Day 2 — Upper strength + hypertrophy

Use upper strength warm-up.

A. Bench Press

225 x 5
230 x 5
235 x 4
240 x 2
240 x 2
230 x 5 back-off
Rest 2:00 after first 2 sets
Rest 2:30 after 235
Rest 3:00 before and after 240 sets
RESULTS: 225, 230, 235 only 3 reps, 240, 240, 230 only 4 reps

B. Chest-Supported DB Row

3 x 8 @ 62s
1 x 6-8 @ 70s
Rest 75-90 sec
RESULTS: Done, last 2 reps of 70# slow and not perfect

C. Incline DB Press

70 x 6
62 x 10
62 x 10
Rest 90 sec
RESULTS: barely got last 2 reps of last set.

D. Half-Kneeling 1-Arm DB Press

35 x 8/side
35 x 8/side
44 x 5/side
35 x 8/side
Rest 20 sec between sides
Rest 60 sec between sets
RESULTS: done. 44# was ugly, but reinvigorated last set of 35 so that it felt easy! 44 not all reps were perfect.

E. Cable Face Pull

3 x 12-15
Use a load that keeps reps clean
Rest 45 sec
RESULTS: 85# x 15, 87.5 x 15, 87.5 x 12

One of those long Zone 2 runs I have learned to enjoy.  Pop on a podcast learn something, look at the trees drifting by, and all the sudden it's over and you've burned like 700 calories or more.

DAY 3 — ZONE 2 RUN
Warm-up
Walk/jog — 5 min
Walking lunges — 10 total
Air squats — 10
Relaxed strides — 2 x 20 sec
Walk-back recovery
Workout
Gradual ramp — 10 min
Steady run — 45 min
Cool-down walk — 5 min
HR target
126-132 bpm
Hard cap: 133 average
If Walt keeps pushing pace, use short control resets:
every 10 minutes, walk 30-45 sec if HR drifts too high
Finish
4 x 15 sec relaxed strides
Full walk-back recovery
Daily goal
This is truly aerobic
Better to undercook it than drift into gray-zone work
RESULTS: 135 bpm 55 minutes.

Another one for the ages. :) 

Just in case the future aliens that come to this planet, that happen to come across this secret blog wonder how fit Dan Eggertsen was, and how much he could bench at 53 years old.

Here's the answer... or is it?

I do remember being afraid of the bench and did not want to force any last rep of 240# due to me wanting to stay alive and not get trapped under a bar...

DAY 2 — UPPER STRENGTH + HYPERTROPHY

Warm-up

Easy bike — 2:00

2 rounds:

Band pull-aparts — 10
Scap push-ups — 8
Push-ups — 8
Empty-bar rows — 8

Rest 30 sec between rounds

Empty-bar bench — 2 x 5, rest 30 sec

Workout

A. Bench Press

225 x 5
230 x 4
235 x 4
240 x 3
240 x 3
Rest:
2:00 after 225 and 230
2:30 after 235
3:00 before and after 240 sets
Goal: get slightly more work below 240 so the top sets feel less expensive

RESULTS: Could not get this done safely.  Here’s what I did do: 225 X 5, 230 X 4, 235 X 3, 240 X 2, 240 X 2.

B. Chest-Supported DB Row

4 x 8
Sets 1-3 @ 62s
Set 4 @ 70s x 6-8 only if first 3 sets were very clean
Rest 75-90 sec
Goal: keep clean volume and touch higher loading selectively

RESULTS: Got it done, 70’s tough but got them.

C. Incline DB Press

Set 1: 70 x 6
Set 2: 62 x 10
Set 3: 62 x 10
Rest 90 sec
Goal: make set 3 cleaner than last week

RESULTS: Done, set 2 and 3 last few reps were tough.

D. Half-Kneeling 1-Arm DB Press

4 sets
Set 1: 35 x 8/side
Set 2: 35 x 8/side
Set 3: 44 x 6/side
Set 4: 35 x 8/side
Rest 20 sec between sides
Rest 60 sec between sets
Goal: expose you to 44 without forcing bad reps

RESULTS: Set 3 with the 44s I could only get 5/side.  Got all the rest though.

E. Cable Face Pull

3 x 15
Rest 30 sec
Goal: shoulder health, rear delts, scap control

RESULTS: Used 95# cable face pull, and got all reps but had to rest a minute between each to get them.  Very tough at the end.

So, it was like 2.5 months ago, the day after my birthday, and I don't remember it because it's like so many other workouts.

Was it challenging?  Sure.

Am I getting stronger?  Yes.

Am I glad I did it?  Yes.

DAY 1 — LOWER STRENGTH + POWER

Warm-up

Easy row — 2:00
Ankle rocks — 10/side
Cossack squats — 8 total
Empty-bar front squat — 2 x 5, rest 30 sec
Jump squats — 2 x 3, rest 30 sec

Workout

A. Box Jump

4 x 2 @ 31”
Rest 45 sec
Goal: quiet, crisp, athletic
Stay here another week. Do not chase height yet.

RESULTS: Done! No problem.

B. Front Squat

200 x 4
205 x 4
205 x 4
210 x 3
210 x 3 if set 4 is clean
 If not, do 205 x 4
Rest:
2:00 after first set
2:30 after 205 sets
3:00 before and after 210 sets
Goal: turn 210 into a repeatable work weight

RESULTS: Got it done, tough at the end but clean. 200, 205, 205, 210, 210, all prescribed reps.

C. DB Front-Rack Split Squat

3 x 8/leg @ 62s
Rest 20 sec between legs
Rest 75 sec between sets
Goal: progress from last week’s easy 53s and prior good 62s work

RESULTS: 1st set is always the hardest then I loosen up and do much better.  Done.

D. Weighted Strict Pull-Up

4 x 4
Sets 1-2 @ 50 lb
Set 3 @ 55 lb
Set 4 @ 55 lb if set 3 stays clean
Rest 90 sec
Goal: start making 55 less special

RESULTS: Done.  55# final set was tough.

E. Hanging Knee Raise

3 x 12
Rest 45 sec
Goal: cleaner ROM than last week

Use knee raise this week instead of straight-leg raise so all reps are consistent

RESULTS: Done, final few reps were tough maybe not as high as others.

Apparently I plugged this workout in as a draft, on my birthday in 2026.  And yay me for tying my previous score.

Maybe I'll keep logging these, maybe I won't.

It might be interesting to look back one day...

DAY 7 — ZONE 2 BIKE

Workout:

Ramp — 8-10 min
Steady Zone 2 — 40 min
Cool-down — 5 min
Total time: 53-55 min
HR target:

120-130 bpm
Daily goal:

Finish fresher than you started

Log average HR and total distance

RESULTS: As I mentioned I moved the 200m run, 10 wbs, 8 burpees, 12 minute amrap here and tied my previous score.  The I followed up with 30 minute easy bike.

These workouts are a grind. I pick a spot on the sidewalk, run up around the end of Saratoga, back down and around the culdesac to the right, then up past our house to the first corner.

It goes well in the middle once my body has done 1 rep, then it's fatigue at the end pushing my time higher.

I love the feeling of the strain.  It hurts, I want to stop, but I also like it.  It makes me feel so alive.  It makes me feel like I did something good for myself, and my future.

DAY 6 — RUN WORKOUT: MILE SUPPORT
Warm-up:

Easy jog — 8 min
Walking lunges — 10 total
Air squats — 10
Pogo hops — 20 sec
Relaxed strides — 2 x 20 sec
Easy jog/walk — 2 min
Workout:
 5 x 600m

Rest 2:00 walk/jog
Target pace:

Rep 1: 2:12
Rep 2: 2:12
Rep 3: 2:10-2:11
Rep 4: 2:10
Rep 5: 2:08-2:10
Cool-down:

Easy walk/jog — 8-10 min
Daily goal:

Fast but relaxed
No rep slower than rep 2
RESULTS: Brutal workout.  My times at an actual 600m measured in my neighborhood: 2:16, 2:10, 2:10, 2:11, 2:12