February 23, 2023 – Week 18, Day 3

Band Assisted Thread The Needles
mbx10/10
mbx10/10

Swiss Bar Bench Presses w/ bands (+28lbs/+48lbs)
No bands
40x3
Add Bands
40x3
70x3
100x3
130x3
160x2
190x2
220x2
250x5

One Arm Band Rows
sbx15/15
sbx15/15

Paused Band Y Raises (2 seconds)
µb’sx15

Single Arm Overhead Band Triceps Extensions (followed by 30 seconds stretch)
mmbx15/15
mmbx15/15

Knees Over Toes Calf Raises (3 seconds stretch)
bwx20

Hip Mobility

Stretching
 
Comments: Feeling the need for a deload at this point. Which hopefully means I’m peaking at just the right time. Got that feeling like a dog or something has been gnawing on my spine feeling. Joints achy but that could be with the fluctuating weather and drastic pressure changes with the moving weather systems. On top of beating my body up a lot as of late with the contest peak. I mean, adding 90lbs to a lift in two weeks is rough. I was feeling sore from the day before with the deadlifts. Stiff in lower back and having cramping occasionally in the quads and hamstrings. So again, very thankful that these workouts after it are more a recovery workout with only like one exercise pushing into RPE 8. Besides the whatever with the hip, right wrist had been achy and I think again, everything as well as circus dumbbell and messing around with positioning. First up was “thread the needles”. I decided to switch up which side I started with here. Pulling the right side I can somewhat feel a stretch in the shoulders/scaps. Not so much with the left side. Not much to really say here. Benching with the swiss bar against bands again. Taper plan of alternating heavier with speed reps. The heavier week. So plan was work up in sets of 2-3 reps and do a top set of 5-8 with 2RIR. I could’ve done 240lbs again but I felt like I should try to add weight. Maybe so not as many reps. Because I’m worried about strength with pressing coming back (not dumbbell). I think also because my right wrist was sore and that maybe I wouldn’t really improve on the reps with 240lbs but I felt I could do 5 with 10lbs more. And my hip thing was somewhat acting up. I did some hip distraction stuff between some of the working up sets that seemed to get things moving a bit better and not locking up or being tight so to speak. Wrist thing was annoying as I generally like to keep wrist wraps off for benching until the top weight or just before if really heavy (for me). With how it was feeling though, I had to essentially strangle the right wrist with my wrap job here. With how that last rep had felt, it was honestly closer to 1-2RIR than a true 2RIR. But it was done. No grinder, no missed reps, no harm down. Rest of the workout was going to be about the same as last week. In fact, it was. So next was a band rows. Trying to get form feeling good and getting enough tension so that it feels like something with this same band. First set was quite easy. I think I got things a bit more snug to make it a little tougher for me the second set. Movement also helping with loosening up what was tight from super heavy pulls. Next was Y raises. These seemed to feel a little more comfortable compared to last week. Recall I guess. And maybe these were needed for the upper back and shoulders after the deadlifts. Triceps with stretch again as well. This has just been an easy thing at this point. Trying to be more controlled with the actual movement and not just spastically moving. Some elbow aches this week but not unsurprising considering the circus dumbbell work I did as well as just how my joints have felt this week in general (but only a little and the left elbow the first set). Last thing was knees over toes calf raises. Drew I don’t think realized until after setting up next week’s training that he had me doing calf work two days back to back. Eh, not that bad and seemed to be helping with knees/ankles. So like last week, one set of 20 reps with 2-3ct hold. I think I’m getting the hang of them. Not really supersetting when it is just one set but I did do hip mobility stuff afterwards with hip distraction rotations, hip distraction holds and deep squat hold. Put stuff away and stretched before I ate a roast for dinner. Iced knees before bed. One last heavy workout to go.