I don’t do mock meets really at all, but I know I wanna do a real one in November so I should get used to pushing all 3 big lifts in a day. I’ll report out on whether they help or not. haha 500 on deadlift has been a huge mental sticking point for me. I’ve broken it off the ground twice, but freaked out both times and lost position. I should be strong enough to do more than that.
Starting on 531 may have slowed your progress early, but it shoulda made a good habit for you of keeping training balanced. That should be paying off right about now and keeping you from getting banged up. Enjoy the ride, I’ve been doing 531 for about 5 years now and haven’t grown bored of it yet.
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1/30/2020 - Deadlift Day
Woke up groggy as hell but did what was needed. I’d say I didn’t actually wake up until the PR set.
PR Set - 370 lbs x 10 - PR
Widowmaker - 295 lbs x 10 - Gassed
Circuit - 5 times through in 18:45
Incline DB press - 65 lbs x 10
Inverted rows on racked barbell - BWT x 12
Suitcase carries - 55 lbs x 80 feet
If you’da told me when I woke up that I’d hit a PR today there’s no way I woulda believed it. Buuuuut it happened and I’m happy with it. I do think the extra carbs pre/intra-workout add a rep or two to the PR set. Left side still did a little more work than the right but I’ll get that under control. Not hurting too bad as of now. Accidentally upped the weight on the IDBB because present GarageRocker doesn’t trust past GarageRocker’s math…shouldn’ta done that.
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1/31/2020 - Press Day
Got up later because I had to be at work later. I liked it. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 130 lbs x 7
Widowmaker - 100 lbs x 13
Circuit: 5 times through in 16:30
BB Curls - 55 lbs x 10
Dips - BWT x 15
DB 1 leg SLDL - 25 lbs x 10 reps/leg
I probably pushed everything a little too hard yesterday - I felt off all day after my workout and felt a little extra beat up today. Still moved the weight and hit 7 reps on my 1+ day, so can’t complain, but my body was definitely crankier than normal. Leary to up the weight on the SLDLs because my balance is shit, but I think it’s time.
2/3/2020 - Squat Day
Woke up feeling pretty shitty. Went skiing Saturday morning and took a few pretty nasty falls. Spent my time at the terrain park and had a few hard landings off of jumps too. Buuuut life goes on. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 325 x 10 - lifetime PR
Widowmaker - 250 x 20 - first official full-balls widowmaker
Circuit - 5 rounds in 18:30
DB seated press - 50 lbs x 10
TRX row - BWT x 10
Spud travelling farmer’s walks - 55 lbs x 80 feet
As bad as I felt, I had zero expectations for this workout. Woulda been happy to get 5 reps for the PR set and get outta there. But, instead, I set two lifetime PRs. I’m finding that learning to truly push on a set or a rep is an invaluable skill. On the widowmaker, the deepest part of my right trap cramped on rep 19 and immediately made the room spin. Rep 20 happened with closed eyes just hoping I could grind it out before I fell over. Might be a bit tender on the morrow…
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Badass!!
250x20 is nuts, and congrats on the PR!
Thanks man! Feeling it today in my knees and neck though, probably didn’t need to push that hard 
maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and my balls will be 3x bigger 
2/4/2020 - Bench Day
Up, feeling strung out and generally like shit today. Mentally not totally into it and accidentally skipped my explosive work…other than that normal PWO stuff.
Bench
PR Set - 220 x 9
Widowmaker - 170 x 8 - neck cramp
Circuit - 5 times through in 19:00
Plate Raise - 25 lbs x 15
Chest-supported DB row - 50 lbs per hand x 10
RFESS - 50 lbs x 10 reps/leg
I’ve probably been banging the rev limiter a little too hard a little too often. I got the work done today but am pretty strung out and don’t feel good. Deadlift day will be minimum required reps. Going to walk today, tomorrow, and Friday to see if it helps.
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2/6/2020 - Deadlift Day
Up and at 'em. Felt better today. Took yesterday off work because I felt mentally and physically beat up. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 340 lbs x 5
Widowmaker - 260 lbs x 5
Circuit - 5 times through in 17:30
Incline DB press - 65 lbs x 10
Inverted row - BWT x 15
Suitcase carry - 55 lbs x 80 feet
I took it easy today as a mental and physical re-set. I feel much better, though unaccomplished. The bright spot is that I did put my balls aside and do what I needed to to recover. I’ll push the press hard tomorrow.
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I have the same issue of trying to go too hard. Been beat up too many times and stopped progressing. It sucks to feel unaccomplished but it’s for the greater good!!
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Same dude. My two speeds are walk and sprint and I should probably learn to shoot for the middle of the two. Feel fucking great today though so glad I backed off yesterday. PR set for press starts in 30 seconds.
2/7/2020 - Press Day
Took me forever and 4 espresso shots to wake up today…didn’t enjoy that. But up and at 'em. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 120 lbs x 10
Widowmaker - 90 lbs x 15
Circuit - 5 times through in 17:20
BB Curls - 55 lbs x 10
Dips - BWT x 15
1 leg SLDL - 25 lbs x 10 reps/side
I felt good but my results weren’t great. I may have totally overrun my recovery, so this weekend I’ll be taking it super easy and trying to sleep a lot. If I don’t feel significantly better Monday I’ll deload next week. Need to hold myself accountable for walking as well, I think it’ll help.
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2/10/2020 - Squat Day
I felt better today. Took a caffeine break on Sunday and it helped me sleep. It’s odd how I need a certain amount of caffeine to function for awhile, then just all at once I end up strung out from it. It used to hit me slowly over time, lately, it’s been sudden. Oh well, got 'er sorted out now. Normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 340 lbs x 8
Widowmaker - 265 x 10 - cut short - neck
Circuit - 5 times through in 16:50
Seated unsupported DB press - 50 lbs x 10
TRX Rows - BWT x 10
Spud travelling farmer’s walk - 55 lbs/side x 80 feet
Overall I felt good, but have been having problems with my neck and jaw, causing some real bad headaches. It’s like my jaw wants me to have an underbite. Most likely, it’s from the way I chew my nails…gonna have to completely stop that. Otherwise, workout went well and I’m pretty happy with the 340 x 8, I pushed the set without totally gassing myself.
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I notice sometimes when I over do caffeine later in the day that I grind my teeth when I sleep, could that be an issue?
Disregard this if you only do your caffeine in the AM, or maybe you’re just getting more sensitive to it. I know a couple people who all of a sudden just can’t handle it anymore. Jittery, crazy fast heart beat, sweating, the works.
Anyway, awesome + set. Hope you can get the neck stuff figured out…
Hey, that can definitely happen. My wife grinds her teeth something fierce at night even without caffeine, but it’s worse if she has pop or something in the afternoon.
I try and change up my caffeine intake depending on how busy I am at work. If I’m busy, I typically need less caffeine. I’d been super slow at work and used caffeine to stay motivated, but never really tapered off once work picked back up again, so I think that was the issue. All good now!
My neck is 100% posture-related. When I chew my nails (terrible habit and 1000 times harder for me to quit than dip was…) I push my head forward, look up, and jut my jaw out. Plus, my eyes are bad and I lean toward my CPU screen in the exact same way as when I bite my nails. I focused really hard on posture and not biting yesterday and am better today.
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2/11/2020 - 3’s Bench Day
DRAGGING ASS today. Not much/great sleep and a lot of physical activity yesterday. Double espresso and normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 235 lbs x 6
Widowmaker - 180 x 17
Circuit - 5 times through in 19 flat
Plate raise - 25 lbs x 15
Chest-supported DB row - 50 lbs/hand x 10
RFESS - 50 lbs x 10 reps/leg
I had a hard time setting my arch today, probably because I’m not recovered from yesterday’s work. Sweating like a whore on nickel night even now, 2 hours after my workout, so I think I overdid the circuit again. Thinking I need to drop the level of effort I put into assistance work a little and see if I feel better. Otherwise, I was happy with the PR set and widowmaker. No PR’s, but I pushed hard.
So I’ve been doing incline treadmill walks with my wife this week (nice perk of working at the same company) for 20 minutes at max incline with a HR of around 120-130. It’s definitely had an effect on how I feel, I can usually feel my heart beating and I can’t anymore. I also feel less stressed and less strung-out which is nice.
I weighed myself post-walk today, expecting to be around 210-ish. I WAS 200 FLAT. 2 meals in, plus a Liquid IV, an hour after eating 2 cups of rice and 10 oz of pork. Recovery has felt a bit weak lately, so I’m gonna try and eat a little more and see what happens.
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2/13/2020 - Deadlift 3’s Day
I auditioned for a band last night, got home at 11 and didn’t get to sleep 'til 1. Woke up at 5 so I’m pretty tired. Ended up not being a good fit for me so I probably wasted my time. Oh well, normal PWO routine.
PR Set - 360 x 3
Widowmaker - RDL 280 x 8
Circuit - 5 times through in 13:15
Incline DB bench - 50 lbs x 10
Inverted row - BWT x 10
Suitcase carries - 55 lbs x 80 feet
I didn’t feel good and my back was tender today - I had to wear my safety shoes yesterday and couldn’t fit my foot lift in them. My gait was immediately different and lopsided, so that contributed. Oddly enough, conventional style felt better today. It was a wide conventional with heels at hip width or wider, but it felt nice. I didn’t push things hard today because I had 4 hours’ sleep and didn’t wanna dig a recovery hole for myself.
How tall are you if you don’t mind me asking? We’re the same weight right now, but obviously your lifts destroy mine haha.
How did the audition go?
I’m juuuuuust shy of 5’9" last I checked. Definitely happy to be on the shorter side - as much as I fall, I’m glad it’s a short journey to the ground. haha How tall are you man?
The audition went well but it’s not my scene. They wanna play nicer clubs so they’re switching from rock to bro country. I love southern rock but can’t sell my soul that hard and play stuff I don’t like, so I’m gonna try and get my brother to jam with me and write some songs. If that don’t work out I’ll just play by myself and do some solo gigs in the local dive bars, which is definitely where I feel more at home.
They did have a wicked studio, though. The dude built it in the basement of his house and his mixing/recording board alone is worth like $50k. Meanwhile all of the music gear I currently own adds up to less than $1k.
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