550 deads, dogs, and other offensiveness: A mortar34 production

[Mortar34]

INTRO

So, in the last few months I've come to enjoy deadlifts and decided that I want to get better at them. Been lifting for a few years, I just never did deads because, well, I don't know why. But now I do and that is what's important.

My current 1RM is 445, and while I feel like I've got more than that in me, the numbers say otherwise. Essentially all I've done to this point is try and nail down my form, not get injured, and pull as much as possible. Now, I'm attempting to figure out some working weight sets I can start to run in the hopes of hitting 550 sometime in the not too distant future.

Comments, advices, a little chit talking and humor are all welcome. This is more about me and my goal, anyway, but I do enjoy good humor.



This is Winston. He is 12 weeks old and loves food more than I love anything.

[WolfRose7]

PUPPY!

In for cute dog and Deadlift gains

[Mortar34]

This was my first non-brain dead session since finishing a brutal month of June at work. I did some pulling last Friday too, but my dumb ass forgot to wear a belt, and in turn, performed as such.

This is my first time deadlifting without simply trying to yank as much weight as possible. I'm trying to work with slightly lower weights for triples, adding small increases in weight each time. I'll think about attempting a new 1RM when I feel ready.



I didn't take any video this time, but have some previous vids where I pulled 445 and failed at 465. I was happy with this, and will probably add 5lbs at the top sets for my next session Saturday morning. I know I have more than 445 in me and I am not a patient man. This will be interesting.


Winston came to the gym with me a few weeks ago. Worked his little ass into the ground, as you can see. Tough love.

[Mortar34]

PUPPY!

In for cute dog and Deadlift gains

Welcome! The doggo pics will outshine me and I'm ok with that.

[Mortar34]

465 fail a few weeks ago. Staring at the bar after a fail does help, right?

[Mortar34]

When you said fail I thought you meant you got it off the ground ...I make that look at significantly lower weights

And you lookin pretty good for an old man there



Called it

“Moe-tuh-vay-shun”

I’ll be back for it and it’s going up when I do. No doubt about it.

[Mortar34]

No pulls today, but hit an unexpected PR triple on bench yesterday. I’ve been working towards 300x1 lately and feeling like it may be there. If I’m not careful I’m going to turn into a low-rent power lifter here soon.




It was a beautiful day so took the dogs and kids to the park. The puppy had his Lab baptism: Could not keep him out of the water.

[Mortar34]

Dear diary...

Just an awesome weekend...Daughter #2 won a two day softball tournament and got two MVP awards, one of which she gave to a teammate that she thought deserved it, 6 year old son busted his ass with me all day outside yesterday getting caught up on yard work, and daughter #1 took exceptional care of us while my wife was with the softball champion. Many proud parenting moments. Get those onions out of here please.

After a heavy volume week in the gym and working outside all day yesterday, my back was smoked and I did not want to train at all today. Props to the wife for motivating me from afar. Popped two advils and went in to hit my numbers on deads (just +5lbs for two sets) and get out.

The last rep was a little bit of a grind but, yeah. Still got it up. I am hunting 500.



I tossed in three quick sets of Yates Rows with a drop set finisher just so I didn't feel like a total loser.



Have a quick one day trip tomorrow, so a 5am bench session before the airport and will hit OHP Tuesday when I return.


I could pull a semi and this little nugget would still be the dessert for anything I dump into this poverty log.

[Mortar34]

Yesterday was a day I'd like to forget. Some personal stuff that I'm not sure how I want to digest just yet, and a 5 hour flight delay in Philly returning from a meeting Monday night that I 100% didn't need to attend. Disorganized people can go to hell, or Philly, whichever is closer. I got home around 9:30 and rushed to the gym for some quiet time.

I had a 5am bench session on Monday but I'm not logging every workout, just deads and anything else I'm either pleased or disappointed with. Or whatever else the one or two people that actually read this may be able to point and laugh at. Call it my gift to the forum. Very philanthropic of me, I know.

I've been digging the standing OHP during my transformation into a budget power lifter, and I felt like trying to move 185 last night. It ended up moving me more than I would have liked. I actually got 2 reps, but the second was dirty and I lost my balance and had to step forward to finish it. I wasn't as focused as I should have been and moved through my sets too quickly. Slightly encouraged by the weight, but I want a second run at 185 with a better mental starting point. My fault. I should have been more disciplined.

I'm very interested in areas of needed correction but need video for that. I'm going to start recording more of my lifts. Please, keep the applause to a mild roar.





My wife with Winston in an arm bar. I taught her that, but I'll probably get banned if I tell stories about our sex life.

[NorthStrong]

Solid lifting, cute dog also. I have an aussiedoodle, just over a year old. Great little dog

[Mortar34]

Solid lifting, cute dog also. I have an aussiedoodle, just over a year old. Great little dog

Thanks. Hadn't heard of that breed...just googled and cute little guys. Drop him in here some time, Winston gets lonely.

[NorthStrong]

Thanks. Hadn't heard of that breed...just googled and cute little guys. Drop him in here some time, Winston gets lonely.

Yeah lol mine's a bit different looking than a lot of the ones on google images...

HENLO

[Mortar34]

Yeah lol mine's a bit different looking than a lot of the ones on google images...

HENLO

[img]http://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/37426869_10160617800935324_8566323193973833728_n.p ng?_nc_cat=0&oh=059764b646f819a98d02f4b195695074&o e=5BDD4A33[img]

lol, pretty ambitious with his stick selection!

[Mortar34]

Another good bench session last night, chasing dem dere 3 plates. I took video of the 280x3 set, but my phone fell and just got some great footage of the floor. Idaho's finest potato, right here. The third rep was a bit of a grind and a little dirty but went up without the spotter's help. I may need a minute at 280x3 or could try 285x2 for the next set. Not sure and open to suggestions. But making increases feelsgoodman.pdf Definitely enjoying this change to strength training. Low rent bloat lord powerlifter status engaged.

Here is last night's session with a superset of calves cut off. I'd really like to not look like I'm riding a chicken so I've been hitting them from different angles 2-3 times per week for a while now. Problem is, short of installing balloons in there it may not happen before my 12 year old graduates college.

Deads tonight.




Laying the fukn smack down

[WolfRose7]

Heavy triples and doubles time to have some fun then.
3 plate in sniffing distance..

[NorthStrong]

Indeed he is very ambitious with the stick selection lol.

When I hit about 285x3, i hit 315. (well, 314.2 or something, in a meet with a long ass pause too). You're very close.

For bench I really like hitting a heavy but not super hard single, then some backoff sets of 2-5. That's what worked best for getting my bench up. Gained a lot of confidence handling 300+ often. Slingshot helped me too, I always get exactly 40lb out of it lol, so when I hit 355 I knew I'd have 315.

[Mortar34]

Indeed he is very ambitious with the stick selection lol.

When I hit about 285x3, i hit 315. (well, 314.2 or something, in a meet with a long ass pause too). You're very close.

For bench I really like hitting a heavy but not super hard single, then some backoff sets of 2-5. That's what worked best for getting my bench up. Gained a lot of confidence handling 300+ often. Slingshot helped me too, I always get exactly 40lb out of it lol, so when I hit 355 I knew I'd have 315.

I may give this a try when I slow down in my progressions. Thanks

[Mortar34]

I pulled Friday night, but believe me when I say that I didn't want to. Indisputable evidence below. I took too much PWO Thursday and ended up staring at the television until 2am. Combine that with [allegedly] training 13 of the last 15 days...my body was sore and tired. Please, save your tears. I'm fine. Irregardless, I made up my mind that I was going to go and do some work, get out, and take the weekend off to recharge. All in all, I'm glad I went in, despite not being overwhelmed with the results.

Normally I don't warm up with accessories, but I had to wait for the one pulling station my gym has. A few, light, bent over rows, deads, some Pendlays, and got the F out.





I didn't feel particularly strong (obviously), but no more whining. After a weekend of yardio and some rest, I'm definitely feeling refreshed but still a little tight in the lower back. I'm looking forward to training either OHP or bench tonight. Will be a game time decision.

Winston peed on the carpet Saturday so I showed my oldest daughter how to, properly, choke his little ass out. She did great as you can see. It was a proud moment indeed.

[Mortar34]

Looking strong, and like America incarnate for some reason, mortar

More doge pics

Ha, thank you. Although nowadays that could mean anything, lol.

I've got a great pic for my next log post. He's at the vet right now and has nearly doubled in weight to 16.2lbs. Glad he's getting big quickly but I'll miss the puppy stage. Not as much as he'll miss getting on the couch to cuddle with my kids when he's full grown, though.

I need to rep more often, on spread with you forever.

[Mortar34]

So, it turns out that rest actually matters. After no training this weekend, I felt great and was excited to get into the gym last night. For some reason, I'd been thinking about overhead pressing all day so I headed straight for the power rack and started warming up with the bands. (The one set of bench was while I was waiting, and waiting, for a rack)

Editors note: My lower back has been tight as hell in the morning and often continues throughout the day. I'd even notice some discomfort the minute I got into bed. I changed my sleeping position and it instantly relieved the pressure. Potentially a big breakthrough.

Had a great session. Previous best was 185x1, so 180x4 was a nice surprise. Still making noob gains in the strength-training world and enjoying a totally different style of training.




Depth on the third rep wasn't great, but super happy with grinding out the fourth. Feel like my left shoulder raises up higher than the right on any OHP variant?




Here's Winston at his day job. There won't be any freeloaders in Mortar's house.

[NorthStrong]

Strong pressing man, I haven't done any serious press work in a while, since it's been bugging my back also lol. Just like basically every other lift.

180x4 is pretty staunch though, should be close to 205x1.

[Mortar34]

Strong pressing man, I haven't done any serious press work in a while, since it's been bugging my back also lol. Just like basically every other lift.

180x4 is pretty staunch though, should be close to 205x1.

Thanks. My presses are getting better, squats are still lagging. Gonna change that tonight and go ham in the rack.

[Mortar34]

Squatted two days ago and benched yesterday. I haven't been sleeping well this week (about 4 hours a night) and yesterday's session was what you'd call "performance confirmation." Tuesday's squats ended up ok and I moved 315 for the first time in years, but everything felt heavy x2 yesterday and I was just frustrated and angry.

The diet and training has been on point so I can't explain why I'm staring at the ceiling at 1am like I've been partying with Tony Montana, but I need to get it sorted quickly. I'm going to take tonight off and demand a better night's sleep, and I'm coming back tomorrow and pulling everything I can until I scare my body into a coma.







No Winston today as Cooper had a weird vet visit yesterday. Took him in for normal shots and to have a growth on his sternum looked at. The vet found there are actually two growths and described one as "angry looking." Snipped off a piece and sent it in for testing. Should have results in a day or two.

Here he is with the sugar sweats after a cheat day. Cheeky little fukker.

[Mortar34]

Life has been going well lately. I've switched sleeping positions which has relieved a lot of pressure in my lower back, and I also switched to a low-bar squat which has helped my form and feel, and allowed me to start progressing in weight much more quickly. Collected a smooth deadlift PR while still having some in the tank and have been adding a bit more volume to my workouts....and the puppy hasn't pissed in the house in at least a week.

Had some great QT with the wife and kids this weekend and on top of all of that, today is an off-day from the gym and I'm playing in my company's golf outing today instead of doing real work. We have the most amazing lollipop lamb chops and meatballs you can imagine at the turn. I'm getting a semi just thinking about them.

Here are the results. I've got to get my clubs out of the basement and deal with this boner.

FRIDAY-heavy/volume




(It's the belt, I'm actually leaning out at the moment)





SATURDAY-light shoulders




SUNDAY-heavy legs, volume

Tried front squats for the first time. Went well, will do more of them

[bobbydigitaloa]

Finally in!

[Mortar34]

Finally in!

Yeaaahh, thanks Bobby. I'll appreciate your advice anytime you’re inclined to give it.

Your majestic beast of a pooch is also welcome here!

[NorthStrong]

how'd the golf go? I used to play a ton when I was a kid, like 10-13 years old ish, would get 100 rounds a summer in lol. Now it's more like 2-5 a summer, but played well enough last time I was out.

[Mortar34]

how'd the golf go? I used to play a ton when I was a kid, like 10-13 years old ish, would get 100 rounds a summer in lol. Now it's more like 2-5 a summer, but played well enough last time I was out.

Had fun but my game is pretty poor these days. My touch around the greens and putting is still good enough, but any full swings always end with a surprise, lol. Like you mentioned, I just don't get out very much anymore.

The lamb chops and meatballs made it all worthwhile!

[Junsuiakai]

Hey bro, I watched your deadlift videos on youtube. Your form is terrible and will lead to injuries over time. Your hips fly up so you are initiating the pull with your lower back. I'd lower the weight and learn proper form.

[Mortar34]

Hey bro, I watched your deadlift videos on youtube. Your form is terrible and will lead to injuries over time. Your hips fly up so you are initiating the pull with your lower back. I'd lower the weight and learn proper form.

Yeah, I hear you. Sometimes I feel like my knees get in the way when I'm trying to keep my chest up?

Btw, the guys in the video you posted have a great podcast, if there are any podcast listeners lurking here.