Saturday

AM
20:00 AirDyne @ Z1
+
ROM/mobility

PM
A) Snatch-grip deadlift
3 x 6-8, 31X1; 3:00 rest
B) Seated 1-arm DB shoulder press
3 x 6-8/arm starting w/R and matching w/L, 21X1; :60 between arms
C) 30:00 Assault Bike @ Z2
off every 5:00 for 15 unweighted hip extensions

A. 83(6), 83(8), 83(8)

B. 10(8), 15(8), 15(8)

C. Complete, 54-55 RPMs


Thumbs/grip totally the limiting factor on the SGDL - could have added a little on the 3rd set, but didn't see the point in pushing it on day 1.

DB shoulder press felt great. Excited to build this back up.

Thursday

AM @MobilityFit

2 sets:

Assisted ROM on the assault bike 

Hinged flexion stretch 

Wall climbs with fingers 

Isometric RC holds, just 6 ways 

Internal/external rotation to neutral 

3-way bicep curl 

Scap retraction on crossover symmetry, purple 

Gentle ROM on the erg, feet on the ground 

400m sled drag, 45

PM @CSC

60:00 Assault bike, off every 10:00 for: 

lunge to the GHD

8 hip extensions 

8 glute-ham raises

lunge back to the bike

(just 5 sets)

PM2 @Oakley Pool 

10:00 assisted ROM

Today was a success! 

1) I did not cry at PT.  We cut the subscap internal rotation isometric holds and limited the ROM on the wall climbs, which have been the two most painful things. Plus, I took a lot of time between movements and Drew sent me out for a couple of "active recovery" sled drags to give my shoulder a break. Still significantly uncomfortable just at rest, but didn't surpass my tolerance level. 

2) I ate lunch with my right hand, without even thinking about it. 

3) My ROM underwater is fantastic. It's SO WEIRD. Against gravity, I can barely move my arm, in any direction (although it's better than it was on Monday). But underwater? I can get 80-90% in all directions (except internal/external rotation) completely pain-free. It hurts like hell when I get out, but Drew said he expected that. I still feel ridiculous standing in the middle of the pool just waving my arms around, but who gives a shit. It feels fantastic. 

Monday

A. Safety bar squat, 3-3-3+ @ 200-210-225; 3:00 rest
B. L-arm KB/DB shrug, 3 x 5-6, 20X2; :90 rest
C1. Glute-ham raises, 3 x 9-12 unweighted; :10 rest
C2. Hip extensions, 3 x 20; 2:00 rest
+
AMRAP in 3:00:
Assault Bike calories

A. 4 @ 225

B. 70, 88, 100(5)

C1. 12 across 

C2. complete 

+

47

Disappointed with how heavy the squats felt - pretty sure I would have failed a 5th rep today, and 5 at 225 was solid 2 months ago. Chalking this up to nutrition (or lack thereof). It doesn't even matter I guess, since we are going to have to start this all over in a month or two. 

Went out way hot on the bike (70+ RPMs) and almost quit :90 in. Dropped down to 60 RPMs for a minute, then picked it back up to 70 in the final :30. It's been a long time since I did something that hurt that much. Actually, it's been exactly 14 weeks since I did 10:00 for calories, so that's exactly how long it's been since a good Fran cough. 

Goddamn, this blows. 

Monday

AM @ MobilityFit

44:00 Assault bike

+

passive ROM, emphasis on internal rotation

+

trigger point work with a ball

+

isometric lower trap holds

PM

A. Safety bar squat, 5-5-5+ @ 185-200-210; 3:00 rest
B. L-arm KB/DB shrug, 3 x 6-8, 20X2; :90 rest
C1. Glute-ham raises, 3 x 10 unweighted; :10 rest
C2. Hip extensions, 3 x 15 unweighted; :10 rest
C3. Sorensen hold, 3 x :30; 2:00 rest
+
3 sets:
:45 Assault Bike @ highest possible effort that's sustainable within & across all 3 sets, reign it in a bit from last week
5:15 Assault Bike spin

A. 6 @ 210

B. 35, 53, 70(6)

C. complete 

+

complete, 74 RPMs across


Squats felt fucking heavy. This annoys me.

Shrugs were weird. 

GHD stuff was fine; Sorensen holds got tough, but no issues.

Felt pukey and lightheaded after the 3rd bike sprint, but didn't drop off at all, so mission accomplished.

Shoulder feels pretty terrible again. I noticed it a little bit yesterday, but I tried to ignore it.  Slept like shit last night and woke up every hour when I rolled over, and sure, enough, this morning the effect of the cortisone was almost completely worn off. It's not quite as bad as it was before the cortisone, but I'm getting the broken glass feeling in the anterior capsule with any external rotation, and the muscles are still completely seized up (teres minor is the worst, but it's pretty much everything), which is just uncomfortable but not painful. Drew thought maybe the microtrauma of dry needling was a factor, so we skipped it today, but it really feels like it needs it. Skyped with Mike today and he suggested that the muscles are having to work overtime to stabilize an unstable joint, which makes sense. It definitely feels like they're guarding the shoulder.

On the plus side, internal rotation is really coming along. I may be able to fasten a normal bra behind my back at some point soon. 

Drew, Mike and Stephen all suggested that I text Tim. FML. I just don't know what he'd say that he didn't say last week. Mike said that the cortisone is also diagnostic information for him, though, and he needs to know that it's not working as intended. I'll hold off until I see how much worse it gets over the next few days...

Wednesday

AM @ MobilityFit

20:00 Assault bike 

+

3 sets:

10 x 0:30 seated internal rotation hold

10 very slow pull-up negatives, legs assisting a lot

3 x 0:30 standing internal rotation hold

Crossover symmetry, walking for subscap, walking for pec, internal rotation 

Earthquake bar 

Floor press, unweighted and with pads to raise the bottom position 

PM

A. Safety bar alternating forward lunges, 3 x 12-16 total; 2:00 rest
B. Weighted hip extensions, 3 x 6, 20X1; :90 rest
C1. Glute-ham sit-ups, 3 x 12; :10 rest
C2. Sit-ups w/feet anchored, 3 x 24; 2:00 rest
+
25:00 Assault Bike @ 90% aerobic - I want to grow this out time-wise for a bit, but that will require a slower pace... think 5 rpm slower than last week

A. +100, +110(12), +110(12)

B. 40, 50, 50

C1/C2. complete

+

201 calories, 51-52 RPMs throughout (same as last week)


Shoulder is really, really aggravated. Aggravated isn't even the right word, it's really painful. It was okay this morning before PT, not great, but getting the muscles to calm down from Monday's dry needling helped a lot. Nothing in particular really felt terrible at PT, but this afternoon at work, it turned awful. I'm getting a sharp, stabbing pain inside/through the joint with pretty much any internal or external rotation, which doesn't subside quickly, and it's only gotten worse throughout the day. I used to only get this pain at end range flexion or end range external rotation, but my ROM right now is significantly less than it was a few weeks ago, and apparently internal rotation is aggravating now, too. It's not muscular, it definitely feels inside the joint. It feels like there's a piece of broken glass stuck in there. I haven't been in this much pain in weeks. I emailed Drew to give him a heads up, but I don't see him again until Monday. I'm not even that anxious about it, I've kind of already accepted the fact that somehow it's very fucked up. But how?!

I like reverse lunges a lot better than forward lunges. I feel like I lose my balance a lot easier with forward.

Figured out a better way to grip a dumbbell for the weighted hip extensions, but I don't know if I can go much heavier because I'm having to support the entire weight with my left hand, and only keep my right hand there for stability.

Sit-up combo was good; had to pause on the last set of 24.

Kept the same pace on the Assault bike as last week - I assumed the pace note was just copy/pasted from the previous week...

Monday

AM @ Mobility Fit

10:00 Assault bike

+

3 sets:

Kettlebell screwdrivers 

Quarter external rotations 

External rotations with elbow on knee

Snow angels 

Crossover symmetry rows, As, both Ts

Earthquake bar 

Tricep extension 

Kettlebell front rack/farmer hold 

Z press 

PVC pull aparts

3 way bicep curls 

Trap 3 (cut after 1.5 sets)

PM

A. Safety bar squat, 3-3-3+ @ 190-205-215; 3:00 rest
B1. Glute-ham raises, 3 x 6 unweighted; :10 rest
B2. Hip extensions, 3 x 9 unweighted; :10 rest
B3. Death march, 3 x 12 steps; 2:00 rest
+
4 sets:
:30 Assault Bike @ highest possible effort - can use left arm
4:00 Assault Bike spin

A. complete, 8 @ 215

B1/B2/B3. complete, 25, 35, 40/hand 

+

complete


Slept (er, "slept") wrong on my shoulder last night - I heard it pop - and it has been bugging me all day. Drew isn't worried, he just said some days are going to be better than others. I'm super annoyed because it had been feeling REALLY good for the past few days, definitely the most consecutive good days to date. Dammit.  

Squats felt pretty good. Speed felt a tad slower than it has been on these.

Really liked the B combo!  Not really all that challenging, but kind of fun. 

Sprints dropped off within and across sets again. Hit 85 RPMs on the first 3, only hit 83 RPMs on the last one. Faded to 80, 78, 75, 75 respectively. Felt great until the 4th one.

-----

And now, for the "Dear Diary" portion of my blog:

I'm having a rough time. I think I'm actually clinically depressed.

Over the past 5 years, so much of my identity has gotten wrapped up in this silly sport. I know I'm really not very good at it, but it's been super fun just to see how good I could get.  Making training a priority made me a better person.  Not only am I fitter and healthier than I was 5 years ago, but I'm more confident, I manage my time better, I've ditched some really destructive habits and picked up some good ones, and I've made some wonderful friends. Also, I have a competitive personality, and I needed an outlet for that.

I'm starting to realize I had a pretty significant injury, so significant that I may not compete again. And I'm trying to figure out how to be okay with that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm rehabbing this as if I'm coming back better than ever.  Many people do (Conner, Duprie, George and Byrd, just at CSC alone). But, I'm 30 years old, I'm self-admittedly not all that good at this, and I would really, really not be interested in another shoulder surgery. At what point do you just cut your losses, and squat?

I enjoy training, I don't even really care what I'm doing specifically, as long as it's something. I love being in the gym with my friends. I like pushing myself and getting better, even if it's as lame as holding an arbitrary pace on the bike. It's really the lifestyle stuff that gets me. I made training a lifestyle, and it was easy to say no to certain things because I prioritized training, because I had a goal to become as good as I possibly could. I know there's nothing preventing taking my safety bar squats just as seriously as Fran, but it's not the same. And when allowing yourself to have two beers when out with friends turns into picking up margaritas at Mazunte on the way home multiple times per week, it's a pretty big red flag that we're going in the wrong direction.

Here's the thing. I need a goal. I've been blatantly ignoring my macros and eating out 3-4 times per week, and making ridiculously poor choices at that. I've drank more alcohol in the past 3 months than I have in the past 4 years. This is not an exaggeration. I should be throwing myself into my work with all my free time, but I find myself hiding in unoccupied offices for hours at a time and crying. At least I'm not drinking on my lunch break. Yet. I've been there before, and it wasn't good. 

The combination of stress, work stress, anxiety, depression, and fear of the unknown is literally wrecking me. Oh, then add in the shoulder pain and not having slept for 3 months. I know there's nothing to do right this second that will improve any of those things, except perhaps a drink.

I talked about all this with Mike today (yes, I cried. Poor guy. This was not in his job description.). He suggested using this time as an opportunity to get comfortable with moderation, and with being easier on myself than I have been regarding training, nutrition, etc. Problem is, I have an addictive personality, and I don't do moderation very well at all. I don't know how to be healthy and balanced without being all-in. And what am I all-in for? What's the point? I still don't want to get fat. I realize I've said that many times, and my actions are not reflecting that statement. I realize that what I'm doing is destructive, but it's like I'm watching from the outside and I can't stop.

I debated deleting this. I probably should have. I didn't write this for anyone but myself (I express myself so much better in writing), and I want to hold myself accountable and acknowledge that my recent behavior is not going to fly for the long term. Earlier, I said to Mike that I just don't care, and he's like, "no, if you really didn't care, you wouldn't have told me." So I'm putting it out there. I do care. I just don't know how to pull myself out of it. 

Wednesday

A. Halting clean-grip deadlift clusters (pause for :02 just below patella on way up and down), 3 x 1.1.1; :10 between singles, 2:00 rest
B. Safety bar alternating reverse lunges, 3 x 8-10 total; 2:00 rest
C. Weighted hip extensions, 3 x 15, 20X1; :90 rest
+
8 sets for reps:
:20 sit-ups
:10 rest
+
12:00 Assault Bike @ 90% aerobic - goal is same pace as last week for an extra 2:00...

A. 143, 163, 183

B. +100, +110, +120(8)

C. 15lbs across 

+

110, anchored with abmat

+

119 calories, steady 55-56 RPMs throughout 


Deadlifts continue to feel shockingly heavy.  The first time I picked up 163, I was like, "there's no way I'll ever clean this again." I really hope that's not true, but that's how heavy it felt. Shoulder was fine, I just feel weak.

Lunges felt okay, wore knee sleeves (for the first time on these).

Low back got lit up by the end of the hip extensions; I'm glad I didn't go up in weight.

Sit-ups were a steady 15/round through 75, then dropped off. Started using my arms to get momentum by the end, which didn't feel great on my shoulder, so i sacrificed a couple of reps to go back to controlled ab movement without throwing my arms. 

Assault bike was challenging in a good way.  This felt exactly the same as row repeats, when you're trying to stay on a certain pace on the dot.  It was never so tough that I needed to slow down, but I definitely had to pay attention the whole time. High breathing, no burn. 

Skyped with Mike today.  We're not changing the macros (145P/80F/200C) for the time being.  I confessed that last week had more days off plan than on plan, and I'm starting to feel like I'm losing all the progress that I made over the last 9 months. Last week was hard, I was so uncomfortable (and stressed and depressed) that I self-medicated with ice cream and margaritas on multiple occasions. I'm still having a hard time caring... this was fun when I was doing it for performance, and it's lame to be on a diet. I still don't want to get fat though, so I should probably get it together.  

Also, Mike was surprised that I haven't been doing AM Z1 sessions. Honestly, I mostly just got lazy. And I STILL haven't slept through the night (...kill me), so I really don't feel like setting an alarm and sleeping any less than I already am. I suppose I can add it back in on days when I'm not in a hurry... like tomorrow, perhaps...

Wednesday

AM

@ MobilityFit

10:00 Assault bike 

+

3 sets:

Kettlebell screwdrivers, 10/side with 15lb

Beginning of TGU, 5/side unweighted 

External rotations with elbow on knee, 10/side unweighted 

Plank, 0:60

Trap 3, 10/side unweighted 

PVC pull-aparts, 10 with #1
Z press, 10 with PVC pipe
+
3 sets:
Crossover symmetry, rows (red), As (purple), Ts thumbs up (purple), Ts palms up (green), half snow angels (green), 10 each
Quarter external rotations, 5/side with 2.5lbs
Earthquake bar, 0:60 hold with 2x 25/side, red bands on both
Earthquake bar bench press, 25/side with red bands
Z press, 10 with training bar
Close-grip bench press, 10 with women's bar
Plank on Indo board, 0:60
Front/back, left/right, clockwise and counterclockwise from plank on Indo board, 10 each
Tricep extensions, 10 with 20/hand
Floor press, 10 with 25/hand
Plank step ups onto 25lb plate, 3/side
Perfect push-ups, 5
Lateral plank steps, 5/side
3-way bicep curls, 10/hand

PM
A. Clean-grip deadlift, 5-4-3-3-3 light/moderate, 3131; :90 rest
B. Safety bar alternating reverse lunges, 3 x 10-12 total; 2:00 rest
+
5 sets:
12 hip extensions right into :20 Sorensen hold
:30 rest
:30 sit-ups w/feet anchored
:30 rest
+
10:00 Assault Bike @ 90% aerobic

A. 123(5), 133(4), 143(3) x 3

B. +100, +110, +120(6)

+

complete 

+

complete, 103 calories

Shoulder felt better today than the last 2 days, but still not as good as it felt last week. Drew thinks it was just the accumulated volume of rehab exercises I've been doing that pissed it off. Apparently, he had me doing 2-3x more than his average client, who already does 2-3x more than the typical shoulder patient, so it was just too much. (Although, I did NOTHING that I wasn't told to do, and in fact I felt like I was slacking since I didn't even run through everything as much as I was supposed to...). You're going to roll your eyes when you read this, but I'm disappointed that my shoulder just can't handle the aggressive, fast-paced rehab. My brain knows that it's only been 6 weeks, and it was a pretty major thing to recover from, but I'm still bummed that this is the second time that I've gotten into a groove of feeling good and adding in new things then we have a week setback. I'm not very patient, so it's hard to accept that it's just going to take time, and there's really nothing I can do to speed it along. Drew told me not to do any shoulder stuff on my own until my next appointment at MobilityFit (Monday), to make sure everything just calms the hell down. We cut a few things that were okay last week but bothered me today, pretty much all the loaded external rotation and overhead work (and for some reason, the serratus punches were uncomfortable today). Blah. I know stepping back for a week doesn't make a difference at all in the grand scheme of things, but it's still frustrating. I'm not depressed about it, just annoyed.

Felt kinda out of it this afternoon at CSC, not sure what my deal was. 

Deadlifts felt shockingly heavy. Not really "heavy," but heavier than 143 should feel. I'll blame it on the tempo.

Lunges felt great until they didn't. Stopped the last set early just to be safe... I don't THINK I would have failed the next rep, but didn't want to chance it. 

5 sets were good. 21 sit-ups across. 

Assault bike also was good. Wanted to hit 100 calories, and did it while staying aerobic. 55 RPMs steady for 8:30, bumped up to 60 RPMs for the last 0:90. 

Wednesday

AM @ MobilityFit
10:00 Assault bike

+

3 sets:

Kettlebell rotations, 10/side with 15lb
Beginning of TGU, just to elbow support, 5/side unweighted

Quarter external rotations, 10/side with 2.5lb
External rotations with elbow on knee, 10/side with 2.5lb

Houghston's As, 10 unweighted
Houghston's Ts, palms down, 10 unweighted

+

4 sets:

Crossover Symmetry rows, red, x 10

Crossover Symmetry Ts (thumbs up), purple x 10

Crossover Symmetry Ts (palms up), green x 10
Crossover Symmetry As, purple, x 10

Crossover Symmetry A/T/Y, green, x 10

Crossover Symmetry Ys, green, x 10

Crossover Symmetry half snow angels, green, x10

Crossover symmetry external rotation, green, x 10

Earthquake bar, 0:60 hold with 2x double red bands and 25s 

Earthquake bar bench press, 10 with double red bands and 25s

Earthquake bar seated overhead hold, 2:00 with double orange bands and 15s

Earthquake bar seated strict press, 10 with double orange bands and 15s

Close-grip bench press, 10 with 33lb bar

Farmers walk, 50m with 65/hand

Push-ups, perfect: 7, 5, 5, 5 

Tricep kick backs, with 20/hand 10, 10, 9, 8

Dumbbell floor press, with 25/hand 15, 15, 15, 10
Serratus punches, 10/side with 25lb

Single-arm bent-over trap 3, 10/side unweighted

3-way bicep curls, 10 with 10/hand

PVC bar overhead pull-aparts in front, 10 with #1

Plank steps up and over 25lb plate, 3/side

Lateral plank steps, 5 steps/side 

Z press, 10 with training bar and 5s

Strict pull-ups, 10 with toes on box throughout

Plank with hands on indo board, 0:60

Plank with hands on indo board, rocking front/back, left/right, clockwise, counterclockwise, 10 each

PM @ CSC
A. Clean-grip deadlift, 5-5-5-5-5 light, 3131; :90 rest
B. Safety bar alternating reverse lunges, 3 x 12-16 total; 2:00 rest
+
5 sets:
10 hip extensions right into :20 Sorensen hold
:30 rest
:30 hollow rock
:30 rest
+
10:00 Assault Bike @ 90% aerobic

A. 83, 103, 123, 123, 123

B. +70, +90, +100(12)

+

complete

+

complete, 92 calories, 53-55 RPMs

Highlights of PT: regular bench press! And regular push-ups! And getting a bar overhead! A fair bit of discomfort overhead, especially if the earthquake bar drifted backwards, but not bad enough to cut it. Actually the most uncomfortable things today were all on the Crossover Symmetry. Have a hard time bringing hands together in front of me with straight elbows (Ts) with even 3lb resistance, snow angels had pathetic wings (like, hip height), and external rotation at 90 degrees abduction is awful (around 60 degrees even with no resistance). Feeling like it's going to be a while to get full ROM back in all directions... but happy with all the additions and strength improvements within the ROM that I do have. It's only been 5 weeks. It's already been 5 weeks! 

Stuff at CSC was good. Deadlift weight was light on everything except the thumbs, those poor guys are out of practice. Lunges were great. 5 sets were great. Assault bike was great, getting pretty close to the upper limit of aerobic but it feels excellent to push it a little. 

Also, Mike suggested cutting all my PM supplements (melatonin, GABA and ZMA - which all together STILL didn't improve sleep), and so far no change. Ughhhhhhh. I forget what it's like to sleep. 

Wednesday

AM
30:00 Assault Bike @ Z1
+
10:00 mobility work of choice

PM
A. Back squat (no chains), 10 x 3 @ 50% 1RM, 10X1 - emphasis on depth & speed; begin a set every :60
B. 1-arm DB row, 2 x 10 light; :60 between sides
+
10:00 testing out strict pull-ups, wall balls, & double-unders - everything easy
+
5 sets:
10 Assault Bike calories
:30 rest
50m Farmer's walk
:30 rest

AM

complete, but added:

off every 5 for walking lunges to/from 10 hip extensions

+

trip to Balza

PM

A. subbed safety squat bar, +90

B. 20 across 

+

complete 

+

complete

70/hand

Think I may have turned a corner with the shoulder... finally was able to sleep more than a couple of hours uninterrupted. Balza was pleased with the improvement over Monday, but still has some pretty big concerns. Going again tomorrow, and if there isn't even greater improvement by then he's going to recommend not competing on Saturday.  Also talked to Stephen (and Chelsea and Pat and Duprie) about whether or not I should pull out on Saturday. We're all leaning toward not participating, but I'm not going to make a decision until Friday. 

Added the stuff to the AM since I just rode the bike yesterday... 

Holding the bar for back squats was pretty uncomfortable, so opted for the safety squat bar again. 

Dumbbell rows were okay, really no pain but I was hesitant to grab anything heavier. 

Double-unders are completely fine. No pain hanging from a bar, and no issues pulling up once I got started, but felt a sharp twinge when initiating the motion. Did a total of 5. Wall-balls were really uncomfortable, it hurt both to throw and catch the ball. 

Last piece felt good. Kept RPMs between 70-74, and 50m unbroken across. 

Wednesday

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

PM
A. 1 & 1/4 front squat, no sleeves, 3-3-3 w/:03 initial descent (quick on the rest of each rep); 2:30 rest
B. Weighted ring dip, build to a max (score as bodyweight + weight added)
C. Bar muscle-ups, 5:00-8:00 practice
+
4 rounds nice & steady:
4 strict rope pull-ups (top hand 4-6" above bottom hand)
8 glute-ham sit-ups
4 strict rope pull-ups (top hand 4-6" above bottom hand), opposite hand on top
12 unweighted hip extensions
200m jog

AM

complete

PM

A. 133, 153, 173 (video)

B. 221.5 (166 + 55.5) (video) (PR)

C. complete, several fails and one make

+

complete 


Brandie and Austin were both in early this morning, which was delightful!

Front squats felt good; probably could have / should have started a bit heavier.

Ring dips also felt really good, failed with an additional 2.5.

Missing something on the bar muscle-ups today... I kept trying to go through the bar instead of around/over it, which means my sternum is extremely bruised.  Finally made one, but it wasn't pretty.  I think I need to go back and watch some videos.

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.

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! 

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.

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. 

Tuesday

AM
5000m row @ Z1, off every 1000m for 10m single-arm overhead DB carry (switch hands @ 5m)

PM
A. Bear crawl, 5 x 10' forward + 10' reverse, slow & controlled keeping hips level; :60 rest
B1. Weighted supinated CTB pull-up, 3 x 3-4; :60 rest
B2. 1 toes-to-bar + 1 CTB pull-up, 3 x 5 (so 10 reps total, 5 of each, goal is unbroken); 2:00 rest
+
10:00 @ 80%:
3 strict handstand push-ups
15 unweighted hip extensions
25m Farmer's walk, 70/hand
+
3-5 sets:
200m run @ 90% aerobic
:60 walk rest

@ Active 

AM

complete with 65lb dumbbell 

PM

A. complete

B1. +9, +14, +18(3) on fat bar 

B2. complete on fat bar

+

6 + 3 strict handstand push-ups 

+

3 sets complete 

DB overhead carry was pretty easy, but 65 was the heaviest they have. 5m felt like too short of a distance before switching... 

Pull-ups felt good. Added in a lot more of the wrist stretching, this helped. Not sure on total weight pulled, their scale was missing. Same deal as last week on the TTB/CTB combo - regular kip out of the TTB, butterfly out of the CTB and right back into a TTB. This was fun!

Felt like I was doing hip extensions for the full 10:00. Lower back got a little bit blown up toward the end. All strict HSPUs unbroken! Lots of walking between stations but no hesitation as soon as I got to the next movement. 

Knee complained quite a bit on the runs, and started to swell up within the first few steps. Pushed the pace on all 3 runs, but only did 3 just to be safe. It hasn't been this swollen in weeks, which pisses me off. Tim said to expect this to happen for a while, but it's still annoying. Blah.

Saturday

AM
40:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for 6-8m slow reverse bear crawl w/light bumper on low back (think of trying to keep that level)

PM
A. Snatch pulls, 6 x 1 starting @ 105-115% 1RM snatch; :90 rest
B1. Single leg Romanian deadlift, 3 x 3-4/leg, 41X1; :60 between legs, :60 rest
B2. Close-grip bench press, 3 x 2-3, 30X1; :60 rest
C. Hip extensions, 3 x 5-7, 2011; 2:00 rest
D. Star side plank, 3 x :30/side; :60 between sides
+
5 sets:
:21 AirDyne @ max effort
3:39 rest

AM

skipped; subbed 2h bike ride with Mom in the PM

PM

A. 143, 148, 153, 158, 163, 168

B1. 124, 129, 134

B2. 149, 154, 159(2)

C. 20, 30, 40

D. complete
+
complete


Skipped the ride on Demetrius for a ride on the Loveland bike trail with Mom this afternoon - perfect, beautiful day for this.  15 miles on a beach cruiser.

Training was fine - nothing exciting to report. 

Snatch pulls felt heavy.

Single leg romanian deadlifts felt really stable today, no issues with balance or weight.

Bench press felt better than it has in recent weeks; Emily was spotting on the 159 and said she thought I could have gotten a 3rd rep, but I don't think it would have happened.  Didn't try.

I've figured out that my knee just hates to be locked in extension - the hip extensions feel the same as the Sorenson holds on my knee.  Other than that, these were fine and could have started heavier.

Star planks were solid today.  No issues whatsoever holding for 0:30.

Used Eduardo for the sprints - Demetrius has something funky going on with his pedal.  The first 4 were fine, but felt pretty rough finishing the 5th.

Super proud of Mom this week - and impressed! - for trying something so far outside her comfort zone, and loving it.  She did her 400m Farmer's walk unbroken today!  She seems motivated to join Kellie's gym when she gets back; hopefully it works out for her.  I love seeing her like this.

Wednesday

AM
4-6 sets @ Z1:
30 AirDyne calories
10 unweighted walking lunge
10 unweighted hip extensions, 10X1

PM
10:00 light scap activation
+
10-8-6-4-2 for time:
Wall balls, 20 to 10
CTB pull-ups
+
6 sets:
500m row @ 85%
2:00 walk rest

AM

6 sets complete

PM

complete
+
4:39
+
2:02.1
2:02.0
2:02.0
2:02.0
2:01.9
2:01.7

Everything felt like it took more effort than it should have today.  The 20lb wallball felt better than I thought it would, intended to do all sets unbroken but had 3 missed reps on the set of 8 where I just completely failed to hit the target and let the ball drop.  Did a fairly good job of getting right back on the wallballs, but rested too long before each set of CTBs.  Broke these 5/5, 4/4, 3/3, 3/1, 2.  They felt fine, just slow.  Not my best effort.

It was hard to hold a 2:02 today on the rows.  I was aiming to hit 2:01 across all sets, but when I was struggling to keep 2:02 on the first one, I adjusted my goal.  Kept the s/m at 29-30 on the first 4 then went back to 26ish and harder pulls on the last 2.  Grip was super fatigued and the 2:00 rest FLEW by each time.  I'm getting much better at picking a target pace and holding it +/- 0:01 the whole way through, previously I would watch the projected pace and let the actual pace bounce around quite a bit as long as it averaged out to where I wanted it.  Happy to be consistent, but this was tough today.  

Seeing Tim tomorrow... eeeeeeeeek.  I'm nervous.

Tuesday

AM
3 sets @ Z1:
50 AirDyne calories
10 wall balls, 14 to 9
10 unweighted hip extensions, 10X1

PM
10 sets @ 70% - recovery pace:
2-3 handstand push-ups
350m row
:90 rest

AM

complete

PM

complete


Really digging this recovery stuff... I miss the normal training schedule, but I really like the structure of this 70% piece.  HSPUs felt really good today, 3 on all sets.  I still don't understand what makes them feel good or bad from one day to the next.  Rowed at 2:25/500m ish.

Played around with muscle-ups both before and after the 10 sets.  Did one on the fat rings, just to prove I could do them if I wanted to (the first one since the first one!), but I definitely am used to the skinny rings and prefer them for now.  I also was surprised that I could do muscle-ups fairly easily on the 0:45 yesterday, so I wanted to see if I could do them every 0:30 today.  Did 3 sets of attempts every 0:30 with several minutes of rest in between sets; on the first set, got the second but missed the 3rd, on the second set, got the 3rd but didn't try for a 4th, and on the last set got the second but didn't try for the 3rd.  This is exciting.  I'm feeling more and more confident that if there's an Open workout with MUs at the end, I'll be able to get one.  As long as I give myself 0:30, haha.

Messed around with some handstand stuff at the end, too.  I don't know what to do with myself on these shorter days!

Tuesday

AM
4-6 sets @ Z1:
300m ski erg
15 AirDyne calories
7 wall balls, 14 to 9'
10 unweighted hip extensions, 10X1

PM
A. 1 clean-grip deadlift + 1 clean pull (emphasize shrug/arms), 4 x 1 @ 185; begin a set every 2:00
+
6-8 sets @ 70% - more active recovery than anything:
3 power cleans, 135
3 ring dips
300m row
:90 rest

AM

5 sets complete

PM

A. complete
+
8 sets complete


What a pleasant day! This was most enjoyable.

Did 5 muscle-ups as part of my warm-up - it made me a little nervous not to have any for a whole week...

Clean pulls FINALLY are feeling better.  Had to double-check the weight on the bar, because it felt lighter than 185.

Changed into nanos for the power cleans @ 135, but still kept wrist wraps and the belt.  Just playing around with things for the Open.  Power cleans felt effortless today, super solid.  Ring dips were easy in this context, although I realized I do these 90% strict, I have no idea how to kip these.  Row was anywhere from 2:20-2:28/500m.  This was so laid-back, I could have done this all day...

Messed around with some handstand skill work at the end.  I really want to get a nice press to handstand! (used to be able to do these easily, 15 years and 30lbs ago...)