The only way to get good at the things you hate is to keep doing them until you don’t hate them any more. So with that, today was squat day. 🙂

“Week 1” 5 reps

• 5/3/1 – Squats (working max: 230#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x115
  • 1x5x140
  • 1x5x150 (work)
  • 1x5x175
  • 1x7x200
• Asst. #1 – Squats
  • 5 x 10 x 85
• Asst. #2 – Leg Curls
  • 5 x 10 x 40
• Metcon – jump rope
  • 1 Tabata set – all single hop

I don’t look forward to squat days, but I’m always appreciative of them when I’m done. Certainly of the 4 big lifts, it’s my least favorite, but I know it’s the #1 at making you overall bigger and stronger. So, you do it.

I’m happy I was able to crank out 7 with 200#, since that’s 1 more than the last time I did 200#, which would have been on “week 2” of the previous cycle. So, that’s alright. Form continues to improve, giving myself the cues of “chest up” and “torso tight”. Unfortunately I then realize I lose shoulder tightness, so I have to work on that. I also have been working more on keeping my eyes at a “higher plane”. The issue is, most of the equipment in the gym is up against walls so trying to look at a spot on the ground 6′-8′ in front of you doesn’t really happen, so I’ve been looking further down than I should. When I pick a spot on the wall that’s not as far down, my head still stays down but not as much, and that appears to be helping. Helps with the “chest up”.

I get a good burn (I hate that term) on my assistance squats, and while 85 is pushing me I think it’s time to bump that up. I’ll likely go to 90 next workout. 1 minute in between sets here really gets my heart pumping.

I’m also glad I made the on-the-spot choice to take leg curls up to 40# because that worked me nicely. I do think 45# next time, along with the squat assistance weight bump, should leave my hamstrings good and sore. 😉

On the jump rope… I realized, I don’t need to add a second set. I need to make my 1 set more intense. I worked to jump faster today, averaging about 2 hops per second, which was hard to do after killing my legs on the squats and curls. But that’s what I need. I also think that perhaps I should start to change technique from hops to “running in place”, which will likely require me to back off while I learn the skill, but that’s alright because I reckon that’ll be a better workout in the long run. I may try starting on that next workout.

Anyways, today was alright. Need more red meat tho. 🙂