Bench. Week 2 Cycle 9.

Hi.

Yeah, I front squatted today. After yesterday's terrible sessions I felt like I needed to go in today and turn things around. I got some good rest, ate some good food and felt great going in to the gym this morning. As normal, I started by just hitting the prescribed reps for bench and doing some easy heavier singles. For assistance work I felt especially strong and upped my reps doing: 100x3, 110x3, 120x5, 110x3, 100x11 for dumbbell bench. I then decided I'd try some front squats since I failed to even move 315 yesterday, which up until then had always been fairly easy. Once I got 315 I figured I'd put the cherry on top and do 320lbs, a PR. Afterwards I played with my grip on flat bench and made some adjustments (narrower grip, feet flat raised up on some plates) that I think will be helping me in the future. 

Also, seeing as I felt so good today, I'll see how next week goes and see if I actually need to deload on squats. 

Goals for today:

205x3

230x3

260x3 (this weight used to be my max. easy.)

Lifted:

205x3

230x3

260x3 (260x1 used to be my all-time max and back in week 1 cycle 1 I only managed 220x2. Progress.)

275x1 (submax single)

280x1 (submax single)

Video of front squat below:

Squats. Week 2 Cycle 10.

Well, I was hoping I would make it the entire year without having to deload squats, but today's workout decided otherwise. After my second working set I knew I'd have trouble since the reps were moving really slowly. Anyway, last cycle I did 425x6 and today 430x6 was the original goal. After warmups I decided to do only the prescribed reps, but even after completing those three reps I dont think I had anything else left in me. Time to put the ego aside and lower the weights. I was tired of lifting those heavy-ass weights anyway (Ronnie would be so disappointed). Also, I could make lots of excuses for my performance today, but you can always make those. And I felt like today was more than just an off-day since I have been riding the ragged edge of what I can output on squats for a while now. My assistance work was also really difficult, which is always a bad sign, too. I'll finish out this cycle and start my deload for cycle 11. I'm going to drop back to 365lbs for week 1 and try to beat the 10 reps I did back in cycle 8. Rawr. On another note, I'm going to see if I can keep my deadlifts going until the end of the 12th cycle, I'd really like to rep out 500lbs before I have to deload.

Goals for today:

335x3
385x3
430x3

Lifted:

335x3
385x3 (I knew there was trouble at this point)
430x3 
430x2 (I planned on doing a few sets to see if I could repeat the triple. Nope.)
430x1


Asssistance work:  A bunch of failed front squats. Somebody hold me.

Video of final set:

Progress over the last 10 cycles in week 2 (I've now linked videos to each lift):

Cycle 1: 330x4

Cycle 2: 335x5

Cycle 3: 345x7

Cycle 4: 350x8

Cycle 5: 360x8

Cycle 6: 370x8

Cycle 7: 375x8

Cycle8: N/A (smolov)

Cycle9: 425x6 

Cycle 10: 430x3 (time to deload)

Week 1 Cycle 2 | Overhead Press

Today's workout ends week 1 of cycle 2 for overhead press (and week 1 of cycle 10 for squats and deadlifts). Last cycle in week 1 I lifted 160x7. Today's final weight was 165lbs and I wanted 7 reps again. I got them with no drama and one left in the tank.

Goals for today:

125x5
145x5
165x5

Lifted:


125x5
145x5
165x7


After the final working set, I did 3 more sets at 165lbs for 3 reps each set, each rep paused at the bottom. Following this I did 5 sets of 135lbs for 5 reps, again with each rep paused at the bottom. These were supersetted with weighted chins (+95lbs for 3 reps each set).

I blew it on recording today (camera fell over), so I decided I'd just do something different and post a progress picture. Here is my back from when I started way back in cycle 1, 10 months ago, compared to my back now. The second picture lacks the muscle-defining overhead lighting, but I think you can still see a difference. 

Squat in cycle 1: 310x6. Squat in Cycle 10: 410x8

Video of assitance set below:

Deadlifts. Week 1 Cycle 10 | Bench 1 week cycle 9

Today was ridiculous. I should have stayed home and just soaked in a bubble bath all day. Yesterday my legs and back were still sore to the touch, so I don't know why I thought I'd be ready to lift today. Anyway, I got to the gym and went nuts on some deadlifts. After warming up with the bar and 135 my back clamped up. I should have gone home at that point, but I'm dumb; instead I just lied down between sets and stretched until I was loose enough to get into position to start the deadlift. Today's final set called for 435lbs. Last time in week 1, I just hit prescribed reps at 425. But since I got 475 x 6 last cycle, I knew that I should be able to get at least ten today (1 rep for every 10lbs taken off the bar), and so I wanted 11 in order to show improvement over last cycle. I  really had to fight for it, and I've never struggled for a lockout like I did on that 11th rep.

Acessory work: 4 sets of 3 reps of weighted chins(+95lbs). Entire body fried. Just went home after this.

Nothing to report on bench: just did prescribed reps with final set at 245x5. Easy.

Goals for today:

335x5
385x5
435x5

Lifted:

335x5
385x5
435x11

Improvement in week 1 over last ten cycles:

• Cycle 1: 355x13
• Cycle 2: 365x12
• Cycle 3 :370x14
• Cycle 4: 380x15
• Cycle 5: 385x15
• Cycle 6: 395x15 
• Cycle 7: 400x17
• Cycle 8: 405x15 (out of town)
• Cycle 9: 425x5 (just hitting prescribed reps) (also change in form to deadstop all previous weeks were touch-and-go)
• Cycle 10: 435 x 11

Video of final set below

Squats. Week 1 Cycle 10.

Okay, first day back after taking a full week off from lifting. Unfortunately, being out of town messed with my sleep and diet, so this wasn't exactly the best deload week; I came back pretty tired from my morning flight and   was also about 4 lbs underweight.

Anyway, I was happy to be back in the gym. I added 5lbs to my working weights over the last cycle, which put me at 410lbs for my final set today. Last cycle in week1 I managed 405 x8. No rocket science here, I wanted 8 reps again today. However, I felt like absolute doodoo, and I considered just hitting the prescribed reps, but when I  got to 5, I figured I'd keep going. I should mention that  today was the first time I've tried a preworkout stim (jacked3d). I normally don't even drink caffeine. This made me feel so light headed  and nauseus I really almost passed out a couple times, making the valsalva maneuver pretty impossible. I'll keep trying it for a bit and see if I can get used to it, since I  hear such good things.

Also, I put my camera backwards like a moron and filmed the ground, so I don't know if my reps were high or legit (they did feel high). Okay, enough crying. It's good to be back.

In other news, I was accepted into graduate school. Go me.

Goals for today:

315x5
365x5 (I was all up on my toes and shit, real ugly warm ups)
410x5

Lifted:

315x5
365x5
410x8


Week 1 Progress over the last 10 cycles:

• 310x6 - cycle 1 
• 315x7- cycle 2 
• 325x10 - cycle 3 
• 335x8 - cycle 4
• 340x10 - cycle 5 
• 350x10 - cycle 6
• 355x10 - cycle 7
• 365x10 - cycle 8
• 405x8 - cycle 9
• 410x8- cycle 10 (100lbs and 2reps added since  cycle 1. whatwhat)

Assistance work:

Did about 12 sets of bodyweight chins for5-10 reps. Just greasing the groove. These were done between front s quat doubles at 275lbs (5 sets).

Since I messed up filming, here was a 410lb 'paused' squat after my final working set: