Sumo Good Mornings (cambered bar) [beltless]
5x5x225
First squat session was a little rough, second seemed easier. It is kind of odd when 315 feels fairly heavy but that is the magic of Sheiko. Getting you strong without using very heavy weights.
Bench felt really good.
Was kind of cool to finally hit 5x5 at 225 on good mornings without a belt. I have been aiming at that for awhile. Felt like I could have used 245 pretty reasonably.
I decided to cut the volume today because this week is the highest volume I reach on squat and deadlift in this 16 week program.
I am really struggling to maintain an appetite. I am glad that I am managing to hold steady with my bodyweight. I will just ride this out and start gaining again when my body wants to let me again. When I started training I gained 25 pounds in the first 6 weeks and it disgusted meso thoroughly I never thought I would bulk again. That is why I want to be patient.
My best squat workout to date. I wasn’t too optimistic after my 2 triples at 295 felt heavy as hell. I figured I’d be cranking on that belt and having to hover around parallel. Instead I went beltless and was dropping the squats deeper than ever. This went quite a bit better than I imagined. So well I felt up to adding more than 1 set to each squat session. I really thought about hitting 7 sets of 5 but I will save that for another prep period.
So I can hear you asking, what music was I rocking out to. Well I am afraid you shouldn’t have asked, but in my defense epsom salt baths do something very odd to my brain. In any case, since you asked:
Didn’t feel like Disturbed, Sevendust, Mudvayne, Static X, etc. today, what can I say!?
Friday is raw bench testing day, can barely wait.
Oh and since I am blabbing, I am up to 191.3 as of this morning. The appetite is coming back and I feel awesome. Look the fuck out!
Oh fuck. I don’t want to brag but I have ADDED 10 pounds to my bench press in the last 36 weeks!!! Trouble is I have been only working out for 60 weeks and I should not be leveling off in my bench yet. I will post the video in a couple of days when feel up to it. The wound is still a little fresh.
I think I will eliminate the extra accessory day for now at least. It apparently isn’t doing dick. My back collapsed on the 3 attempts over 215. Looks like I will need an exercise that really targets simultaneous scapular retraction and depression. I have heard good things about Kelso shrugs so I will likely put those into the mix.
A powerlifter gave me a bench routine so I will be following that starting next Friday. There are 2 weeks of volume work followed by intensity. I’m sure in a day or two I will feel optimistic.
I felt ready and able. If my back is stable I probably hit 245 and maybe 255. I don’t disagree with you but my program doesn’t let up all that much for 5 weeks. I just got done with a bench program and thought it was time. It could be that my CNS was in part to blame.
[quote]Bagger wrote:
Let me make sure I understand this.
You had a huge squat day yesterday and rather than wait for your CNS to recover, you decided to test your Bench max today?
I’m just say’in don’t beat yourself up because you had a pretty intense day yesterday regardless of the program. If your program conditions your CNS to fully recover in 24 hours after a heavy compound session, then thats one hell of a deal.
Give yourself a couple days rest and go for it again early next week. Try the max when you are fresh. Warm up slow and with just enough effort to get the blood flowing in upper body, then go for the PR. I know you have it in you.
[quote]Bagger wrote:
I’m just say’in don’t beat yourself up because you had a pretty intense day yesterday regardless of the program. If your program conditions your CNS to fully recover in 24 hours after a heavy compound session, then thats one hell of a deal.
Give yourself a couple days rest and go for it again early next week. Try the max when you are fresh. Warm up slow and with just enough effort to get the blood flowing in upper body, then go for the PR. I know you have it in you.[/quote]
The workout you are referring to was on Wednesday so I had a little time to recover. I have another big squat workout Sunday so I don’t think I will feel fresh anytime real soon. I think maxing again in a few days is a good idea but I doubt I will feel a whole better for several weeks.
[quote]novaeer wrote:
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about the bench. It’s hard to serve two masters when you’re training equipped.[/quote]
I appreciate your thoughts novaeer. I have beat myself up pretty thoroughly. I guess the thing that irritates the shit out of me is I feel like I have the talent and work ethic to be pretty good at powerlifting, but if I can’t bench worth a shit I will never realize my potential.
Maybe I have to reevaluate the amount I care about training. Truth is not giving 100% makes me miserable though. Oh well i’ll figure something out.
[quote]mrodock wrote:
Maybe I have to reevaluate the amount I care about training.
[/quote]
Bullshit. Sorry too be blunt, but you’re only going to find a handful of things in life that you will truly be passionate about. If lifting is one then never purposefully put it on the back burner. I made that mistake once and other than learning a valuable life lesson from it, it would be my biggest regret in life.
Your bench will come in time, keep grinding through.
Really well said RL. I am not looking to quit; rather, I am thinking maybe I will care less than I do now about achieving my mini goals. Maybe I will also be less hyper-vigilant about my protein intake, etc. In short, perhaps I could do this sport in a way that would be more fun. The way my mind tends to work is make every effort to succeed and power through the hardships that result.
My best example is starting in the 7th grade I would often make myself sick with anxiety. But I would usually manage to get an “A” and then I would move on to the next mini-disaster. Well in 10th grade first quarter I said fuck this I am not going to care about the results. If I get some “B’s” (gasp) I will accept them and move on. Well I was no longer physically sick before tests but I realized when I looked at my report card doing less than I was capable of was the ultimate failure. From then on I have sweated every detail as a student, absolutely hating the process, but having a sense of victory about the end result.
I suppose the point is I want to find a balance where I can really strive and enjoy the progress at whatever rate it comes. For many people this may be automatic. But for me it seems completely impossible. Perhaps my post gives you some level of insight into my perfectionism and neurotocism. I realize the problem isn’t with the lifting, it is with me. Oh and besides all of that I have to put up with my first love (golf) trying to tempt me back. Saying such things as you are a better putter than bench presser.
All that being said, I will be in the gym in a few hours. I don’t plan on slacking off any time soon but perhaps I will start working on my putting stroke again.
[quote]Ruggerlife wrote:
mrodock wrote:
Maybe I have to reevaluate the amount I care about training.
Bullshit. Sorry too be blunt, but you’re only going to find a handful of things in life that you will truly be passionate about. If lifting is one then never purposefully put it on the back burner. I made that mistake once and other than learning a valuable life lesson from it, it would be my biggest regret in life.
Your bench will come in time, keep grinding through.[/quote]
[quote]mrodock wrote:
novaeer wrote:
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about the bench. It’s hard to serve two masters when you’re training equipped.
I appreciate your thoughts novaeer. I have beat myself up pretty thoroughly. I guess the thing that irritates the shit out of me is I feel like I have the talent and work ethic to be pretty good at powerlifting, but if I can’t bench worth a shit I will never realize my potential.
Maybe I have to reevaluate the amount I care about training. Truth is not giving 100% makes me miserable though. Oh well i’ll figure something out.
[/quote]
While you are thinking - and I like your thought process because its healthy - consider how much time you’ve been lifting and get a higher level perspective. Look at it scientifically if you wish. You’ve made amazing gains for the short time you’ve been at it. I’d consider everything you’ve done to date a success. Give your lofty goals time, otherwise they may never stick. I think everyone following your progress is cheering because you are such a bulldog. Just keep grinding bro.
[quote]Bagger wrote:
mrodock wrote:
novaeer wrote:
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about the bench. It’s hard to serve two masters when you’re training equipped.
I appreciate your thoughts novaeer. I have beat myself up pretty thoroughly. I guess the thing that irritates the shit out of me is I feel like I have the talent and work ethic to be pretty good at powerlifting, but if I can’t bench worth a shit I will never realize my potential.
Maybe I have to reevaluate the amount I care about training. Truth is not giving 100% makes me miserable though. Oh well i’ll figure something out.
While you are thinking - and I like your thought process because its healthy - consider how much time you’ve been lifting and get a higher level perspective. Look at it scientifically if you wish. You’ve made amazing gains for the short time you’ve been at it. I’d consider everything you’ve done to date a success. Give your lofty goals time, otherwise they may never stick. I think everyone following your progress is cheering because you are such a bulldog. Just keep grinding bro.[/quote]
Thanks man, I’ll just keep grinding. I do need to realize that progress MAY not occur at the rate I wish it to. I talked to a good bench presser today and have what I feel is a much better strategy on back accessory exercises than I did before. Things will happen.
This may sound odd but I realized how much I miss golf when things got rough with training. Not knowing what the hell to do with my bench programming is really stressing the shit out of me.
I think my resolution as it relates to golf is to start working on my game again here and there and see where it takes me. But sporting wise powerlifting is definitely the focus.
Squats felt alright. I had felt that I was favoring my right side slightly as I was squatting up. Sure enough, my hips shift to the right as I squat up. I don’t know if this is a strength imbalance or specific to the glute medius. If anyone has any information please let me know. Otherwise I will be on the lookout.
I used a fairly narrow grip on pull-ups and I noticed when I was getting tired I tended to favor my right side. I am just a bag full of imbalances. Hence the band vertical pulls. Not sure if there are any particularly good solutions to this problem.
My 4th set of good mornings felt a little funky so instead of dropping the weight I just cut it 1 set short.
On the lat pulldowns and the low cable rows I will be starting with reps in the 15-20 range before dropping to lower reps (and presumably higher weights). I am trying to build a base first.
My knees miraculously didn’t bother me today! I think the knee sleeves are helping.
Good luck.