Griff sometimes lifts, mostly climbs

[cgeorg]

That 310 squat looked great

Thanks, man! It felt great. I'm at a cool place with my lifting right now, where I'm starting to surpass (and in the case of DL significantly exceed) my best SSLP numbers, but at lower bodyweight/bodyfat and at submaximal intensities. Lifts feel good and I don't dread my workouts. So glad I found this place (and BBM) and started learning a little bit outside SS dogma.

Yeah, getting to the point where you are setting PRs that aren't @10 is really nice.

[Griff]

3/15/19
Pull-ups - bwx5x5
Tri pushdown - 25x15; 35x12x3
BB curl - 45x8; 55x8x3
Behind the back wrist curl - 45x20; 55x20x3
Spin bike - 25min moderate intensity

3/16/19
am bodyweight: 178.2
waist measurement: 34.75" (+ 0.5”)
arm measurements (R/L): 14.875/14.75" (no change)
Meh. I definitely feel like I’ve added a little bit of fat. I was hoping I’d added a little more size to my arms. I haven’t been super consistent with my training (particularly direct arm work) or diet, though.

[Griff]

3/16/19
2-3:20pm
Deadlift - 370x1@9 (PR +5); 295x5x3@7.5, 8.5 9; 275x5@7.5
Bench - 225x1@9.5; 187.5x5x5 (or 6?)@8-9
Squat - 225x5x3@7
Notes: deadlifts went well and set a small PR. 370 moved pretty fast, although it got too far forward. 295 moved easily on the first backoff set but hook griping the OPB was tearing up my hands, so I tried mixed grip on set 2. That felt really awkward and hard. Set 3 I switched to straps, but was pretty tried, so I dropped the weight for set 4, which I think was the right call.

The bench single felt super heavy. I think I had some fatigue from overload bench on Thursday. Volume work was fine, if a little harder than I’d have liked. May have accidentally done 6 sets rather than 5.

[Wilhelm]

Congratulations, @Griff!
PR for the win.

I tape my thumbs for hooking with my OPB, but, so far, i only pull singles.
I think if i used another turn though, it could hold up to doing sets.

One of these days i'll have to find out.

[Griff]

I tape my thumbs for hooking with my OPB, but, so far, i only pull singles.
I think if i used another turn though, it could hold up to doing sets.

One of these days i'll have to find out.

Thanks. More PRs coming soon I hope

Its actually not my thumbs that are the issue (although they're not super happy either)--its the callouses towards the pinkie/ring-side of my palm that start to tear. Not sure why I thought mixed grip would help with this. It didn't, and it made the lift feel awkward. I'll probably try to do 1-2 backoff sets with hook and the rest strapped in the future. And I should take better care of my callouses.

Also, that's really interesting you only pull singles. I've read some of your log and other training posts, but never noticed that.

[Wilhelm]

I tape my thumbs for hooking with my OPB, but, so far, i only pull singles.
I think if i used another turn though, it could hold up to doing sets.

One of these days i'll have to find out.

Thanks. More PRs coming soon I hope

Its actually not my thumbs that are the issue (although they're not super happy either)--its the callouses towards the pinkie/ring-side of my palm that start to tear. Not sure why I thought mixed grip would help with this. It didn't, and it made the lift feel awkward. I'll probably try to do 1-2 backoff sets with hook and the rest strapped in the future. And I should take better care of my callouses.

Also, that's really interesting you only pull singles. I've read some of your log and other training posts, but never noticed that.

Those are the same spots i get callous issues.
they don't tear, probably be cause i keep them sanded/scraped down, but below and ring finger at the top of the palm are the spots.
I'll use folded 60 grit when they are dry, or scrape at them after they are soaked (shower or bath)
Seems like keeping them from building up is a good protection from tearing.

I may have run my last cycle of SSPT singles.
Pretty strongly considering another approach now.
I have no regrets from running it the last year and a half though.

Good training to you, Griff. \o/

[Griff]

3/19/19
9:07-10:17pm
Squat - 295x1@8; 240x5x5@7-8
Bench - 180x5x5@7-9
Deadlift - 275x5x4@7
Notes: Spent a lot of the day sitting in meetings and felt kind of creaky all over--a little lower back soreness and some knee discomfort during squats, then my right shoulder feeling a little tweaky during bench warmups. Ultimately it didn't really impact the workout, and feeling fine today.

Squats went really well. I considered going for 315, but decided I should actually keep my "1@8" sets at 8, rather than pushing to 9-9.5 like I've been doing more recently. Bench was good, too--shoulder issues faded as the warmups went along and most of the sets were smooth and easy, although the last set was unexpectedly @9. Deadlifts felt good.

3/20/19
am bodyweight: 179.4
Seems like I'm on track to lose my abs just in time for summer

[Griff]

3/20/19
~9pm
Chins - bwx5; +15x5; +25x5x3
Tri pushdowns - 25x15; 35x12x4
BB Curl - 45x8; 55x8x4
25 min spin bike - moderate intensity

[Griff]

3/21/19
9:10-10:30pm
HBBS - 205x8x4@8-9
Military press - 95x8x6@7-8
Sumo - 275x6x3@8
SS Bench (2ct pause) - 185x6x3@8
Notes: Kind of a tough session, particularly HBBS. My gym was pretty hot, I was tired and I'm feeling physically beat up. Lots of little aches and tweaks--in particular, my upper back/trap/shoulder/neck on my right side feels really tight and uncomfortable. Still, hit the weights/sets/reps I'd planned on, so from that standpoint it was a good session.

I have 4 weeks until we go on a 10 day vacation (where I won't have the time/desire/facilities to lift). I'm thinking I'll stick with my current program until then and then start something new when we get back. Not sure what, though. On one hand, I'd like to hit a 1000 pound total by the end of summer, so part of me wants to run a fairly aggressive powerlifting-focused program--I have the BBM 12-week strength template that I haven't run yet. On the other hand, we'll be getting right into the heart of summer and the garage will be super hot, which makes me lean towards something less intense, with shorter sessions, like an upper-lower split. I dunno, maybe I'll throw it out on the training forum and get people's thoughts.

[Griff]

3/23/19
9:40-10:35am
20 minutes rowing machine; ~2:20 pace (easy/moderate)
lat pulldowns ?x10x3 sets
triceps pushdowns ?x12x4
DB curls - 25x10x4
cable overhead triceps extensions 22.5x12x3
Notes: some cardio and accessory stuff at the YMCA.

3/24/19
1:50-3:15pm
Deadlift - 350x1@9; 295x5x4@7-8
Bench - 215x1@8; 187.5x5x6@7-9
Squat - 225x5x3@7-8
Notes: Deadlift single wasn't great. I decided I need to get back to keeping my @8 sets @8 rather than creeping to @9... and what I assumed would be a solid 8 still ended up a 9. Excuse: just spent the previous 90 minutes re-caulking a shower, so I was pretty tired and still dizzy from the fumes. Volume work went great, though--by far easiest 295 has ever felt for sets of 5. Bench and squat were good.

3/25/19
am bodyweight: 180.2

[Griff]

3/25/19
~9pm
Chinup - bwx5x5
Tri Pushdown - 25x15; 35x13, 13, 12, 12
BB Curl - 45x10; 55x9, 9, 9, 8
BTB Wrist Curl - 45x20; 55x20, 20
Reverse curl - 45x8
Spin Bike 20 min moderate intensity
Notes: I did the triceps, curls and wrist curls as a giant set. After 3 sets, I had such a crazy, painful forearm pump that I had to drop the wrist curls. Arm pumps are fun

[Griff]

I'm bad at know what month it is, and I'm even worse at editing posts to reference the correct month

[Griff]

3/27/19
am bodyweight: 178.6

Didn't train as planned last night. By the time I could have made it out it was 9:20, and I didn't feel like getting to bed after midnight again. Went to bed at 10 and am only moderately tired today!

[Griff]

3/27/19
9:00-10:10pm
Squat - 295x1@9 ; 245x5x4@8-8.5
Bench - 182.5x5x6@7-8
Deadlift - 275x5x4@6-7
Note: Blech, terrible squat single. Nothing off during warmups... 295 just felt way too heavy. Form was good on video, just slow--probably slower than 310 was a few weeks ago. Backoffs with 245 felt okay. Both squat and deadlift singles seems super unpredictable lately and don't seem to correspond to how I feel (like I wasn't particularly tired or worn out last night).

Started benching and that felt bad too--last warmups with 165 felt super heavy and I debated backing off for volume work. But then I loaded 182.5 and it moved easily for all six sets. Bench seems a lot more consistent for me. Deadlifts felt easy--need to bump up the weight.

[Griff]

3/29/19
~9pm
Military Press - 135x1; 150x1@9; 160xF; 135x2, 1
SGDL - 225x3x6*
SS Bench - 205x2; 225x2*, 1*
Notes: Long day at work, got home late, got the kids to bed late, and was absolutely dreading doing my usual "variations" day (HBBS, military press, sumo, SS Bench). So I just flew by the seat of my pants and decided to have fun and get some work in... Military press was good--160 would have been a 5lb PR and felt reasonably close. I was happy considering I'm at a lower bodyweight and haven't done any serious overhead pressing in a long time.

...Unfortunately, my right elbow started bothering me during the SGDL work sets. Basically a feeling of pressure across the back/inside of the joint. Hard to describe--not super painful, just pressure/discomfort. And that continued as bench got heavier. I ended up cutting both sets at 225 short due to the same feeling of pressure in my elbow, and decided to just go in to get some sleep.

Didn't work out the rest of the weekend, besides chasing my kids and their friends around on the playground. Right elbow is still a little uncomfortable, and I'm not super motivated. Sleep has been terrible due to allergies (on top of the usual kid stuff--nightmares, "I'm not sleepy" at 4am, etc).

I'm going to call the weekend a "mental deload" and try to figure out a plan (or non-plan) for the next few weeks until we go on vacation. After vacation, I'm leaning towards trying the BBM 12-week strength template and shooting for a 1000lb total, but we'll see... work might interfere with that plan. I've just gotta stay flexible.

[Griff]

4/1/19
9:20-10:05pm
Squat - 215x5x6
Bench - 155x7x7
Tricep pushdowns - 35x12, 12, 10, 10
Notes: I decided that at least for the next few weeks, and possibly beyond, I'm going to try the Montana Method (with the HVLF bench plugin). I wasn't feeling super motivated, but this workout went fine.

I've seen several other people mention in the HVLF thread that 65% day is hard, and that was definitely the case for me. My RPE's were probably like 6, 6, 6, 6.5, 7.5, 9, 9.5. Fatigue really snuck up on me in the last couple sets and my pecs felt super tight and fatigued for a while. Seems like people adapt to this pretty quickly, though, based on that thread. I guess maybe I should have cut things short after the 6th set.

Also happy my elbow didn't give me a lot of trouble. Slept relatively well last night--which is sad considering I only slept 6 hours and was woken up by my son at 4am to use the bathroom and my daughter at 5:45 because she wanted water. But at least it was the first night in a couple weeks I haven't woken up constantly throughout the night with itchy eyes and throat due to allergies. Fingers crossed things keep improving.

[Griff]

4/2/19
8:45pm
25 min spin bike, moderate intensity

4/3/19
am bodyweight: 179.8

[Griff]

4/3/19
9:05-10:10pm
MM C1W1D2
Squat - 185x3; 215x2; 240x1, 1, 250x1; 265x1, 1, 1
Bench - 165x5x7
Deadlift - 335x1; 280x4x5
Notes: Something has been feeling off with my squats the past couple weeks. None of these squats were hard, but they felt harder than they should have up until the final single. My hips haven't been feeling great and I think its subtly messing up my form. The final single at 265 I managed to stay more upright and it felt a lot better and more powerful.

Bench and dead were easy. None of the bench sets were even RPE 6. All the deadlifts were probably around @6.

I intended to do some supplemental triceps work, but my right elbow started bugging me during deadlifts again. Plus I was tired. Elbow feels fine today, not sure what's going on with it...

4/4/19
am bodyweight: 180.8
actually slept decently well again, despite my son waking up from 1:45-2:15 because of a loud thunderstorm.

[Griff]

4/4/19
~9pm
25 min spin bike, moderate intensity

4/5/19
am bodyweight: 179.4
Slept reasonably well again last night--straight through from 11 until 6:15. Feeling pretty good today!

[Griff]

4/5/19
9:05-10:10pm
MM C1W1D3
Squat - 250x3x4@8, 8, 8.5, 9
Bench - 155x7x7@5-6
SGDL - 205x5x4@6
Notes: I don't know what happened to my squat. A month ago I had an e1RM of 320ish. Suddenly, in the past two weeks I've lost like 25lb off off that. I ended up not doing the fifth set, because it was setting up to be a real grind. Knowing that the past couple workouts had been tough I'd hedged a little, using my actual @9 PR of 310 as my e1RM in the Montana Method calculator... and it feels like that was 15-20lb too high. I guess I'll just reset it at 295 (a weight I hit for a fast @8 just 3 weeks ago) and not sweat it? Very weird, since bench and deadlift don't seem to have dropped off at all. Haven't lost any weight.

Bench and SGDL were easy. I narrowed my SGDL grip a bit to avoid irritating my elbow and that seemed to work well.

4/6/19
~1:30pm
MM C1W1D4
Press - 140x1@8.5; 110x5, 5, 4, 4, 4 (22 total in 7 minutes)