TCam's Log - The Road to Elite

[TylerPK4L]

Back from traveling to NYC for a vacation. Got 20k-25k steps in 3 days in a row. Otherwise no training done. Below is the last workout before to leaving.

CHIMERA

CYCLE TRANSITION MICROCYCLE

SUNDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // SECONDARY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Impulse Reps: Shoulder ADD/IR
2x30/30
P2 | Impulse Reps: Shoulder ABD/ER
2x30/30

Box Press w/ Bands
3x8x225+80 (Dbl Monster Minis)

Close Grip Box Press
15x225
12x225

Weighted Pull Up
3x5xBW+25 - Dead stop on the floor

Cable Hammer Curl w/ FatGripz
3x12/12x20

Cable Rear Delt Fly - High-to-Low
15/15x20
13/13x20

Decent work. This was supposed to be a vertical power press day, but I’m staying away from OHP for a bit for the elbow issue. Also, I didn’t want to do power work, so reps it is. Banded bench for reps is something I’ve only done a handful of times, not sure why I’ve avoided it. It felt good.

I want to get strong at pull ups, I’ve just mostly avoided really trying on them since I seriously strained my lat a few years ago. So, I went very conservative on loading them for the first time in a long time.

Tried some triceps isolation, but the elbow wasn’t having it. Just gonna keep working around it.

Also had a heavy squat workout slotted prior to traveling. I warmed up and got under the bar and felt like shit with 135 and 225. Felt heavy, unable to get tight, right knee was hurting, no motivation, etc. I just cut it there, not worrying about it. The right knee also hurt a lot during the NYC trip. Going to continue with the transition microcycle with a rehab/prehab focus for the next couple of weeks to get back into feeling good hopefully.

Edit: Totally forgot I went to the gym on Wednesday before leaving and did paused leg press 2x10x540, leg extension to something like 2x10x210, kickstand DB RDL 2x8/8x120s, and some machine preacher curls.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE TRANSITION MICROCYCLE

THURSDAY & FRIDAY - REINTRODUCING TRAINING

A1 | Cable Seated Leg Curl - Lengthened Bias
3x20/20x25
A2 | Spanish Squat Yielding Isometric
3x1:00xBW

B1 | Deficit Split Squat
2x12/12xBW+62
B2 | Split Stance Cable Rotation - Power Focus
2x8/8x35

Single-Leg Adductor Side Bend
2x15/15x44 - Stand on one straight leg, holding weight in same hand, hinge laterally at hip, dropping the weight toward the floor, floating leg straight or bent goes to the side to counter balance

Plus messing around with a few other movements for a few minutes. That’s it for Thursday.

A1 | Cable Seated Mid-Row
2x12x140
2x10x140
A2 | Single Arm Low Incline DB Press
20/20x55
20/20x75

Cable Overhead Triceps Extension
2x20x42.5

Cable Incline Curl
18x42.5
16x42.5

Plus messing around with a couple of other movements. And that’s it for Friday.

On reintroducing training after a week off (when feeling old, achy, and kind of sick): There are plenty of ways to skin this cat, including being proactive and just doing some bodyweight movements during the layoff (I didn’t). Or just getting back into normal barbell movements, just lighter. Or just doing these sort of low pressure workouts where you just do accessories and mess around a bit. Just move around in a way that feels good and gets you feeling confident in moving under load again, it’s not that serious. I had zero interest in training, even after being away from it for a week. So, the accessory version was right for me. Both days felt great to me and now I’m feeling more motivated to get back into it.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE TRANSITION MICROCYCLE

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - SQUAT // QUAD KILLER

PREP FLOW
P1 | Air Bike Sprint
3x0:10+0:10 - 10 sec build, 10 sec max output, got up to 1378 watts from what I saw
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
3x15
P3 | Seated Vertical Double Jump
3x3 - Normal max effort seated vertical jump and a second jump upon landing, like a self-induced depth jump

A1 | Front Squat - Beltless
3x5x275 - RPE 8-9
A2 | Air Bike Sprint
3x0:45 - Able to stay over 675, 650, and 575 watts respectively

Deficit RDL - Beltless/Straps
3x8x315

Hip Flexor Sit-Up
3x5/5xBW - This sort of set up, except I still focused on getting a stretch on the abs too, allowing spine extension/flexion

This one was inspired by Will Ratelle doing the Litvinov workout here. Originally something like 3-4 sets of an 8-rep squat + 400m run. My constraints: I didn’t want to do a high absolute load squat variation (so no straight bar back squats) and I didn’t want to have to change out of my Oly shoes for a run. So front squats and air bike it is. Wanted to use 275 for the squats and just let the weight decide my reps, assuming I wouldn’t get 8s. Air bike time was just decided at the first set when I tried to go for a hard minute and died around 45 seconds lol. Had about 80% recovery between sets. Performance fatigue showed a bit on front squats, but way more on the air bike.

I knew this was going to be rough on the quads, and obviously running is a better choice for this, but it totally killed them. Not that it’s a sign of hypertrophy effectiveness, but they’re as sore as most high volume leg days I’ve ever done, but in only 3 sets (confounding variable being 10 days off from real training).

I might try to do this some more and progress it. Undecided. Would probably do 30-sec air bike instead.

My wife later asked if I wanted to run tomorrow. I knew the quads weren’t going to be happy about it lol

SUNDAY MORNING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running - Aerobic x Aerobic Capacity Intervals
Warm-Up: 0.64 mi in 5:42 + 6:16 stretch/walk
Work: 3 x 1-Mile @ RPE 7 w/ 2:00 Rests
Run 1: 8:22 + 2:04 rest
Run 2: 8:04 + 2:03 rest
Run 3: 8:16 + 2:01 rest
Cool Down: 0.5 mi in 4:16
Metrics
Total: 4.14 mi in 34:42 total running (8:26/mi avg) with 12:24 total rest
Primary: 3 mi in 24:43 total (8:15/mi avg) with 4:07 rest
Bio: 47:06 at 154 avg HR, 178 max HR, 780 cal

Realized during the warm-up how shitty my lower legs had been feeling prior to traveling. It felt like I was floating today. Who knows if my 1-mile time would have been better with some actual recovery, but that’s a good lesson for the next time I want to plan for a PR. I think if not for the workout yesterday, I would have been able to run a sub-25:00 5K PR on a whim today.

But I knew the quads were going to be a problem. I started off, after the warm-up, thinking I’d just do a slower long (for me) run, but I had to speed up about half a mile in to keep some of the load off the quads. Still got to the point of cramping when I stopped at the end of each mile.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE TRANSITION MICROCYCLE

MONDAY EVENING - UPPER // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
P1 | Banded Deficit Push Up
2x10xBW+Light Band
P2 | Cable W Row
3x10x35

A1 | Paused Bench Press
3x3x315
A2 | Single-Arm Landmine Row
2x8/8xBar+135
6/6xBar+135

Incline Cable Chest Press
15x45s
2x12x55s

B1 | Hammer Ulnar Deviation
2x12/12xBar+5
B2 | Hammer Radial Deviation
2x10/10xBar+5
B3 | Hammer Pronation/Supination
2x8/8xBar+5
Using my steel pipe homemade DB with a 5 lb plate on the end, accommodated hand placement / lever length to get within rep range per movement

Cable Lateral Raise
2x10/10x25

All good here. Things are feeling mostly decent and ready to get into the next cycle. Set up the landmine rows like a standing Kroc row, so hips positioned about 45 deg relative to the bar and hand support on a box. This will be one of my primary heavy horizontal rows going forward.

Still some minor elbow feelings going on, but the time off seemed to help with that issue (surprisedpikachu.jpeg). But I’m going to incorporate more forearm work like I did here for some resilience in that area (and hypertrophy). Wrist curls plus the exercises I did today are basically all I’ll do. Not going to complicate it.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE TRANSITION MICROCYCLE

WEDNESDAY EVENING - MIXED ACCESSORIES

Cable Belt Squat
3x8x175 - Close stance, Oly shoes

Cable Triceps Pushdown
3x10-12x50 - Behind/under cable, back supported, dual D-handles

Cable Lying Leg Curl
2x12/12x35

The dip belt I got has D-rings on the sides and I just realized I could use them standing in my cable crossover rack to create a belt squat that actually works, instead of forcing it via a shitty landmine setup. Figured out the setup with daisy chain straps so I can start at the top, otherwise it’d be impossible to get hooked in at the bottom with any real weight. The only limitation is it has to be close stance due to the cable position, which is fine for my use and is way more comfortable than the usual belt squat belt killing the inner thighs. I’ve been needing a leg press / hack squat type of direct quad accessory for the home gym the whole time and nothing had been good enough. But this is. The sets of 8 were sufficiently hard, so plenty of room improve.

The pushdowns were the first time I’ve tested the elbow in an exercise that was aggravating prior to my travel week. It was still sensitive, but less so. Going to keep giving that some space and just working within a tolerable range.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER ACCESSORIES

Cable Crossover Rear Delt Fly
15x15s
13x20s
11x20s

Single-Arm Low Incline DB Press
15/15x75
13/13x90
11/11x90

Lat Pulldown - Semi-Supinated MAG-Grip
10x200
8x200

Incline Cable Curl
2x10+4x60 - Normal + Hammer Curl

Another low pressure, low volume workout. It’s been good to mostly chill for the past few weeks with just a couple of intense peaks. Wrapping up this style this week with an easy deadlift day, a conditioning day, and then going into the actual cycle next week.

SATURDAY EVENING - DEADLIFT // IDK

PREP FLOW
P1 | Hip CARs
2x10/10
P2 | Alternating SL Deadlift
2x10/10 - No weight, reaching with contralateral hand for first 10 reps, then ipsilateral for the next 10 (feels good for getting both lateral and medial hip/hamstrings)
P3 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
2x15

A1 | Stiff-Legged Deadlift - Belt/Straps
3x5x405 - These were pretty damn hard lol
A2 | Off-Box Sit-Up
3x10xBW - Feet anchored, getting into nearly full lumbar extension at the bottom, like a GHR sit-up, but knees are bent. Slow eccentrics too

B1 | Slow Eccentric Front Squat - Beltless/Oly Shoes
3x5x225 - 4 ct eccentrics, just practicing
B2 | KB Side Bend
3x10/10x62

I rely on leg drive a lot for conventional deadlift, so SLDLs are very hard for me (also why conventional block pulls are harder than from the floor). Might do more of these as a supplemental/volume exercise and see what I get out of improving to 10+ rep sets in the 405 range. Just a good alternative for the RDL slot when I want to focus on hamstring lengthened positions, as I’m a much bigger fan of a direct transference RDL where it looks like a normal deadlift that just doesn’t get to the floor (as opposed to a strict, stiff-legged RDL).

SUNDAY MORNING+AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // LIGHT + MODERATE-HARD

Lawn Mow x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
67 min
Metrics
131 avg HR, 152 max HR, 711 cal

Wait 90 minutes

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic-Aerobic // Threshold Tolerance + Aerobic Power
Warm-Up: 0.65 mi in 5:19 (8:15/mi avg pace) + 3 min stretch rest
Primary Work: 20 x 1:00 run / 1:00 rest
Runs 1-5: 241m, 249m, 222m, 260m (Best), 249m
Runs 6-10: 226m, 248m, 254m, 251m, 244m
Runs 11-15: 244m, 235m, 231m, 231m, 233m
Runs 16-20: 238m, 236m, 232m, 228m, 239m
Cool Down: 0.54 mi in 5:00 (9:11/mi avg pace)
Metrics
Total: 4.17 mi in 30:19 total running (6:55/mi avg) with 23:00 rest
Primary Work: 2.98 mi in 20:00 (6:44/mi avg, 6:11-7:16/mi pace range) with 20:00 rest
53:19 at 163 avg HR, 179 max HR, 871 cal

Solid workout, especially with a little fatigue from mowing and the SLDL. The intervals started around RPE 7 and ended around RPE 8-8.5, so there was some performance decay, but overall I held a solid pace and my HR didn’t blow up. All of them were <7:00/mi other than hitting a couple of pockets of elevation, which was my goal.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

BEGINNING CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - MONDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
General Upper Movement
2 min - Various shoulder and thoracic movements
P1 | Impulse Reps: Shoulder ADD/IR
2x25/25
P2 | Press Isometric
2x3x0:05 - Overcoming iso against dbl light band

Bench Press w/ Chains
3x3x275+75 - RPE decreased per set from 9 → 7

A1 | Bench Press
11x275
8x275
A2 | Single-Arm Landmine Row
10/10xBar+135 - PR for this new variation
2x8/8xBar+135

B1 | Weighted Push-Up - Cable Weighted on Dip Bar
10xBW+85
9xBW+85
B2 | Cable Rear Delt Row
23x85
20x85
Dual D-handle straps cuing to pull them apart

C1 | Cable Biceps Curl - Arm Supported
12/12x25
2x10/10x25
7/7x25
C2 | Nilsson Lateral Raise
14, 13, 12, 11 x 25s+5 w/ Monster Mini - See demo here, just naming them after him because I don’t want to call them DB+Plate+Band Lateral Raise

Skullcrusher
12x62
10x62
Hanging weight w/ KB attached to lat pulldown bar, emphasis on pushing superiorly

Alright, new cycle has begun. This was a bit of a test for the elbow(s). Some discomfort to start, but it cleared up and has not shown up afterwards into the next couple of days. So obviously a good start so far. Bench strength is down, as expected, but seeing RPE improvement set to set on the top weight is a good neuromuscular sign for strength still being quickly accessible, provided the tissues are all healthy.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON - LOWER // ARMOR

PREP FLOW
P1 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
20/20 - Split squat
20 - Squat
P2 | Seated Vertical Jump
3x3

DB B-Stance Split Squat
6/6x115s
2x6/6x140s - Heaviest DBs at the gym

Pendlay Row - Beltless/Straps
3x5x315

Seated Leg Curl
2x6x180 - Max velocity concentric, slow eccentric
15x120 - Normal tempo

Standing Weighted Calf Raise
2x15x180 - Smith machine, standing on wedge

GHR Sit-Up
2x10xBW

GHR Side Bend
15/15xBW
12/12xBW

Good session here. The B-stance split squats that were meant to be for quads ended up getting the glutes pretty damn sore the next day.

WEDNESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // HARD

Air Bike x Aerobic // VO₂ Max Intervals
Warm-Up: 5:00 at 50 RPM
Primary Work: 4 x 4:00 Hard / 3:00 Easy (Norwegian 4x4)
Hard: Ramp 1:00 at 63 RPM + 3:00 at 66-70 RPM
Easy: 40-45 RPM
Cool Down: 5:00 at 45 → 35 RPM
Metrics
18.3 miles in 35:00 total, 142 avg HR, 172 max HR

The Norwegian 4x4 is the VO₂ max interval training scheme oft-touted by the biohacking crowd that takes research and over-inflates the outcomes. I’ll probably do more of it because it’s a good workout to get into these HR ranges and build capacity for longer high efforts, but it’s not magical. I modified it a bit with the 1:00 ramp, which was a good move based on how fucking hard it gets by the end of the working chunks. Eventually I’ll get to a full 4:00 and faster “easy” sections. I’ll try this for running as well.

THURSDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

PREP FLOW
General Upper Movement x 2 Min
P1 | Quasi-Isometric: Single-Arm Band Triceps Pushdown
2 x 2/2x0:10 x Light Band - Described below
P2 | Hammer Zottman Curl
2x16x25s

Seated Overhead Pin Press w/ 3-Ct Eccentrics
8x3x155 - 75 sec rests, pins at chin height

A1 | Cable Dip Press
12/12x50
2x8/8x70
A2 | KB Pullover
3x15x35

B1 | Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly
3x10/10x25 - More partials each set
B2 | Incline Cable Curl
8/8x35
7/7x35

KB Pronation/Supination
2x10/10x13

RE: Quasi-isometrics: One definition of this is where you attempt to hold an isometric position and ultimately fail at it, but you continue to try to keep it from eccentrically moving (another version is to just perform a controlled voluntary eccentric after the isometric, as opposed to a failing forced eccentric like this). So with the band pushdown, I used two hands (or you could use body positioning), to get supramaximal tension applied at the elbow extended position, then attempted to hold it around 20 deg of elbow flexion. From here, I pretty much immediately failed to do that and just fought for it for 10 sec as it eccentrically beat me. I could have done less tension and held until isometric failure, as another option with a longer isometric portion. Another good tool for the toolbox. It worked well for me as a warm-up and I could see it being great for tendon health.

Stayed conservative on the vertical pressing due to that being an aggravating factor for my elbow, but it seems to be more tolerable now and/or the pins at chin height helped. Good, not great, power expression overall there. Also skipped horizontal pressing and vertical rowing due to soreness in the pecs and lats still present and went with the cable dip press and pullovers instead.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - SATURDAY AFTERNOON - SQUAT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | General Lower Exploration
5:00 - Hip CARs, Alternating SL RDL, Misc
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
2x20

Paused Squat w/ Belt/Oly Shoes
2x455 @ RPE 9.5
3+2+2 x 425 - Cluster w/ 90 sec rests
3+2+2 x 405 - Cluster w/ 90 sec rests

A1 | Paused RDL w/ Belt/Straps
3x6x435 - 30 lb PR
A2 | Lying Leg Raise - Off Box
3x15xBW

B1 | Seated Cable Leg Curl
15/15x35
2x13/13x42.5
B2 | Yielding Isometric Adductor Shift Off Box
3x0:30/0:30x106 - Holding KBs

Solid performance. Really happy with how my position held up on the 2nd rep of 455. I’ll usually have form breakdown / loss of my upper back position when I’m that close to failure, but there was none here. I was having a good bit of both glute and adductor discomfort on the right side throughout the cluster squats though. Need to work on those areas, since they’ve both popped up a couple of times recently.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // Cruise Intervals
5:00 at ~9:00/mi + 10 x [1:00 Run at ~7:30/mi / 1:00 Float at ~9:00/mi]**
Cool Down: 1:00 full stop rest + 4:30 jog at 9:58/mi avg
Metrics
Total: 3.30 mi in 28:46 total running (9:15/mi avg pace) w/ 1:00 rest
Primary Work: 2.84 mi in 24:15 (8:32/mi avg pace)
29:46 at 164 avg HR, 180 max HR, 525 cal

Performance was very much negatively affected by my quads, adductors, glutes, and hamstrings all being super sore coming into this. This was probably the most muscularly difficult run I’ve had since I got past my initial intro to running. It just felt like a back and forth trade between my quads dying during the slow bouts and my hamstrings dying during the fast bouts. Felt some grabbing in the hamstrings early on, but was able to stride that out at least. Pacing logged is just a rough average, since I didn’t use lapping on my watch. It was a Fartlek style run of simply going harder and easier at the timed intervals.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - TUESDAY - GAP ACCESSORIES + PILATES

A1 | DB Biceps Curl
12/12x35
8/8x40
7/7x40
A2 | Cable Upright Row
15x42.5
13x42.5
12x42.5

B1 | Hammer Ulnar Deviation
20/20xBar+5
2x10/10xBar+10
B2 | Hammer Radial Deviation
20/20xBar+5
2x10/10xBar+10

Later:
Pilates
50 min

Yes, pilates. I was invited to a guy’s night event with a company I’m in talks with joining as a physical therapist, so I figured it would be good to do it for my career and such. It was an intro class that took about 50 minutes. Mostly hip/core based with a little shoulder work. My right adductor had been acting like it was mildly strained since the squat session, but this session cleared it up fully. Some of the guys were struggling, but it was pretty easy for me #athlete. I was told I’m “a great mover” by the instructor . Felt great the next day. It definitely felt more useful than yoga, I can tell you that.

WEDNESDAY EVENING - UPPER // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
General Upper Exploration
3:00 - Shoulder CARs, Alternating Apley Positions
P1 | Cable Cross-Over Y Raise
2x8/8x17.5 - These were accidentally very hard sets, but I’ll take the effective reps
P2 | Segmented Paused Deficit Push Up
3x3 - 5 eccentric pauses x 3 ct each

5 Ct Eccentric Paused Bench
3x3x275

A1 | Close Grip Spoto Press
12x225
10x225
A2 | Cable Low Row - Medium Pronated Grip
2x10x150

B1 | BTN Lat Pulldown
2x15x85
B2 | KB Skullcrusher
15x62
13x62

C1 | DB Incline Curl
13x25s
12x25s
C2 | KB Rear Delt Fly
15/15x35
2x12/12x44
DB row stance with torso rotated for lengthened range bias

D1 | Band Pronation
2x15-20xMini
D2 | Band Supination
2x15-20xMini
Band horizontally stretched across rack, grab it and twist

Solid session. I’ve only done 5-count eccentric bench for a couple of weeks in July 2022 and I did 5x305, 2x345, and 1x365 then. This was relatively easy today and just an reintroduction to the movement. It’s purely a positional control and resilience movement, no real benefit to extending the eccentric beyond those ideas.

Elbow is feeling about 90% at this point, continuing to improve.

THURSDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE-HARD

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic // Glycolytic Endurance
Warm-Up: 0.54 mi in 5:00 (9:15/mi) + 2:00 stretch rest
Primary Work: [5 x 1:30 / 1:30] + [5 x 1:00 / 1:00]
Run 1: 347m in 1:31 + 3:00 rest due to wife's coworker seeing us and yapping
Run 2: 378m in 1:30 + 1:30 rest
Run 3: 409m in 1:33 + 1:30 rest (Best 1:30 round at 6:09/mi)
Run 4: 378m in 1:31 + 1:30 rest
Run 5: 387m in 1:31 + 1:30 rest
Run 6: 240m in 1:01 + 1:00 rest
Run 7: 256m in 1:01 + 1:00 rest
Run 8: 259m in 1:00 + 1:00 rest
Run 9: 258m in 1:01 + 1:00 rest
Run 10: 263m in 1:01 + 1:00 rest (Best 1:00 round at 6:14/mi)
Cool Down: 0.35 mi in 3:12 (9:02/mi)
Metrics
Total: 2.87 mi in 20:57 total running (6:54/mi avg) and 16:00 total rest
Primary: 1.97 mi in 12:44 total running (6:27/mi avg) and 14:00 total rest
37:20 at 154 avg HR, 177 max HR, 571 cal

Getting in some good medium velocity running recently and showed good conditioning here with the lack of performance decay despite feeling the fatigue. The first minute of running around this pace seems to always feel very good, but then it starts to get hard from there. I can maintain pace (since I literally just did it for a full mile recently), but I’d like to feel more comfortable at a hard effort for at least 800m, which would lend itself well to breaking my 60 sec 400m goal on the conditioning side of the equation. Keeping these moderate velocities throughout the year, building up my ability to sprint safely, and opening up some more speed mid-runs should help with the running economy, speed endurance, stride length, and overall resilience for that goal.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - LOWER // ARMOR

PREP FLOW
P1 | Corkscrew Hip Thrust
2x6/6xBW - Like this
P2 | Alternating SL RDL
2x10/10xBW - Contralateral and ipsilateral reaching
P3 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Split Squat
2x12/12xBW

Hatfield SSB Step Up
2x8/8x240 - PR

A1 | Cable Bent Over Core Rotation
10/10x70
8/8x70

A2 | Weight Single Leg Calf Raise
3x12/12xBW+62

Lying Knee Raise Off Box
2x10xBW+15 - Med ball between knees

The autoregulation of this microcycle led to heavy deadlifts coming just a couple days after this workout, instead of having a good recovery gap, so I kept this one pretty minimally fatiguing outside of the high effort step ups.

Not sure how to load those corkscrew hip thrusts appreciably, but they feel good.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - FRIDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

3:00 General Upper Exploration for Prep, Nothing Specific

Box Press - 2 Ct Pause
5x3x255 - 90 sec rest, speed emphasis

A1 | Weighted Push Up
2x10xBW+62 - Paused. On dip bar with slight decline position
A2 | Vertical Inverted Row on Rings
10xBW+45
9xBW+45

B1 | Inverted Row on Rings - Horizontal Abduction Emphasis
15xBW
11xBW
B2 | Cable Pec Fly - Single Arm
10/10x25
8/8x35

C1 | Hammer Zottman Curl
2x16x25s
C2 | Cable Lateral Y Raise
12x35
11x35

Good workout, not much to note. Stayed conservative with bench and just focused on quality and speed. Each set got a little better.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON - DEADLIFT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Corkscrew Hip Thrust
2x5/5xBW
P2 | KB Swing
2x5x135
P3 | Seated Vertical Jump
2x3

Conventional Deficit Deadlift
3x525 @ RPE 9 - Match PR
2+2+2+2 x 475 @ RPE 8-9 - Cluster with 90-sec rests

Beltless Paused Front Squat
6x275 - PR technically (I’ve done 5x5x275 though (with a belt))
3x6x275

A1 | Seated Cable Leg Curl
12/12x45
11/11x45
A2 | Banded Sissy Squat
12xBW+2 Monster Minis
10xBW+2 Monster Minis

Lying Leg Raise - Off Box
12, 10, 8 x BW - Emphasized dragon flag eccentric portion until back hit the box

Quasi-Isometric Split Squat
2 x 0:30+0:10 / 0:30+0:10 x 106 - Holding KBs, long stride negative shin angle split stance, KBs about 8” off the ground, hold for 0:30 while cuing pulling front heel back and back knee forward, then 0:10 eccentric to the floor

Solid session. Happy to be hanging around PRs. Front squats have been trash for the last several times I’ve tried them. Just haven’t been able to keep the elbows up / bar in position. Not sure if I’ll actually try to get good at cleans at some point, but I do know being okay with front squats is a pretty obvious prerequisite for them.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO A - MONDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // LIGHT

Lawn Mow x Aerobic // Cardiac Output
53 min
Metrics
128 avg HR, 141 max HR, 526 cal

TUESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE CONDITIONING

Mixed Mode x Aerobic // Aerobic Power Intervals
Warm-Up: 3:00 Air Bike Light
Primary Work: 12 Rounds x [0:30 Air Bike at 70-75 RPM / 0:90 Off + Accessory]
Rounds 1,3,5 - KB Swing: 20x62
Rounds 2,4,6 - Cable Rotational Row to Press: 10/10x45
Rounds 7,9,11 - Push Up: 20xBW
Rounds 8,10,12 - Standing Cable Ab Pulldown: 12x90
Cool Down: 2:00 Air Bike Light
Metrics
30 min total, 4.3 mi primary, 135 avg HR, 159 max HR, 117 cal (bike), 324 cal (watch)

Mixed mode conditioning is more enticing than just sitting on the bike sometimes. I don’t know if there’s some “junk volume” concern with the accessories. I’m not going to worry about it though. Feels good, distributes the fatigue across more than the glutes and quads, etc.

End of Micro A. Good start to the cycle.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - THURSDAY MORNING - LOWER // ARMOR

PREP FLOW
General Lower Exploration
5:00 x CARs, Hip Shifts, Fwd/Lat Lunges
P1 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x20xBW - Squats and split squats switched at random
P2 | Depth Drop - 20"
2x5xBW

Squat Jump
8x3x95+2 Light Bands - Full Squat, EMOM

Hatfield Reverse Lunge - Beltless
2x6/6x290 - Alternating 3s, benchmark PR (I’ve done 6/6x300 on the Hatfield short stride split squat variation)

Paused Snatch Grip RDL - Beltless/Straps
2x8x365 - Benchmark PR

Copenhagen Adductor Raise - Short Lever
2x10/10xBW

Left glute was feeling a little strain-y during the lunge warm-ups, so I didn’t push for anything high RPE here. All went well though and no injury. This workout got my my entire lower body sore as shit. I’d like to get any Hatfield split stance variation way up to something like 400+ and see if there’s some benefit to anything else.

One of the points of this system is that it’s based very much on feel and a sort of structured fucking around and finding out without forced progressions. As long as I’m trying hard enough, it seems to work just fine. But I do want to start focusing a bit more on making goals to hit over a block’s length, so that I actually have something to aim for. The crux of the matter is that I do not want to force progression as a form of programming. Take the Copenhagen’s today: I don’t want to simply do 2x12, 3x10, 3x12 over the next 3 times I do that. I want to just generally have some goal of like “20+ reps over 3 sets with 45 lbs added” and focus my efforts towards that idea as it feels appropriate and viable throughout the block. I just think “progressive overload” is best seen as an emergent property resulting from consistent effort and systemic adaptation, not a reductive property of programming a progression to follow. Maybe I’ll track a specific lift’s naturally emerging progressive overload to make a clearer point on this.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - UPPER // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Prone Alternating Shoulder Apley
2x10/10x2.5s
P2 | Press Isometric
2x3x0:05 - Overcoming Iso
P3 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Push Up
2x15xBW

A1 | Paused Bench Press w/ Chains
3x295+40
3x315+40 @ RPE 9.5
2x315+40 @ RPE 9
2x4x295+40 @ RPE 8.5–9
A2 | Single-Arm Cable Low Row
12/12x90
10/10x90
9/9x90

B1 | Low Incline Spoto Press
2x8x225
B2 | Cable Cross-Body Rear Delt Row
2x6/6x75

C1 | Cable Triceps Pushdown
13x75
12x75
8x75
C2 | DB Biceps Curl
12/12x35
10/10x35
8/8x35

Lying Pec Opener
2:00x10s

Very solid bench day. Happy to be comfortable with pressing 355 at the top again. Not going to rush into anything specifically, but hopefully I can get back into working with around 365 straight weight without any concerns over the next few months.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // HARD

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // VO₂ Max Intervals
Warm-Up: 0.5 mi in 4:03 + 5:00 stretch rest
Primary Work: 2 x [4 x 2:00 run / 1:00 jog]
Round A1: 0.28 mi + 0.11 mi
Round A2: 0.26 mi + 0.10 mi
Round A3: 0.28 mi + 0.11 mi
Round A4: 0.26 mi + 3 min walk rest
Round B1: 0.28 mi + 0.11 mi
Round B2: 0.27 mi + 0.11 mi
Round B3: 0.26 mi + 0.11 mi
Round B4: 0.26 mi Done
Cool Down: 20 min walk (not included in metrics)
Metrics
Total: 3.31 miles in 26:15 total (8:15/mi avg pace) with 8 minutes rest
Primary Work: 2.81 mi in 22:12 total (8:16/mi avg overall via 7:29/mi avg runs and 9:19/mi avg jogs) with 3 minutes rest. 420m-457m per 2:00 run
164 avg HR, 183 max HR, 561 cal

This was super hard, both aerobically and muscularly. Glutes and adductors are both very sore from the lower body day above. Left adductor specifically is overly fatigued and irritated. Maybe I was avoiding the left glute with my reverse lunges after I felt it being questionable. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was the right adductor, so I just need to generally be working on those.

But the point here was the conditioning. It was firmly in the VO₂ Max realm. At 2x11:00 continuous runs with unsustainable 2:00 efforts and inadequate “rests” in the 1:00 jogs, I was pretty well cooked by the last 3-4 minutes of each run. But I’m happy with the fairly tight performance windows I hit, despite the fatigue and respiratory debt built by that point.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON - MOBILITY SESSION

Just a quick edit for logging this for clarity / completeness. I didn’t do any light conditioning on this day, but I did some BW isometrics to see how it would treat me for recovery. Seemed to clear up any additional lower body irritation and movement hesitation. With everything just being done in vague circuits, here’s what I did:

Hanging From Bar
3x1:00 - Cuing reaching up

Lunge Isometric
2x1:00/1:00 - Torso forward, hip focus, aiming for feeling adductors with pelvis positioning, played with some torso rotation too

Single-Leg RDL Isometric
2x1:00/1:00 - Cuing the hip flexors to pull into deeper position

Adductor Side Kick Isometric
1:00/1:00 - Not sure what else to call this, it’s just standing in a karate side kick position to load the adductors very directly in a closed chain position

Ultra Slow Sumo Squat
1:00 - Just a single rep directed at the adductors to finish it out

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - MONDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Prone Alternating Shoulder Apley
2x10/10x5s
P2 | OHP Overcoming Isometric
2x5/5x0:05 - Pressing into band peg at shoulder height

A1 | Standing Pin OHP
6x3x165 - Bar at mid-throat, power focused, intermittent right elbow pain but otherwise decent
A2 | Band-Assisted Pull-Up
5,8,5,8,5,8 x BW-Light Band
Horizontal band at tibial tuberosity, no assistance top half of movement
5s: Unassisted slow eccentric | 8s: Normal pace, assisted normally

Paused Bridge Press
12x225
10x225
This is with shoulders on box, not floor, so the same set up as a normal bench press, just without the bench support under the butt

B1 | Cable Rear Delt Fly
10x40
2x9x42.5
B2 | Quasi-Isometric: Single-Arm Band Triceps Pushdown
2x4/4xLight Band
Sets started with 0:10 isometric + 0:10 failing eccentric, ending with no isometric + 0:05 failing eccentric by the end

C1 | Incline Cable Curl
2x7/7/x35
6/6x35
C2 | Leaning Lateral Raise
12/12x35
10/10x35
All leaning lateral raises are leaning away from the working side, not toward, to load the lengthened position

Good workout here. Pin OHP continues to be right on the edge of tolerance for the elbow, meaning it’s intermittently painful but not lasting into the next day. I’ll just keep doing that and rehabbing it a bit through the quasi-isos, impulse reps, and forearm work. If horizontal pressing is improving and pain free, I’m not that worried about it.

TUESDAY EVENING - SQUAT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
General Lower Exploration
5:00
Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x20 - Squat

Squat w/ Chains - Clusters - Belt/Oly Shoes
2 x (2+2+2) x 405+75 - 90 sec cluster rests, 3 min set rest

Paused Squat - Belt/Oly Shoes
2x3x405

A1 | Paused RDL
3x6x405
A2 | Lying Leg Raise
2x10xBW - Slow eccentric dragon flag portion

Lying Knee Raise w/ Med Ball
12xBW+15
10xBW+15

B1 | Standing Cable Leg Curl
12/12x35
10/10x35
9/9x35

B2 | Single-Leg Line Hop
2x30/30xBW - Frontal plane, hand support

Good training here. I’m liking the clusters for some of the heavier squat work.

Paused RDLs were one of those things that I’m talking about with the idea of progressive overload being an emerging property, rather than a long-term programming property. Last micro I did 3x6x435, today was 3x6x405 because it felt around the same RPE that day. Trying for more than last time would be “progressive overload”, but it would have also been too much on this day and would be more detrimental than helpful. Maybe in the next few micros, I’ll end up at 3x8x455 due to continuing to practice the movement around the same RPE, other lifts improving other weaknesses, etc. and the “progressive overload” will have emerged without specifically running any sort of purposeful trend line linear progression. If you just try hard, take improvements when it feels good and take regressions when it feels bad, eventually it will just work out to improvement without the stress of programming and forcing numbers.

Short-term “progressive overload” is more like sandbagging until you run out of room to maintain and then you force a peak to happen, and subsequently regress to very near the previous maintenance because the neurological trick has worn off. Repeating that several times per year will work just fine for younger lifters because the actual progressive overload and gains that are occurring are simply emerging from the available neurological and hypertrophic gaps that are being filled by the nature of just lifting a lot. So it will feel like the programmatic progressive overload being applied is special, but I feel like it’s really not. This is why simply trying to inject “progressive overload” principles into intermediate-advanced to advanced lifters’ programming doesn’t work. Those gaps are filled.

WEDNESDAY EVENING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Air Bike x Glycolytic // Power Endurance Intervals
Warm-Up: 5:00 at ~50 RPM
Primary Work: [6 x 0:20 Sprint / 0:40 Spin] + 3:00 Spin + [6 x 0:10 Sprint / 0:50 Spin]
0:20 Sprints at ~80 RPM
0:10 Sprints at ~90 RPM
Spins at ~55 RPM
Cool Down: 3:00 at 50 -> 40 RPM
Metrics
23:00 total, 11 miles, 140 avg HR, 164 max HR, 230 cal (bike)

Very short sprint-based session after a long work day.

[TylerPK4L]

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - FRIDAY EVENING - UPPER // CONTROL

PREP FLOW
General Upper Exploration
2:00
P1 | DB Biceps Curl
2x15x25s - 0:10 Iso every 5th rep
P2 | Band Punch
2x10/10xLight

A1 | Bench Press w/ 3 Ct Eccentric / 3 Ct Pause
3x275
3x315 - Strong, but right pec feeling it a lot
3x295 - Same deal, cutting it here
A2 | Single-Arm Cable Low Row
14/14x90
11/11x90
10/10x90
35 total reps, beating last time's 31 total reps, same RPEs.. Oh look, emerging progressive overload

B1 | Cambered Swiss Bar Spoto Press
13x205 - Medium
10x205 - Wide
B2 | BTN Lat Pulldown - Behind-The-Neck
2x10/10x125

Cable Triceps Pushdown
2x12x70
10x70

C1 | Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly
12/12x25
C2 | Side-Lying Lateral Raise
6/6x25 - Oof these are hard
Both on 30 deg incline bench

D1 | Hammer Ulnar Deviation
16/16xBar+5
12/12xBar+5
D2 | Hammer Pronation/Supination
2x10/10xBar+5

Slightly disappointing with the pec thing, just because I was otherwise feeling strong. It wasn’t a strain or anything, just felt like it was doing way too much. May have been avoiding that right elbow issue or something. Still a good workout.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - LOWER // ARMOR

SSB Pin Squat
6x3x330 - 3 ct pause, about parallel, 90 sec rests

B-Stance RDL - Beltless/Straps
2x12/12x225 - Definitely sandbagged this, just practicing it and using it as mobility

A1 | Band TKE (Terminal Knee Extension)
15xDbl Light - Squat to bent over TKE
A2 | Copenhagen Adductor Raise
12/12xBW

B1 | Hanging Leg Raise - Over Obstacle
20xBW
16xBW
Legs over 20" box and back
B2 | Plyometrics - Medium Tier Submaximal - Pogo
2x30xBW - Minimal GCT focus

Low energy and focus day. Chose this bilateral reduced-ROM squat to give the split stance a short break. Very hard variation though, probably great to keep in the rotation. Would also like to see what I can do with the B-stance RDL as a unilateral-ish hinge. Just those 2 sandbagged sets got to my glutes and proximal hamstrings pretty well.

SUNDAY MORNING - CONDITIONING // HARD

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // VO₂ Max Intervals
Warm-Up: 1 mile in 9:04 + 4:00 stretch/walk
Primary Work: 5 x [2:00 Run + 1:00 Fast / 2:00 Walk]
Round 1: 462m + 261m + 2:00 Rest (Best at 6:58/mi + 6:24/mi)
Round 2: 457m + 246m + 2:00 Rest
Round 3: 454m + 242m + 2:00 Rest
Round 4: 437m + 238m + 2:00 Rest
Round 5: 412m + 234m + 2:00 Rest (Worst at 7:49/mi (includes turnaround) + 6:52/mi)
Cool Down: 0.5 mi in 4:30 + 20:00 Walk (not included)
Metrics
Total: 3.65 mi in 28:34 total running (7:17/mi avg pace) with 14:00 total rest
Primary: 2.13 mi in 15:00 running (6:57/mi avg pace) with 8:00 total rest
42:34 total at 157 avg HR, 178 max HR, 621 cal

This one was rough. As you can see, there was a clear performance decay between the first 3 rounds and the last 2. But that was just a result of the point of the workout: Pushing under fatigue, both from the “pre-fatigue” decently quick 2:00 bouts directly into the 1:00 push and from the inadequate rest. It had to catch up to me some time.

Looking at that metric of 2.13 mi in 15:00 work / 8:00 rest is funny. My 2 mile PR is 15:56. Intuitively, I would have never thought I’d need 8 minutes of rest between bouts to shave off the 30-45 sec or whatever to make up that difference. Goes to show you the difference in feeling and capacity between two paces separated by just 1 minute (7:58 and 6:57).

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - MONDAY EVENING - ADDITIONAL WORK

Impulse Reps - Shoulder ABD/IR
4x30/30
Cable Shoulder ER - Supramaximal Eccentrics
2x8/8x25
Cable Facepull - Low Anchor
20x25
13x35
Barbell Curl
10x75
12x75
10x75

Vague circuit.

TUESDAY EVENING - UPPER // SECONDARY

Close Grip Bench
3 x (3+3+3) x 225 - 0:30 cluster rests, 2:00 set rests, rapid eccentrics

Cable-Weighted Push Up on Dip Bar
3x8xBW+70 - Incline press cable line of pull and intent (pushing up and back from hands)

A1 | Vertical Inverted Row on Rings
6xBW+45
8xBW+45
6xBW+45
A2 | KB Skullover
15x62
14x62
13x62

B1 | Band Lateral Raise
2x8/8xMonster Mini
B2 | Band Pec Fly - Low-to-High
2x8/8xMonster Mini
Both: Varied the tension to make 8s land around RPE 8

Wanted to try something different for bench power/speed work with the rapid eccentrics. The intent was to pull the bar down to make it as fast as possible, at least on the top half of the eccentric before applying some resistance as it came to the chest and then reversing it explosively. Not sure if my elbow will be able to handle much of this right now, but I’ll probably keep trying it. It seemed great for force production and spreads my exposure to more of the velocity spectrum.

For the push ups, I tried something different with the dip belt and put it around my ass instead of my torso lol. It worked well to avoid getting pulled into lumbar extension / sagging. Feet on box, knees bent, ass up (), and pushing up and away felt like a great closed chain incline press.

Right elbow/triceps is pretty annoyed after this session

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 1/3

MICRO B - THURSDAY EVENING - DEADLIFT // THROWAWAY

Went into the garage to do this workout on Wednesday, but just kinda sat there and contemplated it for awhile. Just had zero energy, high anxiety, and no drive to do it. I’ll try it the next day:

PREP FLOW
General Lower Exploration
10:00 - Spent more time on this than usual trying to get things feeling normal
Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
2x15

Conventional Deadlift
2x405 - Just big trash

A1 | Russian Twist Off Box
2x10/10x22
A2 | Side Plank Dip
2x10/10xBW

Everything spine and lower body just feeling bad this whole week and this just demonstrated it. I had no confidence in even starting the workout last night and obviously I sensed correctly. Didn’t bother trying to salvage an actual workout with this. It’s just a lost workout in this microcycle.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // VO₂ Max Intervals
Warm-Up: 0.6 mi in 4:40 + 2:30 stretch/rest
Primary Work: 4x400m + 1x800m + 2x400m
Run 1: 400m in 1:37 + 1:30 rest
Run 2: 400m in 1:38 + 1:30 rest
Run 3: 400m in 1:40 + 1:30 rest
Run 4: 400m in 1:40 + 3:00 rest
Run 5: 800m in 3:55 + 3:00 rest
Run 6: 400m in 1:53 + 1:30 rest
Run 7: 400m in 2:04 + 1:30 rest
Metrics
Total: 2.59 miles in 19:08 total running (7:16/mi avg pace) with 16:00 total rest
Primary: 2.00 miles in 14:27 total running (7:12/mi avg pace) with 12:00 total rest
34:02 total at 157 avg HR, 176 max HR, 520 cal

This was another low energy day generally. The first few 400ms were okay, but I quickly lost it and everything from the 800m on was very sludgy. In retrospect, it wasn’t that bad and throwing the 800m in there introduced a pretty rough switch up in fatigue to finish out the other two 400ms.

Not sure what’s been going on with my energy and strength over the last 8 days or so. I’ll keep slightly adjusting the system to find the appropriate balance of fatigue and recovery, but I’m not going to over-correct for this. These sort of dips just hit sometimes.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - LOWER // PLAY

Finished out this micro by just playing with cleans. I did some drills with the bar and then power and full cleans with 95 lbs, following Will Ratelle’s tutorial. I’ll keep messing around with the technique and see if can get enough weight on the bar to have a decent training effect in some capacity. To be frank, I don’t know how men do cleans without smashing their junk. Maybe my arms are the wrong length, but probably a technique error. Unless it’s like a fetish I’m not aware of and that’s why they Oly lift🤔

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 2/3

MICRO A - SUNDAY MORNING - LOWER // ARMOR + CONDITIONING // LIGHT

PREP FLOW
General Lower Exploration
3:00 - Hip CARs, feeling out adductors, glutes, calves
P1 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
2x15
P2 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Split Squat
2x10/10

A1 | Hatfield Reverse Lunge
6/6x300
8/8x320 - Alternating 4s, PR (+2 reps / +30 lbs)
6/6x320 - Alternating 3s
A2 | Seated Vertical Jump
5x3

RDL on Belt Squat
8x270
2x6x360
Deficit to about 2" above top of feet, emphasis on sitting way back into hamstrings and slow eccentric

Treadmill Running x Alactic + Aerobic // Extensive Tempo
Work: 11 x [0:20 run / 0:40 walk]
Roughly timed, not including speed up / slow down. Using powerlifting flats (forgot other shoes), so running on balls of feet. 1.0 incline. Run speeds below. Walks at 3.3 mph
Run 1: 8.5 mph
Run 2: 8.7 mph
Run 3: 9.0 mph
Run 4: 9.2 mph
Run 5: 9.5 mph
Run 6: 9.5 mph
Run 7: 9.5 mph
Run 8: 9.5 mph
Run 9: 9.5 mph
Run 10: 9.2 mph
Run 11: 9.0 mph
Metrics
~13:30 total, ~1.37 mi total, 147 avg HR, 165 max HR, 168 cal

Leg Extension
8x225
2x6x235

Lying Leg Curl
6x90
2x6x100

Okay we’re back. Solid PR for the Hatfield reverse lunges. Glutes are destroyed from them. I’m feeling them while just walking on flat ground.

Not the biggest fan of the jumps placed where they were. Wanted to just try it out, but I basically just felt fatigued going into them, rather than extra potentiated or anything. Obviously this is probably somewhat different than a bilateral squat variation. Still, I’d rather use jumps when fresh to get max output and as a primer for squatting.

Running was pretty much my lower leg / extensive plyometric work for the day, since I forgot to bring shoes other than my Avancus flats.

Continuing to rework the programming a bit. I think I might switch back to a normal weekly schedule (and 14-day microcycle) to be able to place a few things on standard days. The trade off is losing the freedom of skipping a day and just continuing from there, as I can do on the more loose 16-day microcycle that doesn’t have a defined first day to anchor things to. I’m not sure yet though and I might be able to work it out to where it’s a mix of both.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 2/3

MICRO A - THURSDAY EVENING - UPPER // PRIMARY

Paused Bench
5x315 @ RPE 8.5
6x295
5x295
4x295
^ Giant Set: 15 reps at 90-95% of top set at RPE 8-8.5 with about 2.5 min rests

A1 | Dip
3x8xBW - Low volume to test out elbow tolerance
A2 | Single-Arm Seated Cable Mid-Row
2x8/8x90
7/7x90

B1 | Cable Preacher Triceps Extension
2x12/12x25 - Like this
11/11x25
B2 | DB Preacher Curl w/ Dead Stop
2x12/12x25
10/10x25

Very solid pressing today. Top set e1RM is about 380-385. Not bad to be sitting around 90% of my all-time PR after a few years of things keeping me from heavy bench. Obviously I’d have to peak into that lift, which I don’t have plans for. I’m just going to be trying to improve my 3-6RMs mostly.

Right elbow still irritable in the hours after dips. Going to test them without other triceps isolation next time though.

Wanna read something stupid (but also a decent lesson)? Let’s call this story:

EXTERNALLY COMPENSATING FOR DISORGANIZED MOTOR CONTROL IS BAD

I took a couple of days off after the last workout, mostly due to work stuff, and I let myself be way too sedentary. Apparently my left adductor got irritated by the Hatfield lunges and tightened up, because I bent over while seated on the bed to put on my shoes on Wednesday morning and it grabbed super hard. I’ve never felt an adductor cramp before. I do not recommend the experience. It felt like it had a strain all day and it was irritable when I messed around with it after this workout too. It’s feeling fine since Friday (Sunday now). But I’m going to be careful with it for a few more days.

I can’t lie, this type of random bullshit brings my motivation down and makes me feel injury prone and fragile. But there’s probably a better explanation and I believe it’s this:

In hindsight, the Hatfield stuff has been me avoiding unsupported split stance work. They’re hard to balance, so the loading and effective reps potential is decreased and therefore it feels like I’m not accomplishing anything, so I just go for the supported variations instead. I haven’t been dumb with progressions or going too hard on these lifts, so it’s not a pure tissue tolerance issue. Clearly there was residual tone/guarding that wasn’t exposed until I got into a certain position and it grabbed. I’ve strained this left adductor several times over the last year, mostly in split stance or following it. But why?

The Lesson: My leg strength isn’t the problem I should be solving for, but that’s what I’ve been opting to do. As a result, I’ve been allowing myself to use high output on a weak base for me (the split stance position).

My loss of balance during unsupported variations may be the visible constraint and sometimes it’s fine to reduce a visible constraint in a lift to allow for more output. Other times, the visible constraint is a symptom of an internal constraint that can’t be removed via external means. Like a lack of control of the pelvis/femur in a loaded legs-separated position (because my actual balance is totally fine in any balance test). Not to mention the difficulty and injuries I’ve experienced with high velocity running. It’s clear I’ve been simply avoiding improving upon that internal constraint, which is dumb. Especially on training days I call “armor”, which should be about improving upon those constraints. I had been viewing it as, “I’m weak in this position, so get stronger in the position” as opposed to “I can’t control this position well enough to safely express my existing strength through this position, so gain control over this position”.

I have the capacity for high output already and I’ve been forcing that output to positions and speeds on a base that doesn’t have the capacity to handle it. Classic case of big cannon + small boat (a la “having a small back can’t support a big bench” argument), except it’s motor learning and other neurological/neuromuscular issues to solve, not hypertrophy. The nervous system almost definitely feels like the split stance position is unsafe or is not a position that it will allow a lot of output currently. I’ve mistakenly overridden that by externally removing the instability that would otherwise be a useful rate limiter. Unstable versions would rate limit me until I can internally create the stability / control needed to safely express high output in the position (note: this is not the same thing as “unstable training” like Bosu balls and such).

Same deal with sprinting: There’s a good chance I’m neuromuscularly limited in how much I can do things like rapidly alternating between contracting and relaxing the hamstrings, but I’m still able to force the output through voluntary effort. And thus, the lengthening isn’t considered accessible or safe at every stride, so the brain tries to keep it from happening by limiting the ability to relax the hamstring in each cycle or it must decide on another inefficient position to comply to the task rapidly, the amortization phase occurs, tissue tolerance is exceeded either at that point or right when the concentric phase begins from that guarded or overloaded position, and a strain occurs.

So, the fix isn’t stacking more output-based variations and qualities, it’s more positional control and mobility in the split stance position (and doing strides, bounding, etc. on the sprinting side of things). Whatever amount of output my body allows in the unsupported position is the appropriate output. At some point, the internal control will increase to the point where there is no guarding and the limiters will be removed. But I need to do that work first without overriding it for my ego’s sake.

Time to get comfortable with walking lunges and the like.

SATURDAY MORNING - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // Threshold Tolerance
No running warm-up, just a quick stretch
Primary Work: 3.11 mi / 5K at Sub-9:00/mi
Km 1: 5:12 8:22/mi
Km 2: 5:11 8:21/mi
Km 3: 5:02 8:06/mi
Km 4: 5:11 8:21/mi
Km 5: 5:20 8:35/mi
Cool down: Walk for 20 mins - Not included in metrics
Metrics
5K in 25:56 (0:23 off PR), 8:21/mi avg pace, 170 avg HR, 183 max HR, 493 cal

Felt pretty solid and consistent up to the 2 mile mark where I had my turnaround point. It was progressively harder from there to the finish to the point of exhaustion. The sub-8:30/mi I ended up hitting is definitely faster than my lactate threshold pace, which explains that. I’ll probably need to do some actual work below/slower than lactate threshold for more volume/mileage to build the aerobic base (I just don’t want to).

No adductor feelings at any point during or after this.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 2/3

MICRO A - MONDAY EVENING - FULL ARMOR // A1: SQUAT+PULL

Walking Lunge w/ Goblet KB
3x8/8x44
2x8/8x62

A1 | Single Arm Cable Low Row
10/10x110
9/9x110
7/7x110
A2 | Suspension Leg Curl
2x12xBW
10xBW
A3 | Suspension Hamstring Bicycle Kicks
10/10xBW
2x8/8xBW

B1 | KB Rear Delt Fly - Lengthened Position Bias
15/15x35
12/12x35
B2 | Integrated Bent Over Core Rotation
12/12x55
10/10x55
"Integrated" meaning I'm laterally hip shifting, pulling with the distal arm, and then pushing with the proximal arm, as opposed to locking in with straight arms and isolating the core aspect
B3 | KB Lateral Raise
2x10/10x35

I’m testing out 4 variations of full body Armor days like this one, which are squat/pull + press/hinge (Week A) and hinge/pull + press/squat (Week B) to line up with a 14-day microcycle. The 2 of those per week are separated by a conditioning session as shown below. The primary lower and upper days are on the weekends. This setup is meant to lower the stakes on weekdays to give some breathing room for motivation/focus needs. The workout today would generally be the heavier split squat variation, but I have to gain the free moving split stance skill first. I did some lunges straight on and some with stepping forward+laterally and they all felt decent. No adductor issues.

Today’s session was missing things like jumps, isometrics, and/or plyos to round it out.

Then you can see the 2nd full Armor variation for Week A (press/hinge) below the conditioning workout.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // HARD

Outdoor Running x Medium Glycolytic // Glycolytic Tolerance
Warm-Up: 1km / 0.62 mi in 4:46 (7:40/mi pace) + 4:30 stretch rest
Primary Work: 2 x [4 x 2:00 on / 1:30 walk] w/ 3:00 set rest
Run A1: 511m (Best at 6:22/mi) + 1:30 walk
Run A2: 481m + 1:30 walk
Run A3: 481m + 1:30 walk
Run A4: 463m
+ 3:00 walk
Run B1: 442m + 1:30 walk
Run B2: 437m + 1:30 walk
Run B3: 446m + 1:30 walk
Run B4: 428m (Worst at 7:38/mi)
Cool Down: 3:00 walk + 5:00 stretch
Metrics
Total: 2.91 miles in 20:55 total running (7:08/mile avg pace) with 16:30 rest
Primary: 2.29 miles in 16:10 total running (7:04/mi avg pace) with 12:00 rest
Bio: 40:25 total movement at 152 avg HR, 176 max HR, 622 cal

Definitely overshot the pacing from the jump on this one. The warm-up being sub-8:00/mi was way too fast and so were the first 3 primary efforts. It’s not that it was “too hard” as an overall workout (the dedicated stretching seems to have cleared what would usually be pretty high soreness after this sort of workout (surprise)), it was that I used an effort/pace that allowed for too much performance decay for it to match the intent. I probably should have been hitting a consistent ~450-475m from beginning to end, but instead the performance dropped around each rep with 0:30 to go and the overall decay was about 16% from first to last round.

Either way, I’m still happy with the ability to do 8 reps of well above 400m with mostly only 1:30 rests. I’ll just be smarter about it next time.

This should be my highest velocity sustained running day in the microcycle in Block A, but I’ll touch higher speeds on my Light conditioning days at low volumes. Will write more about that later.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON - FULL ARMOR // A2: PRESS+HINGE

Box Press w/ Bands
6x3x225+70 (Dbl Minis) - About 90 sec rests

90-Deg Hyperextension
3x10xBW+62

A1 | Dips
3x10xBW - Focusing on tuck position with these (i.e. ribs down and knees up to reduce the excess shoulder extension needed to get full ROM needed for pecs/triceps) plus scapular protraction and depression at the top
A2 | Cable Biceps Curl
12x62.5
10x62.5
9x62.5

BTN Lat Pulldown
10x140
2x8x140

B1 | Single-Leg Line Hop
2x30/30 - Medial and lateral / frontal plane hops, hand support on first set
B2 | DB Incline Curl
18x25s
14x25s
B3 | Single Leg Calf Raise
2x12/12xBW+62 - Paused

The plan for this day is the lighter hinge day in the microcycle. It’s immediately following a hard running day and preceding a heavy squat / deadlift day by about 2 days. So things like 90-deg hypers, 45-deg hypers, landmine RDL, heavy KB swing, or clean variations. I’ll have 3 other hinging opportunities in the microcycle that are meant to be heavier, so this is just the lower stakes day for it. The hypers today were even lighter than I’ll generally do though.

Pressing felt good today. Zero right elbow pain during/following this. I do like the tucked position dips a lot more than the usual bodybuilding style. Would like to load it and see how that goes, but I’m going to keep the progression on them slow.

Only thing to switch up so far is extensive plyos like the line hops need to go before the running day. Felt like too much lower leg bone stress here.

Overall: I’m just gliding through the remainder of the year without much pressure on performance. The goal is to extend this Block A by about 3 weeks to get my yearly cycle where I’d like it: Block A in the winter and summer (aerobic, capacity/resilience, hypertrophy focus) and Block B in the spring and fall (speed, output, strength focus). Mostly to just not have to be doing high velocity running when it’s cold.

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 2/3

MICRO A - SATURDAY MORNING - SQUAT // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1 | Walking Lunge
2x12/12xBW
P2 | Cossack Squat to Box
2x10/10xBW
P3 | Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding - Squat
2x20xBW

Triple Broad Jump
3x2 - Up to 25’9" for a 3" PR, done during squat warm-ups

Paused SSB Squat - Belt/Flats
3x380
2+2+2x380 - Cluster set with 45 sec rests

SSB Squat - Belt/Flats
7+6+5x330 - Density set with 90 sec rests for 3 rounds, 18 total rep benchmark

Paused RDL w/ Belt/Straps
8x405 - Benchmark PR
8x365

A1 | Copenhagen Adductor Raise
2x10/10xBW
A2 | Lying Leg Raise w/ Partner Leg Throw / Eccentric Overload
2x20

About 20 mins later…

SATURDAY AFTERNOON - CONDITIONING // MODERATE

Outdoor Running x Glycolytic + Aerobic // Threshold Tolerance
Warm-Up: 1 km / 0.63 mi in 5:50 (9:16/mi) + 3:30 stretch rest
Primary Work: 4 x [3:00 run / 1:30 walk] + 2 x [2:00 run / 1:00 walk]
Run 1: 665m (Best at 7:18/mi) + 1:30 walk
Run 2: 639m + 1:30 walk
Run 3: 629m + 1:30 walk
Run 4: 635m + 1:30 walk
Run 5: 436m + 1:00 walk
Run 6: 417m (Worst at 7:48/mi) + 1:00 walk
Cool Down: 531m in 3:00 + 15 min stretching at home
Metrics
Total: 3.08 mi in 24:57 total running (7:59/mi avg pace) and 11:30 rest
Primary: 2.13 mi in 16:06 total running (7:35/mi avg pace) and 7:00 rest
Bio: 36:33 total movement at 159 avg HR, 180 max HR, 616 cal

Big fatigue day here with back-to-back workouts. The squats crushed my mid-back, but otherwise felt good and no adductor feelings. That cluster set was brutal. Maybe should have dropped about 5% from the top weight. Oh well. Triple broad jump PR was nice too.

SUNDAY MORNING - UPPER // HEAVY

PREP FLOW
P1a | Band Posterior Shoulder Sequence
2x20/20xMini - Shoulder extension to rear delt fly to Y raise arc done with reps all along that path
P1b | Band Pec Fly
2x10/10xMini
P2 | Bench Press Overcoming Isometric
4x3x0:03 - Into pins, <1" off chest

Paused Bench
2x315
2x345 @ RPE 8
2x365 @ RPE 10 - Nice to be back here, the second rep was maybe the slowest of my life with a literal 6-second grind lol - video below
7+5+5+3 x 295 - 20-rep density set with 90 sec rests

A1 | Counter-Reach Cable Row
2x10/10x62.5+Light Band - Not sure if there’s an existing name for these. Band anchored behind, pressing and holding it in scapula-protracted position with the non-rowing hand. Goal is scapulothoracic dissociation between sides
A2 | Banded Deficit Paused Push Up
15xBW+Light
11xBW+Light

B1 | Cable Lateral Y Raise
2x12/12x17.5 - Myo-rep match set on second
B2 | KB Toss Curl
2x12/12x35 - Dead stop at bottom, high intent to throw and catch at the top, then normal eccentric

This was my first time benching above 335 since Feb 3 this year, which was just 345 then. I’ve only benched over 315 straight weight 3 times this year, along with getting some heavy touches with chains. As far as I can find in the log, it’s been since April 2023 the last time I benched 365. Crazy. That’s the funny thing about nagging injuries and such. Even though I was kept from this weight for 2 years and 8 months, the strength is still here available to me. Not that the overcoming isometrics did it, but it was clearly a good inclusion for prepping for a heavy bench, so it’ll stay in the rotation.

I’m just going to continue being as safe and smart as I can with everything and not lose the plot. 365 was obviously harder than intended and will be pretty fatiguing. I’ll probably not allow myself to go over 365 straight weight until I can hit it for 5 reps (assuming I ever get there). 5x365 is a long-standing nemesis goal of mine that I tried to hit a few times over the years and never accomplished. I got 5x360 and 4x375 years apart.

Anyway, here’s the 6-second grind…

[TylerPK4L]

CHIMERA

CYCLE 3 - BLOCK A - MESO 2/3

MICRO A - TUESDAY EVENING - FULL ARMOR // B1: HINGE+PULL

Plyometrics - Deep Tier Yielding
2x15/15 - Split squat
2x30 - Squat

Conventional Deadlift - Beltless/Straps
3x2x405 - Was planning on a power-focused hinge around this weight, but it did not move that way, scrapped the idea

A1 | Rear Foot Elevated Single-Leg Zercher RDL - Open Trap Bar
3x8/8x75 - Mostly just feeling this out, rear foot on wall
A2 | Pull Up
6xBW
3x4xBW+36 - Chains
6xBW

Nilsson Lateral Raise
13x25s+5 w/ Monster Mini
2x12x25s+5 w/ Monster Mini

Side Bend
2x15/15x62

Cable Crossover Rear Delt Fly
9/9x25
8/8x25

This past Saturday definitely dipped me into fatigue debt, because 405 moved like 505 today. Probably shouldn’t have done a heavy cluster set AND a density set on those SSB squats lol. May need to adjust which hinge goes where in the microcycle, but we’ll see.

Pull ups with chains felt decent, though the right elbow wasn’t super happy during them and a bit after. Pull ups just feel like I’m mostly pulling through my elbows, but hopefully with more practice I’ll figure it out.

THURSDAY MID-DAY - FULL ARMOR // B2: PRESS/SQUAT + CONDITIONING // HARD

A1 | Standing OHP
8x5x135
A2 | Front Foot Elevated Split Squat - Zercher w/ Open Trap Bar
4x5x125 - Right
4x5x125 - Left
Treated right/left side as two exercises: Right + OHP + Left + OHP... with 45 sec rest each

B1 | BW JM Press
15xBW
9xBW
8xBW
This version might be one of my favorite triceps variations I've ever felt. GIF below.
B2 | DB Incline Curl
18x25s
15x25s

C1 | Cable Upper Back Row
2x8/8x80
C2 | Seated Cable Leg Curl
5/5x60
7/7x55

Instead of using a barbell for BW JM press on an incline, I used my plyo boxes. Much more comfortable surface to press from, allowing me to set up with no incline and get more out of it. Just tuck the elbows hard and focus as much as possible on bending the elbows instead of allowing the shoulders into extension and you’ll keep the non-vertical forearm position needed to make it work properly.

Goal for OHP was just to maintain velocity, get some volume in, and see what the elbow does with it. Anyway, then about 15 minutes later, I went for my conditioning work

Outdoor Running x Aerobic // Sustained Threshold + Cruise Intervals
No running warm-up
Run 1: 20:00 at 8:48/mi = 2.28 mi + 4:00 walk rest
Run 2: 5:00 at 8:30/mi = 0.59 mi + 1:00 walk rest
Run 3: 4:00 at 8:44/mi = 0.46 mi + 1:00 walk rest
Run 4: 4:00 at 8:40/mi = 0.46 mi + 1:00 walk rest
Run 5: 3:00 at 9:01/mi = 0.33 mi
Cool down: That last run and then walking for 10 min
Metrics
4.12 miles in 36:00 total running (8:44/mi avg pace) with 7:00 rest
43:00 at 166 avg HR, 177 max HR, 808 cal

This was meant to be on Wednesday, but I didn’t get to it and I have off work today, so I doubled up. Still not a fan of long running lol. Definitely have the thought worming in my head that it’s not as valuable as just continuing to work at improving the 1-mile and under distances, if my goal is general conditioning, getting faster, and not interfering horribly with lifting. Not changing anything yet though.