Bands are weird that way. Going along easy af then muscles are screaming for relief. Next set that happens much sooner.
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Friday, March 8 - Light squat/main deadlift day
Squat
345x2x6 - 45 sec. rest - moved well but feels funny after doing a bunch of squatting in wraps on Tuesday, I get used to getting launched out of the hole and it just doesn’t happen here.
Deadlift
540x3 - first two were easy, hips were high on the 3rd rep so it was a bit harder but no problem still. Probably could have pulled it for 4.
The problem today was that when I pulled 315x3 for a warmup set I got a cramp on my right side, I think it was the oblique. It wasn’t anything major but often something like that can become a major problem when you keep on training so I was a bit apprehensive. I foam rolled the area and dug my thumb into it and it loosened up slightly, fortunately when I put my belt on it seemed to make the feeling go away. I was ready to quit at any moment but in the end it was fine and I didn’t feel a thing when actually lifting. It is somewhat risky business dealing with stuff like this so if it got any worse I would have called it for the day, not worth fucking myself up for nothing.
490x6 singles - 1 min. rest - started off real fast but pretty slow on the last two. I will increase breaks to 90 seconds next week so that I can keep progressing without cutting reps, I’m not doing many rep anyway
Deficit deadlift
470x4, 3 - A bit harder than last week, all the stuff before this was heavier so it’s expected. I could have done another rep or two on the 2nd set but I don’t want to grind too much, it’s just not worth straining on too many DL sets.
Barbell row
395x5x3 sets - aka super cheat row
Looks like my deadlift is back on track, finally. I made a few bad moves in the last few months and wasted a bunch of time but I think my technique is actually a bit better so that’s a plus. Or at least that’s what I try to tell myself.
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strong DL session, keep it going
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Monday, March 11 - Main bench day
Bench press
370x3 singles
330x2x2
Last night I laid down in bed for a minute then got back up to turn off light, as I stood up I got a cramp in my left adductor, in the front portion (brevis, longus, pectineus?) but I was tired so I just went to sleep. This morning it was still bugging me, I tried to loosen it up a bit but nothing seemed to work so I just went to train. The problem is that the way I set my legs when I bench puts a bit of stretch on whatever it was that was bugging me and it was hurting a lot, it got a bit better by the last couple warmup sets but at first I could barely arch or use any leg drive. Benching went well, the bar moved fast but I was in severe discomfort the whole time. I figured out a while ago that I have some sort of adductor disfunction on the left side, I have been doing some stuff to fix it and it’s better than before but this was pretty bad and I’m not sure what caused it.
Floor press
335x3x2
Close grip incline
255x6x2 - adductor felt 90% better by now, arching both aggravated and stretched it but eventually it relaxed.
Floor pause DB flys
60’s x13, 11, 9
Band pushdown
light band x15, 12, 9
Chin ups - wide overhand
bw+35x6x3
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Tuesday, March 12 - Main squat day
Squat with wraps
525x1 - good depth but my hips came up just a little bit too fast, nothing major but it would have been easier otherwise. Still fairly easy.
555x1 - No problem on the way up but not satisfied with depth, it looks to me like it’s right at parallel. Maybe a cm or two better than last week’s 550 and it moved roughly the same, maybe a bit faster, so at least I’m not getting worse. The wraps feel pretty much natural at this point and neither the wraps nor mobility seem to be the limiting factor on depth here, it’s totally technical. Basically, the heavier weights make me a little nervous (as you could expect) and anxious to come back up, I just need to allow myself to go a tiny bit deeper.
470x3x2 sets - nothing challenging here but the very last rep was messed up, my hips suddenly shifted backwards a bit as I hit the hole and this ended up being the hardest rep of the day.
Dead squat
395x6 singles - 90 sec. rest - starting to get challenging here
Snatch grip RDL
155x8x3 sets - 30 sec. rest
As far as my adductor issue, it was totally fine today which was a relief. Last night I figured out a way to really get into it with a lacrosse ball, that helped a lot. This morning it was that lousy pectineus muscle that was a bit stiff so I rolled it some more, once I started warming up I didn’t notice a thing. I’m not really sure how this issue came about, for a while my psoas was tight on both sides and especially the left, that stopped bothering me a while back but for whatever reason the “short adductors” (meaning not the adductor magnus) started fucking around. It just felt like some vague tightness in my hip when squatting and a few times I had some cramping like the night before but not as bad.
I don’t remember any incident where it felt like I might have strained something in that area, and from what I hear it would have hurt like hell too. Anyway, it looks like I have it under control at this point. I feared for the worst today but it actually felt fine, oddly enough.
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Last two sessions were strong as hell besides the little nagging problems
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I try my best.
Thursday, March 14 - Bench assistance day
Close grip bench
340x3, 3 - very last rep was all-out, got stuck a few inches from lockout and though I was going to fail but somehow I managed to push through. It seems like a lot of hard, grinding sets is good for my bench.
Close grip slingshot
395x2x2 - My triceps didn’t have much left after that last set, not sure I could have managed a triple here so I did what I could. OK still.
Military press
230x5, 4
Skull crusher
145x12, 10, 8, 6
Face pulls
light band x25, 25, 25, 19
The pectineus on my left side was fucking around again, it feels fine except for when I arch for benching. Not half as bad as last time though. The only other thing where it bothers me is sleeping on my side, I woke up last night with it aching a bit and I changed positions and it was fine. This is just since Sunday. At least I can still squat and deadlift without any problems.
There’s no stopping a powerlifter as long as he can do these two 
2 Likes
Friday, March 15 - Light squat/main deadlift day
Squat
345x2x6 - 45 sec. rest
Deadlift
550x3 - a 5lb PR, finally. The last rep was a struggle, I think the bar was too far in front of me on the floor but I just went and pulled it anyway. Trying to fix my setup probably would have messed me up even worse. Anyway, at least I’m moving in the right direction.
500x6 singles - 90 sec. rest
Not that easy, that triple took a lot out of me, but these didn’t get much harder as it went on.
Deficit deadlift
475x3x2
Barbell row
400x5x3
I will post a video of the 550x3 later.
2 Likes
Here’s the 550x3 video:
4 Likes
Monday, March 18 - Main bench day
Bench press
375x3 singles - moved well, nice and easy.
335x2x2
Floor press
340x3x2 sets - this just keeps getting stronger and stronger, getting close to my comp. bench
Close grip incline
260x6x2 sets
Floor pause DB flys
60’s x14, 12, 10
Band pushdowns
light band x16, 13, 9
Chin ups - wide overhand grip
bw +40x6, 6, 5
1 Like
Was just taking another look at this vid. Comparing squat depth in wraps between you, me and the guy who has that new thread on his squat.
I thinking I could go a smidge deeper personally but not much with current technique/wrapping. Maybe hitting the bottom a bit harder/faster to squish down a bit too
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You can’t actually see your hip crease because of your shirt, but it looks to me like that should pass. That’s why when I get close to a meet I start squatting and benching in a singlet, I need to make sure I’m hitting depth and keeping my ass on the bench an if I’m not, I want to fix it in training rather than on my 2nd attempt.
Aiming to go an inch or two deeper wouldn’t hurt. The thing is that it’s easier to have good technique with light weights, once you get 90%+ on your back you might start cutting depth so if you get used to squatting a couple inches deeper than necessary you shouldn’t have a problem with the max weights.
2 Likes
Tuesday, March 19 - Main squat day
Not what I was hoping for
Squat with wraps
530x1 - this was quite a bit harder than it should be, comparing videos it looks almost like 555 from last week. Depth was borderline, like right at parallel. I was going to go for 560 but it would have been an all-out max considering how this went. Everything felt a bit heavier today, I guess I’m burning out. I was thinking a while back that maybe I should deload every 4th week instead of every 5th, I think that’s what I will do in the future. Next block is 3 weeks + taper anyway, I set it up that way to make sure I don’t accumulate too much fatigue right before the meet. I’m not doing a ton of volume but intensity is fairly high.
Next:
475x1, 3 - 1st set: did one rep, my stomach felt funny, I racked the bar and ran to the bathroom. Next set, the last rep turned into a good morning. Depth looked alright at least, but this just isn’t my day to say the least.
Dead squat
420x4 singles - 2 min. rest - I was going to go for 5-6 singles depending on how it went but I’m not sure I could have done a 5th one, these were hard.
Split stance RDL
165x8x3 sets - 30 sec. rest
So in the last couple weeks my main issue was hitting depth on my heaviest singles, this was just a shit session but it can happen now and then. Next week is a deload, after that I will start back at about 545 and work back up, if I can squat a solid 570 then 600 should be there in the meet but I have to take what I can get. I will probably open real light so that I can get my opener in without any issue. My squat just isn’t going how I would like it to at this point, but at least my bench and deadlift are looking OK.
2 Likes
Thursday, March 21 - Bench assistance day
Close grip bench
345x2x2 - went for a triple on the first set and failed, first two reps were no problem but I got stuck on the third and couldn’t grind it out. I don’t really feel tired or anything today but I just don’t have my usual drive, I guess I’m overreaching a bit.
Close grip slingshot
400x2x2 - barely finished the 2nd set
Military press
235x4, 3 - This was worse than expected.
Skull crusher
150x10, 9, 7 - I would have done a 4th set but my triceps are not in the mood
Face pulls
light band x25, 25, 25, 20 - this wasn’t so bad
Well, lesson learned, use shorter blocks to avoid burning out. If I stayed further from failure most of the time then I could probably push it for longer but that doesn’t seem to yield better results.
2 Likes
Friday, March 22 - Light squat/main deadlift day
Squat
345x2x6 - 45 sec. rest
Deadlift
560x1 - The goal would have been 3 but that wasn’t likely so I was ready to settle for 2 but even that didn’t happen. First rep was alright and a 2n should have been there but I started pulling and got totally out of position, hip shot right up. Not sure if the bar came off the floor or just the plates on the inside due to the bar bending but if I had kept pulling it wouldn’t have ended well. I’m not too worried, after the deload I should be fine and I should be able to pull 600 when I’m not totally burnt out.
510x5 singles - 2 min. rest
Deficit DL
480x3, 2 - the first set was hard so I decided to do a double for the 2nd, that wasn’t much easier.
Barbell row
405x4, 3 - complete shit here, no energy left, that’s it for this week. I don’t really think that functional overreaching works but this is one of those times that I would like to believe that it does.
1 Like
great work Chris, keep it going
I don’t know about that, seems like shitty work since Tuesday. April will be good, I’m sure of that.
Monday, March 25 - Main bench day - deload
Bench press
355x2 singles - I figure keeping the intensity high on this might be better, and it isn’t hard anyway
305x2
Floor press
310x3
Close grip incline
235x3x2 sets
Floor pause DB flys
55’sx9x2
Band pushdown
Light band x9x2
Chin ups - wide overhand
bw+10x4x2
Sleep last night was terrible. I had a hard time falling asleep and then at 4:30am the smoke detector outside my room decided it needed to be tested and started beeping. After that, the one downstairs did the same thing. Not sure if I actually slept again after that. The smoke detectors in this house are all connected by wires, you can’t take out the battery to turn it off, they are a pain in the ass. At least I felt alright once I got moving but I’m supposed to be recovering this week, not accumulating more fatigue.
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