295 – PR. But 300 will have to wait.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 19, week 3

• Work Set – Squat (working max: 305#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x125
  • 1x5x155
  • 1x3x185
  • 1x5x230 (work)
  • 1x3x265
  • 1x2x295 (PR)
• Assistance – Squat
  • 3 x 10 x 135
• Assistance – Pulldown Abs
  • 4 x 25 x 60
• Foam Rolling

All time personal record: 295# squat. Huzzah. Only got 2 reps out of it tho. Went down for #3, then I got stapled and coming up didn’t happen. Dumped the bar. No big deal.

And really to me, that’s more what mattered — that it was no big deal.

Again, I don’t love squat (OK maybe just a little now), and while I don’t hate it any more, there’s still stuff to overcome. I cannot deny that the 295# intimidated me, tho it also excited me because it’s almost 300# and that’s a cool milestone (and it meand 3 wheels isn’t too far away either). I still had some fear about what would happen if I couldn’t do it… what if I couldn’t do it… and that sort of FUD. But the first time I got stapled and dumped the bar, it broke through that barrier. So today wasn’t a big deal. I would do it or I wouldn’t, and if I didn’t, whatever… you move on.

I mean…

Brandon Lilly just benched 500# again

I was seriously more nervous before this bench than any other lift I can remember in my life. I was so worried about “what if”? Then I kinda stepped back and realized I could be hurt doing anything… So then I got really excited about being “back”. I laid down, and as soon as the bar was in my hand any worry, or doubt left me. I just wanted to smash it, and I feel like I moved the weight pretty well. It wasn’t 100% but I now know I can do it, and I’m only going up from here.

Eric Lilliebridge just totalled 2182.5# at the UPA Nationals:

and look at his 3rd squat (@ 3:21) and bench press (@ 6:20) attempts. He went for it, but missed. Did the fear of missing stop him? or was his motivated to be awesome and just accepts that missing happens but you keep going?

In a comment on that video, someone asked Eric why his competition deadlift went up only 26# over 4 years. Eric’s response:

A PR is PR, by 10 pounds or 1 pound. Doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m making progress. No one got strong over night. This shit takes years.

And then there’s CT Fletcher, about giving your all:

And that’s what I told myself today. Just give it your all. CT tried 700# bench press, missed, but he knew he gave it his all.

So today… that’s what I did. I did my best to put all the bullshit of work and life out of my head, and just lift. Put on some Slayer, and squat.

And so I only got 2 reps. I still hit a PR, and the only thing it means is I will NOT increase my weight next cycle but will stay here and push for rep PR’s. I also think I will stop the 20 rep squat assistance work and instead try pause squats because while I dig what 20 rep squats are doing, I want to see if pause squats will more directly address my needs.

Yes. Listened to Slayer the whole time.

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman