September 15, 2020 – Week 5, Day 1

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)

 
Mobility Prep
 
Lock Big 3
10’sx10/10’sx10/10’sx10
 
Axle Clean and Strict Presses
40x1
60x1
80x1
100x1
120x1
140x1
160x1
180x1
 
Axle Strict Presses
180x2
180x2
180x2
180x2
180x2
 
Rack Chins (yoke, straps)
bwx12
bwx12
bwx12
 
Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses
10’sx15
40’sx10
70’sx20
70’sx20
 
Band External Rotations
µbx25/25
 
Stretching
 
Comments: New training block. Trying to work on the aches and get back to feeling the power. It was cold enough today that I hesitated getting out of bed. Dropped pretty quick. Like below 70 degrees in the afternoon. I’ve just gotten used to being sweaty. Didn’t need fans today to train. So warm-ups and such. Walking felt good. The modifications to the warm-up really kicked my butt. I can only hope to improve. That is the idea though. Warm-ups are geared toward the day of training more. More stuff on press days since need to get upper body warm. This workout also going to have a pre lift and post lift exercise for the shoulders. The drill with the dumbbells I was able to do them but this was difficult since I’ve not done it for many months now. Axle was up for today. So the plan for this week and next is still clean and press followed by press out of the rack but doing strict presses. Kind of lower weight again and give knees a rest. Right shoulder is still a little achy but better. I think. The continental on the axle from hang felt good until I got over 120lbs. I keep either pulling too close and lifting my shirt up or I don’t get it high enough. I’m not sure if this is a strength or form issue. These weights are still really light. But I don’t like how I always seem to have an issue with the axle above this weight, especially around 180lbs. So moved from there to presses out of the rack. Not as jarring as push pressing out of the rack after clean and press has been. That could just be increased familiarization and adaptation. The pressing felt pretty good and I feel I got better as I went on this. The next part was not fun. See, I had intended to do the pulldowns with a different setup. My previous two setups weren’t working. The one being a janky mess and the other essentially sawing through my yoke. I had to have a setup that didn’t rub against something. My setup involved putting the squat rack on tables and weighing it down. About 30-40 minutes and several hundred pounds of plates and dumbbells later it was not working. It had gotten so dark so quickly too so I went with the exercise I had been doing when COVID stuff happened with the rack chins. Using the yoke and my straps. Just went with bodyweight for 3x12 on these as I put crap back in the garage. Ideally I would’ve had more time to get used to it rather than go at it with the higher reps right off the bat. Biceps stress on the right biceps did seem to be less by the end of it. Incline dumbbell bench presses to follow that up. Only thing was to do 2 sets of 15-20 reps. I did minimal warm-ups as it was getting late and I didn’t want to burn the meatloaf I had been cooking (I ended up taking it out before I got to the working sets). First didn’t feel so darn heavy like last time did. My right shoulder wasn’t so achy. I felt strong, good for many more. Second set not so much. It felt heavy again and had a little more right shoulder ache. I had more reps in me for sure but didn’t feel as “powerful” as I did on that first set. Last thing is kind of rehab/prehab stuff. Back when I was in high school doing volleyball and having shoulders stuff. Old external rotations. Memories. Doesn’t feel like anything at the start but you get to that point where there is a deep burning sensation after so many reps. I remember that too. Hopefully improvements continue.

September 12, 2020 – Week 4, Day 3

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)
 
Mobility Prep
 
Titan Fitness Farmer’s Walk
95x50’ in 5.72 seconds
135x50’ in 6.18 seconds
175x50’ in 6.45 seconds
210x50’ in 7.45 seconds
210x50’ in 6.76 seconds
210x50’ in 7.00 seconds
 
Sandbag Rows (long ways)
175x5
225x5
 
Sandbag Loads (62”)
175x1
225x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
 
Stretching
 
Comments: I had been feeling good last workout but I guess I had to put a stop to that. I have some things I still need to be resolving and working on. After training, I accidentally made myself sad thinking about how things were and exacerbated that by listening to sad songs before going to bed. That bought of sadness definitely cleared out my sinuses haha. I stayed up late Friday for no real reason other than I could. I think I was just behind on what I was planning to do by like 4hrs. Despite that, I didn’t sleep forever like I usually do. Wasn’t even noon when I woke up. I was bit paranoid that it was going to rain from the look of the clouds. But it didn’t. It was just moderately cool today. Warm-ups felt pretty good. Lower back was a little tender from deadlifting but it wasn’t like it was two weeks ago where it felt unpleasant. This just felt like I had done work and felt okay as I did movements. Warm-up prep is going to change starting next week with the new block. Will be interesting to see how that goes. So today was farmer’s walk again. Plan being work up to 3 sets of 50’ with 10lbs more per handle than last time. I got a long time until I compete again so the slow burn is fine. My hope this time around was to get a run under 7 seconds as I feel I had that in me last time but familiarization and adaptation this time could result in that this week. Again, I do like that these are at a set height empty rather than relying on plates to elevate so I can do some empty walks with them to warm-up. I definitely need that these days, especially with whatever I did to my right knee last week setting up deadlifts. I could feel that I didn’t want to go crazy on the speed with hesitancy in the knee and I’d have to work up to it. So rather than 50lbs jumps this time, I figured I’d benefit from smaller jumps to get an extra set of a run in before the top weights. For most of this, I couldn’t hear myself think as my neighbor across the street and my neighbor to the left of my house were both mowing their lawns at the same time. It made me a bit irritable as I worried that I’d get a “complaint” for making too much noise from dropping the weights in the street, despite the fact the mowing is more noise pollution then I could ever hope to make. Hell, I could barely hear my music playing from the speaker in my garage. But I guess it is good that my elderly neighbors are still able to do household chores like that unassisted. I think my desire to not make a loud clang resulted in me not going fast through to the finish line as I knew from last time that dropping them was bad. I have to slow down for the set down to not crush my feet or hit my ankles and doing so abruptly puts a lot of pressure on the knees. I knew that I needed to not do that on the heavy sets. Well not that heavy, but the top sets of the day. The first run with 210lbs did feel heavier than I would’ve liked. It is a bit difficult to get the times like with yoke since the feet are so much closer to the ground compared to how high up the handles are when I’m moving. The second set I knew was a good run. I felt that was close to 7 seconds but wouldn’t know until I checked. The final set also felt good but I figured it was slower than my second but faster than my first. So goal achieved with getting a run under 7 seconds this time. Loaded everything up on to the hand truck and pulled it into the garage. Put everything away to then finish up with sandbags for the remainder of the workout.  Start things off with sandbag rows. Gripping them how I would for the loading style again. I knew that I couldn’t be disrespectful like last time. Last time my biceps were bothering me and my lower back was grumpy. I treated these as an actual exercise and not a warm up lift. Things went a million percent better. I actually forgot to put on the copper sleeves for my arms on the first set. Good control. I had the system figured out a bit better this time to get everything ready for the sandbag loads. Probably helped it wasn’t super-hot and humid today. I didn’t really have any biceps issues on the warm-up bags but I did have a twinge in my right knee lapping the first bag so I kind of rushed that one. But knee was ok. Just was a moment of brief not feeling good. Going to try and ice them twice today after training. So then time to do the working sets. 275lbs again for EMOM but this time doing 2 more singles. Not a big deal. This will get to be challenging soon I'm sure but right now it is a slow and smart burn to get back to proficiency and not being all worn. Now I set my timer so that I can go on the beeps and put an extra set in so that I can get it without having a delay hitting the timer to start on the first one. This almost backfired as I was having issues getting my soft belt setup on. This was easy stuff really. I do feel I wasn’t getting quite the clearance I was last time. This could be because I did heavier stuff before or I knew I had two extra sets. I did feel like on some sets it wasn’t so much extend and over like say my stone of steel stuff but some I was literally just throwing it off my chest because I was away from the bar. Maybe I setup a little further away because the long way grip makes me a little claustrophobic of the feet of the yoke. I was noticing my right biceps a bit more this time around but that could be because it wasn’t as stressed from the stuff before like last time. Just got to keep an eye on this stuff but not let it eat away at my confidence and sanity. I got enough of that from other things this year haha.

September 10, 2020 – Week 4, Day 2

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)
 

Mobility Prep
 
Goblet Squats to Box (15”)
40x10
40x10
 
Deadlifts
45x10
135x5
185x1
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
Added Straps
455x1
455x1
455x1
455x1
455x1
 
Ab Wheel
bwx15
 
Side Plank Raises
bwx20/20
 
Stretching
 
Comments: Feeling lazy. Trying to keep motivated in little ways. I’ve been trying to make sure to ice my knees and my right elbow at least twice a day the past two days if I can and do soft tissue work. I think I felt lazy since I didn’t need to setup anything for deadlift that was special today. Walking felt ok for warm-up. Easy goblet squats after that. Not as crisp as they had felt two weeks ago but felt better than they had last week. So that is something I guess. Then deadlift time. So this week was just regular deadlifting. No bands, no platforms. Plan today was 80% of 1rm for the five singles after warming up. So I had not expected that I’d be moving as much weight as I was with the bands with how I had been feeling before starting but essentially using roughly 40lbs more than I was expecting. I had been estimating my pull at 550lbs at best with how things had been feeling since switching to quarantine situation. So that would put me at 435lbs-440lbs or so. I figured that I’d see how I felt since Mr. Westerling had indicated that this is more based off it being smooth and fast pulls and percentage more a guideline. So options could be do 435lbs or go up 10lbs a single. Whatever felt good. I figured the play it by ear approach but was thinking like 5lbs a single maybe. Really depended on how warming up felt. I will say that pulling without the bands after having the bands so much is something. They have a grounding effect so it is always good to get some time without the bands to get used to all the ways the weight can move on you. Enough band tension and the stuff tends to stay in a set plane. So this feels like a good method approach. I was feeling like it was floating to lockout which tends to be a good thing for me. Almost had a mishap warming up when I forgot to put another plate on the one side haha. 405lbs felt pretty good with the belt on so I thought why not do 455lbs for the working sets. Put on straps. Could’ve done these without straps if I chalked up my hands but the purpose was to get used to pulling good again. And I got farmer’s walk later this week. Speed felt consistent. Even when I felt slow it moved pretty fast. My lockout speed is good. Power off the floor is improving. I am noticing that it kind of rolls away from me as I start and it kind of spelunk along my shins as I pull. I’m not sure if this is something that I need to fix or should fix since I’m just glad my pulls don’t feel like death right now. Usually after the deadlifts I take a good swig of BCAAs in my jug as I put stuff away before abdominal stuff but I only had to put away the weights and no bands or platform. So I went right on to it. Ab wheel given a rep range now of 12-15 reps. I always go high if I can. A bit tougher. Probably from going right to it from the deadlifts. Side plank raises also increased rep range. Tried to start on my weaker/less coordinated side this time. I tend to go faster but it is harder. The other side is slower but smoother and not as difficult. Cleaned stuff up before eating dinner and then doing recovery stuff. Survived a month of deadlifting so far.

September 8, 2020 – Week 4, Day 1

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)
 
Mobility Prep
 
12” Log Clean & Push Presses
Kettlebells
15’sx7
Dumbbells
40’sx3
Log
120x1
140x1
160x1
180x1
200x1
 
12” Log Push Presses
200x2
200x2
200x2
200x2
200x2
 
Bench Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows
15’sx15
40’sx12
70’sx15
70’sx15
 
Slingshot Dips
bw+10x10
bw+55x10
bw+100x15
 
Stretching
 
Comments: Another week of light weights. If anything, I’ve picked up more aches. Right knee thing. Ankles and right foot sometimes ache. Elbows, shoulders and right forearm. Just seems like going to be that way more and more. So as has been the case, log has popped up again. I honestly have no idea how this had felt so much better just months ago. Log felt like crap. Just not ass like last time. I felt a little off on the pressing. Cleans seemed to at least be going ok. I was expecting these to feel a lot better since axle felt good last week. Guess not. Maybe since I have to start heavier with my log compared to axle. 140lbs I hit my chin on the press and 160lbs I overrolled it on the clean had it not quite on the shoulders for the press. I think I even had the log too low on the start of the clean with 180lbs. I think I was initially anxious about my right knee being ok with the deep lap for log. 200lbs didn’t feel terrible but it should go up better. It is not even 65% of my all-time best.  The weights are going up quick despite my leg drive not feeling like it is doing much. Then it was time to move it into the rack. Well I guess not right away as my nephew called me at this point to tell me about his first day of kindergarten. Somethings are just more important than others. So I cooled down a little bit before going into this. I didn’t think it would be that off putting. Felt close to last week with it feeling alien and awful and my knees aching and my body rejecting this exercise. Also wasn’t helpful having acorns falling down constantly while training. Just have to get used to it. It’s still not great but I felt I was feeling a bit better by the end. I realized my breathing was sucky after the first two sets as I was getting exertion headache and getting light headed. Holding my breath too long walking out. Last two sets seemed a bit better. Axle is a lot smoother on this stuff. Guess I’ll have to just press despite discomfort and hope for the best. Into the garage for the rest of the training for today. Dumbbell rows with the bench. Felt nice to just lay down haha. Same as last time but work up to 2 sets of 12-15 with the 70lbs dumbbells. I think I did a few more reps on the warm-ups compared to last time. Feels good though. Like, the opposite of the overhead pressing with the log. Slingshot dips to end the day. Wasn’t sure how this would be honestly as last two times my right shoulder was none too pleased with me. Plan this time was same as last but do more reps on the last set. Plate jumps. Had little traction effect on just the first set. I was feeling fairly good on these today. Some aches in the forearms due to my weight and the weight I was lifting. I mean, close to 300lbs. 15 reps certainly tougher than 10 reps haha. Right shoulder was ok with this. Cooled off, ate pot roast and then stretched. Too late for icing the joints, have to save that for tomorrow.

September 5, 2020 – Week 3, Day 3

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)

 
Mobility Prep
 
NY Barbell Yoke
180x50’ in 5.38 seconds
270x50’ in 5.57 seconds
360x50’ in 6.33 seconds
450x50’ in 6.43 seconds
520x50’ in 7.12 seconds
520x50’ in 6.96 seconds
520x50’ in 7.08 seconds
 
Sandbag Rows
175x5
225x5
 
Stone of Steel Loads (62”, tacky towel)
138x1
182x1
225.5x1
279.5x1
279.5x0,1 (missed load first attempt)
279.5x1
279.5x1
279.5x1
 
Stretching
 
Comments: I think it is a good thing that put up more than just numbers of a session for training. Always felt that just numbers isn’t terribly helpful. They matter but knowing the other stuff is good. I say this as just reading what my thoughts were two weeks ago is big difference from today. Am I still depressed and down? Yes but I’m not as angry at myself as I was. I did feel some of that paralysis on my birthday but not today. As was expected, my shin was not having breaks in my bone, just got a contact bruise from the bar love tap. My right knee was a bit off and tight. I had thought it was nothing on my last training session as I was trying to skootch my rack and band setup with my foot and I felt my knee shift trying to do that. But I had felt no pain so I figured just my imagination. I’ve been lax in icing the knee and doing soft tissue work. I knew I needed to ice it after working out today. I stayed up late as my plans for the next day were changed (nursing home changed visiting policy so couldn’t visit grandma due to her recent hospital visit) and woke up late so late afternoon training. No issues with warm-ups. Knees felt ok and I didn’t feel like I had a twinge in my lower back like I did last week in warm-ups. Yoke up first. Same as last time with working up to 3 runs of 50’ but with 20lbs more. I did a few lengths with just the empty yoke to get a feel of things. It seemed to be good with my new farmer’s handles for familiarization so I thought why not with the yoke. The top weight was something that I felt I could just do 50’ runs with the planned jumps this time. I was feeling ok and my knee wasn’t bothering me but I did feel like I was a little slow on my pick. I did feel like I was accelerating better though. If I’m fast, then I’m good. I’m kind of surprised I’m faster on yoke compared to farmer’s walk as I can get a better gait but I think the pick up is what does it for me. I didn’t have good work up sets in a sense. First run felt good and I felt like I was able to adjust my gait near the end. Second run I got overzealous with that and cracked the base of my skull on the yoke crossbar as I set it down. Third run my “back belt” somehow came undone and slid down on to my hips and legs so I had a little extra resistance. I don’t feel like I had any issues once I put on my hard belt. I thought I was moving a little faster with the working sets then I ended up getting but still good. Ended up being faster than when I was doing my runs with 510lbs over a month ago. The grouping was much closer this time compared to last time too. Becoming consistent haha. So sandbag rows followed. I treated these with respect this time. I made sure that I had myself comfortable and secure with my grip before I started. I forget that sometimes just bending over and then flexing the body to brace can help with getting my knees ready for lapping stones too. Going to need to keep focus on these and not just rep the things out all sloppy. This lead to the last bit of training, EMOM stone of steel. Empty implement was really easy. The next set was perhaps careless as I lapped it but almost fell backwards due to being off balance. Have to treat stuff respectfully. Next set was ok too. I could feel that my lower back was a bit fatigued though. The deadlifts are getting to me. Plan was 275lbs for the 5 singles and that is what I thought I had loaded in the thing but scale afterwards told me it was heavier. Oh well. I could feel some stress on my right biceps on these. Not pain but enough that I was watching. I must’ve misjudged my distance from the bar on the second single as I missed the load by knocking the yoke away. That sucked since I literally did all of the lift. Rolled it back and did another attempt so I had like 30 seconds or so before I had my next minute to go. I was tempted to do a double on the last one to make up for it but then I stopped myself because why when I had already essentially done an extra rep already? Other than that one missed rep, this was good stuff. Before stretching, I topped off one of the sandbags and it was much easier this time compared to the past few times. Ate a big dinner and then stretched.

September 3, 2020 – Week 3, Day 2

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)

 
Mobility Prep
 
Goblet Squats to Box (15”)
40x10
40x10
 
1” Platform Deadlifts w/ bands
No Bands
45x10
135x5
Added Bands (+8lbs bottom/+46lbs top)
135x1
185x1
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1
Added Straps
500x1
500x1
500x1
500x1
500x1
 
Ab Wheel
bwx12
 
Side Plank Raises
bwx15/15
 
Stretching
 
Comments: Another year older. Not a fan of my birthday. Last two years were good. This year wasn’t going to be. I felt very sad and depressed and was thinking about calling in sick. Or training at lunch so I could just go to bed after my shift. I was also anxious about my back as it was feeling tight on the left side and I was wondering if I had pushed it too much with the deadlifts and if this next session was going to put me out of commission. Big thunderstorm near the end of the work day also was making me think that today wasn’t a day worth having. But I had checked the weather and it was going to be moving through fast. I didn’t bother setting up the deadlift band platform setup early like I did last week as I knew that a simpler setup would work for today since it was a lot less band tension. Walking felt ok for warm-up. No real issues with anything. I put on my converses for the goblet squats again as they seemed to feel good last time. Not as crisp a movement this time. I noticed every rep this time haha. I moved on to deadlifts after that. Lowered the platform another 1”. I couldn’t quite get the band tension to be 1/3 of my top band tension so it was a bit under that as I figured that was better than going over it by a lot. Plan for this session was a top weight for the five singles that felt like something that I could do 3-4 reps with. More bar weight vs band tension has a different feel. Not as terrible on the grip. I was actually surprised that I worked up to 455lbs without straps. I felt like during the pull I was losing it right off the floor but I somehow felt secure after that moment and kept pulling. I think that was what told me it was ok to go above 495lbs for the work sets.  500lbs in bar weight, a little above that off the floor and about my projected max in total at the top of the lift. Deadlifting with this bar and these weights off concrete just feels heavier. Even with 3 minute rests, these are tough. I mean, it should be when it is essentially over 90%. I also get antsy to go. I could definitely tell I was slowing down each rep. Fourth rep I felt pain in my right ankle/lower shin after the lift. I couldn’t tell what that was about. My head was saying it was either a bruise from the bar hitting there on the way up or I had finally succumbed to stress fractures in my legs because I feel like I’m 35 going on 55. It was much more likely that first option haha but I was kind of the mind to say if it was the second option, so be it. So survived the bands on deadlifts. Last bit was abdominal stuff. Same as last week. Extra rep on the ab wheel (which felt smoother today) and then some extra reps on the side plank raises. Food, stretching, showering and icing knees and elbows. Yep, elbows been needing it too. Focus on the good things Craig.

September 1, 2020 – Week 3, Day 1

5 Minute Walk (.25 miles)
 

Mobility Prep
 
Axle Clean and Push Presses
40x1
60x1
80x1
100x1
120x1
140x1
160x1
180x1
200x1
 
Axle Push Presses
200x2
200x2
200x2
200x2
200x2
 
Seated Pulldowns
90x10
135x12
135x12
135x12
 
Incline Dumbbell Bench Presses
10’sx15
40’sx12
70’sx15
70’sx15
 
Stretching
 
Comments: I’ve been irritable. Didn’t realize how much I was until today. Kind of just shut down when I’m around people now. I can function at least. So functioning depressive. My back had been feeling stiff the previous two days so I was a little put off by that too. Maybe I just not happy with how things are in the world. How I am. I never really cared for my birthday either. I’ve enjoyed the last two for sure but things are a lot different now. At this point, I can just focus on training. Rain off and on throughout the day. I didn’t feel any twinge in my lower back while doing the warm-up stuff so that was good. I was planning on not using my fans but it was so humid despite it being cooler that I kept them on. Repeat of two weeks ago with more weight and/or reps. First part of workout was singles with clean and press. 20lbs jumps. Work up to 65%. So working up to 15lbs more than last time. Still working the hang style for the clean. I work a shirt that wasn’t as “soft” and stretchy. Knees weren’t bothering me much. Actually felt good. I had a pesky mosquito that kept going for my legs at the start. Then it started raining. I had to move my camera which actually lead to a better vantage point to film ironically. I was under the big tree so very little rain was getting on the axle setup at this point. 160lbs went up stupid easy. Like it should. Like the first time in a few weeks that overhead lift felt like it should. I of course messed up the following set. My second pull resulted in my shirt going up and I landed on the smooth part of my grip shirt and I had to keep bumping it up my shirt to get past it. I put on the lightest of my belts on for the next set. I was planning on doing this anyways as I got more and more weight on these top sets but made it more the point with having my shirt issue. I think it was more being out of practice and the weight than anything as that clean felt tough. This is a new clean style so there is bound to be trial and error as I bump up in weight. I can say I like that the control allows me to adjust if the axle is off balance. It started raining harder after that and I had more stuff to do. Luckily it was axle out of the rack next and I could do everything after that in the garage. Put the axle in the rack and then do 5 doubles with the weight I just finished at. Felt so much better than the previous two weeks of rack work. Knees didn’t want to die and it didn’t feel so damn heavy. I didn’t feel like my right side was too tight either. I just wish that I was moving at least 20lbs more than this for it to feel like it did. Left wrist was bothering me on the first few sets but got better as I went. It was raining a good bit but not enough to effect things. After that, I had to move stuff out of the rain and into the garage to finish things up. The next part being pulldowns with what I have. I had a thought of a new setup that ended up being more complicated than I expected. Requiring my squat rack and the yoke. Ended up needing a couple other things and trial and error. Got whacked in the kidneys for my efforts on one attempt. Plan was 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Things felt nice with 90lbs so I figured that 135lbs would still be light. Not exactly. Since I can’t anchor my body like regular pulldowns, at a certain point, I have to fight to keep my body down. Still, first set felt good. Following sets felt tougher. I was scratching my head on that and it turns out the reason was it was getting tougher. The cable wire was getting rubbed on the yoke and it had cut through the plastic covering and had started sawing into my yoke! So it was metal on metal friction. Thankfully it didn’t cut into it a lot as I’ve been enjoying this yoke for how light weight it is. Next time (assuming this exercise stays) I’ll have to try another setup. If that doesn’t work, I think I have to try something else unfortunately. Last item for the evening was incline dumbbell bench. Same weights as last time just more reps on the top two sets. Shoulders felt better this time around. Didn’t feel so darn tight. Didn’t feel like stuff was restricting my motions. The weights did still feel heavy on my forearms even though I was pumping out the reps. While training was done for the day, I still had stuff as I had to clean up my fridge as a precooked pot roast leaked everywhere. Thankfully my dinner was filling.