I prefer to wear it low, because that is where I brace.
Same here. It felt weird having it high.
Bench
107.5 lbs - 1x5
122.5 lbs - 1x5
137.5 lbs - 1x5
107.5 lbs - 5x10
Medicine ball leg raises - 1x50
Bench leg curls - 52.5 lbs - 2x15
I got zero sleep last night. I think it’s because I did my deadlift workout in the evening and took preworkout beforehand. Caffeine may have disrupted my sleep. I’m thinking of going 30 days with no caffeine soon to see how that goes.
1 Like
Generally any caffeine after 2 or 3 isn’t a great idea, especially if it’s a big dose (like what comes in most pre-workouts). Do you feel like you’re super dependent on it to get through your day or your workout?
It’s a bit of a vicious cycle because when you get no sleep you feel like you need caffeine to get through the day. But yeah, I think I had it around 6 pm or something but went to bed around 1 am but could not sleep at all.
Yep, I have that problem a lot. Always had a hard time sleeping and always loved caffeine. Your best bet is to cut off caffeine early afternoon regardless of how tired you are and then just grit out the rest of your day. Then you should get decent sleep and be better the next day.
Squats
***** WEAR BELT *****
162.5 lbs - 1x5
185 lbs - 1x5
205 lbs - 1x5
162.5 lbs - 5x10
Dips +10 lbs: 5x10 (superset w/ rows)
Pendlay rows: 82.5 lbs - 5x10
I forgot to wear my lifting belt for squatting up until I started my 5x10 set. The 205 lbs set got shakey on last rep but I think if I had the belt would have been smoother. I added WEAR BELT note to remember next time. 
2 Likes
Shit happens man. I’d take this 1,000,000 times before misloading a bar…which I’ve done on a few occasions. Kudos on going from not squatting to squatting 205 x 5 in not much time. Your work is paying off. Would love to see a video of the heavier set just to see how your form is progressing.
I actually recorded the last two sets (185, 205) but the recording isn’t the greatest. I could post later. I might consider lowing my TM for squat after I deload and test my TM. Assuming I can’t hit 5x reps. I want my heavy reps to be clean/smooth.
That’d be cool if you could post them. Make sure you use video so that you don’t confuse “heavy” for “slow”. As you add weight the bar will feel heavy, which might make the rep feel slow. I’ve done some reps that feel like grinders that take forever, but then I watch the video and it was maybe 3% slower than the previous, lighter set.
1 Like
185 lbs Squat
205 lbs Squat
Not happy wth form on 205. Think belt would have helped. Sorry, video isn’t the greatest. I was just recording to see the depth.
2 Likes
Dude those are honestly two decent sets of squats. The two biggest things I can spot that will help you improve:
-
Tighten your grip on the bar and try and break it across your back. Your wrist angle keeps changing throughout the set which means your upper back isn’t being held tight. Fixing this will make the weights feel a lot lighter and will stabilize you throughout the range of motion.
-
You’re squatting down pretty fast which prevents you from keeping your torso tight. You’re also losing out on time under tension which causes muscle growth. When you do your TM test try squatting down under control - not “slow”, just under control. You may have to lower your training max a bit but you’ll get a lot stronger a lot quicker that way.
Here’s an example for squatting under control - this was a 1 rep max attempt
Overall though, your squat looks really good for the amount of time you’ve been doing it. Just keep at it, slow your descent a bit and you’ll keep progressing.
Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I will likely just lower it a bit just so I can get that more controlled movement that you’re talking about.
1 Like
Press
95 lbs - 1x5
107.5 lbs - 1x5
120 lbs - 1x5
95 lbs - 4x10,1x9 (failed last rep…got halfway up)
Medicine ball leg raises - 1x50
Bench leg curls - 55 lbs - 1x15, 52.5 lbs - 1x15
Bit of a bummer that I missed that last rep.
That’s a good set there, you can tell the weight is pretty heavy for you. What’s funny is your first rep looked like a 1RM but then the rest of them moved OK until the fifth one. Was this your last week of this program? 95 for a 5 x 10 is no joke at all.
Yeah, this is week 3 of the program so it’s the last week. That’s why I’m recording because these are the heaviest lifts so far so want to see what my form is like. Next week is deload/TM test.
1 Like
Deadlift
227.5 lbs - 1x5
257.5 lbs - 1x5
287.5 lbs - 1x5
227.5 lbs - 5x10
Dips - +10 lbs: 15,15,7,10/3 (90 sec rest)
Face pulls bands - 50 lbs - 1x100
That 5x10 was rough near the end (to be expected).
I think the biggest thing holding me back is sleep. Last night I got about 4 hours and night before didn’t sleep. Despite not drinking coffee these past few days. I took preworkout though. Dry scooped it for the first time. 
Wonder if others have made progress with such shitty sleep?
Also, based on my squat form should I lower, keep the same or increase my TM for it next cycle?
Dude I’ve slept like that for almost 30 years. It’s not ideal but you can still progress if you eat well and can take advantage of times where your sleep is good. Eat smart around bedtime - don’t stuff yourself and make sure you get a serving of slow-digesting carbs and protein in your last meal of the day.
I would do a TM test next week and see what your best set of 5 is with a controlled descent. Then use that as your training max. What program are you doing next?
Yup.
3 Likes