You still training with a partner? Does he spot you on the squats? I've never known how effective a spotter on squats truly is, but didn't know if there was anything psychological benefit there.
He's not been showing up much lately. However, I've never really had someone spot me on squat because they have to get behind you and put their arms under yours and be ready to lift you up from behind.
I was in a rack and had pins set, I just wanted to avoid the embarassment of getting stuck on them.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
Now I'm off until next week. My hours are shorter at work next week and I may work out a little longer each morning than usual and put in an extra movement or something.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
Messing around with my new belt. Felt pretty good. I really noticed help on squats when walking the weight out. Wasn't really looking to push anything since I've hurt myself 2 of the last 3 times coming off a small layoff, but my legs are still wobble a couple of hours later, I guess because 8 reps is high rep stuff for me in squats.
Tommorow will be some kind of upper body push, but mostly arms I guess since I want to rest my shoulder some more.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 205
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
tricep cable push downs
3 sets of 10, worked up to the whole stack
abs
Not too much pain in the shoulder, but only because the grip was close. Out wide hurt while warming up with the bar, so it needs more time. And, my great plan of overhead pressing to help bench is off now, until I get better.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
not much today. Was hoping to do squats and deads but my legs are still crazy sore from Monday. Hopefully I can at least dead and squat tommorow, which is why I focused more on upper back today. I'm trying to squat 3 times a week, but it's hard. Too sore, so that may be too much. We'll see.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
not much today. Was hoping to do squats and deads but my legs are still crazy sore from Monday. Hopefully I can at least dead and squat tommorow, which is why I focused more on upper back today. I'm trying to squat 3 times a week, but it's hard. Too sore, so that may be too much. We'll see.
Yeah, that's what's making it so hard to do! Oh well, if I can't I can't, but if I can't do any shoulder pressing that sure frees up another day or two.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
Just weighed myself- 217, up from 214 in January. Hopefully it's the kind that'll stay on, as I don't really look like I'm holding a lot of water or anything. If I get over 220 by summer I would be stoked. That way, when I inevitably lose weight this summer I'll still be over 210. (Hopefully) I don't know, my bodyfat seems as low as ever, so maybe I'll keep more than I usually do this year.
Bottom line, this encourages the hell out of me and I will now eat like crazy because I'm seeing results.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 135
3 x 225
3 x 245
3 x 275
1 x 295
1 x 315
seated calf raises
3 sets
abs
Still not much progress on squats, but I'll keep after them. I thought I'd add stuff to workouts this week, but I've been using my extra time to work on a paper.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
This could be interesting. Took some softball batting practice and my left shoulder was hurting a little. About half way through on a hard swing it really stretched out and now it feels fine. I don't think that happens with tendonitis so who knows what's wrong with me. Hopefully tomorrow morning I find out it's o.k.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
several sets of 3 x 135 as fast as I could. Close grip kept pressure off the shoulder, so I don't know how bad it would have hurt w/ normal presses. It feels better in general today than it has, so hopefully that'll translate to no pain under the bar soon.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
snatch grip deads (just screwing around- a bar was already loaded on the ground, did these after doing 5 cleans)
5 x 115
5 x 115
seated calf raises - 4 or 5 sets of 10
This felt great. I could have done another rep per set at 405 probably, but form breaks down a little. The belt is a big help in keeping the lower back straighter. Front squats suck.
Best of all this- my back must be close to 100%. I'm not feeling any pain, but it will be a mental hurdle when I try a new deadlift max I'm afraid. Oh well, I like doing these multiples at 405, so I may do that once a week and not go for max singles for a while. I'll see what I feel like.
Now to get the shoulder better so I can try and press some weight.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
glad to see no back pain. Things are really progressing back to normal, huh? (is that any oxymoron - progressing to normal?) Good numbers, as always.
Thanks. Yeah, I feel quite a bit better, so maybe things are looking up. I'd say when I started this log at was at my peak and I've unfortunately hit a lull.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
Bench Press (close grip, but not super close- to help with shoulder pain)
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 185
2 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
abs
There would be pain if I went out to my normal grip. Oh well, maybe closer grip will help with lockout if I ever get healthy- I can't push the same weight this way though.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
imo, the ultra close grip bench where you are almost on the smooth part of the bar is not a great tool for getting a bigger bench. more or less i use 2 grip:
Regular/comp grip - index on th ring
Close Grip - pinkies on the rings, or 1inch in.
Ive had more success with this i think because the loads can be kept quite high.
imo, the ultra close grip bench where you are almost on the smooth part of the bar is not a great tool for getting a bigger bench. more or less i use 2 grip:
Regular/comp grip - index on th ring
Close Grip - pinkies on the rings, or 1inch in.
Ive had more success with this i think because the loads can be kept quite high.
Ha- the two you described is exactly what I do. My 'close' grips right now are just inside the rings. I don't know why it doesn't hurt my shoulder there, but further out does. I guess it's just tendonitis. Overhead presses hurt less with a closer grip as well, but I'm laying off those 'til I get better.
I could not do 225 even once if I was way in on the smooth part.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
Ha- the two you described is exactly what I do. My 'close' grips right now are just inside the rings. I don't know why it doesn't hurt my shoulder there, but further out does. I guess it's just tendonitis. Overhead presses hurt less with a closer grip as well, but I'm laying off those 'til I get better.
I could not do 225 even once if I was way in on the smooth part.
A month or so ago I managed to get a spot from a random fellow-lifter at the gym. Besides dropping sweat on me, he insisted on giving me advice on grip - he was totally wrong. But I humored him as the price for getting a spot.
A month or so ago I managed to get a spot from a random fellow-lifter at the gym. Besides dropping sweat on me, he insisted on giving me advice on grip - he was totally wrong. But I humored him as the price for getting a spot.
There's a guy at my Y that played running back in college not so long ago and his working weight is 315 for 5-6 reps. He asked me for a spot a while back and did a triple at 365. His grip was just inside the rings, which made his impressive lifts all the more so!
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
3 x 135
3 x 135
3 x 155
1 x 185
1 x 195
1 x 200 (pr)
1 x 185
And that's it. These were all pretty smooth. Shoulder wasn't hurting much and I could have done more singles and maybe even tried 205, but I don't want to push it since I'm seeing progress. Another factor is I've always had a fairly narrow grip on these and that takes pressure off my shoulder, so it's hard to tell how much better it is.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 135
3 x 225
1 x 245
1 x 265
1 x 275
1 x 295
1 x 315
335 missed
335 missed
I still suck and it's pissing me off. I will say that the last two misses resulted in me easing down the extra couple of inches to leave the bar on the pins. Since this didn't kill me and only makes me look like a dork, I half way think I'm going to start trying for more weight and not caring if I miss it. I pushed from the hole on both for a few seconds before failure, so maybe that will lead to improvement. My rationale is that I have failed on bench and deadlift PR attempts before setting PRs later, so I need to push myself on squat 'til I fail. Maybe dumb but I'm desperate.
The only good news is that with my belt I at least feel stable walking the weight out.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
when you say you're missing it, is it fear of getting stuck or is it just not able to fire to push back up?
Out of the hole I was able to go back up a couple of inches, then the weight pushed me slowly back down deeper until I hit the pins. Since I didn't go over forward, it is taking the fear out for me a little, but I think some of this is mental and some is I am weak out of the hole. That's why I want to 'overdo' it for a while and see if I can force the issue and make sure I don't have more in me I don't know about.
I don't know, I'm just frustrated because other things improve and squat never does.
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 135
3 x 185
10 x 205
8 x 205
8 x 205
tricep cable pushdowns
10 x 150
10 x 150
10 x 150
overhead press, barbell, strict
5 x 95
5 x 95
5 x 95
overhead presses hurt left shoulder like hell. By the third set of bench, my shoulder pain was gone, so like a dummy I tried some overhead pressing. Frustration grows.
But, did 205 for 10,8,8 on bench, which beats 8,8,8 last time, so that's good. That's crazy high reps for me and I was sucking air after every set!
__________________
Since most of your life is already complicated, why make your training the same way? Jim Wendler