Bench
8@bar, 8@65, 8@95, 5x8@105 (some were touch and go and other sets were paused, just trying to feel out my groove)
Spoto Press:
10@75, 2x10@85…These are difficult, I think they might be beneficial for me though because pausing at my sticking point and exploding upwards is definitely a movement I need to work on.
Lat Pulldown - Wide Neutral Grip:
12@100, 12@120, 12@120, 12@120+10@70 drop set
*First time ever doing a drop set on anything. It’s fucking terrible but magnificent for conditioning work. I swear I had a lat pump for all of 2 minutes but it was amazing. I’m curious to see what would happen if I did this on squat or deadlift.
Squat
bar, 6@95, 6@135, 5@155, 7@185, 3x8@185 (all beltless)
Front Squat
bar, 6@65, 3x10@75
Block Sumo DL (about 4 inches, used aerobics step up blocks and a bumper plate)
5@135, 5@185, 8@235, 3x8@255 (RPE 8ish)
*definitely room to go up with these but I just need to figure out a more stable block set up, the bumper plates sitting on top of the block was a little shaky and loud)
Hack Squat
3x10@1.5p
Leg Extensions
3x10@85, 100, 115
Leg Curls
3x10@80
Box Squat (a little higher than the box I used at the old gym but still at parallel)
bar, 6@95, 6@135, 6@155, 4x6@175 (all high bar as well due to continued right shoulder pain)
Straight Legged DL
8@135, 7@185, 4x8@155
*Youch! Need to keep these in rotation.
Iso Low Row with pause
10@1 p, 4x10@1.5 p
Iso Underhand Low Row
4x10@1 p
Kettle Bell Reverse Flies
4x12@12lb
Bosu Ball Plank
3x40 seconds
Bike (didn’t do much to note how much I did, maybe total 1:00 or true cardio)
Deadlift (all beltless)
bar, 5@135, 5@185, 5@225, 5x6@255 (massive beltless rep PR)
*I became very dependent on my belt last training cycle and I’m trying to get more beltless work in to work on bracing. My back was rounding a bit on the end of the reps but my lower back was fine. I would say some sets were RPE 8 and some were 9. The reps weren’t pretty but I could have always grinded at least one more out.
Deficit DL (stood on a 45lb plate ~ 1.5 inches)
4x5@225 (pretty eas, all RPE 8)
High Bar Paused Squat
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 5x5@155
*So exhausting! The deads were finally starting to creep up on me and I as getting tired. Also, my right knee has been weird lately, I can’t squat down really low without a pretty sharp pain, so I was trying really hard to be controlled at stop at parallel. I did pretty well with this but it was super exhausting.
Kettle Bell Swing
3x15@35lb
Rowing
3 x 200m pretty slowly, nothing crazy due to quick onset exhaustion from all this volume that my body is not use to.
High Bar Squat
bar, 6@95, 5@135, 5@155, 3@185, 5x6@195 (big beltless rep PR!)
*These reps were rough, the first through 4 generally moved pretty well but my high bar form would break down on reps 5 and 6 usually. I really have to focus on bracing my core and squeezing my upper back before my decent.
Front Squat
8@bar, 5@65, 6@85, 3x6@95…much better form and control. Need to continue going up and keep working on it.
Sumo DL
8@135, 6@185, 4x6@225
*So rough when pulling from the floor. My form actually is able to stay more together if I do touch and go.
Leg Curls
3x10@80
Leg Extension
2x12@85
Hack Squat
10@1p, 2x10@1.5 p
Some random abs stuff, not very productive…need to get more consistent abs in my workouts.
Chained Bench (About 39 lbs at the top)
bar, 8@65, Add chains: 4@65, 4@85, 2x4@95, 3@95 (failed last rep, very difficult for me to be steady with these chains. Defintiely need to keep them in the mix though) DROP SET: 6@85, 6@65, 8@bar
Deadlift
bar, 5@135, 5@185, 4@225, 10x4@245 (in under 20 minutes, tested my work capacity)
*This was definitely a PR today, I would say I only took 45 second to 1.5 minutes rest in between all those sets. I really wasn’t even struggling until set 8. Another beltless rep PR.
RDL
3x8@185…very difficult, was absolutely wiped out
High Bar Paused Squat
bar, 2x5@95, 6@135, 3x8@135
*My right knee is still giving me some sharp pain at the very bottom of my squat so I have to stay very controlled and slow on my decent so that I don’t cause knee pain. This obviously makes my squat that much harder since I’m being so cautious. I think this is mostly due to switching to olympic shoes and my knee being turned out a little bit more due to form change. I’m also on my feet all day at work so that doesn’t help either. I just need to be diligent about ice on my knee.
Banded VMO
3x15 R/L with a heavy band
Hamsting Curl
10@50, 2x10@40
Bench (medium grip, all paused)
bar, 8@95, 5x10@105
*My back was cramping up a bit so I ended up doing most of these with feet flat, towards reps 8-10 I would end up adjusting my feet tucked under me so I could get some drive but then my back would cramp. So overall, a pretty benching session for having less than optimal form.
DB Bench
12@30. 3x12@35
Cable Lat Pulldown
4x10@120 + 15@70 drop set
Iso Row
10@1 p, 2x12@1.5 p, 12@1 p
Cable Triceps Pushdown
3x15@40
DB Lat Raise
3x12@10s
DB Front Raise
3x10@10a
DB Reverse Flies
3x10@10s
EZ Bar Curl
3x15@30
Squat (all beltless)
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 5@155, 5@185, 6x4@205, 5@205 (amrap)
*Big beltless PR, plus it’s high bar and with my new squat shoes. I’m really liking the high bar right now. I haven’t even tried to do regular because my shoulder has been doing so well. I think with all the back work and lower delt work I have been doing, along with not resting the bar on my shoulder for squats, it’s all coming together. Who knows if I’ll keep with high bar for my competition form. Next week is deload week so I’ll probably go a little heavier for lower reps and see how the high bar feels.
Front Squat
8@bar, 8@65, 3x8@95…getting much easier form wise. I just need to be careful with my right knee on these.
Sumo Block Pull (the block was 45lb plates, so maybe an 1.5in tall?)
8@135, 8@185, 6@225, 8@225, 10@225, AMRAP: 20@225…I guess a PR? I have never done this before so by default ha
Volume Deload Week, Day 1, Deadlift
*so just taking a deload from actual volume. Which means I will be doing lower reps with heavier weight. And I miss my belt…so I’m wearing it for the heavy stuff.
High Bar Paused Squat
bar, 5@95, 4@135, 5x4@155…didn’t realize how fatigued I was from box squats 2 days ago. Yea, I found out the hard way with these squats. But I’m really enjoying squats, no shoulder pain with high bar and I absolutely love my olympic lifting shoes. Just still having occasional right knee pain but that has even got better.
Hypers
2x15@BW, 10@45lb plate+ 10@BW burnout reps
Weighted Planks
3x45 seconds with 25 lb plate on my back
Bench
bar, 6@95, 4@105, 4@115, 4@120 (RPE 8), 2x4@125 (RPE 9.5 and 10), 4@120
*very annoying, I’ve just got a very slow improved bench. I don’t know what to do about it, but I expect that at some point something will snap and I’ll start making bigger jumps in progress. But for now, I’ll just keep trying.
DB Floor Press
10@30s, 3x10@40…Need to keep working on these, very good for my triceps.
Cable Lat Pulldowns
8@120, 3x8@140+8@85 drop set
*PR on lat pulldowns…I know that’s not really a thing but that’s the most I’ve ever lat pulldowned so I was pretty excited.
Iso Row
12@1 p, 3x12@1.5 p
Cable Face Pulls
3x12@42.5
Banded Pullaparts
12, 2x20@1 mini band
Squat
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 3@155, 3@185 (belt), 3@205, 3@215, 1@225 (Failed my second rep, felt like so much weight was on just my quads and hip flexors), 2x3@205
Front Squat
bar, 4@95, 4@115, 3x4@125 (PRRR)
Hamstring Curls
4x12@80
Leg Extension
3x12@100 (for some reason these feel too stressful on my knee/quads)
Machine Leg Press
2x15@130
Leg Press
20@1 plate, 15@ 2 plates
Banded Speed Box Squat (used light bands, orange from ETS)
bar, 5@65, 3@85, 8x3@95
Squat without bands
4@95, 5@95
Bike Circuit
4 minutes @ level 12
7 rounds: (1 min recovery speed at level 10)
(10 sec all out spring level 10)
(20 sec all out sprint level 20)
Treadmill: 5 min 2.5 mph cooldown
Deadlift
bar, 2x5@135, 5@185, 5@225, 3x8@245 (belt), 12@245 (rep PR)
Paused DL
5@185, 4x5@205
Paused Squat
bar, 2x5@85, 2x4@135
*Squat is just messed up right now. My right knee is just not getting any better so I’m going to take more time to really see what I can do about that. I can’t quite get my stance down to where I feel power coming from my glutes and hamstrings on squat. The oly shoes make me feel like I’m relying too much on my quads and hip flexors. My hip flexors have never been an issue for me but they just don’t feel happy with the situation. So anyways, I need to figure out something with my damn squat.