Block press

315 x 1

365 x 1

380 x 1

385 x 1

Bench press

285 x 7

Super-set with seated reverse-hyper rows

4 plates x 12

Incline bench press

205 x 7, 7 6 - drop-down to 135 x 8

Super-set with seated reverse-hyper rows

6 plates x 12, 15

6.5 plates x 17

Getting really used to owning the 380s and making them my everyday strength that I can feel confident about hitting when I get under the bar. For me, it's a different process than getting stronger on a calorie deficit when I can just keep recklessly rocketing up. In the past trying to do that on few calories is how I would suddenly get in a cycle of continued missed reps. 

Resisted the urge to do extra junky volume with plans to up my training frequency a little and hit upper body again soon, which always works better for me when losing weight. 

Block press

315 x 1

365 x 1

370 x 1

Super-set 

Block press: 315 x 4, 4

Wide chin-ups: 15, 15, 

Bench press

285 x 5

Giant set

Incline bench press: 205 x 7, 7, 185x7

Dips: 10, 10, 5

Chin-ups: 15, 15, 15

39 second chin-up

10 dips

A combination of weight loss, back injury, and recent 100 lb dips made everything feel heavy today, so I hit a grindy 370 and then added sets of 315 as a new challenge. I'm not afraid to fail under a press, but getting pinned with a back injury crosses into the realm of stupidity.

Speaking of which, yesterday was the second Saturday in a row that I hurt my back doing something innocuous - bending down slightly, in the most recent case. Very frustrating but my resolve is like steel. I'm mentally adapted to living in constant pain and can only go up from here.

So that cancelled any type of squats. Even did 25 bodyweight ones until I decided I wasn't liking the pressure on my lumbar and canceled them. 

Ended up going for a spontaneous hour and a half walk with the person I'm seeing. Started off as a walk in the park and then we decided to just keep going all the way to the next city through a nature trail that winds alongside the freeway. Reached a pub for our destination and I feasted on beer, ribs, and mac and cheese.

Workout from Thursday night:

Dips

10, 10

50 x 10

100 x 7, 7

50 x 12

-

Giant set with chin-ups

8, 12, 12, 15, 15

-

Giant set with kettlebell goblet squats 

50 x 10, 10, 10, 10, 20, 20, 30

Back was too painful to press overhead, which means there's a fantastic opportunity to do weighted dips instead. 

Today, after a couple of days of flipping my mattress to the firm side, my back is feeling a lot better. Going to carefully do a barbell squat workout today. Plan is to get to 320 for 3 high-rep sets, but if I'm feeling great I'll add more.

My diet is also become strict enough at this point that I'm making Saturday a carb-up day. Time to feast.

Block press

315 x 1

365 x 1

375 x 1

390 x 1 (PR)

Bench press

280 x 8

Incline bench press

200x 9, 8, 8 - drop-down to 185x4, 135x5

135 x 10 - immediately switch to decline dumbbell press with the 50s x 12

365 felt like an absolute TON and I wasn’t sure if I’d have to change course today so I did an unplanned set of 375 as a test increase, but I felt woken up by then and was on a different level. While there’s been a definite difference in how stable I feel while squatting, weight loss hasn’t slowed down my upper body progress yet.

Bodyweight squats

200 In 14:03 minutes

Leg extensions

5 plates x 30, 30

Leg curls

5 plates x 3 x 30

20 hanging leg raises

Tweaked my back while sitting down today which necessitated this. Have never done this many bodyweight squats in my life before so improving on this will be good for me. 

Axle strict press

200 x 4

160 x 8

150 x 7

130 x 9

Super-set with chin-ups

4 x 15

Shoulder medley 

Behind-the-neck press: 45

Lateral raises: 15s x 12

Band pull-aparts x 20

Triceps medley

Dips x 10

Swiss bar skullcrushers x 20

Band pressdowns x 12

100 poundstone curls

Any kind of cleaning from the floor would be a bad move with how my back is feeling. Pressed fairly gingerly as a result.

Found 2 praying mantises yesterday while lifting, each getting attacked by my cat. One of them came back today.

Deadlifts

Up to 515 x 1

405x12 + 10 shrugs

Barbell shrugs

405 x 15

Leg curls super-set with leg extensions 

8 plates x 25

* These were getting kinda stupid with 10 plates for 50 reps so I made a point to resist the eccentric instead of getting helped by the momentum of the machine. Less impressive numbers on paper, better training stimulus.

Yesterday did some back rehab and then two 3-minute rounds on the heavy bag, followed by a 10 minute run and some shadowboxing.

Back pain has been a struggle lately, but still have lots of rehab ideas to try and getting a laptop to stand and do work at the office is paying off. Been getting into the habit of having a “pre-deadlift day” wherein I’ll do the reverse-hyper, some light speed deads with 200, kettlebell swings, the sled and hanging leg raises. Should add the McGill 3 to that list. Will see how deads today go, most likely sumo.

I’m getting the idea to expand that back rehab workout to at least three days a week, irrespective of my training program. I need a pain-free back for more than just deadlifting. Writing it out and setting the days is the move to make.

Squat

510 x 2, 2

350 x 18

Almost lost control squatting 510x2. I had just squatted 510x2 before this, but felt unusually wobbly which prevented me from going down as far as I wanted so I tried another set. That comes from losing weight and having less belly fat to center me, throwing me off balance. This was hairy but I was ready to drop the bar behind me and bail out if I absolutely needed to.

 Was extremely strapped for time yesterday evening, which is anticipated during the week and all part of the plan. Forced me to do another no-rest session which is good for me.

Axle clean once and strict press: 120 x 5
Chin-ups: 5
10 rounds in 9:04 

20 kettlebell strict presses with 50 lb bells, dropping and cleaning every 5 reps
-
Super-set with 10 chin-ups

Lateral raises: 15 lb kettlebells x 20

Had some visitors when the after-work gym crowd arrived.

Because I was feeling nauseous from that effort combined with eating a big pre-workout meal, I had a liquid dinner of a protein shake with a whole egg and egg whites added and a homemade smoothie (no orange juice as a solvent anymore, only whole fruits that were slightly thawed or microwaved with a little hot water added so they blend; the process looks nutty but it turns out an instant smoothie with no added sugar or juice).

Squats

450 x 8
350 x 20 + 20 kettlebell pullovers
250 x 25

Feel delirious after this and am actually not entirely sure if I did 450 for 10 or 8. I’ll go with the lower number.

Turned down offers at the office on Friday to indulge in drinks because I knew I’d want to drink at the beach the next day, which was a blast. The tide receded at sunset and I got to walk out in ankle deep water as San Francisco lit up in the background.

Block press

315 x 1

375 x 1

380 x 1

Bench press

275 x 8

Kroc rows

150 lb dumbbell x 21

Incline Close-grip bench

200 x 9, 9, 9 + drop-down to 135 x 7 + 12 pushups

-

Super-set with chin-ups

15, 15, 15, 20

380 is the heaviest weight I've ever successfully moved with my arms. The barbell feels lighter and lighter every session.