2/17
KBs/Rev Hypers/Light Log and Axle C+P Warmup
Depth Jump (not high) 5x3
Axle C+P up to a shitty miss at 264 so I chalked it up as a loss and moved on
Farmers Holds (in cage; VERY short pickup) 202x20s 252x20s 292x20s 342x15s
Vertical Iso Leg Press 4x10+10
Single Arm DB Press worked up to 150x1 (either 15 or 20 lb PR?)
-this pleases me greatly
Useful day especially considering the ridiculousness of my food intake. For whatever reason someone decided it would be a good idea to take my work group to Casa Bonita for lunch. For those whp have seen the south park episode: YES it exists. It’s hilarious (there is a fake gunfight and a dude in a gorilla suit) but the food is HORRENDOUS. You’re also required to buy a dinner. If I were a smarter man I would have brought food and paid the gy 15 bucks to not give me anything but sopapillas.
It’s in a strip mall next to a liquor store and I think a Rent A Center. My guts were/are on fire and I was heartburned and vurping the whole time (thank you Monopoly for the new word: VURP). Actually still vurping and heartburning so that should make for a good night’s sleep!
KB/Rev Hyper/Snatch Warmup
Log up to 270 for two atrocious singles then 220x10
-Nothing good to say; log felt heavy and I had problems keeping it tight on my body. The rep set was good and tough but the form was offensive.
GM w/axle up to 315x5
Standing T-Bar row 4x10+10(close grip/wide grip; last set w/4 plates)
Cable Crossover/Cable Crunch superset 3x12+12
Leg Curl/Leg Ext Superset 3x10+10
Band Traction for Low Back
Rev Hyper 2x12
Ab Wheel 2x15
Ate like shit all week and it is reflected in my workouts this week. Results aren’t terrible (never argue with PRs esp in my OH work) but I felt “off” all week and never really recovered from anything. I wasn’t consistent with intake at all. My low days ended up being too low in calories due to poor planning/laziness; so low I was needing a nap when I got home from work. Too much fat and bad carb sources in the high days and generally piss poor all around. Get over it and get better.
2/21 Whatever Day
Band Traction (low back individual legs and shoulders)
KB Swings/Rev Hypers
Turkish Getup 20kg KBx2+2 empty barbellx2+2 40kg barbell 1+1x4 50kg 1+1
-L side way harder than R; i’m using two hands to press it up before I start the 40kg and 50kg rather than the traditional roll to press. Yup I admit it; i’m a cheater.
Banded KB swing 24kg w/blue band 3x10; WOW
KB Snatch 24kg 3x10+10
2/22
KB Windmill/KB Swing/KB C+P/Rev Hyper for Warmup
Jerk (normal bar)-up to a shitty 255x1 and a fast 255x1 (frustrated because this should be nothing; 75ish%)
DB Floor Press up to 100x8
Arnold Press 3x12
High Machine Row/Low Machine Row SS 4x12+12
Rev Pec Deck 2x20
Ab Wheel ss with Hanging Leg Raise 2x10 each
Nothing felt good about that jerk and I let it eat at me the whole night. If I had know that was going to feel that awkward and shitty I would have stopped at 225 and done 3-5s. Might be a good thing to get away from 1-2s and push main movements out to 5RMs and max rep sets for a few weeks. Made a TON of max weight PRs in the last month or so and could be a good time to push the conditioning a little; no max events in SoCal (press medley:farmers/tire/drag medley:harness pull:keg toss: stones). Conditioning might need a little work since we haven’t been outside much this winter/spring.
Or i’m just rationalizing away a shitty night when I should just get over it.
I think your long overdue for a deload bud. Beau has had time off, I have had time off, you, not so much. Just something to think about, see ya tonight.
I’ve been thinking the same thing for a week or so; especially after Monday and last Wednesday. But then I come in and have a good night Wednesday and figure it’s all in my head. I’m making PRs and almost feel like I can’t take a week off…but that’s probably exactly why I NEED to take a week off. I’m getting inconsistent and all the gym PRs in the world don’t mean shit if i’m blown for the show. I think next week is probably last good week to deload otherwise i’m getting too close to the show. Thoughts?
2/24
KBs/Rev Hyper warmup
Axle DL up to 455x3 (gotta be PR) then 365x12
Farmers Full Pick and Hold up to 292x1 (I closed my eyes for the 252 pick; I should try a full run blind)
Back Squat 135x10 185x10 225x10x2
Some other stuff I don’t remember
2/25 RE Upper
Turkish Getup 3x3 per side w/24kg KB
Machine Pulldown 4x12
Std OH Press superset w/ Reverse Pec Dec 4x12
Chest Supported Row superset with Fat Grip DB Curl 4x12
Lateral Raise superset with Reverse Grip Press 4x12
Machine Curl superset with Weight Behind Head Situp 3x12
Hanging Leg Raise 3x12
Reverse Hyper 2x15
DONE
I didn’t realize we did so much; we were hauling ass.
2/27
Rev Hyper/KB/Sled Drag warmup
Farmers/Tire Flips/Drag Medley up to x2 full runs (BLEW ME UP)
Snatch up to 90kgx0 (miss in front) 90kgx0 (over pull) 90kgx0 (miss in front) 90kgx1 (just right)
-snatches felt REALLY smooth and strong for some reason; maybe I didn’t do enough medley work
Roman Chair Situp 4x12
Weighed 232 in the gym today; i’m a heavyweight! I’d like to thank last night’s ginormous Italian meal full of salt and pasta for helping me go from 226 to 232 in 24 hrs.
Begin DELOAD! Schedule stays the same but intensity will tank; mix a little cardio in as well. Carb cycle will get adjusted as well; lots of low days this week. Never taken a deload this close to a contest before so i’m curious how the “double dip” will feel. It’s probably a couple weeks overdue; too inconsistent recently.
The tire and conditioning in general needs a little work but that’ll come as the weather comes around and we can be outside. Mike Boyle said it best; it takes years to get strong and fast but weeks to get fit. Maybe a barbell complex on Wednesday night for conditioning. Ideally stones (Depending on body) twice more before contest; I’m ex-communicated if I don’t finish this run.
3/1
DB Rows up to 105x12
Single Arm Swiss Ball DB Bench up to 75x12
Chest Supported Row 3x12 w/ 3 plates (I think)
Hit a hot yoga class and now my back feels all funky again; loading stones, axle deadlifts against bands and the yoke don’t bother it at all but one hot yoga class and now my leg feels all funky like it did before I had surgery; WTF
It’s not painful at all but it’s irritated; lots of ibuprofen, ice and contrast showers to try and blow out the inflammation
3/2 Nothing
3/3
4x12 Reverse Hypers
6-70ft sled trips w/3 plates (i’m WAY out of shape)
Single arm BB snatch to 60kg for some singles (3?)
Leg Curl/Leg Ext 4x15+15
Rev Hyper 3x15
3/4
Sled Drag 6-50ft w/ 3 plates (oddly enough this didn’t get any easier than yesterday)
Lots of band traction and reverse hypers
Back is still no bueno; seeing chiros tomorrow and will see proper docs if it isn’t better ASAP. With any luck I can get a dosepack to blow the inflammation out. Stupid deload week and even stupider yoga; this never would’ve happened if I had kept training hard.
It probably would’ve been a full blowout or something. Like I said before; it isn’t painful but it’s tingly and irritated. Might make an executive decision to take Saturday off and get treatment; we’ll see how it’s feeling in the AM. I can’t win this show in the next few weeks but I can sure as hell lose it.
3/6
KBs/Hypers/Traction
Press Medley: axle log barbell db keg (main run: 1st three 250ish; DB 115 and keg is 150-175ish?)
Iso DB Press for time: 14 reps in 60s w/ 100 (damn you Monopoly for 15 in 52s)
Farmer/Drag Medley: main run was 252 farmers for 100ft plus 100ft sled drag w/ 3 plates
AbSolo 3xsome reps
More Hypers and Traction
Back isn’t worse; just irritated. Tough to explain if you’ve never felt it but it’s like a tingly feeling; kinda like wind on your leg hair. Ice ibuprofen and contrast to blow it out. Stupid yoga
3/8
KBs/Rev Hypers/Traction
Axle Pause Bench up to 265x2 275xmiss then rep set 185x12ish paused drop to 135 wide-grip repped to near fail
Single Arm DB Incline 4x8 (last set 75) superset with DB Row 4x8 (last set 125)
Lateral Raises and Crucifix holds
Pressdown 4x15
Chest Supported Row 2x12
Abs/Traction/Rev Hypers
When the hell was the last time we benched?? Def heaviest i’ve taken to the chest in a long time; actually maybe ever. This would’ve been the night to work to a max single if I were going to do it but I took 5’s up til the last two sets. Maybe something to go for after the next couple contests.
What a shocker; overhead pressing makes your bench go up. Next thing you’re gonna tell me that gaining weight helps you get stronger.
3/11
Light Rev Hypers for a ton
Bird Dog and Plank Holds (haven’t done these since post op and it shows)
Sled Drags bunch of lighter 50ft drags, then 4x50ft w/4 plates. Added an extra chain and D-handles to be a little more specific. Have to try it with a stone because it didn’t seem much harder than usual with plates.
-Two of the figure competitors in our gym jumped in on a couple sled drags with me. So I got that going for me, which is nice.
Dipsx60
Chinsx30
BUNCH of light reverse hypers, hanging from a bar and band traction. Back feels fine, irritated but no/very little pain. Icing and contrast tonight to knock out the inflammation plus a steady dose of naproxen.
Main point of day was to traction and heal the back; dips and chins are just icing. Chiros tomorrow morning for some adjustments and work on distraction table and Saturday Stone Day.
Cleans/Hypers/Traction
Stones: not the best day as I missed my loads on our heaviest stones (somewhere between 370-400?) but tried some new tack and played around a little. The pickups are really feeling great but stones were sliding off my chest and too low.
Easy adjustment to make so that’s nice. Last set was 330x6 was nice and smoooth; might not break any records but it’ll get me home.
Truck Pushes SUCKED
Sled Drag w/stone and D handles: 6-50ft trips; Monopoly PWNED me on the last set (forward dragging is hard)
More reverse hypers and traction
3/14 AM “So wait; now that we trained all winter i’ve got to go COMPETE?!”
Rev Hypers/Traction/Foam Roller
Sled Drag 550ft
Turkish Get Up 2x3+3 w/24kg kb
Traction/Hypers/Roller
Will do some bird dogs and planks later on today. Surprisingly the back feels pretty good this morning all things considered (stone loads not exactly pro-lower back health). Lots of naproxen and icing today. Focused on getting healthy these next two weeks and cutting down the extra work in the interest of healing and letting the supercompensation curve kick in (assuming i’ve done enough to earn it of course).
3/15
Sled Drags-4-50ft trips
Rev Hypers
Axle Floor Press up to 275x0 then 275x1 (I think I got a nudge through a sticking point)
Mini-Me DB Incline 4x10 (last set 70s)
OH Seated Lockout 135x5 135x5 185x5 225x0
Fly-Cable Row-Machine High Row-Machine Low Row giant set 3x10 each
More Reverse Hypers and Band Traction
3/17 Happy St Paddy’s (10 days out)
Messed around tossing kegs
-this will be MUCH harder than I thought for the normal keg; width makes it tough to get any hip drive
Sled Drags w/belt 8x50ft w/4 plates
Farmers holds for time up to 342-hand for 10-odd sec
-don’t ever remember 342 being such a semi-easy hold; too bad the skin on my hands disagrees
Traction and Reverse Hypers
Staying healthy and stewing a little; didn’t even get any chocolate milk!!
Mostly spectated for our (growing) group. Two HWs did some stout axle DL sets with 510 for max reps. Beau and I are looking to Cali and qualifying for Nats and the other 3-4 of us are looking at local shows coming up. Monopoly and I are sizing up some Highland games as well. If anyone reading is in Denver the last weekend of March and is interested in Highland games: Sean Betz is giving a clinic that weekend. I believe it’s $40? Hit rmsa.org (or google Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletes) and have a look! They’re on fscebook as well.
Now for a Black and Tan for the old man before I crash out
