Much less breath sucking than previous rounds, surprisingly fast adaptation curve on that.
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10/17/22
*Beginning a 5/3/1 5s Pro approach to squats while I focus on Deadlifts. Set the TM=85%315, thus today’s numbers. Today’s squats weren’t hard but weren’t supposed to be.
Squat: 3x5x 175, 200, 225.
Deficit Deadlift: (used 25# plates and smaller) 5x10. Lost track of numbers, wasn’t too heavy. Increased weight each set.
My gym put in a turf strip and a sled! 2 rounds sled push, there-and-back.
Back Extensions: 2x20
Abs: 2x20
Sled pull, backward, there and back, 1 round. There was no harness and the rope I used was too short, felt weird, but I’m going to have some fun with this sled I know.
One set of bench press and one set of curls.
5 Likes
10/19/22
TLDR: Press 135x1, Bench 225x1
Long form:
Press: Worked up in weight, attempted a single at 145 and failed at top of forehead !!, dropped to 135 and got it but was surprisingly hard. Haven’t pressed heavy in a while but I thought I had 135 cold. That’s what I get for bodybuilding shoulders for a few weeks.
Worked my way down in weight with a few solid sets.
Bench press: Some dude asked me to spot while he benched 315. He got 5 reps on his own, went for the 6th and I had to step in. Amazing.
So I worked up to 225, had him spot, got the first rep, and had no chance on the second. Needed probably 20lbs of assistance getting it back up, and the dude made me work for it LOL.
One solid backoff set afterward at 175.
I wasn’t terribly surprised, I haven’t put much effort into bench press in months.
Did a bunch of pullups. 30 at the office yesterday, and probably 24 more between sets today. Also a ton of DB rows at 90lbs.
A couple DB giant sets: lateral raise, directly into rear delt raise, directly into upright rows, with the 30s and then the 20s. Sick burn.
Finished off with 2 round of pushing the sled. Need to do more of that!
Rambling:
Felt amazing after the gym this morning. Great attitude, not worn out, honestly refreshed. So that’s good. And I think a benefit of a not-too-soul-crushing workout, unlike what I’ve been doing for squats and now am doing for deads. On the one hand, I think it should always be like this. On the other, I feel like I’m not BRINGING IT as much as I should. I only get 3 hours per week in the gym, max! I may need to up the effort, drop the BB day in the middle and WORK HARDER.
Then again, didn’t I work hard? I touched my log-title goals on 2 exercises today, which I haven’t touched in a while, and it’s not like I’m standing around talking or on my phone at the gym - I’m doing pullups between sets for gods sake. Maybe it’s because I feel like today’s effort wasn’t DIRECTED AT anything specific. Could have spent the day doing back extensions, lunges, BB rows, and similar to help support the deadlift. Would that have been a better use of my time?
OK enough chitchat. Time to get to work LOL.
5 Likes
10/20, Thursday
While watching baby in the early hours of the AM, did a bit of neck training and some glute bridges and hip thrusts. I never train my neck or even think about it, but I’m realizing my neck is super weak (and skinny). I also have no ass at all, so if I can get these damn glutes to engage there may be some potential to unlock.
100LB sandbag training:
3 rounds:
3 minutes of throws over shoulder, 2 minutes of rest.
That’s 9 total minutes of throwing, got 20, 16, and 18 for a total of 54. On the last round I tried one-motion throws, which starts out like a KB swing, must be more efficient. Interesting.
Then some time later, shouldered the 200lb bag. Did great on my right shoulder, was stable enough to breathe and walk. Left shoulder was a bit off, couldn’t hold it for long. Looking forward to a session of really practicing this, but with just 15 minutes to train I felt like the 100lb bag gives more bang for the buck.
3 Likes
Sorry mate, I may have stole your share 
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10/21 friday
Deadlift
Top single at 360lb, per plan.
2x8x255
1x19x255
By rep 12, my left hand was an inert claw. Slipped out after rep 19, i was miserable but would have taken the 20th rep otherwise.
I am curious if thats a good way to drive my deadlift up or not. It hurts, i hope it helps. Back of skull exploding.
2x20 each back extensions and leg raises.
3 laps farmers walk, 90lb dumbbells using straps.
5 Likes
Don’t want to be a program hopper or anything, but my only real “program” is hitting the 1-2-3-4 goals anyway so here’s my thought:
Drop everything that isn’t required to maintain the 1-2-3 or to support the -4. In other words, all non-big-4 work should be deadlift assistance - lower back, upper back, hamstrings, glutes. Squat, Bench, Press just bare minimums to not lose ground. The idea here is that I only get 3 hours per week in the gym, the occasional and unpredictable few minutes with the sandbag, very little sleep, so if I want to add 30lbs to my deadlift in a matter of weeks I need to FOCUS HARD on it.
Travelling this weekend, will try to put some thought into it if possible. Feedback is welcome.
I do have a barbell in the garage so daily dose is possible, it’s a very different approach than what I’m on now but may be a good addition. I could sneak a few reps in daily…
Why is there a deadline?
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The goals are arbitrary, but its taken unreasonably long to get this far. Im just 30lbs shy of the last goal so i felt that imposing an arbitrary deadline would force me to find a way, if possible. Nobody gets hurt if i miss it.
And once those goals are met i look forward to the opportunity to chase other, equally arbitrary goals, which might just be more fun.
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10/24/2022 Monday
Travelled all Saturday and Sunday, exhausting and dehydrating. Decent amount of walking but many many hours of driving.
Trained with renewed focus today. Really focused on NO REST - doing other movements between sets of pretty much everything. Did the obligatory squatting, then held the 405 deadlift in mind during the rest.
Squat 5’s pro week 2: 5x 185, 215, 240. Fine.
Weighted Pullups: 5 with +25, some (3,4,5? IDK) with +45, then 2.6 with +70. Rep 3 the bar was right in front of my nose and I held the contraction, growling at the bar and trying to eke my way up to chin level. Couldn’t make it but was a valiant effort and felt badass too.
These were SS with the squats.
RDL or SLDL, whatever, 3 sets. 10x135, 2x6x225. Next time should use straps I think.
Chest-supported T-bar row. awesome. 3x10 I think.
One set each of calf raises and abs.
2x20 lying leg curls.
A couple easy sets of incline bench in there
Backward sled drag. Need to bring my own rope to the gym so I can get the right angle of pull on that sled.
4 Likes
10/25 Tuesday
Mini session in the garage.
Several sets of hip thrust, a few light deadlifts, and 2 sets each of neck extensions and neck curls.
Ive been secretly trying to “get” hip thrusts for a few weeks. Ever since that Dan John podcast where he talks to Bret Contreras.
I have no ass at all, and never feel my glutes engage on squats or deadlifts. Maybe i can wake these suckers up and unlock a new level.
3 Likes
10/26
Great session today. While nominally a shoulder day, it was really directed at DL assistance.
20 minutes EMOM
135lb clean and press
Ab rollouts from knees
10 minutes had 3 each, 10 minutes had 2 each, For a total of 50 clean and press and 50 AB roll outs in 20 minutes. And a major conditioning hit.
BTN press, 4x10, 45,65,85,85
Hammer curls
Bb rows
Kelso shrugs
Upright rows
Shrugs
A lot of work! Drenched and wiped out.
4 Likes
Quick update.
Traveling for work at the moment in a pretty brutal way. Couple-three hours sleep at hotel last night, unlikely to sleep in the hotel tonight but may get to shower, possible a quick nap…
This will last a couple more days, potentially.
BUT i was prepared for this.
Went to a grocery store and bought whole milk, egg whites, turkey, and cheese. Keeping regular nutritional input while im out here, if nothing else.
Also. My abs are so sore from those rollouts! Like, painful, from my ribs down to my pubic area. Pretty stoked about that.
And if i get a few hours break tomorrow theres a Golds in town, ill get a day pass and try to DL. No belt, no sleep, but i can at least put in the effort and hopefully stimulate adaptation.
6 Likes
Friday 10/28
Thats a big no-can-do on sneaking in a gym trip. Wishful thinking. Work demands 100% right now. No worries, ill make it up. Might shift DL day to Monday and push squatting and DL assistance to Friday.
3 Likes
Saturday 10/29
In 3 nights, probably 9 hours cumulative of sleep, plus some short naps in the car. Mostly liquid diet of egg whites and milk. One real meal Thurs and Fri. Poor access to hygeine/sanitation. Abs still sore from Wednesday, a sign i haven’t been able to recover.
Recovery begins now! Gigantic airport meal - omelette, extra sausage, fruit, part of a biscuit slathered in butter. Protein shake.
Home in 4 or 5 hours and hoping for a good sleep tonight and easy day tomorrow!
6 Likes
10/31 Monday
Deadlift:
Worked up to 1x365.
Then, 20 minutes EMOM, deadlift singles:
First 10 minutes at 335
Last 10 minutes at 315
The top single was easy. Braced down really hard, dropped, grabbed, exploded up. Felt solid.
My midback/core was sore before I even finished the 20 backoff reps.
Ran out of time after this - a few pullups and back extensions to try and avoid lower back cramping, then GTFO.
I felt that this approach - the backoff work being heavy singles instead of much lighter volume - was more likely to help me reach my goal. And that being so close to my 1RM would help identify the true limiting factors. Widowmakers are limited by grip, breathing, cardio, endurance, whatever; but EMOM singles give those things just enough time to rest.
Where I’m feeling it is possibly my spinal erectors, but possibly deeper than those, is there a core muscle on your back that’s involved in bracing? Anyway it wants to cramp up on me, so I need to stay mobile throughout the morning and keep it from locking up.
7 Likes
I didn’t wanna pull @simo74‘s log too off topic, so responding to ya here. I’m also living the carrier nuke life lol. Did my first tour conventional, but NR has their hands on me now.
2 Likes
Oh that’s awesome! Mine was. Yours?
11/1/22 Tuesday
That part of my back is super sore, but in a good way, not an injured way. So glad I did what I did yesterday, highlighted a core weakness.
Today got 15 minutes or so and tried to work the soreness out by moving around:
3 rounds of 20 RDL and 20 hip thrusts, 95lbs.
20 swings and then 20 goblet squats, 50lb KB.
20 neck extensions and 20 neck curls.
Oh, and a very long 2+mile walk last night, took the kids trick-or-treating through the neighborhood. 2 miles takes a long time when you’re stopping at every other driveway, it was a lot of fun!
5 Likes
Just got here about a month ago. Crazy how different life is here compared to a small boy lol.
1 Like