So I’m repeating my squat cycle, because I want to work on depth. I noticed I might cut a rep a bit high here and there, and of course that’s not desirable. Thus, I’d prefer to repeat the cycle, hit good depth, build better confidence, and that’s still progress.

Another factor is my descent. I’ve noticed as things get heavier than my descent isn’t solid. I change how I descend depending on what I’m doing: light or heavy. It shouldn’t be that way, but I can see a bit of what it is. With a lighter weight I’m a little more upright, and as I descend the bar path changes because gravity — or it doesn’t, because it’s light enough and I can resist it. But with a heavier weight then, resistance is futile and the weight WILL change to assume its rightful path. That’s not ideal. Ideally the bar should be over the mid-foot to start and go straight up and down, not deviating. So I need to start a little more forward, a little more “bent over” so the bar starts in the right place. Then as I go down everything is tight, rebound out of the hole, etc.. Speed of descent is in play as well, because I don’t want to go super-slow, but too fast doesn’t work either — it’s that proper pace, and I don’t always have it.

So I worked to focus on that today. Descend well, hit depth, come up and out. It was harder, but mostly because it just felt different. That said, I got 6 reps on the top set, which is better than the same time 3 weeks ago. And I know I was down in a hole. I’m weak, but I’m working on it.

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 145 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 215 x 3
  • 235 x 5
  • 270 x 5
  • 305 x 6
• Pause Squat
  • 235 x 5
  • 235 x 5
  • 235 x 5
• Bodyweight Squats
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
• Crunches
  • BW x 20
  • BW x 17
  • BW x 13

Always nice to end the week with a great PR!

Today’s PR was cool on many fronts. Press has always been my toughest lift to progress. Back at the end of 2016 I worked up to 185 for 1, which was an all-time best. Today? 180 for 3. A nice PR in and of itself, but obviously I’m a good bit stronger than before.

What’s also cool is that the PR was solid all around. Technique rolled well. It’s good for reps and weight. I’m certainly stronger than before. The work-up for the 185 was trying to set a 1RM so volume was quite low, with just a warm-up then singles to the new max. Whereas today was normal workload, almost double the volume on the work-up, and still repping things.

So again, given it’s been my toughest lift to progress, seeing this sort of progress makes me quite happy.

Even the down-sets went well.

As one note, I continue to have weirdness about my breathing. I WANT to hold breath at the bottom, a slight exhale as I lock out, breathe at the top. But that’s actually been bad because at the top I need to be really tight, so breathing doesn’t work well there and has been cause for some problems lately. So I’m working to breathe at the bottom, but that’s really awkward. What I found was working alright for me today was allowing myself a slight exhale at lock-out but no inhale –– basically I’d get 2-3 reps “holding my breath”, but then in the bottom position I could get a slight inhale. That seemed to actually work quite well, tho the rhythm felt quite odd. I’ll work on it.

Pulldowns were pulldowns. While I’m still not supersetting because arm issues, the 1-minute rest and quickly moving through it has been quite a welcome change. But get this. I had my elbow sleeves on and while there was no issue while pressing, I had issue after pulldowns. I am starting to think that the added thickness, the added “bulk” then in my elbow crease as the elbow angle becomes more acute, that is attributing to things. I’m still not 100% sure, but data is leaning that direction. A few more tests…

Plate raises are actually more interesting now. To lean the torso slightly forward makes all the difference. These are just ass-kickers.

Skullcrushers are what they are. And curls are what they are.

All in all, a good day.

No deload next week. Starting next cycle.

• Press
  • bar x whatever
  • 75 x 5
  • 95 x 5
  • 115 x 3
  • 140 x 5
  • 160 x 3
  • 180 x 3 (3 rep PR)
  • 160 x 6
  • 140 x 9
• Lat Pulldowns (pronated grip, to chest)
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 9
• Front Plate Raises (all the way above head)
  • 25 x 27
  • 25 x 16
  • 25 x 16
• Skullcrushers
  • 80 x 10
  • 80 x 10
  • 80 x 10
  • 80 x 7
• Hammer Curl
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 7

Today was short and sweet – a “jack shit” day because I got started late and had to be somewhere early.

That said, the work up went well. The new setup (over the 5th eyelet of my shoe; following a more Starting Strength-like setup a la Alan Thrall) is actually working quite well.

First, I am feeling a LOT of loading of the glutes and hams, more than ever. It still feels very strange to me because it feels like I have zero bend in my legs and that my legs (well, quads) aren’t doing much at all — there’s not as much “push with the legs” going on. But that’s just my body, the length of my parts (lower leg, femur, torso, arms, etc.), and how it all comes in.

But it does feel a LOT better. The pull feels better, stronger. Just still unfamiliar since it’s a new approach. But I am truly digging it.

I worked up to 4 reps and that was good. It’s a rep PR. I started on 5 but opted to shut it down and leave it in the tank.

Wished I could have dne the down sets, but I had to get going. I am looking forward to continuing working with this new setup.

• Deadlift
  • 175 x 5
  • 220 x 5
  • 265 x 3
  • 330 x 5
  • 375 x 3
  • 420 x 4 (4 rep PR)

Today was good. Set a nice rep PR, tho I did have some irritation of my arm pain.

The thing is, I don’t think the inclines necessarily were the source of the pain. For whatever reason, squats have started to cause the pain to flare up again. And then today, I wore elbow sleeves. What I think the issue may be? Acute angles. That is, having my arms really “in” during squats, that elbow angle? pressure. The sleeves? It adds thickness. Angle. Pressure. It’s just a hunch right now, but given what I’m expericing it feels like a good hunch.

I also went ahead and followed the 5/3/1 rep scheme. It wasn’t intentional – it’s just habit. It started down that road, so I just went with it. I was going to start that next cycle anyways so NBD.

All in all, things are feeling good with this modification. Just going to keep on truckin’.

• Incline Bench Press
  • bar x whatever
  • 80 x 5
  • 100 x 5
  • 120 x 3
  • 150 x 5
  • 170 x 3
  • 190 x 10 (10 rep PR)
  • 170 x 8
  • 150 x 10
• Flies
  • 20e x 15
  • 20e x 15
  • 20e x 15
• Cable Rows
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
• DB Upright Row
  • 45e x 12
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 8
• Seated French Press
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 12
• Reverse EZ Bar Curl
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 12
  • 60 x 9
  • 60 x 9

Today doesn’t count, because I suck.

I felt good going into today’s session, but I lost confidence as I went along. It resulted in 2 reps, but I missed depth. Not by much — maybe 1/2″, but it’s still missing depth. So, today doesn’t count.

Why? Confidence. What’s messed up is I know where I felt my sticking point and it wouldn’t have been a problem in the hole. But yet, I cut it just short out of fear. Not happy with myself.

What’s interesting is I can tell how it happened. It’s the descent. I get under the bar, set up, unrack, and as I go down I can feel when it’s in the groove and I know it’ll come up. But I can also know when it’s out of whack and it’s not going to happen. It does happen, but it’s all mental. I just throw myself off. On the 305 set I was out of groove, the 3rd rep didn’t come up easily, and it blew my confidence — “if it was hard to get 3 with 305, like he’ll I’ll get 3 with 340”.

I screwed myself.

So, I’m going to repeat this cycle; same weights.

But what I got from today? That the descent is something I need to focus on. Hard to describe here, but I know what I felt, I know what I went through, and I know that it’s something to work on. That should help.

We’ll see how things go with repeating this.

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 145 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 215 x 3
  • 270 x 5
  • 305 x 3
  • 340 x 2
• Pause Squat
  • 270 x 3
  • 270 x 3
  • 270 x 3

Today was quite awesome.

I actually hadn’t thought about what it would take to make a PR. I mean, I did last night before bed, but totally forgot about it until AFTER my top set today. And today’s top-set was a GREAT PR.

Rep 4 almost didn’t happen as I got out of rhythm on my breathing, but I got it and kept going. Rep 5 was easy. I thought 7 was possible but on 6 I peeded out. So it was what it was. What was great tho was despite the weirdness, it was both a weight and rep PR, and a good one over what I had previously done at that weight and rep. As well, calculated theoretical 1RM is now over 200#, which is pretty cool. Of course it doesn’t mean I could hit a 200# press, but to see this degree of progress is welcome.

I’m quite happy with today.

Next week is the 1+ week, and it freaks me out a little bit because my top sets flirt with all-time maxes. For example, my squat 1RM best is 345 set back in December. Next week I’m to squat 340, and I want at least 2 but am going to aim for 3 reps — which, even with 2, exceeds my best. Pressing will be at 180, and my prior 1RM best is 185. So I’m a little nervous going into next week, but I’m also really excited about it because it’s awesome to venture into totally new territory.

• Press
  • bar x whatever
  • 75 x 5
  • 95 x 5
  • 115 x 3
  • 135 x 3
  • 150 x 3
  • 170 x 6 (6 rep PR)
  • 150 x 7
  • 135 x 9
• Lat Pulldowns (pronated grip, to chest)
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 10
  • 130 x 8
• Front Plate Raises (all the way above head)
  • 25 x 22
  • 25 x 17
  • 25 x 13
• Skullcrushers
  • 80 x 12
  • 80 x 10
  • 80 x 9
  • 80 x 8
• Hammer Curl
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 6

Continuing to work on technique.

So I went back to setting up with the bar over the 3rd eyelet of my shoes (from 2nd). That was better. I tried 4th, but the bar just rolled away from me.

Well…

I woke up too early this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I watched some YouTube videos. I haven’t watched any of Alan Thrall’s videos in a long time, but I always liked them – Alan knows how to convey information, teach, and produce effective videos. As I was flipping through the ones I hadn’t seen, I came across this one about “How to Deadlift: Starting Strength 5 Step Deadlift”

It’s all about the setup, according to Starting Strength (which I have a soft spot for).

Since I have been adjusting my setup, I thought to try this today — what would be the harm.

My setup? Not over the 3rd eyelet, nor the 4th – but the 5th! Man, that feels so close, too close! But I used the cues from the video – especially step 4 (squeezing the chest out) – and lifting.

It was… strange. Actually, it felt good, it felt “right”. But as well, every rep felt totally strange because it’s a different setup. Because of the length of my limbs, torso, legs, it FEELS like I have barely any bend in my knees and my back is parallel to the ground. That’s not the case, but it sure feels that way. When I lift, I don’t feel like there’s much knee extension at all – like barely any “push” with the legs. That it’s mostly hip hinging. BUT that was interesting. On the last set I found myself working to reset better between each rep, and when I did step 4 and really worked to get the bar loaded, I also really felt it loading up on my hamstrings. Boy! They got quite taught, and I reckon I was feeling it on the last set (and not sooner) since they were getting exhausted.

I don’t do touch-and-go with deadlifts, but I’m going to need a little more pause-and-reset between each rep, at least until I get this technique down. Because one key part is the descent and ensuring the bar winds up in the right place to pull again, and pull again “properly”.

So I feel good enough about the technique that will keep going with it. It feels strange, but that’s purely a n00b issue. It does feel like a better pull.

That said, top set intended to do 6 (last night’s goal) but I stopped at 5 because of this new technique. I could have gone forward, but I was flip-flopping between lifting, rhythm, the new technique, etc. and things were just going to shit so it was best to stop. But this is part of why I am feeling the technique is good (for me), because I know how prior technique would have had me feeling vs. how I was feeling (even tho I was way sloppy); and this was feeling better, this was not feeling as worn out.

So, I’ll take today. Not a paper-PR, but a good learning point. I’m going to continue to work on this new technique.

• Deadlift
  • 175 x 5
  • 220 x 5
  • 265 x 3
  • 310 x 3
  • 350 x 3
  • 395 x 5
  • 350 x 6
  • 310 x 8
• Hyperextensions
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 13
• Leg Curls
  • 55 x 12
  • 55 x 12
  • 55 x 8
• Crunches
  • 25 x 12
  • 25 x 12
  • 25 x 8

So far, inclines are working.

Interesting thing with the arm pain – it’s been consistently lingering for the past few days (I’ll come back to this). So inclines this morning and I wondered if the pain would get worse. Nope. Things stayed the same, as far as I could tell, so that’s good. I’ll just keep working inclines for a while, since it seems to provide me a way to keep pressing without pain. If things are good next week, then next cycle I’m going to try moving the rep scheme back to a normal 5/3/1 progression and see how that goes.

But to that it’s interesting. I’m finding if I spend time with my forearm vertical, eventually the pain comes in. For example, laying on my back in bed, upper arm parallel to the floor, 90º bent elbow, forearm perpendicular to the floor. No real weight, just say my iPhone while I read and do things on it. And eventually, the ache creeps in. Interesting.

As for the rest of the session, things went as I’d expect. All good. Flies still feel painful because stretch, but that’s what I’m wanting, so just progress slowly.

• Incline Bench Press
  • bar x whatever
  • 80 x 5
  • 100 x 4
  • 120 x 3
  • 140 x 3 (supposed to do 2 but did 3)
  • 160 x 1
  • 180 x 10 (10 rep PR)
  • 160 x 12
  • 140 x 10
• Flies
  • 20e x 13
  • 20e x 13
  • 20e x 13
• Cable Rows
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 10
• DB Upright Row
  • 45e x 12
  • 45e x 10
  • 45e x 8
• Seated French Press
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 10
• Reverse EZ Bar Curl
  • 60 x 15
  • 60 x 12
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 8

Sometimes the failures are better teachers.

Last night I looked and 6 reps @ 325# would have been a clear PR (5 to tie), so 6 was the goal.

I only got 4.

I know what it is.

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
— Litany Against Fear

It’s not so much fear as doubt, but doubt tends to have seeds in fear. That I’m going to be crushed, that I won’t get back up, that I have to dump the bar (which always sucks), that I’m going to blow out something (my knee), whatever. It’s really stupid, but for whatever reason it’s crept back into my head. I’m flirting with weights I’ve never moved before, and while that’s part if it, now it’s another thing.

Depth.

The past few cycles I felt like I was clipping depth on the heaviest sets. I videoed, and it’s questionable if I’m consistently hitting depth so, that’s good enough to say I’m not. I’ve been working on ensuring depth, but that extra inch lower does greatly affect how much you can move and if you’re going to come out of the hole or not. That’s more the issue than the pure weight at this point. So I’m working to sink down, and it’s messing with my head because when I get into the hole it feels “worse”, because it is worse, it is harder.

And I’m just weak.

Still, getting 4 with better depth was acceptable. My body felt like it could go for 5, but my head did not. So, a little good, a little bad. Things to work on — mostly mental.

And that matters a lot for next week, because that will be @ 340, which is 5# shy of my 1RM best (from end of December). My goal is to sink it for 3.

So working on that, Pause Squats were all about going low and sitting there in the hole for a couple seconds longer than before. Really sink it, really feel it, really work on driving out of the hole explosively.

I opted against split squats in favor of just doing bodyweight squats. I wanted to continue to drive the mechanics in.

So, today was what it was. Not what I wanted, but I got something good out of it.

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 145 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 215 x 3
  • 250 x 3
  • 290 x 3
  • 325 x 4
• Pause Squat
  • 250 x 4
  • 250 x 4
  • 250 x 4
• Bodyweight Squat
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
  • BW x 15
• Crunches
  • BW x 20
  • BW x 16
  • BW x 13