The Constant Intermediate

[broseph]

7/18/17 Squat B

Front Squat 285x3x5

RDL 350x3x5

Abwheel 3x20

[broseph]

7/19/17 Bench B

Bench 300x3x5 @EZPZ

Chins +85x 5, 5, 6

CGBP 290x3x5

Straight bar curlz 105x3x15

[broseph]

7/23/17 Squat/Deadlift A

All sets performed with 3:00 rest (or less)

Squat 380x8x3

Deadlift 425x4x3

EZ Curlz 148x4x7. At most I've only ever done curls once a week for 2-3 sets of high reps. It's a simple enough exercise, I may as well do it right and maybe make some arm gainz.

Musings: My other hobby is keeping/breeding poison dart frogs, and my frog room in connected to the weight room. Back when I was taking 10 minute rests between every set, I was able to do frog maintenance during that down time. With this new protocol, I've been slipping on frog duties.

"Make some time for the roaches, sug." /nancyhicksgribble

[broseph]

7/24/17 Bench/Press A

All sets performed with 3:00 rests (or less)

Bench 315x8x3

I can never tell if I'm really pinching my shoulder blades properly when benching. Today I lifted topless and chalked the bench surface.I'm thinking the line of chalk down the middle indicates a decent pinch.


Press 180x8x3

Cable Row 205x4x8

Musings: This might just be a good lifting week, but the timed triples seem to be getting easier as the weight is increasing. I was pretty sweaty by the end of yesterday's squats, but they were fast and solid with only ~2:30 rest periods. And today's benching and pressing felt easier than the squats. Maybe I'm just getting better conditioned to this protocol. It probably doesn't hurt that I started with light weight (yeah buddy).

My plan was to hit some heavyish singles every 3 weeks, but I hate to stop progressing now that I'm in a groove.

[broseph]

7/26/17 Squat B

Front Squat 290x3x5. The limiting factor here, still, is keeping the bar racked on my shoulders. frustrating.

RDL 355x3x5. I always feel like I'm rounding my back on these, so I filmed the first set to see how things look. Back looks pretty straight from here, and I'm not too worried about the little bit of knee bend at the bottom. Also, the reps are much faster than I perceived- guess there's plenty of room for progress.


I don't know how my atrophic legs don't snap in half during heavy lifts.

Abwheel 3x20

[broseph]

7/27/17 Bench B

Bench 305x3x5 supersetted with

Chins+90x 5, 5, 6 (PR?)


Close Grip Bench 295x3x5 supersetted with

EZ Curlz 128x3x12


Musings: I tried touching my sternum to the chin up bar as described in that recent video, and I couldn't do it, even with bodyweight only. Then I tried touching an unloaded barbell to my sternum while standing, and I can't do that either. I hereby define "chin ups" as getting my "chin" "up" over the bar.

Here's my first set for demonstrative purposes:

[Tim K]

Same for me, except I'm about 50lbs behind you on the chins, lol. I am also unable to rack a clean or press from my shoulders. It's the long forearm thing I guess.

[broseph]

7/30/17 Squat Deadlift A

Bodyweight 215. I saw 213 on the scale at one point this week.

Decided to try some heavier weights today and was very disappointed. I figured 8x3 with short rests was around 80%, and used that number to call today's weights 90%. Who knows.

Squat 430x5x1 with 90" rests. Last single was @10.
315x5, 5, 0. I wanted some very light volume, but my hips were killing me for unknown reasons so I only did 2 sets @65%.

Deadlift 475x3x1 with 90" rests. I am disappoint.

EZ Curlz 148x4x7. Even these were rough, I had pain in what felt like my actual forearm bones.

Musings: Before weight loss mode, I was using 4-5 week progression blocks, and lately I've been LPing the 8x3's. It's possible that I finally reached a decent volume overload with this protocol and am just fatigued. That's what I'm hoping.

Same for me, except I'm about 50lbs behind you on the chins, lol. I am also unable to rack a clean or press from my shoulders. It's the long forearm thing I guess.

I've never been able to achieve a front rack position. I tried for a long time, did a bunch of stretches, never got it. Floating rack position for press crew.

[broseph]

7/31/17 Bench/Press A

Bench 350x3x2. Fine.

Press 205x2 @not bad.

After this first double using my usual technique of a floating rack, I tried to touch the bar to my chest before reracking. I had to somehow drop/relax my shoulders waaay down, which still did not achieve chest-to-bar, yet hurt real bad afterwards.... so I only got
205x1, and 185x3 following such foolishness. I guess I'll never be able to compete in an official skrength lifting meat. Also, I false grip my press.

Called it quits.

[Tim K]

7/31/17 Bench/Press AI guess I'll never be able to compete in an official skrength lifting meat. Also, I false grip my press.

Nothing in the rules prohibits a floating rack, actually. Bar just needs to start below the chin. Thumbs-around grip is mandatory though: Rules | US Strengthlifting Federation

I'm thinking about signing up for the Fall Classic on Oct 28th. Closest location is Chicago. There is an APF meet in Grand Rapids on Oct. 7th and I would have rather just entered that for convenience sake but I have a wedding on that day (and every other Saturday until 10/28). Sucks that it's that far away but I would like to do a meet this year and that seems like the only chance for it.