Phil's Log of Extraordinary Mediocrity.

[omaniphil]

Hi all. I just signed up for the 275lb OHP by years end race, and figured I'd start a log here to commemorate my failure to come anywhere close to a 275lb press, but will hopefully provide me with enough accountability to get somewhere close to it.

About me - I'm 5'11", 238ishlbs, 34 years old, married, and have a 5-month old daughter. I'm a patent attorney in Cleveland, but in a previous life built houses for an relief and development non-profit in Central Asia and Iraq.

Previous PRs
Before my training fell apart with the birth of my daughter, I had a 330x5x3 squat, a 215x5x3 Bench, a 430x5 deadlift, a 167.5x5x3 OHP. It went pretty far downhill from there, but attending the SS Seminar in Atlanta in November really encouraged me to start up again, and starting in the New Year, I started some new programming courtesy of Robert Santana.

Looking ahead
I'm signed up for the SS Spring Classic in Gig Harbor WA (there are closer meets to Cleveland, but we're turning the trip into a vacation out West). I'm not looking to set any records at the meet, I may not even break my own PRs, but I'm just looking to get some extra motivation to stay focused.

2/12/2017
Competition Squat 280x5x5
Competition Bench 205x5x5
RDLs 295x6x3

[omaniphil]

2/13/2017
Deadlift 400x4, 360x5
Press 160x5x5
Board Press 225x5x3
Barbell Rows 135x8x3

I missed the last rep on the deadlift top set. I've not had great recovery the past few days and I think that's been part of it. I really need to focus on getting more sleep. Deadlifts seem much more reliant on having a good nights sleep whereas most of the other lifts you can just power through. After having two volume days in a row, I'm looking forward to an evening off tomorrow.

[omaniphil]

2/15/2017

Box Squats 230x5x3
Slingshot BP 245x3x5
Bench TnG 215x5x3
Dips 3x8

Its kind of sad that I was squatting 100lbs more than this just a couple of months ago, but form creep necessitated a large deload. I do like these box squats for really relearning to stay in the hip in the hole though. After this workout, my arms are shot.

[omaniphil]

2/16/2017

Halting deadlifts 255x6x3
Push Press 172.5x7x3
CGBP 192.5x6x3

Everything felt nice and light. Looking forward to a nice day off, and then volume squats and bench on Saturday.

[omaniphil]

2/18/2017
Squats 295x3x7
Competition Bench 210x3x7
RDLs 315x6x3
Finished off with a nice 35 mile bike ride on a muddy towpath trail. First time on a bicycle in 3 months, and I guess I deconditioned quickly. I felt like death at the end of it.

2/20/2017
This time, I foolishly did a 50 mile trail ride BEFORE my training. Stupid, but when you have 60 degree days in February in Cleveland you use them. Felt much better. I guess what they say about conditioning adaptations happening fast are pretty true.
Followed up by:
Deadlift 405x3, 365x3x2
OHP 162.5x3x7
Board Press 227.5x5x3
Barbell Rows 140x8x3

Also felt like death at the end of that.

[omaniphil]

2/21/2017

Box Squat 235x5x3
Slingshot Bench Press 247.5x3x5 lockouts on these were tough! I guess that's the point though.
Bench Press TNG 217.5x5x3
Dips 3x8

Back in my garage gym. I had been using a local Anytime Fitness for the winter months, but now that spring is here in NE OHIO (at least for this week and next) thought I'd come back home.

[omaniphil]

2/23/2017

Push Press 175x5x3
Halting Deadlift 265x5x3
CGBP 195x5x3
Bro curls 4x8

I had some pretty severe Achilles tendon pain from the bike rides early this week. It has made walking, and particularly stair climbing and descending rather painful. I've been chewing ibuprofen all week, and its only barely made a dent in the discomfort. Surprisingly though, the push presses basically cured it, at least temporarily. I don't know whether it was the loading, or the flexion from the pushing, but the pain was gone all evening. Now that its the next morning, its back, but it was nice to be able to do most of the workout yesterday pain free.

[omaniphil]

2/25/2017

Squat 300x3x7
Competition Bench 215x3x7
RDL 320x6x3
Bro curls

Achilles pain feeling much better today. Still achy when climbing stairs, but in general walking around, not too bad.

[omaniphil]

2/27/2017

Deadlifts 410x3, 370x3x2
Press 165x3x7
Board Press 230x5x3
Barbell Rows 155x8x3

Somebody turned gravity down today. The deadlifts felt light today. And I was NOT expecting them to. I was up last night quite a bit with my 6 month old, and didn't feel very rested. OHP felt nice too, although I wouldn't call it 'light'.

[omaniphil]

3/1/2017

Box squats 235x5x3
Bench TNG 220x3x5
Slingshot 247.5x2x7
Dips

Everything felt nice and light today. Switching from 3 sets of 5 on the bench to 5 sets of 3 felt nice.