Ben Plotnicki

Mcgill big 3 for core stiffness and our old shoulder extension protocol to open up chest
done

+
Clean pulls 3×3, rest 3 min

275 across
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For Time (12 min cap)
30 BFB
20 DL @ 225
30 BFB
20 DL @ 275
30 BFB
20 DL @ 315

4 deads @ 315

First 30 burpee were a good pace and got first deadlift in around 1:59. First set was done in 2 sets, 2nd burpee were slower for sure, but I did 12 reps, made one plate change on one side, did 10 more reps, changed plates on the other side and finished the 8. Same strategy on the last set of deads. I think the 275 was done in 3 sets I believe, I did 8 and then don’t remember the last 2. Rested too much bt sets. One positive feedback I have for myself is the transitions from burpee to dead and dead to burpee had quick transitions. Burpees got slower, rest bt sets of deads were too much, but overall happy with this one.

Groin update: this thing is a funny thing, today it felt less groin and more anterior hip. Cyclist squats felt great and were a great way to warm it up. RNT lunges also felt ok and utilized them to warm up. At the start of the day pulling the bar off the ground definitely felt a little discomfort in the hip but as the adrenaline and blood flow got going I was fine.

Row 5 min easy
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8 rounds
Row 10 sec @ 500m TT pace (or current best estimate)
Row 20 sec @ 2km TT pace (or current best estimate)
rest 30 sec
1:30 & 1:42 avg

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30 1-arm alternating TGU @ 53lbs, not for time
every rep of this was terrible, or at least after the first rep in each arm (only becuase TGU are stupid). Shoulder was a little achy but the stability, control and creating rigidity was pretty good for it today. But with the achyness, I wasn’t able to press out the kb on my left side without some assistance from my right arm. Was good for groin too.

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8 rounds
Row 10 sec @ 500m TT pace (or current best estimate)
Row 20 sec @ 2km TT pace (or current best estimate)
rest 30 sec
1:32 & 1:41

Just could not generate much power today, my legs were so sore and just felt down right heavy. On first set right around the 5th around I started trusting myself that long strokes was going to be just as good, the short time domain created a sense of urgency and felt I had to keep my stroke rate high.

On the second set, I was having a harder time on the 10 sec portion, but on the 20s portion i started focusing on long drives and pulling a stroke every 2 seconds, so this got my output a little higher. That was a good feeling to finish on that note

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Ski 5 min easy

done

Mcgill Big 3
done

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Mini band or skinny band distracted prone leg lifts for glute activation – 5 sets of 5 with 3 sec hold at top of each, rest as needed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PAFlOkRldw)
done

+
A1 – Banded ATYT x 6 times through, rest 30 sec
A2 – 1-arm alternating front plank x 60 sec (switch down hand every 10 sec)
A3 – Mini band around wrists scap circles with arms extended in front of body x 3/direction + mini band circles x 5 clockwise and 5 counterclockwise
A4 – Banded face pull into external rotation with slow negative x 8 reps, 3 sets, rest as needed
B1 – 1-arm DB high windmill x 5/side
B2 – 1-arm DB OHS x 5/side
B3 – 1-arm DB sots press x 5/side, 3 sets, rest as needed
(can elevate heels as needed on B2/B3)
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3 rounds for time
7 snatches (power or squat) @ 165lbs
42 wallballs
10:06

Wall ball rounds did – 18/15/9; 12/10/10/10; 22/20

Muscular endurance limiters here were shoulders and low back. Low back felt it in round 3 on the wall ball. Shoulders was primarily due to spending all of my warm up time focusing on glute and hips.

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C – Side plank hold with top arm banded rows x 10/side, rest 30 sec x 3 sets/side

done
D1 – Rig assisted cossack squats x 3-4/side (hold onto rig for support, determine depth/ROM by how it feels through groin/abs)
D2 – Candlestick roll to deck squat x 8
D3 – Back rack walking lunge with 90 degree twist at bottom x 14 alternating steps
3 sets, rest as needed

Skipped the D piece – was a little nervous to hit this but should’ve while I was still warm.

Groin update – was not a limiter in todays training. Tailored warm up to getting tons of blood flow in the hip and groin area. Early today i was extremely nervous that I was not going to be able to train at all. Good bike warm up and it made me feel a little more at ease. During the workout I had no problems but I wanted to power all of the snatches to not even risk it at all. But wall balls felt fine.

Coaching the rest of the evening the groin did not feel great, but after my drive home and being able to relax at home the discomfort subsided a little

4 rounds for time
18 hspu
12 DB burpee box step ups (50lbs to 20in)
6 ring muscle ups
+ (rest to recovery)
4 sets for times, rest 2-3 min bt sets
18 GHD situps
dbl KB overhead carry 60ft
HS walk 30ft
heavy bear hug carry 60ft
HS walk 30ft
+ (rest to recovery)
1 mile sled drag, sled + 90lbs, grinding effort

a: 27:54

B: called it for the day – tried warming up a couple of the pieces and I was just mentally and physically shot

Not sure how fast or long the hspu piece was supposed to take, but I felt sluggish, slow, heavy and drained. Never once to my heart rate get too high, I broke up the hspu in the beginning because I didn’t know what kind of effect they would have in the rest of the triplet. The burpee step overs sucked the life out of me and from there it was a gradual decline felt like I was in mud.

The couple of insights I am trying to make, yesterday was a pretty good training session, but the runs and being in the heat on top of not sure I got enough hydration to compensate for the sun/heat exposure. Sleep was decent but I did have to get up early for a meeting. Breakfast wasn’t bad, I did have a lot of food but  it was kind of heavy, and another factor I noticed is my am coffee didn’t get my juices flowing like normal. Hormonally I feel pretty good this week, today I just felt beat.

A – Squat clean cluster – new rep every 12 sec x 6, rest 3 min x 4 sets

205-225-245-255 (missed rep 6 @ 255, pulled under and sat in the hole for a brief second and tried to grind a little but would have been a major struggle)
B – Push jerk x 8 TNG reps for BB cycling efficiency, go around 155-175. rest 2 min x 3 sets

155 felt great, 165 wasn’t as crisp
C – Split jerk recoveries from high blocks/pins x 1.1.1, rest 8 sec/2 min x 4 working sets, build as comfort levels increase

235-255-265-270

Didn’t love my setup here, I had to get a little deeper than I would’ve like in the split
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3 min clock
Run 400m
5 dbl KB hang snatches @ 53/hand
AMRAP BBJO @ 24in in remaining time
rest 2 min and repeat until you accumulate 50 burpees

11:50 actual time – 17:50 total time –

13-16-13-8

Did box facing the first round – that would’ve made it even shittier

This zapped every ounce of energy I had today

10 min AMRAP (use a 50lb DB)
20 SA DB Thrusters (10/side)
20 Lateral DB Burpees
20 SA DB OHS (10/side)
20 DB Facing Burpees
20 SA DB Hang Squat Clean (10/side)
20 SA DB Devil Press – Alternating (10/side)

2+ 44

First off, this was kind of fun. Was a little nervous because the first set of thrusters, the left shoulder was a little discomfort, and I did a pretty eccentric biased and shoulder protocol warm up. Left arm OHS i picked up pace big time, right arm was a fight for lock out, my thoracic on the right side is definitely a limiter. Warm up i felt no issues, but after the thruster and burpee I’m sure played a role in that. I was personally excited because I made myself go straight from the hang squat clean to the devils press without sitting the db down, personal victory, because I kind of wanted to. Second round going into the thrusters was ZERO discomfort. With the all the burpee today, my goal was to have some pushing and pacing within each set, I didn’t have a rep scheme but I just wanted to go hard for a while, and slow down and breath a little without stopping. Did pretty good with that for the most part.

Hip/groin was a little irritated – in deep flexion and source is around the adductors

Mini band scap stability series – https://www.instagram.com/p/BWTOZSShTLH/
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1-arm RKC front plank x 5 sec HARD contraction each side, push intro ground actively while contracting deep core and glutes, rest 60 sec
1-arm side plank with straight arm with top arm banded rows x 6/side
Mini band in and out monster walk x 10 steps forward and back
3 sets
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A – Hang Squat clean – 1 rep every 45 sec x 12, add load every 4 crisp makes
185-205-225

B1 – Banded bird dogs x 5/side
B2 – Band assisted thoracic rotation from quadruped x 5/side, take a full breath cycle at end range each rep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPVK8Qw1Img)
B3 – Hollow/arch rolls x 4/position
rest as needed x 3 sets
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12 sets, continuous effort
AB 60 sec @ 250 watts
AB 60 sec @ 325 watts
AB 60 sec @ 400 watts

Had a harder time maintaining paces today – 325 was closer to 302-316 and 400 was closer to 378-396 – just didn’t feel great today

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Mini band around knees glute bridge hold with abduction pulses x 30 sec
Prone scap swimmers with neutral spine and no hand touch to ground or body x 45 sec continuous movement, rest 45 sec x 4 sets

this was much needed relief after the struggle of the bike today.

Mcgill Big 3
+
Mini band or skinny band distracted prone leg lifts for glute activation – 5 sets of 5 with 3 sec hold at top of each, rest as needed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PAFlOkRldw)
+
A1 – Banded ATYT x 6 times through, rest 30 sec
A2 – 1-arm alternating front plank x 60 sec (switch down hand every 10 sec)
A3 – Mini band around wrists scap circles with arms extended in front of body x 3/direction + mini band circles x 5 clockwise and 5 counterclockwise
A4 – Banded face pull into external rotation with slow negative x 8 reps, 3 sets, rest as needed
B1 – 1-arm DB high windmill x 5/side
B2 – 1-arm DB OHS x 5/side
B3 – 1-arm DB sots press x 5/side, 3 sets, rest as needed
(can elevate heels as needed on B2/B3)
Worked up to 45 for 2&3, stayed at 30 for sotts press

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AMRAP 15 min:
3 rounds
Row 15 cals
10 toes to bar
5 squat snatches – 135lbs
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3 rounds
Row 15 cals
10 chest to bar pullups
3 squat snatches – 165lbs
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AMRAP in remaining time
Row 15 cals
5 bar MU
1 squat snatch – 195lbs

3 bar muscle ups

Fatal flaw or error today. First off, talked a friend into doing this with me, he’s a really good lifter, and these numbers for him were easy, so instead of staying my training focus I got caught up in the moment a little. On row’s I started out at 1400+, and thought, hey I might be able to hold this, so I held 1300+ for the first 5 rounds. 6th round was were I felt the fall off. I felt really aerobic the first 3 rounds, until I tried to create a little separation by doing the first 3 reps tng of the last round of the 135. This was a big mistake, I kind of felt I spilled over to an anaerobic state at that moment and that’s where I felt the next 2 15 cal rows took their toll on me. Since we never or rarely get someone to train alongside in moments like these, this was a good reminder/learning experience. Could also do a few TAP bike sprints in warm up to delay the onset of the spill over I felt.

AM
Power clean x 2 reps – EMOM x 6 (165-175)

175 Felt much better today
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Power clean x 1 + hang squat clean x 1 – EMOM x 6 (185-195)

195 Felt really good
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Squat clean x 1 rep EMOM x 6 (225 for these)

Felt pretty good here

Should’ve hit a rep or 2 between the last emom becuase the first rep felt good but the weight jump kind of surprised me a little.
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1-arm front rack squats x 8/side @ 53lbs, rest 30 sec bt arms
1-arm rotating ring rows x 8/side, rest 30 sec bt arms x 3 sets
done

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Band pull apart series
Done

PM
Row ALAP @ 1:43/500m, stop when you have 3 strokes in a row above pace
rest 60 sec and repeat until you accumulate 3000m

15.58.7

Much better pacing and maintaining today. I never left the gym between the two sessions, so i never cooled off, stayed hot and sweaty and sticky, did refuel and some CHO. Other than those other small factors, felt better and had a better approach. Never spilled over, except for the last 600+ meters, I was determined to to finish without having to break, the very last 3 pulls I did not maintain 1:43 and fought for it to get there, but it rolled over on the last pull

A – Split jerk triples from blocks @ 75-80%, rest 6-8 sec/2 min x 6 sets

205 x 2, 215 x 2, 225 x 2
B – Push press x 8 TNG reps, rest 2min x 4

165-180-190-200
C1 – Front rack reverse lunge into bulgarian step up x 6/side, rest 30 sec/90 sec

95 across
C2 – Bent knee GHD hip extensions x 8-10, rest 90 sec x 3 sets

Took me a set to get comfortable with the bent knees, then I was good
D1 – Split stance russian swings x 8/side
D2 – Mini band psoas march from supine x 6/side
D3 – Mini band bird dogs x 6/side
3 sets, rest as needed

Went easy here as I was starting to run extremely low on fuel
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6-8 sets as able to keep quality
8 strict HSPU
30ft heavy prowler push, tough turnover
rest 90 sec bt sets

Did 6 sets, only got 8 strict hspu on sets 1-4. On sets 5 & 6 I did 5 strict and kipped the remainder and it was still a struggle. Shoulders were smoked, and so was I at this point.