August 3, 2023 – Week 6, Day 3

Seated Log Pin Presses (no back support)
87x3
108x3
128x3
148x3
168x3
170x3
172x3
174x3
176x3

Banded Push Ups (24” apart)/Single Band Arm Archer Rows (2 second holds)
sbx10 – sbx10/10
sbx10 – sbx10/10
sbx8 – sbx10/10

Side Lying Shoulder Flexions (3 second holds)
10x10/10
10x10/10

Overhead Band Triceps Extensions
mbx25
mbx25

Stretching
 
Comments: I had been slightly worried that my knees would be sore after the previous workout session and had wondered if I should’ve iced by knees. Felt fine in the morning after that so I guess I’m still good to go. Fairly relaxing work week considering things. Slightly later than expected start to training as I had to get assistance picking up my car from the service center (tune up and inspection). Must have been a really short person that moved the car as I had to adjust just about everything by a good bit to fit and see out of my car. It does seem that for this workout that the setup is going to be having this be the “easier” day for upper body stuff so it was workable having to start later for this session. As log is going to be the press for this show and the next, it is going to be a lot of log. Seated pressing off of pins again but with higher RPE and for triples. I had initially read it as being doubles again but corrected myself. I had asked about support gear with these no back support presses. I was advised to use wrist wraps and maybe elbow sleeves but no belt. Understandable. I was also told to raise up the rack height so that it was right on the chest and I wasn’t using any of my upper body to let it sink down or get momentum from rolling it up and standing upright with it when I got to press. As I’ve mentioned countless times at this point, I’m not really sure where my overhead pressing is and I probably won’t feel good about it until I’m moving a good bit more weight to be comfortable with how things are progressing. I guess I’ll find out as log will be a frequent guest. One of the things I wanted to do here was specifically use a tougher log. My pitbull log is nice and perfectly balanced. I had bought a log when everything shut down in 2020 and my log was stuck at a gym for months. It is heavier empty and is unbalanced. Which isn’t that good a thing but considering that usually the logs used at these bigger shows are heavier empty or tend to be unbalanced with the weight due to the cutouts and handle placement, this could be an opportunity to try and train that without having it feel so different going from the nice log to the comp logs. And maybe I’m over thinking it. I did the first set with the pitbull log and then swapped in the vevor log from there. 20lbs jumps. As far as cues with the pressing, I was trying to keep an arch in my upper back and brace. A little lean back so as to get my chest muscles involved in the log press as well. Not rushing putting my head through either. I’ve actually not used this log very much with strict pressing so I wasn’t sure with things so I did end up adding 2lbs a set for the 5x3. Just to eek a little more out each time. With the arching and slight holds at lockout, I could feel my serratus muscles along with obliques getting some work. Hopefully these were to specs for how I’m to be doing these. It will be interesting to see how I handle the full even movement of a clean and press with leg drive. It was getting dark and windy so I made sure to get everything that was outside inside before moving on with the session. There was a superset of horizontal pressing and unilateral rowing again. But different exercises this time. No weights, just bands. The first bit of it being push ups with bands. Indication was to grip dumbbells in a neutral grip fashion and have them spaced out 22”-24” so as to be similar to log and get more work in the that grip while allowing for greater ROM and more stable shoulders. Lower reps for push ups really with 8-10 reps. I was initially thinking of average band but I did realize I’ve done enough reps with the strong band in the past that this could be doable for the reps and sets and RPE. It does get tricky warming up for these, especially when paired with a rowing exercise as I feel I need little working up in those cases. The band tension worked surprisingly well the first two sets. Then I hit the wall on the third set and had to call it at 8 reps. As far as the complimentary exercise, it was those archer band rows. 10 reps with 1-2ct holds. I was thinking average band but it felt like a joke if I was going to have it be a higher RPE style thing. Reach and rotate being key besides the holds. This is definitely the toughest these have been but I’ve never really pushed these in any meaningful way. I will need to increase the tension I feel for next time if I can. The rotation from the pulling with my right side doesn’t feel quite as loose as the left side. A new one for me after with the continuing prehab/rehab stuff that comes up for the areas that need it. Shoulders and such always seem to be odd ones with this kind of thing. Usually it is very challenging and only use light weights or band tension to do them. When I first saw this, I thought it was going to be something else. Note for next time is to put some kind of padding so my hips don’t get bruises from laying on my side on the hard, unforgiving concrete flooring. 10lbs for this unilateral shoulder exercise seemed about right. This was an interesting one with how it felt. Keeping the arm off the body had some shoulder stress right there and that wasn’t even involving the movement. The initial raising of the arm was to be expected; it was when the weight got in line with the head and the hold that it got drastically different and I could see the genius of the movement toward not only shoulder health but toward log overhead work. My left side felt like the mechanical track for my shoulder had some gunk in it with the not exactly smooth movement at the start but that cleared up. Hardly any of that with the right side. No mechanical issue of note with the second go around. I was to take rests on these but this seemed to not tax the body overall much and I was able to recover enough to continue that just the rest between sides was sufficient. Last thing was triceps. Same as it was for last week. Well, not exactly. I just read it wrong and assumed it was. Mini band still on these overhead extensions. I can’t really think of any ways to get this to be tougher with the setup and parameters. This was to actually be 15-20 reps. I essentially have to take really short break between the sets to have my fatigue high enough that it gets close to the RIR suggested on the second set. Put stuff away and ate a pot roast before stretching.