In Search of Strength

[CharlesSwann]

10/25/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,2,1

Hit a wall on bench, muscles locked up and quit on me. I'm tentatively blaming absurd amounts of outside stress and carrying on normally.

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 120 x 10

[CharlesSwann]

10/26/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

10/28/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2 -- tired, no pause today

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

Pull Ups
- Body Weight x 15
- Body Weight x 12
- Body Weight x 8

[CharlesSwann]

10/29/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2 -- exhausted, no pause today

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

11/01/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

11/02/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

11/04/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,3,3,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,3,3,3,2,2

Pull Ups
- 3 x Body Weight x 15

Really happy with my form on pull ups. All deadhang.

[CharlesSwann]

I'm feeling kinda beat up. Local fatigue, not global. Lower back and hips are tender. Might have to take a week off earlier than I thought, or maybe increase rest lengths and take out the pauses. But for now...

11/05/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,3,3,3,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,3,3,3,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

Inspired by Garrett Blevins lately: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmd36UwX94g. Seems like a cool dude, great lifts. Makes me want to get great lifts some day.

Anyway, running an a few hours sleep and a lot of stress. Let's have some fun...

11/08/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2 -- all 8 sets paused

I realized the other day that I want cleaner form on my bench (pace the eccentric, especially). Hopefully I can maintain my working sets with stricter form.

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2

Had to creep up the rest lengths from 1min up to 2min on the last two sets. Will probably start using 90s from now on.

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 120 x 10

[CharlesSwann]

11/09/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2

Paused the last deadlift rep off the ground for three counts just to stick it to the weight. Felt good. Held at the top for 10 counts too.

[CharlesSwann]

Feel awful today. I had sharp pain in my upper back all morning but I didn't have time to work on tissue quality before working out. Will do some tonight for sure after I'm done my work.

11/11/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- all 8 sets paused

Squats nearly killed me. Bench is at risk so I'm upping rests to 120s.

Bench Press
- warm up
- 280: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

Pull Ups
- Body Weight x 12
- 2 x Body Weight x 8

Pull ups always seem to be a good indication of how I'm feeling. Made 45 reps last week and only 28 reps today, heh.

[Cooper72]

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 405: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- all 8 sets paused

Squats nearly killed me.

Well yeah...

Seriously strong stuff going on in this sleeper journal. I'd love to see you take it to the platform sometime and kill it.

[CharlesSwann]

Seriously strong stuff going on in this sleeper journal. I'd love to see you take it to the platform sometime and kill it.

Thanks! I'm hoping to get a meet in this spring once I've got a bit more time, then provincials/nationals if I qualify.

11/12/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 305: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 475: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

Moving on to 425/285/495 and 325, starting this Saturday. Still trying to pause both squats if I can.

[CharlesSwann]

11/15/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

I cleaned up my bench form (mostly slowed down the eccentric) and it ended up being a lot easier than before. I dropped rests back down to 60s.

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 120 x 12

[CharlesSwann]

11/16/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Going to cut the pauses during the upcoming week. I'm getting beat up and I'm going to be low on sleep, but I don't want to deload quite yet.

[CharlesSwann]

Ended up having a busy enough week to force a deload anyway.

On that note, I'll probably also have to miss Dec 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 16th, 17th. I'll hopefully be good other than that for the rest of the year.

11/22/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Alright, I think I'm done pausing low-bar. The chances of me making all 8x3 paused are extremely slim, and this cycle isn't about running myself into the ground. I'd like to do at least another two cycles after this one.

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2

[TheBeastTyler]

In on this because I'm probably starting Hepburn A in a few weeks (seeing how I feel after this smolov jr routine is over). Looks like you're doin well and working hard though. Keep it up.

[CharlesSwann]

Cheers. I like the program's progression a lot, but I haven't maxed yet so I have no idea what my strength is actually like. Not really used to that.

11/23/14

Will still try pausing front squat for now. I'd like to hit 8x3 @ 325 paused if reasonably possible.

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,2,2,2,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

11/25/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2

Pull Ups
- 3 x Body Weight x 15

[CharlesSwann]

Sleep? What is sleep?

11/26/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,3,2,2,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

11/29/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

Paused the very last rep on squats for 3 counts just for fun. Still easy.

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 120 x 12

Also did some decompression work (weighted pike stretch) but I'm not sure how to program it yet. Did about a minute per pop for three sets this time.

[CharlesSwann]

11/30/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

Also did some hypers and decompression work.

Alright, unfortunately I have to take this upcoming week off for outside reasons. My next workout will be Dec 9th, and I'll be continuing on with 5x3 & 3x2.

[CharlesSwann]

12/08/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2

Pull Ups
- 3 x Body Weight x 12

[CharlesSwann]

12/09/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,3,3,3,2,2,2

[CharlesSwann]

12/12/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,3,3,3,2,2 -- paused the last rep of the last set for 3 counts

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,2,3,2,2,2 -- completely burned out

Finals aren't treating my workouts well. Not feeling confident about deadlifts but I'll just have to see how it goes.

[CharlesSwann]

12/13/14

Had a small strain in my upper back. I felt something on my last squat rep yesterday but I didn't really pay attention to it. Not good for front squat/deadlift so I skipped them and did slow, light pull ups (5x5), and some rolling.

Will try to continue on as if I had actually done this session after I'm back on the 20th.



12/20/14

Done finals. I shouldn't have to miss any more sessions for a long while.

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2 -- paused the last rep of the last set for 3 counts

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,1 -- bench is kill

Don't know why my bench is floundering lately. I'm going to drop the weight down 10lbs and focus on control.

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 130 x 8

[CharlesSwann]

12/21/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,2 -- all 8 sets paused

Exhausted. I must still be burned out from exams, because I never have energy for my second lift lately.

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,3,3,2 -- calves and a quad seized up and I couldn't do a single more rep

The strength was there but I'm just beat up. I'll have to see how Tue/Wed feel before deciding if I need to address this. I've just started my holiday so I should be recovering better.

[CharlesSwann]

12/24/14

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 425: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- paused the last rep of the last set for 5 counts (**** yeah)

Bench Press
- warm up
- 285: 3,3,3,3,2,2,2,2

Starting next cycle with 275 and focusing on strict form and control.

Strict Pull Ups
- Body Weight x 3
- 3 x 25 x 8

[CharlesSwann]

12/25/14

Front Squat
- warm up
- 325: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- all 8 sets paused

Deadlift
- warm up
- 495: 3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3 -- held last rep of the last set for 10 "lifting seconds"

I also did light hyperextensions and some decompression work.

[CharlesSwann]

Working sets are up 20lbs for back squat and deadlifts, 15lbs for front squats (no more pause), and down 10lbs for bench.

For the sake of injury avoidance, I've decided to drop deadlift frequency down to one session per week (2x3+6x2, 4x3+4x2, 6x3+2x2, 8x3). The other session will have moderate high bar squats with a pause (@8-9RPE).

12/27/14

Bit of a headache going in today.

Low-Bar Back Squat
- warm up
- 445: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Bench Press
- warm up
- 275: 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Dumbbell Row
- 3 x 130 x 8