JoeLiftsWeights Competitively

[Rod J]

I have to say, the fact that you are still able to add 5 pounds for sets of 5 to a >500 lb deadlift has me seriously questioning what I am doing wrong.

[Joseph Rodriguez]

I have to say, the fact that you are still able to add 5 pounds for sets of 5 to a >500 lb deadlift has me seriously questioning what I am doing wrong.

I quickly looked over your training log. I saw that you mentioned that you are working with a coach online. I don't like to work with clients online. An online client has to be able to coach themselves to a large extent. An online coach can do your programming and offer technical suggestions, but the bulk of the coaching becomes your responsibility.

Here is your first responsibility: read The First Three Questions. If you want to be brutally strong, then you need to eat more. Don't just "try." Do it. Track your protein and calories. We are both 5' 8". You weigh 180 lbs. I weigh 230 lbs.

Your second responsibility is to work the plan. You hired a coach to do the thinking for you. Stop getting into your head. Practice technical corrections during your warm-ups. Attack your work sets.

Commit to the set. I have been in the garage alone. Sitting in front of the droning ventilation fan watching my sweat puddle between my feet in the 100+ degree Texas summer heat with 500 lbs loaded in the squat rack. Before every set I remind myself of one or two single word cues. Then I make a deal with myself: I will not stop pushing. I will not quit. No matter what. If I fail, I fail, but it will not be because I quit.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Deadlift 545 lbs x 5
Incline Bench 227.5 lbs x 5 x 3

[Cole Gorton]

Thanks for sharing that advice, Joe.

[Joseph Rodriguez]

Thanks for sharing that advice, Joe.

You're welcome Cole. I hope that you're doing well.

Friday, June 7, 2024
Bench 295 lbs x 3 x 2
Squat 395 lbs x 5 x 5
Training Footage From The Joseph Rodriguez Personal Training Garage Gym for Muscles That Want to Hoist Iron Really Well and Be Prepared For Life Too

[Joseph Rodriguez]

Monday, June 10, 2024
Squat 490 lbs x 3 x 2
Bench 267.5 lbs x 5 x 5

[Rod J]

I quickly looked over your training log. I saw that you mentioned that you are working with a coach online. I don't like to work with clients online. An online client has to be able to coach themselves to a large extent. An online coach can do your programming and offer technical suggestions, but the bulk of the coaching becomes your responsibility.

Here is your first responsibility: read The First Three Questions. If you want to be brutally strong, then you need to eat more. Don't just "try." Do it. Track your protein and calories. We are both 5' 8". You weigh 180 lbs. I weigh 230 lbs.

Your second responsibility is to work the plan. You hired a coach to do the thinking for you. Stop getting into your head. Practice technical corrections during your warm-ups. Attack your work sets.

Commit to the set. I have been in the garage alone. Sitting in front of the droning ventilation fan watching my sweat puddle between my feet in the 100+ degree Texas summer heat with 500 lbs loaded in the squat rack. Before every set I remind myself of one or two single word cues. Then I make a deal with myself: I will not stop pushing. I will not quit. No matter what. If I fail, I fail, but it will not be because I quit.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Deadlift 545 lbs x 5
Incline Bench 227.5 lbs x 5 x 3

Thanks for taking the time to take a look at my training log and sharing this advice, Joe. You’re absolutely right. I can get in my head a lot. I recently started tracking my food because I was being inconsistent with my intake and needed to get a better idea of how much I am eating versus how much I should be eating. Turns out I am eating a decent amount (>1g/lb) of protein but I am undereating carbs and fats so my total calories are not high enough to gain weight consistently.

As far as you explaining that you don’t like online coaching, that’s a pretty interesting perspective. I actually went for an in person form check and to try to learn the power clean initially, and I was offered the online coaching after the session. I’ve found that when you have a coach in person, you can correct rep by rep and use more intuition in the moment after the correction. Because taking videos, getting feedback, and correcting reps if is asynchronous, it takes a while to correct if your correction is still incorrect, especially if feedback can take a week or so to come back at times. It definitely makes sense to me that given all of that, you feel that a lot of the coaching has to happen on your own.

As far as the mental part, I just have to fully commit. Easier said than done, but it must be done.

Thanks again, and I will be applying your advice and reporting back.