Deadlifts and milkshakes

[WitchCraft]

1/11/2014

Squat
bar x 5
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
115 x 3
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5

Press
bar x 5
bar x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5

Chins
5,6,6,6,6 (volume PR)

Lots of static stretching

Notes: Texas Method is going well. It's a little relaxed for me, but I imagine it will get more challenging soon. My short term goal is to be able to squat 185 for 5 at the end of this month. After that, I'll start working in the triples range.

 

[WitchCraft]

1/12/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 3
170 x 5 beltless PR

PAUSED Bench
bar x 5
65 x 5
75 x 5
95 x 3
105 x 2
115 x 1
115 x 1
115 x 1
115 x 1
115 x 1

Deadlift
135 x 5
145 x 5
155 x 5
170 x 5

Notes: I tried a modified sumo stance for the deadlift today. My feet were just outside my grip (so not nearly as wide as regular sumo) and toes were pointed out a lot more than conventional. I liked it and will probably continue to use it provided I can still add weight as planned.

 

[WitchCraft]

1/14/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3
150 x 5
150 x 5
150 x 5
150 x 5
150 x 5

Bench
bar x 10
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 1
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5

Romanian deadlift
88 x 10
88 x 10
88 x 10

Chins
5,5,3

 

[WitchCraft]

1/17/2014 (yesterday's session)

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5

Press
bar x 5
55 x 5
60 x 5
60 x 5
60 x 5

Notes: Trained at the high school I work at. They have some decent equipment in there, decent enough to get the job done. I only have time during my 45 minute lunch break (which really means only 30 minutes of actual training since I have to get changed in and out of my work clothes) but I'll train there on my easy day.

In other news, at the end of the day, I was feeling pretty lousy and got my temp taken. I had a 100 degree fever. When I got home, I slept for 14 hours! Today I have some pretty bad neck stiffness, headache, and overall fatigue. This is the third time I've had flu-like symptoms this year. I'm starting to get a little concerned that there's something else going on. I'm supposed to have some blood tests done next week to rule out Lyme disease and other deficiencies.

 

[Oblivian]

This winter has been absolutely brutal for sickness in my area. They were diagnosing a 100 day cough, and my son has basically had a cough throughout the entire winter. The flu, bad colds, stomach issues, etc. have been worse this year than any that I can remember.

In regards to the high school gym, I would pay to be able to lift at my old high school gym over any gym within a 100 mile radius. 3 olympic platforms, multiple squat racks, multiple benches, bumpers, all the dumbbells you need, etc. I wish I would have been into lifting back then.

 

[WitchCraft]

This winter has been absolutely brutal for sickness in my area. They were diagnosing a 100 day cough, and my son has basically had a cough throughout the entire winter. The flu, bad colds, stomach issues, etc. have been worse this year than any that I can remember.

In regards to the high school gym, I would pay to be able to lift at my old high school gym over any gym within a 100 mile radius. 3 olympic platforms, multiple squat racks, multiple benches, bumpers, all the dumbbells you need, etc. I wish I would have been into lifting back then.

That's what I've been hearing about the flu this year. But nobody around me has been sick! I've missed a ton of work this year. As soon as I get better, I get sick again bleh!

And yeah, it's pretty nice to be able to train at this gym. It's a little awkward for me to lift in the same place as the students that see me as a teacher, but I'll get over it.

I tried to find a good pic of the gym online, but this was all I found:


It's a brand new gym and they have 3 platforms. The saddest part is that none of the student's know how to use it so they just flock towards the machines.

 

[WitchCraft]

1/20/2014

Squat
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 5
105 x 3
135 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 2
175 x 5 matched PR AND with no belt this time!

Bench
bar x 5
55 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 2
105 x 1
112 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2

Deadlift
135 x 5
155 x 3
175 x 3

Notes: Squats were challenging today. I've been training without a belt and this was huge for me to be able to match my old 5RM without it. Next week will be a brand new 5RM. 180 x 5. Yikes!

 

[Eric Brown]

Notes: Squats were challenging today. I've been training without a belt and this was huge for me to be able to match my old 5RM without it. Next week will be a brand new 5RM. 180 x 5. Yikes!

From reading back a few pages, it looks like you are heading well past that. Good job.

 

[WitchCraft]

From reading back a few pages, it looks like you are heading well past that. Good job.

Thanks man! I'm excited to see where my squat will be in 2014.

1/22/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 5
155 x 5
155 x 5
155 x 5
155 x 5

Bench
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 5
102 x 5
102 x 5
102 x 5
102 x 5
102 x 5

Romanian Deadlift
88 x 5
95 x 5
110 x 5
110 x 5
110 x 5

Some rolling with a lacrosse ball on glutes and hamstrings...OW

 

[WitchCraft]

1/24/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
125 x 5
125 x 5
125 x 5

Press
bar x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
65 x 4 PR
65 x 3

DB Lateral raises
10 x 15
7.5 x 15

Notes: Trained at HS gym again. My press is weak. That is all.

 

[WitchCraft]

1/26/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 3
170 x 2
180 x 5 rep PR

Paused bench
bar x 5
65 x 5
88 x 5
95 x 3
110 x 2
112 x 1
112 x 1
112 x 1
112 x 1
112 x 3

Block pulls
135 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5



Notes: I was pretty tired today. Spent the entire day yesterday helping some friends out at a powerlifting meet in Newark, NJ. Steve was in the PM session so I had to sit through 2 meets. Very exhausting. I think I would have rather competed! Anyways, I still busted out a new 5RM today. I'm really liking texas method for the squats. Deadlift and bench are a little slow right now, but I know they'll come back up.

 

[WitchCraft]

1/29/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
135 x 3
145 x 3
160 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 5

Bench
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 3
105 x 5
105 x 5
105 x 5
105 x 5
105 x 5

RDL
88 x 5
95 x 5
95 x 5
95 x 5

Chins
5,5

Notes: Glute bothering me a little bit on RDL's so I didn't up the weight this time.

 

[WitchCraft]

2/1/2014

Squat
bar x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
130 x 5
130 x 5
130 x 5

Press
bar x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
62 x 4 + F
62 x 3
62 x 4

Notes: My overhead press is atrocious.

 

[WitchCraft]

2/2/2014

Bench
bar x 10
65 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 3
100 x 2
105 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2
112 x 2

Squat
bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 3
175 x 3
185 x 5 rep PR, (squats high apparently, see notes)
185 x 4 + F

Deadlift from blocks
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 3
185 x 5

Notes: When I finished my first set of 5 with 185, my training partners told me almost all of my squats in the set were high. They felt pretty easy so I decided to take a long rest and then try again. I got 4 reps to depth, but then collapsed a little on the last rep and missed it.

First set of some very high skwats:


Second set with a fail:

 

[Jebus Korea]

The squats were high and you always come up with your ass first and it turns into a GM. Highly consider dropping the weight by 20lbs or so.

 

[eastNYgoon138]

The squats were high and you always come up with your ass first and it turns into a GM. Highly consider dropping the weight by 20lbs or so.

The second set was perfect up until the last rep. A lot of people say this to her, but it may be because they don't have an eye for different individual's segment lengths. WC has a long torso and femurs, her low bar form is a result of that.

 

[WitchCraft]

The squats were high and you always come up with your ass first and it turns into a GM. Highly consider dropping the weight by 20lbs or so.

If you're talking about the set in the first video, then I wholeheartedly agree. I got really lazy or something there. I'm actually kind of mortified at those half squats. But the second set is about the best form that I can get and it's pretty consistent with my warm up sets, therefore lowering the weight is not going to do anything for me.

Many people have corrected me about my squats saying that I GM it. But my form works for me, and I never have a problem in competition. Getting stronger + competition success is really my ultimate goal and I've been successful so far.

 

[Jebus Korea]

Getting stronger/competition success will be hard when you hurt yourself with bad form. Good luck.

 

[Fighting Sprite]

Why let your torso angle change so much out of the hole? If you're a leaner I get that, guys like Goggins and Gillingham have huge squats but they don't let their positioning change so dramatically out of the bottom. Seems very innefficient to me.

And I agree with Jebus about dropping the weight, if not to fix your GM issues, to get depth. All 15 of your reps on video from this page have been high.

Excellent work on the bench and deadlift, though.

 

[WitchCraft]

Getting stronger/competition success will be hard when you hurt yourself with bad form. Good luck.

What exactly are you concerned about? My depth or risk of an injury? Either way, I think I'll be fine.

Why let your torso angle change so much out of the hole? If you're a leaner I get that, guys like Goggins and Gillingham have huge squats but they don't let their positioning change so dramatically out of the bottom. Seems very innefficient to me.

And I agree with Jebus about dropping the weight, if not to fix your GM issues, to get depth. All 15 of your reps on video from this page have been high.

Excellent work on the bench and deadlift, though.

I appreciate the feedback. I don't know if I'm just being stubborn or don't have an eye for my own form issues, but I don't see my back angle changing dramatically on most of my sets. The most recent videos were a 5RM so of course my form is not going to be perfect. And as I said in an earlier post, this is how I squat on all of my sets pretty much. I have long ass femurs and it's just not possible for me to squat ATG with an upright torso.

Also, just to clarify, most of those squats are to parallel (albeit one set that I completely got lazy with, all of those are embarrassingly high). The others are definitely not deep and I can't deny that, but they are to parallel. I'm a powerlifter, that's all I care about.



I'm squatting today. I'll try to take a video without the safety bars so I can do some screen shots. I tried to do it with the vids I have now, but it's hard to see with all of the equipment in the way.