HLM - Post OMTM and Rehab

[Neal]

HLM. Week 4. Day 2.

BW - 228

High Bar Pause Squat - 250X5, 5, 5

Bench -
250X1
200X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

RDL - 300X5, 5

HB Pause Squats still feeling good.

Bench also felt good. 250X1 ties my PR, but that PR was for 5X1 so nothing to get too excited about. First back-off was too loosey-goosey, but I got it dialed back in by the end.

RDL's also felt very good. This was the beginning of a new wave so reduced intensity.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 4. Day 3.

BW - 228

SSB Squat - 280X5, 5, 5, 5

Press -
140X5
110X5, 5, 5

Deadlift - 335X5

Safety Squats went well. Starting a new squat wave after this so intensity on everything will come down a bit.

Press went okay. Had to "get up" for this set. Dealing with a little bit of a form issue where pushing through to get under the bar is getting me over my toes a little. Back-offs were very easy, as usual so far.

Deadlifts also moved pretty well.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 5. Day 1.

BW - 227

Squat -
360X5
290X5, 5, 5

Incline Close-Grip Bench - 180X5, 5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups (neutral grip) - BWX3, 3, 3

BB Rows - 185X5, 5, 5

Top set of Squats were too loosey-goosey. Look ok on video, but felt too chaotic in the moment. May need to take more care with my warm-ups to make sure I'm ready for these top sets. Back-off sets were easy-peasy with the intensity and volume reduction to begin the new wave.

Inclines felt pretty good. Obviously the back-off in intensity to begin the new wave makes them easier, but I think it also allows me to lock in some of the technical stuff I developed over the last wave. Busy gym, so no good place to put the camera and grab video of these.

Had a light-bulb moment last week and realized that if supinated chins are bothering my wrist, but I don't want the volume reduction that comes with pronated, I should try neutral grip. Haven't done these in a while and they felt GREAT. Honestly, strength felt comparable to supinated despite a longer range of motion. I was shooting for RPE 9 on all these, and probably could have gotten that extra rep on all of them.

Weird % programming thing that Rows this week are with the same weight as last week, but for less reps. I didn't even notice that until I went to log the first set. I guess I could have added 5 lbs. at that point, but whatevs. Again, to busy in the gym to find a spot for video.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 5. Day 2.

BW - 229

High Bar Pause Squats - 230X5, 5, 5

Bench -
225X5
180X5, 5, 5

RDL - 305X5, 5

First week of a new squat wave, so the assistance is light. HB Pause squats were easy.

Bench is also at the beginning of a new wave. Last time I did 225X5 on bench, it was probably around an RPE 8. This was not above a 7 for sure, and probably a 6 (6.5?). Back-offs were very light, so I kept rest time at 2 minutes or less.

Still trying to have more control on the RDLs to keep them from swinging out at the bottom. Went a little slower, and also tried to get really deep on the 2nd set. Bar is still swinging out a bit.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 5. Day 3.

BW - 229

Safety Bar Squats - 260X5, 5, 5, 5

Press -
142.5X3
145X3
115X5, 5, 5

Deadlift - 340X3, 3

SSB squats were fairly easy with the Wave 1 weight reduction.

Mis-loaded the top set of Press with a 5 on one side, and a 2.5 on the other. Decided to reset with the correct weight, do the set, and then just drop one set off the back-off work so that the total volume "slots" were the same.

Deadlifts felt great. This is 50 lbs. off my best 2X3, so it SHOULD, but is HASN'T, so I'm HAPPY.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 6. Day 1.

BW - ??? (un-reliable scale at away gym)

Squat -
365X3
305X5, 5, 5, 5

Medium Incline Bench -
165X1
145X5, 5, 5, 5

Chin-Ups - BWX3, 3, 3, 3

BB Rows - 195X3, 3, 3

Had a conflict tonight, and so got my work-out in at an "away" gym that I found in the area. The gym was mostly fine, however none of the barbells had a center knurling, and the only spare belt they had was a nylon and velcro affair.

Because of the above, I conservatively lowered my top-set weight for squats from 380 to 365. I kept the back-off weight the same, however. Top set weight was fine, however the old problem of sliding forward at parallel instead of dropping down below parallel crept back in here. Something to watch out for. Same problem was apparent on a few reps of the back-off sets.

The incline benches at this gym were standard 45 degrees, whereas the one I usually use is more horizontal. To gauge it, I worked up to a heavy-ish single, and then backed off. The back-off weight ended up being a bit too light, so I just kept rest periods down. Main floor of this gym was packed, so no video of anything but Squats.

No neutral grip chin options available, so these were all supinated. Felt fine on my wrist actually, and generally fairly strong. Still tried to keep all sets below RPE 10. Last was probably @10, but whatevs.

BB Rows, were not from the floor, but from a fairly horizontal hang position. Wasn't sure if the staff would appreciate me doing Pendlay's on their regular gym floor with iron plates even though it was a padded floor. These were fine.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 6. Day 2.

BW - 227

High Bar Pause Squat - 245X5, 5, 5

Bench -
240X3
190X5, 5, 5, 5

RDL - 320X5, 5

No easily perceptible change in bar speed between the first and last reps of the last set. So probably RPE 6 at most. Going back and looking at my heaviest session with this movement from a few weeks ago, that would appear to be the same there. I probably need to up the intensity a bit to get into @7-8 range at least for the last set (shown).

Top set of Bench is interesting. Felt like at RPE 9-9.5, but bar speed between 1st and 3rd rep looks more like @7.5. Mis-grooved the 2nd rep which made it feel harder than it should have been. But technique break-down often comes with high-intensity work. As far as the discrepancy between "bar speed RPE" and "feels RPE," I would submit that my bench strength tends to drop off a cliff more-so than other lifts. Nevertheless, I will try to keep this discrepancy in mind. Back off -sets were all easy <@6. Top-set and last back-off shown.

I think I'm finally figuring out some stuff on the RDL bar path. I'm just not pushing my butt back far enough to keep the bar in contact with my legs throughout. This really felt like it started to click half-way through the last set. For me, the cue might not just be "butt back" OR "bar on legs," but rather BOTH push back so that the bar feels SOLID against the legs. The only thing is that my low back "feels" less extended this way, although it looks fine. No real difference in the bar speed between first and last reps, but it "feels" tough, so I'm gonna call the 2nd set @6. Last set shown.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 6. Day 3.

BW - 227

Safety Squat - 270X5, 5, 5, 5

Press -
150X1
120X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift -
350X1, 1, 1
320X5

Going to try tracking RPE "feels" after sets, so that I can compare them to "bar speed" RPE from the video.

Last set of SSB felt @8. Video says @ 6. Started dialing-in a new cue to "keep my triceps in my lats" on these. Felt like upper back looseness was making it difficult to keep my chest "up" coming out of the hole. I believe the lower arm position caused by this bar makes it less natural to keep the upper back muscles tight. Trying to push my triceps into my lats to open my chest up, and that seemed to help.

Top set of Press felt @9. Video says about the same. Was hoping this weight wouldn't feel so tough.

Last back-off set of Press felt @ 8.5. Video says about 7.5. These were all fairly easy, so my rating was probably due to keeping rests between back-off sets at 2 minutes or less.

For the DL, I rated both the first and third top-sets @ 7.5. Video definitely says they're at about the same speed (set 1, set 2). Not sure about RPE. May need to film my last warm-up set in order to get accurate bar speed RPE for singles. These all felt smooth, and relatively easy.

For the back-off set, it felt @ 7. Video says about 6.5.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 7. Day 1.

BW - 226

Squat -
400X1, 1
320X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Low Incline Bench - 205X3, 3, 3, 3

Chin-Ups - BWX2, 3, 3

BB Rows - 185X7, 7, 7

Top set of Squat was a shit show. It looks like I let my chest drop when I hit the hole, sliding the bar forward of mid-foot, and making the concentric an RPE 10 gut punch.

I decided to take it again. I'm showing the last warm-up single and this 2nd top single to compare speed on both. The second single was a "feels" RPE @ 8, but while it was a touch higher than the last warm-up, the speed wasn't much slower, so would be a "bar speed" @ 7.

320X5X5 is a 5X5 PR. All sets were strong. I rated this last set @ 7.5, and video looks close to that.

Inclines were fairly tough at this weight. 205X3 is a Rep PR. Last set was a "feels" @ 9.5, and video was "speed" @ 8.

Chins were fine. No video. Tried to stop @ ~9.

Rows were also fine. I used straps on the last set just to make sure I could focus on the lift. Last set was "feels" @ 7, and "speed" @ 6.

[Neal]

HLM. Week 7. Day 2.

BW - 228

High Bar Pause Squats - 255X5, 5, 5

Bench -
255X1
205X5, 5, 5, 5, 5

RDL - 305X5, 5

Last set of paused HBS felt @ 7, looks @ 6. Rep PR.

255X1 is a PR on Bench. Felt @ 10. Didn't get video of last warm-up single, but it was surely faster than this. Will look to see if the top set of 3 in a couple of weeks feels @9 or less. Otherwise, could be in trouble. Last set of back-offs felt @ 8, looks @ 7.

RDL technique was a little all-over the place today, BUT the bar was solid against legs for all but 1 rep. This last set felt @ 7, and looks max @ 6.