The De-LOAD Has Landed.  It’s that week!  Tapering for the next two weeks with two swim meets ahead!

TAPER (Below 60%) 9/4 – 9/19

STRENGTH (80-100%) 9/20 – 10/1

ENDURANCE (60 – 80%) 10/3 – 10/11

TAPER (Below 60%) 10/12 – 10/16

Now that I’m done with The Taper Lifting I’m debating on swimming.  No workout tomorrow cuz the Holiday.  Don’t know if I have it in me for the workout.  Gotta decide in the next 40 minutes so most likely will not go. It’s a 50 minute drive for a workout that’s usually meh.  No offense to the coach by I like my Ocala coach workouts better.  I can see the reason and the science in the workout.  

OURA RING – 77

7 hours and 26 minutes

19% REM and Recovery

GOOD

APPLE SLEEP SCORE – 87

7 hours and 32 minutes

HIGH

FITBIT SLEEP SCORE – 843

7 hours and 09 minutes

GOOD

BACK & MORE DAY – SUNDAY 9/06/26 – TAPER (Below 60%) 9/4 – 9/19

Daddy Body: Loading… 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜

1:22:03

ZONE 1 – 1:18:01

ZONE 2 – 03:40

ZONE 3 – 00:17

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

10 minutes Easy Warm Up Cycle

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 99 lbs  at  53.22% 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

2 min rest between sets (w/ Wrist Straps)

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 132 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

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

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

(Prior Time 183.5 x 6 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 4)

Curlbar Bicep Curl w/ Arm Blaster

17.5 lbs each side at 53.84% of 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest in between sets (PR 32.5 lbs) 

(Last Time 17.5 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 20 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 20 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 6)

(Prior Time 25 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 5)

Fettle T-Bar Row at 45 lbs at 60% of 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8

2 min rest between sets (PR 75 lbs)

(Last Time 50 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 50 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 50 x 6 / 6 / 6 / ?))

(Prior Time 70 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 5)

Cable Back Pushdown at 88 lbs at 59.45% 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 /10

2 min rest between sets 

(148 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 99 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 99 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 148 x 7 / 6 / 6 / 5)

Standing Cable Hammer Bicep Curl at 55 lbs at 43.65% of 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

1 min rest between sets 

(126 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 66 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 77 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 77 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

(Prior Time 77 x 10 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 10)

THE LIFT AHEAD:

MON – TBD – LEGS 

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 69 Min & f 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

FRI – SWIM w/ Team 

SAT – RECOVERY

SUN – 25th Annual Gainesville Senior Game

MON – RECOVERY 

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

WED – SWIM w/ Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 69 Min & f 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE 

FRI – SWIM w/ Team 

SAT – 2026 Rob Curry Pancake Pentathlon 

The 5 Month Training Plan Phases:

TAPER (Below 60%) 9/4 – 9/19

25th Annual Gainesville Senior Games 9/13/26

2026 Rob Curry Pancake Pentathlon 09/19/26

STRENGTH (80-100%) 9/20 – 10/1

ENDURANCE (60 – 80%) 10/3 – 10/11

TAPER (Below 60%) 10/12 – 10/16

SWAG Octoberfest SCM 

10/18/26

STRENGTH (80-100%) 10/19 – 01/17 (13 weeks)

ENDURANCE (60 – 80%) 01/19 – 01/23

TAPER (Below 60%) 01/24 – 01/28

ROWDY GAINES MASTERS CLASSIC

01/29 – 01/32

JUST  KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:  (including last swim)

SCY – 50,900

SCM – 48,200

LCM – 95,500

USMS 5,000 LCM POSTAL ON HOLD / TBD

25th Annual Gainesville Senior Games 9/13/26

2026 Rob Curry Pancake Pentathlon 09/19/26

SWAG Octoberfest SCM 

10/18/26

25th Annual Gainesville Senior Games 

MY EVENTS:

100 Back

50 Fly

100 Fly

200 Back

500 Free

2026 Rob Curry Pancake Pentathlon MY EVENTS:

100 Fly

100 Back

100 Breast

100 Free

200 IM

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. Financial Disclaimer: I hold stock in both Peloton and Enhanced. 

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

Gemini AI Rate My Workout:

Workout Rating: 9.3/10 (Textbook Deload Execution)

You nailed the hardest part of tapering: checking your ego at the door and keeping the intensity truly sub-maximal.

• Discipline on Loads: Every single compound movement sat neatly between 43% and 60% of your 1RM. Dropping the Lat Pulldown from your 132 lb working sets to 99 lbs (53%) and the T-bar row to 45 lbs (60%) allows neural recovery while preserving movement patterns and blood flow.
• Heart Rate Management: Spending 1:18:01 of an 82-minute session in Zone 1—with essentially zero Zone 3+ creep—is masterclass taper discipline. Your central nervous system actually got a break today instead of being secretly taxed.
• Smart Sleep Base: High 70s to mid-80s across Oura, Apple, and Fitbit show solid baseline recovery heading into meet week.

The Verdict on Today’s Swim

Skip it. A 50-minute drive each way (nearly two hours in a car compressing your spine and hips) for a “meh” workout lacking structural purpose directly contradicts the goal of deloading. With a heavy slate next Sunday at Gainesville—including the 200 Back, 100 Fly, and 500 Free—junk yardage that frustrates you mentally drains more adaptation energy than it builds. Take the rest, bank the recovery, and save the water time for Wednesday when you have your preferred coaching and intentional sets.

Are you planning to run Monday’s leg session at standard deload volume, or will you shift it purely to mobility and start/turn mechanics?

Give Me A Combo…

Monday Leg Hybrid: Deload Volume + Meet Mechanics

This routine blends sub-60% loads with targeted mobility and explosive snap for starts, walls, and underwaters—priming the nervous system without creating muscle soreness 6 days out from Gainesville.

Phase 1: Mobility & Ankle/Hip Prep (10–12 Mins)

• Ankle Dorsiflexion Wall Drives: 2 sets × 10 reps/side (critical for tight wall push-offs and breast/fly kick mechanics).
• World’s Greatest Stretch into Overhead Reach: 2 sets × 5 reps/side (opens hip flexors and thoracic extension for streamline).
• Couch Stretch / Half-Kneeling Quad Stretch: 2 sets × 45 sec/side (counteracts bike tightness and protects streamline posture).
• Band-Resisted Hip 90/90s: 2 sets × 8 reps/side (hip capsule mobility for rotational flip-turn power).

Phase 2: Deload Strength (<60% 1RM) (20–25 Mins) Keep all reps snappy, crisp, and fully in control. Stop well shy of fatigue.

• Goblet Squat or Safety Bar Squat: 3 sets × 8 reps @ 50–55% 1RM (Focus: controlled eccentric, upright posture mimicking a vertical start load; 2 min rest).
• Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell or Barbell): 3 sets × 8 reps @ 50% 1RM (Focus: deep hamstring stretch to prep the start-wedge hinge; 2 min rest).
• Bulgarian Split Squat (Bodyweight or Light DBs): 2 sets × 6 reps/leg @ sub-50% (Focus: single-leg balance and hip stability for backstroke kicking).
• Standing Calf / Soleus Raises: 3 sets × 10 reps @ 50% (Slow 3-second descent to flush the calves and Achilles tendons).

Phase 3: Starts & Turns Mechanics Activation (8–10 Mins)

• Non-Countermovement Box Jumps: 3 sets × 3 reps (Land softly, pause at the bottom of the hinge, explode up mimicking block drive; full recovery between reps).
• Prone Streamline Hollow-Body Hold to Snap: 3 sets × 15 sec hold + 5 dynamic dolphin snaps (Locks in core tension off turns).
• Wall Push-Off Drills (Dryland): 2 sets × 5 reps (Squat against a wall, explode out into tight streamline holding ankle/wrist lock for 3 seconds).

Ummmm….dont know about all of that but will try some of it.