Axle clean once and strict press
155 x 5
175 x 3
195 x 2
Super-set with band pull-aparts: 3 x 15
SSB front squats
270 x 5
305 x 3
345 x 3 (PR)
270 x 10 (PR)
Super-set with pull-ups: 3 x 12
Incline dumbbell press: 80s x 5 (stopped due to shoulder pain)
Swiss bar bench press
235 x 3 (stopped due to shoulder pain)
225 x 6, 7, 7
Good night despite injuries. My press is getting a little stronger. 195x2 went up stronger with an achy left shoulder than 185x3 pain-free last week.
Incline pressing even light weight hurt the most and I opted to shut that down rather than ignore the pain, even though the weight was moving quick.
First set of bench press hurt. For the second set, I stripped off the 5 lb plates to bring it down to 225, and then focused on pressing in more of a downward trajectory than normal, almost as if I was decline benching. It worked, and by the third set I was bench pressing with minimal pain.
Real happy with how my front squats are progressing. I’d like to try the snatch grip with a straight bar again sometime with a silly idea to prevent the bar slipping: double-sided cat tape wrapped around it. It’s designed to make cats’ paws stick to surfaces they shouldn’t be on, driving them to avoid it. I have some in storage somewhere.
Bicep is about the same: there’s pain but it’s manageable. I will have to say goodbye to log cleans for awhile, but I was able to do unassisted pull-ups this time and they felt good.
Bent-over dumbbell rows
100 x 10
115 x 10, 10
Super-set with weighted dips
50 x 10
100 x 8, 8
Romanian deadlifts: 315 x 2 x 8
Super-set with dumbbell curls: 35s x 8, 10, 10
Doing cleans and heavy deadlift reps before the final deadlift set has been great, I’ve found. The top set moves slower than it normally would, but my back feels so strong and warmed-up by that point.
Had a good, technical boxing session Tuesday night. Shadowboxed with dumbbells and only the 4 pounders and up were available (being the biggest guy I let everyone else pick the lighter ones first), but I was careful and didn’t have any shoulder pain. Took turns with different partners practicing bodyshots.
Came into this with sore shoulders, traps, and upper back. Cleans were giving me trouble as a result; whole upper back just felt fried and I had several missed attempts as a result before I finally got the 200 lbs to my chest. The next set came easier.
Crazy bells made my left shoulder hurt, the opposite intended effect of doing them for rehab. I got through the 2 sets but pretty much need to avoid incline benching of any kind until my shoulder’s healed.
Keg was spilling water so I went with just the sandbag for a second round of loaded carries. It’s been 10 years since I bought and sealed the keg and it’s time to perform some maintenance repairs.
This morning: 5 minute jump-rope round in the living room before breakfast and work.
Snapped a mirror shot last night a couple of hours after lifting. I’m bigger than I usually am at 198 lbs - credit to strongman training.
@simo74 Appreciate that my man, that’s always good to hear.
Saturday deload
Axle clean once and press
90 x 5
110 x 5
130 x 5
Super-set with band pull-aparts:
Front squats
135, 185, 225 x 5
Super-set with chin-ups: 3 x 10
Bent-over barbell rows
185 x 3 x 8
Super-set with weighted dips: 50 x 8
75 x 8, 8
1 minute sandbag carry
Went on a 3-hour evening walk with my girlfriend in the evening to our local park and back. Way restorative.
Sunday morning:
1 round, 10 minutes jumping rope (PR)
Band-resisted striking drills: jab and straight right
Bicep rehab: 70 axle curls with 25 lbs
Evening: 4 hill sprints, followed by a 12-minute jog afterwards.
Monday was a rest day, and then this morning before work I did a 7-minute jump-rope round.
Biceps got surprisingly sore from those light axle curls. It’s been a minute since I’ve done Poundstone curls.
STILL no sparring available for weekly class sign-ups and haven’t been asked by the coach to come spar on the side, either. I might ask him if I can train with their masters team on Wednesdays to hopefully get more sparring in.
Lying dumbbell rows: 80s x 3 x 10
Super-set with SSB JM press: 170 x 3 x 8
Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts
80s x 2 x 8
Still weighing 198. Reducing calories at lunch and my post-workout meal are 2 easy tweaks because those are currently my largest meals. I’m in no hurry.
Jump-roped for a 7-minute round this morning, along with some external band rotations for my left shoulder which has been gradually feeling a little better.
