Saturday 17 Apr
Peak Phase Testing

Press: up to 110 @8.5, 120f, switched to the good rack, 105, 115 @9.5, 120 @10 [PR+4]

Squat w/belt: up to 275, 305 @7.5, 325 @9, 345 @10.5 [PR+10]

***

Just decided to go ahead and test today so I can start straight into something new Monday.

Anything is welcome on press at this point but it's still pretty depressing to only put 4 pounds on it in as many years.

Squats also weren't as peaked as I was hoping, given the relative ease of 315 singles earlier this week. I had to dig pretty deep for 345 and the depth is somewhat sketchy.

Anyway, we move on. I'm considering running the infamous 5 day ShiELFko routine with the insane pressing volume.

Nice work on the PRs, that was one hell of a grind on the squat!

Regarding the pressing, I don’t remember exactly what SHielfko is (I know it was something fakeb ran) but I was going to recommend a high frequency or high volume press program. My bench and press improved a lot when I started benching/pressing 4x a week. I eventually cut back to 2x a week now bc my shoulder was starting to bother me a little. I think it’s fine to do for a program but not sustainable long term. I would have some days where you do more shoulder friendly presses that work triceps more (floor press, board press, mid range pin press, etc.) also would do a lot of facepulls for shoulder health

Nice job on the press. Why don't you wear a belt for max effort lifts?

Awesome grind on both!

Thanks

I think my upper body just gains really hard and needs a ton of volume to respond, and that has to come at the expense of intensity. I've always poorly responded to high percentages and RPEs on bench and press. Given that and the fact that I never have a reliable spotter makes me think I need to go in this direction.

Thanks sir

Wearing the belt for deadlifts makes it harder for me to get in the starting position. Wearing it for press just never seemed to help me lift more and also changed the balance of the movement significantly.

I only belt up for my main back squatting and go beltless for accessories like front squat. No particular reason for that except for variety.

Thanks

Congratulations on the PR! Nice effort

Re Pressing, how much arm work do you do? I’ve made gains this past 6 months after years of plateau and the main difference is that I’ve trained my arms way more than I have before.

Probably 6-8 half hearted sets of curls a week, along with some pull-ups and rows.

Monday 19 Apr
Shielfko W1D1

Squat w/belt: 185x5, 215x4, 245x3 x2 sets, 275x2 x4 sets, LS @8.5

Pause Bench: 95x5, 115x4, 135x3, 155x3 @8, 145x3 x4 sets, LS @7 5

Front Squats: 95x5, 135x nope

Pause Leg Press: 225x10 x4 sets

Lat Pulldown: x10 x4 sets

Pecc Decc: x10 x3 sets

Weighted Back Raise: x10 x3 sets

T=75m, RPE 8

***

Tough start. My shoulders and elbows were really tight and it was tough getting through squats. I had to take a really wide grip which made it harder to stay tight for the working sets. Then when I got to bench the pain persisted.

I always go into Sheiko cycles with overshot training maxes. This time I felt like I selected conservatively but it looks like some things never change. Regardless it was a low performance day.

Prob should take more than one day off or deload before starting a high volume program after hitting RPE 10 on squat and press. I’ve done the same thing before, I think just eager to start a new program and then it gets off too a rough start.

I’ve had the same issues with low bar squat and moving my grip out wide. Don’t have great shoulder mobility and it was bothering my wrists so I had to move my grip out wider but then it felt harder to stay tight in the upper back.

I'll probably run week 1 at 80-90% of listed weights and then restart the cycle from there. That should be deload enough.

I've had periodic elbow pain from squats in the past but it's never persisted for longer than a couple of workouts. I think I have pretty above average shoulder mobility. I can do a front rack with my full hand around the bar and btn presses for full rom without pain.

I'm taking the week off. It's a fairly physical workweek and I jacked up my right elbow today driving a bunch of self tapping screws into thick metal. I've also been extremely sore in the legs and stiff in my lower back. I'll start week 1 on Saturday at 90% loading to get acclimated to the volume.

Monday 26 Apr
Shielfko W1D1

Squat w/belt: 185x3, 205x3, 225x3, 245x2 x5 sets

Pause Bench: 95x5, 125x3 x2 sets, 135x3 x5 sets
Curls : x15 x4 sets

Front Squats: 95x3, 135x3 x2 sets, 155x2 x4 sets

Pecc Decc: x12 x5 sets

Weighted Back Raise: x10 x4 sets

T=70m, RPE 5

***

Man getting out of bed for this one was hard. I'm backing way off on weight with the plan being to increase the TM by 5lb per week on all lifts.

The first session after a deload/break is always the hardest. Welcome back.

you ain't kidding

Thursday 29 Apr

Clean Drills: 15 minutes

Floor Press: 95x10, 135x5, 145x3 x3 sets

Hammer Strength Incline Press: x5 x5 sets

Dips: x8 x5 sets

T=60m, RPE 6

***

I'm just not in a position right now, motivation-wise, to be able to realistically show up to 5 sessions a week. I gotta come up with a better game plan. It's beginning to get hot outside and work's about to start ramping up so PM sessions aren't going to be a thing going forward. I just need to do three or four 5:30am sessions a week and be happy with that. What little willpower I have available should honestly be focused on diet. **** is getting disgraceful.

Maybe you could switch things up and do a 6-8 week o lifting program and just supplement with squats and front squats?

O lifting is so much fun when you the technique gets smoother and you’re more confident and intuitive in what you’re doing.

Probably the most fun I’ve had in the gym was a 12 month post CrossFit phase when I was following the Hatch squat/front squat program 2x per week and then o lifting 2x a week as well. I also did one ‘bodybuilding’ type session a week but you could drop that

Hey, guys.

I fell off the wagon, sorta.


Saturday 8 May

Squat w/belt: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5 x3 sets

Long Pause Bench: 95x7, 115x7 x4 sets

Treadmill: 20 minutes

T=70m, RPE 6

***

I basically did a phoned in version of the SBS W1D1. My hips and (strangely) ankles felt a bit janked after the 225 sets and I knew I'd be sore anyway so I cut the 5x5 short.

I am getting very fat. Like approaching lifetime PR fat. To be fair, though, last time I weighed this much I couldn't squat 135, so I have to hope I'm still far from lifetime body fat %, but it doesn't really matter. It's getting shameful and I have to stop eating junk food. I have to move out of my mom's place.

That's a good idea, will consider.

Long Pause Squat: up to 185x5 x5 sets beltless
Press: up to 80x5 x5 sets
Some chin-ups.

I think there might have been another milquetoast session that I didn't log. I'm still here folks.

[x] Treadmill 30 min
[x] Bench press 135x5x5
[x] fat
[ ] strong

Glad to see you back at it; time for both of us to defat for summer

Hopefully this is a lifting but not logging hiatus and not a not lifting at all hiatus

176 pounds

I think there was an unlogged session but maybe not. It's been at least two weeks since I gymmed. I feel pretty bad about about falling off the wagon but being that I never left page 1, it seems like I'm not the only noncompliant 2p2er right now.

163. Pretty much holding steady despite no gym and abysmal nutrition. Work has been fairly active though.


Saturday 5 June

Squat no belt no sleeves: 45x5, 95x5, 135x5 x3 sets

TNG Bench: 45x5, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5 x3 sets

Deadlift: 135x5, 185x5

***

I'm just going to do starting strength for 2-4 weeks and then start into a benching accumulation block like I'd originally planned. I went pretty minimal on weights because my lower back's been feeling kind of fatigued and I knew I'd be sore af no matter what.

Glad to see you back at it

Given your description of your situation, I'd have guessed closer to loco, so 163 doesn't seem that bad to me. Obviously it's not great, but you know what you have to do.

Did you go back to doing windows? I thought one of the draws of the new job is that there was less physical activity, so you had more left for the gym.

Welcome back dude

144 and legit thought our graphs were going to intersect and flip a couple years ago. Come on down and get me!