Failed to PR, but I think I have a setup that may help me avoid the dizzy spells.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 3

• Work Set – Press (working max: 160#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x65
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x3x95
  • 1x5x120 (work)
  • 1x3x140
  • 1x2x155
• Assistance – Press
  • 5 x 10 x 85
• Assistance – Lat Pulldowns
  • 4 x 15 x 95
• Assistance – Lateral Raises
  • 3 x 15/12/12 x 15
• Assistance – Rope Pressdowns
  • 3 x 20/15/12 x 30
• Assistance – Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 15/12/12 x 20

Straight up, I failed to PR. I repeated the weight from last cycle and there I got 3 reps, here I got 2. But something cool happened.

When I started to warm up, I didn’t intend to do this but it just happened and I went with it. I am working to find better set-ups for each lift, and I’m getting pretty close to a good setup for deadlift. It was really good a couple days ago, so I guess fresh off that I was inspired to hit that today. Walk up to the bar, stand there, relax, let my weight drop. Well, I placed my hands on the bar, tightened up, deep breath and hold… and the dizzy started. But this time, I didn’t unrack the bar. I just left the bar in the rack, but stayed tight with my breath held, let the dizzy pass, kept tight, new breath, then unracked the bar and went. It wasn’t perfect, I need to still get timing on it (can’t wait too long, but gotta wait some), but I was sure a lot more stable. The downside is that I’m sitting there holding a tight isometric hold for what feels like 10-ish seconds, and I wonder if that’s taking a rep out of me? I felt on the last 2-3 sets that I just didn’t have it in me. In fact, on the final set I started and couldn’t get the bar up more than half way!! I re-shouldered it, fresh breath, retightened, and cranked out 1 rep… hated only getting 1 so I ground out a 2nd.

I think I need to work on it, finding the right time to “recover” from the ‘dizzy’ feeling, but well… if this helps me work it, then so be it. I’ll keep at it.

One interesting other thing that happened then during the assistance pressing was of course I continued to work on the exact same setup, but I would find on the last 3 sets on the last some reps, it got tough and I felt a tightening in my torso like never before to keep things going.

So you know…. I didn’t PR, but I still think I progressed.