June 16, 2024 - June 22, 2024 - Week 2

 June 17, 2024 – Week 2, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

Axle Strict Presses
46x5
76x5
106x5
136x5
166x5
166x5

Band Assisted Pull-ups
sbx5 at pin 16
abx5 at pin 16
lbx5 at pin 16
lbx5 at pin 16

12” Log Incline Bench Presses
87x10
117x5
147x3
177x2
207x5
207x5

Chin Up Holds
bwx28 seconds+9 seconds eccentric

Active Shoulder Hangs
bwx64 seconds+10 seconds relaxed

Stretching
 
Comments: Whatever heat was expected to pop up the end of the week decided to show up for this week. Hard to tell if I’m being paranoid with little aches and such but I’m not exactly pushing things full bore and needing to allow myself some lighter work for recovery. Weight up slightly from last week. I mean, makes sense in that I was walking 2 miles every day and now just every other day. And appetite/thirst is generally greater when I’m training. I got one week of training down but really I can’t be resting on my laurels here. I need to see how this training week goes and then the next two to see if I’m adapting/recovering appropriately with the workload. Also trying to correct negative thought patterns. Like where if I hesitate because I was going to put something in the wrong place and mentally berate myself (“idiot” or similar). It’s not something I’ve been called by others and seems to be something I’ve done to myself so trying to catch myself when that happens and tell myself that isn’t correct. Warming up to start things off. Very similar to how things had felt all last week with stuff. Sticking to it with no added modifications at this point. I didn’t bother with fans on in the garage since for this session I’d only be doing the warming up in there and everything else would be outside. So for that, I did have one of the big fans on to provide some airflow. It was hot (low 90’s) but fairly dry so humidity wasn’t killing me. I had realized end of training on Wednesday last week that I must have left my chalk at the competition gym. I still have some chalk but I’ll need to figure out proper storage and more liquid chalk. I really don’t care for training event work in the summer heat with how much I sweat. So off-season focus in the summer is ideal when I can hack it. Anyways, back to training. So strict pressing to start off. Alternating log and axle here so this was the axle week. I figured this would feel a bit rougher compared to log. With log, I can do it out of the rack in a way when it’s a strict press that I don’t have to bend my knees to unrack it and generally feels fine on the shoulders. The shorter ROM also doesn’t hurt. I also had the benefit of doing that fresh last time. This not so much. Plan was to do 30lbs jumps and not bother with the microplates like log (but leave option open to add them if feeling good). Axle strict pressing is definitely more shoulders than log strict press for me. But if shoulders are feeling off, both suffer. The axle was not feeling as good as log and I was little worried that maybe it was just that I can’t seem to recover in the shoulders very well between sessions. I mean, not really the log but maybe more the bench pressing being rougher. But stuck to the 30lbs jumps with no support gear and hit what I was expecting to hit here. Didn’t feel as fast as log press but could just be because of the ROM and the bar path. It will be interesting to see how things go the next run through of both. From there moved on to a common staple in the training at this time with the band assisted pull-ups. Similar to how these have been in that working up to 2x5 with a band assistance that lets me pull fast and with full ROM explosively. But same idea as far as the do something that I can do for 10 solid reps. I figured it didn’t make sense to try and screw around here with the setup I was doing for several workout sessions. I was not entirely sure how these would go. Honestly, about how they usually are with the first set working up feeling like some parts are easy but noticing fatigue and then the second set having me questioning if I should really be doing the lower band assistance for the working sets. And then having the working sets feel as they should. This exercise is definitely one that taking a brief break from it is noticeable in the fatigue factor between sets and with the explosive pulling style (the rack tends to shake with how violently I initiate the lift). I did bring out the liquid chalk I had from the competition gift bag and I can definitely see there is a quality difference in the stuff I had bought and this one. I’m curious on how I’ll progress here. I feel I can do full pull-ups without the bands but the bands seem to mentally keep me doing these in a way that feels like the muscles are working more and I’m not just using my arms. Then incline log pressing. Also 2x5. I was not entirely sure how these would go. I was little worried that my shoulders weren’t recovered enough for the session considering how things were feeling with the axle (and possibly fatigue from band pull ups). And warming up here wasn’t alleviating that feeling. But then things were starting to click and worries about my shoulders being overtrained went away as reps were moving like they should. That ended the weighted stuff. Which is usually the end of the session. But not the case for right now. Band face pulls had been the finisher last week but these were different. Essentially it was isometric work. The first was chin up hold. I’ve never done this. I know this is done in some instances for like a gym class testing if someone can’t do a pull-up. I was stressing a little here because I didn’t want to initiate a chin up to get into position but I also didn’t want to just hop right up as what if it strained the biceps? I’m quite a bit heavier than I was when I was regularly doing chin ups. But I realized I was overthinking it and just did it and it was no big deal. This was definitely challenging. Not just with the arms but also the midsection with bracing. Plan was max hold with bodyweight but to lower really slow when I felt I was going to lose it. I had thought I got to 30 seconds before I started the slow eccentric but I guess this was one of those rare times I head counted fast. This was tough and I feel this is a keeper for building things without stressing stuff too much in the upper body. Only real issue is that I can’t really elevate the pull-up stuff much at home. The next one was another hold but I knew this one would be a lot less taxing. Essentially a dead hang but with “active” shoulders. So nothing relaxed here and trying to touch my head to the bar without bending my elbows. Not possible to do. A reverse shrug motion. I wasn’t too sure on how these would go but I figured that I’d stop at a minute if I got to that point. Once I reached the point of fatigue where I couldn’t maintain the hold in the shoulders, I was to relax slowly and hold 10 more seconds in a dead hang. I think I skipped over the part to relax slowly as I pretty much went right to that after I counted to a minute. The hold after that was fine. Ate oatmeal before putting stuff away and stretching out. I have a feeling stuff will be sore from this going into my next workout.

June 19, 2024 – Week 2, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Front Squats
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
225x5

Hyper Extensions
bwx15

Hyper Extension Holds (Neck Harness & Plate)
20+45x46 seconds

Planks
bw+53x60 seconds

Side Planks
bwx60/60 seconds

Stretching
 
Comments: So a bit of a heat wave for this week. It had rained late in the evening Monday so it was a bit humid Tuesday. Not a ton but enough that what was tolerable the day before was becoming uncomfortable today. I ended up having to change out my shirt after walking due to the sweat and getting cold back inside after walking. Noticing soreness in areas from the last session doing the soft tissue work and have a feeling that going to be noticeable during the training to come. The “annual” Pro/Ams appear to be starting to post stuff again. The Colorado one is tempting as the events are better from me than they were this year. But kind of makes it a pick and choose between what shows to do. I got many months to think on that. Off work for Juneteenth nice to have a break in the middle of the week. There is some stress brewing up with next month having certain waived things at work becoming mandatory and tracked weekly so trying to get my workload under control and “clean” before that happens. Stayed up later than I wanted to the night before but I think because I knew I had a day off I was ok with that and work up about an hour later than I’d normally do for a work day. I’d already planned on training around lunch time rather than in the early evening. Hot but didn’t feel necessary to get the fans out as I wasn’t going to be doing a ton today with this session. It was pretty much the warming up routine and then light weight stuff and bunch of bracing core work. Kind of surprised that my joints were feeling pretty chill. I guess that happens when not constantly pounding them down with heavy weights. Still no adjustments to the warming up stuff. Stuck to being in the garage for the warming up and the session. The direct sunlight on the back of the house would’ve been unbearable doing stuff there today. Garage just felt comfortable in comparison. Hopefully my AC wouldn’t be struggling to stay tolerable like it has the past two days. Front squats to start things off. They have been the go to squat for a while now. This was one of the few exercises where I was going to use support gear and for the knees with the sleeves. Things have been feeling better but wasn’t quite keen on that yet considering knee aches unracking the axle the session before. Starting with the bar and doing 40-50lbs jumps up to two plates with that weight being the planned 2x5 for the session. I wasn’t worried about the knees on these beyond just the knee sleeves but I was suspecting these would feel kind of rough without any belts and such. This is already a tough bracing exercise for me. Also trying to be fast but not rush myself here with the breathing. I was right about the stuff on Monday being noticed here. My upper back felt sore as well as my mid-section, which the likely culprit being the chin up hold (and probably some active shoulder hang too). But just grin and bear it and know that is going to be the case. First working set with 225lbs the weight felt uneven and I hesitated for a moment (I was thinking of reracking to check weight) but I knew I had the right weights on and settled myself and went for it. Felt fine but I definitely felt that I didn’t attempt to make the last rep of that set a speed rep. The second set. I felt myself doing that on the middle reps and made sure that I had the last rep be fast. From there on to the mid-section work with bracing exercises. Back extension hold stuff with the neck harness has been quite fruitful for me with training. Warming up with just bodyweight back extensions has been the go-to. I figured that with just front squats prior rather than a deadlift that these wouldn’t feel like I had a lot of fatigue in me. And probably similar thought in that it looks like these aren’t going to be every week like they have been. The number of reps increased from 10 to 15 and that was noticed. I took my time before committing to the hold. I was told to do the weight combination (harness and holding) that I did for the last workout session of the last prep. That had been 20lbs on the neck harness and 45lbs held in the row position. Hold for max time but stop 10 seconds short of failure. I think this was similar protocol as that last session. Now I was only to do 40lbs held in hand that last session but did 45lbs as it was easier and “close enough” with the weights. I wasn’t entirely sure what I did on this last time but I had a feeling it was less than 40 seconds. I figured even with not doing this for a few weeks that I’d likely be able to beat that time considering that not doing anything heavy beforehand. Surprisingly got over 45 seconds. I was counting a little slow I think (or miscounted) at some point early on as I was closer to 42 in my head. It is funny to be beating the best time I had done with 10lbs less on the neck harness on these. With that done, it was time to finish up with the abdominal bracing. Notes indicated to just do the same weight I had been doing here. So 53lbs added to back pack for the regular planks and just bodyweight for the side planks. Range of 30-60 seconds but I was always going to do the 60 seconds. Even if abs were feeling fatigue and soreness from a new exercise, this was going to be doable stuff here. Regular planks had the me hitting the abdominals in a way that was more sore from what I did vs the side planks. Side planks I was just noticing my shoulders with supporting my body weight. I didn’t really need to put anything away as I kind of was doing that throughout my rest periods between exercises so went right into eating some food and then stretched.

June 22, 2024 – Week 2, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Farmer’s Walk (Casual Pace)
50x50’
100x50’
150x50’
200x50’
200x50’

Atlas Stone Loads (55“, tacky)
235x5
235x5

Sled Drags
135x50’
235x50’
60 seconds rest
235x100’
235x100’
235x100’
235x100’
235x100’

Stretching
 
Comments: To borrow from Rob Thomas, “man, it’s a hot one”. It has been record highs as far as heat for the area for this time of year. While out walking the past two days, I’ve seen no squirrels. A few years back was counting how many squirrels I’d see when I was out walking and I think 3 was the lowest and over 50 being the most. So that is certainly telling that I’m seeing none. Guess trying to beat the heat. It made more sense to walk while sun was directly overhead during lunch then after work as the humidity would be higher at that point and it would just feel worse. And Saturday was supposed to be the hottest day so far this year so I had to plan ahead to get out to train early so that I wasn’t at the highest point of the heat (which was potentially 100 degrees). Got my stuff prepped the afternoon before and plan was a meal high in salt content for dinner to replenish what I was likely going to be sweating out. It was hot for sure driving out that I had the AC on fairly high (not max). Some slow downs at the usual spots but I feel I made decent time. Shouldn’t be too many people at the gym with the heat. Some people competing this weekend and others the next weekend. All the fans were on at the gym so there was good airflow. My right leg had felt more sore than the left after the last training session. Warming up felt fine and good. Sometimes the heat makes this part feel ok. First thing for the day was farmer’s walk. Similar to yoke in that this was to be light stuff done at the casual pace and no support gear. But of course things couldn’t be that simple. I usually have to move equipment around to free up space in the lanes and today was no exception. Sometimes that involves picking something up and moving it or dragging it away. One of those things was a 170lbs yoke. It was catching on the ground as I was dragging it so I had to pick it up a little. I felt something twinge in the back of my right leg. The hamstring I had pulled months ago. But in a different spot. And the first thought was “are you kidding me?” This was a mild sensation as far as discomfort, like a single tentacle of a jellyfish had grazed the back of the leg. Annoying more than anything. I didn’t react to it and just monitored things. Didn’t feel like there was any cramping sensation or any restriction of ROM. But it added an element of anxiety to the workout. My hope was that this was just some scar tissue breaking up and I’d see how things went and if it felt like something more sinister, I’d have to call it and likely go home and mope. So anyways, farmer’s walk. As mentioned, casual pace 50’ carries. I got a few choices of handles but I figured I’d do the longer handles at 16”. The I-beams at 18” are higher but more than twice the weight empty and my thinking is most contests these days are doing 16” pick. And I wanted to use the lighter handles that allow for the leveraged pick up in the event I do end up going heavy for a PR run at some point and possibly to see how this mimics a possible wheelbarrow (focused on that one pro/am show as motivation). Considering how the hamstring was feeling just now, it was a good thing this was just casual pace as I’m not confident I’d been comfortable with moving normally with the circumstances. There was hesitation with the picks and walking as I was keeping an eye on the hamstring but seemed to be fine and adding weight to the movement didn’t increase the sensation. I had kind of wanted to not use any chalk but with how much I was sweating, I had to resort to using a little bit of liquid chalk for my hands. I mean if I was going normal pace then not needed but since these runs were taking over 30 seconds to complete, I wanted to make sure I didn’t rush because of the sweaty hands. Casual pace here, slow and steady. I did notice, and perhaps this is because of the shorter and shuffling strides, that I had a lot of side to side motion here. It could be because I’ve not done farmer’s walk (it has been frame and wheelbarrow) since October 2022. The fixed implement perhaps keeps that not as noticeable. But I tend to come back quite well on farmer’s walk compared to say yoke. I took my time putting stuff back where I got it before moving on to the next thing; stones. It has been a while, but not the longest break from stones. Shows do have stones in them still but either they are different and have no tacky or they are way too light. The plan here was to do 2x5 with 200lbs (like sandbag load). Easy stuff (if I wasn’t worried about the hamstring). Notes had indicated to use tacky so as not to stress out the biceps. I was prepared for two scenarios today. One was just do what Mr. Westerling had written and the other was to use the stone of steel. The stone of steel is 20” diameter and the gym does have 200ish stones but they are 18” diameter. Not exactly a stone size that will be in competition. And it feels like a waste to use tacky on a stone weight that I generally don’t even do as a warm up when doing stone loads. The gym also doesn’t have an exactly 200lbs stone nor a 250lbs stone (the proposed next stone session weight). So I was either going to do real stones with tacky or the plateloaded stone using tacky towels. Three things had me go with real stones. One was that I felt like I’d be a bit more “motivated” if I did real stones as they are my favorite event and I could think of prepping for the pro/am. Another was that there was plenty of clean up supplies (I had to do stuff after stones). Then finally the other was the amount of sweating that was happening. I remember how last year prepping for Nats at the beginning how bad the sweat was making the stone slip even with tacky towel and other stuff applied. I’d need to apply tape and waste a roll in either case. I can mitigate sweat better with real stone lifting when tacky is involved so real stones it was. Took off my shirt to do stones and some people commented on my traps and hinted that it was because of drugs. I politely told them off that I was a drug free athlete and likely my traps are from all the neck harness hold work. It’s a mixture of flattery and insulting with that kind of talk. With the temperature, I had three different tacky to work with. The one from overseas (priciest) works best and was perfect at this temp. I was worried I was low on it and that I’d need to use a good bit of it. Wrong on that front. The platform setup is slightly uneven in that there is a matching set of 3 tiered platforms but the right side is .5” - .75” shorter than what is listed. So I went with the left. The 205lbs stone was on the right side. I wasn’t going to move it around in this heat and with other stuff so I did the 235lbs as it was on the left side. This would set things up so that 265-270lbs was ok for next time (at least that is what I was telling myself. I definitely was out of practice here with getting setup for stones with tacky as I wrapped my arms a bit too tight. I was also nervous about the hamstring here as this was likely going to be the thing that would tax it the most. I went at a steady pace. The right side was getting the less sticky side of the stone so I was trying to be cautious with lifting. Dirty stone. I applied a little more tacky to get some more stick on my right arm. On the second set, the stone felt light and I don’t know what I was thinking but I didn’t bother to adjust the stone in my lap so I kind of did I guess a paused one motion and that was stupid. So the load portion was a million times harder than it needed to be. I made sure to not do that for the rest of the reps. The stone also seemed to be bouncing a good bit on the rubber so I did have to let it settle and not rush things. I was debating doing another rep to make up for that first rep but just did the last one really powerfully. Clean up thankfully wasn’t too arduous. I took my time here as I wasn’t really looking forward to the last bit of the session. Sled drags aren’t bad in some circumstances. But seeing as how this is to be kind of alternated with the prowler pushes, I knew this was going to get sucky by the end. Unlike with the prowler, I knew that I could do the 100’ outside on concrete with the sleds at a respectable weight in both directions so it wasn’t going to be like last time where I set things up in the hot sun and find out it doesn’t work and have to move stuff indoors. But outside this time around was maybe not the wisest thing. Temp was up to 94 at this point (it was 91 when I got to the gym starting at 87 when I left my house haha). The plan was to do 5 sets of 100’ with one minute rests. I had to test the hamstring with this movement and going fast and thankfully this wasn’t an issue. I walked the entire length of the turf with empty sled to warm up and then added 100lbs and did 50’ runs to get the sled 100’ away from the gym so that I’d end up at the gym on the last set. I felt fine with this and plan was to do 305lbs for the working sets. But after moving it about 20’, I realized this wasn’t going to work at this weight. I dropped it back to the 235lbs and got to work. I told myself to keep going and had a song on repeat in my head each run. Thinking about how this kind of training is needed if I plan to compete at altitude in Colorado. This was not as rough as the prowler stuff but I did hit a similar wall on the fifth set where I slowed down a good bit. I was breathing hard but it wasn’t like last weekend where I was needing to sit down to catch my breath. The massive quad pump had me distracted enough from the hamstring that I wasn’t feeling it. Put stuff away before eating and drinking most of my stuff I brought (I forgot a spoon for my yogurt) before driving home to stretch. Going to keep an eye on the hamstring obviously.