March 8, 2018 – Week 4, Day 2

5 Minutes Precor 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 Push Presses
72x5
110x1
130x1
150x1
170x1
190x1
210x1
230x1
250x1
270x1
280x1
290x1

Deadlifts
135x5
225x3
315x2
405x2
Added Straps
495x2
545x2

18” Rack Pulls (straps/suit)
185x1
275x1
365x1
455x1
545x1
635x1
725x1

Stretching

Comments: I didn’t use my day off wisely haha. Still a bit stressed. Continuing to do soft tissue work with a focus on my right biceps. I think it is doing something but I don’t know if the stuff I’m doing is “breaking up stuff” from older injuries. I used to have a divot in my right biceps from a keg load miss from like three years ago that is gone. Warmed up on the AMT. 161bpm highest reading this time. So that is a bit elevated. Downstairs was busy so I did most of my warm-ups up with the cardio equipment. Calf raises were easy. Wide stance box touches were ok. Box squats were ok. I had to use a weird bench for these. Knees were achy. Regular style box touches were ok too. Downstairs to finish up. Band rows after that. Ok here too. Push-ups alright. I think I’m getting the thought of the right shoulder aching out of my head. Hip airplanes were pretty easy but definitely felt some aches in my right knee. Finished up with the biceps stretches. Then on to the weights. First item up was axle push press as has been the case the previous three weeks. Same start with empty bar and going up 20lbs jumps. Going by feel. Knees felt like crap at the start but go better. Hard to know if I’m pushing these too hard. Definitely tougher than the first week working up to just 210lbs. Set weights I got goals but idea being if it goes up fast and no grinding or helicoptering it is good. I wanted to make 270lbs go up smoother than it did last week and go from there. Wasn’t that bad as far as bar speed and form. So 10lbs more. Definitely felt heavier but went up about the same. So another 10lbs. Again, not sure if this was ego butting in or pride. Missing the 315lbs log earlier this week still had me pissed off at myself. So hard to not go for this weight. A little slower (heavier on my chest) but still going up fast. Called it there. Not going for max lifts this day on this exercise. Working on getting fast lifts with good form. On to deadlifts. A little different from last time with the warm-ups. This time, another set added to the top set and working sets just doubles. Work up to 405lbs with no straps and then straps for the other sets. This workout initially didn’t seem bad but then the day before I started having major anxiety about it. I had no doubt I could deadlift 545lbs for a double normally but I had not attempted it with doing the super controlled negatives. And I was going to be doing a double with 495lbs right before that. I didn’t have to tape my shins as the scabs had healed enough. I was trying to control the lift even more than last time. No “relaxing” at the bottom, not even for a split second. Constant tension. Really made the reps harder. But I managed to do it. 545lbs has been dominated in this fashion now haha. Final item of the session was rack pulls from 18” with the deadlift suit. I was able to get into the suit with the straps I had set for the top sets for last time without adjusting things. So uncomfortable. I got some big lifters at this show on this event. Added 50lbs to the starting weight and did plate jumps. I wanted 725lbs. Singles all the way. Exhausting work in the suit and so many scrapes on my arms from the Velcro getting the straps on my shoulders. Stance on this is a bit narrower than regular deadlift. I noticed I wasn’t having as much of an issue with the left arm feeling like a nerve was trapped. Only change has been the soft tissue work with the car buffer and occasional nerve flossing motions. I noticed that after my deep tissue massage the week of my last competition, that I had no issues at the show so that made me think that it had something to do with it. 725lbs went up but it took a while for it to finally break the pins and glide to lockout. I feel I can definitely beat my competition PR of 750lbs as I’m just shy of it on a rack pull whereas that was done with a deadlift bar off blocks so a lot more give. Home to stretch, massage and eat.