Deload week:Legs 1

SO, It's been forever since I have taken a rest week - 9 weeks exactly. AND, it's been FAR longer Since I've DELOADED, instead of just taking the time off. Whenever I take a full week off, it always hurts my lifts, so I am playing around with this deload to try and rest a LOT, but keep myself in tip top shape so I don't lose any strength in this short space.

Today was lower body. I started with 3 sets of 5 pause squat at 185. Light enough so they're not hard at all, but heavy enough so that I had to work to stay in the right positions and fire hard out of the body. Pushed to a set of 10 on the third set, got a leg and ass pump.

Next, did 10 singles at 185 for speed deadlifts. Doing these really light was actually really good, because I figured out that I've been setting up a little too close to the bar. Setting my feet about an inch further back from where they were felt WAY better, and I was firing really fast today.

Then, did 5 x 5 squats at 135. Again, these were actually very helpful - I started feeling that I have been sitting my butt back a little too much when I'm squatting, which is hurting my ability to catch the stretch reflex without dropping my chest. If I instead think about sitting my butt down between my feet, (almost forward), I can nail that stretch reflex without losing balance forward. After the 5 x 5, I did one single at 225 that felt great, but called it there. It is a deload after all.

Finally, did one set of 50 declined situps.

Overall, it SUCKS not to be able to lift heavy. BUT, the light work is gonna help me heal up, and I'm feeling out some form stuff that could definitely help me a lot when I'm back to going heavy. Lets keep at it.