Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2-3, Week 3-3

• Bench Press – cycle goal: 245
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 190 x 1
  • 200 x 1
  • 210 x 1
  • 180 x 12
• Incline Press
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
• Machine Flye
  • 65 x 20
• Pushdowns
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20

Only 3 hours of sleep, but you still get up and go to the gym. Habit has a positive place.

The 210 felt fine.

The crazy thing? The AMRAP set. I only did 12, 13 would have happened, and 14 may have been a grinder… I basically chose to stop an leave a little in the tank. When you start plugging my AMRAP sets from this cycle into 1RM calculators, it pretty consistently calculates out int he 260-270 range. Really? Now, I don’t put tons of stock into that because it’s just a calculator plus the more the reps the less it directly equates to a 1RM. But still it’s curious enough to me and happening week after week (not just a one-off), that I am thinking when I test at the end of the cycle, I’ll hit my 245 goal, but then see how I feel. If the 245 winds up being a grinder, then I’m done. If it goes up easy, I may try for 250 or 255, and just play it by ear. Why the heck not? And same will hold for my squat and deadlift — if I hit the goal and am having a +10% day… heck, lets’ go for it.

I did feel one small downside to this Strong-15 program — it’s a strict program. One thing I liked about 5/3/1 was the “Jack Shit” template. Today would be a day that I would have loved to have taken a Jack Shit — little rest coming off a very long and tiring day, with today having to be a normal day (maybe a nap if I’m lucky). I know, horrible for recovery, thus why taking today’s session a little on the “less” side would have been useful. But I really don’t know what sort of allowance there is in Strong-15 for such things, and frankly I don’t think there’s truly much allowance in any peaking program (Strong-15 or otherwise). At least it’s phase 2 and volume is reduced anyways.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2-3, Week 3-3

• Squats – cycle goal: 325
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 150 x 5
  • 175 x 4
  • 205 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 265 x 1
  • 275 x 1
  • 280 x 1
• Pause Squats
  • 225 x 3
• Deadlift – cycle goal 445
  • 205 x 5
  • 250 x 4
  • 290 x 3
  • 330 x 2
  • 365 x 1
  • 375 x 1
  • 385 x 1
• Deadlift – Back off
  • 330 x 3
• Leg Curls
  • 40 x 20
  • 40 x 20

The weights are certainly starting to feel heavier. Not grinding, not a problem, but certainly they aren’t feeling “light” any more. That should be the case given where things are in the cycle. Next week starts the 3rd and final cycle, and stuff should be getting heavy by now.

It also could be because I slept like crap… couldn’t get to sleep, slept poorly, then it was time to make the donuts. So…. who knows.

Knee sleeves feel good. They seem to make my knees feel a little better. I do think there’s something not happy in my left knee still, because while the massive pain of before is gone, there’s still something there. I notice it when I’m getting in position to deadlift. It’s very slight, but present.

Also, I think the added stretching is helping, because I am not feeling that same sharp pain when I’m in the whole while squatting. I’ll just have to keep it up.

Onwards.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2-3, Week 2-3

These back days just feel almost useless. I know they aren’t, but the volume is so low and it’s just a lot of assistance work. Still, I know it’s an important part of the process, and I just try to ensure each rep is meaningful. All you can do.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2-3, Week 2-3

• Bench Press – cycle goal: 245
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 185 x 1
  • 195 x 1
  • 205 x 1
  • 170 x 15
• Incline Press
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
• Machine Flye
  • 65 x 20
• Pushdowns
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20

Not much to say really. Just felt like a solid day. I am trying to work on pausing at the chest, not forever, but it’s certainly not touch-and-go. Thinking like competition. AMRAP set is touch-and-go, but otherwise every other set I strive to do competition-style.

I’m half-way through the program and am getting excited for what’s ahead.

Really, not much else to say other than that. 🙂

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2-3, Week 2-3

• Squats – cycle goal: 325
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 150 x 5
  • 175 x 4
  • 205 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 240 x 1
  • 265 x 1
  • 275 x 1
• Pause Squats
  • 210 x 3
  • 210 x 3
• Deadlift – cycle goal: 445
  • 205 x 5
  • 250 x 4
  • 290 x 3
  • 330 x 2
  • 350 x 1
  • 365 x 1
  • 375 x 1
• Deadlift – Back off
  • 310 x 3
  • 310 x 3
• Leg Curls
  • 40 x 20
  • 40 x 20

Today was the first day that things felt a little heavy, a little labored. Not much, but not as “light” as the past 4 weeks were. Not sure if it’s truly getting heavier, or if I just wasn’t into it. I haven’t slept much lately and last night I crashed out much earlier than usual and then slept in much later than usual too… so I got a lot of sleep, and the only reason I got out of bed was beacuse I knew I had to get moving… else I probably would have taken another hour or more in bed.

Either way tho, things felt solid enough.

One different thing was trying some EliteFTS Heavy Knee Sleeves. I’ve been wanting to try knee sleeves for a while, they went on sale, so I picked up a pair. Hard part is what size to get… the sizing chart is funky, but there’s a video that is to help. Thing is, following the video advice, I should get the 4XL’s, which seemed silly — I’m not a huge lifter, so what do guys like Stan Efferding get? 6XL? or just squeeze into 4XL? I got the 3XL instead. Seems alright. They are snug, but not hard to slide on. Makes me wonder if I could have gotten 2XL. They didn’t move or anything, and if anything it’s more trouble to get them over my foot/heel, but not a massive effort.

How were they? Certainly kept my knees warm. I squatted in them, then started deadlifting but the bar kept running into them so I took them off. Didn’t like it so much, put them back on, and felt better. I’m pretty sure I’m getting nothing out of them, but they did feel alright — felt warmer, knees felt a touch better. We’ll see if it’s just in my head or a real effect tho.

They were warm tho… sweaty of course… and so all the rubbing they did, with the sweaty legs, and I was itchy as hell. But apart from that, no big deal. I will keep using them on squat and deadlift days and see how it goes.

I’m also spending more time doing that stretching — lay down, pull the knee to the chest, stretching out the glutes and hamstrings. Still too soon to tell, but I can say that I didn’t feel the same tension/pain today when I was down in the hole — still some, but not as acute. So… maybe this.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2, Week 1

Man… this was… nothing. Granted, as Strong-15 progress you are supposed to ramp down on the assistance work. But man, there’s almost nothing today. I was in and out quickly and felt like I was just warmed up when it was all done. Ah well, it’s how it goes.

That said, I noticed all week as I worked on assistance stuff that I found myself putting more effort into what I did do. I made sure every rep counted, good tempo, good form, really feel and work everything. It showed me that I’m not always putting everything in that I could and should… something it’s just crankin’ out the reps. A good learning point.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2, Week 1

• Bench Press – cycle goal: 245
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 180 x 1
  • 190 x 1
  • 200 x 1
  • 160 x 16
• Incline Press
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
• Flat Flye
  • 65 x 20
• Pushdowns
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20

Been short on sleep the past few days so it was drag-ass out of bed. But you gotta keep going, press on. I’ll nap later.

Session went quick. I just didn’t dick around. Load next plates, get back on the bench and move. Just keep moving, and probably only took modest rest during the singles. Else it was just get in, get out.

As I keep with Strong-15, I don’t see it as a program I can use year-round. If I opt to enter a meet (and it’s on the list of “someday soon” things to do… not a high priority, but yeah I’d like to do at least one), I could certainly see using this as a cycle for meet prep. But regular work? I admit, I’m wanting to fall back to 5/3/1. Of course, I haven’t tried out Base Building yet. As I thought about it, I’m going to get through this cycle, then probably do at least 6 weeks of Paul’s Base Building, then see from there. But I tell you… I’m tired of being fat. All my weight loss efforts have failed, so I’m now pretty close to trying to the Renaissance Periodization group. I read nothing but good things about them. I’m thinking to get through this Strong-15 cycle, then give them a shout and see about a 6 month program with them. During that time I don’t know what my lifting would be… probably do the Base Building because Paul’s alluded to how that program can work alright during weight loss times — you just adjust maxes and keep pushing yourself the same.

Realized something today…

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

Phase 2, Week 1

• Squats – cycle goal: 325
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 150 x 5
  • 175 x 4
  • 205 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 235 x 1
  • 250 x 1
  • 265 x 1
• Pause Squats
  • 195 x 3
  • 195 x 3
  • 195 x 3
• Deadlift
  • 165 x 5
  • 205 x 4
  • 250 x 3
  • 290 x 2
  • 330 x 1
  • 350 x 1
  • 365 x 1
• Deadlift – Back off
  • 290 x 3
  • 290 x 3
• Leg Curls
  • 40 x 20
  • 40 x 20

Today starts the second phase of the Strong-15 cycle. While the weights went up, the work still felt light. I reckon that’s a good thing at this stage.

I did notice something significant today.

I realized that, when squatting, when I’m down in the hole I lose tightness. If I stay fully tight, really pressing out, Valsalva in full effect, when I get down in the hole there’s a wicked pain in my glutes and hamstrings, on the “rear, outer” portion of my legs from waist to knees. It’s hard to describe, but it happens without fail. What I think has happened is, my body KNOWS this is going to happen, so as I get into the hole my body loosens up, doesn’t press as hard into the belt, doesn’t hold everything as crazy tight, and thus avoids the pain. It’s not a big change… I just have to not be “clenching” as hard, just slack off a bit, but it’s enough — enough to both alleviate any pain and keep me from being fully tight and thus reaping the full benefits of tightness.

It crept up on me during the singles, and I really got it on the last single. I worked to stay uber-tight and it hurt. I then played around with it during the Pause Squats to see what I could discover. I played with my belt height, etc… but no difference in terms of the pain.

What I think it might be? Tightness. As in not flexible enough. When I stretch my hamstrings I usually do it in some sort of “toe-touching” modality. What I think I need instead is laying on my back; keeping my back straight, at a minimum up to trying to fully arch (no rounding); then pull my knee up to my chest. I did some of that after I was done lifting and yes, that was hitting directly to the muscles that were affected. I may just need to do THAT stretch and increase my range of motion there. I can’t say for sure, but I’m going to add that stretch to a daily routine and see how it goes.

Meantime, I just have to remember to cope with the discomfort and cue myself to “increase tightness”. Not just maintain, but to think towards increasing it, because that will help ensure I don’t slip back… at least I’ll maintain, at best I’ll get tighter.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

I was in a rush today. Jam-packed day with many things going on, so I really needed to get in and get out. So that’s what I did.

Nuff said.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Strong-15 (LRB365)

• Bench Press – cycle goal: 245
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 105 x 5
  • 120 x 4
  • 140 x 3
  • 155 x 2
  • 175 x 1
  • 185 x 1
  • 195 x 1
  • 165 x 16
• Incline Press
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 10
  • 105 x 8
• Machine Flye
  • 65 x 20
  • 65 x 20
• Pushdowns
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20
  • 45 x 20

Nothing much to report. Just a solid session. One thing I’m making a better effort on is locking out. Often, if I’m doing “touch-and-go”, I will go to extension, but may not fully lock out (e.g. 98%). I’m trying to go all the way, certainly on assistance work like the pushdowns… get that squeeze.

Otherwise… I just can’t wait to start phase 2 next week. 🙂