A Slender Man's Log

max effort close grip bench press
45X5
95X5
115X5
135X5
165X3
185X1
200X1 not that hard
205X0 had a lift off I think it effected my positioning as 200 went up somewhat easy
205X0 struggled to unrack it and killed my triceps/lats doing so then changed into a terrible position to try to unrack it and failed pressing it
185X1
185X2 cluster set, unracked weight pressed it took a breath after reracking it then pressed it again

5 second pause floor press
135X6
165X6

wide grip parallel bent over row
175X8 1 and a half minute rest
175X8
175X8

weighted wide neutral grip pull ups
35X10 1 minute rest
35X4
35X4
35X3

bradford presses
125X4 could of done more,
115X7 took weight off and did this set right after, 45 second rest
115X3
115X1

close grip PJR and close grip curl super set
90X10, 6
90X7, 5
90X3, 3

Pretty good training session considering I lost a lot of water/sodium and other random water weight. I will be including some heavy unracks at the end of my DE sets to work on getting the unrack stronger/handling heavy weights.

Sometimes when Im sick I have to remind myself just to take it easy for a few days.

Your body will thank you.

tweet

Yeah, I had made at least sure that my fever was gone. I am completely fine now other than the water that I lost. I suppose it isn’t that bad of a lift getting 200X1 for an easy close grip that was what I finished last cycle for with my normal grip and I have to say it was a hellish grind when I did it last cycle, my triceps were quite literally in pain afterwards and I think it might of been the slowest rep I had done all cycle.

sumo deadlift
135X5
185X5
225X3
255X3
275X3
295X terrible back pain said fuck it and switched to front squats

3 second pause front squats
135X3
185X3
205X1
225X1 back starting to hurt
235X0
205X1
205X1

#11 pin wide stance low bar anderson squat
135X6
185X6
225X6
235X0

#1 pin rack pull
275X8
275X8
275X1 cramping
275X4 felt a pop in back

weighted natural glute ham raise
35X12, 30 second rest
35X8
35X4
35X4

I think my back is somewhat better, arching my back is a little hard, and I get warning signs when I try to flex my spine. Going to the doctor today, possibly also an orthopedics specialist later also.

Lower back?

tweet

Yeah… Most pain seems to be from some deep muscles at the bottom. Doing the bent over rows (bent over like you would for pendlay rows) fucked me up for lifting yesterday. ’

I am sure in a couple of weeks it will just be a memory as long as I keep my back safe. It seems as though I will be doing a shit ton of zercher lifts to prevent spinal loading and all of my rowing mostly upright (yates row type of upright). I prefer to look at what I can do versus what I can’t, and I will likely heal up relatively fast.

I just felt some ‘good popping’ in my back and it feels like something went back to where it belonged. I can also arch my back again and it feels natural and bend over slightly more.

Went to the doctor, no damage to the spine.

#1 pin rack pull 135X8 just to get some blood into my back and to see how much I healed. Will have my normal DE upper session later.

DE bench 150X3 for eight sets alternating grip, 1 minute rest very fast and I don’t think speed dropped for any reps

3 second paused close grip bench press
135X6
165X6

snatch grip bent over row
180X7 back feels great, 1 minute rest
180X5
180X4
180X3

weighted neutral grip pull ups
60X8, lowered rest to 45 seconds opposed to 1 minute
60X4
60X3
60X3

shrug with 3 second hold at top
185X18, 45 second rest
185X13
185X9
185X7

close grip roll back extension and strict curl super set
85X10, 10, 45 second rest
85X10, 6
85X5, 3

My back is somewhat better, I still lack some mobility and other things but I am definitely recovering fast.

wide stance low bar DE squat 225X2 for 10 sets

conventional stance speed pull
265X1, 30 second rest 255X1 for 7 sets

medium stance high bar 3 second pause squat
135X6
185X6
225X1 felt a little heavy
275X just held it
245X6 easier than last week’s

Over handed romanian deadlift
255X8 1 minute rest
255X8
255X3
255X4
255X4

sumo stance one-arm deadlift
145X7 L, 45 second rest
145X9 R
145X5 L
145X5 R

I didn’t go to the chiropractor today, the only time I could get in would be right before I normally lift. Back feels fine mostly, and I was feeling nice and strong today. Upping carb intake for lunch/dinner is treating me nicely.

10X500 sprints
Hip was feeling a little beat up afterwards, and the air is very dry currently (I have asthma) so I cut it one sprint short. The quality of them was also going away at the last one.

max effort close grip floor press
45X5
95X5
115X5
135X5
155X3
175X1
195X1 easy PR I think
205X1 still pretty damn easy
210X0 missed it, accidentally let my elbows flare out in the bottom
195X1
185X3 cluster set, they were all done as singles

5 second pause floor press
135X6
170X6

bent over row
205X7, 1 and a half minute rest
205X5
205X5

weighted wide neutral grip pull up
35X10, 45 second rest
35X6
35X4
35X3

bradford press
115X8, 45 second rest
115X5
115X6
115X1

barbel PJR and close grip curl super set
90X10, 10, 45 second rest
90X10, 5 strict
90X6, 5

I am felt a little bored so I am going to share my programming for next accumulation cycle for the squat/deadlift

DE squat/deadlift day:
60%, 65%, 70%, rotating weeks and lowering rest, low bar with extremely wide stance squat (geared type of wide), wide, and medium stance
speed pulls will be done by feel, mostly deficit pulls with a conventional stance and some sumo pulls off the floor
week 1-3 wide pause squat as main rep exercise
week 4-6 sumo pull max reps for 3 sets at 315
week 7-9 wide pause squat as main rep exercise
week 1-3 stiff legged deadlift 4 sets of 12 as posterior chain volume
week 4-6 romanian deadlift same set and rep
week 7-9 stiff legged deadlifts

abs:rack suitcase pulls during 1-3 week and 7-9 with suit case deadlifts on weeks 4-6

ME squat/deadlift day:
ME normally squat, rack pull, or some type of good morning or conventional deadlift mostly as a max 3, max five for good mornings
week 1-3 snatch grip deadlifts rep maxes at various plates (225, 255, 275, 295, ect)
week 4-6 front squats for four sets of 12
week 7-9 snatch grip deadlifts probably straight sets

volume posterior chain
week 1-3 conventional stance good morning
week 4-6 sumo romanian deadlift
week 7-9 whatever I want, maybe stiff legged sumo deadlifts from the floor or strict bottoms up good morning mimicking my conventional pull

accessory
week 1-3 zercher lunges 4 sets of 15
week 4-6 single leg glute bridges
week 7-9 glute bridges

ab work
week 1-3 front squat holds for 45-60 seconds
week 4-6 one arm deadlift or shovel deadlift
week 7-9 whatever I feel like, might try full contact twists out

The goal of the cycle is to add some bottom/mid range strength to the squat, and get my glutes/hips stronger for my pull. I might adjust it depending on what my strengths/weaknesses are by the end of this cycle.

nice, what does the wide/paused low bar help you on? I’m going to add in low box squats and am thinking they’ll help my sumo pull

It would help with the bane of wide stance squatting: starting strength. It will also help with keeping tight in the hole. I squat wide as my main stance, and felt like being more specific in strengthening it. I am also doing it to improve on something I am pretty sure I suck hard at, for example I will probably have to start at around 225 or slightly less for sets of ten.

As far as pause/deadstop stuff in general, it seems to help my lifts being fast at the start if it is paused, or deadstop from the bottom. And deadstop from certain parts as an overload helps my grinding strength (which is the type of lifter I am) along with making me stronger at a weak point (like I do with anderson squats).

[quote]DSSG wrote:
I just felt some ‘good popping’ in my back and it feels like something went back to where it belonged. I can also arch my back again and it feels natural and bend over slightly more.[/quote]

Lower back?

tweet

Yep. The only part of my spine I keep in a ‘safe’ position (neutral is the closest it ever comes to rounded most of the time, normally has a tight arch) at pretty much all times… It shows that I need to be more careful, and listen to my body’s whining even if I am not doing anything that would injure it when healthy.

Today, I SHALL get a 330+ squat, maybe 350 if I am feeling strong today.

max effort medium stance low bar squat

45X5
95X5
135X5
165X5
205X3
255X1
275X1 felt a little heavy
295X1 somewhat hard, time to get serious
305X0 lol 'dem slow twitch quads, squat 245X13 fine but miss 305
275x1

#11 pin low bar wide stance anderson squat
135X6
185X6
205X3
230X6

body builder style sumo SLDL
185X8 45 second rest
185X8
185X8
185X8
185X8

barbell glute bridges
225X12, 45 second rest
225X12
225X12
225X12

suit case deadlift holds from #2 pin
135X17 second count (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, ect)
135X20
135X17
135X17

Okay training session, I forgot how slow twitch the quads are for more quad dominate squatting (good at high rep, shit for 1 rep maxes) and wasn’t as bent over as much/sat back as much as usual so the quads were brought in more.

I had actually stalled at the top of the 295 because of my quads being too weak/I didn’t have my hamstrings take over.