Keosawa's Powerlifting Log



Floor Press
Barx20
95x5
135x5
185x2
225x2
255x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
285x2 (PR)

Face Pulls, in kg
42.5x25
47.5x25
47.5x25
22.5x100

Notes: I got my pressing back on track by moderating exertion and focusing just on hitting my reps. 275x2 went fairly well over four sets (this is my 4RM), and so I decided to add ten pounds for my last set to push it a little more, and 285x2 was pretty easy for a new 2RM. I did a better job this time of just logging reps and letting the PR come instead of forcing it. I need to manage my higher-intensity bench reps better; if I do this correctly, I'll be in a good position for the meet. I felt lousy the last couple of days (I think the deficit was just hitting me hard), but today I felt better.
 


Squats w/ wraps
95x5
135x3
225x3
315x2
365x2
415x2
455x2
490x2 (+10 lb. PR)

Beltless Squats (3-min. rest intervals)
245x5
245x5
245x5
245x5
245x5
245x5

Notes: As I say in my video, thanks to everyone who helped me out with my training today. I overcame a couple of important hurdles: I got to use a monolift for the first time in forever (and I felt pretty good with it), and I got to handle my planned second attempt at the meet (490) for a double. 415 felt OK, but 455 felt slow and shifted up on my traps, so I wasn't sure about 490. When I saw the video and saw I could just dump it forward at bottom, I figured I'd go for it, and it turned out to be a good decision. From the video, I really need to start dropping faster into my eccentric on these near-max squats; slowing my eccentric to a crawl is really making these squats harder.
 
Don't get good enough signal to watch the video out here at work, but good job man.
 
Excellent progress. Considering your last meet you had a bum knee that's great work.

Will you revise your 2nd attempts on the basis of this information?
 
Thanks, everyone. 455 moved slowly, and I wasn't confident in 490, but I figured I should just sack up and go for it, since that was the plan.

Obscure Terror said:
Excellent progress. Considering your last meet you had a bum knee that's great work.

Will you revise your 2nd attempts on the basis of this information?
Click to expand...

No way, jose. Last night I laid in bed thinking about revising my squat attempts, and I shut it down immediately. I need a 490 squat to break my previous best meet total. I know I'm taking conservative squats, but even if I just total something like 1375 at this meet, it will be a total I can build off of for November. If I really wanted to be aggressive, I could probably open at 485, then jump to 518, then go for a PR squat, but I know the best chance of success will be found in being more conservative.

If I hit a lot of attempts at this meet though, I think you'll see me be more aggressive with my squats in November.
 
You're absurdly strong, but you have the weirdest fucking squat technique I've ever seen. I have no idea how you do it, but it obviously works for you. Kudos, you are an inspiration!
 
Sounds like the responsible, intelligent plan. It can be hard staying emotionally detached to your own training. Making the most efficient long term decisions and not the short term based on what you want.

Looking forward to the meet results.

Grats on the PR double. especially given it's signifigance in the attempts.

I always try not to let my eccentric speed suffer but i lose control sometimes with my normal pace near limit weight and end up coming forward. What is your breakdown when you try to maintain normal rep speed?
 
golvmopp said:
You're absurdly strong, but you have the weirdest fucking squat technique I've ever seen. I have no idea how you do it, but it obviously works for you. Kudos, you are an inspiration!
Click to expand...

I lol'd. Yeah, it's very odd, and I cringe every time I see it. Thanks for the compliments though--I'm just doing the best I can over here.

LegioTitan said:
Sounds like the responsible, intelligent plan. It can be hard staying emotionally detached to your own training. Making the most efficient long term decisions and not the short term based on what you want.

Looking forward to the meet results.

Grats on the PR double. especially given it's signifigance in the attempts.

I always try not to let my eccentric speed suffer but i lose control sometimes with my normal pace near limit weight and end up coming forward. What is your breakdown when you try to maintain normal rep speed?
Click to expand...

It's really tough to go ahead with a plan that includes using something below a 5RM for an opener, but I just need to make sure I get back on track. Now that my progress is slower, I don't worry about being a little conservative, because leaving a little for the next meet just ensures I'll keep posting regular progress. Even if I just add ten pounds on my meet total with each meet, in a few years it will very quickly add up to a LOT.

About a year and a half ago, I was squatting (or trying to) 413 at a meet with a fast eccentric, and I lost the bar over my head; I slowed my eccentric way down for my third attempt and got the weight. Since then, I've always controlled my eccentric, though I'm robbing myself of pop out of the hole by doing so now. My breakdown will occur when I lose tightness in my back and let my chest drop--from there, the bar will roll up on me and I'll lose positioning. But if I keep good position, I can really benefit from dropping faster into the hole.

As I told someone else on youtube, when I use a faster eccentric, I squat deeper and come up faster--it's the best of both worlds for me, so I have to keep trying.
 
Paused Bench Press
Barx20
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
255x1
270x3
270x3
270x3
270x3
270x3 (2-ish sec. pauses)
w/ feet up, two-min. rest intervals
135x15
135x15
135x10

Banded Tricep Pushdowns, five sets

Notes: Good bench session; I'm putting together quality reps instead of PR-chasing, and if I can continue to increase the intensity and produce smooth reps, I'll keep building my bench in preparation for this meet.

 
Nice lifting in here lately. Has to feel good knowing your second squat attempt is something you can hit for a double.
 
ThinkGreen said:
Nice lifting in here lately. Has to feel good knowing your second squat attempt is something you can hit for a double.
Click to expand...

Thank you, sir. It does feel good--I feel like I can put 20 lbs. on my best meet total without taking ridiculously hard attempts, which is really encouraging.

From today:

Squats
95x8
135x5
225x5
315x3
360x6
360x6
360x6
360x6
360x6

GHRs
BWx20
BWx20

Hip Abductors, five sets

Notes: I'm back squatting again tomorrow, so I kept the accessory work down to a couple of small exercises and focused on my squats. 360x6 actually felt really strong--I have video of the first two sets, and I'll post it later--and so I was pleased with my performance on these sets. A couple of the final reps were difficult, but overall I cruised through these sets, which is great considering the fact that this is probably the most challenging single squat session I've set up for myself this training cycle. I worked hard on increasing eccentric speed while maintaining good position, and I think I was successful.

Also, I was 154.8 after training today. While that number is unusually low and not indicative of a normal training weight, it does show that I've lost weight these past few weeks. My belt is fitting one rung tighter now, and my body-fat is clearly down. I usually don't have trouble training through a deficit anyway, but I'm still really glad that I've been able to perform well in training while bringing my weight down. I'll try to maintain this weight for the meet--that should make for an easy weight cut, but it'll still allow for me to come in close to 160 for the competition (which would be 4-5 lbs. heavier than what I usually compete at).
 
If your third squat attempt feels light, you should double it for the lulz.

tumblr_mouuh7C9u51r1bz46o1_500.jpg
 
Yesterday, I did 290x2x2 on the paused bench, plus a ton of other stuff. I may or may not log all this later. Sorry, I've been flaky with logging lately. My brain's in meet mode.

Deadlift
135x3
225x1
275x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
465x1
521x6 (PR; just couldn't quite lock out the last rep)
405x10
405x10

Notes: Great deadlift session today at 22nd Street in Des Moines. First, about the lifting: 521 went as smoothly as it ever has in my life. I crushed this weight and pulled the first five reps in about a minute's time. These deadlift sessions are pretty surreal experiences, as I'm blowing past things I was doing just a month or two ago. For a bit of context, I think I pulled 523x4 off of 3" blocks seven weeks ago, and 530x3 (missed fourth rep) almost exactly a month ago. Every week, I'm getting stronger here. 579 will be there at a minimum at the meet, and I could honestly see myself pulling 585-590 at this one.

About 22nd Street: great place, great people. I got to meet a lot of lifters, including people I know from online. People were way nicer to me than they should be, and the owner Wes was awesome. It is really cool to get around other lifters and just talk about all things related to the sport. I don't get this chance too much in training (unless it's with our team), so it's really reinvigorating to be in that sort of an atmosphere. I like to train, but I stay invested in this sport because I get to share an interest with people and--holy shit--better people's lives in my own weird way by exposing them to something that brings me a lot of joy. I know that reads like a Hallmark card, but it's the truth.

Also, it's nice that people in the state now I exist and actually care about my lifting. When I started, it was just me, by myself, training in a commercial gym. My friends didn't lift weights and my family thought creatine was a steroid. I had no support system; now, it's just an awesome feeling to have people who care about my training.

And the Babyeater drove me there and back on virtually no sleep. She has more of a positive effect on my training than I think even she realizes. I'm really, really lucky to have her.
 
It was fantastic to go there with you. I had a great day and some solid experience on another bench setup, which I feel is really important at this stage in my lifting career. If I could bench in a different gym at least once every cycle or two cycles I think that would only be a positive shift in my lifting experience. Being able to cope with different surroundings is a big deal if one is going to get up on a competition platform and perform at one's best. Also, I'm glad you didn't pass out. I worry about that with straps, I guess.
 
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