Creatively Titled HLM Log

[broseph]

Bummer on the Bench Bro.

To me, the bench seems like the least technical lift when done for reps, but somehow the most technical for a 1RM. From here, I would guess that first grinder took a lot out of you, and you still repeated it. On a better day I'm sure you could hit 305+.

[Tim K]

Bummer on the Bench Bro.

To me, the bench seems like the least technical lift when done for reps, but somehow the most technical for a 1RM. From here, I would guess that first grinder took a lot out of you, and you still repeated it. On a better day I'm sure you could hit 305+.

Yeah, I think if I had my form dialed in on the first 300 I might have been able to get 305 after that. Still disappointing considering I was hoping for 3 plates. I don't know how much impact the different shoes had but I had more trouble with my feet moving around than I usually do.

Speaking of which, went to the cobbler to pick up my shoe, found out he fucked it up. He was supposed to raise the entire shoe 7/8", but somehow, even though I explained that to him five or six times, only added like 3/8" to the shoe. He claims he can fix it and have it ready for me tomorrow (even though they had to supposedly stay in the press all weekend plus Tuesday the first time) and that I can pick it up at 11:00. Hopefully he does it right this time and I can go through with my mock meet tomorrow.

[broseph]

I hate stuff like that. Always makes me think they're cutting corners for time's sake.

"Whoops, we forgot you ordered a full rack of ribs. We'll get the other half out right away"

I hope your shoes come out juicy, tender, and well caramelized. Unlike my ribs.

[Tim K]

I hate stuff like that. Always makes me think they're cutting corners for time's sake.

"Whoops, we forgot you ordered a full rack of ribs. We'll get the other half out right away"

I hope your shoes come out juicy, tender, and well caramelized. Unlike my ribs.

Yeah, I'm hoping it's just that he slacked off and didn't actually work on the shoe until Tuesday and it really only needs one night in the press, or something like that. Which would also piss me off but not as much as if it falls apart the third time I use it.

[Tim K]

10 Week Program - Week 10 (9/3/17 - 9/9/17)

Squat:
440x1
460x1
480x1 (PR)

Press:
215x1 - lost my balance at lockout and had to take a step back
225x0
225x0

Deadlift:
585x1 - slow and grindy
635x0 - couldn't straighten up and lock it out


Got the shoe back from the cobbler. When I picked it up he informed me that he had shimmed it with the extremely hard, stiff material that he had shown me but that it was "way too heavy" so he re-did it with a dense hard rubber. He assured me that he could do the job a third time with the correct material if it didn't work out with this one.

My head almost exploded, but no way was I going to wait another week before my 1RM testing so I paid him and took the shoe. It's not 100% non compressible like the hard plastic heel on the original part of the shoe but it's stiff enough that I thought it might be ok. After using the shoes today I think I'm just going to keep them like they are as I didn't notice any problems in practical use.

Anyway, I managed to get a squat PR but it was the slowest grindiest rep I can remember. Looking at the video of my previous PR from five months ago, 475, it seems pretty clear that I was stronger then.

Press was a mess. Lost my balance on 215 and 225 refused to go past my head.

To make matters worse, I tweaked my back on my 405 deadlift warmup. I think I overextended my lumbar at the lockout or something and felt something happen. Of course, I kept going, even as bending down to load the bar was causing me pain. Focused on bracing as hard as possible, staying tight and not breathing at the top like I sometimes do. 495 felt ok, even though my back was still fucked up while walking around between warmups.

I did 585 and it was so slow that I knew anything like 650 or up was out for today. I decided that I would try for 635 since that would at least be a strapless PR if I could get it locked out cleanly. I knew even that was unlikely but I didn't see the point in going any higher unless it was for some kind of PR so I tried it. Nope. Upon reviewing the video it got a lot farther than I would have guessed based on how it felt during the pull, but there was no chance of straightening up and locking it out at the top. Grip didn't slip but it did rip some skin (not even a callous, just the flat fresh skin that was revealed by my last callous tear).

*SIGH*

Oh well. At least I hit a new BW low today (244.6). Guess I was dumb to think I could defy biology and keep getting stronger while losing this much weight. Now I have 7 weeks to train for the fall classic and probably another month to hit my BW goal of 240. Not looking great for my total but I'm still committed to getting down to 240.

[broseph]

Sheesh.... Not to sound like a broken record here, but I wonder if you were just having a bad week. Especially with all the rep PR's you've been hitting lately, you know?

I was all excited to use you as an example in an imaginary conversation I would have with Jordan about this dude that's fairly advanced that has lost significant body weight while getting stronger- as a counter point to his frequent assertion that you can't lose bodyweight and gain muscle at the same time.

He say something about "maybe this dude just got more efficient."
And I'd be all, "But he's an experienced late intermediate lifter. Surely these gains are more than neuromuscular?!?!?!"

Anyways, that's how weird I am.

[Tim K]

Weight Loss Update (Week 21 - 9/8/17)

Weekly Low: 244.6
Moving Average: 244.6 (-1.2)
Waist: 39.75" (-0.25)
Avg Calories: 3105/day - not counting Monday when I didn't track but was definitely over due to attending a Labor Day gathering and eating a bunch of food

Total Change since 4/14 (21 weeks):

BW: -32.2lbs
Waist: -5.5"


Got pretty loose with the calories this week, not that it helped me in the gym. On the plus side my waist measurement is now lower than it's been in the last six and a half years.

Now it's time for three weddings in a row. With a back tweak. Woohoo.

[Tim K]

I'm going to give Andy's KSC Strengthlifting program a try over the next 7 weeks, leading up to the Fall Classic. Program starts with 1RM attempts for the four main lifts, on Monday and Tuesday of the first two weeks. Andy says to skip those if you're coming straight off a meet (or mock meet in my case) but given my poor showing last week, I decided to at least see if I could do any better on the press today. I could not.

KSC Strengthlifting - Week 1 (9/10/17 - 9/16/17)

Monday:
Press:
205x1
225x0
185x4 - decided to drop down to 185 and get a little volume at least. Thought I would get 5 but 4 was a grinder. FML.
185x3
185x3

Seated DB Press:
50x7
45x7
40x9
40x7
35x8

LTE:
90x14
90x11
85x10
80x11
80x9

Assistance work is done with 3 minutes of rest, hence the weight drops to stay in the prescribed rep range.


Also, I'm not sure what happened over the weekend but I came back here to find that several forum regulars are now non-persons and have had their entire posting history erased, including KOTJ, Gilchrest, and in particular allent, whose erasure no doubt makes much of my log incomprehensible. Not sure how much longer I'll feel like sticking around this place with all the bullshit going on lately.

[Chris McCarthy]

This place will be weaker without them.

[Tim K]

KSC Strengthlifting - Week 1 (9/10/17 - 9/16/17)

Tuesday

Squat:
315x5x3 - did some light squatting instead of the 1RM

Rack Pull:
495x5
545x5
495x7

BB Row:
205x8x3
185x8x2

I've never done rack pulls before. Apparently I'm not really able to lift more on them than I am actual deadlifts, probably because I deadlift with a rounded thoracic spine and the rack pulls are done with my back flat. It felt really hard to break the bar off the pins but then it just flew up to the lockout, pretty much the opposite of my normal deadlift where if I fail it's always at the top. I'm not sure if that's good or bad as far as carryover to my competition deadlift, but I really felt it in my upper back and traps in a way that I don't when deadlifting. Felt kind of weird trying to find the right position of the bar in relation to my feet on the first rep, but then when setting it back down for rep 2 it sort of naturally went into the right spot.

Rows were done from the pins.