Training Log: Entry 3660

AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm)

TACTICAL BARBELL GREY MAN Cycle 2, Week 1, Workout 5

MAIN CLUSTER

Buffalo bar squat (flat shoes)
4x8x315

Axle strict press from rack
2x8x148
1x6x148
1x7+3x148

SUPPLEMENTAL CLUSTER

(3) Incline DB bench
2x12x70s
11x70s
10+3x70s

DB row
4x12x125

GHR
4x12x30

ASSISTANCE

GHR sit up
2x10

Chins throughout workout

Notes:

• Came into this just completely exhausted. I think a back to back sparring night was more than I anticipated recovery-wise, when stacked with that stupidly heavy mat pull on Wed. Training motivation was shot: one of those where the only thing that got me through was the thought of being able to spend Friday night with my family vs in the gym, so I got it done this morning. However, I also forgot that on Monday I trained in the afternoon, so I was comparing myself against that baseline, and in doing so I actually progressed really well today compared to Monday.

• I learned a lesson that was a long time coming from the belt squat: I have less knee pain when I squat with flat soled shoes. Honestly, I’m pretty angry with myself. I learned about squatting with flat soled shoes back in 2005, when I read “Beyond Bodybuliding” and Pavel Tsastouline wrote to “ditch your sneakers on steroids” and squat in Chuck Taylors, and I started doing exactly that and it transformed my squat. The most weight I’ve ever squatted in my life was in a pair of Chucks, where I squatted 502 in a meet and then 525 for 5 with wraps in the gym. And then I got a pair of lifters in 2014 because I thought it would have good carryover into strongman, and though I think Pendlay Dowins are a quality product and I love how my feet feel screwed in to the floor with how grippy they are, it just never had the same comfort that a pair of flats did. When I switched to that mutant high bar style I used for a few years, they really suited it…but that style itself didn’t suit me. I’m flat out not built to squat, with a short torso and long limbs, which means I use the style of squat we see with Steve Goggins, Layne Norton and Mark Felix: lots of forward lean, not a bolt upright torso. Flat shoes suit me. Thankfully, I have lots of them, and today I wore my NoBull high tops.

• Exhaustion was hitting hard through the workout, so the presses fell off a little, but I made some great progress on the incline bench, mainly because I forgot what I did last time so I beat an imaginary standard. Cut out a set of abs just for the sake of time.

• Double sparring class last night, got in a lot of great rounds. Really trying to work on moving off angle and sending strikes from there. Caught the Valkyrie with an awesome off angle sacrifice spin hook kick. Just happy I can move like that. The stretching is most likely helping out.

• Carried a 225lb keg yesterday, and then a 1min 50sec hang.

• Weighed 84.1kg this morning.