July 3, 2018 – Week 9, Day 1

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

12” Log Clean and Push Presses
90x1
120x1
150x1
180x1
210x1
240x1
270x1

Stretching

Comments: Deload week begins. I’ve done nothing but work, eat and sleep so far. I did not go for a walk Monday due to the heat advisory. It has been 98 the past two days. I’ve only gone for a walk on Sunday as I had to get up early to drive back out to Lancaster to get my wallet and it was below 90 at the time. Still had to put an ice pack on my neck after walking. Right arm has a lot of bruising on it from keg loads. I’ll be happy when I don’t have to these high loads anymore where I got to shove it up and over as the lip of the keg keeps banging into my arm on that side. Another issue is that the creatine I’ve been using has been discontinued so I’ll going to have to wait a bit for the new brand to ship and it sounds like it won’t arrive until Monday next week. Allergies have been acting up too. The heat and humidity have been exhausting. At least the gym appears to be trying to fix the AC issue. Did the 1.5 mile course on the bike and managed to finish in under 5 minutes this time so that is neat. Heart rate seems to be consist with max peak of 140BPM. Calf raise stuff is still pretty easy. Not too tight today, some aches in my wrists and forearms. Knees were a little achy on the goblet squats but got better as I did the set. Working on sitting back to initiate the movement and opening up the hips. RDLs I felt a little stiff but still good. Band rows were ok. Trying to pull with my back to get some of the stress out of my shoulders and to also not stress my biceps. Push ups were ok. Some shoulder aches on the left side. Then a short plank hold and biceps stretches. Biceps stretch was definitely needed. Hip swings felt good too. Got some of the tightness out of my lower back. On to log. Only exercise with weights for today and this is generally the case with deload week. Last cycle had been an experiment and hopefully things peak well this time. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have doubts about how the press medley will go. End of the show, two implements being PRs and one close to my preinjury PR. Plan for log was to work up to a single at 90% of what I felt I could hit today. I was pretty much basing this off of 300lbs regardless of how I felt and doing 10% jumps like last time log was in the workout. Trying to get my technique on this down. Log tilted forward, hands slightly closer to me than center point. I seem to press better this way out of the rack (the tiered rack, not the new rack). Knees didn’t ache much at all like it sometimes feels like with the empty log. Did two singles then added a piece of support gear. Rehband belt, then hard belt. 240lbs felt pretty easy but I think I stressed the right biceps a bit too much on the top portion of the clean. Wrist wraps added for 270lbs. I adjusted my grip in the lap so I was closer to midline on the handles (I was worried that I would stress my right biceps). It was a little out in front of me but due to my hands being further back, it went up in a good groove. I was tempted to do a heavier single but I shut it down as aiming for 90% of say a PR (305) or contest weight (315) was less than 15lbs and my right biceps was feeling sore and crampy. I reread the note for the workout and it said a powerful single so I I felt that was accomplished with 270lbs. Home to stretch, eat and recover. I’m glad I have tomorrow off from work as I feel like I’m going to sleep most of the day away.