Thanks Wolf. I'm really glad to see you're doing ok.
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Thanks Wolf. I'm really glad to see you're doing ok.
Thanks Michele, Brodie, and Claudette. It's good to have power back and to be back at work, making $ again. When you run a (very) small business of 1, missing a week is painful. But I still have it a lot better than many, so I am thankful.
Today's training was interesting. Trying to figure out where to start on the Squat 5x5 after an unplanned complete week+ off was a bit of a guess. And I decided to continue LP for my pressing, since it's still allowing me too (I had to re-set both bench and press further than squats after recovering from being sick back in June and August, so my re-LP is lasting longer).
Squat
45x5x2, 155x5, 235x3, 325x2, 385x5x4, 365x5
I was planning on starting with 375, which is 84% of 445, the weight I got 3 and then 4 of and will be going for a 5 on Friday. It's a bit conservative for beginning the TM, but after the week off, I was concerned with recovery. Warmups felt so easy and good I decided to push to 385, which is 86%. I know eventually I'll need to back off the intensity of the 5x5 to around 85% anyway (or else reduce volume, probably), but figured that to start with, I'd start with 90%, which would have been 400. But I also knew 400x5x5 would be too much after missing a week.
385 was a good choice. I got 4 sets done without a single rep being more than about a 7.5-8 RPE, and rested 4-5mins between sets. I backed off to 365 for the final set, as I was still a bit concerned about recovery for Friday's PR attempt.
Bench Press
45x5, 135x5, 205x3, 265x2, 320x5x3
I was a bit of a bad-boy here, but it paid off. I realized I was MUCH less systemically fatigued from my 5x5 squats than I had been from my previous heavier 3x5 and then top 5 and 2x5 back-offs. So even though I hadn't benched heavy since the previous Friday (10 days before) and was jumping right from 315 to 320, I felt good about it today so went for it. Good move, as they were at least as strong and fast,if not faster, than 315 was. The less systemic fatigue was definitely the main factor. I know eventually 5x5 will run me into the ground, but not at the beginning, not with 385.
Halting DLs
185x4, 295x2, 385x1, 480x5
Since I lost a week of training so close to the Dec 1 meet, I added 10lbs instead of 5 here. I haven't really pushed myself yet on the Haltings and Rack-Pulls. They've been hard, but not close to limit - so I used that reserve and added 10lbs to the last time. They still weren't really limit. I probably could have done 490 or 495x5 if my life depended on it.
--> One thing I'm thinking of implementing with the meet so close and missing a week is instead of alternating haltings/rack pulls every Monday, with Power Cleans on Friday, to do Haltings on Mondays and Rack Pulls Fridays up till the meet.
I don't seem to have any recovery issues from either - squats are what I have trouble recovering from. So I think the Mon/Fri split should work, and help drive my DL up a few crucial more lbs over the next 3 weeks of training, which is really all I have left.
If anyone has done anything like this, feel free to share your thoughts. I'm probably going to try it anyway, due to my propensity to recover well from pulling, but feedback is always good. Worst comes to worst I get too fatigued and stop, or pull less than I want to at the meet. It'll be a good experiment either way.
Hey Wolf, I just went to the RPS Autumn Apocalypse this weekend down in South Jerz just so I could see how they ran their meets. It looked like a fun time. Reading the rules, I'm going to have to compete "raw modern" since I ALWAYS squat with my knee sleeves on. It'd be to weird to switch it up to no knee sleeves at this point and also, I'm not ready for wrapping either--but it just sucks that I will be competing against knee wrappers. Either way, I'm excited to compete again.
Are you psyched yet?
I'd probably put either speed pulls or power cleans on volume day, then work up to a heavy set on regular deads on friday, followed by either a back off set of haltings/deficit pulls. Since we're 3 weeks out Friday's would like like:
Week 3: Squat x 5 RM/ 3RM, Bench x 5 paused singles with commands, DL x 3 (top set) + back off set of haltings/deficit pulls
Week 2: Squat x 3RM/5 singles, bench x 5 paused singles w/commands, DL x 1-2 (top set) + back off set
Week 1: Squat x opener, 2nd attempt, PR if it's there or nothing, Bench x opener, 2nd attempt, 3rd attempt, DL x opener, no back off set
Week of meet: Monday- Squat x opener, Bench x opener, 80% of opener x 1, Wednesday- Squat x 80% of opener x 2 x 3 sets, Bench x 80% of opener x 2 x 3 sets, no pulls
Legs are feeling it big-time after Monday's VD. Not the worst soreness I've ever had, or even close, but still pretty sore. We'll see how I am by Friday, but will probably still be feeling it some. That damn unscheduled week away from training in between linear and TM squatting threw shit off.
Squats
45x5x2, 135x5, 185x5, 205x5
I'm sure I'll be up for more next week (theoretically should have worked up to 305x5x2), but was just using these to loosen and warm up, pump some blood into my legs and help get them recovered. No way I was putting on more weight than that today.
Press
45x5, 85x5, 125x3, 165x2, 195x5x3
Hard as hell, but got em. Even the first set was hard. The last Rep of the third set took forever. I actually ran out of breath, couldn't hold my valsalva anymore, it was so long. The interesting thing was it was by far not the grindiest rep in the press I've done. I knew the whole time it was going to go up if I kept pushing, but it just took forever. There have been plenty of times where I had to grind more and felt harder.
Chins
7,8,7
I weigh almost 260 now, and other than the 1 set, haven't done chins in 2 weeks so ya,these were harder. I probably could have done 10,9,8 if I really pushed but given the two weeks since I did any volume on chins, didn't want to cripple myself.
PS- Did you sign up for the meet yet?
PPS- See you in hotlanta my friend.
Was supposed to lift yesterday but was not yet recovered. Monday's squats and haltings, and Wednesday's grindy presses, took it out of me. Probably more so because of the previous week being totally off, unplanned. I knew doing this yesterday wasn't happening. OTOH, doing it today meant only 1 day off for recovery between ID and VD, which is not optimal. To make matters worse, I woke up feeling like I was coming down with something. No fever, but some sinus/nasal stuff and some stomach stuff. I also knew if I had to miss any more workouts this close to Dec 1, traveling and paying for the meet wouldn't be worth it, so I was pissed. But I felt better and better as the day went on and by the time I finished training people at about 3, I was feeling about as good as I ever do with high energy. So I decided to go for it, scaling back some on the volume. It went really well.
Squats
45x5x2, 155x5, 235x3, 305x1, 365x1, 405x1, 445x1, 455x1 PR, 465x1 PR
Worked up to three heavy singles instead of going for 445x5. I'd done 445 for 3 and then 4, but never lifted more than that, so the 455 and 465 were both technically PRs (you won Mac, remember). They all felt good and not forward as I've been having some issues with. 465 was not quite a 1RM today, but was close. I estimate 475-485 could have happened today if I went balls to the absolute wall.
Bench Press
45x5, 135x5, 205x3, 275x2, 335x5 PR
Worked up to a 5-rep PR of 335. Last rep was hard and slow, but it went up. Felt good to do this. Would have done some paused singles after normally, but laid off due to Monday being so close.
Finished with some easy Power Cleans, again so as not to fatigue for Monday
135x3, 155x3, 185x3, 210x3, 225x3
All flew up. Normally would have gone to 240x3 and depending how that went, 250x3 (which would be a rep PR at 250), but smartly held back.
All looks good now, back on track for Dec 1.
Hell ya brah! Hotlanta ain't ready for this party!
Congrats on those PR's Wolf. Big weight.
Nice job wolf. That time off helped.