Mobility Prep
Safety Squat Bar Box Squats (20” box) w/ bands (+60lbs bottom/+86lbs top)
85x3
135x3
175x3
225x3
265x3
315x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
85x3
135x3
175x3
225x3
265x3
315x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
355x3
Frame Carries
Titan Fitness (16”)
Casual Pace
115x50’
115x50’
Makeshift (18”)
Normal
276x50’
Added Straps
416x50’
BiggDogg Strongg (20”, 1.5” handles)
10’ run up
568x25’
568x25’
568x25’
5’ run up
675x45’ in 10.32 seconds
675x45’ in 12.12 seconds
Titan Fitness (16”)
Casual Pace
115x50’
115x50’
Makeshift (18”)
Normal
276x50’
Added Straps
416x50’
BiggDogg Strongg (20”, 1.5” handles)
10’ run up
568x25’
568x25’
568x25’
5’ run up
675x45’ in 10.32 seconds
675x45’ in 12.12 seconds
Seated Arm-Over-Arm Pulls (2” rope, tire, turf)
305x25’
480x25’
630x50’ in 36.56 seconds
500x50’ in 26.73 seconds
305x25’
480x25’
630x50’ in 36.56 seconds
500x50’ in 26.73 seconds
Sandbag Shoulderings (Left)
205x1
225x1
250x1
205x1/225x1/250x1 in 16.84 seconds
225x1/250x1/275x1 in 19.64 seconds
250x1/275x1/306x0,0 in 14.57 seconds
250x1/275x1/306x1 in 18.80 seconds
205x1
225x1
250x1
205x1/225x1/250x1 in 16.84 seconds
225x1/250x1/275x1 in 19.64 seconds
250x1/275x1/306x0,0 in 14.57 seconds
250x1/275x1/306x1 in 18.80 seconds
Backwards Sled Drags (turf, hip belt)
205x5 minutes
205x5 minutes
Stretching
Comments: So a bit of stress as previously mentioned. Trying to minimize that. Lower back feeling exhausted but understandable. Right knee doesn’t seem to be recovering as well as it has been. Going to have to play around with other stuff I think as what I’m doing isn’t enough. I was kind of worried that it would be discomfort to keep it bent driving out to train. I’ve tolerated it driving home after training but it would suck if it was like that driving out. This was kind of a contest test run session with how things were planned. A lot of the accessory stuff dropped and some of the mobility stuff altered as well. A good bit of people were there with the same idea as me to do their last test runs of contest events. To be expected I guess. So a benefit and determent. Benefit in that everything was going to be out but determent in that I’d probably have to wait and have to adjust things plus put it all away if I told them to leave it out for me. So after mobility stuff, right into ssb box squats with bands. Kind of glad I didn’t have the one legged stuff to start as I felt that might stress my knees a lot. Following the same wave programming of 5x3 with 15lbs increases each week. So topping out at 355lbs for these. Both knees were achy but only the right one was really giving me fits once I got to the working weight. 45 seconds rest or so. I didn’t feel as exhausted but I did feel slower. Always get a good sweat going on these. From there it was on to frame carry. This was listed as not required if I felt I didn’t need it but that overall, it would be beneficial for me not just this contest but my moving events in general. But with the changes made (or I guess I should say were planned but not told to anyone until Thursday), this became a must do. So before the added things to this, it was to be 90% or so contest weight (650-700) for 2x50’. But now it was strap in own time and run up to the frame to do so. So I felt it was best to do 45’ runs for my working sets. I didn’t change things up with my warm-ups but I did once I got to the big frame. No sense in changing up for other frames as they weren’t the same. Handles different and I can’t just, hop in like from the back for most open-ended frames. Have to hop in from the side. I had four different versions of grip/straps and I figured I’d give them all a shot. Now practicing the hope in and strapping in is one thing but picking it up and moving with it is another and it can be harder to tell what feels repeatable and best without putting that tension in. But that is the hardest part of the lift for me and would be exhausting and taxing. Already feeling stuff from heavy pulls on Tuesday. The four grips were Versa Gripps (borrowed), my long IronMind straps made for thick bars, Cerberus figure 8 straps and Harbinger lifting grips (borrowed). I felt comfortable with picking up and moving with the first three but I just couldn’t get the Harbinger to hit the handles right and ditched them without even attempting a pick. That left me with three potentials. I knew that my trusty straps would hold anything if tight (I’ve stood up with 1040lbs on a thick bar setup) and that not likely to break my figure 8’s. Never used Versa Gripps so I don’t exactly have the trust in them for this kind of weight but they seemed efficient. I think my only hesitation is that the grip of the handles is not like a barbell or typical dumbbell or other gym equipment that would usually be used with those. So for my actual working sets, I went with testing my straps and Versa Gripps. The figure 8’s I had to do things a little different and I felt that I didn’t have things as stable compared to the other two. First run with the Versa Gripps at 675lbs went quite well. Just a little bit of hesitancy getting them set. I’ve already accepted that this is a different event then what I had trained for if this ends up what we are doing. Maybe the promoter will see the hazard or impracticality of it with this frame and drop that. But I’d rather be prepared. The run with my straps wasn’t as good. Not getting them set and tight like I’ve been doing it becomes quite apparent with more weight vs empty frame. Really tilted back and I was slower by almost two seconds (though my timer could’ve been distracted by other stuff going on in the gym by the look of things). But even if that is the case, this felt worse so going to stake it on Versa Gripps for the show in the event it is this mad dash instead of what I’ve been doing this whole freaking time. I was already stressed and I now that as I get closer to contest and peak for it, I become more agitated. I feel tired but even then I still seem to be handling things well. I know that some people think that cycling and peaking aren’t things for a “drug free”: athlete but it very much is for me. Feeling brittle but at my strongest. It is odd. So after that was arm-over-arm. Confirmed it was with the thick rope for contest and plan here was to do a hard set and then a speed set. There was a different tire out there this time from what I’ve been using. Might be the one we are using, might not. Not clue. I figured I should use this one for this session just to get practice in the event the actual setup is like this. I’ve been using a lighter, lower tire that has a wider diameter and stuffing it with foam pads to keep it from sinking. No one else is patient enough to set that up so they had this thicker but smaller diameter tire. I noticed that I couldn’t really get my normal leg drive with this one. I was going kind of slow with this as a lot of people here and trying to share the space. Someone moved my marker for 25’ as I was going on my warm-ups as they thought someone left it out there and it was going to get run over. I couldn’t tell if they were joking or not that I was going to “kick their ass” but I acted like it was a joke. Just trying to focus on the work at hand. So I figured that for the heavy set, I should do 90% of contest weight with the thick rope. It would be about 100lbs more than the most I’ve done with the thick rope in training with actual weight. I did not like this tire as with how I was having to pull, I was having to go up and then back. Also limited ROM for my lower body drive. Not sure what point my feet slipped from where they were but they did and my feet went all the way inside the tire rather than the lip. This did get rid of the upward motion and better anchor point. But because of that, it changed the way I could use my lower body on this. I still adapted and got a decent time I think. I know I can go faster on this if I go with feet all the way in and know what to expect. If this ends up being the tire setup. The second set was to be a speed set. Hard to get speed with the thick rope and turf uphill. Dropped it down to 500lbs. This was still around where I was doing sets with weight previously on the thick rope. I knew what to do this time and I did move things pretty well. Grip and setup do affect this as I was moving faster with the thinner rope and better tire with more weight. Got creative and gambled on both of these sets with the last pull as I went beyond the point where I could get back up efficiently to get it done and it worked both times. This stuff is exhausting but I know what to expect and know that I’m in a good spot. So after that was done and put away, it was time for sandbags. Medley work. Last chance essentially. But I got more good news (this is sarcasm). Gym owners had indicated that if doing sandbag to shoulder that we had to drop them on mats because too many bags were getting damaged I guess. So that meant having to control the bags back down and I couldn’t do my over the back dismount to cut down on time like I’ve been doing. I also feel that having that in front is kind of a tripping hazard considering the motion but I will abide by the rules. But I’ll complain about it the entire time. So for this, the plan was to either work up to contest series doing medley runs or work in singles to contest medley run and then drop down and do speed runs. The other option was to also do a few singles with the heaviest bag afterwards or so EMOM style. I was feeling beat and frustrated with the changes and I knew that if I had to do the controlled drops from the front, that I wasn’t going to be beating PRs for time on lighter medley runs that I should just work up to contest medley doing increasing weight medleys. Singles up to the first medley weight that I did. I decided since everybody likes having people running up to stuff to do it rather then letting people setup, that I should do a 5’ or so run up for this as well. Right knee was definitely feeling all this training today. I also knew that I was going to be feeling fatigue as my fingers and forearms were toasted from arm-over-arm being before this with the thick rope. First run was fine enough. A bit slower than my best with this but not ridiculously so I guess. Next up was bumping everything up a sandbag so it was 225lbs/250lbs/275lbs. 250lbs went up a little harder than I would’ve liked and that made me a little cautious with 275lbs on the pick to insure a good lap and position. That went up quite easy. So then on to the contest setup. This did not go well. 250lbs went up like it should. Then 275lbs I don’t know what happened. It was like I forgot what I was doing and couldn’t get it up to where it needed to be for that first attempt. I refocused and got it up there with some effort and quickly set it down to move onto the 306lbs bag. This really sucked. I couldn’t get it high enough to pivot and it was just there in my arms. I gave it two attempts while I had it up there and dropped it with the plan to try again. I still had time. As I went for another go, I heard some say something about bleeding and needing disinfectant. I stopped as there are times where I’ve been bleeding and don’t feel or notice it. I also needed a little breather to regroup as the pick freaking tanked me. I did a quick check to make sure I wasn’t bleeding anywhere and gave it another attempt. Nope. I knew I was past the time limit and continuing to fight it was just going to fatigue me and irritate me. I messed up and it cost me. Best to get it here than at the show. I was going to regroup and give it another shot. Maybe I hadn’t been going like I meant it. Trying to do contest weight casual. Tired and not getting the competition juices flowing. Maybe knowing this was actual tough awoken that as I could feel myself breathing differently. I got set and went. And I made it feel like almost nothing. Tossed that last bag down in disgust. With that, I had crossed off the last item on my training cycle minimum goals I had set for myself to be “ok” with how I was doing. For log, it had been at least a single over contest weight and 5 reps with over 250lbs clean and press each. For deadlift, 700lbs in training. Arm-over-arm had just been 650lbs or so really. Frame had been contest weight under 10 seconds and finish 800lbs. Sandbag had been contest medley and under 20 seconds. I set high standards and always feel like I’m not doing enough or ready for a show. This is the first time I think I’ve ever actually hit all the bare minimums. I’d of course like to be stronger and stronger on everything and always more time to keep fine tuning. Last thing then was backwards sled drag. Light weight for 5 minutes. Get blood flowing in VMOs. This was fine. Up and down the wind tunnel on turf with 205lbs. Figured that I should put stuff away drive home to stretch out. I wanted to see if wearing knee sleeve on my right knee while driving would help post workout (it did not). I’m getting tired of “changes” popping up with shows but I know that is part of this and is going to be part of it at every level of the sport. Just got to keep cool and do what I do.
Comments: So a bit of stress as previously mentioned. Trying to minimize that. Lower back feeling exhausted but understandable. Right knee doesn’t seem to be recovering as well as it has been. Going to have to play around with other stuff I think as what I’m doing isn’t enough. I was kind of worried that it would be discomfort to keep it bent driving out to train. I’ve tolerated it driving home after training but it would suck if it was like that driving out. This was kind of a contest test run session with how things were planned. A lot of the accessory stuff dropped and some of the mobility stuff altered as well. A good bit of people were there with the same idea as me to do their last test runs of contest events. To be expected I guess. So a benefit and determent. Benefit in that everything was going to be out but determent in that I’d probably have to wait and have to adjust things plus put it all away if I told them to leave it out for me. So after mobility stuff, right into ssb box squats with bands. Kind of glad I didn’t have the one legged stuff to start as I felt that might stress my knees a lot. Following the same wave programming of 5x3 with 15lbs increases each week. So topping out at 355lbs for these. Both knees were achy but only the right one was really giving me fits once I got to the working weight. 45 seconds rest or so. I didn’t feel as exhausted but I did feel slower. Always get a good sweat going on these. From there it was on to frame carry. This was listed as not required if I felt I didn’t need it but that overall, it would be beneficial for me not just this contest but my moving events in general. But with the changes made (or I guess I should say were planned but not told to anyone until Thursday), this became a must do. So before the added things to this, it was to be 90% or so contest weight (650-700) for 2x50’. But now it was strap in own time and run up to the frame to do so. So I felt it was best to do 45’ runs for my working sets. I didn’t change things up with my warm-ups but I did once I got to the big frame. No sense in changing up for other frames as they weren’t the same. Handles different and I can’t just, hop in like from the back for most open-ended frames. Have to hop in from the side. I had four different versions of grip/straps and I figured I’d give them all a shot. Now practicing the hope in and strapping in is one thing but picking it up and moving with it is another and it can be harder to tell what feels repeatable and best without putting that tension in. But that is the hardest part of the lift for me and would be exhausting and taxing. Already feeling stuff from heavy pulls on Tuesday. The four grips were Versa Gripps (borrowed), my long IronMind straps made for thick bars, Cerberus figure 8 straps and Harbinger lifting grips (borrowed). I felt comfortable with picking up and moving with the first three but I just couldn’t get the Harbinger to hit the handles right and ditched them without even attempting a pick. That left me with three potentials. I knew that my trusty straps would hold anything if tight (I’ve stood up with 1040lbs on a thick bar setup) and that not likely to break my figure 8’s. Never used Versa Gripps so I don’t exactly have the trust in them for this kind of weight but they seemed efficient. I think my only hesitation is that the grip of the handles is not like a barbell or typical dumbbell or other gym equipment that would usually be used with those. So for my actual working sets, I went with testing my straps and Versa Gripps. The figure 8’s I had to do things a little different and I felt that I didn’t have things as stable compared to the other two. First run with the Versa Gripps at 675lbs went quite well. Just a little bit of hesitancy getting them set. I’ve already accepted that this is a different event then what I had trained for if this ends up what we are doing. Maybe the promoter will see the hazard or impracticality of it with this frame and drop that. But I’d rather be prepared. The run with my straps wasn’t as good. Not getting them set and tight like I’ve been doing it becomes quite apparent with more weight vs empty frame. Really tilted back and I was slower by almost two seconds (though my timer could’ve been distracted by other stuff going on in the gym by the look of things). But even if that is the case, this felt worse so going to stake it on Versa Gripps for the show in the event it is this mad dash instead of what I’ve been doing this whole freaking time. I was already stressed and I now that as I get closer to contest and peak for it, I become more agitated. I feel tired but even then I still seem to be handling things well. I know that some people think that cycling and peaking aren’t things for a “drug free”: athlete but it very much is for me. Feeling brittle but at my strongest. It is odd. So after that was arm-over-arm. Confirmed it was with the thick rope for contest and plan here was to do a hard set and then a speed set. There was a different tire out there this time from what I’ve been using. Might be the one we are using, might not. Not clue. I figured I should use this one for this session just to get practice in the event the actual setup is like this. I’ve been using a lighter, lower tire that has a wider diameter and stuffing it with foam pads to keep it from sinking. No one else is patient enough to set that up so they had this thicker but smaller diameter tire. I noticed that I couldn’t really get my normal leg drive with this one. I was going kind of slow with this as a lot of people here and trying to share the space. Someone moved my marker for 25’ as I was going on my warm-ups as they thought someone left it out there and it was going to get run over. I couldn’t tell if they were joking or not that I was going to “kick their ass” but I acted like it was a joke. Just trying to focus on the work at hand. So I figured that for the heavy set, I should do 90% of contest weight with the thick rope. It would be about 100lbs more than the most I’ve done with the thick rope in training with actual weight. I did not like this tire as with how I was having to pull, I was having to go up and then back. Also limited ROM for my lower body drive. Not sure what point my feet slipped from where they were but they did and my feet went all the way inside the tire rather than the lip. This did get rid of the upward motion and better anchor point. But because of that, it changed the way I could use my lower body on this. I still adapted and got a decent time I think. I know I can go faster on this if I go with feet all the way in and know what to expect. If this ends up being the tire setup. The second set was to be a speed set. Hard to get speed with the thick rope and turf uphill. Dropped it down to 500lbs. This was still around where I was doing sets with weight previously on the thick rope. I knew what to do this time and I did move things pretty well. Grip and setup do affect this as I was moving faster with the thinner rope and better tire with more weight. Got creative and gambled on both of these sets with the last pull as I went beyond the point where I could get back up efficiently to get it done and it worked both times. This stuff is exhausting but I know what to expect and know that I’m in a good spot. So after that was done and put away, it was time for sandbags. Medley work. Last chance essentially. But I got more good news (this is sarcasm). Gym owners had indicated that if doing sandbag to shoulder that we had to drop them on mats because too many bags were getting damaged I guess. So that meant having to control the bags back down and I couldn’t do my over the back dismount to cut down on time like I’ve been doing. I also feel that having that in front is kind of a tripping hazard considering the motion but I will abide by the rules. But I’ll complain about it the entire time. So for this, the plan was to either work up to contest series doing medley runs or work in singles to contest medley run and then drop down and do speed runs. The other option was to also do a few singles with the heaviest bag afterwards or so EMOM style. I was feeling beat and frustrated with the changes and I knew that if I had to do the controlled drops from the front, that I wasn’t going to be beating PRs for time on lighter medley runs that I should just work up to contest medley doing increasing weight medleys. Singles up to the first medley weight that I did. I decided since everybody likes having people running up to stuff to do it rather then letting people setup, that I should do a 5’ or so run up for this as well. Right knee was definitely feeling all this training today. I also knew that I was going to be feeling fatigue as my fingers and forearms were toasted from arm-over-arm being before this with the thick rope. First run was fine enough. A bit slower than my best with this but not ridiculously so I guess. Next up was bumping everything up a sandbag so it was 225lbs/250lbs/275lbs. 250lbs went up a little harder than I would’ve liked and that made me a little cautious with 275lbs on the pick to insure a good lap and position. That went up quite easy. So then on to the contest setup. This did not go well. 250lbs went up like it should. Then 275lbs I don’t know what happened. It was like I forgot what I was doing and couldn’t get it up to where it needed to be for that first attempt. I refocused and got it up there with some effort and quickly set it down to move onto the 306lbs bag. This really sucked. I couldn’t get it high enough to pivot and it was just there in my arms. I gave it two attempts while I had it up there and dropped it with the plan to try again. I still had time. As I went for another go, I heard some say something about bleeding and needing disinfectant. I stopped as there are times where I’ve been bleeding and don’t feel or notice it. I also needed a little breather to regroup as the pick freaking tanked me. I did a quick check to make sure I wasn’t bleeding anywhere and gave it another attempt. Nope. I knew I was past the time limit and continuing to fight it was just going to fatigue me and irritate me. I messed up and it cost me. Best to get it here than at the show. I was going to regroup and give it another shot. Maybe I hadn’t been going like I meant it. Trying to do contest weight casual. Tired and not getting the competition juices flowing. Maybe knowing this was actual tough awoken that as I could feel myself breathing differently. I got set and went. And I made it feel like almost nothing. Tossed that last bag down in disgust. With that, I had crossed off the last item on my training cycle minimum goals I had set for myself to be “ok” with how I was doing. For log, it had been at least a single over contest weight and 5 reps with over 250lbs clean and press each. For deadlift, 700lbs in training. Arm-over-arm had just been 650lbs or so really. Frame had been contest weight under 10 seconds and finish 800lbs. Sandbag had been contest medley and under 20 seconds. I set high standards and always feel like I’m not doing enough or ready for a show. This is the first time I think I’ve ever actually hit all the bare minimums. I’d of course like to be stronger and stronger on everything and always more time to keep fine tuning. Last thing then was backwards sled drag. Light weight for 5 minutes. Get blood flowing in VMOs. This was fine. Up and down the wind tunnel on turf with 205lbs. Figured that I should put stuff away drive home to stretch out. I wanted to see if wearing knee sleeve on my right knee while driving would help post workout (it did not). I’m getting tired of “changes” popping up with shows but I know that is part of this and is going to be part of it at every level of the sport. Just got to keep cool and do what I do.
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