Bench press
95 x 8
135 x 8
Super-set with T-bar rows up to 90

One-arm dumbbell press
100 x 5
125 x 5
140 x 0, 1
125 x 2
125 was getting boring but this jump did not go as planned. Almost fell off the bench.

Bench press
170 x 8, 8, 8, 8
Super-set with T-bar rows up to 135 x 10
Getting to some good weight with both arms.

Overhead pressed up to 130 x 5 for several sets on Sunday. 100 x 4 dumbbell push press with the left arm and some heavy landmine presses as well. To accommodate martial arts, I am keeping workouts no more than an hour, lessening reps here and there (going more for 8 than 10-12), and going heavy.

Yesterday did 3 sets of box squats: 290, 330, 330 x 5, followed by a set of lunges and a set of 200 lb good mornings.

Went to boxing on Saturday for the first time since last year's injury. One of the main coaches congratulated me on making it back. It was cool of him to remember me and my situation.

This class is all about technique and sparring. We were briefly shown a defensive combo of parrying a jab with the right and then slipping the opponent's right - basically, countering a 1-2. My right arm parried fine.

After about 5 minutes we switched partners and sparred for the rest of the class. I didn't think to bring shin guards because it was boxing, but it turned out during sparring we kicked, too. The coach instructed me to just avoid kicking, but my opponent kicked at will. Rather than tell him we're not doing that, I instead opted to handicap myself and only box while he kicked.

The big test was striking with my right. I found this side lacking in power and snap, but at least it was a factor and it blocked a lot of shots. At one point he directly punched my forearm and my bicep hurt a little from the snapback but it was nothing serious. We actually went at it pretty hard and the coach told us to go at it easier. At some point he saw my partner kicking and told it's punches only with me. I will also say this: with the pace we were going at for 3 minute rounds the entire 40 minutes or so, my cardio held up very good. It was hard and my shoulders got tired holding my hands up, but I was able to push through the fatigue the whole way and keep active, while he gassed out near the end. I did get hit with some good shots and my big nose still hurts.

Good to be back.

SSB squats
320 x 3
360 x 3
410 x 3
Squats getting stronger. I can feel it. More mental confidence about the bottom feeling a little sticky and less of a fuck given about failing. I just blast through. As a result, I'm going a little deeper than before. I still have a priority of not dumping the weight on the concrete patio, though.

290 x 3 x 8-10

Bench press
95 x 10
135 x 10
155 x 10
160 x 8
Super-set with T-bar rows up to 115 x 10

One-arm dumbbell press
100 x 8
115 x 8
125 x 10, 8

Bench press
160 x 8, 10, 10, 10, 10
Super-set with T-bar rows up to 125

Spider curls (both arms) and band curls (right arm)

Had an awesome rest day doing a pub crawl on St. Patrick's Day. Ate super well and got 8 hours of sleep before and after.

SSB squats
240 x 3
290 x 3
330 x 2 x 5

SSB lunges
150 x 2 x 16

Planks and a 10-minute jog on my tip-toes

Overhead press
65 x 2 x 10
95, 115, 125, 125, 125 x 5
I'm liking the reps of 5 much better. Big jump up.
Super-set with band pulldowns

Dumbbell push press
50, 80 x 3
100 x 4
PR as far as I can remember. Lately I've only been getting 2. Locked out the final rep for a long time as if a judge was watching.
Super-set with one-hand band pulldowns

Landmine press
125 x 10, 9, 10, 10
Super-set with with one-hand band pulldowns and Meadows rows with same weight

On Tuesday I did HIIT, or at least attempted to. There was a surplus of people walking their dogs and I couldn't really sprint easily on the road to the high school. The high school track itself was occupied by a track team. I ended up doing adaptive intervals where I would sprint whenever I had enough space and jogging when need be all the way back to Heart Attack Hill, where I did two hard sprints up it and finished with a 10 minute jog. Pretty good run overall. One doesn't need to stick to the same intervals every time, for sure.

Yesterday was a rest day. Went to the Boiling Crab with a friend and feasted on shrimp, corn, lobster, and crayfish. Because she passed on getting Krispy Kreme afterwards, it ended up being low-carb and diet friendly. Cool.

Pretty good squat day yesterday. Lifted a little hungry but non-optimal conditions are just a part of training. I've recently gotten a raise and have been working less hours after hiring a second dispatcher who for the most part has been doing well, which is going to make it easier to fit martial arts into my schedule again.

SSB squats
295 x 5
340 x 5
385 x 5
310 x 3 x 8

Swiss ball curl-ups

Reverse crunches

Lifted in the rain. Dumbbell was a little hard to keeo steady but nothing too bad. Felt good. More personal stuff going on that I refuse to keep me down; why bemoan what I can't control when I can focus on the things I can?

Was lowering a 45 and felt my right arm suddenly hurt a little at the surgery site. I wish I had a frame of reference for what these twinges mean so long after the supposed safe zone of the tendon fully reattaching (takes about 3 months for that to happen). No pain afterwards. May be scar tissue breaking up, but I really don't know for sure. I feel fine now.

Bench press
Up to 135 for a workup

One-arm dumbbell press
100, 115, 125, 125 x 8
Super-set with dumbbell rows

Bench press
155 x 8, 10, 9
Super-set with T-bar rows

Squats (straight bar)
295 x 5
340 x 5
385 x 0
315 x 8, 8
First time squatting heavy with this bar in a year (I did my squat deload with it a week ago). I overestimated my ability to seamlessly switch back from the SSB. Walking out on 380 I mildly tweaked my back trying to stabilize it on my back and didn't attempt to squat down. I think a few weeks of doing work sets with this will be a good plan to get back on the horse.

I'm contemplating just sticking with the SSB full time, actually. It makes sense. I'm not going to compete soon and I'm not able to do any real deadlifts yet.

Behind-the-neck press
65 x 10, 10, 10

Overhead dumbbell press
80 x 8, 8, 8
Super-set with band pulldowns
Triple-set with band tricep pressdowns in right arm and lighter band pulldowns

Landmine press
125 x 10, 10, 10
Super-set with band pulldowns
Triple-set with band tricep pressdowns in right arm and lighter band pulldowns

Push-ups, chest flyes, curls