Squat w/ Belt:
5x3x405 - Straight bar, no shoulder issues
Leg Press:
10x450
10x540
8x630 + 6x540 + 6x450 + 10x360 - Drop set
Hyper:
20xBW+90
15xBW+90
Lat Pulldown:
10 + 5 + 3 x 180 - Myo-Reps
10 + 3 + 2 x 180 - Myo-Reps
Seated Leg Curl:
12x100
12x120
12x140
Getting married this week! So no more gym time until next week. This was a solid workout though.
SSB Squat w/ Belt:
4x2x340 - Some paused, some not
5x340 - Paused
Front Foot Elevated Split Squat:
3x8/8xBW+40 - Skater squat eccentric (as much as possible) then putting the rear foot down for concentric portion
Hip Thrust Machine:
2x15x180
Lying Leg Curl:
2x15x50
Just getting back into some loaded movements after the time off. It felt like shit, but I had an incredible time at the beach and getting married, so itās all worth it a billion times over.
A1 | Feet Up DB Bench:
3x10x80s
20x80s
A2 | Machine High Row:
2x12x90
2x12x140
Dip Machine:
3x12x140
B1 | Reverse Cable Curl:
2x15x60
B2 | Cable Curl:
2x12x60
B3 | Cable Lateral Raise:
20/20x25
15/15x35
It seems this week will just feel shitty lol. Iāve been exhausted outside of the gym too. Iāve found that a couple of days after drinking heavily (e.g. my wedding) Iāll have pretty significant depression both physically and mentally. This is one of the reasons I rarely drink. But this was also just a very stressful (and fun) past week, so the come down from that can be rough too.
The important part about these moments is to allow yourself to acknowledge the difficulty and understand that it will pass, rather than get frustrated with it. This next week will just be for getting back into the normal flow of things.
Talking to my coach, weāll be aiming for a mock meet mid-December to have something to shoot for. Who knows, maybe after that Iāll want to do another meet.
Week 18 - Catch-Up
Day 3:
Sumo up to 2 singles at 573
Day 4:
Back work, push-ups, arms, and delts
Okay this was the end of the non-structured and feeling like garbage week after the wedding. Now back onto coachās plan.
Week 19 - Day 1
Squat w/ Belt:
3x5x335
6x385
Close Stance Belt Squat:
10x100
10x145
10x190
20x100
Bird-Dog:
2x6/6x5 lbs w/ 5 Ct Hold
Single Arm Lat Pulldown - Big Stretch Emphasis:
2x12/12x60
Mostly just getting back into the rhythm this week and thatās the point. Squats felt pretty rough, due to the shoulder mobility still not being 100%, but they looked okay and moved just fine. Goal was 6-8 at 385 at the end there and I stuck with being conservative for this week.
BW update: Consistently below 220 now. Not sure how many fat loss phases Iāll implement before bulking, but Iām enjoying what Iām doing so far.
Paused Bench:
6x275
2x6x295
4x335 - Meant to be a 6 @ RPE 8, but this one was much harder than the previous sets indicated it would be. Stuck with the RPE value instead of pushing further for no reason
Close Grip 4" Block Press:
25x185
JM Press:
3x10x135
A1 | Incline Reverse Bench Row - Myo-Reps:
25+15+10 x 150
25+10+10 x 150
A2 | Triceps Pushdown:
3x15x100
B1 | Cable Curl:
20x70
12x100
B2 | DB Curl:
2x12x15s
Then light Lu Raises and Lateral Raises
No issues with the shoulder was the win of the day here. Had a tough time getting comfortable with my timing and position on bench, but that wasnāt unexpected. Happy to have had a hard set without any pain in the shoulder.
2.5" Sumo Block Pulls w/ 2 Ct Slack Pull Pause:
5x495 - Up to this beltless
3x5x545
Conventional Deadlift w/ Belt:
5x405
2x5x455
Hyper:
10, 12, 15 x BW+90
A1 | Adductor Machine:
2x15x90
2x8x130 - Eccentric focus with concentric assistance
A2 | Abductor Machine:
2x15x90
Standing Cable Leg Curl:
20/20x30
15/15x50
Rower Pike Ups:
3x12
Block pulls were meant to be 2" only but we had to redirect to the commercial gym after driving 25 minutes to the usually gym to find it closed off for their unannounced-to-the-powerlifters Crossfit competition. Sweet.
So I had to use some thick ass bumpers for blocks. Somewhere in the 2.5-3" range. Bumped the weight up as a result of the easier position. They felt good. Conventional did not lol.
A1 | Incline DB Bench:
3x8x110
A2 | Lat Pulldown:
3x15x120
B1 | HS Iso-Row - Angles90 Grips:
2x12/12x135
B2 | Machine Dips:
10x140
2x10x190
Seated DB Curl - Myo-Reps:
2 x 6+4+3 x 40s
Single Arm Cable Curl:
2x10/10x50
Squat w/ Belt:
4x365
4x385
2x6x405 - Much better than last week, back in the groove
Belt Squat - Close Stance:
10x100
10x155
10x210 - Practically a 10RM
20x100
Seated DB Thoracic Extension:
2x12x65
Bird Dog:
2x6/6x10 w/ 5 Ct Hold
Happy when things go expected and I expected to feel better by this week. So here we are. The shoulder is still causing a little bit of comfort issues, but not horrible. Just being patient for that last 10% of recovery while I progress things around it.
Looking forward to seeing where this mock prep gets me.
Pause Bench:
4x5x315 - All RPE 7-7.5
8x315 - RPE 10 due to misgroove and loss of balance. Should have been RPE 8.5 based on the rest of the set
Close Grip 4" Board Press:
22x205
JM Press:
3x12x135
Lat Pulldown - Angles90 - Seated Reverse + Incline:
10x100
10x120
10x140
15x120
15x100
Triceps Pushdown:
2x15x120
EZ Bar Curl:
20x50
15x50
Rear Delt Fly Sequence (I, A, T):
2 x 10/10/10 x 20s
I misread the plan and did 5x5+ instead of 4x5+ on the bench. Very happy to have maintained my performance throughout the sets instead of fatiguing. No shoulder pain, just some pec discomfort on that side. Need to stay ahead of that, but otherwise it was not really an issue.
Day 3
Sumo 2" Block Pull w/ 2 Ct Slack Pause:
3x4x545
Conventional Deadlift:
2x6x455
Day 4
Single Arm DB Bench:
3x10/10x90
Back Stuff
Arm Stuff
Deadlifts felt rough this week. I was actually at the 2" block this time, so a bit lower than last week. Still should have been easier than it was. The slack pull pauses are tough lol
Squat w/ Belt:
3x405
3x3x425
4x425
Front Foot Elevated Split Squat:
2x15/15x50
Shoulder Rehab
Squats are still moving decently well, but the shoulder continues to present some issues on them. Talon grip isnāt perfected yet, so Iām still getting pain due to the actual bar pressure on the joint and itās feeling like the bar could fall off my back, if Iām not perfect with it. Iām compensating for all that and feeling distracted/weak as a result. Iāll keep working on all of it though.
Paused Bench:
4x3x315
7x315 - Soft pause
Triceps Pushdown - Cable+Bands:
15x70+2 Minis
12x90+2 Minis
12x110+2 Minis
12x110+2 Minis + 12x110 - Drop set
DB Lateral Raise:
20x15s
15x20s
3x15x30s
Machine Chest Press - Eccentrics:
Some amount til it was hard at 145 lbs
Shoulder Rehab
Shoulder pain/discomfort today limited me on bench. I wanted to get to about 335 for the 5x3+ but the RPE Rx was 6 and then 8 at the AMRAP, so I didnāt push further. For the AMRAP, I did trust the shoulder despite the pain and was more explosive and that made it move well. No issues outside of discomfort. Probably sitting at about 85-90% recovered, just gotta keep letting time and movement do its thing.
2" Sumo Block Pull:
3x495
3x545
3x585
2x635 - Felt very hard, but watching it back, it moved well
0x585 - Pulled a few inches off the blocks and it just felt like shit, so I cut it before forcing it
RDL:
3x10x315
90/90 Crunch:
3x10
Hyperextension:
2x15xBW+100
No slack pauses this week, so the weight went up substantially. The Rx was 3x3x585-635. Should have gone for 585, 605, 625 or something like that probably, but itās alright. The failed rep today wasnāt painful or anything, I think the previous set was just an overshoot regardless of the video showing it moving well, considering how hard it felt.
Block pulls are usually my ego lift, but this wave has not turned out to be that way lol
After 21 weeks how have you found having a coach do your programming?
@bigpappafrance Itās been great to let someone else handle the thinking part and write in things that I likely wouldnāt have written for myself to push me further. We were on an awesome path until this shoulder issue came up randomly. Just a matter of time to get that to 100% and weāll be right back on track!
Seated DB Overhead Press:
15x65s
2x12x65s
HS Iso-Row - Single-Arm w/ Angles90 Grip:
12/12x135
12/12x160
12/12x160 + 10/10x135 + 10/10x90 - Drop set
A1 | DB Pinwheel Curl:
13/13x45
6/6x55
8/8x55
A2 | DB Single-Arm Spider Curl:
3 sets with 20 lbs to failure (5-10 reps)
Lat Pulldown:
8x130
8x160
2x8x190
Shoulder Rehab
This was the first time Iāve done actual overhead pressing since the shoulder began hurting. Anterior shoulder pain is there, but not enough to avoid the movement. Only real issue with OHP was the deconditioning from not doing it recently.
Paused High Bar Squat w/ Belt:
1x405
1x425
1x445 @ RPE 6.5
High Bar Squat:
12x275
3x12x315 - Belt
RDL - Beltless:
8x315
2x8x365
8x315
A1 | Heels Elevated Goblet Squat w/ 3 Ct Pause:
3x10x75 - Upright and knees forward focus
A2 | DB RDL:
3x10x70s - Big hamstring stretch focus
Hollow Holds w/ Plate Press:
3x10x25
Banded Bird-Dog:
2x10/10xMini
Asked coach for more volume. Got more volume. lol
This was a lot, but also felt good to do it. The initial single felt better on my shoulders than the previous weeks, after getting some direction on improving the talon grip. 425 moved very well.
12ās hard.
Day 2
Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly:
2x20/20x15
Paused Bench:
5x15x185
TRX Y-Raise:
2x20xBW
High Incline DB Bench:
20x35s
20x45s
2x20x55s
Cable Incline Fly:
2x15x30s
2x15x40s
Cable + Band Triceps Pushdown:
3x12-15x70+2 Minis
Day 3
Touch-n-Go Sumo w/ Belt/Straps:
10x405
10x455
10x495
10x515 - Variation PR I believe
A1 | SSB Box Squat - Beltless/Flats:
4x10x245
A2 | Barbell Bent Over Row:
10x135
2x10x205
Chest-Supported T-Bar Row:
8x45
3x8x90
Hypers:
2x20xBW
Dead.
Day 4
Paused Close Grip Incline Bench:
8x185
8x205
8x225
6x245 + 6x185 + 10x135 - Drop set
Lat Pulldown - Upper Back + Lat Focus Superset:
2 x 12 + 6 x 140
Cable Incline Triceps Extension:
15x70
14x100
12x100
Lateral Raise:
Forget specifics - Superset with heavier standing laterals and lighter seated chest-supported laterals
A1 | DB Pinwheel Curl:
12/12x40
10/10x50
A2 | DB Single-Arm Spider Curl:
2x10/10x20
Good week in the books. Squats and deadlifts were brutal but fun. The 10x515 TnG sumo wasnāt as controlled as I would have liked, but 495 was very solid, which is why I went up. Bench was taken easy due to the continued shoulder pain. Hopefully will have gotten some good recovery for that.
Just noting the main/supplemental lifts here. Accessories were done though.
Week 23 - Day 1
Paused High Bar Squat w/ Belt:
2x405
2x425
2x455 @ RPE 7 - PR, especially at this RPE
High Bar Squat w/ Belt:
10x315
10x335
10x365
Beltless RDL:
3x6x405
8x405 - Added belt for this one
Week 23 - Day 2
Paused Bench:
5x12x205
High Incline DB Bench:
20x35s
15x55s
12x65s
10x75s
Week 23 - Day 3
TnG Sumo w/ Belt:
3x6x495
12x495 - PR
SSB Box Squat - Beltless:
3x8x300
Barbell Bent Over Row:
4x8x225
Week 23 - Day 4
Incline DB Bench:
2x8x105s
Back+Arms
Day 1
High Bar Paused Squat w/ Belt:
5x365
5x405 @ RPE 6 - PR at this effort for sure
High Bar Squat w/ Belt:
8x365
3x8x385
RDL w/ Belt:
5x405
5x455
4x495 - Got a small left-side strain of something in the lateral torso, so I didnāt go for the 5th. RPE was tracking for 8, which was the prescription. Just too much load on the day
Some biking and moving around
This same type of strain happened the last time I got up to 495 on RDLs (but on the right side, I think). Itās hard to tell what it is, but itās probably associated with trying to maintain a spine position that I am otherwise not used to in a conventional position and it gets overburdened at this weight. 2 days later and itās already moving and feeling much better, but Iāll take deadlifts easy to be safe.
Very happy with the squats. Moving pretty mechanically.
Day 2
Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly:
2x20/20x10
Paused Bench Press:
5x8x245
High Incline DB Bench:
15x50s
12x65s
10x80s
8x80s
HS High Row - Angles90 Grips:
3x10x180
A1 | Single-Arm Band Triceps Pushdown:
3x20/20xMonster Minin
A2 | Zottman Curls:
3x10/10x30s
Shoulder is at about 95% at this point. No issues with bench, just working some light volume. Overhead work is mostly feeling okay as well. Just very small discomfort on some days. Pain frequency and intensity still on the downslope as expected.
Day 3
Wide Stance Squat w/ Belt/Flats:
6x2x395
A1 | Leg Extension:
3x20x160
A2 | Lying Leg Curl:
3x12x70
Hip Thrust Machine:
3x15x180
Subbed deadlifts out for low volume, practice reps with wide-ish stance squats for sake of the whatever-it-is strain/spasm going on in my torso. This was the first time in a while squatting a normal variation with flats and it felt surprisingly good.
Otherwise just doing some machine work.
Day 4
Floor Press:
4x6x225
Lat Pulldown:
15x120
3x12x160
Smith Machine Drag Curls:
2x10x50 - These were 2 hard sets actually
Cable Lateral/Y Raise:
15x30s
2x12x40s
Rear Delt Fly Sequence:
30x10s
2x20x20s
Deficit Push-Ups + Hand Release:
2x15
Shoulder was feeling worse today than the past couple of weeks. Almost entirely directed to the anterior shoulder and feeling a lot like proximal biceps tendinopathy. Just gotta finish clearing up the issues there and itāll be totally fine soon. Glad that the labral-tear feeling is practically gone.