Friday, June 27, 2025

June 26, 2025 – Week 5, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up

Axle Deadlifts (straps)
136x3
186x3
226x3
276x2
316x2
366x1
416x1
466x5
437x5
437x5

Axle Jerk Dip Squats (3 second eccentric)
136x3
186x3
226x3
276x3
326x3 (15 seconds hold last rep)

Contralateral Load Single Leg Stepdowns (18”, foot to rear)
bwx3/3
bwx3/3
bw+55x10/10
bw+55x10/10
bw+55x10/10

Paused Snatch Grip Back Extensions (1 second)/Roman Chair Sit-ups
75x10/bwx12
75x10/bwx12

Stretching

Comments:  Today the heat wave is allegedly breaking. But not really sure what that is going to mean as it seems like it is still going to be hot. Work has been stressful with pretty much having now a third of the staff in the unit from like 7yrs ago. I feel like I’m doing 9 times the work I had to be doing from then. At the very least, I’m doing 3 times the work duties. I needed a good bit of soft tissue work warming up. My right knee is achy. I kind of knew it would be like this because of how my knees were feeling Saturday on that last yoke run and then the power stairs and leg presses. So not doing knee based stuff Monday was helpful but not being able to really go for a walk after work Tuesday meant I wasn’t moving around. Just have to hope that my knees recover with the new split and wearing knee sleeves for the sessions. Neck rehab after the foam rolling and then mobility stuff. No cleans now as merging the lift together so this was going to be starting off with axle pulls. No pauses or anything like last week. Using the big wheels and standing on platform to get to standard height. I’ve not pulled from the floor for a good bit as it was likely February as it has been elevated pulls and the floor pulls have been just the past 4 weeks with most of it being under 300lbs. 350lbs had already felt tougher than I was expecting to and had hoped the 390lbs would feel like that. But made the choice to stick to 350lbs because of that. It still left me open to hitting the numbers I wanted assuming that the bigger gap between the “heavy” and “light” day would work in my favor for recovery. But no clue how heavier would go with one less day to recover and pulling 394lbs for 10 reps total on power stairs on top of 250’ with 600lbs on yoke. I’ve not done a max axle pull from the floor with straps besides warming up at the 2019 Arnold. I had a show that was to be 18” pull with axle at 600lbs but ended up being 600lbs from the floor and that didn’t go well (no straps but then allowed). I’ve done 552lbs without straps (alternated grip) back in 2009 and that was also without a belt (as didn’t know no better). Plan was to work up to 80% for a set of 5 reps and then drop down to 75% for 2x5. Rest up to 5 minutes if needed. I set things up so that I was able to do 40-50lbs jumps and adjust as needed if this ended up to be too much for me on the day. This was like one of those things where every other set from terrible. It is difficult to find the right position here. 366lbs was the best feeling pull and it is what told me I should be good today and stay in it. Could definitely tell that I’m not used to regular deadlifts as this was feeling in lower back for sure. This was thankfully not a max set of 5 reps here. I was worried I was taking too long between sets to recover but thankfully I was only about 4.5 minutes for rest going from the top set to the second set and I was able to keep things the same for the last set. It is a little hard to gauge reps in the tank with how I’m pulling but I feel like 2RIR and 3RIR respectively on the low. Like, these are absolutely certain but likely do another for each. Maybe these will feel better next time with slightly more recovery and maybe my right knee won’t be feeling achy. I’m not under any delusions about getting contest weight of 661lbs in training or even at the contest. I will likely just walk out and take a zero and not warm up to save energy. Only way I see myself trying will be if I get 600lbs or more in training comfortably. Still going to keep working deadlift as if I will be pulling as I need to monitor training recovery and tweak as needed in the event I actually get things on point and need to be able to perform at my best on everything contested. It would be nice to get over 550lbs in this prep on this. Moved outside for more axle fun. This was a little bit of a late addition. Trying to keep things kind of in blocks. Doing stuff to work parts of the axle movement with overload so that hopefully I can get at least 130kgs on the day from where I am now. So bringing back the axle jerk drive squats. I had done these with log for SC Nats prep in 2017 with some success with improving my log pressing (though fell short on the day). Work up in triples over 5 sets to a top set and then hold. Axle the hold isn’t quite as taxing as log so that was the main focus. This was more getting comfortable with rack position and doing the slow eccentrics into the dip and then launching back up. The fever of the heat was breaking slightly as it would drizzle a little bit. I had the fan outside on as I was wearing the grip shirt to get used to what I’ll likely be using. I ended up taking scissors to the sleeves afterwards as they are too restrictive and I think that might be why I was having some issues with my press using it in the past when fatigued. Essentially did 40-50lbs jumps here. Plan was to do 30-50lbs over what I could press right now. Knees were achy but I felt in control here. Used the big wheels too. Last set I did go up 10lbs more than I was planning just because. Reps felt strong. I think I need to get used to this rack position so not stressing shoulders to much. Held for 15 seconds after the last rep and then walked it back in to rack. So this went ok as well. I’ll likely do these one more time next heavy axle pull day before dropping and focusing energies elsewhere. Now the stepdowns have been the end of the session for the past four weeks. Well not this time. Last of the “heavier” sessions as plan is to wind these down as there are more moving events this prep and swap in something different that will work on my stride length. So next two sessions going to be greater ROM and lighter weight. I wasn’t sure how these would go as last time my knees felt great and felt like crap the time before. Feeling like crap now and having done the axle jerk drives. So I decided I’d do two sets of bodyweight without the knee sleeves to make sure I could tolerate these today. The second set was definitely helpful. 55lbs is the most I’ve tried on these so that felt a bit unwieldy setting up but once I sturdied myself, it wasn’t too bad. Definitely harder than 45lbs was last week for sure. This was definitely the most effort I’ve had to put into these so it was nice seeing that legs were getting worked. The last thing was the new thing replacing the good mornings. Well, kind of. I was initially going to just do one exercise but I felt it was a good idea to pair these with an antagonistic movement. I’m not doing pull-ups and dips every week like I had been so I’m not getting decompression of the spine to start off every week. Back extensions with varying intensity and holds is the thing at the moment with being the “lighter” session on my “heavier” deadlift sessions. I’ve made some changes to my initial plan besides that. In either case, this was snatch grip back extensions with slight holds and the supersetted with roman chair sit-ups. Plan was RPE 6-7 for the back extensions. With the abdominal stuff, thinking is to pair with the light sessions to work both spine flexion and extension with having bag toss be a thing as well as get some stress to the area for the load over bar stuff too. I was a bit surprised that there felt like an area I was missing doing other stuff with the back extensions. I had put 10lbs on to what I was initially planning as thinking I was starting too light. I guess not. Out of practice on the roman chair stuff. Hopefully I don’t get terrible DOMS there. Training done and stretched out after eating. Hopefully my knee feels better by Saturday training.



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