Squats and Milk-Journal from the Homeland of Hussars

Bulgarian method session #23

A lot of volume and fast pace today. I wasn’t mentally OK for heavy weights but really wanted to do a lot of accessories

High-bar back squat
Ramp to 3 x 130 kg (286 lbs) beltless
3 x 135 kg (297 lbs)
2 x 2 x 140 kg (308 lbs) first tough, second easier
1 x 145 kg (319 lbs) slightly worse feeling than yesterday so I didn’t try to hit the second one

Paused bench press
3 x 5 x 100 kg (220 lbs) that’s probably my volume PR for a paused bench, didn’t even break a sweat though

3 x 10 Pull ups between bench warm-ups

Clean
4 x 3 x 90 kg (198 lbs)

Snatch-grip deadlift
Ramp to 5 x 110 kg (242 lbs) probably at least 3 left

Dumbbell bench press
5 x 10 x 22,5 kg (49 lbs) 30 sec rest
last set was a real challenge

  • some rear delt isolation

Bulgarian Method sessions #24 & #25, had to do something quick before and after school

AM
Front squat
5 x 115 kg (253 lbs) just a regular, everyday PR day

OHP
3 x 6 x 55 kg (121 lbs)

Full zercher cycle - inspired by Christian Thibaudeau
10 reps x 60 kg (132 lbs) + hold for 30 breaths
lol I wanted to cry after 7th or 8th rep

PM
Front squat again
an easy ramp to 3 x 115 kg (253 lbs) beltless
3 paused singles x 105 kg (231 lbs)

OHP again…
7 x 55 kg (121 lbs) probably a rep PR but nothing impressive

Paused deadlift
5 x 2 x 140 kg (308 lbs) every minute on the minute, which means 10 reps in ~4 minutes, a lot harder than previous 10x1

Arms pump at the end

Bulgarian Method session #26

High-bar back squat
Ramp to 3 x 135 kg (297 lbs) beltless
3 x 140 kg (308 lbs)
2 x 145 kg (319 lbs)
1 x 150 kg (330 lbs)
Good day, every working set tied current training max “PR”

Paused bench press
6/5/5 x 100 kg (220 lbs) 6 reps is a new PR for paused reps, previously did it only for touch & go

Snatch-grip deadlift
7 x 120 kg (264 lbs) PR but I’ve never taken this exercise too seriously so there is a lot of room for gains

Dumbbell curls
7 x 22,5 kg (49 lbs) PR - yes I chase PRs for curls, big guns are coming
10/8 x 20 kg (44 lbs)

Bulgarian method session #27

I had little time so a quick session today. Mostly technique + hypertrophy work

Paused high-bar back squat - controlled pause, 2-3 sec
3 x 110 kg (242 lbs)
3 x 3 x 115 kg (253 lbs) I guess that’s a PR for paused version

Stiff-legged deadlift - I realized that I trained hamstring-focused deadlift variations like… 2 times this year
3 x 10 x 100 kg (220 lbs) 90s rest rest, controlled tempo. Mostly a grip exercise

Close-grip bench, 90s rest, touch and go
4 x 8 x 80 kg (176 lbs)

Some farmer walks with 40 kg (88 lbs) dumbbells and some biceps party directly after walks. I strongly recommend this combo!

Bulgarian method session #28

Front squat
5 x 120 kg (264 lbs) 5 kg PR in 3 days!

Some cleans
First wave of 3/2/1 with respectively 85/90/95 kg (187/198/209 lbs)
Second wave of 3/2/1 turned out to be:
3 x 90 kg (198 lbs)
3 x 95 kg (209 lbs) 5 kg PR
1 x 100 kg (220 lbs) really tired after that triple

12/12/10 pull ups with isometric holds, back & rear delts bodybuilding

As far as daily squatting goes:
No more knee/hip pain, no leg soreness, less stiffness than with 2 sessions per week.
And weights go up like when I was a total novice…

[quote]squats and milk wrote:
As far as daily squatting goes:
No more knee/hip pain, no leg soreness, less stiffness than with 2 sessions per week.
And weights go up like when I was a total novice…
[/quote]
That is what I like to hear. Nice work buddy.

Bulgarian method session #29

Frankly I feel a lot of stiffness in traps. I don’t know if it’s from back squatting, from holding heavy things overhead or from pulls. Or maybe (oh really?) from all of those. Nonetheless, I guess that’s the body part which suffers the most from daily lifting. Lots of rolling, warming up, stretching and warm showers.

High-bar back squat
It’s a… third time on this routine I’ve tried something more than 3 reps on back squat.
Ramp to 3 x 130 kg (286 lbs) beltless
4 x 140 kg (308 lbs) 1 rep PR
Two casual, smooth singles x 145 kg (319 lbs)

Push press
5 x 70 kg (154 lbs)
7 and half x 75 kg (165 lbs) PR, previous best was 6 reps

Paused deadlift - pause just a little bit above the floor, a lot below knees
10 x 1 x 145 kg (319 lbs) every minute on the minute, smooth

and regular speed pulls 3 x 160 kg (152 lbs)

Some easy delts and lats pump

aaand…
Dumbbell curl
12(PR)/10 x 20 kg (44 lbs), 10 x 17,5 kg (38 lbs)
yes, 2 rep PR in curls. World’s mine.

Bulgarian method session #30

High-bar back squat
Ramp to 3 x 130 kg (286 lbs) beltless
3 x 140 kg (308 lbs)
3 x 145 kg (319 lbs) 1 rep PR

Breathing paused 3 x 1 x 120 kg (264 lbs) a few breaths at the bottom felt like forever - it was like 40 kg PR for a breathing paused squat lol

OHP
3 x 5 x 60 kg (132 lbs) quite easy volume PR, previously one tough set of 5

Snatch-grip deadlift (as always raw, no straps, no belt, in the jungle)
10 x 120 kg (264 lbs) PR lol who the heck does deadlifts for 10 reps?

Rear delt assistance work, it was literally the only thing I could easily do after deads, even stretching was hard

So are you full Bulgarian with everyday training and some two days or some rest days included? Looks like youre progressing either way.

Of course it’s not a true Bulgarian, it’s a “Bulgarian”.
I’ve always loved high frequency training (doesn’t matter if it was basketball, martial arts or lifting weights) so adapting from 5 or 6 sessions per week to strict 6 sessions (which was my first plan) per week wasn’t hard.

Now I eventually “progressed” to lifting 7 days per week with a day off from time to time - when needed or when I have no time. So I basically squat everyday to 1-5 rep “training max” with no back-offs or fairly light paused back-offs.

Bulgarian method session #31
It was one of those easier squat days since I was tired after yesterday’s deads.

Front squat
Ramp to 5 x 115 kg (253 lbs)

Paused bench press
3 x 7 x 100 kg (220 lbs) huge PR, previously only one set of 6
Had to record it, second set:

Paused deadlift with bands attached to the rack in front of me
7 x 2 x 130 kg (264 lbs) smooth tempo

Casual dumbbell bench press party
11/11/11/11/7 and half x 22,5 kg (49 lbs) 30 seconds rest
Previously did 5x10 and progressing to 25 kg seemed to be too hard. Nonetheless, hit 51,5 reps vs. previous 50. Gains

Bulgarian method session #32

Time to hit some paused gains

Paused high-bar back squat
Ramp to 1 x 130 kg (286 lbs) beltless - +5 kg PR for a paused squat, +10 kg beltless PR

Regular reps
1 x 140 kg (308 lbs) beltless
3 x 140 kg (308 lbs)

Back to paused reps, all beltless
2 x 1 x 120 kg (264 lbs) some breaths at the bottom
2 x 1 x 125 kg (275 kg) longer-than-usual pause
1 x 130 kg (264 lbs)

Push press
5 x 70 kg (154 lbs)
5 x 75 kg (165 lbs)
Aaaand finally… After like three weeks of hitting 4-and-halves…
5 x 80 kg (176 lbs) ultimate PR with an overhead hold of glory

Some power clean technique
8 x 3 x 80 kg (176 lbs)

Dumbbell curl
22" pythons ain’t gonna grow by themselves
12/10/10 x 20 kg (44 lbs)

Bulgarian Method session #33

I received an entrance voucher to I believe the most expensive gym in Warsaw, my city and the capital of Poland. Couldn’t resign from it.

Actually there was no belts inside and I don’t have my own one (on my regular gyms there is a lot of belts which anyone can use) so decided to max-out on paused beltless high-bars.

That’s the result:

1 x 120 kg (264 lbs) breath at the bottom
2 x 1 x 130 kg (286 lbs)
1 x 135 kg (297 lbs) PR

Cleans
6 x 3 x 90 kg (209 lbs) volume PR, previously 4x3. Everything felt smooth.

OHP
4 x 6 x 55 kg (121 lbs)

There was a rope attached to the ceiling so I couldn’t walk past it without trying to climb it.
One rope climb without legs lol

Some quick farmer walks with 30kg bells as a finisher.

Bulgarian method session #34

I had literally 40 minutes to warm-up and train and was pretty beaten up after yesterday (I spend almost three hours at that gym - some training, some sight-seeing and walking around, some stretching and some fun like that rope climb)

Ended up with a quick front squat ramp to:
5 x 115 kg (253 lbs)

Paused deadlift
10 x 1 x 150 kg (330 lbs) every minute on the minute
5 kg progression in paused pulls is going quite well since I started really low to focus on posture.

Bulgarian method session #35

Front squating hard
Ramp to 3 x 125 kg (275 lbs) beltless - never did that before with a belt so 2 PRs - new 3 RM and new beltless 3 RM
2 x 130 kg (286 lbs) PR
1 x 135 kg (297 lbs) PR
0 x 140 kg (308 lbs) lol got too excited after 4 PRs at one session. Core didn’t endure it, I should spend more time hitting bosu crunches

Close-grip bench press
9 x 85 kg (187 lbs) I was too tired to do a regular bench or to do more sets so I pushed that single one. That’s theoretically a PR (vs previous 4 sets of 8 x 80) but I’ve never spend a lot of time practising this variation.

3 x 15 pull ups between warm-up sets - probably a new volume PR

Snatch-grip deadlift
5 x 130 kg (286 lbs) just to feel heavier weights. Grip almost failed on that one after pull-ups.

PR city up in here.

Bulgarian method sessions #36 & #37

I’m back after two days of a physical job. No time for anything except eating and sleeping. Today I was tired as hell but had a lot of free time so I managed to do two quick feeder sessions.

AM:
Paused high-bar back squat
6 x 1 x 120 kg (264 lbs) 3-5 sec pause, beltless

Clean
Ramp to 3 x 80 kg (176 lbs)

OHP, curls and face pulls - easy pump work, volume

PM:
Front squat
Ramp to 5 x 115 kg (253 lbs)

Paused deadlift - the only exercise today which felt smooth and “normal”
10 x 1 x 150 kg (330 lbs) every minute on the minute

aaaand a lot of stretching

I need to recover a bit and the PR city will be real

Dem bosu crunches…

Bulgarian method session #38

I’m really short of time this week and I was finally able to hit the gym relatively hard today.

Front squat (still some back soreness after that weekend job)
Ramp to 3 x 120 kg (264 lbs)
5 x 120 kg (264 lbs) tied PR

Paused bench press
3 x 5 x 105 kg (231 lbs) harder than previous 3x7x100 kg but it’s still above my old 1RM from one month ago. New 5RM
I’ll keep a double progression 5-7 reps once/twice a week for some time.

Push pump:
Dumbbell bench press
5 x 10 x 24 kg (53 lbs) 30 sec rest. Yeah, 1,5kg progression

3 sets of press combo and 3 sets of lateral raise combo from growth factor article. I really enjoy doing them from time to time.

Aaaand some rear delts. Tomorrow finally some more free time. Back squatting hard.

Yesterday’s Bulgarian method session #39

20 kg on back squat in… less than 6 weeks?
Is it real?
Is it possible to squat everyday and survive?
Lol hell yeah

HBBS:
Ramp to 3 x 130 kg (286 lbs) beltless, paused
3 x 140 kg (308 lbs)
3 x 145 kg (319 lbs)
3 x 150 kg (330 lbs)
1 x 155 kg (341 lbs) didn’t record it but it was super fast
1 x 160 kg (352 lbs) I recorded it but technique and depth wasn’t so-super-satisfactory or just sloppy so I deleted it. 10 kg PR, 20 kg gains in 6 weeks

Clean
8 x 3 x 90 kg (198 lbs) another let’s say “volume PR”, work on technique

[quote]squats and milk wrote:
20 kg on back squat in… less than 6 weeks?
[/quote]

Inspiring!