The Flywheel Effect.

[CW47]

August 29th, 2021: Floor Press
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.

[CW47]

September 9th, 2021: Sumo Deadlift
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.

[CW47]

September 11th, 2021: Overhead Press
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.

[Filmbuff81]

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

Hope you’re settling in.

[CW47]

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

Hope you’re settling in.

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.


September 13th, 2021: Box Squat - 16 inch
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.

[CW47]

September 14, 2021: Larsen Press
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.

[CW47]

September 16, 2021: Block Pull - 2.5 inch
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).

[CW47]

September 17, 2021: Bench Press w/3 Board
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.

[CW47]

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.

September 20, 2021 - High Bar Squat
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.

[CW47]

September 21, 2021: Bench Press
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.

[CW47]

September 22, 2021: Sumo Deadlift
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.



Also, I finally got some pics of the new space today.

[CW47]

September 23, 2021: Bench Press - Wide Grip
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.

[CW47]

September 24, 2021: Squat - Paused above parallel
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...

[CW47]

September 25, 2021: Bench Press - 3 Count Pause
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.

[CW47]

September 27, 2021: Bench Press - 30 Degree Incline
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.

[CW47]

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.

Septemberr 28, 2021 - Larsen Press
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.

[CW47]

September 29, 2021: Overhead Press
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.

[Filmbuff81]

Glad to know your foot isn’t broken.

Solid training all things considered.

[CW47]

Glad to know your foot isn’t broken.

Solid training all things considered.

Yeah, that was a relief to hear. Doing what I can while it recovers...

October 2, 2021: Close Grip Floor Press
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.

[CW47]

October 3, 2021: Conventional Deadlift
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.

[CW47]

October 4, 2021: Larsen Press
115 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps
95 pounds x 15 reps (AMRAP)

Plenty of volume again today on bench. Kind of crazy that I could only do 15 reps on that AMRAP, but I was pretty tired before even starting it. Still adjusting to the increase in pressing volume.
Still have a lot of work to do on my benching. It feels good, but then I watch back the video and the bar path is ridiculously inconsistent and ugly. Getting that really grooved in is going to be my primary focus.

[CW47]

October 5, 2021: High Bar Squat
205 pounds - 6 sets x 3 reps

My goal today was to pick a weight during the ramp up that I thought I could do for about 3 reps. Nailed it at 205 pounds. Upper back got a little loose at the bottom of the lift on a couple of the reps, but the reps were all pretty solid. No real issues with the foot, which is still slightly swollen and sore, but continues to get better each day. Pretty sure I can train without restrictions at this point, and I'll be gradually ramping back up to where I was before.

[Filmbuff81]

Considering you had just done 6x6 I’d consider a 15 rep amrap pretty good lol

[CW47]

Considering you had just done 6x6 I’d consider a 15 rep amrap pretty good lol

True. But it's 95 pounds, lol. You're completely right though. I need to just not worry about how much weight is on the bar.


October 6, 2021: Bench Press
165 pounds x 2 reps
130 pounds x 3 reps (1 1/4 reps)
I'm liking the approach of picking a weight and seeing how many reps I can get. Been primarily aiming for triples, but I for sure plan to mix it up more as time goes on, and have that be driven by how I feel on a given day.
Set my sights on 165 today. May have had 3 reps there, but I wasn't sure so I stopped after the 2nd. Bench actually felt really good today throughout. Lower body was locked in nicely. Bar path was improved (still not perfect). Tempo was good as well. For back off work I did three 1 1/4 reps at 130. Was able to complete them all very comfortably.

[CW47]

October 7, 2021: Sumo Deadlift
355 pounds x 3 reps
Well this was a nice surprise... The ramp up felt good aside from the final set at 315 which felt off. Decided to give 355 a try based upon how the previous reps had moved, and it paid off. Was aiming for 2 reps, but got the triple with all reps going up very smoothly. I almost certainly had at least 1 rep in the tank as well.

Biggest improvement was actually in my overall balance. I paid more attention to foot placement and keeping good even pressure on specific parts of the foot. This gave me a good platform to push from, with better stability. The encouraging part for me is that I can see when watching back the video that I still have a LOT of room for technical improvement, which means I still have plenty of opportunity for gains just by getting more efficient at the lift.

[CW47]

October 8, 2021: Bench Press - Wide Grip
130 pounds - 6 sets x 6 reps

Not much to say about this other than I got in all the reps without too much difficulty. I was feeling some fatigue as I was going through this though. Probably due for a day or two off soon.

[CW47]

October 10, 2021: Paused Squat
205 pounds x 3 reps

Goal for today was a top triple, and to maintain upper back tightness consistently. Accomplished both of those. Final rep was for sure a 9.5+ RPE. Was hoping to keep it under a 9.
Tightness was pretty good throughout. In fact, this felt like a pretty big breakthrough for me. The final set is probably my best effort ever when it comes to keeping everything tight, and it made a huge difference. I definitely would not have finished that final rep with my normal tightness. Feet were planted well. Legs and glutes stayed tight and steady. Upper back didn't cave. Only thing that could have been better was my bracing. I lost my air on the second rep, and wasn't properly braced for the final rep (which I'm sure is why it turned into a grinder).

[CW47]

October 11, 2021: Bench Press - 3 Count Pause
165 pounds x 1 rep
135 pounds x 3 reps

Just realized I had planned to do some speed benching as the back off work. Oh well...
Bench was feeling pretty solid today. The one obvious opportunity for improvement would be to stay tight during the pause. I feel like I am, but then when I watch back the video I can clearly see that something is loosening up (probably upper back). This is the whole reason for doing this lift in the first place, so I'll keep it in the rotation until I get this figured out. But overall this was still pretty good improvement, and my bench is honestly looking better than it ever has. Need to maintain these improvements and continue refining, and I think I'll be in a good position to make some gains.

[Filmbuff81]

Still going strong.

Seems like your technique is starting to get dialed in based on your comments.

Once you get the back tightness locked in you’ll be golden.

[CW47]

Still going strong.

Seems like your technique is starting to get dialed in based on your comments.

Once you get the back tightness locked in you’ll be golden.

Yep, getting better for sure. I've still been taking video of a lot of my sets. Keep thinking I'll post them up, but them I don't even manage to get online until after 10pm and I just want to sleep... I'll get some footage posted up at some point.


October 11, 2021: Conventional Deadlift with Chains
355 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep

Was feeling pretty explosive today so I decided to go for a heavy single. If I had been in a competition this probably would have been a failed lift because my grip gave way just as I locked it out. Luckily for me, it wasn't done in competition, so as far as I'm concerned it was a good lift. It came off the floor very easily, then slowed just a bit at the lockout. Very solid effort. No back off work today because I got in plenty of work on the ramp up, and my baby needed some attention/supervision.