Wooden Platform, Iron Men!

[dlocas7]

Thanks, DCR!

[dlocas7]

Wednesday February 21st

Floor Press, close grip & start off 6-in. blocks
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
168 x 3
188 x 3
219 x 1
259 x 3 with 2-second pause before the third rep --- All-out effort! This is a PR post 2021, and lifetime PR is 259 x 4.
234 x 4 x 3 reps, all paused 2 seconds at the bottom --- Again, taking 10% off the weight and doing more or less sets at same reps.

Snatch Pulls off 6-in. blocks
128 x 2 x 3 reps
158 x 1
200 x 1
239 x 5
219 x 2 x 5 reps

DB Hammer Curls, simultaneous
54's x 2
59's x 5 x 2 reps as fast and strong as possible

[dlocas7]

Saturday February 24th Very light and short training tonight. I'll be stronger Monday.

Dumbbell Clean & Press
54 pounders, 5 x 3 reps --- There's nothing to worry about having to bring down some fatigue after pushing the weights on the floor press like I did over the last two weeks, and I got good results from it. I got stronger in pressing overall, and my wife noticed some increase in the size of my arms, chest and shoulders.

Abs & Legs...
Half vee ups, 2 x 12 & One-leg Squat on chair, 2 x 6 --- Just to flow some blood into my lower body. This is a feeder session.

Deadlifting is more problematic right now than my pressing. I will take an approach that is similar to my pressing, that is, warming up to a top set with something challenging, then taking 10% off that top weight and doing some back-off work at the same reps. The difference for deadlift vs. pressing will lie in the number of work sets and the frequency.

I've already got started by doing 380 x 7 then 390 x 6 with 1-2 reps in tank for top sets on the snatch-grip deadlift on my last two sessions; the back-off work at 340-350 felt very easy. My lifetime PR on snatch-grip pulls is 460 x 4 with 1 rep in tank. Yes, I'm not there now, but I recently got stronger on the floor press where I'm now neck-and-neck with the 2018 version of myself. If I can get back on the press, there's no reason why it shouldn't also be the case with deadlifting.

What did I do exactly to gain back strength on the floor press? I lowered the number of work sets but increased the intensity; I push hard on one top set followed with 2-4 more moderate sets. So let's get used to really heavy weights on the deadlift as well!

[dlocas7]

Monday February 26th

Floor Press, close grip, start from blocks of 6 in.
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
168 x 3
188 x 3
219 x 1
264 lbs x 2 --- with full 2-second pause at bottom of each rep; missed the 3rd rep, so now I know what a failed lift feel like.
239 lbs x 4 x 2 reps --- full 2-second pause at bottom of each rep; this rounds up a total of 5 x 2 reps at 80% and more.

Snatch-grip Deadlift
220 x 3
270 x 1
330 x 2 x1 rep
430 lbs x 4 --- This was a very challenging set.
380 lbs x 2 x 4 reps --- That makes a total of 3 x 4 reps at no less than 75-80%.

Axle Lift 2-in bar, One-Handed (left hand first & right hand does the same reps)
110 lbs x 3
130 x 1
150 x 6 --- This is a post-2018 PR!
135 x 8 --- That's it. My grip is exhausted after two hard sets.

Doug Hepburn was right when he said it's very difficult to seriously train more than three lifts in a given session, and the third lift is often something like curls and grip work. I didn't have much left when I was done.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday February 28th

Dumbbell Clean & Press -- standing, each set one clean, parallel grip
54 pounders x 3 x 3 reps
64's x 1
74's x 5 x 5 reps --- All sets done with at least 4 reps in the tank; speed was slowing down on 4th and 5th set.

DB Hammer curls --- both arms at once
54's x 3 x 5 reps --- I was thinking of doing a full 5 x 5, but three sets were fatiguing enough to get something out of it.

One-leg step-up all the way on a chair (one-leg squat, rising on a high step)
BW x 6
BW + 54-lb dumbbell x 2 x 3 reps --- Really hard!
BW + 25 lbs x 7 --- now this is just right

Abs... Half vee-ups x 2 x 12 reps.

After that very taxing deadlift session two days ago, I didn't work my back directly.

[dlocas7]

Saturday March 2nd

Floor Press (close grip, start off wooden blocks)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
168 x 3
188 x 3
220 x 1
240 x 1
220 x 2 x 3 reps -- My triceps felt tired from what I did three days before. I never pressure myself with training poundages. I lift what I can while nearly always leaving reps in the tank. When I PR'd at 295 on that lift, I'd train with 220 most of the time. Using more weight in training doesn't always mean I'm going to PR. Too much weight in training can make me excessively fatigued. Training too light is not as bad as training too heavy. Training too light = I put a bit more weight next time, without having to deal with any fatigue. Trust the process!

Deadlift, conventional
138 lbs x 5
229 x 3
280 x 2 x 1 rep
350 x 1
410 x 1
475 x 1 -- very hard
390 x 2 x 3 reps -- Last set felt the strongest, and I was sitting down a lot and using more leg drive to get the bar moving. My technique feels off and rusty; I need to practice more often.

Axle Two-Hand Deadlift 2" bar
200 lbs x 3
250 x 1 hold 3-4 seconds
320 x 1 hold for 11 secs -- post 2018 PR!
290 x 1 squeeze for 11 secs -- I squeezed as hard as I could for 10-11 sec. This was a sub-maximal effort.

Vintage pro wrestling from when I was a kid in high school. This match featured Haku and Rick Martel, both of whom are legends in Quebec. The match aired on 11/7/87...

[dlocas7]

Monday March 4th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 3 x 3 reps
64's x 1
74's x 1 --- With belt at this weight and up; no shame in lowering injury risk when my lower back is zonked from the 475-lb Deadlift done 48 hrs earlier.
84's x 1 --- Starts getting a bit slower, but still a warm-up
94's x 1 --- Slowed down a bit at sticking point, but it was a smooth, comfortable single at 95%. I could absolutely do the 99's tonight.
79's x 5 x 3 reps --- All of those sets felt strong with reps in reserve.

Deadlift, conventional
229 lbs x 2 x 3 reps --- Just a bit of work on my starting position and getting some blood flow in that zonked lower back that feels like a truck is parked on it.

Stiff-leg Deadlift at Bodyweight x a bunch with trunk rotations, to get more blood flow in that strained region. I'll do this same routine (DL at 230 lbs + bwt stiff-leg DL) on Wednesday to further help recovery and see if I can use 280.

[Clearwater47]

Love the vintage wrastlin'!!

I'm one that probably tends to train with weights that are too heavy - always wanting to do better than I did last time. I think that mindset has it's place, but your advice and approach is really good and lends itself better to long term progress. It was good for me to read that, so thank you!

[dlocas7]

Love the vintage wrastlin'!!

I'm one that probably tends to train with weights that are too heavy - always wanting to do better than I did last time. I think that mindset has it's place, but your advice and approach is really good and lends itself better to long term progress. It was good for me to read that, so thank you!

Thanks, Clearwater47.

In general, the closer to your limit/failure you end a set, the higher the cost on your recovery. Heavy, challenging lifts have their place in my training, but I use them sparingly. Since I'm training to improve my limit strength (1 rep max), those heavy lifts are singles, like the one I did two days ago on dumbbell pressing. One single with 95% of my PR. It was followed with 5 triples at 80%. I could probably hit 7-8 reps with the 79's, but I stopped at 3. It is a lot easier to recover from and this is how I'm able to train that lift three times a week without getting elbow inflammation. I can even do a fourth session of pressing with something like 60% to refine my technique in the start position, without much issue.

I had elbow issues in the past, but now that I'm doing only 4-5 work sets in a session instead of 8-10, I'm able to train mostly pain-free and I got stronger in the current training block.

I may on occasion do a max reps set for fun when I'm far from a test day, but in general, I get good results from submaximal sets as the bulk of my training. I'm just one month away from a test day, so all my sets are 1-3 reps; I'm training the ability to fire on all cylinders in one big burst of effort.

I hope your training is going well.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday March 6th

Floor Press, close grip (starting from bottom off blocks with bar 1" from chest)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
168 x 3
188 x 2 x 3 reps
229 x 1
259 x 1
229 x 4 x 3 reps

Deadlift, conventional
138 x 6
229 x 2 x 3 reps
280 x 3
320 x 3

Axle Lift, One-Hand
110 x 3
130 x 1
155 x 4
140 x 6

[dlocas7]

Saturday March 9th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 3 x 3 reps
64's x 1
74's x 1
84's x 1
89's (90%) x 2 x 1 rep
74's x 6 sets x 3 reps --- Felt very easy. I remember how heavy those weights felt last August. Thus far, this is another great training block for my pressing. As I write this, I feel a lot of fatigue in my lats because every time I initiate a press and the weights pop off my shoulders, I strongly contract the lats; they attach in front of the humerus and this is why contracting the lats will help you getting the barbell/dumbbells moving at the start of a press.

One-Leg Squat on Chair (step-up)
BWT (260 lbs) x 6
BWT + 25 lbs x 4 x 4 reps --- Enough to feel fatigue in my legs

Half vee-ups x 2 x 12 reps

[dlocas7]

Monday March 11th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 3 x 3 reps
64's x 1
74's x 1
84's x 5 sets x 3 reps @ RPE 8 (8.5 on 4th set) RPE 8 on last set. Yes, I often use the Prilepin Chart! This was 5 x 3 at 85%. Heavy session at RPE 8.

Snatch-Grip Deadlift
220 x 3
270 x 1
310 x 1
380 x 3 x 4 reps --- this is a set/reps scheme that will do at 70-80% as well as 80-85%. I stopped at 3 sets since I wanted a better recovery and the possibility of re-training the deadlift sooner. These sets were at RPE 7 or 7.5. This carries a good training effect on any deadlift variation.

Axle Two-Hand Lift (2" bar)
200 lbs x 3
250 x 1
270 x 1
330 x 0 --- Got it up to the knees.
290 x 3 x 1 hold of 5 secs. while squeezing that bar as hard as possible.

Two-Hand Pinch Lift
Pair of regular York Standard 45-lb plates... x 7

Today was cold and snowy in Quebec City. Time to play some wintery music! I don't have enough dough to fly to Hawaii, but I can still listen to Tony Bennett...

[slowmotion]

It's always fun to read your log! Nice work!

[dlocas7]

It's always fun to read your log! Nice work!

Thanks, slowmotion!

[dlocas7]

Wednesday March 13th

Snatch-grip Deadlift
128 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
200 x 2 x 3 reps
269 x 1
310 x 1
360 x 5 @ RPE 7.5
330 x 5 @ RPE 6

Floor Press, close grip (start from bottom, blocks)
128 x 6
168 x 3
200 x 1
219 x 1
249 x 2 x 2 @ RPE 8 - 8.5 (I've passed my RPE ceiling on that second set)
219 x 4 x 3 reps @ RPE 7 - 7.5 --- The ceiling will be @ RPE 9 on Saturday, when I'll perform doubles with a pair of 86½ 'bells.

Snatch Pulls off 6" blocks
128 x 5
178 x 3
219 x 4 x 3 reps --- The groove off the floor is completely different from a deadlift on a clean/snatch pull. Doing them off blocks allows me to keep working those upper back quick muscles while avoiding mixing up those two different movement patterns.

Romanian Deadlift
290 lbs x 2 x 8 reps --- Most really strong deadlifters whose log I've seen include some form of posterior-chain assistance work. I've included such work now and then, almost always with some degree of success.

Pinch Lift, two hands
Pair of York Standard 45's x 2 x 6 reps --- I was doing that lift when I was at my strongest on the axle lift in 2018. Strong thumbs = strong axle lift!

[dlocas7]

Saturday March 16th (three weeks out from Test day)

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict)
54 pounders x 3 x 3 reps
64's x 2
74's x 2
84's x 2 @ RPE 8
86½ 's x 4 x 2 reps @ RPE 8.5 (1-2 reps left in tank) I did fewer sets than planned since I felt fatigued. Monday and Wednesday will be light sessions so I'll be replenished next Saturday. This fatigue stems from doing presses three times a week for several weeks unabated. If I can get this fatigued without pushing one set to failure, it certainly tells me I don't need to train to failure in order to progress.

Deadlift, conventional (mostly technique work)
229 x 2 x 3 reps
280 x 3
320 x 3
370 x 3
410 x 3 @ RPE 7 --- I could probably still hit 10 reps at that weight; it's really a matter of perceived effort, especially on the deadlift.
370 x 4 x 3 reps --- On the second set, I brought my feet a little closer together and started with the bar maybe an inch further out in front of me; those adjustments made a difference; it felt easier off the ground on the first rep. All subsequent sets were done with these new adjustments to my starting position.

I used to do 5 x 5 easy using 370, 390 or 410 in 2016, and this is what got my deadlift from grinding 500 right up to the mid-500's. This was how I broke a plateau... https://www.allthingsgym.com/mikhail-ko ... ed-elbows/

[dlocas7]

Wednesday March 20th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (strict, standing with parallel grip)
54 pounders x 5 x 3 reps
64's x 1
74's x 1
84's x 1
89's x 2 x 1 rep --- Practice weights for singles, 90% of very recent PR
69's x 3 x 3 reps

Deadlift, conv.
229 x 3
280 x 3
300 x 3
350 x 1
390 x 1
430 x 3 x 1 rep --- Practice technique at 20 lbs of training ceiling & 54 lbs of most recent completed max.

Axle two-hand Lift (2" axle)
200 lbs x 3
250 x 1
260 x 1
270 x 1
290 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1 --- Practice at 10 lbs off most recent completed max.

Doorframe Overhead Push with straight arms --- I stand under the door's beam and hold an overhead position with straight arms, then I push with legs. I don't need to push a lot to feel no less than 300 lbs of tension in that overhead position. This is done with my belt. 3 x Pushes (3-4 sec.)

Pinch Lift, two handed with a pair of Standard 45-lb plates --- 3 x 1 rep where I lift and squeeze the plates with all I have for 3-4 sec.

A solid session considering I'm down with the flu.

[dlocas7]

That flu turned out to be a VERY nasty one. I'm in the process of coming out of it and I might be able to have a very light training session next Monday. Testing my maxes on April 6th is out of the question now. I'll start over on an accumulation phase with some singles and will go for a PR now and then when I feel I'm having a hot night.

That spell of illness isn't going to leave me damaged in any way, and I just have to be a little more patient before going back to lifting.

[DCR]

Feel better, @dlocas7 - looking forward to seeing you back at it next week, and to those PRs whenever they come.

[dlocas7]

Feel better, @dlocas7 - looking forward to seeing you back at it next week, and to those PRs whenever they come.

Thanks, DCR!