December 26, 2017 – Week 5, Day 1

5 Minutes Percor AMT

Leaning Calf Raises
BWx30

Sumo Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx15

16” Box Squats
BWx15

Regular Box Touches (12” Box)
BWx15

Band Rows
MMBx20

Push-ups
BWx10

Hip Airplanes (supported)
BWx5/5

Axle Clean and Push Presses (1 clean)
92x3
143x3
187x3
231x3
280x5

Chest Supported Rows
200x6
250x6
300x6
350x6
400x6 PR+1 rep
(1 second holds)
310x8 PR+10lbs

Seated 12” Log Lockouts
180x5
220x5
260x5 PR+10lbs

Band Resisted Push-ups
SB+MMBx12 PR+1 reps
SB+MMBx12
SB+MMBx8

Stretching

Comments: Had a bad case of the blahs. Granted I had some good sleeping with the holiday and family over I was still dealing with a cold. Back is achy, arms are tight. Felt really unmotivated and felt like just packing it in for the rest of the year. I knew that was crazy talk so drove to the gym, fighting yawns. Warmed up on the AMT. Heart rate peaked at 157bpm. Not bad. Gym was packed again when I got there. It did clear out a good bit by the time I got to weights. Calf raise work after that. Calves were tight still but not as bad as it was all last week after tire flipping. Box touches into box squats into more box touches was bit more broken up than usual since I had to make a different box for the touches and then squats I had to wait for a bench. But all three felt good. Regular style box touches are still the odd man out but I’m persistent. Band rows felt good. Making sure everything is nice, warm and loose. Push ups after those and still going well. Continuing to improve as far as hand pressure. Hip airplanes were needed again. Little tougher on the right side as far as balance. Then the weights. First item for today was axle clean and push presses again. Lower reps with plan of a top set of being 6rm. I had an idea of a weight but I kept increasing it in my head. Cautious with the clean. Felt good with the weights, going up 20kgs jumps. Last set before the top set felt pretty good still so of course I went up more than 20kgs. Clean was a bit rougher (I’m out of practice) but it went up to the shoulders. Left hand didn’t feel as stable as I would like in the rack but I didn’t want to fiddle around with it and possibly sap some of my strength from the reps. Three reps went up pretty smooth. Fourth rep was a bit tougher. Fifth was a tough one, really had to fight to lock it out. I held it at the top to get my air and recompose myself. Didn’t work as the weight stalled and went out in front of me. I tried to reclean the weight but couldn’t get it past my belt. Still a very good session of push press for me as this is a 15lbs PR from a barbell push press out of the rack. Hopefully good things with this as a starting base. Rows followed. Plan this time a bit more open-ended with 6-8rm with a last set for holds each rep (same range). I felt that lower reps would be best with the regular style and higher reps for the holds. I started heavier than I did last time and took smaller jumps. Wrist was holding up better than last time. I did feel the need to wrap my wrist at 350lbs to make sure that my wrist was safe. These were tough at the higher weights. Shoulders were feeling the holds. Then on to more pressing. Well, I had to wait a bit for the power rack to open up but then on to lockout work. Same idea as last time, aiming for a 5-10lbs increase over last time. I felt the log was too high last time so I adjusted the height, lowering the rack pins about 1.5”. I feel this is better representation of the sticking point. Plan was just three sets with big jumps, possibly lowering the weight if I just made this infinitely harder. I also didn’t want to stay out later than I had to. First set felt a little rough and I worried I had made it too hard. But the next set was better. I knew 260lbs was doable but it was going to be very, very tough. Had a little trouble getting the first rep but I got it into the groove and I was off. Last rep I had to take a bit of a breather and it was a tough one to lockout but I got it. Happy to have progress with the ROM being increased and from a tougher spot. Last exercise was those darn banded push-ups again. Aim being 8-12 reps for the sets again for three sets. I learned my lesson from last time about setting up the dumbbells with the bumper plates. Don’t need any more bloody fingers. Wrist wrap on for these. Managed to get 12 on the first two sets. Last set was going to be the test. Last time I only eeked out four. Gutted out eight this time, stalling on a ninth. PRS on everything is a good sign. Home to stretch and eat.