Cardio + stretch

Cardio went well today. Hopped on the treadmill, walking, for 20 minutes, increasing the incline every minute until it maxed out at 15, then walking at that for 2-3 mins, then working my way back down till I stopped at 20.

Then, put in some time stretching trying to work on my whole body, but especially mu left shoulder. It is feeling really tight and painful today, like a small injury/inflammation.

So, overall I feel pretty bad. It's hard to tell if I am just pretty overtrained, or actually sick. I feel achey, exhausted, am in a bad mood, and this left shoulder is really painful. I think I am definitely gonna take it easy these next two days. Probably keep it nice and simple - light sets of 10 squats and back extensions tomorrow, then sets of 10 bench and cable rows friday. Try and recover while still working on speed and technique, get that shoulder feeling better, and hopefully feel fresh again come monday so I can attempt a new PR (405 I'm looking at you). But be careful, and take that workout in stride. And no matter how I'm feeling, I need to take it easy these next two days. Better to heal up and come back strong then to keep beating myself to shit. Lets keep at it.

Bench 240 for 2 x 2

Pretty interesting day today.

Gonna keep it brief. For reasons out of my control, didn't sleep well at all last night. At the gym today, felt alright warming up. Hit the bar for a slew, 95, 135, 185, then jumped to 225 x 3, and while it wasn't cake it felt good. Went to 245 and hit it for a solid but tough double, then attempted a third rep and, despite fighting for it for a few good seconds, failed. Re-Racked and took the weight again, hitting a very hard double.

NExt, dropped to 185 and tried to hit it for 5 x 8, close grip feet up, but my elbows were KILLING me and I just generally felt like a big sack of shit. Did a set of 8, and set of 7 and a set of 5 before calling it.

Next, lat pullover machine for 3 hard sets

Next, dumbell bench - 50 x 15, 60 x 12, and 70 x 6 or so.

Finally, bar starz. No pulling, just monkeybarring today, to save the elbows.

Overall, feel terrible. Idk if I am sick, or just overtired, or a bit over-trained. Either way, I am thinking about perhaps REALLY keeping the weight easy on thursday and friday, focusing on technique and speed, and trying to get myself feeling better. That is, after all, the point of this style of training - to ride the good days, and allow myself some slack on the bad. Not sure exactly how I'm gonna handle the next few workouts, but we will think about it and see. Lets keep at it.

Squat 385 x 1

Good day today. A little disappointing, but it was still a good day.

Started with squats. Got a good warmup in, then started squatting. I was trying to be vicious and aggressive today, and my technique/positions were good, but something was just a little off with my speed and strength. the bar, 135 and 225 moved fine, then I hit 315 for a double. First rep was just a little slow down and slow up, second rep was a little better. Then I loaded up 355, belted up, and hit it for a REALLY solid rep, but again it was just a little slower and harder than squatting has been. Finally, Loaded up 385 and tried to give it 100% focus. Ended up hitting it for a really solid rep, but it was so slow and hard that I couldn't attempt a double. So, overall, not bad - it wasn't a great day, and I hit like 99% of my PR. Only 20 lbs off 405, so there is a good chance that, on a better day, I might have the magic 4-plate squat in the bag. But it was still a little disappointing - I really wanted to double this weight today, and it is frustrating to simply not be as strong as I wanted to. BUT, I also neglected my "speed work" last week, in order to hit that 20 rep PR,  so perhaps moving lighter weight fast and for reps this thursday will get me ready to smash 405 on monday.

Next, front squats were especially shitty. I was hoping to maybe try and push for a PR here, since I didn't get what I wanted on back squats. Hit 135, 185, 225, then smashed 275 for a single but then missed 305 three times. It was close every time, but just not quite there. that made me very angry.

Finally, did some deadlifts from about a 1-1.25 inch deficit, wearing the oly shoes. Worked up heavy - pulled 245 for a few, 325, 365, and then finally pulled 405 for a single with the straps. Tried to hit another rep but just couldn't, so I rested, went strapless, and hit it again. Actually feel really good about this, hitting 405 for a few singles, tired out, from a deficit, in my oly shoes, and beltless, without any real psyching up. Can't WAIT to finally test my deadlift again, that is gonna be a fun day.

Anyways, not a great workout, but not bad. I need to focus on thursday, and put in the work I need to to get my 405 monday - lighter weight, fast and beautiful reps for my squat, then lots of back work to build me up for when I finally do that max deadlift. Lets keep at it.

Bench 205 x 8, 215 x 7

Really solid lift (yesterday) haha. Only issue is, my elbows were flaring up a lot. Probably just cause it was a very heavy week, and I did that HUGE set of heavy squats yesterday. A little bit of a bummer, but still not too bad.

What a man

Started with benching. I was doing some higher rep stuff today, working up in sets of 8 with the goal of hitting 205 x 8 or more, which would be an all-time PR for me. Took quite a while warming up, trying to get those shoulders loose and feeling good. In the end, everything was really moving nicely, but my elbows just would not get warm enough that they didn't hurt. Anyways, hit the bar, then 95 x whatever, then 135 x 8, 165 x 8, 185 x 8, loaded up 205 and (despite someone unloading all my weights while I wasn't looking and trying to take my rack) hit that for a really solid 8, definitely had a rep or two in the tank. So, instead of pushing that set, I loaded up 215, and tried to hit THAT for 8. It was a pretty good set, a little bit wobbly but I really worked to focus on those last couple reps and managed to hit a 6th and 7th. I MIGHT have even had an 8th in there, but I had no spot and 7 was hard enough that I didn't go for it. However, 8 at 205 is a PR, and 7 at 215 is maybe a 2-rep PR or something like that. Pretty damn good.

Next up, some strict press. I tried to keep it touch n go the most I could - I think part of my problem with strict press is, I have gotten so good at the MOVEMENT that when I do it, my muscles don't actually get much bigger/stronger, because I am so efficient with it. So, I think by keeping it touch n go I am keeping more tension on the muscles, forcing my stabilizers to grow and my shoulders to grow and then, when I go back to doing the MOVEMENT really efficiently, I will be much stronger. (I think that exact reason is why my bench has been growing). Anyways, hit the bar, 95 x 10, then 135 x 12, 8, and 7. Pretty happy with that! Haven't been strict pressing much, and that 12 is my PR. So I am at LEAST maintaining all my strength, while significantly improving my bench strength.

Next, did some pec flies. Felt good, but I was kind of coaching a friend as I was trying to do my sets, so I wasn't super focused. Still, hit a few warmup sets then the 15's for 3 sets of 15.

Finally, I did a slew of t-bar rows. I really wanted to do bar stars, but my elbows were already REALLY acting up, so I thought better of it. Did a set of 20 rows with a 45, 20 with 2 45's, then 16 with that + a ten, and finally another set at the same weight, of 15. The pulling helped my joints, that's for sure.

SO, In summary not just a great workout, but a great week, full of PR's! Literally a bench of squat PR on every single workout this week. What that tells me, however, is the smart thing to do is to back off a little bit. So this is what I am thinking: next week, push for PR double/triple on the ME days, then really don;t be afraid to keep the weight lighter and the reps higher on the rep days. I have been pushing pretty hard on those days, so I think to avoid pushing myself to much I should take at least this next week and just focus on a bunch of really good, lighter, faster reps. Then, the next week on ME day perhaps I will push up and try and hit a new PR single. I know I am in "PR territory," so one more heavy and hard workout, followed by some workouts that are easier to recover from + a long weekend will hopefully mean that, two mondays from now, I will hit my 405 squat, and two tuesdays from now I might hit a 255 bench. We will see! lets keep at it.

Squat 315 x 10

Today's workout was pretty funny. Basically it went like this - incredibly minimal and inconsequential warmup. Huge PR. Incredibly minimal and inconsequential assistance work haha. But hey, I'll take it.

Started with squats. I was running short on patience and high on hate today. Did the best, most thorough warmup I could, before getting started on squats. I was feeling okay, not great but what I lacked in smoothness I made up for in anger haha. Hit the bar x 10, 135 x 5, and 225 x 3, and besides some reps being forward and my lower back being a little tweaky, they were okay. So, I loaded up 315, rested, boiled over with hate, belted up, and took it. It went really well. I kept my focus on speed into the hole, and it went great. Fast down = fast up for me, and just like monday I felt super fast, smooth and powerful. I honestly barely remember the set. I remember it took a lot of balls to keep at it those last few reps, and on rep ten I was having an insanely hard time breathing haha. But I kept my head, focused on SPEED SPEED SPEED, and smashed rep 10. Really happy with that, it's been a long time coming.

Next, literally didn't know what to do lol so I did some front squats. Hit 135 for a few, 185, 225, then jumped straight to 275 with the belt and hit it for a single, tough but solid. Went up to 305 after, and unfortunately missed it. It wasn't a bad attempt, but I just didn't have it. However, couldn't really be too bummed after that 10rm.

Finally, did 4 sets of 15 back extensions with a 25 lb plate. Got a nice lower back and butt pump.

So a little bit of a strange lift haha because I feel like I didn't do much. But I did one, big, awesome thing. Focused hard and smashed a PR, 10 reps which are gonna build some serious muscle haha. I can definitely hit 405 VERY soon, it's just a matter of getting my mind right and feeling good on the day. Can't wait. Lets keep at it.

Bench 225 x 5

Solid day today! Classes were very long before I got to get to the gym, so I was perhaps a little less focused and single-minded than I would have liked. BUT, still got in some serious lifting.

Started with a nice long warmup, focusing on getting the shoulders loose and warm. Then, got started benching. Pretty much, focused on the big jumps with a rep-out at 225 in mind. Hit the bar, then 95, then 135, all of which felt just a little bit off. Wasn't quite in the right position, hips and ankles were a little tight and it was keeping me from properly setting up. However, by 185 I had loosened up enough that I could better command the weight, and I hit it for an easy 5. So, I loaded up 225, got my attitude straight, and hit it. Got a really solid set of 5, which is a new (and long awaited) PR for me! It wasn't a perfect 5. Definitely could have had a straighter, more perfect bar path (eliminated some wobble), but hey I will take the PR. Really happy with that.

Next, backed off to 135 and did some higher rep feet up close grip bench. No real reason to use the lighter weights, except that I felt like it. First set was a joke, I hit it for 24 reps. However, despite quite a bit of rest I dropped off pretty quickly from there, only hitting 16 on set to and then a mere 9 on the third set. I don't know if lack of focus and intensity played a role, or perhaps I just got really tired out haha. Either way, I think it was good to do some higher reps! really work on muscular endurance and force myself to spend some serious time under tension. However, I think I need to keep the weight on these heavier for the next few weeks at least, in the 175-205 range.

Thirdly, did some lateral raises. A ton of them haha. I just wanted to hit my shoulders, but didn't feel like pressing. I did sets of 10 with: 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 35, and finally 17.5 for a burnout set. So that's around 100 total reps. Granted, weight didn't get hard till like 12.5 and 35 was just way too heavy, but I was working around people and feeling the movement out. Definitely got a pump! But If I was to do this again, I would probably stick to the 15-25 lb range, and simply do more reps with stricter form, only letting it break down to squat in an extra rep or two.

Next, bar stars went well today! Used a different pullup rig, which was SO much better for this kind of thing. I'm still nowhere even close to doing a muscle up, but I hit quite a few pullups, mixed grip pullups, chins, and leg raises, with significantly more monkey-bar type stuff and even some one-arm swinging and stuff. Definitely my three rounds were at LEAST 30 seconds, probably closer to 45. My palms hurt, but grip didn't even get close to failing, and I got a SERIOUS forearm pump from this today, which is a great sign! Building that grip, that back, and that overall upper body athleticism. Can't wait to be able to do a muscle up haha. Might be a while, but I'll get it.

Finally, wanted to do some lat pullovers on the machine but it was busy so I did 4 sets of 15 lat pulldowns. Felt alright, a little rushed cause I didn't really want to do these, but not bad.

Anyways, great day overall. Having fun with the bar stars, and my bench is going up! 225 x 5 is sweet, there was a time not long ago when I couldn't even hit that for 1. Lets keep at it.

Squat 365 x 3

Great day today! The weekend was really busy and rough, so I had no time or energy to train at all, and I was nervous about how it would affect my squats today. However, I took like 20 minutes to stretch yesterday, and did a really great and thorough warmup today and ended up feeling absolutely amazing while squatting. My form was just on point, I didn't have to think at all about technique or position, and because of that I could just focus on making every rep insanely fast and powerful.

How I feel today

Started with the bar x 10 and I was feeling great. Then went through the most minimal ramping up I have ever done. Hit 135 x 5, 225 x 3, and 315 x 1. All felt crazy powerful, and CRAZY fast. I was a tiny bit soft on the last rep at 225, and a tiny bit forward on 315, but I was moving so fast and powerfully that it barely affected the rep. So, I loaded up 365, belted up, and went after it. Smashed the first rep, hit a really solid second, then simply sacked up, focused on speed, and hit a third. I hit a nasty nasty sticking point and it took some serious pushing and screaming, but I locked that shit out! My first real squat PR in a while, 365 for a triple. really happy about that. Strongest I have ever been.

Next up, dropped the weight to 135 and started doing some paused front squats. Lately, simply going up heavy on fronts has felt great, but I want to try and throw in some higher-rep shit every now and then, and some paused shit to help build my power. I think paused is especially good because it takes out the stretch reflex, which I have been nailing lately, as well as forces me to get a good stretch in the bottom, and to build my back, which I need. anyways, hit 135 x 5, 185 x 3, then 225 x 1 which was cake, so I went up to 245. I hit it for 10 paused singles, taking about 2 mins per rep. They got tough by the end, but the first few were very solid and strong. And, I doubled the 10th set, so that's awesome.

Finally, did some deadlifts to hit the back. Felt like going a little lighter today, and going strapless to work the grip a little. I worked in with some kids, and just hit what they were hitting, touch and go, from the floor. I pulled 145 x 10, 205 x 10, and then finally 295 x 10. Grip felt great, didn't feel very hard at all. My power is growing. A couple more weeks of pushing my squat, and a couple more sessions where I really train my back hard, especially with deficit pulls and back extensions. Once I nail a 405 squat,  and I have improved my back strength even further, it will be time to summon up some hate and, quite simply, destroy my pr deadlift. I think the next time I pull heavy, I have the potential to hit almost 500. How close I get is going to depend entirely on how hard I work these next few weeks to build my squat and back, and how much hate and raw emotion I am able to muster on the day of the max. I cannot wait.

So, great day. Squat PR, and some quality assistance work. I am so very excited to keep getting stronger. I know exactly what to do, and I am fucking doing it now. Only thing left is to keep at it.