December 28, 2022 – Week 10, Day 2

Warm Up Circuit

Trap Bar Deadlifts (17”, straps)
145x3
235x3
325x3
415x2
505x2
575x5
575x5
575x5
575x5

Hatfield Bulgarian FFE Split Squats (2”)
65x3/3
115x3/3
165x8/8
165x8/8
165x8/8

Paused Chest Supported Barbell Rows (straps, 2 seconds)
135x5
175x10
175x10
175x10

Paused Standing Single Leg Band Hamstring Curls (3 seconds)
abx15/15
abx15/15
abx15/15

Paused Titan Fitness Frame Shrugs (finger tips, 2 seconds)
115x5
205x5
295x20
255x20

Stretching
 
Comments: Drama happening in the strongman world again. As per usual, not related to the open weight class that I compete in. It is like watching a tire fire. I just keep moving forward slowly like an immortal snail. I’ve pretty much decided at this point that Arnold is no go. Besides the two tougher events being about 20lbs heavier than I was expecting to be, it looks unlikely that if I am given the go ahead that it will be enough time. I’ve not seen people ahead of me on the list (11 spots) that got 14th through 18th training for Arnold so not wise to keep at it when I know how much pushing things last year to get everything done affected things. As I’ve probably suggested, it was probably a better option to aim for Arnold qualification directly rather than through Nats to have time. Or to be able to get to one vs the other with less steps and be able to take time for shorter offseason trainings rather than a long one at the end of the competition cycle. It’s just a little aggravating to miss out on a year with the best events for me probably ever that I even had a shot at qualifying. But that can let me focus on the present and what is guaranteed. Only one other person signed up for PA Dutch but I know two other people that intend to but haven’t yet and maybe another. Even with the events as they are, it isn’t a guaranteed win for the show or any event and I will need to work my ass off as per usual. Start of the day’s training was some warming up exercises. Just indicated to do some stuff to work bracing, lats and/or glutes. I figured that doing side plank lying clamshells with bands and those lat pulls I did for a few sessions for deadlift would fit the bill. Then right into trap bar work. I think the last week was more to see how those felt and always plan to swap out or remove. Indication that trap bar with how it is could allow for more volume. Last week was the getting a baseline and I’m kind of surprised how high it was to start things off. Question would be if I could tolerate the volume that is planned. I feel that I’m in a good spot now but that I need to add at minimum 50lbs to what I did last week and have it feel the same or easier by the end. Though ideally getting close to 700lbs for double digits would be clutch. Anyways, the workout was to warm up in sets of 2-3 reps to working weight, which was 565-585lbs for 4x5. Report back RIR on the last set. I was slightly uncertain with this due only to how I seemed to be really drained going for that down set after the top set last week. I did the warming up in plate jumps up until the last jump which I then did 70lbs so that I was doing 575lbs for the working sets. That first set, I was kind of glad this wasn’t the testing week otherwise, I’d have been lower as this first set felt harder than that set had felt. My hope was that these would get better as I went, which they did. Felt much better on the second set but I did get slightly off balance on the last rep which made it tougher than it should’ve been. Next set I felt like I could feel all those rdls paying off and being able to load my hips. Likely the show isn’t going to allow touch and go (I’m not really trying to bounce reps) but I feel that this will feel similar to how the weight will feel with the car rocking on the frame from the suspension (from what I’ve observed in the past). Last set it felt great. A bit more aggressive on the first rep. Felt like it should compared to last week. Then on to the front foot elevated Bulgarian split squat hatfields. No tempo this time around and plan was to warm up in triples to 165lbs for 3x8. I was kind of thinking this was going to be too light but felt that if a specific weight is mentioned that this is for a purpose. Just slightly working my air on these but these were fairly easy. I wasn’t too sure what to say as far as RIR on these at the end. Chest supported barbell rows after that. 3x10 with 1-2ct holds and RPE 7-8. I was initially going to do 185lbs but reconsidered it after doing my warming up set. Paused rows like these are tricky as I seem to have a big drop off in weight I can handle as reps increase. So taking 10lbs off my planned weight turned out to be the right move with how things turned out here. Probably going to be a little lower with the heavy trap bar work now looking to be the case going forward this prep. Last week had been my first introduction to the standing leg curls with bands. The tension I had wasn’t that much really but the contraction in the hamstrings was hard and intense. Seeing as plan was the same this week, I went up to the next band tension (average) and was expecting to be brought back down to 3x10 but nope. I was able to do 3x15 here on these with the 3 second holds. I’m hoping that this good fortune continues. So then the last thing of the session was grip work with the frame but a bit different from the usual. No thick grips this time. Maybe because they were bothering my right wrist or just better options for what actually needs work. So grip but involving shrugs and then tempo (up explosive and hold for 1-2ct). The grip was to hold it in my fingertips. So no thumb on bar and hand mostly open. I’ve done this before once I think where I was to do a timed hold after hitting a top double on farmer’s/frame and then 100lbs off and do it with weight in just the finger tips. I got very short time both times as I had gone really heavy and I was absolutely wrecked. Seeing as how the plan was RPE 7 for 2x20-25, I thought that high 200’s would fit the bill. I probably should’ve done less as this was tough and I got fatigue hard in the upper back and forearms doing these. I barely got 20 reps on that first set so I took off 50lbs to try and make it easier for the second set and it was almost as tough as that first set. I will need to adjust things accordingly next time as those were intense. Terrible but in a good way. Put stuff away and stretched before eating a late dinner of pot roast. Iced my knees before bed.