TCam's Log - The Road to Elite

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - MONDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Lawn Mow x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
1 x 1 hr 15 min
Metrics
136 avg HR, 157 max HR, 842 cal

Hamstring Rehab
Standing Leg Curl Yielding Isometric - Hanging Weight
3 x (5x0:10) x 22
Cable Paw Back
2x15x25 - Common runners exercise, apparently controversial in its usefulness for it, but it directly hits the hamstrings, so I used it

Anterior Knee Rehab
Heel Elevated Split Squat
2 x 1:00/1:00 eccentrics x BW

Bringing back the lawn mowing as light conditioning Hamstring is feeling a little tight and some pain with the rehab exercises, but manageable. Anterior knees I’m just continuing to put in these slow-ass eccentrics and seeing what happens.

MONDAY EVENING - UPPER // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Slow Eccentric Deficit Push-Up
2x5xBW - 8 ct ecc
P3 | Plyo Push Up to Boxes
2x5xBW - Some impulse drops, leading to a few depth drops from 16" boxes and back up

A1 | 3 Ct Eccentric / 3 Ct Pause Bench Press
5x4x275 - All solid

A2 | Vertical Rows
3x8/8x85 Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
5+3+2xBW Pull up - Wide grip
7+3xBW Pull up - Wide grip

Paused Close Grip Incline Spoto Press - 45 Deg
10x185
2x8x185
All at RPE 9.5-10

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: PECS + SHOULDERS
B1 | Single-Arm Cable Fly
2x15/15x25 - Bent over, high angle
20/20x25 - Standard angle
B2 | Cable Lateral Y Raise
3x12/12x25

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + BICEPS
C1 | SCSE Triceps Pushdown
4, 3, 3 x 2 Light Bands - 10 ct concentric and eccentric
C2 | DB Incline Curl
2x8x25s - Off bench, elbows supported, slow eccentrics

Good session here. No issues with the shoulder on the depth drop push-ups this time, good control on the tempo bench, and beat the Spoto total reps from last time by a couple.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - WEDNESDAY EVENING - SQUAT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Low Lunge Walk
16/16xBW
16/16xBW+15 - Med Ball
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x10/10xBW
P3 | Seated Vertical Jump
2x5x15 lbs - 3 jumps with med ball, 2 without

SSB Squat w/ Chains - Belt/Flats
5x3x330+75 - Strict bar position/form made this hard enough to be high effort and low velocity

Paused RDL - Beltless/Straps
4x3x315 - No hamstring pain but being conservative regardless

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: HIPS + CORE
A1 | Knees-Bent Hyperextension
3x6xBW+135 - With barbell Zercher
A2 | Decline Sit-Up
2x10/10xBW+25 - Straight single-arm to overhead with DB and twist to opposite side

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: QUADS + CALVES
Ultra Slow Squat - Knees Rehab
1x1:00+0:30x45 - Added a slow concentric component, from bottom to above parallel. Absolutely bonkers
1x1:00+0:20x45
Leaning Calf Raise
20/20xBW - Eversion
20/20xBW - Inversion

Hamstring Bridge Walkout - Hamstring Rehab
3x5/5xBW

The day before I did a knee and hamstring rehab session with the ultra slow eccentric squats up to a barbell and 75-90 sec eccentrics, cable paw backs, and hanging weight standing leg curls up to 20x22 lbs.

The quad/patellar tendons did fine with squats today following the prep flow and using chains again. Moderate pain afterwards and nothing extra the day after. Going to just keep with the rehab stuff and loading this way. Adding that slow concentric out of the bottom of the ultra slow eccentric squats was one of the most difficult quad things I’ve ever done. I’m assuming it’s more useful than the eccentric-only, so I’ll be doing more of it, unfortunately.

Hamstring definitely doesn’t want to be loaded at length still, but otherwise it’s tolerating everything well.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - THURSDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // Cruise Intervals
Warm-Up: 0.53 in 5:08
Workout: 5 Rounds x [5:00 run + 1:00 jog]
1: 0.57 + 0.09 8:52/mi run + 10:52/mi jog
2: 0.57 + 0.09 8:46/mi run + 11:14/mi jog
3: 0.61 + 0.10 8:16/mi run + 10:43/mi jog
4: 0.56 + 0.09 8:53/mi run + 10:46/mi jog
5: 0.57 + 0.10 8:52/mi run + 10:48/mi jog
Cool Down: 0.50 in 5:07
Metrics
4.38 mi total
3.35 mi in 30 min working, 9:48/mi avg working pace
2.87 mi in 25 min running, 8:44/mi avg running pace
168 avg HR, 178 max HR, 742 cal

See info below on the workout intent/structure. This was a continuous run with no true rests, just the slower paced jogs which led directly back into the faster pace for 5 rounds.

I thought this was going to suck ass, but it was probably the best I’ve ever felt in a continuous run. Never thought non-walking “rests” would be real at this point, but I felt ready to go by the end of each 1:00 jog. I was wary of my hamstring for all of this, but it felt fine at these paces.

The goal for the running reps was sub 9:00/mi and getting below 8:30/mi at some point, which we did. I hit something very close to my 5K PR within this and then another quarter mile at like RPE 7 overall. I’m also not even sore the next day. This is definitely a workout to keep doing.

Cruise Intervals (aka Broken Tempos) Info:
For building fatigue resistance at race-relevant intensities without grinding through long continuous-pace runs. The intent is to accumulate threshold volume in broken segments to allow slightly higher pace and better quality per rep, while still delivering sustained aerobic load.
Typically 800m–1600m runs or 3–8 min efforts with short, consistent rests (e.g., 30–90s jogs or walks depending on capacity). Rests aren’t for full recovery, they simply delay fatigue accumulation so you can sustain higher output over time. This all allows for better biomechanics, pacing practice, and aerobic tension.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA + BLOG

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - FRIDAY EVENING - UPPER // ARMOR

A1 | Ring Push-Up
7, 6, 5 x BW - 10-count eccentrics to super-depth

A2 | KB Drop-Catch Row
3x12/12x62

B1 | Pendulum-Catch Fly
3x12-15x25

B2 | Pendulum-Catch Shoulder ER
3x10-15x25

C1 | Single-Arm Triceps Pushdown
2x10/10x35
8/8x35

C2 | Back-Supported DB Curl
20+8+8+6+6 x 25s - Myo-rep set, 15-sec rests

Explanation of things below.

MICRO B - SATURDAY AFTERNOON - LOWER // ARMOR + CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Combo Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding to Overcoming
3 x (3x5+1)
5 yielding bilateral squat jumps to 1 overcoming vertical jump, landing in split squat

A1 | Barbell Split Squat Yielding Isometric
0:30/0:30 x 135
0:45/0:45 x 135

A2 | Cable Hamstring Heel Dig
2x15/15x35

A3 | Oscillations - Standing Reciprocal Knee Flexion/Extension
2x0:10x2 Light Bands

90/90 Hip Deadlift
3x5/5x44 - These are rough, GIF below

Pendulum-Catch Core Rotation
2x8/8x45 - Band attached to strap

Air Bike x Aerobic // Tempo Intervals
3 min warm-up at 50 RPM
20 rounds x (0:50 spins at 50-55 RPM + 0:10 pick-ups at 70-75 RPM)
3 min cool down at 50→40 RPM
Metrics
13.5 mi, 137 avg HR, 149 max HR, 250 cal (bike)

Blog below. First, here’s the 90/90 Hip Deadlift. Kills the front hip for ER capacity.

PENDULUM-CATCHES

Disclaimers: This is about the 5-10% sort of stuff in training. It’s not about a complete overhaul of training principles or the bulk of my training. Like with trying to make cardio out of lifting, you should just do actual cardio and leave lifting for what it’s good for. These things below are experimental ways to fill gaps that no other training accomplishes. Also, try at your own risk, this is not training or medical advice.

There are a few IG accounts I’ve been into lately that have this pendulum / hanging weight set up and exercises where they are jerking the weight forward and then catching it as it falls, shown in a variety of forms in this post, this post, and this post. All have some good info in the captions. The first (Rob Bozada) has a lot more variety and clear discussion around these things than the last (DAC / Brady Volmering), but both are worth a follow for expanding your training breadth. Grant Fowler, in the second link, has some very out there thinking around training/health and he leans a lot more towards some fringe and/or impractical health and supplementation side. But these accounts all have some really good outside-the-box stuff, as well as some stuff that’s pretty goofy and might not be the best thing to do, or could be covered via other more efficient means. I’m only talking about the pendulum stuff here.

There’s really not a name for these exercises beyond a couple of categorizations I’m gathering: First, “impulse reps”, which seem to be more aligned with a high-velocity collision against either an immovable object at a normal rep cadence, or a slightly movable object, at a higher rep cadence, for more of a hard-stop impact and a lot of direct joint/tendon/ligament loading. I’m not sold on those tbh, but they may be valuable for some rehab things.

Second, “reactive catches” or something to do with “jerk”, like the first 3 links I provided, which are more aligned with actually launching a load and catching it, high-velocity eccentric or isometric loading, braking, reciprocal inhibition, reactive contraction/co-contraction/joint stabilization, anticipatory strategies, reflexive global stability, and neuromuscular/motor control / RFD. Intuitively, these seem more useful to me. It seems like there are a couple of different ways to perform these, either catching the weight at mid-ROM or at the end. The former being more full loading of the muscle/tendon and stopping/braking/reversing the load as the central point. The latter being a hybrid of that and the impulses where a hard collision happens (the second link showing that in the first 2 slides). The former certainly being the safest of all of these options and what I did in the workouts above.

Tons of theory that could be discussed around these, but there are no scientific studies that have been conducted around them, as far as I know. I’m most likely only doing the reactive catches and I’m calling them “Pendulum-Catch [Exercise]” or “Pendulum-Impulse [Exercise]” (for the hybrid one) from here on, unless standardized name comes about. I’m thinking they will become a hotter topic of discussion over the next couple of years for athletic development, injury-resilience, and rehab. That or I’m just being algorithmically served these things based on what I’m consuming.

I’ll be using for them for Prep Flows sometimes, but mostly for my Armor days, along with hard isometrics, plyos, oscillations, and general control things under a lot of tension. Targeted hypertrophy exercises to meet frequency demands will also be included. I’ll need to ensure I’m not just fucking around, but these days will sometimes be exploration-oriented. These days are meant to fill the gaps and develop the unexplored aspects of speed, impact, tension, reactivity, and mobility that I otherwise don’t get from the other days and keeps robustness/durability as the central point of the Armor days. Hopefully, injuries will be decreased as a result. But who knows lol. I’m very interested in the Pendulum Paw Back exercise shown in that second link from Fowler, once my hamstring is healed fully. I clearly need durability in the hamstrings for speed-oriented running and it won’t come from traditional loading.

If you only care about traditional lifting performance, like I did for 15+ years, these things may not be useful to you. Unless something happens in life that requires sprinting, jumping, or controlling/fighting someone/something, they may never matter. But I also avoided all of that and still got a ton of small injuries that these exercises may have helped prevent, if I knew about them. So, if you want to be super well-rounded, durable, and athletic for a long time, these sort of things may be useful, along with all of the other Armor concepts. I’ll be seeing if that’s true. Either way, seems like fun.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - SUNDAY AFTERNOON - DEADLIFT // REPS

PREP FLOW
P1 | Thoracic Spine Exploration + Hip CARs
2x2:00
P2 | Conventional Deadlift Overcoming Isometric
2x5x5 sec
P3 | Vertical Jump
2x3

Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt/Straps
5x455
5x475 @ RPE 8
8, 6, 5, 5, 4 x 425 - 10 min density block with 2:00 rests, final 4 rep set was effectively around 4RM speed/feeling

High Bar Paused Squat - Beltless/Oly Shoes
6x3x315 - 90 sec rests, power focused

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: QUADS + CORE
A1 | Cyclist Squat - SSB+DBs
3x15x60+50 - Myo-Rep match sets, bottom 3/4 reps only, knees perpetually held forward
A2 | Cyclist Squat Yielding Isometric
3x0:30x60 - Just dropped the DBs
A3 | Kneeling Cable Ab Pulldown
20x70
15x85
12x85

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: HIPS + CALVES
A4 | KB Adductor Shift
3x10/10x62
Plyometrics - Light Tier - Single-Leg Lateral/Medial Line Hops
2x25/25

All of the first reps of each deadlift set felt super slow off the floor. Maybe something to do with the hamstring and not being totally confident with it (it felt fine though), just a training quality that’s decayed (lots of RDLs, not as much from a dead stop), or a mix. Regardless, each rep after was fine. The density block was very hard, but all solid work done.

No quad/patellar tendon pain at all on the high bar squats. Still hurting during other things and daily living sometimes, but definitely getting signs of improvement.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO B - TUESDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Cable Facepull
2x15x45
P3 | Impulse Drop Push Up
2x10xBW

A1 | Bench Press w/ Bands
6x4x185+Monster Minis (+85 lbs at top)

A2 | Seated Cable Mid Row
2x10x160 - Bilateral, moderate pronated grip
2x12/12x70 - Unilateral

Standing Overhead Press
12x135 @ RPE 8
11x135 @ RPE 10
10x135 @ RPE 10 - Beat last week’s total reps by 1 rep, barely

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: SHOULDERS + BICEPS
DB Lateral Raise
3x20x25s - Myo-rep match sets
Barbell Biceps Curl
2x10x95 - Some cheating to hit the reps
DB Incline Curl
2x15x25s - Myo-rep match

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + PECS
Overhead Triceps Extension - Arm Supported
2x15/15x22
Lying Pec Opener
2:00x10s
Slow Eccentric Deficit Push-Up
2 x [30 sec ecc + 30 iso] x BW - Super depth, trying to pull myself down, just shred my anterior shoulder girdle, fam

I’ve done 8x2, 6x3, 6x4 with nearly the same weight on the banded bench the last 3 micros. Will likely do 5x5 next micro and then I have a decision to make on how I want to handle this day. I’m thinking I’ll alternate the order of the 2 presses each micro, since it spreads the progressions out and let’s me work on each pattern fresh. Would still likely keep the intents the same with power first, then volume, so both bench and OHP get the same effects.

MICRO B - WEDNESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // HARD

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic // Lactate Saturation Clusters
Warm-Up: 0.75 mi jog in 7:28
Workout: 4 Rounds x [3 x 0:45 Run + 0:45 Walk] + 3:00 walk between rounds
1: 0.12 + 0.13 + 0.14
2: 0.15 + 0.12 + 0.12
3: 0.14 + 0.14 + 0.12
4: 0.14 + 0.12 + 0.11
Cool Down: 0.75 mi in 3:00 jog, 1:00 walk, 3:00 jog
Metrics:
3.00 mi total running/jogging
1.55 mi total in working sets in 9:17 (6:01/mi avg)
5:36/mi avg pace for each best effort per round
164 avg HR, 180 max HR, 798 cal

This was spicy. I wasn’t sure what my hamstring would be able to handle on speed, so I chose a duration that straddled the line between Lactate Saturation intervals and Glycolytic Power Endurance to hit a velocity that made sense. Definitely over-shot the speed on some reps anyway. Hamstring held up well through around the 2nd rep of the 3rd round and then it started feeling tighter. But it feels mostly fine the next day now.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO C - THURSDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Air Bike x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
Warm-Up: 5 min at 50 RPM
Work: 6 rounds x [3 min at 60 RPM + 2 min at 50 RPM w/ legs only]
Cool Down: 5 min at 50 → 40 RPM
Metrics
122 avg HR, 149 max HR, 366 kcal (bike)

Additional Work
Ultra Slow Squat
1 x 2:30 ecc + 0:30 con x BW - Much better pain tolerance and control on the eccentric than any other time so far. 30 sec concentric from full depth up to just under parallel is still brutal
Hamstring Razor Curl Yielding Isometric
2 x 3 x 0:10 - Assisted with Light band

Normal light conditioning day. Wanted to test out the hamstring for any issues following the running on Wednesday. Never done a Razor Curl, but it was a ton of tension at the distal hamstrings and there was no issue with the strain site. Going to be doing more of these, as well as full Razor and Nordic curls. Gotta get these hammies more durable.

MICRO C - FRIDAY EVENING - SQUAT // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
P1 | General Mobility
5 min spine, hip, knee, ankle exploration
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x20xBW
P3 | Depth Drop Vertical Jump
2x3xBW

SSB Paused Squat - Belt/Oly Shoes
4x380
3x4x350
Hatfield Squat
10+5x350 - Cluster set with 30 sec rest

Conventional Deadlift w/ Bands - Beltless/Straps
6x2x315+Quad Monster Minis (+200 at top)
Stiff-Legged RDL
10+5x315 - Cluster set with 30 sec rest. To floor, light touch and go.

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: HAMSTRINGS + CALVES
A1 | Seated Band Leg Curl
2x15x2 Light Bands
12x2 Light Bands
A2 | Single Leg Weighted Calf Raise
3x12/12xBW+62

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: CORE + HIPS
Half-Kneeling Windmill
2x12/12x44
Copenhagen Adductor Raise
30 sec long-lever isometric + 8/8xBW short-lever reps

I was still fatigued from the previous couple of days, even if the last one was light conditioning. Just didn’t have much pop to anything. But that’s okay, still hit the Control work goal of hard sets in with moderate weight and reps through a hard variation.

I set up the bands for deadlifts differently this time. Instead of quadding them and sticking the bar through so it was just double strands, I set the quadded band like 4-5 inches above the bar. Didn’t realize how heavy I had made it until measuring afterwards lol. Explained the bar speed slowing after a few sets.

Decided to try the single cluster set of Hatfields and RDLs as a way to touch a bit more hypertrophy stimulus without any extra time spent on setting up another exercise. Part of what I’m trying to accomplish is getting rid of excess efforts (not necessarily volume) beyond what is useful. Like, I had thought of doing 5-6x4 on the SSB Paused Squats, but I replaced the final 1-2 sets with a different but related stimulus in the Hatfields. Theory being that I had likely gotten everything I needed out of the 4x4 already done and any extra sets would’ve either just been diminishing returns at best and too much repeat volume at worst. All the Hatfields needed to do was be different enough in positioning and hard enough to send a signal in just one set, which a cluster with 2 near-failure points likely provided, without more than 2 minutes of extra work.

This is especially useful when talking about task specific work days like Control and Power, neither of which are about hypertrophy. While the SSB Paused Squats were hard enough to likely still have a hypertrophic response, the Banded Deadlifts likely weren’t, and the squats seemed more limited by my back than my quads anyway. So, simple way to sure up quad work and hamstring/glute work that was otherwise potentially missing.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO C - SATURDAY EVENING - UPPER // REPS

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Single-Arm Band Row
2x10/10xLight
P3 | Slow Eccentric Deficit Push-Up
2x5/5xBW

Feet Up Paused Bench Press
6, 6, 6, 5 x 275 - 2 min rests

A1 | Supported Single-Arm Cable Row
3x20/20x67.5 - Myo-Rep match sets

A2 | Deficit Pike Push Up
3x10xBW - Full ROM, like a high incline / OHP all the way to the chest. Started with pausing, then removed to get matched reps

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + BICEPS
B1 | Single-Arm Triceps Pushdown
12/12x35
10/10x35
C1 | DB Preacher Curl
15/15x25
13/13x25
13/13x25

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: SHOULDERS + PECS
B2 | Prone Shoulder Swimmer
3x8/8x13
C2 | Band Pec Fly
2x1:00/1:00xMonster Mini - Moving in and out of lengthened half ROM slowly for time

The right elbow/triceps got hit with some pain when I was choosing an exercise for the triceps isolation. Still a little iffy a couple of days later, so keeping an eye on that. Otherwise this was a solid workout.

MICRO C - SUNDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Lawn Mow x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
1 hr 21 min
Metrics
145 avg HR, 159 max HR, 1009 cal

Warm.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO C - MONDAY EVENING - LOWER // ARMOR

A1 | Nordic Curl - Cable-Assisted
4x5xBW-35

A2 | Quad Isometrics
2 x 0:30 / 0:30 x 150 - SSB Split Squat
3 x 0:30 x 150 - SSB Squat

A3 | Plyometrics - Medium Tier - Bilateral Pogo
2x30

B1 | Decline Sit-Up w/ Med Ball
2x15xBW+25

B2 | Plyometrics - Light Tier - Lateral/Medial Band-Resisted Single-Leg Pogo
2x30/30xLight Band

Bent Over Cable Core Rotation
2x15/15x35

It’s weird doing cable-assisted Nordics, but they still seem useful. I’ve only ever done them with band assistance, which obviously matches the resistance profile, but the way my cables are set up, it makes the bottom of the movement the hardest part. Obviously this makes the top too easy, but it’s hard to argue that having to overcome that bottom portion is bad news. I’ll probably alternate cable/band use. I’d like to get to full ROM unassisted reps for sure though.

TUESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Air Bike x Glycolytic // Glycolytic Endurance
Warm-Up: 8 min at 50-55 RPM
Work: 4 Rounds x [2.5 min hard (70 RPM) + 1.5 min spin (55 RPM)]
Cool Down: 6 min at 55 → 45 RPM
Metrics:
30 min total, 16.9 mi, 135 avg HR, 170 max HR, 356 cal (bike)

Ultra Slow Squat
2 x 1:30 Eccentric x BW

Foam Roller Hamstring Bridge w/ Marching
10/10 - Right hamstring cramped up pretty hard after this, so I called it there

Main work was pretty hard, but mostly just a mental game of how long 2.5 minutes could feel.

Knees have been ramping back up a bit on pain the past few days unfortunately. I got too confident with the improvements and should have just kept up with the high-frequency rehab. Getting back on it.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO C - WEDNESDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Barbell Facepull/ER
2x15x45
P3 | Impulse Drop Push Up
2x10xBW

Bench Press w/ Bands
5x5x185+Dbl Monster Minis (+85) - About 2 min rests

HYPERTROPHY CLUSTERS
A1 | Standing Overhead Press
6x4x165
A2 | Pull Ups - Fat Bar
3x8xBW-Light Bands - Assisted warm-ups with descending band tension per set
6x6xBW - Alternating sets of normal reps and dead-stop reps with feet on floor
60 sec back to next OHP set

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + PECS
Band Overhead Triceps Extension
18+8+6 per side x Light Band
12+6+4 per side x Light Band
Cluster sets alternating sides intraset, 15 sec between clusters
Band Pec Fly Rebound
2x25/25xMonster Mini - Rapid/overspeed eccentric with reactive concentric
Band Pec Fly
25/25xMonster Mini - Normal tension/speed

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: SHOULDERS + BICEPS
DB Rear Delt Fly - Paused at Top
20x25s
15x25s
Incline DB Curl w/ Slow Eccentric
12x25s
10x25s

Good performance here overall. This was the final piece of the power bench wave before I switch to alternating which press goes first on this day. So next micro the first exercise will be a power overhead press and the second exercise will be a volume-focused bench variation. Undecided about if power OHP means something like a strict banded OHP, something from a dead stop on pins, or a push press.

The triceps pain from the last workout was barely there today. Right pec that’s felt tight for several weeks is still hanging around. It hasn’t really affected anything, but the confidence for heavy pressing is limited. I had put it through pretty much every type of contraction and position, but haven’t gotten much improvement. So the fly rebounds I did today are the next attempt. They felt really good, so I’ll keep doing them and see if there’s any effect.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - TRANSITION BLOCK - MESO 1/1

MICRO C - THURSDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic // Threshold Tolerance
Warm-Up: 0.53 mi in 4:50 + 2 min rest
Work: 8 Rounds x [2 min run + 1 min jog]
1: 0.29 mi + 0.12 mi Best lap at 7:01/mi
2: 0.23 mi + 0.06 mi
3: 0.27 mi + 0.10 mi
4: 0.26 mi + 0.10 mi
5: 0.27 mi + 0.09 mi
6: 0.25 mi + 0.11 mi
7: 0.25 mi + 0.09 mi
8: 0.26 mi + Walk 3 min
Cool Down: 0.30 mi in 3:00
Metrics:
3.57 mi total in 30:48
2.74 mi working distance in 22:59 (8:50/mi avg pace, ~7:48/mi avg “on” pace)
163 avg HR, 178 max HR, 617 cal

Messed up with my watch on the first couple of runs, so the 2nd round was a shorter run/rest. And my wife over-paced us on the first one, hence that being the best effort. The goal was about 8:00/mi pace, which would be significantly faster than a 5K pace for me, so I thought it would be harder than it was. We ended up beating that pretty well and even the overall was a little faster than my 5K pace. Probably going to test that soon and then finish the transition to focus on faster pace / shorter distance work.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - DEADLIFT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Single-Leg RDL
2x5/5xBW+25 - Med ball held to chest
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Bilateral Squat
2x20
P3 | Seated Vertical Jump - Weighted + Unweighted
2 x [3x50] + [2xBW]

1.5" Deficit Deadlift w/ Chains - Belt/Straps
3x455+60
3x495+60 - PR! Video below
2x3x455+60
Conventional Deadlift - Belt/Straps
12-Rep Cluster Set: 7, 3, 2 x 455 - 60 sec rests

SSB Squat - Belt/Oly Shoes
10-Min Density Set: 5, 5, 5, 4, 3, 3 x 330 - 90 sec rests

A1 | Hatfield Split Squat - Oly Shoes
2x12/12x150 - Knee forward and rapid reps
A2 | Russian Twist on Decline Bench
2x15/15x25

B1 | Split Squat Windmill (I’m not sure what to call this)
2x8+8/8+8x44 - Contralateral weight + Ipsilateral weight
B2 | Figure-8 Single-Leg Calf Raise
2x8+8/8+8x150 - Arm supported

Very good, hard workout. Although this was technically just a benchmark PR for the variation of deficit+chains, since I don’t think I’ve ever done it, it’s pretty much an actual PR for deficit too. The non-chain deficit PRs I have listed are 3x525 belted (recent) and 4x515 beltless. So this being 555 at the top is really solid.

SSB density set was tough. All sets in there were RPE 8-9.

The last 2 exercises are ones I just made up, but may already exist. Split squat windmill is a hip “quality” exercise under my system. It’s just standing in the split squat position with a KB in one hand and side bending toward it, allowing the hip to shift and take on the load. If my left foot is forward and the right hand is holding the weight, the left hip shifts to the left and has to control into hip external rotation and then push back to center using the left hip’s internal rotators and abductors, plus the left obliques/QL. Moving the weight to the left hand is a little less movement at the hip, but it’s still working there on external rotators/adductors and right obliques/QL. Then I switched legs.

The figure-8 calf raise is standing on one foot and performing a figure-8 in both directions at the ankle. It causes all positions/vectors of plantarflexion + eversion/inversion concentrically and eccentrically. Another “quality” exercise since it’s more focused on control than anything else.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // ARMOR + CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Slow-Eccentric Paused Deficit Push-Ups
3x10xBW - Elevated on boxes, super deep ROM

A1 | Cable Cross-Over Rear Delt Fly
20x20s
15x20s
A2 | Cable Cross-Over Y Raise
2x8x20s

Machine High Row
8/8x135
2x8/8x160

DB Biceps Curl
2x8/8x40
Alternating Hammer Curl
2x10/10x40
Cable Lying Biceps Curl
2x10x70

Stationary Bike x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
30 min at ~85 RPM at Lvl 10
Metrics
8.0 mi, 118 avg HR, 135 max HR, 233 cal (bike)

Alright, this rounds out the transition Meso. Didn’t get as much fast running in as I wanted, but did get in a mix of things from the two block styles. So now we’ll officially start a real Block B. That means more capacity based lifting (like the density sets) and output based conditioning (higher velocity). Still doing the opposite for maintenance / tertiary focus, blocks just shift in what’s primarily done and progressed.

Also starting a PRN home health PT position this week, so I’m not sure how training will be affected, if at all. But I’ll be doing my best to keep my 10-workout micros around a 10-day average.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - MONDAY EVENING - UPPER // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Barbell Facepull
2x15x45
P3 | Deficit Push Up
2x3+3xBW - 8 ct Ecc/Con + Impulse Drop Reps

Bench Press w/ Chains
[3+3] x 245+75 - Tester set, pec not feeling good, but it survived
2 x [6+3] x 245+75
Cluster sets with 30 sec rest

A1 | Inverted Row - Neutral Grip w/ Dip Bar
15xBW
12+3xBW
10+3+2xBW
Myo-Rep Match Sets
A2 | High Incline Press
2x15x135
11+4x135 - Myo-Rep Match Set

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + SHOULDERS
B1 | Cable Triceps Pushdown
8+5x70
8+3x70
Bent-over overhead pushdown + normal pushdown
B2 | Leaning Lateral Raise
12/12x44
10/10x44
Cable W Raise
15+12x35 - Cluster set, 30 sec rest. This is done with strap loops around the forearms just below the elbows, did it with the cable anchored low

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: PECS + BICEPS
C1 | Incline Cable Curl
2x12/12x25
C2 | Wide Grip Pullover
2x15x13 - Big ROM pec stretch, bottom half only
Band Pec Isometric
2x0:30xMonster Mini

Pec is still bothering me and was happening during push-ups, so I knew I wouldn’t actually be going heavy today. Figured I could do clusters in a way to make something like triples hard enough without having to rely on something like a slow eccentric (I just didn’t want to do that) or using too much weight for the pec to handle. It worked out well enough and I enough work in for the time being.

Inverted rows with a dip bar feel much better than a barbell.

This Block’s lifting is focused on Capacity as the primary. So, it’ll be more clusters, density work, myo-reps, local muscular metabolic conditioning, isometrics, etc. Generally higher reps, but not always. The idea is to build work capacity and tissue resilience, along with hypertrophy. The Cube rotation stays the same across blocks, but may tip towards more volume or control focused schemes/variations. Between Blocks, the scales are meant to tip to like a 3:1 ratio of primary+secondary:tertiary, not a full removal of the tertiary. Hypertrophy work is always secondary. It’s just the flipping of primary/tertiary between an Output focus (Block A) and a Capacity focus (Block B).

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - TUESDAY EVENING - SQUAT // REPS

PREP FLOW
Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x20 - Bilateral Squat. Preceded by 5:00 general lower body movement
Triple Broad Jump - Slightly Uphill
2 x [1+1] - 24’4” & 24’6”, 25’0” & 25’0” (Benchmark PR)

High Bar Paused Squat - Belt/Oly Shoes
3x365 @ RPE 8
3x405 @ RPE 8.5 - Completed in 12:00 from first empty bar warm-up
High Bar Squat - Belt/Oly Shoes
12:00 Giant Set - 8, 6, 6, 6, 5 x 365 - 31 reps total with 2:00-2:15 rests

RDL
8x405 - Beltless
8x405 - Belted
2x8x315 - Paused, Beltless

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: HAMSTRINGS + CORE
Nordic Curls - Band-Assisted
6xBW-Monster Mini
8xBW-Monster Mini - Very difficult today, hips and calves trying to help out
A1 | Seated Cable Leg Curl
20/20x35
15/15x35
A2 | Incline Lying Leg Raise
3x10xBW - Myo-Rep match sets

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: QUADS + CALVES
B1 | Ultra Slow Squat
2x2x62 - 30 sec eccentric, 10 sec concentric
B2 | Sissy Squat Isometric
2x1xBW - 45 sec isometric at about 75 deg knee flexion
Plyometrics - Light Tier
2x30/30 - Kickstand Pogos
2x30/30 - Single-Leg Medial/Lateral Line Hops w/ Arm Support

Great workout. Adductors were still sore from the last lower body and conditioning days, so I was worried about those and chose high bar for that reason. Definitely loaded the knees to avoid them. But very little knee pain, sore the next day now, but not awful. Good signs.

Enjoying the density styles a lot. I could have done something like a 4x8 with normal rests, but it would have taken longer and arguably not been as useful due to reaching the “effective reps” later than every cluster that I did. Meaning, with a 4x8, I’d probably reach the most stimulating reps 4-5 reps in, since I’d have to be going pretty submaximal to match the reps each time, giving me 3-4 effective reps per set = 12-16 effective reps. But with the density style, each cluster was RPE 8-9 and lower reps, meaning I reached effective reps sooner and more often. Probably went something like 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 actually, giving me 20 effective reps in less time, possibly with more weight than I would have used with the 4x8.

That’s the theory at least. It’s also more fun.

I feel very awkward on the repeated broad jumps. I’m not adept at the transition from landing to the next jump, so my first jump is always tentative. I have a feeling part of it is that I’m trying to get back in the air ASAP rather than letting myself dip into a little squat on the landings and get more power out of it. I’ll keep practicing.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - WEDNESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Air Bike x Aerobic // Aerobic Repeats
Warm-Up: 5:00 at 50 RPM
Work: 20 rounds x (0:50 spins at 50 RPM + 0:10 pick-ups at 75-78 RPM)
Cool Down: 5:00 at 50 RPM
Metrics
15.7 mi, 121 avg HR, 146 max HR, 293 cal (bike)

Additional Work
Lower body stretching
Pec mobility: A few 1-2 min eccentric + 30 sec concentric flies at different angles w/ 5 lbs/hand
Shoulder mobility: A couple 1-2 minute weighted stretches into ER with 5 lbs/hand and lying eccentric into extension

Same conditioning from a few weeks ago, just with a little higher RPM on the pick-ups.

THURSDAY MORNING - UPPER // ARMOR

Lateral Plyo Push Up on Boxes
5x5/5 - Elevated on 16" boxes separated by about 12", max height plyo push ups back and forth

Cable Low Row - Pronated Wide Grip
51x125
50x125
2:00 Capacity Sets

A1 | BW JM Press
13, 12, 10 x BW - Done on 16" boxes with head dropping between them, some paused, all eccentrically controlled

A2 | Hanging-Weight Biceps Curl
2x6/6x44
5/5x44

Barbell Curl
50x45
2:00 Capacity Set

Pec Mobility/Quality
5:00 messing around with flies, stretches, isometrics, etc. again

Pretty good, not much to say.

THURSDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // HARD

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic // Glycolytic Power
Warm-Up: 0.91 mi in 8:00 w/ Ascending Speed + Rest + 5 x 0:10 Strides
Work: 6 Sprints w/ 2:30 Walk Rest
1: 60 sec x 0.18 mi / 290m
2: 60 sec x 0.19 mi / 310m
3: 60 sec x 0.18 mi / 280m
4: 45 sec x 0.15 mi / 240m
5: 30 sec x 0.10 mi / 160m
6: 30 sec x 0.09 mi / 150m
Cool Down: 4 Rounds x [2 min jog + 1 min walk] = 0.92 mi of jogging
Metrics
2.72 mi total jogging/running (excluding strides) over 20:54 work, 161 avg HR, 176 max HR, 847 cal

Adductors were very sore and started barking the second I began my warm-up and kept barking with every step until I picked up my pace to under 8:00/mi. Used the strides as an indicator and they (and my hamstrings) felt agreeable to speed work. All sets from there went well. Felt a power/form/something decay about 45-sec into the 60-sec efforts, then a harder one around 30 sec on the 45-sec effort, so I switched down to 30-sec efforts to finish it out. Despite the decay, I kept within a tight intraset pace.

Long way to go to hit a 60-sec 400m though.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - FRIDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MOW

Lawn Mow x Cardiac Output
1 hr 17 min
Metrics
129 avg HR, 147 max HR, 800 cal

SUNDAY AFTERNOON - DEADLIFT // CONTROL + CONDITIONING // MODERATE

PREP FLOW
Hip CARs
5/5
Single-Leg RDL w/ Med Ball
2x8/8xBW+25
Triple Broad Jump - Slightly Uphill
3 x [1+1] - Up to 25’6" for a 6" PR over Tuesday

TnG Conventional Deadlift - Belt/Straps
4x4x455 - As always with Touch and Go, this means a controlled eccentric and just barely touching the floor
RDL - Belt/Straps
15-Rep Cluster Set: 10, 5 x 405 - 30 sec rest

Beltless Paused Squat - Oly Shoes
6x3x315 - 60-90 sec rests

Landmine Belt Squat
2x15xBar+135 - Got a new belt and landmine attachment to be able to do these properly

GHR Sit Up
3x12xBW - Myo-Rep match sets. These are just my feet anchored and doing a straight-legged sit up off of a box with a little lumbar extension, not using an actual GHR or doing a full backbend like in Crossfit

Hill Repeats (6% Grade) x Glycolytic // Glycolytic Endurance
Warm-Up: 0.5 mi in 3:56
Work: 5 Repeats w/ 3:00 Walk-Down Rests
1: 211m in 0:51
2: 200m in 0:50
3: 209m in 0:53 (Rain begins)
4: 185m in 0:46
5: 183m in 0:46
Cool Down: 0.5 mi in 4:21
Metrics
154 avg HR, 172 max HR, 453 cal

I think this was my first time doing an actual back to back lift + run, as opposed to just using running within a mixed mode conditioning workout. Felt pretty good actually.

Deadlifts weren’t super comfortable for the lower back today, but still got in some good work. A little progress on the triple broad jumps already too.

I’m pleased with the landmine belt squat setup too. Definitely needed a non-axially loaded quads option.

I didn’t have a real plan or markers for the hill runs, hence the different distances and times. Started on a different section of the hill than I finished on due to rain and wanting to stay closer to the house. I’ll probably start using this hill more to get in some higher velocity work that’s safer than flat ground sprinting too.

Skipped the Lower Armor day this micro just due to timing of the week and soreness from the hard conditioning day.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - TUESDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // SECONDARY

A1 | Standing OHP w/ Bands
6x3x115+50 (Monster Minis)
A2 | Cable Rows
4x6x160 Seated Cable Mid-Row
12/12x80 Chest-Supported Single-Arm Cable Row
10/10x80 Chest-Supported Single-Arm Cable Row
60 sec rests back to OHP

Paused Feet-Up Bench Press
40-Rep Density Set - 14, 8, 6, 6, 6 x 225 - 90 sec rests, done in 8:40

OUTPUT ACCESSORIES: BICEPS + SHOULDERS
Cable Lateral Y Raise
2x12/12x17.5
Barbell Biceps Curl w/ Slow Eccentrics
12x75
9x75
8x75
Cable Lateral Raise
15/15x17.5
12/12x17.5

QUALITY ACCESSORIES: TRICEPS + PECS
Band SCSE + Rapid Triceps Pushdown
2 x (3 + 6) x 2 Lights
Band SCSE + Rapid Pec Fly
2 x (3 + 6 per side) x 1 Monster Mini
10-sec concentrics/eccentrics on the SCSEs

Kind of warmed up for a few minutes, but didn’t include a prep flow today. Motivation and energy was low. Got some good work in regardless.

It’ll be interesting to see if the banded OHP is faster on a better day, because they were not very snappy today. Still having pec pain on bench, but the density set was purposefully light to mitigate that and still get in some hard reps.

This workout ends Micro A.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - THURSDAY EVENING - SQUAT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
General Lower Body Movement
5:00
Deep Tier Yielding Plyometrics
20 + 10/10 - Bilateral Squat + Falling Forward Lunge
Seated Vertical Jump w/ Med Ball
3x3xBW+15

A1 | Squat w/ Chains - Flats/Belt
3x365+75
2x3x405+75
5x405+75 @ RPE 9 - Variation PR, video here
A2 | Standing Cable Ab Pulldown - Back Supported
4x10x85

Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt/Straps
5x2x405 - 90 sec rests, speed efforts

B1 | Nordic Curls - Cable-Assisted
8, 7, 4 x BW-35 - Felt a little pain in the left posterior knee on the 2nd set, then again on the 3rd set, so I didn’t keep going on it
B2 | Weighted Hip Airplane
2x8/8x62
B3 | Barbell Side Bend
2x8/8x135

Another stage of progression on the knee pain achieved: Still initially painful and able to be warmed up to no/low pain, but now very low pain the next day too. And strength clearly increased, signaling less neurologic inhibition, whether physiological and/or psychological.

I’ve squatted 7x455, so this wasn’t exactly an all-timer PR, but still cool to hit a variation PR after months of knee pain and not being able to squat heavy.

I’m assuming I strained a few very specific proximal gastroc or distal hamstring fibers on the Nordics. Not super worried about it unless it shows up elsewhere. Will do band assistance instead for a while at least.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MODERATE-HARD

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // Threshold Tolerance
Warm-Up: 0.5 mi in 4:12 + 3:00 rest
Work: 5K / 3.1 miles in 26:24 - PR, shaved off 1:22 since the last attempt and 2:48 in exactly 1 year
(3.1 Miles via 8:30 + 8:45 + 8:24 + 0:45)
Cool Down: Just sort of walk around and try not to puke
Metrics
8:31/mi avg pace, 172 avg HR, 182 max HR, 679 cal

Accuweather said 105 deg for their “Real Feel” heat index thing. Can confirm.

This was very hard generally speaking, but moderate-hard on the actual RPE to make it happen, around 8-9. I didn’t remember this, but my first 5K was on July 4th last year too, so I just apparently there’s some pull to do it around this date. Really happy with the progression in one year: Shaving 2:48 total and 0:54/mi on average. Pretty cool. Also, no muscular fatigue issues at all. Purely cardiorespiratory.

Like my other longer distance attempts, I hit a psychological wall around 2.25-2.5 miles that I had to push through. The “maybe I’ll just do 2.5 miles instead” and “I don’t know if getting to 3.1 miles really matters right now” sort of thoughts come in hard lol. But as long as I keep going anyway, I eventually get to 2.8 miles or so and those get replaced with “there’s no stopping now” sort of thoughts.

Next up is sub-26:00. But that’s not the focus of Block B, so it may be a while and the goal may as well be as close to 25:00 as possible.

A couple other things:

1. I got to the trail at the same time as 3 guys probably a few years younger than me that were clearly out there to run as well. I started my run before them and when I passed them on my way back, around 2 miles in, I heard one say after we passed each other, “He’s wearing the right shirt”, which was a Superman shirt . Plus they were athletic black guys and of course that always makes this sort of thing cooler lol.

2. The transition from the last Micro to this one had 2 of 3 days being spontaneous off days. I’m finding my groove on autoregulating rest in these 10-workout micros, despite them disallowing any true rest days unless I do a some mixed workouts or two-a-days (which won’t be available with my new normal-ish work schedule). At the end of the last Micro, I was feeling fatigued (both more physically tired and mentally not into it), so I didn’t force workouts, took the time, ate more, and then came back to these 2 strong workouts. The way I’ve structured my training, I don’t take deloads because the Micros are already purposefully waving in fatigue. But it still eventually adds up a bit and it’s seemed to be totally resolved with a short recovery window like I did here.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 2 - BLOCK B - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - SATURDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
P1 | Shoulder CARs
2x5/5xMicro Mini
P2 | Deep Tier Plyometrics - Incline Push-Up
2x10xBW - On boxes, impulse drop into catch in deficit position
Plyo Push-Up to Boxes from Deficit
3x3xBW - Slow eccentric, paused, then explode up to 16" boxes

A1 | 3 Ct Eccentric / 3 Ct Pause Bench
3x275
3x3x295
3x275
A2 | Seal Row w/ Dead Stop - Cambered Swiss Bar
10x205 Wide Grip
12x205 Medium Grip
8x205 Wide Grip
10x205 Medium Grip

B1 | Cambered Swiss Bar Incline Bench
10x205 @ RPE 10
6+4+1x205 - Myo-Rep match set cluster, 30 sec rests
B2 | Cable Cross-Body Rear Delt Row
15/15x72.5
12/12x72.5

C1 | Cable Triceps Pushdown
15x70 Bent Over
11x70 Upright
12x70 Bent Over
9x70 Upright
C2 | Biceps Curl
17x75 Swiss Bar
13x25s Incline DBs
13x75 Swiss Bar
10x25s Incline DBs

D1 | SCSE Lateral Raise - 10-Counts
5x15s
4x15s
D2 | SCSE Pec Fly - 10-Counts
5x15s
4x15s

And just like that, the pec pain practically fully disappears. Had some very small feelings at lockout after unracking, but otherwise nothing really. Pressing strength felt decent, but got pretty hard by each 3rd rep at 295. When I did the 3 Ct Ecc/Pauses more regularly, I did up to 6x3x315, I believe.

I bought the Bells of Steel “Arch Nemesis” cambered Swiss bar on sale for $160 and this was the first time using it. Felt great on everything for a budget bar. It’s listed as about 20 lbs, but mine is a bit over 23 lbs with collars, so I’m just referring to it as 25 lbs for recording purposes.

SUNDAY MORNING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE + HAMSTRING STRAIN Pt. 3

Track Work x Alactic // Repeated Sprint Ability
10:00 Open Warm Up: 2 x 3:00 jogs, Stretching, Light Drills, Pogos, and 5 x 40m Strides
Planned Work: 4 Rounds x [3 x 30m Sprint + 30 Sec Rest] + 3:00 Rest Between (See Below)
Rounds
1: 3 x ~50-53m
2: 3 x ~50-53m
3: 1 x ~50-53m + 1 x ~40m (left mid-proximal lateral hamstring strain)
Cool Down: Be annoyed, walk for about 5 minutes
Metrics
Not accurate

So this is annoying. Not just because of the injury, but because I think my watch screwed me here. I went to another track I hadn’t been to before, which is just some elementary school’s shitty little track. I didn’t know the length, but knew it was a shorter track, so relied on my watch to walk out what it thought was 30m and I marked it. I started the workout, but quickly found it was lagging the stop signal by like 6-8 steps.

Upon ChatGPTing the shit out of this, using Google Maps distance measuring thing, and using the timestamps in footage.. I’m pretty sure the marker was set at about 40m and it was lagging to about 50-53m before the watch told me to stop.

It’s my fault for not thinking enough about it really, but this lack of accuracy is basically why I got injured here. I’m not trained for top end speed mechanics. The 30m would have allowed for basically just the acceleration mechanics and initial upright posture into nearing top speed, but what happened was I ended up tossing myself into the fire for too long.

Like most hamstring strains, there wasn’t any signal that it might happen. I was feeling very good actually. Reviewing footage/timestamps and making assumptions around my height, stride length/count, etc. it all came out to 40m in 5.05-5.20 sec in at least one rep, which would put me around 4.62-4.76 sec for a 40-yard dash at no more than 90% effort. So that would be solid for me. I’ll have to figure out how I want to measure and record once I’m back out there again to have any accuracy for those statements though.

Anyway. This strain hurts a lot and is very likely Grade II. It’ll take me out of a lot of things for a couple of weeks, but I’m going to be aggressive with rehabbing it. I won’t force sprints soon and I’ll start back with hill sprints when I do. Definitely had a lot of thoughts of not even bothering with sprinting immediately after this happened, but I think the situation was just fucked up by me trusting the watch and I can’t let that keep me from doing things I want to be able to do. Another learning moment

[QuadQueen]

Sending lots of healing prayers and vibes for your hamstring!! And nice job on 5K PR!

[TylerPK4L]

Much appreciated! Just another blip overall.