Boxing on Tuesday was a typical technical partner combo day. Paired up with another beginner who wasn't good at holding pads yet, but I keep attending this class because the coach is good about polishing up technique. We practiced a Mike Tyson favorite that I'd already been training on my own before: jab, right straight to the body, and a rising left hook. Got reminded to throw the left hook as I'm starting to rise from a crouched position, rather than throw it too late.

Strongman workout yesterday crashed and burned. The program calls for getting creative with a press medley. Although 2 lifts hardly make a medley, I opted to mimic what I'd be doing in the comp: log clean and press a rep, followed by a 100 lb dumbbell press (substituting the dumbbell for lack of a 105 lb kettlebell), alternating for as many reps as possible. 

The comp calls for a 225 lb log for my weight class, but I couldn't even rep 205 more than once in a set. Did 3 total sets of 1 rep each: 

205 lb log clean and press

100 lb dumbbell clean and press

Log pressing in general hurts my right shoulder. I'm working with the Titan 12" log and its size puts the beginning portion of the press rather far out in front of me, which is the portion that hurts (even with leg drive). Once it's halfway up and getting directly over my head the pain is gone, but I feel like I'm not able to fire at full power off my chest to get a powerful press.

Shoulder pain is the main reason I haven't committed to the comp and signed my name yet, but I've found that I'm really enjoying getting back into strongman training again. My gameplan right now is to lower the weights and build my press up more gradually. If shoulder pain continues, I'll continue training in strongman regardless of entering this particular show or not, but change the press to something that doesn't hurt (first picks that come to mind that I'd want to experiment with are an axle push-press or a trap bar lift).

I'm due for a weigh-in soon, but body composition has undergone a noticeable change. Abs are showing more and arm vascularity is really noticeable even just typing at my computer right now.