April 21, 2020 – Week 1, Day 1

I had to make some changes. Last week was not a great week for lifting. Other stuff was great or fantastic really. But lifting no and when lifting is not great, I don’t feel great. The confidence I have just seems to evaporate and things I didn’t worry about, worry me. Shoulders and knees hurt. A lot. I didn’t think it was the street angle, or that I was lifting at home alone or that I started doing support exercises. I was frustrated and with more than one thing not being good, the frustration was too much. I was freaking out as I figured that I really couldn’t take any more weeks off or weeks light (other than planned) to be contest ready in nine weeks. I needed a change. I began icing my knees 2-3 times a day and stopped wearing the new shoes. Also decided to not be doing the treadmill as a warm-up. And try my own programming. My knees were throbbing as I lay in bed the day before. I had switched to sleeping diagonally so that my feet didn’t hang off. I felt like it was a pain but one where it was like it was ebbing away. That the healing was beginning. Or so I hoped.

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)

Mobility Prep

Axle Clean and Push Presses (one clean)

30x10

100x5

130x3

150x2

170x2

190x2

210x2

230x3

230x3

230x3

Seated Yoke Overhead Lockouts

90x3

140x3

190x3

230x3

270x3

300x3

320x0

Weighted Push Ups w/ Mini Band

bwx3

bw+45x3

bw+45x3

bw+45x23

Band Pull A-parts

MMBx12

MMBx12

MMBx12

MMBx12

Paused Floor Rolling Dumbbell Extensions

40’sx12

40’sx12

40’sx12

Stretching

Comments: This was really crunch time. It was storming during the early part of the day and if I couldn’t do what I wanted outside, then this would be a bust at the start. Thankfully, the sky cleared up but it was still windy. Walking was just around the block to warm-up. Kept warm-ups on inside for the mobility and stuff to keep warm since not as intense as treadmill. Knees felt better and so did my feet in my old shoes. I dropped some things that were redundant from the warm-up. So first thing for the session was axle. Clean and push press. Push press doesn’t seem to be irritate the shoulder as much. I can still strict press but I’d rather save that for other exercises and treat this as skill training. Are borrowing a bit of this from a training cycle I did in 2016 that had me prep for a contest with keg tossing and max axle. I know a bit more with tossing so I’ve modified that as it wasn’t the best and it was a bit much but the axle part was really good. Not using the same weights as then as I’m not in that kind of shape for a max axle and I probably only need to be good for low 300lbs as a max but the conditioning for more reps is needed. Empty axle to start and then taking a big jump after that and then around the usual 20lbs jumps. Still used to doing multiple reps at each weight. As I get more used to things, I can drop some reps perhaps to save for the top sets. Plan here was 230lbs for three triples with about 2 minutes rest. Multiple cleans at this weight is good. Last time this was starting at 245lbs which lead to a 320lbs PR in comp with a close miss at 340lbs so this should be ok. This is definitely a cheaply built axle but it will do. Not the best reps but considering I was nervous that I’d injury myself I’ll take it. Set weights and sets seem to be good for me when there is a plan of approach. Inside for the rest of it. The second part was rack seated lockouts with the axle. Well, no power rack yet but I got a yoke. Really wobbly and can’t quite get it where it should be for really heavy weights but it’s close enough. Plan was a top triple to base the next two weeks training off of. I did a bit more lighter weight sets as this thing is wobbly and I need to be tight for the press here. 300lbs was a struggle to get. I think I went for 320lbs because I had not yet put on my hard belt or wrist wraps and thought I had a shot at it with those. Nope. Not the end of the world. I got 300lbs as my number and go from there. I had a small scrape on my hand from last week that opened up and was welling blood from the pressure I’ve had on it from my wrist wraps. From there, moved on to weighted push-ups. I don’t have a lot of options for pressing. I broke all those cinder blocks so regular bench or incline isn’t great or the safest right now. Can’t do slingshot dips either. So got push-ups. Can only stack 45lbs on my back safely. And I can do close to 30 reps. So plan here was to add a band. This was easier than (the weight, not getting this on my back) expected. Did 2 sets to kind of acclimate and then did a max rep set. I think knowing I’ve already done the weight helps when going for max reps. Dismount was tricky haha. The plan for the next two weeks is to keep weight the same but go up in band tension. Moved on to band pull a-parts. I’ve liked these for the shoulder health feeling. These felt great after the other stuff. Last thing was some triceps work. Figured that until I got a better handle on the JM presses (may need to do them on the floor) and let my shoulders get a rest from the standing tate presses that rolling style with a pause will work. Dumbbells and higher reps. Felt good. Short rests here. Plan is to just increase the reps the next two weeks. Stretching and then eating a lot of food. This seems to have been a success. Hopefully this venture into my own won’t end like last time with the pain relapse. I think I got things figured out a little better this time though.