Enter the Montana Method

[SquatsALot]

3/18/19

Week 2 Power Day

Squat (High Bar)
Top single at 257.5

Bench Press
Top single at 167.5 (PR)

CGBP
3x8@120 lbs

Deadlift
1@295
4x3@255

Should be PR'ing Bench Press every time I do week 2 Power Day for a while, unless I decide to do a 1RM test and blow my previous out of the water by 20 lbs. Probably more fun to look forward to a new PR every 2 weeks though.

[SquatsALot]

3/19/19

Curls 47.5 lbs 3 sets of 12

30 minutes on the bike trainer. My legs were dead so I didn't get going fast enough to spike the HR past 120. So that's annoying.

[SquatsALot]

I've been sick for the last 5 days, so no training. Sucks.

[SquatsALot]

3/25/19

Finally feeling better, so repeated programming from 3/18. Added 3 sets of 12 curls at 50 lbs at the end.

[SquatsALot]

3/27/19

Week 2 Strength Day

Squats
240 lbs
3x3, 3x2

Bench Press
152.5
4x3,3x2

RDL
185
4x5

Subbed in RDLs for SGDLs, because I felt like it. Squats were a bit tough, but only the second session after a 6 day layoff, so it's to be expected.

[SquatsALot]

3/28/19

Went to Top Golf and had a few beers.

Supposed to do OHP density block. Friend was working in my garage doing his LP, and it was his press day at 95 lbs. Figured 'meh, close enough to 80%' and just did 3x5 with him. Felt super super easy, probably need to retest OHP 1RM even though I only end up pressing every few weeks.

Then did 3 sets of 12 curls at 52.5 pounds.

Cardio did not happen as planned.

[SquatsALot]

3/29/19

Had 3 beers and Chinese food for dinner.

Got home and somehow still made myself do half an hour on the bike at ~122 bpm HR. #BuzzedCardioFTW

Hopefully won't get roped into having post-work beers for a week or two after tonight.

[SquatsALot]

Setting new e1RMs for the new cycle starting tomorrow:

Squat 300 (+7.5 lbs)
Bench Press 192.5 (+7.5 lbs)
Deadlift 325 (+5 lbs)

Lowered deadlift % on the backoffs from 75%/80% to 70%/75%. Thought about dropping the singles or lowering the % of those, but decided I want the heavy pull practice. Current e1rm is at 325, and I know I can pull that for a single if I tried it, actual tested 1RM from a couple of months ago is 315.

Pushing the squats up as they haven't been fatiguing me and I think it's the right jump.

Aggressive jump on BP, but think I have it easily. Not sure if I could actually hit that for a 1RM, but the way the % falls, 7.5 lb is basically the same jump as 5 lb for this cycle, it just bumps the single by 2.5 lbs on week 2 day 2. And it will basically put me at exactly a 1x BW BP single in 1.5 weeks, and I want that milestone NOW (lol).

SO tempted to test OHP 1RM this cycle as I might be able to hit 135 lbs for a single. Hopefully I resist.

[SquatsALot]

3/30/19

Hypertrophy Day Week 1

Squats
210 lbs
5x5 - Fifth set was RPE 9, so skipped set 6 as instructed by the program. 3 beers and cardio the night before volume day is apparently a no-no from now on. First time squats have had me light headed since LP. And they're not even heavy? lol, just an off day

Bench Press
135 lbs
7x5 - felt good, shoulders are smoked after though

Chins
Unassisted, 10 min block
25 reps achieved. Did 2 reps every ~55 secs to make room for an extra set at the end, and got 3 reps on the final set. By far the most chins I've ever been able to do in 10 minutes.

All in all, victory on the chins, still making good bench progress, squats should rebound before day 3 (the hard day) so it's all good.

[SquatsALot]

4/1/19

Power Day

Squat
180x3, 210x2, 232.5, 232.5, 240, 255, 255, 255

Bench Press
115x3, 135x2, 150, 150, 162.5, 162.5, 162.5

CGBP
125
8,8,6,2

Deadlift
1@292.5
5x4@227.5

CGBP - had something going on with my shoulder during the last set so I had to rack it, and just did the remaining two reps about 20 seconds later. It was a 5 pound jump on CGBP, so no worries.

Deadlift single blindsided me and was RPE9, when it should have been 8 and it totally smoked my back. My deadlift is going nowhere. I'm just going to reset the percentages to stock template and reset the weight under the assumption I just got weaker and have been overtraining it? I compared the MM programming to all of the BBM programming, and the prescription is pretty much in line (1@8 (90-92%), ~18-24 reps at 70-80%ish).

So....my deadlift e1rm will now officially be the same as my squat. Fun times.

[SquatsALot]

4/3/19

Strength Day

Splitting headache, but got through squats at bench. Skipped SGDL.

Squat 5x3 @240 lbs

Bench Press
4 sets of 3, followed by 1 paused @155 lbs

[SquatsALot]

4/5/19

Felt like doing week 1 again, so I reset my max's slightly and did day 1 week 1.

Squat
212.5 lbs
5x5, 4, 1
Cruising along, but my low back is once again my limiting factor for everything. Had a huge low back pump by the last set, even though I'm doing high bar now, and the entire reason I moved to high bar was to take stress off my low back. Dunno, not freaking out about it, but it isn't something that has happened to me in a long time.

Bench Press
7x5 @137.5 lbs
That was fine.

10 min density block
Did the cheaty rows I see mentioned around here with very light weight (95 lbs.) Got 58 of them.

[SquatsALot]

4/7/19
Week 1 Power Day

Squat
Top singles at 257.5

Bench Press
Top singles at 167.5

CGBP
3x8@127.5 (felt better today)

Deadlift
1@277.5
5x4@237.5

Who knew? Deadlift works better when you lower the weight and actually remember to take a proper valsalva. Also I found it feels better with more toe angle out, so now I'm angling my toes at 45 like my squats, and taking a slightly wider stance. The tinkering continues, but I feel much better after this session, even though my weights are deloaded quite a bit as I lowered the e1rm by 10 lbs and also took 3% intensity off of the single.

Also, got new equipment in the mail. Got a pair of spotter arms (I own a RML-390c but being able to do pin press at some point in the future might be cool). Also got another pair of 25s (bumpers), and more change plates (iron). Much faster just being able to throw a second 25 on each side, which works as most of my loads are still in the 200s.

[SquatsALot]

4/8/19

Off day, so did 6 sets of 3 chins

[SquatsALot]

4/9/19

Week 1 Strength Day

Squats (High Bar)
242.5 lbs, 5x3

Bench Press
Supposed to do 4x4 @ 157.5 lbs
Shoulder has been inflamed since CGBP the other day, reps were pushing the edge of acute pain at 135, so instead did 5x5 @135 - which is ~70% for me.

Deferred SGDL to the next day. Back was bothering me all day, and squats made it feel better. Wanted to have some back work available for me tomorrow in case my back was bothering me again, as it usually improves it to do some work.

[GlasgowJock]

~70% is still productive. I was doing 50-60% bench tempo work when my elbow was inflamed with no regression.

As much as I enjoy it, to minimise shoulder tendinopathy I choose to cut the OHP stuff as benching three times a week was both sufficient and my priority.

Strength day so 72 hours rest? IMHO, NSAID that shoulder up and if need be for next hypertrophy day cut to 50-60%. Can still squat and pull at least

[SquatsALot]

~70% is still productive. I was doing 50-60% bench tempo work when my elbow was inflamed with no regression.

As much as I enjoy it, to minimise shoulder tendinopathy I choose to cut the OHP stuff as benching three times a week was both sufficient and my priority.

Strength day so 72 hours rest? IMHO, NSAID that shoulder up and if need be for next hypertrophy day cut to 50-60%. Can still squat and pull at least

Luckily or unluckily, I've been dealing with the shoulder since I started lifting about a year ago, so I am quite used to it! After getting it stronger, it does seem to recover much more quickly, and it was back to normal today, good enough to do my planned loads on week 2 day 1.

Strangely OHP doesn't seem to bother me unless I'm grinding sets across at 80-85%. But CGBP tends to be a killer as it puts my shoulder through a longer range of motion to get the bar all the way down to my chest. Much better but acts up when I increase load on that sucker. In general very glad for BBM's guidance on pain management, it's the positive reinforcement needed for us to manage these types of things.

The tempo work is a great idea though! Now why didn't I think of that? Also I tend to really like doing a full pause on bench, something with the extended stretch in that position tends to work wonders for me.

[SquatsALot]

4/11/19

25 minutes on the bike while watching TV.

[SquatsALot]

4/12/19

Week 2 Day 1

Squats
227.5
3x4, 4x3

Bench Press
147.5
3x4,4x3

7 min density block
Chins
21 reps

Dunno how squats at 227 pounds can kind of suck as it's so light, but didn't enjoy them today.

Both shoulders are feeling the increased bench loads, need to take next cycle with a very small jump (2.5 lbs e1rm jump) or else stay with same load. After I rerack I have to wait a second for my shoulders to relax and the tension to come out.

Get to go for a 10 lb PR in 2 days for my top single though! It will also be my first bench above bodyweight.

[SquatsALot]

4/13/19

40 minutes on the bike. Legs are getting used to it, kept HR above 125 the whole time without getting gassed.