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

[ECGordyn]

I try to grip wider on Pendlays to use more upper back, like bench grip ring fingers on rings. Elbows close to the body like in your vid uses a bit more lats.

Almost no body English in that set, nice.

[WolfRose7]

Yeah Eli metronome set to 60s on Google.
Will edit in a video.


Nice pendlay weight, don't think there was any form deviation, if anything just a bit more intent to drive as fast as possible from floor.

It should be lower chest, upper abs depending on build.

Can't wait to get a garage and build a platform so I can actually pendlay again lol

[jademonkey]

Bench day:
280x1 / 275x1 / 275x1 / 245x3 / 245x3 / 225x5

Chin ups:
+75x5 / +100x1 / +100x1 / single arm scapula pulls / single arm hangs / single arm negative

Front Squat:
135x10 / 175x8 / 185x8

Back extension, reverse preacher curls, machine flys, tricep press down

[CW47]

Last 2 days:
Bench Press - 3 count pause
175x1
140 - 1x3

High Bar Squat
225x1
185 - 1x3

Both were PR’s I guess, since I’ve never done Max Effort work on them before.
Bench felt much better than Squat. I’ve never been comfortable with high bar. But I’m relatively happy with both. They give me a solid starting point to build from.
Loving that these workouts only take me about only about 20 minutes. Much easier for me to fit that in daily than it is to to 70-80 minutes 4 times per week.

[ECGordyn]

Should film from the correct angle if you want a depth check xD.

Looks there though

How's this? This was right at 90 degrees gauging by the floor tiles lining up with the gym floor tiles.

I'll post my annual "PR" from the former angle, which was why I asked to check that angle initially.



____________________________________

Only squats today. Pause 150 x 4 x 3 around @8, then unpaused 130 x 3 x 5. Warmed up bench to around 100 then just called it off. Shoulder started hurting yesterday but I think mainly today motivation just dropped.

I don't know what's up lately. Since mid-June I've just been unconcerned with strict goals and pushing the limits and all that. Last year was great for training. Hated my job so I just put all my energy into lifting. This year there's lots of good things going on in different areas of life so my mental focus and energy are spread around. I enjoy free time a lot more as the overall life mood has lightened up a lot. Plus maybe I'm starting to feel my age, fatigue feels different than it used to, or I just let the fatigue slow me down, not sure.

No one should expect big numbers from me this year. I'll regret not trying very hard but in the end this hobby is just one minor detail in my life, and it's just as important to ride the momentum in all areas of life just like in training.

[EliKoehn]

Maybe a change of emphasis is actually a good thing? You constantly work hard at this and meticulously keep track of it. I know in my case that it would be disappointing and depressing to miss out on some of the many important and meaningful things in life because I was too obsessed with lifting. Matter of fact, that's probably already tending towards becoming the case for me, even though it is still a wholesome, rewarding pursuit.

I turned to it majorly and created my account here in response to sudden dual life tragedies and it was the only thing that offered a means to oppose that status somehow rather than simple passive acceptance (which I did plenty of along with binge drinking and gaining lots of weight, which worked to nullify this in tandem, of course).

It seems that its role as a healthy drug, to channel focus and negativity into profitable self-improvement, is excellent, but in lieu of those circumstances, less important. You've got my respect whether you back off from it or not.

[CW47]

Yeah, no problem with a change in lifting mindset. It's cool that you recognize why it may have changed. A lot of people wouldn't have that much self awareness. For most, motivation/dedication/consistency are going to wax and wane. As long as you're content it's just fine (assuming you're not lifting as part of your career).


Close Grip Bench Press
175 pounds x 1 rep
140 pounds - 1 set x 3 reps
Bench is gradually improving. I'm maintaining stability better throughout the lift, and better control of the bar at the bottom of the lift. Bar path is getting more consistent as well.

Been a while since I shared a video. Here's one that shows the rep at 175, along with a cameo from the baby, who's getting way too quick and agile to be hanging around me when I'm lifting:

[SaviorSelfJT]

@CW47, wasn't 175 your max for regular bench? Looked like you could have done 185 on that close grip, srs

@EC I'm the same way right now, I haven't been able to push myself as much lifting wise recently. I'm probably gonna flop when we test maxes for this thread...

[CW47]

@CW47, wasn't 175 your max for regular bench? Looked like you could have done 185 on that close grip, srs

Max on regular bench is 185. Close grip has been my strongest grip on bench for a while, though it seems to be evening out now. And yes, I may very well have been able to do 185, but I saw no reason to push it to the absolute limit right now, as I'm trying to allow some time for my body to adjust to lifting pretty much every day. Generally trying to leave 1-2 reps in the tank on all lifts.

[EliKoehn]

@CW, agreed, you could attempt 15-20 pounds more I bet!

2C6W Week 3, Friday

Deficit maintained

Squat:
320 x 4-6 - failed, achieved 2, then two singles to compensate for failure to achieve minimum volume

Deficit Deadlift:
315 x 8 - 8 achieved easily

Skipped dinner last night and lunch today. Strength notably down. Still glad to have kept the stimulus on that kind of weight for the squats while cutting, something I have never done before. Came home weighing 241.8, down 15 pounds in less than a month. Will nevertheless reduce my squat attempt 10 pounds to 365. Got a "perfect form" compliment on the squats from the strongest guy in my gym who stopped what he was doing to walk over and say it, though, so that felt nice.

[jademonkey]

Today:
Squat:
(350x1)x3 / 305x3 / 310x3 / 310x3 / 280x5 / 280x5or6 (lost count somehow)
OHP:
(160x1)x3 / (145x3)x3 / 130x5 / 130x9

Chin ups: 1x one arm bent arm→slow negative / 2x archer (one finger on extended arm), 18x bodyweight neutral grip
RDL: (260x10)x2

[CW47]

July 24, 2021 - Deadlift
Deficit Deadlift - 2.5 inches
335 pounds x 1 rep
265 - 1 set x 3 reps
Harder than I expected, as just a few weeks back I did this at a 3 inch deficit for 345. It was most likely a setup issue. In retrospect, I really didn't get my butt down, and was relying on my lower back to do most of the work. I'll correct it next time around.


July 25, 2021 - Bench
Bench Press w/Chains x2
165 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep
130 + 2 Chains - 1 set x 3 reps
This turned into a grinder. 155 moved easily, so I thought 165 would be leaving a rep in the tank still. It turned out to be a true max for the day, and I almost didn't finish the rep. The back off work was harder than expected as well.


This was the end of my first run through on this program. Took a couple of things away from it that will result in some changes. First thing is that I really need to take at least 1 or 2 days off per week. I didn't feel any fatigue initially, but for sure started to feel it near the end. I'm also rearranging the exercises to have the hardest work take place in the middle and lighten the load near the end of each cycle. This should help me be fresh for the primary lifts (competition squat, bench, and dead) which happen right at the beginning of the cycle. Other than that everything went very well. At some point I will most likely need to ramp up the back off work a little bit, but I'll keep it where it's at as long as I'm making progress.

[EliKoehn]

2C6W Week 3, Sunday (originally Saturday, moved)

Deficit possibly exceeded*

Flat Bench:
3 x 4-6 at 275 - achieved 6, 4, 4

Pendlay Row:
3 x 6 at 255

Standing OHP:
3 x 6 at 115

Weighted Chin-Up:
3 x 6 w/ 25 added

*Did some loose counting with a weekend meal with friends and I might have gone over, but did make allowance for this during the week. Either way, not an even count; probably about maintenance but possibly somewhat over. Incidentally I woke up looking notably leaner despite this.

[DoMoreWeighLess]

Keep getting stronger boys. 2021 is going to be a great year for gains let's manifest it

[EliKoehn]

^^ Already has been, so far. Let's keep it up.

2C6W Week 4, Monday

Large deficit maintained

Squat:
325 x 2.5, 315 x 3, 315 x 3 - stopped the last rep before reaching parallel on the first set; rep two was @>9 and I realized I didn't have it lower. Dropped the weight down to three plates on the final two sets, whose own final reps were shallow, even for training. Unsure whether it calls for lowering the attempted max below 365 owing to training in a deficit, but will think about it.

Deficit Deadlift:
2 x 6 at 345 - once again, this was somehow relatively easy despite following heavy squat failures.

A.S.
Optional Exercise 1 (Barbell Curl)
3 x 8 at 95

Optional Exercise 2 (Lateral Raise)
3 x 8 w/ 30s

These felt reassuringly submaximal and very controlled.

[EliKoehn]

2C6W Week 4, Tuesday (My Variation)

Deficit maintained

Flat Bench:
3 x 3 at 275

Pendlay Row:
185 x 12, 185 x 10, 225 x 8, 245 x 6

A.S.
Standing OHP:
95 x 12, 95 x 12, 100 x 10, 105 x 8

Ran out of time on a lunch break workout. Omitting the chin-ups. Also accidentally began my bench set with 275, when the program called for 270, and then decided to keep it at that weight instead of ramping the triple as this felt quite heavy. Also forgot the first set of rows was supposed to be for 10, not 12, so there's another deviation.

[jademonkey]

Sumo deadlift:
(450x1)x3 / (410x3)x3 / (380x5 deficit)x3
grip failing after the first 2 singles so put on grips for the remaining sets

Decline bench:
195x12 / 195x12 / 200x12

Some one arm chin up practice, close grip cable rows, cross body hammer curls, and normal hammer curls down the dumbbell rack to finish off.

Weight under 171 this morning, down 2 or 3 lbs without trying since cutting alcohol. Drinking a lot of milk to try and get some quick easy calories / protein.

[EliKoehn]

PM jogging. Still maintaining a fairly serious deficit. 95 degrees Fahrenheit, humid and sunny. Attempted a 6 mile route but lapsed into walking right at about 2 miles. Walked the remaining four anyway. I was pouring sweat and my heart was beating out of my chest the whole time, so I will call success on it for the day. Also, ironically enough I had told myself I would resume running at a certain landmark, and when I got to it and decided to continue walking, a bee came out of nowhere and stung me lol.

Came back weighing well below my target for Friday (237.2), although this was dehydrated and it will be higher in the normal condition I will be recording.

[CW47]

July 27, 2021 - Squat
265 pounds x 1 rep
215 pounds x 3 reps
Here's one of those days where I should've taken a 3 rep max instead a 1RM. Started out feeling bad and thinking it would get better as I went along. It never did. Even the back off reps were a grind. I'm sure I was still fatigued from the previous workouts despite the rest day on Monday.

July 28, 2021 - Bench Press
185 pounds x 1 rep
145 pounds x 3 reps
The final warmup at 175 was pretty easy. Thought I had a new PR in me today so I jumped right up to 190 and failed - made it almost half way up and then stopped dead. It may have been a poor decision, but I ended up dropping to 185 and was able to grind that out, matching my previous PR.

I'll deadlift tomorrow if I'm feeling okay.

[MilkforBrains]

Maybe do a one armed chin up comp? I can do that when I train for it but I have never squatted, DLd of benched so you would smoke me.

[SaviorSelfJT]

July 27, 2021 - Squat
265 pounds x 1 rep
215 pounds x 3 reps
Here's one of those days where I should've taken a 3 rep max instead a 1RM. Started out feeling bad and thinking it would get better as I went along. It never did. Even the back off reps were a grind. I'm sure I was still fatigued from the previous workouts despite the rest day on Monday.

July 28, 2021 - Bench Press
185 pounds x 1 rep
145 pounds x 3 reps
The final warmup at 175 was pretty easy. Thought I had a new PR in me today so I jumped right up to 190 and failed - made it almost half way up and then stopped dead. It may have been a poor decision, but I ended up dropping to 185 and was able to grind that out, matching my previous PR.

I'll deadlift tomorrow if I'm feeling okay.

Sounds like you are following a specific version of a program here -- but if its anything like what I've read, embrace the fatigue and just let the weights fall where they need to. If you squatted 215x3 today, and tomorrow you can only do 205x1, so be it. Keep training in this fatigued state. Because you won't be able to use maximal weights, thats what keeps you from getting injured, and yet you are still training more volume than a 3 day per week program and getting exposure to overall higher %1RM weights. Being in this fatigued state is exactly why the program works

Tomorrow you probably won't feel ideal to deadlift, but go for it anyway with whatever weight you can manage

Part of it may not even be fatigue. If you only train 3x per day you can probably get yourself psyched up before a tough set and go a little harder cause of adrenaline. But when you are doing it every day you won't be able to use adrenaline

Just keep going with it and you'll eventually start to rebound stronger than ever

[jademonkey]

Bench:
(280x1)x3 / 250x3 / 245x3 / 225x5 / 225x5

Weighted neutral chin ups:
+80x4 / +105x1 / +105x1 / +80x4

Front squats:
135x10 / 185x8 / 185x5.5 (fingers slipped and bar fell)
I think 185 is near my limit for cleaning the weight (I don't really know how so probably have horrible form) and holding on.

Machine flys, machine reverse flys, reverse tri press down, reverse EZ curl.

[WolfRose7]

July 27, 2021 - Squat
265 pounds x 1 rep
215 pounds x 3 reps
Here's one of those days where I should've taken a 3 rep max instead a 1RM. Started out feeling bad and thinking it would get better as I went along. It never did. Even the back off reps were a grind. I'm sure I was still fatigued from the previous workouts despite the rest day on Monday.

July 28, 2021 - Bench Press
185 pounds x 1 rep
145 pounds x 3 reps
The final warmup at 175 was pretty easy. Thought I had a new PR in me today so I jumped right up to 190 and failed - made it almost half way up and then stopped dead. It may have been a poor decision, but I ended up dropping to 185 and was able to grind that out, matching my previous PR.

I'll deadlift tomorrow if I'm feeling okay.

Keep at it.
Looking forward to seeing you go through this programming.

[EliKoehn]

@CW good job and good luck with your continued progress!

--

Large deficit maintained

PM jogging

6 miles - lapsed into walking after about 2, walked the middle 2, and jogged 1.5 of the final 2, then sluggishly walked back exhausted and out of sweat, about an hour and a half total.

Came back weighing 235.6 dehydrated. Hoping dearly to wake up in a hydrated state below 240 for my weekly weigh-in, as this is a longstanding sticking point for me. Every time I've cut down to this number, I relax the effort and bounce off of it. Will be a big psychological success to break through without artificially deflating the number.

[bLinkMoore]

Seems like I'm pretty egregiously late to this party--is this pretty much a training log thread? I vaguely recall seeing that first post about a strength competition (great idea btw) but was just entering a volume block and most of my actual comp lifts were like paused triples @ 60-70% 1RM, so figured they wouldn't be the most exciting.

Currently nearing the end of my offseason program before peaking for my first meet, so if this is kind of just a large thread for training vids and shooting the ****, I'm definitely in and will be checking back in here more frequently nothing like adding a social aspect to training to keep things fun and get more insight along the way

[CW47]

Savior - Yeah, if you read through "The Superman Effect" section of the Bulgarian Manual, you'll have the basic idea of the programming I'm doing. This is hypothetically something that can be run for a very, very long time. For the first couple of run-throughs I planned to do almost exclusively 1 Rep Max's (mostly because it's just what my body is used to right now), and then gradually add in higher rep counts. I appreciate the positive mindset - I needed that.

Wolf - Likewise, thank you for the encouragement. I'm loving it so far, and am interested to see what the results will be over time.

Jade - Great work as usual. I love your programming approach.

Eli - Amazing job on this cut. It takes some serious mental fortitude to maintain a large deficit.

bLink - We're mostly working towards increasing our totals, though just like your training we are all at different phases and it's definitely not just focused on 1RM attempts. Totally okay to share your training even when you're doing offseason work - it all has a purpose.


July 29, 2021 - Deadlift
365 pounds x 1 rep
300 pounds x 3 reps
Felt decent today. I notice the progress more on the back off work than on the 1RM/near 1RM work. I still remember not being able to make 300 pounds budge at all, and the set of 3 today was quite easy.

[bLinkMoore]

Thanks CW! Awesome, that sounds great to me. I'm finally into my penultimate block before the peak, so I do actually have some higher-intensity work going on.

Open to any advice on my squat. I've been noticing that I tend to rock back slightly on my heels--as you can see by my toes coming up slightly. While this isn't the worst thing in the world, I assume I'm missing out on a certain amount of force. Any cues to fix that?
https://youtu.be/X125d7CYXGU

Deadlifts are feeling great honestly. I underestimated my strength that day, so I had singles at 455, 475, and 485 before deciding to send it on the 500. Given that I was already fairly fatigued, I was really happy with how it moved. Again, any pointers welcome I've been trying a more grip and rip style since honestly it feels like I settle into the lift better that way than when I take a while to get positioned.
https://youtu.be/SuVoQ8lmrHE

[ECGordyn]

Rate the RPE. Below is an @10 for comparison

[WolfRose7]

8.5

Though the latter doesn't look like a true 10, bar kept pace the whole way



My turn, guess the RPEs

[ECGordyn]

8.5

Though the latter doesn't look like a true 10, bar kept pace the whole way



My turn, guess the RPEs

x1 @8.5
x5 @9

Edit: On the 137 there is a stick a few inches off the chest. Fast off chest, then slow stick, then faster to lockout.