Screw myself in.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 23, week 3

• Work Set – Press (working max: 155#)
  • 45 x 5 x 2 sets (warmup)
  • 65 x 5
  • 80 x 5
  • 95 x 3
  • 120 x 5 (work)
  • 135 x 3
  • 150 x 3
• Assistance – Press
  • 95 x 10/10/10/8/9 x 5 sets
• Assistance – Seated Rows (superset with all pressing)
  • 80 x 10 (15 on last set) x 11 sets
• Assistance – Wide-grip lat pulldowns
  • 100 x 10 x 4 sets
• Foam Rolling

What was really solid about today was some technique insight.

First, I continue to find ways to cope with my “dizzy” when I press and Valsalva. Plus, I always fight between breathing at the top of the rep (so I can hold at the bottom and get a stretch reflex), or holding at the bottom. Well, what I’m finding is I need to fight myself less. Instead of trying to find a pattern that I want to do, let my body dictate the pattern necessary. Yes, I might lose out in some way, but ultimately it will be a gain. I mean, if breathing at the bottom is what I have to do, so be it; just means every rep is from a dead stop and while short-term it’s a hit, long term it should lead to awesome, right?

So now I get in position, hold onto the bar, pull my shoudlers back and into position… then just hold my breath and squeeze… let myself get that dizzy. Release, let it clear up, and yes… if I feel the need, do it again, or even a third time, until it just won’t happen. Do NOT rush it. Then get back under, tighten up, unrack and step back.

Here’s another thing I picked up today. I always try to get tight but don’t quite do it before that first rep (tho I always can pick it up on the second). I stumbled into something with my feet: screw them into the ground. So imagine the knife-edge of my foot is a blade and turn my toes outward as if I’m trying to screw my feet into the ground — have that sort of outward pressure, and coming from the ground, go up my leg all the way into my hip socket so even my butt gets tight. It’s a little awkward to hold this tightness all the way up, but probably because it’s novel. But when I held it, my whole lower body was just tight and anchored like never before. Maybe I should try this when I bench press….

But do that… get tight, never lose tightness in the upper body and lats… let myself release and take another breath, hold it… and NOW press up for the first rep. Yeah, a lot to get there, and it might tap some energy out of me that could make another rep. But screw it. I’m at a point where if I can’t hold things up, who cares. If I’m going to risk falling over, who cares. And there’s no way I’m going to lift heavier weights over my head unless I’m tight tight tight. So, there we go.

Then I found as I went through it, my body said fuck it, just come down to the bottom, pause and hold it there, keep as tight as you can (or more typically, tighten back up), breathe, and now press again. Yes, pause every time at the bottom and just deal with it. If that’s what my body says to do, so be it.

I got 4 reps out, even tho the last one was shakey. I mean, it was a solid rep, no push to get started or anything, but my body wobbled and shook to get it up there. I felt I could have done a 5th if I was more stable, but I wasn’t so rack.

I continue to enjoy supersetting all that back work in. It’s light, but I’m slowly working my way up to a point where it’s putting more work on me. Slow and steady, right?

Finished off with some more tricep pressdowns and bb curls, just for some pump because we all like pumped arms. 😉

Next week starts cycle 24… no deload. Doing the 2 cycles back to back thing. Same basic program template. Press and bench will go up 5#, deadlift will go up 10#, but squat remains and goes for depth and reps.

Oh, and this upcoming cycle could see a press PR. My best ever is 155 for 3, and I will beat that!