August 4, 2026 – Week 17, Day 1

Dynamic Warm Up

12” Log Strict Presses w/ bands (+14lbs/+28llbs, head through on last rep only, 5 seconds hold)
87x3
107x3
127x3
147x3
60 seconds rest
167x3
167x3
167x3
167x3
167x3

Scap Retraction into Pull ups
bw+11x6
bw+11x6
bw+11x6

Paused 12” Log Floor Presses w/ Bands (+6lbs/+30lbs, 3 seconds lockout)
140x3
180x2
220x1
255x3
225x3
225x3
225x3

Paused Incline Bench Dumbbell Rear Delt Flyes (3 seconds)/Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extensions (0-1-0-1 tempo)
11’sx8 -- 22x15/15
11’sx8 -- 22x15/15
11’sx8

Stretching

Comments: Well the rain issue ended up being a nonissue as seems all the bluster decided to hit Sunday afternoon and evening. So nice out Monday and Today. I didn’t realize that the storm Sunday caused two more branches to fall. I didn’t realize the one in the front yard until I was leaving for work Monday and the one in the back yard not until today when I was warming up. I needed the rest and I was feeling a good bit of soreness in my ribs and midsection. I’m going to have to assume that is just from the heavy medley as this isn’t really anything different from the squats and log pressing I’ve been doing. Cautious with my biceps as they were feeling Sunday session and I know that sometimes if I work stuff hard like that, I can get some cramping doing stuff like mobility work. I did feel a little underwhelmed with how rough things were after the fact but I can’t dwell on that and realize this right now is just getting the boxes checked for the big show and I can ruminate on things after all is said and done to work on the plan for the next season. Foam rolling starting things off. Really trying to focus on more pressure on the calves as mentioned to try and get them not so tense as there may be a nerve component connected to my back issues. I’d say sides were about even today. Hamstrings were fine (surprised they weren’t super tight) and quads needed a good bit as well. Upper back felt nice and needed. Neck stuff went fine. Chest a little tight but nothing like it was last week at times. No issues with glute activation or lower body mobility. Dead hang to finish things up. On to the weights. As kind of explained last time, Day 1 is more overhead event assistance focused and upper body and saving event stuff for the most part on Day 3 sessions with some temperature control and not working about finishing up to go to work early. Log being the focus. So last week had been work up heavy with the lean back and only putting head through on last reps of sets and holding that on the last rep. Same this time but doing with band tension and for triples. Ideally with short rests as well. Plan was like with deadlift having 10-15% of 1rm for the band tension and going for about 72.5% of estimated max single on this strict style press. I had to retest band tension setups as I wanted to make sure it was right and the previous setup was a little less due to bands aging so I went with an older setup with multiple bands that did the trick. I wasn’t used to the bands at the start but eventually did. Short rests didn’t make things so easy and I’m still finding my form on these again. Last set I feel was the best consistent form. From there it was on to the pull up variation I did last week. The one starting at dead hang into scap retract into dead hang and then pull up. As I mentioned, I was a bit surprised I got 3x6 with bw last time. Not that that is amazing but I was surprised it happened on the first session and not needing to get my body used to it. So I decided to add 11lbs to my upper body with draping a chain around my neck, which would hopefully add more resistance to the retraction aspect rather than hang from my waist (though the traction/decompress could be nice). This was the one I was worried that my biceps would be really sore and cramp up on me just getting into position. It has happened before after heavy stones. Thankfully, no issues like that here. I didn’t even have that bad a bruise from kegs on the right lower biceps or any really from log cleans either. Last set was a bit rough with an iffy last rep but I already know I’m reducing stuff for next week with that being the deload week. After that, more time with bands and the log. Banded log floor pressing with the holds at lockout. Dropping the slam ball portion as wanting to hit more triceps on something else and cut back on that movement as finishing up prep. Borrowing from the same plan as the log strict pressing with doing up to a top triple and then dropping down 12.5% for 3x3. The RPE here was higher but the caveat was that had to be moving fast and not grinding like how a good log press should go up. I had setup planned jumps here depending on how I felt as I felt that the range could be large here depending on how I felt on the day. Sometimes the unrack feels terrible and other times like nothing is in my hands. The top end I was hoping to be 250-270lbs. Warming up the first weight felt like a joke but then the second weight felt a little off and right shoulder not feeling great so lowered the next jump and that one felt bad all around. I was really considering do the lowest end here as that could be a max effort but I know that sometimes I undersell. I did add 5lbs to it. And of course that set felt near perfect and leaving 5-10lbs on the table here. Oh well. Down sets felt ok, I could tell I was getting a workout in my pressing. Into the garage for the offset superset (that’s what I’m calling it I guess when uneven set pairing). I did the paused rear delt stuff by itself last week but squeezing in tempo triceps stuff. Three sets vs two sets. Light weights but very tough here. Left elbow was a bit achy but seemed to warm up on the extensions eventually. This was good work here with these light weights. Put stuff away as heated up dinner. Stretched afterwards.