Did a bodybuilding-style workout yesterday morning, isolating my pecs, tris, bis, rear-delts, and abs. Abs are sore today.

Had a big Thanksgiving dinner with friends, just what I needed.

Axle strict press
160 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 1
-
Last set super-set with chin-ups
10

Axle strict press against bands
130 x 8
110 x 10
-
Super-set with chin-ups
12, 12

Incline axle bench against bands
130 x 8, 10
-
Super-set with chin-ups
50 x 8, 8

Got another light band so I'm trying out a lot more band work. Felt fun to add something new (well, something I haven't tried in years, anyways).

Squats
345 x 5
395 x 3
445 x 3
315 x 9

SSB lunges
150 x 16
200 x 16
* Having the bar extremely high up to work my neck and avoid pressure on the pain spot in the center of my traps.

TnG deadlifts
405 x 12

Everything felt so light but I still have pain when I squat. With the low-bar form now it's my left shoulder bone. So weird, my right feels fine but my left always feels like the bar is grinding into it no matter how I manage the positioning.

Bench press
245 x 3
280 x 3
315 x 2, 1
* Stopped myself at 2 and then tried again for 3 but the plates clipped a dumbbell that was standing on one end and made me off-balance. Called it there.
-
Last 2 sets super-set with dumbbell rows
50s x 8
115s x 8

Close-grip bench press
235 x 8
-
Super-set with dumbbell rows

Sparring went really well. Coach Anthony said that was the best head movement he's seen me utilize and that I stayed in the pocket more. He did criticize my stalking; basically I was walking the opponent down and crossing my legs in the process, but he also said it was the other guys loss for not capitalizing on that.

Did really well at avoiding headshots, as mentioned above, but my legs got chewed up. Nothing too bad though.

Though I kept a good pace I've been feeling awful while sparring. I start overheating in my headgear and it feels like I'm suffocating. The no duh answer is to get better cardio but I feel like I didn't experience this before even when I gassed. I'll attack it from a brute force angle and just train to suffer more at home. I can run all day but sparring is a very different kind of fatigue. Wish I hadn't gutted my breath restriction mask for Wasteland Weekend.

The friend workout isn't going through so I'm just going to chill at home tonight and meet up tomorrow. My legs are pretty sore anyways.

Went on a fasted jog yesterday morning before breakfast for about 40 minutes.

Today did mat pulls off of 4 pavers. 550x5, 1 rest-pause. Couldn't even break 495 and then 550 off the mat on first attempts. Glad I got payback. Think I'm going to replace RDLs on squat day with 405 lb touch-'n-go deadlifts to hone my form.

That's all I did before work. I'm planning on going to sparring afterwards and then assistance work for my lower-body at night, possibly with a friend.

Pretty breezy Muay Thai session yesterday. Been the only guy in the class lately, which forces me to hold back on power when striking the pads. I see that as a positive thing. Did basic combos of 1-2-3 slip+kick 2-3 outside leg kick. Switched the second straight right with an uppercut at one point. Having a hard time throwing nice-looking kicks that are also light. I find myself fighting the momentum of the kick I threw which throws off my form.

Didn't get to push my cardio at all during this but it was a good technical primer. Will try to make it to sparring this Friday.

Strict press
140 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 4
-
Last set super-set with chin-ups x 10
* I'm going to change things up here. Been at this wall for too long.

Banded strict press
95 x 9, 9
Super-set with chin-ups
10, 11

Dumbell strict press
80 x 6(L), 4(R)
-
Giant-set with Iron Woody band press
8
-
Giant-set with chin-ups against bands
10

Iron Woody band press
10, 10
-
Super-set with chin-ups against bands
11, 10

Band chest flyes
12, 12
-
Super-set with wide-grip pull-ups
12, 12

Band curls
12, 12

Had an aggravating weekend from something getting embedded in my foot, making it hurt to walk. Had to manage with a limp for most of it. Managed to get it out without any meat cutting via baking soda under a Band-Aid and an Epsom salt bath, two remedies I looked up. Actually worked, go figure. I was working out how I could squat with this thing in me but I'm good today.

Starting a proper 5/3/1 cycle for squats.

Squats

300 x 5

345 x 5

395 x 5

Box squats

315 x 8, 8

Box front squats

225 x 10

RDLs

315 x 8, 8

Posting this at 4:20 a.m. before I crash but the friend workout actually happened. We walk into 24 Hour at 10 PM and I managed to convince the counter guy to let us in. I didn't have enough food in me but I did some decent assistance exercises for bench press day while also helping train my buddy.

Muay Thai Wednesday night was almost entirely bad work with some abs done at the end. Thursday and Friday were cardio days. Jogged on Thursday and did hill springs plus a jog yesterday. Shadowboxed on both days as well.

I'm hitting my heavy bench press sets today before working out with a friend later this evening. Doing this on 5 hours of sleep.

Bench press
230 x 5
265 x 5
300 x 4
* One short but still solid. I'll tackle this again.

Getting back on creatine for the first time in years. Not bothering to load. Just mixing it in my protein shake for maximum convenience. Curious to see if I notice a difference at Muay Thai.

Shadowboxed for a bit last night after work, filming myself in the process, and went on a jog right after. About 30 minutes total of easy cardio.

Mat pulls (5)
550x5

SSB lunges
150 x 14, 16
200 x 10
* Put my SBD knee sleeve under the bar to cushion my neck and had the bar up high to avoid hurting my pain spot while also doubling as neck resistance training.

Was a little rushed to get to work. Planning on hitting up Muay Thai tonight and then doing some extra hamstring work and abs tomorrow morning.

Strict press
165 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 1
-
Last 2 sets super-set with chin-ups
5, 8

Push press
205 x 4
-
Giant-set with dips
10
-
Giant-set with pull-ups
10

Dips
50 x 8
80 x 8, 8
-
Super-set with pull-ups (varying widths)
10, 11, 10

Band preacher curls
10, 12
-
Super-set with lat flyes
35s x 10

Band chest flyes

Squatted 425x2 on Saturday. Was only supposed to hit 1 but it felt too light. Still not super comfortable low-bar squatting.

Went to a black metal show Saturday night and my chest and biceps are sore as hell from the moshpit.

Air in northern California is bad right now due to wildfires so lifted in a respirator mask. Shoulders and chest are still sore from push-ups and striking on Wednesday.

Did the meat and potatoes par of my session today before work. typing this up at work alone in the office and will finish up when I get home. Now that's a Friday night.

Bench press
260 x 5
295 x 3
330 x 2

Close-grip bench: 225 x 8

Wide-grip bench: 205 x 10

Last 3 bench sets super-set with dumbbell rows
100 x 8
115 x 8, 10

Currently playing Dragon Quest XI in the office while I wait for traffic to die down so I can leave. Anxious to lift. The bookkeeper made me awesome Korean food for a pre-workout meal.

Did 13 minutes this morning pre-breakfast alternating between 1-minute of skipping rope and 1-minute of shadowboxing. Added 50 lb kettlebell swings in one round of that. Only had some sips of a protein shake upon waking up.

Was the only guy at Muay Thai last night but the gal I got partnered up with hit like a beast and was pretty experienced. Worked 3 combos on the boxing mitts:

1, feint, 1-2
1, feint, 3-2
1, feint, 5-2

Ended the rounds with rapid 1-2s.

Moved on to the bag with the emphasis on throwing these with more power. Ended with a lot of push-ups. Shoulders are tired and the push-ups were to failure so I'll be taking tomorrow today off from benching.

Mat pulls (5)
Up to 550 x 0, 2
* Felt strong in the build-up sets, especially on 405, but I just didn't have it today.

Front box squats
225 x 8
275 x 6, 8

Band leg curls
* Got a new band from Amazon but it's too strong for things like band pull-aparts and facepulls. Good for legs but will be ordering a less intense level for shoulders.

Finished up a much-needed deload. Had a good squat day where I reached 405x3 with the low-bar form.

Felt really crummy strict pressing on Sunday, couldn't lift 190 more than a couple of reps. Think it might have something to do with the way I've been sleeping because my shoulders hurt in the morning.

Went on a fasted run today before work. Schedule is picking up and I'll be in the office for more hours, but I have mornings and late evenings to train.