Deadlifts

500 x 0, 5

405 x 10

315 x 10

* Head wasn't in the game for that false start, belt was also too tight. Ended up setting it too loose even over my sweatshirt but the lever is getting rusted at over 10 years old now and I didn't want to spend 5 minutes fiddling with the screws again. Got 5 reps pretty easily. Next week will aim for 7 with an arbitrary goal of 10 pretty soon.

Ssb lunges

150 x 20

Back has been feeling terrible the past couple of weeks. Yesterday and today at work I've been doing dynamic and static stretches, and today I even walked forcibly backwards on a treadmill that's in storage, which I've heard is good for the knees but also felt good on my back. 

I need to get a sled. Pulling it would be really good for my body. 

Bench press

245 x 8, 8, 8

225 x 10, 10

-

Super-set with dumbbell rows

115 x 8, 10, 10

125 x 10, 10

Band pressdowns, curls, Y-rows

The birthday brunch cruise went off without a hitch and was fantastic. I'm on an early schedule anyway so I had no trouble waking up at 7:00 to make it to San Francisco in time. We went under the Golden gate bridge and passed close by Alcatraz. Food was amazing and I pigged out after some bottomless mimosas. Our waitress even let me take my stacked plates home as long as I kept it discrete.

Because the universe feels threatened by my power, I got word at the end of it that nobody could be in the office this afternoon. I had no choice but to go in, topping off the week of bad fortune. My friends offered to come back to the South Bay when my shift was over, so we went out for sushi at night in town and checked out a gamer bar where I played Street Fighter 2 against George. Ended up watching the live-action Fist of the North Star movie and live-action Mario movie back at the house, both of which were disappointingly boring.

All in all, I had a great time despite the bad circumstances.

Just forced myself to do a 30-minute workout consisting of Yukon bar squats with 225x3x10 with sets of 8 chin-ups between all warm-up and other sets. My quads feel like glass and I consider this a deload. I'm starting to think I get this feeling when I squat really deep over a long period of time.

Really hectic day yet again and I have little time until I have to wake up early tomorrow for the brunch cruise, but I'm glad I went against my inner bitch and hit some iron. Just disobeying the whims of the universe and getting training in is a win.

 Didn't have much time yesterday so I got a quick workout in of 140x5x8-10 on the press, super-set with chins. Tried to press a 100 lb dumbbell before that but couldn't do it once without leg drive, so I used my legs to get 2 reps on my right arm and 1 on my left. Strength is trying to hide from me right now but I'm not letting up on the consistency no matter what's thrown at me.

Suprise overtime today at work and I have no food left except for a jar of nuts. Tomorrow I have a birthday brunch cruise I set-up with my friends that I have to go to sleep early for, so I'm both underfed and short on time. Have a headache today too. The office isn't soaking wet anymore but it smells horrible. With all the windows and doors open to air it out cigarette smoke is constantly wafting in here.

Really quite a shit week. I actually just want the weekend to be over so I can start over next week and crush it. I would cancel my social plans because I'm not in the mood but I paid for the cruise and it was my idea to begin with.

I really, really didn't want to do anything today, which is a good feeling to take into the gym.

I knew I wouldn't be able to budge something close to 600 given the way I was feeling so I got up to 505x4 on deadlifts. Was aiming for 5 at a minimum and 8+ as extra credit, but thinking of 500 as my bad day weight for any amount of reps is pretty cool. I wrote this exact same thing about 10 years ago with 405 when I kept failing 455. 500 is the new 405, which was the new 315 back then.

Immediately stripped the plates and hit 315x15, followed immediately by 240x10 on the SSB bar. My right quad has been feeling funny, which has happened before if my deep squat volume goes up. So I left it at that. My ego may not be glowing but I'm laying bricks down.

If it took life inconveniences to get me into doing the quick, substantive workouts I've been telling myself I need to do more of, good. I really do not need to be maxing out on "core" lifts in 2-hour sessions as if I'm at a meet 4 days a week. I can still do that shit sometimes too! Just less of it. 

Crazy couple of days. Monday started out with a lack of sleep, then my car started making noises on the drive to the office. Am in the market for a new car so I went to the dealer afterwards, which took 3 hours, and put the down payment for a 2021 Corolla that will be ready in 3 days after financing is approved. Didn't have anything to eat except a weightgainer shake in the morning that left me very hungry with a lunchless afternoon.

On the drive home 4 hours after I normally get off work, my car died. Luckily, my tow came quicker than the 2 hours that was expected and got a ride home with my car trailing behind from a very cool tow truck driver. 

By the time all this was over it was evening and I had to start getting ready for bed. Got much better sleep, although still had to wake up via alarm.

Come into the office and the whole place is flooded. The water was shut-off yesterday and someone had left the faucet handle in the on position. When the water came back on at night, water ended up flowing overnight until I came in and turned it off. I wasn't wearing boots so I'm sitting at my desk with wet socks and shoes, freezing. If I had a longer shift I'd go back home to change. Food is two peanut-butter sandwiches and a thermos of milk.

Squatted 475.on Friday night, followed by 5x10 of 315.

Overhead dumbbell strict press

80 x 5

90 x 5, 5, 4

-

Super-set with pull-ups

8, 8, 8, 10

Axle power clean each rep and strict press

140 x 8, 8

-

Super-set with pull-ups

8, 10

SSB squats

240 x 20

-

Super-set with deadlifts

315 x 20

Walking dumbbell lunges

50s x 18

Got this idea from Emevas. Weight was light but quads and back were sore coming in so this was not fun at all, which was the goal. Perhaps next time a different bar for squats would be better so back is a little fresher for deadlifts. 

Bench press

230 x 5

265 x 5

300 x 5

230 x 15

* Much stronger showing than last month when I hit 300x4. Powerful reps, no grind at all. 

-

Super-set with T-bar rows

Up to 5 plates x 10

Dumbbell press

100s x 8, 9, 8, 8

-

Super-set with T-bar rows

5 plates x 10, 10, 10, 10

Mat pulls (9)

Up to 585 x 0, 3

500x1

My back was hurting and I'm really happy I got 585 x 3. Felt like the technique to sit far back with the weight really clicked tonight. I gave that everything I had, couldn't even do 500 for more than a slow single afterwards.

I have a new bed and mattress and my back already feels a bit better from it. We'll see. 

One-arm dumbbell strict press

Up to 80 x 8, 8, 7/8

-

Super-set with pull-ups

8, 10, 10

Axle clean and strict press each rep

130 x 8, 8, 8

-

Super-set with pull-ups

8, 9, 9

Heavy band pressdowns

15, 10

Super-set with.Power cleans

160 x 5, 5 (then push-pressed the last rep for no reason)

Keg curls

160 x 12