Off/Easy

Saturday, woke up tired and sore, mostly due to having done my first pullups in a while, I think.  Also did lots of organ practice with lots of pedal work, which tends to also make my back tired

Today, Saturday

Vertical bar: + 15 kg, rf, 10-second hold each side

Rings: StC + FL x 1

PU: bw only x 2, good height, longish pause at top

Zercher and Hack DL, PU

Today, Friday:

No rings today

2" vertical bar DL  w/ 15 kg (33 lb) plate, a couple each way, hold for perhaps 5-10 seconds each

Zercher DL: 145 x 1 - a little slow, x 2 - tried for speed and got super solid reps, x 3 - ab cramp, right front as I sat down afterwards, but all reps super solid again

Hack DL: 275 x 1, 1, 1, 2 paused tng

PU: bw + 12 kg R + 10 kg L x 1, switch weight/feet x 1 - haven't done any PU in a while, this felt a little foreign but basically good.  Felt best on shoulder to let it stretch out at the bottom before starting up.

1APU, Rings, BP, DL variations

Today, Thursday

1APU @ 12" x 3R/L - improving!

Rings: StC + FL x 1

BP:

135 x 5 @ 4" blocks
135 x 5 @ 2" blocks - on my 19" bench, 2" blocks are better
135 x 6, 6, 6 @ 2" blocks

So, next time, we could go for sets of 6-8 reps, or we could go up in weight.  Given that I'm such a weak bench presser, and given that 200 lbs is so far away, anyway, some of these are worth considering:   I need 165 x 8 or 175 x 6 185 x 4 or 195 x 2-3 to get to > 200 x 1

I'm thinking that going after 165 x 8 and then the other numbers may actually be a good progression for me and, if so, then it'll be time to aim for 135 x 6-7 next time.

DL:

Straddle, 2" bar:
rf x 3, lf x 2, 2 - not enough rest after first set, grip was tired
discuss bar position and rotation w/ my wife, who was watching.  Need to keep bar more pointing same direction as feet, which is also perpendicular to front.

lf - this time - x 3, much better - rest longer - x 2 rf - no more, in trying to rotate more, some rotational muscles are very tired and starting to cramp, especially left oblique, so we'll end w/ one fewer rep one way and that's perfectly fine.  It seem whichever side I do first is the better one ...

Had planned on Hack DL but just too tired.  BP @ 135 lbs is the most reps at this weight by a good deal - last time was 24 reps in 5 sets, and today, 28 reps in 5 sets.  Legs are tired from BP and from DL.

1APU, Rings, OHP, HBBSQ

Today, Wednesday

1APU @ 12" x 1L/R, 2L/R

Rings: StC + FL x 1

OHP: 65 lb x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 - 5 sets of 5

HBBSQ: 85 lb x 12 - grip about 1" of knurling showing on the inside.  Legs felt a little jelly-like coming up the stairs, surprising.

Out of time, so maybe tomorrow is BP and a bunch of DL variations

Rings, Zercher DL, FSQ

After a very busy Sunday and Monday, today, Tuesday, start lifting at 4 PM or so

1APU @ 12" x 2R/L - definitely better to go right first - been doing that, will keep doing that

Rings: StC + FL x 1

Zercher DL: 135 x 2, 145 x 2 - light pause on the ground between reps

Between sets, tried Scott lift, basically a Zercher DL that starts on the knees, and cannot do it, probably because it _requires_ lower back rounding.

FSQ: 85 lb x 12 - because my wife said I started coming out of the hole hips first last time after a few reps, this time I focused on driving the elbows up and got 12 solid reps.  Interesting that my right hand gets under the bar more squarely while my left rotates so it's mostly index finger and not as much middle and ring finger.

FSQ: 85 lb x 3 - tried gripping differently, think the difference is tighter triceps and scapula things on the left side.  Probably the right side is naturally tighter but I've been focusing on mobilizing it, so now need to add focus on left side as well.  This set was better.

Rings, DL

Have been very busy, tired, and resorted to eating much of the Christmas candy we've been giving in an attempt to keep my weight from dropping - and it's been working.  153 lbs. this morning, and that's fine.

Yesterday, no lifting,

Today, Saturday, no lifting until 5:30 PM, then

Rings: StC + FL x 1

Zercher DL: 95 lb x 1, 115 x 1, 135 x 1, 135 x 2 - short pause on the ground

Hack DL: 275 x 1, 1 - improving

1APU, Rings, BP, Hack DL

Didn't lift yesterday - had planned to but was still very tired from, I guess, the lifting the day before the the meet a few days before that.

Today, Thursday

1APU @ 12" - finding better form: 2L/R

Rings: StC + FL x 1

BP: 135 lb. x 3, 5, 5, 5, 6 - playing w/ box height under feet.  That's my 24 reps in 5 sets, will continue to aim for 3 sets x 8 reps

DL:  short on time, and Hack seems to be the most important for me now so:

Hack: 275 x 1, 1 - damn tough, 2nd rep was better because I really focused on pushing with the legs, and also got the knees where the need to be, which is further forward than I think, as I set up and before I started.  (On the first rep, every kind of slid forward as I was starting to pull).

1APU, Rings, PU, FSQ, OHP, HBBSQ

Today, Tuesday

After USAWA meet on Saturday, been very tired.  Today is my first lifting - just been walking otherwise

1APU @ 12" x 1L/R

Rings: StC + FL x 1

break

1APU @ 12" x 1L/R - played around at first, partial reps gradually to one full rep each side

Rings: Archer PU, one one way, rest, then the other way

break

FSQ: 75 lb x 12 - up from 65, but still way easy, will keep going up by 10 lbs, so 85 lbs. next time

OHP: 60 lb x 8

HBBSQ: 75 lb x 12 - my wife observed hips coming up first beginning middle of set, so repeat but for 8 reps, have her mention when she saw it, tried to fix it by pushing up and back into the bar, helped.

OHP: 60 lb x 8 - my wife observed that bar goes up unevenly sometimes, and locks out unevenly sometimes.

Enough for today.

1APU, Rings, Straddle DL

right knee bothered me last night and some this morning

1APU @ 12" x 1L/R

Rings: StC + FL x 1

Straddle DL: 245 x 1 each way, 275 x 1 each way.  285 is my all-time PR - we'll save that and possibly heavier for the meet on Saturday.

And that'll be it for today - knee felt fine, and I think we'll have a couple of easy and/or off days between now and the meet.

USAWA Record Day Meet

See

https://www.strongfirst.com/community/threads/usawa-meet-this-weekend.10963

for my meet report.

-S-

Rings, BP

Today, Tuesday

short walk

Rings: StC x 1

BP: 135 x 5, 5, 5 - going from 125 to 135, and it being after a lot of heavy lifting yesterday, and no more 8's.  I will stick with this weight and see if I can get back to 8's.

No more time, but also USAWA meet this weekend and not wanting to do a lot today, anyway - more heavy lifting tomorrow.

USAWA/IAWA practice

Decided to do a USAWA meet in Lebanon, PA this Saturday, so

WR for Zercher Squat for M60+, 70 kg, is 100 kg, USR for same does not exist
ZSQ: 145 x 1, 185 x 1, 205 x 1, 225 x 1 - that's 102 kg, so should be good for a new WR

Could do a Trap Bar DL - there is no WR for 60+, 70 kg, nor is there as US record

Could do a Hack Lift - WR is 120 kg (which is 264.555 lbs.), there is no US record.  There is a M70+ record of 140 kg, which is 308.6 lbs, so

HDL: 275 x 1, 315 x fail - got dizzy, it's after 5 PM, time to call it a day.

Could do a Jefferson Lift - There is no WR. I have the US record of 315 lbs. for M55+, M60+ is 286 lbs.

Jefferson w/ 2" bar - I have the WR at M55+ of 127 kg (280 lbs.), no WR for M60+

Could do deadlift 12" base but this is not an IAWA-contested

Could do Ciavattone DL - WR is only 115 kg (253.5 lbs.), no US Record exists

Rings, BP, DL

Today, Saturday

yard work

Rings: StC + FL x 1

break

BP: 125 x 8, 8, 8 - continuing to build here almost every session and BP twice a week or so

Now Straddle and Hack DL - should be interesting because of grip fatigue from BP:

DL: straddle, 2" bar, 245 lbs., 3 reps each way.  Yet more triple progression cycling, up from 2 each way last time w/ this weight.

DL: Hack, decided I could really handle more, so 245 lbs x 5, 4 - just tired, more weight next time

GTG 1APU, Rings, FSQ, OHP, HBBSQ

Today, Friday - no breathing walk but a long walk with some VSB, plus a second walk

Yesterday, began GTG w/ elevated 1APU, been continuing to do that today

Rings: StC x 1

FSQ: 75 lb x 12
OHP: 55 lb x 10, 10
HBBSQ: 75 lb x 12

Out of time, will try to BP then all my DL variations tomorrow, Saturday

Ring, 1APU and SW

Yesterday, Wednesday, walk, no lifting, but at 8 PM or so, did a 40-second bar hang with my son timing me while I wore a 32 kg bell on a dipping belt (to make myself weigh about what he weighs).  Didn't sleep terribly well last night, maybe this is why.  Felt great on the lumbar spine, however.

Today, Thursday:

poor breathing walk in a weird way - first pause was better than usual, remaining three were sub-par

Rings: StC x 1, StC + FL x 1

1APU @ 12" (overdosed on 10" so making it easier) x 1L/R, 1L/R - w/ right arm, really need to concentrate on pushing into left heel - seems to happen naturally on the other side but not here, and doing it makes everything better

SW: 24 kg, 10's on the :55 today, except that before set #9, because I was talking with my wife, I missed my start so that one was 1:10 after the previous start.  Tiring, don't own this yet, but it's progress.  All nasal breathing for recovery, but I think I'm going to go back to on the :60 for tomorrow, just to take it a little easier.

thought about more lifting but still tired, so this will do.

WM, Rings, SW, BP, ZSQ, Suitcase DL

Today, Tuesday

WM: bw x 2-3 each way w/ chair

walk

Rings: StC + FL x 1

SW: 44 kg x 2-hand x 5's on the :30, total 4 sets, 20 reps.  This pace is unsustainable, would need longer rests.

long break

BP: 115 x 8, 8, 8 - sat up and took longer rests, and these felt solid.

ZSQ: DL bar to start and finish set, 145 lbs., 2 reps

Suitcase DL: 145 lbs, rf, :15 hold each side after a few tries finding balance point.  Tough

Rings, SW, 1APU, FSQ, HBBQ, OHP, DL

No lifting yesterday, Sunday, but a run at the end of the breathing walk

Today, Monday:

Rings: StC + FL x 1

SW: 24 kg x 10's OTM, total 100 swings

1APU @ 10" x 1L/R

FSQ: 65 lb. x 12
OHP: 55 lb. x 8
HBSQ: 65 x 12
OHP: 55 x 10 - 2 more than I was hoping for

DL:

Straddle, thick bar, 245 lbs x 2 rf, 2 lf - grip tougher than I expected, perhaps because of swings not that long ago

Hack DL: 225 lbs. x 4 - will aim for 5 and then up the weight. Grip felt OK here.

Rings, 1APU, SW

Took yesterday, Friday, off

Today, Saturday, mostly going to repeat Wednesday

Rings: StC + FL x 1, 1

1APU @ 10" x 2L/R, 2L/R, 2L/R but failed 2nd rep left, so waited, went back and tried as a single but failed again.  I guess it's not going to happen today ...

SW: 24 kg x 10's OTM, total 100 swings - a big increase from 40-80 swings @ 20 kg but it honestly feels like the same weight and I completely forget it was heavier.

Was tired, had thought about more lifting but decided against it.