I just found this log- looking good
Thanks. I hope you find it informative or, at least, entertaining 
Week 3 - day 2 deadlift
Deadlift - suit bottoms
135-2x5
225-2
275-1 add belt
305-1 straps up
325-2x1
285-2x2 straps down
I started out in an old super centurian. The first couple of weeks I’ve been using a Titan Velocity to see how it feels. In the past I’ve preferred the centurian over the velocity because it’s stiffer in the hips and gave more pop off the floor. However, after being out of gear for so long, the centurian felt too stiff. I couldn’t push my knees out and get close enough to the bar. Everything up to 225 was in the centurian. When I tried to pull 275 it was too hard and pulled out from me. My positioning was terrible. I changed into the velocity and everything was good.
Barbell rows
120-3x8
SSB squats
50-5
127.5-15
127.5-10
Shrugs
205-10
225-10
245-10
Barbell roll outs
3x10
325 felt heavy(ish). I was thinking I’d open at 335-340 so we’ll see. I’ve learned though, that deadlifts in competition are different than in the gym. With squat and bench I’m more likely to perform better in the gym but deadlift is better in contest. Part of it is that our training bar is stiff (tpb) and the bar used in competition has more flex so it comes off the floor much more easily. Plus the adrenaline that may negatively impact squat and bench when technique has to be super dialed in blows the bar off the floor for deadlift.
Video is 2nd rep at 325
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Week 3 - day 3 Bench
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
145-5x5
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
115-1
135-bunch shirt on
145-2
155-1
157.5-1, 0, 1
Struggles with the shirt. On the top set the first rep sailed up, the second slid off the bubble onto my stomach and the third was really hard. We were also moving pretty quickly and I was doing lift offs for my husband. Loading bars and lifting off in a shirt isn’t recommended.
Leg raises
3x10
band pull aparts
bunch of sets throughout squats to warm up my shoulder
banded face pulls
3x20
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Week 4 - Day 1 squat
Squat
bar-10
135-2x3
185-1
225-2 suit bottoms
255-2 straps up
275-2
295-1
300-2x1 add wraps
285-1
The second single at 300 got out of position. It came up but it was slow, hard and all back. I decided to drop back to 285 rather than hit a third at 300. I think my opener will be around 285.
Bench
bar-10
100-4x5
RDL:
135-10
155-10
175-10
superset with
standing overhead tricep extensions
30-3x15
The rest of the week will be rolling from one Christmas function to another. Tomorrow is my favourite; lunch at the Mandarin with one of our builders. I love the Mandarin and I love this function because there isn’t really much socializing required. Last Friday was a reception at a microbrewery. The beer was good but I don’t drink much at work functions. You run the risk of saying what you think and that’s never really a good idea. We have a lot of irons in the fire with proposals and it’s good to been seen and shake peoples hands but it’s not something that comes easily to me.
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First single at 300. I pulled the suit legs up a bit and that seems to be helping. Overall, I felt much more confident with the weight on my back this week. Many people who have never lifted in gear are under the misapprehension that you put it on and it does magic for you. The fact is, you have much more weight loaded on your back or over your face than typical and it’s scary.
This is my fourth week back in a suit and I’m just now starting to feel a bit more confident.
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Week 4 - day 2 deadlift
Deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
275-1 suit bottoms belt
315-1 straps up
335-2x1
Reps at 315 and 335 felt a bit off, like my hands weren’t centred and it was leaning to the left.
Barbell rows
125-3x8
SSB squat
50-5
132.5-15, 10
Shrug
205-10
225-10
245-10
Static hold on last rep
Bar roll outs
3x10
I thought deadlift would be easier since I still had my Mandarin/sodium bloat from Tuesday lunch.
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Second rep at 335. It’s a bit slow but it got a bit wrapped up in the legs of my sweat pants. I think the pants ended up halfway up my shins by the time I got past them.
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This spoke to me.
Drinking at any type of work function can have a bad consequence. Things suddenly seem brilliant when they’re really stupid. Through the Christmas season, many of our client’s host lunches for the trades. One recently had an open bar and I watched one of our guys drink 4 bottles of beer with his lunch. Because we are a roofing company, he lost a half days work. There was no way he was going up on a roof after drinking.
On the other hand, it’s a good opportunity to chat with our guys and find out what’s going on with other trades. Everyone likes to gossip over lunch. I work inside doing estimating and contracts for builders and am not typically on site.
Week 4 - day 3 bench
Squat
45-2x10
135-2x5
146.5-4x5
It was cold af in the basement. I was cold when I got home. The heater isn’t working in my jeep and I’d had a couple of long cold drives and hadn’t warmed up yet.
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
135-3 add shirt
150-1 second rep slid off the bubble to my face but Frank caught the bar
157.5-1
160-0,1
At this point I got frustrated and decided to dig out a couple of my older shirts. They’re a bit less restrictive and easier to handle
First I tried my old size 36 Fury from 2008. I hit 135 for a double and it felt horrible; like some awkward sweater knit by a beginner that was tight in the wrong places.
Next I tried my size 34 F6 and it was better. It went
135-2
145-1
157.5-0
I don’t know if it was because I was done or it wasn’t enough. I think I’ll stick with the Super K and make it work somehow.
Leg raises
3x10
Banded face pulls
3x15
Week 5 - day 1 squat
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
185-1
225-3 suit bottoms/belt
265-1 (or 2 I can’t remember) straps up
285 - 1 add wraps
295-1
307.5-1
285-2x1
It was freezing again in the basements. That’s another issue with gear. It difficult to layer up with knee wrapping and pulling up straps. It’s also very crisp when you have to strip down to pull a suit on. These went fairly smoothly which makes me confident of how I’ll do when I’m bit warmer.
Bench
45-10
102.5-4x4
Banded pull throughs
3x10
Skull crushers
45-3x10
Week 5 - day 2 deadlift
Deadlift
135-2x5 suit bottoms
225-2
275-1 add belt
315-1 straps up
345-0 This came up quickly but the fingers on my left hand caught my knee and pulled open.
345-1 add powder. I don’t typically powder my legs in training. This may be the only time I’ve done it out of contest
BB rows
125-3x8
SSB squat
50-5
137.5-10, 15
Shrugs
205-10
225-10
245-10
BB roll outs
3x10
The meets in just over two weeks and this is the last heavy deadlift day. I typically shut it down a couple of weeks out and have had solid success with it. Recovery is harder than squat and bench.
Next week we squat heavy and bench heavy.
Rep at 345
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Week 5 - day 3 bench
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
150-4x5
Bench-
45-10
95-3
105-2
135-3,2 add shirt
155-0
That was the end of that. Last week I started to develop an inflamed bursa sac in my right elbow from the sleeve of the shirt. It was really aggravating me today and when I went down at 155 it got even worse and more inflamed. I don’t have the confidence at the moment to bench through the pain. My husband has had it a few times in the past and trained through it but it’s different if you’ve got the confidence in gear.
I took off the shirt, very gently, iced my elbow and did one rep at 110, my typical unequipped opener. I’m going to see if I can change to unequipped for the meet. If I can’t, I’ll squat and bench raw and go for a national deadlift record equipped.
I’ve competed raw before after training equipped. Several years ago at nationals I was supposed to compete equipped. I woke up the day of competition barfing. I decided to compete but left the gear off because I didn’t have the mental focus for the attention required,
Leg raises
3x10
Banded face pulls
3x20
Banded pull aparts
3x25
Hammer curls
10-3x15
I did these because my shoulder issue often extends to my brachial nerve and my husband recommended them to get blood flowing to the area. It wasn’t bad.
Picture is my inflamed elbow, The picture doesn’t do it justice.
Week 6 - day 1 Squat
So it’s official that I’m doing the regional championships unequipped. It wasn’t too late to change my classification.
Squat
bar-10
135-2x3
185-2
205-1 add belt
225-3x1
185-2x3 beltless
Bench
bar-10
97.5-4x5
Weighted swings
50-3x15
standing tricep extensions
30-3x15
hammer curls
10-3x10
band pull aparts
3x25
This morning I decided to see if it was worth it to get up early and try for some boxing day deals. My daughter and I hit the mall at 7 am. It wasn’t horrible but wasn’t worth it either. I got a pair of leather driving gloves and tea. That’s it. She was shopping with her friend so I mostly just wandered around for a few hours. I saw some winter boots that I would have liked to have gotten but putting a price on a red tag doesn’t actually mean it’s on sale. It only means it’s a price on a red tag. I’d looked around online for the boots and the ‘sale price’ was the same as the regular price. I didn’t buy them.
I did have a nice afternoon nap on the sofa with the fire going. My dog enjoyed it too.
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Week 6 - day 2 deadlift
This is all without gear
Deadlift
135-2x5
225-2
255-1 add belt
275-1
I think I’ll open deadlift at 135-137.5. It would be nice to hit 150 this time.
Barbell row
130-3x8
SSB
140-5x5
Last week when we did these I asked my husband to tape a set. They were lopsided. Because my shoulders are narrow, they start to slide between the handles. When we got the bar, I took the pads off the handles because they felt weird. Due to the lopsided issue, I put them back on. It made it harder. It forces the bar to sit right up by my neck and the pads push the handles, and therefore, the camber in the bar, forward.
Bar roll outs
3x10
hammer curls
10-10, 12, 14, 16
band pull aparts
4x25
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Hey do you have and tips on how to go about taking in the legs of a squat suit? And if so any pictures of how its done. The rule book is a bit confusing when it comes to this.
@josh_bahadur This is a link to an old t-nation thread. How Do I Tailor My Squat Suit? IPF - #6 by lunchead
On the original thread I posted pictures of how and where I sew to alter my suits. I show the straps and hips but you can tighten the hips down to the bottom of the leg openings. If it’s IPF, alterations have to be made on the inside and on an original seam only. You can’t pleat the material.
Week 6 - day 3 Bench
Squat
45-10
135-2x3
152.5-4x5
Bench
45-10
95-3
105-2
110-2x1
Leg raises
3x10
Banded face pulls
3x15
Banded pull aparts
4x25
Hammer curls
10-4x10
That’s it for training. Next week is just light pre-meet deload stuff.
We had a late Christmas dinner today with my sister’s family. My brother reminded me of the time the boyfriend (when I was 15) did push ups to impress my dad and he just stared at him like he was an idiot. I should get my 16 year old daughters boyfriend to do pushups to impress me
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