ECC W2-D2

Shot throws for 1 hour
Drive home

Warm up
Bike
Squat

SSB - Tendo Vertical - Trap Bar Jump - Accelerated Jump
385+50WR x2 - x3 - x3 - x3
x4

Body was pretty shot by this point, but I did get RDLs at
405x3 x5

ECC W2-D1

Warm Up
Compex Tri-Chest-Delt
Bench
135x10x2
225x5
275x2

Bench - Plyo Pushup - Floor Press - Acc Pushup
295 6s ecc x2 - Bar @15 - Light x3 clap pushups
4 min rest x5-6 (lost count)

Pullups
Hammer Wind
Pull Apart

Clean
Hole 7
135kg x2 x7

Good day, felt like I was able to push pretty hard with some decent speed. The eccentrics felt more controlled. I am stopping the bar pretty far off my chest to save my shoulders, but I feel that's ok at this point. I will go off the pad for my high intensity day and put some weight on based on the tendo speed next and see how it goes.

ECC W1-D4

ECC W1-D3

ECC W1-D2

ECC W1-D1

Transitional W2-D3

Feeling good, a little tired, but recovery is pretty solid. Ready to push today.

Warm Up
Bike x5'
Band Shoulders
Bench
135x10x2

Bench - Bar Pushups - Band Resisted Pushups - Band Assisted Pushups
285x3 5s ecc - Hole 16 x3 - Light x3 - Light hole 16 x3
x5 - 4min rest

Between

Pullups
Landmine twists 90x5 each
Pull Aparts Light
Grip Holds 285 x30s holds

Then

Clean Grip Snatch
Tendo with drop off of 10%
70kg 3-5 reps per set, 5 sets

Landmine Single arm press
90x10x2

Transitional W2-D2

Warm Up
Bike

SSB - Sq Drop Jump - Jump Squat - Hops
305 6s ecc x3 - x3 - 180 x3 - x3 up driveway
x5 - 4min rest

Between

Rolling thunder side bend 106x10
Blast Straps

RDL
405x1
Clean to Hole 6
140kg x1
x4

Transitional W2-D1

Warm up

Bench - Elevated Pushup - Bench - Assisted pushup

245 6s ecc x3 - Hole 16 x3 - 135 x3 - Average x3

x5 - 4min rest

Between:

Pullups

Hammer Winds

Pull Aparts

Good day, felt better on the eccentrics.

Transitional W1-D4

SSB - Depth Jump - KB Jump - Hurdle Hop
330+70#WR 6s x3 15s - 3plate x3 - 70 x3 - x3
x5 (Tendo - .76-.70)

Bent Row
225x15

-

RDL
405 6s eccentric x3
x5

Plate Twist
100# x10

Transitional W1-D3

Bench - Rack Pushup - Band Pushup - Acc Pushup
275 6s ecc x2 - Hole 16 x3 - Light x3 - Ave x3
x5

Pullups x5
Stir the pot x10
Grip Holds 275x20s

Clean Grip Snatch
75kg x3

OH Med ball
18# x2

Transitional W1-D2

I am sore! I was not prepared for how sore I would be from Monday's training but my chest and triceps are Lit. Up.

Warm up

Bike

SSB

155x5

225x5

295x3

Hip swings and banded hip ABD between Warm up sets

SSB Squat - Drop Jump Squat - Jump Squat - Accelerated Jumps

295 x3 - x3 - 155 x3 - Ave (2) x3

x5

Between Sets:

Bent Row 155x10

SB 110x10

Blast Strap 

RDL

335x5 x5

Ecc 6"

Trying to work some eccentrics into this block to get ready for the eccentric block

Transitional W1-D1

Starting the offseason training with a transitional cycle that is designed to build up some tolerance to heavier weight so I can start my Eccentric block without restriction. There is a big difference between the percentages at the high velocity peaking block that I used at the end of the season, and the strength building blocks I will have at the beginning of the prep cycle, so I have a transitional cycle built in to more gradually build up to the intensity I will use for strength gains.

I'm still using the contrast method in this phase.

Bench - Pushup - Bench Throw - Accelerated Pushup
235x3 - x3 - 135x3 - Average x3
x5

Between sets:

Pullups x5
Pull Aparts light x10

Was going to do some cleans, but was pretty beat, and monday nights are late, so I called it good.

I did do some eccentric reps on the bench for some of the sets, trying to get a feel for how that will be, what ROM and cadence to use, and how to set up for it.

Good day.

Kirksville

Final games of the season! Didn't take much time or energy for this competition, and was happy with the marks that I was able to get. I ended up 2nd but had some season bests on the (ahem) slightly downhill field. I was able to go 120/143 in the hammers and 48/84 in the weights. Not bad, was good to throw one last time with the guys before shutting it down for the year.

On to the offseason.

Comp Week Day 3 - Kirksville

Last day of training this week. I got an old Tendo and wanted to try it out with some squat and bench to see what it showed. I tried to keep the reps between 1.10 m/s and 1.20 m/s with squats to 315 and bench to 135.

I ended up doing:

315 x2-3 at 1.1-1.2m/s
x5

with squat drop jump and jump squats

Bench

135 x2-3 at 1.1-1.2m/s
x5

with band pull aparts

Trying to feel fast, not sure if I am!

Comp Week Day 2 - Kirksville

No throwing this week, too dark, and too wet.

Squat - Squat drop jump - Jump Squat - Accelerated Jump
405 x2 - x2 - 135 x2 - x2
x5

Pullups
Side Bend

Feeling pretty good with the heavier squats...no real issues and feel like I'm moving quickly

Comp Week day 1 - Kirskville

Took all of last week off per my plan to have a rest week between the comp season and prep block. Yes, Kirksville is this weekend, but it's not in my competition block, which ended with Celtic. This is a fun games to get together with the guys one last time before the offseason. I usually throw well there even with a break, so I'm not worried. We all get paid the same, so if I can get some decent throws in one last time, I'll be happy.

Warm up
Bike

Bench - Light bench - Pushups - Accelerated pushups
225 x2 - 135 x3 - x3 - Light band x3
x5

Between sets:
Pullups
Hammer winds 25#

Good day to get some work in, bench felt hhhheeeaaavvvvy as all I've been doing for the past 4 weeks is oscillatory work in disadvantaged positions.

This offseason, all my bench work will be done 1-2 inches off the chest without support. I'll rely on building isometric strength in that position to compliment the triphasic work I'll be doing. This sucks, and is really hard on my joints at the moment, but as I do more, I expect that will improve. I'll also be adding in some push-pull isometrics at the end of the upper body days after this week when I'm done with the transitional cycle.

Celtic

After a good week of training, my body and mind were feeling pretty good. Going in to the competition, I was prepared to battle for the last spot on the podium. Dan McKim and Spencer were going to obviously fight for 1-2 and I was thinking Dan Tennison and I would have a good fight for 3-4 given how he was throwing, and how McKim has a penchant for showing up big at Celtic.

I won caber for distance, miraculously, on a nice hop, but it didn't count for much except money.

Day 1:

Heavy Hammer
I had some decent throws and improved on every throw to take 2nd at 113 I believe.

Braemar
Not my best event, but I've been throwing better all year, this was a minimize the bleeding event and I ended 3rd with a season best at 42+

Heavy Weight
Needed points here, I knew I wasn't going to beat Spencer, but I needed to hang with him and ended just shy of 46 for a season best

Sheaf
This was the turning point of the weekend for me. Opening height at 24' missed the first wide to my R, nearly everyone but Dan T and I made on their first. I missed my 2nd wide L, the remainder made theirs except for Dan. Dan threw before me, and I was desperately trying to stay positive, meditate on being smooth and making it when he missed his final attempt to no-height the event. The last thing you need when you are trying to hit a clutch shot is having the guy you feel you are competing with miss his last one. That just opens the flood gates of negativity, and even makes it almost feel acceptable to miss. I lined up my throw, but was shaking almost uncontrollably. Took a second, walked away, got a drink, visualized the throw, smooth, successful; grabbed the fork, was still shaking, took a pull and...right down the middle. Easily one of the biggest throws of my career, and the one that will stick out. I was pretty clean up to 35' and it was just Spencer and I left, I banked one off the bucket which didn't count and was out in 2nd place to watch Spencer throw another WR in the sheaf. It's amazing how perfect his sheaf throw is. I love watching it and am always in awe at the height he can attain.

Caber:
Minimize the bleeding. Didn't turn it, but was best of the no-turns, enough for 5th.

End of Day 1, 2nd place overall.

I thought I did a pretty good job of staying hydrated in the heat, keeping my nutrition intake consistent, and staying conscious of energy expenditure.

Day 2

Didn't sleep well, kept waking up and running through scenarios in my head.

Light hammer
Nobody threw up the hill well, McKim ended 1st, and I came 2nd with something in the high 120s

Open Stone
I needed a big throw here. I have been throwing well in practice, but there's still some hesitancy due to my ankle, and rushing the throw in competition. I was watching some throwing videos on the plane, and in the hotel and noted Hoffa and Nelson start a little more with the L foot in the center of the back. I played with it a little in warm ups and felt it might slow me down and give me more separation at the front. Mentally, I just decided to go for it, stay smooth, and see how it went. It went well. I ended with a PR at a dick hair shy of 55'. Enough for 3rd!

Light Weight
Nobody likes this weight, the handle is skinny, and it never seems to fly as far as it should. They put the box in a weird place with a big hole in the back L so I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't have any trouble with my thumb but a lot of the guys really felt it, I must hook grip it differently then they do. I was able to win the event at 84+ but the kicker was that Spencer, who had the lead the whole weekend did not throw it well at all. This was a huge surprise, but his thumb was fucked and it opened the door for me. We were tied after the LW going into WOB.

WOB
I knew that if I could throw like I have been and stay clean, I would have the chance at the win. I opened at 15' and hit it on the way up, but glanced it just enough that it went over on the way down. 16, landed on top of the backside of the bar, still clean, 17 was perfect peak, cleared on the first throw. Spencer missed all 3 at 17 which gave me the overall win! I was in shock! I was clean through 18 and took some pulls at the field record at 18'7 and nearly had the first. 2-3 all hit the bar, but didn't have the pop.

I am still a little in shock that I won. I was able to stay consistent all weekend and come through with big throws when I needed to. It was such an honor to share the podium with Spencer and Dan McKim on his final day of competition, and was a weekend I'll never forget.

Note to self:
Trust the peak

On to Kirksville for the final games.

Catch Up!

So, my last post was the Tuesday before Loon. That night I ended up having quite a bit of pain in the front of my knee, and when I woke up, it was very swollen, red, hot, and painful...The sure signs of an infection. I went to my Dr. right away and they did feel it was septic bursitis. He recommended against draining it, put me on antibiotics, and felt I was ok to compete if I felt ok.

The next 5 days were pretty much agony. I was able to take enough ibuprofen during the day to work, but when I got home, I basically felt like I had the flu. I had a fever, chills, wasn't hungry, couldn't train, couldn't sleep from the pain and infection symptoms. It was awful. I was about 30s away from sending Bill Crawford an e-mail saying I couldn't go. I decided that I would still try it. Going and not throwing well, but showing up, being there, hopefully getting to go next year, hanging out with friends, and testing my body all won out over (Maybe) being smart. So...I wrapped it up, took about a half a bottle of ibuprofen with me...and went for it.

I did not throw well.

I ended up 5th, felt terrible the whole time, but I got some good time in, felt progressively better as the weekend went on, and was glad I went.

I got home on Monday morning, and was able to get a good training session in on Monday. I decided that, since I wasn't able to do much the week prior, that I would try to get at least 3, maybe 4, days in prior to Celtic. The overall goal of this whole season was to win Celtic. With my ankle injury and lost training, I put together a plan after PDX to go after that goal, and was having a little doubt given the past week with a poor performance at Loon, missed training due to my knee, and some mental fragility. I tried to put all that behind me, go for broke and see how it shook out.

Monday:
Squat - hurdle hop - squat jump - accelerated jump
195x2 - x5 - 135x2 - average band x2
x4
Stone work, staying smooth and loaded, maybe 10 throws total

Tuesday:
Clean to hole 6 at 75% x2 paired with med ball OH
Bench Oscillatory 135 x3x3x3

Wednesday
Squat - Squat drop jump - KB Jump - Accelerated Jump
275 + Light x2 - x2 - 35x2 - Ave Band x2
x3

Thursday
Pack, no training, felt I got enough work on Day 1, 2, and 3 to push me, and I wanted to have everything available for the fight this weekend.

Friday Travel, drug test, Caber for Distance