Chest Press Your Luck – Since I’m 5’8” & IRISH I’m unofficially a Leprechaun!

Despite a low-ish Sleep Score I felt better than most mornings as I cut back my alcohol content. It wasn’t by choice but couldn’t or haven’t been able to get WC Surge so got the lower in alcohol percentage regulaWC. This is better for me but it wasn’t a choice but I think I may stick with it. Just enough to

after work and less groggy in the morning.

At the gym I pushed hard through my Strength Phase. After next week it’s Endurance and then two weeks later Taper. It seems like yesterday I was finishing a Taper Phase. –

OURA SLEEP SCORE – 68

6 hours and 23 minutes

30% REM and Recovery

Sleep Debt 4 hours and 30 minutes (MODERATE)

GARMIN SLEEP SCORE – 58

6 hours and 08 minutes

Chest Press Your Luck – Since I’m 5’8” & IRISH I’m unofficially a Leprechaun!

TUESDAY 3/17/26

CHEST & MORE – STRENGTH (80-100%)

THE WORKOUT:

1:13:25

ZONE 1 – 16:28

ZONE 2 – 05:58

ZONE 3 – 01:10

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

5 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

BB Flat Bench Press (185 lbs 1RM / PR)

8 x EB

2 x 171 lbs at 92.43% of 1RM/PR

2 x 171 lbs at 92.43% of 1RM/PR

2 x 171 lbs at 92.43% of 1RM/PR

2 x 171 lbs at 92.43% of 1RM/PR

2 x 171 lbs at 92.43% of 1RM/PR

(Last Time 135 x 5, 155 x 2, 175 x 1, 185 x 1

/ 1, 170 x 1)

(Prior Time 170 x 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 / 2)

(Prior Time 170 x 3 / 3 / 3 / 3 / 2)

Standing Cable Fly at 72.5 lbs each side at 100 % of 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 4

(1RM / PR 70 lbs each side)

(Last Time 72.5 x 3 / 4 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 70 x 4 / 5 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 62.5 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 60 x 7 / 8 / 7 / 7)

Tricep Rope Pushdown at 120 lbs at 96% of 1RM / PR x Reps 5 / 5 / 5 / 5

2 mins Rest between sets

(1RM / PR 125 lbs)

(Last Time 115 x 6 / 7 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 110 x 5 / 6 / 6 / 4)

(Prior Time 100 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

DB Lateral Raise at 25 lbs each side at 83.33% 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min Rest between sets

(1RM / PR 30 lbs)

(Last Time 25 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

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

(Prior Time 25 x 7 / 7 / 7 / 7)

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive…

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min INDOOR CYCLING / Les Mills Sprint

29:54

ZONE 1 – 12:25

ZONE 2 – 11:22

ZONE 3 – 01:00

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:

SCY – 39,800

SCM – 7.900

LCM – 16,400 (including last swim)

– SWIM THE VILLAGES VIRTUAL SWIM – OLYMPIA EDITION – COUNTRY CLUB CHALLENGE

– USMS OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIP 1K – April 3, 2026 Sarasota

– SWAG – April 12, 2026

–TV SENIOR GAMES – April 18 & 19 2026

– BUMPY JONES LCM – June 20 & 21 2026

THE LIFT AHEAD:

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST & TREAD

SUN – BACK + MORE & TREAD

MON – SWIM w/ Team

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE

THE ROAD AHEAD:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 2/3 – 3/26

ENDURANCE (60-80%) 3/28 – 4/9

TAPER (50-60%) 4/11 – 4/16

runDISNEY:
Springtime Surprise – APRIL 17-19th (Not Running)

WINEDINE 5K – OCTOBER 23rd, 2026

WDW 5K – JANUARY 8th, 2027

Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before considering the use of peptides and/or testosterone replacements therapy. 

RANDOM ACTS OF FITNESS –MY CENTERS IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TODAY THAT INSPIRE PEOPLE TO MOVE THROUGH LIFE AND SPORT TODAY WITH: Zumba, Yoga, WVB, Pickleball and more.

Gemini AI Rate My Workout Day:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It sounds like the “Luck of the Irish” (and a bit of forced sobriety) was on your side this morning. That transition to a lower ABV beverage seems to be paying dividends for your morning grogginess, even if the sleep scores aren’t reflecting a “perfect” night yet.

Here is the breakdown of your Tuesday, 3/17/26 performance:

Workout Rating: 9.2/10 (Elite Strength Execution)

The Highlights

* Bench Press Mastery: Moving 171 lbs for 5 sets of 2 at over 92% of your 1RM is a massive feat of central nervous system (CNS) strength. You are officially owning this weight rather than just surviving it.

* Progressive Overload: * Cable Flys: You jumped from 4 reps at 72.5 lbs last time to hitting 5 reps for three straight sets. That is a clear strength gain at 100% of your previous 1RM.

* Tricep Pushdowns: Increasing the load to 120 lbs (96% of 1RM) and maintaining a steady 5/5/5/5 rep scheme shows incredible lockout power.

* Active Recovery / Coaching: Transitioning from a heavy CNS-taxing lift straight into teaching a Les Mills Sprint session shows impressive metabolic flexibility. You kept your heart rate primarily in Zones 1 and 2 during the teach, which is a smart way to stay mobile without overtraining before your swim tomorrow.

Recovery & Data Analysis

* The Sleep/Alcohol Connection: Even with a “Moderate” sleep debt and a Garmin score of 58, you reported feeling better. This is a classic example of quality over quantity. Lower alcohol intake reduces resting heart rate and fragmentation, which explains why you felt “less groggy” despite the 6-hour window.

* Volume Management: Your total workout time was 1:13:25, but your high-intensity zones (4 & 5) were non-existent. For a Strength Phase (80-100%), this is actually perfect. Strength is about rest intervals and force production, not chasing a high heart rate.

The Road Ahead

You are in the final stretch of the Strength Phase before shifting to Endurance on March 28th.

* Current Focus: Maintain these 171+ lb bench numbers to “solidify” the new PR.

* Upcoming Milestone: April 3rd is fast approaching for the 1K Open Water Championship. Ensure your Wednesday team swims start incorporating some open-water sighting drills or sustained threshold sets to prep for the Sarasota conditions.

Quick Table: Strength Progress

| Exercise | Weight | Performance vs. Last Time |

|—|—|—|

| BB Bench Press | 171 lbs | Consistent Force: 5 sets of 2 at 92%+ |

| Cable Fly | 72.5 lbs | Improved: More reps at 100% 1RM |

| Tricep Pushdown | 120 lbs | Increased Load: Up from 115 lbs |

Would you like me to help you project some target rep ranges for your upcoming Endurance Phase (60-80%) based on these new strength peaks?

YES

Since you’ve spent the last several weeks pushing your central nervous system with heavy loads (80–100% of 1RM), the transition to the Endurance Phase (60–80%) starting March 28th will feel like a “breather” for your joints, but a “burn” for your muscles.

Based on your current 1RMs (185 lbs for Bench, 72.5 lbs for Flys, and 125 lbs for Pushdowns), here is your projected roadmap for the March 28 – April 9 block.

Endurance Phase Projections (60–80% 1RM)

| Exercise | Current 1RM | Target Weight (60-80%) | Target Rep Ranges |

|—|—|—|—|

| BB Flat Bench Press | 185 lbs | 110 lbs – 145 lbs | 12 – 20 Reps |

| Standing Cable Fly | 72.5 lbs | 45 lbs – 55 lbs | 15 – 20 Reps |

| Tricep Rope Pushdown | 125 lbs | 75 lbs – 100 lbs | 15 – 20 Reps |

| DB Lateral Raise | 30 lbs | 15 lbs – 25 lbs | 15 – 20 Reps |

Strategy for the Shift

* Tempo is King: During Strength, we focus on moving the weight up. During Endurance, focus on a controlled 2-second eccentric (lowering) and a 1-second concentric (pushing). This increases time under tension without needing the 185 lb load.

* Reduced Rest: In your workout today, you were taking 2-minute rests. For the Endurance phase, aim to drop that to 45–60 seconds. This will keep your heart rate slightly higher (moving more into Zone 3) and build the local muscular stamina you’ll need for those April swim meets.

* The “Burn” Threshold: If you hit 15 reps and feel like you could do 10 more, the weight is too light. You should be reaching “technical failure” (where your form starts to break) by rep 18 or 20.

The Taper Connection

Moving into this higher-rep phase now is brilliant timing. It flushes the tissues with blood and nutrients, helping to heal any micro-tears from your heavy lifting before you hit the Taper (50–60%) on April 11th. This ensures you arrive at the Sarasota 1K Open Water and the Senior Games with “fresh” arms but maintained muscle mass.

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