Pack Mule - Josiah's Log

[PackMule]

Decided to move my log here. You can see my old one here: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=25909

Of course a few pages are missing due to the server crash.

I'm competing in my first power lifting meet 18 Feb 2012. It is a RAW United meet in San Antonio. Will be competing in the 220 weight class. Currently I'm 22, 5'9 and weigh about 216.

Current PRs:
Squat: 480
Bench (not paused): 300
DL: 525
Press: 210
PC: 270

Goals for the upcoming meet:
Squat: 500
Bench: 315
DL: 550

Goals for this year:
Squat: 550
Bench: 350
DL: 600
= 1500 Total

I'm in the US Navy so twice a year I have to shed some bodyfat and do some running, so that cuts into my training a bit. My next Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) is in April or May, so after this meet I'm going to be moderately cutting (~1lb a week) and increasing conditioning. Maybe do 5-3-1 then.

Also I'm just due overall for a good, structured cut. So I might do a round of RFL after the PFA and try to get to a decent 14-15% bodyfat. This would mean probably end weight of around 190-195. From that point I'd go the route of the slow steady gains as opposed to the eating monster amounts of food method that I've used plenty of times in the past. I just don't think it's healthy for me to sit around 20-25% bodyfat for extended periods. And I'd like to just get rid of the love handles, that'd be nice.

So it's going to be a busy/challenging year!

Here is my current program, it's basically from a John Broz Q&A about Bulgarian lifting:

M: Squat, Press
T: Squat, Speed DL
W: Squat, Close Grip Bench
TH: Squat, Power Clean
F: Squat, Bench
Sat: Squat, DL
Sun: Off

Everything is to 1RM for the day except for Speed DL, which are 65-80% of deadlift and done for doubles up to 10 sets. Or something like that. After the 1RM usually do backoff sets of doubles. Minimum is 3x2, the idea is to eventually be doing up to 50 reps (doubles or triples) in the backoff sets. Just kinda learning how to wing the backoff sets. Only been doing this program about a month but I've made awesome progress with it already.

Anyway, I'm pumped, let's do it!

[PackMule]

Front squats are outskis. For now. I love doing front squats so eventually I want to do them again. Just gotta heal up this damn tendonitis. Which speaking of, I must have the weakest fuckin tendons because I swear it seems like I always have some kind of tendonitis going on somewhere.

Anyway, today:

Squat: Up to 445x1 - real slow and shitty feeling. Just bad. So called it there. Then 405x2x3
Speed DL: 365x2x7 - lost all explosiveness on 7th set, so figured I was done.
Rows: 155x3x8 - I like these.

Trying to make sure I keep tight at the bottom of my squats so I can get rid of this dogshit tendonitis. When it gets heavy I get too much speed into the bottom and too much depth/relaxed back/hamstrings, it's not a huge deal to have a little bit of it when my tendons aren't inflamed, but they are. Oh and my elbows are still dying. Can I still lift if I get my shitty tendons replaced with adamantium?

[PackMule]

Close Grip Bench: 290x1 (5 lb PR) 260x2x3
Squat: 405x1
Curls 85x10x5

Forgot my damn shoes today, was all out of it, so I was squatting in boots. It felt fucked up. Felt my hip pull hard on 405 and said fuck it. Didn't have the stability, plus it's just the mental factor of changing something like that. No worries, I'll be in there tomorrow.

[PackMule]

Squat: 455x1, 395x3x2
PC: 240x1, 185x2x3

My low back was screaming today. I couldn't figure out why because it normally isn't like that, then I realized OH yeah, I subbed out front squats and started doing back squats on Tuesdays and Thursdays, poop. So gimme a few more days and hopefully the back will be ready for a PR day.

Sucky thing is tomorrow I have a mock PRT, which is just a mock Navy PT test to see where we're at. I'm the PT guy for my division so I get to run it. Yay. But I know my run time is going to blow ahahah. Told myself I would take it easy today so I would do decent on that tomorrow, but nahhhh hahah. And the worst part is, this mock is going to kill me for training tomorrow. Meh.

[PackMule]

Damn it is amazing how the body adapts to specific training...

and then sucks at other things. Hah.

Had the mock today. Absolutely dreadful. Pushups and situps was no big deal, I coulda got more but there was no point since it's just a mock. Did 50 pushups and 60 situps. However the 1.5 mile run was absolutely terrible. First lap my lower back just seized up. As the laps went on more and more parts of my body started to implode. By lap 3 my quads, adductors, hamstrings, everything was on fire. Ended up with 13:07 run time. So now I know what training in the 1-3 rep range and gaining 15 lbs will do to my run time. Hahah.

After the mock there's no way I would've done anything productive in the gym so I said fuck it. Hopefully tomorrow I won't be completely wrecked.

[PackMule]

Good day considering how ridiculously sore I am.

Bench: 295x1 (paused), 265x2x3
Squat: 425x1, 385x2x3
DL: 495x1

Deadlift felt damn good, wanted to do more but figured it would be better not to so I can just recover from this shit.

Doing upper body stuff before squats due to my elbow irritation, although I hardly felt my elbows on squats today, pretty happy about that. I went for 305 on bench after doing 295. After the pause my initial drive was good but got stuck right before the triceps could get involved. Ah well.

[Kregna]

Good luck with your meet, looks like you've got some strong lifts!

I imagine the navy PT requirements seemed pretty silly with all the heavy lifting you've been doing?

[PackMule]

Thanks man!

Yeah lifting in the 1-3 rep range does not lend well to high rep bodyweight stuff and running. Hahah

[PackMule]

Sonofabitch.

My dumbass couldn't resist an arm wrestling challenge at a party on the weekend...elbow now hurts 10x more. Same tendonitis spot, and irritated by squats. Great. Lol. Will be eating ibuprofen like candy and icing this week.

Squat: 475x1, 435x1 - meant to do 2 but mind farted and racked it , 435x2x2, was gonna do another double to make up for the first set but my back was already rounding pretty bad and my elbow was useless.

Was supposed to do presses and chins but that wasn't happening.

[skipbeat]

how did the arm wrestle go? i'm so bad at them and strength training hasnt seem to improved my game at all for whatever reason.. my excuse is i broke both my wrists twice