29 Jul Training Log: 7/17/2026
Getting the Work Done Early
This training session took place early Friday morning on July 17th, which also happened to be Ria and my 16-year wedding anniversary. We had plans to head to Orlando and spend the day at a water park, so I knew the only way I was going to get my training in was to come to the gym early.
I was in the gym around 5:00 in the morning, got the work done, and then moved on with the rest of the day. Sometimes that is what training needs to look like. You adjust the schedule, stop making excuses, and find a way to get it done.
I started the session with rowing variations, including single-arm rows and TRX rows. From there, I moved into loaded carries, monster walks, and some direct glute work. These movements have remained staples in my training because they continue to give me a good return without beating me up unnecessarily.
Becoming More Regimented
After the initial work, I moved into some calf training and machine pressing. Machine presses have become a major part of my upper-body training over the last several months. I am also incline pressing once per week, along with regular floor pressing.
Overall, I have become much more regimented with my training. I am making sure that I train essentially every major body part at least once each week. That does not mean every session has to follow a completely rigid plan, but there still needs to be structure. I like to call it being rigidly unrigid.
The basic framework stays consistent, but I still leave room to adjust based on how I feel, what needs attention, and what makes sense that day. The exercises may rotate slightly, but the important pieces remain in place.
That currently means plenty of floor presses, machine presses, incline presses, carries, calf work, core training, and rowing. TRX rows are something I perform nearly every day. They feel good, keep my upper back working, and help me maintain the movement quality I want. Right now, everything is feeling good, and the consistency is starting to add up.
Training Before a Long Day
One of the main reasons I wanted to train before heading to Orlando was because I knew I would feel worse if I skipped it. We were going to be walking and standing all day, climbing stairs, dropping down trapdoor slides, and generally acting like kids at a water park. Getting the training session in beforehand helped me feel prepared for the day instead of feeling stiff and unproductive.
I also used the day as a chance to challenge myself. Heights and tight spaces are not exactly my favorite things, so climbing into some of those enclosed water slides and waiting for the floor to drop out underneath me was a legitimate mental challenge. Sometimes it is good to intentionally put yourself into situations that make you uncomfortable. You do not need to do anything reckless, but testing yourself from time to time can be valuable.
Goofing Around With Some Posing
For whatever reason, I also decided to finish the session by doing some random bodybuilding poses. My friend Daniel Holmes has been talking about bodybuilding lately, so that was probably somewhere in the back of my mind. For the record, I have absolutely no desire to step onto a bodybuilding stage ever again. Still, I had some fun with it.
My lat spread was fairly respectable. My back double biceps pose was nowhere near Flex Wheeler quality, although Flex did not exactly have the best lat spread himself. My most muscular pose was decent, and the side chest and side triceps poses were amateur at best. That is perfectly fine. I do not take myself too seriously, and sometimes it is good to laugh, pose badly, and enjoy the process. Training does not always need to feel like life or death. There should still be room to have fun.
Consistency Without Obsession
This session was not anything revolutionary. It was simply another early morning workout built around movements that continue to work for me. That is the real lesson.
You do not need to reinvent your training every week. Find the movements that help you feel strong, healthy, and capable. Build a repeatable structure around them. Stay flexible when needed, but do not become so flexible that nothing ever gets done. Get the work in, enjoy your life, and do not take yourself too seriously.
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