Back Day With Modifications – Save The World, Save My Elbow Tendenitis 

OURA RING – 64

5 hours  28 minutes

37% REM and Recovery

FAIR

APPLE SLEEP SCORE – 79

6 hours and  33 minutes

 OK

FITBIT SLEEP SCORE – 58

5 hours and 51 minutes

POOR

BACK & BICEPS – THURSDAY 11/12/26 – MODIFICATIONS MOVEMENTS & WEIGHT

Winter Body ☃️🎅🌲 Loading… 🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜

1:02:57

ZONE 1 – 1:02:49

ZONE 2 – 00:00

ZONE 3 – 00:00

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 00:00

Cable Lat Pulldown (Current: 22″ Bar @ 170 lbs / 91% 1RM)

The Problem: A fixed 22″ bar locks your forearms in overhand pronation. When pulling heavy loads vertically, the elbow joint absorbs shearing forces as it tries to track inward.

Load & Volume: Drop from 170 lbs to 130–140 lbs (~70–75% 1RM). Execute 3 to 4 sets of 8–10 reps.

Cable Lat Pulldown (22”) at 132 lbs  at 70.96% 1RM / PR x Reps 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6

2 min rest between sets (w/ Wrist Straps)

(186 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 170 x 6 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 170 x  6 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 170 x 5 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 170 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4)

Curlbar Bicep Curl w/ Arm Blaster (Current: 27.5 lbs/side @ 85% 1RM)

The Problem: The Arm Blaster is the primary culprit here. By pinning your triceps against a rigid metal plate, it removes all natural shoulder flexion and turns your elbow into an isolated mechanical fulcrum under high shear stress. Immediate Change: Eliminate the Arm Blaster entirely until the elbow is completely symptom-free.

Exercise Swap: Switch to Dumbbell Hammer Curls or Rope Cable Hammer Curls. The neutral (thumbs-up) wrist position transfers load onto the brachialis and brachioradialis while offloading the inflamed bicep tendon and epicondyle.

Load & Volume: Drop weight to 20–22.5 lbs dumbbells for 3 sets of 10–12 reps. Focus on a strict 3-second lowering phase (eccentric control promotes tendon healing; heavy concentric straining aggravates it).

Standing Cable Hammer Bicep Curl at 66 lbs at 52.38% of 1RM / PR x Reps 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 

2 min rest between sets

(126 PR/1RM)

(Last Time 110 x 8 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 66 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

 (Prior Time 88 x 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8)

(Prior Time 112.5 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 5 / 4)

Fettle T-Bar Row (Current: 82.5 lbs @ 100% 1RM)

The Problem: Rowing at 100% 1RM requires immense isometric forearm and biceps contraction to prevent the weight from pulling your arms out of socket at the turnaround. Any subtle jerking or torso swinging spikes joint stress exponentially.

Grip Setup: Ensure you are using the narrow neutral parallel handles rather than a wide pronated grip.

Load & Volume: Back off the max attempt. Drop the weight to 60–65 lbs (~75% 1RM) for 3 to 4 sets of 8–10 reps.

Execution: Pause for a full 1-second squeeze at the chest/contraction point, and lower the weight under a 2-second descent.

Fettle T-Bar Row at 50 lbs at 60.60% of 1RM / PR x Reps  8 / 8 / 8 / 8raise

2 min rest between sets (PR 82.5 lbs)

(Last Time 82.5 x 6 / 6 / 6 / 5)

(Prior Time 82.5 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 4)

(Prior Time 80 x 5 / 5 / 5 / 5)

(Prior Time 80 x 5 / 4 / 4 / 4)

DB Lateral Raise at 12.5 lbs  each side at 41.67% 1RM / PR x Reps 10 / 10 / 10 / 10

2 min Rest between sets 

(1RM / PR 30 lbs)

(Last Time 30 x 4 / 4 / 4 / 4)

(Prior Time 30 x 3 / 4 / 4 / 3)

(Prior Time 15 x 10 / 10 /10 / 10)

(Prior Time 10 x 12 / 12 / 12 / 12)

Shower, Eat Banana and Drive …

6:15am – 6:45am

TEACH 30 min Indoor Cycling / Freestyle

32:46

ZONE 1 – 16:48

ZONE 2 – 10:37

ZONE 3 – 03:09

ZONE 4 – 00:00

ZONE 5 – 01:52

JUST  KEEP SWIMMING:

2026 SWIM DISTANCE TOTALS:  (including today/last

SCY – 75,400

SCM – 71,100 

LCM – 95,500

Florida State Senior Games December 5-6, 2026

ROWDY GAINES MASTERS CLASSIC January 29-31

FRIDAY

Mixed 1500 SCM Free  01/29/2027

Men 25 SCM Breast 01/29/2027

Men 25 SCM Fly 01/29/2027

SATURDAY

Mixed 400 SCM Free  01/30/2027

Men 200 SCM Fly  01/30/2027

Men 50 SCM Back 01/30/2027

Men 100 SCM Back  01/30/2027

SUNDAY

Mixed 800 SCM Free  01/31/2027

Men 50 SCM Fly 01/31/2027

Men 25 SCM Back 01/31/2027

MON – SWIM w/ Team

Men 100 SCM Fly  01/31/2027

THE LIFT AHEAD:

FRI – SWIM w/ Team

SAT – CHEST

SUN – COMBO DRYLAND

TUE – CHEST & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE  MOSSA R30

WED – SWIM w/  Team

THU – BACK & TEACH 30 Min INDOOR CYCLE  MOSSA R30

The 4 Month Training Plan Phases:

STRENGTH (80-100%) 10/19 – 012/01 Six Weeks

TAPER (Below 60%) 12/2 – 12/4

Florida State Senior Games December 5-6, 2026

STRENGTH (80-100%) 12/6 – 1/18 Six Weeks 

ENDURANCE (60 – 80%) 01/19 – 01/23

TAPER (Below 60%) 01/24 – 01/28

ROWDY GAINES MASTERS CLASSIC

01/29 – 01/31

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 DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TODAY THAT INSPIRE PEOPLE TO MOVE THROUGH LIFE AND SPORT TODAY WITH: This November we have Tai Chi on the Squares, A Dance Fitness Thanksgiving Week Class for kids and planning Jan’s 5K. 

“To inspire a world where everyone has the freedom, confidence, and opportunity to move through life and sport.” 

Gemini AI Rate My Workout:

Workout Rating: 9.5 / 10 (Elite Athletic IQ)

Pulling back on load during a Strength Phase—especially after a fragmented night of sleep (5.5 to 6.5 hours across Oura, Fitbit, and Apple)—is one of the hardest things for a competitive athlete to do, and you executed it cleanly. You turned what could have been a tendon-flare disaster into a productive blood-flow and tissue-remodeling session, while still saving enough in the tank to teach a strong 32-minute cycling class.

What You Nailed Today

• Ditching the Arm Blaster: Replacing the curl bar + Arm Blaster with Standing Cable Hammer Curls at 66 lbs (52% 1RM) immediately takes the shear stress off the elbow joint and shifts the work onto the brachialis and brachioradialis.
• Adding Wrist Straps on Pulldowns: Dropping from 170 lbs to 132 lbs (71% 1RM) and strapping in for your 5×6 sets was a smart audible. Straps eliminate the “death grip” forearm tension that keeps medial/lateral epicondylitis inflamed—crucial when you’re already logging massive swim yardage (over 240,000 combined yards/meters this year).
• Ego-Free Row & Raise Adjustments: Backing off the T-Bar Row from 100% (82.5 lbs) to 60.6% (50 lbs) and Lateral Raises from 30 lbs to 12.5 lbs keeps active recovery blood flowing into the tendons without grinding the joints.
• Smart Heart-Rate Pacing: Keeping your entire hour-long lift strictly in Zone 1 preserved your central nervous system so you could still push into Zone 2, Zone 3, and a crisp 1:52 Zone 5 effort while coaching on the bike.

Two Micro-Tweaks to Save the Elbow Even Further

• Swap the 22″ Bar for Neutral Handles: Even with wrist straps at 132 lbs, a fixed straight/angled bar locks your forearms into pronation. Next Thursday, try using dual D-handles or a parallel neutral-grip attachment on the pulldown to let your wrists rotate naturally and take the last bit of torque off the elbow.
• Milk the Eccentric & Watch Thumb Angle: With lighter loads (50–70% 1RM), use a strict 3-second lowering phase on your curls and rows—controlled eccentrics stimulate tendon healing far better than fast reps. On the 12.5 lb lateral raises, keep your thumbs neutral (level with the floor rather than tilted down) to protect both your elbow tendon and your swimmer’s rotator cuff.

With the Florida State Senior Games just three weeks away (Dec 5–6) and a massive 11-event slate on deck for Rowdy Gaines in January—including the 1500 Free, 800 Free, and 200 Fly—protecting your catch mechanics right now is worth way more than hitting a gym PR. Plus, you have to stay healthy if you’re going to keep leading Tai Chi on the Squares and inspiring the community to move.