In Search of Strength

04/29
Deadlift: 535 for 6x2
Hip circle external rotation (6 tiles apart): 3x30s

Thinking out loud...
Tomorrow: OHP and rows
Saturday: Hypers and Sledge DL + hip rehab
Sunday: rest
Monday: Heavy DL + curls + hip rehab

04/30
OHP: 200 for 6x2
EZ bar seal rows: 230 for 3x6
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)

05/01
Hypers: BW for 3x30
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (15cm)x15s,13s,12s

05/03
Deadlift: 565 for 5x5

05/04
Bench: 315 for 5x5 and 1x4
Hip circle external rotation (6 tiles apart): 3x30s -- note: drop this exercise

Tough. My low back was cramping by the end of every set, bit too tired from yesterday. Probably would've made 6x5 on a good day, but 6x6 next week would've been unlikely. Time to rejig bench/OHP a bit.

Tomorrow should be hypers + rows. I'll drop hypers volume a bit, maybe 3x20 instead of 3-4x30. My low back is getting tired and maybe the "active" recovery is a bit much.

05/05
Hypers: BW for 3x20
EZ bar seal rows: 230 for 3x7

Cutting the easy deadlift day a bit. My low back is exhausted and I'd like to try to survive the peaking phase. Next deadlift day should be a go at 600 for 4x4 on the 11th or 12th.

Also since I finished my mini-RSR for bench/OHP stint I'm taking a brief break to reset and let my forearm heal a bit then starting a new upper routine next week.

05/07
Deadlifts: 535 for 6x1
EZ bar curls: 120x5 -- this one hurts my forearm injury so I called it here... looks like grippers and curls are out.

Impressive journaling, going on 8 years!

Best of luck with 600x4x4

05/09
Chin ups: 50 for 3x7
Hypers: BW for 3x20
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 30 reps)

[QUOTE=dairygains;1638051873]Impressive journaling, going on 8 years!

Best of luck with 600x4x4[/QUOTE]

Haha thank you! It's been quite a journey. Fun benching my squat max from back then and all that, glad to have it all down somewhere.

05/12
Deadlift: 600 for 4x4
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)
Chin ups: 50x7,7,6
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (15cm)x15s,15s,14s

Let's go!! I honestly wasn't sure I'd make it, my low back has felt really tired all week. Even felt it this morning.

Next hard day is 3x3 with 635 in about 8 days.

05/13
Bench: 225x10, 265x8, 285x6, 300x4
OHP: 150x5, 175 for 3x5


Damn, my presses felt weak as hell today. Got through it though.

05/14
Hypers: BW for 3x30
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)

Plan: Saturday is off, Sunday is light DL + rows, Monday is bench/OHP, Tuesday is hypers+sledge, Wednesday off, Thursday heavy DL?

05/16
Deadlift: 535 for 5x1
EZ bar seal rows: 230x7,6,5
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 30 reps)

Still on track: Monday is bench/OHP, Tuesday is hypers+sledge, Wednesday off, Thursday heavy DL

05/17
Bench: 225x10, 245x8, 265x8, 280x8
Overhead press: 150x5, 165x5, 175x5,5

~Tuesday hypers+sledge, Wednesday off, Thursday heavy DL

05/18
Hypers: BW for 3x20
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (15cm)x15s,15s,13s

I think I've got a good shot at making 3x3 with 635 on Thursday. I feel I'm recovering pretty well as the volume drops a bit, even with the higher intensity/set e1RM. Fingers crossed!

05/20
Deadlift: 635x3

Too bad! Didn't feel top form today and it showed. I got only one set of the prescribed 3x3, but not even the first rep of the second set. Draws this routine to a premature close right near the finish line.

Not too sure what I'll do next. My hip is still injured enough to bother squats and I probably need at least a small break from DL.

I guess I'll either deload and hit another full DL routine and just keep trying for 700, or start working in some more aggressive squat rehab and put DL on the backburner for a bit. I'll have a brief period of grieving before deciding.

Anyway, 635x3 for even one set ain't half bad for me. And I think I've got more in me when I'm fully recovered. Could've definitely ended worse.

05/21
Bench: 225x10, 245x8, 265x6, 280x6, 300x6
Overhead press: 150x5, 175x5, 185x5,5

I'll do chin ups tomorrow... and start deciding lower body Sunday and on soon.

edit: decided I want to get the chins done today:

Chin ups: 50x8,7,8

Tried squatting. Bit of a mess.

I've got asymmetrical sensitivity to load and range, and shifting form can change it a bit too... I can reasonably ATG high bar with the bar, but add 135 and my hip is already sharp. I also tried low bar and front squat to a high box, and that went... okay. I worked up to some questionable 315 singles and some outright painful 405 singles.

Tried a whole bunch of stances (wide, narrow, feet forward, feet out) and nothing quite works.

After all that I decided to squat sets of 45lbs and see if I can do 50 or 55 or whatever next time, and go from there nice and slow.

Not recording the odd 405 FS single or any other experimenting in the log, just going with the new plan:

05/23
Barefoot ATG highbar: 45x5,5,12,12,15

Seems helpful for warm up and (maybe) first rep to sit at the bottom and bounce, shift, bring knees in-and-out, bring knees forward and slide side-to-side, etc. Get the hip juices flowing. Definitely possible to overdo too though.

I think next time:
- roll hams + 90-90 IR
- spend time in the bottom with the bar digging around
- 55lbs for 3x12ish

24th: rows
25th: bench+OHP+squat

Grats on your 635 for a triple!

05/25
Barefoot ATG highbar: 55 for 5x12
Bent over row: 315 for 3x5

[QUOTE=dairygains;1639364863]Grats on your 635 for a triple![/QUOTE]

Thank you! I think I'm about 80% decided to take a small deload and keep trying for 3x3 on it, so hopefully just a start for now!

05/26
Bench: 225x10, 265x8, 280x8, 300x8
Overhead press: 150x5, 165x5, 175x5,5
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (15cm)x15s,15s,12s

I'll hopefully try some heavier rehab squats tomorrow, maybe pull ups too? About due.

05/28
Barefoot ATG highbar: 75 for 5x12
ATG paused highbar squat: 135 for 3x1
ATG highbar: 135x5
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 30 reps)

Still trying to feel out what's best for rehab/my hip. I might switch back to shoes and pauses now. It's tempting to bounce and grind out my hip joint but it seems better not to when it's actually loaded. More of a warm up thing I guess. Not 100% sure though, I'll have to feel it out a bit more.

The 135x5 felt fine. I can't 100% tell what's going on. I know if I don't squat at all it'll never heal, but it's not clear what's healthy work and what's injurious work. Doing my best, trying to take it slow.

Tomorrow: chin ups
Sunday: bench
Monday: squat rehab

05/29
Chin ups: 50 for 3x8
Seated paused good mornings: 95 for 3x10

I was too lazy to set up hypers but got a nice bonus: I'm liking the seated GMs for a wide-stance paused hip/adductors stretch/strengthening angle, felt good. Gotta keep the knees out and lean into my hips and get a good pause/stretch going. Gonna explore these more.

05/30
Bench: 245x8, 265x8, 300x6, 320x6
Overhead press: 150x5, 175x5, 185x5, 200x4

So the good news is 320x6 is a solid bench set for me. The bad news is I strained my pec doing it. I can't seem to progress my weights without hurting myself anymore. Really feel like I'm pushing my limits, at least at my body weight. Ah well, there is [i]some[/i] progress. I'll rehab and see where I can take it.

OHP was a bad idea. It's not pec heavy but it probably aggravated it some. I am not a smart man though, don't worry, I won't claim it.

Anyway, was supposed to hit 200x5 but missed. Probably the pec didn't help, but I'll adjust the max down from 250 to 240.

06/01
ATG paused highbar squat: 135 for 2x10, 155x12
Bench: 45x30,30,75
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)


Small squat note: shifting weight back to ascend seems good, and somehow I clicked a natural feeling squat at one point. In particular, segmenting knees back then squatting up, and then integrating it into one movement felt good. Not necessarily my ideal squat form but I'll take anything right now to normalize a bit.

Generally: brace well, (1) feet a bit forward (helps keep pressure off lateral hip with the knees up and back ascents), (2) knees out to sit into the hole, pause without bouncing, (3) knees back up and up to ascend

One more note: using the box to IR at my computer chair seemed potentially helpful. I also have this vague discomfort in the hole and just sitting in a BW squat might be a useful off-day tool.

Anyway with my low back fried (for DLs), hip hurt (for squats), and minor pec tear (for bench), I don't have a strong training plan right now, just kind of surviving 'til I can get back on track. At least I have a reasonably clear rehab plan... I guess.

06/03
Bench: 65x20,20,62

Tomorrow I'll do more squats and some rows, maybe grip work.

06/04
ATG paused highbar squat: 185x5,5,10, 225x3

06/06
Bench: 95x20,20,50
Bent over row: 315x5,5,10

Maybe squat rehab and grip tomorrowish.

06/07
ATG paused highbar squat: 225x5,5,10, 275x6
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (15cm) for 3x15s - finally made all three sets at 15s!
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)

Squat rehab seems to be progressing nicely. Gonna keep hitting some base sets and doing a test heavier set after, before making it my base next time. Every three or four days or so for now.

06/11
Bench: 135x20, 155x20, 175x20
ATG beltless paused highbar squat: 315x3,3
ATG beltless highbar squat: 315x10
Reverse clamshells: 3x(30s hold + 40 reps)

Rehab for all lifts going well. Pull ups soon, like tomorrowish.

I should be near working weights at old good strength levels in a couple weeks or whatever. Going to focus on low RPE high frequency speed-regulated high bar squats, instead of focusing on front squats. Bench'll just be bench, I'll probably try to retransition back into the last routine I was doing. Deadlift is dunno.

06/12
Chin ups: 55x8,8,8

06/15
Bench: 185x12, 205x12, 225x20
ATG beltless highbar squat: 315x3, 335x3, 365x5 [0.52-0.44m/s]

Decent momentum on bench/squat rehab lately. I'll do rows ASAP.

06/16
Seal row: 230 for 3x5
Sledgehammer deadlift + hold: (17.5cm)x14s,9s,5s