Patrick Stepdowns (3 second eccentrics)
bwx25/25 at 4”
bwx25/25 at 4”
One Legged Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (opposite side)
50x3/3
75x3/3
100x10/10
100x10/10
50x3/3
75x3/3
100x10/10
100x10/10
Safety Squat Bar Squats
65x10
115x8
155x6
205x4
245x2
295x2
335x2
385x4
385x4
385x4
65x10
115x8
155x6
205x4
245x2
295x2
335x2
385x4
385x4
385x4
I-Beam Farmer’s Deadlifts (16” pick)
122x1
152x1
182x1
212x1
242x1
267x2
267x2
267x2
267x2
267x2
122x1
152x1
182x1
212x1
242x1
267x2
267x2
267x2
267x2
267x2
Titan Fitness Farmer’s Shrugs (16” pick, heels on slant board)
220x35
220x35
Sandbag Over Shoulders (left)
175x1
205x1
225x1
250x1
205x1/225x1/250x1/275x1 in 21.70 seconds
225x1/250x1/275x1/300x1 in 22.74 seconds
175x1
205x1
225x1
250x1
205x1/225x1/250x1/275x1 in 21.70 seconds
225x1/250x1/275x1/300x1 in 22.74 seconds
Sandbag Carries (turns at 50’)
306x200’
306x200’
Seated Band Hamstring Curls
ab’sx30
ab’sx30
ab’sx30
ab’sx30
Stretching
Comments: Even though a shorter work week, it had me feeling worn by the end of it. Got a flu shot after work. Last time I was training for Nationals, I had put that off as I guess I was worried that I’d have to slow down or that it might make me a little sick because with the stress I was putting on my body trying to prep for it. But that delay that year was not a smart decision as I ended up getting the flu at Nationals that year (and for the only time in my life) and that was bad enough I was out sick for like 2 weeks. Never again. No pain or anything afterwards. Just annoyed having to wait. And small talk. I have a hard time with tone in conversations if it isn’t made blatantly obvious. The pharmacist indicated there was “no issue locating my deltoids” and I don’t know if that was statement of fact or potentially flirtatious. In either case, I just chuckle. Plan had been in the morning to get up and get my driver’s license picture updated but I didn’t want to force that and cut my sleeping recovery for just that to try and fit it in before training because only open in the morning. I got time to get that done. I’m still good for like another month. Out to train and drive was decent. I try to decompress when I go for walks to kind of get my thoughts clear and think about stuff but sometimes a drive can be just as helpful. There wasn’t really anyone there today. Wasn’t too sure why. I was a little later but not by a lot and I didn’t feel so late that I’d have missed the tail end of other people’s workouts. And it didn’t seem like there was anything going on this weekend. So only a few people here today. Noticed on the board that there appeared to be a powerlifting meet coming up with listing for volunteers. I guess I maybe had seen that meet listed previously but didn’t think it was at the gym. But apparently it is so that will require some adjustments to training in two weeks’ time. So on to the training for today. Only thing that I was somewhat concerned with was the knuckles on the right hand that were still kind of achy and stiff from Thursday. This session would either make things feel worse or would make it feel better. Thankfully it was the make it feel better kind of session. Sometimes more weight is the answer. Patrick stepdowns to start as has been the case for this training cycle. Change had been to having these be for 25 reps with 2-3ct eccentrics (I was going to do the 3ct) and lowering the height to 4”. Not much difference really but the added reps were noticed and funny enough having things be firm seemed to increase balance but had me feeling more fatigue in the lower calf and muscles around the heel and ankle. So that was different and probably a good idea to keep a rotation in stability of surfaces. From there it was the offset rdls with the dumbbell for 2x10. 100lbs is pretty much where I’m at for these as the next jump is 125lbs with the odd oversized handles or 130lbs with regular handles. Not exactly good ideas to jump in. Other option would be bringing in my own long dumbbell handle. But this seems like a good spot anyways. Can always make things tougher with shorter rests between sides and sets and more control on the eccentric. Safety squat bar squats were up next as has been the case. Plan here was 3x4 with 3-5 minutes rest and leaving 2-3RIR. Weight was to be between 77.5% and 80% as long as I could keep it feeling 2-3RIR. Continuing that complaining of this feeling heavy and taking a long ass time for things to feel right and warm. Did 40-50lbs jumps all the way up as my plan was to do 385lbs for the sets so a little bit in between. Depending on how I was feeling, I was thinking of starting there and adding 5lbs each set. But only if I felt that I could keep it 2RIR. And that is the thing. That first set, it felt like it was 2RIR with how it felt. Same with the second set. Last set finally I felt like things were moving well and I felt like I had 4RIR and maybe 5RIR with it getting really ugly. Which is kind of frustrating when it feels damn heavy and then looking at videos it doesn’t seem like I’d be feeling like 2RIR on those first two sets. I seem to need a lot of sets or I just need to be feeling like all the sets matter rather than just the last one. Not sure if there is a way to “fix” that. I don’t seem to have that issue with the banded block pulls. After the squats. It was the farmer’s deadlifts. Indications appear to be this was going to be the last session of them as this before switching to heavier stuff on different days and adding in skill work towards the arm-over-arm pull. Plan here was 5x2 with 15lbs increase from last week and keeping 60 seconds rest. The smaller jumps had felt good last time. So 30lbs jumps each single all the way up. One of the suggestions was to regrip after each rep for the medley but I felt that I’d stick to what I was doing as I wasn’t wearing my “farmer’s walk” footwear on these (and hadn’t been) and was wearing what I would for the deadlift medley. These were feeling heavier than I would’ve liked but I just kind of had to accept it like last week. Despite feeling slow, this was a repeatable effort as I was able to do these with 40 seconds rest between sets. That hadn’t been intentional. Last time it was 60 seconds and I had walked further but I was worried I’d take too long and I had the handles further away from the doorway compared to last time. From there it was to the farmer’s shrugs. Indication this might be the last week these show up this training cycle to add more work for sandbag stuff. As written, it indicated 20lbs more than last time for set of 30-35 reps. But also said RPE 8. This exercise has been like RPE 4 or something for the past two times it has shown up. At least for the shrugging part. The pick is more taxing really than the actual movement. Maybe I have muscle memory from back when I had to do all the rehabbing to get back to this point in 2017 where I would have to do high rep shrugs with light weight without straps. So I figured that I’d do more weight and get it closer to the RPE 8 range. So I added 40lbs to the proposed 20lbs. I felt that was ok with how about this weight felt warming up for the picks. Pick was a little odd (the slant board) but it felt fine. Probably the closest these have been to feeling like something. Still shy of that RPE 8. Probably like RPE 6 for the shrugs. From there it was on to the more technical stuff for the workout that was event specific. Sandbag over the shoulder stuff. Plan here was to warm up in singles and then do two runs using 4 sandbags. First being 80% of the first 4 in the series at the show and the second being 90% (with option to add another bag if it felt too easy). Idea with things being medley run being easier than the rep set at the end of the medley last time with the misload and the second set feeling about that. I’ve been watching other competitors doing this event and trying to dissect things. The style I’m using might not be the most efficient but it feels the most comfortable and safest for me. But can still use some fine tuning. Unlike how I was doing these the first two sessions, set things up how I felt they’d probably be like at contest. So bags spaced out and upright. Lying down seems to be best for me with my style but probably not going to get to do that. Warming up didn’t feel amazing. Stuff felt slow and heavier. The knocking down the bag certainly adds some time but I do kind of have to do that to get it balanced before going for it. I had also decided that I needed to do the larger sized 250lbs bag rather than the more compact one. The size was going to be the issue as opposed to the weight here. So I think that it being a little tougher than I was expecting that first single also wasn’t motivation for the upcoming stuff. I need to think of the event and how to prep. Remembering how things went at the March show with not getting a chance to warm up and getting light headed. I’m going to have to try and get something at Nats with the lightest bag being used or something like it to be minimally prepared. I’m also noticing that there is a moment where the bag is going across the body that I have a blind spot and I’ll have to make sure that I step forward just right so that I’m at the next bag for the transition and moving on to the next with minimal time loss. I had noticed that last time but I wasn’t rushing that session. So first run I was nervous but the first three bags felt lighter then when I did them for warming up singles. Only had a slight hesitancy with the 250lbs bag as it kind of got caught and my head was in the way but I adjusted. The 275lbs bag I had a little hesitancy with it. I’ve not used this bag in 20 months in some fashion besides loading and unloading out of my car last week. And only for short distance carries and some rows. So not at technical as launching from my lap over my shoulder. But it felt fine balance wise. So now it was time to bump everything up 25lbs or so and move on down the line. I’d done the 300lbs before in March as part of shouldering medley first time touching it. I’d done 306lbs for a few reps so I knew it could be done. This was a see how it goes kind of thing. These were to be smooth and not have it be like 2-3 bags being grinders. If the 300lbs went up and over easy enough, I’d do another rep (rather than bring out the next heaviest bag). Moved through the first three decently. Less hesitation on both the 250lbs and the 275lbs bag. The 300lbs was a little trickier and didn’t quite get it high enough for it to be easily shoved over. It wasn’t easy enough for me to feel that a double was a smart thing to do. End it on a good note. Only a second slower with the heavier weights so that is good. Then it was on to carries. Sticking with the 306lbs bag. Because why not. Plan was just one good long carry with it, 150’-200’. Not specified if with turns or not but I did turns since I’d rather not go like 200’ away with it and have to wheel it back. Turns make it tougher anyways. I felt that with the other sessions (150’ with drops every 50’ and 100’ for 2 sets with 30 seconds rest) that 200’ was the goal. And I did it comfortably enough. Decided rather than drop at the finish line to just put it back against the wall. Save me some effort later since I had to put away all the sandbags. Last thing for the session was hamstrings. Lower intensity from the glute ham raises that have been the case. Band leg curls for 2x20-30 with plenty of reps in reserve. I brought my own bands for this as the ones there are quite worn and I’ve had to use two bands per leg to get enough resistance. Took a bit to get a good setup and right amount of tension. It is probably good that the intensity of the hamstring accessory work has been dropped down now as the left lower leg that had the strain last year was aching a little today. Put stuff away and stretched before heading home.
Comments: Even though a shorter work week, it had me feeling worn by the end of it. Got a flu shot after work. Last time I was training for Nationals, I had put that off as I guess I was worried that I’d have to slow down or that it might make me a little sick because with the stress I was putting on my body trying to prep for it. But that delay that year was not a smart decision as I ended up getting the flu at Nationals that year (and for the only time in my life) and that was bad enough I was out sick for like 2 weeks. Never again. No pain or anything afterwards. Just annoyed having to wait. And small talk. I have a hard time with tone in conversations if it isn’t made blatantly obvious. The pharmacist indicated there was “no issue locating my deltoids” and I don’t know if that was statement of fact or potentially flirtatious. In either case, I just chuckle. Plan had been in the morning to get up and get my driver’s license picture updated but I didn’t want to force that and cut my sleeping recovery for just that to try and fit it in before training because only open in the morning. I got time to get that done. I’m still good for like another month. Out to train and drive was decent. I try to decompress when I go for walks to kind of get my thoughts clear and think about stuff but sometimes a drive can be just as helpful. There wasn’t really anyone there today. Wasn’t too sure why. I was a little later but not by a lot and I didn’t feel so late that I’d have missed the tail end of other people’s workouts. And it didn’t seem like there was anything going on this weekend. So only a few people here today. Noticed on the board that there appeared to be a powerlifting meet coming up with listing for volunteers. I guess I maybe had seen that meet listed previously but didn’t think it was at the gym. But apparently it is so that will require some adjustments to training in two weeks’ time. So on to the training for today. Only thing that I was somewhat concerned with was the knuckles on the right hand that were still kind of achy and stiff from Thursday. This session would either make things feel worse or would make it feel better. Thankfully it was the make it feel better kind of session. Sometimes more weight is the answer. Patrick stepdowns to start as has been the case for this training cycle. Change had been to having these be for 25 reps with 2-3ct eccentrics (I was going to do the 3ct) and lowering the height to 4”. Not much difference really but the added reps were noticed and funny enough having things be firm seemed to increase balance but had me feeling more fatigue in the lower calf and muscles around the heel and ankle. So that was different and probably a good idea to keep a rotation in stability of surfaces. From there it was the offset rdls with the dumbbell for 2x10. 100lbs is pretty much where I’m at for these as the next jump is 125lbs with the odd oversized handles or 130lbs with regular handles. Not exactly good ideas to jump in. Other option would be bringing in my own long dumbbell handle. But this seems like a good spot anyways. Can always make things tougher with shorter rests between sides and sets and more control on the eccentric. Safety squat bar squats were up next as has been the case. Plan here was 3x4 with 3-5 minutes rest and leaving 2-3RIR. Weight was to be between 77.5% and 80% as long as I could keep it feeling 2-3RIR. Continuing that complaining of this feeling heavy and taking a long ass time for things to feel right and warm. Did 40-50lbs jumps all the way up as my plan was to do 385lbs for the sets so a little bit in between. Depending on how I was feeling, I was thinking of starting there and adding 5lbs each set. But only if I felt that I could keep it 2RIR. And that is the thing. That first set, it felt like it was 2RIR with how it felt. Same with the second set. Last set finally I felt like things were moving well and I felt like I had 4RIR and maybe 5RIR with it getting really ugly. Which is kind of frustrating when it feels damn heavy and then looking at videos it doesn’t seem like I’d be feeling like 2RIR on those first two sets. I seem to need a lot of sets or I just need to be feeling like all the sets matter rather than just the last one. Not sure if there is a way to “fix” that. I don’t seem to have that issue with the banded block pulls. After the squats. It was the farmer’s deadlifts. Indications appear to be this was going to be the last session of them as this before switching to heavier stuff on different days and adding in skill work towards the arm-over-arm pull. Plan here was 5x2 with 15lbs increase from last week and keeping 60 seconds rest. The smaller jumps had felt good last time. So 30lbs jumps each single all the way up. One of the suggestions was to regrip after each rep for the medley but I felt that I’d stick to what I was doing as I wasn’t wearing my “farmer’s walk” footwear on these (and hadn’t been) and was wearing what I would for the deadlift medley. These were feeling heavier than I would’ve liked but I just kind of had to accept it like last week. Despite feeling slow, this was a repeatable effort as I was able to do these with 40 seconds rest between sets. That hadn’t been intentional. Last time it was 60 seconds and I had walked further but I was worried I’d take too long and I had the handles further away from the doorway compared to last time. From there it was to the farmer’s shrugs. Indication this might be the last week these show up this training cycle to add more work for sandbag stuff. As written, it indicated 20lbs more than last time for set of 30-35 reps. But also said RPE 8. This exercise has been like RPE 4 or something for the past two times it has shown up. At least for the shrugging part. The pick is more taxing really than the actual movement. Maybe I have muscle memory from back when I had to do all the rehabbing to get back to this point in 2017 where I would have to do high rep shrugs with light weight without straps. So I figured that I’d do more weight and get it closer to the RPE 8 range. So I added 40lbs to the proposed 20lbs. I felt that was ok with how about this weight felt warming up for the picks. Pick was a little odd (the slant board) but it felt fine. Probably the closest these have been to feeling like something. Still shy of that RPE 8. Probably like RPE 6 for the shrugs. From there it was on to the more technical stuff for the workout that was event specific. Sandbag over the shoulder stuff. Plan here was to warm up in singles and then do two runs using 4 sandbags. First being 80% of the first 4 in the series at the show and the second being 90% (with option to add another bag if it felt too easy). Idea with things being medley run being easier than the rep set at the end of the medley last time with the misload and the second set feeling about that. I’ve been watching other competitors doing this event and trying to dissect things. The style I’m using might not be the most efficient but it feels the most comfortable and safest for me. But can still use some fine tuning. Unlike how I was doing these the first two sessions, set things up how I felt they’d probably be like at contest. So bags spaced out and upright. Lying down seems to be best for me with my style but probably not going to get to do that. Warming up didn’t feel amazing. Stuff felt slow and heavier. The knocking down the bag certainly adds some time but I do kind of have to do that to get it balanced before going for it. I had also decided that I needed to do the larger sized 250lbs bag rather than the more compact one. The size was going to be the issue as opposed to the weight here. So I think that it being a little tougher than I was expecting that first single also wasn’t motivation for the upcoming stuff. I need to think of the event and how to prep. Remembering how things went at the March show with not getting a chance to warm up and getting light headed. I’m going to have to try and get something at Nats with the lightest bag being used or something like it to be minimally prepared. I’m also noticing that there is a moment where the bag is going across the body that I have a blind spot and I’ll have to make sure that I step forward just right so that I’m at the next bag for the transition and moving on to the next with minimal time loss. I had noticed that last time but I wasn’t rushing that session. So first run I was nervous but the first three bags felt lighter then when I did them for warming up singles. Only had a slight hesitancy with the 250lbs bag as it kind of got caught and my head was in the way but I adjusted. The 275lbs bag I had a little hesitancy with it. I’ve not used this bag in 20 months in some fashion besides loading and unloading out of my car last week. And only for short distance carries and some rows. So not at technical as launching from my lap over my shoulder. But it felt fine balance wise. So now it was time to bump everything up 25lbs or so and move on down the line. I’d done the 300lbs before in March as part of shouldering medley first time touching it. I’d done 306lbs for a few reps so I knew it could be done. This was a see how it goes kind of thing. These were to be smooth and not have it be like 2-3 bags being grinders. If the 300lbs went up and over easy enough, I’d do another rep (rather than bring out the next heaviest bag). Moved through the first three decently. Less hesitation on both the 250lbs and the 275lbs bag. The 300lbs was a little trickier and didn’t quite get it high enough for it to be easily shoved over. It wasn’t easy enough for me to feel that a double was a smart thing to do. End it on a good note. Only a second slower with the heavier weights so that is good. Then it was on to carries. Sticking with the 306lbs bag. Because why not. Plan was just one good long carry with it, 150’-200’. Not specified if with turns or not but I did turns since I’d rather not go like 200’ away with it and have to wheel it back. Turns make it tougher anyways. I felt that with the other sessions (150’ with drops every 50’ and 100’ for 2 sets with 30 seconds rest) that 200’ was the goal. And I did it comfortably enough. Decided rather than drop at the finish line to just put it back against the wall. Save me some effort later since I had to put away all the sandbags. Last thing for the session was hamstrings. Lower intensity from the glute ham raises that have been the case. Band leg curls for 2x20-30 with plenty of reps in reserve. I brought my own bands for this as the ones there are quite worn and I’ve had to use two bands per leg to get enough resistance. Took a bit to get a good setup and right amount of tension. It is probably good that the intensity of the hamstring accessory work has been dropped down now as the left lower leg that had the strain last year was aching a little today. Put stuff away and stretched before heading home.
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