IsoMax 6x6: Week 4

4/13
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 169.4
Overhead Press 92
Drag Curl 159.4

MM Pike

While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.

4/14
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

This was the first time I tried the Low Bridge. I was able to get my head off the floor, but I struggled to coordinate pushing my knees away from my hands. I could not hold the position with head off the floor for the prescribed number of seconds.

4/15
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 161.4
Overhead Press 88.8
Drag Curl 158.2

MM Pike

4/16
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

2nd session practicing Low Bridge. The problem on 4/14 was I was using my upper body to lift my head off the floor, and also push my body up and away from my hands. This time I focused on using the glutes and legs to pull my body away from my hands, and only use my upper body to lift my head off the floor, then try to straighten the arms while keeping the head off the floor. With more of the load on my lower body, I was able to hold the position for the prescribed number of seconds. I felt a pretty good stretch on my pecs. This was also my 2nd session practicing Butcher's Block. This time I used my FeetUp headstand trainer, which is a little lower than my keyboard bench at the lowest setting. The lower height made it easier to not have a lower back arch. The instructions say to use a stick to ensure the hands are at a wider width apart the elbows. I found that I shouldn't let hands be too far apart, or else my left shoulder will feel irritated. I thought about continuing to do the side plank micro workout on Thursdays, followed by a Master Mobility session, but then decided to focus entirely on mobility.

4/17
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 144.6
Overhead Press 85.4
Drag Curl 157.6

MM Pike

My Overhead Press performance has been higher with the new technique. Zercher Squat performance jumped quite a bit. Drag Curl performance leveled off compared to last week but was still consistently higher than the last tested 1-rep max of 154 lbs. Thus, I plan to retest my 1-rep maxes this coming Monday.