Taper. Today was a TBD day in that I was debating on what to do. Thought maybe swimming, taking a cycling class or a Back and Bicep workout. The cycling class would have cost me $$$ as I’d have to buy a session. Swimming is at 10am and it just sort of ruins the day. So since I got up it was the gym. I’m going to rest today just have a couple of errands.

OURA SLEEP SCORE- 71
6 hours and 11 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 60
5 hours and 21 minutes

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th
BACk & BICEPS
TAPER (50-60%) – September 6th – September 20th

THE WORKOUT:
1 hour and 5 minutes
ZONE 1 – 15:46
ZONE 2 – 2:53
ZONE 3 – 0:05
ZONE 4 – 0:00
ZONE 5 – 0:00

5 mins Easy Tread Walk

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 121 lbs at 65.05% 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 8
2 min rest between sets
(186 PR/1RM)
(Last Time 143 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 7
(Prior Time 143 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 7)
(Prior Time 143 x 8 / 7 / 7 / 6 / 6)
(Prior Time 181 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4)
(Prior Time 181 x 5 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 4)

Seated Cable Row at 132 lbs at 66.0% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8
2 min rest between sets
(200)
Fqsz(Last Time 154 x 8 / 7 / 7 / 7)
(Prior Time 154 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)
(Prior Time 150 x 6 / 6 / 4 / 4) *Used a different cable setup then usual
(Prior Time 191 x 4 / 4 / 3 / 3)

Cable Back Pushdown at 80 lbs at 64% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8
2 min rest between sets
(Last Time 100 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)
(Prior Time 100 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)
(Prior Time 100 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 6)
(Prior Time 125 x 7 / 6 / 7 / 5)

Standing Cable Hammer Bicep Curl at 80 lbs at 66.7% of PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8
1 min rest between sets
(PR – 120)
(Last Time 90 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)
(Prior Time 110 x 7 / 6 / 6 / 6)
(Prior Time 110 x 5 / 5 / 4 / ?)
(Prior 105 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)

And that’s it!

THE LIFT AHEAD:
MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)
TUE – CHEST + TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE
WED – SWIM w/ Team
THU- Back + TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE
FRI – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)
SAT – RECOVERY
SUN- GAINESVILLE SENIOR GAMES SWIMMING

Programming My Workouts for the next few months:
STRENGTH – July 12th – August 24th
ENDURANCE -August 26th – September 4th
TAPER – September 6th – September 20th
I have my first swim meet on September 14th and then on the 21st.
ENDURANCE – September 23rd – September 25th
STRENGTH – September 27th – October 9th
Swim meet on October 12th so not much TAPER.
STRENGTH – October 14th – November 16th
Announcer for Running of the Squares 5k October 18th
10K runDISNEY October 25th
ENDURANCE – November 18th – November 23rd
TAPER – November 25th – December 4th
Florida Senior Games either Dec 6 & 7 or Dec 13 & 14.
RUNNING MORE – Will be running more as I’m running a Half Marathon on March 1st.
Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026.
TBD

Will figure out a training program for December thru March that will keep my swimming up, weight training in a longer Endurance Phase while I gear up my running. Yikes!

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:
SCY- 41.950
SCM – 114,100 *including FRI AM Swim
LCM – 54,100

– 24th Annual Gainesville Senior Games
Sept 14th
500 Free
100 Back
100 Fly
50 Fly
100 IM
– 2025 ROB CURRY PANCAKE PENTATHLON
Sept 21st
100 Fly
100 Back
100 Breast
100 Free
200 IM
-3rd Annual SWAGtoberfest Meet October 12th
-Florida Senior Games – TBD DEC Temple Terrace
– Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026.
TBD
– T.V. Senior Games April 18 & 19, 2026
TBD

runDISNEY:
Wine & Dine 10K – OCT 25th
12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD (Registration 8/19)
WDW 5K – JAN 8th
PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st
Springtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

Sunday, September 7th, 2025
Your workout today was a great example of a well-executed taper session. You correctly opted for a lighter load and higher reps, keeping the intensity in Zone 1 for the majority of the time. This is a crucial element of tapering—maintaining muscle activation and blood flow without causing significant stress or fatigue. You’re giving your body a chance to recover and prepare for the upcoming meets.
Workout Analysis
* Tapering Strategy: You successfully dropped the weight on all your major lifts (Cable Lat Pulldown, Seated Cable Row, Cable Back Pushdown, and Standing Cable Hammer Bicep Curl) to stay in that 50-60% range you targeted. This helps preserve your strength and power without adding a bunch of extra fatigue before your swim meets. It’s smart to have a clear plan and stick with it.
* Exercise Selection: Your choice of back and bicep exercises was solid. These are key muscle groups for swimming, and working them in a light, controlled manner helps keep them primed. The variety in exercises also ensures you’re hitting the muscles from different angles.
* Workout Structure: The rest periods were appropriate for a taper workout. The 2-minute rests for the back exercises and 1-minute rest for the bicep curls give your muscles enough time to recover between sets, but not so long that your heart rate drops too low.
The Road Ahead
Your training schedule for the next few months looks packed and exciting. It’s great that you’re planning out your phases—Strength, Endurance, and Taper—in advance. The upcoming swim meets on September 14th and 21st are perfectly timed at the end of your current taper phase.
Looking at your future plans, balancing your swim training, weight training, and running schedule for the half marathon in March will be a challenge, but you’re clearly thinking ahead. You’ll need to be mindful of your body’s response and adjust your plan as you go, especially as you increase your running volume.
How are you feeling about your upcoming swim meets? Do you feel well-rested and prepared for them?

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