3-8
Hot yoga

3-9

Overhead press (pause) 2x5x135
Overhead press (no pause) 4x4x155
Snatch-grip behind-the-neck OHP 2x8x95
Overhead squat 1x5x45, 1x5x95
Front squat with pause 1x5x135, 1x5x225, 2x3x245
HBB ATG pause squat 1x5x275, 1x3x315
HBB squat 2x5x340, 1x3x340*
NG chinups ladder (72 total) 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
RDL 1x6x225
Deadlift 1x3x315, 1x5x365
Dips 2x5

*Called off the last set because I felt something pop or tweak in my hip flexor area. I'm not going to consider this a failed set as I was pretty happy with the feel jumping up 15 lbs. Went on to do somewhat light deadlifts afterward, but it's been ~ 3 months since I did deadlifts anyway and at least my leg didn't bark again during them. Reasonably sure 405 would've gone OK, but think next time I may try without either squats or heavy front squats beforehand.

OHP felt terrible mainly from front delts still aching and tight from bench press. 4x4 means 3x5 didn't work, but I'm still happy with the workload for jumping up next time. Dips felt like I've never done them before. Intending to add shrugs in on DL days, but today got enough effort in shrugging on all the OHPs, and especially the snatch-grips to hold off.

Three things I forgot to do today:
*10 second rack position for front squat at 275 or 315 or so.
*Walking lunges or kettlebell swings for backoff.
*Mixed grip on the deadlift (tee hee hee).

3-10

Xtra "Arm" day:

Hammer curls 3x8x40
Skullcrushers 3x6x55
Triple shoulder raises 3x8x15
Preacher curls 2x12x80
1-arm OH Tricep extension 2x6x35
2-handed OH Tricep extension 1x12x60


Hot Yoga

BroWeights took 20 minutes including warmup. Went straight from there to the yoga studio, and it did not seem to affect the class (can't say that about squat sessions!). I'm taking a free month at a new gym and it is...a little weird. 90% or more is guys with muscular upper bodies and skinny nothing legs. Just curling. Pretty sure they were sneering at my curling technique.

3-11
Hot Yoga

3-12

Front squat w pause 1x5x135, 1x5x225, 1x3x250
HBB ATG pause squat 1x5x275
HBB squat 1x5x335, 2x5x350
Overhead squat 1x6x95
Bench press 1x5x225, 2x5x245, 1x2x245
Wide grip speed bench press w 3-second pause 2x5x185
Box jumps 3x6
Wide-arm pushups 2x5x+80
Clapping pushups 2x8
Inverted rows 2x10

Sprints 8x40 (half uphill)
Easy run 1.67 miles ~20 minutes

Had to cut things a bit short due to gym closing (basically missed last set on bench & squat), then picked up from box jumps at home. Almost back to my peak LBBS numbers!

That's a serious workout. Nice Squats. How the hell do you sprint after four different squat variations?

Thanks, I came across it as a suggestion for how to keep up some running during a lifting program and to work as an accessory for my lifting. I sandwich the "easy run" for about 10 minutes each way to transition to it with some 20-yard high-stepping, butt-kicking, sideways-hopping drill stuff. Going uphill really helps cut down on soreness from impact, I think.

I'm delighted how well my squats have held up after the lengthy sandbag experiment. Most of my squat variations function as warmups to the main squats. I'm a little ADHD to just keep adding 50 lbs to a back squat.

3-13
Hot yoga

3-14

Overhead press (pause) 2x5x135
Overhead press (no pause) 4x3x165, 1x3x165 F, 7x3x160
Overhead squat 2x5x95, 1x5x115
Split squat 2x5x135, 2x5x165
Front squat with pause 1x5x135, 2x5x165
HBB ATG pause squat 1x5x225, 1x5x295
HBB squat 2x5x360, 1x4x360 Ties PR
Mixed grip pullups 4x5, 2x5x+25, 2x3x+45, 1x2x+90
RDL 1x6x225
Deadlift 1x3x315, 385 F
Dips 3x5

Wanted to slam the OHP, but I had to run home for a couple of hours in the middle of my workout, so it's a weird mix. OHP was feeling good for my first 3 (of planned 10) sets before I had to bolt, and then like **** once I got back to the gym and warmed up again. Was manageable at the lower weight, at least. I'd only been warming up on squats (including split squats) before the break but the work sets were super taxing--I *may* have been able to get that 15th rep, but after all that grunting through the first two sets and the third rep of practically every OHP set, there was no way I was going to give those bastard bodybuilders the satisfaction of seeing me get stuck! I also could have rested another 5 minutes to be sure I could get it. At any rate, I'm blaming the split and hard squats for my total bonk on the deadlift. Similarly, just did not feel up to trying pullups+90 with my other hand.

I'm probably not going to try any more 10 lb jumps on squats, but maybe 7.5. Maybe.

Nutrition note; I've been GOMAD for about the last week, as opposed to my usual half-GOMAD.

3-15
Hot Yoga

3-16

Overhead squat 1x6x95, 1x5x125
Front squat w pause 1x5x185, 1x4x225
HBB ATG pause squat 1x5x275
HBB squat 1x4x335, 1x1x365, 1x2x365 PR, 2x4x345
Bench press 1x5x225, 1x4x250, 4x3x250
Pullups 2x5x+25, 1x7x+25
Rows 3x10x165
Power Cleans 5x3x165
Snatch 1x3x45, 1x3x65, 1x2x95

Total bonkfest today. 365 squat is my PR (if you can count *that*), but was going for 5 today...was also going for 5 on bench. 1st time trying snatches was kinda fun, but kinda like smashing a bar into your shins. Oh well, at least I got some video! I think my power cleans got progressively worse today (I'm sure the last video is the 5th set).

Front Squat 4x225:


Squat 4x335:


Squat 2x365:


Squat 4x345:


Bench Press 3x250:


Power Clean 3x165:




Hang snatch @ 65:


Snatch 2x95:

Sup holli, snatch is a little bit too much all over the place to give a few pointers, if I were you I'd start over with these how-to vids (3 parts) from calstrength:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6SjuAOjMEk

Generally you're not getting in the starting position correctly and you kinda just use your back and upper body muscles to get the barbell overhead. You should spend a lot of time drilling the starting position, position with the bar at the knee (hang position), position with the bar at the hip (power position), and drill the triple extension to learn how to transfer that power into velocity of the barbell.

Good luck!

In the power clean your starting position is slightly better (but not great), but otherwise showing the same problems as the snatch. You're using brute force to muscle the bar to your shoulders. You have to learn how to transfer power from your legs in order to get the bar to fly up using that momentum.

Cleans from the hang will help with that too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_o4ZnKQGH8

This video will also help a lot in "getting it" (it's a snatch, but the same principles apply)

Thanks!

3-17

Xtra "Arm" day:

Hammer curls 1x24x25, 1x16x35, 1x10x45
Skullcrushers 1x8x50, 1x8x45
Preacher curls 3x10x85
1-arm OH Tricep extension 1x10x25, 1x8x35
Tricep extension machine 1x14x"80", 1x10x"95"
NG chinups with 3 second lockoff 1x5

Hot Yoga

They have like 6 different kinds of tricep extension machines, excluding the cable stuff. I picked one based on it looking easiest to get in & out of.

I hope this doesn't sound creepy but you look exactly like I imagined you would look! It's quite bizarre lol.

Doesn't sound particularly creepy.

Oh good phew lol. Usually I am way off and the person looks nothing like I imagined so I was blown away when I saw the video.

3-19

Front Squats with pause 3x3x255 PR
OHP 1x3x170 F, 1x3x165, F, 1x4x155 F
Snatch 2x3x95
Deadlift 1x8x315

Easy run; 2.25 miles in ~30 minutes
Sprints; 4x40m uphill

Another day, another bonk on a press. Shoulders had that thing where it felt like my traps were working against me. The front squats felt easier than expected--in the past anything over 245 went way up on degree of difficulty. Watched Syndrom's videos and snatch felt better but I think I'm still using arms.

Snatch 3x95


Front Squat 3x255 (last set)


OHP 3x170 F

3-20, 3-22
Hot Yoga

3-23

Overhead squat 1x6x45, 1x6x95
Front squat w pause 1x5x155
Front squat rack hold 1x275 for 20 seconds
HBB ATG pause squat 1x5x225, 1x4x285
HBB squat 3x5x335
Bench press 3x5x245
NG chinups 2x5, 2x5x+25, 1x7x+25
Rows 2x10x165
Power Cleans 1x3x95, 1x3x135, 2x3x165
Snatch 1x3x45, 1x3x95
Split snatch 2x3x45

Whelp, set out to not bonk anything today, so mission accomplished. I *had* sort of assumed I'd go up some more from the 335 hbbs, but did not feel like I had that in my after the first set. I was trying a slightly wider stance than usual today and *thought* I was focusing more on not "squatmorning-ing". Easing in a little bit of snatch practice and here & there pressing out of the power cleans.

HBBS ATG with pause 4x285:



HBBS 3x5x335:






Bench 5x245:


Power Clean 3x165:


Snatch 3x95:

3-24

Xtra "Arm" day:

Hammer curls 1x24x25, 1x14x40, 1x10x50
Skullcrushers 3x8x50
Preacher curls 3x10x90
OH Tricep extension 1x12x60
Tricep extension machine 2x14x"110"

Hot Yoga


Boy this bodybuilder workout stuff is great--you just go from one to the other with an occasional couple of breaths. If anything goes wrong you just...lower the dumbell. Today's took just 15 minutes, but then the yoga nearly killed me.

3-26

Overhead squat 1x8x45, 1x6x95, 1x3x135
Front squat w pause 1x5x185, 3x3x260 PR
Front squat rack hold 1x295 for 20 seconds
HBB low box squat (wide stance) 2x5x295
1-arm Arnold Press 1x5x35, 1x5x45, 1x5x55
Overhead press 1x5x135, 5x3x165
Pullups 2x5, 3x3x+45
Mixed grip chinups 4x5
1-leg RDL 1x8x95, 1x5x135
Sumo Deadlift 1x5x225, 1x4x275
Deadlift 1x5x315, 1x5x365, 1x5x405

No videos today. Finally a complete workout without any bonking! The 295 box squat is basically a substitute for 345 regular squat--I was just going to do 1 set, but it felt so good (like work, but not exhausting) added another. The front squats did not feel especially effortful, so I was able to get through them on shorter-than-usual rest. The 135 OH squat was quite hard, so basically convinced me to pass on any snatches today. The OHP was a *barely* complete 3rd and 4th set and then a fairly easy 5th set. No real idea why the difference although I did approach the 5th set in an...angrier way?

Of course the big development was finally getting a decent Deadlift off the ground! I suspect when I had the trouble with 385 the other day, I may have been under-hinging my hip. Been working on an insane, nonsensical stretch all weekend that seems to be lengthening my normally tight hamstrings, and anyway today the "hard no" just wasn't there on the pulls (although I did have to go with mixed grip for the 405).

Gym's dip belt is MIA and there was just one big strap tied around a 45 which became sought after while I was there. Oh well.

3-27
Hot Yoga

3-28

Bench press 2x5x247.5, 1x5x247.5 F
Front squat 1x6x195
HBB ATG pause squat 1x4x225, 1x5x275
HBBS 1x5x330, 1x4x355, 1x2x355
NG chinups 2x5, 3x5x+45
OHP 1x6x135
Push Press 2x2x185

**** the goddamned bench press. **** it right in it's eye! If anybody can tell me what I'm doing wrong I'd love to hear it--today I even microloaded and still bonked.

Tweaked something in my back, stretched it out OK but probably a bit trepidatious after that. The 1x4x355 felt about like max effort and was just a generally dog**** squat. I should probably go back to 335 or so and work up more slowly so I don't look at video and realize I'm quarter-squatting, ffs. Back felt fine for push press but ran out of time for Power Cleans and snatches. I probably would have sucked at those today, too!

Bench presses 5x247.5 (last one is the fail):

My two cents:

Your setup is kind of sloppy and you're lacking general tightness. Because of that, you're wobbling through the entire set balancing the weight, in stead of having it in a firm position.

As soon as you unrack the bar, your shoulders come out of their position. Pinch them together and retract them hard, and keep them there the entire time.

You're benchpressing very chest+shoulder heavy. Your elbows flare a ****load, which is a result of the above things. If you learn to keep them a little more tucked in (closer to your body), you're going to be in a stronger position and you can use your lats as springs to pop the bar up hard.

Add in some leg drive, together with the tucked in elbows and the added tightness, you'll be getting much closer to the bench press as a strong full body lift rather than the chest/shoulder press you're doing now (also easy to mess up your shoulders).

One last thing I see is you divebomb the bar down and then have to use a break and start pressing it up slowly. This also works against you. Controlling the bar down in a tight position and then using your lats as springs to pop it back up faster than it went down will work much more in your advantage.

All that being said, I'd get some advice from Cha/Aidan/BPA in here to get a 2nd opinion to make sure I'm on the right track.

This is a great place to start: EliteFTS.com - So You Think You Can Bench

Instead of doing hot yoga I recommend listening to the music of hot lotto

I don't know to what extent it is an issue, but your grip seems kinda narrow

Thanks, Syn, that sounds about right. I'll try practicing the tighter setup just with light weight next session. Maybe this is why I haven't gotten close to my peak 260 from December.

Candy; I've never heard of them but will try to check them out.

xukxuk; Maybe. It's a different bar than I'm used to and not sure how to measure.