August 4, 2024 - August 10, 2024 - Week 9

August 5, 2024 – Week 9, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

Axle Strict Presses + Push Presses w/ Chains (+28lbs)
26x10+5
56x5+3
86x3+2
116x2+1
146x2+1
176x2+1

Push Presses w/ Chains (+28lbs)
196x2
196x2
196x2
196x2
196x5

Band Assisted Pull-ups
sbx5 at pin 18
abx5 at pin 18
lbx5 at pin 18
lbx5 at pin 15

12” Log Incline Bench Presses w/ Bands (+5lbs/+25lbs)
87x8
117x5
147x3
177x2
197x1
217x5
217x5

Chin Up Holds
bw+10x20 seconds+8 seconds eccentric

Active Shoulder Hangs
bw+30x20 seconds+10 seconds relaxed

Stretching
 
Comments: Saturday wore me out. I was sweating a lot all day. I was kind of surprised my bodyweight was up about 4lbs from last week all things considered. I was feeling tired Sunday but in kind of a worn out way where not sure if starting to get sick. It is possible (with the added work stress) but hopefully not. It was not an ideal start to the work week having to remember stuff I did Friday afternoon to put into the system Monday. I ended up taking most of the allergy meds (nasal spray and Claritin) to keep me somewhat in the game as far as work. Still ending up with having to do stuff from the day the following day. I need to get out of that cycle or I’m never going to be able to manage the new workflow. Not terribly hot but very humid still. Right knee had been feeling achy after Saturday session into Sunday but was feeling well enough today. I didn’t bother with the fan warming up. Felt ok. Could tell feeling fatigue still from Saturday physically as well as the mental fatigue of the work day and other personal stuff. Right knee was a little achy but was feeling better as I went about my business. This workout has some changes from the last block. New variations to exercises and some exercises having “limits” imposed. I had been given the go ahead to use support gear as necessary in the last block but I kind of wanted to finish things up for the first 8 weeks before I started adding stuff. Axle to start things off. As expected, this is become a little more sport specific. Similar to last training cycle with warming up with combos. So strict pressing into push pressing. With the same chains. I’ve generally done chains as strict pressing. Push pressing has always been a little tricky and not seeing as big a difference between straight weight and weight plus chains. But I figured it was a good thing and less grounding effect than bands. Stability and accommodating resistance and allowing for some moving around. I was considering doing support gear like at least knee sleeves and soft belts but I figured I’d like to see how my body is feeling naked on this movement before I start putting stuff back on for support. See how my body is moving. Add a little bit next time. Strict pressing felt fine but the form for push pressing was definitely a little off. There is that moment briefly where the weight is moving and my body isn’t “tight” like say with a strict press and I noticed the “stress” that would appear on my back. Working up was easy enough. The top sets were to be just push presses. I was advised to do the 5x2 setup with 20lbs more than what I did for the strict press last time. Last set allowed to rep out up to 5 reps if feeling good. It did take me a bit to feel comfortable in spots on this movement. Initially, I was hesitant with the unrack and was worried I’d be hitting the rack arms with the bar or the chains. The chains were cruel form correctors here. I can’t just “float” the weight to lockout with the chains either. A little tougher than I’d have liked things to feel but first session back to push press in over two months and it has been over a decade I think since I’ve tried axle push presses with chain weight. Considering that I’m not feeling like 100% all cylinders (felt like that Saturday) with this humidity and possible allergies/cold and that I’ve not felt like pressing has had any sessions of regression, I know this will improve on schedule. Knees also seemed to be ok here too. The rest of the workout was familiar to what I’d been doing as far as exercises with slight changes. Band assisted pull-ups after that. Still 2x5 but a little different. I was to do a slightly harder set of 5 reps for the first working set and then an easier set for the second one. My usual warming lately has been one pin height and just changing the bands rather than going high to low with the band pins. I figured that going back to a thicker band for the second set didn’t make that much sense (as it would be like I did 3 work sets) so I decided to move the band up a few for the second set to accommodate. I was a little nervous as biceps were feeling sore from the sandbag work Saturday. But no issues here. Just the usual feeling that first warm up feels easy, second one feels tough and then crushing it the working sets. Shoulders were feeling a little achy with how fast I was pulling the first set but seemed to chill out the second set. Then incline log pressing. 2x5 with the bands from last time. But do 5lbs more weight for at least the first set. If it wasn’t feeling as speedy as it should, I was to lower the weight by 10% for the second set. My hope was that I wouldn’t need to resort to that just yet. But I was also feeling the heat/humidity and the extra work the shoulders and triceps had to do with the axle. I was feeling a little slow at the start warming up but I kept telling myself that things were ok and just need to take the pressure and brace and not rush. There was some hesitancy with placing the log on my chest and initiating the reps at times as I know how temperamental the groove on this lift can be. I felt it was speedy enough here to keep the weight the same for both sets here. Rest of the workout was the holds and hangs. These both had similar changes. Essentially I was told to only do 20 seconds for both (not including the lowerings) and with added weight. So for the chin up hold I was to do up to 20 seconds with 10lbs added. Setting up for just 10lbs here was easy (unlike with the active shoulder hang). I didn’t bother with any chalk here (same as the pull-ups) as I knew that I had 20 seconds in the bag with 10lbs added considering how long I was going with bodyweight only. Abdominals were definitely feeling this with the bracing halfway in. I probably held for a little longer than 20 seconds because I notoriously count fast on this exercise before I did the 8 seconds eccentric. Final thing being the active shoulder hang. 30lbs added this time and 20 seconds with 10 seconds going into relaxed hold. Considering I’ve been going over a minute on these, this was even more a no duh that I was doing 20 seconds here. This pretty easy and just more issues with getting the weights on the belt then actually doing the exercise. The slight lower back traction can be somewhat unpleasant but possibly needed after the heavy beltless yoke stuff Saturday. Put stuff away before eating dinner and then stretching.

August 7, 2024 – Week 9, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Front Squats w/ Chains (+28lbs)
No Chains
45x5
Add Chains
45x5
95x3
135x3
185x2
225x2
255x2
285x3
285x3
285x3

Hyper Extensions
bwx20

Hyper Extension Holds (Neck Harness & Plate)
25+70x20 seconds

Planks
bw+64x60 seconds

Side Planks
bwx60/60 seconds

Stretching
 
Comments: Not a moments rest with work. Thankfully whatever I was feeling starting Sunday was pretty much gone entirely Wednesday. Had plumbers come to fix the pipe and make adjustments so I have a shut off valve for the outside hose. It is humid right now but not too warm because of the hurricane in the south sending up wind and rain. Nothing serious in my immediate area. As this session isn’t generally a long one, I did take a bit to kind of just mentally deload before getting to training. Warming up was feeling fine. Knees felt about the same as Monday so that is at least a good sign I think with adding back push press. Only doing that every other week with the current plan which should hopefully be good for the knees to recover. Don’t want to end up with how they were feeling leading into the last contest. But everything feeling fine and dandy. Starting things off with front squats with chains. Again, the plan was 3x3 like last time. However, I was advised that if my knees were feeling off to go lighter and do 2x5 reps. Well plan was to do the 3x3 unless knees felt like garbage anyways. My intent today was to wear everything I’d wear going for heavy overhead stuff for the front squats. So knee sleeves and belts. Add each set working up like I usually do. I had done nothing for the push presses first time back and that was to gauge things. It told me what I kind of already knew which was that my lower back was reaching the limits of recovery with the current pace of progression. So I have no issues with adding back the stuff on things like pulls and squats and moving events. It was probably a good thing I decided to go with support gear this session as my lower back was feeling it on these front squats but as I added weight and more support gear, the stress and strain was going away. I had a similar placement of weight and chains so as to keep the chains from getting caught on the rack. The support feels nice but I think I was a little surprised when it was time for the top sets here. I was used to it feel difficult with the unrack and bracing being tough. It wasn’t feeling as terrible on the unrack and bracing was easy but it was moving like if I didn’t have the support gear. Essentially, it would seem that my midsection wasn’t really taking away from my lower body on this and it was feeling tough. I think I was expecting it to move easier. But I guess that means that the core has gotten sturdier. The first set felt like how I’d expect things to feel. The other two sets the weight felt fine unracking and not heavy but then it seemed tougher on the legs. Second rep of the last set I was a little pitched forward and had rushed my breath on the rep so it was slower to lockout. I rebraced and made the last rep much better. But I feel like I could’ve kept doing triples and grinding out lifts if needed. Took some time putting things away to rehydrate as well as get ready for the rest of the session. Warming up for back extension holds with reps. Told to only do 20 reps this time. Which was fine. It still feels like enough reps to get the blood flow and light up the hamstrings. I had indicated last time I wasn’t planning on going heavier until the weight I did was feeling more like 40 seconds I could handle. But I guess Mr. Westerling had other plans. Apparently going more the heavy and short time hold route. 20 seconds being the limit and then adding a little weight each time if I hit 20 seconds. So like the hangs for upper body I’m doing. 25lbs on the neck harness (most I’ve done so far) and 70lbs in plates held in the row position. I was really not sure what to expect here. This is getting close to the most weight total I’ve attempted to do “back extensions” which on this particular bench. It’s a pretty cheap one a that. I got myself set and went for it. It felt substantial with the weight on the harness. But I knew I could do 20 seconds here and still leave the 5 seconds in the tank. So that was nice. Ending the session with the two different plank exercises. Surprisingly, I was advised I could add a little more weight to the weighted standard planks that I was doing. Last time I was thinking 11lbs more but went with 6lbs more instead because it was convenient at that time. But went with 5lbs more to what I did last time. The backpack feels cumbersome to get on for this. Felt fine but my abs were wanting to cramp up slightly near the end. Then side planks. Still no weight added to these. Just bodyweight again. I think this might have been the best these have been for me. I was able to keep breathing like a braced breathing which I can often do with the regular planks but tend to have issue with side planks. So that was kind of neat. Put stuff away and ate dinner before stretching.

August 10, 2024 – Week 9, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

Farmer’s Walk (turf)
90x50’
140x50’
190x50’
240x50’
290x50’

Sandbag Carries
turns at 20’
200x40’ (load style)
200x40’ (bear hug)
turns at 10’
250x20’ (load style)
250x20’ (bear hug)
turns at 50’, on turf
300x214’10” (load style)
300x209’8” (bear hug)

Sled Drags
35x100’
135x50’
225x50’
60 seconds rest
260x100’
260x100’
260x100’
260x100’
260x100’

Stretching
 
Comments: Figures after having plumber come to my house to resolve and issue that something happens. I mean not just my house but a whole area. The amount of rain that came from the hurricane caused a watermain to burst Friday evening so water pressure was down that night and a water boil advisory in effect. So that meant I had to do some prep until I could get some bottled water that evening which I wasn’t planning on doing. Despite the storms, there was thankfully gaps in it that allowed me to get in walks during my lunch breaks the past two days. Legs were thankfully not as sore as the last time I did the front squats with chains. I wasn’t planning on going out early to train as no rush but with not having drinkable water at home unless I boiled it (besides what I prepared last night) and being asked if I could possibly come out early again to assist with training, I got up earlier. Not as early as last week as I hit snooze I think once or twice. I had planned to go to bed earlier but because needing to make sure I had drinking water the next day I stayed up a little later. I wasn’t too sure with traffic as I had seen driving home last week there were plans for construction on the way back to repair a bridge that got taken out by a tractor trailer about a year ago. But that appears to have been delayed to the following week due to the rain. But it does look like in two week’s time that going to have a headache driving out because of construction. With the storm that came through, the temperature was a good bit lower and surprisingly not as humid. I had prepared things for training in the event it was as bad as last week with multiple shirts and towels. I didn’t feel I was going to need that this time but I figured I’d still use the extras as needed. Again, there was a good crowd of people. The events my friend needed help with weren’t as setup intensive as last week and they weren’t on a time limit either so I was able to do stuff between sets and exercises. I wasn’t sure if my right knee would be feeling fine warming up as feeling a little achy but it was fine. Warming up felt pretty good for everything. First thing for the day was farmer’s walk. So this changed from what I was doing. No longer regulated to my slow march and it would be one top set here going forward right now. But I was also told not to go top speed yet. Which makes sense in that doing slow march and break into things gradually. The idea being to increase weight but decrease the time under tension for better recovery as increasing weights on other event specific things. So do what I’ve been doing with 50’ runs and 50lbs per hand jumps in weight. I brought all gear I’d use for competition runs but figured I’d see how things were and decide on what to wear. By that, I was thinking between wearing or not wearing knee sleeves as I was absolutely going to wear all the belt combos for the top set. Lower back is felt the most on this exercise with the pick. Due to people doing stuff, I ended up moving out to the wind tunnel for farmer’s on turf like I did with yoke last week. It is very likely event will be on turf setting anyways for the contest (flight is booked) so not adverse to going from hard concrete to this. Wasn’t feeling too bad at all here. Comfortable as far as grip and I was feeling pretty relaxed while moving with the weights. The pick up with 240lbs (I wasn’t doing hard belt) did feel a little more challenging than I’d have liked. Hard belt (the deadlift belt) did help with that on 290lbs but pick still felt slow. I had only used liquid chalk here (and nothing on the working up sets). I’d say as far as my intent with speed, I was maybe going 75%. It is hard to gauge that though. It is either purposely going slow, just going and trying to go fast. Other than the pick up (which I knew there was going to be fatigue from the past few sessions of the this cycle no belt), the weight felt comfortable and moved well with no issues. No knee issues with moving either. No hurry with things with being so far out from contest (especially in the summer) and likely a better tactic with how long my last contest had between events. The next thing was sandbag carries. Same as last time but with the 300lbs for the working sets. 2 max distance carries with different hold styles. I had been nervous about these last time. I wasn’t as much this time considering how I was feeling after the farmer’s walk this time around and with how these went last time. The concrete lanes were still in use so I made the executive decision to do the working sets on turf. I mean it is likely going to be that at the show too. Event isn’t going to be a max distance carry but this is good to build up the muscles for it. I did a little bit more warming up on this compared to last time just to make sure things were feeling good. While I wore everything besides knee sleeves for farmer’s, I was thinking I’d go with nothing for this session of sandbag. One to compare with last time in some capacity and because it would appear I’m to do this again next time. I wasn’t nervous about the walking and such, just the pick because I remember how much of a struggle it was last time (especially the bear hug pick up). I swapped out a dry shirt for the working sets. The pick mentality is different when setting grip and breathing for a max distance vs a medley and moving fast. I hesitated slightly once I had the bag lapped the first set and then stood up to go. Compared to last time, this weight didn’t feel like anything on my mid back. I tend to adapt to that sensation pretty quick for an event (similar to farmer’s and stones). I was feeling pretty good and was hoping I’d get close to 250’ on that first run but just felt energy drop after coming out of the turn and I was starting to stumble so I called it there. So about 40’ shy last time but with more weight on a tougher surface. Funny enough, this would’ve been near 1st place at the March show the gym hosted (a foot and a half off) so kind of funny my good events don’t need much to get up to par despite not doing them. I needed to prep myself for the second set as that pick was going to be the tough part. Just had to tell myself it was going to feel harder than I’d like and just commit. Other than that pick up, this felt comfortable. I was kind of surprised with how well this was feeling. I wasn’t expecting over 200’ considering I did 30’ less on this compared to the load style hold last time. The stumbling at the end wasn’t as bad as the load style but I called it there when I got to that point. I was very close to matching the first run. This was with no support gear of any kind of any chalk. I kind of wish I was going heavier and heavier but I understand it doesn’t make sense to do that when I got other aspects of my game that need to improve for the contest and need to allocate recovery as needed. Just need to make this weight feel easier and like nothing with all the sessions at this point. Maybe I’ll get to go to heavier bags later. As a treat. Again, I took my time after that to get things setup for the sled drag to finish things off. Not necessarily because I needed to for recovery. The outside was being used by people so I waited until they were done to setup for the finishing sled work. So still the 5 sets of 100’ with a minute rest between them. I was not obligated to keep adding 10-20lbs every session like the first 8 weeks of this prep. I could add weight, keep weight the same or lower weight depending on how I felt and need. Since this one generally feels good compared to the prowler pushing, I figured I would either keep the same or go up in weight. For whatever reason, I was feeling pretty fresh today. Stuff was moving better and feeling lighter. Maybe not doing super slow walks with farmer’s beltless kept me from sapping my legs. But I also did max distance sandbag carries for over 400’ total with over my bodyweight. I decided since it was sunny out that I’d do no shirt like I did on the prowler last week. I mean, I did that because I was drenched. This was I guess just to get some sun due to how rainy it had been during the second half of the week. With how I feeling, I probably could’ve added 25lbs more or so and have it feel like it had been the previous times. This is the first time I’ve done these sets of 5 for either sled based work where I didn’t feel like I was hitting a wall on the last set. Speed was consistent in that got a little slower each set but nothing like where it’s 10 seconds or more slower than the first run like usually the case. Like 2 seconds drop each run after the first two. So that was neat. I wasn’t even breathing to bad either. Maybe I’m getting better haha. Put stuff away and ate before driving home and stretching out.