After completing my squats at 265 two days earlier, I was feeling pretty beat for workout 17.2. I’m happy with my results and I’ve got 3 days to rest until I try squats at 270 again. My first set of 5 felt pretty good. I checked the video and had a bit more forward lean than I’d like, but this proves that I can get 5s done at this weight. With the completion of my bench at 185, my press is the only lift where I haven’t surpassed my old 1 rep max for sets of 5. I’m only a few pounds off though!
SQUAT:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 105
1x3: 160
1x2: 215
Work Sets:
3x5: 270 (5/2/2)
Comments: I want a set of 5 at 275. That is all.
BENCH PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 90
1X3: 125
1x2: 165
Work Sets:
3x5: 185
Comments: Got ‘em! Take THAT, one rep max!
POWER CLEAN:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 85
1x3: 110
1x2: 135
Work Sets:
5x3: 160 (3/3/2/3/3)
Comments: Not bad, but not perfect form. I need to get under the bar more.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Dumbbell Shrugs:
3x12: 70
Dips:
3x10: (10/10/8)
If you watched my workout on Friday, you would NEVER know that this was the same guy attempting to squat 265 pounds to start week 17. I always know how the day is going to go by my warm up sets. My warm up sets told me that I was feeling invincible. I BARELY squatted 265 once during my last workout. This time around, my first set of 5 felt like there was 50 pounds less on the bar. Same thing with set 2. I also finally got revenge on my press at 120. My deadlift stalled today, but that’s because I got light-headed during my work set. Nothing I can do about that one. All in all, an extremely successful day!
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 110
1x3: 155
1x2: 210
Work Sets:
3x5: 265
Comments: I feel like sets 1 and 2 should have been MUCH harder than they were. I’m not complaining!
PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 65
1X3: 80
1x2: 100
Work Sets:
3x5: 120
Comments: FINALLY nailed my last set after missing it 3 times in a row a few weeks ago.
DEADLIFT:
Warmup:
2x5: 135
1x3: 205
1x2: 290
Work Sets:
1x5: 345 (4)
Comments: I got light-headed again after rep 4. I tried for 5, but it didn’t make it more than a few inches off the ground.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Back Extensions:
3x15
Chin Ups:
3xFail: 10, 6, 5
Last Friday, I had to squeeze in a workout in the morning as I was going to be out of town for the long weekend. Things did not start off well. Rather that try to trudge through it, though, I simply altered my game plan, which seemed to work well. I completed solid reps and did sets that I’m not used to with rest times I’m not used to. I think it was a good compromise vis-a-vis completing 6 work set reps.
SQUAT:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 105
1x3: 155
1x2: 210
Work Sets:
3x5: 265 (1/0/…)
Comments:
Work Sets:
3x10: 155 (90 seconds rest between sets)
Comments: Believe it or not, I remember what doing a lot of reps at 155 used to feel like… much harder. My best ever set of squats at my own body weight used to be 24 reps. I wonder if I can get to 30+ now.
BENCH PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 55
1X3: 80
1x2: 100
Work Sets:
5x10: 115 (90 seconds rest between sets)
Comments: I don’t know why I decided to do 2 extra sets here. I guess 115 didn’t feel like much of a challenge so I just kept on rolling.
BARBELL ROWS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 65
1x5: 75
1x5: 95
Work Sets:
3x5: 115
Comments: I tried them. Clearly, my form isn’t what it should be, but I wanted to give barbell rows a shot one of these days. This workout seemed as good a time as any.
Not too shabby today. I completed all my reps and am movin’ on up in my squat. Only a few workouts left before I move on to greener training pastures.
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 100
1x3: 155
1x2: 205
Work Sets:
3x5: 260
Comments:
PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 60
1X3: 80
1x2: 95
Work Sets:
3x5: 115
Comments:
DEADLIFT:
Warmup:
2x5: 130
1x3: 200
1x2: 280
Work Sets:
1x5: 335
Comments:
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Glute Ham Raises:
3x15: +10 lbs.
No sleep for many days. I suppose it was bound to happen. I just wish it was scheduled on a day where I wasn’t supposed to be squatting 260 and benching 185 for 3 sets of 5. Rather than try and fail miserably in my zombified state, I decided to do something that I could actually complete. I took my squat and bench weights, cut them in half, and did work sets of ten. For my cleans, I cut the movement in half and worked on clean pulls, since I have a problem with waiting for the second pull anyway. It worked pretty well and I feel like I actually accomplished something rather that having my squats look like (3/1/0). Wednesday is another day and I’ll pick up where I left off then.
SQUAT:
Warmup:
3x5: 45
1X5: 75
1x2: 105
Work Sets:
3x10: 135
Comments: No surprise here, but these were super easy. I wonder how many squats at my body weight I can bang out these days.
BENCH PRESS:
Warmup:
3x5: 45
1x5: 65
1X5: 85
Work Sets:
3x10: 95
Comments: These felt like 3 warm up sets.
CLEAN PULLS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 85
1x3: 110
1x2: 135
Work Sets:
5x3: 160
Comments: *shrug*
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Dumbbell Bench Press:
3x12: 50
Pull-ups:
3xFail: 5, 3, 3 (These were a bad idea)
Hip Extensions:
3x15
I like days where I complete all my reps. I mean, who doesn’t? It makes you feel like you’ve still got some progress ahead of you. My squats at 255 felt pretty damn solid. I really think 260 is going to happen this time around. I only have a few weeks left before I change gears so I’m hoping to make the absolute best out of these workouts!
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 100
1x3: 150
1x2: 200
Work Sets:
3x5: 255
Comments: First two sets had no super slow reps. It wasn’t until set three that I really started to slow down on reps 4 and 5.
PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 60
1X3: 80
1x2: 95
Work Sets:
3x5: 115
Comments: My presses were a little wonky today but I think I just need to tighten up more. I was wobbling from front to back a little bit on a few reps.
DEADLIFT:
Warmup:
2x5: 130
1x3: 195
1x2: 275
Work Sets:
1x5: 325
Comments: 325 pounds is no 355, but it’s still no joke for 5.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Glute Ham Raises:
3x15 + 10lbs.
Chin Ups:
3xFail: 11, 8, 5
This is without a doubt the best workout I’ve had in weeks. Everything felt absolutely terrific! I have no idea what happened but I’m not complaining! I finished my first work set of squats and said to myself, “Huh…” I completed the second set with relative ease and thought to myself, “HMM…” I guess my body was just ready for these movements today.
SQUAT:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 100
1x3: 150
1x2: 200
Work Sets:
3x5: 250
Comments: Surprisingly easy considering that I’m only 10 pounds off my stall point.
BENCH PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 90
1X3: 125
1x2: 160
Work Sets:
3x5: 180
Comments: Remember when I stalled here? Not this time. Not even close. 185 was my old 1 rep max. Time to do three sets of five of these babies on Saturday!
POWER CLEAN:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 85
1x3: 105
1x2: 130
Work Sets:
5x3: 155 (2/3/3/3/3)
Comments: That rep I missed was just laziness on my part. It certainly woke me up for the rest of my work sets.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Dumbbell Shrugs:
3x12: 65
This weekend, I finally had a nice, solid session with little-to-no issues for any of my lifts. The weekend effect was nowhere to be found for once. Everything is feeling good and I’m interested to see what kind of barriers I can break on my lifts the next time I reach my pre-deload points.
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 95
1x3: 145
1x2: 195
Work Sets:
3x5: 245
Comments: Heavy, but completely doable.
PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 60
1X3: 75
1x2: 95
Work Sets:
3x5: 112.5
Comments: These felt absolutely terrific. I love being able to get solid reps in on my press again.
DEADLIFT:
Warmup:
2x5: 125
1x3: 185
1x2: 265
Work Sets:
1x5: 315
Comments: No trouble here on my first deloaded deadlift work set.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Back Extensions:
3x15
I was tired for this workout. It took me a while to fall asleep the night before and i was up extra early in the morning so I knew what I was in store for when I got started today. But then something unexpected happened. I didn’t struggle the way I was expecting to. In fact, I feel like I did pretty well the whole workout. I blew off my assistance work since I had an unexpected break from my workout during my bench press, but other that that, everything went better than expected today! *thumbs up*.
SQUAT:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 95
1x3: 140
1x2: 190
Work Sets:
3x5: 240
Comments: All systems go at the weight that once befuddled my body for 3 workouts in a row.
BENCH PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 85
1X3: 120
1x2: 155
Work Sets:
3x5: 175
Comments: Pretty damn solid considering that I’m back to my stalled weight next time.
POWER CLEAN:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 80
1x3: 105
1x2: 125
Work Sets:
5x3: 150
Comments: All my reps felt good today. I’m so happy to be completing everything again!
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Dips:
3x12:
Dumbbell Shrugs:
3x12: 65
Deeeeload central today. At first, I thought to myself, “Oh, boy! Time for a bunch of easy reps today!” That was not the case. Even though I’m attempting 10% less weight than before for both my squat and press, I still just went from super heavy to regular heavy! Don’t get me wrong. The reps were definitely easier to complete than the pre-deload weight, but this wasn’t like my first squat deload where everything felt super easy. Even my presses felt easier but not nearly as easy as I expected. Come on, deload magic! Do your thing!
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1X5: 90
1x3: 140
1x2: 185
Work Sets:
3x5: 235
Comments: I know what 5 reps at 235 felt like back a few weeks ago. This is MUCH improved.
PRESS:
Warmup:
2x5: 45
1x5: 60
1X3: 75
1x2: 90
Work Sets:
3x5: 110
Comments: Hey, I can complete my last set again with ease!
DEADLIFT:
Warmup:
2x5: 145
1x3: 210
1x2: 300
Work Sets:
1x5: 355 (4)
Comments: Reps 1-3 felt SIGNIFICANTLY more solid on this third attempt! Number 4 came up with a wee bit of hitching and that was all I had in me.
ASSISTANCE WORK:
Glute Ham Raises:
3x10: +10 pounds! Time to start making these more challenging.
Pull-ups:
3xFail: 10, 7, 6
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Lifting from Yesterday
Here’s what I did in the gym yesterday. New front squat PR! 205lbs :)
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Front Barbell Squat:
- 45 lb x 5 reps (+46 pts)
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