BP 175 x 2, deficit DL 315 and 335

BP

75 x 3

135 x 1, 2, 3

155 x 1

175 x 2 - not bad


DL:

3" platform:  225 x 3 over, 275 x 1 over, 315 x 1 left under.  315 felt great, really felt like I tried to drive hard through my right leg and succeeded.

1-1/2" platform: 335 x 1 right under - still not sure which grip is strongest for me, couldn't drive hard through right leg with this grip.

Video: http://youtu.be/zhb4AckgUsM


Contralateral KB DL: 24 kg, left foot and right arm x 2, opposite x 2, slow, controlled, good lockouts

Swing: 24 kg, 5L + 5R + 5L + 5R, no break

Onward and Upward

Variety - See-Saw Military Press

Felt plenty stiff and sore in upper back and shoulders today

Cossack sequence

20/20: see-saw mil press, left first, 9 reps each way or 18 total.  Ah....

short walk

SQ 215 x fail, OHP 100 x 3 x 2

bar - SQ x 1, FSQ x 2

135 - FSQ x 2, SQ x 5

SQ singles @ 155, 175, 195 - good, 215 - fail.  Looked great on video, just didn't have it at sticking point.

195 was too heavy a warmup - it felt like that was my one good, heavy-for-me squat for the day.  Next time, maybe 135, 185, 215 and we'll see how that feels.  I may go DL only at this meet in June - we'll see...


OHP:

bar x 4

100 x 3, 3, 2 on long rests

24 kg: swing, no breaks, 2-hand x 10, left x 5, right x 5, 2-hand x 10

Onward and Upward

Variety - Windmill, Towel PU,

Worked on my wall windmill - stand a couple of inches away from a wall at your side, point your feet about 45 degrees away from the wall, kick your hip out so that it touched the wall, and perform a windmill - your hip should move backwards without losing contact with the wall.  Used whatever bell was handy, turned out to be 18 kg, did a few alternating singles each side.  Right side not great today

Towel PU: 1 w/ slow negative, 1 in L-sit position

Bent press starts w/ 18 kg.  Right side not great again

Bent Armbars w/ 12k - a great movement for me

Bent press 24 kg, both sides went, again right side didn't feel quite in the right groove

Walk a few miles

Onward and Upward

Variety Again - 1A1L PU and Pistol, extra BP

Friday - no lifting, very busy day

Saturday - some BP very narrow grip @ 95 lbs.

Sunday

Pistol: 1 each way, lf, pause at bottom and release some air, etc.

1A1L PU - 2-step height, rf, 1 each way

Long rest

Repeat above but as Crane Pistol and 2 reps each side on PU


BP:

very narrow grip at 95 lbs., then 135 w/ grip inside the rings and big pause on chest, x 4, focus on breaking the bar and gripping it like crazy, something I haven't been doing enough of.

Enough for today - will go cut the lawn now.

Onward and Upward

Week 5, Day 2: BP and DL 325 x 2

Yesterday, variety -

Pistol left on porch, very deep with hold and release pressure at bottom, same for pistol right

Straight into 2-step 1A1L pushup right, then left.

Rest, repeat two more times for a total of 3 super-sets.  Form at both of these is improving.


Today, Thursday, BP and DL

BP:  middle fingers on rings:

bar x 5

135 x 3

160 x 1

180 x fail - right at sticking point, fought with it a bit, then spotter (my son) helped, lousy setup, too, no tightness because lower back was hurting.

160 x 2

switch pinkies just inside rings:

140 x 3

switch to grip in middle of knurled section

135 x 4 - still not breaking the bar nearly enough, played with this at lockout, need it all the way through


DL:

4 sessions left: 325 today, 335 on May 30, 345 on June 6,  355 on June 13, all planned for doubles

on 3" platform

225 x 3 overhand - nice form, got more legs into it today

275 x 1 overhand

on 2-1/4" platform

305 x 1 left under

325 x 2 right under - had planned on a set of 3 and a set of 2, but one double felt like plenty today - getting heavy.

Video: http://youtu.be/vVrA6fR3wjQ

SQ singles up to 205, OHP 95 x 3

Sunday - way too much driving on a rainy day, back felt lousy, shoulders and neck tight.

Monday - still felt bad in back, neck, and shoulders, got a little "catch" in the lower back when tying my shoes.

Tuesday - back, neck and shoulders better but not 100%, small catch in back when bending over first thing in the AM but a few hours later, after a nice, long walk, everything felt good.

FSQ: 65 x 5

SQ: 135 x 3, 155 x 1,

start video, singles at 175, 185, 195, 205 - not sure if 205 was deep enough

video  http://youtu.be/uD-hYmoWOuc

Abs are my weak point in my squat - need to get turned under more at the top.  Also, for 215 next week, need fewer ramp-up lifts, e.g., 155, 175, 195, 215.  Felt like I used too many dead abbies on 175 and 185 today and didn't have them for 195 and 205.


OHP:

bar x 5

65 x 4

85 x 3 - should have just been a single but they felt easy

First triples for work sets this cycle:

95 x 3, 3, 3


Onward and Upward

Easy PU, Pistol, Windmill, Walk

Friday (yesterday) marked the end of a 3-day, 4-show run for me at the piano.  I didn't play for much of it but was on-stage the entire time, and the result is a tired lower back.  I had leg cramps on the left side early this morning, my personal "classic" symptom of lower back joint distortion.  Fortunately, they were brief, weren't too bad, and didn't reoccur.  There is, however, certainly no sleeping through them or right afterwards, either, so I'm feeling it now as I write this at 3 PM.

Yesterday, Friday, I managed, in between shows, teaching, and errand running, to do a little "circuit" of 1 bw pistol each way followed by 1 x 2-step-high 1A1L pushup each way.  I did that twice then just did the pistols for the third round and that was it.  I also got a couple of short (1/2 mile or so) walks in.

Today, Saturday, I walked, and just now did some windmills - singles each side w/ bw only, 12 kg, 16 kg (jerk), 20 kg (press).

I'll try to stretch later.

Onward and Upward

Week 4, Day 2: DL 310 on 2-1/4" platform x 3, 2

Yesterday, a few toe-hold pistols and 1 1A1L pushup each side, 2-step height.

Today, very short on time.  Programming note - I messed up and did BP and SQ 2 days ago, which would leave me with OHP and DL today, but that's not a good combination for me - too much lower back on the OHP, so we'll skip it this week or maybe catch it tomorrow.

DL:

On 3" platform:

225 x 3

275 x 1

On 2-1/4" platform:

310 x 3 l/u, x 2 r/u - legs tired

Video:  http://youtu.be/Tm8XhhDCVqA

Onward and Upward

A Busy 7 Days, SQ 195, BP 175 x 1, 1

Last Thursday, off but lots of nonsense with a new-to-us used car we bought for my wife.

Friday, fly to Phoenix, drive to Tuscon, AZ for StrongFirst Bodyweight cert.

Saturday, BW cert Day 1, taught the pistol for 2 hours, fell asleep before group dinner

Sunday, BW cert Day 2, drive from Tuscon to Phoenix, get on a red-eye home.

Monday, yesterday, arrive at home at about 8 AM, errands, cut grass, etc., manage a 2-hour nap, teach

Tuesday, today - changed unintentionally to SQ/BP instead of SQ/OHP but that's life...

FSQ: 135 x 1 - decided against too-light warmups, generally will try what I do well for deadlifts, which is:

Minimal warmups starting with enough weight to matter, and therefore

Exact same form on warmups as on work lifts

And we'll add, since I'm inexperienced with heavy SQ singles, a SQ single each workout then backoff sets

SQ:

135 x 1

155 x 1

175 x 2

195 x 1 - 20 lbs. more than anything yet in this cycle

175 x 2


BP:

135 x 3

155 x 1

175 x 1, 1

Onward and Upward

Week 3, Day 2 - BP 165/175, DL 295

Day on Wed which is a day early - need to keep to the schedule somewhat for PL meet in June, need to rest up for BW Cert weekend coming up in 3 days.

BP:

90 x 5

135 x 3

165 x 3 - was hoping for 5 but this is on one day's less rest and I'm tired from both life and lifting,

165 x 2 - first rep felt great, so I decided to just go for a single for the next one and,

175 x 1 - slower but, hey, time under tension is good. :)


DL:

2-1/4" platform: 225 x 2 overhand

3" platform: 225 x 2 overhand, 265 x 1 overhand

2-1/4" platform - no more double overhand grip for work sets this cycle

295 x 5 r/u - tired for 2 but OK to tough them out.

x 3 l/u - too tired for 5, out of breath, don't know if it's grip-related or not but grip felt fine.

Skipped 3rd set - that's OK, we'll go for 3 x 3 next week on 1-1/2" platform

Onward and Upward.

SQ 175, OHP 90

Nice weekend albeit with a lot of driving.  GTG pistols and one-arm, one-leg pushups, more of the former than the latter.  Walked, stretched.

This morning - bw crane pistol on the porch: 1 left, 1 right, 1 left - got really deep on left for the first time in a long time, maybe ever.

FSQ: 65 x 3

SQ: 135 x 4, 155 x 1, 175 x 5 - paused last rep, x5, x 5

OHP:  bar x 5, 65 x 3, 90 x 5, x 4 (solid but another didn't seem like a good idea), x 3

Onward and Upward!

Week 2, Day 2 - DL 280 x 5 x 3 on 2-1/4" platform, BP 160 x 5, 5, 4

BP:

70 x 5

135 x 3

160 x 5 ring fingers on rings, x 5 middle fingers on rings, x 5 ring fingers again, failed last rep

Should go to 2 sets of 5 next week.  First rep of all these is easy, maybe should just head into 3's now.


DL:

3" platform: 225 x 2 overhand

2-1/4" platform: 280 (15 lb. jump and lower platform)

x 4 overhand - planned 5 but was losing grip right,

x 5 r/u on 4 min rest,

x 5 l/u on 4 min rest

I'm thinking that my left grip is now stronger and I need to compete left over, right under.

http://youtu.be/Fyi29jHWSZU

Onward and Upward

More Variety

Short and sweet - 1 pistol each side, 2 1A1L pushups at 2nd step height each side, 1 more pistol each side, and otherwise stretching - did splits on the front porch.

Onward and Upward - will BP and DL tomorrow.

Week 2 Variety - 1A1L PU, Pistol

1A1L pushup -

3rd step, 3 reps right, 3 reps left

2nd step, alternating singles, 1, 1, 1 - long rests between

1st step - no

2nd step, rf, 2 each side

pistol - on level ground, lf, 1

Onward and Upward