January 26, 2026 – Week 22, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

Paused Axle Push Presses (2 seconds lockout)
26x5
56x3
86x2
116x2
146x2
176x5
176x5
176x5

Neutral Grip Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses
56’sx12
87’sx8
87’sx8
87’sx8

Overhead Dicks Presses
95x5
135x5
135x5
135x5

Deadstop Single Arm Dumbbell Rows/Heels Elevated Goblet Squats (4-0-4-0 tempo)
112x5/5 – bw+40x5
152x10/10 – bw+80x10
152x10/10 – bw+80x10
152x10/10 – bw+80x10

Reverse Lunges w/ March Hold (2 seconds)
bwx3/3
bw+46’sx8/8
bw+46’sx8/8

Stretching

Comments: We did get a decent amount of snow Sunday. I was exhausted from Saturday and still taking cold/flu meds to try and keep functioning. There was not going anywhere on Sunday. I’m not sure on the total amount but it was about 9” of snow when I first went out to shovel on Sunday and there was some more that accumulated come Monday. Weight had been back up about 3lbs but with meds and such, it seemed that was probably going to be down once I got over this bug. While work was closed, I still was obligated to work from home. Which is fine by me but with working a full day, only time I had to really try and get myself out of the remaining mess (and the packed snow from the plows in the morning) was going to be during my lunch breaks with how cold it was. With Monday, I did as much as I could for the driveway during the break and made sure to have walkway and path to the street at least and the back patio so I could at least attempt to train if feeling up for it. This is the last week prior to the competition week and with stress high and cold, I’m not feeling terribly motivated to do this week. My mind from past training cycles and years is used to this week being really easy for the most part with sometimes being tough. So it is kind of that and trusting the process here. But I usually end up doing the training planned for me because I feel compelled to do it. Soft tissue work starting things off. Nothing really stood out here. I think just surprised with how tense my biceps were those first two sessions on stones and now nothing. Neck rehab was ok. Wasn’t too sure how things were going to be with no walking and a lot of shoveling. With more to come tomorrow unfortunately. Stretching for hips, knees and ankles and then followed by a dead hang. Outside for axle pressing. This might be the coldness I’ve done a session as it was 19 degrees. I ran out of salt but hopefully I had put enough that I wasn’t having a slipping hazard doing stuff today. Paused axle with a little less than last week for 3x5. My joints were feeling a little more beat up compared to coming into this session last week but felt that the no knee sleeves had been the right decision with axle and dumbbell. Things felt a little tougher compared to last week at least with how the weight was feeling but it was still very powerful movements and feeling strong there. I mean, even if not feeling best, I’ve pretty much been doing the competition each week lately with the last week being with a head cold so I can walk through the competition and do ok. But I want to do great. Primer done and kind of left stuff out there for the moment so I could move on to the next thing. Incline dumbbells in the garage. Same weight as last week and now back up to 8 reps. I wasn’t so concerned with push press as leg drive involved but I wasn’t sure with incline bench after all the snow shoveling as that could be hampered by it and feel off. As when the shoulders ache, pressing tends to not go well. Thankfully this didn’t seem to be so bad. I had commented that last time was slightly better than the previous week which had felt rougher than I was expecting when weight was the same and reps dropped. Either from not taking it as seriously of just cautiousness with sore biceps. I do seem to become a hypochondriac with stuff as I get closer to competition. I felt like my  getting to shoulder was a bit more stable and consistent with not losing any power and reps felt pretty good with only the last one starting to feel some significant fatigue. So far, so good I guess. Back outside for more pressing. Overhead dicks presses. I had been focusing on these being more of a triceps thing but it appears that Ms. Funk wants me to do that and to treat each rep like I’m doing a lockout on an overhead press so head through. This had been 4x4 with 5lbs more than the first week with suggested for this time around being 5-10lbs more for 3x5. I figured I’d go with 10lbs just because that would be 135lbs on the bar. These can be a little tricky with getting enough to prime and warm but not fatigue or be undercooked. Seems more so the case as my left shoulder tends to feel cranky on these with the movement when going to the back and then forwards. As I went, I feel like I got a little more comfortable with the movement. Last rep of last set ended up being a little squirrely on me but otherwise feel things were good. Back into the garage to finish things up. I wasn’t looking forward to the last bits of the session as they were the most exhausting and with the cold, my respiration was hampered so this was going to be a whole bunch of suck. The first one being the superset of deadstop style one arm rows and the heel elevated goblet squats with tempo. Rows I was to do more reps but decrease the weight 10lbs while squats weight the same but more reps. As I was feeling quite warm in the legs, I figured that I should skip the lightest set I do and just get into things sooner as likely I’ll feel same with no weight vs 40lbs on the squats. The rows were fine with that but knees were still a little achy. But fine for the working sets. I apparently was to use straps for the rows this week but didn’t find out until I had already finished the session (I guess to save grip and work on pulling explosively). The rows were fine enough but man was it tough recovering from the extra two reps on the squats. Could feel my quads fatiguing by the end and just having to take a bit to recoup with my breathing. I was in no hurry to do the lunges after this. Only for two sets but more weight. Not a ton more weight and two less reps than last time but there is quite a difference between the solid dumbbells and plateloaded ones as these felt a good bit tougher. Left side these felt slower and tougher to initiate (I know sometimes that leg lags here with knee flexion) but seemed to have a better time of it with the right side. I apparently need to get more drive off the back foot on these. I think I was just more focusing on getting these to move and do the holds vs that aspect so assuming these pop up again (it’s the final countdown), I’ll remember to focus that (as I think these have merit to moving events like yoke). Got stuff put away and ate dinner before stretching. I get to stick to normal schedule another day before having to get up earlier to commute. Not looking forward to that. Hopefully cold is gone by then.