Thanks man! Was definitely super pumped about it and needed to vent that energy somehow 
After my last logged workout I took a ski trip with my brother. Came back and was weak as bawlz and felt really fatigued and depressed until yesterday. I got my groove back and went at it this morning pretty hard. Felt good to get back into things. Usual PWO protocol. Focused a little harder on Agile 8 to bust up anything that was tight from sitting still throughout my break.
1/13/2020 - Squat Day
45 x 5
135 x 5
170 x 5
205 x 3
240 x 5
280 x 5
315 x 8
240 x 15
Circuit:
Band-assisted pull-up x 10
35 lb DB seated press (no back support) x 10
Ab wheel roll-outs x 10
Doing the Widowmaker Circuit program from Forever for 2 leaders and an anchor. The main reasons for doing this are to get in better cardio shape and learn to be less of a candy-ass. I have a habit of just trying not to get hurt rather than pushing my sets and I’m making a conscious effort not to do that. First time through went pretty well considering how I’ve felt for the last two weeks. Fucked up in thinking that I could do 5 sets of 10 pull-ups unassisted and under fatigue…gonna just do band-assisted. Other than that all went well.
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1/14/2020 - Bench Day
Woke up pretty damn sore from yesterday, didn’t sleep the best. Oh well. Coffee and some fruit snacks, Agile 8 and jumps.
Bench
45 x 5
90 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 3
165 x 5
190 x 5
215 x 10 - Paused PR
165 x 13 - GASSED from PR set
Circuit
10 push-ups
12 chest-supported DB rows (40 lbs)
10 RFESS (25 lb plate in opposite hand from working leg)
I feel really good about how far I pushed both the PR set and the widowmaker set. I didn’t get grindy but rep 11 with 215 woulda been sketchy at best. The circuits are just kicking my ass, you really need to be a different kind of conditioned to do these well. For now I’m keeping my balls outta the equation and using reasonable weights until I get my work capacity in order. I’m gonna hurt tomorrow, but it’s an off-day and I plan on walking today and tomorrow to recover some.
1/16/2020 - Deadlift Day
Went to my chiropractor 1/15 and he popped something in my hip/low back on the side that hurts regularly. It felt like an out-of-body experience and I immediately felt better. Still felt good 1/16 morning. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set: 10
Widowmaker: 15
Circuit:
TRX Row x 10 reps
Incline DB bench 60 lbs x 10 reps
Suitcase Carries 70 lbs x 1 trip down-and-back in basement (30 feet each way)
Everything moved well and felt good, the suitcase carries were super tough at 70 lbs because I used my Spud traveling farmer’s walk with a rotating handle. Other than that everything was good and not super challenging.
1/17/2020 - Press Day
Woke up at 11PM with a straight up dreamception night terror, that’s a new thing for me. Fucked up my sleep so I slept in until 5 and got moving. Normal PWO routine. Superset every set of press with 5 pull-ups.
PR Set: 11 reps - PR
Widowmaker: 15 reps
Circuit: 5 rounds in 16:45
Dips BWT x 10 reps
BB Curls 55 lbs x 10 reps
DB 1 leg SLDL 30 lbs x 10 reps/leg
1/20/2020 - Squat Day
Felt really good this morning. Didn’t do much this weekend besides relax, so that probably had something to do with it. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set: 335 x 8 - PR
WM: 260 x 15
Circuit: 5 rounds in 16:03
DB Seated Press: 45 lbs x 10
TRX Row: BWT x 10
Farmer’s Walk: 70 lbs/hand x 80 feet
The weight flew up pretty good today and I felt minimally lopsided in the effort department which was nice. I felt I was more muscle-limited than cardio-limited today and that’s a good thing. The circuit sucked but was fun - the rotating handles on my Spud Travelling Farmer’s Walk really makes my grip the weak link, especially on my right side. Probably need it.
1/21/2020 - Bench Day
Up and at 'em. Sore and tired from Monday’s session and table tennis. Usual PWO routine.
PR Set: 230 x 6
Widowmaker: 180 x 17
Circuit: 5 rounds in 18 min
Plate Raise 25 lb plate x 10
Chest Supported DB row 45 lbs x 10
RFESS 45 lbs x 10 reps/leg
Hip cramped on the PR set and I pretty much did the last 3 reps with my feet up. Not too upset about still hitting 6 with it. Circuit was rough, tried the first time through with a 45 lb plate and didn’t have the scrote for it. Other than that felt good and got through.
1/23/2020 - Deadlift Day
Had to take 2 Benadryl last night thanks to an allergic reaction to my cat…it wasn’t worn off at 4 this morning so I slept 'til about 5:15. Late start but got moving. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set: 350 x 8
Widowmaker: 275 x 14
Circuit: 5 rounds in 19:00
Incline DB bench 60 lbs x 10
Inverted rows on racked barbell BWT x 15
Suitcase carries 55 lbs x 100 feet
Did OK today, the left side of my back was overactive for some reason so I was lopsided. Circuit felt really good, was gassed by the end but that’s supposed to happen.
1/24/2020 - Press Day
Feeling rough this morning. Had tacos and 2 beers with the wife last night and it kicked my ass. Nauseous and groggy but shit happens. Normal PWO routine, other than swapping in honey as my carb source because fruit snack supplies are low.
PR Set: 120 x 11
Widowmaker: 95 x 13
Circuit: 5 times through in 15 minutes flat - PR
Dips BWT x 10
BB Curl 55 lbs x 10
DB SLDL 25 lbs x 10 reps/side
I felt like hot, hammered shit today but it probably helped kick my mind into “get shit done” mode. Got through, set a time PR, and am happy with how the big boy sets went.
1/27/2020 - Squat Day
Last night I took a 5mg melatonin and had chamomile tea with passionflower extract, then slept better than I have in a long time. Woke up feeling really good both mentally and physically. 2 Tbsp honey and my normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 350 x 6
Widowmaker - 280 x 12
Circuit: 5 times through in 15:25
DB seated press (no back support) - 45 lbs x 10
TRX Row - BWT x 10
Farmer’s Carries - 55 lbs per hand x 80 feet
Overall nothing remarkable and nothing terrible either. 350 x 6 wasn’t a PR but was close IIRC. Got my circuit time down and am happy with that. Grip limited on farmer’s carries and TRX rows because both use handles that rotate. Working on manning up.
1/28/2020 - Bench Day
I woke up on my own at 3:15 today and, rather than go back to sleep, got moving. Fuck you, sandman. I got maltodextrin powder last night and mixed 1/2 cup of it with 1 scoop protein, 16 oz water, and 1/4 tsp salt. Drank 1/2 while warming up and finished the rest throughout the workout. Other than that, normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 240 x 7 - Rep PR
Widowmaker - 190 x 16 - Another Rep PR
Circuit: 5 times through in 18:10
Plate raise - 25 lbs x 15
Chest-supported DB row - 45 lbs x 10
I think the maltodextrin and salt helped me a little today. I wasn’t feeling good but still set lifetime PRs. All credit doesn’t go to the PWO protocol, though. I think I’ve manned up pretty significantly and have learned to struggle. Pervertor also helped clean my form up, so I think it’s been multiple things going right that have gotten me here.
Also, I’ve committed to eating in a surplus until I’m through with Widowmaker Circuits. After that I think I’ll tighten up nutrition (not go into a deficit, just smarter food choices) and do Coffinworm to lead up to a mock meet in May.
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I tried this once, and it made me ANGRY! I mean, don’t even look at me or I will rip off your head and shit down your throat, angry. No idea why. Never touched it again.
Really? That’s odd! It makes a huge difference with my anxiety in a small dose and helps me sleep with a little higher dose. Since I got a packet of it I haven’t had a single spell of insomnia longer than 1-2 nights, and, for me, that’s a big deal.
Then again, Ambien just makes me forget things and does little to help me sleep. Found that out the hard way…
I was having major anxiety issues at the time so maybe that had something to do with it, but I have never tried it again. Lol
Ambien put my dad in a near comatose state. Had to call the EMS and the works. Do not recommend.
Just wanted to stop by and say I’m in (albeit a little late) for your log. You’re PRing like an mfer.
You may have said in your first post, but how long have you been lifting for?
Hey, thanks man! I’m just glad I’ve gotten my head outta my ass and gotten most aspects of training under control. I’ve been lifting for about 8 years and been serious about it for 6.
I overextended myself pretty bad in college and in the first few years after, got pretty banged up, and had some issues with over-restricting food and binge eating. Biggest contributors to recent success have been consistently eating enough of the right things, understanding good bracing and core positioning (which is especially important because I have deformed lumbar vertebrae), and finding the fine line between trashing myself and being a candy-ass.
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I’m finding this is a very thin line and I walk it with abandon haha.
Awesome lifts man. Your bench and squat are what I’m kind of loosely shooting for this time next year, hopefully around the same BW I’m at now. That squat PR must’ve felt awesome.
I still fuck it up from time to time, but it’s rare enough I can recover. haha
Thanks for the compliment! Looks like we’re about similar size, or at least you’re near the weight I started the year at…probably gonna be a little heavier than that by the end of this program. Shirts/pants are already getting tight after 3 weeks.
The squat was nice, wasn’t a complete PR as I got 450 with a belt and a wide-ass stance, but I couldn’t walk right for a week after that. Felt like I was smuggling a couple oranges in my breeches after that bench though, I’d tried 300 about 10 times before and never made it. Goal for my mock meet is to go 450-315-500 beltless, we’ll see how that goes.
Also, I’d imagine that if you eat right you’ll hit that squat and bench sooner than this time next year, how long have you been lifting?
Do you do mock meets periodically? And do you find they have any benefit to your training? 450-315-500 sounds amazing and for sure attainable in the very near future for you even right now? I’ll be looking out for that.
I’ve been lifting about 2 years-ish? Maybe a little bit longer I can’t quite remember. Started 531 at the get-go, which in my opinion was a mistake for me. A slow progression for my starting numbers (essentially the bar) wasn’t what I needed but everyone vouched for it so I just did it. I could probably have some better numbers at this point if I hadn’t, but it’s all water under the bridge. Happy coasting on 531 for now.