Unpossible's ABA-BAB extravaganza

[Unpossible]

Another deadlift day, another split set due to grip issues. As always, I'm only pausing to rechalk, so it's not like I'm really doing doubles and singles. Or am I?

Well, I found the (sensible, rather obvious) answer to my own question:

Technically, you are doing a cluster of 5 singles. It's a true set of 5 when the hands do not leave the bar and just a couple of breathes in between reps.

It's a set as long as you don't let go of the bar.

Guess I'm going to try to at least not let go of the bar when I'm "resting" my grip instead of standing up and resetting each time.
Or rather, since I'm switching my grip each rep, do so quickly while staying in the bottom position. Or maybe 3 reps one way, 2 the other?

[Unpossible]

Today
24th SS workout

Squat 3x5x340
Press 3x5x147.5
Power clean 5x3x190

As Rxd

-Belted squats are starting to feel pretty good. Still have to be careful about pushing my knees out and maintaining a strong back. Pretty stoked to be doing 3x5x350 soon, since 350lbs is my old 1RM (at 25 or 30 lbs less bodyweight and beltless, but who's counting?)

-Press went well. Going to try a few 2.5lb jumps instead of 1.25. 155lbs is my 1RM from 1 months back (@BW 200lbs).

-I'm using my arms too much when power cleaning, I think. Gotta focus on hips and shrug.


These workouts are getting fucking long. I've recently added a light warm-up set to each lift because I felt I needed it, and as far as I can tell it hasn't been detrimental so I'd like to keep it. I've also been increasing my rest times between the heavier warm-up sets and between each work set, especially for squats, which have been leaving me out of breath ever since I broke 315. I also feel the added rest has helped me. And it's not like I'm resting 5 minutes, more like 2-3. In fact, I'm doing my cleans with only 1 minute rest.

To sum up, my workouts have been inching toward 1.5 hours and I don't know how I can make them shorter. I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't mean I have to stay later at work each time. I can't begin to imagine having ot do 5x5.

Any thoughts are welcome.

[Unpossible]

SS workout #25

BW 101.8 kg (224 lbs)

Squat 3x5x345 (belt for last w-up set and work sets)
Bench press 3x5x235
Deadlift 1x5x430

Rxd except DL, 3+1.5

Everything felt heavy as hell. 235 bench press in particular felt much harder than 230 last Wednesday. I helped a friend move on Saturday and my biceps were sore on Sunday. Need to do more curlz, clearly.

Deadlift was 3x my standard alternated grip (R underhand, L overhand) + 2x reverse alternated grip with a quick rechalk and reset between the two. Couldn't completely lock out the last rep.

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not doing my deads by the book (real set of 5, adding weight only if all reps are clean), but I have only a few workouts left in this cycle anyway. I'll be gymless starting next week and will be relocating at the end of the month, so my training will be disrupted for a while. When I find a new gym I'll most likely get back on SS with a reasonable reset and will focus on making every DL rep count.

Finally taped my squat work sets, so I'll take a look at home and maybe post something.

[Unpossible]

First impressions from Monday's videos:

- knees drifting forward at the bottom
- slight tendency to goodmorning halfway through some reps
- need to look down more

I'll start a thread in Technique when I upload the video.

Today:

Squats 3x5x350 (belt)
Press 3x5x150 (belt)
Power cleans 5x3x195

Squats: Meh. Tried to correct the mistakes from Monday.
Press: 5,5,4.
Cleans: OK I guess. Still too much arm action I think.

Didn't have much energy today. Should have gotten that last press rep. Fuck.

[Unpossible]

Threaded started in Technique on Monday squats.

[Unpossible]

Another rough day at the gym.

Squat 3x5x355
Bench press 3x5x240
Dead lift 1x5x435

- Squats: Since everybody agreed I was hitting parallel on Monday I didn't worry too much about that and just tried to squat well (less knee slide, among other things). Felt like a ton, but made it through. My lower back didn't like whatever I was doing wrong.

- Bench press: Heavy as fuck. Set 3, rep 5 slowed down a LOT around mid way up. For a moment I thought I was going to get pinned like an idiot. Again, made it through.

- Deads: Didn't make it through. I decided to go shoeless and see if an inch less of ROM made a difference. Maybe it did, maybe not, but my grip still wasn't strong enough and I ended up doing 2+1+1+1. Grindy grind, grind.


This was my final workout for this cycle (I'll be gymless between now and my move at the end of the month, at the very least), so here's a little recap (starting weights aren't untrained noob weights, just the weights I chose to allow progress over time):

9 weeks, 27 workouts

Bodyweight: 200->225 ("PR" of course)

Squat: 3x5x225->3x5x355 (allround PR)

Bench press: 3x5x175->3x5x240 (allround PR)

DL: 1x5x335->somethingx435 (old 1RM is 450)

Press: 3x5x125->3x5x150 (5RM PR, old 1RM is 155)

Power Clean: 5x3x135->5x3x195 (3RM PR, old 1RM is 215)


Squat: getting really hard
Bench press: almost stalled, would need to microload
DL: effectively stalled for a while, I guess
Press: almost stalled, would need to microload again
Power Clean: getting hard

I'm happy with the progress I made. When I find a gym in my new city I'll go for another cycle and see if I can ride it out a bit longer.


Thanks for reading,

Unpossible