The 2022 Barbell Enthusiasts Collaborative Training Log & Hall of Fame

[Filmbuff81]

Sorry I haven’t been updating.

Got lucky with my shoulder. Labrum is good as are all my cuff muscles (years ago I had a supraspinatus tear that would show up on MRI, now it is completely healed)

Buuuuuuut bursitis is back. It is so bad I have almost no pressing/pushing strength in my left arm. Can still pull like the dickens though. Everything pops, clicks and grinds.

Going to start PT that actually does soft tissue work, and have a date with deep tissue/myofascial release therapist soon. Might give my chiropractor a shout as well about this collar bone that is noticeably higher than the other.

Side note….this didn’t happen from anything gym related. Instead it is from overuse. I guess that is the price you pay when you spend most of your life moving heavy sh!t.

Hopefully you can heal up soon.

If you can find a solid chiro who also will do extra soft tissue work and not just crack you, you’ll probably see some great benefits.

[Filmbuff81]

Chin Up
Set 1: 10 reps [Warm-up]
Set 2: 5 reps [Warm-up]
Set 3: 8 reps @ 7
Set 4: 7 reps @ 7
Set 5: 7 reps @ 7.5

Warmup sets assistance used

Bent Over Row (Barbell)
Set 1: 135 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 185 lb × 10 @ 7
Set 3: 185 lb × 10 @ 7.5

Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lb × 15 @ 7.5
Set 2: 30 lb × 15 @ 7.5
Set 3: 30 lb × 15 @ 8

Notes: Myo reps to match reps on sets 2/3

Preacher Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 20 lb × 15 @ 7.5
Set 2: 20 lb × 13 @ 7.5
Set 3: 20 lb × 10 @ 8

Seated Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lb × 8 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 50 lb × 3 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 75 lb × 10 @ 7
Set 4: 75 lb × 9 @ 7
Set 5: 75 lb × 8 @ 7

Top Hold Lateral Raise
Set 1: 15 lb × 15 @ 7.5
Set 2: 15 lb × 15 @ 8
Set 3: 15 lb × 15 @ 8.5

Notes: Myo rep match set 1

Standing Db Wrist Curl
Set 1: 20 lb × 21
Set 2: 20 lb × 20
Set 3: 20 lb × 20

Decent day, kinda boring lol. But that’s kinda what I need right now it seems. Fat loss has accelerated and I’m actually eating a little extra which is nice, but gotta moderate things a bit.

Just trying to stay pretty chill with things.

Got squats and some deficit deadlifts on deck tomorrow.

[BeginnerGainz]

Hopefully you can heal up soon.

If you can find a solid chiro who also will do extra soft tissue work and not just crack you, you’ll probably see some great benefits.

Dude my chiro is awesome.

Even managed to help my wife with not only her slight scoliosis but also her lower back pain after our car accident last year.

[Filmbuff81]

Dude my chiro is awesome.

Even managed to help my wife with not only her slight scoliosis but also her lower back pain after our car accident last year.

Oh fantastic. A good chiro is worth their weight in gold.

Waiting for insurance to extend my coverage so I can get back in for more treatment from my car accident last year.

[EliKoehn]

Hope you heal up quick BG, and thanks for the encouragement on the deadlift SJT and Filmbuff. Looking forward to the attempt.

C6W Week 6 - Max Attempts

Monday: Squat + Bench







Ok guys, a very subpar angle on these squats, I know... 385 I felt is to depth, despite not being able to verify that easily from the footage. 405 I'm not totally sure. Having gotten the target lift, someone encouraged me to try 405 anyway, so I went ahead. That was truly everything I had. Not sure if I made it all the way down, and it's disappointing that the angle doesn't allow that to be easily corroborated. Great feeling even getting close, after achieving the target max in the first place. I won't claim it without a pass, though. What do you all think?

After the T&G bench single, I attempted two more singles and failed both. At that I felt pretty drained after the squats and the first bench and my legs were already beginning to that pleasant buzz/ache feeling you get from really heavy lifts.

[Filmbuff81]

Hope you heal up quick BG, and thanks for the encouragement on the deadlift SJT and Filmbuff. Looking forward to the attempt.

C6W Week 6 - Max Attempts

Monday: Squat + Bench







Ok guys, a very subpar angle on these squats, I know... 385 I felt is to depth, despite not being able to verify that easily from the footage. 405 I'm not totally sure. Having gotten the target lift, someone encouraged me to try 405 anyway, so I went ahead. That was truly everything I had. Not sure if I made it all the way down, and it's disappointing that the angle doesn't allow that to be easily corroborated. Great feeling even getting close, after achieving the target max in the first place. I won't claim it without a pass, though. What do you all think?

After the T&G bench single, I attempted two more singles and failed both. At that I felt pretty drained after the squats and the first bench and my legs were already beginning to that pleasant buzz/ache feeling you get from really heavy lifts.

The angle isn’t the greatest, but based on where you got stuck on the ascent I’d assume you probably just hit depth.

Otherwise I doubt there would’ve been that pretty distinct sticking point just above parallel.

Normally if someone really cuts depth that sticking point doesn’t look so tough in my experience.

Either way even if you’re a touch high, it’s pretty close and you’ll be hitting that fairly easy in the future.

[RapidFail]

Bench day again. After failing to add a rep in the last mesocycle (with 5 x 65kg, while bulking but I also hurt my back and got sick), I've decided to switch to a higher (8-10) rep range (I was doing 5-7 before).

BENCH PRESS
10 x 66lb
5 x 88lb
3 x 110lb
2 x 127lb, 2.5 min rest
10 x 127lb (PR!), 2.5 min rest
7 x 127lb, 2.5 min rest
11 x 110lb, 2.5 min rest
I'll probably drop a warm up set next week - four was overkill. Hit a new rep PR on the first work set. First two sets were 0-1 RIR, last was 1-2 RIR.

[ECGordyn]

Fake plates. AthleanX-level acting. Nobody's fooled.

Joking with you, man. Amazing improvement on squats. You often noted a difficulty with them, but now you've broken a psychological barrier to the next level.

5 plates in 2024?

[BeginnerGainz]

Hope you heal up quick BG, and thanks for the encouragement on the deadlift SJT and Filmbuff. Looking forward to the attempt.

C6W Week 6 - Max Attempts

Monday: Squat + Bench







Ok guys, a very subpar angle on these squats, I know... 385 I felt is to depth, despite not being able to verify that easily from the footage. 405 I'm not totally sure. Having gotten the target lift, someone encouraged me to try 405 anyway, so I went ahead. That was truly everything I had. Not sure if I made it all the way down, and it's disappointing that the angle doesn't allow that to be easily corroborated. Great feeling even getting close, after achieving the target max in the first place. I won't claim it without a pass, though. What do you all think?

After the T&G bench single, I attempted two more singles and failed both. At that I felt pretty drained after the squats and the first bench and my legs were already beginning to that pleasant buzz/ache feeling you get from really heavy lifts.

Looked really high TBH

[EliKoehn]

The angle isn’t the greatest, but based on where you got stuck on the ascent I’d assume you probably just hit depth.

Otherwise I doubt there would’ve been that pretty distinct sticking point just above parallel.

Normally if someone really cuts depth that sticking point doesn’t look so tough in my experience.

Either way even if you’re a touch high, it’s pretty close and you’ll be hitting that fairly easy in the future.

Fake plates. AthleanX-level acting. Nobody's fooled.

Joking with you, man. Amazing improvement on squats. You often noted a difficulty with them, but now you've broken a psychological barrier to the next level.

5 plates in 2024?

Looked really high TBH

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement. It probably was at least a little high (though, looking at the vertical distance in 2D between the safety racks, which are parallel, the perception is still a bit distorted), though I don't regret attempting it and it is, as EC says, a huge psychological victory even handling it in the first place and coming fairly close, simply knowing that I won't just fold over lowering four plates. Doing this right and being honest to myself and everyone else, and a good sport with this are important to me, so I'll not claim it officially until I can do it again where the proof is clear. I might even give it a shot again after my deadlift max or on another day this week.

While still at a bad angle, in good faith I do think 385 is fair to claim though.

[Filmbuff81]

Bench day again. After failing to add a rep in the last mesocycle (with 5 x 65kg, while bulking but I also hurt my back and got sick), I've decided to switch to a higher (8-10) rep range (I was doing 5-7 before).

BENCH PRESS
10 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
2 x 57.5kg, 2.5 min rest
10 x 57.5kg (PR!), 2.5 min rest
7 x 57.5kg, 2.5 min rest
11 x 50kg, 2.5 min rest
I'll probably drop a warm up set next week - four was overkill. Hit a new rep PR on the first work set. First two sets were 0-1 RIR, last was 1-2 RIR.

Nice job on the rep PR. The adjustment in the rep range should definitely help.

Pushing 5-7 reps close to failure weekly can be really tough.

[CW47]

Bench Press: 145 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
Conventional Deadlift: 315 pounds - 3 sets x 3 reps
Low Bar Squat: 175 pounds - 2 sets x 3 reps / 195 pounds x 3 reps

First workout in a week, which is very unusual for me. We had family staying with us. I also came down with something that I'm still recovering from, so today was the first day I felt like I could do any lifting.
Worked up to some triples on the competition lifts to reacclimate. I left multiple reps in the tank on each set. It all felt relatively easy, but the work still made me sick to my stomach.
Mostly likely no workout tomorrow night since we have plans to go out. I should be back at it for a few days after that, before going out of town again for the holiday weekend.

[RapidFail]

Nice job on the rep PR. The adjustment in the rep range should definitely help.

Pushing 5-7 reps close to failure weekly can be really tough.

Thanks. My assistance exercises for the bench (Tuesday) are Push Ups (Thursday, 3 x AMRAP sets) and Dumbbell Bench (Friday, 3 x sets of 10-15). Recovery is always good - if anything I feel I could train my chest more. I may add a set soon and hopefully I'll be able to break through the strength plateau. Gettin my estimated 1RM for the bench press above my bodyweight (currently 173lb) is one of my goals for this year.

[Filmbuff81]

Thanks. My assistance exercises for the bench (Tuesday) are Push Ups (Thursday, 3 x AMRAP sets) and Dumbbell Bench (Friday, 3 x sets of 10-15). Recovery is always good - if anything I feel I could train my chest more. I may add a set soon and hopefully I'll be able to break through the strength plateau. Gettin my estimated 1RM for the bench press above my bodyweight (currently 173lb) is one of my goals for this year.

If you have the time, you could always use the push-ups after bench or db bench as method of getting more work on those days and then utilizing an extra bench variant to target what you feel is a weakness in place of the push ups on Thursday.

Solid work CW hopefully you feel better soon.

Squat (Barbell)
Set 1: 135 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 225 lb × 5 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 315 lb × 2 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 405 lb x 4 @6.5
Set 5: 375 lb × 6 @ 7
Set 6: 375 lb × 6 @ 7.5

Leg Extension (Machine)
Set 1: 105 lb × 15 @ 7
Set 2: 105 lb × 14 @ 7

Deficit Deadlift (Barbell)
Set 1: 135 lb × 5 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 225 lb × 3 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 315 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 365 lb × 8 @ 7
Set 5: 365 lb × 6 @ 7

Standing Calf Raise (Machine)
Set 1: 160 lb × 15
Set 2: 160 lb × 15

Seated Leg Curl (Machine)
Set 1: 100 lb × 15 @ 7
Set 2: 100 lb × 13 @ 7
Set 3: 100 lb × 11 @ 7

Did a 14km bike ride monday so squats felt a bit stale Tuesday.

[EliKoehn]

C6W Week 6 - Max Attempts

Wednesday: Deadlift



Another successful run of this program! Greatly improved my squat once again, modestly improved my deadlift (woohoo! made it to the 500 pound club ), and just about maintained my bench.

I ate a very salty lunch and am bloaty today, but I've still regained more weight than I am content with, so next short-term agenda is likely going to be a fairly aggressive mini-cut, but I'll give some thought to my next goals beyond that. I originally intended to retest maxes beneath 110KG but I've clearly overshot that already. I'll attempt 405 again on the squat fairly soon for a valid form check. I think at this point, I'd be most interested in specializing on the deadlift, now that I can safely say that nothing is majorly lagging and I've gotten to a decent level with most of the other major lifts. I find it the most rewarding and fun and want to see how far I can take it.

Oh, also went ahead and AMRAPd 225 on the bench, like I did last time, as this program is fairly low on bench volume and I was feeling a bit deprived of that. Slightly worse performance than last year, but I'm pleased to be maintaining that ballpark:

Bench (T&G):
225 x 16, 14, 10

[CW47]

Congrats Eli! Fantastic deadlift.


May 25, 2022
Bench Press: 175 pounds x 1 rep

Easy day for me today. Just worked up to a single at 8 RPE. Was kind of planning to do the same on deads, but ended up not having time.

[Filmbuff81]

Great job Eli.

At this point I’d say analyze the volume and intensity of the lifts in this program and then you can adjust whatever programming you do going forward.

Seems to be fairly accurate for squats and deads but you probably need more bench/pressing volume for that lift to progress how you want it to.

[EliKoehn]

Thanks to you both! Feels good. Long way ahead to go where I'm aiming but this is a gratifying milestone.

Saturday, I'll retest the 405 squat, attempt a 185 OHP, and then just for fun, I want to see how much easier 500 on the hex bar feels. I'll aim for more than one if that's manageable.

Are both of you guys feeling better now?

EDIT: Just realized that my lifts this week total 1,200 pound club. Sweet.

[RapidFail]

Thanks to you both! Feels good. Long way ahead to go where I'm aiming but this is a gratifying milestone.

Saturday, I'll retest the 405 squat, attempt a 185 OHP, and then just for fun, I want to see how much easier 500 on the hex bar feels. I'll aim for more than one if that's manageable.

Are both of you guys feeling better now?

EDIT: Just realized that my lifts this week total 1,200 pound club. Sweet.

If you get that OHP it will be heavier than anything I've squatted to date! My heaviest to date is 176lb for a triple.

[Filmbuff81]

Thanks to you both! Feels good. Long way ahead to go where I'm aiming but this is a gratifying milestone.

Saturday, I'll retest the 405 squat, attempt a 185 OHP, and then just for fun, I want to see how much easier 500 on the hex bar feels. I'll aim for more than one if that's manageable.

Are both of you guys feeling better now?

EDIT: Just realized that my lifts this week total 1,200 pound club. Sweet.

Yes/no

I’m over my second bout but my son and wife are now sick so my sleep is terrible.

Hoping this is the last pass around.

Made a doctors appointment for our son just to ensure it’s not a chest infection or something.

[CW47]

Are both of you guys feeling better now?

Better yes, but not fully recovered. Another day or two and I should be basically back to 100%.


May 26, 2022
Overhead Press: 115 pounds x 1 rep
Sumo Deadlift: 415 pounds x 1 rep

Pushed it a bit more today. Both of these were in the 9-9.5 RPE range. I think I should be able to hit both of these weights even on a bad day now.
Probably my last workout until either Monday or Tuesday. I have Kung Fu tomorrow evening, plus need to get packed up because I'm going out of town Saturday morning. Will be back home on Monday.

[Filmbuff81]

Better yes, but not fully recovered. Another day or two and I should be basically back to 100%.


May 26, 2022
Overhead Press: 115 pounds x 1 rep
Sumo Deadlift: 415 pounds x 1 rep

Pushed it a bit more today. Both of these were in the 9-9.5 RPE range. I think I should be able to hit both of these weights even on a bad day now.
Probably my last workout until either Monday or Tuesday. I have Kung Fu tomorrow evening, plus need to get packed up because I'm going out of town Saturday morning. Will be back home on Monday.

Great work especially while still feeling a bit cruddy.

[RapidFail]

Yes/no

I’m over my second bout but my son and wife are now sick so my sleep is terrible.

Hoping this is the last pass around.

Made a doctors appointment for our son just to ensure it’s not a chest infection or something.

I know the feeling, I think part of the reason I got sick again is because my immune system was a down from a lack of quality sleep. My 3yo daughter got up 8 times the night before last!

[Filmbuff81]

I know the feeling, I think part of the reason I got sick again is because my immune system was a down from a lack of quality sleep. My 3yo daughter got up 8 times the night before last!

Brutal lol.

Nothing worse than when a young kid is sick. Just completely messes you up.


Todays workout

Squat (Barbell)
Set 1: 135 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 225 lb × 3 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 315 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 365 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 5: 405 lb × 3 @ 7
Set 6: 365 lb × 6 @ 6
Set 7: 365 lb × 5 @ 6

Leg Extension (Machine)
Set 1: 105 lb × 20 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 120 lb × 12 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 130 lb × 8 @ 7.5

Bench Press (Barbell)
Set 1: 45 lb × 25 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 135 lb × 5 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 185 lb × 2 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 225 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 5: 275 lb × 3 @ 7
Set 6: 255 lb × 5 @ 7
Set 7: 255 lb × 4 @ 7

Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 90 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 140 lb × 12 @ 7

Incline Cable Curl
Set 1: 10 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 30 lb × 12 @ 7
Set 3: 30 lb × 12 @ 7.5
Set 4: 30 lb × 12 @ 7.5
Set 5: 30 lb × 12 @ 8

Decent day. Feeling dead from lack of sleep, so lowing stress day.

Things definitely felt heavier than usual.

Once I hit sub 210 I’ll probably do a proper diet break instead of just refeeds. Currently 214-16 depending on water retention.

Edit: just reviewed this diet and it’s been ongoing since march. So time to pull the rip chord and hit maintenance for a bit.

Should’ve recognized when I kept getting sick that it was probably time to ease into maintenance for a bit.

I basically started eating into maintenance the last week or so anyway as a break, but I’ll just chill out for 4-6 weeks.

Overall fairly successful. Dropped 2-2.5 inches from the waist and 12ish pounds. So basically a pound a week.

Leverages feel quite different so I need to hangout for a bit. I’ll probably switch out exercises soon too since things are getting stale.

But I’ll monitor how I feel with more calories to see if it helps

[EliKoehn]

If you get that OHP it will be heavier than anything I've squatted to date! My heaviest to date is 176lb for a triple.

Didn't make it unfortunately. Held a static grind about halfway up for a few seconds and then failed.

Yes/no

I’m over my second bout but my son and wife are now sick so my sleep is terrible.

Hoping this is the last pass around.

Made a doctors appointment for our son just to ensure it’s not a chest infection or something.

Oh wow, hope all returns to normal soon.

Better yes, but not fully recovered. Another day or two and I should be basically back to 100%.


May 26, 2022
Overhead Press: 115 pounds x 1 rep
Sumo Deadlift: 415 pounds x 1 rep

Pushed it a bit more today. Both of these were in the 9-9.5 RPE range. I think I should be able to hit both of these weights even on a bad day now.
Probably my last workout until either Monday or Tuesday. I have Kung Fu tomorrow evening, plus need to get packed up because I'm going out of town Saturday morning. Will be back home on Monday.

Strong work, and good to hear you're on the up and up.

--

Retested my squat and I believe I cleanly got 405. I guess that makes this run of the program a 3/4/5 certifier. Funny that now the standards just seem so much higher lol. At my bodyweight (hovering just beneath 250 as of Monday), these numbers are probably par for a serious lifter after more than a couple of years, anyway. Got to keep working hard.

Attempted the OHP twice, and knew it wasn't going to happen today.

Also, I'm not a fan of the hex bar and just wanted to experiment seeing how much easier it felt, and I think I can safely conclude it's simply a much easier variation. Got 495 for a double with the low handles, after maxing a squat and only two days after pulling 505 conventional.

[Filmbuff81]

Nice job Eli that was a more solid squat.

[Filmbuff81]

Pretty solid today today.

Things felt a little more in sync although my hips shot up a tiny bit quick on deadlifts today. Not the end of the work though, they were generally in the same spot as usual when breaking the floor.

Generally I’m just using straps these days with my tendinitis flaring up.

My hook grip is on par with straps for singles, so I’m not losing much.

But with the injuries to my left hand the last handful of years I try to limit the stress on it


Deadlift (Barbell)
Set 1: 135 lb × 5 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 225 lb × 3 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 315 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 405 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 5: 425 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 6: 455 lb × 1 @ 5.5
Set 7: 405 lb × 6 @ 6

Playing with lower RPE higher loads on squats/bench/deadlifts to help with fatigue. They felt pretty snappy today.

Seated Leg Curl (Machine)
Set 1: 70 lb × 20 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 110 lb × 9 @ 7
Set 3: 90 lb × 13 @ 7.5

Bench Press - Close Grip (Barbell)
Set 1: 45 lb × 15 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 135 lb × 5 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 185 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 4: 225 lb × 1 [Warm-up]
Set 5: 275 lb × 1 @ 6
Set 6: 235 lb × 8 @ 7
Set 7: 235 lb × 7 @ 7

Standing Back Unilateral Hammer Strength Row
Set 1: 45 lb × 10 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 90 lb × 6 [Warm-up]
Set 3: 135 lb × 11 @ 7.5
Set 4: 135 lb × 10 @ 7.5
Set 5: 135 lb × 9 @ 7.5
Set 6: 135 lb × 8 @ 7.5

Seated Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 50 lb × 7 [Warm-up]
Set 2: 65 lb × 11 @ 7
Set 3: 65 lb × 10 @ 7
Set 4: 65 lb × 8 @ 7
Set 5: 65 lb × 7 @ 7

Here’s the top single of deadlifts. Enjoy my glorious farmers tan I’m trying to get rid of.

[MyEgoProblem]

Also, I'm not a fan of the hex bar and just wanted to experiment seeing how much easier it felt, and I think I can safely conclude it's simply a much easier variation. Got 495 for a double with the low handles, after maxing a squat and only two days after pulling 505 conventional.

Great lifting bro.

And yes! Low Hex is substantially easier.
Much easier than sumo too..
The ego bar.

Good for strongman work, shrugs and carries, and just as a variation for boredom tho no question.

I do like the open back design on some tho, great for split squats ect

[SaviorSelfJT]

The other day iI did 40 straight minutes on stair climber at 44 stairs/min

@Eli not sure if I said it directly but congrats on the deadlift, I hope you feel proud of it

@Film, good to see a vid from you!

[Filmbuff81]

The other day iI did 40 straight minutes on stair climber at 44 stairs/min

@Eli not sure if I said it directly but congrats on the deadlift, I hope you feel proud of it

@Film, good to see a vid from you!

40 minutes of stair master that’ll get your work capacity through the roof pretty quick.

And yeah I’m trying to be a little less lazy filming some top sets.