Calling anyone interested in a friendly strength competition for this spring/summer

[jademonkey]

I missed a couple weeks. Left to get a Covid test (negative) and never went back until today. I may have had the time, just not the mental energy by the end of the day, and lots to do in the mornings. Moving into a van in 3 weeks, takes a bit more effort than just moving apartments. Just winged it today. No plan. Just did squat, bench, dead, rows, chin ups. Felt good. Not thinking about maxing out anytime soon, and who knows what crappy national chain gym I'll be joining and whether I'll get ideal strength workouts in.

[CW47]

Gotta love heavy and simple.

December 31st works just fine for me. Not sure I'll be peaking again before that time, but it's basically 3 months out, so who knows...might still make some PR's yet.


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 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.

I've not mentioned it because maintaining a specific weight is not a top priority for me, but I've been on a real slow cut. I'm down about 8 pounds, and would like to drop about another 13. No time frame on that.

[SaviorSelfJT]

Just want to say, I've spent the past hour or so reading some of the older posts in this thread, and want to say we've all clearly sharpened one another and I value that a lot. Anyone who's still subscribed, hope you haven't signed off. We're right upon the original deadline before it was moved to December. I know I'm OP, but I'm still seriously in this. Hope we haven't lost EC, DoMore, Savior or JadeMonkey.

Home stretch boys. Let's get it in gear and make good on the end of the year.

*unintentional rhyme stands lol

Not lost in the sense I'm still checking in every now and then

But lost in the sense that I'll be hitting a PR any time soon

[WolfRose7]

Screenshot isn't working for me for some reason, but I have a pretty good idea of what your trend line looks like based upon what you've said. 4 weeks is probably worth a try, and you can easily revert if it's not an improvement.


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.

Pretty decent start man.

And that's odd, not sure why it doesn't work, pretty sure it's public.

We are going to trial 4/1.
2 week pivot first for me.

My mock meet is going to line up 23/24th December, so decent for our new deadline.

[CW47]

Pretty decent start man.

And that's odd, not sure why it doesn't work, pretty sure it's public.

We are going to trial 4/1.
2 week pivot first for me.

My mock meet is going to line up 23/24th December, so decent for our new deadline.

Must have been a temporary issue because I can see the image now. Sounds like a solid approach you've worked out with your coach.
Nice timing on the peak!


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.

[EliKoehn]

^^ That's always a good feeling when you find that your attempted weight was the sweet spot.

Today:

Deficit maintained

A.S.
Close Grip* Flat Bench:
4 x 8 at 225
Chest-Supported T-Bar Row, Bodyweight (238) Pullups:
3 w/ 3 plates, 5 w/ 4 plates, 2 x 8 bodyweight pullups

A.S.
Standing OHP:
1 x 12 at 95, 1 x 10 (failure attempting twelve)
Hammer Curl, Supinated DB Curl:
1 x 6 w/ 60s, 1 x 6 w/ 50s

*Does anyone know what exactly constitutes "close grip" for a bench? As you know mine tends to be pretty wide, but I find that near-vertical forearms with the bar on the chest still has me with my index fingers on the ring, which is typically considered the "standard" bench. These may have been a tad wider than truly close-grip, but it was a lot closer than normal. Certainly more challenging closer together and my triceps were fatigued going into the OHP. Also, didn't experience DOMS from the 295s the other day but felt microtrauma when benching today.

[CW47]

The best guideline I've seen for a Close Grip Bench is that it's narrower than your standard grip. Seems over simplified, but makes complete sense when you think about it. Having it be drastically different than your standard grip means it's not going to offer much (if any) carryover to your normal bench.

Of course, this completely depends upon what your goal is for the lift. If it's being done purely to build triceps strength then you could probably go quite a bit narrower. If you're using it as a way to build your standard bench, you may only want your grip to be a couple fingers narrower.

Bottom line is that there are no strict guidelines regarding what constitutes a Close Grip Bench, and this is a good thing because it will be different for everyone depending upon a variety of factors.


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 great, but improved). 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.

[EliKoehn]

Interesting. I suppose that counts, then. It certainly felt different and more challenging.

Maintenance yesterday, deficit over past two days maintained

Squat:
3 x 5 at 275
Deadlift:
5 x 1 at 405

Forgot that I brought my thick-soled running shoes with me, with lots of heel support and found myself having trouble not tipping forward with the squats. Deadlifts felt somewhat like deficits, but I also found myself going forward. Squats were pretty hard and I can tell I was getting de-trained.

[CW47]

Amazing how big a difference footwear can make. You ever try deads barefoot? I rarely do them, but I still recall the first time I did - felt like I was doing a block pull instead of a full ROM deadlift, lmao. I still prefer the extra stability and grip I get when wearing shoes though.


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.

[EliKoehn]

Encouraging to see you're gaining more of an intuition for the deadlift! In fact, in your uploads, you seem to be training a bit sub-maximally perhaps (that or your attention to form is excellent and 100% just looks smooth), and it seems like you've made a lot of progress with the lift, in particular. Excited to see you go for four soon.

I have deadlifted barefoot and would actually do so regularly, but it's not allowed at my gym and that's a reasonable rule I think. My green Nikes with the thin soles and minimal support haven't given me any problems that I know of, so I'll keep using those until they wear out.

Today was super short and sweet. Still maintaining a moderate deficit, so the idea in lieu of running a program right now is just to keep a reasonable stimulus on everything major.

Flat Bench:
2 x 8 at 245
OHP:
1 x 5 at 135

Was going to attempt a second set, but final rep was @10 and I didn't want to hit failure.

[CW47]

I pretty much always try to leave a rep in the tank on Deads, aside from rare occasions. I tweaked my back pretty bad deadlifting about 15 months ago, to the point that I considered not even deadlifting anymore. So it's the one lift where I try not to allow my form to degrade at all, and as soon as it does I just call it a day. Of course, I still have a lot of room for improvement, but I've been pretty smart about how far I push. Health is always the top priority.

Good call on not pushing a 2nd set. You are most likely better off not going to true failure, and keeping yourself fresher for upcoming sessions.


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, so I took a rest day yesterday.

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).

[SaviorSelfJT]

Lifted for the first time in a few weeks (srs)

Got up to a 375 deadlift, could rep 225 on bench without too much of a problem

I think I want to focus a lot more on cardiovascular health now, versus strength

[EliKoehn]

Lifted for the first time in a few weeks (srs)

Got up to a 375 deadlift, could rep 225 on bench without too much of a problem

I think I want to focus a lot more on cardiovascular health now, versus strength

Runtime speed, aerobic endurance, etc.?

[SaviorSelfJT]

Runtime speed, aerobic endurance, etc.?

General health/longevity

Trying to maximize my chances of seeing old age basically

[WolfRose7]

Personally RPE 5 or so squats and deads have been outstanding for my main work lately.

Not that most on here would accept that you can train hard and effectively that far from failure lol (the forum not the group)

Everyone's looking good.
And saviour strong and healthy go together to a decent extent I'd say, not at the extremes of strength of course. But you can get quite a lot of healthy strength work in with more cardiovascular focus.

Jordan feigenbaum of barbell medicine is a decent example of a health focused strength trainer.
Though it's whatever makes you feel best at the end of the day

[EliKoehn]

^^ Good post.

Also, while I don't really have a leg to stand on speaking towards health and longevity, the idea of regular, submaximal training sounds great to me. I can't imagine anyone's ability to walk atrophying but very slowly if they're always squatting at a moderate weight with sensible volume, for instance. Of course, Savior could probably never walk up to the rack again and still not ever have that problem anyway, with the success there already lol.

Today I maintained my deficit. Waking up in the mid 230s now, which is exciting territory to be in for me. Decided to run a high-volume workout I made up, and it was pretty grueling actually. Got faint and nauseous towards the end and decided to cut out the cardio rows, and save the whole thing for another day, as written. I posted it in Workout Programs.

A.S.
Flat Bench:
4 x 8 at 225
Pull ups:
4 x 8 at bodyweight (last rep slightly cheated)

A.S.
Incline DB Press:
3 x 10 w/ 75s* (failed on 8th of final set, rested thirty seconds, then finished out the remaining two)
Seated Cable Row:
3 x 10 at 190 (easy for every set, but the following pulls were weak)

A.S.
Dips:
3 x 10 at bodyweight (was going for 12s, but was low on strength)
Chest-Supported T-Bar Row:
1 x 3 w/ 135 added, 2 x 12 w/ 90 added (was going for straight 3 x 12 w/ 135; felt too weak)

Lateral Raise:
2 x 12 w/ 25s (good form, but at this point, I was feeling quite faint and not far from being sick)

A.S.
Supinated DB Curl:
2 x 12 w/ 35s
Tricep Pulldowns (rope):
2 x 12 at 100

Decline Sit-Ups:
2 x 12 unweighted

DB Shrugs:
2 x 12 w/ 100s

Was going to do a double with pec-dec but forgot. Prescribed cardio was 3x 500m full resistance on the machine in under two minutes each. Will go for that next time. This was a good session. Low energy from not eating as much made this palpably more challenging.

[CW47]

I'm with Wolf in the sense that strength is a vital part of longevity. Of course, you don't need superhuman strength to live a long healthy life. Anyone who does resistance training semi-regularly is most likely stronger than the average person, and this alone can lead to a longer life. I really think everyone should just do what they enjoy though, because just about any strength training you do will benefit you in the long run. This can range from calisthenics to doing heavy barbell lifts, strongman training, etc.


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.

[SaviorSelfJT]

And saviour strong and healthy go together to a decent extent I'd say, not at the extremes of strength of course. But you can get quite a lot of healthy strength work in with more cardiovascular focus.

Jordan feigenbaum of barbell medicine is a decent example of a health focused strength trainer.
Though it's whatever makes you feel best at the end of the day

^^ Good post.

Also, while I don't really have a leg to stand on speaking towards health and longevity, the idea of regular, submaximal training sounds great to me. I can't imagine anyone's ability to walk atrophying but very slowly if they're always squatting at a moderate weight with sensible volume, for instance. Of course, Savior could probably never walk up to the rack again and still not ever have that problem anyway, with the success there already lol.

I'm with Wolf in the sense that strength is a vital part of longevity. Of course, you don't need superhuman strength to live a long healthy life. Anyone who does resistance training semi-regularly is most likely stronger than the average person, and this alone can lead to a longer life. I really think everyone should just do what they enjoy though, because just about any strength training you do will benefit you in the long run. This can range from calisthenics to doing heavy barbell lifts, strongman training, etc.

Thanks guys, def going to try to stag reasonably strong, but I think I'll be somewhat limited

What I did today (recently finished a workout) was a fairly regular lifting session, but instead of resting between sets, I was jumping rope

By the end I was sweating a good bit, and my oxygen demands must have been through the roof, felt out of breath for a good while afterwards lol
Still sweating too

[EliKoehn]

Dang, you didn't rest at all between sets?

--

Deficit maintained

Squat:
4 x 10 at 225

Deadlift:
315 x 8, 6, 6

A.S.
Seated Calf-Raise:
4 x 8 w/ 90 added (paused)
Leg Extension:
4 x 8 at 120

Cardio Rowing Machine:
5x sprint to 500m, full resistance, under 1:50 for all

--

Only 1,000 calories today prior to the workout, and that mostly in protein. These higher volume workouts on a deficit are tough. Was going to do 3 x 8 on the deadlift, but I hit @9.5 on the second set at 6. On the third set, matching that had me almost fainting at the top. Kind of surprising that only three plates could cause that, but it's a nice slice of humble pie for any conceit I was harboring and wasn't aware of.

Calf raises seemed to hit a sweet spot of stimulus/reasonable challenge with a full pause at the bottom and at the top, with a slow movement so the soleus isn't sprung by the Achilles tendon, but the leg extensions were a bit too easy at that weight (plus, I had to wait a little bit between sets as both of the machines for it are always popular, so that likely helped), and I did forget to pause the first rep of the final set.

Cardio was pretty tough after the heavy compounds took so much energy, but I'm very glad I didn't skip it this time. That kind of sprinting stamina is an important aspect of fitness and easy to neglect.

[SaviorSelfJT]

Some fairly minimal pauses, but for the most part no break

Me being so winded is more of a reflection of me being out of shape than it being a hard workout lol

Those rowing machines are brutal, are you doing HIIT (with 5x sprints?)

[EliKoehn]

Some fairly minimal pauses, but for the most part no break

Me being so winded is more of a reflection of me being out of shape than it being a hard workout lol

Those rowing machines are brutal, are you doing HIIT (with 5x sprints?)

Well that's impressive, good job.

Not intentionally, no. Just hodge-podging stuff while I'm cutting, hoping to stay in the ballpark of 1RM strength. And yeah, they are pretty tough. It makes me wonder what speed the people who use them continuously for a long time are doing?

[bLinkMoore]

Could be a solid place to ask this.

So, I'm two weeks out from my first powerlifting meet. Early prep went AMAZING, set pocket PRs in all my lifts, etc. Bodyweight slowly went down.

Accidentally overshot the weight loss, I think. Ended up weighing in at 163 a couple days ago (I'm competing at 165) and had just the most horrible workout I've had in probably months. Was programmed for SBD doubles at 385 / 240 / 485. Ended up getting a grinder of a single on squats (tried another single and failed), one decent rep on deadlifts (didn't try for the second) and got a good single on bench, also didn't try for the second. Fatigue was just overwhelming.

I've been pretty aggressively refeeding for the last day or so, and my current plan to get back to it is to hit some easy triples around RPE 6.5 to 7 on Saturday, full rest and keep eating plenty, then hit my final heavy singles next Wednesday.

Thoughts? Sorry for the long post, kind of rambling. I haven't failed a lift in over a year, and it really shook me mentally to be failing a squat at my programmed opener two weeks out lmao. Realistically I know I'll be ok, and the first meet is about going 9/9 and having a good time anyways, but I'd appreciate any insight from you guys.

[EliKoehn]

^^ Nice avi man! Looking shredded. And your lifts at your weight always struck me as incredible. My stats are certainly below yours and I don't have any experience formally competing so bear that in mind with my observation, but it seems like a deficit that's just caught up with you, since you've been losing all the while. Maybe your performance can hold its own for so long, but eventually it just gives. Maybe eating at a small surplus for a few weeks will bounce you back stronger than before.

--

Deficit maintained

A.S.
Flat Bench:
4 x 8 at 225
Pendlay Row:
4 x 8 at 225

A.S.
DB Incline Press:
3 x 10 w/ 75s*
Lat Pulldown:
3 x 10 at 190

A.S.
Dips:
3 x 12 at bodyweight
Hex-Bar Upright Row:
3 x 12 at one plate (the bar weighs 45 right?)

A.S.
Lateral Raise:
3 x 8 w/ 30s
Barbell Curl:
3 x 8 at 95

A.S.
Tricep Pulldown (Rope):
2 x 8 at 120, 1 x 8 at 100**
DB Shrug:
3 x 8 w/ 100s

Cardio Rowing Machine:
3x 500m sprint, all under 1:50

Total time: about 2 hours discounting an unanticipated conversation in the middle.

--

Felt driven today and was able to put in a lot of quality work. Somewhat surprised about this because I skipped dinner last night and maintained the deficit today as well; somehow I was able to work about as hard as any time on moderately lower calories. Plus prior to my workout I walked almost the entire hour of my lunch break in some nice cloudy fall weather. Also I can really see more definition coming in and that's exciting.

*Failed second set on the 10th rep. Rested about 30 seconds and repeated it to complete the set.

**Was going for 120 across the board, but final rep of that weight was quite bad. Dropped down to 100 and it felt appropriate.

[BeginnerGainz]

^^ Nice avi man! Looking shredded. And your lifts at your weight always struck me as incredible. My stats are certainly below yours and I don't have any experience formally competing so bear that in mind with my observation, but it seems like a deficit that's just caught up with you, since you've been losing all the while. Maybe your performance can hold its own for so long, but eventually it just gives. Maybe eating at a small surplus for a few weeks will bounce you back stronger than before.

--

Deficit maintained

A.S.
Flat Bench:
4 x 8 at 225
Pendlay Row:
4 x 8 at 225

A.S.
DB Incline Press:
3 x 10 w/ 75s*
Lat Pulldown:
3 x 10 at 190

A.S.
Dips:
3 x 12 at bodyweight
Hex-Bar Upright Row:
3 x 12 at one plate (the bar weighs 45 right?)

A.S.
Lateral Raise:
3 x 8 w/ 30s
Barbell Curl:
3 x 8 at 95

A.S.
Tricep Pulldown (Rope):
2 x 8 at 120, 1 x 8 at 100**
DB Shrug:
3 x 8 w/ 100s

Cardio Rowing Machine:
3x 500m sprint, all under 1:50

Total time: about 2 hours discounting an unanticipated conversation in the middle.

--

Felt driven today and was able to put in a lot of quality work. Somewhat surprised about this because I skipped dinner last night and maintained the deficit today as well; somehow I was able to work about as hard as any time on moderately lower calories. Plus prior to my workout I walked almost the entire hour of my lunch break in some nice cloudy fall weather. Also I can really see more definition coming in and that's exciting.

*Failed second set on the 10th rep. Rested about 30 seconds and repeated it to complete the set.

**Was going for 120 across the board, but final rep of that weight was quite bad. Dropped down to 100 and it felt appropriate.

Depends on the bar. You’ll have to weigh it to make sure.

[bLinkMoore]

^^ Nice avi man! Looking shredded. And your lifts at your weight always struck me as incredible. My stats are certainly below yours and I don't have any experience formally competing so bear that in mind with my observation, but it seems like a deficit that's just caught up with you, since you've been losing all the while. Maybe your performance can hold its own for so long, but eventually it just gives. Maybe eating at a small surplus for a few weeks will bounce you back stronger than before.

Thanks! It's been a successful cut for sure haha. I appreciate that, I'm currently gunning for a couple of state records that one of my friends set a couple years back--he's nutty, best gym lifts are 475 / 300 / 600 @ just over 165.
I'm really hoping that it's just the deficit catching up with me. I had to take a few days off due to a minor rugby injury a couple weeks ago, but once that was healed up I hit some big triples and felt great, so idk. Guess I've just been losing weight while gaining strength for too long and it finally slammed me. I'm going to spend the next few days just eating and resting for sure, if I have to do a small water cut or something a couple days out then no biggie. Just gotta get back in the saddle I guess, with the meet being on the 30th I don't really have time for anything else!

[EliKoehn]

@BeginnerGainz, ah I see. Unfortunately I can't carry it to the locker room scale but I'll ask the employees. It felt about 45 but I'd like to know for sure - in lieu of that I just wrote down the added weight for objectivity.

@bLinkMoore, gotcha. It's nice to see you're aiming high! Check back in after the deload/refeed; if you get it that would be awesome. Also, do you have a training log currently?

--

Deficit maintained

Don't know what it was exactly, but I feel great today. Just confident and energetic, and had the urge to lift big weight. Normally I wouldn't do this the day after a hard session, but I think it's the better approach to capitalize on the occasions where you're really feeling desire and enthusiasm for it. Also it's finally cooling down and feeling like fall and this is the best time of year IMO, so that might have something to do with it.

So, warmed up to...

Bench:
3 x 1 at 295

Deadlift:
315 x 3, 365 x 2, 455 x 1

Again, one meal today. Very glad for but also don't know where this strength/energy is coming from.

[bLinkMoore]

@bLinkMoore, gotcha. It's nice to see you're aiming high! Check back in after the deload/refeed; if you get it that would be awesome. Also, do you have a training log currently?

I don't, but I might have to get one going! I think after this meet, I'll be prepping for one in late January that's being put on by the gym I go to, so that'd be fun actually

[CW47]

Good work guys.

Haven't update here in a while... I'm back on track and making good progress again. Quick recap of recent workouts:
- 355 + 2 Chains on Conventional Deads. Think this was a PR but I haven't checked.
- Matched a PR on Incline Press at around an 8.5-9 RPE
- Did some wide stance squats. I suck at them.
- Larsen Press for 6x6 felt easier than last time even though it was heavier.

And then today's - Trap Bar Deadlift:
335 pounds x 3 reps
245 pounds x 15 reps

Never really felt comfortable with this lift until today, when something finally clicked. Decided to cap it out at 335 and see how many reps I could get. Could've had more but my grip gave out. The knurling is definitely not as good as on my normal bar. I strapped up for the back off work where I just dropped a plate off each side and did an AMRAP. To be honest, there was still several reps in the tank (maybe another 5 - maybe more than that), but I started getting nauseous since I'm just not used to doing higher rep work, especially on deads. This was a good change up for me. I should be able to push the weight up a fair amount next time around.

[EliKoehn]

^^ Are you referring to trap bar deads or conventional, with the comfortability? Either way, good work. And how does the chain feel? I've never tried that but I imagine the point where the bottom link breaks off the floor adds some palpable challenge.

--

Allotted consumption most likely above my set allocation, but weight is still down so deficit likely maintained - I walked most of the whole day on Saturday so I think that has factored in. 235 as of right now.

Long and somewhat stressful day at work. Was hungry going into the gym, and felt a bit weak, so I kept it simple.

A.S.
Flat Bench:
275 x 5, 3, 3
245 x 6
225 x 8

Weighted Pullup:
5 x 5 w/ 25 added (~260 total)

[CW47]

^^ Are you referring to trap bar deads or conventional, with the comfortability? Either way, good work. And how does the chain feel? I've never tried that but I imagine the point where the bottom link breaks off the floor adds some palpable challenge.

Referring specifically to the Trap Bar Deads.
Chains are awesome if you struggle near lockout. The increase in difficulty happens gradually as the weight rises. They allow you to strengthen the latter portion of the lift at a reduced stress level (having the bar be 30-60+ pounds lighter through a good portion of the lift is less fatiguing than if you were lifting the full weight all the way from the floor. There are other benefits as well. I'm a big fan of them.

Looks like a very solid session today, and a very smart approach considering the circumstances.


October 18, 2021: Overhead Press
120 pounds x 1 rep [PR]
90 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
First time hitting a PR on this in a couple of years. Just a 5 pound PR, but that's really nothing to scoff at on an OHP. Very happy to have hit the 120.