Alcon's Tree

[Alcon]

1/13/14
Age - 29
Height - 6' (hair over)
Weight - 218

Best 1RM lifts so far, barefoot and beltless -
400 squat,
420 deadlift,
265 bench
(Haven't been doing OH previously as my old rack didn't accommodate).

I would really really like to squat 500 before I turn 30, which is in December, so I have about 11 months to add 100 pounds. Possible? I don't know.

Now that I've built a new power rack and can do overhead pressing properly, hopefully once I get that up I can break the big 300 on the bench. Will be adding in dips at some point.


Was convinced to buy shoes and a belt, resetting my lifts, eating 8+ eggs a day, let's see how long I can do LP before switching programs (not long I'm feeling).

1/7/14

Squats
45/15
135/5
225/5
275/5
315/5
325/5
325/5
First day with lifting shoes. Second day with belt. Awkward

Bench
45/15
135/6
155/5
185/4
205/4
225/5
225/5
225/5

I achieved higher bench with bar to lower on chest, now with it higher it feels much heavier.

Bench, Close Grip
185/5
185/5

Deadlift
135/3
225/5
275/4
325/3
325/2
355/2
355/3
1 rep DO grip, rest over under. 2 rep belt, 3 rep beltless.

Chinup
5 BW 5 BW 5 BW

I'll be switching up my program once practical programming finally arrives.

[Alcon]

1/9/14

Squats 45/8 135/5 225/5 275/4 315/3 335/5 335/5 335/5
Press 45/5 65/5 95/5 115/3 135/2 140/5 140/4 140/4
Clean 95/4 115/3 115/4 125/4 135/3 135/3 135/3 135/3 135/3

[Alcon]

1/13/14

Squat 45/8 135/5 225/5 275/5 315/4 340/5 340/5 340/5 (Rest between work set 5min)
Bench 45/8 135/6 155/6 190/4 205/3 230/5 230/5 230/5 (Rest - 4 min)
Deadlift 135/3 225/5 275/4 325/4 325/1 365/4 365/1 (30 seconds) No belt, 1 rep DO, 4 reps over-under. Will be practicing hook grip... Maybe I'll smash my thumbs with a hammer to start getting used to it.
Chins BW/6 BW/5 BW/5 (2 min rest)

Edit: Video of last set of squats
http://youtu.be/-VtTk93huFg

[Nermin]

Those 340s looked easy. Jealous.

[Alcon]

Those 340s looked easy. Jealous.

Lets see how 345 feels today. My right calf is fucked up, short leg problem I think. I need to go and get it Xrayed to confirm it's structurally short and not functionally short. My back went from being tight to my glute to my hamstring and now I feel it in my calf.

[Nermin]

I would think leg length difference would manifest as an issue in the hip first, but I'm just talking out of a very ignorant and uninformed place. Because, the internet. At the SS seminar I attended back in December, Rip measured a guy on the floor using the floor, his thumbs, and what I think was a frozen steak, and it was evident one leg was shorter than the other. Maybe you can just go to a qualified GP/PT and get a determination without x-rays. Who knows what they're bound to find. Ignorance is bliss.

[Alcon]

Yes, I know, I was there... Laying on the floor.

I've talked to two doctors about this, they say if it's a "functional" short leg, the muscles on one side are remaining tight due to a nerve issue, not letting the muscles relax, compared to the other side. The only way to determine with accuracy is to xray the bones and measure.

[Nermin]

Facepalm. This explains why you looked familiar.

[Alcon]

1/15/14
Squats 45/8 135/5 225/5 275/4 315/3 335/1 350/5 350/5 350/5
Right gastroc is hurting, causing right knee to hurt... Thought about using it as an excuse to stop after the first set, then I decided not to be a pussy. Squats felt heavier today, not sure if I'm able to recover properly after only one day off. We'll see how 355 feels Friday, maybe 360...
http://youtu.be/oZkwSC3jb8E

Press 45/5 65/5 95/5 115/4 125/5 125/5 125/5
Reset press, missed 140 twice, and overall it felt awkward, started press 2.0 (attempting it, anyway) with too high of a weight.
http://youtu.be/upo18stC0gM

Clean 95/6 115/3 115/4 135/3 145/3 145/3 145/3 145/3 145/3 154/3
When my form is good it feels pretty easy, just not fast.
http://youtu.be/n98MKxAlmJs

Edit: Videos uploaded.

[Alcon]

1/17/14

Squat 45/8 135/5 225/5 275/4 325/4 345/1 360/5 350/5 360/5 Rest - 8:00
Tendinosis/itis/whatever it is flared up in my right arm from squatting, seems as the weight gets heavier and I get tighter, I push down harder on the bar. Isometric contracts seems to mess up my elbows and shoulders off and on. Some people call it tendinitis, after researching it though, it appears to rarely be the case. The general diagnosis is "tennis elbow", and if it were inflammation of the tendon as in tendinitis the rest would fix it and it'd go away, conversely eccentric loading fixes it, which seems to make it tendinosis. Oddly enough the problems have presented them self even when not lifting, which for some time made me think it might have been a nutrition issue, but after it was REALLY hurting today I think there may be some correlation to how I'm sleeping and when I wake up with my arms asleep, and the flare ups, as last night I specifically remember waking up several times and my left arm was asleep. Going to try and avoid sleeping with my arms under my pillow and take capsicum at night to see if the increased circulation helps with the problem.

Whole right leg/side/glute hurts today.

Squats, front view. - http://youtu.be/9wEI8pcq3oM
Squats, Side/rear - http://youtu.be/XnhRWkN6sfI

Looks like from the side I might have cut depth a little bit short in a couple reps, will be sure and go deeper next time.

Bench 45/8 135/6 165/5 195/5 215/3 235/5 235/5 235/5 Rest - 6:00
Once I'm finished reading Practical Programming I'll modify my bench program... Upper body is lagging behind and I think that's due to not enough volume. Will be building a dip attachment for my rack this weekend and start adding in dips.

Bench - http://youtu.be/7JfjxckDX4A


Deadlift 135/3 225/5 275/4 325/4 355/2 375/1
Lower back is not strong enough to pull completely flat and in an over/under grip. Tried hook grip and my thumbs aren't ready, though I was warming up with it and it wasn't to bad. Pulled 325 and 355 with double overhand. When I try my work set with double overhand I can break it off the floor with a flat back but as the grip goes I have to set it down, try over/under and it's awkward angle and it puts me closer to the bar, at which point I'm not able to pull without rounding my back. Thinking of getting straps.


Chins BW/6 BW/6 BW/5 Rest - 2:00