I’m rostered on this afternoon, but I’ll see how it feels in an hour or two. It’s better, just not sure if it’s walking around work better.
Ouch for that ankle/heel. Such a sensitive area since no muscle/skin to provide cushion for the blow or walking.
May as well drop a barbell on the other one, don’t want imbalances 
2 Likes
I’ll give it a shot next week 
I’m so damn lucky my ankle was on a bench so there was some padding and it couldn’t twist or extend much.
Woke at 193.4 lbs. Not asking questions, just enjoying this period.
Ankle is still swollen but I can walk 90% normally which is a massive bonus. Looking hopeful for next week.
3 Likes
At work, bored AF. Ankle still behaving excellently, even in my boot (admittedly laced very loosely).
Went over my anchor and peaking yesterday, made some final (that’s the plan anyway) tweaks. It’s looking good. Most tweaks were to peaking, TBH. I further reduced assistance down to bare minimum levels and switched out lower body assistance to be all bodyweight only. I figure it’s all well and good to not change what made you strong but it’s another thing to keep trying to get stronger until a week before meet day. I also shifted a few days around so I take my last heavy (or any, in fact) DL about three weeks out and last heavy squat about 10 days out. Peaking is still a bit hit and miss to me so hopefully this setup will work better than my last one, which was too long and a bit too volume-filled.
For anchor I changed a couple of things to let me hit my hamstrings a bit more.
2 Likes
Ankle held up happily to three solid hours of standing and walking short distances. Cheering.
Mobility seems around 85% at worst in terms of making circles with toes, pushing knee forward with planted heel, etc (I don’t speak biomechanics).
3 Likes
Weighed in at 192 lbs dead on waking. This is awesome but also a bit WTF because I’m doing nothing differently I can tell.
3 Likes
Rub it in why don’t ya! 
1 Like
Sorry 
I keep anticipating the bounce back/stall, so I’m confused.
Glad your ankle is okay!
1 Like
Did another spot check on my programming, focusing on peaking again. I’m still happy. I only just now realised I cut my squatting down to once a week, but on reflection I think that’s going to be a good thing for recovery. Given I’ll be wrapping and hitting heavier loads weekly I don’t see how squatting once a week will do anything other than safeguard recovery.
1 Like
Another note, more to myself than anything: from week one of the anchor I’ll actually use the mono instead of walking my squats out. That way I have eight weeks to get accustomed to a slightly different setup BEFORE adding wraps during peaking.
Also, I think for DL I’ll pull my plus sets mixed grip but use hook grip and straps for all other sets. I figure that way I still do most of my pulling without any possible twisting around while still getting back into the groove of mixed grip heavier sets. Come to that, I may well do this for Tuesday’s DL.
I swear there was something else.
Yes, there was. I think I’ve been leaving an overhead press variation out of my rotation. Two, in fact: Z presses and DB presses. Anyway, I’m considering using Z presses for cycle one of my anchor and DB presses for cycle two. Then for peaking, when all I’m doing is a token 3x5 I’ll go back to military. Bugger consideration. I’ll just do that.
2 Likes
I really enjoy reading these posts about how you’re setting your training out and what you’re thinking etc.
2 Likes
Weighed 192.5 lbs on waking. Looking lean(ish). Ankle a bit achy but moving normally.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter plus shoulders - I can sit into a deep bodyweight squat without issues in my Romaleos
Bench press
Working on my new cues
30 pull aparts between first three warmup sets
5x198 lbs, under 6 RPE - felt like the bar was flying
5x225 lbs, 6 RPE - still feeling pretty fast
3x254 lbs, failed fourth - first rep felt easy
1x269 lbs, TM, 10 RPE - felt like two different lifts between chest to mid point and mid point to lockout
2x8x198 lbs, 8-9 and 9 RPE - first three or four reps each set flew, then triceps died
1x6x198 lbs, 8-9 RPE - same deal, easy as first three then struggling past midpoint
OK, so I need to shift my TM down for bench. I’d hoped the leader/anchor would negate that requirement, but here’s a funny thing: my TM has gone up 10 lbs since January; my bodyweight has gone down 9 lbs in that period. My technique has improved as far as I can tell, and all my other lifts are doing pretty well so I’m actually not panicking - instead of just saying it. I’ll drop my TM to 253 lbs for the anchor and aim to hit some lower weight rep PRs (220 lbs for 10, 232 lbs for 10, etc) and then hit jokers as hard as is reasonable during peaking to get a feel for my max closer to comp.
Here are all my first reps from 132 lbs onwards
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRj3NwRFXvD/
Log was in use so I hit the DBs for pressing
50 total reps DB press: 15x25 lbs, 2x10x45 lbs, 15x25 lbs
Nice change. I’ll probably carry them through to anchor cycle one and do Z presses in anchor cycle two
T-bar row 100 total reps at 110 lbs: 13, 13, 13, 13, 12, 12, 12, 12
Same 90 second breaks between sets one to four, two minutes between five to eight. Last time doing 100s of these for a while. I won’t miss them.
Running out of time with other half at home so I’ll carry over curls/RDFs to tomorrow. Shifting bike sprints to Wednesday to give my ankle a little more rest.
Ankle is feeling OK, but I’ll play it by ear for SSB squats tomorrow. Might only go light or fewer reps, depends how things feel.
2 Likes
The “Sink & Heave” was pretty pronounced. Have you always lifted your head like that?
I found myself doing that after watching Mark Bell bench. It was a pretty cool technique for him, but it just flattened me out like a tube of tooth paste.
1 Like
Since last week @FlatsFarmer
I’ve been working on lifting my head since January, because I noticed it helps; I’ve also been working on sinking because it seemed to be helpful if I control it. Last week on Thursday those two just came together and it felt amazing and I had the foresight to write down exactly everything I was doing, so I could replicate it. Today, I tried and although it got a little messy here and there I felt so powerful off my chest and my left shoulder was completely happy.
One thing I’m taking as a major positive is how fast all the first reps except the 269 lbs felt throughout. The downside, which a friend noticed, is that past around three reps my shoulders loosen up and it’s toothpaste time - but since I’m benching mostly for meets, the first rep is all that really matters and I’ll just work on keeping myself locked in throughout the sets for longer.
2 Likes
It’s cool to watch your bench get more and more technical. Elbow tuck to flair, lots of leg drive, low to high on the chest, now lifting your head.
How long until you go to the Darkside and try out somebody’s Bench Shirt?
4 Likes
Who knows? I’m certainly looking at incorporating my Reactive Slingshot more after July, so maybe after that…
1 Like
Woke at 192.3 lbs. Looking leaner maybe, midsection seems like it’s really starting to come out. Back needs way more thickness though, and arms just need size. Ankle is improving, still swollen but bruising reduced a bunch over night.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter
Stiff bar DL
Seven neutral grip pull-ups between first three warmup sets. First set felt like I had at least two reps more.
5x396 lbs, under 6 RPE, straps
5x451 lbs, 6-7 RPE, straps
5x506 lbs, 10 RPE, mixed - stoked. First rep PR of the year. Felt like I was out of position from the get go, although the video is less of a dog’s breakfast than it felt. It occurs to me that the ab training is paying off. Last rep was a grind though. Lower back cooked.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRmQxE2FouG/
SGDL FSL 5x313 lbs, 6-7 RPE
Decided to jack in the second and third sets because of how hard my lower back had to work for the first. Even with abs locked down it felt pushed and I saw no sense in risking anything just to say I did my planned sets.
SSB squat worked up to 5x330 lbs at 6 RPE: 5xbar, 5x154 lbs, 5x242 lbs, 5x330 lbs, 13x242 lbs no lockout to get a bit of a pump
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRmSaRHFCHP/
Again, wasn’t going to overtax my back just to complete the day as written
Supersetted ab wheel/RDFs
Ab wheel 50 total reps from knees: 15, 15, 15, 15
RDFs 100 total reps at 25 lbs: 25, 28, 26, 21
Supersetted hammer curls/tricep pushdowns
Curls 50 total reps at 30 lbs: 13, 15, 12, 10
Pushdowns 100 total reps at 27 lbs: 28, 27, 26, 22
4 Likes