House of therorschach: Occasional workouts and more occasional workouts

[therorschach]

How do you feel about that extra 11 lbs?

Hoping to blast right through it.

[ShaneSwan]

Hoping to blast right through it.

Fu<k yeah; you think thats air youre breathing?

[therorschach]

Sleep less than optimal. Almost had no breakfast at all due to an early meeting at work. Almost thought of pushing the workout until later in the day or even not working out at all. Of course, skipping workouts often sets a precedent and sooner or later becomes the norm. Anyways.

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x3x190
1x2x230
3x5x265

Squats were heavy. When the 1st workset involves slow-ass bar speed, you know the next 2 sets are going to be an adventure. However, form and depth decent. The last 2 sets were a little better than the first, due not tightening core enough.

Bench Press:
2x5x45
1x3x100
1x2x135
3x5x157.5

Bench very heavy. Like squats, first workset involved slower bar speed than expected. I noticed I was not tight enough and not keeping my shoulders tucked back so the 2nd and 3rd worksets were better.

Chin-ups (assisted):
1x8x(BW-28)
1x5x(BW-28)
1x4x(BW-28)

Chins very tough and worked the frick out of my forearms. I barely got the last few reps on each set. Chins and pull-ups getting very hard to progress at. Meh.

Power Cleans:
2x3x45 <-- Hang cleans
1x3x80
5x3x105

Power cleans were alright. Some sets a little better than others. Bending elbows in some reps and pulling too early/late in some other reps. It's hard to get a decent starting position without oly-sized plates and I think I'm not getting into the hang clean position correctly prior to pulling the bar. Also not sure if it was wise to do chins before PCs. I did guess doing one before the other will impact the 2nd exercise.

Well, at least I got the workout in.

[therorschach]

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x155
2x5x215

Light squats.

Standing Press:
2x5x45
1x3x85
3x5x102.5

Presses heavy, but alright.

Deadlift:
2x5x135
1x5x190
1x3x230
1x2x275
1x5x305

DLs heavy, but not bad. Kind of rushed through the sets, leaving my lower back fatigued most of the time. Need to rest a little bit more between sets.

[therorschach]

We need to beat these numbers:

Squat: 1x5x285
Bench: 1x5x165
Press: 1x5x111
Deadlift: 1x5x335
Power Clean: 1x3x120 (without retarded form, please)
Chins/Pull-ups: Bodyweight?

[ShaneSwan]

We need to beat these numbers:

Damn, getting close fella.

I dont know terribly much about SS, but curious about your light day on squats; is that part of the program, or something you put in every now and then for a mini deload?

[therorschach]

I dont know terribly much about SS, but curious about your light day on squats; is that part of the program, or something you put in every now and then for a mini deload?

Squats are getting a bit taxing, so I'm doing a light squat day on Wednesday workouts instead of squatting heavy for all 3 days.

[therorschach]

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x3x200
1x2x240
3x5x270

Squats heavy as frick.Form and depth were not bad.

Bench Press:
2x5x45
1x3x100
1x2x135
3x5x160

Bench heavy as frick. Bar speed on the last rep of the 1st workset was pretty slow, setting a precedent for the next sets. 2nd set was not bad, but the last set was awful. Bar all over the place and one rep did not have decent depth. Meanwhile, some skinny ass dude next to me is benching 225 for reps. Ugh. F*ck bench press.

Power Cleans:
2x3x45 <-- Hang cleans
1x2x95
5x3x110

PC's were tough, but alright. I'm pretty sure my form is sucking. I will have to do a video one of these days.

Pull-ups (assisted):
1x7x(BW-28)
1x5x(BW-28)
1x5(BW-28)

Pull-ups were tough. F*ck pull-ups. A few more reps than last time, but meh.

Barbell curl:
1x11x42.5
1x10x42.5
1x9x42.5

Curls.

Lying EZ-curl Tricep Extensions (i.e. "Skullcrushers"):
1x11x45
1x10x45
1x8x45

Skulls not bad.

[ShaneSwan]

Bench heavy as frick. Bar speed on the last rep of the 1st workset was pretty slow, setting a precedent for the next sets. 2nd set was not bad, but the last set was awful. Bar all over the place and one rep did not have decent depth. F*ck bench press.

Sounds like you could use a spotter, ideally. Or bench in a rack with safety pins?

[therorschach]

Sounds like you could use a spotter, ideally. Or bench in a rack with safety pins?

There's one cage, although I'm not sure the pins and spotter bars can be set up properly for bench. I usually don't like asking other people for spots, but will consider it for the future.

[ShaneSwan]

There's one cage, although I'm not sure the pins and spotter bars can be set up properly for bench. I usually don't like asking other people for spots, but will consider it for the future.

Yeah, I know, for me its not just that I dont want to bother them, but also they might not have a clue how to spot correctly. But either way, having someone there can give you the confidence to hit depth, at least. Which can allow you to worry about other things, ie getting the bar out of the bottom position and thru the sticking point.

[darinaldi]

Yeah, I know, for me its not just that I dont want to bother them, but also they might not have a clue how to spot correctly. But either way, having someone there can give you the confidence to hit depth, at least. Which can allow you to worry about other things, ie getting the bar out of the bottom position and thru the sticking point.

I've long ago given up asking for spots because no matter how nice the person, no matter how carefully I explained that I didn't want them to even breathe on the bar unless I actually asked them to help, they would always turn it into an "it's all you, bro" spot.

[ShaneSwan]

I've long ago given up asking for spots because no matter how nice the person, no matter how carefully I explained that I didn't want them to even breathe on the bar unless I actually asked them to help, they would always turn it into an "it's all you, bro" spot.

Indeed. Spotting correctly is a big issue especially when going for a PR. Last thing you want is an "its all you, bro"-contaminated-PR.

[therorschach]

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x3x205
1x2x245
3x5x275

Squats were heavy as a f*ck. I thought the usual position for the spotter bars were too low so I bumped it up a notch. Wasn't hitting them on the warmup sets but was hitting them on some reps for the worksets. This means I'm leaning too forward on some reps. 2nd workset was a complete disaster, particularly for the last 2 reps, because I hit the bar on the spotters and it f*cked up my balance. However, 3rd workset was much better (but still heavy as a f*ck).

Standing Press:
2x5x45
1x3x90
3x5x105

Presses were heavy, but not bad.

Power Cleans:
2x3x45 <-- Hang cleans
1x3x95
4x3x115

PCs were not bad. Form much better. Pulled maybe a bit too early on 1-2 reps, but overall PCs were good. Racking the bar kind of hurts my right shoulder.

Chin-ups (assisted):
1x7x(BW-22)
1x6x(BW-22)
1x5x(BW-22)

Chins were not bad.

[therorschach]

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x3x175
2x5x220

Light squats, I set the spotter bars higher than I usual do (like last workout) and was not hitting them. Guess form was better this time. When the weight gets heavy, I think I'm leaning too forward and/or going deeper than I should be without maintaining a flat back (i.e buttwink).

Bench Press:
2x5x45
1x5x100
1x2x140
3x5x162.5

Bench was really heavy and bar speed was really slow, even for the first workset. Felt like I was going to get pinned on a few reps. Did not get a 5/5/5. F*ck bench press.

Deadlift:
2x5x135
1x5x195
1x3x240
1x2x280
1x5x315

DLs heavy, but not as heavy as expected. Bar speed still pretty good for the top sets. The only satisfying exercise for today.

Regarding benching in a cage: I tried adjusting the spotter bars in the cage I normally squat in and put a bench inside to see if I could bench press without hitting the spotter bars and at the same time use them to avoid getting pinned. I was able to set the spotter bars optimally to allow bench. I think I tried doing this before a few years back, although I could not remember if I was able to conclude the cage was suitable for benching. I'll try benching in the cage for next bench workout.

[VoxExMachina]

Didn't know you actually worked out.

Bench press is awesome, son.

[therorschach]

Bench press is awesome, son.

It's awesome when I get my reps, but sucks balls when I don't, although I guess I could say this about any of the other lifts.

[VoxExMachina]

It's awesome when I get my reps, but sucks balls when I don't, although I guess I could say this about any of the other lifts.

How long have you been lifting seriously?

[therorschach]

How long have you been lifting seriously?

Started in 12/2006, did about 1-1.5 years of somewhat consistent lifting. 2009 I worked out for about 2 months tops and 2010-2011 I did not work out at all. I started again in Feb 2012 and kind of slacked off this summer, but have trying to make an effort to be more consistent lately.

[therorschach]

10/5/2012, 12:15pm

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x5x185
1x3x225
1x2x255
3x5x280

Squats were heavy, but not as bad as expected. Kept the spotter bars at the higher spot this time for all sets. Lightly tapped it on one rep on the 2nd-to-last workset. Depth on one or 2 reps of the last workset not optimal, but overall squats not the disaster I was expecting. Focused on not going down too fast on the worksets and not leaning forward too much and not relaxing my lower back at the bottom.

Standing Press:
2x5x45
1x3x90
3x5x107.5

Presses heavy, but still have not stalled yet. Bar speed slowing down a bit for the last few reps on the last sets, but overall presses are still good.

Power Cleans:
2x3x45 <-- Hang cleans
1x2x95
4x3x120

PCs started to get tough, but form not too bad. Pulled a bit too early on a few reps.

Pull-ups (assisted):
1x8x(BW-28)
1x6x(BW-28)
1x5(BW-28)

Pull-ups tough.

Barbell curl:
1x10x45
1x8x45
1x6x45

Curled with the olympic bar for today.

Lying EZ-curl Tricep Extensions (i.e. "Skullcrushers"):
1x10x50
1x8x50
1x7x50

Skulls tough.

[therorschach]

Life is full of disappointments and failures. The gym is one of the few places I can validate myself accurately and objectively, using a barbell as a point of reference. Some days, however, the barbell is like "lol u cant lift this". Some day you hit the bar and some days the bar hits you. 200 pounds is 200 pounds and....whatever, who the f*ck cares.

Bodyweight: A fat 205lbs

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x4x185
1x3x225
1x2x255
3x5x285

Squats starting to get heavy. Form is starting to break down a bit, depth and balance a bit off. The most I ever squatted was 1x5x285, so 3x5x285 is technically a PR I guess. Meh, whatever.

Bench Press:
2x5x45
1x5x105
1x3x140
1x5x162.5
1x5x162.5
1x4x162.5

Bench is still frickin heavy. I brought my grip in a tad closer today (pinky like a .25 inch from the rings). Good thing I benched in the cage today because I got pinned on the last rep of the last set. Ugh. F*ck bench press. I hope all bench presses get AIDS.

Power Cleans:
2x5x45 <-- Hang cleans
1x3x100
3x3x125

PCs starting to get tough. Almost did not rack the bar on the last rep of the last set. The bar is not flying up to my shoulders anymore, so I need to focus on getting under the bar properly.

Chin-ups (assisted):
1x8x(BW-22)
1x5x(BW-22)
1x4x(BW-22)

Chins tough.

Right shoulder still kind of hurts if I move it a certain way (like rubbing my hand). F*ck all barbells and weights.

[therorschach]

Right shoulder still kind of hurts if I move it a certain way (like rubbing my hand).

I actually meant rubbing my "head". Why would my shoulder hurt if I rubbed my hand? What?

10/10/2012, 12:30 pm

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x3x185
2x5x225

Squats.

Standing Press:
2x5x45
1x3x70
1x2x95
3x5x110

Presses heavy, but much better than expected. 1st workset was a bit tough, due to balance being a bit off, but the next 2 worksets were much better (but still heavy). Thought I would stall, but no. Presses seem to be doing much better than bench lately (usually, it is the other way around).

Deadlift:
2x5x135
1x5x205
1x3x250
1x2x290
1x5x325

DLs starting to get really heavy.

Workouts starting to get brutal lately.

[therorschach]

Tired as sh*t. Got like 3 hours of sleep last night. Coffee could not provide a decent boost. Thought about not going to the gym. Or maybe waiting until later tonight. Or tomorrow. Or Wednesday. Or...

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x4x190
1x3x235
1x2x265
1x5x280
1x5x290 <--PR
1x5x290

Squats heavy. For some stupid reason, I loaded 280 instead of 290 for the 1st workset. Was wondering why it felt lighter than usual. Anyways, the next 2 sets were heavy, but form and depth were pretty good. Did not hit the spotter bars at all, focused on maintaining core tightness all around. Never squatted 290 before, so PR I guess.

Bench Press:
2x5x45
1x3x105
1x2x140
3x5x162.5

Bench was heavy, but FINALLY a 5/5/5. Ugh. Thought I was going to end up with a stall again on the last set, but no. Oddly enough, the 3rd workset was better than the 1st two. Maintained tightness and gripped the f*ck out of the bar.

Chin-ups (assisted):
1x5x(BW-16)
1x5x(BW-16)
1x3x(BW-16)

Chins tough. On the last notch of the assisted machine. Feels weird, as there is almost no resistance at all - my feet keeps slipping out of the assistance bar. I got to this assistance level at the same BW a few years ago and attempted some BW chins but could not even do one (well, almost one). Will stay at this assistance until I can get a decent # of good reps, then I'll give BW a shot.

[strongforgood]

1x5x290 <--PR


Chins tough. On the last notch of the assisted machine. Feels weird, as there is almost no resistance at all - my feet keeps slipping out of the assistance bar. I got to this assistance level at the same BW a few years ago and attempted some BW chins but could not even do one (well, almost one). Will stay at this assistance until I can get a decent # of good reps, then I'll give BW a shot.

Nice job on the PR!

Strategy on chins seems good. Seems like they should have a smaller increment than 16 for that last step of assistance.

[therorschach]

Nice job on the PR!.

Thanks. Was hoping to get to a 300 squat before the end of the year. It may just happen.

Strategy on chins seems good. Seems like they should have a smaller increment than 16 for that last step of assistance.

I thought about using a belt and adding some plates, but I would essentially be doing assisted weighted chins. Hmm.

You'd think 16lbs would be nothing, but it's a lot (for me, I guess) for upper body lifts.

[strongforgood]

Thanks. Was hoping to get to a 300 squat before the end of the year. It may just happen.



I thought about using a belt and adding some plates, but I would essentially be doing assisted weighted chins. Hmm.

You'd think 16lbs would be nothing, but it's a lot (for me, I guess) for upper body lifts.

It's a big increment for anyone, especially for a body weight type exercise.

[ShaneSwan]

Squat:
1x5x290 <--PR

Sweet, nice job man. Not far off 3 plates now.

Expecting to see some blue for bench and press, too.

[therorschach]

Skipped 1 workout from the week before and 2 workouts from last week. Ugh. Anyways.

Squat:
2x5x45
1x5x135
1x4x190
1x3x235
1x2x265
1x5x290

The warm-up sets were fine, but the top set was heavy. Wasn't sure where I was on strength, so just did 1 workset for today. I probably could have did 1 or 2 more. Will do 3x5x290 on Friday.

Standing Press:
2x5x45
1x3x70
1x2x95
1x5x112.5 <-- PR
1x5x112.5
1x4x112.5

Presses were really heavy. The 2nd workset was a bit better than the first, but I could not get 5 reps on the 3rd workset. Ugh. Well, PR on presses I guess.

Chin-ups (assisted):
1x7x(BW-16)
1x5x(BW-16)
1x4x(BW-16)

Chins tough, but at least more reps.

[Lencho]

I srsly wondered if you even worked out.

Nice work, BRO.


in b4 Thanks

[ShaneSwan]

1x5x112.5 <-- PR

Presses were really heavy. The 2nd workset was a bit better than the first, but I could not get 5 reps on the 3rd workset. Ugh. Well, PR on presses I guess.

Good stuff. Getting to all your sessions will be key to keeping your current progression up.

ie dont miss any workouts!