February 6, 2023 – Week 16, Day 1

Circus Dumbbell Clean and Jerks
30x1/1
45x1/1
60x1/1
75x1/1
90x1/1
Left Side
115x1
130x1
145x1
155x1
EMOM
165x1
165x1
165x1
165x1
165x1
165x1
165x1
165x1
Clean and Hold
185x15 seconds
Right Side
110x1
125x1
135x1
EMOM
145x1
145x1
145x1
145x1
145x1
145x1
145x1
145x1
Clean and Hold
165x15 seconds

Behind the Neck Strict Presses (3 second eccentrics)
45x2
75x2
105x2
135x2
165x4
165x4
165x4

Paused Band Assisted Pull Ups (1 second)
(pin 24)
lbx8
(pin 19)
sbx8

Split Stance Band Paloff Presses (10 second holds)
mmbx4/4
mmbx4/4

Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (3 second eccentrics)
10’sx5
20’sx5
30’sx5
40’sx5
50’sx12

Stretching
 
Comments: I was feeling pretty rough from the weekend. Really sore from heavy stone work. Sunday I did soft tissue work and didn’t eat the best (I got invited out to eat burgers) and just didn’t sleep enough. Woke up Monday with head kind of in a fog and that took until after lunch to start to lift. I was concerned that my adductors had been strained from the deep squat and wider stance to pick up the big stone (it has been almost five years since last attempted it). But doing some stretching and getting my back to crack slightly lead to my left hip to crack too and then a lot of tension was gone almost immediately. Sometimes it is just stupid stuff like that. But all the things didn’t really lead me to feeling like I’d be putting my best foot forward for the session. I had stuff from Friday with work that I needed to file and log for today so using a good bit of brain power I didn’t feel I had at the moment in the first half of the day. Then concerns with my body holding up to the proposed training. As this was the heavy week for the circus dumbbell stuff. Yes, the changes do seem to be working and producing results but I’m always uncertain with just how sore I feel after heavy stone work. Especially since my plan was to revert to the jerk style of lift and I wasn’t too sure if my adductors that were sore (but not as sore now) were cool with the movement. And the sore biceps. Got a bruise on my right biceps the size of silver dollar and no clue where it came from. For the circus dumbbell, I was to work up to 10-15lbs heavier than last time ideally and do 8x1 EMOM. Idea was weight that I felt I could do 2-3 reps at the end. Now assuming things went well, I’d be doing 165lbs or so. I started a good bit lighter with 15lbs jumps. I wanted to make sure that everything was feeling good and that jerks were doable. They were. Second set working up I almost had the dumbbell come out of my hand with how forceful the drive was. I seem to be a good bit better of catching a dumbbell vs pressing it would seem. I also was hoping that the lighter weight start would have me feel like the form work weeks and that the elbow would be less picky with things rather than jumping right in at something the same diameter of the circus bell. At some point, I forgot what I was doing and accidentally did a 25lbs jump and just went with it. Jerks were feeling really good. I was honestly feeling like my form from 2017 days. I just know I don’t have the fitness right this moment to match the speed and reps in a set time at the moment. But the best dumbbell has felt in some time. I wasn’t sure about the staying power as if I went with how I feeling for the “press” I think I could’ve still been fine with 5lbs more or so. This is the first time this training cycle that I felt like I could do contest weight. Like I could do it today. So how the workout was written, I was to do EMOM and then add 20lbs for a hold for 10-15 seconds. Now since there is a sizeable discrepancy between the left and right (it was a bit more even in the past), I didn’t think it made sense to do both sides EMOM (with one side being about 20lbs lighter) and then have to work back up to more than I was using for the strong side. So I decided I’d do that for the left right after the EMOM for that side and then work up and do EMOM for the right side with the hold. So loaded up 185lbs and got it up on the shoulder. I felt that having it up there just in the position wasn’t enough to really hit what I wanted so I got into the bottom of the dip for leg drive with it and held there. So working with more than contest weight for an isometric. And that felt great. Didn’t feel impossible heavy like I can recall these feeling in 2021 coming back from the elbow fracture. Very pleased with that result. Less pleased with the right side. 145lbs was tougher than 165lbs was for the left side. It’s just not comfortable like the left. Feels like certain things are taking the brunt of it. As long as I’m still getting work in and not just letting myself be stuck to the one side. Also as long as I can make it so the light dumbbell for the show is always there as well is enough for now. Had one rep where I mistimed it and had to retake. Hold felt less comfortable for the right side and didn’t feel like there was shot to press it like there was with the left side. That was a good bit of circus dumbbell work. I was feeling that the cleans I was fatiguing a good bit on those but press was feeling strong. Biceps and brachialis were quite sore after all this. This took up a big chunk of the session and then it was on to less technical stuff. Behind the neck strict presses with 3 second eccentrics were up next. Indication was 10lbs more than last time but for 3x4 instead of 2x6-8. And work up in doubles. 30lbs jumps worked for that. I was thinking with how good dumbbell went that maybe I might try to add weight here if it felt too easy. It didn’t so I didn’t haha. It felt a good bit tougher than I was expecting or would’ve liked. The weight and rests set were appropriate for the day as those were tough sets. Moved on to band assisted pull-ups. Indication this will be the last week of doing two sets on these. Same as it has been with a top set and a down set with more assistance on the bands. 1 second holds this week. Top set was to be 5-8 with 1-2RIR and really pushing that. So only thing really for that would be to lower the band tension another level so that was using light band. With how sore my biceps and arms were feeling, I was wondering if this was going to be too much. But it wasn’t, I got my 8 reps on this. Now for the down set, I was to match reps leaving 2-3RIR hopefully. Strong band as I felt that fatigue would be a bit much. These felt good but I think I had too much assistance again on the down set. I keep thinking of how tough reps were with these setups weeks ago. I probably could’ve done this one pin height lower really. Enough of the outdoors. Into the garage for the rest of it. Split stance paloff press against bands again. No changes to these. I feel I’ve got a good tension found for these to hit what is needed. Interesting, challenging and fun little game. Last thing was lying dumbbell extensions. And I thought “boo” when they were back again. I had liked the lying band extensions the previous week and thought those would replace it. Maybe they will alternate or be something different as we get closer to show. Instructions were to work up in sets of 5 reps to a top set of 12-20 reps at RPE 8.5. Notes were that if any discomfort to use 3ct tempo. I was already going to be planning on that to lower the weight I’d need and the reps. Elbow has been feeling better since the second draining but still leery and don’t want things to balloon up again in the elbow. So did 3 second eccentrics and did 10lbs jumps. Definitely seems weight related as far as the strain/discomfort. Put on wrist wraps and a compression cuff for the top set with 50lbs with the goal just being the 12 reps really. Felt fine enough considering. Ate a roast before putting stuff away and then stretching.