April 27, 2023 – Week 7, Day 3

T-Spine Reaches
bwx10/10
bwx10/10

Close Grip Axle Floor Presses w/ Chains (+44lbs)
No chains
46x3
Add Chains
56x3
86x3
116x3
146x3
176x3
206x3
206x3
206x3
206x3
206x3

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses
10’sx3
40’sx3
70’sx12
70’sx12

EZ Curl Bar Pullovers (breath holds in stretch)
44x10
44x10

Band Half Kneeling Face Pulls
lbx10
abx10
sbx15
sbx15

Stretching
 
Comments: I was feeling a little worn going into this workout. Could just be from work stress on top of training. Hard to get the sleep and get everything I feel I need to do. Left shoulder is still feeling a bit off from Monday. Some things better than other things from then. It is kind of a fixation with me in that when something isn’t feeling right that I pick at it like a scab or bug bite. I want it better now. So hard to say if it is improving or not. I’ve had this sensation before and it does seem to kind of come and go. Usually I’ve done something that has straining neck/shoulder in some way and with changing things up, it gets to feeling better. Example of this would be when I was doing that off season cycle of seated dumbbell presses with back support. At start shoulders weren’t too happy and by the end I was hitting a lifetime PR on it. So just have to do my best to report issues and adjust and work on the healing and recovery aspect as best I can while still pursuing this. So generally this workout has had some unilateral thoracic spine rotational mobility. This hadn’t changed but the exercise did. Similar to the thread the needles except this also had full extension as well. On all fours and then side working having hand to ear and move through big arc of motion. Slower that first set getting a feel for things. Left side didn’t particularly care for the extension part of things. More reps here as well. It’s a good motion, just wish my left shoulder wasn’t feeling off and like something impeding. From there it was time for axle floor pressing. Chain week again. Honestly, I’m not sure what the plan is with these going forward as indication was rotating intensity and then because I mentioned how hard the triples had been that maybe have it be like a top set with the chains. Now potentially speed waves with floor press and then incline bench to finish up the training prep. Heavy and speed, which seemed to feel pretty good for me as far as recovery wise. But for now, this session was to be with chains. Plans being 201-206x5x3 with short rests. Same set up as last time in that a fair amount of chain still on the ground even at lockout. No reporting RIR back. Kind of feel it is moot with these kind of exercises. I did go with 10lbs increase considering these felt pretty easy. These didn’t feel bad. There is still some inconsistency in my movement on floor presses with too far down or too far up with the bar path as I don’t really seem to feel comfortable. From there it was shoulder pressing with dumbbells. No more z presses. Just sitting on a bench with support and pressing. Indication here was to warm up in triples and then do 2x10-12 with something that feels like RPE 6. My aim was just my solid dumbbells and hopefully these didn’t bother the shoulders. No support gear as I felt these would be fine. First work set as I cleaned the dumbbells to my shoulders, a spider dropped down from the ceiling on a thread near my face. A little distracted making sure I didn’t lose track of it and upon completion of the set I picked it up from the silk thread it was on and put it somewhere safer. Second set was even easier. With how my shoulders were feeling and the hassle, I felt that this was fine for the session and I can build from there for next time. Then the “restorative” stuff. The pullovers I decided to go a bit heavier than last time. I will probably not go any heavier than this as not really needed I think. I do think I’m getting better at control on these and not just completely relaxing and putting the strain on my shoulders and triceps tendons. Breathing, stretching and flexing. With the wider grip to be similar to viking press. There does seem to be a fine line with these that if I do lose control, that something would probably not go well or feel good. Face pulls to end the session. Seeing as how going lower reps and then into the working weight had been the plan last time and it didn’t feel right, I decided that it made more sense to do more reps and then the working sets. Get things moving and feeling good and then put in the work. That did seem to help here. Put stuff away and went and got burritos for dinner and came back to eat those before stretching. I did some soft tissue work for my shoulders and neck before bed as well.