The Chalkshank Redemption

[k_kws]

I wanna say that 420x5 was what I was doing late 2017/early 2018. Can't tell for sure though, I don't have those logs anymore. My other lifts were very low at the time.
Though I think I would have gotten stronger if I had a coach or something. What I do remember from back then is my handling of programming and recovery was very sloppy.

[k_kws]

Sunday 8-16-20
Bench 280x5x3
Squat 445x5x3
Paused Press 195x3x3

Tuesday 8-18-20
Press 190x5x5 (chop this down to 3 sets of 5, save energy for Th INT day)
Squat 355x5x2
LTE 115x8,8,6

Thursday 8-20-20
Squat 505x5 PR
Bench 320x3
Halting DL 455x8

[k_kws]

Sunday 8-23-20
Bench 295x5x3
Squat 450x5x3
Press 215, 225, 230, 235, 240miss

Tuesday 8-25-20
Press 195x5x3
Squat 360x5x2
Lat Pull +310x12,10,8

Thursday 8-27-20
Bench 330x2, 315x2
Squat 510x2
Rack Pull 585x4
Iso Press 185, 195

Thursday not feeling well. Form wasn't connecting, bar path felt off-track and long on everything. Found a way to do isometrics, though.

think I'll try squat again tomorrow evening

[k_kws]

Friday 8-28-20
Squat 510x3
Press 225x2x2

Too tired from Thurs

Sunday 8-30-20
Bench 300x5,4, 275x5 (widened grip 2 fingers)
CGBP 225x11,7
Halt DL 465x4

Friday was a dumb idea. Now I'm just sore and my low back is shot.

Tuesday 9-1-20
Squat 365x5x2 (widened stance an inch or two. Knee feeling better)
Seated Press 165x5x3

Thursday 9-3-20
Squat 510x5 PR
Bench 317.5x4, 320x3
Halting DL 465x8 PR

Training video. that was a good day.

Working on squat depth, I was always going too low. Having training partner provide depth feedback during warm-ups and working sets.
My new cue is to try and do a half squat, because that results in me getting proper depth. This cue is so stupid that it works. I can't believe it.

[k_kws]

Tuesday 9-8-20
Squat 370x5x2
Seated Press 170x5x3
Lat Pull 320x8, 300x8x2

Thursday 9-10-20
Bench 300, 320, 340, 315x3
Squat 515x2 tweaked back

Very unlucky week

edit: gym is now closed due to air quality

[m s]

Squats are always what tweak my back too. If it's bad enough and I try to squat again the next workout, it seizes up and feels worse. If I deadlift a heavy set of 5 instead my back improves immediately and I can squat again the following workout. Maybe you already know this. Are all gyms closed or just yours?

[k_kws]

Squats are always what tweak my back too. If it's bad enough and I try to squat again the next workout, it seizes up and feels worse. If I deadlift a heavy set of 5 instead my back improves immediately and I can squat again the following workout. Maybe you already know this. Are all gyms closed or just yours?

I actually tweaked it just walking out my last warmup at 475x1. I hadn't even squatted it yet but I felt it twinge. Then I made a bad decision and tried anyway.
It finally stopped being tight/painful yesterday. However I'm just bummed that I couldn't even go to the gym and help it with some deadlifts. I agree with you that heavy deadlifts are the best medicine (though I prefer SLDLx3s for fixing tweaks), but with the smoke closing gyms I couldn't. Just super unlucky timing.

I'm over here in eastern WA, and my friends over in Seattle all have their gyms closed too. Anywhere there's smoke it seems to be the case. This is the worst it's been in my lifetime, because of how bad the actual air quality is and how prolonged it is too.

On a typical smoky day, buildings can just switch to re-circulating air to keep smoke out and so that smoke alarms and such can keep working. Or you can re-circulate on hot days to keep the building cooler. However in COVID times, re-circulating air in an occupied building isn't seen as a responsible choice, hence closures.

[k_kws]

Thursday 9-17-20
Bench 320x4
CGBP 225x12,8
DL 495, 545
SLDL 315x3x3

Sunday 9-20-20
Strict Press 185x5x3
Squat 455x5x2
Bench 305x3, 255x5x2

And I'll be gone the rest of the week.

[K.Diesel]

Thursday 9-3-20
Squat 510x5 PR
Bench 317.5x4, 320x3
Halting DL 465x8 PR

Training video. that was a good day.

Good day indeed, and good lifts. Question about the halting DL: are you “shrugging” the bar once you stop the pull? It looks like you’re seriously engaging the lats/traps/something up there once you actually halt. I’ve never seen or considered that.

[k_kws]

Good day indeed, and good lifts. Question about the halting DL: are you “shrugging” the bar once you stop the pull? It looks like you’re seriously engaging the lats/traps/something up there once you actually halt. I’ve never seen or considered that.

Yeah I'm trying a couple things, to keep my shoulders over the bar as long as possible, and to hold it for a bit at the top. Just really trying to keep the low back and lats tight.
I vaguely recall some Bill Starr writings about doing them this way. No idea where it was exactly, so I can't cite that.