bodyweight for everything else. The only thing that felt somewhat more than casual was the first set of the rows. I did have to stop the set to get the bar attachment (I left it off by mistake) so maybe that made a difference haha. It felt a lot easier on the second set. Bodyweight stuff was really easy, though my upper body joints started to protest the ab wheel on the last rep. Need to make sure I’m well rested for next week.

January 2, 2016 – Week 12, Day 3

Dynamic Warm-ups

Barbell Push Presses
45x10
75x5
75x5
105x3
105x3
135x1
165x1
195x1
225x1
225x1
225x1

Close Grip Barbell Incline Bench Presses
45x10
95x5
95x5
145x3
145x3
195x1
195x1
245x3
245x3

Super Set: Dumbbell Trap 3 Raises/Cybex Dual Axis Rear Delts
10’sx12—60x15
10’sx12—60x15

Straight Arm Pulldowns
90x15
90x15
90x15

Overhead Rope Extensions
75x12
75x12

30 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Thankfully this is a deload week. With all the moving, I know I wouldn’t have been able to put in full effort workouts this week. Especially since I moved my gym equipment yesterday so that was literally moving a ton of weight. Push presses felt good. It did feel heavy on my shoulders at the start but it got lighter feeling each set. Other than some joint achiness, the weight flew up so that is good. I had to wait to do incline. To be expected with the New Year crowd. Entire upper body felt stiff on these. It felt a good 40lbs heavier than it was to be honest. Just need to rest up some more. Things got complicated upstairs as all the benches were in use. I eventually decided to use my own thighs to prop up my upper body for the dumbbell work. I’d rather use a bench but it worked. Upper back was really fatigued, even with the reduced weight on the rear delt stuff. In my haste, I missed a set and only did two. Straight warm pulldowns were pretty good after that. The weight is light enough that I can play around with my form. Triceps were very easy and I was able to finish up with stretching a bit. One more workout for this cycle and then on to testing before contest prep begins.