Forgot to log my other work from this week. lol.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Lu9nYgqvK/
Did some light log earlier in the week.
3 Likes
12/23/19
Log Clean and Jerk
160x3
160x3
160x3
160x3
Log Clean EMOM for 12 minutes: 160x3
Seated DB Shoulder Press
100x8
100x8
100x8 easiest these have been, ever i think. could have pushed for plenty more.
Band Pull Apart
x15
x15
x15
x15
x15
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12/26/19
Log Clean and Jerk
110x3
160x3
210x3 right arm was feeling…turned off. I couldnt figure it out. The weight just sat more in my left hand.
250x2
290x1
320x really embarrassed to have missed this, but it was due to a severe nerve pinch in my neck that had me immobile for an entire day. Still recovering as of 12/28. I think front squatting so heavy and then overloading with 500+ caused some iritation in my C spine and it just kinda sploded with log cranking my head back .
320 felt super super doable. I felt so confident on the clean. Got to save it for another day.
12/28/19
Brother and his friend are in town and they’re training for a contest in March. Their current regiment is pretty ridiculous with work load. I was planning on taking off, but I chaperoned their session and got some work in myself.
Deadlifts (sumo)
135x5
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x3
405x3
435x3
525x10 Not a PR but a pretty good top set, even for sumo. Neck feels okayish. Happy to have hit something.
Literally spent 4 hours helping them with stones and cleaning up. What a fuckin day.
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12/30/19 - Neck is still fucked bois. Just did some random shit today, again.
Seated DB Shoulder Press
100x10
100x10
100x10
100x10
100x10 (about 10 min between each set)
Log Vipers
210x7 didnt warm up for this and beltless.
Probably some accessory work tomorrow.
1 Like
Hope you bounce back fast!
Your neck has been fucked numerous times in the past, if I remember correctly. Do you know what causes this?
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Hey man, hope everything is well?
Have you ever done anything written by Mike Westerling? I recently had a look at a program he put out for free. It is a 12 week program that is designed to increase your deadlift as well as your squat (while the training focus is heavily on deads). Might fit best into a 3 day schedule I’d imagine.
Looks pretty intense but doable and might be up your alley. I’ll give it a go myself when I can fit it in.
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@Koestrizer I think it’s due to not warming up my thoracic before a lift tbh. This time was the worst for sure. Felt like my C spine was BUSTED. Also, I have not done anything by him, but it sounds like something i can try. Granted, what seems to work best for me in the past has been training deadlift seldom, but I’m kinda interested now that you’ve shown this to me.
On a further note, I’d like to say happy new year and give a big thanks to all the cool people here who have supported me through struggle, reign, and everything that came in between.
I ended the year at the complete opposite I started from. I hit some PR’s, and found health (mental, and physical). I am ready to start competing again, and more often at that. I am not more or less motivated, but I’ve garnered a more grounded sense of self recently and no longer harbor doubt as to what I am capable of strength and performance-wise.
I am excited! First workout of 2020:
Strict Press (wanted to see where I’m at on this since i have not done a barbell press in a WHILE)
135x3
185x3
225x1
275x1 okay so easy. Just stopped here. Ridiculous how fast this flew up.
225x10
Seated DB Shoulder Press
100x13
100x10
100x6 pooped.
Banded Overhead Pin Presses (bar at forehead height)
95+green x 12
135+green x 8
135+green and blue x 6
Double Pause added
135+green and blue x 5, x5, x5, x3 literally died.
Log Clean and Press (saw Rob Kearney do this so I wanted to as well ofc 
)
160x3,3,3
210x3,3,3
250x3 actually felt better than 210. I just suddenly was able to turn on my power button. Press out on the last few reps since my tri’s were FRIED, but power was fine.
Done.
275 strict
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6_j2bPgGMd/
4 Likes
Glad to hear that positive message from you and to know that you ended 2019 on a high note!
I’ll send you the link on Instagram in case you want to take a look.
1 Like
Checked out those presses in IG. Looked real good Vinny, real good.
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1/8/20 - Weighing 226 atm, kinda overweight but hey…idk. be fat.
EMOM Paused FS for Triples @ 285 (no belt). Okay, I began cramping in my adductor and quads. This kicked my ass hard.
Did some pull ups, and stretching. I think I am gonna be unbearably sore for a while since I haven’t squatted in so long.
1/12/20- bw 225, so uh. Competing most likely on March 14th at Lift me I’m Irish (raleigh NC). Gonna be stacked as shit. First contest since nationals in 2017. Scary!
I’m tired, sore, and just not in the mood to train due to my body feeling like shit. Contest has me feeling some kind of way, though.
Deadlifts (was gonna do the deadlift program but I gotta pull 18 inches in this 
@Koestrizer)
135x8,3,3
225x3,3
315x3,3,3
405x3
405x3
495x12 fucking sets of 3 all hook grip. Felt better as I went on the pull but i wanted to drink boiling water to soothe the pain in my thumbs after.
Loose belt, and 3 minute rest periods for all the triples for 495. Very pleased as it’s been a while since I’ve handled deadlifts in any sort of frequency even at only 495, this shit kicked my ASS.
Snatch-ish grip Pendlay Row (hover reps, no rest on floor)
135x8
135x8
135x8
135x8, yeah these suck, bye.
135x8
Burned myself hard on these two exercises. Very happy with this, tho at the beginning of the session i was PISSED off at how i felt.
2 Likes
Excited to see the competition dude. You are gonna wreck folks.
1 Like
Automatic disqualification for anyone who calls it St Patty’s Day, IMO.
1/14/20 - Thanks fellers. Today’s training was kind of awkward. The press event is AMRAP in 60 seconds with EITHER a 245lb log or axle. I figured the axle would be easier, but I’ve spent so much time on log, I’m not sure if I wanna try getting my axle up to shape. Also, IS the axle easier? Harder to clean, way easier to press, but I feel like I could do damage on the log. I also do not think both implements are equal. Overall im pretty fucking clueless.
During warm ups, the log fell out of the rack, hit the ground and fired up into my shin. Fortunately no damage was done to the bone or ligament, just a gash. I walked off tremendous pain for about 15 minutes and carried on with the session. I could not keep the axle close to my shin on the cleans or It’d reopen the cut, so these cleans were way harder than they had to be. Got this awful sesh done.
Seated DB Shoulder Press
100x10
100x10
100x10
Axle C&P (clean each)
135x8,3,3
185x5,3,3,3
225x3,3,3,3,3,3
185x3,3,3,3
Banded Overhead Pin Presses DOUBLE pause (Bar at forehead)
135+green and blue x 3x3
95+G & B x 4,x3,x3
95+Green x 5,x5,x4
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Next session will be yoke. Definitely my worst event in this contest, so I’m going to be training the shit out of it. I will also add back squats as assistance for it.
Husafell and arm over arm I may combine into a separate day as standalone, but until I get closer, I will sneak it into my current squat/deadlift regiment.
3 Likes
I would imagine it depends on you. I know that I could clean and press a decent clip more on an axle than a log, but that’s because I’ve specifically trained axle for a contest and only ever done log maybe half a dozen times for funsies.
Since you’re so strong at log, seems silly to try and bring the axle up to speed. At 245lbs, you could probably smash that event on the log, right?
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Probably right man. I may go with the log from here on out, thanks for input.
1/16/20 - bw 226
Burpee to KB Swing to Pull up Circuit (3 rounds)
x10, 45x10, x10
Back squat (no belt)
135x5,5,5,5
185x3,3
225x3,3
315x3
365x3
Yoke
185x120’x3
275x120’
275x120’
365x120’
365x120’
365x120’
All timed for speed. I can sprint with the above weights but of course you lose some time in between drops and repicks, as well as making sure each stride is consistent.
The plan for yoke is tentative. Like many, it does my body quite the aggravation. so I will employing back squats as the main method to “strengthen” the yoke (this is what I believe most people should be doing for yoke training). The rest of the work on yoke is simply practice. Training yoke heavy like you would on press, deads or squats is not the same. 9/10 you will be beat down and lose progress. Peaking on yoke is a necessity, of course, but the window at which one should hang out in those weight ranges in training is very limited.
Some thoughts.
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Definitely agree with the peak window. Heavy yoke walks are hard to recover from and not really necessary unless you have a heavy yoke coming up. The point of back squats for yokes is interesting. I have never seen a huge connection between the two. I am a shit squatter myself and decent on yoke. The other way around I have seen fantastic squatters who are terrible at moving with a yoke and everything in between.
I should clarify a bit; I feel like if someone is primarily Ssb or front squatting, switching to back squats will extensively prepare someone for yoke without even training yoke.
If you’re already back squatting, not so much. In my case, it’s been a handful of months since I was loading anything on my back, so it’s going to give me a hastier comeback.
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I could definitely see that. I surely need to get used to the weight on my back a lot more than moving my feet.
1 Like