Last week was very busy on a personal and business level but was pretty excited to get back into some lifting. I am now 9 weeks post bicep surgery and my recovery is going great. So great that it’s almost scary and at times I forget it was even torn. Which as awesome as it sounds it is also a double edged sword. I continuously have to remind myself to be mindful of how I use that arm but also clever enough to formulate proper lifting programs that revolve around rehab. I reach out to Brian every week to touch base about training, spine status, and a general outlook for the next meso cycle. It was a good thing I did because what Brian reminded me of was something that slipped my mind as an athlete and what historically caused me various of injuries.

Real Life

In both good and bad ways, last week was a mental battle. My family got chosen to film a pilot for food network (food network Bad Boy here I come!!) and I was prepping to host my Strongman Competition Miami’s baddest Man(write up coming soon). Ambition is great but the long hours of filming, not getting to eat, lack of hydration and emotional drinking of whiskey over the weekend absolutely took its toll. Being completely transparent with your coaches ( Brian for lifting, Tucker for nutrition) is paramount when setting up the rest of your training cycles. Most great coaches will look at factors beyond the barbell, often times asking about your personal week to gauge your stress, sleeping patterns and adherence to Nutrition. After talking to Brian over the weekend he reminded me of the week I had prior and that maybe some of my planned lifts for the week were a little ambitious. I mean c’mon MDLP!! I say the same exact things to my lifters at The Battle Axe and here I was falling into the same baby rhino trap. I’m not here to blow smoke up anyones ass, simply reminding you the value of having a great team around you and transparent communication with those who are there to help. After a solid discussion we decided to treat this week not necessarily like a de load but as a warm up to next week.

• Log Press 10×2 (worked up to 100# for a post surgery PR)
• Single D Bell Incline 4×15/15
• Push ups 6×3-4 reps as long as pain free
• Single D Bell Shoulder Press 4×12/12
• Band Tricep Extension 4×25/25
• Suit Case Carry 3 x 150/150ft
• Sled Pulls 1 x 1,500ft

Patience is Golden:

The log press ended up going much better than I expected. The muscle atrophy is evident, the hesitation is still there and the imbalanced extension is obvious but I am pleased with how I am healing. There is still major weakness in the joint but only minor discomfort at the top. It obviously won’t be a jog in the park but considering the lack of mobility I had a few weeks ago, I remain positive. I have set my eyes on a come back competition in November and taking every proper step to get there is currently at the fore front of my mind. I can’t always control the aspects of life around me but I most certainly can continue to manipulate my programming to optimize my performance. With so many stressors behind me and obstacles  that have been tackled, I am confident that I will enjoy the journey back to the battle field.

Never Stray from The Way

MDLP