Lofton's Log - SS in north Puget Sound

[Tim Lofton]

1/20/10

Session 25

So after the first 24 sessions, or approximately 8-9 weeks, I'm going to the PP novice program as outlined in v.2 and on the Excel spreadsheet on the SS wiki site. This is mainly to allow inclusion of chin-ups and pull-ups. This routine does not include power cleans, so I will do chin-ups every week as scheduled, but will alternate the pull-ups every other week with power cleans as I really want to keep these in the program. I will utilize this for the next 36 sessions, which will get me to 60 sessions total, or approximately 20 weeks.

Squats: 250# x 5 x 2, 250 x 4 (missed last rep)

Bench: 140# x 5 x 3

Chin-ups (3 sets to failure): 4-4-3, 3 minutes rest between sets.

I missed the last rep on my squats, I believe, due to a form failure. I'm pretty sure I allowed my torso to get a bit too upright and the bar too far behind midfoot and I just couldn't push through, so I dumped the bar behind me. Frustrating but I don't believe it was purely a strength thing, but will repeat 250 on Friday. There are just no more easy squats...

Bench went really well and the repeat of 140 is complete. I did not breathe at the top of each rep and, instead, took a big breath at the start and completed the set. This really helped (obviously) to keep tight with a big chest. One pick though, last rep of second set, I took the bar to the rack with the push up nearly in one motion. Just a reminder...

Chins. God. Harder than I remember. This time last year I was doing 10 to 15 reps, but I'm also 17 pounds heavier now even though I am stronger overall. These are just plain hard, especially after benching. Goal was to adhere to good deadhang form and go to failure. That didn't take too long today but, hey, I know many people that can't do one - fresh. All part of the training.

tim

[Tim Lofton]

1/22/10

Session 26

Weekly weigh-in: 183# (3# gain this week)

Squat: m-effing suckfest! - 250# x 2, 250 x 2, 245 x 3

Press: 107.5# x 5 x 3

Dead: 215# x 5

Squats. They've really been nailing me lately and I'm really wanting to get past 250#. Though today was very unexpected after doing 250 for all but the very last rep on Wednesday. I figured a repeat today would be complete. I don't think I was overconfident about it. All I can come up with is little to no recovery this week. I mean there was no push in the legs AT ALL today. Dropping to 245 was probably a joke as a 2% drop when you're checking to see if there's any gas in the tank is meaningless, in hindsight of course. I think I would have needed to go down to around 225 or so to get a good set of five, so I decided to take the warm-up (which went fine BTW) and what few reps I did and move on.

Press went well after trying to refocus from the disappointing squat session. I got my washers on Tuesday and am now able to microload in 1.25# increments. Focus was on elbows forward and the weight went up pretty well. A couple of reps where the bar got a bit too forward but otherwise, on to 110!

Deadlift had been going well enough that I went back to 10# progressions. Today still pulled really well and I don't anticipate much issue with 225 next week.

Rest and recover this weekend and be ready to attack the 250 squat on Monday. 300# seems very far away right now.

tim

[Tim Lofton]

1/25/10

Session 27

Squat: 250# x 2, 250 x 5 x 3

Press: 110# x 5 x 3

Chin-ups: 5-4-3

Seventeen squats? Yep. A repeat at 250 was in store for today. Warm-up went great and the first two reps went well, then I got stuck at the bottom and I dumped it. So I raised the BS flag, reloaded the bar, and decided that I AM GOING TO DO THIS! So I did three sets of five. It was hard but it went. After the first two work reps I knew it was just in my head at that point. It took a little chat with myself but now it's time to move on. I did decide that Wednesday's squats will be 80% of Monday's, then progress on Friday. I don't know if I'll stick with this format, or try it for a couple of weeks, then go back to the straight MWF progression. So Wednesday is 225.

Press was fine except a bit sloppy on the last set. Didn't pull my head fully through the window on a couple of reps as I think I was pressing a bit too fast.

Chin-ups were unremarkable, just hard, but at least I picked up another rep.

tim

[Strato]

I'm cursed with a need to always check math (I'm an engineer). I think you mean to do 200 lbs on wednesday (80% of 250 = 200).

[Tim Lofton]

I'm cursed with a need to always check math (I'm an engineer). I think you mean to do 200 lbs on wednesday (80% of 250 = 200).

Yep, that's what I have in my log book, but my typing mind wanted 10%. Doesn't speak much to my proofreading either. Thanks for the check.

tim

[Tim Lofton]

1/27/10

Session 28

Squat (80%): 200# x 5 x 3

Bench: 145# x 5 x 3

Dead: 235# x 3 x 2

Overall a pretty unremarkable day.

Back-down day for squats. Trying to focus on tightness.

Bench went well. A couple of slow ascending reps and having a hard time keeping a breath and full chest through all five reps. Really can't wait to get this up to BW. Patience...

Deadlift was hard, and not hard at the same time. Dbl overhand grip with chalk no problem. On to 245 next week.

tim

[Tim Lofton]

1/29/2010

No session today. Had a tremendous wrenching of the back Thursday evening when, very innocuously, I bent over incorrectly, which locked me up in a severe cluster of spasms for most of the night. I'm not sure I've ever experienced this kind of pain before. By Friday morning, after a non-existent night of sleep, things had calmed some. The muscle in the lower right portion of my back, down into the glutes were very sore due to the repeated spasms. This was bad enough that I missed work on Friday for fear of a repeat incident.
Today (Saturday evening) things feel much better and I am moving around fine. I've been doing some air squats and other light stretches in an attempt to keep things loose back there. Some residual soreness, but very minor and not worth taking anything for.
Next workout is supposed to be on Monday, 2/1, but I'm really thinking about skipping to try to allow some additional recovery. We'll see if maybe I can do a light warm-up series with the scheduled lifts and call it good with that. Gotta be real careful now.

tim

[metermanja]

nice job working your way up linearly.
my numbers are pretty identical.

good luck on recovering from your back injury.

[Tim Lofton]

2/1/2010

Session 29

Squat: 250# x 5 x 3

Bench: 150# x 5 x 2, 150 x 4

Chin-ups: 5-4-3

I think squats can finally move on from 250 now. Back felt fine today with no twinges or sensations so 80% on Wednesday, again, then up to 255 on Friday.
Bench, well all of the reps felt great, then I up and miss the very last rep because I couldn't keep my breath and chest up after the fourth. I took a quick, deep breath and lowered #5, pushed it about 2-3 inches from the chest and their it sat. Even a semi-loud "pushhhh!" couldn't get it up, so back down to the safeties it came and now I have to repeat the weight. I probably should have tried harder to hold the breath and get the last rep; no telling if it would have worked but what I did didn't work either. I just want to get to BW in the bench - is it that frickin' hard?!
Chin-ups: I know these are meant to be assistance exercises but I was hoping to have progressed a little. Oh well as long as bench and press keep going up then I guess they're helping.
Overall I'm pleased that I kept the back in good shape and not so much as a glimmer of soreness during squats. Looking forward to deads on Wednesday!

tim

[Tim Lofton]

2/4/2010

Session 30

Squat: 200# x 5 x 3 (80% day)

Press: 112.5# x 5 x 3

Dead: 245# x 3 x 2

Well after being around the 250 mark for the squat for what seems like a month (not really, but a couple of weeks anyway), I think the slight stall and the back twinge is behind me. We'll see on Saturday how 255 goes. I'm anticipating a good squat day.
Press went well and I don't know if it's just overall strength gains, or maybe the chin-ups I'm doing are helping, but I about pressed the weight right out of my hands at the top a couple of times. Heard the weight rattle on the bar a bit. Not that it was real easy or anything, but a few reps went up really well. Funny, as chins haven't really progressed (and as an assistance exercise, I guess that is not primary) but I felt like I was handling the press weight much more strongly and confidently.
Deads were fine. On my warm-up when I went from 165 x 3 to 205 x 2, it felt a bit heavy and I'm thinking, "shit, this isn't good." But I took a nice rest, cleared my head, chalked up, and double overhand gripped a couple of decent sets. It tried hook grip on a couple of reps, but it felt like the thumbs were getting crushed. Anyhow, it feels good to have a lift where things are going well and movement is unimpaired.
Secondary gym on Saturday as I'm off by a day due to donating blood on Wednesday; didn't want to pop the clot where the draw was made and get a bunch of bruising.

tim