Dillon's Intermediate Log

[Dillon Spencer]

1/31/19
Squats ID 345x5x1 (5PR)
Deadlift VD 285x5x2
C2 tabata

Another 5 rep PR. Creeping up on the 350 milestone! I'll also be doing 365 for singles this cycle, which isn't really a milestone in any way other than being a cool looking bar, but I'm looking forward to it. I've been working on double over handing my volume deadlifts to improve my shitty grip. Had to mix for the last couple of my first set, but it was no problem on the second. Go figure! Quick bit of conditioning on the rower and I was out in about an hour! Love these short ones.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/5/19
Deadlift ID 360x5x1 (5PR)
Squats "VD" 310x5x3
Press 145x5x3

Got sick on the weekend. Coughed so hard on Sunday I tweaked my back or a rib or something bad enough that taking a deep breath hurt. Missed my weekend workouts. Also going away this weekend, so will miss those ones. Really on a roll here lately! Plan for this week is to hit all the lifts hard enough that I don't go backwards. As a result this one looks a lot like an LP workout! Squatted before pressing for some reason though. Brain fart. Hit my new deadlift PR. Dropped a couple of squat sets for time purposes, and because I plan to try my intensity squat triples on Thursday, so don't have as much recovery time as I normally would. Just hoping this holds me over so I can get back to it proper next week.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/7/19
Squats ID 355x3, 2+1 (3PR?)
Bench 210x5x3
Deadlift VD 290x5x2

Bit of a weird one here! My squats were a PR, a fail, and a different kind of PR! The plan was 355x3x2, but here's the thing. I forgot to put my belt on before I started the second set, and didn't realize until I was in the hole on my first rep. Decided to go for it, and got the first two. The second felt real ugly though, so I decided safety should prevail, racked it, put my belt on as fast as I could, and hit one more rep. So, this is a 3 rep PR, a failed set due to racking the bar, and a beltless PR of about 40 lbs for a double. Just going to go ahead and call it a successful intensity day, but jeez. Bench felt pretty easy, which makes sense seeing as how my all time 5 rep PR is 215, but that was intensity. Think I'll be able to hit that for sets across pretty comfortably in a couple of weeks. Forgot how taxing hitting three of the big lifts per workout is! I've gotten used to only two each workout. I was pretty crushed (in a pleasant way) when I got home.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/12/19
Press 155x2x3
Pin press 145x3x3
CGBP 187.5x5x3
Dips 35x5x4 +BW AMRAP 5
Cable lateral raises 5 plates x8x3
Battle ropes 6x20s on 40s rest

Had a snow day from school, so had a relatively empty gym to play around in for as long as I wanted to. Finally got to try out some pin presses. Thinking they might help me keep my press moving on up. Locking it out from above the forehead seems to be where I keep failing. I'm trying out Andy's 8/5/2 stuff, but trying to focus the extra work on accessories to improve my press rather than body building type of stuff. I did a bit of a reset on both the bench and press when I started though, so the verdict is still out on whether or not this will lead to new PRs. I'm liking that it allows for some variety at least! Think I've settled on the different exercises I'll include after the press, mostly depending on available equipment so I'm not waiting around for stuff. Some combo of pin presses, CGBP, dips, and LTEs.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/16/19
BW: 217
Deadlift ID 365x5x1 (5PR)
Squats VD 310x5x4
Chin-up myo reps 10,3,3 30s rest
C2 intervals 30s on 60s rest

Well, my lack lustre training schedule continues. Just can't seem to stop getting sick or hurting myself in minor ways. This week it was a slip on ice that kept me from squatting for a couple of days. Dorsiflexion was a bitch. Felt pretty good today. Just dropped a set because it was getting sore. Pulled another new 5 rep deadlift PR. Didn't feel quite as pretty as last week, but came up well enough that I think I have a couple more of these left. I'd like to get up to 375x5, and then start rotating reps. That would make my first singles across workout 405x1x5. Decided I'm going to move my chins and rows to lower body day. I've been hitting more lifts on my upper body days, and only two on my lower body days, causing very different workout lengths. A few intervals to keep the body fat going down, and called it a day.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/17/19
BW: 217
Bench 235x2x3
Incline bench 167.5x8x3
Pin press 135x3x3
LTEs 70x10x3
6 rounds of:
Zercher 1/4 squat hold 225x6s
Sit ups 25x12
Farmer/goblet walk x Turf
60s rest

2/18/19
Jump rope 10x30s on 30s rest

Doubles for the bench on my 8/5/2. Still working back up to hopefully hitting some PRs, but happy just to maintain since I'm cutting a bit. This is only 5 lbs off my 2 rep PR, and it didn't feel too bad, so I don't feel like my bench has regressed much if at all so far. Just going to keep trying to LP the incline press up for sets of 8 until it stops working, then I'll stick with a weight until I can hit it for 8s. Tried pin presses again today, and had to take some weight off from last time. Might have just been fatigued from the bench and incline. Did LTEs for the first time in a while, and I'm definitely feeling them today! Then I just did a bit of a "core" (I know) oriented circuit for conditioning. Bit of jumping rope at home today just to keep the fat loss moving along. Nothing crazy.

[Dillon Spencer]

2/19/19
Squats ID 365x1x5 (1PR) YouTube
Deadlift VD 295x5x2
Rows 205x7x3

Hit my squat PR singles today. Even managed to snag a video of the first one, and it looked a lot smoother than it felt! Everything else was easy breezy.

[Mike Longnecker]

Oh wow, you have a lot more left in the tank with that bar speed!

[Dillon Spencer]

Thanks Mike! Here's hoping. Intensity days have been feeling like a grind, but finally getting to see one has me feeling pretty good about the gains to come.

[Geoff Bischoff]

Nicely done! Saw it on Insta and thought it was 405.

Hey I'm failing my reading comprehension exam right now; I forget: Did you buy Baker's 8/5/2 template, or are you just writing one?