September 11, 2023 - September 16, 2023 - Week 12

 September 11, 2023 – Week 12, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Clean and Push Presses (one clean)
90x5
110x3
130x2
150x2
170x2
190x2
210x2
210x2
210x2
210x2
210x5/3

Stretching
 
Comments: I was nervous for this particular pressing session. Which is what it was going to be. Has been essentially the same for the past three weeks with feeling better each time. I had put some significance on it. Warming up stuff felt fine. I’d say probably the least I’ve noticed any aches in my shoulders or knees. Then time to log press. As mentioned, it has been 20lbs increases to the working weight with 5x2 with an option to rep out the last set up to 10 reps. The wasps were watching so I didn’t feel like moving the power rack as it wasn’t really in the way anyways. I had been able to get a new camera stand delivered and it actually is a good bit sturdier than my older one. I don’t see it breaking easily. Working up with the log didn’t feel bad. Things seemed to be smooth. Only thing I could really notice was that I was getting a little lightheaded on the pressing. Also biceps were sore but I knew to expect that from stone lifting on Saturday. I was feeling nervous even though this was routine with the increases week to week. Liquid chalk to my hands to keep them somewhat dry. Like last week, I left all the gear on during the rests breaks for the first four doubles and then stripped down to rest for about 5 minutes before the potential rep set. Pressing was feeling pretty good and powerful. Like I could do doubles with 250lbs for multiple sets. But I was nervous. I was expecting things to feel tough on my back on the pick and they never did. I could tell though that my lower body was a bit sore/fatigued from the stone work with the log in my lap and the feeling of the leg drive in the hips. The rep set was the thing I was worried about. I knew that I was to do 2-10 here if I was feeling good and that there was no shame in just doing a double. But like I said, I wasn’t feeling bad. I got set and I could tell that this wasn’t going to be as easy as 190lbs was. But I felt like 10 reps was there. But apparently it wasn’t. After the fifth rep, badly misgrooved the first attempt at a sixth rep with it going well out in front of me. Could’ve got it I think if I committed to it but then that wasn’t what I was to be having these reps to be grinders. I went for it again and it stayed better in the groove but it just felt like my triceps couldn’t do anything. So I was not happy with five reps. I was fully expecting 10 reps. Even 8 reps with some in the tank to put me at 280lbs or so max as a minimum moving forward. I felt like maybe the amount of gear was too much. The elbow sleeves are actually relatively new addition to training in my lifetime and I’ve never really done higher reps consistently besides those viking presses. Maybe it was messing with my pressing flow and fatiguing stuff in an unexpected way? So there was some hesitation but I took off the elbow sleeves and recleaned the log and did three more reps before I felt like the next would be a grinder. Since I had hesitated, it was about 70 seconds between the set of 5 reps and then the set of 3 reps. Used a few different mental tacks of approach to try and mollify and calm myself but I knew that I’d be irritated and angry at myself for not being better. One bad thing about training at lunch and then going back to work is when I don’t perform how I expect myself and then having to move on with the day and not be able to just eat and go to bed haha. Perhaps dipped a bit too deep into the well for stones. But I think a positive is that seeing the elbow sleeves may be a hindrance for me. Reassess things and it will seem more likely to treat 285lbs at Nationals as a max single attempt rather than something I should be able to get reps at at this point in time. Top end strength isn’t quite back at this point. Will need to work things out after Nationals to get my pressing back up to acceptable levels. Ate lunch before logging back into work. Stretched after work. Need to keep food intake up and spirits up. Not let it affect how I proceed with other things with training.

September 13, 2023 – Week 12, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Power Stairs (18”)
60x5
105x3
150x2
195x1
240x1
285x1
330x1
375x1
420x8/1

Stretching
 
Comments: I was nervous for this session. I knew it was going to be tough and I knew my confidence had taken a hit from the way log turned out Monday. As far as overhead, I’m going to be peeved and annoyed with it until it is how I want it to be, regardless of what I used to rationalize and move forward. It is going to require a good bit of a rebuild after Nationals is all I can really say on that. Have to put that out of my foremind and focus on the current task at hand. Got five other events that aren’t nearly as frustrating for me. Right knee was feeling a little achy but thankfully the mobility stuff felt good. I’d say about the same as the Monday training session. Today was the power stairs session. Once again. Work up to a set of 9 reps with the again but this time with the second implement weight. This was going to be tall order going up 45lbs on this from last time with how this many reps felt. Granted, I felt I still had 3 reps in the tank after that set of 9 reps last time. This was going to be tough, no bones about it. I could very well fail but I told myself that I wasn’t stopping until I got 9 reps here. Anyway, warming up went well. Same progression as last time as far as using the bumper plates for the lighter sets and then swapping out once I got to 5 plates added or so. I realized as I was going up in weight that this may be close to the limit with the weighs I got at home for safely using for power stair. I had thought my math had shown there was enough room to go up to contest weight for the heaviest. Maybe there still is and I’m actually not sure what the last bit of prep will even have me doing. But I may need to invest in some thinner plates for future use. Considering how this was going to be the heaviest I’ve attempted on power stairs ever (and aiming to do a moron’s dozen of reps with it) I figured I needed to test and see how having my belt on for this would feel. Make sure that it didn’t affect mobility and breathing where it is needed. I was nervous for sure. Liquid chalk and then regular chalk combo like last time. I had to really work to keep myself from being too anxious here. Be calm and focused. I could tell immediately that this was going to be tough. But hey, even one rep was a PR here. I was definitely not getting as much clearance as I was able to get with 375lbs here. I was actually kind of surprised how well this was going and I was worried that I miscounted. The weight was getting to be enough with how I was lifting that it was shifting the top of the plyo boxes a bit on some reps so I did have to fix that at times. I got 8 reps within a minute and if I hadn’t hit a wall so would the ninth rep. I just fatigued hard and wasn’t able to lift it how I was before with it slightly in front and then using my thigh to bump it up. First try I was too far away but I hit the resistance of my thighs and set it down to regroup. On the second when I committed I got to lockout but it became more like a Ukrainian deadlift and couldn’t get it past my inner thighs to the front of my legs. I gave it another shot and I could tell I was pretty fried there. I was going to get this. This was the only thing for the day besides the mobility stuff to warm up. I needed to get 9 reps. If getting the first implement weight for 9 was the bare minimum to not be kidding myself, the second implement was the bare minimum to indicate that I could finish the event in the first place. About a minute to regroup and I came back and got it high enough to then bully it up there. I made sure it was fully on and took my hands off like I will need to do to signify I’m done. Not pretty but I did 9 reps with a weight I’ve never attempted to lift before on this event in the going on 15yrs of doing this. Left calf was showing some bruising from contact abrasions. Hopefully it doesn’t end up too bad. Put stuff away before getting back on the clock. Saving the stretching for after work.

September 16, 2023 – Week 12, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Yoke/Wheelbarrow Medleys
Casual Pace
150x50’/emptyx50’ (36 approx)
Normal
350x50’/+140x50’ (124 approx)
450x50’/+290x50’ (218 approx)
550x40’ (weights fell off)/+510x50’ (356 approx)
650x50’/+715x50’ (485 approx)
750xpick
750x50’/+970x50’ (621 approx) in 34.74 seconds

Stretching
 
Comments: Work ended up being hectic for the last half of the week. For dumb reasons. It is good that I get about two days rest after the Wednesday workout. Did end up getting some bruising on the left leg around the knee on the inner side as well as the calf from the power stairs banging against the leg. Even through the knee sleeve for the knee. I did think if maybe I need some more protection to minimize bruising on the inner calf area but what I have would likely cause issues with the implement catching and I only have to worry about this for probably two more sessions at the most. Thursday after work I got a flu shot. I meant to do that earlier (not going to have another 2017 Nats flumageddon) but when I had the issues about a month back that had me doubting if I was going to even still try for Nats this year, I kind of put that on the backburner and needed to get that taken care. Again, the two days rest giving me the opportunity to deal with any issues from that (which I’ve never had). This training session was going to be a bit different. The gym in Lancaster was closed for a powerlifting meet. I could technically do what was planned at home but it wouldn’t be the best thing I guess. There was a local gym that I knew of for some time but I’m always hesitant of doing things outside the routine. But they had what I’d need and it would be a chance to see if it was acceptable for further workouts in the future when the other gym is unavailable. Very different having to only drive out maybe 15 miles total. One of those gyms that is in a hole in the wall place right off the exit. But it is equipped with what you need for a powerlifting gym and for some athletics. Again, it had what I’d need. The event for the day was the moving medley for Nationals. Yoke 50’ into wheelbarrow for 50’. I knew this was going to be a pain in the butt as far as setup. I had mentioned last time I was going to probably just do farmer’s walk instead of wheelbarrow going forward. But I figured it made sense to try a nicer wheelbarrow as there is definitely an inertia component at work besides just the weight in hand. I mean, if it was just farmer’s, I could do that at home. As a new gym, I had to do some scouting around and weighing stuff because of trust issues with weights and measurement (I’ve been burnt before haha). The wheelbarrow was much nicer and actually built to hold a lot of weight. Better wheel and space to actually load full size plates on any of the posts. Empty it was 36.5lbs weight in hand. The pin closest to the wheel was 33.8% of weight added and anything added to the second pin was 62.7% of the weight. This would mean I’d need a lot less weight to get to more weight in hand vs the other wheelbarrow at the gym. The yoke was interesting in that it was very light (142.5lbs) despite the build and it had what I can best describe as “floppy feet”. Took a bit to find places to do the mobility stuff warm up. Left shoulder a bit achy compared to earlier this week. Upper back was feeling a bit tight. Considering how light things were, I did a “casual pace” to get a feel for the plot of blacktop/concrete I was using as well as the implements. The hole spacing on the yoke was bit different and I found that I needed to go lower than usual as the one above would be too high and have the implement clip the ground (which wasn’t exactly flat). The wheelbarrow felt fine other than being a low pick. I figured that if it became an issue, I’d save it for the last set to raise up the height to closer to Nats specs as it would be too much for the working up sets. Especially with how time intensive it was setting up and adding weight each set. I realized after the first two sets that I made a mistake with the wheelbarrow and was about 100lbs off where I was supposed to be working up. So I had to adjust to bigger jumps to get the jumps evenish for the top weight. The yoke was definitely slicker than I’d like. As I was getting to the end of the run with 550lbs, I heard a noise and suddenly the yoke was much lighter. I had loaded 200lbs on the side pins and apparently my jostling gait had shook them off. I just stopped there and went on to the wheelbarrow which was the biggest jump in weight yet. Didn’t let that bother me. So don’t put weights on those pins going forward haha. The next run was tougher. The yoke was somewhat smooth but slower than I’d like but I had kind of accepted that I’m going to be doing this with a fatigued lower back anyways and I need to make sure my pick is solid on this yoke. That low pick for the wheelbarrow was quite difficult so I knew I needed to raise it up for the top run or it would most definitely negatively impact the session and my deadlift session coming up in the following week. I had been spinning the wheelbarrow around as well up until this set. It took a bit get things setup for the final set. As I knew that things were feeling a bit rough on the yoke, I ended up doing a pick with the 750lbs a couple of minutes before I went so that I wouldn’t be feeling cold touching it. Which was a good thing as my initial pick wasn’t quite right with the delay in the feet leaving the ground. That would’ve been very frustrating to do that on the working run. I was feeling some pressure for this last set. I was going to feel really stupid if I failed after all the time setting up and hauling almost 1700lbs of weight outside. The owner had been wanting me to come train to “legitimize the gym” as well. So I got set and went. Not terribly fast but it was a smooth run. Trying to not have the yoke get off balance. Then on to the wheelbarrow. Pick was slow to lockout but I kept going. I think that might have taken me longer than the yoke to do. Went slightly past the goal and held for a moment before setting down. I didn’t bother with commands or hand timing this as this was going to be tough and with how this went last time with the wheelbarrow falling over, it didn’t want to add to that. But glad to get it in under 40 seconds. This was tough and I was breathing a bit afterwards. It was a workout in itself putting all the stuff away (even using a pallet and pallet jack at one point). I may end up coming back and doing another session here for Nats assuming I’m doing this again. Home to decompress and stretch out as the drive not very far at all.