adpowah's training logs
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adpowah
Active Member
Well that wraps up that cycle. Pretty happy, wanted more but I like what I got. I have to take a week off even though my body is feeling good so I am going to take my SD and come back with some volume training. After about 3 weeks I will return to my maxing and I really feel I will hit 500 this push.
adpowah
Active Member
Came back, I thought I would do some volume but I was hating it before I even got to my working weight. Anyways I hit 405 sumo and 475 again on conventional. Anyways I am going to try and increment up from 475, attempting 480 tonight and will attempt 485 next week.
Edit: I hit the 480, it exhausted me pretty thoroughly but it went better than my 475. So I am happy.
Edit: I hit the 480, it exhausted me pretty thoroughly but it went better than my 475. So I am happy.
Last edited:
adpowah
Active Member
hmm I gotta work on locking in my lats. Anyways 480 went easy enough on a day I wasn't particularly feeling strong. Recovery went well I felt I could have pulled again Wednesday. I might attempt 485 or 490 Friday.
Basically I feel like I'm at a 50/50 at any point for pulling 500. As long as I stay injury free I am maybe a week or two away from being in the 75%+ confidence range. Granted that is all arbitrary but that's how it all feels.
adpowah
Active Member
Well...good enough. It certainly wasn't a pretty rep, I would have gotten red lighted for hitching if it was a competition, but I was feeling good after a 465 so I went for it. If you have watched my other videos you may have noticed that it is a different setting. The bar felt a little weird and I was having some issues with getting a symmetrical pull (I have some front pictures and you can see the left side going up slower). Obviously I would have preferred to pull it commandingly without hitching without it being a grinder, without the full body shake...but I digress, I'm taking it as a win.
I am going to move back into a DUP (or HST depending on how broad you are in your definitions) program with much lower intensities (even compared to the past), higher volumes and even some cardio. I'm not injured or anything, just a little burnt out. I'll get back into squatting and raise my GPP, not sure where I will end with my 3 lifts by July and not sure I really have a set goal. Anyways I'm calling this project a success and I definitely learned a lot about higher frequency and technical maxing on the Deadlift.
Anyways comments and feedback is always welcomed.
adpowah
Active Member
Getting back into squatting. I recently picked up some weightlifting shoes and I am really enjoying them. I ended up picking up http://www.roguefitness.com/reebok-crossfit-lifter-2-0-green-black from a local store. The benefit was they were $80 (over half off), have a toe and ankle strap and the store has a return-any-time-policy. Seems like they are a pretty similar price from Rogue atm.
I am starting back pretty slow on squatting. Three times a week, 3x8 progressing per session. I am starting a program where I will max once a month. The basics are Weeks 1&2 progressive hypertrophy work, Week 3 strength work, Week 4 Max on Monday followed up with recovery work on Wednesday/Friday. Then start the next month cycle again.
For now I will be squatting and benching each workout. Getting into week 3 I will also do some deadlifting to accilmate before I go for 1rms. If I can gain 5lbs a month on my 1rms I will be pretty happy. I expect for the first round (end of this month) for the numbers to look something like 330ish/235ish/455ish and I will probably be 2-3lbs down from my 500 pull.
Some of the concepts here is that I really enjoyed my deadlift training. Moving 90%+ on a regular basis really helped identify form issues and cement my neural responses. However, all heavy all the time is no way to go through life and my cardio capacity tanked and so did some of my physique. So I am looking forward to diversifying my training, losing some weight and just getting back to being well rounded.
I am starting back pretty slow on squatting. Three times a week, 3x8 progressing per session. I am starting a program where I will max once a month. The basics are Weeks 1&2 progressive hypertrophy work, Week 3 strength work, Week 4 Max on Monday followed up with recovery work on Wednesday/Friday. Then start the next month cycle again.
For now I will be squatting and benching each workout. Getting into week 3 I will also do some deadlifting to accilmate before I go for 1rms. If I can gain 5lbs a month on my 1rms I will be pretty happy. I expect for the first round (end of this month) for the numbers to look something like 330ish/235ish/455ish and I will probably be 2-3lbs down from my 500 pull.
Some of the concepts here is that I really enjoyed my deadlift training. Moving 90%+ on a regular basis really helped identify form issues and cement my neural responses. However, all heavy all the time is no way to go through life and my cardio capacity tanked and so did some of my physique. So I am looking forward to diversifying my training, losing some weight and just getting back to being well rounded.
adpowah
Active Member
Felt like garbage today, but stuck to my schedule and came in and did my monthly maxes. Once I warmed up on the rower I was surprised how strong I felt under the first squat. Anyways it ended up being a good day and I'm glad I went to the gym. It just kind proves the old adage, how you feel is a lie.
Squat: 335 went conservative and it went easy, I probably had 350 in the tank but this was adequate.
Bench: 235 with a pause went well but there wasn't much left, maybe could have hit a grindy 240-245. Good enough especially since I am going for pauses which I hadn't previously.
Dead lift: 455 went slow, I didn't have a great setup but that was plenty. I may have had a 475 in me but everything would have had to go right.
The rest of this week I'll do recovery and then starting move back to hypertrophy starting in May ending with another max at the end of the month.
Squat: 335 went conservative and it went easy, I probably had 350 in the tank but this was adequate.
Bench: 235 with a pause went well but there wasn't much left, maybe could have hit a grindy 240-245. Good enough especially since I am going for pauses which I hadn't previously.
Dead lift: 455 went slow, I didn't have a great setup but that was plenty. I may have had a 475 in me but everything would have had to go right.
The rest of this week I'll do recovery and then starting move back to hypertrophy starting in May ending with another max at the end of the month.
adpowah
Active Member
Went in for my month end maxes and went just fine. I was especially happy considering I am 2lbs down from last month (hoping to continue that trend as you can see I am pretty fluffy).
Squat was the worst of the three. I went for 345 and based on last month I expected to crush it, but instead I kind of misgrooved and didn't love the movement but got it just fine with a bit of a slowdown at the middle. I'll record the future ones from a different angle to show depth a little better. Anyways it was good enough for this run but I will probably just go for 350 next month.
Bench went incredibly well for 240. Before my deadlift jaunt I hit a touch and go of 250 or something but I wasn't too proud of the form. Here I am doing a full pause and it went better than last month's 235 so I was super happy. The day before we had come in and done a bunch of fool around lifts (low weights, lots of pull ups), anyways my rotators were pretty sore so I didn't expect it to go well but it did.
Deadlift for 460, not much to say. The main thing here is I am trying to turn that ugly 500 into a good looking re-producable 500 even after squat and bench. Will go with 465 for next month I'm in no hurry, just trying to add 5-10lbs every month on each lift.
Squat was the worst of the three. I went for 345 and based on last month I expected to crush it, but instead I kind of misgrooved and didn't love the movement but got it just fine with a bit of a slowdown at the middle. I'll record the future ones from a different angle to show depth a little better. Anyways it was good enough for this run but I will probably just go for 350 next month.
Bench went incredibly well for 240. Before my deadlift jaunt I hit a touch and go of 250 or something but I wasn't too proud of the form. Here I am doing a full pause and it went better than last month's 235 so I was super happy. The day before we had come in and done a bunch of fool around lifts (low weights, lots of pull ups), anyways my rotators were pretty sore so I didn't expect it to go well but it did.
Deadlift for 460, not much to say. The main thing here is I am trying to turn that ugly 500 into a good looking re-producable 500 even after squat and bench. Will go with 465 for next month I'm in no hurry, just trying to add 5-10lbs every month on each lift.
mickc1965
Well-Known Member
You are comfortably over the 1000 club now, watching your videos makes me want to start benching properly again to test my single day rep maxes but I know heavy benching is going to fuck my elbows up again, may start trying the odd heavy bench day and then have a go!!
adpowah
Active Member
@mickc1965 thanks for the feedback. What's wrong with your elbows btw?
mickc1965
Well-Known Member
@adpowah,
Looking back through my log it appears I actually dropped flat bench late in 2015 due to loss in strength on this exercise only (seems my memory is failing me!!), I do remember elbow pain (particularly in my left elbow) after benching but I specifically dropped direct arm exercises earlier in 2015 for elbow pain, I did get pains in both elbows and right forearm from supinated grip pull ups but since I started using SBD elbow sleeves that has pretty much disappeared until I get close to my 5 rep max on pull ups.
adpowah
Active Member
@mickc1965
Hmm, have you done any rehab work on it? I'm no doctor but I find that kind of pain is usually muscle tightness causing tendon issues. I do this kind of stuff when mine starts hurting:
Granted this doesn't solve the problem which usually takes some creativity to figure out what it is but it does clean up the issue in the meantime.
Hmm, have you done any rehab work on it? I'm no doctor but I find that kind of pain is usually muscle tightness causing tendon issues. I do this kind of stuff when mine starts hurting:
Granted this doesn't solve the problem which usually takes some creativity to figure out what it is but it does clean up the issue in the meantime.
adpowah
Active Member
Month end maxes went ok but I expected more.
Squat: Went ok, I had hit 345 for 3 singles on the Wednesday before and it felt great. I thought by Monday I'd be primed for 350 so I decided to add another 5lbs just for fun. Anyways, its ok but not my greatest rep.
Bench: Went well, I am really happy with my paused rep progression. I am going to guess I have probably 10lbs in the tank. I am a little unsure of my long-term form, you can see at the bottom of my motion my forearms are not perpendicular. However the form feels great (about an inch wider on each side that last year's grip), so I am going to stick with it for now.
Deadlift: Pretty much a fail. I went with 465 and thought it was pretty conservative but it appears that my lack of deadlifting throughout the cycle is starting to really create a weakness. The small victory here is that my middle of the range training shows through as I pull through my knees and only get stuck afterwards. I was facing some psoas/sciatic issues that weekend and they weren't cleaned up by Monday. I doubt that was the whole story but it didn't help. Finally I went from a fast 405 into this 465 and just didn't feel super ready but did it anyways. I likely should have done a 435 to prime the movement a bit more.
Wrapup: I am going to increase my deadlift frequency, probably Sumo Sunday, Squat Monday, Deadlift Wednesday, Squat Friday for my hypertrophy phase. Bench appears to be progressing just fine. I am also going to change my hypertrophy phase to:
Squat: Went ok, I had hit 345 for 3 singles on the Wednesday before and it felt great. I thought by Monday I'd be primed for 350 so I decided to add another 5lbs just for fun. Anyways, its ok but not my greatest rep.
Bench: Went well, I am really happy with my paused rep progression. I am going to guess I have probably 10lbs in the tank. I am a little unsure of my long-term form, you can see at the bottom of my motion my forearms are not perpendicular. However the form feels great (about an inch wider on each side that last year's grip), so I am going to stick with it for now.
Deadlift: Pretty much a fail. I went with 465 and thought it was pretty conservative but it appears that my lack of deadlifting throughout the cycle is starting to really create a weakness. The small victory here is that my middle of the range training shows through as I pull through my knees and only get stuck afterwards. I was facing some psoas/sciatic issues that weekend and they weren't cleaned up by Monday. I doubt that was the whole story but it didn't help. Finally I went from a fast 405 into this 465 and just didn't feel super ready but did it anyways. I likely should have done a 435 to prime the movement a bit more.
Wrapup: I am going to increase my deadlift frequency, probably Sumo Sunday, Squat Monday, Deadlift Wednesday, Squat Friday for my hypertrophy phase. Bench appears to be progressing just fine. I am also going to change my hypertrophy phase to:
- Week 1: very high volume/very low intensity/borderline cardio (50-100reps at 135)
- Week 2 & 3: 5x8 at 60-80% progressively increasing
- Week 4: Monday 1 rep at 95%, Wednesday Max, Friday recovery
mickc1965
Well-Known Member
Good luck