June 9, 2024 - June 15, 2024 - Week 1

 June 10, 2024 – Week 1, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Strict Presses
87x5
117x5
147x5
170x5
170x5

Paused Chest Supported Barbell Rows (2 seconds)
95x5
135x5
175x5
Added Straps
205x5
205x5

Bench Presses
45x15
95x8
135x5
185x2
225x2
255x5
255x5

Band Face Pulls
lbx25
lbx25

Stretching
 
Comments: After a week off from training after the competition, back at it. I needed that time off despite wanting to push myself from there. I didn’t even feel like lifting really until yesterday so definitely needed that time to mentally recover. The competition ended up being a lot rougher on me than expected with length of the competition. Just walking every day for 2 miles as exercise. Short of it is Nats is not on the table this year and going back to offseason. Also not going to try and force myself with the weight as hardly any benefit with the added bulk. Down to 282lbs at this point. Also not going to force the weight loss beyond that steady pace it has been since reducing by 1200 calories about 2 months ago. But ideally closer to 265lbs range so that I can compete there again. Also I think figuring out what makes sense for me going forward. Next likely competition is either December or January if I am competing. Need to spend time building up my top end limits and hit some PRs in the gym rather than focus on specific contest event conditions. I have plans on that but for now, I need to get through this first block of training which is getting stuff feeling good mentally and physically. Warming up to start things off. I did as written rather than add little things as I was doing. Most were for lower body stuff dealing with the knees/quad and it could also be exacerbating by being too aggressive with the prehab/rehab. I wasn’t sure how things would really be feeling. Hamstrings were tight. Thankfully my quads didn’t feel like I’ve never done anything (maybe the walking) as sometimes is the case when I take a week off from a competition. Despite the concerns with aches, this was fine and things moved good. Mostly. Shoulders perhaps a little stiff. Apparently taking two weeks away from the weights in the garage and patio meant it was free real estate for a myriad of spiders. So I had to do some evictions before getting to training and setup. Up first was log press. Strict pressing for now. To give the knees some more rest. And likely to get the shoulders up to snuff. Plan was to work up to 2x5 with a weight that I could do 10 reps with. Ideally no supportive gear here or anything really unless I felt it was needed for “safety”. I wasn’t too sure with log strict style. I had a hell of a time with it at the beginning of the last prep. Started off great but then I was recovering from stuff and the numbers dropped dramatically. Like 150lbs for easy 15 reps and then struggling to do 180lbs for doubles. So I wasn’t sure what to expect here. With stiff shoulders and how log tends to be, I felt it made sense this session to go sets of 5 reps all the way up to get things warm in the shoulders and hopefully get an idea where I was. I didn’t bother with the microplates on the log to get it a nice round number. Plan was 167lbs. Empty log felt fine. I set the log one higher for strict press so I can just roll it into position. Also save knees. Shoulders weren’t feeling great but it was moving really well. 30lbs jump still moving but shoulders weren’t exactly on board. But onward. Another 30lbs and stuff was moving even better and shoulders weren’t fussy. I was still leery but things were feeling good so I decided I would get the microplates out and get it to be 170lbs. This felt really good the first set. Maybe a little too excited with things the second set. I feel like I may have undershot things by like 10lbs but better to do that than overdo it considering start of the cycle and how this cycle appears to be progressing from here. So a good start to things. Into the garage for chest supported barbell rows. A twist on this here with being 2 second holds at contraction. Same idea with is being 2x5 with a 10rm. I’ve not done these with pauses/holds in a good bit and it always was something that got very tough as the set went on. Especially since I try my best to be honest with the tempo times. Sets of 5 reps working up seemed to be good for rows too. Felt a little weird using straps with this kind of weight but I wanted to make sure that I was pulling forcefully. These felt pretty strong. I could tell there was definitely fatigue on the second set. Similar to the log, this was probably also about 10lbs under weight. I knew I wouldn’t have that issue with the next thing; bench. Bench was been frequently enough and has been this 2x5 for a good bit with trying to keep bar speed fast. I don’t really feel like I’m going that fast with this kind of grip. So unlike the log and row, I had recency with this exercise to be able to gauge what 10rm would be. I elected for 255lbs. Working up was feeling ok. As expected, stuff starts to feel heavy on my wrists and shoulders at 185lbs. 225lbs was ok, not great. I decided to add wrist wraps because of comfort reasons with this grip. This was definitely slower compared to the log and row sets. Trying to keep my form consistent and the groove on this I’ve been doing slight pauses at lockout to break up the reps so as not to get so focused on the speed of the set but the speed of the concentric. I was able to do that with less “lag” on the log and row. I know I can do this weight for 10 reps so I guess this was the right range. This only felt ok to me. Got to keep a watch on the aches and such with shoulders. I started putting stuff away thinking I was done. I’d also eaten the post workout oatmeal. I only remembered that I wasn’t because I was thinking about the next workout and setup of things and realized I had one more thing to do. This training cycle has some additional exercises from what was standard last time. So this finisher was an old favorite but long absent. The humble band face pull. 2x20-25 with a light band. I’ve been guilty in the past of just rapid fire which isn’t really the way to go here. I took it literally with using a “light band” and I wasn’t entirely sure I could handle that. That first rep my shoulders and upper back lit up. I guess it has been a while. But in a good way. Did 25 reps that first set and took my usual rest break of pacing the house and came back. I knew that I’d likely be gassing out near the end but managed to get 25 reps here too. This felt good on the shoulders and balancing out the benching. Put stuff away before stretching out.

June 12, 2024 – Week 1, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Deadlifts (straps)
135x5
185x3
225x2
275x1
315x5
315x5

Step Ups (18”)
bwx15/15

Wall Sits
bwx60 seconds

Crunches
bw+25x30

Paused Hanging Knee Raises (1 second)
bwx25

Stretching
 
Comments: Seriously considering a “natural” (drug free) competition in middle of January in Mississippi. Going to depend on how I feel and how training goes and if I hit goals in training. I still have to see what the December show hosted by the 580 Barbell crew looks like (I imagine it will be posted relatively soon). I want to compete but I want to get some new gym lift PRs. I like tough competition but I’m maybe not so keen on doing shows with a ton of people at them. Especially if the events are fun/unique. Several of the people I compete against at these kinds of shows appear to be giving Nationals a miss this year. So just more stuff to think about. But for later. I can think on myself and how training is going and how I’m feeling. Well good first day. But I knew that I’d be experiencing soreness and tightness in my shoulders from that session. As it had been a while since I’ve done strict pressing and due to the deload and then reload. I had been concerned about joints and such with that session and thankfully my body was moving well and not feeling like being held together with bubblegum and twine. But that session had been essentially upper body only with only the strict pressing having anything really to do with my lower body for bracing. It’s safe to say that lower body joints like my hips and knees still recovering from the competition and training cycle. Keeping up with work as well. So despite the workload for training being low and light, I was not sure how things would go for the new things added. Warming up felt similar to last time with the mobility work. I again stuck to it as written. I was tempted to add the other stuff but figured I’d see how things went and gauge expectations from there. Only difference from last time was that my upper body was sore and stiff. Biceps were tight too from the band face pulls (as I said, been a while). No fan today (I didn’t use one Monday) but going to probably need them going forward. It’s supposed to get into the 90’s this week. Up first was deadlifts. Unlike Monday, there was a set weight and jumps and reps. So 315lbs for 2 sets of 5 reps. Light, should be easy and move like speed work. No support gear as recommended (besides straps). Knees were thankfully not that stiff. I was feeling like my left side the hip/glute wasn’t quite firing (I think still recovering). 40-50lbs jumps here with low reps working up. I nicked my left shin scab I got from the deadlift on the set with 185lbs so it started to bleed a little through the sock. I made sure that I didn’t do that again for the rest of the session. I was feeling comfortable with the pulling. But I was feeling like perhaps I should’ve done more than just nasal spray in the late morning for the allergies. But a bit too late for that now. Used bumper plates and my smaller 45’s so didn’t have to worry about weights dinging the floor. The first set with the 315lbs weight, I think I had my stance too narrow to really get my hips and glutes into it. It felt like my knees were also a little stiff. Moving fast but not really how I wanted them to be. Just feeling wise. But sometimes I need to shake the rust off with things like this. I adjusted my stance to be a little wider and that seemed to be the ticket as I almost lost balance with how much less effort was needed to get the weight to lockout. That set definitely felt better. Easy but it should be at this point. Just thinking on how this speed work is about what my max is in kilograms with a suit. Got to keep pushing the deadlift up this offseason. That was essentially it for stuff I was going to do in the garage. I know, this is usually all in the garage type session. Not so much for right now. This was the only exercise really using weights. Everything else was essentially bodyweight and performing it outside of the garage made the most sense. It perhaps does seem odd I have more concerns about what is essentially bodyweight exercises then weighted stuff at this point. I think because it has been a bit and I know how my knees have been when moving about at times. Like comments about going up and down steps (one from stiffness and the other because I walk backwards). But on to it. So what was up first was step ups. Just a set of 10-15 reps each side to an 18” box. It has been a good bit since I’ve done anything like these. When I’ve done them, they’ve usually been weighted in some way and lower or much higher and without weight. As far as doing them with Mr. Westerling, I’d say it has likely been since I was working with coming back from the back injury in 2016-2017. When doing these, it has been with not the most stable setups often times. But since I made that plyo box purchase so I could train the power stairs for Nationals last year, I do have a sturdy setup. Just going outside to do it so that I wasn’t hitting the ceiling of my garage. I was anxious about discomfort in the knees. Wore knee sleeves. A feeling of relief when there was no issues that first rep and it felt easy. I knew then I’d be doing 15 reps. The visual of “crushing” the box has been helpful with how I’ve done these. Slow lowering with control. That had been with the right leg. Left leg was a bit tougher. I had forgotten that just because the right knee is achier, doesn’t mean it isn’t the “stronger” leg in most cases. I got those reps done with the left side. Next was an exercise I was kind of expecting to show up for this off season with the mention of the knee aches; wall sits. Indication was to do one set for max time. I reached out to make sure on the “time” as I could probably hold this for several minutes. Indication was to do 30-60 seconds and then figure out how we should proceed with progression whether it be with time, weight or switching to single leg. I’ve done these before obviously and more recent with things has been doing them single leg (if 2 years is recent). This was a little different in that I was to focus the weight on the balls of my feet. Not sure if that increased the difficulty here. No knee sleeves here as I wanted to try and be true to the “no support” gear request. A minute came and was not much worse for wear. That was it for the lower body stuff and it was now the time of the workout where I was to do core work. Starting that off with weighted crunches. Same as it has been with the last training cycle. I didn’t see a need to increase the weight after not doing them for a few weeks. Felt fine, but hard to say if that will be the case the next time if weights and difficult increase in everything else. I can see myself adding some weight here. What is usually the next thing here is the lying leg raises. Not so this time around. I guess I needed a more challenging exercise. So hanging knee raises with holds. Advised to treat this as grip work as well so no straps. This required a little bit of setting up because of how tall I am and the two racks I have to work with at home. I needed to elevate my outside rack on my bumper plates so that the additional height would allow me to have enough clearance to do this exercise. Used some liquid chalk and had to grip things a bit wide. I was swinging a little bit at the start (I’ve not done these in a good bit). The holds certainly made this tiring as I went. Grip was feeling fine even by the end of it. I was kind of surprised that it was close to 75 seconds I was hanging there doing these. Hopefully my lower abs and hip flexors aren’t too sore tomorrow. Ate some oatmeal and put stuff away before stretching out.

June 15, 2024 – Week 1, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Yoke (Casual Pace)
200x50’
300x50’
400x50’
500x50’
500x50’

Sandbag Loads (55“)
200x5
200x5

Sled Pushes (60 seconds rest, turf)
165x50’/165x50’
165x50’/165x50’
165x50’/165x50’
165x50’/165x50’
165x50’/165x50’

Stretching
 
Comments: I guess should be somewhat thankful that he temperature didn’t end up being as hot as it was expected to be the past few days. Was supposed to be low to mid 90’s and ended up topping out mid 80’s. But it was kind of brutal when the sun was out and no clouds. I do wish that strongman stuff wasn’t so complicated outside of just training. You hear things about stuff changing that is never announced officially (like weight class changes and Arnold qualification) that seems like getting a direct answer will be a pain. Then seeing the “drug free” competition talking about adding polygraphs for testing. Make it make sense. But I’m undecided at this point and just getting in training. The difference between my post contest and younger competitors is quite drastic. They can already be doing contest weight for their next competition and I’m doing bodyweight stuff and like 50% weights. But I know I need to do this to keep on keeping on and recovering. I should be pleased with the fact I didn’t have any stress related physical illness symptoms after this last tough contest and prep. Made myself get up at my work hour for training today. A few reasons. I could very well have done my training at home but it wouldn’t be the best thing. I needed to get out there at somewhat reasonable time so that if the weather decided to be hot that I wasn’t there at the hottest time. But more so to make sure I could bring in a piece of equipment I was lending to someone for training. Traffic near the start was a bit stop and go so probably added 10 minutes to my drive time. Fair number of people at the gym. I have nothing really I’m training towards at this moment besides general ideas so this is really more off-season general training. People there right now are actually mostly training for upcoming contests. One next week, one the week after and then a bunch of people doing one beginning of September. I stuck to the warming up that I’ve done this week so far with no added stuff. I felt fine but I was definitely noticing the increased temps as I was getting sweaty just standing around. My left inner thigh is feeling a little irritated (not enough to hamper anything). It’s likely from the combination of step ups and the hanging knee raises. It be like that sometimes where I feel fine doing something and then the area worked feels irritable like 2-3 days later. Starting things off was yoke. Plan here was 500x2x50’ at casual pace and about 2 minutes or so rest between sets. No support gear of any kind as well. Really, only the initial pick was going to stress the knees anyways. Just go slow. I had to move stuff around a bit to share the lanes. Someone did keep walking/dawdling in the lanes to setup stuff but I didn’t want to really push my energy or aggression much at all at this point. I wanted calm. Lower back was still feeling a bit stiff on these with the initial pick up and set down. No issue when actually up and going. I had taken out one of the sets of pins so the yoke was little more unstable. I also didn’t want to get blisters on my hands from the other pins. Fine and good, expected. Next was sandbag loads. As listed, 200lbs for 2x5 to whatever height felt best. I elected to do 55” as that is the highest platform for the stone loading platforms at the gym right now and I kind of want the load heights to be the same (atlas stones alternating with this). I was initially planning to do a warm up set with 150lbs for 5 reps to get ready. But I said screw it, 200lbs is already darn light enough and I don’t think I really need to warm up for this. So my warming up was picking up the sandbag and carrying it a short distance to the yoke. I went about this at a casual pace. Pick up and toss it over and walk around. Considering this bag is one with the strap on it, I didn’t want to be rushing things and possibly bungle things. Definitely felt like I was little rusty here after doing nothing but sandbag to shoulder stuff. But like the yoke, this was doable at the lower gear of arousal. It is kind of funny to me that two years ago I was doing 65lbs more than this for double the reps in a minute at a contest (albeit lower height). Picked up the bag after I was done and put is back in the pile before putting the yoke away. Last thing was sled work. The plan here had been to do 5x100’ with a minute rest. Using a moderate weight. Now the problem is that the turf is 92-93’ at most and has the uphill/downhill thing happening for about 8’ of it on the one end. And I don’t like having that kind of disparity with one way being easier (at least knowingly easier) and not being the full distance. So I attempted to set things up outside so that I had the full concrete. Seemed like a good idea and I had figured it was best to start 100’ away so that with the odd number of sets, I’d end closest to the gym on the last set. With the effort setting things up outside done, I was ready to go. But the sled was not budging. I thought maybe it was too light and the weight not balanced. Nope. Even trying to push the empty sled wasn’t working very well. I’m not sure what happened to the skids on it between pushing it out there and trying to do sets but it was not going to work. So I reverted to a secondary option which was go back inside and do 50’ on the turf. But make up for that by having two sleds so once I finished 50’, I’d hop over the next sled and push that back 50’. Only thing would be having to turn the sleds around at the end so that I can push it the next set. I may have gone a little heavier than necessary. I also was counting myself and I appear to have been closer to 70 seconds vs 60 seconds (my first rest being the most egregious). This was feeling like a terrible idea in the middle of the third set and I knew that I’d be sputtering and wheezing by the end of the last set. I was able to keep those first four sets about consistent with times but definitely hit that wall with the last one and the time to finish increased a good bit. I was huffing and puffing after that and needed to sit down to collect myself. It wasn’t as bad as the 10 sets nonsense I did on my deload week. And I feel that I didn’t have the same leg fatigue and tightness issue afterwards. I feel I need to keep this kind of thing in training to make sure I’m training this system and hopefully my ability to recover will improve. Put stuff away slowly and ate food before driving home where I could stretch out.