Training Log: Entry 2546

PM WORKOUT

MAX EFFORT LOWER BODY

Top Down Deadlifts
5x135
5x225
3x315
1x405
1x495
1x585
1x640 (5lb PR)
1x645 (5lb PR...from that other one I just set)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvDzv1iNets

GIANT SETS (dead-hyper-squat)

Low handle trap bar lift 415
3x10

Reverse hyper 360
3x10

SSB squat 230
3x10

Notes: 3:45 between heavy pulls, 2:00 between giant sets.  Just a few small PRs 6 days after my race, like one does.  The racking is really the most challenging part of the workout.  I left it in for the second pull in the video, but it doesn't represent how the bar pulled me forward onto my toes and I used all the power in my calves to get it back on track, and then did crazy shrugs and hip rotations to try to angle it back into the rack.  I honestly think I'm getting a lot of training value from that part along with the topdown deadlift itself.  I'm soon approaching the most weight I've ever pulled through a full ROM, and doing it starting from the top doesn't seem to make it any easier than the bottom at this point.

The trap bar lifts were much harder than I anticipated.  I have to remember it's STILL over 400lbs.  And the low handles are absurdly low picks on it.  I imagine it's getting me plenty strong.  I've decided to keep the reverse hyper weight stagnant for now and focus on moving weight on the squats and deads.  I feel like it's the right call.

Training Log: Entry 2545

AM WORKOUT

GIANT SETS (squat-keg-hyper)

Buffalo bar squats
12xBar
12x140
12x230
12x320
12x353

Keg cleans 100lbs
6x3

Reverse hyper 455
6x8

Buffalo squat stripset
10x320
10x230
10x140
10xBar

Notes: 3:45 between first 5 giant sets, then 2:00 rest and only a superset with keg cleans and reverse hypers, then 5:00 rest and squat stripset.  Sets of 12 still suck a LOT, and this close to the race I'm sure I'm still rebuilding a bit.  Interestingly, my left knee is achy but my hips seem "open" for the first time in a LONG time.  Depth came very easy, and it felt like I was squatting between my knees rather than over them.  Felt nice to be smoth again.

Keg cleans may also be a culprit on the left knee aching a little.  I tend to need to pivot hard on it for the clean, and the metal slams into it.  Working on explosiveness for now: need to rebuild the feeling for them so I can get heavy.

Swapped out the Kodiak oatmeal for some old fashion steel cut oats.  They mixed a lot easier in my post workout meal, just need to see how well they digest.  Trying to rediscover nutrition in the absence of the extra 15 miles of running a week but still with a goal of putting on some mass.

Hit a set of 20 NG chins as part of my daily back work.

Training Log: Entry 2544

AM WORKOUT

SUPERSET (press-pulldown)

Axle strict press
5xAxle
5x66
5x166
3x191
8x211
8x191

Lat pulldowns 110
6x14

GIANTSETS (press-dip-raise-pulldown.  Sets 1 and 3: behind the neck press.  Sets 2 and 4: axle strict press.  Sets 3 and 6: log press)

Behind the neck barbell press 125
1x10
1x9

Axle strict press 166
1x10
1x8

Log clean and press away 150
2x10

Dips
6xFailure

DB lateral raise 30
3x12
3x11

Band pull aparts
6x12

Poundstone curls w/axle
1x100

Notes: 3:45 between heavy presses, 2:00 between giant sets.  Best pressing day I've had in a LONG time.  No longer dizzy on the press.  Those 2 a days were definitely the culprit.  211 felt light in my hands, and I hit the goal I had with 8 reps.  Backoff sets fell apart on me, but salvaged as much as I could.  Relearning the log: where my eyes point is huge.  Keeps me balanced. 

I've come up with a plan to get in more backwork: I'm going to endeavor to hit a set of some sort of back work whenever I come home from dropping my kid off at school.  I have to come through the garage for that anyway, so I can hit a set of chins or DB rows or something.  Daily work has always gone far for me.   

COMPETITION REPORT: FIRST HALF MARATHON

So I did a big write-up on this here

https://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2019/10/half-marathon-write-up.html

But to sum up

Finished with a time of 2:00:36 and met my 2 goals of never stopping and not taking any water breaks.  I did a big write up on my blog (google "mythical strength" for those not already in the know), but to sum up, having my wife alongside me was huge because she was able to pace and talk me off some ledges, I ran the race off a zero carb Rockstar, 2 poptarts and a quest bar, my feet aren't doing too bad, the last 3 miles are the worst ones, and I feel confident that, if I wanted a sub 2, I coulda gotten it.  Also, I was the only one wearing a t-shirt and shorts for our 40 degree run, so that's cool. 

Was a good experience getting out of my wheelhouse like this and finding a new way to challenge myself.  For now, the focus is on my next comp, and then we'll see from there.

Training Log: Entry 2543

PM WORKOUT

MAX EFFORT LOWER

(3) Mat pulls
5x135
5x225
3x315
1x405
1x495
1x585
1x640 (5lb PR)
2x585

https://youtu.be/8lOudiT63oI

GIANT SETS (dead-hyper-squat)

(2) Axle Deficit Deadlifts 346
3x10

Reverse hypers 360
3x10

SSB front squats 205
3x10

Notes: 3:45 between heavy pulls, 2:00 between giant sets.  With my race on Sunday, I kept from doing anything terribly stupid and just went for some grind.  I think I'm going to keep playing around with partials before going to the floor.  Maybe do 5 mats and then 2 mats.  Could even go 4 and floor after that.  No rush, and getting plenty of benefit from the ME workout.

Training Log: Entry 2542

PM WORKOUT

Swiss bar incline bench 215
3x10

Axle bench press 276
3x10

Close grip axle bench 226
3x10

Dips
1x35
1x30
1x26

Standing ab wheel between sets of benching (4x7, sets of 6 for the rest)

Notes: 3:25 between sets. First day of the restructured bench press workout, and it's working as intended.  276 felt much heavier than it has before.  This should give me some room to grow and progress.  Especially since I think I'm tackling another issue.  More on that below.

TMI for those squeemish on matters of digestion, but effectively, for the past 2 weeks, if I wasn't working or training, I was pretty much on the toilet.  Guts have been a wreck.  This coincides with the timing of me adding the Kodiak brand "protein oatmeal" to my post workout meal, for more carbs and protein.  Finally decided to look at the ingrediants, and the first thing I saw after oats was pea protein.  I also remembered the first time I fed my kid peas and they emitted a scream that sounded like mortar fire.  Stands to reason that we may have similar genetics that don't digest peas properly. Also a host of a whole lot of other stuff I haven't done well with in the past. I dumped what I had left of the stuff and went back to what has worked in the past.  May just buy some plain old oatmeal next go round and quit tying to get so fancy.  Still, I'm reasonably certain this is the culprit, so here's to getting past that.  And also a lesson that I STILL need to read ingredients on products.  I'm so used to just eating meat and veggies that I forget that companies put a whole lotta stuff in their products.

Training Log: Entry 2541

AM WORKOUT

TREADMILL RUN

Incline: 2
Speed: 6.3 (9:30 mile)
Distance: 6.55 miles
Time: 1hr 2 minutes

Notes: Final run before the race.  Schedule got a little compromised today, so instead of one of my longer runs, I stuck with my half distance approach and doubled the incline.  One of the things I dig about a treadmill: very easy to change resistance.  Yet again, different kind of misery, and made a slower speed still suck immensely.  Told myself a lot of little lies as I was running, like how much further I was going to run, or that I was going to turn down the incline at one point.  I feel like distance running is a lot of self-deception.