The Constant Intermediate

[broseph]

3/19/17 Week 2 Squat and Deadlift Session A

Squat 420x
5 @9
5 @9.5
405x4 @8

Rack Pull 475x5 @8

Musings: I must be having my monthlies. I've been feeling very flat the last several days, and today's squats are clear evidence of said flatness. At this point in the last cycle, I was hitting solid volume PR's with a very high e1RM. Not so much today.

I went through my paper log, and bad lifting days/weeks seem to pop up every 3-5 weeks, regardless of programming. N=1, but I really believe there is some sort of monthly hormonal fluctuation going on. In fact, it tends to coincide with my wife's cycle. The last few days I've felt very "low T"- small appetite, not horny, lack of intensity/aggression, highly irritable. In a couple weeks, I'll be at the exact opposite of the spectrum, and my wife will be at peak fertility. I've observed this cycle many times, it can't just be in my head.

On the brighter side, I built a couple wood blocks for "rack" pulls. This way I don't have to use my death-trap cheapo bar pulling off the rack pins. They add 8" of height, putting the top of the bar at 16.25" off the floor. Perfect height for me.

[broseph]

3/20/17 Week 2 Bench Session A

Bench 340x3x5, last set @10

Cable Rows (that's right, I made a cable system for my power rack so I don't have to do barbell rows ever again)
Sets of 8 with 90, 135, 185, 185. The inefficiency of the pulleys make for a nice heavy concentric that doesn't gain much momentum and a sort of assisted eccentric. I'm very satisfied with this contraption.

Press 185x24 in 10:00 AMRAP. I'm slowly gaining back the muscular conditioning I lost from not doing these for a couple months.

[Dag]

I'm with you on BB rows. I can do them, I'm pretty decent at them, but I hate them. I didn't used to, it's a fairly recent revelation.

[broseph]

I'm with you on BB rows. I can do them, I'm pretty decent at them, but I hate them. I didn't used to, it's a fairly recent revelation.

Same here, friend. Whenever I add them back into my programming, I end up rowing just a little less than I bench. But there seems to be a steep drop off from Easy Mode to Waaaaaay too much body english and only feeling the stress in my hams and low back.

[broseph]

3/23/17 Week 2 Squat and Deadlift Session B

Squat 385x5 @7.5
395x2x5 @8
Just a little better than last cycle at this point, despite (because of?) crappy heavy day.

Deadlift 475x2x4 @9
Same weight as last time, but speedy and solid. Should've gone a little heavier on the 2nd set.

Abwheel 3x20

[broseph]

3/23/17 Continued...

C2 20:00, damper @8
4126 m @ conversational pace

I'm finally learning how to pace myself with the rower. I always tended to pull each stroke really hard, and then just rest between strokes for pacing. I don't know why this was so hard for me to figure out. It would be interesting to pick a smart person's brain about the different physiological effects, if any, of each style.

+1

And I seem to be the only lifter who can't actually complete a rep with the ab wheel.

The abwheel is a cruel mistress. Just skipping it for a week or 2 and it tears me up when I return to it.

[Tim K]

3/23/17 Continued...I'm finally learning how to pace myself with the rower. I always tended to pull each stroke really hard, and then just rest between strokes for pacing. I don't know why this was so hard for me to figure out. It would be interesting to pick a smart person's brain about the different physiological effects, if any, of each style.

This is the correct way to row:

[SpinyNorman]

I haven't peeked in on your log in a while. Damn strong lifting going on here. Congrats on the 500 squat! I'm trying to get there, but it's proving to be a long and hard road.

Are you still running the Candito program?

[broseph]

This is the correct way to row: Shaw going nutz

Holy smokes. At the risk of starting a "which sport is best" type argument, the power production of guys like this is astounding.

I haven't peeked in on your log in a while. Damn strong lifting going on here. Congrats on the 500 squat! I'm trying to get there, but it's proving to be a long and hard road.

Are you still running the Candito program?

I did Candito once, while researching concepts of advanced programming. Now I'm doing a Heavy/Medium Upper/Lower split resembling the 2 steps forward 1 step back program from PPST3, except the 2 steps forward are a week of 8's and a week of 5's, and the step back is a week of 3's and 2's.

Candito's program was nice to get a feel for things beyond weekly progress, but I didn't love the way he did it. Not enough heavy bench volume, low bar squats are hell for density blocks, and you need to have your deadlift assistance lifts really dialed in.

[broseph]

3/24/17 Week 2 Bench Session B

Bench 320x2x5 @8
340x5 @10 (why not?)

Chins +70 x29 reps in 10:00 AMRAP


I filmed the chins because I felt like I wasn't getting full reps toward the end because of the pump. #cumming.
On review they seem fine.


Supersets with 2:00 rests between each of:

Close Grip Bench 275x3x7
EZ Curl 138x11