May 27, 2023 – Week 11, Day 4

Bulgarian Split Squats with Rotation
bwx5/5
9’sx15/15

Sandbag Tosses
30x1
30x1
30x1
35x1
35x1
40x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
45x1
50x1
55x1

Frame Carries
Titan Fitness (16”)
Casual Pace
115x50’
115x50’
Makeshift (18”)
Normal
276x50’
376x25’
476x25’
BiggDogg Strongg (20”, 1.5” handles)
568x25’
Drop and Turns Halfway
670x100’ in 22.59 seconds
670x100’ in 21.17 seconds
Normal
568x25’

Atlas Stone to Shoulders
205x1
235x1
265x1
EMOM
290x1
290x1
290x1
290x1
290x1
290x1
290x1
290x1
Laps
310x1
310x1

Atlas Stone Roll-ups
265x8

Stretching
 
Comments: I was feeling a bit better I guess compared to how I felt same time last week physically and better than I was feeling around Wednesday mentally. While the workout planned wasn’t going to be a long one considering it was essentially just warming up and then three events, I still wanted to get out to train a bit earlier if I could. I had been trying to make sleep a priority noticing my stress levels so things like soft tissue work and icing knees had taken a back seat until the weekend. Because I’ll have time then. While I would’ve liked to have had a full day of work on Friday to be able to do work, it did give me time to kind of mentally deload and get some things sorted and taken care of that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I was working all day. Driving out was fine but there was some traffic at the usual spot and then there was notices of spots of the road being closed next weekend. So I guess I’ll need to leave early next Saturday to work in potential traffic/detours. I did end up being there a little later than I was expecting to get there. People I thought would be there had already left but there were still people there. I was just immediately in a mood when I showed up. The one was I couldn’t tell if someone was using the sound system or not. Two different people I guess just decided to use portable stuff. I waited until about an hour into the session before I could confirm that no one was actually using the sound system and had just left it on linked to Bluetooth before leaving earlier (before I got there). But the thing that had me peeved was the stone area. It was all taken apart. I knew they were going to be working on it. But I would’ve thought that would be worthy of a notification when it would be in disarray considering I’m one of the only people training for a competition with a stone event in it. I felt slighted in that a WSM competitor had just been here last weekend to train and used this area and it is taken apart when I need it. I had options so I didn’t let this disruption to my plan/routine take me away from what I needed to do. When it was time I’d worry about it then. On to training. Start of workout was Bulgarian split squats with rotation of back leg. Single set instead of two this week. Reducing volume of the other stuff as peak goes forward. But more reps. I figured I’d lower the weight back down here because of the extra reps in the set and see how things felt. I’ve been doing kettlebell weighed stuff for knees over toes and I think they’ve been the most helpful with things getting ready for the lifting when it comes to stuff requiring knee flexion and extension. Been doing them on Day 2 sessions now too. Sandbag work next. I was not happy with how things were going with these last Saturday and I had been devouring whatever I could to try and get this back on track. Watching short clips and long form videos. What I figured would make the most sense was that lowering the weight on the secondary day similar to how needing to do so with the circus dumbbell (but every other week) and really drilling the form I want there. Frequency will also be dropped for that being a thing on the secondary day as every other week as well. I also felt I needed to take out some variable and work on the part struggling for confidence. So no running out to get the bag and setting up. Just get setup where I will toss from. Save that for the event specific setups like the bag toss series (also not 100% sure on the distance away anyways). The plan for the session was to do 8x1 with 90 seconds rest using between 40-50lbs. I adjusted my camera setup so that I’d see if it cleared 15’ or not as that was what was important. Rather than run it just like that the whole time without interruption, I checked after each weight to see before moving on. 45lbs felt about right for what was more the light week here. I also think this bag flies weird compared to the others with how it is filled. This was showing a positive progression for me and seeing as how things felt, I decided to deviate and do a toss with 50lbs. And it actually went over. I’m trying to be more aggressive on the swing back to load and being violent on through the hips on the extension. So I thought screw it, let me give 55lbs a shot. The arc was a little off but the height was great. It managed to clear the band on the way down which when I tried last time I hit it into the band at the top of the arc. This actually might be the highest or tied for the highest I’ve gotten that weight in training (I did get it over 15’ in contest). So a deviation from the workout that worked out in my favor. Feeling I have bit more confidence in the bag toss again after that. Time for frame work. Initially I was worried that other people would be using up the lanes for stuff for a show in early September but they moved through that quickly before I even had finished up bag toss so I was in the clear. Had a little bit different problem compared to last time due to weather. It had been raining a little off and on last time. This time it was bright and sunny. In both cases, I had to cover the handles with towels so that there wouldn’t be issues. Last time to keep them dry, this time to keep them from being scalding hot. Warming up had felt about how it does. Nothing stood out other than I could tell my legs were feeling a little stiffer. Could be the extra recruitment on the tosses I was attempting as well as just the squats being pushed with reps. Plan for frame was to do two 100’ contest runs with 670lbs. Granted, I’m still doing full 100’ rather than the shorter version because of how they will be taking time at the show. Grip and picks felt fine consider. But I could tell my legs were a little fatigued as I didn’t feel comfortable with picking up speed on the second leg. Probably doesn’t help having it be uneven pavement that I’m training on. Getting a little bit better on the repick timing. First set was actually faster than my first run with 650lbs when I did this the first week of contest style runs. Second run was not faster than my second run with that weight but it was faster than the first run with this weight. First leg and repick felt better but still wasn’t comfortable with picking up pace more on the second leg. But it was better than the first run. Focus had been more to condition and work on the speed. Understanding is next time will be either 100’ or 2x50’ depending on what needs work for the final touches. My hands were sore moving the empty frame back after these sets. Last thing for the session was stone work. As I mentioned, not an ideal situation for this week. Options were to either exclusively use the stone of steel or try to make space as best I can for using stones. The area was in two sections so all the lighter stones were clustered on one side and then heavier stuff on the other side (the bigger stones in the hallway). So the side with the stones I’d need for my working sets was on the other side which had enough space to safely do what I needed. The other side not so much. Plan was to do 8x1 at as close to contest weight as I felt I could do and still complete it EMOM style (or 45 seconds rest). Depending on how I felt, that could be 265lbs to 310lbs. I’d like to do 310lbs but like and being able to are two different things. Starting things off didn’t go well. I needed to make space for warming up. Doing so led to me having my left ring and pinky fingers getting mashed between two +200lbs atlas stones. I don’t think anything is broken but the ring finger did swell and have bruising. Taking it personally with the stone stuff as motivation. I felt fine warming up and 290lbs was up. I set things up in the event this was too easy to move on to the next stone. The initial pop felt good but then I had balance issues with it on the shoulder and had to fight it a bit. It did seem to be a bit of a luck of the draw on which way the stone came up as some reps were stupid easy and others were struggles. I think it was the sixth rep where the stone slid down on me as I was going for the extension and I couldn’t get it turned over and had to go back to the lap and redo it. Those reps where things don’t go like they should really bring up the fatigue factor on these. Even though I got four reps in about 70 seconds last time, I was feeling more exhausted here over this course of 8 minutes or so. I had a wild idea after this to see how 310lbs felt. I think I was nervous about the pick. Kind of for fun. I was too spent to give it a real honest attempt to shoulder. But I will need to be fresh and serious for it as attempt to get it into the position to turn it over felt damn near impossible. Didn’t stop me from picking it up twice to attempt. But I laughed it off. But it did let me know that I was fatigued. Last thing was stone roll-ups. Notes indicated to go lighter if needed. Like 265lbs and have it be like I was tossing it up off my body. I had initially protesting thinking it was too easy even last time but was glad to do so after how I was feeling as this was a decent challenge with the fatigue and really trying to toss it up there. Last one I think almost tore my shirt. Cleaned up and put stuff away before stretching and heading home. See what is sore tomorrow.