Sunday, May 3, 2020

Lock-down Training Catchup



RETURNING to some semblance of a training routine, this week has been the best since lock-down began. Tuesday's pull and press session was a brutal re-introduction to 40 centimetre pull height axle deadlifts. I am making sure to do deficits and bent-over rows after, to thoroughly hit the lower posterior. And the max-effort Savickas (or, as it's better known now, 'Z') press is really kicking my ass and reminding me why it's such a great press variation. I do really need to clean-press though, and intend to do some axle work in the vacant lot next weekend. Navarre and another Legendary strongman, Anthony, will be visiting Saturday afternoon for assorted implement toss, farmers walk, and whatever else we have the energy to do. Hopefully clean-press.


Mid-April I did a squat session that was so-so and didn't end with me completing all reps as written due to feeling faint and re-racking out of paranoia. I didn't want to dump the bar and/or collapse in Navarre's tiny garage, possibly destroying the piano that was directly behind me at the time. Fortunately, Navarre moved the piano before our next session, which was an altogether better one for me. Though we didn't have Nav's cambered bar for it and so learned how much more taxing straight bar Good mornings can be on the thoracic, my squats all felt strong and deep, and there was no dizziness/loss of vision/et cetera.


Anthony also joined us for training Saturday just gone. Just to show how out of condition I am, I programmed only two events: yoke and farmers walk. And I was so screwed after yoke, I quit and went home with another bruised diaphragm, which is the new 'lumbar strain' - an injury I'd sustain on what felt like a quarterly basis, back when competitive lifting was new to me. It sets me back a couple of days at most.


While the three of us are still working on the structure of our training sessions together, which will get progressively more complex, my home pull and press routine is now in it's final form. A twenty-six to (eventually) thirty set push/pull split, with some isolation and isometric movements thrown in. I did skip the hammer holds at the end of this one as my grip strength was already shot.


EVENTS @ NAV'S Saturday May 2nd
Yoke walk:
130 kg x 2 x 20 meters
180 kg x 2 x 20 meters
230 kg x 6 x 20 meters


SQUATS @ NAV'S Thursday April 30th
Squats w/axle:
35 kg x 10
85 kg x 5
125 kg x 3
145 kg x 1
165 kg x 3 x 7
Good mornings w/axle:
30 kg x 8
60 kg x 5
80 kg x 3
105 kg x 2 x 8


PULL & PRESS Tuesday April 28th
Deadlifts w/axle (40 cm):
70 kg x 10
110 kg x 5
150 kg x 15 - double overhand, no straps
Deficit deadlifts w/barbell:
75 kg x 3 x 10
Bent-over rows w/barbell:
75 kg x 3 x 10
Savickas press:
20 kg x 8
35 kg x 5
45 kg x 3
55 kg x 13
Skull crushers w/EZ bar:
29 kg x 3 x 10
Standing curls w/EZ bar:
29 kg x 3 x 10
Front raises w/EZ bar:
19 kg x 4 x 10
Triceps pushdowns w/rubber band:
20, 15, 10


SQUATS @ NAV'S Thursday April 16th
Axle squats:
35 kg x 10
85 kg x 5
125 kg x 3
155 kg x 8, 8, 4
Good mornings w/cambered bar:
30 kg x 8
60 kg x 5
80 kg x 5
95 kg x 3 x 10