March 6, 2023 – Week 20, Day 1

Circus Dumbbell Clean and Presses
26x12 R
26x12 L

Axle Behind the Neck Strict Presses
26x5
66x5
116x10
116x10

Paused Band Half Kneeling One Arm Pulldowns (2 seconds)
abx15/15
abx15/15

Band Triceps Extensions
lb’sx20
lb’sx20

15 Min Walk

Passive Pull Up Bar Dead Hangs (straps)
bw for 60 seconds
bw for 60 seconds

Stretching
 
Comments: Certainly a little distracted. And anxious. Anxious because I have little muscle twitches that pop up. Sort of had an eye twitch for part of the day. Distracted because of course I am. I had ordered groceries on Sunday and realized way too late in the evening that I had forgotten eggs. I had assumed I had eggs. I didn’t, so I had to get more groceries rather than go and just get a dozen egg. Plan had been to make all my breakfasts for the week last night but ended doing that first thing in the morning (groceries ordered at midnight delivered at like 800AM). I had spent Sunday kind of getting stuff done and packing stuff for the contest. Need to get that done and out of the way so I can focus on work until the end of the week. Then I can be just competition. Some of the hip discomfort and disc symptoms do seem to be alleviating somewhat. I’ve just been used to having to do things a certain way to minimize discomfort that it is odd when forget and there isn’t pain. So I’m definitely healing. Just slowly. But I think I’ll be good enough on the day. And that’s what matters for the immediate future. Some nerves about today’s session, even though really light. Mostly I think just making sure my knee joints are not shot by show time. During my lunch break, I did some Mackenzie back exercises to help the back some. Ends up being some upper body work there. My triceps are a twitchy mess right now. So for the workout, the circus dumbbell stuff was just form work. 25-30lbs for 10-15 reps total per side. However I wanted to break it up. Suggested was to do some windmills even so I went with that too. Just did it as one continuous set. Started off with pauses at several spots until my legs were ready and then did two presses into windmills. I also did thrusters where I went into a very deep squat and then pressed up with leg drive. Did those for two reps. After that I went right into a few reps at normal speed and then the last one of those I walked around in a circle and then wobbled the dumbbell back and forth overhead on the last one. Took about 2 minutes total and then took a brief rest before repeating on the other side. Took less to feel warm there but still did the same thing. With dumbbell work done (maybe for a good bit too), it was on to behind the neck presses. Notes were to do 2x8-10 at RPE 3-5 and use an axle. Also suggested to pause slightly and think opening up the chest. I was initially going to do lower reps and several sets to work up but ended up speeding things up with more reps and bigger jumps. Maybe a touch heavy but felt comfortable enough with this weight. Still have some lingering issues in the right hand in the thumb/wrist. From there, the weights were done for the session and it was time to do band work. One arm pulldowns in half kneel. Same as last week with 1-2ct holds and 2x12-15 reps. So used the same band again this time. No rest between sides and sets. There was less discomfort in the hip flexor holding the position this time around. Last thing for the band work was those triceps extensions with bands. Same as last week (2x12-20) so I did the same thing again as it seems to be the ticket at this point. As was the case last upper body based session, programmed to do 5-10 minutes of walking/stretching. So went for a walk and did the reverse of the lap I did last time. The entire time I was focused on the phrase “hunger”. I was feeling physically hungry, even though I’d not changed my meals and was eating the same for the day. Had me thinking on in Pumping Iron with the one bodybuilder talking to Arnold about the wolf on the hill and the wolf climbing the hill. The one climbing is going to be hungrier. For me, no matter where I am on the hill, I’m hungry. Fenrir needs to be bound so to speak. But I take the thinking to be a good sign. So 15 minutes of walking and then last thing was passive hangs to decompress the upper back and shoulders as well as back. I was given the option to do some band distraction for my pressing arm (going to be using the left at the show only unless I absolutely have to hail Mary the right) but elected to just do two sets as I felt this would benefit more with how my body was feeling. Keep things feeling balanced. Put stuff away and got dinner ready. Stretched after dinner and iced knees before bed. One more workout left.