back in the saddle

[Jake Galgon]

Update: Current plan is to just lift the heaviest weights I feel comfortable with, go home, then do the same thing the next time I'm in the gym. We'll see how it goes.

PR tracker:
Squat: 435x1, 395x5(+1), 275x20
Bench: 290x1, 245x5(+1)
Deadlift: 565x1, 485x5
Front Squat: 325
Press: 205x1, 175x5
Push Press: 225
Snatch: 210
C&J: 260

Old Intro :

Four months ago I was a strong enough guy, but then I went ahead and went on a trip to India and Nepal, hiking 6-12 hours a day for weeks at a time, constant diarrhea, rice-based diet, etc.

Old numbers:
Squat: 365x1, 325x5
Bench: 250x1, 225x5
Deadlift: 500x1, 440x5 (?)
Front Squat: 275
Press: 170x1
Snatch: 185x1
C&J: 230x1 (?)

Upon to my return I'm down to 190 (from 220) at 6'2" and, as you might expect, my strength (along with the rest of my fitness) has gone to shit. But hey, it's a chance to stuff my face and get on a linear progression.

The plan's not classic SS (modified basically to work on weak points and let me do exercises that I like) but hopefully it's close enough that I'll get big and strong.

Mon -
OL warmup to heavyish snatch and front squat OR c&j and overhead squat (alternating)
Power Clean: 3x4
Press: 4x5
Squat: 3x5
Pull-up: 2x5 (weighted)
Plank: 2x20sec (weighted)

Weds -
OL warmup to heavyish snatch and front squat OR c&j and overhead squat (alternating)
Front Squat: 5x4
Bench: 3x5
Deadlift: 1x5
Pendlay Row: 2x5
Plank: 2x20sec (weighted)

Fri:
OL warmup to heavyish snatch and front squat OR c&j and overhead squat (alternating)
Power Snatch: 3x4
Squat: 3x5
Push Press: 3x5
Pull-up: 2x5 (weighted)
Plank: 2x20sec (weighted)

I'm hoping to get back up to a 500lb deadlift single after a few months, and maybe I'll even be able to ride the linear gains past where I was before the trip.

[Jake Galgon]

Sun 11/22/09:

OL warmup, snatch & power snatch singles @ 135
Squat: 3x5 @ (205,185,185) (overestimated my strength for the first set)
Press: 4x5 @ 95
Power Clean: 3x5 @ 135
Pullup: 2x5@ +30 (assuming belt is ~5)
Plank: 2x20sec @ +90

Tues 11/24/09:

Truncated warmup (lifting with my brother, time-constrained)
Front Squat: 5x4 @ 125
Bench: 3x5 @ 115
Deadlift: 1x5 @ 225
Pendlay Row: 2x5 @ 115
Plank: 2x25sec @ +90

Thu 11/26/09:

Ran the family's annual Thanksgiving mile race. 6:30--pretty embarrassing, and a minute off of my time last year. At least I had jet lag and malnutrition to blame though. Thought I was starting slow with the lifting, but I was basically sore from Tuesday through Friday.

Sat 11/28/09:

squat: 3x5 @ 205
push press: 3x5 @ 115
power snatch: 3x4 @ 115
pullup: (5,4) @ +40
plank: 2x30sec @ +90

Mon 11/30/09:

AM:
snatch singles to 135 plus 2 misses at 155
front squat singles to 205
power clean: 3x4 @ 155
PM:
Squat: 3x5 @ 225
Press: 4x5@115
Pullup: 3x5 @ +40
-missed the planks, had to go to the airport

[Jake Galgon]

Snatch singles to 135
C&J singles to 185
Overhead Squat singles to 165

Front Squat: 5x4 @ 175
Bench: 3x5 @ 165 (depressingly heavy)
Deadlift: 1x5 @ 315
Pendlay Row: 2x5 @ 155

[Jake Galgon]

Actually, quick question about the program I'm doing:

the volume of the slow lifts in this routine, particularly as far as big lower body lifts go, is less than in classic SS. I'm hoping that this will make room for the heavy c&j+ohs or snatch+fs singles in my warmup. Anybody with experience care to correct me?

I'm planning, if the volume gets too high, to switch to squatting only once a week, front squatting twice, deadlifting once, and keeping everything else largely the same. I suppose maybe I should drop the pullups/rows first but I like them too much.

[Jake Galgon]

Snatch singles to 145
C&J singles to 165
Front Squat singles to 225

Power Snatch: 3x4 @ 125
Squat: 3x5 @ 245
Push Press: 3x5 @ 135
Pull-Up: 2x5 @ + 47.5 (downgrading my estimate of the belt's weight to 2.5 lbs)
Plank: 2x20sec @ 115

Shit got heavy this workout, particularly the squats and the planks. I'm probably only going to jump 10 lbs on the squat next time, and really focus on form--I was going back to my old problems of shooting the hips and bringing the knees in. I hope that front squats will help with at least the former problem--the knees probably just need discipline.

[Jake Galgon]

gym was crowded and i was pressed for time so I skipped the OL warmup except for snatches up to 135

Squat: 3x5 @ 255
Press: 4x5 @ (125, 125**, 120, 120*)
Power Clean: 3x4 @ 185
Pull-Up: 2x5 @ +50
Plank: 2x20sec @ +120

* = missed rep

[Jake Galgon]

Snatch singles to 155 plus two misses at 165
Front Squat singles to 235 (one miss then one successful)

Front Squat: 5x4 @ 195
Bench: 3x5 @ 185
Deadlift: 1x5 @ 365 (felt like a true max)
Pendlay Row: 2x5 @ 185

[Jake Galgon]

Snatches to 135
C&J to 205
OHS to 175

Power Snatch: 3x4 @ 135
Squat: 3x5 @ 265 (starting to have trouble keeping the knees out)
Push Press: 3x5 @ 155
Pull-Up: 2x5 @ 52.5

Cooled down with 10-8-6 of {135lb front squat, bodyweight dip} at a brisk (but not sprint) pace.

[Jake Galgon]

Power Clean: 3x4 @ 195
Squat: 3x5 @ 275
Press: 4x5 @ 125
Pull-Up: 2x5 @ 55

Cooled down with a brisk 10-7-4 reps of {135lb front squats, bodyweight dips}

[Jake Galgon]

Some hill sprints today, generally between 25 and 75 meters. Nothing too wild.