December 24, 2016 – Week 2, Day 3

5 Minutes Elliptical

Leaning Calf Raises
BWx30

Sumo Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx25

Box Squats (16”)
BWx25

Regular Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx25

Squat Therapy (16” Box)
BWx25

Sled Drags/Prowler Pushes
185x100’/185x100’
185x100’/185x100’
185x100’/185x100’
185x100’/185x100’
185x100’/185x100’

Stretching

Comments: Left side around SI joint achy. Not sure but I think reverse hypers aggravated it a little. Not in pain, just slight discomfort and nothing like it has been the last several months. Hopefully it clears up shortly. Can’t believe how sore rack pulls with the bar are making me haha. Ego needs to be in check, took off about 6 months, probably take that long to get back in competing shape. 5 minutes on the elliptical again. Heart rate got up to 166bpm at the end so a bit higher than previous but I felt good and stride pace improving. For now, elliptical is good but I think when I get back to a competition phase, I will change things up like bike or rower (depending on events). Gym packed since closing early. Calf work continues to become easier and easier. Both styles of box touches feeling good on hammies. Left knee ached a little bit on regular style but likely just from SI joint ache and doing an actual deadlift movement for the first time in several months two days prior. Box squats followed. Try to keep tight as best as I can. Really a struggle to keep flexion out of the lumbar spine with the wide stance. Improved on last time I think but not perfect. Squat therapy next. Made sure to pause on the box to keep myself honest and slow things down. I feel I can keep flexion down with the narrow stance better than wide stance. May be something else to work on. I wanted to give box squat exercises the respect they deserve as the mechanics need to improve so that I don’t end up like I was back in May. Home to do medley work. It rained this morning so it was a bit slick. Last week, it had been up to a work weight over five sets for both sled drag and prowler pushes. This time, that working weight for five sets each as part of a medley. I was tempted to increase the weight but got that out of my head. Stay humble. I was definitely slow on the first set. Not sure if it was just making sure that my feet wouldn’t slip or just warming up for it still. Sled drag part wasn’t bad, prowler push was as the slick road made it hard to gain purchase so it was slower going than I would have liked. I got faster each set until the fourth set. I was noticing recovery from sets was taking long by the end of the third set and fatigue and lactic acid was building in the quads. Last set was still faster than the first set though. Despite having me out of breath, it was good to do this as it felt a lot like a medley event in strongman training. Another week in the books.