AAAAND another PR set: 460 lb. deadlift.

Today exceeded my expectations. I’ve changed up my deadlift technique, working to get more legs/hips and less back into it — really trying to get form happier. So far I’ve progressed well on that front and I’m happy with my progress. As a result, I expected to not break my previous PR (455 lb., Dec. 2014!), but as long as I hit 405 I was going to be happy.

Furthermore? On Monday (squat day) I did something to my back. While warming up I was doing hip circles and felt something odd in my lower back. Can’t place what it is, it just happened quick. Nothing major, but something. Squatting went well, PR’d there. I felt the issue in my lower back and figured sleep on it and I’ll see how it is in the morning. Tuesday morning, it was still there; maybe a hint better, but generally unchanged. And here now Thursday, it’s still present. It’s just a small thing, but it’s there. Interesting tho that if I bent with a slight round to my back, I feel it; keep my back flat, no issues. So I figured I would deadlift today regardless and see what happened. I do NOT want a lower back injury for sure, but at least then doing some reps, getting some blood pumped through the area, always helps.

So get this.

1. Warm-ups. Lightest weight. Third rep? I feel this twinge in the lower back. Ho-lee-shit. Really? Ugh. I opted to keep going tho, because I knew 1. I let my back round a little, 2. if it’s going to be a problem then it will be a problem — I can stop, I can just keep it very light and get some reps in, whatever. Just see how it goes.

185 went fine.

225 went fine.

Put on my belt. 275 for a single was light.

315 went up really fast, almost like I was lifting nothing.

365 and it finally felt like there was a little weight in my hands.

405 and I was slowing down a bit, form hinting at breaking down. I hit my target and felt OK about stopping, but man… I felt like there was still a lot left in me. So why not go for it? The worst thing that can happen is I miss, and so what?

So I put a 10 on each side of the bar and rested. When I came back to do the lift, I figured why not and threw a 5 on each side for 435 lb.. My thinking? If I’m going for it, might as well go for it. That puts me very close to my all-time best, positions me well for the reset in the upcoming training cycle, and again if I miss I miss, so what?

435 went up fine. A little loss of form, but still acceptable. And I knew, I still had something.

I put 455 on the bar to at least tie my PR, again because why not. Well, I was using the 2.5# plates to roll the 45’s up on to help with loading. The 2.5 was sitting there, and I said fuck it and put them on for 460. Again, if I’m going to go for it, might as well go for it. If I miss I miss. If I hit, I set a PR — 5# PR is still a PR.

A little slow going up, form breaking down, but nothing horrendous. Locked it out. And just stood there holding it for a bit, savoring the moment.

I did NOT expect this, but I’m really happy about it. 🙂

And my lower back feels fine (no worse than it has been feeling).

I’m really happy with how the week has gone so far. PR’s in squat and bench press that really exceeded my past PR’s and were strong showings (no sloppy grinding through it). The deadlift PR was a small on, but a good one.

So tomorrow, Press. I’ve already set a new lifetime PR there with 170×3 the other week, so I don’t feel a need to PR. But I figure might as well see about ending with a bang. 🙂

5/3/1-based program

• Deadlift
  • 135 x 5
  • 185 x 5
  • 225 x 3
  • 275 x 1
  • 315 x 1
  • 365 x 1
  • 405 x 1
  • 435 x 1
  • 460 x 1 (1RM PR)