Friday, May 6, 2022

May 5, 2022 – Week 8, Day 3

Paused Axle Clean and Push Presses (clean every rep, 3 seconds at sternum in dip for clean)
50x2
80x2
110x2
140x2
170x2
200x2
230x2
230x2
230x2
230x2
230x2

Axle Push Presses
230x1
261x1
292x3
262x3
262x3

Axle Incline Bench Presses (4 second eccentrics)
30x3
60x3
90x2
120x2
150x1
180x1
210x3
215x3
220x3

Bench Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows (3 second eccentrics)
58’sx5
93’sx10
93’sx10
93’sx10

Half Kneeling Band Face Pulls (low anchor point)
mmb+µbx15
mmb+µbx15
mmb+µbx15

Dead Stop EZ Curl Bar Triceps Extensions
55x5
85x5
120x10
120x10

Stretching
  
Comments: Just because I realize that I’m stressed out doesn’t automatically mean I stopped being stressed. But usually it means I get a plan in place. Similar to being in a dream and then finally realizing it is one when it becomes uncomfortable (why am I in class? I graduated almost 15yrs ago. No, your teeth aren’t falling out and why would they be this big anyways?”. Not always a sudden wake up. Anxious about things I can’t control right now so focus on what I think I can. Upper back and neck stiff and sore from frame pulls. Same with lower back. Legs not so bad but I think just hyper fixated on my right knee. I reasoned to do my workout during my lunch this day as it felt like I could get it out of the way and not be stressing about it and because my sister was coming over to do her last workout of the week and I felt it was best that I be able to give my undivided attention with that. So on to the workout. Axle clean and press every rep to start. Alternating it would seem between regular with one clean and paused with clean every rep and trying to go up a good chunk each time if possible. Last time had been 210x4x3 with the 3ct holds on the dip for the flip to rack position. Doubles this time around. Really worried my knee would be screwed on these but it wasn’t. Just sore. I can work with sore. Trying to work on the intent. I’m getting less stressed about the first pull on these as I can clear the belt and pop up from there. I was having some issues with 200lbs as far as getting it on the sweet spot to start the pause. Plan had been to do 5x2 with 220-230lbs. I felt these went better than last time and that less having to chase down the axle after the drop which led to quicker reload between reps and sets I feel. It was bright and sunny outside so I was getting pretty darn sweaty but managed to keep that sweat off my palms and only really soaking through both shirts by the end of it. Having outside floor fan going. That little flip motion is still a point of concern with turning the weight over. I was thinking about thumbs around the bar but I know that would result in a delay and more pop needed for the position to be ideal for me to press (thumbless) and with the thumb around bar, that would increase grip potential but also increase rigidity and perhaps make it harder in that way to flip around. So part of that thinking had me not put my wrist wraps as tight as I usually do to see if that helped any. I’m just glad that this motion doesn’t feel stiff and slow now. Axle out of the rack followed this. Same as last time with it being starting from where I left off with the clean and presses. I was a bit more prepared for how things would feel unracking after all that so it was feeling awful and heavy but it moved well. I was kind of rushing here as I had an appointment that was at 11:00AM but they asked me to reschedule for a time during my lunch break so I needed to get through the push pressing in the event things took a long while (don’t want to cool off for 30 minutes). Plan is to do a top set of 3 (1-2RIR) and then drop down a little for 2x3. My plan here was to do 292 for the top set. With how things went last time I did these, I didn’t want to push too hard and not leave reps there. I felt that 290lbs was selling myself too short but 295lbs would be greedy. And I wanted even jumps so I went with 292lbs here as I could do fractional plates of 31lbs to get there. Big jumps like I was doing on the clean and presses. This fit the bill in that it would be the most weight I’ve done for reps on overhead in any capacity straight weight (not counting viking press) since 2016 injury reset. Most I’ve done for reps which was a jerk was 300x5 unbroken with an axle which was 8yrs ago. It would be progress but small. This weight felt heavy but I knew that this is like how it was with 285lbs two weeks ago and 280lbs had felt pretty comfortable last week. It still felt heavy on the second and third reps but it went up better and felt smooth. Definitely left a rep or two there. 300lbs double with RIR is coming. So that was good feeling and then I realized that in my distraction to rush things along, I forgot to hit record. Of course I did, just the heaviest triple overhead that I’ve done in 8yrs is all. I really wanted to see how my form looked as it felt good on those last two reps and wasn’t like where it was hard lockouts like with 285lbs. I went with 30lbs less for the two triples. Took the compression cuffs off for these just to give myself a little bit of a break here (and have one less thing to worry about putting back on as it was getting close to time to call it). I knew I was getting these lifts but was feeling fatigue. First set was better as a little more rested as I did about 2 minutes rest or so for the second set and I was pushing that weight out in front and needing to almost pause it on the shoulders each rep to get back in a groove. It was solid work. After about 30 minutes with the rescheduled appointment, it was back to training and axle on incline. As has been the case, continuing rotation of eccentric times to continue to work triceps and chest muscles. I do think these have been helpful just with controlling weight back to shoulders on push pressing when I get a little far forward and trying to not rebound the reps. From what I’m seeing here, it looks like the alternating week scheme is top weight with longer eccentrics and then down sets with about half the eccentric time one week and then the other week being no top set and just rep work. So this was a rep work week. 3-4ct eccentrics and aim was to do heavier 3x3 then what I did previously but try to keep it the same RPE range. Ah yes, the old “make it heavier but easier” gambit. Well there wasn’t a set rest period for these so I probably could do more weight and keep it same RPE with the fatigue not being a big factor. Aim is to get stuff to creep up into the 200’s on these so 210lbs was the goal with 30lbs jumps. But I decided to take a little page from yoke last week with taking advantage of the opportunity to squeeze extra pounds out of it. So I added 5lbs a set and this actually seemed to work to keep things around the RPE8 range. Into the garage for rows. Got fans going in there too. Still chest supported dumbbell rows for 3x10 at RPE 7-8 with short rests with the 3 second eccentrics. I figured I could go up to 5lbs more per hand. Definitely felt like I may have bit off more than I could chew that first set but it felt fine the other sets (or as good as it was going to feel). The band face pulls that are weird were again for 3x15. Stuck to just monster mini and micro for this week with the slight pauses and the controlled eccentrics. These get pretty darn tough by the end of the last set.  Took a break to eat lunch before finishing up. Last thing was for triceps. I decided to get a cheapo EZ curl bar just so I could have it. Rated for 350lbs but not like I’ll ever need it that heavy. This was to replace the axle ones I was doing instead. I felt these were a bit more ergonomic for the wrists. Only 2x10 this week so I increased the weight a good bit (one because less sets and two because these felt better vs axle). I did end up taking a longer rest than what was written but close enough. Put stuff away and back to work.


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