Wednesday 3/8
Back Squat
5x135
5x165
5x195
1x225
1x255
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
1x285
That’s a lot of squats in two days.
Thursday 3/9
Dumbbell & Kettlebell Circuit (20 Minutes)
Friday 3/10
Back Squat
3x135
3x165
3x185
1x205
1x225
1x255
1x275
1x295
Deadlift
1x135
1x225
1x315
1x405
1x425
1x455
1x495
1x495
1x495
Ran out of time today. Didn’t get home, changed, and over to the CrossFit gym until 4:50ish (open gym is only 4:30-5:30; a class starts at 5:30 and we have to be out by then), so I basically just warmed up with some squats, then moved to deadlifts because I wanted to pull something heavy. I wanted to do more volume - but then again, I pulled three singles at 495 (near my best recorded lift) on a day where I wasn’t especially primed for a max effort. I’ll just have to pound some volume tomorrow. Maybe a long EMOM squat singles workout at a moderate weight like 255 or 275.
I think I’m good for a 545 deadlift already, but I want to give myself a couple more weeks to reap some training benefit from the introduction of squats before I shoot for that. Once I hit 375ish on the back squat, I’ll take a crack at it…
3 Likes
Saturday 3/11
Back Squat
3x135
3x165
3x185
1x205
1x225
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
Sunday 3/12
Front Squat
3x135
3x165
3x185
1x205
1x225
1x235
1x245
1x255
1x265
Back Squat
1x275
1x285
1x295
1x305
1x315
1x325
1x315
1x295
1x275
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
A random musing in response to @dchris earlier noting that’s a lot of squats…
-
I’ve always loved Dan John’s pragmatic attitude toward things. Sometimes you just should keep things simple and do some stuff, then come back and do more stuff, and eventually you’ll start doing more stuff. The “Easy Strength” approach to things.
-
I made really solid deadlift progress last year with a very simple approach loosely based on the StrongFirst “Daily Dose Deadlift” program. High frequency, lots of medium-heavy singles in the 75-85% range, keep the focus simple.
-
With that in mind, I’ve decided to apply the same basic approach (which took me from a 405 deadlift to over 500 within a year) with back squats. For the next few weeks, I’ll pile on a ton of singles between 255 and 315, and eventually re-test my 1RM later this spring. I will reduce my heavy pulling to once a week; all of the squat work will have good carry-over to the deadlift; one good pulling session per week should keep me sharp there.
Oh, I also wanted to note, all of my squats are high-bar, narrow-stance, ATG depth. That is not because I think ATG squats make be better than powerlifters who are merely “hitting parallel” or anything; simply because I enjoy doing them the most and they feel good.
I’d love to hit a 405 back squat and 600 deadlift by the end of this year.
Just gotta keep doing the work.
5 Likes
Thanks for the musings to my ambiguous statement.
How much rest do you take in between sets? Is there a plan, or do you mainly go by feel?
This is the approach I see myself taking, once this transformation contest is done.
Some days I use a timer and go EMOM; some days it’s just “when I feel ready to go again” (which probably gravitates to about the same thing anyway).
Is there a plan? Usually I have a minimum number of reps that I want to hit, and a minimum weight that I would like to reach for my heaviest single, but at least half the time those numbers are decided on the way to the gym, and then I change my mind once I start anyway.
So, basically, there is no plan.
1 Like
Monday 3/13
Front Squat
3x135
3x165
1x195
1x225
1x255
Back Squat
1x255
1x255
1x285
1x285
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x315
1x285
1x285
5x255
Not a misprint: I performed five consecutive squats without racking the bar! I would have done more, too, except that my right arm & right shoulder started cramping and I was afraid of dropping the bar. My legs probably had four or five reps in the tank. Perhaps I will try this thing called “repetitions” more often.
3 Likes
Tuesday 3/14
Front Squat
3x135
3x165
3x195
1x225
1x255
1x275
1x295 (PR)
Back Squat
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x295
1x255
2x255
3x255
4x255
3x255
2x255
1x255
Wednesday 3/15
Deadlift
5x135
5x225
1x315
1x315
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
1x365
Thirty singles EMOM at 365. Very solid. My wife played along, doing this workout at 185, which was very impressive. She’s been making some real gains (squatted 160 for a single yesterday, and with today’s deadlift workout, I am guessing that she could pull well into the 200’s by now).
3 Likes
Thursday 3/16
Hot Yoga (60 Minutes)
You’re that guy who carries his portable squat rack up the hill, makes a second trip with the weights and blast 'em reps out while singing church hymns till the sun goes down.
Solid planning.
1 Like
Friday 3/17
2.1-Mile Run (20 Minutes)
Had to go with an early-morning treadmill run due to today’s schedule.
Saturday 3/18
Box Squat
5x132
5x132
5x176
5x176
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
2x220
Deadlift
5x132
5x132
3x176
3x176
1x220
1x308
1x308
1x378
1x378
1x378
1x378
1x378
Workied out at my parents’ home with my dad today. He has a mixture of kilogram & pound plates, hence the odd poundages!
Sunday 3/19
Back Squat
3x135
3x165
3x185
1x205
1x225
1x255
1x275
1x295
1x325
1x325
1x325
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
1x275
Deadlift
1x135
1x225
1x315
1x405
1x455
1x455
1x455
1x455
1x455
Front Squat
3x135
3x165
1x195
1x225
1x255
Kind of a “punch the clock” workout today. I came in with a notion that might try to set a back squat PR, but after 10 hours in the car yesterday, a poor night of sleep, and a sore throat upon waking I decided to just get in & do some work. Three back squat singles at 90 percent plus another five deadlift singles at 90 percent is plenty okay with me under the circumstances.
Monday 3/20
Front Squat
1x165
1x175
1x185
1x195
1x205
1x215
1x225
1x235
1x255
1x265
Back Squat
1x275
1x285
1x295
1x305
1x295
1x275
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
1x255
Tuesday 3/21
Front Squat
3x135
1x165
1x165
1x185
1x185
1x205
1x205
1x225
1x225
Back Squat
1x225
1x255
1x275
1x295
1x315
1x325
1x335
1x315
Deadlift
1x315
2x315
3x315
4x315
5x315
6x315
7x315
8x315
Confession: this was a LOT harder than I thought it would be. I decided to try a different spin on a deadlift challenge: progressive EMOM, perform 1 rep on the first minute, 2 reps on the second minute, and so on until you can no longer complete the prescribed reps within the minute. While certain people in these parts (Alpha, Punisher, flipcollar) could likely last a lot longer, this was a classic “Man, I though I would do a lot better…wait, I still did 36 deadlifts with 315 pounds in less than 10 minutes, that’s a lot of work!”
Wednesday 3/22
Back Squat
5x135
5x185
1x225
1x255
1x275
1x295
1x315
1x345
1x315
1x255
2x255
3x255
4x255
5x255
1 Like