Thanks, CTL. If you say so…lol.
Mrs. Strick’s Workout
This is her 1st solo log entry.
She is still feeling under the weather, but better. She just runs out of gas a lot faster.
Lab work didn’t show a lot. I suspect in part because he didn’t test for everything pertinent. Best we can tell, though, she needs more vitamin D (D3…goofy girl quit taking that as well as her multi, because of the other issues. She will get back on the D3) and protein. I have told her that she needed to get more protein. Always has to come from some other source, though.
Military Press
barx8
65x5
70x5x3 - PR +1 Rep
Squats
barx8
80x5
100x5
110x4
100x4
100x7
She was starting to run out of gas at this point. All sets but the last were done at a slower pace than normal.
Seated Rows
70x10
90x7
90x8x2
Good, low energy workout.
Our youngest got some vacs today. He now has a pretty high fever. I hate medical shit!
I’m not being smug, but have you noticed how all my 5x5 predictions are coming true?
Still think you have a fair way to go, but don’t get carried away with ‘repping out’ on that last set, that can really eat into your recovery ability. Just do the requisite reps and save it for next week. Keep it going as long as possible.
And no, there is no de-load.
Keep hitting it, you are making awesome progress and after a few weeks of doubles and singles that 300 MP will be a formality. Trust me.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
I’m not being smug, but have you noticed how all my 5x5 predictions are coming true?
Still think you have a fair way to go, but don’t get carried away with ‘repping out’ on that last set, that can really eat into your recovery ability. Just do the requisite reps and save it for next week. Keep it going as long as possible.
And no, there is no de-load.
Keep hitting it, you are making awesome progress and after a few weeks of doubles and singles that 300 MP will be a formality. Trust me.[/quote]
Brett, I promise not to make the rep out a regular practice. 225# is just one of those weights. I knew the 5x5 was a PR, but I wanted to see if there was a rep PR hiding in there. I think that is out of my system, since I have never done more than 5 reps with 230# or 235# and never even gotten 5 reps with above that.
We will see if your 5x5 prediction is right. I would sure like to see 240x5x5. The fatigue building over multiple sets is really going to start kicking in now, though. And I am already carrying some fatigue from from my bench workout into my MP workout. We shall see.
Funny thing is, I am not at all amped about my bench 5x5. I would like to get it at 315#, but am not excied about it like with MP. Maybe it is because I think I will get farther with the MP.
Lol @ the last statement. I don’t think I can ever consider 300# a formailty.
Bench fail day
5x5 went up in smoke today. I could blame the lack of sleep, for the past 2 nights…and that contributed…but that wasn’t it. I could say I didn’t have the strength. But looking at the videos from 305#, last week, would not concur. Fact is, I am just tired. There is enough pressing going on, between bench and MP, that I was never fully recovering, and I could feel it. Everything was extremely heavy.
Not really sweating it. Sets of 5 is not my best approach to bench. It was an interim. My MP seems to respond best to sets of 5.
So, after the failed set, I abandoned bench to, hopefully, get some more recovery.
Bench
barx25
95x12
135x8
185x5
225x5
265x3
295x3
310x5 - hard set
310x4 - bar hit the safety bar on rep 5 and it knocked me off enough that I lost the rep.
Stopped the bench
Seated Rows - close neutral
100x15
160x115
210x12x3
Lat Pulls - wide neutral
210x6x3
Mrs. Strick’s Workout
Bench
barx8
75x5
95x3 - PR +1 Rep
105x1 - bad bar path killed 2nd rep
110x1 - matches current PR
115x0
95x4 - PR +2 Reps
Deadlift
135x5
160x5
190x5
210x2
230x1x2 - PR +5#
205x3 - PR +1 Rep
Lat Pulls
70x8
90x8x3
Need Sleep!!!
Deadlift
Went much lighter today. Back is still a bit sore and tired. Just something to keep it going.
Mrs. Strick has been moved to a 5x5 type workout. Sure wish I had some 1.25# plates. Time to go looking.
Deads
135x8
225x5
315x5x3
Mrs. Strick’s Workout
Military Press
barx8
65x5x5
Squats
barx8
85x5x5
Seated Rows
70x8
90x8x4
Unless I find 1.25# plates, she will stay at 65# on MP. Got the reps, but doing this twisty type thing towards the end. She was drawing her left shoulder up and in.
Squats will go up 5#.
I bet Kimba can tell you where she got her fractional plates.
Hope the back heals up quickly.
[quote]LittleStrick wrote:
Unless I find 1.25# plates, she will stay at 65# on MP. Got the reps, but doing this twisty type thing towards the end. She was drawing her left shoulder up and in.
Squats will go up 5#.
[/quote]
Sounds like a high priority.
OBTW: My SO liked your wife’s vids.
Says she needs to add squatting and dl’s to her program… YIPPEE!!! SO please let her know she has a positive effect on others…
Thanks, Joe.
Matty, it will never “heal”. I just have to work it where it doesn’t get worse. The only reason I do anything lower body is because I know that using heavier weight help the whole body…and because I don’t want chicken legs 
Thanks, Null. I will pass that along. She will find it amusing that anyone could take inspiration from her.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Here’s where I got mine:
http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fractionals.php
I use mine all the time.[/quote]
Thanks, Snap!
Looking strong as always. Your wife is doing great as well. I used to worked out around guys who did all upper body and no legs. We called them lollipops.
Great work going on in here.
For plates you can also get extra clamps for the bar. Tape washers to the plates. Etc. I’m a fan of microloading for myself too as it helps keep the progression going.
Are you doing mobilty / stretching work at all? That might help with recovery but it’s tough for any of us with a family to really get all of the rest and food that we might need. I will say that going lighter, upping the volume, and doing stuff daily (think HP Mass and the livespills that CT has written) has really helped with the way that my body feels.
james
Steve, I definitely don’t want to be a lollipop! Well, except when…oh nevermind.
James, I do some mobility and flexibility work. Stretches, dynamic stretches, foam rolling… Not as much as I should. But I do work it in.
The back issue, though, is going to be an issue no matter what. The only way I have been able to keep my spondy from bothering me at all is to stop lifting. If I lift just upper body, it isn’t too bad. The lower body stuff kills it, though. I am just trying to gradually work up on the weight I can use without aggravating it too much. If that is 315#, I can live with it. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit to preferring it around 500#.
Sorry about the bench fail. When I was doing 5x5 on back squats, front squats and DL all in the same week the time came inevitably when I had to drop one because I was failing to recover. Doing the MPs and BP is probably too much now to recover from and it might be time to carry on with the MP and just maintain or lower the volume on the BP. Dropping the volume on the BP will probably give you a whole new lease of life on the MPs.
Good idea getting your wife on it too.
Great stuff going on here, both of you.
I had a very OCD friend who simply could not take any joy or pride in his significant lifting accomplishments because somewhere out there… SOMEONE was doing better. He was never happy. Its a sad and unfulfilling way to live, man. If the crowd of folks admiring your lifts doesn’t give you a boost then you are a certifiable nut case.
I also got a lower back injury that I will carry like luggage for life. Foam rolling and mobility drills every damned day keep it at bay.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Sorry about the bench fail. When I was doing 5x5 on back squats, front squats and DL all in the same week the time came inevitably when I had to drop one because I was failing to recover. Doing the MPs and BP is probably too much now to recover from and it might be time to carry on with the MP and just maintain or lower the volume on the BP. Dropping the volume on the BP will probably give you a whole new lease of life on the MPs.
Good idea getting your wife on it too.
Great stuff going on here, both of you.
[/quote]
Brett, that is exactly what I hope to do. Add some weight and drop some reps, on bench and keep the MP going. Hopefully the fatigue I felt, on Saturday, was a bump in the road, and not the beginning over another down cycle.
Tomorrow will help tell.
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
I had a very OCD friend who simply could not take any joy or pride in his significant lifting accomplishments because somewhere out there… SOMEONE was doing better. He was never happy. Its a sad and unfulfilling way to live, man. If the crowd of folks admiring your lifts doesn’t give you a boost then you are a certifiable nut case.
I also got a lower back injury that I will carry like luggage for life. Foam rolling and mobility drills every damned day keep it at bay.
[/quote]
C_K, I do get a boost from the folks here. But I am still a nut case.
I was happy when my squats 1st crossed 405#. I was happy when I 1st deadlifted 500#.
I WILL be happy when I bench 405# and Military 315#. Not satisfied, mind you, but happy.
And there will always be a lot of folks stronger than me. I can’t control that. All I can do is be as strong as I can.
A wise friend once told me:
“like it or not, like what you got”
I’ve been trying to take his advice ever since, but then it has only been 25 years…