December 12, 2022 – Week 8, Day 1

Circus Dumbbell Clean and Presses (2 stage 3 second pauses)
31x3/3
58x3/3
83x3/3
83x3/3
83x3/3
83x3/3
83x3/3

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses (back support)
40’sx5
57’sx4
70’sx3
85’sx10
85’sx10

Band Assisted Pull Ups (pin 19)
sbx12
sbx12

Dumbbell Pullovers (3-3-1-0 tempo)
40x3
40x3
70x8

Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
10’sx10
40’sx15
40’sx12
40’sx13

Paused Dumbbell Side Bends (5 seconds, staggered stance)
40x3/3
70x12/12
80x12/12

Stretching
 
Comments: Feeling a bit worn. Stuff is hard but I know it isn’t supposed to be easy. It doesn’t say comfortable or easy. But always feel like got some more time before it becomes difficult rather than all of a sudden. Last week was a rough one for training just going from stuff feeling decent to stuff feeling difficult in the form of incline pressing and squatting for the more gym work. Sandbag was a bit rougher than I would’ve like it to be. Could be just fatigue in my legs from the increasing work. Annoyed that no one else is signing up for the shows I’m doing at this point (so again, kind of hoping for Arnold so I know I have something). I don’t see the point in doing a show with less than 3 people as no Nats invite. Seems I picked the wrong show for that month that a number of people will do as one in Ohio two weeks later is sold out (but I didn’t care for the events). But thinking about how younger guys are able to come back real quick. Not just that I’m older but that I’ve been doing this like 10yrs longer than everyone else still doing this. But feeling worn in that my neck and shoulders feeling tight. Despite doing a good bit of soft tissue work on my body Sunday after icing knees twice Saturday. This week is again offseason with what appears to be the plan is to wait until either after Christmas or New Year’s before doing stuff requiring the strongman gym (equipment and intensity). Circus dumbbell had me a little nervous just because of how my shoulders and neck were feeling. Indication was pauses for another week. 5x3 still and suggested 10-15lbs increase. I decided to go with 15lbs. More weight on the dumbbell meant that I could mess around with placement to make the plateloaded handle be more like how a circus dumbbell feels. And every time I make adjustments, it changes the form a little bit on how I need to rack the dumbbell. But finally enough to get it to be feeling like a circus dumbbell. Definitely noticeable on the right side in my obliques with having to position things. Both sides had a little issue with the position the first rep or so but then evened out after that. Left side my biceps cramped a little on that first set. Guess still feeling them from last week. I’m starting to feel more confident with this as far as the pressing and racking. Still got loads to work on. Took shorter rests between sides (less than 40 seconds) but took about 75 seconds between sets. Into the garage for more shoulder work with the seated presses with dumbbells. This time being plan of 5lbs more for 2x10 and report back RIR. Took a little more figuring out to get the dumbbells right for the top set. I felt it was best to do more sets working up. That seemed to help. Shoulder aches didn’t seem to be present this week. Maybe finally getting resolved or my shoulders were too bruised from the circus bell to notice. These dumbbells feel massive but pressing seems to be quite strong. I don’t recall pressing this weight for this kind of reps. First set the shouldering felt easier but reps felt a little tougher. Second set the shouldering was not as crisp but reps felt stronger. I can still go up in weight with these funky loaded dumbbells before having to put 25’s on both sides (I think just shy of 100lbs). Back outside again for band assisted pull-ups. No tempo this week (but advised to not let myself “drop” on the eccentric) and adjust band help so that 2x8-12 with 2-3RIR worked. So figured I’d drop the band down to the lowest pin setting I’ve done so far and see if that worked out. I’ve done 10 reps on this setting but not sure on the RIR for that. And I’d have more control on these compared to then as working to get that full ROM. Managed to do 2x12 on these. Felt good. Back into the garage for the rest of the workout with dumbbells. Pullovers with tempo again and again the idea to be a top set of 8-12 with 2-3RIR. Advised this is the last week of these. I figured I’d go big so as not to deal with plates and such for the rest of the workout and just use the solid dumbbells. So that would be a big jump so did 40’s for 2x3 to warm up. Plan was just to hit 8 with 70lbs. That was close. Again, the right triceps feels like it wants to cramp up on these. Lying dumbbell extensions after that. Same as last week with 3x10-15 with 3-4RIR. Advice being that 40’s is fine to stick with if solid dumbbells for these with my levers. My hope here was that they’d feel better this week compared to last. I did a set with the 10’s to warm things up. Maybe that helped. These did feel better this time. Less aches. I was kind of surprised I got 15 that first set as I was really just aiming for 3x12. I was able to stick to the shorter side of the rests here. Reps went down the other sets sticking to the RIR plan. I’m just glad that the aches and such from last week weren’t as present. Then to end things was the paused side bend with staggered stance. Added thing was that reps decreased (10-12), holds increased (3-5ct) and RPE increased (7.5-8 RPE). I was contemplating doing 80lbs for both sets but with the increased hold time, I felt it was best to do 70lbs again to see as 40lbs was feeling more challenging compared to how it was last week with the longer holds. 70lbs was too easy so went up to 80lbs. That was challenging but more so in that grip was getting taxed as it was over 90 seconds for these sets. Put stuff away and ate dinner before stretching out.