TCam's Log - The Road to Elite

Training Logs
761

Wednesday - Heavy Deadlift and DE Squat

Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt:
5x1x545

High Bar Squat w/ Belt:
8x2x405 - 60 sec rest

Lat Pulldown - 3 Max Rep Sets (MRS):
18, 12, 10x180 - 60 sec rest

Lying Hamstring Curl - 3 MRS:
18, 15, 11x95 - 60 sec rest

KB Suitcase Carry:
3 sets per side with 70 lbs. Something like 60 ft per walk

I had plans for right after this, so I made it a lower volume workout. The 5 singles were okay, but not great. I felt very rounded, though that could be because Iā€™m not used to feeling conventional at the moment. I warmed up with hook grip up to 455 today, so 50 lb PR there lol. I could see it actually working at this point, just gotta keep slowly building up.

High bar went pretty well, but my lower back was getting really stressed by the 6th set, which affected my form. Regardless, no slow reps at all.

Iā€™m starting to use the Max Rep Set (MRS) method for some of my accessory work in order to get them done quickly and also work hard enough. Today I did 3 MRS aiming for 50 reps total. I got 40 reps at 180 on pulldowns and 44 reps at 95 on leg curls, so I will continue with those weights until I can get the 50 reps. The 350 method is for higher volume/lighter weight days, on some days I will do 4 MRS still shooting for 50 reps, meaning the weight will be heavier.

762

Friday - Heavy Bench

Paused Bench:
3x2x375 - Pecs still not feeling great, so I took this somewhat easy.

CG Incline Pin Press:
4x5x225
10x225

HS Iso-Row - 4 MRS:
16, 12, 10, 10x320 - 60 sec rest

HS Chest-Press:
3x20/20x45

BB Curl:
33, 34, 33x45 - 30 sec rest

Underhand Band Pull-Apart:
2x25xMicro

Nothing too special here. The 3x2x375 was pretty easy and I had a good amount of control. I just didnā€™t want to push my pecs for no reason. I want to hit 415x2 in the next few weeks, so I need to pick the right day based on how good theyā€™re feeling.

763

Monday - Deload on the Road

Squat w/ Belt:
5x3x405 - Spinny bar and such. Short rest periods.

Neutral Grip Incline Bench:
2x6x185
3x6x225

Machine Row:
4x15x205

A1 | Cable Rear Delt Fly:
3x15x15s

A2 | Band Pushdown:
30, 20, 20 x Light

Cable Curl - Reverse/Normal:
Buncha reps I donā€™t remember

I was in Pennsylvania from Saturday through Thursday and I lifted twice during that time. It was at a local YMCA with a tiny free weight area. I did my best to get some stuff done.

Wednesday - Deload on the Road

Paused Bench:
4x5x315 - Pecs were iffy, but meh. Bench was slippery and very low. Still moved well.

Standing DB OHP:
10x60s
2x8x70s
8x60s

Seal Row - Neutral Grip:
5x8x225

I donā€™t remember the rest.

764

Friday - Deload - Heavy Deadlift and DE Bench

Sumo w/ Belt/Straps:
2x495 - Hook grip PR
5x2x545 - Notes below

SSB Paused Squat w/ Belt:
12x2x315 - 60 sec rest. Feeling a lot of progress on these. Really fast.

A1 | Leg Press:
3x20x270

A2 | Chest-Supported Upper Back Extension:
3x10x115 - This was done on an T-bar row bench, I let the weight pull me down into kyphosis and then I extended out of it

B1 | Cable Pull-Through:
3x12x110

B2 | Dead Bug:
3x5/5

I came down with a pretty hefty head cold during the travels, so I was very congested and feeling generally shitty above the shoulders. I know when this happens I can have great workouts from the sick energy, so I did. 545 moved well on the first and last sets of the 5x2. I think if I take too much time setting up, I get thrown off. In the video below, you can see my last 3 sets. The first 2 shown seem okay until you watch the last one and realize what they should have been. Hammering form is all I need for that though.

The last set is very promising. I feel like I had somewhere between 5 and 8 reps on the set. I just donā€™t know if I could hold my positioning. But those numbers would be awesome, so Iā€™m very happy with it.

After the squats, I took it easy on myself because I was starting to get hit with the sickness and inability to breathe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOp-gp1Bd9y/

765

Sunday - Small Injury - Deload

Floor/Pin Press:
3x315
2x335 - Left anterior delt strain on 3rd rep. Notes below

HS Iso-Row - 4 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
18, 13, 10, 10 @ 320 - 51 reps, goal met. Moving up in weight next time

Many other things to feel out delt and start blood flowin.

So yeah, another deload injury. My pecs were really tight, so I spent a good amount of time LAX balling them and such. They ended up still being iffy during the pressing, but the anterior delt was the one to go this time. I think that I just cannot do floor press in this gym. Because of the set pins, it hits about a centimeter before my elbows can rest on the floor and it makes the initial motion different than a normal bench or floor press. Itā€™s like I have to press it back to get it off the pins instead of up and back, no matter the groove.

But anyway, this seems like a pretty standard strain. Itā€™s Tuesday now and the initial inflammation and palpation pain is virtually gone, so I will start the rehab today throughout my lower body workout. The delt is a significantly easier thing to hit than the pecs when it comes to eccentric loading and such, so I donā€™t see this lasting long. (Knock on wood)

766

Tuesday - RE Deadlift and DE Squat

Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt/Straps:
3x6x475 - Glute/ham tie-ins were very sore. Felt suspect on the last set, so I dropped the weight
3x8x405

Paused Squat w/ Belt:
6x3x365 - Had planned on high bar squats with >405, but that glute/ham thing was really getting hit with that

Lat Pulldown w/ Straps - 3 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
20, 12, 10 @ 180 - 42 out of 50

Lying Leg Curl - 3 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
22, 16, 12 @ 95 - 50 out of 50 acheived

Hollow-Body Hold + Bicycle Kicks:
3x10/10

Delt Rehab:
Machine OHP - 2x20x30
Machine Incline - 2x20x45
Band Front Raise - 2x10xMicro - Very slow eccentric

Iā€™m still getting over this cold and Iā€™ve been on the tail end of it for a few days, where the only issue is mucus keeping me from breathing. Well I forgot to bring my Sudafed with me and I got to find out all day at work and during this workout how much it was helping me breathe. This workout was miserable because of it.

I originally wanted to do sumo, but my left high hip issue was there, so I couldnā€™t do that. Seems to be on and off, but Iā€™m focusing more on resolving that now. Conventional didnā€™t feel great, but the weight moved decently. The 405 sets were very fast, but I let my form go a bit, I think.

Seems like the delt is quickly healing like I thought it would. I imagine Iā€™ll be fine to bench heavy by next weekend, but Iā€™ll still ease into it.

767

Wednesday

I canā€™t really remember everything I did on this day. I mainly did delt rehab like a few sets of 8 ct eccentric bench with 95 lbs and then a couple sets of 20 normal reps. Then landmine press and some paused cable low row.

Friday

Squat w/ Belt:
5x3x455

Sumo w/ Belt - Hook Grip:
12x1x405 - 60 sec restā€¦my fuckin thumbs. Also hip pain is still there

Paused Hip Thrusts on Smith Machine:
3x12x160 - Wide stance to hit my high hip issue

Chest-Supported Upper Back Arching:
3x10x135 - Added a shrug at the top too

Reverse Lunge:
2x10/10xBW
2x10/10xBW+45

Hollow-Body Hold + Bicycle Kicks:
3x10/10

I hadnā€™t had much weight on my back recently, so this was fun. 455 didnā€™t move super well, but I survived.

Sunday

Earthquake OHP:
3x8x95 - 25s hanging on dbl minis. Slow eccentrics and concentrics

Spoto Press:
2x10x95 - No pain
3x10x135 - Some slight pain at the end

Barbell Front Raise - Underhand/Overhand:
3x5/5x30

HS Iso-Row - 4 MRS:
17, 10, 10, 9 @ 360

Triceps Pushdown:
60, 15, 15, 10 @ Light - 15 sec rests

Facepull:
3x15x60

Single Leg KB RDL:
3x8/8x45 - Did this to work on the hip issue more often

768

Tuesday - RE Squat & Heavy DE Deadlift

SSB Squat w/ Belt:
6x335
6x355
4x6x355 - Add belt here. RPE 9 on all of them because this bar is the devil

Paused Sumo w/ Belt/Straps:
6x3x455

Paused Hip Thrust:
3x12x185

Lat Pulldown w/ Straps - 3 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
24, 12, 12 @ 180 - 48 out of 50

Suitcase Carry:
4x125/125x70 - Less than 15 sec between sets. Just switched hands every 125 feet

Lying Leg Curl - 3 MRS:
20, 12, 10 @ 110 - 42 out of 50

So very dead after this workout. The 6x6 on SSB hit me really hard immediately, so I took really adequate rests on the deadlifts. But this was successful. Iā€™m still getting better at the SSB, especially with what to do with my upper back and how to brace.

Worked around any hip pain on sumo by straightening my legs and then dipping into the rep, instead of my usual of staying in the squat-ish position before pulling.

Also, near beating 180 lbs on lat pulldown and a good first performance at the new leg curl weight. Am strong.

769

Thursday - Heavy DE Bench and Light RE Bench - 6.5 Weeks Out

3 Ct. Paused Bench:
6x3x315 - No delt pain during the sets, just a bit between that was easily mitigated

Bridge Press:
3x15x185 - Recently posted on T-Nation article. Click here. Not sure if I think itā€™s useful yet.

Cable Low Row w/ Hook Grip:
4x15x180

Cable Triceps Overhead Extension:
3x20x50 - Surprisingly no elbow pain on these

Barbell Curl:
40, 30, 30 x 45 - 30 sec rests. Back on my 100 rep thing

A1 | Pec Deck:
20x50
15x70 - Too much for my goal of just stretch and blood flow
20x50

A2 | Band Face-Pull-Apart:
3x20xMini - This is a band facepull with the added intent of also pulling apart the section between my hands

Delt seems to be good to go, as expected. But I was conservative on the weight selection because of the strain and also because Iā€™ll need to increase the weight on this exercise over the next 6 weeks.

Alright, so the title of this log. 6.5 weeks out. I signed up for the Alabama State Championship, previously the Lifting for a Miracle meet that I have done before, on February 25. The goal of this meet is to just qualify for the USPA Drug Tested Nationals in May in Atlanta. I signed up for the 242 class and I will need a Class 2 total to qualify. That is only 1,230. Iā€™ll hit something like 1,375 for my openers. Iā€™m doing these meets because I wanted to get a decent one in before I start PT school in May or August. Once I finish the Feb meet, Iā€™ll be 11 weeks out from the national meet.

Priority number one is to stay healthy enough to PR on all of my lifts. I also want to cut some body fat in the meantime as well, because Iā€™d like to compete in the 220s still, since I think I have enough fat to lose to still be in that class before moving to the 242s.

770

Saturday

1" Sumo Block Pull w/ Belt/Straps:
1x545 - Hook grip PR
2x585
3x2x605 - Huge PR
2x585
2x10x455

Paused SSB Squat w/ Belt:
10x2x335 - 60 sec rest

Seated SSB Upper-Back Arching:
3x10x155 - This is sort of a seated good morning, but the focus is entirely on the upper back

Leg Press:
3x15x455

So I got a sinus infection or something over the last few days, different than my cold from a couple weeks ago. I slept like absolute garbage on Friday because of it, waking up about 10 times. But I had another PT school interview on Saturday mid-day, so I wasnā€™t about to sound like shit during that, so I was hopped up on a bunch of medicine, caffeine, and nootropics. I drove home (2.5 hours) and then went to the gym after taking some more Sudafed and caffeine. Well it helped for the block pulls, but then I was quickly running out of steam after the squats. After my second set of leg press, I got all flu-like chills and weak. I donā€™t know if I was overheating or all of the drugs were wearing off at once but I felt like death and had almost no appetite after. So I cut it at the leg press. lol

Sunday

Paused Bench w/ Chains (+70)
2x275+70
1x315+70 - Small left pec strain. Kind of saw it coming

DB Incline Bench w/ Band:
5x15x35s+Mini - No pec issue here

HS Iso-Row - 4 MRS:
18, 11, 10, 9 @ 360 - 60 sec rest - 49 out of 50

Machine Dips:
3x15x150
15, 20, 25 x 150, 110, 70 - Drop set - No pec issues here

HS Single-Arm Chest Press:
3x20/20x45 - No pec issues here

Barbell Curl - Reverse/Normal:
30/30, 20/20 x 45 - 30 sec rest

Meh. My left pec was feeling iffy from 135 on, I just tried to work it out as I went. 275 actually felt good, so I went up to 315, but when I unracked it, it felt a little off. Should have just racked it and put 275 back on or even not worried about benching for the day. But I still got the rep without a spotter and just put it back and put everything away. Itā€™s hard to tell sometimes if something is going to actually go wrong versus just tightness. This one is even smaller than my delt strain, since I couldnā€™t even find the pain with the other movements, but I know itā€™s there. So just going to take it easy for week and focus on bodybuilding the upper body.

771

Tuesday - RE Deadlift & Heavy DE Squat

Sumo Deadlift w/ Belt/Straps:
3x5x405 - TnG. This was my original planned variation, but decided it wasnā€™t feeling great on the high hamstring. May need to practice these as a lighter supplement instead
4x5x495 - These felt great. RPE 5-6

SSB Squat w/ Belt:
6x3x365

Lat Pulldown w/ Straps - 3 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
20, 12, 10 @ 180 - 42 out of 50 - Dropped 8 reps from last week. May need to switch up the exercise

Paused Hip Thrust:
3x12x225

Lying Leg Curl - 3 MRS w/ 60 sec rest:
24, 14, 12 @ 110 - 50 out of 50 achieved!

Suitcase Carry:
4 x 125/125ft x 80 - Something like 30-45 sec rest

Not many notes to write. Deadlift felt great, squats were hard but decent, and the rest was the rest. Iā€™ve done some scrapping on my pecs the last two nights, so hopefully I will recover quickly, but tonight is just going to be a bodybuilding upper body day to stay safe and aid recovery.

772

Wednesday - Upper Accessories

OHP:
Bar
8x95
5x135 - Hmā€¦actually I think this strain was my delt again

Double Paused Bench:
5x10x135 - Pause on the descent and on the chest. Felt fine

Cable Low Row:
4x10x200

Cable Triceps Overhead Extension:
2x15x57.5
2x15x50

DB Hammer Curl:
3x10/10x55s

Incline Band Press:
3x15xLight - Band in hands and wrapped behind me under the bench. Ends up being like a DB bench plus a fly.

KB Rear Delt Fly:
3x12x30s

Cardio - Recumbent Bike:
100 calories in 12:50 at level 10. 75-85 RPM average. 2.97 miles.

Seems like my bodybuilding days just end up being my normal days without the main movement. lol. I guess my delt strain wasnā€™t ready for heavy weights the other day, so it just regressed a bit. Iā€™ll take a longer amount of time and not worry about getting back to lifting heavy for a couple of weeks. Iā€™ll start back with higher reps. I know Iā€™ll be able to hit at least 385 within like 2 weeks of normal training, so Iā€™m not worried about the meet.

Speaking of the meet, it has been filled. I will be competing against 5 other people in the 242 raw open full power division. I donā€™t know how strong any of them are, but itā€™d be cool if I could win my class as [probably] the lightest 242er at 230ish.

Cardio was started today. I think I see better fat loss results in added activity as opposed to reduced calories. Iā€™ll probably start with doing twice weekly and move to three times at some point. From there I will increase duration or intensity as needed.

773

Friday - ME Squat & DE Deadlift

Squat w/ Chains (+75) - Belt:
5x2x455+75 - Big PR!
2x6x405 - RPE 8 for form

Paused Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt:
10x2x405 - 60 sec rest

Front Squat Hold:
315x0:15
365x0:15
2x405x0:15
365x0:15
315x0:15

Pin Leg Press:
3x10x360

A1 | Single Leg RDL:
3x10/10x70

A2 | Hollow Body Hold + Bicycle Kicks:
3x10/10

Really happy with how the squats went since my previous recorded PRs were 3x2x425x75 and a double at 455+40. Itā€™s been awhile since Iā€™ve done it, but itā€™s great to see progress.

During the deadlifts, my glute med and min were getting hit really hard, so apparently my transition to sumo has done something for the activation there.

Edit: Also front squat holds are brutal. My front squat PR is 365 (shame) so 405 was real rough. Using it for both upper back and core work. I didnā€™t walk out anything over 315, but I will likely work up to that.

Saturday - Upper Body Accessories - 5 Weeks Out

DB Incline Bench w/ Band:
5x10x55s+Light

Double Paused Bench:
3x8x185 - No delt or pec pain

HS Iso-Row:
2x10x360 - Wanted 4 MRS, but had a hard drop in strength from last week, so moving on from this exercise
2x10x270

Machine Dips:
3x15x170
15, 15, 15 x 170, 130, 90 - Drop set

HS Incline Press:
3x15/15x45

Barbell Curl - Reverse/Normal:
30/30, 20/20 x 45 - 30 sec rest

Cardio:
3 mins of Stair Master before my VMOs started cramping from origin to insertion
7 mins of treadmill at 3.5 mph at 1.5 incline before I got bored to hell
Rower: 500m in 2:15 then 8 rounds of 0:30 on / 0:30 off. Got 9 cal on average and 1206m total

Nothing special about this one. I didnā€™t feel any pain during anything, so Iā€™m probably fine, but Iā€™ll start back with some high rep bench next weekend probably.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPguCn5B87a/

774

Monday - RE Squat & Heavy DE Deadlift

SSB Squat w/ Belt:
2x5x365
2x5x375
2x5x385

Paused Sumo w/ Belt/Straps:
6x3x475 - Super fast

HS High Row:
4x10x270

Paused Hip Thrust:
3x12x275

Seated Leg Curl:
3x15x100

Suitcase Carry:
4 x 125/125ft x 90 - Something like 30-45 sec rest

Good stuff today. Iā€™m getting better at the SSB, since I could only get 3x405 when I used it for a heavy day a few weeks ago. Hopefully it translates onto my competition squat.

Paused sumo felt incredibly easy. My thumb blister should be completely healed in the next week so that I can continue hook grip practice. The only thing I am worrying about is how explosive I can be with it relative to straps.

775

Wednesday - Upper Body Accessories

Rowing:
2x500m w/ 2 min rest - 1000m in 4:25 - 60 cals

Double Paused Bench:
6x6x185 - Felt hard today for some reason. Pecs and delts out of condition

Paused Incline DB Bench:
2x20x40s

Cable Fly:
3x20x20s - 30 sec weighted stretch after each set

Machine Row:
4x12x150 - Various grips

A1 | Push-Ups:
4x20 - No delt or pec issues felt

A2 | Barbell Curl:
4x25x50

B1 | DB Rear Delt Fly:
3x12x25s

B2 | DB Lateral Raise:
3x12x25s

Cardio - Recumbent Bike:
10 mins at level 12. 75-80 RPM average. 3.11 miles. 118 cals

Iā€™m very bored with this injury. Iā€™d like to bench again, pls. But I did get a good pump going, especially on the push-ups and curls superset. I am going to be doing push-ups more often because I feel like itā€™s good for my pecs and general shoulder health. My last cycle had them a good bit at the end and I think it played a part in keeping me healthy.
before hitting my big 425 PR.

Iā€™m down one pound as of this morning. Trying to see where an average of 3000 cals will take me.

776

Friday - ME Deadlift & DE Squat

Sumo Deadlift w/ Chains (+60) - Belt/Straps:
2x535+60
3x2x565+60 - Big PR!
2x535+60
2x8x405+60

Squat w/ Belt:
10x2x405 - 60 sec rest

Good Morning:
5x10x135

Single Leg RDL:
3x10/10x75

Pin Leg Press:
2x8x360 - Then my VMOs commenced 5 minutes of cramping

Hollow Body Hold + Bicycle Kicks:
3x10/10

Really happy that I was able to hit my goal weight for multiple doubles. 625 at the top if Iā€™m estimating the amount of chains still on the ground correctly. They all moved well, but I did have some back rounding, so I need to figure out my positioning a little better.

Saturday - Light Volume Bench - 4 Weeks Out

Paused Bench:
5x10x225 - No pain. Just fatigue

Neutral Grip Incline DB Bench:
4x15x55s

Trap Bar Bent-Over Row:
4x8x225

Machine Dips:
3x15x190
15, 15, 15 @ 190, 150, 110 - Drop set

Barbell Curl:
2x50x45 - 60 sec rest

A1 | Cable+Band Fly:
3x15x15+Minis

A2 | Band Crossover Facepull:
4x15xMinis

Cardio - Rowing:
500m in 2:15
Tabata - 8 rounds x 20 sec on / 10 sec off - Something like 80-90m per round

Alright, I think Iā€™m good to try a linear progression on bench leading up to the meet. I will likely do something like 5x8, 5x6, 5x5 and should be good to go.

777

Monday - RE Deadlift & Heavy DE Squat

Sumo w/ Belt/Straps:
1x545 - No straps, hook grip PR from the floor (pulled previously from blocks)
4x5x495
10x495 - PR regardless of stance! I donā€™t really have a recent sumo PR to compare it to, since my spreadsheet says 495x3. Conventional PRs are 495x8 and 475x10.

SSB Squat w/ Belt:
6x3x375 - Paused last set because I couldnā€™t remember how many sets Iā€™d done.

Fat-Man Pull-Ups:
3x15

KB Swing w/ Hips Banded:
4x15x70+Light Band

Seated Leg Curl:
3x15x110

Suitcase Carry - Hook Grip:
4 x 125/125ft x 95 - Full rests for my thumbs. Started hook on the second set

Really happy with how all of this went today. I used some tape on my thumb pads to help with the hook grip with 545, but they were getting pulled off during the rep and that slowed me down a good bit. I have some Jerkfit thumb protector dealies on the way that should help this process.

The 5x5+ wasnā€™t planned, but I had done a 4x5x495 two weeks ago, so I just added more to it and had 10 on my mind during the other sets. Probably could have gotten 12 if I had been able to maintain my position. I started to get too forward. Still, crazy I beat an all-time deadlift PR with sumo after only 14 weeks of training, in which the first several weeks were me trying to avoid my QL and hip flexor injuries.

Getting better and better at SSB squats, but I think this was my last time using it until after the meet. Being under 4 weeks out means I need to practice the competition form more.

Video of 495x10:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BP6hScNBJmK/

2 Likes
778

Wednesday - RE Bench

Paused Bench:
5x8x275 - Mostly fine on the delt. Little twinge on the first rep of the first set, but no other issues.

Slight Incline DB Bench:
4x12x75s

Cable Low Row - Wide Grip:
15x120
3x15x160 - Some added resistance from sticky cables on this specific station

A1 | Uneven Push-Up:
2x15/15 - One hand on 3" elevated surface

A2 | Bilateral KB Curl:
3x20x70 - Used one KB and held the handle in the hammer curl type way

Cable Fly:
3x15x25,20,30 - Different angles

Band Facepull:
3x15xDbl mini

Cardio - Rowing:
10 rounds of 0:30 on / 0:30 off - 1430 meters total

Second workout of getting back into bench done. 5x6-7 will be next, though this Saturday may be a repeat of todays workout or something lighter to make sure Iā€™m not rushing this.

Everything else went pretty well.

779

Friday - ME Squat & DE Deadlift

Squat w/ Belt:
2x455
2x475
2x2x495 - RPE 10
2x455

Pin Squat w/ Belt:
3x5x315

Conventional Paused Deadlift:
3x2x405 - Back feeling shitty
0x405 - Added belt, about 1cm off the ground I felt a twinge in my back

Barbell Hyper:
4x12x135

Machine Ab Pulldown:
3x12x100

So yeah another potential low back thing. It hasnā€™t been too bad since then, but itā€™s been really tight. On a mission to strengthen the shit out of my lower back directly.

Squats felt bad from the beginning. Form wasnā€™t bad, but I felt unstable. I should have stuck with 455 for an easy day. Stubbornness.

Saturday - RE Bench

TnG Bench:
5x10x225 - Good control, no pain

DB Incline Row - Hook Grip:
4x10x110s

Barbell Hypers - Hook Grip:
10x135
3x10x185

Rack Pull Hook Grip Practice:
Up to 405 for a few seconds - Thumbs dead from previous 2 exercises

Medicine Ball Push-Ups:
3x12

Cable Ab Pulldown:
3x15x75

Cardio - Stationary Bike:
5 mins at level 12
4 rounds of:
10 sec sprint at level 12
20 sec sprint at level 25
90 sec at level 12
Totals - 15 minutes, 3.62 miles, 160 calories

Back was mostly fine during this workout. I think as long as Iā€™m moving around, it stays loose. Barbell hypers are now a staple. I think my direct quad movement is being replaced by that for the time being.

Iā€™m really bad at touch-n-go bench, so thatā€™s why I did that today. I made sure the lightly touch instead of bounce too. Next bench workout I should be good for a 5x6.

780

Monday - DE Squat & Heavy DE Deadlift

Squat w/ Belt - Forgot knee sleeves:
8x2x405 - Some back tightness, but no pain

Sumo w/ Belt:
4x1x495 - Hook grip
1x495 - Add straps
1x545
1x585 @ RPE 8 - PR from the floor!

Chest-Supported T-Bar Row:
3x15x90

Barbell Hyper:
4x10x135

Seated Leg Curl:
2x15x100

Leg Extension:
2x15x100

KB Hollow Hold + Bicycle Kick:
2x10/10x45

Crisis apparently averted with the low back thing. I think the barbell hypers have helped get that situated pretty much immediately. Will definitely keep those in the rotation.

Like an idiot, I forgot my knee sleeves, but I didnā€™t have any knee issues during the squats. Some soreness today (Tuesday). But the bar moved decently well, felt more stable than Friday from 135 up. This was supposed to be RE squats, but I wasnā€™t planning on doing higher reps even if I had my knee sleeves. Just wanted to practice my form and make sure the back was good.

Sumo was awesome today. I was pulling with 2 others, so I had a lot of rest between sets, like I would at a meet. Iā€™m wearing some thumb protectors from Jerkfit just for my skinā€™s sake. Doesnā€™t do anything for the pressure and they also start sliding off around 495, but theyā€™re made for quick movements, not sustained hold. Just gonna keep practicing and hope I can move big weights at the meet with hook like I did with straps on 585, because it was comically fast. Faster than Iā€™ve ever moved it with conventional.

Also, since Iā€™m apparently being chatty, Iā€™ll mention here that I signed up for Avatar Nutrition, which is the macro adjusting diet website. I need to start seeing some progress on the scale and I donā€™t care to stress myself out with adjusting them myself.