January 27, 2018 – Week 9, Day 3

5 Minutes Schwinn Airdyne Bike

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

Keg Clean and Presses
One Motions
50x2
50x2
50x2
100x1
125x1
150x1
175x1
200x1
Push Presses
225x1
250x0
250x1 PR+20lbs

Yoke (Drops at 40’)
180x80’ in 10.25 seconds
360x80’ in 10.86 seconds
500x80’ in 12.33 seconds
500x80’ in 12.01 seconds

Keg Loading Medley (55.5” bar height)
250x20’/275x15’/300x10’ in 20.68 Seconds
250x20’/275x15’/300x10’ in 18.76 Seconds
250x20’/275x15’/300x10’ in 18.61 Seconds

Stretching

Comments: This was going to be the hardest day of this week for my biceps. So understandably nervous. Granted I was advised to skip stuff if it was bothering or hurting my biceps but I really don’t like to give up. Could mean that if it is still hurting, even with the go ahead given by the doctor, I should reconsider, rest more and just plan for the next one. As with last week, I got distracted the night before and didn’t go for my usual walk. Got to stop doing that, but I feel so mentally beat from work that by the end, I just like to “veg out” for a few hours on Friday to relax. But out to Lancaster I go. Didn’t sleep in a little like I usually do as I had an important family function to do in the afternoon so I needed to be out there early and back home in a timely fashion. I weighed myself just to see how close I was to 275lbs. Just under 290lbs with my shoes on so not very close haha. Airdyne bike as I have been doing. Legs felt it. Everything felt it haha. Didn’t think skipping a week would make that big of a difference. Calf raises my calves were tight. I expected that not walking the day before. Wide box touches were crisp as were box squats. Best they’ve felt this week. Regular box touches were just ok. Band rows were stupid easy and push ups were pretty good too. Shoulder was tight and achy again. But not as bad so maybe it is healing up. Still looking into getting an adjustment done on Monday. Hip airplanes were also good. Didn’t feel terribly tight or anything like they did last workout. Then event stuff. First item up was keg clean and presses. This originally had been in place of the block presses six weeks ago but I had wanted to try that out so bad. But it effects the log press too much in the same week so keg it is. Last time I did keg press I believe was over 3.5yrs ago at a Plat Plus show. It was a last minute event change as the LWs had broken the Milo Flipper that were going to use. Now the plan was to do one motions until I couldn’t do them and then switch to push press style up to a conservative max single. For the life of me, I just couldn’t get the one motion style down to be the crisp movement I see others do. I kept watching videos and the form just felt awkward and uncomfortable to me. Trying it with 100lbs several weeks ago felt like it was going to dislocate my wrist (the right one when it was still recovering). But I gave it my best shot. I did three doubles with the lightest keg to make sure I was feeling ok in the biceps and shoulder. Also seeing if one side felt better than the other. Then it was on to the singles. Nothing really felt fast or crisp but it kept going up. 25lbs jumps with the kegs we have at the gym. I noticed that as it got heavier, I needed to use more of my bodyweight to tilt the keg before picking it to keep me from overdoing it on the biceps. 200lbs is where I topped out on the one motions as I missed 225lbs terribly and then just push pressed it. Contest weight for the one show in March I had been thinking about doing so technically goal achieved there. But I felt I had another jump in me. So 250lbs up. I got it to my shoulders and I didn’t think I’d miss it but I did. I put it down and took a break. I was thinking that I had hit this before at that Plat Plus. I think that thought is what made me give it another shot. To make sure it was really a strength and not a technique issue. The clean was tougher this time but I got the press. Just a little balance issue but it felt good. Not a max I think but not enough to go for 275lbs. I later review my records I had only done 230lbs at the plat plus and had missed the 250lbs so that was a 20lbs lifetime PR. And it didn’t bother my shoulders so that’s a plus too. Then on to yoke. I needed redemption for the misloads from last time on my heavy stuff. It wasn’t heavy stuff this time, just working light stuff for speed. Contest distance and setup. I felt fast today, like greased lightning. I knew it would be good with how fast I felt I was moving with the empty yoke. I think about 2 seconds faster than it was last time. Not that warm-ups matter when it comes to that but it was good it didn’t take me many sets to get up to top speed. Second run before working sets also felt good. I felt good. I felt fast. 500lbs on both runs felt like nothing. I felt I was good on acceleration on both picks during both runs. Just over 12 seconds both runs. The repick is where it gets a little tricky as I feel if I can get that I right, I can cut another .5 – 1 second off the time. Lower back was feeling it after these and that had made me a little concerned that the deadlifting from this week was going to hamper this but it didn’t. Then on to the keg medleys. I’m usually very good at carry and loads and I was looking forward to this one initially. Not so much with the biceps issue. I did well with just training the medley twice during the last contest prep that had a loading race so this method will work. I did a bit of visual training driving out to Lancaster. Not because it would be difficult but to figure out the best way to do as far as keg positioning and how to approach each keg. The big thing was that the distances weren’t very long and really only able to get into full stride on that first run (20’/15’/10’) so running back could be tricky. I determined that running back to the last keg was actually slower than just side hopping. Contest medley setup with the weights and distances. Bar height I made it a little higher as I couldn’t get it to be exactly 54” without putting mats under the yoke or in front of it and that would be a tripping hazard if I’m going fast. I did have some confidence back from the keg press as I had not issues picking up the 250lbs keg. The question would be with the lapping of the keg as carrying it high would be the most efficient way. But if I had pain, I’d have to do the lower staggered style. Anything to finish it. First run I made a mistake right off the bat. I tilted the keg the “wrong way”. It’s usually my dominant side but this definitely didn’t feel great on the biceps. It felt like it was going to cramp so I carried it a little lower than normal. I got it right for the second keg though and no issues but I was a little hesitant with it as it isn’t how I usually do it. In the heat of the moment, I forgot that doing the hop was more efficient then running to the last one. Under 21 seconds on that first run but I knew it could be faster. Brian decided to jump in on the medley I had setup so it was an “I go, you go” situation. He’s generally good at carry and loads too so it was good motivation. Second run I corrected the mistakes and ended up improving my time but almost 2 seconds. I knew it was better and was happy with that. I took shorter rest for the last run as Brian had to leave. I had to get a little hyped up for it and channeled my inner Ortmayer. A third run might be pushing it but I needed to push myself for this last heavy training. I was going to be beat and sore by this point in the contest, last event. I attacked the first keg aggressively and I think that made the difference as I didn’t feel as strong on the other kegs and was a little sloppy with the loads. Biceps was straining. This ended up being my fastest run. Biceps was beat. Definitely need to rest it. Left to get back home so I could get ready. Drank a weight gain shake, went for the walk I missed the night before, helped my dad with the atlas stones in the garage and then stretched. I feel I will do quite well at the show if my biceps holds up.