An Engineer’s Novice Linear Progression

[positronbomb]

I'm no exception, my forearms are too long to allow the bar to rest on my chest without my elbows going back.

Practice correct front rack position.
If you can't press from your shoulders with elbows in front of the bar, you won't be able to correctly power clean either.

[Dillon Spencer]

Practice correct front rack position.
If you can't press from your shoulders with elbows in front of the bar, you won't be able to correctly power clean either.

Sure you can. I'd say most people can't press from the shoulders with the elbows in front of the bar due to forearm length, and while there's certainly a point at which forearm length becomes a problem for the front rack, it's much less common than a "floating" rack in the press. I can't press from the shoulders, but I can rack a power clean just fine. I suck at them, but it's not because of my rack! It's just everything before that haha. In the press the neutral wrists are more important than where the bar starts, in the front rack the expectation is that the wrists will be about as extended as they can get. Big difference.

[Chris Oliver]

5/1/19 Week 11

New month. A few new changes...


Flipped over the platform and drew new lines that align with my squat and deadlift stance.
Went back to deadlifting with shoes on - provides more support for my feet and relieves pressure points.


Squat: 175x5x3 YouTube
Press: 95x5x3 YouTube
Deadlift: 220x5 YouTube

[Chris Oliver]

5/3/19

Squat: 180x5x3 YouTube
Bench: 105x5x3 YouTube
Chins: BWx7,6,5 YouTube

[Chris Oliver]

5/5/19

Squat: 185x5x3 YouTube
Press: 97.5x5x3 YouTube
Deadlift: 225x5 YouTube

Squat and Press felt okay this morning. Deadlifts felt heavy. I'm back on the fence about wearing shoes while pulling. It evens out the pressure points on my feet and provides more support since I have high arches but also makes the lift harder on my lower back. The pull distance is greater and the starting position doesn't feel as good. I may try socks again and adjust stance width/foot angle a little to see if that helps.

[Chris Oliver]

5/8/19 Week 12

Squat: 190x5x3 YouTube
Bench: 110x5x3 YouTube
Chins: BWx8,6,5 YouTube

First time squatting with the belt...felt good. Bench is starting to feel heavy. Chins are finally starting to increase again.

[wiigelec]

Are you lifting in a library?

[Chris Oliver]

Are you lifting in a library?

Basically, yea. The workout room is about 10' from the kids bedroom doors and I wake-up at 5:30am to lift before they get up, so I have to be a ninja on weekdays.

[wiigelec]

Hmm too bad.

Setting your deadlifts down like you’re placing a sleeping baby in its crib becomes counterproductive...

[Chris Oliver]

5/10/19

Squat: 195x5x3 YouTube
Press: 100x5x3 YouTube
Deadlift: 230x5 YouTube

I slept horrible last night but somehow managed to hit all the reps today. Press is definitely getting heavy though...