September 24, 2023 - September 30, 2023 - Week 14

 September 25, 2023 – Week 14, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Clean and Push Presses (one clean)
90x5
120x3
150x2
180x2
210x1
230x1
250x2
250x2
250x2
250x2
250x2

Stretching
 
Comments: I’m probably going to be nervous every time I go to overhead press where the weight is more than the last week. Juggling other things like work stuff and life stuff. I was more nervous I think compared to how I was last week. I know this because of a couple things. The one was I woke up and my neck was sore on the right side from I guess sleeping slightly off. There was also trying to make sure that when I was training it wouldn’t be raining. Having to keep watch on the weather to find times during this time of year with tropical storms and such. Best option seemed to be to do lunch time. Especially since I’d have to wake up earlier to go into the office for tomorrow so training later in the evening and pushing stuff back wasn’t going to be helpful here. Or trying to train with more food in me from the newer meals I’ve added to my routine (speaking of which, up 2lbs from last week). I didn’t feel comfortable with downing anything besides breakfast before training either. There was no rain, it was a nice temperature out and the platform had dried off from the rain in the early morning. Warming up stuff felt fine. I was hoping this would loosen up the neck (it didn’t really). I knew that it wouldn’t be ideal but I’ve done sessions with my neck like this and not had it hamper things. Knees feeling a little more achy. Again, kind of understandable with the increased workload every week. More carbs/sugars tends to have me “feel” my joints a little more than usual. It was now time to do the pressing. The plan hasn’t changed since aiming for under 265lbs class from doing open HW class. For open, I was aiming at the light log (285lbs) whereas with 265lbs, I can conceivably aim for the heavy log (305lbs) as well as the light log (255lbs). The plan would leave me in a good peaked position if I can hang. Adjustment to be made if I feel that not there and that only going to aim for the light log. I had indicated that his last workout of the 5x2 with 20lbs jumps would be what I’d judge things on. My hope was that the uncomfortableness with the log was more just getting used to the true diameter of competition log vs the thinner, heavier log. Knees were a bit achy on the initial empty log but I let things settle and reattempted the lower body drive after my knees felt good and it seemed to workout for me. Having done heavy stone work Saturday I was expecting my biceps to be quite sore like they have been the past few times I’ve done these after stones. Biceps weren’t sore at all Sunday when I was doing soft tissue work. I was still feeling quite nervous working up in weight but the weights did seem to be flying up. I was feeling like I was still getting a little lightheaded and I realized that I was holding my breath and not getting my air after the clean to the shoulders. Maybe I was worried that I’d lose tightness and the log weight would feel crushing on me. Up until this session with the log for the past 5 weeks I’ve done about 90-120 seconds rest with a longer rest for the rep set when I went for it. With how things had felt last week, I felt that I’d need to not go so quick to make sure I got the reps. So plan was to go more 180 seconds rest depending on how I felt. I might want to go faster if I feel good and the aggression is having me not lose momentum. 250lbs was the most weight I’ve attempted on overhead press in almost a year. I shouldn’t be so nervous for this but I’ve seen where I was 7 weeks back or so and the struggle. Focus, be calm but aggressive in my intent. Control to the points and hit them. Got that first double and I was feeling some relief there. Got four more. About 2.5 minutes rest for the first set and then about 3 minutes after that and maybe 15 seconds more on top of that and so on. Trying to keep motivated but recover and treat each set. I knew I had this workout in the bag after the fourth set. Little slow on the press for the last one but I had it. I was shouting to mostly myself after and during that. Biceps feeling a little sore after all this log work. Feel I’m on the right track once again. Ate the meal I skipped at 10:30AM and put away stuff before then eating lunch. Stretched after work before making dinner (and after eating another two meals).

September 27, 2023 – Week 14, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Power Stairs (18”)
60x5
105x3
150x2
195x1
240x1
285x1
330x1
375x1
420x10

Stretching
 
Comments: I wasn’t really feeling nervous for this session. This was going to be a repeat and it was less about can I do it and more can I do it and not have it suck so bad? As expected, going into work was dumb as the “training” was cancelled due to the visiting speaker being sick. Something was in the air as even with my allergy meds I was feeling like a irritant had hit me at one point. Left hip wasn’t feeling as achy compared to last week when had to be in the office again. I don’t know if it has to do with the chair or if just my body being beat up as we get closer to show time. I did make sure I got better timing with food at work. My neck was feeling better and I had slept well (probably from the six cheeseburgers). I didn’t get to do my walking the day before because of being in work and the weather not being so great. But I did make sure I ate well, slept well and got soft tissue work done. Warming up stuff was fine. Some knee aches, not much shoulder aches. I generally feel better and ready after the warming up mobility stuff. Today was the power stairs session. This was initially going to be a set of 5 reps after working up with 460ish as that was going to be the last weight for the open class but since doing 265lbs class, 419lbs/190kgs is the weight so I already did the last implement for all the reps. I had no issues with doing heavier but the best option here was just to do it again and make it better. No sense going more than 45lbs over competition weight when there are other events that I got to still peak and work on where that effort can be best used. With the somewhat rainy weather lately, I’ve had to wipe up water that pools on the platform outside so that it gets dried up in the rain. Also some crickets decide to hide under the edges and I have to vacate them so I don’t accidentally squish them. Trying to work up with focus and intent with how and where I lift/place the implement on the box as well as how my body is positioned. Neighbor’s kids were playing with some kind of firework so that was slightly irksome as far as trying to be calm. I also used the pair of thin plates on the setup and it would’ve let me get another plate on there normal size if needed. This is going to be the last heavy session of this (last workout will be just the first implement for some singles). I know I can do this but want to try and do it without misses this time or having to really stop. The bruises on my legs from these two weeks ago were getting pretty faded so I guess going to darken them up again. Left knee was feeling slightly achy depending on how I positioned things so I did need to be deliberate with my position when lifting so as not to lose power. Compared to last time, I felt like I was struggling. Perhaps some areas were more fatigued than others. I mean, I went up 20lbs on stones and 40lbs on log press compared to last time I did this. But that could just be in my head looking at the video after the fact. Compared to last time, I was about 3 seconds faster through the first 6 reps. I slowed down after that this time around as I knocked the box askew and had to reset it. My legs were feeling a bit fatigued and at this point I lost count of reps and thought I had only done 5. So I probably went into a bit of a slower pace so that I didn’t miss any lifts. Which I didn’t do this time around. At the end, I was thinking I probably did 10 reps by mistake. Which ended up being the case. Even though I got 7 reps this time in under minute vs 8 reps last time, I got the remaining reps finished in less time this time around. This is one of those that if you can keep the momentum and pace going, you can keep going. So 10 reps with no misses vs 9 reps with like 3 misses is progress. I will need to see if I need to practice the hop up with the implement with the lighter one next time with a different setup since it will be singles. Put stuff away and got some food in me before being back on the clock. Stretching for after work.

September 30, 2023 – Week 14, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Yoke/Wheelbarrow Medleys
Casual Pace
150x50’/+70x50’ (80 approx)
Normal Pace
350x50’/+260x50’ (199 approx)
450x50’/+420x50’ (300 approx)
550x50’/+580x50’ (400 approx)
650x50’/+740x50’ (500 approx)
750x50’/+900x50’ (601 approx) in 27.57 seconds

Stretching
 
Comments: I was nervous but not for the usual reason about the training session. It was if I was going to be able to do the training session I wanted. See, I had to go into work on Tuesday this week because of dumb scheduling for trainings (with the Tuesday one being cancelled the day of due to “illness” of the presenter). I then find out Thursday afternoon from a coworker that someone that was in our immediate area at work tested positive for COVID. I felt fine but this was first I was in a situation this entire time where I’ve been exposed. It’s like I’ve been avoiding like the plague or something. So there was some stress as I’ve not done the test before. So I slept in a little bit as Saturday was going to be the earliest I could test (though I had been around that person on Thursday the week prior for in office training). If it came back positive, I was going to be a bit stressed for sure but I’d probably just do a modified workout at home with what I had. It came back negative so I guess I’m still good at dodging the bullet so to speak. So I perked up a bit and took my allergy meds and ventured out into the world. While the gym in Lancaster wasn’t closed or anything, I decided to do the local gym again because I could sleep in and the drive wouldn’t be so bad. Especially since this would be the last touches of the yoke and wheelbarrow medley. With the restrictions with the wheelbarrow setup at the other gym, this was going to be the closer to contest training. And yes, doing yoke into farmer’s would be much quicker setting up and tearing down but I feel like something is missed compared to the wheelbarrow when you can calculate the actual weight in hand. I had some idea of what to expect so hopefully setup and tear down was not going to be so time consuming and exhausting. Mobility work stuff I didn’t need to really be figuring where stuff went and such so I could pretty go right into it after I had setup the course outside. Knees were really achy today and shoulders somewhat achy. Left side of my neck was feeling tight as well. For the runs this time, I setup on the other side of the building as opposed to where I was last time. I try to keep the same course once I pick something but I felt it made sense to switch as it was slightly uneven with the different concrete/blacktop combo as well as there being some moisture from rain drainage that was seeping. It was definitely warmer compared to last time. Could also be from my diet changes as I was feeling pretty warm and needing to wipe of sweat constantly. I didn’t have to worry about figuring out the weights as I had the calculations and put down what weights I needed for the wheelbarrow each set. Essentially empty implements at the casual pace and then from there going with 100lbs jumps or so for on the yoke and the weight in hand on the wheelbarrow. Knees were feeling some aches and I was feeling like the low energy sensation in my legs like with power stairs on Wednesday. But I made sure that I wasn’t screwing up. No weights falling off, no misloads, etc. Ready myself for a slow pick on the yoke and get steady and then try and pick up speed on the yoke. And also try and pick up speed on the wheelbarrow but not lose control. I put the rubber 100’s under the wheelbarrow for the last two sets so it wasn’t the really low pick height. The plan had been before I got skinny was 800lbs on the yoke and 640lbs weight in hand on the wheelbarrow with not doing the full course distance in the warming up. Idea being contest weight would be at contest on the yoke but I’d be already hitting stuff for the wheelbarrow (and on a harder variation). Since that got scrapped, I was to pretty much repeat what I did last time but adjust the wheelbarrow weight to be about 600lbs since contest will be 750lbs and then 563lbs in hand. Again, these are guesses based off the math. I mean, already did a contest run with the yoke and heavier wheelbarrow. I had suggested maybe going heavier on yoke as I tend to have issues above 700lbs with warming up and such. But idea was to try and just not be so slow this time. I think the people that are training this with just farmer’s or not figuring out weight in hand are going to be in for a surprise with how much more quad and grip work there is with the weight and the resistance. I was feeling pretty winded after the penultimate set but it had felt good while doing it. I also think I got a better gauge on the rest periods so I didn’t need to do a pick with the last weight on yoke. I made sure that I was feeling like this was urgent. My fingers were twitching. But also focused and calm. Like making sure my ponytail is to the side so as the yoke doesn’t slip on my hair down my back. Wish I could go faster on yoke but this is it for right now. But it was definitely much sturdier this time around. Less issues on the pick with the wheelbarrow and I felt I was able to move that better. Over 7 seconds faster than last time (granted the wheelbarrow was lighter). Under 30 seconds is good for me. It was a workout putting stuff away as well but I was better prepared this time and actually got the pallet mover to work no issues this time. Went home to stretch and eat. I’ll check tomorrow to see how the weight situation is after two weeks of these changes.