Pull-Downs (supinated) - X12, 9, 7 (straight-weight; same weight as previous)
Hammer Curls -
45sX5
35sX12, 10
Moved Squats back into LP mode to see if I can run them up a bit. Definitely readjusting to what "heavy" sets across feel like, i.e. what it feels like when every rep isn't fast or "easy" all the way through. I probably panicked a bit in the last session when that happened, but I got my mind more right coming into this one, and was able to approach it with more confidence. Also, getting back into my old work set routine of making sure the unrack is stable before I walk it out, and making sure the bar is settled on my back between breath and rep. Last set shown.
2nd day back to LP for Press. These all moved very well. Very happy with how it went. Last set shown.
I Deadlifted for the first time in a couple of months. Zero adductor tightness on this movement, although it's still tender outside of the gym. Just did a set at 315 to feel it out.
As far as the assistance, I'm not caring about it as much now that I'm back on all the main lifts. Pull-Ups were week, pull-downs and curls were both strong.
Pull-Downs - X11, 8, 7 (straight-weight; same weight as previous)
BB Curls - ~60X11, 10
Starr Rehab Squats were expected to be sets of 8 today, but the Squat had other plans. 6th rep with 315 was challenging technically, so I called it there and went ahead and dropped to sets of 5. These all "felt" like real work sets and my legs were nice and achy for about 24 hours following. I'm just going to switch over to standard LP progression with 10 lb. jumps (hopefully) between sessions. Adductor still feels a bit sharp on the initial warm-up sets, and feels a bit spasm-y at times outside of the gym, but nothing nearly as debilitating as it was. Current plan is to run the LP up to the mid-to-high 300's and then switch back into regular programming with an HLM, top-set followed by back-off sets approach. I'm hopeful that lower intensity back-off volume will help continue the healing process while also driving adaptation for the top sets. All 3 work sets shown.
250X1 is a Rep PR on bench. Nice to get it for 5 sets, too! The first set was really close as the descent was a bit slow, and touched a bit high. Those were the two cues I took into the other sets, and they were all much better. I may try to push this up one more time. Would be nice to notch 255 before I switch over to HLM, but we'll just have to see. Last set shown.
Chins were fine. Still strict and double-paused.
RDLs still feeling good with the straps. So good, I'm probably sand-bagging on switching back to pulls from the floor. "I'm talkin' to the man in the mirror."
Pull-downs were the same total reps as last time, with a slightly different distribution. All these chin-up accessories are probably going out the door once the adductor feels good enough to switch back to regular programming. Looking back at my log, I have added about ~15 lbs. over the course of about 2.5 months. Went from getting ~105X8 to getting ~115X11-12.
Likewise, I've taken barbell curls from getting ~50X9 on the 2nd set to getting ~60X10 on the 2nd set here. If I start to miss these movements because my chin-up strength starts going backwards, this is stuff I could potentially mix in on off days at the gym in my office building, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. The main thing is to get back to regular, progressive work on the multi-joint barbell movements.
For the Press, I really had to buckle down. I have no idea why this is so challenging and yet so far off of 137.5 which is my best 3X5.
I was just going to do overhand on chins today (I've been mixing the grip up randomly), but it was clear I just wasn't going to get enough reps and sets, so I did more sets with different grips. Fun.
This is the last day of the regular Novice LP. Starting this weekend, I will move into the "Advanced" Novice program by adding in a session at 80% intensity every 2nd day. I will continue to alternate Chins and Deads every other day, adding 5 lbs. every Deadlift day. That keeps the DL in line with Squat all the way down the line.
Eventually, I expect to move back into 531, but I want to ratchet down the periodization as gradually as possible. I don't see the point of jumping from daily periodization to monthly. So I will ratchet down from 3X/week increases, to 2X with the Advanced Novice.
If that starts to get un-doable, depending on how it is feeling, I will either reset and then run up to triples and doubles, reset and switch to 80% every other day (1.5X week increases), or switch to TM with 3X5 on volume day (5X5 just ran me into the ground last time). Ideally, I would do all of the above in that order, and then switch to 531.
Everything went pretty well, but the discomfort in my low back is continuing. If I do everything right as far as bracing hard, speed of decent, and bar path, it doesn't bother me as much. Any technical mistake makes it flare up. I'll probably need to make an appointment to go see my regular P.T.
Busy week. Tried to find time to squeeze in conditioning, but it was either lift or run. We'll try again this week.
On my own for this session. Barbell lifts went well.
As long as I'm on the LP, I think I want to alternate Chins and Deadlifts. On this day, I just kept doing AMRAP Chin-up sets until I couldn't get a single, strict rep. Then I hit a back-off set of pull-downs. Lats and brachialis are lit up two days later.
We did a bigger reset than I expected following low-back issues and a two-week vacation. Dropped way down and re-run the LP with an aggressive progression. May even head into triples as the intensity increases. After that, we will look to move into 5/3/1 or HLM.
Everything was fast and easy. Actually had to make myself slow down between squat reps, as I was starting to get out of control.
Not great but not terrible. My heaviest, consecutive sets of 5 was with 325 on the Novice LP back in January, but it took me three sessions of trying to hit that before I finally did. After that, I switched to the TM and never did multiple heavy sets of 5 again.
Obviously, I'm not stoked about being about as strong in September as I was in January. That's not progress. It seems pretty clear that the higher rep work I did in March, April, and May likely didn't set the table for me to recover from meet prep and roar back to be stronger than ever. Not sure how much I want to blame the current programming as it took me a while to iron it out and land on the 5/3/1 style progression for the main lifts that I'm currently employing.
* Moving to the Texas Method next week. Coach modified the squats for this and the next, final LP session. Today was a PR set of 5, and two back-off sets. 330X5 is an all-around PR!
Got all 15 reps on Bench. Last bench session of the LP.
7 chins at a 229 BW is a Rep PR! I read Rippetoe's article on the TM from about 5 years back. He recommended taking 5 minute breaks between chins sets, so tried that here.
Not a bad session despite running out of juice on squats.
327.5X5 is an all-around Squat PR! First set felt great, ran into some trouble on set 2, and then didn't have anything left on the last set.
137.5X5 is an all-around Press PR! Approached the bar with aggression and got the sets. Got a very helpful cue from my coach not to let my chest drop when I receive the bar at the bottom of reps.
Got through the Deadlift plateau from last time. Felt pretty strong on it.
I've stalled out enough times on Squat that my coach is going to start transitioning me to the Intermediate program, the Texas Method. I've got some instructions for how to adjust my Squat workouts the rest of the week. I'm fairly clear on how Squats will be handled going forward, but not sure about the other lifts.
Good session. I knew I would bounce back from the (literal) shit-show on Monday. 325X5 is an all-around PR. I should have gotten all 3 sets of 5, but I didn't hit the bottom right on the very last rep and ended up just sitting in the hole with it. A technique error, and not a strength failure. Will go at it again this weekend.
Press was awesome. I felt like a found...I don't know. Maybe it's most simply described by saying, "I found the groove." Even as reps got hard, it seemed like I knew how to stay under the bar in a way that allowed me to push through. On to 137.5, hahaha!
Got a few more reps on chins, but also attacked them with a bit more abandon, i.e. not coming to full extension.
Awful session. I had some kind of stomach churn that had me running to the restroom between my last 3-4 sets of Squats. Left me a sweaty mess. The weight didn't feel that heavy, but there was no oomph out of the bottom. 325X4 is still a Rep PR.
Still felt a little rough heading into bench, but felt fine by the last two sets. 202.5X5 is a Rep PR.
Don't know about the Deadlift. Maybe just out of gas by the time I got here. Don't know.
Coach is talking about moving out of the novice program.
Felt very strong on Squats this day. All 3 sets were smooth. Rep PR, and right around my best project 1RM.
Press felt really uncontrolled on the first set. Came back strong and got all 5 reps on set 2, but the 5th rep on set 3 stalled just above my head. Will try this weight again next time.
