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Friday, October 28, 2016

Coming to Terms

24 October 2016

Pull 385x5, 405x4, 425x3, 445x2, 455x1, 465x1, 475x1

This went a little better than the bench pressing yesterday. I've sort of figured out a progression for 5-4-3-2-1. Try to add 5 pounds to the higher-rep sets and progress the singles by the same increment whenever it 'feels right'. Will probably add weight more slowly on the bench press.

Ideally I'd just go back to my 6-week cycle, but I won't have be able to lift consistently for awhile, so it wouldn't make much sense to add a lot of structure (e.g. I'd be stuck repeating the first 2-3 weeks over and over).

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Wide stance leg press 2s x 20, 1s x 15 - leg press is my new favorite exercise


26 October 2016

SlingShot bench press 330x5, 340x4, 350x2, 360x2, 370x1, 340x1, 350x1

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5-6

Chest supported row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 5-4-3-2-1-1

Preacher curl DB curls + barbell curls x 3 sets

Reverse bench barbell curl 3s x 8


27 October 2016

Squat 365x5, 385x4, 415x3, 435x2, 455x2, 465x1

Walkouts, no belt, x 2 sets

Leg press, close stance 2s x 20, 1s x 12 - wanted 15 on the heaviest set

Leg extension x 20, x 12

My squat has suffered the least of all lifts from my last trip. Usually it's the opposite. I tried a single with 480, but the bar caught a bounce as I unracked it and started to wobble up and down when I walked it out, so I put it back. But all squats felt strong and explosive, under control. I only used a belt, no wraps.

As punishment, I did two sets of walkouts (with small knee bends). The second set was with 10 lbs. below my all-time best squat. I barely managed to walk it out. It's fine.

I'm no longer concerned about my squat maxes and have come to terms with the fact that my best squatting is behind me. Looking back, the great run I had in 2014 was due to the consistent volume and intensity I put into squatting in 2012 and 2013.

I no longer want to dedicate that much time and effort to squatting, and my body isn't responding to heavy squats the way it used to. My hips have never felt the same since the injury and often I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and see that they are completely out of alignment in the 'hole'. My shoulders can't take the deep low bar position which I have to assume in order to squat heavy weight efficiently. All this leads to slight adjustments to bar and foot placement which translate into stress being distributed unevenly.

Squats are a great exercise and I'll keep doing them as heavy as I can. I'd like to work back up to a 500 squat and maintain it at that level for as long as possible. Maybe do 405x20 someday, or try a slightly heavier single when/if it feels right. But I'll be focusing more on building the legs than on squatting. It's just another exercise.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I need to terms with my abilities too. You can't out work getting old.

Fatman said...

I believe I still have a few good training years left. Lifting-wise, things don't go to shit until you get close to 40 IMO. But my priorities are changing and I don't want to train the way I have to train to move bigger weights. I'd rather do more pump-type stuff and volume than heavy squatmornings.

Unknown said...

Pump is life. I set some goals for weights I wanted to hit awhile ago but now I'm questioning if it's worth it. My body feels great doing submaximal high volume workouts but whenever I try and test my progress I feel like garbage. Also I can squat 225x15 just fine but 315 for one rep seems impossible.

Fatman said...

"I set some goals for weights I wanted to hit awhile ago but now I'm questioning if it's worth it."

Maximum singles are pointless outside of competition. I used to have weight goals but I no longer think they're worth the effort. Or if they are, they should be 3RM, 4RM, 5RM, etc. goals. Or maybe doing something simple like 3 sets of 8 and trying to up the poundage very slowly.

For me, a 3RM is the best indicator of strength. You can hit a new 1RM by accident/fluke, but a new 3RM takes real improvement.