“Week 4” deload

• Deload – Deadlift (working max: 275#)
  • 2x5x110
  • 2x5x140
  • 2x5x165
• Asst. #1 – Hyperextensions
  • 5 x 10 x BW
• Asst. #2 – Hanging leg curl raises whatever I call them
  • 5 x 7 x WT
• Metcon – jump rope
  • 1 Tabata set – all single hop

Again, it’s deload week, so there’s nothing much to write home about.

On the next cycle I’m going to switch from hyperextensions to Good Mornings. Start slow and almost no weight, ensuring back and legs are straight and as “right angle” as possible. See where it goes.

The leg curl/raises I’m getting better at, almost no swing, more curl up of the knees up to the shoulders, and noticing a lot more full-body activity in bringing my legs up (e.g. my back and arms are getting into it some). This is all good, as it’s not an isolation exercise. I’m feeling alright doing 5×7 across, so I’m going to bump to 5×8 and see how that goes, and just keep building from there.

As an aside… my right knee has been odd for a number of years. Just the way things felt, how it would grind (as older knees do), general motion and stability and so on. Plus I noticed that if I knelt down, resting on my kneecap, I could move just the right way and pop my knee(cap). Well, I can’t pop it any more. In fact, my knee is feeling much different. For a couple of months it was feeling bad… even had thoughts that I’d blow it out. I may still. But recently I’ve been feeling more like the knee is improving, getting stronger, more stable. All stands to reason given the deadlifting and squatting. Sure, I do feel like in all the improvements to my body that I also feel some wear and tear on it, but all in all the body feels stronger… we’ll see how the knee feels in another 6 months.