I think your squats a fine, there is no perfect or this is better form than this or that.
As I’ve said before if the bar travels in a straight line up and down, you are close to your best squat form. If something feels off or wrong, then it’s another animal.
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Thanks, maybe I’m overanalyzing it. My squat has gotten a lot better over the past year, I’ve added close to 100 lbs to what I’ve done for reps so I can’t complain. Nothing hurts while I’m squatting (other than elbow, and with @garagerocker13 advice it’s helped to ease that pain. Even though his advice was geared towards back issues). I’m definitely “ok” with my squat form but being better never hurts.
I guess sometimes it doesn’t feel right and looking back at video makes me think it doesn’t look quite right either. I feel like I have bad proportions for squat which makes it just look and feel slightly off, not like it matters or anything. Like you said, though, there is no perfect.
Edit: and I’m not trying to discount the advice you have given me too, mortdk, by mentioning garagerocker up there. Both of you guys are invaluable to me, as is everyone else that posts here.
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Week 3 Lower 2
Zercher work up to 210x1
135x13, 60 sec rest, 135x12
Walking lunges BW+50lb 4x20, 1x30
Worked on front squat form for about 20 minutes with heeled lifting shoes. It definitely felt better than without them and I was able to complete a couple reps with 115lb. I still wasn’t able to stay upright enough and the weight crept forward. Going to watch some more videos and keep working on it.
Zerchers are my favorite movement right now. It just feels so awesome. The skin on my arms disagree though, especially with the Ohio bar knurling. I didn’t think it was too intense on my hands, but on non calloused skin it’s pretty wild.
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Week 3 Upper 2
OHP work up to 120x1
85x14, 60 second rest, 85x8
Dip 350- 20, 13, 12- Total 45
DB Row 350 @52.5lb- 30, 20, 18- Total 68
Pull up 5x5
Band curl- 3 sets, last rep went halfway and held on for dear life. Took about 45 seconds to drop back down to my sides.
Went overboard on first ohp 70% set, but I’m cool with it. I went basically to complete failure on every set of this workout. Nice pump and a fun session. Loving this program, and I don’t feel very beat up either.
Possible deload? Not too sure what to do at this point I’ll have to do some research on what Paul recommends.
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Week 4 Lower 1
Squat
Work up to 300x1
235x12, 60 second rest, 235x12
SLDL
Work up to 300x3
245x12
Walking lunge 5x40
Single on squat felt pretty easy. I was considering going up in weight but opted to use the energy on the high rep sets and I’m glad I did. It doesn’t get easier. Going up to 245 next week for squats.
SLDL felt good. Sticking to 245 for now and working up to 16 reps before I go up in weight.
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Think you’re close to a 405 lb squat?
Haha I wish man!!! I’d venture a guess and say I could get 330-340 up with a gun to my head. I’ve only hit 315 for 1 like 5 months ago so I don’t see myself being able to add 90 lbs on in that short of time.
Judging by my current rate of progress I should be around low to mid 400s DL, mid to high 300 squat and my bench and ohp will have regressed *by this time next year lol. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong with bench and ohp but they’re not budging. Hoping that adding some size will help me turn the corner and bust through this never ending plateau with them.
Actually it feels like my progress has been stalled out for quite some time on all the lifts lately. Could be BW related, we’ll see.
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Week 4 Upper 1
Bench work up to 210x1 (PR!)
165x12, 60 sec rest 165x6
Incline press 95x25, 14, 14, Total- 53
Pendlay row 175x8, 175x8, 145x12, 145x12
Band pull down 30, 16, 15
Band curls
Gotta hand it to @tlgains for lighting a fire under my ass (inadvertantly). 210 went up slow, but I had no doubt I could get it up. Not really a true max effort but pretty close. It’s not in the program but fuck it. I want a 2 plate bench before the world ends. So close to it.
All weights will stay the same on upper 1 next week (or after deload). I’d like to hit 30 reps on incline before I go up to 100.
I accidentally put on 5’s instead of 2.5s on low rep rows, but got all reps with minimal body english so they’ll stay at 175. I knew it felt oddly heavy.
Feeling good, happy with today and I’m gonna go carb load with some beers haha.
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Good work dude!!!
Awesome bench soon you’ll hit 225 lbs
I’m sure you can tho.
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Hey BM
You’re doing great on this program, it seems like it fits you very well.
The heavy single (apart from the bench) is that about 90% of your 1RM?
It could be that the program is more hypertrophy related than strength related.
So I would keep up the work, if you’re getting more reps on the amrap sets/50% sets/350 sets then you’re getting stronger.
And to me it looks like you’re getting more reps. So you’re stronger.
I’m not sure you need a deload btw, if you’re feeling good and not worn out, then I don’t think a deload is necessary. But as you said take a look a Pauls advice on deloads.
Just looked back at previous 4 weeks, you’ve been doing more weight and/or more reps on just about everything,
That, of course, is probably not going to carry on forever, but if you really want it can for a long time.
I had a great progress at one point when I did a wendler program that called for me to at least do 1 rep more than previous on one of the days lifts. I knew what I had to do to, and I did it for about 6 month maybe a bit more. I’m a bit disappointed by myself I switched at that point. I’m sure I could have carried on.
When things starts to stall out, then you have 3 main lifts right? Make a deal with yourself at least one of them have to be a rep PR lift. That is just one rep but it’s one more than last time, meaning you’ve become stronger. Very very easy, but very very hard.
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Hey mortdk, thanks for checking in.
Paul suggests around 85% for the single. I’m right about in that range as I just took my 531 week weights and used them for that. I have been going up in weight in the overwarmups if the last single I do feels easy, so I’ll add 10-20lbs and do another. I’d rather not lose my top end strength, but even if I do I know it’ll come back fairly quick.
I’ll probably hold off on the deload for a little while like you said. I still feel pretty fresh so I’ll just roll with it.
I like that idea, I’ll definitely do that.
My one issue with this program is that there arent any “real” deadlifts. It might be for the best though. I think that they really burn me out quickly, so I may have to do them sparingly whenever I switch programs again.
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Did some hill sprints with the dog yesterday and today at the park. Not sure if she’s lazy or something but by the end I was pretty much dragging her up the hill. I think my cardio is a bit better than I think it is (not that it’s even “good” by conventional standards). I’ve definitely gotten way faster.
This is probably going to become a very irregular thing but I enjoyed it a lot more than the stationary bike.
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Week 4 Lower 2
Zercher work up to 225x1( +15lb PR)
155x12, 60 sec rest 155x12
Walking lunge +50lb 5x25
Pressed for time so I skipped front squat work.
Definitely had at least another 25-30 lbs on zercher single. Wore a sweatshirt because the bar is tearing the hell out of my arms, still have bruises from last week. 225 moved well but I have to work on holding my initial brace all the way through the single rep. I cannot breathe with 225 at the top. 155 wasn’t an issue and I’ll probably stick with it for next week before going up in weight.
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Wanted to add that I may just ditch out on front squat period. I truly enjoy zerchers so much that I don’t want to get rid of them. Still hitting quads with zercher, and getting some extra upper back/bicep work in as well. I think hitting a 300 with zercher would be fucking awesome, so with no DL at this point, I think that may be my goal for the time being.
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That looks like it hurts a lot
Definitely not a good feeling, for sure.
Week 4 Upper 2
OHP work up to 120x1
85x12, 60 sec, 85x11
BW dip 18,15,12 Total-45
DB row @ 62.5lb- 20,18,15 Total-53
Chin 6,6,6,6,5
Curls x3, last set was a double dropset
Having a tough time pushing OHP and bench. Lower body stuff is pretty easy for me to push hard, but upper body just isn’t clicking with me. It’s definitely difficult and it feels hard but I just can’t eek out extra reps like I do with lower body stuff.
There is not really a strain when I am getting to the end of the 50% sets, the reps just slow waayyy down and I can’t lift it, there isnt any way I can “make” myself do it like on squats or deadlifts. Pretty strange. All weights stay the same next week on upper 2.
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Awesome Zercher BM, looked pretty good.
About straining on pressing, I’ve got the same issue. when it’s done it’s done.
You could do a rest pause to squeeze out an extra rep rep or two.
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I may do that just to get up to the twelve reps for the day on ohp and bench days, great idea mortdk.
Not sure if I should count them as true reps for the 50% sets though correct?
So if I did
85lbx12, 60 sec rest, 85x8, RPx4
I’d only count the first and second set, not the RP set and only go up in weight once I hit 85x12, 60 sec rest, 85x12.
Quick add for this morning. I have to start eating more again. Weight dropped at the beginning of the quarantine thing but leveled out pretty quickly back to 200-202 in the morning. I don’t think I’ve gained any weight in the past 5-6 months or so. Without looking back in the log I actually think I was 207 when we got our dog, so in reality I’m down 5 lbs.
I’ve been eating like an asshole lately though, which I thought might help. It’s getting a bit more difficult to have a lot of food on hand because we only go to the store once every two weeks to try and keep away from the public.