Texas Method in Michigan!

[SSrecruit]

4/14 volume day

Squats ( LP)

warmups 45, 95, 135, 185, 205.

3x5 at 230. Kept the heels down but it was a lot of work. Finally broke down and ordered some squat shoes. Adidas Leistung. Looking forward to trying them out.

Bench volume:
Warmups 135, 185.
5X5 at 235. Hammered through this - no problem. Will go to 240 next session.

Deadlift

Warmup 135, 185, 235, 275.

Work weight - 325X5, which is a new PR. I think I can move up again but this is starting to feel heavy.

[SSrecruit]

4/17 Recovery day. 5PM workout. Slept poorly the night before - pretty tired but the schedule is the schedule. Worked out with partner today.

Squat (LP)
warmup 45, 95, 135, 185, 205.
Work sets 3X5 at 235.

I picked up a pair of squat shoes (Adidas Leistung) and it does indeed make quite a difference. Don't have to focus so much on keeping the heels down anymore - it's pretty much automatic now. My right knee is tending to go in though on the way up - that's my bad achilles side. Still working on the form - this achilles problem is really making it a battle for me.

OH Press (Texas Method recovery day)
Warmups: 45, 95, 115.
3X5 at 135. This was surprisingly difficult for some reason today.

Weighted Chins
+25LBS 3X5 Got through it, completed all the reps. Last rep in 3rd set was pretty tough. I think I'll stay at this weight next workout.

[chrisza]

Looks like your doing well with everything but that squat. You should submit a form check or see an SS coach in person if possible. You don't want to keep adding weight to a broken squat (been there done that several times over). Sounds like the bar is still forward of midfoot and knees aren't set properly.

[SSrecruit]

Looks like your doing well with everything but that squat. You should submit a form check or see an SS coach in person if possible. You don't want to keep adding weight to a broken squat (been there done that several times over). Sounds like the bar is still forward of midfoot and knees aren't set properly.

Yes I think youre right.......the achilles heel is my......achilles heel. My right calf is severely atrophied - I tore it completely 10 years ago, half-assed the rehab, and now that I'm on a serious regimen, Im finally paying for it. My right knee caves big time (the bad side) and the left does not, any time im squatting much more than 200 lbs.

[SSrecruit]

Squat

I am havibg form problems i think due to asymetry, due to a poorly rehabbed achilles tendon, ruptured 10 years ago. Since I cant add weight Im trying to fix it with volume. Try not to laugh at these numbers:
Warmups: 45, 95, 135, 185
5X5 at 205. Partner says form was generally good but some butt winking. Im using squat shoes, 2nd session. Was wearing chucks previously.

Bench:
Warmups 45, 135, 185, 205, 225, 245
pr attempt at 260: fail, only got 3 reps. Was going for 5. I don't fucking get it. Did 258x5 a month ago, can't move 2lbs more past 3 reps. Thinking about altering my rep scheme. I think it might be mental. For some reason 260 is a big number to me and I think I'm a bit intimidated by it. I am stuck.

Deadlift
Warmups 135, 185, 205, 255, 305.
PR attempt 335X5 was good!! And not too difficult. I am told form was perfect.

Squat and bench were very frustrating today, but the PR on deadlift made it all feel worthwhile.

[Neal]

Maybe try the bench again next bench I.D. If you get it, great, if you only get 3 again, try for a 2nd set of 3 and progress with 2 sets of 3? I think that's the standard advice.

[SSrecruit]

Maybe try the bench again next bench I.D. If you get it, great, if you only get 3 again, try for a 2nd set of 3 and progress with 2 sets of 3? I think that's the standard advice.

Thanks Neal. I should mention that my partner actually pulled the weight up on rep 4 when I was still grinding - I thought I had it but he didn't. I did rest another 3 minutes and try again, but then I only got 3 reps. So maybe I'm closer than I thought. Will try one more time before changing rep schemes.

[SSrecruit]

I am determined to fix this squat. I ordered a tripod so I can record video to post up form videos; also ordered some bands on Amazon to set up to pull inward on my knees - saw some knee viscus videos on youtube that made sense.

Also watched a bunch of Alan Thrall and Mark Rippetoe videos on the squat......working on making my angle more horizontal.

Today's squat work:

Warmups: 45, 95, 135, 185.

Work sets: 205 for 5X5.

The more horizontal angle seems to make a difference - the movement felt way, way easier and I had no trouble keeping the knees out this time. This felt like progress.

OH Press - Volume day

Warmups: 45, 95, 135.
Work sets: 150 for 5X5.

I took the full 3 minutes of rest between sets and watched Rippetoe / Art of Manliness videos on power cleans. The first 4 sets were challenging but not too bad. On the 5th rep of the 5th set, it was a grind from hell - took everything I had to lock it out. I'll microload to 152.5 next time. This was not too bad until the very end - what a grind on that 5th rep!!

Power Clean

This was my first time doing a power clean, ever in my life. I had planned to do deadlifts today, but was still feeling beat up from the PR from 2 days ago. My son had challenged me to a pullup competition earlier that morning (I won) so I wasn't up to pullups either, and didn't feel right doing just 2 movements. So decided to power clean!

I did 5 sets of 3 with 65 lbs. Paid close attention to keeping the arms straight, lifted slow off the ground to the "jump position", and did the jumps. I think I did that pretty well - not much weight at all - but having a real hard time getting my elbows up at the top of the movement. I'm not super flexible to begin with, and my arms were pretty thick at the time from doing the volume presses. Maybe the flexibility will come in time. Once that tripod comes in the mail, I'll video myself doing these.

[chrisza]

good luck with those power cleans. They are about a tough as squats to nail down form. I could never get them quite right. Got up to 170 lbs and they started beating me up. With those presses I'd drop your intensity for your volume session and do maybe 140 5x6 to get more volume without grindy reps.

[SSrecruit]

good luck with those power cleans. They are about a tough as squats to nail down form. I could never get them quite right. Got up to 170 lbs and they started beating me up. With those presses I'd drop your intensity for your volume session and do maybe 140 5x6 to get more volume without grindy reps.

Thanks for the feedback. Would you mind sharing more of the thinking around the volume thing with presses? Not saying i disagree. This might make more sense on bench which is currently stuck. Press is still moving up about 5 lbs every 2 weeks.

As for power cleans - not sure if ill continue or not. Normally i do chins when i cant deadlift, but today that wasnt an option. I understand the point is to "maintain the relationship between strength and power".....not sure if I care about that or not.