Good stuff man. How did you find the glute bridges?
They were a pretty good as assisstance. I’m defineitly going to keep them in and build it up to see what happens. I have a hard time cueing the glutes and hips in the bottom of my squats so I’m hoping these will help some.
Saturday: Test Day 1135 Total. dropped 20lb on DL.
Squat w/ belt: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x2, 335x2
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365x1 @8
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395x1 @9.5
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405x1 @10 PR
I hurt my hip left him on 405 which kinda screwed up the DL. I’ve been lacking in the external rotation stretching lately so maybe that’s it. I’ve also been working in too much band work lately and not enough pauses and low end work which will help dramatically. Time to get to work, I didn’t even think I was going to get 395 this time around.
Bench: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 245x2
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275x1 @8
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295x1 @9 PR
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300x1 @9.5 PR
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305x1 @10 PR
Maybe I had some left in me, but I was happy enough with a 10lb PR. I knew a PR was coming today for bench, I’d been saying it all morning I would break 300 today and I did. I want to say the incline and pause work did it.
DL w/ belt: 135x5, 245x5, 295x3, 335x2, 385x1
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405x1 @9
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425x1 @10
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445xfail
Fucked up. Couldn’t even break the floor. I’m not too dissapionted though, I have plenty of time to work the low end and get back up. More deficits, pauses, and x4 @9. Speed work of course and block work. I may even work in some sumo for my hips.
The glute bridges may be worth looking into for my use.
Very awesome lifting man! Our lifts are pretty much the same. Which makes me sad since I’m a lot heavier.
Good stuff! Only 65 lb off from that 1,200 total. Time to set some new goals 
@AC: Thanks man. Yea I cycled them back in for my next 3 weeks and I’m going to establish a PR, something to work off of. I think I have more in me on the squat. I did a terrible job with my last cycle, way too much band work, and you can tell in the squat how strong my lockout was. Once I get in some more bottom work I think I can improve a lot more.
@Lary: Thanks dude. My meet is 7 weeks away. If I can pull off 1200lb total then it’ll be pretty damn amazing.
Tuesday: Week 7 Accumulation
3ct Pause BP: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 205x4
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225x4 @8
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245x4 @9
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235x4 @9(5%fatigue)
2-board BP: 225x6,
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245x6 @9
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245x6 @9
JM Press: 135x8, 145x8, 135x8
Nothing too hard today, I want to keep the fatigue and total stress low this week. I decided for 5% on the 3ct pauses, but nothing else. Most of my fatigue will come from squat and DL days since those are the ones I want to improve the most. I haven’t decided how to enter the meet yet. 1 week out I’ll hit my openers, but as far as the week of I don’t know what I should do.
Wednesday: I listened to TRAC today… kinda.
2ct pause Squat: 135x5(x2), 185x5
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225x4 @8
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245x4 @9
Sumo DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x4, 275x4
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315x4 @8
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315x4 @8.5
TRAC said to hit initial only and no supplemental exercises. Well I did one supplemental, but only @8 so I think that’s fine lol. I caught some cold/flu type thing and I’m a little screwed up right now. Hopfully I can kick it pretty soon and get back to the heavy lifting. I’m not too worried about this week though since it’s mostly a high rep deload.
Saturday:
Pause DL: 135x5(x2), 225x5, 245x4, 295x4
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315x4 @8
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335x4 @9 PR
regular DLs now
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335x2
-
375x1 (just hittin some extra work while I waited for my dad to finish up)
Close-grip BP: 135x6, 185x6
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205x6 @8
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225x6 @9
1-board added
- 225x6 @9
Squat: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5
- 275x5 @8.5
Only video’d the benching today for some reason. My hip is still bothering me from the 405 squat so I cut it short on those. I also haven’t been recovering very well this week cause of a cold. TRAC said not to train, so I didn’t and just mashed the two sessions I had planned together. I’m getting better now and my hip is healing up just fine so I should be back next week in full training mode.
Tuesday:
3ct pause BP: 135x5, 185x5, 205x5
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225x3 @7
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245x3 @8
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245x3 @8.5
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245x3 @9
1-board BP: 245x3
- 275x3 @9 PR
DB extensions: 25x6, 30x6, 25x10
TRAC said no supplemental, but I think I can eat my way into better recovery lol. I’ve done it before. Anyway a pretty big PR for 1-board tonight. Before the most I’ve got was 265x3 2-board. It was weird because I just looked at the bar and said “I want 275 for a triple”. Having never tried it before I was nervous, but it flew up. 275 still makes me nervous for some odd reason.
Wednesday:
Squat: 135x5, 185x5, 225x4, 275x4
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315x4 @8.5
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325x4 @9(knee sleeves added)
2" deficit DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3
-
335x3 @8 (RPE PR)
-
355x3 @9 PR
GHR: 3x6 (hard as hell)
I did a small amount of abs after this and got a wonderful crunch. I remember CT saying doing abs after a lower body session increases recruitment, and I could tell. TRAC said don’t go past initial, but I’m just tired of always having to cut them short. I have an off day tomorrow with not much to do so it seems like plenty of time to recover.
Friday:
2-board BP: 135x5(x2), 185x5, (board added)205x5, 225x5, 245x3
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275x3 @8
-
285x3 @8.5 PR
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285x3 @8 (easier)
-
285x3 @9
Incline: 135x6, 155x6, 175x6 PR, 185x5 PR
Woke up at 5 this morning after falling asleep at 2:30. My dad needed me to work so I headed up to Kennesaw (2 hours away) and got some shit done. Came home and didn’t expect much for my workout today, but ended up with 2 PRs. I gotta get some food and get some sleep now.
Saturday:
Deadlift: 135x5(x2), 185x5, 245x5, 295x4, 335x4
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365x4 @8.5
-
375x3 @8.5 (too heavy for a 4th rep)
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385x1 @8.5
-
335x2 @8 (speed work)
-
335x2 @8
2ct Pause Squat: 135x5, 225x3, 245x3
-
275x3 @9
-
275x3 @9 (squat shoes and sleeves added)
Lunges: 90x6(x2)
I shot this angle to see where my back is giving. It seems to be at the thoracolumbar region. Comparatively speaking, the muscle mass in this area is pretty big, but why do I give there. It looks like a hinge, but how do I fix this? I’ve been doing back extensions, abs, and lat work for the past 6 weeks pretty hard and it’s still the same. I need to get this figured out.
So I’ve been out of commission for a few days. I had a rib out of place and it made for some very painful breathing, much less lifting. I took some meds and lifted anyway with LiquidMercury doing DLs and it only made it worse. So now it’s saturday and it’s just feeling good enough to lift again.
Saturday:
Squat: 135x5(x2), 185x5, 225x5, 275x2
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315x2 @8.5 (WEAK)
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335x1 @8.5 (failed the 2nd rep. WHAT?)
done with this…
1/2 board BP: 135x6, 185x5, 225x3, 245x3
-
265x3 @9.5 PR
-
225x9 @10 (glad I didn’t count, because I would have tried to round it out to 10. I hate 9’s)
15" DL: 225x5(x2), 275x3, 315x3, 335x3
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355x3 @8.5
-
375x3 @9
(back was feeling super tight on the first rep so I started singles)
-
385x1 @8
-
405x1 @9 PR
(drop sets)
- 335x5, 315x4, 275x5
I’m on a little drop set kick right now, but there is a reason behind it. The 15" pulls put my back in the worst position to pull from. It gives with significantly less weight at this height than from the floor. So as far as TUT goes, drop sets on this movement will help build my back better for a better DL. These and GMs are going to be my go to DL builders.
I’m not sure if I agree with those drop sets. You are resting too long. You rested over a minute between your 315 x 4 and 275 x 5 sets. Don’t walk around, do your last rep, hustle to take the weight off, and get back to it asap. Otherwise, I would say just rest 30 seconds more than you are right now, but stick with heavier weight.
Good work in here, regardless!
[quote]ashylarryku wrote:
I’m not sure if I agree with those drop sets. You are resting too long. You rested over a minute between your 315 x 4 and 275 x 5 sets. Don’t walk around, do your last rep, hustle to take the weight off, and get back to it asap. Otherwise, I would say just rest 30 seconds more than you are right now, but stick with heavier weight.
Good work in here, regardless![/quote]
You’re right, but I was dead tired lol. I don’t ever mess with stuff like this so it was pretty hard and I was nervous my back wouldn’t be ready for the next set. After the competition I’m going to work in more drop sets. I’ve never done them, but I like em.
Tuesday:
2ct Pause BP: 135x5(x2), 185x5, 205x3
-
225x3 @7
-
225x3 @7
-
225x3 @7
-
235x3 @7.5
-
235x3 @8
(singles @8)
-
255x1 @7.5
-
275x1 @8.5 (should’ve done 265)
90mm BP: 135x3
-
185x3 @8.5
-
175x3 @8
-
175x3 @8.5
CGBP to skull crushers: (left the bands one and used the bar) 3x8
I was messing with my form today and brought the bar down to my belly instead of the bottom of my sternum. it felt pretty good, and felt like I shortened my ROM some. I don’t know if it’s something I’ll keep doing, but went well. I’m having HUGE trouble with my left hip right now. I’ve done all the foam rolling under sun and massage, but the damn thing won’t quit hurting. I’m thinking it’s compensating for a weakness somewhere else, I just need to figure out where.
Wednesday:
Pin Squats: 135x5(x2), 185x5, 225x4
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275x4 @8
-
275x4 @8.5
(belt added loose)
-
275x4 @8
-
275x4 @8.5
Deficit DL: 135x5, 225x5, 275x2, 315x2, 335x2
-
365x2 @8.5 PR
-
365x2 @9
-
315x5 or 6 (can’t remember how many reps, but it was @9)
GMs w/ SSB attachment: 135x6(x3)
I got some great volume in on the pin squats. I felt it in my glutes really good so I decided to get more TUT instead of going heavy. The DL was a huge PR. Working on pulling my shoulder blades down to engage my lats is working great. I don’t know why but that cue works for me. I’m recovering well and hitting heavy shit so far. I hope this keeps up until the meet.
Wow, your deadlift looks great now! I wish I had that liquid mercury person around to help me out, ha-ha.
Friday:
1-board BP w/ 2ct pause: (warm-up up to 205 w/out boards) 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 205x3
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225x3 @6
-
255x3 @8.5
-
275x2 @9 (jumped too much, trying to keep up with my dad)
-
255x3 @8.5
-
245x3 @8.5
2-board: 245x3 @8, 275x3 @9
DB bench w/ light bands: 45x8, 45x8
I’ve put in some long hours these past two days trying to finish a fire wall in some warehouse. This workout was after a long nap and I had no energy. Oh well, I got some solid work in for a shitty day so on to DLs tomorrow.