Great squats: 315 for 5 sets of 4

Today was an awesome squat day.

Started with 5 x 4 squats. Started warming up, and I felt awesome today. I think maybe the stretching yesterday reallyyyy did me good. Squats with the bar even felt good (they never do). Then hit 135 for a couple sets, 225 for like 7, then 275 for 3. It was moving really nice, so I decided to go up to 315 instead of my planned 305, and I smashed it. I hit maybe 3 or 4 rough reps out of the 20 total - the third rep of the first set was really bad, as I lost my balance forward. Other than that, there was one rep where I traveled back down. However, every other rep (even the bad ones) would have counted, and the majority of them were really solid. It was WAR easier than 300 x 5 x 6 last week. I'm really proud of this. It's some serious progress. I don't even know what I'm going to do next week now haha, whether to push up heavier or take an easy week. Also, I was thinking of some changes I might make to this over the next nine weeks... maybe working up to a heavy 10 10 8 8 6 6 etc in 5 sets, instead of doing 5 sets at a static weight. We will see.

Next, front squats. hit 5 at 135, then 3 at 175, 3 at 205, and then 3 x 3 at 225. These were pretty easy. Again, don't have much pop, and they are getting slightly harder, but overall they were basically cake. Im getting real excited to max front squat. Take what I have been doing lately, and factor in 1) how easy they've been, 2) that they are AFTER heavy squats, 3) that I haven't been using a belt, and 4) that the last time I max front squatted, it wasn't fresh, and I think I'm gonna hit a nice little PR.

Hahahaha just thought this was funny 

Finally, threw it on the ground and started deadlifting. Hit 225 x 3 then 1, 275 x 2, 315 x 1, 355 x 1, then 385 for 2 singles. First one was a little rough - tiny bit of back rounding, pretty slow and hard. Second one was a lot better, for two reasons: one, I rested more, and two I was just more confident, smooth, and fast with it. On all my warmups I was nice and relaxed, and I was pulling my shins into position and blasting weight. But at 385 (maybe because I missed it last week so I was a little tentative), I was slower at the start which made the lift harder overall. On the second rep I rested up, and just took a big breath and pulled, relaxed and fast, and it was a much better rep. I'm gonna hope for 3 nice singles next week, so I can put 385 to bed and move on to 395 for a single on my last week. But I'm not too worried, I have loads of time to get to 405.

Banged out one quick set of abs before getting out of there.

Overall, really nice workout. Deadlifts and front squats are feeling good, and those back squat sets were really something to be proud of. Lets keep at it.