The Flywheel Effect.

Wrapped up the testing of competition lifts today with Deadlift. It went very well.

[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 375 x 1 rep [PR]
Previous PR was 365. I hit that this time with ease, and thought I had a good shot at 385. Tried it, but gave up about 2 inches off the floor, as I could tell it just wasn't going to happen. Dropped down to 375, took about a 2 minute rest, and let it rip. It was one of the slowest reps I've ever completed on deads. Felt good to be able to grind through a rep without worrying about my back giving out. Gives me the confidence that I can keep pushing on the hard reps.

Been continuing to focus on widening my grip on bench, and it's going very well. I'm progressing steadily on all of my bench variations. Despite failing to hit the 8x8 last time at 135, I increased to 140 this week and hit all reps. Knew I had it in me - it was just a bad day the last time.

Congrats on the DL PR!!!!
Very awesome you have been crushing it consistently

[QUOTE=Raigs;1642933723]Congrats on the DL PR!!!!
Very awesome you have been crushing it consistently[/QUOTE]
Thank you sir! Been slacking over the last couple months, but doing what I can.


I just started a little different programming after some feedback/suggestions from the guys in this thread: [url]https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=179930763[/url]

Changing to a Bulgarian/Conjugate Method hybrid of sorts. I'll be working up to a 1 or 3 rep max each day - cycling through 12 different exercises initially (3 squat, 3 dead, 6 bench). Then do some back off work. Just 2 days into it so far, and loving it. It makes for super quick workouts (today's was only about 25 minutes, with not being very strict on rest times).

Yesterday I did [B]16 inch Box Squats:[/B]
275 x 1
220 - 3 sets of 3

Today I did [B]Floor Press:[/B]
185 x 1 [PR]
145 - 6 sets of 3

[B]Todays session:[/B]
[U]Sumo Deadlift[/U]
365 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
295 - 1 set of 3 reps

Did everything unbelted. I tried with the belt on for the top set and couldn't even break the floor. Knew it was there based on the ramp up, so I took the belt off and it went up easily. Must be impacting my ability to either get enough air to brace properly, and/or get into position (most likely the latter). 365 was a 10 pound PR for Sumo.

Welcome back to logging

Congrats on the PR

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1643275193]Welcome back to logging

Congrats on the PR[/QUOTE]
I will still be pretty sporadic on the posting. Just had a couple days off work, so I had some time to get online. Gonna be a super busy summer for me though. Just bought a house. I close on it at the end of August. Planning to rent out the house I'm in now, but it's absolutely not ready for that right now. So gonna be a busy man.


[U]Today's workout:[/U]

[B]Bench Press - 3 count paused:[/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep
140 pounds - 1 set x 3 reps

Was my first time doing a 3 count pause. It totally eliminates the rebound effect, so you have to rely on brute force off the chest. I was very happy to hit 175 pounds and have it go up smoothly.

[u]High Bar Squat[/u]
225x1
185 - 1x3

It’s a PR’s I guess, since I’ve never done it for Max Effort work before. I’ve never been comfortable with high bar. But I’m relatively happy with how it went. Gives me a solid starting point to build from.

Loving that these workouts only take me about only about 20 minutes. Much easier for me to fit that in daily than it is to do 70-80 minutes 4 times per week.

Nice PR and yeah fitting a quick workout in is so much easier then a long one with family duties and what not.

Congrats on the new house.

I know the feeling.

We’re planning to rent our house out in the burbs and rent back in the city.

So trying to time things is interesting lol

[QUOTE=Raigs;1643448633]Nice PR and yeah fitting a quick workout in is so much easier then a long one with family duties and what not.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was dreading workout, knowing they'd probably take several hours to get through. I'm looking forward to them again now. ;)

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1643454763]Congrats on the new house.

I know the feeling.

We’re planning to rent our house out in the burbs and rent back in the city.

So trying to time things is interesting lol[/QUOTE]
For sure. Will try to time it as best I can and cross my fingers. Good luck to you. Hope it all works out well. :)


[U]Close Grip Bench Press[/U]
175 pounds x 1 rep
140 pounds - 1 set x 3 reps
Bench is gradually improving. I'm maintaining stability better throughout the lift, and better control of the bar at the bottom of the lift. Bar path is getting more consistent as well.

Been a while since I shared a video. Here's one that shows the rep at 175, along with a cameo from the baby, who's getting way too quick and agile to be hanging around me when I'm lifting (he was sitting about 10 feet away when I sat down on the bench):
[youtube]XHLM4i3Nk8w[/youtube]

[U]July 24, 2021 - Deadlift[/U]
[B]Deficit Deadlift - 2.5 inches[/B]
335 pounds x 1 rep
265 - 1 set x 3 reps
Harder than I expected, as just a few weeks back I did this at a 3 inch deficit for 345. It was most likely a setup issue. In retrospect, I really didn't get my butt down, and was relying on my lower back to do most of the work. I'll correct it next time around.


[U]July 25, 2021 - Bench[/U]
[B]Bench Press w/Chains x2[/B]
165 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep
130 + 2 Chains - 1 set x 3 reps
This turned into a grinder. 155 moved easily, so I thought 165 would be leaving a rep in the tank still. It turned out to be a true max for the day, and I almost didn't finish the rep. The back off work was harder than expected as well.


This was the end of my first run through on this program. Took a couple of things away from it that will result in some changes. First thing is that I really need to take at least 1 or 2 days off per week. I didn't feel any fatigue initially, but for sure started to feel it near the end. I'm also rearranging the exercises to have the hardest work take place in the middle and lighten the load near the end of each cycle. This should help me be fresh for the primary lifts (competition squat, bench, and dead) which happen right at the beginning of the cycle. Other than that everything went very well. At some point I will most likely need to ramp up the back off work a little bit, but I'll keep it where it's at as long as I'm making progress.

Nice workout today. The deficit deads are strong.

I agree on taking rest days. Like you take advantage of the chances you can with kids but then you are fried at the end.

[QUOTE=Raigs;1643629463]Nice workout today. The deficit deads are strong.

I agree on taking rest days. Like you take advantage of the chances you can with kids but then you are fried at the end.[/QUOTE]
Took a rest day on Monday. I'm sure in the long run the days off will be productive, but it didn't help at all for Tuesday's workout, lol.


[U][B]July 27, 2021 - Squat[/B][/U]
265 pounds x 1 rep
215 pounds x 3 reps
Here's one of those days where I should've taken a 3 rep max instead a 1RM. Started out feeling bad and thinking it would get better as I went along, but it never did. Even the back off reps were a grind. I'm sure I was still fatigued from the previous workouts.

[U][B]July 28, 2021 - Bench Press[/B][/U]
185 pounds x 1 rep
145 pounds x 3 reps
The final warmup at 175 was pretty easy. Thought I had a new PR in me today so I jumped right up to 190 and failed - made it almost half way up and then stopped dead. It may have been a poor decision, but I ended up dropping to 185 and was able to grind it out, matching my previous PR.

I'll deadlift tomorrow if I'm feeling okay.

It’s tough to deadlift then squat even a day or two after if sleep or the diet is off. At least for me. You still got the work in. A workout is better then giving up

[QUOTE=Raigs;1643843653]It’s tough to deadlift then squat even a day or two after if sleep or the diet is off. At least for me. You still got the work in. A workout is better then giving up[/QUOTE]
Thank you man. It's easy to get frustrated when a session doesn't go the way you want it to, and it's good to keep it all in perspective. As you said, even a 'bad' day can yield results in the long term.


[B][U]July 29, 2021 - Deadlift[/U][/B]
365 pounds x 1 rep
300 pounds x 3 reps
Felt decent today. I notice the progress more on the back off work than on the 1RM/near 1RM work. I still remember not being able to make 300 pounds budge at all, and the set of 3 today was quite easy.

[B][U]July 30, 2021 - Bench[/U][/B]
[B]Close Grip Bench Press:[/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep
140 pounds x 3 reps
Feels like progress is being made on bench. This was the same weight I did the last time, but was easier this time around.

[B][U]August 1, 2021 - Squat[/U][/B]
[B]High Bar Squat:[/B]
245 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
195 pounds x 3 reps
I've mentioned before that High Bar squatting is pretty uncomfortable for me (probably due to my natural leverages). I wore flat soles instead of heeled shoes, widened the stance a little, and moved the bar just a little lower, and it was a better this time around. My balance is still a struggle though - had to really fight the tendency to lean forward out of the hole. Nowhere near perfect (and I'm sure never will be), but I'll take it.

Congrats on the PR.

Even if it’s never perfect just having a different stimulus is all you’re really after anyway so way to keep grinding at it.

Workouts looking really solid overall.

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1644046853]Congrats on the PR.

Even if it’s never perfect just having a different stimulus is all you’re really after anyway so way to keep grinding at it.

Workouts looking really solid overall.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, for sure. That's really all I'm hoping for, and it should get the job done.
I'm loving these workouts. Done in around 20 minutes most days, so it's easy to fit in when baby is napping. And even if he's not I can sit him down nearby and he's okay for most of that time. I'm looking forward to my workouts more than I ever have before.

[B][U]August 4, 2021 - Bench[/U][/B]
[B]Bench Press w/Chains:[/B]
155 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep
125 pounds + 2 Chains x 3 reps
Didn't feel like it was a good day to push it, so I stopped at 155 at about an 8-8.5 RPE. I've been slowly widening my grip, and the wider grip today I think played a part in me feeling a little weaker, but no complaints - this was a solid enough workout.

[B][U]August 5, 2021 - Deadlift[/U][/B]
[B]Deficit Deadlift - 2.5 inches:[/B]
355 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
285 pounds x 3 reps
Night and day difference from last time, where I hit this for only 335. As mentioned last time, I tried to make sure I sat down more. I think I took it a little too far, but it was a positive adjustment. Also figured out a much better setting for my belt when deadlifting, which allowed me to get plenty of air and didn't seem to have any impact on my positioning. The top rep moved extremely smoothly for a 10 pound PR. It didn't feel any more difficult than the previous rep I had done at 335. I will gladly take the 10 pound PR though, and shoot for another next time around (with the form tightened up just a little bit).

Here's video of the 355 deadlift.
[youtube]EX3K_Wn9HWI[/youtube]

Your just crushing PRs all the time.

[QUOTE=Raigs;1644384333]Your just crushing PRs all the time.[/QUOTE]
Thanks man. It's easier when you start out super weak, lmao! I've been on a good steady climb for about the last year though and it feels great.


Not had any time to get on to post lately, so here's a bunch of my recent workouts.
[B][U]August 6, 2021 - Bench[/U][/B]
[U]Paused Bench - 3 count[/U]
175 pounds x 1 rep
135 pounds x 3 reps
175 tied my previous PR, but it was a bit harder this time.

[B][U]August 12, 2021 - Squat[/U][/B]
[U]Box Squat - 16 inch[/U]
285 pounds x 1 rep
225 pounds x 3 reps
Started out with the squats feeling pretty poor, but worked it out as I went along and got within 10 pounds of my PR. These often feel harder for me than regular squats because the box puts me close to the slowest part of the lift, and forces me to start there with no bounce/momentum.

[B][U]August 13, 2021 - Bench[/U][/B]
[U]Floor Press[/U]
185 pounds x 1 rep
145 pounds x 3 reps
Like my previous bench session, this matched my PR but was more difficult than it had been previously.

[B][U]August 14, 2021 - Deadlift[/U][/B]
[U]Sumo Deadlift[/U]
385 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
305 pounds x 3 reps
20 pound PR for my Sumo, and for the fist time ever my max is higher on Sumo than on conventional. This moved pretty good. I may have had another 5 pounds in me, but this was very close to a true max.

Really happy to see the continued progress, even with the inconsistent schedule right now.

[B][U]August 15, 2021 - Press[/U][/B]
[U]Seated Overhead Press[/U]
115 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
90 pounds x 3 reps
115 was what I've been considering my PR, but this was done as a standing OHP a couple of years ago. Did it seated today, which I find much more difficult than standing. My overhead pressing has always been terrible, so it feels fantastic to make some progress on it.

Awesome job. I definitely find seated much tougher too so your standing OHP would be quite a bit higher now I’d imagine.

I've missed a lot so I have some catching up to do. From what I can see though you've been hitting some great PRs as that's no surprise given your strong work ethic with training.

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1644994773]Awesome job. I definitely find seated much tougher too so your standing OHP would be quite a bit higher now I’d imagine.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1645489513]I've missed a lot so I have some catching up to do. From what I can see though you've been hitting some great PRs as that's no surprise given your strong work ethic with training.[/QUOTE]
Thanks gentlemen. Good seeing you here, as always. I'm in the thick of it right now - closing on my new house in about a week - so It's been impossible for me to even get online regularly to post my own workouts, much less visit your logs. I will for sure check in once things have settled down for me a little more.


[B][U]August 17, 2021: Squat[/U][/B]
275 pounds x 1 rep
225 pounds x 3 reps
After the 275 I made an attempt at 300. Hit a sticking point a little short of halfway up and it wasn't moving any further. Watching the video of it back, I could see that my knees drifted forward significantly at the bottom. Really reinforced for me that I need to maintain control throughout, rather than trying to get a big 'bounce' out of the hole.

[B][U]August 18, 2021: Bench[/U][/B]
185 pounds x 1 rep
140 pounds x 3 reps
Tried for a PR here, but the 190 only made it up a couple of inches and then stalled out completely.

[B][U]August 20, 2021: Deadlift - Conventional[/U][/B]
385 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
305 pounds x 3 reps
This was one of the more grindy deads I've ever completed. Upper back seems to be the limiting factor right now, and I struggled to get it fully locked out because my upper back had rounded. Making good progress though.

[B][U]August 22, 2021: Bench - Close Grip[/U][/B]
[U]Close Grip Bench Press[/U]
175 pounds x 1 rep
135 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
Top rep moved a little slowly, probably ending up around a 9 RPE. Not bad for being within 5 pounds of my PR.


[B][U]Recap:[/U][/B]
- Squats and Bench have stalled out. I'm relatively happy that I've mostly maintained my strength on these, but for them to go up my volume is going to need to increase. I'm changing the backoff work from 1 set of 3 to 3 sets of 3 - will try that for a while and see how it goes.
- Deads are progressing very well with the lower volume. No reason to make any changes there.
- I'm trying to reserve the 'all out' attempts for competition Squat, Bench, and Dead each cycle, and max out the others around 8-9 RPE.

[B][U]August 23, 2021: High Bar Squat[/U][/B]
255 pounds x 1 rep [[B]PR[/B]]
205 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
Top rep ended up being a little harder than I wanted - probably over a 9 RPE. That in turn made the backoff sets a little more difficult as well. It was another 10 pound PR though. Good solid workout.

[B][U]August 24, 2021 - Wide Grip Bench Press w/chains [/U][/B]
155 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep
125 pounds + 2 Chains - 3 sets x 3 reps
Changing this one over to a wide grip. Felt like I was starting to make some progress with more shoulder focused variants, and I've gotten away from that. I'll do my next bench session (3 count pause) with a wide grip as well. And whenever I change out a pressing exercise I'll probably add in Larsen Press as my first replacement. Also noticed today that having been away from Speed focused work on bench for so long I've gotten out of the habit of really exploding up out of the bottom. Got that explosiveness firing again in the second backoff set and it made the reps feel much easier. For sure that focus on explosiveness needs to be there when benching.

[B][U]August 26, 2021 - Deadlift[/U][/B]
315 pounds x 3 reps
335 pounds x 1 rep
Was scheduled to do deficit deadlift today, but I've already packed up a lot of my lifting stuff in preparation for moving, and don't have the platform I've been using for deficit deads. Did some technical work on Conventional Deadlift instead. Focus was on getting in good position in the setup. I've historically felt better on second and third reps than on the first because I'm in better position. It's gotten much, much better, but still has room for improvement. Was originally just planning to do 315 for reps until I was at around a 7-8 RPE. Got the 3 reps very easily, and then decided to do a heavier single. The 335 single was probably around an 8 RPE. I'm really happy with all the reps today.

Nice high bar squat PR.

[QUOTE=Anthony21;1645845183]Nice high bar squat PR.[/QUOTE]
Thank you sir. I'm really happy with it. Have always struggled with High Bar Squats, so I'm pleasantly surprised how close my Max is to my Low Bar. It's probably around 30 pounds below it, but still that's pretty decent for me.

[B][U]August 27, 2021: Wide Grip Bench Press - 3 count pause[/U][/B]
165 pounds x 1 rep
130 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
This was 10 pounds less than my PR, but wasn't a true max at around 9 RPE. The PR was with a medium grip. My wide grip has been much weaker than my standard medium grip, so this is fantastic progress. It's starting to feel much stronger and more natural.

[B][U]August 28, 2021: Box Squat - 16 inch[/U][/B]
285 pounds x 1 rep
225 pounds x 3 reps
Have primarily changed over to doing 3x3 backoff work on squats, but I needed to get through this very fast today - around 15 minutes - and didn't want to totally wipe myself out since I'm still working on boxing stuff up and moving it into my garage.

Thankfully I'm in the home stretch on moving. I close on the new house on Monday and move on Wednesday. I'm planning to do Floor Press tomorrow, and then take apart the rack and platform. Sumo Deads are after that, and I can drop some pads and plywood on the floor for those on either Monday or Tuesday depending upon my schedule. I'll end up with at least 2 or 3 days rest while the move takes place. I'll probably need it anyway, lol.

[B][U]August 29th, 2021: Floor Press[/U][/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep
135 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps

Forgot to log this one, and I don't really remember anything noteworthy about it.

[B][U]September 9th, 2021: Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
335 pounds x 2 reps

Been almost 2 weeks since my last workout. Moving kicked my ass. Still not recovered, and have tons of stuff to do. Decided I needed to try to get back into lifting, so I managed to fit in a short workout after 9PM. Started out feeling good on the initial sets and reps. As soon as it got reasonably heavy it felt all kinds of weird. Ended up jumping from 315 to 365, but it felt wrong before I even broke the floor. Didn't push it. Dropped back down to 335 for a double and called it good. I'll take my time getting back into it. No reason to force it.

The new setup should be good once I get it all done, but it's not great right now. I setup in a storage room in the basement because the the ceiling is open and I'll be able to do a real standing OHP, and eventually be able to get a normal rack (and hopefully lat pulldown) fit in there as well with the extra height. It definitely a tighter space though, and will take some getting used to. Had to shove a crapload of stuff under the platform to get it level. It's actually pretty good on the main part of the platform where I do the lifts. It's pretty uneven in some other spots, but at least it shouldn't affect the lifting at all. One of the good things about the area is that there's already some pegboard on one of the walls. Just need to get some hooks for it and I should be able to hang most of my stuff there. There's plenty of room on other walls to, if needed.

[B][U]September 11th, 2021: Overhead Press[/U][/B]
105 pounds x 2 reps

Opted for a top double again today as I try to get my body reacclimated. This is the first time I've done a standing overhead press in about 1 year and a half. With my previous max on OHP being 115, I'm very happy to have hit a double at 105 with some left in the tank.

I’m sure having that space even if it’s tight, will pay dividends in the long run.

Hope you’re settling in.

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1646880343]I’m sure having that space even if it’s tight, will pay dividends in the long run.

Hope you’re settling in.[/QUOTE]
It will have both pros and cons, but I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with it. I took video of my squats today just to see how well it shows up and it's actually a lot better than I expected.


[B][U]September 13th, 2021: Box Squat - 16 inch[/U][/B]
225 pounds x 2 reps

Was looking for a squat variant that I could do without fatiguing myself too much, and this seemed like a good fit. Not gonna lie, it felt heavy. It accomplished what I wanted for the day though, so I'm happy with it. I'll continue increasing the weight and adding volume in each day, and should be back to my normal routine soon enough.

Here's video of my doing the box squats in the new lifting area. You really can't see much because of the position of the camera. The room is only about 10 feet x 11 feet, so not much extra space outside of the lifting platform.
[youtube]VyM0pCGTUak[/youtube]

[B][U]September 14, 2021: Larsen Press[/U][/B]
155 pounds x 3 reps

It's the first time I've felt relatively normal since getting back into it. Pretty sure that's the most I've ever done on the Larsen Press. It felt solid and balanced. Final rep moved a bit slow, and was probably around an 8.5-9 RPE.

I'll do at least 1 or 2 more sessions with 2 or 3 rep top sets and then start getting back into heavier singles if I'm feeling good at that point.

[B][U]September 16, 2021: Block Pull - 2.5 inch[/U][/B]
365 pounds - 2 sets x 1 rep

I was planning to do a double or triple at this weight, but it felt very heavy so I adjusted to the 2 singles instead.

Planning 1 more bench session before I dive back into my normal programming again (and even then I'll adjust according to how I'm feeling on a given day).

[B]September 17, 2021: Bench Press w/3 Board[/B]
175 pounds x 3 reps

Bench feeling quite heavy again today. After doing 155 x 1, I wasn't sure I'd even get 1 rep at 175, but managed 3 without any problem at all. I'm going to be putting my own twist on my programming. I'm primarily going to continue with daily maxing with backoff work of around 80% of my daily max for 1-3 sets of 3 reps. Bench days is the biggest changes will be. I will have a couple of days where my main work will be 6x6 or 8x8 rather than maxing. I'm also planning a couple of bench days where I'll do speed work in place of the normal backoff work. Along with a bunch of new exercises, there will be some other twists mixed in here and there as well.

Been still super busy getting settled into the new house. It's amazing how much stuff there is to do. Got in a workout today very late this evening.

[U][B]September 20, 2021 - High Bar Squat[/B][/U]
225 pounds x 1
245 pounds x Fail
155 pounds x 3 reps (1 1/4 reps)
225 felt tough but still moved reasonably smoothly. Definitely did not expect to fail at 245, but that's what happened. I did my backoff work based upon the 225 top rep. I saw a video from Sebastian Oreb (Australian Strength Coach) on Youtube over the weekend where he talked about 1 1/4 rep high bar squats. His explanations/reasonings behind this exercise all made perfect sense, and lined up with why I'm doing high bar squats in the first place. So I decided to give them a shot. To me it makes more sense not to do them with near max work, so the singles I did were normal reps. The warmups and backoff sets were done as 1 1/4 reps though. You essentially go to normal depth, come up to just above parallel (1/4 rep), descend back down to normal depth and then come all the way up. Gonna stick with these for a while and see how they work out. I also have paused squats in the rotation this time around, and rather than pausing them at the bottom I will pause them at about the quarter rep height on the way up. The reasoning behind this is that it will have me pausing right at my sticking point, and will hopefully help me get stronger in that portion of the lift.

[B][U]September 21, 2021: Bench Press[/U][/B]
175 pounds x 1 rep
125 pounds - 3 sets x 3 (1 1/4) reps
175 was definitely my max for today. It's probably the slowest rep I've ever completed. Hadn't intended on pushing it to the absolute limit today...
Did 1 1/4 on some warmups and on the backoff work again today. I'll be doing these in a more limited capacity on Bench than on Squat. One of the early benefits I'm noticing is that it's keeping me more mindful of my form and maintaining good position and control at the bottom portion of the lifts. This can only be a good thing.

Workout space is coming together slowly but surely. I'm setup pretty well at the moment and don't have anything else that really needs to be done anytime soon. I've got more light added and the lighting overall is pretty good right now. Also got some more peg board hung and got most of my stuff set into it already. Still plan to get a few more hooks/holders to hang up the remaining pieces of equipment, but there's no urgency to get this done. I also still have a full wall open that could be a good place for a barbell rack at some point. It's starting to feel like home. ;)

[B][U]September 22, 2021: Sumo Deadlift[/U][/B]
365 pounds x 1 rep
255 pounds x 3 (1 1/4) reps

Stuck with the same protocols as the previous couple of workouts. Definitely feeling the strength come back now. 365 moved smoothly despite being out of position and not using a belt. Really didn't do a sufficient warmup and it showed (was in a time crunch). If you watch closely on the video you can probably notice that I never got into proper position at the bottom until the final rep of the backoff work.

[youtube]0PcO5NvjZwc[/youtube]

Also, I finally got some pics of the new space today.
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/FsnHQ3Zq/IMG-5086.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/pTZPcFrs/IMG-5087.jpg[/img]

[B][U]September 23, 2021: Bench Press - Wide Grip[/U][/B]
125 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps

Been a while since I've done this many reps in a bench session, and it felt like it. Started off feeling light, but not by the end. This exercise is in my programming right now to build up shoulder strength. I've gradually been widening the width of my 'wide' grip, and it's now out to middle fingers on the rings. Strength is gradually increasing with the wider grip, but I'm pretty much expecting it to be a long process, so this will continue to play a part in my programming regularly for quite a while.

[B][U]September 24, 2021: Squat - Paused above parallel[/U][/B]
225 pounds x 3 reps

So these are done with a normal rhythm to the bottom and then up 1/4 of the way - and that is where the pause happens (1/4 of the way up). This puts the pause basically right at my typical sticking point. I was able to do it for more weight and reps than I expected, but honestly the reps were not good. I thought this would help keep my hips from lifting up and back too much, but it was actually worse. I'm sure I was compensating for what I know is a weak position for me. Will have to keep working on these. May need to reduce the weight more. We'll see...

[B][U]September 25, 2021: Bench Press - 3 Count Pause[/U][/B]
155 pounds x 2 reps
85 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps [Speed]

Played around with leg/foot placement today, trying to improve stability and leg drive. Not sure if it helped or hurt at this point. I felt more stable, but it made my typical touch point feel off. I'll probably continue testing this out for a couple more bench sessions at least.

[B][U]September 27, 2021: Bench Press - 30 Degree Incline[/U][/B]
155 pounds x 1 rep
125 pounds x 3 reps

Was carrying baby downstairs yesterday so I could watch him while I did my Deadlift workout. My socks slipped on the wood steps, and the rest was kind of a blur. I just remember realizing that I wouldn't be able to really break my fall since I was holding the baby and needed to protect him first and foremost (he was/is just fine, other than just being a little scared). I Landed on my left knee at the bottom of the stairs and skinned it up pretty good. Got about a 3 inch diameter bruise on my right tricep (assume I hit it on the railing?). The real damage was to my left foot. I honestly don't even know what happened, but I'm thinking my right knee must have landed on my left foot. Got a nasty bruise that covers the entire inside of the foot and extends about halfway across the top of the foot. Swollen up pretty good as well. I got it X-rayed today, and should find out pretty quickly whether it's broken or just badly bruised.

So, looks like I'm going to be doing a lot of pressing and pulling for a while, lol. Got in a solid session of incline work today. I goofed on the initial rep at 155 and set the safeties too high. So the bar hit them before reaching my chest, and totally took me by surprise. I compounded that error by continuing the lift after having it be at a dead stop and fatigued myself. Did another full rep at that weight, and it was at about a 9.5 RPE on this second attempt, so that was as high as I went for the day. Thought I would try doing backoff work at 70% for 3x3, but I felt done after the first set. Next on the schedule is Larsen Press. Not sure if I'll do that tomorrow or the following day.

Got some good news today though - the X-ray results came in and there are no fractures. Felt significantly better today as well, so I'm expecting a pretty quick recovery. I'm definitely not ready to do deads or squats, so I'll focus on pressing until I'm more recovered.

[B][U]Septemberr 28, 2021 - Larsen Press[/U][/B]
155 pounds x 2 reps
125 pounds x 3 reps

I've been going into my workouts with a top weight in mind and then trying to set a rep max at that weight. Wanted to see where my Larsen Press is at relative to my paused bench. I'm actually surprised that it's slightly weaker. Overall, the lift/s felt very good today. The plan is to do some overhead pressing next, unless my foot improves drastically.

[B][U]September 29, 2021: Overhead Press[/U][/B]
105 pounds x 3 reps
95 pounds x 4 reps

No issues with the foot today when doing this. It's still black and blue, swollen, and tender, but doesn't seem bothered by holding up extra weight as long as I'm not moving with it. I should be able to start squats and deads relatively soon I think. Will give it at least a few more days though before I attempt that.

Pressing went pretty well for me today. This was only the second time I've done a real OHP in the last 2 years, so I'm still reacclimating to the lift. Played around with grip width on the backoff work and it felt MUCH lighter than when I was ramping up. I'll have to remember that next time around.

Glad to know your foot isn’t broken.

Solid training all things considered.

[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1648035753]Glad to know your foot isn’t broken.

Solid training all things considered.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that was a relief to hear. Doing what I can while it recovers...

[B][U]October 2, 2021: Close Grip Floor Press[/U][/B]
155 pounds x 2 reps
125 pounds x 8 reps
This is one of my favorite exercises. These were paused at the bottom briefly to assure I wasn't bouncing my arms off the floor like I tend to do sometimes.
Intent today was to get in more volume than I typically do, while aiming for a top triple. I did a fair amount of reps during the ramp up but didn't track them. Overshot it a little bit on that top triple, as the second rep was definitely a 9+ RPE. Back off work was 80% of the top set, shooting for 8 reps. Final rep was a grind, but I made it. Mission accomplished for the day. :)

[B][U]October 3, 2021: Conventional Deadlift[/U][/B]
335 pounds x 3 reps

Tried to ease back into deads/squats, so wanted to stay away from true max effort work. During the ramp up, I decided I'd cap the weight at 335 and see how many reps I could do. Ended up at 3, with at least 1 (maybe 2-3) in the tank. I did feel a small twinge in my foot on the second rep because my weight shifted forward just slightly. Nothing worrisome. Good to know my foot can take the weight.