Friday

AM @ MobilityFit
10:00 Assault bike
+
3 sets:
Front rack kettlebell hold with scaps retracted, 5 x 0:60 with 12/hand, 0:30 rest
Banded external rotation with single orange band, 10
Banded shoulder press with orange band, 10
Banded tricep pull-down, 20 with cut red band
Earthquake bar, 2:00 hold with red bands and 20s, orange bands and 15s
Crossover Symmetry, rows (red), As (purple), Ts (thumbs up and palms up, green), single-side seated external rotation (green), 10 each
Z press, 10 with PVC pipe
Kettlebell screwdrivers, 10/side with 15lb
Quarter external rotations, 5/side with 2.5lbs
External rotation with elbow on knee, 10/side unweighted

Snow angel, 10 unweighted
Single-arm trap 3, 10/side unweighted
PVC pull-aparts, 10 with #1
3-way bicep curl, 10 each way with 5lb/hand


PM
A. Safety squat, 8 x 2 @ 70 on bar + chains, 10X1; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets:
7-10 controlled ring rows - slightly tougher than last week if shoulder allows
16 alternating reverse lunges, 30 med ball bear hugged to chest
:60 rest
15 Assault Bike calories
:60 rest
+
3 sets not for time:
5-7/side single-leg reverse hypers, 20X2
10-20 seated 1-leg band curls
:30 hollow rock

A. complete
+
complete
7 ring rows across
15 calories in 0:51-0:54
+
complete
unweighted, +10, +20 on the RH
15/leg with purple band


Drew was really happy to hear that after the week off (two, really), my shoulder has markedly calmed down. It's still a little more aggravated than it was two weeks ago, but not nearly as concerning as it was last week. Stayed extremely cautious on the rehab stuff this morning - reduced weight on everything, cut anything that even slightly felt off, and shorted ROM to completely, 100% pain free across the board. I'm still annoyed that I'm doing less 7 weeks out than I was 2 weeks out, but Drew assures me it's normal. Had a conversation about expectations and the road ahead, and we discussed that it might be months before I'm comfortable overhead (deadhang, kipping, snatching, jerking, etc). I can get close without pain, but as soon as I reach 180 degrees, I hit the anchors, and that's probably what caused the latest setback, so we're staying far away from that at the moment.

Squats felt great, really fast. Metcons, no gear.

5 sets got tough, mostly because of the pace I wanted to hold on the bike (66-70 RPMs). Ring rows felt totally fine on my shoulder, still very deliberate about scap engagement and definitely more challenging than last time. 

Wouldn't hate losing the reverse hyper from the program... it's so freaking awkward to get on to without boosting myself up with both arms, and I feel like I'm not even doing it right with the one leg. I know it's supposed to be good for many things, but I'm just not feeling it. On the other hand, once I figured out how to set up the banded curls, I really liked those!

And finally, did a BodPod this morning. Mike keeps asking me about body comp, and I can't tell objectively and I refuse to take a bathroom selfie. I'm a scientist and I like data, so I figured this might be interesting. I did one in December 2013 (I had played with ETP for a few months, and was on Invictus at the time), but I didn't like the result so I just ignored it and decided to focus on performance. Which was a great decision! But didn't get me very far on the scale. I weighed 167 in December 2013, and weighed 167 in May 2015, and while performance was greatly improved, I wanted to drop weight to improve gymnastics (we know this story). Mike wasn't very impressed with these results if you consider it's been 2.5 years, but I figure almost all of this change has occurred since I started working with Mike in July 2015. I was actually pretty pumped to see that those 7 pounds were 11lbs of fat lost and 4lbs of muscle gained, that seems pretty legit to me, especially with maintaining / increasing / prioritizing performance. And it's not like I'm surprised that progress is slow, I mean, come on, I've complained about how perfectly compliant I can be with minimal results since day 1. Although, I wish I had done this before I ate all the gelato and drank all the margaritas last week, because I was pretty solid at 158 for a minute there...

Friday

A. Safety squat, 10 x 2 @ 50 on bar + chains, 10X1; begin a set every :60
+
4 sets:
6-12 controlled ring rows
20 alternating reverse lunges, 20 med ball bear hugged to chest
:60 rest
15 Assault Bike calories
:60 rest
+
3 sets not for time:
5-8/side single-leg reverse hypers, 20X2
:20-:30 hamstring bridge
20 sit-ups w/feet anchored under DBs

A. complete 

+

complete

12 ring rows across 

66-69 RPMs across (0:58-0:55)

+

complete
8 across on the RH, unweighted
0:30 bridge across


Good day. 

Squats were super fast and easy.

Ring rows felt great, made a conscious effort to keep scaps engaged throughout.  Didn't set these up to be tough, just wanted to test it out. Felt good to push the Assault bike.

Had some difficulty with the single-leg reverse hypers... I've done them before, but they were super awkward today. Hamstring bridge is pretty easy, I played around with slightly different foot positions to try to make it more challenging...

Included 2 sets of Crossover symmetry (rows, As, Ts), kettlebell screwdrivers and TGU progressions to my warm-up, and 2 sets of both external rotation exercises and the single-arm trap 3 to the end.

Friday

A. Safety squat, 8 x 2 @ 50 on bar + chains, 10X1; begin a set every :60
+
3 sets:
50m walking lunge, 20 med ball bear hugged to chest
:60 rest
15 Assault Bike calories
:60 rest
+
3 sets not for time:
10 unweighted reverse hypers, 2022
:20-:30 hamstring bridge
20 sit-ups w/feet anchored under DBs

A. complete 

+

complete 

+

complete

Squats felt fast and easy. 

Lunges got a little tough by the 3rd set but no issues. Assault bike at 61-63 RPMs on the first two sets, which felt good so I pushed the pace a little on the 3rd set to 65-68 RPMs. Feels good to work a bit again. 

No issues with the last piece, once I figured how to get up onto the reverse hyper with one arm (hint: step on a box).

Included 3 sets of crossover symmetry As (red) and Ts (purple) and Houghston's As and Ts to my warm-up and 3 sets of both external rotation exercises and single-arm trap 3s to the end. Considered doing more, but I'll save the rest of it for this weekend.

Wednesday

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

PM
A. Safety bar squat, 8 x 3 @ 55% 1RM, 10X1 - emphasis on depth & speed; begin a set every :60
+
AMRAP in 10:00:
10 row calories - damper @ 1
15m walking lunge
45 double-unders
15m walking lunge
+
3 rounds not for time:
9-12 moderate reverse hypers
20/side unweighted Peterson step-ups

AM

(made up yesterday's RTW)

10:00 Assault Bike

1000m row

10:00 Assault Bike

1000m row

10:00 Assault bike

1000m row

10:00 Assault Bike

(60:00)

+

10:00 mobility

PM
subbed panic attack

Turns out: SLAP tear + inferior labral tear, with synovial fluid leaking out of the capsule and pooling outside the joint. I think he said 3 cysts, which are a complication of a labral tear? Rotator cuff looked a little irritated on MRI, but nothing concerning there. 

Surgery on Tuesday. Not given the option to defer. 

I didn't even get to show Tim how much it's popping out of place, I guess Drew's video was enough.

4 weeks in a sling, but starting 3x/week with Mobility Fit at 1 week post op.

Fuck.

Wednesday

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

PM
A. Safety bar squat, 12 x 3 @ 50% 1RM, 10X1 - emphasis on depth & speed; begin a set every :60
B. 1-arm DB row, 3 x 10/side light/moderate; :60 between sides
+
AMRAP in 10:00:
10 Assault Bike calories
30 double-unders
50m Farmer's walk, 53/hand
+
3 rounds not for time:
10-15 light reverse hypers
15/side unweighted Peterson step-ups

AM

complete

+

shoulder stuff, 2 sets, same as yesterday

PM

60:00 @ Mobility Fit 

+

A. complete, +90

B. 25, 30, 35

+

4 + 10 calories 

+

complete

15 @ 90 across

stacked 2x 45, 2x 35 plates

Safety bar squats felt excellent today. I don't know what I was doing differently, but felt much more confident.

Dumbbell rows were fine. 

Double-unders were SHIT today. So annoying. Most sets broken 3 times. All farmers walks unbroken, no prob. Assault bike was good, 66 RPMs on the first 4 sets, and somehow managed to hit the final 10 calories in 0:30. 

Quick Q: WHY ARE THE PETERSON STEP UPS BACK? Just kidding, they weren't as bad as I remembered. 

Saw Tim today. I'm glad I didn't cancel the appointment, because while the pain is significantly decreased from where it was, something alarming happened this morning. I tested a kipping pull-up and felt something large "slip" in my shoulder. I've never felt anything like that and it terrified me. Fast forward to my appointment with Tim, and one of the first questions he asks is if I've had any popping, locking or catching mechanical symptoms. He tested a bunch of things and isn't all that worried about rotator cuff- it was probably just pissed off and taking the last 12 days off, coupled with the PT  and the ibuprofen is taking care of that. But, he said he is concerned about labrum. He did another test where I was lying on my back and he could pop my right shoulder in/out of place, whereas the left was solid as a rock. MRI scheduled for Monday, and he was pretty casual about "well we'll just fix it, maybe now or maybe later." Apparently it could be like a meniscus and the repair can wait, and he didn't count me out for the Open just yet. Just totally depends on what he sees on the MRI. And then he says, "Don't freak out!" Too late. 

Saw Kirk and Drew immediately after that and was pretty mad / sad. They both did another assessment and both independently said there were some concerning red flags about stability, although neither of them was able to reproduce the popping out of place. (It was so painful at my first assessment that we didn't get far in testing these things). They both tried to talk me off the ledge, saying that rehab with them is totally different than normal rehab, and the recovery is surprisingly fast. Which I totally get and appreciate, but it fucking blows that I'm in this position to begin with. And after my knee scope, which was totally, totally minor, it still took months to get back to 100%, so I'm really scared. 

Okay. There's not much else to say on the matter until Wednesday when I go back to see Tim for the results. Keeping up with the PT, ibuprofen and ice, and trying not to think about worst case scenarios. Easier said than done. 

Tuesday

For 10:00:
Evens: :30 2-arm passive hang from fat bar
Odds: :10-:15 L-sit
+
5 rounds easy:
200m jog
20m bear crawl
20m stone carry
20m prowler push, tough indoors
+
3 sets not for time:
2:30 anterior loaded banded march (bear hug a med ball @ your chest)
5/leg unweighted 1-leg reverse hyper, controlled throughout

complete 

0:15 L-sit across 

+

complete 

90 on the prowler on very sticky floors 

+

complete 

held a 20lb wallball

This was fun! And now I understand what all the complaining has been about on the banded march. Oy. 

Oh, and false alarm on the knee. Very gingerly tested an air squat and it's fine. I spent the last 16 hours in a dead panic that I tore what's left of my meniscus. That was weird. 

SO HAPPY TO BE OFF. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Wednesday

AM
4000m row @ Z1
+
20:00 hamstring/hip/quad mobility work - work on knee flexion ROM

PM
A. Barefoot KB goblet squats, no sleeves, 3 x 6-8, 4211; :60-2:00 rest
B1. Romanian deadlift w/straps, 4 x 2-3, 41X1; :60 rest
B2. Close-grip bench press, 3-3-3-3, 21X1; :60 rest
C. DB weighted Peterson step-ups to box @ mid-shin, 3 x 20/side :60 between sides
D. Banded terminal knee extension, 1 x 30/side; rest as needed
+
3 rounds easy:
2:00 AirDyne
12 glute-ham sit-ups
15 light reverse hypers

AM

complete

PM

A. 35, 45, 53

B1. 183(2) across 

B2. 144, 149, 149, 149(2)

C. 20/hand across 

D. complete with green band 

+

complete 

90 on the RH

Austin showed up for his Z1 at the same time I did, which was a real treat.  Made that 4000m fly by!

Barefoot goblet squats felt really, really good.  No issues with the knee.  Interesting to note that depth is not a problem AT ALL on goblet squats.  I don't get it. 

When I was putting the kettlebell away, I picked it up weird and banged my broken thumb into the side of my leg, and heard and felt a large crack, which was very painful.  It kind of calmed down though, and I'm not sure if I did any additional damage or not.  It's not blown up like it was when I initially broke it, so I don't really think it's broken worse, but I don't know what else other than bone would have made a sound like that.  This is stupid.

Couldn't hold on to the heavier bar for the RDLs, even with straps.  Tried really hard to drive through both legs equally, but not sure how successful I was.

Bench press felt heavy; no spotter and chickened out on the last set.  The second rep was a struggle, so just racked it.

Petersen step-ups continue to be the hardest part of my week.  I think the box was just a little higher today than the box I was using at Active (middle block + rubber top), and had to take at least one small break in all sets of 20, on both legs.

Terminal knee extensions were interesting, I did my good knee first and thought I must have been doing them wrong because they were pretty easy, but then on my left knee I could definitely tell a difference.

Sigh.  One day, I'll be healthy.  Or dead.

Sunday

A. Hang snatch, build quickly to a tough single
B. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 10 x 3 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
C. 1-arm DB rows w/straps, 3 x 3-4 side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms
+
3 rounds for time:
21 row calories
14 pull-ups
7 ring dips
+
4 rounds not for time:
7-10 moderate/tough reverse hypers
12 glute-ham sit-ups

A. 115, 125Fx2

B. complete with 120 + chains 

C. 65, 70, 75(3)

+

11:23

+

complete 

210 on the RH, 10 across 

Ugh, this humidity really takes it out of you. Sluggish day. 

Hang snatches felt terrible. 85 felt heavy. My timing was off on the hang, so these were almost tall snatches, with barely any dip. 

Box squats felt super heavy as well. 

I've never used straps before, so these took a few minutes to get used to, but definitely helped me hang on to the dumbbell longer than I would have been able to without them. Left arm is still the limiter when it gets heavy - today, the DB was swinging all over the place (into my boob, into the bench, etc). Just no control as it gets heavy. 

Butterfly pull-ups are finally starting to click! Haven't tried non-CTB butterfly in a long time, and was extremely pleased with how easy these were. Broken 6/5/3, 7/7, 5/7/2. Shocked that I didn't rip with how wet it is today. Ring dips, on the other hand, felt terrible.  All strict, with no discernible kip, 3/2/2 across. Felt very fatigued on the rower, and struggled to keep the pace above 900 cal/h. 

210 on the RH is finally starting to get tough. Also, I keep banging my shins with the weights - this can't be right. 

Sunday

A. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 8 x 3 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
B1. 1-arm DB thrusters, 3 x 2-3/side; :60 between arms, :60 rest
B2. 1-arm DB rows, 3 x 4-5/side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
5 sets for even times:
2 ring dips
4 strict fat bar pull-ups
2 ring dips
4 strict fat bar pull-ups
16 row calories
2:00 walk rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
7-10 moderate/tough reverse hypers
15 glute-ham sit-ups


A. complete with 120 + chains
B1. 70, 75(3L/2R), 75(3)
B2. 65, 70(3), 70(3)
+
1:49
1:53
1:52
1:52
1:49
+
complete
160 on the RH, 10 across

I really like my Sunday programming.

Box squats were fine.

DB thrusters felt good - lost balance on the one missed rep on the right side at 75, otherwise would have been good for all 3.  Still using the opposite arm to control the negative.

The problem with the DB rows continues to be grip - used the metal dumbbell at 65 and hit 5 reps easily; had to use the rubber DB with the fatter handle for the 70lb and left hand just can't hang on to it.

Even times piece was good.  Rowed at 1000-1100 cal/h.

I'm still not adding enough weight on the reverse hypers to qualify these as tough.

14-15 glute-ham sit-ups is about where I start to get really dizzy...

Tuesday

AM
35:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 7:00 for :05-:10/side 1-arm passive hang from bar + :30 front leaning rest on rings

PM
A. Power snatch clusters, 4 x 1.1.1.1 @ 70-75% 1RM; :10 between singles, 2:30 rest
B. Clean-grip deadlift, 3 x 4-6, 31X1; 2:30 rest
C1. Strict handstand push-ups, 3 x max in :75 steady; :75 rest
C2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 3-6, 21X1 (pause @ top); :90 rest
+
3-5 sets:
:25 row very hard
4:05 walk rest

AM

complete 

PM

A. complete @ 95

B. 205, 225(5), 225(4)

C1. 6, 7, 6

C2. +30, +40(5), +40(6)

+

133m

131m

131m

MOVING IS THE WORST.  I'm exhausted. Rushed through everything today because I felt guilty that I left Mom behind to reassemble my furniture. She'll join me at the gym the rest of the week. 

Power snatches were pretty crisp. 

Clean grip deadlifts were murder on my thumbs, otherwise felt fine. 

Strict handstand push-ups felt AWFUL, not nearly as strong as they felt last week. Opened with 3 or 2, then 2s or 1s. Maybe two or three fails where I just lost tension at the bottom and fell on my head. 

Reverse hypers were fine, that tempo is no joke. 

Row sprints were fine, I probably would have been okay for the full 5 sets but I felt pressed for time so I only did 3. Saw 1:29 on the first one, but couldn't get  below 1:30 on the second and third. 

Ugh hopefully we are done with all the hard work moving and the next couple of days will be much more laid back.  Super grateful that Cody and Austin helped!! 

Sunday

A. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 12 x 2 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
B1. 1-arm DB thrusters, 3 x 3-4/side; :60 between arms, :60 rest
B2. 1-arm DB rows, 3 x 4-7/side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
6 sets for even times:
3 ring dips
6 strict fat bar pull-ups
12 row calories
2:00 walk rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
10-12 moderate/tough reverse hypers
14 glute-ham sit-ups

A. complete with 120 + chains 

B1. 60, 65, 70(4)

B2. 60, 65(4), 65(4)

+

1:25

1:21

1:21 

1:16

1:15

1:12 

+

complete 

+140 on the RH, 12 across 

Really digging the Sunday programming! 

Box squats were fine. 

Surprised myself to get all 4 reps of the dumbbell thrusters at 70... had to use the opposite hand to assist the negative on both sides, but otherwise these were solid, despite the bum knee. 

Grip on the left hand was the limiter on the dumbbell row - seriously could barely hold on at all at 65 (rubber db).   No problems with grip on the right. 

6 sets were super fun, quick transitions throughout. Ring dips were strict, I tried to kip and ended up flailing around... Split the pull-ups 3/3 for the first 3 rounds, 2/2/2 for the last 3 rounds. Rowed at 1050-1100 cal/h (a bit faster on the last one just for kicks). 

Reverse hypers and glute-ham sit-ups were fine. I'm glad these are getting better after how terrible they were during the Regionals prep. 

Mom flies in tonight! She'll be here all week, helping me move then to watch my defense. Maybe I'll convince her to try a class... 

Tuesday

AM
30:00 AirDyne @ Z1, off every 5:00 for :05-:10/side 1-arm passive hang from bar

PM
A. Power snatch clusters, 3 x 1.1.1.1.1 @ 70% 1RM; :10 between singles, 2:30 rest
B. Clean-grip deadlift, 2-2-2, 3131; 2:30 rest
C1. Strict handstand push-ups, 3 x max in :60 steady; :90 rest
C2. Reverse hypers, 3 x 4-8, 21X1 (pause @ top); :90 rest
+
5 sets:
:20 row very hard
3:10 walk rest

AM

complete

PM

A. complete @ 91

B. 205, 225, 245

C1. 8, 8, 8

C2. unweighted, +20, +40(4)

+

107m

108m

106m

105m

103m

Errrrr... 1-arm passive hangs from the bar were comical.  Started rotating as soon as I took my other hand away, and couldn't hold on for more than 0:05 at the most.  Tried once from the fat bar and this was even worse (less than 0:02). 

PM session was great! 

Power snatches all crisp and easy. 

Thumbs were the limiter on the tempo clean-grip deadlifts... 245 is probably about the heaviest I can hold for 0:16. No belt on these, but I have been wearing olys (as usual for clean-grip deadlifts). 

Strict handstand push-ups felt GREAT! All 3 sets were 3 doubles and two singles, no fails. So, so happy with this. 2 months ago I could barely do 1 every 5:00. 

Adding the pause at the top changed the reverse hypers quite a bit. Eeesh. 

Row sprints felt great! Saw 1:28-1:29 on the first 4. Had a bit of a slow start on sets 4 and 5, and power was just a little bit gone by the 5th set, couldn't get under 1:31. 

Good day at work, good day at the gym. Good day all around! 

Sunday

A. Box squat w/chains to just above parallel, 10 x 2 @ 40% 1RM on bar + heavy chains, 11X1; begin a set every :60
B1. 1-arm DB thrusters, 3 x 4-5/side; :60 between arms, :60 rest
B2. 1-arm DB rows, 3 x 5-8/side very heavy, 10X0; :60 between arms, :60 rest
+
5 sets for even times:
10 burpees
7 strict fat bar pull-ups
15 row calories
2:30 walk rest
+
3 rounds not for time:
10-15 moderate/tough reverse hypers
12 glute-ham sit-ups

A. complete with 120 + chains 

B1. 55, 60(4), 60(4)

B2. 55, 60(6), 60(7)

+

2:31

2:30

2:25

2:27

2:27

+

+90 on the RH, 15 across 

complete 

Today is the most gorgeous, perfect day. I love it. 

Box squats were nice and easy. 

Left arm is still the limiter on both dumbbell movements - had to use the right hand to assist the negative on the thruster at 60, otherwise there was some danger of hitting myself in the head. 

Loved the 5 sets, I really enjoy things like this. Rowed right around 1000 cal/h. 

+90 on the RH wasn't tough at all, definitely on the moderate side. I can go up quite a bit and still keep 15 reps I think. 

Got some feedback from Mike Kesthely, I'm really looking forward to dialing in the nutrition. Aiming to hit 155g protein, 245g carb, 90g fat (working up to this over the next couple of weeks, it's 300-600 calories more per day than I'm at now, which kind of makes me nervous but I trust him), and emphasizing consistency and quality. This means I'm spending this fantastic afternoon grilling up a week's worth of meat :)