Adam's "These Colors don't run, and neither do I!!!" Log

[Adam Franklin]

This next post will be about my PFT training. Unfortunately, the Marine Corps still uses the 3 mile run as one of its metrics for "fitness." Therefore, I have to alter my strength training in order to "train" for the 3 mile run.

2May
Mock PFT
Pull Ups:20
Crunches (timed, 2 min):100
3 Mile run: 29 min.
I didn't realize I had let my conditioning go that bad. May need to rethink conditioning work while strength training.

3May
1/4 Mile intervals: 6x1:40, 2:1 rest/work
3 rounds of 10 p/u and 40 crunches

4May
Press: 170x5x5
Deadlift: 425x5, 375x5x2

5May
3 Mile run: 28 min
3 rounds of 10 p/u and 40 crunches

6May
1/4 Mile intervals: 6x1:40, 2:1 rest/work ratio
3x10 pullups

7May
Bench: 275x5x5
PC: Worked up to 185x3

9May
Mock PFT
Pull Ups:20
Crunches (timed, 2 min):100
3 Mile run: 26 min.

10May
1/2 Mile intervals: 3x3:30, 1:1 rest/work
3 rounds of 10 p/u and 40 crunches

11May
Press: 172.5x5x5
Deadlift: 435x3, 385x5x2
I wanted 435c5, but I could feel back rounding too much on 3rd rep

12May
3 Mile run: 25 min
3 rounds of 10 p/u and 40 crunches

13May
1/3 Mile intervals: 3x3:30, 1:1 rest/work ratio
3x10 pullups

14May
Bench: 280x5x5
PS: 135x2x6

16May
Mock PFT
Pull Ups:20
Crunches (timed, 2 min):100
3 Mile run: 24:30 min.

17May
1/2 Mile intervals: 4x3:30, 1:1 rest/work

18May
Press: 175x5x5
Deadlift: 425x4+1 (hook grip slipped), 375x5x2

19-20 May: Early mornings/late nights supporting the Recon Challenge

21May
Bench: 280x5x5
PC: 205x3, 215x1, 225x1 (Ties PR)

23May
1/2 mile intervals, 3x3:30, 1:2 rest/work ratio

25May
Offical PFT
Pullups 20=100 pts
Crunches 100=100 pts
3Mile 23:47=65 pts

Later that day
Press: 185x3, 205x1 (PR) Press 3x185lb + 205lb PR 20160525 - YouTube
Deadlift: 425x2, 365x5x2 (Wrecked from the PFT)

265/300 on the PFT @ a 5'10" 205lbs, stronger than ever. I'll take it. I plan to do better next year, not by "cramming" harder, but by incorporating more conditioning work into my routine.

[Adam Franklin]

Now that the PFT is over with and I have 11 months until I have to worry about running 3 miles again, I can get back to training. This will look like an adv novice program for the squat (I didn't do squat the last 3 weeks), and more of a TX method for everything else.

27May
Squat: 375x5x3. Bar felt heavy on my delts.
Bench 290x5x5
PSs, but didn't write it down...

30May
Squat: 385x5x3
Press: 177.5x5x5
Deadlift: 425x5

1Jun
Squat: 305x5x2
Bench: 265x5x3
Chins: BW+45xx5x3
GHR: BW+10x3

3Jun
Squat: 405x5x3 Squat 405lbx5x3 20160603 - YouTube
Press: 195x3 (failed 4th) Press 195lbx5 FAIL (got 3) 20160603 - YouTube
PC: 165x3x5 Power Cleans 165lbx3x5 20160603 - YouTube

Used new SBD stiff wrist wraps on the press. Never used wraps before, so I'm not sure if I liked them or if I just need to get use to them. Also, I have been working on my PC/PS form. Before, my oly lifts wouldn't look smooth, like the timing is off. These were not perfect by any means, but this are looking and feeling better.

[Adam Franklin]

Jan 2016 meet prep:

Mid Oct to Mid Nov 2015




Mid Nov 2015 to Meet in Jan 2016

[Adam Franklin]

6Jun
Squat: 415x5x3 Squat 415lbx5x3 20160606 - YouTube
Bench: 295x5x5 Bench 295lbx5x5 20160606 - YouTube
Deadlifts: 435x0 (435x5 planned), 425x0, 385x5 Deadlift 395lbx5 20160606 - YouTube

After today, I'm reminded that I am so frustrated with the deadlift. From reading some of the forums, I attribute my back weakness to NDTP early on (damn stronglifts and their rows!), not deadlifting correctly early on (again, screw stronglifts) and my anthropometry (long torso, short femurs) means that my squat, while in line with the model, has a more vertical back angle than most. I believe all of these things contribute to my relatively weak back and therefore weak deadlift.

I'm not sure how to make up the apparent strength gap going forward. I feel like constantly deloading and working back up my 1x5 deadlift isn't gonna cut it.

Any ideas? I'm going to read around in the forums for suggestions, but I wish I would have just started out right, and avoided all of this!

[Adam Franklin]

8Jun
Squat 315lbx5x2
OHP 165lbx5x3
Chins BWx16,9,6

I had to pleasure of training at WFAC prior to auditing the SS seminar this weekend, and it was a good training session!

10Jun
Squat 435lbx5 PR
Bench 325lbx5 PR
PC 187lbx3x5

As for my deadlift programming, I posted in Andy Baker's programming forum and I spoke with Matt Reynolds this weekend, both giving me awesome deadlift and programming advice. I'm looking forward to changing it up in order to improve my deadlifts.

[Adam Franklin]

One Lift Per Day
Changing it up in order to allow for a deadlift day, with more pulling volume.

13Jun
Bench: 275x5x5
Chins: A bunch for a few sets

14Jun
Squat: 385x5x5
SLDL: 225x8x3 (upon review, not happy with spinal extension)
Lat Pulldown: 130x10x4

16Jun
Press: 200x1x5 PR
DB Bench: 75x10x3
Lying Tri Ext (LTE): 80x10x3

17Jun
Light Squat: 305x5x2
PC: 205x2 (meant to be a triple, failed to rack 3rd)
Deadlift: 455x1 (meant to be a double, failed 2nd rep off floor)
Rack Pulls: 405x5
Pendlay Rows: 185x8x3

Monday I flew back from Dallas early that morning and I was feeling it. I trained in my garage, so I didn't have the dumbbells to do the assistance DB shoulder presses and tri extensions. I'll do these at the gym base next week.

It was weird to be doing "body building" exercises after having not done any since maybe 2013. For the SLDL, I started with ~1.5 inch deficit, but I soon realized that my hip were starting above my shoulders. I was able to get into a better start position without the deficit (and trying to maintain vertical shins).

Thursday, presses felt strong. It was good to handle some heavy singles again. Started feeling a sinus cold coming on.

On Friday, I got greedy, plus I the sinus cold hit me, which definitely had an effect on me. Arm pull started to creep back into my PCs.

[Adam Franklin]

20Jun
Bench: 315x3x5
DB Seated Press: 50x12x3
Standing Tri Ext: 70x10x3

21Jun
Squat: 425x3x5
SLDL: 225x8x3
Lat Pulldown: 140x12x3

23Jun
Press: 180x5x5, last set RPE 10
DB Bench: 80x12x3
Lying Tri Ext (LTE): 100x10x3

24Jun
Light Squat: 305x5x2
PC: 205x3 + 225x1. The heavy single turned into a clean
Deadlift: 385x5 + 365x3 (programmed for 8, but I picked my weights too aggressively)
Rack Pulls: 385x5x2
Pendlay Rows: 185x8x3

I've been reading threads on this forum and re-reading SSBBT, and I'm learning how to use my hamstrings in the deadlift. For some reason, I never felt the hamstring stretch at the bottom of a deadlift and then squeezing them to initiate to opening of the hip angle in the deadlift. I played around with this with some unloaded "bodyweight" RDLs to focus on contracting the hamstring. Then, I carried it over to my SLDLs this week. I was much happier with my SLDL form this week compared to last week.

I'm trying to apply all of this in my deadlift. Deadlifts felt different this week, and my glutes and hamstrings were sore afterwards, which is new to me.

[Adam Franklin]

20Jun
Bench: 345x1x5 PR
DB Seated Press: 60x12x3
Standing Tri Ext: 80x12x3

21Jun
Squat: 465x1x5
SLDL: 275x8x2, 255x8
Lat Pulldown: 140x12, 150x12x2

23Jun
Press: 190x3x5
DB Bench: 85x12x3
Lying Tri Ext (LTE): 100x10x3

24Jun
Light Squat: 315x5x2
PC: 215x2
Deadlift: 385x5 Not happy with deadlift form
Rack Pulls: 405x5x2
Pendlay Rows: 185x8, 195x8, 205x8

Deadlifts continue to frustrate me. I'm not so confident in my technique anymore. I am realy focusing on the hamsting tightness in the SLDL, then trying to recreate that in my deadlifts. I'm not sure it is working...

Bench was fun this week. The most I have benched before was 342lb at a meet, (paused, no wraps). The heavy singles were touch and goes with wrist wraps, but its still heavier than anything I have ever benched.

[Adam Franklin]

4Jul
Bench: 295x5x5
Light Press: 95x12x4

5Jul
Squat: 395x1x5
SLDL: 275x8x4
Lat Pulldown: 150x12x3

7Jul
Press: 205x1x5 PR
DB Bench: 90x12x3
Lying Tri Ext (LTE): 100x10x3

8Jul
Light Squat: 315x5x2
PC: 205x1
Deadlift: 405x2, 435x2, 465x1, 495x1

Monday: Gym was close because 'Merica and Freedom and stuff!! So I trained in my garage, but I don't have dumbbells.

Press was exciting. 205lb is my current 1RM.

Still figuring out my deadlift, but 495lb is a training PR (I pulled 507lb in a meet in Jan).

[Adam Franklin]

11Jul
Bench: 325x3x5
Seated SB Press: 65x12,10,8
Standing Overhead Tri Ext: 80x12x3

12Jul
Squat: 435x3x4
SLDL:275x8x3
Lat Pulldown: 150x12x3

14Jul
Press: 205x3,3,4,4,3 PR
Close Grip Bench: 185x12x3

15Jul
Light Squat: 275x5x2
Deadlift: 275x5, 315x5x2
Rack Pulls: 315x5, 365x5x2

Worked in with a few guys for squats on Tuesday and lost count of how many sets I had complete, leaving me one short...

SLDL felt good. I think I'm getting the hand of them and it will help me with me deadlift form.

I played pickup football with my Marines on Thursday, which affected my presses.

On Friday, I reset my deadlift to ensures I am using my posterior chain to lift the weight, not allowing my lowing back to go into flexion. Even though it was light, this is the best my form has looked in a while, even for 315lb.

I signed up for the SS Meet in Temple, AZ. Should be fun!