Ben Plotnicki

A – DB movement exploration/variability
(DB power clean + Db hang power clean) * 5 reps, rest 30 sec (1 rep = power clean from floor and hang power clean)
1-arm DB push press x 3/1-arm DB push jerk x 3/1-arm DB split jerk x 3, 1 time through each side, rest 30 sec
1-arm DB thrusters x 5/side, rest 30 sec
1-arm DB OH reverse lunges x 6 steps/side, rest 30 sec
DB filly presses x 5/side (opposite arm KB front rack hold), rest 90 sec x 3 sets
B – Multi directional lunge matrix with arm drivers in:
– arms over head lateral flexion right
– arms over head lateral flexion left
– arms in front rotational right
– arms in front rotational left
– arms in front reach in front to overhead
3 reps in every position with each hand driver. you’ll lunge forward, backward, and laterally, and go through these movements from each position
C1 – Band assisted nordic curl negatives x 5, rest 1 min
C2 – Single leg hip hinge cone touch drill, work side to side on each legs (3 touches/hand/leg – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd9PYWvt_9w)
C3 – Straight leg seated lift offs from straddle x 8 and from feet touching x 8, rest as needed x 3 sets
D – HS rebalancing from belly to wall hold, 4-5/variation – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiiPAook8Dc, rest as needed x 4 sets
E1 – Mini band knee press aparts from seated x 25
E2 – Side lying sorenson hold with plate pressouts x 5/side, rest as needed x 3 sets

Most of this day went really well until I got into C. Up to this point the DB work was all at 50’s. This was an easy load but movement exploration was solid and efficient. The nordic curls took forever to find a set up that was even halfway decent, but still didnt’ have a good one. So will keep exploring. From that point my fatigue became more fueling related, so next Wednesday will just have to get more calories in for the rest of the session to be effective.

AM
Clean x 1/Hang Squat clean x 1/Push jerk x 1/Split jerk x 1 – 15 min to build to tough load
260
Jumped from 245 to 260 with time running out and it was a questionable jump at the movement because 245 was not crisp, and felt solid in all positions, quite a bit more comfortable at the 260, was just more focused.
+
For time
10 PC/PJ @ 165
10 PC/PJ @ 185
10 PC/PJ @ 205
6:54

Done w165@1:??????
Done w/185@3:48

Had out two barbells one loaded at 165&185, took about a minute between my last @ 185 to add 20lbs and clips. Not very efficient. 165 had no real pacing, 185 halfway fell into 12-14 second for every rep, 205 started at 15-16 but got comfortable and somewhat hit me that was the end, and just started picking it up and just going from around rep 6 on.

PM
Did this pm piece at home, and took advantage of the hills in my favor. When I was tired and didn’t want to push some of the runs, made sure I had at least somewhat of a slight downhill angle to force the foot turnover rate to be faster. Especially in the weight vest sprints.
Thorough run warmup
+
4 sets
Weight vest burpee x 5 AFAP
Weight vest sprints 100m
rest walk 2-3 min bt sets
39-36-37-35
Used the slight downhill grade to help accelerate and push through sprint
+
12 sets
Run 90 sec @ 92-93% aerobic pace
rest walk 45 sec
total distance was around 4.88m (don’t have my watch on me now so trying to remember.
+
Hypoxic drills x 6 sets
Gentle nose breathing x 4-5 cycles, end on a small gentle breath in and small gentle breath out, then pinch nose.
Walk calmly and naturally with the breath hold as many paces as you can until the air hunger starts to kick in or you feel your neck muscles twitch to try to restart breathing rhythm, at which point you will stop walking and resume gentle nose breathing. Try to recover normal breathing rhythm within 2-3 breaths, if unable you probably held a little too long. Don’t push this too much, just to the point of discomfort or natural body reaction, then resume natural breathing through nose. rest 2 min bt sets.
pacing metrics were
16-17(might have been a bit too much or not enough recovery)-16-14-13-12
Was much better at not speeding up my steps, steps were counted only on one foot, not for each step taken.

Loved everything about today, good quality on my pulling.
A1 – Supinated grip wtd pullups @ 33X1 x 3, rest 1 min
25-35-35-35
These were awesome, felt them light up my elbows a little, but i’m sure its because I’m missing great movement in that external rotation
A2 – Kipping deficit HSPU, 1 set AMRAP (-1), rest 2 min x 4 (3in deficit)
23-19-16-16
B – Dbl KB bottoms up presses @ 2121 tempo x 6-8, rest 2 min x 3 sets (bottom of ROM is elbow level with shoulder)
@ 25 8-6-8
+
4 sets for times
Row 20 cals @ 1400-1600 cal/hr, rest 15 sec
4 strict pullups + 5 kipping pullups + 6 C2B pullups, slow spin on bike 2 min bt sets
48.3-1467-19
48.9-1453-17
48.1-1482-18
49.1-1439-18
The fluidity of c2b fell off on set 4, all sets prior to that felt good and crisp

+
C1 – Glute ham raises @ 50X1 x 5-6, rest 45 sec
6-5-5, felt quality of eccentric go on the 6th rep so decided to stay at 5
C2 – Banded pallof split squats x 6/side, rest 45 sec x 3 sets
D – Weight vest lunges x 30, rest 90 sec x 3
Done – hindsight, this a.m. I did not expect my glutes to feel the effects from the lunges, but they’re there.

A – Clean and jerk singles x 6, build from 80-93%, rest 3 min
Called it at 265, pull felt slow, second pull and hip extension felt the best it has in a long time. At 265 my wrist felt a little irritated, was fine last night, but this morning was sensitive, think I slept on it wrong.
B – Floating clean grip deadlifts 5 sets of 2-3, rest 2 min (end heavier than last week)
Finished last 2 sets at 245
C – Crossbody KB carries x 50ft/hand, rest 90 sec x 3 sets
+
4 rounds for time
1-arm alternating DB squat snatches x 10 @ 50lbs
10 toes to bar
Sandbag bear hug carry 100ft @ 150lbs
13:38
Sandbag bear hug carries (along with ripping some beard hair out) are my current arch nemesis. They scare me more than anyting else I can think of (so I guess I will be doing a lot more of them, YAY!!!)
Toes to bar focus was on being super tight and keeping as great a hollow position, was also a little more winded here than I expected, but that could’ve been a result of the extra emphasis on the hollow position.
DB squat snatch at this load was my rest station.

AM
Run warmup
+
Run 200m @ 95%, rest 45 sec
Run 400m @ 93%, rest 90 sec
Run 800m @ 90%, rest 3 min
Run 400m @ 93%, rest 90 sec
Run 200m @ 95%, rest walk 5-6 min x 3 sets
+
15 min easy jog cooldown
+
Hanging lat activates x 4 + bottom half pullups x 4 + top half pullups x 4 (maintain hollow position for pullups) –
Reverse table plank press ups with 5 sec hold at top of each x 5
rest as needed x 5 sets
Running felt way more consistent with mechanics today, however I’m sure some of that had to do with knowing what was coming and not exerting the exact same intensity. The whole session was not done on the true form. Sets 2 & 3 were and felt much stronger.

PM
2 rounds for time
5 ring MU
15 squat cleans @ 135lbs
AB 30 cals
8:23
Round one was off bike around 3:33, waited a few seconds before hopping up on the rings. Muscle ups felt smooth and effortless.

10-8-6-4-2 deadlifts @ 255

Burpees over bar

50 heavy rope DU’s round (try to track one down that matches the specs from the comp)

11:47 (misses rep 50)

Praying that the rpm rope is lighter than the RX Zeus rope. Barbell and burpee were no comparison in this scenario with the way that rope felt. I tried pushing the burpee to a little uncomfortable pace, but it didn’t matter on the rope. 

+

Back squats – 6 singles, 305-315, rest 2-3 min, go for positions and speed

325 

I was an overachiever for the day, or actually the plates I had put just made it easier to load that way. Took me a while to warm up to thei after the running yesterday and that stupid rope today. 

+

Banded pallof reverse lunges x 10/side

Sky reaches from spiderman stretch x 5/direction/side

3 sets, rest as needed

complete 

Thorough run warmup+

4 sets

Weight vest burpee x 5 AFAP

Weight vest sprints 50m

rest walk 2-3 min bt sets

I think this was the first time ever doing weight vest burpee ever. Sprints at this distance felt good, much further and it would’ve been a bigger game changer. 
+

12 sets

Run 90 sec @ 90% aerobic pace

rest walk 45 sec

had to take circuitous routes so I was constantly up and down the terrible hill. It was around 7 that the mental challenge was present. But the phycial challenge of running mechanics wasn’t truly felt until set 9/10. Not knowing total overall distance covered but average heart rate was around 150, that average is in included w/the walking test time. 

+

Hypoxic drills x 6 sets

Gentle nose breathing x 4-5 cycles, end on a small gentle breath in and small gentle breath out, then pinch nose.

Walk calmly and naturally with the breath hold as many paces as you can until the air hunger starts to kick in or you feel your neck muscles twitch to try to restart breathing rhythm, at which point you will stop walking and resume gentle nose breathing. Try to recover normal breathing rhythm within 2-3 breaths, if unable you probably held a little too long. Don’t push this too much, just to the point of discomfort or natural body reaction, then resume natural breathing through nose. rest 2 min bt sets.
can you say panic. I’m sure this will be improved through more exposure but holy shit this freaked me out a little bit. 

in warm up, practiced with a Zeus rope, not sure how close that is to the rpm weighted rope. 
For time

21-15-9 row cals

21 pullups, 15 C2B, 9 strict pullups

5:19

21 UB (on hindsight maybe a mistake?)

15 – ⅞

9 – 2 then all singles 

First row took 48 seconds avg 1600+, maybe over pulling. But definitely wanted to find some of these things out 

+

A – 3 banded strict HSPU, rest 30 sec, AMRAP strict HSPU in one set, rest 3 min x 5 sets

12-10-7-8-9

(Might have actually done 6 sets, not 100% sure.)

B1 – BB rollouts from tall kneeling x 6-8, rest 1 min

Is there any major difference of leverage when doing these with an actual ab wheel vs a barbell because of leverage/hand position? 

B2 – Banded pull throughs from wide(r) stance x 6-8, rest 1 min x 4 sets

complete 

C1 – Ring in and outs from front plank x 10 alternating reps (hands in arm pits, 1 arm extends laterally at a time), rest 1 min

C2 – 1-arm rotational ring rows x 5/side (rotate body away at extension, and towards top hand/strap at top), rest 1 min x 4 sets

D -Multi directional lunge matrix with arm drivers in:

– arms over head lateral flexion right

– arms over head lateral flexion left

– arms in front rotational right

– arms in front rotational left

– arms in front reach in front to overhead 

3 reps in every position with each hand driver
all complete 

A – Clean and jerk doubles – reps must be completed within 30 sec window to go heavier, rest 3 min bt sets255

Tried so hard to open up my lats and loosen up my neck from the muscle up yesterday but just wouldn’t budge. Just didn’t feel comfortable overhead today. So called it at 255. Clean felt super solid, jerk was off, probably just protecting the neck. 
B – Floating clean grip deadlifts 6 sets of 3-4, rest 2 min (end heavier than last week)

225

C1 – Heels elevated back rack cyclist squats x 10, rest 90 sec

135

C2 – Dbl KB deadlifts x 12 TNG reps, rest 90 sec x 4 sets

100/hand 

+

Bike 8 sec high effort, rest 52 sec

Row 10 sec high effort, rest 1:50 x 5 sets

complete 

Bike was around 1400 watts and row was b/t 1:24-1:26

+

1 set, all out effort, pull thrusters down

15 thrusters @ 95lbs

15 C2B pullups

15 thrusters @ 95lbs

rest 6 min

1 set, all out effort

15 PC/PJ @ 115

20 AB cals

1:21 & 1:40

Second set of thrusters felt fatigue in my shoulders/lats in rack position but nowhere else. 1st set of thrusters done around 26 seconds 
Legs felt smoked when I got to the second piece. Wanted to break several times on c&j. Stepped on bike at 50ish seconds and just didn’t want to pedal finally got up to speed around 8 seconds and was done around 29. 

AMRun warmup

+

Run 200m @ 95%, rest 1 min

Run 400m @ 93%, rest 2 min

Run 800m @ 90%, rest 4 min

Run 400m @ 93%, rest 2 min

Run 200m @ 95%, rest walk 5-6 min x 3 sets

+

15 min easy jog cooldown

+

Hanging lat activates x 4 + bottom half pullups x 4 + top half pullups x 4 (maintain hollow position for pullups) –

Reverse table plank press ups with 5 sec hold at top of each x 5

rest as needed x 5 sets
round 1 went pretty well. Notables were 3:4ish on the 800, 95 seconds on the front end 400, around 97 on the back end. 

Round 2 was so so, effort on the back end was better on the front end, all metal. But I did feel some mechanical breakdown in technique from time to time, wasn’t as consistent throughout. 

Round 3 was not good. Running mechanics were so inconsistent. 

All done on a truform so was easy to get feedback when my running technique was dialed in or not. 

PM

A – Hang Power snatch double every 45 sec x 8 sets

175

(Wanted 185, did 2 sets and was not going to be able to finish there)

B – Build quickly to OHS double from rack, 2-3 min bt sets

260

I did move up very quickly, set breakdowns were 

185-215-245-260

+

7 min AMRAP

burpee ring MU’s

23
Had one of those oh shit, super scary fall through the ring miss/fails. It did scare this shit out of me. With 40 seconds left I wanted to get 3 more so I picked up my pace and that’s when it happened. One thing I was cognizant of was the half pull to create tension to get in a good position, tried to take that out because I thought that would add up over time, worked for some but wasn’t as comfortable getting in that good position without it without practicing it.