Texas Method Team Training. Week 14. Intensity Day

BW - 223

Squat -
350X1
315X3

Press - 137.5X5

Deadlift - 345X1

Back is feeling a lot better.  Gave me little to no trouble on this day.

Went for a 2nd rep with 350 on squats, but it didn't come up.  Hit a back-off set instead.

Press moved well.

First attempt with 345 wouldn't come off the floor.  Switched grip from left-under to right-under, pulled a single, and called it a moral victory.

Looking forward to resetting after vacation and taking another run up.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 13. Intensity Day

BW - 225

Squat -
300X1
350X0

Bench - 207.5X5

Deadlift - 225X2

Reverse Hyper - a bunch of sets of 10

Took the weekend off from lifting, and felt better walking into the gym, but low back clearly still isn't recovered.  Tried to take 350 for a ride, but just getting out of the rack took a lot out of me, then I was slow on my descent, so by the time I tried to come out of the hole there was nothing there.  I suspect there will be a deload/reset here, but I haven't confirmed with the coach yet.

Bench went really well, though.  About 5 lbs. away from a 5 rep PR, and feeling good.

Took a shot at Deadlift, but I could tell I was going to have the same issues, so cut it off after 225.

Coach had me go do a bunch of fucking reverse hypers, i.e. the worst.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 12. Volume Day

BW - 225

Squat - 315X5, 5

Bench - 187.5X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX4, 3, 3, 2, 1

Low-back strain is still giving me trouble.  We tried to repeat last week's volume day, but after the 2nd set I could actually feel the trouble area becoming more inflamed while I was just standing there.  So we decided to shut it down and also not deadlift.

Bench went really well, though, so....

First set of chin-ups also felt strong.  I only got one more rep, but they just felt 'solid.'  The other sets felt like previous sessions.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 12. Intensity Day

Squat - 345X4

Press - 135X4

Deadlift -
275X1
315X0, 0

Rough day today.  I have a high-hamstring strain and a low-back strain that were nagging at me coming in.  The former didn't really bother me at all today, although I could feel it pretty well on the top-set of squats.  The back pain was robbing me of all my explosiveness on the squat.  Made powering out of the hole very difficult, and so the whole lift went slow.  All 4 reps of the work set were grinders, and I failed on rep #5.

The Squats aggravated the injury and made it actually interfere with the overheads as well.  Again, I failed on rep #5, and the back pain was continual at this point; even away from the weights.

Worked up on singles with the DL just to see what was what.  Tried twice to get 315.  It left the ground on the 2nd attempt but stalled out almost immediately.

Time to rest up and recover.  On Volume Day, I expect we will pick the 5X5 weight based on how these injuries are feeling.  At most, we will repeat the same weight as  last week.  Going forward we will probably not advance those weights any time soon, and may even back them off.

On Intensity Day, we will look to keep pushing upwards.  We'll be prepared to go for sets of 5 next week if they feel good, but if not, we will switch to triples.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 11. Recovery Day

BW - 224

Squats - 245X5, 5

Bench - 165X5, 5 ,5

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3, 1, 2

Pull-Downs - X9

Texas Method Team Training. Week 11. Volume Day

BW - 223

Squat - 315X5X5

Press - 125X5X5

Deadlift - 250X10X2

Was on my own training today as I couldn't make the team training day.  Would have liked to be with the coach, etc. for my run at 315 5X5, but it is what it is.  And what it is is pretty hard!  It's such a milestone thing to do 3 plates-per-side for 5X5 for me, that I got pretty amped up.  This had me gripping the bar too hard; a habit I've been breaking myself of.  The result was that, by the time I was stepping up for set #3, my shoulders and elbows were screaming.  I ended up taking extra long breaks in between sets to let the pain recede.  Long story short:  I got the 315X5X5, and it was hard, and my elbows really hurt afterward.

The pain in my elbows radiated down into my wrists and hands, and made the Press feel really weak.  This 5X5 was also very difficult today, but I got it as well.

By this time, Deadlifting seemed like a cake-walk and went just fine.

Also, the guy that spotted my last 3 sets of Squats, ended up working up to 700X1.  That was pretty fucking cool to watch.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 11. Intensity Day

BW - 226

Squat - 340X5

Bench - 205X5

Deadlift 340X5

Squats felt a little bit off today.  The team swelled to 6 guys all of a sudden, so there was a bit more chaos today.

Bench is feeling fairly solid of later.  These reps all moved pretty well.

340X5 is an all-around PR on Deadlift.  These also moved pretty well.  I could feel my hamstrings starting to fire for all they were worth starting on the 3rd rep, but all the reps were fairly smooth.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 10. Recovery Day

BW - 224

Squats - 245X2X5

Press - 100X3X5

Chins - BWX3, 3, 2, 1

Pull-downs - X10

Texas Method Team Training. Week 10. Volume Day

BW - 226

Squats - 310X5X5

Bench - 185X5X5

Deadlift - 245X10X2

Almost there.  Next week I get to go for 315 on 5X5, and I'm stoked about it.  Naturally, my schedule for next week is all fucked up, and I won't be able to lift on my regular day, and may not get to lift with coach or team.  Fuck it, though.  I'm gonna get it.

Bench went better than it did last volume day.

Deadlift was a little bit wonky.  I was having trouble executing good technique and still moving fast.  Keeping an eye on.