9/22/2021, Wednesday
Press 5s Pro: 90, 100, 115. Wasn’t too hard.
5x5@95lbs. Haven’t done backoff sets of press in a while and these weren’t bad. I’ve definitely gotten stronger here.
Deadlift 5s Pro: 220, 250, 280. Using 100% of the plates in my garage.
No further assistance, unfortunately - just out of time and trying to get the workout in at home.
But the way I’ve been feeling, I’m better off not doing the extra work right now.
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Feedback welcome, I’ve never had a DL form check before. This is today’s top set, 280lb deadlift, nothing special. My TM is very low so these haven’t been breaking me.
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They looked mostly good to me. On rep 4, your knees locked out a bit before your hips, but that was the only thing I noticed. Perhaps others who are more attuned can chime in.
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You have this slight…almost a double dip of your knees going on. Like your straighten your knees so that the bar can clear them, and then you bend them back into position to complete the movement. Makes it look wobbly. Not sure if it is really a problem beyond that.
Everything else looks pretty good.
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Nothing which is too bad or dangerous but there are a few minor issues.
On a set up stand point you go a tad too low and then have to rise up before commencing the lift, you lose some tightness in doing that + it appears (but I may be wrong) that it is stopping you from pulling the slack of the bar.
Also your reps seem to be more touch and go with a bounce as opposed to a full reset, again this affects tightness.
But to be honest that is just knitpicking to give feedback as apart from that all solid.
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Thanks @hustlinghat93 @TriednTrue @Cyrrex
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Friday 9/24/2021
Bench Press CWish cycle ? week ?
5x 45, 135, 145, 165, 185, 165, 185, 205
On the top set of 205 I went for a 6th rep and had a bit of help from my spotter. I don’t believe I’d have had it otherwise; but I also think I got the first 5 reps without him touching it.
Plan here is to keep spending plenty of time near the top end of my strength range, and in a few more weeks I’ll go for the 225 and knock it off the bucket list. I know I have it in me.
Squat 5x5 @ 190
Last Friday was 5x5@ 185. Can i do 195 next week? These sets are tough but very doable.
BSS: 20lbs, 5x10 each side. These destroy me holistically. But I think regular practice will address that. I found myself wanting to hurry up and do the next set because it’s not the muscle fatigue, it’s the overall suck of these, and I’d rather just be done with them.
I did get into the groove better than usual, found that I should point my front foot inward a bit; and the last two sets I held the 20lb overhead.
I’m beginning to feel that the 315 squat is further away than I hoped. I was honestly thinking I could knock out these 1-2-3-4 plate goals and move on with my life, keeping training down to 2-days/wk and not forcing eggs into my stomach for a while. But I don’t know what the hell.
Consistency is the key variable, if I am going to hit 1-2-3-4 I just have to keep doing this.
Not to get into it here and now, but other things besides training have begun taking more of a front seat in my life (not that training was ever top; I have 4 kids). Feeling… ennui? Something different toward training the past few weeks than previously.
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I wouldn’t let a couple mediocre or even bad sessions make you feel you need to stray from the 315 goal. If you want to prioritize squats, maybe a program unlike Coffinworm could help – higher volume like BBB, or higher frequency like one of the many “squat, push, pull” programs in Forever. Either of those could or would have you lifting only three days per week, which could also free up some time for you. Maybe you’re already running Coffinworm three days per week.
Current structure is like this:
Monday Coffinworm squat, 5x5 bench
Wednesday OHP and DL
Friday Coffinworm bench, 5x5 squat
And I’m focusing on putting BSS in Monday and Friday and progressing in that movement.
It’s pretty clear that Deepwater or Super Squats would do wonders for me. But at this time I will not prioritize training to that level - my willingness to suffer for the cause is not high enough, and it would effect my family to some extent, and I’m not willing to do that either at the moment.
I’m willing to consider other structures but for now I feel this structure is focused pretty hard on squats as it is. It’s not mediocre sessions that make me want to stray, it’s the rise of other life priorities/interests.
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I might be reading between the lines here, but it seems like you’re in a similar place mentally to me right now.
I don’t have any bright solutions for you, though.
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Yeah I read your log a few days back when you had a bit of “crisis” and I though “Yeah, me too.” Don’t think I offered any encouragement because I had none to give!
Similarly to you, I think, I actually found myself thinking the other day “What I need is a good 2 mile run”. Couldn’t at the time due to family obligations. But just the thought tells me something about where my body and mind are at right now… a bit gloomy honestly.
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I wouldn’t say I’m feeling gloomy, quite the opposite actually. I’m feeling pretty upbeat about the new found clarity. For the first time in quite a while, I think I have a pretty clear picture of where I want to go that’s fairly realistic and I’m finding that re-energising. Still a lot of details to iron out, but that’s OK.
For me, fitness wise, I just need to be “strong enough” and “fit enough” to be able to continue enjoying life into my dotage.
Sorry to see you in a funk like this.
If you are struggling to find the motivation for the structured programme you are currently doing, perhaps it is worth to consider to give it a rest for a couple of weeks and just train what you feel like - solely for the fun of it?
It could be a mental breather and perhaps remind you remember why we do this in the first place.
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Use of the word dotage gets you 1000 points. Thanks for that! Are you taking the Chong road now or similar? I’m sure the change of pace (and clarity) will do you good! I’m hoping NOT to have a moment of clarity that takes me off the 1-2-3-4 path, until I reach those goals; but it may happen anyway.
I have absolutely considered it and may do it soon - it wouldn’t mean giving up my goals, just taking a “side road” for 2 or 3 weeks. I was thinking of doing what the gym bros do - cable stuff, dumbbells, cardio, machines; nothing heavy; chase a pump. I might even look and feel better - and I may come back to squats with renewed energy and focus!
Thanks for mentioning it and it’s definitely on the radar; but for now I can hold the course a little longer (barring unforseen input from family/work life).
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My training is now designed to support growing middle aged well. I want to be able to run a triathlon or take part in a charity run without having to train for a year. I want to be able to go climbing or paddle boarding or mountain biking or scuba diving or whatever and share the experience with my kids without fitness being an issue. Things that enhance quality of life, not take away from it.
For me thats: a couple of sessions of medium-heavy barbell training a week, focused on pressing and squatting. Some conditioning, some endurance training/Cardio.
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While it is true that past ‘strong enough’ and ‘fit enough’, you’re not getting any extra health benefits, but it’s still good to have goals. I don’t compete because I have any expectation of winning anything, I just know that if I sign up for a competition, any competition, this will give me enough motivation to train when I otherwise might slack off. It doesn’t have to be a strongman or powerlifting comp, even a 5K will give you some motivation.
Also, even if 3x a week is ‘optimal’ for training, I am still making gains even when I drop it to 1-2 times/ week, which is what I do when life’s other priorities take a front seat. If you train hard and do a whole body session every time, once a week can still get you gains. My average lifting session is about 1:15, and nobody in the family begrudges me this time. Most of us spend more time than that every day playing with our phones…
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It’s worth noting that what I’m sharing on here is very much only the fitness tip of the iceberg. I’ve just set myself some very serious goals that will help me and my family much more out of the gym. At this point, I don’t want to add more goals to that. Having said that, I absolutely have my eye on competing at some point in some form. Certainly strongman, probably some form of endurance thing like a triathlon etc. I think I’d regret it if I never did those things. And I always have my longstanding goals of the 100 Mile Wilderness and my open water diver qualification.
I’m happy to lift twice a week. I know I can progress like that and it frees up time and energy.
That’s a fair point, for sure. For me, the lifting is the only thing I do that’s just ‘for me’, and it helps me maintain my sanity in a crazy world… Well, that and playing online chess (badly), and working on relearning Spanish (hopefully not badly).
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I definitely get that. It’s honestly the same for me too.
Boredom, burnout, and changing priorities are legitimate factors for altering your exercise goals and practices. There’s a time and place to focus on cardio health and endurance more than strength and/or to push exercising to a back burner for a little while. You can also gain strength AND improve cardio health with fewer and shorter sessions each week.
My best-yet strength gains on bench, squats, OHP, deadlifts, and weighted chins happened when I lifted once every four or five days, doing Dan John strength clusters for squats, bench press, weighted pullups, and deadlifts. One day’s core lifts were OHP, squats, rows, and strap push-ups. Four or five days later, I’d deadlift then do supersets of close-grip bench press and weighted pull-ups. Accessories were whatever I felt like each day, if anything. On other days, I did various types of cardio. At most, I lifted twice a week, and the majority of my exercise sessions were very manageable 30-ish minute cardio blasts.
If you’re needing to change things up, by all means, go for it! You can still make gains while reducing exercise time and focusing on different aspects of life.
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