May 8, 2023 – Week 9, 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 (high pull)
45x1
45x1
45x1

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

Viking Presses (push press, facing away, hands 11” down handles)
+45(59)x2
+90(92)x2
+135(125)x2
+180(158)x2
+225(191)x2
+270(224)x2
+305(249.5)x3
+310(253)x3
+315(257)x3
Rebound
+275(227.5)x3
+275(227.5)x7

Paused Swiss Bar Chest Supported Rows (2 second holds)
92x3
144x3
196x8
167x12

Dumbbell Front Raises (concentric) to Side Raises (eccentric, 3 seconds)
10’sx5
20’sx15
20’sx10

Incline Band Tate Presses (2 second holds)
lbx20
lbx20

Stretching
 
Comments: Work was stressful. Seems that that is going to be the norm. Annoying as I know that eventually there will be more problems and other dumb stuff coming down the line and I have to keep a fine balance of putting in the work and not stressing about it but not be so apathetic that my mouth get me in trouble. I had hoped that the weekend would’ve been enough to get me feeling good and I’d say it did me good but man, did the workload just seem insane. I had to spend a few moments after work to kind of decompress enough to focus on training. Knees were feeling an odd kind of ache to the outside. So somewhat cautious with how things proceeded. I’m asking more and new things every time I train. I’m greedy like that. Mobility work the same as it has been. Some stuff still tight from last week stuff but nothing was feeling off or hurt. So that was good. I try to think of the viking press on the kettlebells, the bag toss in reverse on the pull overs and just getting the spine and glutes firing on the cobra stretches. Outside for the bag toss drill. I took some initiative here after some reflection on the nature of this second touch of sandbag. It is skill work and I’m not to really be going full bore on these. And I do feel that the bottle drill has been helpful, I don’t feel it is addressing the part that needs work to get more vertical power. So I want to work the skills that need to be worked. So I decided that rather than just do the bottle drill, I’d do high pull drill for 3 sets and then do 6 sets of the bottle drill. Going off old information of setting up a throw workout from a highland games/thrower/strongman competitor’s information that helped me have that first burst of improvement on bag toss back in 2021. First toss was not quite good as it went straight up and down. Rusty. The other two were perfect. Then on to the bottle drill. Not full power. First one held on too long. I feel like after that they felt better as far as going up and back rather than a lot back and not as high. I’m considering switching to 5lbs heavier on the drill bag just to get used to it as I feel like all the work with the 45lbs bag as mad that comfortable enough for anything. Put the bag toss stuff away and it was time for some viking pressing. Push press week. Plan was to work up to a weight for 3x3 that was about RPE 7.5 (so like 2-3RIR at most). Suggested was 275-290lbs. I was already planning on more. Work up in sets of 1-2 reps. Singles didn’t seem like it would be sufficient just because of how much things move and settle and a second rep gives me a better idea of where I’m at on this setup. But I could tell I was feeling strong today. I was thinking of doing +300lbs at most but I was feeling really strong today. I had not felt like the progress would be this drastic really but happy about it. I didn’t feel quite confident to do 315lbs added right away (which had been my minimum goal for end of the training cycle). Decided I’d add weight each set if still felt comfortable. It did and I got to do the 315lbs added. Starting to get the weight in hand to be more like what I can push press feeling so this is a good sign. Probably means shoulders and everything are recovering better with how the split is setup right now. Glad the setup held up to this kind of weight too haha. Down set work was a little different. I was to do them with a rebound style press. No pausing and resetting at the bottom to let it settle. Try and pump out the reps and get the motion of the arm to work with me. And also not bottom out the press. Idea was take 10-15% off what I did for the working weight. I decided to go lower end just because I went so much heavier than planned and I wanted to see how higher reps potentially would feel. First set was just a quick triple and it felt fine. The other set was to leave 2-3RIR. Started off well enough but my triceps were feeling fatigue and I was getting deeper dips and hitting the bottom of the setup so I decided to call it at a comfortable set of 7 reps knowing I could do more. Weather was nice out so I tried to keep the workout moving along and went into the garage to finish up the training for the day. Chest supported rows up next with the swiss bar and holds. Looks like last week of them. Plan here was to work up to a top set of 6-8 leaving 2RIR and then take off 15% for 10-12 2-3RIR. I was aiming for the lower rep range this time around as I expected there to be a lot of fatigue in the upper back from the zercher work and my forearms from the axle wrist work. As they were both feeling it. But I guess I felt strong here too and ended up getting the higher reps on both things. I like these as an exercise. Next was the dumbbell raises for what I think is also the last week of them. Last time had been really light and high reps with short rest. I had same number of sets and expanded rep range for difficulty. I decided I’d push these if I felt good. I think I went a little too hard that first set (probably should’ve stopped at 13 reps) and with how the long eccentrics are on shoulder stuff, I knew that I’d be fried for the second set. Left shoulder wasn’t able to keep up so called it on the second set at 10 reps. Bands to finish up the day for triceps. Same as last time with the incline tates. I figured that I’d do same as last time but try and do less rest. Which made it tougher for the second set. Definitely was pushing it on the last set. Need to remember on these exercises that it doesn’t always have to be improvement in that sense. Ego doesn’t always need to be flexed. Enough to move forward. Put stuff away and started cooking a late dinner. Stretched and iced knees before bed.