I'm not sure which perspective is more correct: The barbell gods did not have front squats in mind when they created me, or the barbell gods did not have me in mind when they created front squats. Either or both. Ah well, at least I can get *some* weight on the bar right now by doing them.
Squat
45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 115x5x2
Notes: Felt OK. Training partner says I was about 2" below parallel, so just right. Happy with the progress, even if slow. I felt I could have kept going up, but since I know the issue is not yet fully resolved - I can still feel it if I curl my spine down when sitting - I am just playing it safe.
Front Squat
65x3, 85x3, 105x3, 125x3, 145x3, 165x3, 185x3, 195x3
Notes: None of these were hard for my legs or T-spine, but my knees just don't get very far forward. Even in the higher heeled shoes, and even with an intense focus on vertical torso, I have to lean over from almost the get-go, and the bar path is just brutal.
It's funny, I imagined myself with a fairly vertical torso, but had Ryan film me on the 145x3 set. I am almost as leaned over by the bottom as a long torso'd person is when doing a low bar squat. I really tried hard after that to push the knees fwd and stay upright but my anthropometry just doesn't have much to offer.
If I ever wanted to compete in Olympic Lifting seriously, I'd have to split clean.
Deadlift
135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5
Notes: All easy, felt good. Feels good now, a couple hours later. Which is also good.
Last real quasi-ish training day today before Saturday's Double Meet (which is a triple entendre, really). I was more aggressive and took less of a taper since I'm doing bench only and don't have to get recovered from squatting or pulling at all. It was a bit of an experiment/gamble, so we'll see how it turns out.
Bench Press
Up to 360x1 paused with commands
325x5
Notes: Nothing felt heavy or hard, but I could tell I was not yet 100% recovered from my 3 PR attempts last week. I didn't go too hard and with very low volume today, and now I'll have three days entirely off from upper body movements to finish recovering, I anticipate feeing great on Saturday.
Squat
45x5x2, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5
Notes: In the 1/2" inch shoes today. Felt OK, but not quite as good as in the higher heels.
Press
45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5
Notes: My shoulders feel better when I press, and feel worse when I leave it out, so got one more press workout in. Basically modeled after a Starr/HLM 5x5 Light Day, except with slightly more emphasis on doing some of the sets heavier. Probably would have been 75, 105, 135, 160, 185 if it was a true HLM. But it's fine.
Chin-Downs
240x13
Notes: Just one set. Like presses, my shoulders feel better when I do these so got one hard set it for the week.
I'll do my pathetic squats tomorrow and pull up to about 335x5 and then rest completely Thurs and Fri.
It's sort of a play on pleading the 5th. I won't incriminate myself, so to speak, by posting the horrendous thing known as my short femur-ed attempt at front squats.
However, I'll post this still of the best vertical torso'd position I can muster, at right above parallel - higher than the actual bottom position. Notice the bar is already in front of my toes.
photo.jpg
Welp, I was supposed to do this yesterday but the Nap Champ napped through his workout time, so I did it today. Modified slightly by not doing any DLs due to proximity to the meet. I don't think doing 335x5 DLs would affect Saturday's benching at all, but it also won't make a difference in terms of my getting stronger, so I played it safe and just did cleans.
On a very positive note, today was the first day I didn't feel my back AT ALL while lifting. It's been better recently and didn't hurt, but there was that slightly vague "off" feeling still remaining. Today I no longer had that. And it's about freakin' time.
Squat
45x5x2, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5x3
Power Clean
95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3x3