JANUARY 21, 2026

DAY 21 — LEG PRESSURE, MIND CONTROL

Kia ora whānau — Jamie here.

Three weeks in. Still off home base. Still in this.

Day 21 hit the lower body, but with a twist:
No barbell. No vest. No heavy dumbbells.
Just band tension, ground control, and brutal simplicity.

I trained with the mindset that every squat, every step, every banded lunge was a simulation:
— A long walk with gear.
— A carry over rough ground.
— A day where you can’t afford to skip leg day because the terrain is leg day.

This isn’t about chasing soreness.
It’s about reinforcing the frame you’ll carry the weight of others with.

TRAINING LOG – DAY 21: BAND-BASED LEG WORK + CARRY

SIMULATION

Date: January 21, 2026
Location: Motel gym / parking lot
Equipment: Resistance bands + space to move

SESSION OVERVIEW

Warm-up (10 min):

Hip circles + ankle rolls

10 bodyweight squats

10 glute bridges

10 banded good mornings

1 min deep squat hold with nasal breathing

MAIN WORKOUT (4 ROUNDS):

Banded Squats (high tension): 10–12 reps
Reverse Lunge (banded or bodyweight): 8 reps per leg
Glute Bridge Hold (banded): 30–45 sec
Step-Up (on bench or step): 10 total reps
“Farmer Carry” Simulation (band under feet, shoulder-loaded tension walk): 20–30 meters or laps
Wall Sit Hold (vestless): 1 min

Rest 60–90 seconds between rounds. Focus: posture and breath.

COOLDOWN (5–10 min):

Standing hamstring stretch

Couch stretch or hip flexor lunge

Supine breathing x 3 minutes (slow the exhale)

NOTES / REFLECTION

Banded squats felt sharp — knees tracking well

Step-ups burned late in the rounds — forced control

Simulated carries made me respect posture more than ever

Felt mentally stronger knowing I didn’t skip a beat even away from base

If you can train your legs without heavy gear, you’re training to own the movement — not the numbers