Warm Up Circuit
Skaters
bwx5/5
bwx5/5
bwx5/5
bwx5/5
bwx5/5
bwx5/5
Axle Cleans
78x2
103x2
130x2
130x2
130x2
130x2
78x2
103x2
130x2
130x2
130x2
130x2
Paused Bent Over Straight Arm Band Lat Pulls (2 seconds)
µb’sx10
µb’sx10
µb’sx10
µb’sx10
14” Axle Jack Stand Pulls (straps)
130x2
220x2
310x2
400x2
470x2
540x4
500x4
130x2
220x2
310x2
400x2
470x2
540x4
500x4
Paused 12” Axle Jack Stand Pulls (straps, 2 seconds 2” off the ground)
400x4
400x4
400x4
400x4
Paused One Arm Dumbbell Rows (2 seconds)
40x4/4
64x4/4
84x8/8
99x8/8
116x8/8
40x4/4
64x4/4
84x8/8
99x8/8
116x8/8
Posterior Single Leg Step Downs (16”)
40x10/10
40x10/10
40x10/10
40x10/10
40x10/10
40x10/10
Nordic Curl Eccentrics (6 seconds)
bwx5
bwx5
bwx5
bwx5
bwx5
bwx5
Stretching
Comments: I really wasn’t sure how today would go. I frequently say that. I have hopes for how things will go and I expect them to be done and met but I also know that I’m not a program and sometimes things happen and adjustments are needed. The thing that could be an issue was the right knee. It has calmed down a good bit since weekend training (it had been irritated since the event session two weeks ago) but never know. I had done exercises without discomfort before that week and then there was discomfort on them after that. So it was just some added hesitancy to get over that hadn’t been there before. Sticking to band clamshells and TKEs with bands as these seem to be the things at minimum that get things ready that need to be. I’ve taken kind of a split stance with the TKEs and working on not just the extension but the tracking of the knee. If my tendons get tight, my calves tighten and then it’s kind of a battle to get them to calm down so that I feel good there and recover. So skaters to start things off. I was expecting knee aches and I didn’t really get them thankfully. Some tightness in the right ankle. From there on to. Axle cleans. Increase in weight and switching from 3x3 to 4x2. I went a bit heavier than what was listed just for easier plate math situation. I was already doing 7lbs more than what was suggested for the 3x3 and now it would only be 6lbs more. I’m trying to not be so hesitant with gripping the axle. Stay tense and have a strong grip so that I’m not botching things before I even get it started. Light weight is one thing, need to get comfortable with the heavier stuff. Still using the 25’s for lower pick height that is closer to contest. Straight arm pulldown things after that. Lat control in the lower lats (I’d have discomfort the past two weeks) seems better. Trying my best to actually be in a deadlift stance. Noticing knees a bit achy doing that and ankle mobility issues with tightness of lower legs. Axle deadlifting time. When I feel on for block pulls and stuff just seems to be clicking, it is a great feeling. I rarely get that feeling when I setup for a deadlift from the floor with a barbell. It is a different feeling of when it is go time with a suit and without a suit. Short of it is that tonight I was feeling good. Last time I was given the “heavy option”, it had been 2” above working weight to kind of get used to heavier weights. For this session, it was at contest height and I was to work up in doubles to a top set of 3-4 (2RIR). Unlike the previous workout, the rest of the axle work was kind of based on how this went as far as percentages and reps. I was initially planning on doing plate jumps up to 380lbs and then do 40-50lbs so that top set would be 520lbs. I wasn’t initially thinking of trying more weight than what I hit on the 16” pulls. However, I realized that to get it so the 1rm would be roughly 90% of contest weight, I’d need to be doing about 540lbs for 6 so 4 with 2RIR would be around where I need to be. So add 20lbs to the setup and go from there. I already had done that for the banded pulls so it wasn’t out of nowhere. I started with plate jumps and by the time I got to 40lbs, I didn’t really want to do another 90lbs and then try 50lbs more. I was kind of bullying the weights around today. So to make it a smoother jump, I went with 70lbs for both of the last two jumps. This felt good. I even think I slowed down how fast I was going between the reps because I was worried that I was “bouncing” the weight (which I can’t do with this setup anyways). I felt like I maybe had 3RIR here honestly. Hell, maybe more if I didn’t want to do anything else the rest of the week. Hard to say as usually I feel pretty exhausted after I get kind of amped up for a deadlift set but still had that same kind of aggression for the down set. So the plan here was dropping down to 7.5-10% less and match the reps. So I got 4 reps, I was to do 4 reps with 486lbs – 500lbs. I decided for simplicity sake to do 500lbs. There was no respect left for that weight. Dropping the bar height down another 2” to get it to 12” for more of the 2 second pauses 2” off the ground. This took a little more time since last time I could just add the platform to it but I was already on one so I had to strip the weight down and put it back on. Unlike last time, this wasn’t based off of percentage from a projected max. This was to be 20-25% less than the last set and match the reps for two sets. So 2x4 here with 375lbs – 400lbs. Again, went with the larger number because it was easier math. And also because I knew I could do it. These were pretty comfortable and honestly, just an extra rep and 20lbs more than last time is good progress since that extra rep seems to get me on these pause sets. So good session for the axle pulls. With the heavy stuff done, it was time for the accessory stuff. Paused one arm dumbbell rows again. This time sets of 8 reps so plan here was again 1-2ct holds and working from 6.5 RPE to 8.5 RPE. Keep them strict. No chalk or straps or belts. Now unlike when I was doing sets of 10, I knew I’d need heavier weight than the solid dumbbells I had at my disposal. I’d need to use the plateloaded handles. In order to keep time between sets right, I’d have to plan those jumps in advance so that I’m not fiddling around. Did two warming up sets before getting started. Plan was 15lbs jumps (though more on the last jump as using the overweight 25’s). I thought I might have gone too light that first set but the second set was feeling right and the last set was getting close to being a little much perhaps. But all within the parameters. The holds keep me honest here. Then it was time for the posterior stepdowns. I wasn’t too fond of these after how crap my knees felt last week. Plan was to do 3x10 again and hopefully keep the same weight but lessen it if necessary to bring discomfort level down to 3/10 range. I recall that I did mobility stuff before I did these that first week but I don’t have notes that I did to be sure. But I did what I usually have done for split leg exercises; sit in a deep squat and try and get knees over toe in lunge position while stretching out the hips and top of the quads. It was tolerable. It wasn’t as good as it was the first week but it was a ton better than it felt last week. Hard to say if exercise choice/load and accumulation of work had anything to do with it but I’ll keep doing this for next time. Trying to control the eccentric as best I can. Last thing was the Nordic curls. For the past two weeks, I’ve done 5 second eccentrics. I decided I’d try for 6 second eccentrics for the 3x5 to try and progress that way. These do seem to make the knees feel good (if only for a little bit) and light up the hamstrings. Finished up putting stuff away and ate pot roast before stretching. Iced knees before bed.
Comments: I really wasn’t sure how today would go. I frequently say that. I have hopes for how things will go and I expect them to be done and met but I also know that I’m not a program and sometimes things happen and adjustments are needed. The thing that could be an issue was the right knee. It has calmed down a good bit since weekend training (it had been irritated since the event session two weeks ago) but never know. I had done exercises without discomfort before that week and then there was discomfort on them after that. So it was just some added hesitancy to get over that hadn’t been there before. Sticking to band clamshells and TKEs with bands as these seem to be the things at minimum that get things ready that need to be. I’ve taken kind of a split stance with the TKEs and working on not just the extension but the tracking of the knee. If my tendons get tight, my calves tighten and then it’s kind of a battle to get them to calm down so that I feel good there and recover. So skaters to start things off. I was expecting knee aches and I didn’t really get them thankfully. Some tightness in the right ankle. From there on to. Axle cleans. Increase in weight and switching from 3x3 to 4x2. I went a bit heavier than what was listed just for easier plate math situation. I was already doing 7lbs more than what was suggested for the 3x3 and now it would only be 6lbs more. I’m trying to not be so hesitant with gripping the axle. Stay tense and have a strong grip so that I’m not botching things before I even get it started. Light weight is one thing, need to get comfortable with the heavier stuff. Still using the 25’s for lower pick height that is closer to contest. Straight arm pulldown things after that. Lat control in the lower lats (I’d have discomfort the past two weeks) seems better. Trying my best to actually be in a deadlift stance. Noticing knees a bit achy doing that and ankle mobility issues with tightness of lower legs. Axle deadlifting time. When I feel on for block pulls and stuff just seems to be clicking, it is a great feeling. I rarely get that feeling when I setup for a deadlift from the floor with a barbell. It is a different feeling of when it is go time with a suit and without a suit. Short of it is that tonight I was feeling good. Last time I was given the “heavy option”, it had been 2” above working weight to kind of get used to heavier weights. For this session, it was at contest height and I was to work up in doubles to a top set of 3-4 (2RIR). Unlike the previous workout, the rest of the axle work was kind of based on how this went as far as percentages and reps. I was initially planning on doing plate jumps up to 380lbs and then do 40-50lbs so that top set would be 520lbs. I wasn’t initially thinking of trying more weight than what I hit on the 16” pulls. However, I realized that to get it so the 1rm would be roughly 90% of contest weight, I’d need to be doing about 540lbs for 6 so 4 with 2RIR would be around where I need to be. So add 20lbs to the setup and go from there. I already had done that for the banded pulls so it wasn’t out of nowhere. I started with plate jumps and by the time I got to 40lbs, I didn’t really want to do another 90lbs and then try 50lbs more. I was kind of bullying the weights around today. So to make it a smoother jump, I went with 70lbs for both of the last two jumps. This felt good. I even think I slowed down how fast I was going between the reps because I was worried that I was “bouncing” the weight (which I can’t do with this setup anyways). I felt like I maybe had 3RIR here honestly. Hell, maybe more if I didn’t want to do anything else the rest of the week. Hard to say as usually I feel pretty exhausted after I get kind of amped up for a deadlift set but still had that same kind of aggression for the down set. So the plan here was dropping down to 7.5-10% less and match the reps. So I got 4 reps, I was to do 4 reps with 486lbs – 500lbs. I decided for simplicity sake to do 500lbs. There was no respect left for that weight. Dropping the bar height down another 2” to get it to 12” for more of the 2 second pauses 2” off the ground. This took a little more time since last time I could just add the platform to it but I was already on one so I had to strip the weight down and put it back on. Unlike last time, this wasn’t based off of percentage from a projected max. This was to be 20-25% less than the last set and match the reps for two sets. So 2x4 here with 375lbs – 400lbs. Again, went with the larger number because it was easier math. And also because I knew I could do it. These were pretty comfortable and honestly, just an extra rep and 20lbs more than last time is good progress since that extra rep seems to get me on these pause sets. So good session for the axle pulls. With the heavy stuff done, it was time for the accessory stuff. Paused one arm dumbbell rows again. This time sets of 8 reps so plan here was again 1-2ct holds and working from 6.5 RPE to 8.5 RPE. Keep them strict. No chalk or straps or belts. Now unlike when I was doing sets of 10, I knew I’d need heavier weight than the solid dumbbells I had at my disposal. I’d need to use the plateloaded handles. In order to keep time between sets right, I’d have to plan those jumps in advance so that I’m not fiddling around. Did two warming up sets before getting started. Plan was 15lbs jumps (though more on the last jump as using the overweight 25’s). I thought I might have gone too light that first set but the second set was feeling right and the last set was getting close to being a little much perhaps. But all within the parameters. The holds keep me honest here. Then it was time for the posterior stepdowns. I wasn’t too fond of these after how crap my knees felt last week. Plan was to do 3x10 again and hopefully keep the same weight but lessen it if necessary to bring discomfort level down to 3/10 range. I recall that I did mobility stuff before I did these that first week but I don’t have notes that I did to be sure. But I did what I usually have done for split leg exercises; sit in a deep squat and try and get knees over toe in lunge position while stretching out the hips and top of the quads. It was tolerable. It wasn’t as good as it was the first week but it was a ton better than it felt last week. Hard to say if exercise choice/load and accumulation of work had anything to do with it but I’ll keep doing this for next time. Trying to control the eccentric as best I can. Last thing was the Nordic curls. For the past two weeks, I’ve done 5 second eccentrics. I decided I’d try for 6 second eccentrics for the 3x5 to try and progress that way. These do seem to make the knees feel good (if only for a little bit) and light up the hamstrings. Finished up putting stuff away and ate pot roast before stretching. Iced knees before bed.
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