Bench 185 x 14, 14, 13

Really good day today!

Had a great warmup. Got nice and warm and really took the time to warm my shoulders and back up right with just a few extra band movements. Then, got cracking on benching! Instead of the pyramid of yesterday, I decided to work up fast then do a slew of reps at 185. Hit the bar, 95, and 135, and I was feeling good. So, I loaded up 185 and took it for the first set. It went really well! I had a good groove going, kept the reps fast, and banged out 14 reps, attempting and failing the 15th! I think I might have had it, except my friend stepped up to spot me and I think I more or less bitched out knowing he was there. Anyways, rested up a lot and took the weight again, managing a second set of 14, which was perhaps a little looser. So, I rested a ton, tightened up on the final set, and hit a great set of 13. Overall, really happy with that. I'm pretty sure my PR is 10 reps, maybe 11 at 185, so I broke that pr by 3-4 reps, and hit it multiple times. That's pretty damn good.

After those reps, I decided to do some paused benching. I have been avoiding this, because I needed to prove to myself that it WASN'T what I needed to be doing, and today showed me that! After alllllll that volume, I paused 205, 215, 225, and 235 for singles! 235 was a little ugly, but even that wasn't super hard, and that's AFTER a ton of volume already! So now I can rest assured that my bench is getting stronger, period. No more obsessing over the pause.

Thirdly today, I did my "bar stars" stuff. It went well. I used the thick bar, which was both interesting and tough on the grip, and bad cause it hurt my elbows. I think I will only use it every once in a while. anyways, mostly switched between wide kipped pullups, neutral pullups, and leg raises, with some mixed grip pullups thrown in there for good measure. I would say I did like 3 sets of 20 seconds or so. Gonna try and push it on tuesday.

Next up, did some flyes. Kept em light and focused on more reps and more squeezing. Hit 5's for 10, 10's for 10, then 15's for 12, 12, 15. Felt good!

Finally, did 3 sets of one-armed rows using the trap machine with 45's on it. Hit 10, 10, and 15 each side.

So, overall a good day! Bench is certainly coming along, I just need to keep putting in work. I'm very excited for next monday and tuesday, can't wait to smash 365 and 225 for some higher reps, then probably hit even HIGHER reps thursday and friday. Then maybe hone in, and really try and push out some pr's in the following two weeks. I'm excited! Lets keep at it.

Squat: Huge pyramid up to 365 x 1, Front squat 285 x 2

Really good day today. If I have any complaints, it's that a little more focus would have resulted in a more efficient workout, with better form on every lift. However, overall it was a pretty sick day.

Got nice and warm, and paid special attention to getting my calves and ankles all warmed up. its a slow process, but I seem to be slowly remedying my ankle issue. Anyways, worked with the colored plates in my gym today, which meant I was jumping up in intervals of 40, so I decided to just basically do a huge pyramid - so I would hit a heavy single, but also a ton of really fast, clean warm-up reps. So started with the bar for however many, then did this - 85 x 15, 125 x 13, 165 x 11, 205 x 9, 245 x 7, 285 x 5, 325 x 3, 365 x 1.

Pretty happy with that! hitting 365 x 1 is pretty good period, nevermind that I did it monday, and nevermind that it was the 64th squat I did. Form wasn't perfect, but it wasn't too bad. The rep could have been cleaner and faster, but hey I made the squat after a TON of volume beforehand, so I can't complain.

After, I really felt good (way better than I had anticipated) and wanted to squat heavy more, so despite earlier plans to do either nothing or higher rep front squats, I worked up heavy with fronts as well. Used the same jumps, but much less volume. Hit 125 x 5, 165 x 3, then 205 x 2, 245 x 2 beltless, then threw on the belt and hit 285 x 2! It was pretty tough, but I didn't think I was gonna fail at any point. I guess that is technically a PR as well, so that's pretty cool - especially considering how tired out my poor legs must have been.

Finally did a slew of back extensions with a 25 lbs plate - 10, 10, 15, and finally 20 reps. s

So, great workout. Back squat is coming along (clearly), Front squat is also strong, and I'm building that back up! Can't wait to start hitting some real squat pr's soon, hopefully monday will be the day! Lets keep at it.

Stretch + cardio

Feel great after todays short but productive session. I focused on cardio and stretching, and my body is thanking me haha. Hopefully, with a good nights sleep I will be able to kick some serious ass tomorrow.

Haters gonna hate 

Started with some cardio. One reason that I am really happy to be at school finally is the plethora of options for cardio. Running for long distances just kind of blows at my size haha. I feel good running for a little bit, then I start to get joint pain and I feel like shit. Does that mean I can't do it? No. But it does mean that here, where I have rowing machines, a pool, ellipticals, stationary bikes, and treadmills with great uphills, I have a lot of different ways to do slightly lower impact cardio. So, today I started out on the bike, and honestly it sucked haha. It is way too easy and too uncomfortable for me. However, I stayed on it for a full 20 minutes - a big part of this is just going to be getting in the habit of doing 20 minutes of cardio on wednesday and saturday, no if's ands or buts. I think saturday I may do some uphill treadmill instead.

Next, did some stretching/mobility work. Basically, I loved those two movements I did sunday - really close front squat, and really wide back squat - to help with my ankle, back, and hip mobility. So, what I did is simply do 5 sets of each of those, with stretching in between. So front squat - bar, stretch, 95, stretch, 135, s, 135, s, 135. Then repeat with the ultra wide back squats. Overall, this felt great. For the first time in a couple days, my lower body feels relaxed and not sore, crampy, or tight. I definitely need to keep doing this, if I can increase my mobility just a couple centimeters over the course of the semester in both of these positions, plus slightly increase my strength in those compromised positions, I think it will make a huge difference in my squat.

Finally, finished up with some curls, just for fun. Haven't hit the biceps in a while.

So, overall a very productive day. I think keeping this cardio and mobility work in is going to make a huge difference in how I feel - last year I got nice and huge, but also a little fat and that doesn't feel good. If I keep eating a ton, training my ass off, and also am good about the cardio and mobility work, I think I will pack on some serious pounds of muscle, while keeping my bodyfat down and still feeling really good, flexible, and mobile even as I get stronger and huger. Can't wait to train the next couple days! Lets keep at it.

Bench 225 x 2, 245 x 1

Okay day today. I'm a little more angry about it that I should be.

Started with bench. Got nice and warm, then worked on my bigger jumps. Hit the bar, then 95 x 15 or so, 135 x 12, and 185 x 7, all feeling good and easy - ESPECIALLY 185, it felt so smooth and perfect. So, I made the jump straight to 225 and hit it for a really good double. The first rep was cake, second rep was just a little harder than it should have been - I think I was maybe a little bit loose. That shook my confidence a bit, but I decided to still jump straight to 245. I focused up and hit it for a single, which was pretty good but hard enough that I didn't attempt the double that I wanted. However, I decided to attempt it again, because I felt like if I was a little tighter, more confident, and aggressive I could get it. However, second attempt was atrocious. I simply didn't have it, probably for mental reasons, and got pinned pretty bad. This made me very angry. However, looking at it objectively - I made the jump straight to 225 and killed it for a double, which is really good. AND... I hit my pr! for a really good single! that's nothing to be ashamed of. Take into account the fact that this is my first day benching in this gym - new benched, bars, environment, food, sleeping conditions, new time for lifting, etc - and not getting that double is nothing to be bummed out about. But anyways, gonna definitely try to keep the reps a little higher for the next 3 sessions or so (probably for both bench and squat), then come back with the 3, 2 and 1's and try and set some new PR's.

After heavy bench switched to close grip, feet-up bench. This is tougher here, as the benches are thinner and wobblier; stability is a lot tougher. However, I managed to bench the 165 for 4 sets of 10, with a pause on the last rep of each set. I also didn't rest too much, so I'm pretty happy about that performance. And perhaps the lower stability will improve the effectiveness of this lift for me.

Next up, did something I have never done - seated dumbell shoulder press. I have to say, I really like it. Kept the reps high and just tried to work hard, without pushing too heavy or anything. I hit the 15's for 15, 25's for 15, 35's for 12, 42.5's for 10, 45's for 8, and then finally repped out the 47.5's (cause someone stole the 50's haha) for a set of 9, with a very difficult and back-cramping final rep haha. so that's a total of about 70 reps, a good chunk of which were fairly hard and heavy. Felt really good.

Next, did something that I am going to call "bar stars" even though right now it's more like "bar SARS." Basically, for 3 sets I hung from a pullup bar and did a bunch of whatever - regular pullups, wide grip, mixed grip, chins, leg raises, l-hangs, etc. The only rule is I have to hang on there for at least 20-30 seconds and work on moving my hands around after a few reps of each movement. The idea is that doing this will be a fun and very effective way of both increasing my pulling power/growing my back and improving my grip. I weigh enough that simply hnging from the bar, moving around, working on pullups both kipped and strict, trying to do some muscle ups/dips and the like will probably REALLY help both my back and my grip.

Finally, did some pullovers on the pullover machine. I love the pullover machine. MASS ON THE BACK.

So, overall frustrating bench day because my expectations were high, but I made up for it with a lot of very hard work on my assistance stuff. Lets keep at it.

Squat: 365, fail 395, Front squat 315

Really good day today. Just about one rep away from being AMAZING. Slept and ate really well yesterday, plus did some great mobility work - light front squats with my feet as close as I could get them, to work on ankle flexibility and upper back mobility, and then light back squats as wide as I could do them, to work on hip flexibility. Definitely need to keep those drills in, as I felt GREAT today.

Started with back squats. Got nice and warm, paying a little special attention to my ankles - my right ankle is still unreasonably tight and painful, so I am working hard on fixing that. Anyways, after getting super warm I made some big jumps today, which felt great. Hit the bar for 10, then 135 x 8 or so, and 225 x 5, mixing in some pause reps, trying to keep my "power stance" and my body upright, really moving the weight fast and confidently. Then, jumped straight to 315 and that jump felt great today. I unracked and squatted the weight with confidence, absolutely destroying the first rep and hitting a really solid second rep to boot. SO, I did something I have never done, and jumped straight to 365. It was a really big jump, so when I unracked I felt a little less confident, and the weight felt heavy. But I belted up, tried to imagine 135, and ended up smashing it for a single. The best 365 I have squatted in quite a while, that's for sure. I thought about loading up 385, but then I figured hell, why not go for the PR? I already made that huge jump, and I smashed 365, so I decided to just give it a go. Loaded up 395. It felt heavy as fuck with the unrack, however, and I was just a little off. It wasn't a TOTAL fail, but something was just not right - I went down and didn't really have much of a chance. I don't know if I got a little scared, moved a little too slow, was out of position, or maybe it was just too heavy today - but I think it was definitely a combination of a few of those things, because I FELT like I could have squatted that today. So anyways, no PR but I am definitely in PR territory. 405 is coming soon, I can almost taste it.

Next up, I decided to front squat up to a heavy single as well. I knew I had a PR in me today, and I promised myself I would make a statement in the gym today, so I said why not. hit 135 for a few, then 185 to just get my groove back. Then hit 225 x 2. Felt good, a little slow and I was a bit tired, but it felt good. Jumped straight to 275 with the belt and hit it for a really nice single, with just the slightest stick before lockout. So, once again I said "fuck it" and loaded up 315. First rep was SO close. A few weeks ago, I attempted 315, got like 2/3 of the way up, then failed. Today, I got the 2/3, pushed through that sticking point... then failed. But I KNEW I had it today. So, I loaded the weight back up, got really psyched, and just focused the best I could on speed into and out of the hole. I hit a nasty stick, but despite my elbows dropping and a little back rounding, I managed to push through and lock it out this time! really psyched, 315 is a huge number for me. It feels really good to finally get it, and kind of makes up for the fast I missed the back squat PR haha.

Next, deficit deads. Used a huge deficit today, stacked 3 yellow plates, which I would say is about 4.5-5 inches. Kept the deads brief - I pulled 25 x 5, touch n go, then 285, and finally, 365 with the straps. Kept the focus on keeping my back flat on the reps, trying to build of those erectors. It wasn't an easy set by any means, took some grit and some yelling to finish all those reps. But that is pretty fucking cool, to do a set of 5 from such a huge deficit at that weight. Feeling really good about that.

Finally, banged out some quick back extensions. Hit a set of 10 with no weight, then sets of 10 with 10, 25, and 45 lb plates behind my head. Nothing crazy, but every little extra bit of erector work and core training I do is gonna help.

So, overall, awesome day! Smashed a squat at... 93.5 % haha, took a crack at a PR, PR'd on my front squat, and deadlifted some heavy ass weight for reps from a huge deficit. I would say today is exactly what I wanted it to be. Tomorrow I am so pumped to bench. It's gonna be my first day training later in the afternoon, after a ton of classes, so we will see how that goes. Overall, I am very excited however If it goes nearly as well as today did, I will be happy. Lets keep at it.

Bench 225 x 2 x 3, 135 x 31

Interesting day today.

First of all, didn't feel too great from the get-go. form was a little off, I was a little achey in my shoulder and my left elbow, and I just didn't feel as strong as I have been lately on bench. Which has been very strong haha, so I guess it's not too big of a deal. Warmed up, then started working up in a lot of sets. Hit the bar, 75, and 105 for a slew, then 135 x 8 or so, 165 x 5, 185 x 5, 205 x 5 with a nice pause on the last rep, then jumped straight to 225 and hit it for a solid but tough 3 - hard enough that I racked it. I was a little bummed. Based on how I have been feeling, I was hoping to nail 225 x 5 today - that would be a pretty cool milestone. However, as I said I was just a little off today, both in strength and technique. I decided to take the weight again, and again I got a triple, only this one was more tough, less solid haha. First rep was nice, but the second I bounced off my chest more than I intended, and then the third hit a NASTY sticking point. I finally pushed through, but I wasn't sure I was gonna make it for a moment there haha, and my butt came off the bench just a tiny bit, so it was a pretty ugly rep. However, although I didn't get the heavy 5 I wanted, some things to think about: 1), I wasn;t feeling great today. 2) while 3 reps isn't a pr, I have only gotten 3 reps at 225 + maybe 5 times in the history of my lifting, most of which have been in the last two weeks, and I hit two triples at 225 today. And 3) based on yesterday/today, I feel like doing all these warmup sets is effectively "handicapping" me when I get to the heavier sets. Which is kind of a good thing! the point of thursday and friday isn't really to PR, it's to get in a ton of reps, reps with great form, great speed, and reps that will build muscle. On both yesterday and today, I didn't hit my goal - but I DID go pretty damn heavy (right around 90% both days), got in some quality reps, and all AFTER hitting 30+ warmup reps with beautiful technique and speed. Obviously, I will try and push myself towards PR's on this day, but I think that falling short isn;t necessarily a bad thing, because the point of this day is simply volume. The heavier the volume, the better, but even the light sets are productive. Then, come monday and tuesday I cut out all that extra energy wasting, and REALLY focus on hitting those PR's.

Interestingly enough, hit a PR after those two sets. I decided to drop back to 135 for a rep out, something I like to do every so often as a test of my rep strength. I remember a time when 14 reps was my max, then 17 was it for quite a while. Recently - maybe 2-3 weeks ago - I did a few sets with 135 and managed 20, so today I decided to try and beat that, seeing as how I have been feeling so great benching lately. But I didn't just beat it, I SMASHED it. I may have had some trouble with the heavier weights today, but I had no problem at all with 135. It stayed in the groove beautifully, and it was just a matter of repping as fast as I could to get through maximum reps before fatigue set in. I ended up hitting it for 31 reps, an 11 rep pr. I'm not only happy with that performance, I am really happy with the way the reps look - so fast and clean, technique looks great.

Next up, did some pec flies. These were alright today. I went a little heavier, but my left side shoulder-elbow really started acting up with these. Maybe I need to stick to lighter weight, or maybe it was just a bad day. Either way, I did 4 x 10, but they just didn't feel as good as the last few times I have done them. Less chest pump, more pain. So next week, I'll probably keep them lighter.

Finally, finished off with a huge back and biceps "chipper." It went like this - 50 cable rows with 50 lbs, 50 straight arm pulldowns with 30lbs, 50 rear delt flyes with like 10 b dumbells, 50 curls with the easy curl bar + 10's, and finally 5 sets with the wrist roller. This felt great. Blew up my back and was a lot of fun. I need to really focus on keeping back work fun, and working in as much volume as I can as often as I can. I get so easily bored with back work, and I really need to be FOCUSING on it, not slacking.

So, overall good day. Not as great as I hoped, but still some quality bench work, really cool PR on that 135 rep out, and then some cool bodybuilding stuff to finish off my summer! Back to school tomorrow. Lets hope the move is smooth, I settle in nicely, and come next monday/tuesday I can fucking DESTROY my first couple sessions in the new gym. I want to show that gym, the people in it, and myself who is running it this year. Lets keep at it.

Squat 345 x 3, 2

Today was rough. I don't know why exactly why - I don't even know how much was mental difficulties, and how much was physical. But I did my best and that's all I can do.

Started with squats. Didn't feel too bad getting started, just a little intimidated and whatnot from all the volume I was doing. Worked up in sets of 5 today. Hit the bar x 10, then 95, 135, 185, 225, 275, and 315, all for 5 and all beltless. Those all felt really good. Smooth, easy, but there was just a lurking exhaustion during each set. Finally, loaded up 345 with the goal of hitting it for a set of 5. Threw on the belt, and hit a really solid 3, but then completely blew the 4th rep. I sank into the bottom like I had no bones and didn't move up one millimeter. Just straight down and had to dump. I was very irritated, because I should have at least had a SHOT at 4, and might have even had 5, but I fucked up. Still, I couldn't leave that weight with that blatant and shitty failure, so I loaded it back up and hit it again. This time, got a solid but tough double, then attempted 3 and failed (honestly this time). SO, it wasn't exactly what I wanted but I got a total of 5 reps. And, I did a ton of quality volume before that - 30 very nice reps - so it's no wonder I was maybe a little tired when I got to 345.

But after those squats, I was DONE. I had plans to try and bang out some front squats at 205, and maybe some good mornings after that. But I did one set at 205 (6 pretty easy reps) and just could NOT bring myself to do anymore. I felt like shit, and I was angry at myself for not sacking up and just doing more. But then I realized that this is the EXACT point of the way I am training now - to be free to push on the good days and be free to break the mold on bad days. So, at the advice of Jerome, I just basically did a TON of leg extensions, some weighted situps, and called it there.


So, a very tough day, but also a quality day. A lot of good squat volume. Not as strong as I wanted to be, didn't do as much as I wanted to, but I did my best. I just hope that I can get back in the groove for monday, I REALLY want to destroy my first squat workout back. Lets keep at it.

Bench 235 x 3, 240 x 2, 245 x 1

Three bench Pr's today. Must be doing something right.

First of all, just wanna say I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a while, and I weight a cool 222. Basically, about the same weight I was when I left school, only I am looking more solid and muscular and less soft. Still have a ways to go before I'm anywhere near "lean" and "big" but hey, 220 + and "not fat" is a fine place to be haha.

Anyways, like squatting yesterday the plan was to work up to a heavy triple, and to do it in less sets with bigger jumps. I will say that I made smaller jumps towards the end, but hey it's a process, and I have often had trouble making bigger jumps with bench so I played it a little safe. SO I hit the bar for a ton, then 95 felt like a breeze, and I knew I was having a good day. Hit 135 x 10, then straight to 185 x 5 with a pause on the 5th rep, and then my first triple, 205 x 3 with a pause on the third rep. I would also like to say that, despite my absurd paranoia as the workout went on that I am using to much momentum, or "bouncing," and that I would never be able to pause the heavier reps I was doing, those paused reps felt EXACTLY like the touch n go reps leading up to them, and that's without me doing any paused work. Anyways, went from 205 to 220 and smashed it for a triple, so I decided to go right to my goal for the day, 235. And I nailed a triple at that weight! Thing is, I could have been a little tighter, and I STILL nailed it. Last rep was a grind though haha. However, I was feeling so good that I decided, even though that was a PR, that I was gonna get a new 1 rep. So, I loaded up 240, rested, and hit it. This time, I was tighter, and the rep I hit was so fast that I hit it for a second rep on the fly. Then, went up again and nailed 245 as well - got a little tough at lockout, and even so it was pretty smooth and fast. So there you have it! 3 Pr's today, and 6 reps at 100% +. Clearly, what I am doing is working, I just need to keep my head straight and STOP doubting myself that I am somehow setting myself up to SUCK at paused benching. I just need to stay the course, have fun and get STRONGER.

Now, despite a great bench session the rest of my workout was a little less great haha. Because I was feeling strong, I kept my close grip, feet-up benching a little heavier, at 185. I wanted to try and hit it for 3 x 10, but unfortunately today was not my day. I hit it for 9, 8, and 7 reps. That;s not too bad, but I was a bit unsatisfied. I don't know why, but I felt like I could have done better - like perhaps my technique could have been a little tighter, so I would have gotten a better pump/felt like I worked harder. Anyways, that's still not half bad. Maybe I'll try and take these a little lighter for a couple weeks, then come back and see what I can do with 185.

After that, I decided to push press heavy, because I was gunning for a spot on the gym record board. I was a little pooped out, but I warmed up with the bar, then hit 135 x 5, 185 x 3, and 225 x 1 with the belt, all completely easy. I'm not sure if I have ever push pressed 225, but I know I have never done it that easily. So, I loaded up 255, which is what I wanted to beat, and gave it 3 good attempts. Each time I was able to push it high, above my head, and I could feel that I was so close to lockout - but I just couldn't get it. Made me pretty mad because I was so close. I don't know if it was that my technique isn't as practice, if I was a little tired, or if it's simply too heavy, but I was close. And in all fairness, I was competing against a record that was't my own haha. I probably could have smashed 235 and even 245 today, which would have been a PR. It's okay - perhaps I'll put in some work and try again next time I'm back at CFD.

Finally, did some dumbell rowing to hit the back. Truth be told, I really need to be better about back work when I get back to school - which I think will be easier, because there are a plethora of machines that make back work less miserable and more interesting. Anyways, didn't push too hard on these rows, but tried to get some quality volume and hard work in - with a stricter dumbell rowing form, I rowed the 50 lb dumbell for 3 sets of 33 reps each side (plus a bonus rep) to round out at 100 total reps. Felt good.

So, overall a kickass day. I am really gaining some bench strength, and I need to just keep on pushing. Can't wait to keep making gainss, and to get back to school and start motivating myself in my new surroundings. Lets keep at it.

Squat 355 x 3, Front squat 275 x 3

Great day today! 2 PR's, a lot of fun, feeling good.

Started with heavy squats. I decided on thursday that mondays, I would work on making bigger jumps with my squats, to practice hitting heavy weights without wasting much energy beforehand. Then on thursday I will make smaller jumps, doing a ton of warmup sets so I get in a lot of fast and easy reps with perfect form - which will both give me tons of form practice, AND prevent me from going too hard and heavy cause I'll be tired out haha. ANYWAYS, I was feeling a little creaky and stuff today, despite a good warmup, but I stuck to the plan and it went really well! I hit the bar for a set of 10 or so, making sure to keep my stance wide, and working on driving my chest up, arching into the bar. Hit 135 x 8, then 225 x 5. Then, made the jump straight to 315 x 3, beltless. It felt really good! definitely felt a little heavy and a little creaky, but it was a very solid triple, good form, and that's the first time I have made that jump in a long while! Then, I ALMOST went to 335, when I decided fuck it - lets stick witht he big jumps, and go right where I REALLY wanted to go. So, I loaded up 355 and hit it for a beautiful belted triple. It was really solid! No rep was easy, but no rep was super hard either. Might have had another one in me, if everything went perfectly. After the triple, I was feeling ballsy so I loaded up 375 and tried to take it for a single. Didn't happen - form was alright, but I was just too slow and tired out. But I'm happy with that 355 x 3, that is a PR triple and the best squat set I have done in quite a while. Next week, I need to see how I feel but I would REALLY like to push to a heavy double or single, and try to get as close to PR territory as I can. I think, with a good squat session thursday and some recovery this weekend (which may be tough because I'm moving back to school), I could definitely hit some big squats next week. Just have to push!

Next, decided to do the exact same thing with front squats. Dropped back to 135 and hit it for a set of 5, then hit 185 x 3, 225 x 3. Once again, I almost jumped to 255, but then said screw it, and loaded up what I really wanted - threw on the belt, and smashed 275 x 3! It was a really great set. While lifting, I felt like the reps were hard and I had a lot of rounding over, but watching the video I am really happy with the way my reps look - they are smooth, and my technique is really solid. And, that's a pretty solid PR! My best triple FS it like 245 haha and I have only ever hit 275 for a single like 3 or 4 times. Anyways, I think I definitely have a lot more in me for front squat. Can't wait to hit 315, I KNOW it's just around the corner. Here's the video.

Finally, Did some snatch-grip deficit deads, from like 3 inches, which meant I was probably pulling the bar like an extra 8 inches haha. These were tough, but felt really good. I did a touch n go set of 10 at 135, 10 a 185, and then finished with a set of 12 at 225. Not super hard, but definitely worked my hips, hamstrings, and my lower back well. I just have to keep doing all these deadlifts from compromising positions - build up my supporting muscles and my ability to pull with a flat, strong back. Then, when the time comes to max out just release the animal and I WILL pull PR's, I feel sure about that.

So, overall great day. Squat PR (although I still feel like I'm not exactly stronger yet), front squat PR which I am VERY happy with, and some quality assistance. Can't wait to kick some serious ass this final week at home, then get to school and start schooling that whole gym on how shit it done. Lets keep at it.

Strict press 185, Push press 190 x 5

Today, Had a decent little workout, although it was quite little.

Started without much warmup, because time was a bit limited. I basically did a set of strict press, then a set of bench over rows, with the same weight in a big pyramid. Hit the bar x 15, 75 x 12, 95 x 10, 115 x 8, then 135 x 6. Then, I had to stop rowing because the hang clean was starting to give me trouble. But I kept pressing, hitting 155 x 4, 165 x 2, 175 x 1 all easy. Then, threw on the belt and hit 185 for a solid single that was a little off balance, but actually quite smooth. Finally, attempted 190 and couldn't get it, so I push pressed it for a set of 5 and that was that.

Overall, pretty sick day! I really didn't expect pressing to go well at all, so I'm pretty happy that I was able to hit a fairly easy 185. In addition, all the light weights felt like I could have done quite a few more reps - 135 x 10 or 165 x 3 + for example. Wish I had rowed more, but hey at least I got SOME extra reps in there. I'll try and be a little better with the back work next week. Lets keep at it.

Bench 205 for 2 x 7

Today, had a pretty damn good day! Didn't sleep well last night, drank a WHOLE bottle of wine, and was very sore today, and still had a great workout! Pretty happy about it.

Basically, I copied exactly what I did for squats, except with slightly higher reps on the earlier sets because I like to bang out those light bench weights for a lot of reps. Technique felt on point, even though I was fairly tight and creaky. Hit the bar for a slew, 75, and 105, then 135 x 8, 165 x 8, 185 x 8, and finally 205 x 7. It was a really good set, and honestly I think 7 might be a PR - I may have gotten that before once, but I'm not sure. However, I felt like I was just not as tight on that set as I could have been. Something in my technique was a little off, and I simply wasn't arched properly. I STILL got the set of 7, which is awesome, but I decided to rest up and take the weight again. This time, my setup was much tighter and I got an easier set of 7, then attempted and failed an 8th rep. That's okay though! I am happy with 7, and even happier with 7 for two sets. I Just felt like my form was off on the first, so I am glad I took the weight again.

After, I put on 225 and hit it for a pretty solid single. I would have gone up a little bit, but my chest was starting to feel very tired and crampy, so I decided to just call benching there.

Next up, I did a slew of lighter assistance stuff, in a sort of bodybuilding style. For my back, I did 3 sets of 20 face pulls, 20 straight arm pulldowns with increasing weight. Honestly, it was not enough back work, but it was SOMETHING. I'll have to do some real rowing tomorrow to make up for today.

Following the back work, I did 3 sets of chest flyes and lateral raises with 15-20 lb dumbells. Did 12, 12, and 15 for both, and this felt REALLY great. Got an awesome pump and felt good. However, I feel like I could use some strict pressing, so perhaps I will do some of that tomorrow as well.

Overall, great workout! Focus was really on the main movement, but it went well and I worked hard so that's great, and although the assistance was nothing special it felt good and was productive. I'm loving this new found bench strength! Lets keep at it.

Squat 315 x 7

Great day today. Had a mini revelation about my squatting: I have been having a lot of trouble keeping my torso upright without pitching forward. Today, I realized a simple solution! Widen my stance. My problem was quite simply that I couldn't fit in the hole, and that was throwing me off balance. Witht eh wider stance, I was able to raise my bar position, and my squats felt SO much more powerful and natural. I was moving faster into and out of the hole, staying more upright, and using both my quads and hips, rather than one of the other.

Started with a nice long warmup, then began working up in 8's. Hit the bar for 8, and IMMEDIATELY felt the difference with the "power stance." Hit 95 x 8, 135 x 8, 185 x 8, and 225 x 8. Felt amazing - the only thing was that I HATED squatting so many reps haha. I just felt so powerful that I wanted to smash big weights! However, I needed to do more reps today, to work on form, speed, and just get in a lot of volume, so I stuck to my guns. Hit 275 for a great set of 8 - while it got harder towards the end, and the reps slowed down, I felt like I certainly had much more in me, and form and power were great. So, I loaded up 315, threw on the belt (a little loose), and got after it! The way I was feeling today, a big part of me was hoping to SMASH 315 for 10, that PR that has eluded me for so long haha. However, today was not that day. Partly, it was probably all the volume working up to it - 40 reps with weight. Partly, it's probably the fact that this is my "lighter" day haha, and I REALLY destroyed myself monday - it's asking a lot to want a PR today. And partly, it's because (although overall form felt great today), it still wasn't perfect! I got caught forward on a couple reps. I need to work on arching my back more into the bar! Widening my stance and moving the bar up are allowing me to involve my hips and glutes more, while still keeping upright and using a ton of quads. And Arching my back harder into the bar is going to allow me to do that EVEN MORE. However, I still managed to squat the 315 for a set of 7! That is the most I have done recently, and it felt pretty great. I feel really good about the change of technique, and I am really excited to go heavy monday, when I am better rested and do significantly less volume working up to heavy weights haha. Here's the video.

After the 315, did a quick single at 345 just cause I wanted to. It was pretty hard, but solid.

Next, I attempted some front squats, but I was just off today, plain and simple. Squatted 225 for a paused rep, then a second rep that felt horrible. So I decided "hey, I'll just do paused work today." Hit 225 for 2 more paused singles, then took the weight up to 235 and promptly failed. I'm not sure why I had such trouble with front squats today. I think perhaps I just put a lot of energy into the back squats, and really didn't have any more heavy or hard lifts in me today. That's okay. I actually did feel like I discovered, however, that paused front squats could be a great movement for me, to work on speed and raw explosive power out of the hole.

To finish off the workout, I did some good mornings with a band, and some situps with a 5 lb plate behind my head - 15 and 15 for 3 rounds. Neither was particularly hard, but they were better than doing nothing, and I think more productive than trying to move more weight around when I was clearly pooped physically as well as mentally.

So, great day! I feel like I have made some serious strides with technique today. Can't wait to keep working hard. Gotta remember the power stance, and remember to arch harder into that bar, to keep using the glutes while engaging the quads and keeping upright as well. Looking like Kendrick Farris and shit! Lets keep at it.

Barbell Complex and Sprint Couplet

Did something a little different for my lifting/cardio day today. Invented a little barbell complex with quite a few moves in it: deadlift to the knees, deadlift, power clean, paused front squat, push press, and push jerk. Then, coupled that with a high-intensity sprint of about 25 meters with a short running start (probably 40 meters total). 

I started with the weight at 135 and did 6 rounds: one at 135, 145, 155, 165, 175 and 185, sprinted after each round, and then rested about 2-3 mins while I walked back, changed weight, etc. Overall, took a little over 20 minutes to complete all rounds. Felt really good! form on the cleans is a little shitty cause I'm not used to them, but I managed to powerclean 185 without much problem. Push presses were pretty easy, which was a pleasant surprise. I did forget to pause front squat the 135 haha, but aside from that, creaky knees and being a little slow, those were easy. And sprinting felt really good! It was quite nice to run hard, feels good to move like that. Makes you feel powerful. I definitely need to be sprinting more. 

Overall, good workout. Feeling sore and tired, but I'm gonna rest and eat up and get pumped for some more squats tomorrow! Gonna smash it. Lets keep at it. 

Bench 225 x 4, 235 x 1

Great workout today! Got to go into the crossfit gym and train with Josh and Jerome today. Worked my ass off and had a surprisingly great day.

Historically, whenever I take more than a couple days off from benching, I suck as soon as I come back. So today, I prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. started with a nice long warmup, getting my shoulders loose and trying to loosen up my back and butt especially - they are CRAZY sore after deadlifts yesterday. Then, I got to work, benching the bar for a slew, then 95, then 135 x 11 and 165 x 8. Like yesterday with squats, I decided to work to a moderately heavy 5 and then go from there. I started light, in preparation for sucking. Hit 185 x 5, then 195 x 5, then 205 x the easiest 5 I have ever hit that weight for. It was cake. Immediately decided I wanted to take a crack at 225 today, but felt like (since I had been making 10 lb jumps) I should take 215 first. So I smashed 215 for a triple, then went to 225. My pr at 225 was 3, so I made that the goal, and hammered 3 before squeezing out a 4th rep. PR?! On my first day back? I was very happy. So, I decided to push up to 235. I knew I could at least get a single, and thought I might be able to tie my all-time PR of 235 x 2... SMASHED the first rep, but then I was just a little hesitant and slow on the second, and ended up failing it after a good fight. Still, that's my all time PR haha. Not bad at all, especially after 225 x 4. Pretty awesome.

Next, I did some feet up, close-grip benching as this seems to be helping me a ton with raw pressing power. I wanted to work some sets of 10 today, and thought about starting at 135 and working my way up - but decided to do the opposite. Hit 175 x 10 to start, which is another PR. I honestly felt like I could have gotten a rep or two more for sure. Then, dropped the weight to 165 and hit that for 10. Side note: One mental hangup I have with bench is that I have an irrational fear that, if I train touch n go, I will get some kind of HUGE bench I'm proud of, and then not be able to get even close to it with a pause. Historically with my own training, and when you consider the tons and tons of lifters who train touch n go, this is completely stupid. But it is still a weird hangup. ANYWAYS, paused the final rep of  165 and every set after it: 155 x 10, 145 x 10, and then finished off with 135 x 12, with the 10th, 11th and 12th rep paused. Got a nice tricep and chest pump, and felt vicious.

Next up, I had the use of bands so I decided to bang out some pullups using the bands. I did 5 x 8. It felt pretty good. A little awkward, and because it was an awkward movement I didn't feel like I worked as hard as I could have. But it was still some quality pulling volume.

Finally, did some curls with Jerome - used the axle and handed the bar off for 4 sets, only resting as long as the other person was going. Got a nice bit of a pump. Felt good.

SO, awesome awesome day. Like 2 real PR's and a PR tie on bench, plus just a ton of quality work. Felt awesome. This style of training seems to be working really well for my upper body! Just have to keep pushing and keep making gains. And try and get my squat to feel as great as bench has been feeling. Lets keep at it.

Squat 355 x 1

Good day today. Very taxing but also very good.

Started with squats. Warmed up a lot and I was feeling great. Hit the bar for 10 or so, then 135 for a few. 225 x 5 was nice and pretty solid/easy. Then, 275 x 5 was also really solid. I was trying to focus on keeping perfect form, but also trying to pick op some speed and a nice stretch reflex at the last moment. Loaded up 315, and this is when things started to get a little ugly. Hit it for 5, beltless, but it was a very tough 5. First rep was a little forward, but then I tightened up for 2 and 3. But rep 4 was crazy forward, crazy slow, crazy hard. However, I sacked up and pushed myself through the 5th rep. After that, loaded up 335 and put on the belt. Again, reps were less than perfect but I managed a very hard and very solid set of 3 at 335. Jumped to 355 and hit it for a solid single, then loaded up 365 and made an attempt, but didn't even make it out of the hole - I don;t know if I was tired or technique was just a little off but I didn't even have a real chance at it. So I called it there. Obviously, failing a belted 365 isn't great, but I have to look at the facts - it was my first day back, which means both technique and strength aren't near their peak, AND I did some hard ass sets before that - a hard set of 5, 3, and 1. While not a PR day by any mean, I worked hard and pushed myself with some decent weight, so I'm happy. I definitely need to start pushing past 365 soon though.

Next, I did some touch n go deficit deadlifts, to hammer my back + posterior chain. Decided to keep the reps higher on these, to make up for the fact that I dropped to singles on my heavy squats today. From about a 3 inch defecit, I hit 225 x 10, 275 x 10, then finally 315 x 9. I really pushed hard on these, reps 8 and 9 were incredibly hard, and I made a very sad attempt at 10 haha but had no chance. Still, I've only ever done a hard 10 at this weight, and that was from the floor. Pretty solid set, especially for my first day back. Lower back DEFINITELY worked really hard, it feels tighter and more trained than it has in weeks. I think touch n go heavy deadlifts with my back locked in are going to really help strengthen my erectors, along with all the other muscles that (combined with a heavy dose of hate) are going to result in a huge deadlift PR.

To round out the deadlift work, I picked up 225 with a double overhand grip and did a max hold like that. I think throwing in a little grip work, like this, now and again will help to build my grip which I think is important - twice I have failed deadlift PR's due to a failing grip. Granted, they were very long, difficult and in one case jerky reps, but still grip work can't hurt, that's for sure.

And finally, I did 3 sets of weighted situps on a declined bench. First set was with a 25 lb plate on my chest, then the second two sets were with a 10 lb plate behind the head, which was significantly harder.

Overall, really solid workout. I wish I had simply been more "on" with squats, but I worked my ass off, worked even harder on deadlifts, and threw in some assistance work that is really important and often neglected. Great day. I feel really beat up, but that's okay - first day back, can't expect much less. Lets try and push hard tomorrow, and then by thursday's squat session I should be back in the swing of things, and maybe will start to push towards some new PR's. Lets keep at it.

The Rise to Greatness

I have returned. This break from training has been great. I ate plenty of whatever I wanted, I stayed up late, I drank, I laid on the beach, I stretched, I spent time with family and friends. These past two weeks have been a huge mental re-set for me, and that's what I needed - physically I think I am in great shape, but I needed some time to relax, have fun, and bring back the HUNGER for training. And now it's back. It has settled into my bones and I feel a fire burning. 

I wanted to use this post to say something to myself and for myself: I have everything I need to succeed. Of course there is more knowledge out there, I don't think I know everything. Of course my form on all my lifts isn't perfect, of course there are training methods or assistance lifts that could help me that I am not doing. I'm not saying I can't improve in all those areas, because I ABSOLUTELY can. But I have every single tool I need to succeed. I have good form on every lift, and when my form starts to break down I know it. I know a ton about the basics of programming, diet. I sleep well, I eat well. I'm young. I have everything I need to succeed in my two biggest training goals: Get Bigger and Get Stronger. 

Now all that is left is to push. 

I have moved into my 4th year of training. I started lifting 4 summers ago. I wasn't an athletic kid, or a fast kid or a strong kid. I was untrained, I wasn't knowledgable or genetically gifted. My goals were completely different than they are now, and the things I wanted I wanted for all the wrong reasons. And the journey from there to here has been a transformation. Training has changed the way I think, the way I feel about myself and the world around me. It has changed who I respect and why. I made it my business to learn everything I could about training, strength, conditioning, nutrition, competition. I have followed people better than me. And I have made gains, lord knows that. In those 3 years, even with ups and downs, detours, a LONG spell of spinning wheels at the beginning, I have added around 50 lbs to my frame. The first time I maxed out, my powerlifting total was about... 545 lbs. So I have added over 600 lbs to my total in these 3 years. I didn;t do everything right as a beginner - not by a long shot - but I did a hell of a lot more right than most people. I soaked up knowledge like a sponge, and slowly but surely I grew, from a complete, weak, untrained and unaware beginner, a boy, into the man I am today. Am I the strongest or the biggest in my gym? No, but I've had quite a few beginners, just starting on their own journeys, come to me for help, whether they know me or not. And that is one of the biggest accomplishments I have achieved, in my mind. I went from a person who you wouldn't even take notice of in the gym, to someone with presence, someone who people (even if it is only a few people) look to for guidance. I don't know if it is my size, my strength, the type of lifting I do, my perseverance and consistency, but people have begun to notice, to respect me for it, and to allow me some sort of influence over their own training. It is quite an honor, and something to be very proud of. 

However, this is only the end of the beginning. I don;t want to downplay my accomplishments. I have made huge strides, worked my ass off, been consistent. But I will not be a big fish in a small pond. I may be leaving the realm of "beginner," but just because I'm nearing the top of my gym's food chain doesn't mean I'm anywhere near Greatness. Right now, young lifters may look at me with respect, with admiration. But the time is coming for them to look at me in awe and disbelief. The time is coming for me to not only be the biggest, the strongest lifter in MY gym, but the biggest strongest lifter in any gym I walk into, wherever, whenever. It's no small feat. It's not going to happen in a few years, or with a mild effort. But it is going to happen. And when I think of how much I have grown already, how proud I am of this tiny leg of my journey - "the beginner years" - I can't wait to develop even more, mentally and physically, as I rise to greatness. 

I have all the tools I need. I am never going to stop learning, improving my technique or my diet or my lifestyle or my programming. But now is the time to push myself harder than I have ever pushed. Every set, every rep, every PR. Every extra gram of protein, every extra minute spent in the gym, every minute where I rest and recover properly is a step forward, a step on my journey. A step away from goodness and towards greatness. It's not going to be easy. I need to learn to dig deep - perhaps it is time to start using things like competition to motivate myself. Perhaps it is time to slip from the very reasonable and logical mode of training into a mode driven by dreams and goals which are unreasonable, which seem impossible - but which I will someday achieve. The time has come to break all the mental walls that could hold me back from becoming something no one has ever been, from doing things that no one has ever done. The Rise to Greatness has begun. And I am going to savor every minute of the journey, digging deeper and pushing harder every single day. 

Lets keep at it. 

Bench 185 for 5 x 8

Solid day today!

Woke up, rolled out of bed, warmed up, and hit the weights. Worked my way up to 185 and went at it. Hit 4 easy sets of 8, then a 5th set of 9 where I unfortunately failed on the 10th. Still, that is more volume at 185 than I have ever done, and it felt great. Bench is on the way up. After that, went for a nice hike.

All in all, this week has not been a good training week. I simply am ready for a deload, and while I would have liked to have trained hard this week and taken next week completely off, I needed mentally to just have fun with friends, stay up late, drink, and not have to do anything I didn't want to haha. Still hit some really solid heavy workouts. I know that, after this next week off, I will come back focused, with my diet on point, my training on point, and my mindset on point. I'm gonna come back hard, REALY push myself and start to make some HUGE and FAST gains. Lets keep at it.

Front squat 295, 315 fail

Good quick day today.

Didn't really feel up to working too hard today, so I decided to front squat heavy. Went very well. Moved well, fast, form was great. Hit 95, 135, 185, 225, 255, 275, smashed 295, and then went up to 315. Missed it for the first rep, came out of the hole really strong but just couldn't lock it it. Tried for a second single, and failed pretty much the exact same way.

That's that. Lets keep at it.