I reckon go to GSLP as soon as your form is dialed in enough and you are able to determine when it has broken down too much to continue. The GSLP-style AMRAPs are great, but you do need to self manage pushing yourself enough but not too much, and it's a fine line.

Do you have any vids of you pressing? Browsed your log and didn't see any.

Should you feel like your chest is being pulled down and forward? When I tighten my core for press I've been more pushing down and out than pulling in.

I always wondered why the GSLP (5, 5, AMRAP) programming wouldn't be inferior to the same thing only taking the first two sets to within 1-2 reps of failure. For example, if you reset to a weight that your third set is 10 reps, aren't the first two sets kind of a waste? Or is the idea that those workouts give you a deload that allows you to recover from the work you failed on before?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejFBPgF9XWo

so weird, i thought i already posted this but i didn't

I do AMRAPs with very light weight. It takes effort if you don't rush these sets and is a nice pump w/o losing your form. I really like it.

--

Khan,
I try to imagine stiffening my entire torso. First thing is to squeeze your butt to make sure your pelvis is not out of alignment.

You can stiffen yours abs on the spot as easily as you can your bicep without moving an inch. You just need to strengthen the neural pathways and get more perceptive of your torso being something you can control to a degree you did not realize before.

Bench
10x45
5x80
3x120
2x145
5/4/6 x 170

chins
4x6

FS
10x45
5x80
3x115
2x150
3x5 x 175

facepulls
3x failure

For both bench and fronts i've found breathing out on the way up and taking a quick breath at the top lets me do more reps than having to pause at the top for a big out/in breath.
Also handoffs are so much better than benching solo.

All I know is that 531 is a respected program written by a different guy and it has your first two working sets at a lower weight than your last set. IDK, maybe your first two sets are just to warm you up for that last one.

they are like slightly heavier than normal warm ups.

Not really. Your upper back can be a little arched. Everything below the rib cage should be locked down tight.

Press
10x15s
5x45
3x65
2x85
3x5x95

chins
2x7

DL
10x95
5x135
2x205

Meh, couldn't record vids today. Squatrack was busy so I had to clean the weight before pressing. Don't think I was able to get into a good position that way.

Was pulling my DL warmups as fast as I could, pulled something in my left lat on the last warmup set. Think I had forgotten to flex my lats down tight before pulling. The pain isn't bad, moved around for ten minutes trying to figure out if I should continue with the workset and decided to call it a day.

Reached out to move a 10lb jug of water and my whole back locked up, been feeling like a bad cramp for the past ~40 minutes. Hurts significantly more than when i hurt it deadlifting. Not really sure what's going on with this muscle.

sounds like a spasm more from a bit of spine movement more than muscle fatigue or something along those lines. If your lats weren't tight possibly it put extra load on your spine and it might have fidgeted.

The lock up definitely sounds like a spasm. I would just rest for now. It's body's protective mechanism to lock an area up if a critical joint is perceived to be in danger or an overload at a joint causes the spine to actually move - which also would trigger spasms.

As long as you are not feeling any other pain I'd say the spasm will go away soon but if you start getting such spasms more frequently you might have to drill down form better and work on core stability.

Bench
3x5 x 175

chins
4x7

FS
3x5 x 180

tricep pushdown
3x failure

Back is normal again, have no pain

Press
10x15s
5x45
3x65
2x85
5/5/8 x95

chins
7/10/6

DL
10x95
5x135
2x205
5x235

Took vids of the press, i felt like I was a lot tighter but I still have the same overarch in my back.
Hurt my shoulder unracking the bench in my last workout, not sure how to unrack in a safer manner without a spotter. Hurts to do a frontraise, don't notice it much other than that.

Nearing old PR's
3x5 bench at 181 lbs
1x5 DL at 237 lbs

and set a press PR today

Bench
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 90 lbs
1x3 125 lbs
1x2 160 lbs
5/5/6 x 180 lbs

FS
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 70 lbs
1x3 110 lbs
1x2 145 lbs
3x5 185 lbs

Had the flu for over a week, not too bad now but staying out of the gym so I don't snot all over everything. Hope to get some workouts in before going to Bogota next week.

Was basically sick for the last month, including altitude sickness in Bogota. Back to the gym on Tuesday (I really hope!).

Felt like my back was a lot straighter than that when pressing. Decided to try back squats since I haven't done anything in a month and my back has no pain. Also don't think i was activating my glutes enough the last time i backsquatted.

PRESS
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 45 lbs
1x3 55 lbs
1x2 65 lbs
3x5 80 lbs


SQUAT
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 60 lbs
1x3 90 lbs
1x2 120 lbs
3x5 155 lbs

Bench
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 80 lbs
1x3 110 lbs
1x2 140 lbs
3x5 160 lbs

DL
2x5 85 lbs
1x3 125 lbs
1x2 180 lbs
1x5 215 lbs

rope tricep extensions
4xfailure

Pretty sore from the last squat workout, didn't go for amrap on either day.

Going to switch OHP to seated with dumbells. Hopefully after the next move I can find a trainer/PL'ing coach to help me with a few things. Back is sorer after OHP's than anything else atm so don't think it's worth it.

OHP
2x5x85
1x5x65

chins
2x5

squat
3x5x165

Need to figure out a warmup for DL's, atm just walk 20 mins to gym and do some upper body stuff with bands. Lower back feels super pumped and sore after DL warmups sometimes.

DL
2x5 95 lbs
1x3 135 lbs
1x2 190 lbs
1x6 225 lbs

Bench
2x5 45 lbs
1x5 80 lbs
1x3 115 lbs
1x2 145 lbs
5/5/7 165 lbs

lower back feels like that? hmmm.

I mean I get a bit of soreness in the 'postero-lateral' obliques, upper back and sometimes glutes and calves from DLs the next day but not a super pumped low back after warm ups. Unless you are really dialing in the core stiffness to maximum which is good.

Couldn't find a DL video. Post one? Since you have a bit of back discomfort during your day to day I would suggest trying to switch to sumo or at least a wider stance because it does have a tendency to reduce shear on the low spine but don't know if it has anything to do with low back pump.

It might be your upper glute and oblique junction or something..

These are normal pulls, my lower back seems to go soft right before i set the weight down, is that a worry?

I'd be more worried about rolling the bar forward 2 inches before every pull. The low back thing could probably be fixed by just exaggerating a "hump the bar" cue when locking out.