Back To The Gym With the Back Day. Trying to jump back into Strength but be careful with my hands and wrist. The wrist is slowly getting better after hyper extending over a month ago. The blisters from climbing last week are healing.

For the Pull Downs I used my wrist straps with the hook to grab instead of my hands. Then used soft cushioned attachments. Also did DB instead of Curlbar for Biceps. I tried to do a Rep at 100 lbs for the Cable Hammer Curl but my wrist didn’t like it. Then tried 70 lbs and same result. So holding off on that.

OURA SLEEP SCORE– 79

6 hours and 56 minutes

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 76

7 hours and 00 minutes

SUNDAY – BACK & BICEPS

STRENGTH (80-100%)

THE WORKOUT:

1:10:06

ZONE 1 – 32:23

ZONE 2 – 06:07

ZONE 3 – 00:57

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 167.5 lbs at 90.05% 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 /

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 121 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 143 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 7)

(Prior Time 167.5 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 165 x 5 / 5 / 4 / 5 / 4)

DB Hammer Bicep Curl at 30 lbs x Reps 6 / 6 / 6 / 6

2 min rest between sets

(Last Time 20 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

(Prior Time 25 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 25 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Seated Cable Row at 154 lbs at 82.79% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 121 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 132 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time159 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 154 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

Cable Back Pushdown at 110 lbs at 88% 1RM / PR x Reps 6 / 6 / 6 / 5

1 min rest between sets

(125 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 70 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

80 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 110 x 8 / 7 / 7 / 6)

(Prior Time 110 x 6 / 7 / 6 / 5)

THE LIFT AHEAD:

MON – SWIM w/ Team (Masters)

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & BICEPS & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST + 30 min PELOTON RUN

SUN – TBD (SWIM at NTC OR BACK & BICEPS)

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 12/9 – 1/16

ENDURANCE (60-80%} 1/17 – 1/24

TAPER (50-60%) 1/24 – 1/30

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2025 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 64,250 including last workout

SCM – 166,925

LCM – 69,200

Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic 17 January 30, 2026-February 1, 2026

runDISNEY:
12K’s of Christmas Virtual – TBD

WDW 5K – JAN 8th

PRINCESS HALF – MARCH 1st
Sprinwgtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

GEMINI AI RATE MY WORKOUT:

That’s a strong and smart return to strength training, especially given your focus on protecting your recovering wrist and hands!

It’s excellent that you were proactive in using your wrist straps with hooks for pulldowns and DBs instead of a curl bar for biceps. Listening to your body and backing off the cable hammer curl when it felt uncomfortable (even at 70 lbs) is the most critical step for long-term recovery.

Here is a detailed breakdown and rating of your Sunday Back & Biceps workout:

 Workout Rating: A- (Excellent Focus on Strength & Recovery)

Positives & Highlights

* Smart Modification for Injury: Your decision to use the hook straps and soft attachments for pulling movements is an A+ in injury management. You maintained the resistance on your back muscles while completely offloading the grip strain on your hands and wrist.

* Targeting Strength (80-100%): You successfully hit high intensity percentages on your primary back lifts:

* Cable Lat Pulldown: 90.05\% of 1RM for 4 \times 5 is a high-quality strength stimulus.

* Seated Cable Row: 82.79\% of 1RM for 4 \times 8 is a great combination of strength and volume.

* Cable Back Pushdown: 88\% of 1RM for 4 \times 6/5 is also in the target zone.

* Progressive Overload on DB Curl: Going from 20 \text{ lbs} to 30 \text{ lbs} on the DB Hammer Curl is a significant 50\% jump! Even with slightly lower reps, this is excellent strength progress, and the hammer grip is often easier on the wrist than a supinated (underhand) grip.

* Excellent Training Zone Distribution: The majority of your time was spent in Zone 1 (32:23), which aligns perfectly with a focused, heavy strength training session where effort is concentrated during the sets and rest is prioritized in between.

Areas for Consideration

* Sleep Duration: While your sleep scores (79/76) are solid, the duration of ~7 hours is slightly under the ideal 7-9 hours, especially when pushing high-intensity strength work. More rest could further support recovery for both your muscles and injured wrist.

* Lack of Direct Grip/Forearm Work: While avoiding grip strain is necessary now, ensure you reintroduce very light, isometric, or therapeutic wrist exercises when cleared by your physician, as completely avoiding grip strength work long-term can lead to imbalances. For now, what you did was correct.

Key Performance Metrics Review

| Exercise | Intensity (% 1RM) | Target Zone (80-100%) | Previous Context |

|—|—|—|—|

| Cable Lat Pulldown | 90.05\% | HIT | Great consistency with past 167.5 \text{ lbs} PR set. |

| Seated Cable Row | 82.79\% | HIT | Solid strength set, maintaining past 154 \text{ lbs} weight. |

| Cable Back Pushdown | 88\% | HIT | Excellent strength focus on a finishing movement. |

| DB Hammer Curl | N/A | N/A | Massive 50\% weight increase—great strength progression. |

 Next Step Suggestion

You have a busy week ahead, including three swims and two teaching sessions.

Given your successful but demanding strength day, would you like me to look at your upcoming Tuesday Chest & Teach workout and suggest specific modifications to protect your wrist, similar to what you did for Back Day (e.g., using wrist wraps/hooks for heavy presses, or substituting certain exercises)?

That’s a smart idea to plan ahead! Chest and Biceps day often involves heavy pushing and gripping, which can easily aggravate a wrist injury or tender hands.

Here are specific recommendations for your Tuesday Chest & Teach workout to prioritize your strength goals while protecting your wrist and hands:

 Tuesday Chest & Teach: Wrist-Safe Modifications

The goal is to load the chest, shoulders, and triceps heavily while minimizing direct wrist extension/flexion or high-stress gripping.

| Exercise Type | Modification Strategy | Equipment / Technique | Why This Helps |

|—|—|—|—|

| Heavy Pressing (Bench/Dumbbell) | Use Wrist Wraps or Forearm Support | For barbell or heavy dumbbell presses, use firm wrist wraps to stabilize the joint and prevent hyperextension under load. Alternatively, use a neutral grip. | Stabilizes the wrist joint, preventing it from bearing the load in a compromised position. |

| Cable / Machine Chest Flyes | Soft Grip Handles | Use the same soft cushioned attachments you used for your pulldowns, or ensure the handle is thick/padded. | Reduces pressure points on healing blisters and minimizes hard gripping. |

| Dumbbell Chest Press | Neutral Grip (Palms Facing) | Press with your palms facing each other instead of facing forward (pronated grip). | Places the wrist in a more neutral, stable position, which is often less painful with hyperextension injuries. |

| Dips / Push-ups | Avoid or Use Handles | Avoid traditional dips (as they force extreme wrist extension) or use parallettes/push-up handles to keep the wrist straighter. | Traditional floor pushing (like push-ups) or dips put the wrist into 90^\circ extension, which can be highly painful with a healing hyperextension. |

| Triceps Extension (Cable/DB) | Rope or DB (Neutral Grip) | Use a rope attachment for cable work, or use a single dumbbell (skull crushers) with a neutral grip. | Avoids the fixed, straight bar grip, which can force the wrist into uncomfortable positions during heavy triceps work. |

 Focus on the Push Angle

When performing any pressing motion (e.g., bench press, overhead press), make sure the weight is stacked directly over your forearm bones (radius and ulna) to transfer force efficiently and reduce strain on the smaller wrist joint structure.

 Teaching the Indoor Cycle Class

Your 30-minute indoor cycle class is excellent Zone 1/2 cardio, which won’t impact your wrist. Just be mindful of how you grip the handlebars; use a relaxed, light grip (Zone 1 or 2) to save your hands for your lifting session.

Would you like to draft a potential exercise list for your Tuesday Chest workout incorporating these safer variations?

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