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.
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