May 1, 2023 – Week 8, Day 1

Bottom Up Kettlebell Presses/Dumbbell Pullovers (3 seconds stretch)/Cobra Stretches (5/15)
15’sx8/20x8/bwx3
15’sx8/20x8/bwx3

Sandbag Tosses (bottle drill)
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1

Viking Presses (strict, facing away, hands 11” down handles)
+20(40.5)x3
+65(73.5)x3
+110(106.5)x3
+155(139.5)x3
+200(172.5)x2
+235(198)x2
+260(216.5)x5
+240(202)x5
3 Second Eccentrics
+220(187)x5
+220(187)x6 (miscounted)

Paused Swiss Bar Chest Supported Rows (2 second holds)
91x4
143x4
183x8
165x8
165x8

Dumbbell Front Raises (concentric) to Side Raises (eccentric, 3 seconds)
10’sx15
10’sx15

Incline Band Tate Presses (2 second holds)
lbx20
lbx20

Stretching
 
Comments: I know I sound like a broken record with this but I wasn’t sure how this would go today. It should be quite evident by now I got no clue. The reason for my uncertainty was the recent neck issue that popped up last week like real bad Friday. Soft tissue work seemed to feel good on it but then I woke up with a lot of discomfort Saturday morning to the point that I needed to take something to take enough of the edge off to be able to move my head to drive safely. Seemed to be a repeat waking up Sunday but I figured that my best bet would be to try and not roll around in my sleep and try to stay on the side that isn’t unhappy with me. Tough but I’ve done it before when I seemed to have pinched a nerve in the same side leading up to and after the Atlantic City show in 2021 as well as when I had to wear the cast/brace for a week as well. It can be done. Took ibuprofen that night and slept on the one side. Not the most comfortable sleep (I kept waking up) but my neck didn’t seem to get as irritated as it had before. So maybe this is the new thing for me for now. I also didn’t get to go for a walk on Sunday as it was raining all day (until after 7:30PM) and I didn’t want to add any stress to shoulders/neck holding an umbrella (wasn’t light enough rain to forgo that). So had Sunday be more of a get my life in order day and that also was only partly successful as I still forgot stuff and had to do those in the morning. So that was where my head was at. I was a little slow moving with getting to training after work. I had to clean up some debris in the backyard. Mobility work the same as it has been the past two sessions. I wasn’t too sure with how the neck and such would feel but thankfully it was good. No issues here. Just a little tighter in the shoulders on the pullovers the first set. Outside for the bag toss drill. Still the bottle drill. Not full power. Still not quite consistent on these as sometimes I exaggerate movements or hold on too long thinking that is better when it isn’t. But I guess that is part of the benefit of getting multiple touches on the implement during the week so I can get that consistency to improve. Then it was viking press. I think this was the one I was most nervous about with how it would feel. The strict press work week. Used what I learned from last week about the thinner plates and bungee cords. Plan was work up in sets of 2-3 reps to a top set of 5 reps (2RIR). I was thinking 250lbs added and potentially if feeling off doing 245lbs added as I did do several sets of 240lbs added for 4 reps two weeks ago. Things felt fine doing the movement so that was a relief there. It was feeling pretty darn strong so I changed my plan. I was originally going to just do 45lbs jumps and triples. But I was seeing that I could go a bit heavier potentially than what I was thinking so switched to smaller jumps and doubles. In hindsight, I think I should’ve gone 10lbs heavier for that top set. I think I was trying to make sure I wasn’t overestimating what I could do here. Down set was to take 7.5-10% off and do another set. I went with 20lbs off. It felt similar to the top set. Then eccentrics added. I was to do 2x5 with 10% taken off the last weight. I just stuck with 20lbs off as easier plate math. These were deceptively tough. I just use a lot of my levers to get that elastic energy and rebound and slowing it down really takes the wind out of the sails. Like, the first rep flies up and then the other reps it because a lot tougher and feels like other things are having to work a lot harder. Probably didn’t help that I was worried I miscounted the first set (by one short) when I actually miscounted the second set (one extra). So oops there. Weather wasn’t looking good so I made quick work of tearing down and putting stuff away before going into the garage for the rest of it. Chest supported rows up next with the swiss bar and holds. Plan here was to work up to a top set of 8 leaving 2RIR and then take off 10% for 2x8. Longer rests compared to the previous two sessions allowed. I took a gamble here. I did have to take a slight break as with the weather system abruptly changing, I got a little bit of an allergy issue and had to take some nasal spray to get the coughing fit to halt. Ugh. But put in the work on the rows. These really fry the forearms/brachialis with these holds and no straps. Which is good. Maybe this is why the bar hold Saturday was so easy. Or maybe doing all those heavy long hook grips on Hercules hold helped build up the forearm tolerance. Next was the dumbbell raises. The ones that seem like I’m doing the butterfly stroke standing a little. These were the most stressful to the shoulders last time and volume was reduced as well as the weight. Drew doesn’t want my shoulders and elbows too taxed from accessory stuff. I ended up taking a shorter rest between the two sets here as the weight was light and wanted to get it over with. Felt fine. I was pretty sure I’d need the compression cuffs with how my elbows had been feeling last week but thankfully not the case. Triceps exercise got changed to band extensions. I’ve done variations of this a few times and I like them. This was incline style tate press with holds. Done these but not with the holds. Took it slower the first set and man did these cook the triceps. I took a fairly big rest for accessory work and did the second set faster (still same hold times). Put stuff away and started cooking dinner. Stretched and iced knees before bed.