Training Log: Entry 3299

AM WORKOUT (0410 wake up via alarm)

**PHYREXIAN DREADNOUGHT** Phase 3, Week 1, Workout 3

1 min log clean and push press away w/175lb (1 rep total)

5 1 min rounds of log viper each rep (5-4-3-3-3) w/1min rest between rounds

ZENO SQUATS (12 deep breaths between sets)

4x315

2x315

1x315

4x275

2x275

1x275

20x225

ASSISTANCE

3x10 standing ab wheel

7x6 chins, 3x5 chins (various grips)

20,10,10,10 Dips

Neck Harness work

50 light band pushdowns

25 miniband curls

26 GHRs

BREAKFAST

Moderate walk w/dog

Notes:

* This day turned out pretty clutch.  I was curious how Zenos would go after hard press training, but the log in particular really had my hips pretty warmed up, so squatting went well.  My right shoulder has been bugging me as a result of all the pry work I was doing during our deck project, and it was a little rough getting into squat position, but nothing terrible.  During my warm-ups, I tried a low bar set up, and I can still do it, but it felt awful with that shoulder, so something to watch for.

* Walked the weight down on the log and still had some struggles there, although I’m also beltless.  Biggest issue is just clean inefficiency.  Since the log isn’t coming up in the competition, I’m not too worried: just want to include variety in pressing movements.  The vipers were good for conditioning and some brute strength.

* Zenos felt so “right”.  It’s been a while since I’ve done them, and it’s one of those where every time I come back I wonder why I stopped.  This is my first time including them with my new approach to squats: beltless, high bar, full ROM.  Workout 1 went well, but the real magic is the follow on.  Adding 1 more rep to the start is going to result in more sets as part of a cascade effect.  But I already observed the benefit of getting under the bar so often in one workout: by the end, the walkout felt light and tight.  

* That set of 20 at the end was absolutely ridiculous.  20 WAS the goal at the start, but once I got to rep 6 I was thinking 8 would be a good number, then 12, then 15, and as I got to 17 I figured I may as well close it out.  It’s good that I can reach those depths again.  It’s not going to be the objective every Zeno workout, but on this first one it was a good way to makeup some volume.

* I also just realized at this very moment that my lower back wasn’t bothering me at all for this workout, whereas in previous iterations squatting on Friday was limited because of that, so that’s cool.

* Going Hepburn with the chins: just adding in 1 a week and letting it accumulate, and keeping it submax as well.  Rest of assistance was some bitter medicine: all the stuff I needed.  Those band pushdowns in particular were a right, as was the GHR.  That said, I forgot to hang from the bar, which needs to be an objective of mine to continue to build my grip strength for the competition (both grappling and strongman).  It’s the same reason I did that 225 static hold the other day.  I’m thinking I might 2 birds/1 stone this and use Dan John’s “hang for 30 seconds and do a pull up” approach here so I can get in hangs AND chins.

* Since I’ve been talking about it so much, here are some “before/after” photos of the deck project.  Hearing my Valkyrie tell me last night “we literally could not have done this without you: you were the only one strong enough to pull out those boards” was incredibly satisfying.