Battling weakness

[Dija]

I figure I should start a training log for accountability.
I'm WEAK, and trying to fix that.

I've been half-assed training off and off (not on, just mostly off) since I was 14, that's almost 22 years of suckage.
About a year ago I got a little more serious. Was using the "madcow 5x5" routine that was floating around. It was good, I put on some size and strength. There was a stint of Crossfit that happened last October...I lost fat and muscle and strength...not what I was looking for.

I got turned onto Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 routine back in December...and LOVE IT.
For me it has the right combinations of changing rep ranges and flexibility that is perfect. Missing a day is no big deal. I've only missed one scheduled WORK day, and one week of deload when travelling. So I've managed to keep consistent.

blah blah blah

My best lifts as of January-2012 were:
Press: 135x1
Deadlift: 325x1
Bench: 195x1
Squat:280x1

This week (6/11 - 6/15, 2012) my lifts are:
Press: 145x1
Deadlift: 355x1
Bench: 210x1
Squat: (testing this in 2 weeks)

I realize those are rather mediocre gains. I blame diet for most. I lost 12'ish lbs while slowly growing strength. Most of the gains came from the last 2 months, along with more eating and 15lbs body weight...amazing how much difference that makes.

I'm sitting at about 198lbs today.

I just finished my first week of 5/3/1 for powerlifters. Or at least my interpretation of what it should be. I'll only do one mesocycle of this, and then go back to the standard 5/3/1.

Recap of the week (leaving out accessory and warmup work):
Press: 100x3, 115x3, 130x3, 140x1, 145x1, 150x1(miss), 140x1
Deadlift: 240x3, 275x3, 310x3, 325x1, 335x1, 345x1, 355x1(with straps)
Bench: 150x3, 170x3, 190x3, 200x1, 205x1, 210x1
Squat: 190x3, 220x3, 245x3, 265x1, 275x1 (low back was killing me, stopped there)

[Dija]

Today's was a bit touch and go. My low back hurts when I bend forward and don't have my lumbars locked.

I had 3x5 Press, no pain experienced doing these.
95x5, 110x5, 120x5

I moved on to lat pull down machine, hoping the pull would help ease the back.
100x10, 130x5, 160x5, 190x5, 205x5

Dips, I forgot my dip belt, (would have liked to have had it pull down on the spine...oh well)
Just a few sets of 5-10 dips at body weight, nothing exciting.

[Dija]

Back injury might turn me into "captain upper body" for a bit. Axial spinal compression is not my friend right now.
I need to let the back heal up a bit more.

Anyway, I went today to test things out a bit. Did some light'ish deadlifts, locked out my lumbars, pulled some light weights. No pain when I was pulling, but my back is a little more stiff/pained than it was before.

135x5
185x2
220x5
255x5

All felt fine, but again, bit more stiff/painful now. I'm stretching it out, it's getting better.
I got on the laying hamstring curl machine to provide a bit of decompression and stretching.
That's about it.

193lbs this morning. Down 5lbs from Friday...I most have been bloated.

[Dija]

Thursday:
Bench: warmup, 135x5, 160x5, 180x5
Did some accessory work for back, and DB press.

[Dija]

Friday:
Was supposed to be squats...with actual weight.
Tested the waters a bit, was basically a wasted trip as I'm still letting the back heal.

LIGHT squats/front squats, no pain, didn't load over 95lbs
light leg press.
leg extensions. I haven't done these in years, easily maxed out the machine, which was kind of fun.
laying hamstring curls...feels good on the back.

that's it

[Dija]

Monday:

Press: warmups, then 110x5, 120x3, 135x1, 145x1, 150x1 (miss), 135x1, 135x2, 135x1
DB Rows: 70x5, 75x5, 80x20
Laying tricep extensions: 50x10, 60x10, 60x10
Lat pulldowns: I forget, the weights, the stack is weird. basically sets of 10, 5, 3, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Started at 100lbs, worked up to 205, then back down to 145 or there about.


I really want that 150x1 press. SOOO close this time, but still not quite there.

[Dija]

Tuesday:

Was supposed to be a deadlift day, but still taking it easy on the back, so I held back...pun intended.
Deadlifts: Worked up to a set of 185x5
Squats: Worked up to a set of 185x5
Finished up with some hypers and declined situps.

[Dija]

Thursday:

Bench day, nothing exciting.

Bench: warmups, 160x5, 180x3, 200x1, 200x1
Press: warmups, 85x10, 5sets
BB: Row, pronated and supinated grips
lat pulldowns: supinated grip

[Dija]

Friday:

Back is feeling much better, decided to go ahead and do squats as normally scheduled for today...mostly.
Squat: warmups, 205x5, 235x3, 260x3PR (was supposed to be 260x1 but was feeling good)
SLDL: Worked up to a set of 115x10
Declined situps: 2sets of 10

[Dija]

Monday:

Feeling great today, lots of really good food over the weekend (nutritionally). Also lots of crap food too, but hey, it happens.

Deload week so I didn't go heavy.

hang-clean and Press:
85x3
100x3
115x3.
I just cleaned each rep and pressed it strict.

After that I did LOTS of hang cleans, cleans from a rack, then clean pulls from the floor.

I was focusing on racking the bar properly on my shoulders the hang/rack cleans. Just practicing that movement over and over.
hang/rack cleans were all done at 115.

135 from the floor, just pulled the bar up to the sternum, focusing on the pull and shrug portion.