September 28, 2026 – Week 5, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

Band Pec Flyes/Paused Band Pull-Aparts (3 seconds)
lb’sx20/µbx20
lb’sx20/µbx20

12” Log High Incline Bench Presses (3 seconds eccentrics)
90x10
110x8
125x6
140x4
155x2
170x8
170x8
153x8
153x12

Paused Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows (3 seconds)
56’sx5
76’sx5
101’x9
86’x13

Feet Elevated Bench Dips
bwx5
bw+42x5
bw+75x12
bw+75x12
bw+75x17

Chaos Chain Bradford Presses
PVC+44lbsx60 seconds
PVC+44lbsx60 seconds
PVC+44lbsx60 seconds

Stretching

Comments: Last week of in office before back to four weeks of telework. Been managing so far and not feeling like taking any hits to training. But hope I will feel more rested with better sleep schedule. Things worked out with work with having supervisor back and I was able to get what I did Friday documented Monday and almost a fresh slate for Tuesday. I’ve thankfully been dodging the bug going around for now with making sure I get rest and just avoid people in general. Weight down about 3lbs from last week's high point so I guess about normal. Digestion not 100% how it was but feeling better than last week for the most part. It still takes a bit to deload from the work day before getting to train. Foam rolling starting things off. Calves needed a bit more compared to last session. Hamstrings were fine. Quads needed a good bit with the right needing about twice as much work as the left. Which has been consistent. My DOMS in the quads were not even close to how they were last week. Upper back needed a good bit of work before felt good to move on. Neck rehab/mobility stuff followed that and felt pretty good. Stuff is moving well and feeling good. No issues with glute activation or lower body mobility other than a slight ache in my left knee but that didn’t lead to anything. Dead hang to finish things up. Band superset to starting things off with pec flyes and paused pull-aparts. I feel like I got the flyes figured out as far as position to get stretch and good contraction without feeling off or iffy on the joints. Actually engaged my back muscles with the pull aparts rather than just pulling the band. So I feel that was good to be feeling muscles doing the work. The eccentric focused high incline log was next. This is the last session of the tempo emphasis for these. Plan was to do 10lbs less than last week for 2x8 to start things off. I wasn’t so rigid with the pyramiding up. I didn’t feel as “strong” as last week but then again, I hadn’t felt as strong as the week before and did better than expected. I guess not quite right in saying feeling as strong but more that I was fatiguing faster so strength endurance didn’t feel as high. This is possibly from pushing a bit on that top set last week. But I got through those first two sets. Next was to drop down 10% off that for another set of 8 reps and then to do a max rep set (1-2RIR) with same weight. The drop in weight did feel lighter but not so much so that 8 reps felt like it went by easy mind you. I didn’t want to have it on this last set struggling to get 10 reps when I did 180lbs for 10 the week before. There was fatigue but I did manage a dozen reps before needing to rack it. This was tougher than I had hoped it would be. However, this does appear to mirror my experience the last time I did these sessions and that had me with having to rest pause sets at times. So better go this time around. I was worried about how I’d handle next session but I had forgotten switching up style of incline so not as daunting. Into the garage for the rest of the session. Chest supported dumbbell rows with the 3 second holds again. Like everything else this session (besides the superset), this would be the last session of the particular exercise/modality of this off season prep. For this session, I was to work up to a top set of 8-12 reps and then take 15% for a matching set. I didn’t want to have things feel like a rough start so I did do two warming up sets. After how the last one felt, I did add 5lbs to my planned weight. I did push this a little as I went for a 10th but could tell I wasn’t going to being leaving any reps in the tank and rushing the hold so stopped there. I changed my plan with matching the reps as my down set was going to be the same weight as last week for 3x10 so I just did max reps on that instead. Will be the last session of these for a while before switching to something else for longer term. Next item was bench dips. Again, last session of these. First session had been interesting one and then I was a little worried about how my elbows were responding to these. But no issues with elbows but shoulders were tight last week. For this last session, plan was to do  2x12 with the casual pace I was going with 64-75lbs and then a max rep set. I decided to go with 75lbs and that seemed like the right choice. The position is odd on these. Feels like a lot of weight but isn’t so bad doing the reps. But the lockout feels precarious and like I might not be able to go fully to max and not get stuck. Right trap was also getting tight from pressure. But was able to push things on that last set.  I’m up in the air on these still as far as if they should be an option in the future or not. I have other triceps stuff planned as get more into event specifics. Last item of the session being the chaos chain Bradford presses for timed sets. Same weight and time of 3 sets of 60 seconds. Last time for them for now and hope was to actually do the 1 minute or work and then 2 minutes of rest to the letter after dancing close to it the past two sessions. This one is a keeper. Shoulders are burning by the end of it. I think I got over 150 reps total so a few more than last week. Put stuff away and got dinner done before stretching out.