Heave-ho, up you go.

[trick_ster]

I logged sporadically here. But I definitely haven't been DTFP since the end of 2014, so it's time for a new log.

Stats: 32, male, 5'10", 213lb.

PRs at 220lb, done earlier this year:

• Squat: 325lb 8RM, 360lb for 3 (sets across),
• Deadlift 405lb for 5, 375lb for 8,
• Press: 123lb for 8, 147lb for 2,
• Bench: 198lb for 8.

Then there was a long break and I'm back in lighter weight territory, training 2/week. But that felt lame (I kept trying to cram more things into each session), so starting this week it'll be "2.5"/week: Wed, Sat, Sun.

In no particular order, things I want to improve:

• get my press up to not shitty levels.
• get comfortable with CJ. If I can do bodyweight "soon" (end of the year?) that would be fantastic.
• improve my chinning.

Obviously, I want the other lifts go up as well, but this is what I'm focusing on right now.

Oh yeah, and drop another 10lb or so.

[trick_ster]

Today.

• Split jerks - meh.
• PC 135lb 5x2
• SQ 280lb 3x5
• P 122lb 3x5
• CU 4

So, jerks. Right shoulder was not happy for whatever reason. If I thought about driving it forward, placing the bar further back, it was pain free, but my default position was irritating it. I was feeling it with presses later. Trained through anyways and did power cleans instead of CJ. Videoed a couple split jerks with the bar. Maybe I'll divine something out of that.

Was done by the time I got to chin-ups, so just did a set and buggered off. My parking was running out as well.

Squats were a bit shaky, but meh.

[trick_ster]

Oh god, the soreness. I do not understand what happened but my thighs are on fire.

Decided to try going Wed/Sat/Sun, transitioning this weekend. The next week will be:

• Wed: heavy squat, heavy press, CJ.
• Sat: clean and jerk, medium press.
• Sun: medium squat, heavy bench, deadlift.

Heavy and medium are really "higher volume" and "lower volume" for squats and presses.

For CJ, the plan is to just do a bunch twice a week until they get "heavy-ish". Say, the jerk overtakes my press. Then, move the deadlift to Wed, "max" clean and jerk separately on Sat, and do a bunch of volume of CJ with manageable weight on Sun.

Oh yeah, and for now "clean" is power clean and "jerk" is power jerk.

[trick_ster]

Bummer. Right lateral delt is still unhappy about putting the bar overhead and I tweaked upper back this morning. I guess no quick lifts for me until this heals.

Today:

• SQ 3x: 185, 205, 245, 275
• B 165lb 3x5

Quite liked ascending triples. Not too exhausting but can still go heavy. I'll probably keep it.

Was going to start bench with 175, but decided to lower it. That was a good call. 165 felt heavier than it had any right to be and I couldn't quite set up properly. For reference, I haven't seriously benched in a couple months and did ascending 5 up to 175 last week. The top set was heavy, but solid. Ah well.

Now both of my delts are sore.

I'm thinking of subbing incline bench instead of pressing until my delts are happy. I'll try it out tomorrow.

[trick_ster]

Today:

• DL 295lb 1x5
• IB 5s: 95lb, 105lb, 115lb
• Seated cable rows: 90lb 3x10

Right delt is fine putting the empty hand in the lockout position, but not the hand with the bar, so incline bench it was.

Which went alright, but felt wobbly. So, it'll be 5's across at 115 and onwards.

Did some rowing. Mostly because I'm uncomfortable with the idea of only pressing with shoulders on the bench and I wasn't in the mood for chinups. Anyways, 80lb was way too easy and I may or may not do them next week.

[trick_ster]

Today:

• SQ 285lb 3x5
• P 115lb 3x3
• BP 170lb 3x5
• DL 335lb 1x5
• Seated cable rows: 80lb 3x10

Squats and deadlift were solid. Not a walk in the park, but technique was fine-ish and the bar moved fast.

Tried pressing and it didn't feel terrible, so did a couple of quick sets. Right lateral delt is still unhappy if I externally rotate the arm too much, but overall it was not bad. Don't remember there being any painful moments. Tried jerking the bar and the delt was unhappy. Ah well. I'll give it a couple more weeks.

Bench was easy, but didn't feel stable.

Did some quick rows on the way out.

... And was done in about 90 minutes.

[trick_ster]

August isn't going to be a spectacular training month.

I was sick most of last week (Tuesday to Tuesday) and leaving on vacation for week an half next week. I'll doing the same workouts for three weeks, basically.

Today:

• Squat: 285lb 2x5,
• Press: 130lb 3x1, 120lb 3x5,
• Power clean: 60kg 3x3
• Deadlift: 325lb 1x5

This took about 1hr 45min. Cut squats short because I wanted to do other stuff. But they felt alrigh. I'm getting better at staying tight.

Press was so-so. Last week I realized that on second rep onwards, I relied too much on whole body bounce. I started using push band, again, and my presses were going up as fast as my cleans... So, I'm now doing more of a 2.0 press. Not sure how much of a bounce I generate on the bottom, but every rep is paused.

PCs were alright. Obviously not hitting power position that consistently (or at all?) but this was easily doable and catching was terrible.

Deadlift was uneventful. I'm tinkering with bracing on the pulls and it worked quite well here.

In other news, I'm back at the gym I was earlier this year. Over the summer, I tried a few ones closer to home but they were busier, all with crappier equipment (university gym came close, but ... hex plates), and some even more expensive.

Not sure how training in the fall will go. I'll be staying at home with the kid and there's family drama brewing that will eat into my free time.

I should be able to go at least twice a week and I decided to bench again. So, I thought I'd experiment with RTS-like programming for press. A couple intensity sets and then some volume. My theory is that if I do about 25-30 heavy reps once a week, both presses should move for some time.

Still want to do jerks, so I'm working on shoulder flexibility. I'll try them again in September.

[trick_ster]

Sat went well. Press wasn't great, but form wasn't too terrible. Did a few too many power cleans and was feeling it on Sunday.

Sunday was decent. Squats were snappy, but bench was heavier than expected. I blame the press. Was getting close to done by deadlifting time, but did 345lb for 5 anyways.

[trick_ster]

Har har, that went nowhere fast.

Weights in Dec 2015 were about the same as in Dec 2014. Yay. Life.

Currently doing:
Sun:

• SQ 3x8 (230lb today)
• P 3x5 (125lb today)
• D 1x5 (330lb today)
• B 3x5 (165lb today)

Tuesday:

• SQ 3x5 (gonna try FS this week... 4x3)
• P 5x3
• PC 10x1

Thursday:

• SQ 3x5
• B 3x5
• PC 10x1

Started this a couple weeks ago, and too high on volume pressing, so... last week was a write off.

Hopefully this layout will take me to ~350lb squat, 400lb dl, 225lb bench, 165lb press, and 225lb power clean.

Have been mucking around olympic lifts (main source of no progress) but my right shoulder doesn't like overhead lockout. I can hit it pain-free but it's not consistent. Let pain be your guide indeed... Given up on this project due to lack of time in the gym.

Mucking around with chin-ups and leg raises at home whenever I feel like it.

[trick_ster]

Well, I haven't gone far in three weeks. Dropped bench on Sundays and Tuesday's squat is front squat. Realize now that 230lb was too low starting point for 3x8 squats but I think taking an aggressive jump now will only lead to an early stall. The downside is that Thursday's squat may stall at some point soon. I'll just spin my wheels there while volume catches up.

Still fucking around with jerks. Progress is on and off but I think I have it figured out. Will try again tomorrow.

Press yesterday didn't do so hot. Couldn't do 62kg for five triples. Last two sets were 60kg and it was easy. I probably should swap pressing on Tuesday/Thursday. But! Bench has been feeling off every single week, so I'm thinking of adding a set or two. This would make Tuesday the day with most pressing volume. Not really a light day.