November 30, 2022 – Week 6, Day 2

Romanian Deadlifts (beltless, straps, 3-1-1-0 tempo)
95x3
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x8
385x8

Paused Chest Supported Barbell Rows (2 seconds, straps)
135x3
175x3
215x8
215x8
215x8

Dumbbell Lateral Lunges
40’sx3/3
40’sx3/3
70’sx10/10
70’sx10/10
70’sx10/10

Titan Fitness Frame Shrugs (Fat Gripz Extremes)
205x30 seconds
205x30 seconds

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

Sled Drags (alternating backwards/straight leg forwards)
180x10 minutes

Stretching
 
Comments: Last workout for November and then comes the last month of the year. Maybe I spoke too soon on the pullovers. Lat inserts and intercostals/upper abs were sore the next day. I’m leaning more towards the tempo band assisted pull-ups since that got better stretch and required a good bit of contraction to hold and control my body. Sore enough that I was worried that it would hamper my ability to brace for the heavy stuff today. Also feeling a little like a cold is starting. I had thought I was managing my stress better but oh well. Starting things off with tempo rdls again. Still staying beltless at this point. Plan here was to do 2x8 with 365-385lbs. My plan was to do 365lbs the first set and based on feel go for 385lbs the second set. 385lbs is the most weight I’ve done for reps on rdls without a belt of any kind with some kind of tempo modification done. Stuff wasn’t feeling as easy I’d like it to feel though working up. 40-50lbs jumps and triples all the way up. That first set, 365lbs did feel challenging enough to stay there. But it also felt better than the 315lbs before felt. I was allowed longer rest and considering how last week my second set felt the strongest, I took a chance on the 20lbs jump. It was the right call as it felt about the same. Definitely had 3RIR and maybe another rep. I very much like these in my training for off season so even with the tedium of that kind of training, these are something that keeps me interested. Then it was time for rows. Chest supported barbell rows again with 2 second holds. 3x8 at RPE 7-8. Plan was to increase weight from last time by 5-10%. Calculating that is when I realized I made a mistake last week. I thought I was doing 189lbs but it was actually 199lbs. So not as out of practice I guess as I thought. So had to correct that in the training app and that meant a decent jump. I felt that I needed all the working up sets last time to get used to the movement but that not the case this time. Able to jump right into 135lbs. Form felt better and crisp. Decided there to do 40lbs jumps and do 215lbs, which is getting into PR territory on these. Less wrist strain on these as well. The one time where thumbless with straps works here. I don’t really need to do that if it wasn’t for the holds on these. So 16lbs more than last week but feeling easier. These rows and such seem to come back fast. Lateral lunges were next on the agenda. Ugh. Same as last week. I was tempted to try and find a way to setup the elevated step safely so I didn’t have to do these nonstop style but it wasn’t worth it. Just suck it up and get it done. Lot of reps with weight and moving fast. I was gasping for air after these last time so hope was that I could control that better this time. I condition to that decently but mentally it is a tough thing to embrace. Hope that I adapted from the experience last week. Mobility stuff and then didn’t bother with my bodyweight or lighter than 40’s. Did a second set at 40lbs as knees slightly achy that first set. Found a decent song that was fairly long so chance to do all sets during that song if I was able to handle the 90-120 second rests I couldn’t hack last week with this weight. Still breathing heavy but able to control it better and got through these sticking to the shorter rests. This might be the last week of these and I’m fine with that haha. New addition to this session was grip work of choice. Indication was something that “biggest bang for your buck” but not terribly taxing on spine or CNS. Two sets of whatever that maybe for RPE 7-8. Suggested was plate pinch and doing shrugs. I was not sure what to use as I’m good at holds but need a good bit of weight to get them to be taxing enough and that wouldn’t be the best thing. That doesn’t really need worked as far as my gripping aspect for strongman. Plate pinching I wasn’t sure about as not really a grip that is used in that specific way and I don’t have data to see how it relates to performance on tested things. So I was going to go with the Fat Gripz Extremes on dumbbells and do shrugs with that but then I remembered I had my light frame and assuming the grips weren’t too much, I could do that. I think I’ve tried these before with farmer’s and couldn’t pick up 112lbs many years ago. But I’m stronger. So plan was to do frame shrugs for time with the grips that made the handles 3” thick (measured). I was worried I was going to drop the weight after 10 seconds in from the right hand slipping. But it held up both times for the duration with a few seconds to spare. These seemed to hit the crush and pinch grip as well as forearms. I imagine if this was solid steel that my hands would’ve probably torn but no issues with the hard rubber this wide. Band hamstrings next. Same as last week and sticking to the single leg work on these seated and the same band tension. I adjusted the position of the bench and how I sat on the bench so that I could focus on the contraction more. Full stretch ROM doesn’t really seem to do much on these with the bands as the tension is so low compared to what it is at contraction. Feeling less strain on the whatever it is in the back of the legs that have been tense. And as has been the case, another round of sled work. By far the darkest, coldest and wettest out it has been when I’ve done these. Rain had stopped (checked weather) as plan B was to just alternate backwards and forwards on stopped treadmill on incline. Added weight was noticeable. Appears next week will be the end of these so plan is to finish up on like 200lbs or so. Right leg/quad was definitely showing more fatigue this time around. Had to pause for a moment near the end as a car was coming up the street while I was in the middle of turning around. Put stuff away and stretched out before eating a massive pot roast. Iced knees before bed.