Texas Method - Week 7 - Volume Day

BW - 230

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
195X3
235X2
285X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench -
BarX5
95X4
135X3
155X2
180X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
135X3
225X2
315X1
355X1, 1, 1

Warm-ups and first set of squats were rough, but the other four were good.

Similar with bench.  Wasn't very focused on the first work-set.  Locked in for the others.

Deadlift was feeling pretty good, so I went ahead and did 3 singles here.  I don't have specific guidance from my coach on this, but on Saturday he went by how I felt after each single before determining if we did another, so I did the same.  This was my last intensity lift on DL before the meet.

Texas Method - Week 6 - Intensity Day (coached)

BW - 231

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
215X3
275X2
325X1
360X1, 1, 1

Bench -
BarX5
95X4
135X3
170X2
200X1 (paused)
225X1, 1 (paused)

Deadlift -
135X3
225X3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Getting close to the finish line.  360X1 is a Rep PR.  Felt like I could have kept doing singles here all day.  Feeling good about where my squat is heading into the meet.

225X1 is a Rep PR in the bench, and a long time coming.  Closest I got was doubling 215 in March of '14.  Then I hurt my shoulder, then I ignored my shoulder, then I didn't bench for a full year.  Nice to finally get this one checked off the list.

Because of some issues I've been having with my "good" shoulder, and because my deadlift has been progressing so slowly, coach decided to switch to Speed Deads for the last couple of weeks instead of cleans.  We'll see if it helps.

Texas Method - Week 6 - Recovery Day

BW - 233

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
185X3
235X5, 5

Press -
BarX5
65X3
85X2
105X1
105X5, 5

Pulldowns - 5X10 to a top set (same weight as last week)
super-set with
Hypers - BWX5X10

Body had loosened up a bit by this afternoon (except for shoulders).  Didn't have any lingering DOMS in my legs, and felt generally strong.  Only took 60-90 seconds between worksets on the barbell stuff.  Got in and out.

Texas Method - Week 6 - Volume Day

BW - 230

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
205X3
245X2
285X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench -
BarX5
95X3
125X2
155X1
180X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
135X3
225X2
315X1
350X1, 1

 Feeling kind of beat-up.  Starting to look forward more towards after the meet than the meet itself.  My right shoulder (my "good" shoulder) hurts, but I can't tell how much is the pain from chins, dropping the bar on my collar-bone in the clean, and general DOMS.  Knees and hips are achy.  Knees in particular make it hard to get comfortable trying to go to sleep.

Didn't have coaching today.  Pretty sure I was supposed to start singles this week, so I worked up to a single on Deadlift.  Then I wasn't sure if it was one single or multiple, so I did one more and called it.  They were both hard.

Hoping I bounce back a bit both mentally and physically for the meet.

Texas Method - Week 5 - Intensity Day (coached)

BW - 229

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
205X3
265X2
315X1
355X3

Bench -
BarX5
95X4
135X3
175X2
200X1 (paused)
220X1, 1, 1 (paused)

Cleans - up to an ugly set of 150

Squat went well today.  Definitely felt like I could have gotten 5.  355X3 is a Rep PR.

Added commands in on bench.  Tried to go for 3, but failed on 2 so we did two more singles.  Been a long time since I paused.  I never really noticed the difference before.  My best set previously with pauses was 215X2, I believe.  So it is what it is.  220X1 is still a Rep PR.

Cleans were just not coming together for me today.  My coach was trying some new cues, and I was not adapting quickly.  Actually DROPPED the bar across the end of my collar-bone on my top set.

Texas Method - Week 5 - Recovery Day

BW - 232

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
175X3
215X2
235X5, 5

Press -
BarX5
65X3
85X2
105X1
110X5, 5, 5

Pull-Downs - 5X10 (to a top set; heavier than last week)
super-set with
Hypers - BWX10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Shoulder felt a little better this week on the pull-downs.

Texas Method - Week 5 - Volume Day

BW - 232

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
205X3
235X2
285X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench -
BarX5
85X3
125X2
155X1
180X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
135X3
225X2
295X1
345X3

Had no energy today.  Still only took 3-4 minute rests between worksets on Squat and Bench.  Just a slog.

Gave myself plenty of time getting ready for DL.  Focused a bit more on speed off the floor, and ended up feeling a little better about this lift than I did about 340X3 last week.  345X3 ties a Rep PR.

Texas Method - Week 4 - Intensity Day

BW - 229

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
195X3
255X2
315X1
350X3

Bench -
BarX5
95X3
135X2
185X1
215X3

Cleans - 144X3X5

Rep PRs in Squat and Bench.  2nd Squat rep was probably a little high.  Bench felt pretty good.

Cleans felt okay.

Texas Method - Week 4 - Recovery Day

BW - 232

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
175X3
215X2
235X5, 5

Press -
BarX5
65X3
75X2
95X1
110X5, 5, 5

Pulldowns -5X10 to a top set
super-set with
Hypers - BWX5X10

Switched over to pulldowns because chins are bothering my "good" shoulder.  Still felt it on pulldowns, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't continue.

Texas Method - Week 4 - Volume Day (coached)

BW - 230

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
205X3
245X2
285X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench -
BarX5
85X3
125X2
155X1
180X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
135X3
225X2
295X1
340X3

Had a busy weekend, both with training and spotting and loading for a women's PL meet at my gym.  Had a great time at the meet, but was totally beat afterwards.  Had to come in for this session the next day.  My coach had also worked the meet, and he thought this would be a good opportunity to back off the volume weight just a touch, as we're also taking Intensity lifts down to triples.  To paraphrase him, "chances are, you won't get substantially stronger between now and the meet.  Now we want to make sure the strength you've developed is there on meet day."

So Volume Squats get reduced 10 lbs., and Volume Bench gets reduced by 2.5.

The 340X3 was heavy as hell, and slow going on the final rep.

Texas Method - Week 3 - Intensity Day (coached)

BW - 232

Squats -
BarX5
135X4
205X3
265X2
305X1
345X5

Bench -
BarX5
95X3
145X2
180X1
210X5

Cleans - up to 144X3

345X5 is an all-around PR in the Squat, and 210X5 is an all-around PR in Bench.  Squats were very strong despite not getting the rebound and having to gut out my 3rd rep, and Bench was heavy but do-able.  Coach says starting next week, we'll keep the weight progression the same, but go to triples on the intensity day for a couple of weeks, and then down to singles for the last couple of weeks before the meet.

I spent Sunday spotting and loading for a USAPL women's meet at my gym.  I wanted to get a feel for what a meet is like, and it was definitely informative.  It was also great to watch a bunch of dedicated women get after it on the platform.