April 16, 2022 – Week 5, Day 4

Lateral Stepdowns
bwx3/3 20”
bwx8/8 32”
bwx8/8 32”
bwx8/8 32”

Safety Squat Bar Squats to 20” Box (5 second eccentrics) 
80x3
130x3
180x3
230x3
280x3
330x3
330x3
330x3
330x3
330x3

Yoke
Casual Pace
200x50’
200x50’
Normal
300x50’
400x50’
500x25’
550x25’
600x50’ in 7.88 seconds
600x50’ in 7.50 seconds
600x50’ in 7.43 seconds
600x50’ in 7.26 seconds

Hercules Holds
100 for 10 seconds
150 for 10 seconds
210 for 10 seconds
280 for 10 seconds
320 for 11.30 seconds
320 for 17.93 seconds
320 for 19.20 seconds
280 for 25.00 seconds
230 for 46.77 seconds

Stiff-legged Deadlifts (straps)
160x3
210x3
270x3
310x15
310x15

Belt Squats
90x15
140x15
180x15

Quad Fallbacks
bwx12
bwx12

Stretching

Comments: Still a bit annoyed about how axle cleans went. Just not expecting to be struggling that much. I’ll be fixated on it until it is right. Other than that, I feel on track for everything this show. So it isn’t that bad I guess that only one even of the five is not quite where I want it to be. But it is fixable. But I may have to lower expectations for what is possible at the show for axle. But anything over 290lbs will be a most 2016 injury PR for contest (but not for training). Training for today was a bit unusual in setup and I’ll get to those parts as they pop up in this haha. So one of the things was that the local biker gang was having one of their required meet ups and that meant that parking would be difficult if I came at my usual time and didn’t secure a spot. Also wanted to get there a little earlier so that I could confirm things were setup and ask questions about one of the implements. Drive out was smooth. Again, a lot of people doing the group setting training. I’m not entirely sure which show they are prepping for but it honestly seems like no rhyme or reason. Everything being worked up to until only a few people could even do it. I saw circus dumbbell and axle deadlifts without straps while I was getting ready. So starting things off was lateral stepdowns for 3x8 at RPE 7. I feel I’m getting pretty good with these as far as warming up. Balance felt off the first set for both sides but then felt fine. Got easier as I went. Last set for all intents and purposes could be classified as a warm up with how it felt. Squats with the ssb to box again after that. Same as last week as far as 5x3 with 3-5ct eccentrics with 15lbs more. No set rests but I kept them similar to last week. Went up 50lbs again in triples with the 5 seconds (I was tempted to go with the easier plate math but didn’t). I feel like my knees weren’t as tight and I could actually control how and where I moved as I did the descent to the box. Definitely getting the hamstrings a workout here. I could also feel my abdominals getting fatigued from the bracing but that could also be just experiencing some soreness after battering them with the axle on cleans two days earlier. Yoke next. Well not right away. The group was using yoke and the lane. The other lane was blocked for someone doing farmer’s walk. We do have three yokes but only two really are used due to the thicker crossbar. And I like to be event specific when I know the stuff being used. The other yoke that I could use was in the corner behind stuff and about 10 people. I didn’t make sense to move it outside since the loading dock area I could go on had some motorcycles on it and bikers were out there eating. My plan was to do shorter rests for the work sets and my height would require a lot of changing around and then probably cool down waiting to go again. So that ended up being an hour before that stopped and I was able to get on with my workout. Goal was yoke with belt this week, 600x4x50’ and try and pick up pace/speed more each set. Rest 90-120 seconds between. Knees were a little stiff after waiting so long but got back under me as I worked up. Unlike last time, I did want to see what my numbers were on this since closer to contest weight and I felt like I was going faster each run last time. Still not implementing the run up at this time. I did try and see if raising the pick height was viable since not a crushing weight but even empty and with a good stride it would occasionally graze the bottom so don’t want to risk that. Working sets for yoke felt really good. Each set I got faster. My last two runs were even faster than my best time with this kind of yoke with this weight for this distance. So that was good. I think I was even taking less rest than 90 seconds on some of these sets as I was raring to go. I feel like I could’ve done 100lbs more and it would be no problem to do this same workout (just not as nimble and fast haha). Up next was a new one for me to actually do in training; Hercules hold. The gym has a setup but rarely used as it takes up space and requires two people to help with spotting. I’ve done well on the two times I’ve done this event in competition but always felt it was too light. Had this compulsion of feeling the weight pulling my apart. It is unknown what the setup will be for the contest at this time but the promoter indicated he wanted it heavy so that not going over a minute and I can dig that. But can be hard to gauge so best to train for a hard short trip and a long boring one. My past training has been mostly rolling bar hangs. So I now have the opportunity to practice on a setup. I didn’t really know what to expect. Never used this in contest. I didn’t do more research on what numbers people have done on this until later. Best I could recall was that Evan Singleton had done 270-280lbs a side for over 70 seconds. For comparison, he's done about that time on the Giants Live setup when it has been between 180kgs-200kgs. So I figure this could be a tough setup. Drew said I better beat his times. So the plan here was to work up in sets of 5-10 seconds holds to get a feel for things and then do 2 sets of 20-30 seconds at RPE 8.5 and then 1 set of 45-60 seconds at RPE 8. I felt that the empty implement was going to be too light (50lbs) so put on 50lbs a side to start. I was feeling good and starting taking bigger jumps. In hindsight, I probably should’ve just done 280lbs for my working sets with how things ended up. 6 plates a side and I thought I had the tension even on each side but I guess not as my right side wasn’t and got pulled off. I was able to recover but lost it shortly after 10 seconds. Reset and try again. This was better but still not what I wanted. I counted too fast and didn’t really have any seconds in reserve on that one. The third attempt I got it and I felt I had time left. I again counted too fast here as I thought I was at 22 seconds. I let go on that one because I could. Now I thought that taking off 40lbs a side would be enough to get me in the 45 seconds range. Nope, fatigue after 10 seconds is crazy. Ugh, so dropped down to 230lbs and was able to get into the time range with seconds to spare. I was kind of annoyed by that. Forearm fatigue is a thing with this one. Kind of the same issue I had with the behind the back barbell holds in that I’m not a great gauge on what my limits are. Again, I think 280lbs is probably going to be the upper limits on this for stuff. No hook grip as not the intent but if that is allowed (awaiting event video rules), I’ll be sure to try that again as that was great success. I don’t feel so bad with how I did when I realized that even my light set was 30lbs more per hand then what the gym had a contest with this in 2019 and I’d still have put up a decent time with that weight. Accessory work for the rest of the session. Only one exercise was listed as Drew had second thoughts I might be too worn out from setting up yoke and Hercules hold that this was the only one. But two other exercises were optional for the quads. Stiff-legged deadlifts were first up. 2x15 with the whisper touch style. I used the kilo plates and the bench bar again. Asserting dominance haha as there were some powerlifters there (but they were doing squats and deadlifts). I ended going a little heavier here. I tried my best to make these hard and push the weight out a little so as not clinging close to my body. I wanted the stress on the core and hamstrings. I was to report RIR on the second set and allowed to take as much rest as needed. I had taken a good bit of break as sldls for higher reps seem way more fatiguing than rdls. I also had a lot of weights to put back from Hercules holds. Tougher than I’d have liked but not so concerned with weight on these. Felt I had 5RIR. So first optional was belt squats. My choice, 3 sets and either low or high reps. The belt squat machine is a little cramped and I don’t like how it pulls facing the machine (pulls down and forward) so if I’m doing a squat as opposed to rdl or marches with it, I will turn around. My knees weren’t prepared for these after all the other stuff. I’ll need to remember that next time. It was like I had to break my legs the first few reps before my body was like ok, this is fine and felt the leg muscles working. I wasn’t expecting that and forgot to film. I wasn’t going to do another set just because I didn’t film it so I decided I’d go up each set for the three sets with it being 15 reps. From there, a return of an exercise with the quad fallbacks. Just two sets and I did 12 reps. These felt fine. I did have my everything cramp up on the first set after like four reps and had to reset but other than that, it was fine. Stretched before heading home. Took care of groceries, ate a late afternoon meal before my sister came over to train in the garage. After that dinner and iced the knees before bed.