Haven't eaten nearly enough tonight, but my stomach feels too funky to get into it. I'll probably down a bunch of protein in the morning to compensate, because I will surely be ravenous by my scheduled 10:00 feed. Shoot, I'm hungry now as I type, but also a little nauseated.
Also, my low back is incredibly tired. I may take an extra day and do Wednesday's on Thursday and Friday's on Saturday. That won't leave much time before Monday's, particularly not knowing what torture Mike has in mind for next week (two max days this week makes me a little nervous.) Besides, I'm getting older and it takes longer to bounce back from what amounts to a comp this afternoon.
Anyway, sleep well.
Monday, January 30, 2012
1.30.2012 week 5 day 1
Max day today. I can't remember the last time I got true maxes of the big 3 lifts. A little daunting.
Stimmed up and prepped with the usual two from True Nutrition. Still loving both, as well as the carb backloading. More on that later if I'm still conscious.
Did the three in comp order, as dictated by Mike T. Hit three PRs, no BS. I'm going to dig back several years to verify all three, but my current log runs back a couple of years, and I at the very least lifted more than I have in the last three years.
I logged during that I had more in the squat, but I was right there (within ten pounds) I think and I didn't want to kill my DL.
Bench and DL were true maxes -- I could not have added anything to either.
I ate a ton last night, even eating when I didn't want anything. I ate everything I could, and I am absolutely certain it made a difference today. Particularly because I went into the session having only eaten lunch (half a pound of bison with cheese and was still quite hungry afterward).
Once I verify the PRs, I'll post numbers. All three were at least ten pounds over previous recent sessions.
The thought of doing it again at the end of the week makes me feel a little sick, though I will go straight up to the max weights swiftly after thorough warm ups. I will post video of Friday's session.
Stay tuned.
Stimmed up and prepped with the usual two from True Nutrition. Still loving both, as well as the carb backloading. More on that later if I'm still conscious.
Did the three in comp order, as dictated by Mike T. Hit three PRs, no BS. I'm going to dig back several years to verify all three, but my current log runs back a couple of years, and I at the very least lifted more than I have in the last three years.
I logged during that I had more in the squat, but I was right there (within ten pounds) I think and I didn't want to kill my DL.
Bench and DL were true maxes -- I could not have added anything to either.
I ate a ton last night, even eating when I didn't want anything. I ate everything I could, and I am absolutely certain it made a difference today. Particularly because I went into the session having only eaten lunch (half a pound of bison with cheese and was still quite hungry afterward).
Once I verify the PRs, I'll post numbers. All three were at least ten pounds over previous recent sessions.
The thought of doing it again at the end of the week makes me feel a little sick, though I will go straight up to the max weights swiftly after thorough warm ups. I will post video of Friday's session.
Stay tuned.
Friday, January 27, 2012
1.27.2012 training wk 4, day 3
Gorgeous, warm day today. Had to be in the mid-70s all day, with a warm, dry breeze like a Santa Ana.
Holy cow, this session was hard. That might have something to do with all the Rockitfuel I've downed over the last two days, including right before the session (along with some dope Ndure.) I've got to find something else to call those things, despite the fact that I really, really like them both. Neither has any carbs, which is perfect given that they both work for me.
Did a very little bit of dynamic shoulder warm-up. Used elbow sleeves, knee sleeves, and light wrist wraps.
Deadlift, sets of 2 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: hefted up 20kg more than last time (10kg per side, which pleased me. I'm still a way away from a PR, but at least I'm not losing anything. I still view this as my weakest lift comparatively. Got two smooth reps up and might have had another, but didn't want to push it.
I was feeling a little fried coming into the training session and wasn't sure how I was going to finish. I did not feel differently at this point.
2-count bench, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: brutally hard, only got within 5kg per side of my comp bench of a few days ago. Not sure why these were so hard, but I felt like I was constantly fighting to keep the bar in the groove. Maybe I was not keeping my elbows in or something, but whatever it was wasn't working well. The funny thing is, I was only 10kg total below the comp bench doing twice as many reps. Thinking too much.
Squat, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: these flew up. Not sure why, but I was all over this. My squat is supremely confident now, and I am reasonably sure a PR isn't too far off. Go figure. I finished 20kg below my best recent squat doing 4 reps per set and felt that I had another jump up in me -- the weight was coming up quickly. Pretty happy about it. I stopped where I did because of a twinge in my neck that I caused by thinking too much again, driving my head back beyond where I needed to. Just lift.
So, a good day. Now to eat. Have a safe weekend.
Holy cow, this session was hard. That might have something to do with all the Rockitfuel I've downed over the last two days, including right before the session (along with some dope Ndure.) I've got to find something else to call those things, despite the fact that I really, really like them both. Neither has any carbs, which is perfect given that they both work for me.
Did a very little bit of dynamic shoulder warm-up. Used elbow sleeves, knee sleeves, and light wrist wraps.
Deadlift, sets of 2 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: hefted up 20kg more than last time (10kg per side, which pleased me. I'm still a way away from a PR, but at least I'm not losing anything. I still view this as my weakest lift comparatively. Got two smooth reps up and might have had another, but didn't want to push it.
I was feeling a little fried coming into the training session and wasn't sure how I was going to finish. I did not feel differently at this point.
2-count bench, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: brutally hard, only got within 5kg per side of my comp bench of a few days ago. Not sure why these were so hard, but I felt like I was constantly fighting to keep the bar in the groove. Maybe I was not keeping my elbows in or something, but whatever it was wasn't working well. The funny thing is, I was only 10kg total below the comp bench doing twice as many reps. Thinking too much.
Squat, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: these flew up. Not sure why, but I was all over this. My squat is supremely confident now, and I am reasonably sure a PR isn't too far off. Go figure. I finished 20kg below my best recent squat doing 4 reps per set and felt that I had another jump up in me -- the weight was coming up quickly. Pretty happy about it. I stopped where I did because of a twinge in my neck that I caused by thinking too much again, driving my head back beyond where I needed to. Just lift.
So, a good day. Now to eat. Have a safe weekend.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
wk 4, day 2 1.25.2011
Warm day today. Gorgeous.
Started with bar work -- totally spaced on dynamic work for no good reason. I used True Nutrition's two new products, Ndure and Rockitfuel (yeah, I didn't name them, okay?) prior to training along with two Axcel tabs. The upshot was that by the time I reached the rumpus room, I had a sense of euphoria that is tough to describe. Think I'll continue this. I was well-amped by the time the sweat started to roll, but didn't feel as totally smoked as I do when I down a whole Spike. Love my Spike, but have to titer it carefully or feel totally funky later, because onset is logarithmic -- don't feel much, feel okay, BAM.
Anyway, love the stims and hope they don't kill me. Reading that last paragraph, apparently I'm still under the influence.
Wore elbow sleeves and neoprene on the wrists.
Bench, touch/go, 3 sets of 2 reps to RPE=9 + 1X95%: Ended up about 10kg short of usual, which surprised me, particularly because it was only 2 reps per set. Kind of pissed me off, actually. I went down to 95% of the final work set and cranked out two sets of 5 reps of 95%. Felt great. Right shoulder ached all day like my meniscus was barking (likely have a small tear, and likely have since pitching days), but didn't feel it at all during work. Setup was solid, lats tight, excellent final two sets. Grip was super-wide.
Good mornings, 3 sets of 5 + 1X95%: Nothing special here. Just got it done. Low back is sore from squats + DL two days ago, which is understandable. Let it go and just got it done.
Military press, 3 sets of 7 + 1X95%: Love military press. Pushed 150kg with a wide grip (index finger on ring) and cranked them out. Left work weight on for the one extra set. Seat was at 85 degrees. Focused on minimal back arch. Felt great.
Another great day. Big day in two days, so time to eat up and recover.
Albeit a total non sequitur, if you have no, go buy and read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. If it doesn't reach you, nothing will.
Night, all.
Started with bar work -- totally spaced on dynamic work for no good reason. I used True Nutrition's two new products, Ndure and Rockitfuel (yeah, I didn't name them, okay?) prior to training along with two Axcel tabs. The upshot was that by the time I reached the rumpus room, I had a sense of euphoria that is tough to describe. Think I'll continue this. I was well-amped by the time the sweat started to roll, but didn't feel as totally smoked as I do when I down a whole Spike. Love my Spike, but have to titer it carefully or feel totally funky later, because onset is logarithmic -- don't feel much, feel okay, BAM.
Anyway, love the stims and hope they don't kill me. Reading that last paragraph, apparently I'm still under the influence.
Wore elbow sleeves and neoprene on the wrists.
Bench, touch/go, 3 sets of 2 reps to RPE=9 + 1X95%: Ended up about 10kg short of usual, which surprised me, particularly because it was only 2 reps per set. Kind of pissed me off, actually. I went down to 95% of the final work set and cranked out two sets of 5 reps of 95%. Felt great. Right shoulder ached all day like my meniscus was barking (likely have a small tear, and likely have since pitching days), but didn't feel it at all during work. Setup was solid, lats tight, excellent final two sets. Grip was super-wide.
Good mornings, 3 sets of 5 + 1X95%: Nothing special here. Just got it done. Low back is sore from squats + DL two days ago, which is understandable. Let it go and just got it done.
Military press, 3 sets of 7 + 1X95%: Love military press. Pushed 150kg with a wide grip (index finger on ring) and cranked them out. Left work weight on for the one extra set. Seat was at 85 degrees. Focused on minimal back arch. Felt great.
Another great day. Big day in two days, so time to eat up and recover.
Albeit a total non sequitur, if you have no, go buy and read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. If it doesn't reach you, nothing will.
Night, all.
Monday, January 23, 2012
training wk 4 day 1 1.23.2012
Rained hard here today -- San Diegans aren't used to that. Makes for messy days, particularly on the roads.
Did a fair amount of dynamic work to start. Spiked and dropped two Axcel, as I knew this one would be hard.
Did a lot of bar work to warm up and got to it. Used elbow and knee sleeves, and that's it.
Squat, sets of 2 reps to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95% of the last set. Weight came up pretty easily despite my trepidation. My setup in early sets was off somehow, and they consequently felt pretty heavy. I added 10kg to the total from the last full squat day, so progress continues. Frankly, I think I could have kept going up, but didn't want to grind one out with bench and deadlift still to come.
Competition raw bench, sets of 2 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 77% AMRAP: added 10kg to this one too, which makes me very happy. Lost the bar from the groove on my RPE=9 set and spent a huge amount of energy trying to save it, so my 77% sets was all of about 4 reps. I can live with it.
Deadlift + chains, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus one of 95%: added every chain I have and gutted these out. By now I was sucking wind and sweating like a pig, so it was more about finishing than anything else. Interestingly enough, the weight flew up, but I was pretty much cooked by this point and didn't do anything heroic to try for a new PR.
All in all, still very positive. Structurally I'm good, loving the volume, and making progress. Hope you are too.
Did a fair amount of dynamic work to start. Spiked and dropped two Axcel, as I knew this one would be hard.
Did a lot of bar work to warm up and got to it. Used elbow and knee sleeves, and that's it.
Squat, sets of 2 reps to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95% of the last set. Weight came up pretty easily despite my trepidation. My setup in early sets was off somehow, and they consequently felt pretty heavy. I added 10kg to the total from the last full squat day, so progress continues. Frankly, I think I could have kept going up, but didn't want to grind one out with bench and deadlift still to come.
Competition raw bench, sets of 2 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 77% AMRAP: added 10kg to this one too, which makes me very happy. Lost the bar from the groove on my RPE=9 set and spent a huge amount of energy trying to save it, so my 77% sets was all of about 4 reps. I can live with it.
Deadlift + chains, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus one of 95%: added every chain I have and gutted these out. By now I was sucking wind and sweating like a pig, so it was more about finishing than anything else. Interestingly enough, the weight flew up, but I was pretty much cooked by this point and didn't do anything heroic to try for a new PR.
All in all, still very positive. Structurally I'm good, loving the volume, and making progress. Hope you are too.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
week 3 days 2 and 3 1.22.2012
Posting a couple of days -- been busy, but got the training in. Sorry this one is unorthodox and not very informative.
Day 2 was bench x3, Good Mornings x6, and Push Press x12.
Day 3 was DL x3, Pin Press from chest x4, and 2-count squat x4.
Both had work sets followed by a single 95% set.
I've been tired and not eating enough. I had a few glasses of champagne and wine spread across several days due to birthday parties and a visiting relative -- honestly, while I love a big, fruity cab, I feel a lot better if I don't. Had a flight of Darioush cab last night, which was delicious, but doesn't do me any favors. Didn't get even remotely tipsy, but any at all has an effect on the training. Think I'll try some bourbon tonight to see if the effect continues. Kidding, kind of.
My GMs last time were very good and my push press continues to improve. My benching today off the pins resulted in another gain as well. The volume in this routine is working to my favor, I believe, though I do notice getting tired occasionally.
Hoping this week I will have more time to devote to training and logging it. Thanks for sticking with me -- I will make this more interesting soon. Stay tuned, as I expect big things from squatting this week in particular.
Out.
Day 2 was bench x3, Good Mornings x6, and Push Press x12.
Day 3 was DL x3, Pin Press from chest x4, and 2-count squat x4.
Both had work sets followed by a single 95% set.
I've been tired and not eating enough. I had a few glasses of champagne and wine spread across several days due to birthday parties and a visiting relative -- honestly, while I love a big, fruity cab, I feel a lot better if I don't. Had a flight of Darioush cab last night, which was delicious, but doesn't do me any favors. Didn't get even remotely tipsy, but any at all has an effect on the training. Think I'll try some bourbon tonight to see if the effect continues. Kidding, kind of.
My GMs last time were very good and my push press continues to improve. My benching today off the pins resulted in another gain as well. The volume in this routine is working to my favor, I believe, though I do notice getting tired occasionally.
Hoping this week I will have more time to devote to training and logging it. Thanks for sticking with me -- I will make this more interesting soon. Stay tuned, as I expect big things from squatting this week in particular.
Out.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Training 1.16.2012 week 3, day 1
Pretty wired at the moment -- just finished the session and am still jacked up with Axcel and half a Spike. Around 8:00, I'll probably crash hard.
The sessions are getting more serious, with fatigue sets at 95% now. Started with a bunch of water, a fair amount of dynamic work, and a fair amount of bar work. I'm going to have to get more serious about foam rolling either before or after, as soreness is starting to follow me around like a puppy. I'm already spacing sessions out so that I have a day between each, and I have no more room to give. Time to start soft tissue work, I guess.
Used elbow sleeves for the bench and knee sleeves with the squats and DL.
Squat, sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: Increased the weight by 6% this time, which made me very happy. The 95% set was no problem.
Competition raw bench, sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 77% AMRAP: hit a solid 265kg, which is very close to a PR if not one. Got 7 reps of 410#.
2-count paused Deadlift, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: This was just brutal after the squat effort. I actually lifted 15% less than last time I did this # of reps of this exercise (5 sessions ago). I don't feel bad about it, given the effort everywhere else.
The funny thing is, in the individual lifts I have lifted more weight than I do now but I've never felt stronger. I guess I'm a Tuchscherer convert, and I'll definitely stick with him. Even with the unimpressive DL, using the RPE=9 set weights, I lifted a raw total of over 1800# today. Now, yeah, they were gym lifts and not comp, but with multiple sets and at my age that's downright incredible. If I can bring up that DL with the other two efforts (and I have several weeks), I can score a legit elite as a masters competitor.
I can live with that.
Great night, all.
The sessions are getting more serious, with fatigue sets at 95% now. Started with a bunch of water, a fair amount of dynamic work, and a fair amount of bar work. I'm going to have to get more serious about foam rolling either before or after, as soreness is starting to follow me around like a puppy. I'm already spacing sessions out so that I have a day between each, and I have no more room to give. Time to start soft tissue work, I guess.
Used elbow sleeves for the bench and knee sleeves with the squats and DL.
Squat, sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: Increased the weight by 6% this time, which made me very happy. The 95% set was no problem.
Competition raw bench, sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 77% AMRAP: hit a solid 265kg, which is very close to a PR if not one. Got 7 reps of 410#.
2-count paused Deadlift, sets of 4 to RPE=9 plus 1 set of 95%: This was just brutal after the squat effort. I actually lifted 15% less than last time I did this # of reps of this exercise (5 sessions ago). I don't feel bad about it, given the effort everywhere else.
The funny thing is, in the individual lifts I have lifted more weight than I do now but I've never felt stronger. I guess I'm a Tuchscherer convert, and I'll definitely stick with him. Even with the unimpressive DL, using the RPE=9 set weights, I lifted a raw total of over 1800# today. Now, yeah, they were gym lifts and not comp, but with multiple sets and at my age that's downright incredible. If I can bring up that DL with the other two efforts (and I have several weeks), I can score a legit elite as a masters competitor.
I can live with that.
Great night, all.
training wk2 #4 1/14
Logging this two days post workout, so it'll be brief.
Started with a bit of dynamic work and the usual bar work. Wore elbow sleeves and neoprene wrist support.
Floor Press, 3 sets of 3 reps to RPE=9 plus two sets at 93%: increased my RPE=9 set weight by 10kg and did AMRAP on the last of the 93% sets. It wasn't a lot (6 reps, I think) by that point.
Snatch-grip SLDL, 3 sets of 6 reps to RPE=9 plus 2 sets at 93%: raised the weight a good bit on this one and managed form -- glad to see progress here. Stuck to numbers to avoid destroying my low back.
Floor press, pinky on the ring, 3 sets of 6 to RPE=9 plus 2 sets at 93%: made it to about 90% of the weight above, which was surprising to me as toasty as my triceps were feeling. Got extra reps on the last set.
While I was working through the final floor press sets, I would sit on the floor and do push press (or military or whatever you want to call it) with my chains and a few plates on handles. Essentially, push press so that the last three or four inches bore all the weight, but lighter at the bottom for my old shoulders. I really liked these and will likely keep working them in. It was easy to initiate since I was already sitting on the floor.
Everything is still progressing -- very pleased. Little victories, guys, creeping toward big ones.
Have a great week. Next session is tonight.
Started with a bit of dynamic work and the usual bar work. Wore elbow sleeves and neoprene wrist support.
Floor Press, 3 sets of 3 reps to RPE=9 plus two sets at 93%: increased my RPE=9 set weight by 10kg and did AMRAP on the last of the 93% sets. It wasn't a lot (6 reps, I think) by that point.
Snatch-grip SLDL, 3 sets of 6 reps to RPE=9 plus 2 sets at 93%: raised the weight a good bit on this one and managed form -- glad to see progress here. Stuck to numbers to avoid destroying my low back.
Floor press, pinky on the ring, 3 sets of 6 to RPE=9 plus 2 sets at 93%: made it to about 90% of the weight above, which was surprising to me as toasty as my triceps were feeling. Got extra reps on the last set.
While I was working through the final floor press sets, I would sit on the floor and do push press (or military or whatever you want to call it) with my chains and a few plates on handles. Essentially, push press so that the last three or four inches bore all the weight, but lighter at the bottom for my old shoulders. I really liked these and will likely keep working them in. It was easy to initiate since I was already sitting on the floor.
Everything is still progressing -- very pleased. Little victories, guys, creeping toward big ones.
Have a great week. Next session is tonight.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
training PM wk 2 day 3 1/12
Long day, long week. Dark by the time I got to the room, and I ran the heater hard. Didn't need it, really, but wanted to get the sweat on. I did, pig-like.
Skipped day 2, a 4th-priority session, on purpose. I've felt beaten up and old all week, and I needed the rest. Hated to do it because I skipped push press, but I needed it. A man's got to know his limitations.
Started with a little dynamic work (should have done more) and a bit of bar work.
Deadlift: sets of 4, to RPE=9, plus two sets of 93% of RPE=9: gutted these out, no progress. Same weight, really, as my 2-count paused DLs, which kind of sucks.
Got the work in, and I took two Axcel after the first couple of sets. Shame they didn't kick in until later, because I could have used them. Also took 4 Advil, as my low-back has been sore since the last session, and I still had squats ahead of me.
Pin press: sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus two sets of 93%: Got 200kg, which is decent progress over last time. Felt okay about these despite the fact that I seriously gutted up the third rep off the pins.
For what it's worth, I rest the bar on the pins between reps and relax slightly, never letting go or relaxing my traps. I just release my triceps and pecs.
These felt good today, whereas my pecs felt a little spastic on the left side last time. Getting old.
2-count paused squats, to RPE=9, plus two sets of 93%: I went up by about 20kg this time. That's pretty frickin' huge, and I'm more than pleased. Felt great, got great depth, paused for a full two counts. The two 93% sets were brutal, but I wanted them. Hope I'm sore tomorrow.
I was a little concerned about jumping into volume, but it simply feels like another Sheiko routine. I have to say, I'm really liking this, and I feel very confident of PRs in the near future. Guess I'm another Tuchscherer convert.
Still hitting the carb backloading, still loving that. Everything is going pretty well on this front right now. Now to get the other fronts to be equally smooth, and I should be pretty content. Should.
Have a great night.
Skipped day 2, a 4th-priority session, on purpose. I've felt beaten up and old all week, and I needed the rest. Hated to do it because I skipped push press, but I needed it. A man's got to know his limitations.
Started with a little dynamic work (should have done more) and a bit of bar work.
Deadlift: sets of 4, to RPE=9, plus two sets of 93% of RPE=9: gutted these out, no progress. Same weight, really, as my 2-count paused DLs, which kind of sucks.
Got the work in, and I took two Axcel after the first couple of sets. Shame they didn't kick in until later, because I could have used them. Also took 4 Advil, as my low-back has been sore since the last session, and I still had squats ahead of me.
Pin press: sets of 3 to RPE=9 plus two sets of 93%: Got 200kg, which is decent progress over last time. Felt okay about these despite the fact that I seriously gutted up the third rep off the pins.
For what it's worth, I rest the bar on the pins between reps and relax slightly, never letting go or relaxing my traps. I just release my triceps and pecs.
These felt good today, whereas my pecs felt a little spastic on the left side last time. Getting old.
2-count paused squats, to RPE=9, plus two sets of 93%: I went up by about 20kg this time. That's pretty frickin' huge, and I'm more than pleased. Felt great, got great depth, paused for a full two counts. The two 93% sets were brutal, but I wanted them. Hope I'm sore tomorrow.
I was a little concerned about jumping into volume, but it simply feels like another Sheiko routine. I have to say, I'm really liking this, and I feel very confident of PRs in the near future. Guess I'm another Tuchscherer convert.
Still hitting the carb backloading, still loving that. Everything is going pretty well on this front right now. Now to get the other fronts to be equally smooth, and I should be pretty content. Should.
Have a great night.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Training PM day 1 week 2 1.9.2012
Alright, this one was hard. I don't have a lot of time to document this, so forgive the brevity.
Warmed up with some dynamic work and a lot of bar work. Used knee sleeves and elbow sleeves and not much else.
Water during, Dark Matter after. Was a little intimidated coming in, because I knew it would be hard and I did not stim up because I need the sleep tonight. Don't think that'll be a problem, and I shouldn't have worried.
Squat: sets of four to RPE=9, followed by 2 sets of 4 reps at 93% of my RPE=9 total. Hit 310kg on my RPE=9 sets. Pounded out the rest.
Comp Bench: sets of four to RPE=9, followed by 1 set of 4 reps at 95% and a second of AMRAP at 77%. Got what I had projected, though my left pec barked through most of it. 220kg.
2-count DL: sets of 3 to RPE=9 followed by 2 sets of 4 at 93% of the RPE=9 total. This sucked, though I got exactly what I had projected, which was around 660#.
As I said, this one was hard. Late in the day, mild stims seem like a good idea all of a sudden. Off to eat.
Warmed up with some dynamic work and a lot of bar work. Used knee sleeves and elbow sleeves and not much else.
Water during, Dark Matter after. Was a little intimidated coming in, because I knew it would be hard and I did not stim up because I need the sleep tonight. Don't think that'll be a problem, and I shouldn't have worried.
Squat: sets of four to RPE=9, followed by 2 sets of 4 reps at 93% of my RPE=9 total. Hit 310kg on my RPE=9 sets. Pounded out the rest.
Comp Bench: sets of four to RPE=9, followed by 1 set of 4 reps at 95% and a second of AMRAP at 77%. Got what I had projected, though my left pec barked through most of it. 220kg.
2-count DL: sets of 3 to RPE=9 followed by 2 sets of 4 at 93% of the RPE=9 total. This sucked, though I got exactly what I had projected, which was around 660#.
As I said, this one was hard. Late in the day, mild stims seem like a good idea all of a sudden. Off to eat.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
training PM day 4 1.7.2012
The carb backloading is still going pretty well, and my workouts are going through the roof. Great stuff.
I didn't do much dynamic work today -- mostly bar work to warm up. Been a nice Saturday.
Wore elbow sleeves and a Spud DL belt for the SLDLs.
Floor press, sets of 4 @7,8,9 RPE: Worked up to 220kg. Felt fantastic -- starting to love FP again.
Snatch grip SLDL, sets of 12 @7,8,9 RPE: Worked up to a decent weight, kept strict form, and felt these. I didn't push them as hard as I might otherwise, as I almost always leave them with low back pain. Not today.
Floor press, pinky on the ring, sets of 12 @7,8,9 RPE: hit 160kg and called it. With high-rep sets, the difference between RPE ratings can be 10kg or even how the previous set went. I didn't push all the way, but I'm sure I hit 8 for RPE and probably 9.
Got next week's workouts and have already hit up Bob for some smarts. I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great day, and thanks for checking in.
I didn't do much dynamic work today -- mostly bar work to warm up. Been a nice Saturday.
Wore elbow sleeves and a Spud DL belt for the SLDLs.
Floor press, sets of 4 @7,8,9 RPE: Worked up to 220kg. Felt fantastic -- starting to love FP again.
Snatch grip SLDL, sets of 12 @7,8,9 RPE: Worked up to a decent weight, kept strict form, and felt these. I didn't push them as hard as I might otherwise, as I almost always leave them with low back pain. Not today.
Floor press, pinky on the ring, sets of 12 @7,8,9 RPE: hit 160kg and called it. With high-rep sets, the difference between RPE ratings can be 10kg or even how the previous set went. I didn't push all the way, but I'm sure I hit 8 for RPE and probably 9.
Got next week's workouts and have already hit up Bob for some smarts. I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great day, and thanks for checking in.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
PM day 3 1.5.2012
Gorgeous day today. Very warm.
Warmed up the usual way, with a bunch of dynamic work and what ended up being a fair amount of bar work. Used knee and elbow sleeves and some loose briefs for hip support.
Deadlift, 2-count pause, 3 reps at 7, 8, and 9 RPE: reached 305kg and got 3 legit, paused reps. No one was more surprised than I was. Tried another 10kg and failed miserably -- got maybe an inch off the floor with the first rep and was done.
Pin press, 4 rep sets at 7,8,9 RPE: 190kg and was done.
Squat, 2-count pause, 4 rep sets at 7,8, and 9 RPE: Improved nearly 10% over last time. No idea where it came from. Depth was good, pauses were strict, and I felt great out of the hole.
Honestly, today was a fantastic effort. I felt like I could have approached a 1RM on squats, and my DL felt better than it has felt in recent memory. Everything felt good today. I was pretty well stimmed up (AtLarge Axcel, but I didn't take them until right before I hit the rumpus room, so it can't account for much.
Very pleased with the way this is going. I was starting to feel that maybe the volume was too low, but I went in today feeling a little tired. We'll see what I feel like tomorrow. I'm supposed to have another session tomorrow that I may move to Saturday.
Loving this. Off to eat.
Warmed up the usual way, with a bunch of dynamic work and what ended up being a fair amount of bar work. Used knee and elbow sleeves and some loose briefs for hip support.
Deadlift, 2-count pause, 3 reps at 7, 8, and 9 RPE: reached 305kg and got 3 legit, paused reps. No one was more surprised than I was. Tried another 10kg and failed miserably -- got maybe an inch off the floor with the first rep and was done.
Pin press, 4 rep sets at 7,8,9 RPE: 190kg and was done.
Squat, 2-count pause, 4 rep sets at 7,8, and 9 RPE: Improved nearly 10% over last time. No idea where it came from. Depth was good, pauses were strict, and I felt great out of the hole.
Honestly, today was a fantastic effort. I felt like I could have approached a 1RM on squats, and my DL felt better than it has felt in recent memory. Everything felt good today. I was pretty well stimmed up (AtLarge Axcel, but I didn't take them until right before I hit the rumpus room, so it can't account for much.
Very pleased with the way this is going. I was starting to feel that maybe the volume was too low, but I went in today feeling a little tired. We'll see what I feel like tomorrow. I'm supposed to have another session tomorrow that I may move to Saturday.
Loving this. Off to eat.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
PM day 2
Feel great -- no soreness from yesterday at all. In fact, I need extra work, so no heartburn at all about having a session today.
Warmed up the usual way. Wore elbow sleeves today and neoprene wrists.
Still figuring out matching weights to RPE, so in some cases I had lots of sets and in others got very close very quickly.
To it:
Bench + doubled monster minis, sets of 3 to RPE=9: 180kg plus the bands for the last set, which was pretty close to a 9, I'd say. Might go with Pro Light bands (one tougher) next time based on how the bands work with my rack. Good start today, though.
Front squat, sets of 6 to RPE=9: 160kg, got nowhere near a 9. I hate front squats (which likely means I should work on them) because I spend more energy on form than on the weight. Honestly, I struggled with cramping in my serratus anterior far more than quads. By the end, I was struggling to hold the bar up and not even feeling it in my quads. I may see if I can use the SSB instead, though I'll stick with whatever Mike wants. I'd rather do overhead squats than front squats. Hate 'em.
Incline, pinky on the ring, sets of 12 to RPE=9: Love these. 155kg legit to a true RPE of 9 (if not 9.5). I struggled with the last set, feeling them in my triceps after the benching.
Whining about front squats aside, a very good session. Over in a hurry, really, but that works out very well with today's schedule. Still very excited about this, and looking forward to session 3.
Great day, all.
Warmed up the usual way. Wore elbow sleeves today and neoprene wrists.
Still figuring out matching weights to RPE, so in some cases I had lots of sets and in others got very close very quickly.
To it:
Bench + doubled monster minis, sets of 3 to RPE=9: 180kg plus the bands for the last set, which was pretty close to a 9, I'd say. Might go with Pro Light bands (one tougher) next time based on how the bands work with my rack. Good start today, though.
Front squat, sets of 6 to RPE=9: 160kg, got nowhere near a 9. I hate front squats (which likely means I should work on them) because I spend more energy on form than on the weight. Honestly, I struggled with cramping in my serratus anterior far more than quads. By the end, I was struggling to hold the bar up and not even feeling it in my quads. I may see if I can use the SSB instead, though I'll stick with whatever Mike wants. I'd rather do overhead squats than front squats. Hate 'em.
Incline, pinky on the ring, sets of 12 to RPE=9: Love these. 155kg legit to a true RPE of 9 (if not 9.5). I struggled with the last set, feeling them in my triceps after the benching.
Whining about front squats aside, a very good session. Over in a hurry, really, but that works out very well with today's schedule. Still very excited about this, and looking forward to session 3.
Great day, all.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Project Momentum day 1
Started the latest Mike Tuchscherer project today. I suspect it will take a few swings before I make contact, as it were, though it isn't a complicated program. The trick is translating perceived effort to weights, knowing that RPE changes from day to day based upon any number of factors, such as stress, work, sleep, how much I ate, ...anything. So 90% RPE today might be 70% tomorrow, or vice versa. So it goes.
Still backloading, and it's going well. After the carb debauchery last weekend, I craved carbs for several days. Badly. It's abated a good bit, and I've substituted massive amounts of grassfed bison and sauteed vegetables, which I happen to absolutely love. And almonds. Anything to get to training time.
Started with a fair amount of dynamic work and way, way too many bar sets before figuring out where my RPE of 7 started.
Squats, 3-rep 2-count paused: got up to about 300kg and called it. Honestly, I think I had a couple of reps left (RPE=8), but pitched forward at the top and called it. Besides, I knew I had to DL later.
Depth was solid, pauses were strict. The weight came up super-fast. Next time.
Bench, 3-rep 2-count paused: climbed weight fast to avoid tiring, got over 200kg and was done. This was a legit RPE of 9, if I had another.
Deadlift, 4-rep 2-count paused: Got to 245kg and thought I was done -- RPE was high 8. Figured anything more would fail, so I took off 5kg and slapped on another 10 each side to go to 260kg. These came up more easily than the 245, but I wasn't going to do it again. I logged 500-something paused as RPE 9 and called the session.
These made me nervous, particularly after the squats. DL is the one discipline I expect to gain most on during this 8 weeks, frankly. The way I react to different lifts puzzles me, as I really thought I'd pull one and done, but the whole lot came up pretty well. I know I had one left in the tank, but don't know that I had two. I feel okay about it.
A good start. Next session is tomorrow, and I am very much looking forward to completing the course and seeing where it takes me. The upshot, of course, is that now I will have to start planning another comp.
Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I wish you all a great 2012.
Still backloading, and it's going well. After the carb debauchery last weekend, I craved carbs for several days. Badly. It's abated a good bit, and I've substituted massive amounts of grassfed bison and sauteed vegetables, which I happen to absolutely love. And almonds. Anything to get to training time.
Started with a fair amount of dynamic work and way, way too many bar sets before figuring out where my RPE of 7 started.
Squats, 3-rep 2-count paused: got up to about 300kg and called it. Honestly, I think I had a couple of reps left (RPE=8), but pitched forward at the top and called it. Besides, I knew I had to DL later.
Depth was solid, pauses were strict. The weight came up super-fast. Next time.
Bench, 3-rep 2-count paused: climbed weight fast to avoid tiring, got over 200kg and was done. This was a legit RPE of 9, if I had another.
Deadlift, 4-rep 2-count paused: Got to 245kg and thought I was done -- RPE was high 8. Figured anything more would fail, so I took off 5kg and slapped on another 10 each side to go to 260kg. These came up more easily than the 245, but I wasn't going to do it again. I logged 500-something paused as RPE 9 and called the session.
These made me nervous, particularly after the squats. DL is the one discipline I expect to gain most on during this 8 weeks, frankly. The way I react to different lifts puzzles me, as I really thought I'd pull one and done, but the whole lot came up pretty well. I know I had one left in the tank, but don't know that I had two. I feel okay about it.
A good start. Next session is tomorrow, and I am very much looking forward to completing the course and seeing where it takes me. The upshot, of course, is that now I will have to start planning another comp.
Hope everyone had a great weekend, and I wish you all a great 2012.
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