Solo's Log of Strength n Stuff

[OzDamo]

Bench
210 3 x 5........ I think my 1st bench stall is coming...........

I think you should start doing 2.5lb jumps. Much more efficient to be slow and steady rather than resetting all the time because you got greedy.

Good work too.

cheers
Damo

[Solo]

I think you should start doing 2.5lb jumps. Much more efficient to be slow and steady rather than resetting all the time because you got greedy.

Thanks for the support Damo! I wonder though since I hit all 3x5 sets, what if I just repeat the weight on next workout? And then continue with 5lbs jumps? If I do the workout again and it feels easier, to me that means I'm a little stronger. I don't know, but this has worked for me in the past.

Now with my press where, I only got 5, 4 and 4 reps, I'll definately switch to smaller jumps after I hit all three of five, since I actually have failed reps.

[Solo]

Limited window of opportunity to work out between work and class

Squats
warmup 45, 90, 135, 185x4 , 210x3
245 3x5

the squats felt great. Maybe because this is the first workout I've done without worrying about filming it. It was nice to just get in and get it done.

Gonna have to to press and DL tomorrow. Sucks, but this is finals week, then I get a month off of school and can follow a better schedule.

Also will have a CPAP mask next week. Will get a good nights sleep for the first time in years. Counting on my gains improving.

[Solo]

Press
warmup 45, 85, 90, 105x4 , 115x3
135x5!

DL
warmup 45,135,205
255 x 5

Thought I was going to blow my sac out to get the 5th rep of the 1st workset, and caught a cramp in the left hip. Massaged it out, grinded out the second set. To get the third set I held my breath through the 1st three reps before grinding out the last 2.
Definately moving to 2.5 lbs jumps for press.

[Solo]

A
Squats
warmup 45, 90, 135, 185x4 , 220x3
250 3x5

Bench
Warmup 45 , 90, 135, 165x4 , 185x 3
220 x3 then fail,215x2,
215x4 then fail, 215x1
215x1 , 210 x 1, then gave up

B.Rows
45x5 , 135x5
185 3x5

In a sad chain of events , genius over here haphazardly loaded 220lbs for the 1st set of bench. It is amazing how much strength you lose failing a rep. I don't think I ever recovered. I will do 215 again next time. Also my rows felt "ugly", so I will do that weight again on my next A workout

I was worried about rust since i've had 4 days off of squatting. Squats were not an issue. But if I was paying attention I'm pretty sure I would have hit 215 on the bench for 3 sets of 5. I just passed Calculus 1 and yet I failed to do elementary school math here.

I always get golfer's elbow pain when I bench, on the inside of the elbows. The rows made the pain go away, but a bench form check video will probably end up in the technique section soon.

[Solo]

B -middle of week 12

Squats
warmup 45, 90, 135, 185x4 , 225x3
255 3x5

Press
warmup 45, 90, 100x4 , 120x3
140 lbs 1st set: 4 , 1. 2nd set: 3, 2. 3rd set: 2, 3.

DL
warmup - none
265 1x5

Squats felt good, think i actually experienced that reflex effect once, it was great, don't know if i'll ever get that again.

I have 20oz baseball weights coming in the mail so 5lbs jumps on press will be no more soon.

DL was really hard , felt more like I did 5 singles instead of 1 set of 5 reps. Maybe because I didn't warm up?

Hopefully my lazy streak will end, its been 3 days since my last work out.

[carson]

To some extent the other lifts can warm us up for DL. However, you must do some warm ups precisely for DL. DLs take more out of us than any other lift. Why not at least start with 135 and go up from there? At least it is some warm up.

[Solo]

To some extent the other lifts can warm us up for DL. However, you must do some warm ups precisely for DL. DLs take more out of us than any other lift. Why not at least start with 135 and go up from there? At least it is some warm up.

Thanks Carson. Honestly, I am just now starting to put some thought into how I do my warmups. Next week on my break from work, I will be reading SSBBT and PPT for a 2nd time each to help fine tune this among other things.

Either way, not warming up before deadlifts last night was reckless and I know not to do that again. The other thing that worries me is I may be approaching 5lbs jumps on DL and I was hoping that my progress wouldn't slow there soon since my DL and Squat loads are so close.

[Solo]

Week 13 - BW around 208 lbs 43" waist

A
Squats
warmup 45, 115, 135, 185x4 , 225x3
260 - 3x5

Bench
Warmup 45 , 90, 135, 185x3 , 195x 3
215 - 3x5

Press ** Gave up the B.Rows to help my bench and Press progress. This was supposed to be 8 sets of three, but the transition wasn't as easy as thought it was gonna be.**
warmup - 5 reps each 45, 90 , 115
140 1 x 3

Pull Ups
3 sets of 5

*Yeah, I want to start doing bench and press on everywork out now. The idea is to increase the frequency and volume on those and hopefully I won't struggle so much on 3x5. Hopefully, I don't shoot myself in the foot here by overtraining, but I think I can get my body to adapt.

*Also my bench grip was wrong. Had knuckles parrallel w/ bar. I found that changing my grip and squeezing the life out of the bar did the trick. No golf elbow today, and will continue with 5lbs bench jumps on "A" days.

[Solo]

B-
Squats
warmup 45, 115, 135, 185x4 , 230x3
265- 5,5,4!

Today was not the best workout. Only did squats, as you all can see I did not attempt the last rep of the third set. After doing partial goodmornings at the ends of my sets, and with a cramped hip, I threw in the towel. Though defeated I will live to fight press, bench, and DL tomorrow.
It is time to go belt shopping

Also last night was my second night with a CPAP machine. After almost 8 hours of laying next to my wife, breathing like D. VADER, supposedly I only avgeraged 2.7 apneas an hour, as opposed to the 24 an hour I displayed when I did my first sleep test. Hopefully this better sleep(I can't really tell) will help fuel recovery for me.