October 14, 2017 – Week 9, Day 3

5 Minutes Concept 2 Rower

Leaning Calf Raises
BWx15

One Leg Leaning Calf Raises
BWx15/15

Regular Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx15

Sumo Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx15

Squat Therapy (16” Box)
BWx15

Hip Airplanes (supported)
BWx7/7

Band Rows w/Biceps Stretch
MMBx20/20 seconds
MMBx20/20 seconds

Push-ups
BWx15

I-Beam Frame Deadlifts
Farmer’s Handles (15”)
95x10
195x5
Frame (16”)
280x1
370x1
460x1
550x1
Added Straps
640x1
Frame (19”)
700x1
740x1
780x1

Stone of Steel Over Bar (57”)
138x1
176x1
201x1
225x1
247x1
265.5x1
284.5x1
355x5

Vehicle Push
2,693lbs + 1 person + 262lbs in trunkx225’7” in 75 seconds

Stretching

Comments: Another one of those workouts where I was both excited and nervous. More heavy frame deadlift and stone of steel on the agenda. Spirit willing but uncertain about the body holding up. Knees were aching like crazy during the previous workout this week. Body really just plain beat from that all-out effort on log press. Right biceps still tender from being stupid lazy with the sandbags from last weekend. I also had an interesting morning trying to load a husafel stone into my trunk by myself. I wore a copper infused (have no idea if that even does anything) compression sleeve on my right arm to keep it warm. Out to Lancaster for training. Warmed up on the rower. Didn’t realize until about a minute in that the timer wasn’t going (battery not working) so I had time from my watch haha. I may or may not have been distracted seeing George get the top of the yoke caught on the doorway taking it outside. Calf work was better than it had been the rest of this week. Box touches were pretty good. Squat therapy was good too. No knee aches but hips and lower back felt tight. Hip airplanes felt great too. Band rows and stretching followed. Arms pretty tight for the stretching, really needed to make sure the biceps were good to go. Set of push-ups to finish things up. More effort than I would have liked but it happens. Then frame deadlifts. Trap bar and the I-beam handles were in use so I had to make some changes. I used the other farmer’s walk handles with light bumper plates and the connectors. Back of the handles grip right from the start. Felt ok. Then had to wait a little bit to use the actual frame setup. Plan had been changed after last session. Originally the goal was a top single from the contest height. But I kind of did that last time and I’m still a ways off from contest weight. So adjustment made with the goal to start being up to 90% of my best and then have a little “fun” from there. Every lift felt slow and heavy working up. Felt like it was 50lbs heavier than it actually was. That last single from the floor might have been my last single for the day with how I was feeling. But the workout wasn’t done with the frame. Raised the frame up 3” more and then the goal here was a top single, aiming for 1-3 singles. With how heavy my last single from the contest height felt, I went for a lighter weight than I had been planning/ fantasizing. I went with 700lbs for that first single as I think that was the minimum I would accept without going home and crying myself to sleep haha. The extra height in the pull certainly had me trying to figure out how to get my position right and figuring out the slack in the straps. It felt stupid heavy but I knew that not everything was right and I probably had a little more in the tank. So I added weight to get it about 90% of contest weight. A bit slower but I felt like I had good power and felt fine at lockout. George said I looked like I was hesitating. I told him that I was just slow off the floor and that is my struggle. I wanted to try one more. I was thinking 30lbs but decided on another 40lbs jump so that I have the option to go for 800lbs next time if I got this single. Got everything tight (body, straps and belt) and pulled. A lot effort but it went up. This was the only set of the day where I felt everything clicked and was on point. I think if I felt like this from the start, 800lbs would have gone. Stone of steel after that. Same as last time with the working up in weight. No grip aids of any kind up to a decent single and then contest gear for the big heavy set. Right biceps I had to keep an eye on that so I wasn’t trying to go full bore as I was monitoring how things felt on every rep. I didn’t feel like making a big jump from last time with the “naked” lift so I had some in-between lifts. Brought my scale to weigh things as I didn’t know how these plate combinations would turnout. I definitely feel good for more without grip support so that is good. Then on to the top set. My choice of 10-25lbs more than last time and aiming for only a set of five. Of course, even with the biceps acting up, I was going heaviest option. Of course, getting really nervous and amped for that set. First rep dictates the set and my mental state. Felt heavy but doable and I was happy with how easy it went up and over. I knew I had the reps as long as I didn’t get an injury. Even with the sore and tight lower back. Took my time, no rush. This weight is a bear to roll back by myself as it really sinks into the crash mat. But it’s good for me. I got three reps in under a minute taking my time so that is good. Definitely was getting hard to get that extension with this weight. Last set I maybe didn’t get as strong as a grip picking in up off the ground as my one hand felt like it was going to slip but it didn’t. Again, happy with this. Put away all the weights and then home to push my car with weights in the trunk. I added more weights and I had more gas in the tank this time (it was almost empty last time). It had rained the night before and was still damp so there were spots where it was hard to gain purchase of the road with my shoes. I had the most issues with the start and at the end with about 15 seconds left. Still a good effort. Stretched out well and then out to dinner for good food with family and then home to take ibuprofen so my knees would shut up and get some sleep.