Yeah my coach tells me to lead with my chest, and that my slack pull should be so complete that the bar leaving the floor is silent. It’s easier said then done though

7/21
Squat
3x2x400

WS2: https://youtu.be/4McSdSWdiSo

Bench
4x2x260

Super grindy for the last 3 sets, kinda surprised I got all of them

Floating Deadlift
3x5x365

I thing your coach has it right and I think you'll get there. Your back is clearly strong, or you wouldn't be able to complete those squats and deadlifts after getting disadvantaged at initiation of the lift. A 400 double on the squat after getting about horizontal displays a lot of strength IMO.

It might just be needing the right mental cue. Maybe try Zercher squats or front squats here and there, where leaning forward isn't an option?

Pretty good progress in here, putting up some solid numbers.

I remember a while back when you first posted squat videos they were really good morning-ish and then they improved a lot over time. In that 400 video, they get pretty good morning-ish but I’m guessing it’s only an issue at really heavy weight now since the lighter squat videos look better. I had a client who had similar issue, he would get pulled forward at heavy weights even when given the usual cues like “chest up” etc. he also had a strong lower back and conventional DL which would allow him to usually get the squat up, even if form wasn’t ideal. We determined his quads were the weak point and began a cycle to strengthen them. You may want to incorporate things like front squats (as rich suggested), high bar squats, belt squats, hack squat or leg press next cycle and see if that helps. Maybe some direct core training as well if you aren’t already.

Thanks, I’ve been wanting to incorporate front squats for a while now. I’ll bring that up with my coach since I think I’ll be done with my current programming in the next month or so. And yeah direct ab work would be good not only for squats but for aesthetics as well.

7/23

Deadlift
2x3x445

Press
5x5x132.5

Pause Squat
2x5x320

Squat
5x5x350

Bench
5x5x225

Rack Pull
3x7x390

Squat
2x2x405
1x1fx405

WS1: https://youtu.be/77Z7lTn2lT4
WS2: https://youtu.be/8ZFCkjmWnQA
WS3: https://youtu.be/9Y67PT4EbSM

Felt like I wussed out on the last rep at the time. But reflecting on it in order to grind through it I would have had to shoot my hips back, reinforcing the bad habit. Maybe it’s better to just insist on keeping my knees forward even if it means failing a rep. Second set was the best imo

Press
4x2x152.5

Floating Deadlift
3x5x365

Agree. Good improvement. The first rep was solid. The second was understandable, given the weight and fatigue of it being the last rep of the set.

I chuckle a bit seeing your log title still containing "begins" and "SS" when you're well past both. People will come here expecting one and two plate "fahves" and see 4+ plate training.

Thanks lol, maybe I should think about changing the log title. Have to think of something funny first

Deadlift
2x3x450

Pause Squat
2x5x320

Bench
5x5x230

I just read the first page of the log, super impressive!

Thanks man, it's been cool having so many people notice my log in the last couple weeks. I need to start commenting on others logs too.

Squat
5x5x355

I really dread volume day but it feels so good when its done

Press
5x5x132.5

Maybe too easy, both volume press and bench are easy even though intensity is hard, may need to adjust those percentages

Rack Pull

3x8x395

Depth looks great on these squats. These are not low bar butt winks, although you do have some amount of squat morning. But whatever, it's a limit weight. Nice work!

Thanks man,it's good to have the approval of a member of the high bar master race. The squat morning is definitely a thing, but it's significantly less bad than it was a year or two ago. And I'm hoping as I keep working on it it'll continue to decrease in magnitude.

8/4
Squat
3x3x385

WS2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uZwodw9fUk (Warning: exposed butt crack)

Bench
1x0fx262.5
4x2x237.5

Just kinda died on bench. My pecs were feeling a bit sore and I think I haven't been resting/eating enough

Floating Deadlifts
3x5x375

Worked out with a bro today. Also ran yesterday 5 miles which had my legs feeling really sore all day. Thought my lower body lifts would suffer, and they were hard, but I got them

Deadlifts
2x3x455

Paused Squat
2x5x325

Press
5x5x135

Some kind of arm pull down thing that targets the rear delta
3x10-12ishx50

Chins
8,6,4,4,3 (roughly I wasn’t counting)

A few training updates. I’ve decided I want to get leaner and focus on aesthetics more than I have been. Since corona has started to lift I’ve been hanging out with friends at the water a lot, and nearly all the dudes in my group look more muscular than me, even though I easily outlift all of them. This is obviously unacceptable, plus I want to sleep with hotter women and I think this will help. I actually decided this Sunday, and have just taken a while to put it in the log. I’ve been eating a lot healthier this week (also I decided not to drink caffeine because I drink way too much) and I’ve been doing pull-ups and push-up every evening/morning. I’m going to start the Armstrong pull up program on Monday of this coming week

Good, steady improvement UDC.

A strength Jedi's corruption to bodybuilding sithlord always starts like this. Join the dark side...

bolded: If you get legit jacked, it'll make you more appealing with a small subset of women who tend to be hotter than average, but make you less appealing to women overall, ime. ymmv as a white guy in America tho.

Thanks Rich

Evoken, we’ll see. I’m not necessarily talking body-building jacked (though I wouldn’t mind being that big/lean) but just leaning down enough that I get rid of my love handles and have some actual muscle definition in my abs/upper body, and so that everting doesn’t go to **** when I sit down. I probably will have some questions for you though at some point since you’re the resident bodybuilding expert.

Anyway I emailed my coach about my change of direction, we’ll see what he replies. I also mentioned I wanted to do front squats:

Squats
5x5x345

Bench
5x5x230

Rack Pull
3x7x400

Do more arms work, biceps in particular, more back work imo. 100% worth it.

I think Aiden makes a good point. Your training might be a bit repetitive. More variety may help keep everything developing evenly.

Upper back work is important to maintain balance with your benching. Pendlay rows will do wonders IMO, and strong lats actually help the bench. You have a strong deadlift for your weight and should be able to execute the Pendlay well, I think. More pull-ups and chin-ups would be good too, like the ones you did last week. These will all also hit biceps, of course. As Aiden noted, your biceps and lats get through most of your workouts relatively unscathed.

I'd probably consider adding some core work. And, your triceps may or may not get enough training from your 5x5 benching and pressing. It's possible you may find more triceps work will help your bench, but only you can tell that.

Agree on some pull-ups/rows for upper back. I think doing some tricep dominant presses would also be good for improving bench and arm development. Also, would help make it not so monotonous doing only bench/press. I like CGBP and floor press and also like throwing in some overload exercises (mid range pin press, board press, slingshot)

Thanks guys, I appreciate the interest and advice. I think the advice to do more biceps/triceps/upper back is exactly what I need to get more aesthetic, and my coach largely agrees.

I started the armstrong pull-up program this Monday. I'm doing it as described here including with the pushups. I may skip pushups on bench day since it may have contributed to me missing a rep (or maybe it's the caloric deficit). I probably won't log the pushups but I do intend to log the pull ups

8/10
Chins: 6,5,4,3,2

8/11
Squat
3x3x390
WS1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5wY0X2gWg4
WS2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wokREzWRcFs
WS3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bG4w2xuYAY

I'm having an issue where the mask rides up my face and starts poking my eyes, which is annoying. Need to just wear it lower on my face I guess

Bench
4x5x230
1x4fx230
1x15?x135

Was working out with a bro so did a burnout set at the end, also I was supposed to press but will do so on Thursday instead

Floating Deadlifts
3x7x375

Chin Ladder
1,2,3,4,4f

8/12
3 sets per 3 grip Chins with 1 rep work set

My coach designed a new program for me, which I'll start Monday of this coming week. I've screenshotted it here:



so 4 times per week, push-pull-push-legs. Should be fun to run at least. Has a lot of new exercises and a heavier emphasis on hypertrophy (and no regular squats!). I think the row variation people in the gym do is a Pendlay (strict lack of body english/starts from the floor and is explosive). A little more tricep work with the CG bench and pin press. Not much of an emphasis on bicep work, so once I get used to doing this kind of volume I'll probably sprinkle some more curls in. But yeah, I'm excited to run this. Hopefully I'll get super swole.

That looks like fun. It's completely different from your current program, so it will add variety for sure. It's a ton more volume and intensity, so you'll be pretty sore for a while probably.

I encourage you to run it as written, but I have a couple of predictions. If you do two sets of flyes for 20 reps each to true failure, on top of all that volume prior, 24 dips total will be very hard. I think you'll switch the order (you can use lighter dumbbells for flyes but can't use a lighter you for dips unless doing them assisted, which isn't really your plan) or may even choose one of the two and alternate weekly. I wonder about the incline dumbbell presses too, but again you can adjust the weight so it's doable.

On deadlift day, the one arm row seems like extra work on a challenging day. I won't be surprised if you delete it and add a set or two to the Pendlay rows on day 4 to make up for it. I could see you deciding to add some ab/core exercise to the end.

Press day may be similar to bench day in that chin ups after curls to failure will be quite hard. I won't be surprised if you don't switch the order. Again, you can always use lighter weight for curls (which won't be light after all the volume), but chin ups with fatigued biceps aren't much fun.

Safety bar day looks perfectly doable. Maybe could use some hanging leg raises or other core/ab work. But, you may want the day prior to be a rest day, as Pendlay rows may be tougher the day after curls to failure and chins. IMO they are more taxing than a typical Yates-type bodybuilding style row.

I think it's a wise move on your part to mix things up. I look forward to reading your account of it.

Thanks Rich, that makes a lot of sense, particularly the bit about the order of exercises and doing the body weight stuff first. I’ll probably run it as written for a bit like you suggested, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up making a lot of those adjustments.

8/14
Chins: 16x1

8/15

Deadlift
2x3x460

Fast but coach said they were pretty rounded

Press
4x2x155

Surprisingly hard

Pause Squats
2x5x330

Felt great to do these for the last time in a while

Chins
5,4,4,3,3

Good luck!

Thanks

8/17

Chins (AM) 8, 4, 4, 4, 3

Deadlift
2x5x410

Floating Deadlift
3x5x379

Front Squat
1x8x185
1x7fx205
1x8x185

One Arm DB Row (Paused)
12x55, 12x60

Lat Pull Down
12x90
12x100

Face pulls
2x20xred band

8/18

Pull ups
1,2,3,4,3f
I’ve been writing chins this whole time but have actually been doing pull ups

Bench
3x5x230
2x9x207.5

Pin Press (Overhead)
2x10x95

Incline Bench
1x10x60
1x10x65

DB Chest Flyes
1x20x20
1x20x25

Dips
3x8@bw

8/19

Pull-ups
9x2@various grips

SSB
4x5x295
1x5x265

These are very unpleasant

Rows
2x8x185

GHRs
2x3f@bw
Need to practice these

Banded Legs Extensions
2x12xred+green

These rip out my leg hairs and I ended up quitting due to that. A guy suggested bringing longer socks