February 16, 2025 - February 22, 2025 - Week 11

 February 17, 2025 – Week 11, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

Axle Push Presses/Dumbbell Push Presses/PVC Thoracic Extensions
46x3
76x3
106x3
136x2/10’sx2/4
166x2/10’sx2/4
196x2/10’sx2/4
226x3/40’sx2/4
228x3/40’sx2/4
230x3/40’sx2/4
232x3/40’sx2/4
234x3/40’sx2/4
236x3/40’sx2/4
238x3/40’sx2/4

Dips
ssx5
bwx8
bw+25x8
bw+50x8

Paused Push-ups on Kettlebells (2 seconds, feet elevated 6”)
bw+20x16
bw+20x16

Paused Prone Dumbbell Retractions (1 second)/Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extensions w/ bands
10’sx12/12+mbx20--20
10’sx12/12+mbx20--20
10’sx12/12+mbx20--20

Stretching
 
Comments: Again, thankful I had off work today. Let me take the weekend as something to get stuff done and recover. Weight maintaining from last week. Keeping an eye on things and making sure I get in my soft tissue work and low intensity cardio walks. I didn’t really get to sleep as earlier as I was hoping I’d be doing over the weekend but I didn’t have places to be so I was able to be rested. But I know I need to make an effort to try and get to sleep earlier this week. Especially since next week I have to go into the office for the dumb collaboration day. With being off work, that meant I could do training while there was light out. I was a little anxious to train earlier in that wanting to get things done but I knew I needed to wait to let food and such settle in my stomach before pushing things. Warming up with the mobility stuff actually wasn’t that bad. Most things felt good. I did notice that there is a discrepancy between my left and right leg with knee extension. But that isn’t really new I guess. Just odd in the one aspect I was testing. I needed the knees and hips to feel good and springy for today. Triphasic stuff again. This is the last two weeks of it. First mini cycle being focused on the eccentric and the second the isometric. This being the concentric. Putting it all together really with fast movement to transfer over. Essentially what Andrew had dubbed “rebound” style or reps with push pressing. What I pretty much had been doing on my own for years really before switching eventually to taking the reps as single efforts. Which I felt was more like training for the actual lift as the rebounding was more of a like a touch and go style. Only that first rep really starting with just concentric. But the idea here being to get used to that flow state of going and loading. So I was going to have to relearn something I stopped a few years ago almost all together. This wasn’t just by itself. As has been the case, pairing it with the dumbbell push presses and bringing back the PVC stuff. Since this was to be more sets compared to the previous two mini cycles, I wasn’t doing an additional exercise to emphasize things with the dip drive. Ideally, I’d have been doing extra work there on another day but this mishmash of stuff doesn’t really allow for that. The deadlift programming more focus than the overhead stuff since I have more time to work there before actually tested in a competition setting. No actual overhead press event at the competition in 3 months so I can still work offseason stuff there for the most part. See if other things help. No RPE indication here like there was for the past 2 mini cycles. So I figured I’d work up to something that should feel comfortable after these past 4 weeks. I’ve done tougher variations on the lift so I should be able to gauge where I’m at. Despite it being below freezing and really windy, I had to bring out my polarized lens for my glasses because the midday sun just bearing down on me right where I unrack the weight. Can’t really face the other way like I’ve done when doing log clean and presses. I was feeling decently good. I had meant to only do doubles all the way up but realized after two sets I had been doing triples. 30lbs jumps all the way up and once I got within 90lbs I added in the other two exercises. Form was feeling decent for me on the rebound reps. So plan here was 7 sets of these exercises. Hoping that I can do what I’ve been doing with adding a little each set on the push press the first week with the variation. Depend on how things feel if I do it and how much I do. The sun was not helping here with unracking and reracking the weight. First set felt just ok but I decided I’d go up in 2lbs jumps as long as I could manage it. Second set was about the same. Third set felt really good finally and I was thinking this is the way. Fourth set I got a little off balance on the second rep and I couldn’t go right into the third rep so I had to press that as I have been normally doing. So that wasn’t great. Not like I’d screw it up more. I was wrong. Firth set I had the same issue but the balance forward issue was more severe and I had to catch the weight on the recovery and walk back out a little. Had to hold it after that for like 3 seconds before initiating the press. I told myself I can’t have another rep like that. Sixth set balance wasn’t great but it was at least consistent and it didn’t pitch me forward so I was able to keep the rhythm going and get back to doing these all rebound reps. Try to end on a good note with the heaviest set of the day here. First rep a little slow and I wasn’t sure this would hold up but I braced and committed to it and got the other two reps as I should. The dumbbell and PVC stuff were really just afterthoughts here. Considering the axle was rebound reps, I did the same for the dumbbell to reinforce that. Next week the plan will be to do this again but hopefully with more weight and better. And then move on to testing and contest prep. So since there wasn’t really a secondary exercise here for the dip drive like the past two cycles, I felt that maybe I should test out some things planned for the next training cycle to see if doable/viable. I’ve been comparing myself with past performances and trying to see what I was doing at those times (besides being younger) to try and figure out if there are some missing pieces I can add in. While there is a ton of stress in putting together my own training (and I’ve been revising it almost weekly) it is helpful that I have the control to adjust things as needed and I don’t feel like a failure if I do. Something I want to keep pushing is my triceps strength as that perhaps is where some things are lagging from before. Or perhaps not hitting them in way that benefits me. One thing that was recurring was seated lockouts (8” ROM) and weighted dips. Lockouts I’m saving for when contest prep starts (among other things) but I figured this would be a good time to bring in dips and see how they feel and get an idea where I am compared to what I used to do on these. I’ve shied away from these due to shoulder issues and the bursitis in the left elbow has also had me leery. For a while, I was only really able to tolerate doing them with a slingshot to get power out of the bottom for the shoulders and chest and still work triceps. Then shoulder and neck issues. So I wasn’t sure if my upper body would tolerate these. So this was just feeling things out. I used the slingshot to warm up and that felt fine. Bodyweight was going to be different. These felt good and my shoulders and sternum didn’t explode. I felt tension in the triceps and upper back which I’ve not felt in quite some time. That pretty much meant I needed to do these. I was initially going to do just 2 sets at bodyweight but figured I owed it to myself to do at least something with weight to see if the swaying and added weight drastically effected things. I was nervous but thankfully it did not. I figured that I’d finish off hopefully with another set but decided more weight. Aim at this point was kind of doing 3x8 with RPE increasing by 1 each set. Get close to RPE 8 or something for the last set. 50lbs added happened and no worse for wear. I used to do 100lbs more than this for these reps so I know I got something to work on and grow here. Maybe this gets me back into 300lbs and over form again. From there it was push ups. Same as last week with the “block” pushups. Plan was to do 2 sets of max reps leaving 2-3RIR. I was kind of surprised that I was able to do 20 reps on these and I like how they had felt on the shoulders and chest with “opening” things up. I was also surprised since usually I do these with feet on the floor and not on a box. So I figured I should add some weight to my body this time around as don’t really want to do +20 rep sets here since I’ll be pivoting on these shortly. So using the backpack with weights once again. 20lbs added was enough to have the reps dip a good bit here. Shoulders felt more stable this time. Definitely feeling fatigue in the triceps. Like last week, I was able to match reps the second set. Last thing being a superset. Now in my haste last week, I was apparently incorrect and did the same workout of dumbbell y raises and band triceps extensions. I was actually supposed to change these up last week. Oops. So changing up the exercises. Still similar pairing in that upper traps/rear delts/external rotation paired with triceps extension. The first exercise was a prone dumbbell retraction. Light weight and very short ROM. More a contraction and hold. I knew this was going to feel rough the first set. It did take some time for me to get adjusted to the movement again and have things feel good. The triceps was just single arm dumbbell extensions. I decided I’d borrow from other training which would sometimes have these be with bands and dumbbell. I was worried I went too much band tension that first set on my right arm but I managed to correct and adapt things for the next sets where I didn’t have it feel that way. My left side started out stronger but seemed to feel the fatigue sooner as I went. I’m probably keeping these the same for next time. Put stuff away and ate a few meals together. Stretched after letting my stomach settle.

February 19, 2025 – Week 11, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Front Squats
45x10
95x5
135x3
185x2
225x2
263x2 (oops)
263x3
263x3
263x3
263x3
263x3

Deadlifts w/ Bands (straps)
No Bands
135x5
Add Bands (+12/+71)
135x2
185x2
225x2
265x2
302x2
302x2
302x2
302x2
302x2
302x2

FFE Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats (6”)
bwx3/3
25’sx3/3
40’sx12/12
40’sx12/12
40’sx12/12
40’sx12/12

Band Lying Leg Curls w/ Ankle Weights (10lbs each)
2(mmb)x20
2(mmb)x20
2(mmb)x20
2(mmb)x20

Paused Ab Wheel (2 seconds)
bwx25
bwx21
bwx21

Paused Banded Lying Clam Shells (3 seconds)
mbx15/15
mbx15/15
mbx15/15

Stretching

Comments: Snow was threatened for today and tomorrow (as much as 18” at one point lol) but turned out to be a bust and maybe get flurries. Just continues to be cold with what is being called the coldest of the polar vortexes so far. It has not been as cold as it was like that one week where it was single digits so whatever. Trying to get groceries and meals figured out around weather and for not just this week but next week since I have to go into the office for the once a month bs and also dentist appointment. Warming up for training today felt fine. I was a little uncertain about how my right hamstring would be today with the back of the knee on the left side. It has been feeling a little tender from last week. But I’m seeming to be able to do everything and so I push onward. I did try to do a little more to see if get my knees ready for front squats. Plan was to go up a little bit in weight on these for 5x3 again. I’m trying to stick to the planned percentages like I’ve been doing with the deadlift variations here. I’m a bit more comfortable with front squats. Well scratch that, I’m more familiar with them since been doing them consistently for months before the 2 month break here. I figured that I’d see if I noticed a difference in doing these without my lifters. I wasn’t sure about the lifters last time as I felt like I was coming up forward on my toes. I was feeling ok with the regular shoes but maybe feeling a little off. But not enough that I wanted to switch back. Didn’t think there would be an issue. I was trying to focus on making sure these didn’t suck working up like last week. Knee aches, not feeling so powerful out of the hole and breathing troubles. Switch in footwear maybe had the knee aches feel a little different. Not so sure with the feeling of power out of the hole. Breathing wasn’t feeling as funky and I did a double rather than a single with the last weight just to make sure I was feeling good. Then it was time for the working sets. Or so I thought. Unrack felt a little odd on my knees before I went for the squats. I somehow screwed up my breathing at some point and couldn’t get air. It was like a repeat of last week on that first set but I was not going to be able to keep myself conscious if I stood there so I attempted to rerack after the second rep but I was not able to get the right side of the bar onto the j-hook. Bar, weight and clamps survived but the left j-hook got bent too much to be usable. But thankfully I had a spare from the last time this happened in November. Just annoyed and had to take all of it apart to reset. I figured since I was having to reset everything that I’d swap in my lifters. Felt a little weird after working up with regular shoes but I didn’t get lightheaded and managed to get 5x3 here. I felt like I got better with these as I went and the hesitancy between doing the next set lessened the time I took. I’m trying to not do these sets hyped up and low key. A little tough after having the disaster of that first attempt. Bit of down time tearing that setup down and then setting things up for banded deadlifts. Which I knew would be the case and it did give me time to get some fluids in. Also time to order another set of j-hooks for backup purposes. Though only doing 2 more weeks of front squats before changing things up for contest prep. Front squats have taken out two sets of j-hooks on me haha. Band pulls with 6x2 like last time, just more weight. Matching the same percentages as I was doing the first block of training with the paused pulls. I turned around how I pulled these from last week. I was watching the hamstrings on these but I was also glad my deadlifts had felt powerful on Saturday. The added weight was noticed on these. Felt like more effort compared to last week. To be expected. But not in any way where these terribly exhausting for fatiguing. These were more enjoyable to do than the front squats. Fourth set felt like the one set that was on point and wish to get other sets to feel like that all the time. Still surprising to me that the platform pulls were so much more taxing on me. I was feeling some biceps tightness in my right arm with setup but not as much as I had with the platform pulls. Again, took some time to put stuff away before moving on to the accessory work for the session. I shouldn’t be that nervous for this stuff but I was as it could be stuff that exacerbates the hamstrings. Really that only applies to the first two exercises. The front foot elevated Bulgarian split squats starting things off. I was easing into them I thought last time with the greater ROM even though tempo was dropped. I was initially thinking of just doing similar and aim for a slight increase like I did last block with getting accustomed to the volume. But I decided I go heavier and see if I can tolerate it. I didn’t want to deal with my plateloaded dumbbells today. Just grab the solid weights. So warm up with low reps and grab the 40’s and see if I can do them. My aim was to do 4 sets and just whatever reps I could tolerate. Keeping an eye on the tenderness. I managed 12 reps on the first set and kept at it. These were tough and I could tell from how gassy I was after the sets and trying to get my breathing right. I added weight to anchor the foot rest as the angle had caused it to shift last time. The three sets weren’t bad but going for that fourth set definitely is another kettle of fish of difficulty. But I got it done. Next was banded lying leg curls. Again, not sure how hamstrings would handle these. The combo of bands and the ankle weights here was surprisingly effective. I figured I’d aim for four sets again and try to improve my reps from last time. That first set I got 20 reps easy. Then the other sets it was more like how I expect things to go with my hamstrings as these got tough and could feel the fatigue. It was reminiscent of when I used to do like 200 reps of lying leg curls with ankles weights rehabbing my hamstring back in 2011. Also managed to get 20 reps for all sets this week. Not entirely sure how to progress this really. I took a break at this point to start getting dinner ready with the plan to do the rest of the workout while it was cooling off. Ab wheel again. I had done 3x20 last week with pauses so I was aiming to beat that rep total if possible. I was surprised how well I had recovered from those last week and not having any issues with deadlifting that weekend. The first set it felt decent but the subsequent sets felt quite tough and questioning life choices. But I pushed through on these and eventually I’d get to a point where it wasn’t feeling so sore and just got difficult so stopped. Last thing was lying clam shells with bands. I relooked at when I was doing those and I was using them as a warming up for session kind of thing (often with trying to do a side plank) and I was doing 2x10 with 3ct holds. I had done 2ct holds last week for the reps. So I figured for progression that I’d do 3ct holds this time around and maybe try to push the band tension on the last session of this block. The added hold time was definitely tougher but I was also adapting to it and I was essentially able to just alternate sides with hardly any break between them. Last time I was taking a normal rest. I think I wanted to move things along because it was getting late and wanted to eat dinner. My right hips definitely feeling sore after these but it went away shortly after that. Put the last of things away before eating dinner and then stretching out.

February 20, 2025 – Week 11, Day 3

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Incline Bench Presses w/ bands
No Bands
87x3
Added Bands (+17lbs bottom/+36lbs top)
92x3
122x3
152x3
182x3
182x3
182x3
182x3
182x3

Inverted Ring Rows
bwx3
bw+45x12
bw+45x12
bw+45x12
bw+45x12

Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions (3 second eccentrics)
10’sx5
40’sx10
40’sx10
40’sx10
40’sx10

Dumbbell Lateral Raises/Half Kneeling Single Arm Band Rows
32’sx20/sb+lbx15--15
32’sx20/sb+lbx15--15

Stretching
 
Comments: Left side trap and upper back and shoulder have felt stiff. Noticed it with Wednesday training and still present today. Not pain mind you. I figured it was probably a good idea to do foam rolling with my warming up for today’s session. Hamstrings also tense and sore from yesterday and I know that there will be DOMS in my quads by Friday on my rest day. I felt like it made sense to get everything kind of setup for training and then get warmed up today. It’s not the coldest it has been but it just felt really darn cold. Not tolerable. Feeling the chill in my bones. Warming up felt fine since that was indoors haha. As I mentioned, I had plans to adjust log incline pressing since I overshot last week. If that hadn’t been the case, I’d probably have stuck to the plan. But maybe if not, I’d have thought about reconsidering with the cold today. I was not really looking forward to doing anything outside, let alone pressing stuff with stiffness. So instead of working up to top set of 5 reps and then the typical drop down and pauses, changing gears to doing triples with bands. My plan with the contest is to work strict log and axle push press as kind of “off season” continued and my log strict pressing had been good working up for PA Dutch prep in 2022. So borrowing from that with alternating bands and top set. So that is what looking at here with banded pressing on the log with incline. Estimated 65% of my max here and adding a decent amount of bands. I only plan to do like two workouts like this before the switch over anyways. Things just felt ok with the cold and such. Could also be all the pressing and such on Monday too. First set was ok and then second set I was a little higher up on the chest and bashing my chin on the reps. Didn’t do that for any other reps. Last set was definitely the one that felt the best for me. Like how I’d hope all sets feel and go. Put most of the stuff away outside (minus the rack arms and anchoring plates) before going inside the garage for the rest of the training. Inverted ring rows were up next. 4x12 week for them. Considering how joints and such were, I figured it was a good idea to do at least a few reps at bodyweight since the weight is adding up here and might not be wise to go at it no prep going forward. This was probably a good idea. I had meant to do 44lbs here but forgot I had already setup dumbbells for later in the session so I went a little heavier. It wasn’t going to be noticeable. Trying to lock in like last time where the reps were good and powerful in a short burst. Didn’t get things to feel exactly like last time but it was close so felt decent. I put away stuff outside between sets and hoping that doing so with my warm-ups on would keep me the right temperature through the sets. I ended up finishing things here comfortably. And feeling pretty toasty by the end of it. Up next was triceps dumbbell extensions. I didn’t realize this would be the last session of these for the training block and likely not doing much dumbbell triceps stuff in the next contest prep. Switching up to a different variation for two weeks after this session. Still dumbbells and tempo but different. It does seem like my triceps need to get with it considering things. But I was also using not the best form I admit in the past when I did these workouts. But I had hoped to be using the 40’s by the end. 36’s were tougher than I was expecting honestly last time with the reduction in reps. I had put as going for 2-4lbs increase in weight or even sticking to the same weight here. But that was when I thought I had more time. I want to do the 40’s so that is what I’m going to do. Check off a box. I felt it was best to do some kind of warming up here as well and used my 10’s. The 40’s felt substantial and a few reps in had me wondering if I was going to get 4x10 with them. That first set was rougher than I’d have liked so I decided I’d slow things down a good bit with the rest here so that I finish these. Like I said, switching up next week with lighter fare. Less sets but more reps. Second set wasn’t much harder than the first really. It might have been easier. Maybe just warming up better or my imagination. But it was definitely obvious I was feeling better and moving better on the third set. So maybe this is happening. Fourth set was actually feeling the easiest and best of the sets until the last two reps. That was when the cumulative fatigue got to my right triceps. I tend to have issues with lockout and such and not using the shoulders when they burn out. My last rep with that side wasn’t the best but it still passed the muster. Hell, I’ve had worse where my arms just “went” trying to control the eccentric sometimes in the past doing the hellacious tempo work. As mentioned, last week for these and I’ll play nice with the last two weeks before switching to contest prep. Superset to end things. Dumbbell lateral raises and half kneeling single arm band rows. Same as last week with only 2 sets. I figured I had hit a good weight for the dumbbells so I only went up 1lbs on them and that seemed to be fine. I wasn’t too sure with shoulders and tight stuff but it was no worse for wear. I felt compelled to increase the band tension for the one arm rows in the half kneeling position. Just felt too easy last time. But I didn’t want to deal with a lot of small bands so I went with a bigger jump then I was really planning on here. That was some good band tension. Had fight in it and needed a lot of effort to pull and stabilize. Which was something sorely missing the last few times. This felt like effort well spent. Put stuff away and got dinner fixed. Stretched after eating.

February 22, 2025 – Week 11, Day 4

Dynamic Warm Up

Depth Drops to Box Jumps (12”)
19”x1
19”x1
25”x1
25”x1
31”x2
31”x2
31”x2
31”x2

Deadlifts (straps)
155x5
265x3
315x2
375x1
425x1
487x2
433x2
433x2
433x2

16” Wagon Wheel Deadlifts
255x1
305x1
345x1
395x1
445x1
Added Straps
500x2
500x2
500x2

Elite FTS Chest Supported T Bar Rows/Glute Ham Raises (4 showing)
+70x5/bwx6
+110x10/bw+35x10
+110x10/bw+35x10
+110x10/bw+35x10
+110x10/bw+35x10

Machine Lying Leg Curls/Hanging Leg Raises
+115x25/bwx27
+115x25/bwx21
+115x25/bwx21

Stretching
 
Comments: I was feeling a little worn by this point in the week. The cold Thursday had me not really excited to train and possibly knowing that I had to change plans because I went to heavy and had to pull back and adjust might have had something to do with the motivation and enjoyment going into that session. I did have things ready for training and travel for today so that I could hopefully get out there earlier. But things change. I had not been able to get myself to go to bed as early as I had been trying to (and had been successful with) the week or so before so I knew I was going to be hitting snooze a few times on Saturday morning. Still have some concerns with the right hamstring tension but at least soft tissue work was good. Added stressor with my younger sister’s training as apparently still having tension and pain from two weeks’ prior session and she was concerned about that so I needed to take that into consideration with plans. I had indicated she was the priority for today as I’m doing offseason training for a few more weeks so rather than attempt to swap between hers and mine with training, we’d do her stuff and then I’d do my stuff. This did take a bit longer than I was expecting as needed to do some pain and mobility assessments and soft tissue work for her as well as manage anxiety and stress. I’ve been here many times before so I have experience. There is a plan in place and she hit lifetime PRs during the session and hopefully she is feeling better and can compete end of next month as planned. Beyond that, the other people there seemed to all kind of be not in the best mood or energetic. Understandable for some with frustrations with competition next week and others in the malaise of offseason with no real plan in sight for competing. And others just frustrated with others that are in either camp taking up space for them to do their own training. Not everyone there mind you but most. I didn’t realize how long I had been at the gym before I started my own training. I still do my mobility warming up despite being on my feet for hours as I knew I needed to do that stuff. I did some modification to the bounding warm ups for the box jumps just based off of how things were last time as the depth drop seemed to throw me off initially. Plan here was again to do 4x2. I felt that I’d probably do 1” higher than last time if I could manage it and set things up for that. I did a few depth drops without a jump just to get used to it. There is a skill to falling safely. Of course when I went to put it all together for actual working up jumps it went out the window. So instead of just doing single jump and moving up in height, did two at each height before doing so. Like last time, it does seem like it takes me like 1-2 sets of these before I’m doing them efficiently as I caught half of the reps the first two sets at or below parallel rather than above like the plan is. First rep of the third set was how they should be and I got cocky and messed up on the second rep in that I forgot how to jump. I laughed it off and did it again easy as pie. Fourth set was the best of the day and I felt good with it and how things were with the height of jump, the landing and even how quickly I went from one rep to the other. I’ll have to keep this in mind with this particular style of box jump. This is one of the more intense ones so it won’t be coming up often in my training. I’m likely not doing any box jumps for contest prep coming up (will still have some kind of bounding/jumps). Then on to deadlifts. Again, still leery about the hamstring but of the attitude if it happens, it happens. I ended up using a different platform for pulling today from the three I’ve been on due to them being in use one way or another. Plan was to work up to the working weight last week for the block pulls for a double from the floor and then take some weight off for 3x2. The easiest way to get to that weight was to do the 25kgs plates. I wanted this to be stiffer and dense feeling. Next week is going to be the test week that I’ve been spending all this work on deadlifts for. The difference in feel was noticed when I got to 2 plates. Because closer to 275lbs then 225lbs. I could tell that I wasn’t feeling as “fresh” compared to last week as I was working up. Could be from training later in the day by a good few hours after helping out and coaching. I was on my own last week so at my own pace. Also didn’t let that phase me as much as it did last block as I knew to expect some things like this. 425lbs felt tougher than I’d like and had me worried the next pull would be the one to do in the right hamstring. I mentally prepared to know who to ask to help me take the weights off the bar and potentially help me to my car in the event that happened. Obviously that didn’t happen. It felt tough but not in the demoralizing way that 460lbs had felt a month ago and had me panicking in my soul. This was no hype pulls and I felt like I had 3-4 reps here. I realized after the fact I had been 1lbs heavier than I planned (forgot that after 200kgs it is 1lbs heavier). Oh well. Took some weight off for the doubles and those felt ok as well. Onward to block pulls. I had been looking somewhat forward to these after how comfortable the 16” pulls had felt and this would be the first time in the prep where I’d be doing 500lbs for multiple sets on any variation at no hype mode. I switched platform I was pulling on as they cleared up by this point. I didn’t want to bring the big wheels to this platform as bit harder to navigate and not the largest platform to begin with. Same as last time with doing singles with no straps working up with 40-50lbs jumps. Once I got to the second to last weight, I did adjust the jump slightly so I could swap in the Jenkins wheels as weights. The last single was a bit tough on the grip. I don’t think I was expecting these to be that difficult really. I didn’t focus as much initially and I was more concerned with synchronizing my pulls with the music playing. I’m not sure what happened here as it felt damn heavy attempting to break off the floor (like I’d just added 150lbs to it) and then the Velcro popped off on the belt. That has not happened before since I’ve had this belt. I swear I had that on tight. A little flustered and got strapped back in. Then it went up fine and easy that first rep and then a little bit harder the second. No further issues after that but pulls did feel harder than I would’ve liked here. The pulling was done for today and rest of the session would be the two supersets. But it was late and seeing as it was almost 4:00PM at this point (I’d been here since 10:40AM) I felt I should take my post workout shake now so that I wasn’t on fumes and already screwing up how late I’d be eating dinner. Just have to hope that I’d keep it down for the rest of the session. Chest supported rows and weighted glute ham raises to start things off here. I did one warming up set here as two didn’t really seem to help matters at all and the second set felt like the one that actually primed things. My plan here was to keep same weight as last time I did for the rows since that was really tough to get 4x8 with and aim to get more total reps on that (8-10 range). With the glute ham raises, since I got 4x12, I was going to increase the weight as rep range of 6-12. Adding weight can be tricky here with how much it adds strain and how you hold the weight. My concern being more ease of access and size. A big plate can be tough and dumbbells not the best two hand grip or able to pick up from the top easy. So I went with kettlebell weight and that worked perfectly. I was very surprised with the rows as they felt much better compared to last week. Usually there is tension in the right biceps but this time around it was the left one. I was able to get 4x10 here so I will be going up 5lbs next time. Glute ham raises this is actually the most weight I’ve done on them since my 2016 back injury. I’ve done a lot more weight on these in a modified version in the past (not great form). I’m surprised I was able to get 10 reps for each set here after the first set. I’m probably going to increase the weight just because next time. Have to see how I’m feeling. Then the last superset pairing. Hamstrings and abdominals. I was a little leery with the right hamstring as the initial tension on the machine leg curl last time had me stressing but then I actually did it and had no issues. The leg raises I switched to a taller setup and slightly tougher grip setup so that I could stay elongated and have my grip worked a little harder. I was tempted to go up to 135lbs on the leg curls after getting 90lbs for 3x25 but decided that wasn’t smart and save that for next time. Aim was then in between that for try to do 3x20 with it. But I kept pushing and using the bite size method of counting managed to do 3x25 for each set here. I did take longer breaks between the sets because I didn’t want to puke from putting strain on my abdominals from being on the bench and from the leg raises. I wasn’t sure how those would go really as I was feeling some tension in the left side lower abdominals when I was warming up for the session and was present again getting ready for the hanging leg raises. These had been tougher than I was expecting. Still tough but not as bad and I managed to add reps from last time to every set. 69 (nice) reps compared to 53. I put stuff away and stretched my calves out before leaving for home as it was after 5PM at this point. Stopped to fill up gas (as got to go into office Tuesday) and stretched when I got home. Aiming for a lazy Sunday to get sleep and stress back on track.