December 3, 2023 - December 9, 2023 - Week 6

 December 4, 2023 – Week 6, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Clean and Push Presses (one clean)
90x5
120x3
150x2
180x2
210x1
240x1
260x1
275x0
275x0
275x0

Stretching
 
Comments: I was fully expecting weight to decrease or stagnate this week considering that last week with the “eating” holiday and that was feeling full and ended up missing a meal the day before. But I’m probably at my heaviest I’ve been this year that I know of. I say that as weighing myself wasn’t a thing until middle of last cycle when I noticed I was dropping weight. I had weighed in at 275lbs with my shoes and contest wear back in middle of March and starting this week off at 272.2lbs without wearing my shoes (which are substantial at size 17). This is not the heaviest I’ve been since the 2016 back injury or the heaviest I’ve ever been. I think I was actually like 10lbs heavier March of last year. I was hoping that this progress would be reflected in what I was aiming for with more mass to fill out and improve leverages for pressing. But I guess not. Too soon to tell. I’ll get to it. Perhaps work and the last workout session was more stressful than I had thought. Warming up stuff felt fine. Felt no worse for wear. Just cold outside and I had some bruises on my forearms from the zercher yoke stuff. Darkness for the log lifting. Again, the plan for this was 5x1. And that was it with it being the deload week. 275lbs being the plan so 10lbs more than last time I did log and would be 5lbs more than what I ended the previous cycle on. 5 minutes rests between singles. I was honestly thinking maybe this should be 280lbs with the progression but I knew I should stick to what was written. After last time with the bad choice of shirt, I picked out a shirt that had a large decal on it and I’ve done sets of log clean and press with it in the past with similar conditions of no grip shirt. Warming up was feeling fine until I got to 240lbs. Up to that point, stuff was feeling easy. This felt hard. Like it was heavy on the pick and then it rolled slow from the clean to the shoulders. I had elected to use metal plates at this point instead of all bumper plates so I figured it was due to having both big metal plates and bumpers on it. It felt similar to how the log was moving when I did 250lbs the first week and also how 270lbs had felt end of last cycle. So it took a moment for me to feel comfortable to press it and it seemed to go up good despite feeling heavy on the shoulders. That hasn’t always been a bad thing. It sometimes just means not used to it. So 20lbs more added and it felt similar but still pressing felt good. I wasn’t liking how the clean was getting into position as I was rotating under it to the shoulders so I did make the weights all bumper plates for the planned working sets. This did not go well. I was not expecting to be missing here. First attempt it felt ok but I just seemed to not want to immediately go off the lap and paused momentarily before I went. Maybe that through me off but when I went for the press it went out in front and as it got the point I’d usually be able to press it through, it wouldn’t and I dropped it. The workout was already ruined at this point. I shouldn’t be missing lifts at all, let alone at this point in the training cycle. I wondered if the elbow sleeves were causing an issue for me and came back about 2 minutes later (I was treating this missed attempt more like a partial attempt) and gave it another shot. The clean was smoother and I went for the press and it seemed to be much like the previous attempt but it started to go up and I assumed a done deal. But apparently the elbow sleeves have been helping at that point as it was not just going up and I was fighting and the log started to go forward. I just let it go at this point as while I could probably have truly locked out this weight, I was at a risk of injury and this wasn’t helping matters. Again, the planned session was ruined and at this point I was trying to test other things. I had questions about footwear as I’ve always just done lifters for overhead in strongman. I swapped out a new shirt and put on my regular moving event shoes and gave that a shot. The balance was very different and I just ended up lapping it and then put it down as it was too weird and I was not balanced in a good way. Put back on the lifters and elbow sleeves for one more test to see if it was really the case. I was spent as the clean sucked and the attempt at the press did as well. Really hard to keep motivated to put down the food when it seems to not be helping things that are the reason for trying to actively put on the weight. But I stuck to the meals and put the weights away. Stretched afterwards (I usually don’t after I screw up a workout) and then made dinner. Frustrated but I know I need to sleep on it and figure out what I learned.

December 6, 2023 – Week 6, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Front Squats
45x10
95x8
135x5
185x3
225x2
275x2
300x2

Stretching
 
Comments: Body was feeling this training cycle. So I was nervous about every ache and sensation. Because I know this will be a tough contest. It will require a lot of grit. Sleep and walking as well as talking with my dad about things did seem to help with perspective. And I also have to adjust things mentally and accept where I’m at right now. 275lbs was the most I’ve actually tried to press this year. The most recent overhead press that was successful at or above was the 286lbs axle press at Nationals last year which was already a low. Objectively, I’m at 90% of my best as far as overhead post 2016 back injury. I was hoping I was back at 100% already with Nationals but even looking at the numbers I hit, the 275lbs max roughly does seem to fit. Additionally, this competition has been very upper body taxing with the zercher yoke (I think that was rougher to recover from then conan’s wheel) as well as arm over arm and no tacky stone lifting (and for a lot of reps) probably taxed my arms and shoulders a good bit more than I was used to from the previous cycle (as well as adding in new exercises). Also my dad reminded me I had a similar thing with a short prep and missing weights at the end and ending up hitting well above at the competition. So just have to plan accordingly after this one with concrete numbers and build from there. I also don’t think I’ve ever done Nationals and then done contest so soon afterwards. But on to the actual training. I was tempted to do this one during my lunch break (I was tempted with log Monday too) but stuck to the after work because it gave me the freedom to take longer rests if needed and I could keep my work focus flow going as I have to consider that I’m taking off Friday next week as well as work around back to back holidays coming up too. Warming up seemed to go well. I didn’t bother with the ankle/shin mobility stuff as Wasn’t feeling like I needed it. Shins/ankles had felt a little stiff on Monday with the pick and lap. Anyways, this was to be front squats and with it being a bit of deviation in that this wasn’t exactly light or speed work. Granted, last training cycle had me do singles with the first implement weight of the power stairs for the lower body session so I guess that tracks. Plan was top double on front squats. The notes initially said 300-315lbs for the double but after mentioning what I had actually done as far as the front squats, it was lowered to 275-300lbs. Idea was this was to be powerful double that would help with priming for lower body drive on overhead. Same warming up as it has been for front squats. I elected to use bumper plates for all of it. Because. Maybe it will look like one of those Olympic hall training sessions. Maybe it will make the weight feel more alive with the flex. It wasn’t necessary but It was something I wanted to do. 40-50lbs jumps in weight. It has been those kind of bumps up in weight each week with this short cycle. Front squats have been feeling somewhat decent. There is less knee aches compared to when I have a bar on my back. I was fully prepared for 275lbs to be it for the session and those reps did go up quite powerfully. The 40-50lbs jumps can start to feel like a big jump once above 135lbs. So it was a little bit of shock with 275lbs considering 225lbs most in many months. The thoughts in my head said do 300lbs. At least feel what that feels like so that it isn’t a shock. Since likely log will top out at 280lbs at show and with the number of attempts mattering, 300lbs would be a third attempt really with 20lbs jumps. So took my time with setting up. Yep, this felt like something. Still pretty powerful but not quite as easy. Talking hundredths of a second difference in finishing. This is 65lbs off my best lifetime double on this exercise. I do hope that I can push assistance gym lift stuff up for this planned offseason I have in mind. Chest, upper back and neck were feeling a bit tense after these. I’ve not had this kind of weight on the body in that position in a long time. Too long really. Got some more thoughts I need to put down at some point about the plan for next year. One more training session left.

December 9, 2023 – Week 6, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Tank M4 Sled Pushes/Sled Drags (minute rests)
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’
+100 (L1)x50’/50’

Stretching
 
Comments: It hasn’t quite sunk in I guess that I won’t be doing weight lifting workouts next week and I have to keep reminding myself of that. And also that the year is almost up as well. And that next week isn’t Christmas. Just trying to relax and not let things stress me out. Thinking of what to work on and resolve for the next season, rather than focus so much on the now. The now is just rest and thinking on things and putting words down seems to help with that. Next week is when I have to actually do stuff and put into action. Some of the aches and such seem to migrate. My lower legs were feeling quite heavy Friday while out walking. It isn’t like I did a ton at all. At least I didn’t feel that I had. But usually I do seem to feel not the best during a deload. Like catching up on what I’ve been doing to myself the past few weeks and letting the consequences reach me. The reward usually being that I perform well when it matters. The finishing off for this prep was to again be sled work. That seems in my experience to be a hallmark of the Westerling trainings. So initially the plan here was the same as the end of the last cycle minus bag toss at the start. Also not moving things a day early due to weather. I was going to just do the same weight on my sled at home in the street but I had a change of mind. Kind of two things. One was that my father had come over Tuesday and blew a lot of leaves from my yard and my roof (I have a tree that holds out dropping leaves until the last minute) while I was working. But the leave collection wasn’t going to come for these in time. I had not enjoyed it last time (my knees that is) when I did the sled work with all the acorns. So I’d rather not deal with that. But I wasn’t going to drive all the way out to Lancaster to do about 15 minutes of a workout that I could do at home. Which was the second reason. The powerlifting gym with some strongman stuff that I went to last week has a resistance sled (among other novelties) and I had been planning to try that out last week under the assumption that I was to do sled work after the zercher yoke carries. That was dropped however to save my legs for log (which didn’t really matter in the end). It is a pricey piece of equipment ($1600 no attachments) and I was curious how it would feel. So this meant I could sleep in as needed and drive out to the gym a little bit away and get in a quick workout and then back home to eat and stretch out. I could make sense of going a little ways for this kind of workout to test a new piece of exercise equipment. There were several powerlifters training. Found out from the owner that the account for the drop-in fees got hacked so this week and last week’s monies didn’t get to the gym. A little annoyed with that but it’s only $20. There was a all-around lifter (strongman, highlands games, powerlifting) who had moved to PA from UT and noticed my shirt for Nationals. Stung a little when the assumption was it was Master’s Nationals. I’m close to 40 but not yet. That is the first where I’ve had it assumed that was my age or more. Usually I get younger haha. But despite that initial introduction, he indicated he had found that PA had “famous” stones to lift. I have lived here over 30yrs and didn’t know. Upon review after the fact, it seems more like some guys have found some stones and trying to have them be “lifting stones” like they have in Scotland. Still interesting and maybe I will go and try my hand at them as some are within 30 minutes of where I live. Back to what I was doing. Mobility warming up felt fine. The wheeled sled was a bit of a pain to move around to where I wanted it (198lbs empty) but rolls smooth forward and backward. Tested and inflated the tires to 30PSI. There is option to add weight to it (website states no more than 270lbs) as well as adjust the resistance 3 levels from neutral. Website states that the resistance increases as you go faster. I’m not sure I buy that but I don’t really understand the magnetic resistance the device claims. I didn’t want to take off all the weight already on it (200lbs) so I took half of it off and put it on the 1st level of resistance as that seemed to be moving in a way that it would be fast and light. As the plan here was 10 sets of 50’/50’ with a minute rest. This was definitely an interesting stimulus. Knees didn’t ache as much as they had compared to when I did this workout with my sled like 8 weeks ago. But my knees have been feeling better in generally really and having some kind of resistance and drag from friction seemed to be good for my knees on sled work. With how this was feeling, it made more sense to not have my arms out straight like I’d been doing with the prowler type sleds. Arms bent and getting more of a fast foot sprint turnover. The backwards drag was about what I’d expect. I messed up grabbing the handles on the third set but even with that, wasn’t the slowest. The time of runs varied from just under 22 seconds to just under 25 seconds. I was breathing heavy in the cold air and my legs were definitely feeling the fatigue and getting full of lactic acid. Good sweat too. I liked it but I don’t see it as $1600 worth for a purchase for things. More needing to have it available for easy use and a wide range of people working at the same time to be worth it I think. Put stuff away before driving home to get some food and then stretch.