Some days you just have to press on, and at the end, you’re thankful for having done so.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 26, week 2

• Work Set – Squat (working max: 320#)
  • 45 x 5
  • 45 x 5
  • 135 x 5
  • 160 x 5
  • 195 x 3
  • 225 x 3
  • 260 x 3
  • 290 x 3
• Leg Press
  • 135 x 10
  • 225 x 10
  • 315 x 10
  • 365 x 10
  • 135 x 15
• Leg Curls
  • 50 x 12 x 4
• Seated Calf Raises
  • 25 x 12 x 3
• Foam Rolling

Past couple nights I didn’t sleep enough (just woke up too early and my brain refused to shut up and let me go back to sleep). So I guess my body decided to make up for it last night. Either being tired, or my body knew it was squat day and I better be ready for it. But I fell asleep early, woke up with the alarm, and just didn’t want to get out of bed. I didn’t want to go in, but you do it. The whole time I worked up I kept trying to find ways to stop: oh was that a pain in my knee? damn this is getting heavy… maybe I’ll just “jack shit” it today. Whatever I could think of.

And I admit… the thought of 290 intimidated me.

It wasn’t very long ago I did 290 for a single and PR’d. Then just a bit ago I managed to get 2 reps. So I’m telling myself “come on, Daub… you’ve done this for 2, this isn’t impossible, you can hit 3 maybe 4 today”.

Tight. Clench. In fact, the clench wasn’t just my hands on the bar (tho there was that), but also my glutes. Make sure I break first at the hips (not the knees), tight tight tight, really ensure breath is tight and making as rigid a torso as I can get, get down in the hole, press my neck back, tight tight tight, and be sure to activate the glutes through at the end. And I swear, the 290 didn’t feel all that bad. One thing I’ve found is if you just get under the bar, it’s heavy… but if you are tight as you can be, head to toe, every part of your body, the weight doesn’t feel as heavy. And just down, all the way down, ensure to get that stretch reflex, and power back up.

And 3 wasn’t much problem, tho the 3rd slowed down a bit with some falling forward. I probably could have muscled through a 4th rep, but I’d rather leave it in the tank. The fact I did 3 easier and with better form than I did 2 just a few weeks ago tells me I’m getting stronger. That’s all that matters.

After that, I just finished the session. No big deal. I just had to get over the hump.

I did forget to do crunches.

But I am trying to work calf raises into my routine: standing and seated, one on squat day the other on deadlift day. I’m doing them VERY light for slightly higher reps right now. I can have calf cramping problems and I’d rather work right now on getting a deep stretch at the bottom, a good squeeze at the top, full range of motion, and find what works because the amount of weight doesn’t really matter so long as I’m getting worked. I’d rather start light and get my calves used to things than risk problems.

I’m feeling good about attempting 3 wheels next squat session.