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.