SSB box squat:
415 x 5
> Continuing at the new depth. This was ridiculously easy.
Deadlifts:
365 x 5
415 x 3
465 x 5
> Just taking it easy and really conserving myself for week 3. Need to stay lower to recruit quads more.
SSB good mornings:
150 x 10
Bulgarian split-squats:
50s x 10, 10
Squat holds:
570 x 13, 12
> Left lat was straining under the weight, for some reason.
Another squat and dead session. I'm liking these a lot. I see a viable way to lift three days instead of four this way.
Swiss bar press:
140 x 3
160 x 3
180 x 7
> On the one hand, my strength has returned after a bad session last week. On the other, this is exactly where I was almost two months ago, only I had a harder time on the last rep (almost failed, let out a yell and got it). I'm not losing weight or eating poorly, either. Will wait and see if this choice of paused assistance work is doing me favors or not before I change things. At least it's worth noting that I feel stronger at the bottom now and it might have saved that last rep there, as well as last week when I stumbled in the middle of the set and lost momentum.
Swiss bar pause press with FG:
107.5 x 5 x 10
> Switched the 2.5 lb plate from side to side each set. I felt the difference but it wasn't a big deal.
V-handle chin-ups:
11, 11, 11, 10, 10
> My chins have improved so much, and it's showing in my lat development.
Kettlebell curls at home
SSB box squat:
150 x 5
240 x 5
330 x 5
Timed hold:
480 x 10 seconds
SSB box squat:
415 x 2, 1, 2
> Had to find my groove as I took the plate off the stool and tried to squat the new depth. That last set of 2 was by far the strongest. I'm going by Staley's escalating density principle and trying to get 5 in one set before moving on.
Timed hold:
570 x 20 seconds
Bulgarian split-squats:
45s x 10
> Knee suddenly hurt on the leg being propped up on the bench, so did the second leg as a set of pistol squats while holding on to something for support.
Interesting night. It's fun having one day out of the week where I can really experiment with different things.
Swiss bar bench:
190 x 5
215 x 5
245 x 10
> Bar clanged on the safety bars on rep 4 or 5, but thanks to all the pause pressing I've been doing I recovered at the bottom and pressed on to make a decent effort. Slowing down definitely hurt me, though, and I would have been good for 11 or 12 otherwise.
Swiss bar pause bench with Fat Gripz:
175 x 5 x 10
> Fat Gripz are starting to be a real bitch as the weight gets heavier. Had to rest the bar on my chest a few times and adjust my grip mid-set.
Dumbbell Pendlay rows:
170 x 5 x 5
> Taking a break from normal dumbbell rows to pull some real heavy weight.
Dumbbell external rotations
5 lbs x 20, 20
Various curls
Yesterday I lifted through what I can honestly say is the crappiest I've ever felt while making myself train. Goes to show how pragmatic I am now and will stay consistent regardless of how inoptimal a busy day might be. Ended up deadlifting a slow 440 x 5, doing a set of Bulgarian split-squats, and calling it a night. I was sleep-deprived, nauseous, and full, but sometimes you just have to get in and punch the clock. Slept for 12 straight hours after.
Ran hills in the rain tonight. Feeling a lot better, and am ready for tomorrow.
Had a good deload.
Swiss bar press:
130 x 5
150 x 5
170 x 8
> Major suckage, but I'm sleep-deprived and was working during the day, so I'm not worried. I actually lost balance on rep 4 and had to catch myself. My press has been bad lately, but I'm going to be patient with BBB for this cycle and if nothing changes, I'll make a single alteration like Dan John suggests to experiment.
Swiss bar pause press with Fat Gripz:
105 x 5 x 10
> No more resets from here on out. Gonna settle on this and keep ascending.
V-handle pull-ups:
11, 11, 10, 10, 10
> New goal is 12 x 5.
Alternating hammer curls:
60s x 10
Dumbbell external rotations
I'm learning to have fun even on my bad days, a major change in maturation as a lifter.
Thursday
Swiss bar bench:
210 x 5
240 x 3
270 x 6
> Decent. Not what I was vying for, but still enough to be a 5 lb gain over last cycle, which is what it comes down to.
Swiss bar pause bench:
170 x 5 x 10
> Ditched the Fat Gripz this time, but I'm going to bring them back. I feel like they hit the triceps uniquely.
Dumbbell rows:
120 x 5 x 10
> Doing these between sets of pause bench and I was hauling ass to finish before closing time. Barely got everything done and had no time for curls.
Friday
Tonight was a helluva session. Again, pressed for time, I somehow did max effort squats and deadlifts back to back.
SSB box squat:
420 x 5
Deadlift:
380 x 5
430 x 3
480 x 4
> Had another in me, but the shock of pulling this heavy for the first time got to me. I'm also not rest-pausing at all. It was pretty badass to get this with such short timing between sets and having to pee. 490 x 5 next time!
Have also discovered that my sporadic deadlift performance is partly because of not squatting low enough to pull. I surmise that this is a result of not squatting deep for so long. Consequently, I'm starting too high and pulling too much with my back, like a Romanian deadlift. It's not QUITE that exaggerated but the drift to that is there. I felt stronger today by consciously keeping a lower posterior and using my quads more.
Partial leg press super-set with GHR
One of the douchy owners comes in and interrupts my GHR set.
"Time ta go."
"I thought you close at 9."
"What does the clock say?"
"I don't have my glasses. Probably 8:55."
"Two minutes to 9."
Dude, bring it down. I know you have to make the rounds and close up but there's no need to be that silly. I was doing my last set and would have been out by 9. This is the problem when people who don't care about training run gyms.
Swiss bar press:
145 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 5
> Strength is down on this. Felt tight and explosive and by all indications what I would feel on a PR day - just didn't have what it took for more.
Swiss bar press with Fat Gripz:
120 x 5 x 10
> Huge reset, but with pauses and shorter rests this felt just as hard as 135. I think what I want to do next cycle is reset down to maybe 115, ape Emevas with the pauses, and get some 1-1.5 lb plates to microload. I feel like I started at a good weight with this but the 5 lb increases just had me plateauing too fast.
V-handle chin-ups:
5 x 10
Curls
SSB box squats:
420 x 5
Squat holds:
560 x 20 seconds, 20
Partial squats:
290 x 10, 15, 15
Barbell hip thrusts:
155 x 10
185 x 12, 15
Planks
Legs hurt right now, not from muscle soreness but more of a Charley horse feeling.
Missed recording a poor deadlift day of 455 x 4. My body just did NOT want to pull that night; even the warm-ups felt majorly heavy. If I can get 480 x 5 next week I'll feel redeemed.
Tonight? Great bench press session.
Swiss bar bench:
200 x 3
225 x 3
255 x 9
> Blew this away, had gas for another rep. It's kickass how fast I'm improving at wielding the Swiss bar. Last cycle at this time I gutted out 250 x 7.
Three I've adopted that seem to be helping:
1. External rotation exercises.
2. A warm-up that has variation over repetition (i.e. not doing the same primer movement for multiple sets but moving on to cover more ground).
3. A set or two of plyos before the main sets, like clapping push-ups. These did make my elbows click, though.
As a result my shoulder feels fantastic. I'm actually tempted to go back to straight bar pressing.
Swiss bar pause bench with Fat Gripz:
165 x 5 x 10
Dumbbell rows:
117.5 x 5 x 10
> With straps, no thumb, between sets of presses.
Swiss bar curls with band:
10, 6
External rotations:
10 x 12, 15
