2017-04-10
Squat /w Belt
2x380 @7
2x402 @8
2x424 @9
2x402 @9

Comp Bench
2x235 @7
2x245 @8
2x255 @9.5
2x240 @8.5
2x240 @9


WG Bench
7x165 @6
7x175 @7.5
7x185 @9
7x175 @9


Squats felt ok. Started leaning forward on a few reps so I need to focus on keeping my chest up and keeping the weight on my heels. Bench was kinda weak, but not too out of line with my expectations.

2017-04-12
Deadlift /w Belt
2x412 @7
2x434 @8
2x456 @9
2x434 @9

5ct Pause Bench
3x205 @7
3x215 @8
3x225 @9
3x215 @9

SSB Squats
7x220 @7
7x242 @8
7x230 @8


Still seeing some gains. These deads were strong.

I almost skipped this workout due to a sore lower back. It's been a bit sore since I benched on Monday. I think everything is going to be okay, but I might take it easy for the rest of the week.

As far as the competition lifts are concerned, this ends my 8-week cycle.

I'll be testing my maxes next week. This time I'm very hopeful for 1200. Anything less will be a disappointment. 1220 is my high-end goal.

500-450-260? Something like that? Should be good, man!

Aiming for 465/275/475

2017-04-13
Pin Squat
3x308 @7
3x330 @7.5
3x362 @9
3x345 @8.5
3x345 @9

Floor Press
4x185 @6
4x195 @6.5
4x205 @7
4x215 @8
4x205 @8.5

OHP
4x132 @6.5
4x137 @7
4x142 @7.5
4x147 @9
4x137 @9


I focused this cycle on pausing my OHP reps and I definitely reaped the benefits. First of all, my OHP has gotten a lot stronger. Second of all, pausing at the bottom has improved my form - I'm staying tighter and generating a better bar path.

I'm going to skip the final workout of this week. My left shoulder/tricep and lower back have been bothering me, and my final workout includes sumos, JM Press, and good mornings - all which target my sore areas. I also play basketball on Saturdays so I want to conserve myself for testing week.

2017-04-17 Squat Testing
Squat
1x463
1x475 (PR +12lb)


Huge day.

I first attempted (and failed) 475 a full year ago. It took me awhile but I finally hit it.

Both reps were huge grinds. I wasn't too confident in 475 after my first rep at 463, but I decided to go for it anyway and it was a success.

You deserve it given the consistency on display in this log.

Thanks! This sets me up nicely for 1200...

Damn, congrats on the PR! Is there video?

I do have a vid and might throw up a version later. I like putting my testing week into one single video.

nice work man, gonna be squatting 500+ soon!

Nice PR!

2017-04-18 Bench Testing
Bench
1x270 (PR +5lbs)
0x275

Not bad. 270 went up relatively quickly so I was a bit surprised to miss 275. It was really close though.

My right elbow started flaring up and was hurting pretty bad. That had to affect my results and I probably hit 275 if not for the elbow issue. Still, I'll take the PR.

2017-04-20 Deadlift Testing
0x485
1x475 (PR +2lb)
0x485

This was a lot weaker than I would have expected. I thought 500 was in the cards.

My squat 1RM and my deadlift 1RM are the same, yet when I go for triples or doubles my deadlift crushes my squat.

Testing Week Recap

Total - 1220

Squat - 475
Bench - 270
Deadlift - 475


Cracking 1200 has been a long-term goal of mine, so this is a pretty important milestone for me. I saw great improvement this cycle, and I think I can attribute 80% of it to a beastly diet, and 20% of it to sticking to a solid routine.

Things to change - More pause and deficit deadlift work for sure. I've been doing a lot of sumos on my secondary deadlift day, but when I failed today, I failed close to the floor. Pause squats have been invaluable, so I need to work pauses in with my deadlifts more often. Also, I need to figure out why my deadlift singles are barely ahead of my doubles or triples. It's almost as if whatever I can deadlift once I can deadlift twice. I think with better technique I could make my 1-rep pulls more powerful.





Self-critiques On Form:
Squat - as I explode out of the hole, my hips tend to shoot upwards and backwards. I need to work on keeping my chest up. Overall, these look really good though.

Bench - Work on leg drive

Deadlift - Really solid. Work on neck positioning. Have more confidence. This lift gets me more nervous than any other. Just gotta roll back and rip it baby.

Cycle Results
Squat - +22lb
Bench - +5lb
Deadlift - +12lb
Total - +41lb
Bodyweight - +6lb

Awesome results!

I thought your deadlift form looked super solid (and not just for a 1RM attempt, but in general). Very impressed that you managed to add 40 pounds to your total while losing 10 pounds.

I'm sure the better powerlifters than me will have some useful critiques, but I just wanted to say great work

Is the plan to deload for a few days and then start the same cycle up again? Stay at the same weight or cut a bit more? Thinking of competing at 198?

Awesome, dude! 41lbs in a cycle is some very solid improvement with the bw drop as well

Very hesitant on the squat descent, you just need to commit a bit more. Agree on bench tightness, quite a bit of wiggling still going on once you're set. Deadlift looks solid, but a bit too much jacking around once you've got your grip like you say - ~18s from grip to pull!! Do the visualising at the top, get your air (you can get more air in when erect than when you're bent over) then set and go imo. Maybe a bit more all around aggression/mental approach to get you going!

One observation... and this is something I've been trying to figure out with squats for my wife. Maybe it's important, maybe not.

On the decent, it looks like your upper back is doing a hbbs\upright back but your lower back is doing a lbbs\inclined back. The result is that your back starts in an extended position, then it flexes slightly into what is probably a good\neutral position and you more or less maintain that for the rest of the rep, but I think in an ideal world your back would start in that neutral position and stay there for the entire rep.

Maybe it's because when you breathe\brace at the start of the rep, you are lifting your chest.

Awesome work

Thanks guys. Although I gained weight - 6 pounds. I had a typo originally and now my color choices are probably confusing.

I'm going to deload for a week and probably start another cycle again which will be pretty similar to what I've been doing. I am starting to get a little mentally fatigued and have multiple nagging injuries so I might try to switch things up a little bit but I don't like breaking routines.

Yeah the squat descent is too slow. I think it's all mental. When approaching my max I feel the need to go slow in order to keep the weight under control and not injure myself. In reality this is probably not true.

Most of what I'm doing pre-deadlift is pressure breathing which I learned from Mike T. Basically I forcefully push out air a few times which allows for a fuller inhale right before the pull. I'm still taking way too long with that and allowing too many thoughts to creep into my mind.

Ah, good catch! And on my ascent, everything is aligned as well.

nice work man! are you really maxing out at bench without a spotter or liftoff tho??

Yeah, it's not ideal but not that bad either.

My bench has these little hooks that I can set the bar on if I fail. The hooks are actually below my chest when I arch, so it's just a matter of reducing my arch and lowering the bar onto the hooks.

Liftoff would help though.

Here's a cool anecdote.

I started playing in a men's basketball league on Saturday mornings starting last October (probably not helping my overall recovery). There was a Fall season and a Spring season. The Spring season just ended last week. Prior to this I haven't played basketball in about 15 years and am bad at dribbling and shooting.

During the Fall season, it became pretty clear that I was good at grabbing rebounds. This is despite only being 6' and either average or below average height for the league. Prior to the Spring season, I set a goal that I would lead the league in rebounds.

The stats came in today and out of ~100 players I ranked:
• 1st overall in total rebounds
• 1st overall in offensive rebounds
• 1st overall in defensive rebounds
• t-2nd overall in total rebounds/game


I still have a very limited offensive game, but it turns out I'm a beast on the glass

I gotta credit at least 90% of this skill to my powerlifting routine. My squat has given me a pretty solid vertical (I think 54" last I tested), and I'm one of the strongest guys in the league so I have been successful at bullying people down low.

It's cool to see a strength routine produce tangible results in a different sport.

that's awesome. they should start calling you dennis or rodman