Mid-Rep Volume PRs. Pivot Session E.

sRPE @7.5

BW - 225

Box Squat - up to 380X1 @9

Roman Chair Squat - BWX10, 10, 10 @7/9

Dips - up to BW+65X1 @8

Decline Bench - up to 225X3 @7.5

Cambered Bench - 135X6, 6, 6, 6 @7/8

Messing around the couple of sessions before I go on a trip.  Decided to work up on Box Squat. Everything felt really good, especially once I called spotters in.  Heaviest I've squatted to a box is 335X5, so this is certainly a PR on this lift.

Worked up on Dips just because I haven't hit them in a couple of weeks.

Then a buddy from the Konjugate Krew came in and I worked in with him on Max Effort Bench stuff.  I'm sure I've done Decline Bench in my life, but I have no record of having done it going back 13 years.  So...PR?

Mid-Rep Volume PRs. Week 3. Session D.+ME Team

sRPE @8.5

BW - 218

Cambered Bar SquatMornings - up to 245X3 @8

Deadlift - 

385X1 @8

295X9, 9, 9, 9 @7/8

Dips - BW+25X6, 6, 6, 6 @6

Pull-Downs - X8, 8, 7, 7 @7.5/10

Stationary Bike - HIIT; 9 rounds / 16 minutes

Never used a Cambered Squat bar before.  Never done SquatMornings before.  Fun with the Konjugate Krew.

Definitely took some pop out of my DLs as the top single performance was way down from last week.  And yet 295 for 4 sets of 9 is still a Volume PR on DL.

243 (BW+25) for 4 sets of 6 is a Volume PR on Dips.

Mid-Rep Volume PRs. Week 3. Session A. +ME Upper

sRPE @8.5

BW - 220

Squat - 

315X1 @6

340X1 @7

265X9, 9, 9, 9 @6/7

Bench - 

215X1 @5

225X1 @6

135+120 Chains X3 @9

145+120 Chains X3 @10

170X9, 9, 9, 9 @6/8.5

Rope Extensions - X19, 11 @9/10

265 for 4 sets of 9 on Squats is a Volume PR.

170 for 4 sets of 6+ on Bench is a Volume PR.

Worked in with the Konjugate Krew on Max Effort Chain Bench.  I've only ever really used chains on Squats, and was surprised how more "unstable" chains felt on bench.  Driving to lockout against the chains subtly carried over to driving the bar up on my sets of 9.  Fun!

Mid-Rep Volume PRs. Week 1. Session D. +ME Team Training

sRPE @8.5

BW - 219

Marrs Bar Squat - 

315X3 @8

335X3 @9

Deadlift - 

365X1 @6

405X1 @8

285X9, 9, 9 @5.5/7.5

Dips - BW+25X5, 5, 5 @6.5/7

Pull-Downs - X8, 8, 8 @7/9

Worked in with my Conjugate training friends on their Max Effort movement.  Never used the Mars Bar before.  It was fine!

Higher-Rep Volume PRs. Week 4. Session D.

sRPE @ 8.5

BW - 213

Squat - up to 315X1 @5.5

Deadlift - 

395X1 @7

255X17 @8.5

Dips - 

BW+60X4, 4 @8/8.5

BWX15, 15 @8.5/10

Inverted Rows - BWX14, 14, 14, 14 @6/9.5

Did Max Effort Squats with the crew on Saturday before attempting my regular scheduled workout.

Squatting went well, but I was getting over a cold that I think made itself evident in the DL work.  I was feeling strong coming off of Squats so tried to go up a little on the top DL single and overshot RPE target.  Then the first set of 17 was much more difficult despite being the same weight as last week.  Decided to call DL there and make sure I got the other work in.

213 (BW) for 2 sets of 15 is a Volume PR on Dips.

ME Lower Team Training

 sRPE @ 5

Pause Squat - up to 345X1 @8.5

Deadlift - 

385X1 @7

225X17 @5.5

345X1 is a Rep PR on Pause Squat.

225X17 is a Rep PR on Deadlift.

Had an appointment, so couldn't fit in anything else.

Block 19 (Tier 2). Cycle 6. Session A.

sRPE @6

Curls - 

70X10, 10 @8/8.5

65X10 @8

Bench - 

205X3 @7.75

180X7 @8

Deadlift - 

415X1 @8

365X4, 4, 4 @6/7

"Away-game" yesterday with friends in their basement gym.  Always fun to train with a group.

Bench is always way harder at their place.  Dunno why.  

Group Training. Session 2.

 sRPE @6

Squats -

345X2 @7

237.5X10 @4.5

BB Curls - 75X9, 9, 9, 9 @~8

DB Bench - 60'sX9/14 @6/9.5

Nice progress with the group training.  We added one more person, and had a bit more focus this session with 3/4 Squatting and 2/4 Benching.

For me, Squatting was a mixed bag as their bar doesn't have center knurling and we had to wrap masking tape around it to keep it from rolling down my back.  Their floor is a bit uneven (made the walkout wonky), and their rack and hooks aren't great (had to get the bar guided in every time to make sure I didn't lose a finger).  Top set was still right where I targeted for this session, and back-off work was actually much easier than expected.  Likely a result of Squatting first in the session instead of third.

75 for 4X9 is a Volume PR on curls.  Wasn't sure that would be there not doing them in first in the session. 

Group Training. Session 1.

sRPE @ 5

Bench - 205X3 @7

Curls - 72.5X9, 9 @8/9

DB Arnold Press - 30'sX~12 @~5

DB Rear Delt Flies - 30sXLOTS @ sub-max

DB Rear Delt Swings (no rest) - 30sXLOTS @10

Gonna start training with friends at one of their houses once or twice a month.  This was a low stress, kind of feeling out session.  Hit a couple of "real" lifts and fucked around on some other stuff.

Novice LP. Team Training. Session 6

BW - 222

Squats - 282.5X3X5

Press - 110X3X5

Pull-Ups and Ring Chins - BWX3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2

Pull-downs - X8

My coach and I mis-communicated on today's weight, and so we mis-loaded the bar.  We just decided to stay at the weight and just balance the load back out.  These went well.

Press also went well.

I tried out some pull-ups.  First time in a while.  Hard.  There's no chin bar in the room where the team trains, but someone had hung some rings.  After a few sets of pull-ups, I went back into the team room and did some ring chins.  Also hard.

This is almost certainly the last team training session.  Kratos Strength, the coaches I've been working with, are opening their own facility.  It's in a less convenient location, and will be more expensive than the current set-up.  I'm going to check it out over the weekend, but it's hard to imagine I won't be back to training on my own-some starting next week.

Novice LP. Team Training. Session 5

BW - 221

Squat - 275X3X5

Bench - 165X3X5

Deadlift - 285X5

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.

Novice LP. Team Training. Session 3

BW - 222

Squat - 255X3X5

Bench - 160X3X5

Deadlift - 280X5

First set of squats was a little off.  Last two were as they should be.

Bench and Deadlift both moved as they should, as well.

Novice LP. Team Training. Session 2

BW - 221

Squat - 245X3X5

Press - 100X3X5

Deadlift - 275X5

Everything went really well.  Light as it should be.

Novice LP. Team Training. Session 1

BW - 220

Squats - 225X3X5

Press - 95X3X5

Deadlift - 265X5

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.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 15. Intensity Day

BW - 226

Squat - 325X1, 2, 2

Bench -
210X3
200X5


Deadlift - 325X4

Low back was still giving me issues, so I borrowed my coaches belt for Squats and Pulls.  I've never used a belt before, so there was acclimation.  It helped quite a bit in the hole on Squat, and getting the bar to my knees on DL.

On Squat, the first set went well, so I went for a double on the 2nd.  I was going to go for 3 on the 3rd, but the 2nd rep slowed down quite a lot about 1/2 way up, so I cut it.

Failed on the 4th rep on Bench, so we dropped down and hit a back-off set.  We noticed today that on these heavier sets, I may have a habit of touching ever lower on my chest after each rep.  Something to keep an eye on.

I probably could have gotten 5 on the DL, but I'm going out of the country on vacation this week, and I didn't see the need to risk something happening for that one rep.

Looking forward to my break, and then picking this back up afterwards.

Texas Method Team Training. Week 14. Volume Day

BW - 222

Squat -
315X5
305X5
295X5
285X3
275X3

Bench - 190X5X5

Chins - BWX5, 3, 3

Pull-downs X6

Back was feeling okay, but power output was still low.  Coach decided to see how I handled a descending set of 5 on Squats.  The first 3 sets were all brutal.  Final reps on every set were very slow, and I was completely gassed following the sets.  On the 4th set, I cut if after 3.  Just went for 3 on the final set, and all reps were strong.  Definitely felt like 5 would have been easy, but it also felt good to end feeling strong(ish).

Bench sets all took focus, and I was having trouble keeping my butt down on final reps, but everything went well.

I decided DL was a bad idea after the way squat went, so I did some chins instead.

One more training session before I go out of the country on vacation for a week.  We'll probably do 3X3 across instead of 1X5.  Just to promote a bit more adaptation carrying through the break.  We did that when I went out of town for a week for Thanksgiving, and the results were solid.

I see a lot of veteran lifters talk about "your body will let you know when it's time to back-off, if you're listening."  I've been going full bore since after Thanksgiving, so maybe that's what this is.  I'll go on vacation for a week, come back and ?probably? reset, and see what happens.  Switch to sets of 3 on Volume and Intensity days is an option, and so is 5/3/1.  Coach just switched one of the older guys in our group over to Wendler's thing because of a nagging knee issue.  We'll see!

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.