Friday 9/4
KB Swing 10 x 10 x 62
KB Clean-N-Press 5 x 6 x 45
KB Clean-N-Press 5 x 4 x 62
Friday 9/4 (PM)
Log Clean-N-Press
1x145
1x145
1x145
1x145
1x145
Deadlift
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
Log Clean-N-Press (again)
1x145
1x145
1x145
1x145
1x145
Lat Pulldowns (5 sets)
Seated Rows (5 sets)
Saturday 9/5
Loaded Carries & Sprints (40 Minutes)
My fiancée and I took four kettlebells outside and did an assortment of uneven-loaded farmers walks (45 & 62 for me, 25 & 35 for her), suitcase carries, one-arm-rack carries, and waiter walks, each time dropping the bell(s) and sprinting back to the start line for that set. Worked me over pretty good. Nice to get outside and do something for a little conditioning.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Conditioning Circuit 1: Five Rounds
A1. Deadlift 1x315
A2. 5 Pull-ups
[/quote]
I’ve done (almost) this exact circuit so many times. It’s one of those circuits I love that’s so simple and yet hits you so hard.
dagill: totally agreed. I love the simplicity of setting up a bar with 315 in front of the rack, and simply deadlifting, dropping the bar, jumping up to do 5 pull-ups, resting for a couple seconds, and repeating. It’s fantastic. Catching up on a few days here:
Sunday 9/6
Kettlebell Medley (30 Minutes)
Standup Paddleboarding (on and off the rest of the day)
Up at a lake house visiting dear friends, always wanted to try SUP so we rented two boards for the day, and just had a ball. I fell off a ton, barely stayed up for more than 10 minutes at a time, but had a lot of fun with it.
Monday 9/7
Standup Paddleboarding (60 Minutes)
Took the boards out in the morning before we had to leave and did a nice extended paddle (much more successful than the day before; calmer water in the morning helped). We went down-and-back to a house a few hundred yards up the shore, realized we still had some time, and did it again. I only fell once during this whole time, whereas the day before I rarely stayed up for more than 10 minutes without getting dumped.
Tuesday 9/8
Deadlift
5x135
5x155
5x185
1x225
1x245
1x275
1x315
1x325
1x335
1x345
1x345
1x315
1x315
Pull-ups
4x5
Was in a hurry this morning, but got some heavy DL’s in and a few sets of pullups before I had to get moving. Nice to know that 345, a weight I had not lifted in several years until the recent re-entry to the barbell world, is now something I can work up to and handle even on a rushed, unfocused, un-rested day.
Wednesday 9/9
KB Swing 15 x 10 x 88 (EMOM)
KB Clean-N-Press 2 x 2 x 88
Thursday 9/10
Power Clean
1x135
1x145
1x155
1x165
1x185
1x195
10 x 1 x 205
Pullups
1x10
Rushed, so I kept it simple. Very happy with 10 power-clean singles of 205.
Friday 9/11
Clean-N-Press
1x135
1x135
1x135
1x145
1x145
1x145
1x155
1x155
1x155
1x165
1x165
1x165
Power Clean
1x185
1x185
1x185
1x185
Pull-ups
1x10
Saturday 9/12
KB Snatches 200 x 30
Sunday 9/13 (AM)
Dumbbell Circuit & Pull-ups
In a hotel this morning, luckily they had a nice sized exercise room with a dumbbell rack and a pull-up bar. Did an assortment of shoulder raises and curls super-setted with sets of pull-ups, then finished with:
A1. DB Clean-N-Press 2 x 50
A2. 3 Pull-ups
…for ten rounds.
Sunday 9/13 (PM)
Spinning Bike (18 Minutes)
After a day in the car, and a weekend with too much food, I decided to get on my exercise bike during the late-afternoon NFL games. This is an annual fall tradition for me; once football season kicks off, almost every Saturday and/or Sunday afternoon (when I’m not traveling or doing something) I get on my exercise bike during the day’s football (AMERICAN football) action and put in a little work while watching a game or two.
Monday 9/14
Deadlift
5x135
5x155
5x185
1x225
1x245
1x275
1x315
1x325
1x335
1x350 (recent PR)
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
Pull-ups
1x10
Happy with the deadlift PR. Not so happy that my grip (I’ve been using double-overhand, no straps) is a bit dodgy at weights over 315. I have dallied around with straps, but feel that the time I spend messing around to get them secured and ready to pull is slightly fatiguing, and I would rather be able to lift without them anyway.
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)
Tuesday 9/15
Clean-N-Press
1x135
1x135
1x145
1x145
1x155
1x155
1x165
1x165
Power Clean
1x185
1x185
1x195
1x195
1x205
1x205
1x215
1x185
1x185
1x185
1x185
1x185
Pull-ups
1x10
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Monday 9/14
Deadlift
5x135
5x155
5x185
1x225
1x245
1x275
1x315
1x325
1x335
1x350 (recent PR)
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
Pull-ups
1x10
Happy with the deadlift PR. Not so happy that my grip (I’ve been using double-overhand, no straps) is a bit dodgy at weights over 315. I have dallied around with straps, but feel that the time I spend messing around to get them secured and ready to pull is slightly fatiguing, and I would rather be able to lift without them anyway.
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)[/quote]
I had a similar issue around the same weight. I now use an alternating grip and a bit of chalk and it’s completely solved the issue. Only problem I have now is remembering to switch which hand goes which way on my top sets.
Wednesday 9/16
KB Swings 15 x 10 x 88
KB Clean-N-Press 2 x 2 x 88
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Monday 9/14
Deadlift
5x135
5x155
5x185
1x225
1x245
1x275
1x315
1x325
1x335
1x350 (recent PR)
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
Pull-ups
1x10
Happy with the deadlift PR. Not so happy that my grip (I’ve been using double-overhand, no straps) is a bit dodgy at weights over 315. I have dallied around with straps, but feel that the time I spend messing around to get them secured and ready to pull is slightly fatiguing, and I would rather be able to lift without them anyway.
(This isn’t some “IT ONLY COUNTS IF IT’S 100% RAW BRO” machismo attitude; I understand and agree with the school of thought that says equipment that helps you target the desired muscle better is a good thing. It’s just a preference of mine. And grip REALLY should not be a limiting factor at weights this light!)[/quote]
If you decide to go the strap route, let me know. I’ve got some video/article on strap use that I think might help.
As for the grip thing, I’m inclined to agree with your statement about grip not being the limiting factor at that weight IF the equipment is decent. I find that, in a lot of cases, commercial gym bars are honestly pretty terrible, and a lot of trainees are holding themselves to a standard that even elite lifters wouldn’t due to this fact.
You might see someone like George Leeman hook gripping 900lbs, but he’s also using a texas deadlift bar with diamond sharp knurling that essentially digs into your hand. If he were to use a crappy commercial gym bar with knurling that is essentially cosmetic, he’d have to cut down the poundages pretty dramatically.
In instances like those, I feel like straps are just leveling the playing field, and it’s why I tend to advocate them for grip issues versus trying to improve grip strength. Grip strength is awesome, everyone should build it, but if your equipment doesn’t allow you to make use of it, working around it is a good idea.
Thanks for stopping in, guys.
I think the solution, for now, will just to start pulling with a mixed grip. I did so back in high school, when I did compete in a few PL meets in the spring (outside of football/wrestling season), and really have no qualms about doing so again. I’d just been going double-overhand because it was simple.
re: the knurling on a gym bar…I recall lifting with a Texas power bar in a meet once and was shocked how different it felt. Had not really thought about that until you mentioned it just now. But I have pretty low expectations for gym equipment, honestly…I am just happy if the plates match and the bar isn’t warped. A warped bar bothers me much more than lackluster knurling.
Oh yeah, absolutely. It’s no dig on the gym itself: it’d be a poor business model to stock incredibly high end equipment that’s just going to get abused. It’s more just an awareness thing, not beating yourself up too much if you’re having grip issues at a “low weight”. Other challenging factors to consider and all.
Thursday 9/17
Deadlift
5x135
5x135
5x155
5x155
5x185
5x185
1x225
1x225
1x275
1x275
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x335
1x335
1x335
1x335
1x315
1x315
Power Clean
1x185
1x185
1x185
1x185
1x185
Pull-ups
1x10
Friday 9/18
Clean-N-Jerk
8x1x135
Power Clean
8x1x185
DB Clean-N-Press
2x75
2x80
2x85
2x75
Kind of in a hurry this morning. Wasn’t thrilled with this but at least got something in. Might do a kettlebell workout after work for a little extra oomph.
Saturday 9/19
Deadlift
30 x 1 x 315
Not a typo. Thirty singles with 315, EMOM. I recalled Dan John writing of the “100 singles” workout and, while I did not have the time nor inclination do actually do a full 100 (today, anyway) I thought this would be a good way to convince myself once and for all that I can walk in and deadlift 315 any day, all day. So that was good.
This also convinces me that I should be good for way more than 350 (my current gym PR in this portion of my lifting lifetime, anyway) if I had to pull a true max single. Still going to be conservative, aiming for a 405 pull by Christmas.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
This also convinces me that I should be good for way more than 350 (my current gym PR in this portion of my lifting lifetime, anyway) if I had to pull a true max single. Still going to be conservative, aiming for a 405 pull by Christmas.[/quote]
Race you?