If you don’t feel too strong but not so bad that you can’t train then just do what you can, it would be better to do 110 for a double than 100x5. It’s like taking a step backwards, 115 next week won’t feel better.
Week 3: Day 4
Deadlift: 1x4-240lbs; 7x5-200lbs
Rows: 3x12-130lbs
Good mornings: 3x15-65lbs
Preworkout: Felt really good mentally and energy good but stomach a bit bloated and slightly upset
Workout: Deadlifts felt surprisingly good. The top set was solid until the 4th rep. I could probably have squeezed out a 5th rep, but my form was breaking down pretty bad so didn’t push it. The back off sets were mentally practically impossible. My glutes and quads were fine but my core was giving out big time. I was also getting a bit queasy. Rows felt fine. Really worked upper back. My core was cramping a bit. Planned to do RDLs, didn’t happen. My back was feeling fine so I tried good mornings. They were definitely harder than expected. Good stretch on lower back though.
Postworkout: not too tired mentally but lower body and core toast. Felt surprisingly good and accomplished
1 Like
Week 3: Day 5
Front squat: 1x3-135lbs; 4x5-125lbs
Step-ups: 3x10 w/35lb Kbs
Abs:6x6EMOM- toes to bar
Preworkout: nothing really sore but legs tired, not excited to squat
Workout: really felt heavy and ended up failing the 4th rep- hips really shifting. Back off sets still felt quite heavy but better. Lunges weren’t going to happen so I decided to do some stepups. Those really burned and actually got my HR up pretty good. Toes to bar blew my hip flexors and abs up.
Postworkout: Legs dead, felt accomplished and mentally great, glad to “stretch” at the end
1 Like
Week 4: Day 6
Close Grip Bench: 3x5-100lbs
DB Incline Bench: 2x7,1x8-18kg Dbs
JM Press: 2x8, 1x9-80lbs
Technique: HS Walk
Preworkout: Felt pretty good but legs and butt sore as hell
Workout: Close grip and JM press killed triceps. I was really happy w/ progress on DB incline bench. I could really feel it in my shoulders and upper back, needed pretty long rests though
Postworkout: upper body pumped and felt energized
Week 5: Day 1
My normal gym was closed today for some random maintenance and will probably be closed tomorrow. I ended up working out at the compound gym, which doesn’t have a squat rack and doesn’t allow deadlifting…
Paused Bench: 1x4-110lbs; 7x5-90lbs
Dips: 3x10-14kg Db
Face Pulls: 3x12-42lbs
Technique: chin up- 3x5
Preworkout: Felt pretty energized, nothing sore or tight, excited to workout
Workout: Paused bench felt pretty heavy warming up, so I was surprised I actually got 1x4 at 110. the back off sets weren’t heavy but mentally hard- they seemed to drag on forever. Dips felt really strong and killed chest. Triceps not as pumped as expected. Face pulls and chin up fine
Postworkout: felt the same as preworkout. Chest pretty dead, shoulders fine
Week 5: Day 2
3x(5 close grip bench +5 touch and go)- 95lbs
Overhead press: 2x6, 1x7-75lbs
DB rows: 3x15-20kg
Presorkout: felt fine, not tired or energized, chest a bit tight but otherwise nothing sore
Workout: I decided to switch things up a bit and do some supersetting with my bench variations. My triceps were pretty dead after. Overhead press felt surprisingly great, probably because my back didn’t have to work to squat. Db rows felt fine
Postworkout: Upper body pretty dead, felt good
Does that even qualify as a gym? Wow.
I know right… I’m pretty sure it’s worse than planet fitness. Anyways, I’m squatting today and deadlifting on Friday.
1 Like
Week 5: Day 3
Back Squat: 1x3-180lbs; 8x5-145lbs EMOM
Paused Squat: 1x8, 2x6-135lbs
Lat Pulldowns: 3x12-17.5kg
Preworkout: Felt pretty good and energized, pretty excited to squat after two upper body days
Workout: Nothing felt heavy but had a bit of a hard time concentrating. I probably could have done 1-2 more reps on my top set but my hips were shifting quite a bit. The back up sets got my HR up pretty good but felt light. Really felt in glutes and hamstrings. I cut the pause down to 2 seconds but just had a hard time concentrating so really struggled.
Postworkout: hamstrings dead and strangely buzzed. Felt energized mentally, physically tired
1 Like
Do you do any mobility work on off days? Some hip mobility stuff would probably help with the hip shifting issue, it’s usually caused by an imbalance in tightness in various muscles. All I do is hip airplanes, 90/90 transitions (like a dynamic version of the 90/90 stretch, going back and forth between side), some squat stretches (sit in a full squat), and hip flexor stretches.
Really impressive log here. Keep up the great work.
1 Like
No, I currently don’t. I’ll try doing hip mobility and see if it helps.
Week 5: Day 4
Touch and go bench: 3x5-105lbs
Skullcrushers: 3x15-65lbs
Facepulls: 3x15-42lbs
Technique: Kipping
Preworkout: Feeling okay but really jittery. I was really tempted to do conditioning instead of strength work.
Workout: Felt pretty heavy and dragging, but not too hard to complete.My upper back and shoulders felt pretty tight. Skullcrushers killed triceps and felt good. Facepulls were fine.
Postworkout: didn’t really feel like I worked out but felt better.
Week 5: Day 5
Deadlift: 1x4-245lbs; 8x5- 200lbs
Deficit Deadlift(conventional): 1x8,9,10 w/3in deficit- 135lbs
Pullups: max test- 10!!!
Preworkout: felt really good physically but mentally dreading going heavy
Workout: warm-ups felt a bit heavy, top really solid but quite slow. I actually feel like I’m improving. Back off sets felt heavier than expected but not too bad to complete. I decided to try deficit deadlifts. I initially wanted to do 175lbs but the bar wouldn’t budge so I took the weight down. They felt light but KILLED my mid back and core. I really focused on form and stability. Rows were not happening and I was running out of time so I decided to test my pullup (still a back exercise… right). I actually hit a PR!!!
Postworkout: Felt really good mentally and accomplished. Back and glutes dead
1 Like
Week 5: Day 6
DB Incline bench: 3x(5-18kg Dbs+8-14kg Dbs)
DB floor press: 3x(40sec+40sec rest)-14kg Dbs
Overhead Squat: 3x5-65lbs
Abs: 5x(40sec+20sec rest) RKC plank
Preworkout: Upperback and shoulders pretty tight, pretty tired but mentally energized. Lower body not sore but tired so lower body wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t do DB incline bench yet so I decided to make that the “main movement”
Workout: shoulders and upper back tired so pretty happy with what I could do on the Incline bench. Floor press worked chest pretty good and got a nice pump, felt good and not too bad.
Post workout: shoulders and upper back dead, felt good though, excited to get back on track next week
1 Like
Week 6: Day 1
Back Squat: 6x2-185lbs Mental fail 7th set
Paused Squat: 1x6,7,8-140lbs
Lat Pulldown: 2x13,1x15-17.5kg
Preworkout: Mentally energized and strangely buzzed. Hard to focus. legs felt pretty jittery. Really wanted to run
Workout: nothing felt heavy but impossible to focus; I wanted at least 3 but started to seriously loose tension after the 2nd rep. My legs still felt great so I did doubles. I planned on doing 8x2 and my legs felt great but the 7th one just collapsed. Paused squats felt great- really worked quads and core. Actually got HR up a bit.
Postworkout: mentally buzzed but physically pretty crushed
1 Like
Isn’t that just the best feeling? Worn out and calm
1 Like
Week 6: Day 2
Paused Bench: 1x1-115lbs; 9x5-90lbs
Dips: 1x15-14kg Dbs
Jm Press: 3x8-75lbs
Face Pulls: 3x12-49lbs
Preworkout: Lower body dead; arms and shoulders fine but upper back really tight and a bit sore
Workout: 120 wasn’t going to happen. Honestly, my bench has been terrible this cycle and it’s getting really frustrating. Dips felt amazing- really felt chest stretch. JM press also went up really quick and killed triceps. Face pulls helped loosen upper back
Postworkout: Felt pretty good but very disappointed. Upper body pretty pumped
1 Like
Week 6: Day 3
Deadlift: 1x2- 255lbs; 9x5-200lbs
Deficit Deadlift: 3x7-155lbs to 3in deficit
Rows: 3x6-140lbs
Preworkout: glutes pretty sore but mentally fine. not excited or dreading deadlifts
Workout: Everything felt heavy and I didn’t get 255 for a triple as expected. Back off sets burned really bad and needed longer rests than expected. Deficit deadlifts killed hamstrings and were mentally pretty much impossible. Also got pretty lightheaded. Rows were fine after throwing on straps
Postworkout: really tired- probably could have fallen asleep on the floor.
1 Like
Are you doing your deficit deadlift in a sumo or conventional stance? If you are using your normal stance then a 1-2 inch deficit is better because too much change in starting position will make it not carry over. If it’s the opposite stance then it doesn’t really matter, you just want to make sure that it’s helping your deadlift and not wasting energy.
Have you gained weight since your last deload? The high volume might affect your strength right now but this will build your work capacity and the next block with less volume should feel easier and your lifts should increase.