July 15, 2026

Tempering the Iron Before the Pull

Not every strongman training day begins with plates hitting a bar.

This one began in the morning with 18 minutes on the elliptical, followed by breathing, mobility, trunk work, calf stretching, and time with my legs elevated. The weights stayed where they were. That was the point.

A recovery session can look almost suspiciously modest when written down. There are no heavy numbers to circle, no difficult repetitions to replay in my head, and no dramatic moment when I have to decide whether the bar is moving or I am.

There is simply the quieter work that helps make room for the heavier work.

I felt good throughout the morning. The elliptical gave me enough movement to feel like I had trained without turning the session into something it was never supposed to be. Crocodile breathing and quadruped rock backs slowed everything down, while the dead bugs gave my trunk something useful to do before I finished with calf stretching and five minutes with my legs elevated.

Once the formal workout ended, I moved to the massage chair for another 20 minutes. It was not exactly an intimidating strongman implement, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.

Workout Log

Exercise	Set	Weight	Reps / Time	RPE
Elliptical Cross Trainer	A	BW	18 minutes
Crocodile Breathing	A	BW	6 breaths	0
Quadruped Rock Back	A	BW	8	1
Dead Bug	A	BW	10	1
Dead Bug	B	BW	30 sec/side	1
Wall Calf Stretch	A	BW	30 sec/side	1
Wall Calf Stretch	B	BW	30 sec/side	1
Legs Elevated	A	BW	5 minutes	1
Massage Chair			20 minutes

By the time I left, I felt good and prepared for the following day’s deadlift session.

That was all I needed from this morning.

Tomorrow, the bar would get heavier. Today, I made sure I was ready to meet it.