Chin Ups 5x8 DB Curls 30s 5x12 Side Lateral Raises 15 5x10
I am really weak right now... have to remind myself this is temporary. Deload then the following week getting sick is a perfect recipe to get detrained. Big time DOMS in my legs today. At the start of this block I was hitting numbers I had never started my x1 @8 at. So, this is temporary. Hard to really keep that in mind when about 8.5 weeks out, but we'll get there. Concerned about my bench touch point
Great session, squats felt amazing today. Really focused on warming up my adductors and I think that allowed me to keep my hips at the bottom well. Back on the squats momentum! Bench felt terrible, I think I'm going to go with a faster eccentric and not trying to touch my "t shirt" because it leads to longer press commands and tires out my chest more.
Romanian Deadlift 265x10,10,10,9,8 Cable Row 110 6x12 Single Farmer Carry Red KB 4 x 15 steps Stir The Pot 4 sets
Deadlifts felt good today. Need to remember to really hinge into the start position and spread my toes. Maintenance calories doing me well, feel like I have a lot more energy for these sessions.
DB Bench 75s 4x12-15 Seated Tempo DB Press 30 3x12 Incline DB Curls 20s 5x15 Tricep Extensions 40 5x15
Great bench session! As bodyweight starts to stabilize around 184-187 range I figured my bench would start coming back. That's exactly what happened this session. I made a mistake and did 4 on my top set but it was still a PR, buddy who was spotting thought I did 5 as well and grabbed bar. No big deal, I'll repeat or go up 2.5kg next week. Really tried to actively think about meeting my sternum to the bar and that helped a lot. Starting to get a bit of a pump from these workouts as well.
Squats felt on fire today. Went really early in the morning, empty gym. Did 90/90 and warmed up adductors well before even beginning squat which felt good. Then address some external rotation of my shoulders between warm ups. I think that's the sweet spot for me. Also think there might be an issue with my left hip flexor/psoas or something. No pain just really tight all the time
Been on my grind on work and nutrition as of late as well as mindfulness practice heavily. Trying to push everything in life. I'm doing my absolute best to total over 1400 in this next meet, it may or may not happen, either way I'm going to control all of the inputs I can. I've been working 9am-8pm on weekdays, so these sessions have been at like 6 am. #WhateverItTakes #5%
Closegrip Feet Up Bench
198lbs/90kg 2x8, 185lbs/85kg 3x8
Bulgarian Split Squats 36s 6x10
This squat may have even been a 7.5, warm ups felt like I didn't know how to squat and still executed on this top single. Feelsgoodmayne. Destroyed the 3ct pause bench single with keeping my back tighter than ever. Faster eccentric means I have to meet my chest to the bar more than before. Momentum has caught. Got my "high adductors released" for my squats and it felt like I had a lot of room in the bottom of the squat vs tightness.
Romanian Deadlift 265lbs/120kg 5x8 Cable Row 90 5x10 Standing Ab Wheel to Box 4x6
All time deadlift PR. Started ever so slightly more behind the bar and dead felt amazing, no pushing the bar forward like I was with my 502 last week. Now just need to hinge into my left hip a bit more. QL was acheing during volume. Should have done my 90/90 hip lift.
DB Bench 75s 4x12-15 Seated Tempo DB Press 30 3x12 Incline DB Curls 20s 5x15 Tricep Extensions 40 5x15
Did this workout at like 5-6am or something lol. Kept feet a bit more forward than usual and that felt like it helped. I realized today that this is actually the last few sessions before I have to deload again because of the scheduling. Ah well
Hack Squat 270 4x10 Standing Ab Wheel to Box 4 sets
Grueling session, mind really wanted to quit before each and every one of these sets. Nutted up and got through it all, and hit a pause squat PR for the last pause squat workout of the macrocycle. It's really true the mind gives up way before the body does, I had no idea how I'd hack squat after the squats but got through that as well. Just in time for the deload after tomorrow. Felt like shelf on my back wasn't as tight as normal, and I was descending with much more confidence.
Chin Ups 5x8-10 GHR BW 3x10 DB Curls 30s 5x8-10 Side Lateral Raise 15 5x15-20
Great session, really kept my back tight on both deads and bench. 150kg x1 @8 is exactly where I wanted to end the cycle. Deads were moving big time today. Gotta keep that bar close and hinge into position. Didn't do a good job with leading with my chest, next time. Deload now
Everything is feeling strong even with this fatigue. Upper back feeling tighter on squats. Walked into the gym and just started squatting, no excuse for that. Can't take half measures this close out. 6 weeks out as of today, exactly when I got hurt last year.
Squats moved AMAZING today. By far the best 451/205 has ever moved, and first day of the cycle. I felt like I was rooting better than before, and hit the hole really aggressively. Got to find the balance between aggression and control when descending which I will further work on. Bench was pretty meh, just couldn't really find my groove. 5 weeks out! Mindset was on point today as well
All of these are all time PRs, regardless of bodyweight. Got a new computer so logging should be easier again. Meet prep has been going great last 2 weeks, peaking makes my joints ache all over but used to it. Sitting at 185-188 BW so a small water cut starting beginning of next week and then the meet in 8 more days.
I realize I haven't posted in this log my meet lol
Weight cut went absolutely perfect, slid right under at 182.8 bw despite being like 187-188 the night before. Spit a tiny bit before weigh ins and it was not bad at all. Rehydrated well, I think I was over 190 when I stepped on the platform.
Squats went well, I felt the floor wasn't really grippy because of the previous session using baby powder so I kept it conservative with 215kg as my 3rd instead of 217-220kg range. Seemed to be the right call.
Bench was a bit of a chit show. Only got my opener as the baby powder intensified with the other platform currently doing deadlifts and spreading the baby powder all over the warm up room. I couldn't use leg drive whatsoever so I tried to muscle up 341lbs/155kg twice and it wouldn't budge.
At this point I was very nervous because the problem isn't going anywhere and I now have to sumo deadlift aka do the splits with baby powder all over my shoes. I missed my opener because I had downward motion as I tried to hold it at the top without my feet slipping. I felt my back tighten up but was too concerned about not bombing out. So, I brushed my feet off on the platform heavily and rolled the bar where there wasn't baby powder on the platform. I basically tempo pulled 507, jumped to 534 on the third, just about 5-10lbs where I imagined myself on my 3rd and got it easily with the tempo lmao. Makes me wonder what I was capable on the day. Within a few hours my back was on fire and I realized I had definitely hurt my low back when I twisted missing my opener.
All in all I was happy with how I maximized the variables I could. I don't think I could have done anything better so I am happy with that. PR total, pr squat and deads at a lighter bodyweight. Also first 400+ wilks meet (406). I got 5th in 83kgs juniors with a 1339/607.5kg total, the competition was stiff.
Post meet training hasn't been the best battling with the lower back and now my classic adductor issues. I plan on doing another meet in December. I want to log on here again to identify whats working and where my head is at. The individual training session is, and always will be, the most important variable and logging on here puts it at the forefront of my mind. Double logging is tedious since I'm using RTS, but I'll give effort to put more of where my head is at and what's working on here again.
Just took a trip down memory lane reading this old training log. I'm now 27 years old and I started this at 17 years old. Been lifting consistently for over 10 years now. I'm 206lbs now, heaviest I've ever been after bulking over the last 2 years. I had a traumatic foot injury in 2021 that completely disabled my ability to walk. Dropped a 25kg off the rack onto my foot wearing deadlift slippesr and almost cut my big toe off. Took awhile to relearn how to walk... and eventually squat, deadlift, etc. As soon as I got my cast, I went to bench press and so my bench has really taken off. Took about 2 years to hit lower body PRs but now I'm stronger than before. For the sake of the start of this log:
Stats as of March 24 2024
Squat: 490lbs/222.5kg
Bench: 363lbs/165kg
Deadlift: 573lbs/260kg
Total: 1427lbs/647.5kg
Nutrition: Maintenance before caloric deficit. 185p/425c/107f 3400 cals. I plan on entering a caloric deficit in April and cutting down to ~195lbs bodyweight. Maybe do another powerlifting meet at 90kg? Who knows.
The goals are still the same... get bigger and stronger. Become more efficient and process oriented and allow the gains to flourish naturally. If someone stumbles across this log (apparently 800k+ views?) and are beginning lifting, just know you're gonna make it brah. Eat a lot of protein. Focus on compound lifts. Progress. Be intentional. It piss
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