May 31, 2018 – Week 4, Day 2

5 Minutes Expresso Interactive Upright Exercise Bike

Leaning Calf Raises
BWx30

16” Goblet Box Squats
20x25

Shoestring Romanian Deadlifts
45x20

Band Rows
MMBx20

Push-ups
BWx15

Bodyweight Plank
20 Seconds

Biceps Stretches
20 Seconds
20 Seconds

Front to Back Hip Swings
BWx10/10

Side to Side Hip Swings
BWx10/10

16” Rack Pulls (suit/straps)
Straps Down
135x5
225x3
315x2
Straps Up
405x1
495x1
585x1
655x1
705x1 PR+5lbs

Stretching

Comments: Feeling a bit better. Mentally and physically I guess. Left shoulder has been achy since Wednesday. Triceps still a little sore. I was not happy when I got to the gym to see yet another new power rack replacing the one that was just replaced. Also a big lifting platform taking up space and elevated about 5-6” off the floor. I checked to make sure I could still stand up to press without hitting the ceiling. I wasn’t able to, I was going to be pissed. So I was little distracted going on to warm-ups. The fancy bike was available after a little bit. Picked the same course I did two sessions back. I’m not certain my top BPM was as I was distracted with how mad I was about the power rack change. I think it was around 137. I stayed upstairs to do the warm-up stuff again. Calves were tight but felt ok. Goblet box squats after that. I had to find a different bench this time. A little more achy than last time and I noticed the weight more today. RDLs with a barbell after that. Trying to get a good hip hinge and hamstring stretch going. So then on to downstairs for the rest of it. Band rows were good and so were push-ups. I was expecting shoulder aches in the left on those but nothing. Plank was easy and stretching of the biceps was ok. Hip swings final thing before training. Well I guess I had to do some figuring out first. Plan for the workout was do the same thing as last week but with 16” rack pull instead of deadlift. Suit work with two options depending on how I felt. The new rack had the lowest setting at 24” off the ground. Also didn’t seem the most secure thing with a weight limit of 600lbs. I looked around and noticed my 3” platform I had made was missing. Might be upstairs but it was possibly thrown out. So all I had was the 5” green platform that I usually use as my camera stand. Ended up using bumper plates and then standing on the platform. The block had held up to me standing on it with 650lbs before so should be ok right? Suit, straps and belt on every set. Same work up sets and plans as the deadlift at the start. Started with 135lbs with the suit straps down. Then 225lbs and 315lbs. Hips felt fine but the lower back feels these more from the elevated position. Straps up for 405lbs and onward. I was kind of surprised with how easy it was to get to the bar after doing the floor pulls last week. 495lbs seemed ok. Next weight was the crossroads. If 585lbs felt easy, I could go up in weight. If not, 2-4 more singles. 585lbs didn’t feel like I could tug on Superman’s cape but it looked like speed work on camera. It looked a lot faster (once it started moving) than 495lbs from the floor did last week. I then figured this might be the last heavy single I get this training cycle with the planned peak and event work coming up. So I decided to try 5lbs more than last time for a single. Exceeding the weight limit (though I think the previous rack had one of 500lbs). Definitely some weight on the bar here. Still seemed pretty solid on video. I could go up one more. But no misses. This was stressed. I figured that I had 50lbs more in me today but it would be tough. I’d look really stupid If I failed it. I made sure to film this and the previous one with both my camera and my phone in case the rack broke. Got set and gave it a tug. It took a bit but once I broke the pins, I knew I had it, the question was whether it would be a clean lift or not. Managed to grind the lift through without resorting to a hitch. Upper back and neck were tight from that effort. I was surprised my hamstrings were getting angry at me on these today. Home to stretch and eat.