Monday 7/14
DYNAMIC EFFORT SQUAT
SSB Box Squat
2 x 155
12 x 2 x 185
1 Like
Tuesday 7/15
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
12 x 3
Wednesday 7/16
MAX EFFORT(ish) SQUAT
Box Squat
2x135
2x165
2x195
2x225
2x225 (+1 chain)
2x225 (+2 chains)
2x225 (+3 chains)
2x225 (+4 chains)
2x225 (+4 chains)
2x225 (+4 chains)
1 Like
Thursday 7/17
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
12 x 3
Friday 7/18
MEDIUM EFFORT DEADLIFT
Sumo Deadlift
3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x405
1x405
1x405
1x405
1x405
1 Like
Saturday 7/19
MEDIUM EFFORT SQUATS
SSB Box Squat
2x155
2x155
2x185
2x185
2x215
2x215
2x245
2x245
2x245 (+1 chain)
2x245 (+1 chain)
1 Like
Sunday 7/20
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
10 x 4
1 Like
Monday 7/21
DYNAMIC EFFORT SQUAT
SSB Box Squat
2 x 155
2 x 185
12 x 2 x 190
Tuesday 7/22
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
10 x 4
Wednesday 7/23
MAX EFFORT(ish) SQUAT
Box Squat
2x135
2x165
2x195
2x225
2x255
2x255 (+1 chain)
2x255 (+2 chains)
2x255 (+3 chains)
2x255 (+4 chains)
2x255 (+4 chains)
Thursday 7/24
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
12 x 3
Friday 7/25
MAX EFFORT(ish) DEADLIFT
Sumo Deadlift
3x135
3x225
3x315
1x405
1x435
1x465
1x475
2 Likes
Saturday 7/26
MAX EFFORT(ish) SQUAT
SSB Box Squat
2x155
2x155
2x185
2x185
2x215
2x215
2x245
2x245
2x245 (+1 chain)
2x245 (+1 chain)
2x245 (+2 chains)
2x245 (+2 chains)
2x245 (+3 chains)
Boy this felt great. Loving the SSB and addition of chains. Really the variety I need to jolt some life back into my squat workouts.
2 Likes
Sunday 7/27
CONDITIONING
Pull-ups
12 x 3
Monday 7/28
MAX EFFORT(ish) SQUAT
Back Squat
2x135
2x135
2x165
2x165
2x195
2x195
2x225
2x225
2x255
2x255
2x285
2x285
2x295
Couple quick notes. First, the reason I keep typing “MAX EFFORT(ish)” is that these are not really true max efforts at this time - in my post surgery rebuild, I am purposefully only taking these small 5-10 pound “PRs” every time, taking sort of a long view that my goal is to deadlift 600-plus sometime on or around my 40th birthday (August 2026). Second, in true Westside fashion, I’ll carry on doing box squats (SSB and barbell) for most of my squat training, but every 4-6 weeks I’ll do a “regular” squat workout sans box to loosely mimic a competition style of squatting. Finally, in tracking my progress towards that 600-pound deadlift goal, for awhile I’ll probably try to maintain about a 200-pound gap from squat → deadlift; so whenever I do a new squat “PR” (eg today’s double at 295) I’ll expect in short order to pull a PR deadlift single of 495. If I keep chipping away at this 5-10 pounds per month for awhile, we’ll see how far I can get by next spring…
3 Likes
Tuesday 7/29
FUN SQUATS
SSB Box Squat
2x155
2x155
2x185
2x185
2x215
2x215
2x245
2x245
2x245 (+1 chain)
2x245 (+2 chains)
2x245
2x245
So this week I have a couple unusual work things and next week I’ll be traveling. Slight juggle to the schedule as a result. Will rest from lifting tomorrow (maybe a weight vest walk), deadlift on Thursday, and then have about 10 days where I’m off barbell lifting. I’ll take a few kettlebells along and use the 10 days to do some rehab & movement work (overhead lunges, bottoms up press, that sort of thing). Should come back with a vengeance in August ready to start my real focused M/W/F squats-and-deadlifts in pursuit of that 600 pull by my 40th birthday.
Wednesday 7/30
ACTIVE RECOVERY
Weight Vest Walk (30 minutes)
About 1.5 miles wearing my 50 pound vest.
1 Like
Thursday 7/31
MAX EFFORT DEADLIFT
Sumo Deadlift
3x135
3x225
2x315
2x315
1x405
1x405
1x435
1x465
1x495
OK, so this one was a true max effort. First time pulling 5 wheels since hernia surgery last August. I have to be happy about that bit, but I was a little disappointed in just how hard it was. I’ll post a vid in a bit, but it took forever to get going off the floor and the lockout might have been considered borderline in a powerlifting meet.
The good news is I feel like I’ve got a real plan for the fall with assortments of squats, box squats, chains, SSB, that I think I can build a stronger base and see if that 600 is out there for me once more.
The other good news is that I still did this beltless and now I think I may be at the point where it’s time to put the belt back on for max efforts anyway. I can and probably will continue doing lifts up to 315 beltless, but maybe 405 and up means it’s time to put on the belt. I say that because when I watched my vid, I think part of the reason it took so long to get off the ground is I didn’t have as solid of a brace as I needed and it took a second for me to find the right groove and brace to get it going. The belt should help with that.
3 Likes
Vid here:
What do you guys think? Does this pass in a meet?
Anyways, I can see I’ve got some work to do if I want that 600 pull in my forties, but it’s good to know where I stand now.
1 Like
Friday 8/1
DYNAMIC EFFORT SQUAT
SSB Box Squat
2 x 155
12 x 2 x 185
Starting this afternoon I’ll be traveling for about 10 days. So I wanted to get one last strength session in before a little deload week. God, I love the SSB. This is such a great exercise.