July 10, 2025 – Week 7, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Axle Deadlifts (straps)
136x5
226x3
316x2
366x1
406x1
456x1
496x3
496x3
496x3
466x5

Axle Jerk Dip Squats (3 second eccentric)
166x3
206x3
256x3
296x3
346x3 (15 seconds hold last rep)

Contralateral Load Single Leg Stepdowns (21”, foot to rear)
bwx3/3
bwx3/3
bw+30x10/10
bw+30x10/10

Paused Snatch Grip Back Extensions (1 second)/Roman Chair Sit-ups
75x12/bwx15
75x12/bwx15

Stretching

Comments:  Something had definitely been off as I was feeling at the beginning of the week. Tuesday I was feeling tired and joints were achy. Even my knees and back while going for a walk. But that did make things feel better. But I was dreading doing my second workout for the week. I woke up Wednesday feeling like I needed to take a nap. I told myself if I wasn’t feeling “perky” by noon that I was going to just take the day off. No walking or training. Just eat and work and go to bed early. I was stressing about things and thinking that I just can’t cut mustard with what I’m doing. Considering hiring a coach or something but actually thinking on it wasn’t making too much sense with costs and timing and such. It would add stress. But like with most things when I feel overwhelmed, taking a break helps. And apparently going to bed about 2hrs early was what I needed as while I didn’t feel 100% refreshed, my shoulders weren’t feeling like dogshit and I wasn’t feeling like perpetually needed a nap. This is also me realizing how much stress I’m putting on myself and dealing with plans. I mean, every year I say I’m not going to do intense contest prep in the summer but keeps needing to happen with competitions. I could afford the extra day of rest since not doing any training until I get back from the vacation. Soft tissue work was needed for certain. Neck rehab as well. I added some things to the movement prep and not sure if they will stay. Kind of pulled from videos and reading about stuff to hopefully have me be more primed to train certain things. I don’t think I realized until today just how bruised my hamstrings were from the power stairs on Saturday with those efforts with trying to get the reps when I missed and it got stuck on my inner thighs. Axle deadlifts again. The heavy week. Still using the unnecessarily big wheels for right now. Won’t make as much sense when doing the next phase for the “lighter” sessions. But still works for the heavier days. Plan was to work up to 85% for a set of 3x3 and then drop down to 80% for 5 reps. So quite a big increase in the effort from two week’s prior. I mean, my down set is my top set from last time. Rest up to 5 minutes if needed. I started out with plates jumps before moving to 40-50lbs jumps. I was essentially going to be doing 225kgs here for multiple sets. I’ve not pulled near this kind of weight since March 1st. That had been a top set and I had felt so disappointed and worn out from that set I didn’t do the rest of the workout for what was the testing day. I should be able to do this. Working up was fine. I don’t feel like I had as much of an issue with the weights each jump feeling different. I did notice that 366lbs didn’t feel as easy as it did last week but that was with me wearing a hard belt and not still working up. 456lbs was my last single and it did feel like it moved well enough but still uncertain. I chalked up my belt strap and my straps and hands and got set. First set was a little rough. I got the reps but it wasn’t something where I felt like I had much left. But sometimes I get better as I go with these kinds of things. Second set the first and second reps went up great and only the third rep did I feel like it was tough. Ok, I should get this last one no problem. This was also similar to the second set. Strong first two reps and then tougher third rep. I wasn’t feeling particularly confident with the down set as these previous sets were quite tough effort wise and going to do my previous top set for 5 after that and seeing how that felt was a little daunting. First three reps moved easy and I was thinking ok, this is fine. Then got a little slow with locking out the fourth rep. I took a slight breather to rebrace for the last rep here. So this was tougher to do than last time. But like I said, that was fresh(ish) and this was after 9 reps above that weight. Compared to the last time I ran this kind of prep with a projected max, I feel like this is harder with what I’ve assumed I can do. I may adjust things for how I do the last two heavy sessions here with it being double and then single rather than triple and double (leaving 1RIR for each). Survived this and back to essentially doing 500lbs for reps again. Feeling like I’m getting more comfortable with pulls again from the floor and that I’m recovering a bit better with having light and heavy rotation. Moved outside for more axle fun in the form of axle jerk drive squats. I was initially thinking of doing these as just last time and this time and then nothing after that. But I’m thinking it might behoove me to keep these in and just change up the protocol if doing them to help with overhead on the axle. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to not getting 300kgs on the axle in 6 weeks so maybe I work to getting other things that I have a chance to get points at while still working on improving deadlift. Aim was to do 20lbs more than last time with the triples with 3ct eccentrics working up over 5 sets. 40-50lbs jumps. These have definitely been having me feel more comfortable with the axle in the front rack position and having it feel more like I have a powerful stance to launch the weight from. Jerk for the weight feels more like a valid option but will have to see when it comes time to do the next clean and press session. Especially if my shoulders make recovery that long to happen. There is certainly pressure when it comes to getting my air on these but I know that I should be good here since I’ve essentially done 70lbs more on these earlier in the year when testing these out. Did the same as last time with 15 seconds hold on the last rep and then walking it in. I’m thinking I will change up the method and work on doing these as concentric only the next 1-2 sessions. Next was back into the garage. I was initially looking at doing the walking lunges again but something told me to stick to the stepdowns. Do the higher setup and less weight for 2x10 like I was planning last week. Work same but different. I was going to do 25lbs here but figured I might as well go up a little bit in weight if plan is to keep doing these the rest of the cycle. Just not big jumps. Bodyweight only for a few reps to get the feeling down as those extra 3” really change up the movement and stress. These were tougher with that but not so much weight wise. I did like only doing two sets though haha. The last thing was pairing of the paused snatch grip back extensions and roman chair situps. Lighter week for the extensions (more reps, shorter pauses). As previously mentioned, idea to kind of deload spine from heavy deadlifts this way and work on core in a way that is conducive to extension exercises. Both things went better than expected as I was able to add reps to both and not feel like I was overdoing it. Put stuff away as I got dinner ready and then stretched. I’m not entirely sure what the plan will be when I get back as far as doing Day 3 as I may stick to Saturday but change the event order (do stuff at home and then go to gym) since rather not start my training day for this after 5PM or move it to Sunday as I do have a little more freedom with days than I thought I would (in office monthly meeting moved back a week).