DCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[DCR]

12/13/22

Pause Squats 45,135,175x5 210 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 140 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 190 x3s x5r
Rows 137.5 x6+5+4
Press 97.5 x8+5+5

Rows/presses done as previously. Still don’t feel 100%, coughing after every set. It’s been three weeks wtf. That said, everything progressing well. I really find 1.25 plates essential to not quickly getting stuck.

[DCR]

12/15/22 (back at Max Fitness, Baton Rouge)

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 215 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 145 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 195 x3s x5r
Rows 140x6+3+3
Press 100x8+6+5
Preset EZ Curl 50x12+6+6

Rows/presses as previously. Curls DC but piston reps, shortened rom.

Like 97% back to healthy. Reps felt great though, especially squats - gripping the floor making a huge difference.

Didn’t want to make 5 lb. jumps but my change plates are in my luggage, which I still don’t have, because my bag was checked in late after the fucks curbside at LGA wouldn’t let me check in with my dog. Which I’ve done a dozen times in the past year, zero issue. Trying to move past the feeling of wanting to have choked them.

[DCR]

12/17/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 217.5 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 147.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 197.5 x3s x5r
Chinups (close, forty-five degree) x5+3+3
Separated Cable Rows 50 each x10+6+6

Just a next step in the LP day. No glory.

Saw a dude doing deficit DLs and felt myself wanting to drift from my plan. Always.

[DCR]

12/19/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 220 x3s x5r
Pause RDL 150 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 200 x3s x5r
Chest Supported T-Bar Row (neutral grip) 70x9+4+5
Press 105x8+5+5
Preset EZ Curls 60x8+5+5

Everything moving well.

[DCR]

12/21/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 222.5 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 152.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 202.5 x3s x5r
Chin Ups (close, forty-five degrees) x6+3+3
Pull Ups (wide, turned just in from neutral) x3+2+1

Chins and Pull Ups were shit. Gym happens to have no mirrors and shitty stations, so could feel myself swinging all the fuck over the place and everything felt weird. Still, got pumped up.

The LP stuff all moved just fine. If anything bench felt lighter than last time.

[DCR]

12/23/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 225 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 155 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 205 x3s x5r
Rows 140x8+4+3
Press 107.5x8+5+5
Preset EZ Curls x5+3+3

[DCR]

12/26/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 227.5 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 157.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 207.5 x3s x5r
Standing DB Curls 30s x8+4+4

Usual spot closed today so had to get a day pass at the local LA Fitness Esporta. Overcrowded, not enough barbells for all the racks, shit broken. Lost my patience after the main stuff and got out. Everything moved easily.

[DCR]

12/28/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 230 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 160 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 210 x3s x5r
Rows 142.5x6+5+4
Press 110x9+3+3

My best squats in memory - nearly no hip shift and nothing felt particularly heavy. Good session generally.

[DCR]

12/30/22

Pause Squats 45,135,185x5 232.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 212.5 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 162.5 x3s x5r
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (neutral grip) 75x8+4+4

Rushed sesssion as most have been lately, without time to get into the DC stuff other than the one movement. Hopefully things ease up so I can really start going apeshit, but in any event the LP stuff moved well today, although the squats felt just a bit heavy. Having two other dudes squatting in the 4s to rub my face in the dirt added to the lack of fun.

[DCR]

1/1/23

Pause Squats 45,135,195x5 235 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 165 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 215 x3s x5r
Lat Pulldowns (neutral mag) 130x8+5+4
DB Press 40s x5+3+3

[DCR]

1/3/23

Pause Squats 45,135,195x5 237.5 x3s x5r
Pause RDLs 167.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135x5 217.5 x3s x5r
Rows 145x8+4+3
Press 112.5x5+5+5

Continuing rows paused in my gut and press sets begun from the floor.

[DCR]

1/5/23

Pause Squats 45,135,195x5 240 x3s x5r
RDLs 170 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135x5 220 x3s x5r
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (neutral grip) 80x7+4+4 (last mini-set lost my form and piston-ed it, but fuck it felt good)

[hector]

Having two other dudes squatting in the 4s to rub my face in the dirt added to the lack of fun.

Sounds like a cool gym!

[DCR]

Having two other dudes squatting in the 4s to rub my face in the dirt added to the lack of fun.

Sounds like a cool gym!

It really is. The two options around here (presuming I don’t want to drive 30 mins to a black iron spot, which, given that I don’t even pull from the floor anymore, I don’t) are Esporta (the rebranded LA Fitness) and this place, which is a commercial gym but a standalone one. I’ve always enjoyed those spots, with each having its unique feel, quirks, and membership. This one happens to include in its membership maybe eight or so dudes who are very strong (on squat and bench; place isn’t conducive to DLing), and at my age I legitimately enjoy seeing these young guys get after it, even if it’s depressing as I run an LP attempting to get back to my base from 2019. Sigh.

[DCR]

1/7/23

Pause Squats 45,135,205x5 242.5 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 172.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,185x5 222.5 x3s x5r
Rows 147.5x6+3+2
DB Press 40s x8+4+4
Goblet Squats 25x10 (pause at bottom, no lockout at top)

I realized (ok I knew but was lying to myself) that my paused squats had become more yield than stop, so cut back the reps today and really hung out down there. Will be glad to be back to two plates on bench next time in. Overall good session.

[Hardartery]

1/7/23

Pause Squats 45,135,205x5 242.5 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 172.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,185x5 222.5 x3s x5r
Rows 147.5x6+3+2
DB Press 40s x8+4+4
Goblet Squats 25x10 (pause at bottom, no lockout at top)

I realized (ok I knew but was lying to myself) that my paused squats had become more yield than stop, so cut back the reps today and really hung out down there. Will be glad to be back to two plates on bench next time in. Overall good session.

Are you staying tight at the bottom or trying to relax certain muscles (Like hip flexors)? My experience is that if I can't sit down there just chillin' and able to look around while I slow count, then I should drop the weight a little.

[DCR]

1/7/23

Pause Squats 45,135,205x5 242.5 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 172.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench Press 45,135,185x5 222.5 x3s x5r
Rows 147.5x6+3+2
DB Press 40s x8+4+4
Goblet Squats 25x10 (pause at bottom, no lockout at top)

I realized (ok I knew but was lying to myself) that my paused squats had become more yield than stop, so cut back the reps today and really hung out down there. Will be glad to be back to two plates on bench next time in. Overall good session.

Are you staying tight at the bottom or trying to relax certain muscles (Like hip flexors)? My experience is that if I can't sit down there just chillin' and able to look around while I slow count, then I should drop the weight a little.

I’m keeping everything fully engaged. Many (many) years ago I permitted things to relax in the hole over a few weeks, with the result that my knees got so fucked that I spent a full year out of the gym. (I turned to swimming for exercise. Was never so ripped, despite eating whatever I wanted, nor apparently so attractive to women. There’s a lesson there but I didn’t learn a bit of it.)

[Hardartery]

Well, definitely don't jack up your knees again, that's no good. I would try to relax the hamstrings and/or the hip flexors and then engage them again before ascending so I was tight coming out of the hole but not carrying any kinetic energy from the stretch reflex. It takes a bit to dump that energy if you stay totally tight throughout and the point is to lose that energy.

[DCR]

1/9/23

Paused Squats 45,135,205x5 245 x3s x3r
Paused RDLs 175 x3s x5r
Paused Bench Press 45,135,185x5 225 x3s x5r
Pullups regular x5 legs slightly forward x2 neutral legs slightly forward x2 forty-five degree chins legs slightly forward x4,3

No DC stuff today bc got to gym late and it was packed, so just toyed with shitty pullups. Even those I couldn’t do DC bc I was working in with someone else.

Really pleased with the bench pressing and RDL progress. I realize 175 on RDLs is a joke, but so is my grip and I’ve been progressing double overhand without issue. Resetting both of these and progressing 3x5 slowly with 2.5 lb increases has me well ahead of where I was previously.

[DCR]

1/11/23

Pause Squats 45,135,205x5 247.5 x3s x3r
Pause RDLs 177.5 x3s x5r
Pause Bench 45,135,185x5 227.5 x3s x5r
Chest Supported T-Bar Rows (neutral grip) 85x7+4+4
DB Curls 35s x6+3+2
Lying Leg Curls 77x11+4+4

This little LP is about to come to an end. (I guess it already did with squats since I dropped to 3x3.) Question is what’s next. Most likely continuing it with some Hepburn-y thing.