Strongman Day

Saturday is becoming strongman day. I guess because I have more time and I have already done my general program. This Saturday I swam, not far, but I swam for my sixth practice of the week. It went like this:

1,200 25/25 free/back
4 X 25 dive start
200 medium paddles
350 kick with fins
total: 1,500 yards = 1,371 meters

The dive starts are something I need to work on at least once per week and especially before the meet. I must have been taught, as a kid, to do these and to flutter kick as soon as I hit the water. That is my default action, and I can feel that it slows me down. I am much faster if I glide, but it takes two to three attempts to glide rather than flutter kick.

Later, at Plate City, I got the yoke out and played with it. Strangely, I find the yoke more difficult to move weight with than the farmer's walk handles. For the first time, I went fifty feet with it, but it was only loaded to 180 pounds. What I mostly did with it was yoke squats, which amounts to a quarter squat. I worked up to 260 pounds which is the most weight I have ever had on my body. Surprisingly, it was a good leg workout. I thought the short range of motion would mean not much work, but I could feel it big time. 

I did one set of regular squats to warm up, some leg extensions, up to 100 pounds, and a dead lift workout hitting 180 for a new record. When I finished, I knew I had done something and I was already looking forward to getting the yoke out again. I have a new lift I can PR with for a while to come.