I didn’t feel my strongest today and sort of regret not going for a 15th rep. It was still the greatest number of reps I’ve pulled with 195. 200x14 sounds much better though. Next week is another huge test with 205. I’m dealing with a nasty knot in my upper back right now, so I let myself off the hook today on the pulling assistance.
Again, even though I deadlifted double overhand and didn’t have a belt back then, the difference between June 2020 and now is noticeable:
Ha, that’s a parking garage. So I got to witness all the weird looks from people as they watched me lug a bunch of plates down there so I could deadlift near their cars.
Absolute bogus. Rain started pouring as soon as I started my intervals and didn’t stop. I’m drenched. Everything felt like slow motion and like I didn’t do anything at all. I guess it was a mental exercise more than anything else. I wasn’t the only weirdo at the track; two kids and their father were running around the track too. The guy told me I seemed committed, so I guess my ego was fed if nothing else.
I haven’t had a knot this bad in years. The pain kept waking me up in the middle of the night I tried rolling it out and stretching yesterday, but it seems to have made it worse.
Standing ab wheel progression 12,9,7
Band pull aparts 5x20
50 pushups
I slept for nine hours last night my back still aches but did the pullups anyway. The tightness also made benching uncomfortable because the knot includes my shoulder blade. I like to think I could have squeezed out one more rep if that weren’t a factor, which isn’t too bad. I want to regularly bench 90 for 10+ reps. The widowmaker set was good.
Much better track session today. The weather is great.
Some jumps
2x450m (15 min rest between reps) both < 1:40
2x200m
These “event runs,” the 450s and the split 400s, are the worst… probably because they’re most like the actual 400m (hence the name), and the 400m is not fun. But these runs are good at exposing my weaknesses. Those extra 50m make a difference…
I improved by one rep since last cycle on the PR set and think I had one left in reserve. My back is still tight but felt okay enough to row again. I decided to combine conditioning with the single leg/core assistance because I am short on time today but for good reason – my newish friend and I are going hiking. Super excited!
This cycle has gone by really quickly. I feel like I have never balanced my conditioning and weightroom pursuits as well as I have in the past couple months. I don’t know why that is because I have not dramatically changed anything. After the next week I will take a break from PRs, maybe return Easy Strength or a three day template again to hone in on my 400m training. I want to really push myself for the last 5-6 weeks of the year, so I am considering BBB again or might even try something like MMS.
Fun hike. Nothing super strenuous, but this was my second time hanging out with this person, who I think also doesn’t know I lift or anything. Not too far from where we live. It was nice to just get out there. The leaves haven’t changed colors here yet.
Great time for me. I think I am turning this into more of a race than it should be. But then again running also sucks, and I want to finish sooner rather than later.
I haven’t PR’ed on anything overhead since February 2020 (embarrassing), so this felt like A Big Deal. A tiny PR but a PR nonetheless. The last rep was weird, but I would have been pissed at myself for leaving it on the table. I’m good at sensing whether or not I can grind out another rep. Press PRs are so much more satisfying than bench PRs, and not only because the former are rarer for me.
I tried rolling it out and stretching yesterday, but it seems to have made it worse.
my back still aches but did the pullups anyway. The tightness also made benching uncomfortable because the knot includes my shoulder blade. I like to think I could have squeezed out one more rep if that weren’t a factor, which isn’t too bad. I want to regularly bench 90 for 10+ reps. The widowmaker set was good.
