Db row RL,LR,RL @ 52.5lb 350set- 18, 15, 17 ea arm
Chin 5x5
Curl 3xdeath
Haven’t had a bicep pump in probably a year… but today made up for it.
Going to up ohp 50% set by 5lb next week so the single will be around 115-120ish, and DB rows by 5. I was so close to 50 on the last sets of rows I figured I’d just go for it. Dips felt okay, went a little too HAM on the first set though. Overall feeling pretty good physically right now.
Couldn’t stop laughing during rows though… the loadable dumbbells with 25’s look like a wagon on the Oregon trail or something. It looks ridiculous haha.
Squat- work up to 280x1
235x12, 60sec rest, 235x10
SLDL work up to 275x3
225x14
Walking BW lunges 1x25, 4x20
Yet again, jello legs. I could’ve gotten the last two reps on squat and a few more reps on SLDL but opted against it. DOMS from last lower 1 were insane and I don’t think this week will be any different.
Bench overwarmup to 190x1
165x12- 60 sec rest- 165x6
Incline press 95x25, 95x15, 95x12
Pendlay row 2x8 @ 165lb, 2x12 @ 135lb
Band pulldown 25, 18, 22
Band curls 3xdeath
Bench felt great today, as did my elbow and forearm. For some reason the 50% sets are a lot easier on lower body stuff compared to bench but I’m happy with another 2 reps on the second set.
Not training related, but the weather here is starting to turn a bit so I grilled a chuck steak. I normally do it on a cast iron pan. After searing on the grill, I put a few pieces of butter on it and let it rest.
Not really at all actually. Since the first upper one day I heard a pop in the crook of my elbow doing the band curls, it has felt better I’d say about 85-90% of the time. Only time I feel a bit of discomfort is after the long sets of squats, but it goes away within anywhere from an hour or two to maybe the next morning. When it is there it isn’t nearly as debilitating as it was, either.
I’m not sure what I did, but I’m cool with it. My concern now is that my right arm is (I’m assuming) considerably stronger than my left due to compensation… so the DB work should help to even everything out, in theory.
Did 20 mins of front squat practice. Zombie style, crossed arms and regular. None of it felt good. I just can’t stay upright enough. I’ll keep working on it tho.
Zerchers were great, arms are torn up from them but feel ok. Lunges are my least favorite thing to do right now because they are so hard, but that means they must be doing something.
Here is zercher topset with a pause at the bottom.
Same. The other thing I’ve noticed is that on certain moves my left and right “want” to do it differently.
E.g. on a db ohp my left wants to flare elbow out more than on right side. Maybe not so much on a curl though which seems more straightforward
Even worse on legs.
Are your heels elevated at all (whether by shoe or small plates/washers/etc) and if not does that make it easier
Yes definitely notice different movement patterns, even slightly on barbell stuff too. Also yeah on lunges between left and right, different parts of my legs are sore after so that makes me think I’m doing them differently somehow.
I haven’t done any heel elevated, although i do have some heeled lifting shoes, I will give them a shot next time, thanks!
Band curl- 3xmax, drop set with lighter band on last set.
Felt great today. OHP and dips felt good. Kind of disappointed with chins but I’m sure they’ll come with some more time at some point. Started seeing some stretch marks on my biceps after the curls. Wow.
Squat
Overwarmup to 280x1
235x12, 60 sec rest, 235x12
SLDL
Overwarmup to 300x1
235x16
BW walking lunges
5x20 each leg
Intense day today. My plan was to ensure I wouldn’t be able to walk on Saturday and I think I’ve accomplished that. Feeling pretty good, going to switch to 4 days/week for a bit and see how I do. My upper back and rear Delts feel extremely strong, and I honestly am really loving this program with the way it’s set up.
@garagerocker13@mortdk if you could take a look at the first squat in the vid I would appreciate it. It’s 280x1 so not really close to a max weight but I feel like it looks pretty decently straight compared to some of the other vids I’ve posted?
That single rep at 280 looks way better man, nice work. You can still open your upper back more, though, and it looked like it was still rounding when you were doing reps. As you get tired, it’ll happen, but it started with the first rep. Do you do anything for upper back mobility? Have you tried the cue of packing your neck back as hard as possible?
Great improvement well done BM.
It looks pretty solid, if it feels solid too, then you should be fine.
I can’t see what it is, but in the very bottom position you loose it a bit somehow. I suspect it’s because you go superdeep in your squat.
If you’re into doing some work for improving, then try do some tempo squat, 5 seconds down 5 seconds up, you could hold it in the hole for a second or so. This is for you to feel what is going on during the squat. You’ll be able to correct things during the squat. Like if you feel you’re losing it forward or backward then you can actually fix it during the squat. Or that’s the theory behind it. You could do 1½ rep squats too or pause in the bottom position.
All should be with a light weight, it’s technique work, not strength or hypertrophy work.
But you’re squat is looking so much better I think, so keep up the good work.
Yeah, you make a double chin, but you need to try and stay as tall as possible while doing it so that your head doesn’t come forward. I think I can get a video explaining this better than trying to type it out though, lemme see what I can do.
Edit: you’re looking pretty low on the wall, maybe try and focus on a spot 2 feet up the wall instead of where the wall meets the floor. Could help with keeping your thoracic/cervical spine neutral and rigid.
I had a few drinks last night and don’t think “opening your upper back” was the best terminology, so sorry about that man. Opening your chest with packed shoulder blades is probably more correct and easier to understand. You want your chest open and proud with your shoulder blades packed down and back as much as possible.
This should be combined with the neck thing above and should help lock your upper back in place. It’ll feel like an awful lot of work at first and might wear you out a bit but it’ll be worth it.
Bench felt pretty awful today, but it normally does. Everything else was pretty outstanding though. I can finally feel my back and lat muscles working on certain movements which I didn’t feel before. Upper/mid back is definitely getting bigger which is awesome.
I may make it a point to break one or 2 days between squats and bench. Elbow started feeling funny which is why I cut the first set of bench short. I don’t need that again.
