6/14: Cube W5 Heavy Squat

Squat:
45x10 with hip circle
45x5
135x3
185x3
225x2
255x2
280x2
295x2 PR
305x1
310x1 PR
295x3x2 PR
275x5

SSB goodmorning squat:
60x5
110x5
130x5
150x8

Walking lunges:
35x10x4

6/17: Cube W6 Deadlift Reps

Deadlift: sumo
135x5 with hip circle
135x3 conventional
225x3 with hip circle
225x2 conventional
275x2
315x2 conventional
315x2
365x1
405x3
405x1 conventional
435x2 PR
455x1 PR
475x1 PR
485x1 PR
495x1 PR
405x5 PR

SSB squat: narrow stance
60x5
150x5
200x5x5

I have no idea where this came from but I'm obviously very happy about it. I spent the weekend at the beach with my parents so maybe the combination of home cooking and not benching yesterday allowed me to hit a 60 pound PR. I also wore thick long socks and pulled with the bar against my shins without fear of wrecking myself so that probably helped too. Unfortunately I didn't record anything after 405 because I wanted to listen to music, but all the lifts felt pretty solid so hopefully they weren't too ugly.

da fuq? Unless your parents are feeding you growth hormone, I don't see how you have a 60# PR? When was the last time you tested a 1RM single? That's insane.

My last 1RM attempt was on 3/1 so its been a few months. I'm also ~15 pounds heavier than I was then and that definitely helps. But yeah, I didn't even think I would be able to pull 455 but it just flew up. All hail the cube I suppose.

6/19: Cube W6 Heavy Bench

Bench:
45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
210x2
225x3 PR
240x1 PR
225x5 slingshot
235x3 slingshot PR
245x2 slingshot PR
225x6 slingshot

SSB squat:
60x5
150x5
200x5
240x5
260x3
240x4x2
240x7

Incline dumbbell press:
70x12
80x10

Flat dumbbell press:
90x7
100x3

Lying triceps extension:
65x15
95x8x2

Barbell curls:
65x12x2

Lateral raises:
15x15
20x12
25x8

still have no idea how you dl 200# more than your squat... must have incredibly long arms or something.

I'm 72.5'' tall with a 75.5'' wingspan. Not sure if that is considered incredibly long but its definitely long enough to make me hate benching.

6/22: Cube W6 Squat Reps

Squat:
45x5
135x2
185x2
225x1
265x1
275x1
295x1
305x1
315x1 PR
300x2 PR (was supposed to be 305 but I accidentally took a 5 off of one side)
295x4 PR
275x7 PR

Trap bar deadlift:
170x3
260x3
350x3
400x5
440x5 PR

6/24: Cube W7 Explosive Deadlift

Deadlift: sumo
135x3x2
225x3x2
275x1x2
315x1x2
365x1x3
405x5
435x2
315x1x8

Hammer strength pulldowns:
45x10x2

Seated cable rows:
100x15x2

Face pulls:
60x15x3

Reverse hypers: with mini band
somewhere between 50-100 total reps before/during/after deadlifting

6/26: Cube W7 Bench Reps

Decline bench:
45x10
135x5
185x5

Bench:
45x5
135x5
185x5x2

Overhead press:
45x15
65x10x3

SSB squat:
60x5
150x5
200x5
240x5
260x5

Hammer strength pulldowns:
45x10x2

Overhead triceps extension: rope attachment
70x25

6/28: Cube W7 Heavy Squat

Squat:
45x5
135x3
185x2
225x2
275x1x2
300x3 PR
315x2 PR
320x1 PR
315x2x2 PR
275x5

SSB goodmorning:
60x10
130x8x2

Trap bar deadlift:
170x5
260x5
350x5
440x4



This was the set following the 320x1. Unfortunately it was both the crappiest set I had all session and the only one that I recorded. I'm not sure what happened coming out of the hole in the first rep but it was strange and I didn't like it. The second rep felt better but the bar had rolled up a little bit and kind of pitched me forward.

Also, before the session and all of yesterday my upper lumbar/lower thoracic was bothering me but on the first rep of bw reverse hypers it popped/cracked pretty loudly and felt amazing afterwards. I've never experienced such a release of tension during flexion before so I thought that it was interesting enough to note.

Damn dude, you made those two reps look easy.

He deadlifts 500, they better look easy.


But seriously though, maybe you just don't know how to grind squats, because it looks like you could add another 30 lbs on there no problem.

Good article on the importance of grinding: http://www.reactivetrainingsystems.c...Learn-to-Grind

Thanks for the article. I've been setting 5 pound PRs every squat day this cycle of the cube but I haven't gone for a true 1RM attempt since back in January when I struggled with 275. Since I've been making fairly linear progress I haven't wanted to test my strength and possibly fail and hurt my recovery. I shouldn't have pulled as heavy as I did last week but I lacked discipline. I'm planning on doing a mock meet sometime before I move in August and am hoping to squat 345+ which would put today's squats just above 90% which seems about right.

6/30: Cube W7 Body Day

Overhead press:
45x10
65x10
85x8x2
105x6x2
135x1
95x8x2

Incline dumbbell press:
40x20
60x10x2

Lying triceps extension:
65x15x2
85x10
75x12

Tate press:
30x10x2

Dumbbell curls:
25x20
40x8x2

7/1: Cube W8 Heavy Deadlift

Deadlift: sumo
135x2 hip circle
135x1
135x2 conventional
225x1 hip circle
225x1
315x1
315x1 conventional
365x1
365x1 conventional
405x2
435x2
455x3 PR
475x2 PR
405x5
225x5x3 snatch grip

SSB squat:
60x5
150x5
200x5
240x5x5

Reverse hypers:
bwx25
mini bandx25
monster mini bandx25x3

7/3: Cube W8 Explosive Bench

Seated dumbbell press:
20x15
40x10
50x8x3

Floor press:
45x10
95x5
135x5x5

SSB squat:
60x10
150x5
200x5
240x5
270x3
290x3x3

Isolateral row: unilateral
70x10 neutral
70x10 pronated

Tricep pushdowns:
85x25

Lateral raises:
15x15x2

7/5: Cube W8 Squat Reps

Squat:
45x5x2
135x3
185x1
225x1
265x2
295x1
315x3 PR
325x1 PR
315x2x2
295x3x2
275x6

Unilateral leg press:
45x10
90x10
135x10
180x13

7/8: Cube W9 Explosive Deadlift

Deadlift: sumo
135x3 hip circle
135x2 conventional
225x2 hip circle
225x2
225x1 conventional
275x1
275x1 conventional
315x1
315x1 conventional
365x1
365x1 conventional
405x1x2 conventional
405x1
440x2 conventional PR
440x1
465x2
455x3
315x1x8
275x5 snatch grip
315x5 snatch grip
365x3 snatch grip PR
315x3 snatch grip

SSB squat:
60x5
150x5
200x5
240x5
270x2
240x5x2

Barbell curls:
45x12
65x10x2

7/10: Cube W9 Bench Reps

Bench:
45x5x2
95x5
135x5
165x5
165x3
185x3
210x2
225x2
225x1
225x4 slingshot, no arch

Seated dumbbell press:
25x10
50x8
50x10
50x12

Cable flyes:
20x15x2

Lying triceps extension:
65x15
65x12

Lateral raises:
15x12
17.5x12
20x10
15x10

Today was the first bench session in a while where my shoulders/triceps didn't hurt at all and felt strong. Unfortunately, I got a nasty lumbar cramp on my first set of 225 and wasn't really able to continue with anything. I'm fairly confident that I could have gotten 5+ reps at 225 and I probably would have went for a PR of 245-250 afterwards.

do you wear a belt while benching? I have heard anecdotally that it can help with the cramps. I still get them sometimes though, but I think its only if I dont keep a big enough breath in, so that I accidentally arch too far.

I normally don't but will from now on. I added a belt today after the first set with 225 but it was too late to do much good. I think it was mainly an issue of not warming up properly and skimping on the SMR yesterday. I spent around 45 minutes working on my delts and triceps yesterday and didn't have enough WIM for the lower body.

7/12: Cube W9 Heavy Squat

Squat:
45x5
95x2
135x2
185x1
225x1
275x1
295x1
305x2
315x3
330x1 PR
320x1
315x2x3
295x3
275x6
275x5x2
225x1x6 5 second pauses
225x3 3 second pauses

SSB goodmorning:
60x8
130x8x2
130x6 squat goodmorning

7/14: Cube W9 Body Day

Bench:
45x5
95x3
135x3
165x3
190x2 (misloaded 195)
205x1
225x1 paused PR
245x1 PR, almost got the second rep but spotter touched the bar a little
245x5 slingshot PR

Seated dumbbell press:
25x15
50x12
55x10x2

Cable flyes:
17.5x12
20x12x2

Lying triceps extension:
65x12x3

Barbell curls:
65x8x2

I'm extremely happy with my benching today. I tweaked my ankle a few days ago, but even with minimal leg drive I was able to easily set PRs. I'm arching a lot harder than I was previously and this is definitely taking a lot of stress off of my shoulders. I also noticed that with this new form that I'm not flaring my elbows at all on the concentric so that's something to work on. If things keep going like this and I'm able to dial in my form I should be able to smash my year end goal of 265 in the next month or two.

On 7/15 my ankle was still bothering me so I just did some light conventional pulling. I messed around with a lot of paused and double paused sets at 225-275 and will probably be incorporating them into my routine somewhere.

7/17: Programless Bench

Bench:
45x10
95x5
135x5
165x5
185x5
210x5
225x4 PR, long paused first rep
250xf
225x5 slingshot
225x4 close grip slingshot

Floor press:
45x5
95x5
135x5
155x5
165x5x2

Kettlebell press: unilateral, weight in kilos
18x8x2
18x12

Cable flyes:
17.5x20
22.5x12x2

Lateral raises:
15x15
20x15
25x10

I got a terrible handoff on my 250 attempt and immediately lost tightness and started to cramp. I should have just reracked the bar and reset myself but I went through with the attempt anyways and didn't get close to completing it without assistance. Also, I'm moving in a few weeks so I'm going to hold off on starting another cycle of the cube until I get settled in. I was going to do a mock meet this week but I'm going to wait another week or two until my ankle feels solid enough to pull sumo.