July 1, 2026 – Week 12, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up 

Deadlifts (straps, platform, wagon wheels)
135x5
225x3
275x2
315x1
365x1
405x1
445x1
485x1
525x1
525x1
525x1
525x1
525x1
525x1
525x1
525x1

Titan Fitness Farmer’s Walks (16” pick)
135x50’
185x25’
235x25’
drop and turn halfway
280x50’/50’ in 24.77 seconds
280x50’/50’ in 25.30 seconds

Titan Fitness Farmer’s Pick Transitions (16” pick)
245x1+1 (6 steps)
245x1+1 (6 steps)

Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows/Zercher Jefferson Curls
96’sx10 – 105x15
96’sx10 – 105x15
96’sx10 – 105x15

Stretching

Comments: Tuesday is probably the only day this week I was going to get a walk in with the heatwave. I was maybe considering Thursday and Friday but that was before became apparent it was going to be 100 degrees or so the next few days. This session for training was looking a bit intimidating on paper for the first half the session. I had been feeling a little beat the day before but I think I’m about as good as I’m going to be without needing another day rest. It is likely going to be even hotter tomorrow so might as well get this done. It did end up hitting 100 a few points today but still high 90’s by the time I got ready to train. I wasn’t exactly rushing here and plan was to take my time and recover between stuff. Upper back and shoulders were feeling the Day 1 session. I’m assuming the pauses are what got the shoulders. Soft tissue foam rolling starting things. Odd today. Left upper calf needed a good bit but not much else in the calves. Hamstrings ok, right a little tighter. Quads/thighs were essentially even between sides. Upper back was tight but not as much needed as Tuesday session. Neck rehab stuff followed. Chest felt pretty tight on the stretching related stuff. Right side feeling a bit tight in the chest/shoulders/arms. Glute activation and lower body stretching was fine and finished up with a dead hang. On to the session. Pulling out all my fans for today’s session. Heavy deadlift day. I knew this would be heavy but I don’t think I was expecting the volume. I was prepared for how it was last time with low volume up to a top single. Well this was do 8 singles with 95-97.5% of that single. I’d have to see how I hold up today with this heat. If my coach thinks I can do this after seeing the past few sessions of deadlifts, I’m going to put my trust in that. At first, the heat wasn’t that noticeably different from other recent sessions. I tend to run hot anyways so one more fan I’m not sure if really that much difference. At least inside the garage. I was a little worried about my lower back being fatigued but I was feeling decent enough working up. Same warming up until I got to 405lbs as last time I did no band pulls to heavy single. Since my weight options were 510-525lbs, continuing up that wasn’t really going to be the best to get ready. Even if doing the heavier side of things, 495lbs feels like it would dig into that so I went with doing 40lbs jumps so if I wasn’t feeling so hot at 485lbs, I could do a 30lbs jump there and still be ok. I wasn’t feeling 100% confident with trying to do 525lbs for this session and I had 515lbs on there as something I felt I could do. But I figured I’d just stop being a coward about it and put the extra 10lbs on here. I took my time with these as these felt tough starting the movement and breaking off the floor and that sensation got tougher as I went. I felt like I had to get these done if I realistically wanted a shot at the deadlift event this year. These got tougher but I kept grinding these out and getting sweatier. I knew that the next tough this workout was going to be even tougher now that this was how I was starting things off. But slowly and surly, I got through these with no issue other than it being heavy. I took a break to put stuff away and digest my thoughts before moving on to get farmer’s walk setup. This was what I was telling myself to do so that I didn’t overheat and maybe with luck I’d recover enough to put in a good effort here on my heavier session of these. So heavier session of these entailing what has been the case for farmer’s as of late with warming up to contest style runs and then either maintaining or dropping down to do pick transition training. Often it is drop down on the heavier session. So the suggested fun today was 275-280lbs. Even if I wasn’t feeling the best, aim would likely be the 280lbs as it is about the same at that weight in that it is going to feel heavy. The issue would be more if I have stuff to secure the tiny little plates so that they don’t abandon ship on the first drop. Luckily (or unluckily) I did have stuff so unless I felt the worst ever, I was going with 280lbs. This would also be my first time with the new shoes on a moving event. They had felt fine doing general stuff on Day 1. It was still in the 90’s at this point and the humidity I had avoided in the garage enveloped me outside. Palms were sweaty just working up. Other than my Velcro belt popping off initially on picking up 235lbs, I was feeling ok. The previous deadlifting was definitely noticed today. I took my time between sets here to cool off and reapply chalk that had been sweated off. This was definitely the most challenging farmer’s have been besides that one run with 315lbs at the beginning of this prep. But I feel like I won’t be so out of it after this as I was that time due to recovery and conditioning. Or that could just be the endorphins and I’ll be in for a rude awakening tomorrow. Took a bit to get things ready for the pick transitions. Dropping down to 245lbs. Two sets of these as has been the case. I could tell I was feeling the picks (and grip a little) at this point in the workout but moving felt decent. Certainly felt lighter than the heavy runs. I felt like I could jump right into the second set but I made sure I at least gave myself a little break before doing the second one. I know that I’m going to be feeling this session and I’m glad I’m doing nothing but work tomorrow and absolute nothing the next day due to holiday and this heat. It was get close to 9PM and still over 90 degrees. I put away the stuff outside to recover and hopefully have my lower back not so bad at me before the last thing. I also moved a keg into my car to take with me Saturday. It is going to be too hot here for a gym with no AC so going back up north for another session. Wasn’t expecting this soon haha. Last thing being the same superset as last week with chest supported dumbbell rows and zercher Jeffersons. Same weights and sets but more reps for each. With how long this session was taking and just draining, I figured my back was warmed up and cooked enough at this point to just jump right into working weight. Honestly wasn’t that bad doing so. I wasn’t sure how lower back would feel as was getting a little close to the threshold where possibly having disc issue symptoms but nothing materialized. Hands did feel a little raw from the farmer’s stuff. This was the least taxing thing of the day. This ended up being a later night but I kind of had to with the extreme heat and humidity. I ain’t doing shit the next two days as supposed to be even hotter so using that to just hopefully recover and decompress.