I'm going to take a second deload week. I never do this, but I'm hurting right now.

I played 35 minutes of basketball on Saturday and towards the end I started experiencing a sharp pain in my knee whenever I jumped. I'm pretty confident this is related to having a tight calf/hips. Right now this is still bothering me when I walk up stairs.

In general, my hips have been extremely tight lately, which has led to some back and knee pain. My shoulders have also been tight and are limiting me athletically. I'm going to spend the next week really focusing on mobility and stretching. I also start playing softball tonight so I want to be loose for that too.

2017-05-08
Squat /w Belt
5x354 @7
5x376 @8.5
5x386 @9.5

Comp Bench
5x205 @7
5x215 @8
5x225 @9.5
3x210 @9

CGBP
4x155 @7
4x165 @7.5
4x175 @9
4x165 @8.5
4x165 @9


This was my first day back in the gym after a 2-week layoff. My left knee (patella tendonitis) is still hurting but I can manage. I expected to do poorly, and I did, but I still exceeded my expectations in some ways.

Squat:
My form was pretty sloppy. I had some forward lean going on. Although my knee didn't hurt my quad started cramping up on me. I was also using a thicker bar than normal. All things considered, I put up decent numbers here. Due to my injury and getting back in the swing of things, I didn't do any drop sets.

Bench:
As mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm switching up my bench form this cycle to keep my heels on the ground. I normally tuck my feet underneath me and end up on my toes. So this is a pretty big change.

This will take some experimenting and getting used to, and it definitely weakened my bench today, but not by a lot. For whatever reason I had absolutely no stamina today and couldn't handle any drop sets. Probably related to the fact that I felt like of puking after squats.

2017-05-09
Deadlift /w Belt
5x353 @7
5x375 @8
5x402 @9
5x380 @9

Front Squat
5x176 @6.5
5x198 @6.5
5x220 @8
5x208 @7
5x208 @8

3ct Pause Bench
4x185 @7
4x195 @7
4x205 @8
4x215 @9
4x205 @9


Didn't miss a beat on deadlifts, these felt great.

I haven't done front squats in awhile and it showed, but I think they're going to be a good supplemental exercise for helping me keep my chest up and fix some of my forward lean in my comp squat.

My feet felt pretty good on bench today - way better than yesterday. I still have work to do, but I was really feeling the leg drive. My quads were shaking - something I never really felt when I was on my toes.

My strategy for keeping my feet flat is to set up with my feet tucked underneath me and on my toes, then slowly shimmy my feet out until my heels are on the ground. Once at this point, I point my toes outward and try to bring my heels close together.

I just googled for this video because I remember that cha posted it like 2-3 years ago:



He makes an interesting point at the end. With the feet flat setup, you want to build leg drive by shoving the knees out and spreading the floor - like a squat. I felt myself naturally doing that today. It's possible I could realize some more carryover from my squat to my bench once I figure it all out - especially since my squat is my best lift.

nice job on the recent PRs!

2017-05-11
Pause Squat
4x286 @7.5
4x308 @9
4x291 @9

OHP
8x110 @7
6x120 @9 (lost my balance on two occasions)
5x120 @9.5 (ugh)

Spoto Press
6x185 @7.5
6x190 @8
6x180 @9


Weird day. Did a poor job of targeting my RPEs - missing out on some volume. I also fatigued extremely quickly on the presses.

Thanks TC!

2017-05-12
3ct Pause Deadlift
3x286 @6
3x308 @7
3x330 @8
3x313 @8

Floor Press
6x177 @6
6x187 @7
6x197 @8
6x187 @8.5

Pendlay Rows
8x176 @6
8x198 @6.5
8x220 @8
8x208 @8


I'm working on strengthening my upper back for DLs, hence the pauses. These felt really good. Pausing for 3 seconds as opposed to a quick stop (what I've done in the past) makes a big difference.

I find they hit my abs really hard as well!

How long would you estimate you rest between these last 2 sets? I know my shoulders are feeling absolutely worked after 1 "heavy" set.

One thing that was pretty common when I lifted at a CrossFit gym is they would always recommend nobody every go to muscle failure on handstand pushups. The reason being because triceps seem to not recover very well from hitting that high level of fatigue. For example, I've seen someone do 9 HSPU, then follow up with 4. So at least in your case, 6 => 5 isn't as huge of a drop off.

I probably am not resting enough between sets of OHP - a couple minutes? I'm mostly just looking to get some work in, and not trying to set PRs, so I bet my OHP programming is sub-optimal.

2017-05-15
Squat /w Belt
6x330 @7
6x353 @8
6x375 @9
6x353 @9

Comp Bench
6x205 @7
6x215 @9
6x205 @9

CGBP
5x155 @7
5x165 @7.5
5x175 @8
4x185 (failed here, wtf. Weak ****)


Tough workout. Felt like puking during squats and my bench was a bit weak. Feet position is starting to feel more natural with every bench session.

2017-05-16
Deadlift /w Belt
6x353 @7
6x375 @8
6x397 @9
6x375 @9

Front Squat
3x220 @6
3x242 @7
3x264 @8.5
3x247 @8.5

3ct Pause Bench
5x185 @6.5
5x195 @7.5
5x210 @9
5x200 @9


Real solid day.

Pause bench is awesome for working on my feet positioning and leg drive.

2017-05-18
3ct Pause Squat
5x242 @6.5
5x264 @8
5x286 @9
5x269 @8.5

OHP
6x120 @6.5
6x132 @8.5
4x137 @9
6x115 @9

Spoto Press
5x185 @7
5x190 @7.5
5x195 @8
5x185 @8



Went relatively light on squats and prioritized impeccable form - chest up, knees out, no hips shooting back.

My knees were feeling pretty gnarly today, particularly my left one. The muscles around the knee are really tight and my calf is having some spasms. I need to just mash that whole area with a roller/lax ball.

Stamina is still an issue on OHP.

2017-05-19
3ct Pause Deadlift
5x264 @6
5x286 @7
5x308 @8
5x291 @8

Floor Press
4x185 @6
4x195 @7
4x205 @8
4x195 @8

Lever Rows
7x60 @6
7x70 @7
7x80 @8

Paused deads are just awesome. Phenomenal workout for my back and hamstrings.

Went relatively light/low volume on the rows. My lower back was starting to get a bit sore (still recovering from a couple poor squats Monday) and my hand was starting to bleed (kitchen accident the night before).

2017-5-24
Squat /w Belt
4x353 @7.5
4x375 @8
4x400 @9 (hips feel very tight)
4x375 @9

Comp Bench
4x215 @7
4x225 @8
4x230 @9 (butt came off bench a bit on last rep)
4x215 @9

CG Bench
3x175 @6
3x185 @7
3x195 @8
3x205 @9
3x195 @9


Solid day. Still having a bit of forward lean on squat - one rep was really bad - but I think it's mostly a mobility issue. My hips felt tight as hell today.

Injury update:
• My patella tendonitis is still pretty bad. Basketball season is over though, so I should start recovering quicker and hopefully I can walk up stairs again without wincing.
• Perhaps related to the above, my hips are tight as hell. Especially my left leg with the knee issue.
• I have twin bruises on the insides of my elbows and my elbows have been a bit sore. The right one hurts more and has a massive bruise. I'm 90% certain that this is bursitis. I'm going to lift in elbow sleeves for a bit and work in lots of light curls.

^ Previous workout was actually on 5/23.


2017-05-24
Deadlift /w Belt
4x397 @7.5
4x419 @9
4x397 @9

Front Squat
6x198 @6
6x220 @7.5
6x230 @8
6x220 @9 (wanted to cap out at 8 here)

3ct Pause Bench
3x205 @7.5
3x210 @9
3x200 @8
3x200 @9

Fairly weak day, but nothing too bad. I rushed through this workout and finished in about 50 minutes.

Front squats worked my abs like none other.

Took me awhile to get the leg drive going on bench. The trick was forcing my heels to be as close together as possible.

2017-05-27
3ct Pause Squat
3x286 @7
3x308 @8
3x330 @9
3x313 @8

3ct Pause Deadlift
4x286 @6.5
4x308 @7
4x330 @8.5

OHP
7x110 @5
7x132 @8.5
6x137 @9.5
7x120 @9

Floor Press
5x185 @7
5x190 @8
5x180 @8

Pendlay Rows
6x176 @5
6x198 @6
6x220 @7
6x242 @8
6x220 @8

Spoto Press
8x155 @6
8x175 @7
8x185 @8
8x175 @8



I missed my workout yesterday so combined two workouts into one today. This was pretty grueling. For this reason I didn't go balls-to-the-wall on my drop sets.

Got my OHP back on track by focusing on squeezing my glutes tight. This is basic stuff that I was forgetting to do.

Probably going to deload for a week. I don't really need it, but my gym is closed Monday and I'm also very busy with stuff this week, so seems like a good time to take it easy and heal up a bit.

Deloaded for a week. My knee is starting to heel up, I'm at about 85%. My hip hasn't been as tight either.

2017-06-06
Squat /w Belt
5x353 @7
5x375 @8
5x392 @9 (5r PR)
5x373 @9

Bench
5x205 @8
5x210 @9
5x200 @9

CG Bench
4x177 @7
4x187 @9
4x177 @7
4x177 @8
4x177 @9


Squats were pretty damn strong. I don't feel like I was leaning forward today either, which is great. I did not expect to perform this well.

My squats did have two problems:
1) My right hand was killing me when I squeezed the bar (or anything) tight. The pain ran from the base of my pinkie to my wrist - the meaty part of the palm. I took my elbow sleeve off and the pain subsided a decent amount. This leads me to believe I have some nerve impingement in my elbow. I had been dealing with tendonitis there.
2) The bar was moving up/down my back during reps. I need to keep it tight against my back.


Bench was a disaster. No other way to slice it. My numbers were very weak compared to recent results, my timing felt off, and my bar path felt horrible. I didn't feel close to locked in.

I've been losing weight recently - 2.5 pounds in 3 weeks - and that could have helped contributed to the bench problems as well (it's still largely technique). I'm actually still interested in bulking but have just been doing a poor job. I've been trying to bulk without making weight-gain shakes but it appears as if my current diet is stabilizing me at around 202 pounds.

2017-06-07
Deadlift /w Belt
5x376 @7
5x398 @8
5x425 @9.5 (5r PR)
0x398 (my body just refused to lift it, this has happened before - think its my body telling me to back off )

Front Squat
4x220 @6.5
4x242 @8
4x220 @7.5
4x220 @8

Spoto Press
4x185 @7
4x195 @7.5
4x205 @8.5
4x210 @9
4x200 @8
4x200 @8.5
4x200 @9


I ****ing killed it on deads this week and set a new PR.

What's interesting is that I misread my numbers from last week and actually aimed a bit too high today. I probably would have done something like 412 @9. I have a definite mental weakness when it comes to lifting. The basis is that I aim to be slightly better than last week in terms of estimated 1RM. I think this prevents me from pushing myself. Almost like my mind says "Well, you're at your work set now. This set should be about @9 if everything goes according to plan". Then the property of mind-over-matter takes hold and what I planned on happens. This seems difficult to fix.

2017-06-09
Pause Squat
4x264 @6.5
4x286 @7.5
4x313 @9
4x296 @9

OHP
5x132 @7
5x137 @8.5
5x142 @9.5
4x132 @10 (OHP stamina issues again... =\)

Floor Press
3x185 @6
3x195 @6.5
3x205 @8
3x195 @7
3x195 @8

2017-06-10
Pause Deadlift
5x264 @6
5x286 @7
5x308 @8
5x291 @8

3ct Pause Bench
4x205 @7.5
4x215 @9
4x205 @8
4x205 @9

T-Bar Rows
6x125 @5
6x150 @6
6x160 @6.5
6x170 @7
6x180 @7.5
6x190 @8


Solid day. I was supposed to do lever rows today but decided to do T-Bar instead (which I've only done like 2 times before). Took me awhile to gauge my strength levels on those rows, so I didn't do any drop sets.

2017-06-12
Squat /w Belt
3x353 @6
3x375 @7.5
3x397 @9
3x377 @9

Comp Bench
3x225 @7.5
3x230 @8
1x235 @10 (failed. WTF!)
3x220 @8
3x220 @8.5
3x220 @9

WG Bench
6x175 @7
6x185 @7.5
6x195 @8.5
6x200 @9
6x190 @9


One of my worst days ever. This was truly shameful.

Squats were the weakest they've been in weeks. I was expecting to hit 3x419. Bench was just a disaster. Things were going pretty well, but then I just completely lost it on 235. Not sure what the hell happened there. Probably a combination of poor bar path and poor leg drive.

I may have done poorly this workout because I did it fasted in the morning, and I haven't done that on Mondays in a very long time. I'm also feeling a bit sick and getting over a minor cold.

Sucks, but you can't win em all.

2017-06-13
Deadlift /w Belt
3x397 @7
3x429 @8
3x451 @9.5 (3r PR)
3x419 @9

SSB Squats
5x220 @6
5x242 @7
5x264 @8
5x247 @8

5ct Pause Bench
3x185 @6
3x205 @7
3x215 @8.5
3x220 @9
3x210 @9


Nothing like some deadlifts to get back on track. Deads are by far my best lift right now. I give a ton of credit to the pause deadlifts. When doing normal pulls, I'm feeling my upper back and traps work in ways I'm not used to. I can tell it's taking me through previous sticking points. In addition, my form is locked in. I will be keeping the pause DLs in this 4-week cycle.

What's funny is I hit 5x425 last week, which seems stronger than 3x451. And my max, set ~6 weeks ago, is 1x475. Deadlift seems to be my "stamina lift". Squat is the exact opposite though where my 1RM sees serious separation from my doubles. Not sure if this implies anything, but it's interesting.

2017-06-15
Pin Squat
3x308 @7
3x330 @8
3x352 @9

3ct Pause DL
3x286 @6.5
3x308 @8

OHP
3x132 @6
3x142 @7.5
3x154 @9
3x147 @9

Incline Bench
6x135 @5.5
6x145 @6.5
6x155 @8

JM Press
3x135 @6
3x145 @6.5
3x155 @7
3x165 @7.5
3x175 @8

Lat Pulldowns (3ct pause at bottom)
4x10x100


A few things to note here:
1) I'm traveling over the weekend, so I combined my Thursday and Friday workouts into one. I also didn't do any drop sets except for OHP
2) My mid/lower back was extremely fatigued from the get-go. I haven't recovered fully from my deads on Tuesday. This impacted my squat and deadlift big-time today. Now, after this workout, my back is ridiculously fatigued. I can barely bend over. I am NOT injured in any way.
3) Lat pulldowns won't be a mainstay of my program. I wanted to do some rows but figured lat pulldowns would suffice due to my tired back.
4) I meant to do pin press instead of incline, but my mind drew a blank and I picked the wrong exercise. Not really an issue.