September 23, 2026 – Week 4, Day 2

Dynamic Warm Up 

Seated Band Hamstring Curls (3-3-0-0 tempo)
lb’sx20
lb’sx20
lb’sx20

Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlifts (beltless, straps, 3-1-3-0 tempo)
95x3
135x3
185x3
225x8
230x8
235x8
240x8

Dumbbell Walking Lunges
16’sx12/12
16’sx12/12
16’sx12/12

Paused Copenhagen Plank Lifts (2 seconds)
bwx10/10
bwx10/10
bwx10/10

Nordic Curl Negatives (5 seconds)
bwx6
bwx6
bwx6

Standing Band Hip Adductions/Hanging L-Sits
(2)µbx15/15 – bwx30 seconds
(2)µbx15/15 – bwx30 seconds
(2)µbx15/15 – bwx30 seconds

Stretching

Comments: Right knee a little achy still after training. That quad is also very sore so I made it a priority to get in a walk in yesterday even though it was rainy all day. I kind of knew that I’d eventually have it where I felt like I needed allergy meds as been getting away with it since April it seems. The harsh and fast rains tend to not be an issue for my allergies but the slow moving all day affairs tend to be and issue. I didn’t have enough time in the morning to assess if I needed to do more than nasal spray so I was at the mercy of allergies. I’d rather not take them due to the blood pressure issue, especially on a training day. I felt wiped enough that I was willing to play it by ear when I got home and see if I wanted to workout or take a nap and try again tomorrow. Nothing coming up so don’t have to be so rigid with my training schedule since I have all the workouts and can adjust as needed. I’m not waiting on next week’s having a time crunch. I decided I’d do my warming up and see if that woke me up and go from there. Foam roller stuff and I needed more on everywhere compared to Monday. Upper back was about the same level of need. Really worked the quads to see if that helped with the tenderness there. Neck rehabbing exercises felt good. Felt like they were doing something today. They had felt like that Monday too. Lower body stuff with glute activation and mobility felt fine. Dead hang was ok. Then on to training. Hopefully this will go by a little smoother now that I know what I’m doing as far as exercises and setup. So starting off with the tempo band leg curls. Like the other starting exercises, not changing stuff here and just hitting the same stuff to hopefully have it help with priming and getting blood flow and conditioned. Again, doesn’t matter how easy these start out, they always are almost agony by the end of it. But I know these are good for me and I need to have my hamstrings up to par for this coming season after finding them lagging. Then more tempo modified stuff with snatch grip rdls. Still tempo style and beltless like last week. Aim being 10-20lbs more than last week for 4x8. I wasn’t too sure how that would go with soreness in legs and with how allergies had me today. I warmed up as if I was doing 20lbs more for 225lbs. My warm ups didn’t inspire confidence as my knees felt achy and I wasn’t feeling like I had the tempo and movement right at the start. But as I’ve mentioned, I apparently turn it on for the working weight. 225lbs felt so easy I contemplated adding weight. I was fighting myself during my rest period here to see if the second set took it out of me and I wasn’t recovering and if still easy go up. But I decided I knew what I was about and added 5lbs with intent to add weight each set. So a little off the plan but still in the same spirit. If feeling good, feel good. 235lbs did feel a bit tougher so 240lbs could be pushing it. Wrong, a little longer rest and it was no problem. So not sure what to make of that. But this was a good result. Plan is switching up the tempo and grip a little for next time. Not sure if I will keep it beltless there too. Only definitely no belt last week and this week for deadlifts and front squats. The no really weights stuff followed. Intent was to hopefully have things feel easier compared to last week as lower body stuff gets hit hard twice at this time. Walking lunges next. I had already deviate on these a little with adding weight as these were initially to be bodyweight only last week. But that had been when I last did this session because my knees were really achy and sore and needing knee sleeves and mental prep to even do them. Not the case right now so seeing if I can keep movement and bump the weights up a little each time with this light weight. Want to make sure knees stay pleasant for me. I wasn’t sure how this would be with my right quad still being decently sore. Getting a bit winded with them but I feel like I was moving through the sets a little quicker this time. Copenhagen plank lift holds after that. I wore thicker knee sleeves for my foot to support on the bench (more so for the other stuff after this). These did feel better this week and recovery between sides and sets was better though still quite tough on the last set each side. I was tempted to try increasing hold time on the last rep of the last set if I was feeling like I was at the start but I wasn’t so I didn’t. I also remembered the single leg roll bench I have may work in place of the bench for next time. Nordic curl negatives followed. Right hamstring was feeling the leg curls at the start. The thicker knee sleeves on my ankles made the bracing better for my feet and I was able to do 3x6 with 5 seconds on the lowering this time. So that is a good progression there. Last thing then was the superset to end it last week. Standing band hip adductions combined with hanging l-sits. Same reps and sets as last time. The band stuff wasn’t going to be an issue (it wasn’t for the most part) but the l-sit hangs were. I did extend the holds on the bands to make a little more challenging and I was noticing by the end that there was some fatigue from the Copenhagen stuff in the mix. My upper quads cramped up almost immediately on the hangs but I toughed it out. The grip is fine, it is just keeping my legs off the ground in this position. Will be tough to progress from here I think. Put stuff away and got to eating dinner before stretching. Hopefully this does me a bit of good and not feeling off with allergies tomorrow.