I like this a lot.
I meant to add something like this as well. Now multiply all that silliness x Interwebz and you’ve really got something that would confuse the Mad Hatter.
3 Likes
This is similar to the thinking that got me to where I am - which is away from the obsessive food tracking and body dysmorphia. My key thought (that was very slow to accept) was “Does anyone care?” The answer was no. No one cares if I have a six pack. No one cares if I can deadlift 500 pounds. I cared, but why and at what cost? The physique issue has always been at too great a cost. Mental health, selfishness, obsessiveness, and downright perpetual unhappiness. Unfortunately, mental health is an ongoing battle and I find myself under attack lately.
I saw a guy at the lake that was shredded from over 100 yards away - and not skinny. I found/find myself reminiscing about being leaner. Would I feel and move better at 220? That’s only 10-15 pounds away. Would that help me get my squat to a less embarrassing weight? No (and yes, I care about that one a little). Luckily, all of my lifting goals need me to go the opposite direction - eat. I think I could hit both ends of my spectrum by cutting out alcohol. I think that’s causing me to store fat specifically in my least favorite spots. But that’s a goal for the school year! 
I know training should be me vs me, but I’ve been losing that battle for awhile, too! This week has shown some promise. I’m not at PR’s, but I’m at PRs for the last couple years and I’m happy with that. Now it’s time to keep moving forward.
2 Likes
7.11.22 - PULL
DEADLIFT
Worked up to 465 x 1 (nearly passed out)
375 x 8
HANG POWER CLEAN
Technique Work after seeing CT’s comments on a form check thread. I need to catch in a half front squat and I don’t do that with heavy weights.
205 x 2 x 3
215 x 2 x 2
5-10-20 Fun
- Pull Ups
- DB Meadows Row
- Seated Cable Row
Actual Work - Pull Ups BW + 25 x 5, 5, 3 (+ 3 more with BW)
- DB Meadows Row 65 x 10 x 3
- Cable Row 100 x 20, 15; 80 x 20
That set of 20 really sucks.
5 Likes
7.12.22 - LEGS
FRONT SQUAT
120 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 3
180 x 3
200 x 1
220 x 1
235 x 0 - Switched to the platform so I could drop the weight. I had to power clean it to get started and I pretty much folded after that.
SQUAT
220 x 3
250 x 1
280 x 1
310 x 1
250 x 8
RFESS
100 x 8 x 2 sets
RDL
185 x 8
195 x 8
205 x 8
AIRDYNE TABATA
20 on, 10 off x 8 (3:50 total) 
4 Likes
Gross
1 Like
I initially planned to use my homemade belt squat for Tabata intervals but chose the bike because it’s all quads. I went all out on round one and forgot about my lungs and the cardiovascular part. Every round after was a slow struggle.
7.13.22 - Push 1
BENCH
120 x 10
145 x 5
170 x 5
195 x 3
220 x 2
240 x 1
260 x 1
210 x 7, 7
5-10-20 FUN
- OHP 100 x 5, 5, 5
- High Incline Press 85 x 10, 10, 10
- DB Lat Raise 15 x 20, 20, 20
- 2 min rest b/w rounds
SKULL CRUSHER
80 x 10, 11
LYING LEG RAISE
2 sets of 20
4 Likes
7.14.22 (I think)
No training today. My legs are wrecked and I’m due for a pull workout (or running or a rest day) which includes deadlifts. I went to the old office to see my former police team. I chose a good day because they were cleaning out the office (decades worth of junk) and had a short day. We played cornhole and went to lunch after they were released for the day. I followed that with a trip to the pool with the family.
Did I work out or improve? Probably not (might have broken my 8 day dry spell and had a few drinks). Did I enjoy the hell out of today? Absolutely!
7 Likes
7.15.22
Well my good day whooped my butt this morning. I had a few too many drinks and I’m paying for it. I’ll probably do my pull workout at some point today but running is out.
PULL DAY
DEADLIFT
Hit 470 for two singles. Video of second not because of the weight, but because of the speed at which it moved. I surprised myself.
HANG POWER CLEAN
185 x 2
205 x 2
215 x 2 x 2 (or 3?)
225 x 2 x 3 sets
Weight is moving well so I’m being explosive. On the downside, my knees are still over my toes rather than my hips going back. Hips back just doesn’t feel natural to me and it puts a lot of stress on my lower back. Guess I just gotta keep working.
5-10-20
- Pull Ups +35, +25, +15 x 5
- Cable Row 145, 135, 125 x 10
- DB Rev Fly 15s x 20 all rounds
- Rest 2 Min
- Do 3 Rounds
I tried something different today and I think it’s a better approach. My performance has been tanking through the rounds so I end up with a first round that’s too easy and a third round that’s too hard. I decided to just drop the weight to match fatigue and it worked pretty well.
BARBELL CURL
80 x 12, 10, 10
5 Likes
In case y’all didn’t notice, I’ve been working on some new ink. I’m going full color and that part is about half done. Here’s a clip of the shading and a photo after my first color session. Sadly, my guy is popular now so I have to wait till October to finish up.
4 Likes
Purty.
1 Like
7.16.22 - LEGS
SQUAT
330 x 1 definitely a 1RM
FRONT SQUAT
175 x 8, 7
RFESS
105 x 8 ea x 2
RDL
195 x 8
205 x 8
215 x 8
TABATA BELT SQUAT
4 Rounds
90 x 16, 16, 12, 12
4 Likes
I would like to take partial credit for that rep at 330. Congrats!
1 Like
It was a grind for sure. I put bumpers on so I could bail and I was getting ready to do that. The thought crossed my mind to pull my hands off the bar and out of the way but I was still moving up so I waited.
330 is officially a 1.4x bodyweight lift. That sucks. These long bones weigh a lot.
1 Like
You should leave the relative strength stuff to us shrimpies. You have plenty of other strengths you can play to.
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Jeez dude, that 470 FLEW up! Love seeing you back on here getting after it.
2 Likes
I’ve been using the Training Maximally approach for deadlifts for quite a while now. Training intuitively would be another way to put it. I just go in and see how I feel. If I feel strong, then I might go for a top single. If I feel like crap and everything is a grind, then I might do doubles or triples. I feel like 450-475 is there for the taking just about every day I step in the gym. I pulled 500 last fall on a good day and I think I would have been close to that during this session. My best pull on my Rogue Echo 2.0 bar is 510, so to be close to that is pretty satisfying.
Next up is some squat and bench goals. I ran most of SGSS for squats and I think I just let myself get unaccustomed to heavy weights. I’d put 2 plates on and it would feel heavy. I did 250 for a set of 8 (probably could’ve got 10) the other day and I didn’t feel like the weight was going to crush me when I unracked the bar. That tells me that part of my problem is neurological or based in my GTOs (golgi tendon organs) that protect us from hurting ourselves by doing too much. If I keep going the way I’m going, my old strength will return.
I need to be careful to not let the forums become a time suck again, but it’s been good for me to get back on here. I’m not sure if I’ve been motivated by what other people are doing or if I feel some accountability by posting, but it’s helped me enjoy my training sessions again.
Time to go blow up my chest after lifting heavy weights overhead.
4 Likes
7.17.22 - Push
SEATED OHP
170 x 1 Ties my best seated OHP 1RM from January 2021. Guess I should’ve been writing “Seated OHP” all along because I can’t do standing OHP in my basement.
130 x 8, 5
5-10-20 Method
- Bench 200, 190, 180 x 5
- DB Incline 55, 55, 50 x 10
- Machine Fly 100, 90, 80 x 20
REV PRESS DOWN
70 x 10F/10B/10T
90 x 11, 10
3 Likes
7.18.22 - Pull
DEADLIFT
185 x 5
235 x 3
275 x 3
325 x 3, 3
HANG CLEAN PULL
235 x 3
275 x 3, 3
295 x 3, 3, 3
UNDERHAND ROW
300 x 1 w/ some body english
235 x 7, 7
5-10-20 Method
- Pull Ups +35, +35, +25 x 5
- Wide Cable Row 145, 125, 115 x 10
- Band Face Pull 35 x 20 x 3 (black band 30-40 lb resistance)
INCLINE DB CURL
35 x 10, 8
Made some changes to my program so I have two days each for push, pull, and legs. I moved deads to leg day because I don’t like doing heavy deads and heavy squats on back to back days. From now on I’ll do deads and 2 AMRAPs on squats on one leg day and the other will feature squats and 2 AMRAPs on front squats. Pull days now have one day of hang power cleans and one day of heavy hang clean pulls (day before squats) as well as heavy barbell rows.
2 Likes