A headache is weakness leaving the brain

I was really happy with today's squats. Used a belt for the first time, starting at 315 warmup.

Squat:
Warmups: 5x135 5x185 2x225 1x275 1x315
Work Sets: 5x385 5x385 5x385

The first set felt really hard, and I think I had my feet a bit too close together. The belt also really changed how the squat felt - much more "pressure" in my head. Second set felt great. Walked the bar out, feet got placed right, and managed to have good bar speed on all 5 reps. Last set started slow, but sped up towards the end.

The work sets as a whole are a new PR - have never done 3x5x385 before, so I'm pretty excited. If I can get good sleep and keep the food intake high, I expect to hit 3 sets across at 405 next week, which would be awesome.
 
Not a happy squat day. This is the first time I've been unable to complete a set since resuming lifting this year.

Squats
Warmups: 5x135 5x185 2x225 1x275 (add belt) 1x315 1x355
Work set: 4x395

The 4th rep was hard enough that I was reasonably confident that there wouldn't be a 5th one. I'm going to try this workout again on Monday. I had a lot to drink on the 4th, and went out for beers last night as well. If I were properly hydrated and better rested, I think this workout would have gone differently.

I did do some front squats to try to figure out my max for the contest.

Front squats: 5x135 2x205 1x275

Last one felt heavy enough that I'm comfortable calling it my max for contest purposes. Technically, it's a PR, but only because I don't do front squats.
 
Bench day
Warmups: 10x45 5x135 5x185
Work sets: 5x225 5x225 5x225 5x225

These all felt pretty easy. I suspect I could have gone up significantly in weight, but I'm trying to be sensitive to my shoulders and take this slowly.

It's hot today, but heading out shortly to take my daughter swimming at a spring fed pool that is 68 degrees year round.
 
New squat PR, not in max weight, but in sets across at this weight. Very happy.

Squat
Warmup: 5x45 5x135 5x185 1x225 1x275 1x315 (add belt for remaining sets) 1x365
Work sets: 5x395 5x395 5x395

Last rep on 2nd and 3rd sets was exhausting. Lower back was very cramped up walking back to the car, but feels better after ice. Tendinitis again in elbows, which is odd, since all I did was squat.
 
scoopj said:
Nice squatting. Still planning to do the squat comp?

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/squat-competition-run-off-poll-2140187/
Click to expand...

Yep. Voted already. I'm good with whatever the group decides. However, I don't think my back squat is going to improve that much between now and the end of the year. I'm definitely at the end of any kind of linear programming. Since I'm new to the front squat, I suspect I could probably add 100 pounds there just by working on the technique and incremental loading.
 
pliftkl said:
Yep. Voted already. I'm good with whatever the group decides. However, I don't think my back squat is going to improve that much between now and the end of the year. I'm definitely at the end of any kind of linear programming. Since I'm new to the front squat, I suspect I could probably add 100 pounds there just by working on the technique and incremental loading.
Click to expand...

KT is looking for people to just "check in" by posting in the thread. He won't add you to the list until you do.

Just a friendly nudge.

And with 100 lbs on FS alone, I don't think you need to increase on BS. I'm planning to add a ton to my FS as well.
 
scoopj said:
KT is looking for people to just "check in" by posting in the thread. He won't add you to the list until you do.

Just a friendly nudge.

And with 100 lbs on FS alone, I don't think you need to increase on BS. I'm planning to add a ton to my FS as well.
Click to expand...

Checked in.

How are you planning on programming your front squat along with the back squat? I'm planning on entering the Rippetoe Invitational up at Wichita Falls in Nov if I can get a slot, so I'm going to continue to focus on back squat. I suspect that front squats will probably just get 1 day a week of attention, possibly replacing one of my back squat sessions.
 
Quick press workout at lunch

Overhead Press
Warmups: 10x45 5x95
Work sets: 5x150 5x150 5x150

Starting to feel harder, but I suspect I'm still a good 20-30 pounds below a 5 rep set that would be max effort.
 
Really struggling with the elbow tendinitis.

Did a BJJ class two days ago (in the evening, same day as the press workout). In class, everything felt fine, but by the time I got out to my car, my elbows were in some serious pain. Took 4 advil and iced when I got home, and it was a good hour before they stopped hurting.

Did a BJJ today, and the elbows were fine.

The Tuesday class was a bit more sparring heavy, but I find it bizarre that the tendinitis is that finicky.
 
pliftkl said:
Checked in.

How are you planning on programming your front squat along with the back squat? I'm planning on entering the Rippetoe Invitational up at Wichita Falls in Nov if I can get a slot, so I'm going to continue to focus on back squat. I suspect that front squats will probably just get 1 day a week of attention, possibly replacing one of my back squat sessions.
Click to expand...

I'm so new to the front squat that it won't take much to make gains. I plan to do basically the same thing you are doing - replace one day of BS with FS. I plan to just use volume, volume, volume the last few months of the comp.
 
Squats day!

Warm ups:
5x45 5x135 3x185 1x225 1x275 1x315 (add belt) 1x365

Work sets:
5x400 5x400 5x400

This is a new PR for sets across, and is only 5 pounds short of a previous PR on weight (single set at 405). First two sets didn't feel that hard, even in final reps. Last set felt heavy, and struggled hard for the 4th and 5th reps.

Lower back was painfully tight walking out of the gym, and my elbow tendinitis is again flaring up (holding the bar in a low position puts a lot of strain on my elbows).
 
Bench

Warmups: 10x45 5x135 5x185
Work Sets: 5x235 5x235 5x235

Tendinitis feels awful. Should have just done a 5 pounds jump.
 
JauntyAngle said:
Pretty deep re-set. I will be following your progress, and hoping to see you squatting ovet 400 for reps some time before too long.
Click to expand...

It took an additional 6 weeks!

Squat day:
Warmups: 5x45 5x135 5x185 2x225 1x275 1x315 (add belt) 1x365
Work sets: 5x405 5x405 5x405

First set felt great. Good bar speed, felt easy, wasn't even that beat after the set. Second was ok, but was definitely more challenging. During the third set, the guy at a smith machine next to the squat rack decided it would be a good time to go work his way around my moving bar to go rummage through the weights on the rack. I was too loaded down with weight to curse him adequately, and too excited after the set to remain mad.

3x5x405 is a new PR for sets across. I did a single set of 5x405 back 2 years ago, and if felt so heavy that I promptly reset to 365.
 
Press Day
Warmups: 10x45
Work sets: 5x155 5x155 5x155

I normally do these in the power rack because I'm lazy, and my power clean sucks. However, the rack had an occupant who was actually doing a squat-like exercise (half squats with long breaks between sets), so I went ahead and cleaned the weight for each set. I know everyone says "You can certainly clean more than you can overhead press", but in order to clean properly, I need to use a very wide grip. Cleans were way ugly, since I was trying to clean with my pressing grip.

No sign of the mysterious tendinitis today.
 
Tuesday BJJ

All baseball chokes today, with various entries, and a few variants involving the opponent's gi. Pretty happy with sparring afterwards, and minimal tendinitis. Felt no pain at the end of class, but the elbows flared up a little during the drive home.
 
An unhappy deadlift day

Decided to wander to the gym and work up to some heavy singles.

Warm ups: 5x135 2x225 1x315 1x365

Work set(s):
1x405 0x455

What was strange was that I got the 455 off the ground, and I generally complete lifts where I can move the bar. Decided I was done and came home.
 
BJJ

Lots of interesting chokes using the opponent's gi. Mostly carryover from some of the chokes we looked at last time. Had some decent rolls at the end of class.

Tendinitis flared up, but only in 1 arm, which I suppose is an improvement.
 
BJJ

Got a 4th stripe on my white belt today, and some great rolls.

Have taken the week off from squatting to celebrate the 405 milestone. Set to resume tomorrow with Texas Method using front squats on the light day. That should give me some bump in my front squat numbers since I have so little experience in the lift.
 
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