December 14, 2022 – Week 8, Day 2

Romanian Deadlifts (beltless, straps, 3-1-X-0 tempo)
135x3
225x3
295x3
365x3
440x8
390x8

Hatfield Bulgarian FFE Split Squats (2”, 5 second eccentrics)
65x3/3
95x3/3
125x3/3
155x8/8
155x8/8
155x8/8

Paused Chest Supported Barbell Rows (4 seconds, straps)
135x3
170x3
205x8
160x9

Titan Fitness Frame Shrugs (Fat Gripz Extremes)
115x1
167x1
220x38 (45 seconds)

Single Leg Seated Band Hamstring Curls
sbx30/30
sbx30/30

Stretching
 
Comments: Been thinking how that I’m doing the stuff I’m not good at right now, which can kind of cloud how I actually am in a competitive setting. Know the stuff I’m doing is generally stuff that needs the most work. Most cases the stuff I’m good at that requires little technique I’m back at it or better than ever just doing it (like grip stuff). Have to remind myself that it sometimes takes a few sessions back to feel good with loading exercises. Need to be faster but also need to be stronger with gym stuff as that will make the hard parts of events less taxing. That is what I had planned to be thinking on but then I woke up and my neck was stiff and not feeling good. Crick in it on the usual left side being the culprit. I know from past experience that it will take a day or two for it to finally calm down enough to get things back to whatever it needs to be and that I can train without being hampered with my neck like this. But it isn’t pleasant. I did soft tissue work (manual massage, device and foam rolling) as well as Icy Hot and taking Ibuprofen and Aleve. It just didn’t make for a relaxing day of work leading up to training. Session starting off the same with tempo rdls again. Well not exactly the same. Tempo indicated allowing to adjust to 2-3ct for the eccentric and being explosive on the concentric rather than controlled. This was to be the last week of this variation and then doing some kind of floor pulling (probably side handle). Plan was top set of 8-10 with 1-2RIR and then if feeling up to it take 10-12.5% off that weight for a set of 8 reps. For this variation, been sticking to beltless so figured I’d finish it out like that. Initial plan had been to do 425lbs and aim for 10 reps but I guess with the neck feeling how it was and being a little doubtful in my abilities being as a top amateur strongman, I went heavier. Most weight I’ve done on rdls of any variation since 2016 reboot is 435lbs and I did that for 11 reps. With belt, no tempo. I figured I’d go for 440lbs to push things. So with that change, I altered the jumps working up (was going to do 50lbs and switched to 70lbs). 365lbs felt a little heavier than I would’ve liked but I haven’t done that weight as a warm up set so far. I started to lose my brace on that top set near the end of it and called it on that last rep. Lower body was still good for more but not my core without a belt. But this is a 55lbs increase in beltless work for rdls since training with Drew. Took a bit of rest and went with 390lbs for the down set. This was fairly comfortable considering. I will miss the rdls as we switch over. Then on to the hatfields. The front foot elevated Bulgarian split squat hatfields. Goal was 3x8 at slightly higher RPE with suggested being 145-155lbs. With mores set but lower reps with the 5 second eccentrics, I should be good with the increased weight. Some hesitation just from how wrecked I my legs had felt after all those squats on Saturday. Knees weren’t feeling too bad but that could also be from all the anti-inflammatories I was taking to combat the neck pain. Sometimes the ssb on my back didn’t feel great on the neck if it wasn’t on just right. But the pressure, sweat and heat was reactivating the Icy Hot so it was also helping. Fatigue had been high by the end of the sets last week which was why I felt that 155lbs might be about it. Left side seemed to get crisper as I went and while seeming to be easier on the right side, it was fatiguing harder. I’ve not really had the chance to do these more than like one week at a time so if these continue, I’m curious to what I can work up to as I start to feel more comfortable with them. Barely needed any warming up compared to say the knees over toes FFE stuff earlier this cycle. Rows up again. Chest supported barbell rows again but with 3-4 second holds. App had 3x6 but the text indicated to a top set of 6-8 (1RIR) and then a down set of 8-10 2-3RIR. With how long the holds are, it was going to be less the ability to row the weight and more being able to hold it after fatigue over the set. I had went with 205lbs with the thought that 6 reps could be the limit here and then because of how hard that fatigue would hit going about 50lbs less for the down set to ensure getting the reps and leaving RIR. So I was kind of shocked that I got to 6 easy enough and then got a 7th and felt I was too close to stop there and went for the 8th. That was definitely the limit similar to the rdls without a belt. I went up slightly on the down set as even if it felt easy to row, I was going to probably fatigue hard just from the effort and focus of this set and it not being that big a deal. So I stopped at 9 rather than try and push for the 10th. Grip work again. Alternating with the one arm hangs with these thick grip frame shrugs. Plan was just one set of like 25-50 reps (or 45 seconds of work). I was also going to try and do more of a row/high pull with it with the arms as suggested by Drew when I showed him video last time. I was not sure how these would go with adding 15lbs more than what I did last time for 2x30 seconds. I did 50lbs-ish jumps and those felt solid. These felt better compared to last time. Left hand ended up being the one that was slipping on me near the end. I ended up putting it down early to regrip so that I could finish up and got two more reps before setting down when the 45 seconds were up. So yeah, not really concerned with my grip at the moment. Last thing was just the band hamstrings. Next week changing with the deadlift switch to something else. I was kind of glad no sled dragging after this with it being really cold and potential snow tomorrow. Same setup I’ve been doing with the bands for 2x30. Lower body was feeling the rdls and hatfields on top of these leg curls. Put stuff away and stretched before eating dinner. No icing as I was taking a good bit of anti-inflammatories. Hopefully the neck calms down fully tomorrow so not as miserable.