Monday

AM
1600m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, build to a heavy single
B. Alternating front rack reverse lunges, build to a 10m max
C. CTB pull-ups, 10 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 1:56.0-1:56.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

subbed 30:00 AirDyne @ Z1 - it was cold

PM

A. 215 (questionable depth), 220F (but depth was good)

B. 153 

C. complete 

+

1:56.8

1:56.5

1:56.4

1:56.3

1:56.1


Today was awesome.  I could get used to always feeling this good.

Back squats felt great; the 215 wasn't much of a struggle, but depth continues to be questionable at heavy weights, so I went for 220 and BURIED it - and got stuck on the way up (for approximately 11 seconds) before dumping the bar.  I don't know what to think about this.  It's annoying.  

Walking front rack reverse lunges were super weird.  The 153 was definitely heavy, but probably could have gone a bit heavier.  Accidentally went a couple of feet past 10m because I couldn't see the chalk mark on the ground.

CTBs all butterflied and in rhythm, despite tearing on the 3rd set.  Getting more comfortable here.  Finally.

Rows are starting to really suck, but I continue to be impressed with how much I've improved.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, build to a heavy double
B. Alternating front rack reverse lunges, 3 x 6-8 total; 2:00 rest
C. CTB pull-ups, 9 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 1:57.0-1:57.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45 on the sled

PM

A. 205 (questionable depth)

B. 163, 173(6.5), 173(6)

C. complete 

+

1:57.5

1:57.6

1:57.3

1:57.4

1:57.3


Good day!

Back squats felt great; built quickly (135-165-185-205).  Still having an issue getting well below parallel at heavy weights, but depth on the double at 185 was way better than last week's set at 185 (video).  So, it kind of seems that the first time I get to a new weight, I'm hesitating at parallel, but the second time I get to it, I'm getting below parallel easily.  Am I sub-consciously protecting my knee? It's weird.  Anyway.  That second rep at 205 was s-l-o-w...

Lunges were fine; got stuck at the bottom on the 7th rep on the first set at 173 and had to dump the bar.

CTBs felt the best they have yet; all butterflied and in rhythm.  Hands got really hot, which turned into blisters a few hours later, but no rips.

Rows were tough.  Next week is going to be interesting.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, 3-3-3 building to a tough set (same deal, still no risk of failing), 20X1; 3:00 rest
B. Alternating front rack reverse lunges, 3 x 8-10 total; 2:00 rest
C. CTB pull-ups, 8 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 1:58.0-1:58.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45 on the sled

PM

A. 165, 185, 195 (videos)

B. 143, 153, 163(8)

C. complete 

+

1:58.6

1:58.6

1:58.3

1:58.3

1:58.0


Barefoot back squats feel better each week; compared to last week, depth was greatly improved.  I think all the reps at 165 and 185 were legit, and the first and 3rd rep at 195 were below parallel with the second rep right on the line.  I really wasn't happy with how heavy 195 felt, but Stephen told me the chains are about 70lbs, so that made me feel a lot better (I assumed they were closer to 40lbs).  That's by far the most I've ever squatted without a belt or knee sleeves (or shoes, obviously), so now I don't feel quite so bad about how heavy it felt.

Reverse lunges were fine.  Saw stars on all of these.

CTBs felt really tough today.  All butterflied and in rhythm, but not easy and it felt like way too much effort.  Also, Chelsea and Pat were talking in the background about butterfly pull-up technique, and Chelsea mentioned that it's all hips and your arms should be just there to keep you attached to the bar, and that's not how I feel at all.  I do think I'm using my hips, but my elbows/arms are definitely doing a LOT of work... 

Row repeats felt more challenging this week than they have yet this cycle.  I mean, obviously they would, they're getting faster.  But, I also felt like my energy was fading and I got a headache after the first one.  Last week (during my insane hunger phase), I took a few shot blocks before the row repeats and I felt amazing on the rows, so I'm wondering if I should start doing that... I'll run it by Mike, but I don't really see the harm, especially since I already did it last week. Even if it's just mental, I'll take any edge I can get.  Kind of excited (in a masochistic way) to see how fast these will get...

Wednesday

AM
4000m row @ Z1
+
15:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 2-2-1-1-1, 22X1; 2:30 rest
B1. Weighted ring dip, 3 x 1-2, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. Unweighted strict rope pull-ups (top hand 4-6" above bottom hand), 3 x 3-5/top hand; :60 between hands, :60 rest
+
3 rounds nice & steady:
10 glute-ham sit-ups
50m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
200m jog
15 unweighted hip extensions

AM

complete

PM

A. 183(2), 193(2), 203, 208, 213F

B1. 35(2), 42.5(2), 52.5(1) @166.5, including belt 

B2. 5, 4, 4

+

complete


Today was short and sweet.

Front squats felt okay - the 208 was definitely tough, but I lost a little tension in the 0:02 pause at 213, and couldn't recover it.  

Ring dips felt really good - hit the double at my old 1RM, and 219 is a 10lb PR.

Rope pull-ups felt good, but fingers started slipping on the last rep of each set.  Probably could have done 5 across if I fought for it, but I didn't.

3 rounds were nice and steady, as instructed.  Knee is still cool with jogging, so that's good.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, 5-5-5 building to a tough set (same deal, still no risk of failing), 20X1; 3:00 rest
B. Alternating front rack reverse lunges, 3 x 12-16 total; 2:00 rest
C. CTB pull-ups, 10 x 4 unbroken; begin a set every :40
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 1:59.0-1:59.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

subbed:

30:00 AirDyne @ Z1

+

25:00 mobility

PM

A. 135, 155 (barely legit), 175 (questionable), 175 (still questionable)

B. 123, 133, 143(12)

C. complete 

+

1:59.7

1:59.6

1:59.6

1:59.4

1:59.1

Planning to make up the sled drag on a warmer morning... (I know, I know, I'm a Californian wimp).

Back squats felt so much easier without the pause at the bottom. Videoed all these again, and I'm still just barely riding the line, but the first set of 5 at 175 looked really questionable on video, so I made the executive decision to repeat the set and really focus on going as deep as possible, and on the second attempt at 175 I still only think the first two reps are legit. There's no pain or even stiffness, so I don't know what the deal is. I seriously feel like I'm going ATG.

Lunges were fine.

CTBs better than they have been, but still require a lot of focus. All butterflied and in rhythm.

Rows felt excellent, yet again. This is cool.

Wednesday

AM
5000m row @ Z1
+
10:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 4 x 2-3, 22X1; 2:30 rest
B1. Weighted ring dip, 3 x 2-3, 20X1; :60 rest
B2. Unweighted strict rope pull-ups (top hand 4-6" above bottom hand), 3 x 2-4/top hand; :60 between hands, :60 rest
C1. Reverse hypers, 3 x 5-8 tough; :30 rest
C2. Banded terminal knee extension, 3 x 25/side w/same band as last week; :30 between sides, :30 rest
+
3 rounds:
25m Farmer's walk, 100/hand
200m jog

AM

complete

PM

A. 163, 173, 183, 193(2) last two sets

B1. 20, 25, 30(2) @165, including belt 

B2. 4 across 

C1. 320(8) across 

C2. complete 

+

complete 

Solid day!

Barefoot front squats are going MUCH better than the barefoot back squats.  The last rep at 193 was ugly, but didn't have the near-blackout experience that I did last week.  No issues going well below parallel, even at very heavy weights, compared to just riding the line on back squats.  Chelsea said she also feels able to get into a deeper front squat than back, based on where the weight is distributed.  What can I do to improve my back squat depth?  Do I need to?  I don't want someone saying that my 300lb back squat doesn't count because it's not ATG (if I'm ever strong enough to do that again, which, at the moment, seems unlikely).

Ring dips felt good.  My previous best 2RM was 194lbs (20lbs @ 174lbs), so it's pretty cool to basically match the total, but with 10 less pounds of body weight and 10 more pounds on the belt.  I guess this stuff is actually working, and while I'm getting impatient at slow progress on the scale, I can't forget that the trend over time is decent. (160.4 at home today... 159 is taunting me so much).  

Strict rope pull-ups were kind of fun!  No issues getting all 4 reps on both hands, but I did rotate/twist quite a bit through each set...

Okay, reverse hypers are getting tough.  Didn't go up in weight because 320 seems ridiculous.

Knee was completely, 100% fine on the jogs! I'm guessing that we were just a little ambitious in adding this back in before, while there was still some residual fluid in there.  Totally fine now, which is a relief.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, 3-3-3-3 building to a tough set (still no risk of failing, though), 21X1; 3:00 rest
B. Alternating front rack reverse lunges, 2 x 16-20 total; 2:00 rest
C. CTB pull-ups, 10 x 4 unbroken; begin a set every :45
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 2:00.0-2:00.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45

PM

A. 155, 165, 175, 180(2) video

B. 103, 123(16)

C. complete, sets 8 and 9 out of rhythm 

+

2:00.7

2:00.7

2:00.6

2:00.5

2:00.3


Solid day - felt much better than the last two days, which is totally weird since it's day 3.

Continue to be disappointed at how heavy the back squats are feeling.  This makes me sad. The second rep at 180 was so slow that I wasn't confident I could get the 3rd.  Videoed all these, and depth is juuuuuuuuust barely legit... I don't know if it's (still) a mobility issue, because I have no issues with greatly improved depth on front squats...? Or is this how my back squats have always looked?  I really need to start videoing a lot more of regular training than just PR attempts.

Lunges felt good; limited mostly by time in the front rack.  Probably could have gotten the last 4 reps at 123, just didn't feel like crushing my trachea any longer.

CTBs mostly good; I don't really know what happened on those two sets, other than the very first rep was already off, and then I couldn't save it.  I still have to focus a lot to maintain rhythm.  Looking forward to the day when these are second nature.

Row repeats were the highlight of the day (what?!).  These felt really good.

Wednesday

AM
5000m row @ Z1
+
10:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 3 x 3-4, 22X1; 2:30 rest
B1. Weighted ring dip, 3 x 3-5, 20X1; :90 rest
B2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 6-9 tough; :90 rest
C. DB walking lunges, 3 x 20m moderate; 2:00 rest
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 2 x 30/side w/same band as last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
15m Farmer's walk, 100/hand
15 unweighted hip extensions
15 weighted Russian twists, hold a 6 lb med ball @ chest (L + R = 1)

AM

complete

PM

A. 163, 173, 183(2)

B1. +10, +20(4), +20(3) @166.5 (including belt)

B2. 230, 280, 300(9)

C. complete with 35/hand
+
complete


Today was not the best.  I had a relatively stressful morning at work, and came into the gym just not excited about training and in an annoyed mood altogether. Merrr.

Front squats were tough.  That 0:02 in the bottom is really terrible.  Saw stars on the last rep on all the sets, and the second rep at 183 was so slow on the way up that I didn't even try for a 3rd rep.  I'm starting to feel like squats are no longer my thing, and I don't like it.  Stupid knee, ruining everything.  Well, not ruining handstand push-ups.  Maybe that can be my new thing.

Ring dips felt okay.

Reverse hypers weren't really all that tough, but I ran out of room to add more weight, and I also felt like 300 was a lot of weight, so... I don't know if I'm doing the reverse hypers wrong, or I'm really just that strong? Ha.  I definitely feel everything in my posterior chain working (not just using momentum), but I could have probably done 15-20 reps at 300lbs before these felt tough.

Chose a much more appropriate weight for the walking lunges today.  

Last part was fine.  

Skyped with Mike; we're both happy with how the last few weeks have gone, so we're not changing anything for the time being.  Happy to keep my refeed Fridays, and looking forward to seeing 159 hopefully within the next week.  Eeeeeeek! 

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot back squat w/chains, 5-5-5 building to a tough set (still no risk of failing, though), 21X1; 3:00 rest
B. Front rack box step-up, 3 x 4-5/leg to 10", control descent as much as possible; :90 between legs
C. CTB pull-ups, 6-8 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 2:01.0-2:01.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45 on the sled

PM

A. 115, 135, 155

B. 133, 143, 153(4)

C. 8 sets complete 

+

(4 hours rest)

+

2:01.6

2:01.5

2:01.5

2:01.3

2:01.1


Today was pretty solid!

Back squats got to be tough.  I don't like this.  Again, I'm really hoping that the weight of the chains is respectable.

Step-ups felt great; I like these.

CTBs all butterflied and in rhythm, no hand tears.  I'm still finding it easier to maintain rhythm with a higher / more vertical pull, which seems opposite.

Took a break to take Austin to the ER (poor guy), and pop back into work for a couple of hours.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel coming back for the row repeats, and with different meal timing than I've gotten accustomed to, but I actually felt AWESOME.  I went out way too hot on the first 3 (1:55-1:57) before I was able to settle in to something closer to 2:01.  If we're going to keep the row repeats in the program, I actually wouldn't mind always separating them from the rest of the training session and doing them in the PM... it was quite nice to see my friends, too, without stressing over needing space.

Wednesday

AM
4000m row @ Z1
+
10:00-15:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 3 x 4-6, 22X1; 2:30 rest
B1. DB bench press, 3 x 3-5, 20X1; :90 rest
B2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 8-12 moderate; :90 rest
C. DB walking lunges, 2 x 25m moderate; 2:00 rest
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 2 x 30/side w/same band as last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
15m Farmer's walk, 100/hand
15 unweighted hip extensions
15 weighted Russian twists, hold a 6 lb med ball @ chest (L + R = 1)

AM

complete

PM

A. 123, 143, 163(4)

B1. 65, 70, 75(2)

B2. 180, 210(12), 210(12)

C. 25m, 20m with 50/hand - this was not moderate 

D. complete with black band 

+

complete 


Today started out pretty good, but lost a bit of steam towards the end.  

Front squats felt okay - knee is doing something weird, and I don't know if it's something to worry about or not.  It doesn't hurt.  

Surprised to get all 5 reps at 70/hand on the DB bench.  75 was a big jump, and it was very challenging to even get the dumbbells into position.  Almost had the 3rd rep at 75, could probably get it if I tried again, and if I was able to get the dumbbells into position with slightly less effort.

Reverse hypers were fine.  

Completely overestimated the dumbbell walking lunge steps - I did not check my notebook before beginning, and thought I had done 50/hand before so I just figured I'd do that.  I made it about 10 steps on the first set before I realized that this was way too heavy, but then decided to just roll with it and finished the 25m unbroken (barely).  Couldn't make it all the way back (grip, mostly), and when I dropped the dumbbells at 20m I considered picking them back up and lunging the remaining 5m then decided that because I went heavier than intended, I was okay to shave off 5m.  Sorry, Stephen.  Now that I'm writing this, I sound like a little bitch.

That was the turning point of the day.

Banded knee extensions got tough in the last 5-8 reps of each set, on both legs.

Took probably 15:00 to complete the final 3 rounds.  Nothing was difficult in particular, I just didn't feel like playing anymore.  Meh.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot box squat w/chains (box height to allow just below parallel bottom position), 2-2-2-2 build to tough (no risk of failing, though), 31X1; 3:00 rest
B. Front rack box step-up, 3 x 4-7/leg to 10", control descent as much as possible; :90 between legs
C. CTB pull-ups, 8 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 2:02.0-2:02.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45 on the sled

PM

A. 165, 165, 175, 185 + chains to biggest jerk block 

B. 123, 133(6), 133(7) to biggest jerk block

C. 6 sets complete, called it after the 3rd rip

+

2:02.7

2:02.7

2:02.7

2:02.5

2:02.3

Solid day!

Box squats felt great; made a big jump to start at 165 and was shocked at how heavy it felt, but the second set at 165 was much better, and built from there.  185 was tough for sure.  I'm hoping the chains are respectably heavy, because it's a little demoralizing to feel like 185 is tough.

Step-ups went well.  Again, found a 7RM on these - no way I would have gotten an 8th rep at 133.

CTBs all butterflied and easier than last week.  Ripped once on the very first set, then again on 3 or 4, and then a big one on 6 and I just called it.  I knew from the muscle-ups yesterday that my hands were in rough shape, so I shaved them down quite a bit this morning, but apparently not enough.  Dammit.  In any case, happy with the way these felt today.  Keep 'em coming.

Felt much stronger on the rows this week than last week, so perhaps it was just the sickness making me feel out of shape last week.  And no grip fatigue this week!  Although I did bleed all over the handles (of course I cleaned it up).

Wednesday

AM
4000m row @ Z1
+
10:00-15:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 4 x 2-3, 42X1; 2:00 rest
B1. DB bench press, 3 x 4-7, 20X1; :90 rest
B2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 10-15 moderate; :90 rest
C. DB weighted Peterson step-ups to box @ mid-shin, 4 x 8/side :60 between sides
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 3 x 20/side w/same band as last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
15m/side Farmer's walk, 100/hand
10 unweighted hip extensions
15 weighted Russian twists, hold a 6 lb med ball @ chest (L + R = 1)

AM

complete

PM
A. 165, 175(2), 175(2), 175(2)
B1. 60, 65(5), 65(5)
B2. 160, 180(15), 180(15)
C. complete with 35/hand
D. complete with black band
+
complete

Decent training day! (Kind of shocking considering last night's 9pm softball game and subsequent 6 hours of sleep). 

Front squats felt tough with the tempo today. The first rep was always solid but I felt my back starting to round on the second. Almost blacked out on the last set, got super lightheaded on the way up. 

Bench pressing continues to feel strong, regardless of barbell or dumbbell. Reverse hypers felt good. 

First set of the Peterson step-ups was rough, but got better as they went on. Failed a couple of reps on both legs but was able to regroup and repeat all missed reps. These are so tough. 

Everything else was fine. Back to work. 

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot box squat w/chains (box height to allow just below parallel bottom position), 3-3-3-3 build to tough (no risk of failing, though), 31X1; 3:00 rest
B. Front rack box step-up, 3 x 7-10/leg to 10", control descent as much as possible; :90 between legs
C. CTB pull-ups, 8-10 x 4 unbroken; begin a set every :45
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 2:03.0-2:03.9/500m
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete

45 on the sled

PM

A. 135, 145, 155, 165 to the biggest jerk block

B. 83, 93, 103 to the biggest jerk block

C. 10 sets, all butterflied and in rhythm 

+

2:03.5

2:03.5

2:03.4

2:03.5

2:03.4


Box squats felt great; only the last rep at 165 was pretty tough (wouldn't have gone any higher than this today if I had another set).  

Box step-ups also felt great; the last couple of reps at 103 were definitely tough on each leg, and this is pretty much a 10RM without pushing off the back leg.

CTBs felt only okay - they were all butterflied and in rhythm, but not effortless and required some focus to stay in rhythm.  Brushed very high (low? closer to stomach than collar bone) on a couple of sets, and these were surprisingly the easiest ones to keep in rhythm, even though I was pulling higher.

Rows felt tough.  I felt very out of shape, especially considering that I was doing 8-10 sets at 1:59 a few months ago.  I don't know if it's just this time of the training year, or the lingering cold, or what, but it didn't feel good today.  Also, my forearms blew up, which is annoying.

Saturday

AM
30:00-60:00 round-the-world of choice or swim

PM
A. Power clean, build to a moderate touch-and-go double
B. Barefoot single-leg Romanian deadlift, build to a very heavy triple/leg
C1. DB shoulder press from seated on floor position, 3 x 6-8, 20X1; :60 rest
C2. 1-arm DB row, 3 x 4-8, no tempo but still ensure a high elbow @ the top; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
2000m row @ Z1, off every 500m for 5-10 touch-and-go double-overhand axle deadlifts - you pick the weight

AM

complete @ home

30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5 for 10 air squats + 5 perfect push-ups + 0:30 handstand hold against the wall

PM

A. 145, 155x1 - nanos, no belt, no hook grip

B. 145, 155x1/each leg

C1. 25, 30, 35(7)

C2. 55, 60(4), 60(5)

+

complete

6 across with 110


Picked up the cold that's going around... woke up feeling pretty shitty.  Grateful for a kind of chill day, and hoping to feel better by tomorrow.

I don't feel comfortable cleaning anything over 155 without a hook grip - the bar slipped out of my hands on the one rep at 155, so called it there.

The 145 single-leg RDL wasn't "very heavy", but I couldn't get a second rep at 155 (tried twice on the left, only once on the right). I think the issue was mostly balance, but my upper quad/hip flexors felt really tight at the heavier weight.  Pretty sure I was still doing a 31X1 tempo on these, even thought it wasn't specified.

DB press from a seated position was very strange, it was so hard to clean the 35lb dumbbells! I now have a much greater appreciation for the paraplegics who are cleaning barbells and shit.  That's hard.  Dumbbell rows were the same as usual.

As far as I can recall, that was my first time deadlifting the axle bar.  My child-sized hands were not amused.

Wednesday

AM
3000m row @ Z1
+
20:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work - work on knee flexion ROM

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 3 x 3-4, 42X1; 2:00 rest
B1. Good morning, 2-2-2, 22X1; :60 rest
B2. DB bench press, 3 x 6-8, 20X1; :60 rest
C. DB weighted Peterson step-ups to box @ mid-shin, 4 x 10/side :60 between sides
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 2 x 25/side w/same band as last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
25m Farmer's walk, 100/hand
12 weighted Russian twists, hold a 6 lb med ball @ chest
15 light reverse hypers

AM

complete

PM

A. 123, 143, 163(3)

B1. 143, 153, 158

B2. 45, 55, 60(6)

C. complete with 30/hand

D. complete with black band 
+
complete
120 on the RH


Knee felt tighter than it has in a while this morning, which carried over through the PM.  No issues with depth, it just felt like I had to force it a little... 

So happy to be squatting again.  3-4 reps is much more manageable at that tempo, but I'm pretty sure my face was all shades of red on the last set.

That might be close to a limit on good mornings... I don't know if I could even do one with decent depth at much more weight than that.

DB bench felt great!

Peterson step-ups went better than last week, but I don't know if I can go up in weight... 30/hand is quite challenging (on both sides).

Everything else was good.  That was the lightest that a 100/hand Farmer's walk has ever felt.

Monday

AM
1200m light sled drag, alternate forward & backward as desired
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Barefoot box squat w/chains (box height to allow just below parallel bottom position), 5-5-5 all moderate, 31X1; 3:00 rest
B. Front rack box step-up, 2 x 10-12/leg to 10", control descent as much as possible; :90 between legs
C. CTB pull-ups, 6-8 x 5 unbroken; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
500m row @ 85% effort - should be sustainable pace across all sets
2:30 walk rest

AM

complete with 45 on the sled

PM

A. 95, 125, 135 (+ chains) to biggest jerk block

B. 53, 63 to biggest jerk block (11")

C. 6 sets complete

+

2:04.9

2:04.8

2:04.7

2:04.7

2:04.7

Everything felt a million times better than yesterday, thank god. 

Knee is officially feeling 100% (Wednesday will be 8 weeks). No issues with a full ROM air squat with less than 10:00 mobility! And everything in the PM was completely pain-free even with a very quick warm up. So happy I got it fixed, and that it was an easy fix at that. 

Box squats felt great. 135 was the upper end of moderate, but it felt so good to squat again that I just rolled with it. 

Kept the step-ups on the lighter side, since I don't think I've ever done these. Really focused on not using the back leg to push off at all.

Butterflied the CTBs, but sets 4 and 6 were way out of rhythm. 

Rows felt great! 

I've now told 2 people in my new lab about my preferred work/training schedule, so hopefully I will stop feeling like I'm sneaking around soon. It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission anyway. 

Saturday

AM
30:00-60:00 round-the-world of choice or swim

PM
A. Power clean, build to a moderate touch-and-go triple
B. Barefoot single-leg Romanian deadlift, 3 x 3-4/leg, 31X1; :90 between legs
C. Shoulder press, build to a max
D. 1-arm DB row, 3 x 5-10, no tempo but still ensure a high elbow @ the top; :60 between arms
+
2-3 attempts:
best row pace in 5 pulls - yep, one more week here
full recovery
+
10:00 row @ 70

AM
43:00 complete @ home
AirDyne, mobility, push-ups and air squats

PM
A. 145, nanos, no belt, no hook grip
B. 125, 135, 140(3)
C. 120 (PR +5), 125F, 122F
D. 50, 55, 60(6)
+
1:25
1:25
1:26
+
complete

Buying my own AirDyne was the best decision ever.  Slept in AND did my AM session!

Power cleans felt solid, but 145 felt like a moderate place to stop.  Getting used to not hook gripping (I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing).

Single leg RDL was fine; balance started to become an issue as it got heavier.

Shoulder press felt FANTASTIC.  120 went up super easily, so put 125 on the bar, and failed immediately.  Tried 122 and this was actually pretty close, hit a sticking point pretty high and thought I had it for a minute there, but not quite. 

Dumbbell rows were much more fun without a tempo.  Grip is still the limiter (surprise surprise).

Alright, I'm satisfied that I just cannot pull faster than a 1:25.  Stupid.

Wednesday

AM
3000m row @ Z1
+
20:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work - work on knee flexion ROM

PM
A. Barefoot front squat, no sleeves, 3 x 4-6, 42X1; 2:00 rest
B1. Good morning, 3-3-3-3, 22X1; :60 rest
B2. Close-grip bench press, 2-2-1-1, 21X1; :60 rest
C. DB weighted Peterson step-ups to box @ mid-shin, 3 x 12/side :60 between sides
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 3 x 20/side w/same band as last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
50m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
20 unweighted Russian twists
12 moderate reverse hypers

AM

complete

PM

A. 83, 103, 123(4)

B1. 123, 133, 143, 148

B2. 154(2), 159(2), 164, 169, 174 (PR +4)

C. complete with 30/hand

D. complete with black band 

+

complete
160 on the RH

Able to get full knee ROM within the allotted 20:00 mobility today!  That's a relief, ain't nobody got time for 45:00+ each time you want to do an air squat.

SO HAPPY to squat with a barbell again!  Knee felt absolutely perfect on these, but that tempo is a bitch.  Got super lightheaded on the set at 123, just a long time to be crushing your trachea.  Decided to trust that the mobility this morning was enough to prep the ROM for the PM session, and it was!  Just did a quick hip/ankle stretch and I was good to go.  Great success!

It's been a looooong time since I've done barbell good mornings; I think I was doing these correctly (basically lowering until I felt a nice stretch and holding it there for the 2 seconds).  

Bench press felt excellent.  Went for a bonus rep because I knew I'd get it, wasn't even a question.  And with the same tempo!  Cool.

Peterson step-ups were very challenging with that weight.  I will not be sad if these go away soon.

Still like the banded terminal extensions.  This one's a keeper.

Farmer's walk was super easy (unbroken); first time with a Russian twist, that was neat.

Had a mandatory health screening at work today - we can repeat this every couple of months, so this might be cool to come back to later.

5'3" 165 (in jeans, 162.7 @ home)

BP: 120/82 (a little higher than normal for me)

pulse: 54

total cholesterol: 243 (errrrrrr)

HDL: 66

LDL: 166

TG: 55

glucose: 83

waist: 31" (this was 35.4" the day I joined CSC)

Skyped with Mike last night - scale has been completely stuck at 163 for the past 2 weeks (which is most likely stress-related, working blows), so we're making some changes.  150g protein, 80g fat, 190g carb, unless performance starts to tank.  He said "I'd like to see you under 160," and I'm like "ME TOO" with the unimpressed emoji face.  Trying not to get frustrated.

This may be the deepest squat I've ever done.

Saturday

AM
30:00-60:00 round-the-world of choice or swim

PM
A. Power clean, build to a moderate touch-and-go 5
B. Clean pull w/drop from top, 1-1-1 @ 185; 2:00 rest
C. Barefoot single-leg Romanian deadlift, 2 x 4-6/leg, 31X1; :90 between legs
D1. Shoulder press, 4 x 2-3, 21X1; :60 rest
D2. 1-arm DB row w/straps, 4 x 2-3/arm, 21X0; :30 between arms, :60 rest
+
2 attempts:
best row pace in 5 pulls (recommend damper @ 10 and long, very aggressive pulls right from the start)
full recovery - go again when you feel like you can rip it
+
2000m row @ 90% aerobic

AM

slept in, will make it up tomorrow

PM

A. 103, 135(4), nanos, no belt, no hook grip

B. Fx1, DNF

C. 103, 113(5)

D1. 100, 105, 110(2), 110(2)

D2. 65, 70, 75, 80F, 75

+

1:25

1:26

+

complete, 2:13.4/500m avg


Oh my god, this week has caught up to me in a bad way.  I'm exhausted and I feel like crap.  Was out late last night and had two beers, but I think it's the combined effect of the whole week that made me feel absolutely terrible today.  The worst part is, there's no end in sight - I have zero down time coming up in the next week...and I've gotten quite accustomed to a significant amount of down time. Blah.

Wasn't sure how the TnG power cleans would go without a hook grip, but it was actually okay.  Just too ambitious on the 135 - I definitely wouldn't have failed the 5th rep, but it probably would have been ugly and between my knee and my thumb, I didn't want to chance a bad catch.

Pulled the first clean pull and the bar flew out of my hands (just past my knees), and somehow my thumb got bent back in a terrible way.  I think this hurt more than when I first jammed it.  Had to take a lap outside, and had no interest in trying again.  God dammit, I'm sick of being injured.

Barefoot single-leg RDLs felt good, the best/most stable they've felt to date.

Shoulder press felt fine.  Had a very difficult time with the dumbbell rows today - I was warming up and intended to start heavier (since I got 75 for 3 last week), but I could barely hold on to the 65 today, so that's where I started. Tried the 80 on the 4th set and couldn't even pick it up off the bench to start one rep (left hand, normal grip issues, not broken thumb issues), so moved back down to the 75.  

These little row sprints are annoying.  Happy to get 1:25 this week, but I still feel like I could do better.  Hit 1:26 on the 4th pull, I was sure the 5th pull would be faster than 1:25, but it was not.  Same deal on the second attempt - hit 1:26 on the 4th pull, but then it didn't drop on the 5th pull.

The 2000m row felt good.  Gave myself a cap of 2:15/500m pace, no issues staying under that for the duration.

Wednesday

AM
3500m row @ Z1
+
20:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work - work on knee flexion ROM

PM
A. Barefoot KB goblet squats, no sleeves, 3 x 4-6, 4211; :60-2:00 rest
B1. Romanian deadlift w/straps, 2-2-1-1, 41X1; :60 rest
B2. Close-grip bench press, 2-2-2-2, 21X1; :60 rest
C. DB weighted Peterson step-ups to box @ mid-shin, 3 x 15/side :60 between sides
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 2 x 20/side w/thicker band than last week; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
2:00 AirDyne
15 glute-ham sit-ups
12 moderate reverse hypers

AM

complete

PM (immediately after AM)

A. 53, 70, 88(4)

B1. 183, 188, 193, 198

B2. 149, 154, 154, 154

C. complete with 25/hand

D. complete with black band

+

complete

160 on the RH

Totally weird work schedule today - didn't have to be at work until 11, but have to stay until after 8, so figured I'd combine the sessions.  Wasn't sure what to do food-wise - I didn't want to do all that work fasted, so I made a double PWO shake and had half while I was doing the mobility.  Not sure if that was optimal, but I don't plan on doing this again anytime soon.

Goblet squats felt great - was more limited by ability to hold the larger kettlebells than anything else.  The actual squatting felt good! Can I pleeeeeeeease try squatting with a barbell soon?

Romanian deadlifts were difficult - still can't hold on to a heavy bar, even with straps, and I'm definitely still driving through my right leg more than my left...

Bench felt great! 

Today was the best that the Peterson step-ups have gone - still a few wobbly reps (on both sides), but feeling more and more comfortable with the exercise.

Banded terminal knee extensions were good.  I think I might add these in more often, I like them.