Accountability Log, NEVER GIVING UP!

[TravisRatzloff]

Week 30, 8/24/20, 11am, w/ Partner

Warm up - shoulders and hips

Bench 5-3-1 Cycle 3A
95, 155, 205, 235
(265) 5, (250) 5, 5

Wtd Chins (70) 5, 5, 5 ---> next session (75) 5x3

Dips (BW) 3x8

Overall - Humid today so everything was like punching the clock, difficult but all reps were completed. I really wanted to hit everything today so i could look back on days like today and say, you didn't feel great and you hit all your numbers.

Bench - Stretched my hips today before so I was more able to keep my feet on the floor when moving the bar. Upon looking at my video from the 305 PR, I used zero leg drive. Which makes me happy that I could get that weight up pretty easily without legs. Noticed today that when my legs were firm on the ground the bar was moving noticeably easier. I will continue working on this.

Wtd Chins - These were a major grind today. The best I have done with these were (80) 4, 3, 3 at about few pounds lighter. Today I weighed in at 206.6 lbs. I am ok with my progress here, if it slows so-be-it.

Dips - Started to put these back in. Started conservatively today. Could have maybe hit 15's. Felt like a really good stretch on my shoulders. I want to these to help drive up my bench press.

[TravisRatzloff]

Week 30, 8/26/20, 10 am, w/ Partner

Press - 95, 135
(150) 5, 5, 5

Bar Row - 135, 185
(195) 10, 10, 10

Hot and humid and heading to the MN Zoo with family today so cut work off there.

[TravisRatzloff]

Week 30, 8/28/20, 11am w/ partner

Warm up

Bench 5-3-1 Cycle 3B
115, 185, 225, 255
(285) 3, (250) 5, 7

Dead - 145, 225, 295, 315
(365) 5, (275) 5, 5

Vested Squats 5 sets of 15. 1:1 W:R

This was a tough day. Didn't feel great, hot and humid again. Partner nailed all his lifts plus extra reps so that kept me going. Hit all my numbers. Deads were really tough. My head nearly exploded. Bench, this was a 3 Rep PR so that is cool.

[itsssme]

Great work! Congrats on the big bench

[TravisRatzloff]

Thanks!

Week 31, 8/31/20, w/ partner

Huge fight with wife preceeded lifts.

Warm up

Press 95, 135
(155) 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Wtd Chins - (50) 5x5

Rogue Sprints 5:55 (W:R) x 5

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Huge fight with wife preceeded lifts.

This is probably the most hilarious training note I've seen. But it's real! It's tough to concentrate after something like that.

[TravisRatzloff]

Accidentally deleted this post.

Week 31, 9/2/20, 11am, w/ Partner

Stretch warm up

Bench 5-3-1 Cycle 3C (end of cycle)
135, 185, 245, 275
(310) 1 PR, (250) 5, 8

Volume Dead lifts - 135
(225) 5x5

Grip Hang - 45 seconds

Unvested Hills, 5:09, 3:33

Good PR, video shows I am still not using my legs to drive. I need help but am very glad to be able to put up weight without it. Someday I will figure it out.

That's 6 weeks in bench program without a failed lift. I think I am going to take a few days rest and start Cycle 4. I am amazed what I am doing on such low volume. 1.5 bench lifts a week, either 3 or 6 sets a week only, 9 total sets per cycle, 39 reps per cycle. When things slow I will add an additional set to each day. This is fun.

This was extra special today falling on the 7th anniversary of my dad passing at 68.

[TravisRatzloff]

9/7/20, 11am, w/ partner

Squat - (135) 5, 5, 5
Bench - (155) 5, 5, 5 <-- practicing - Leg drive, arched back, bar path
Dead - (205) 5, 5, 5 <-- deficit deads, 1 plate
Press - (95) 5, 5, 5
Chins (BW) 5, Pull-up 10, Chin 5

Technique and mobility day. Full ROM plus a little.

[TravisRatzloff]

9/9/20, 11 am, w/ partner

Warm up

Bench Work up to heavy. 135, 185, 225, 275
Board Press (Yoga Block = 2.825") (315) 1, (325) 1, (335) 0

Dead - work up to heavy. 135, 225, 315, 365, (405) 0

Press - (135) 5, 5, 5

Interesting day. Just wanted to lift heavy a little after a few days off and to prepare mentally for starting again on monday.

Worked on Bench technique on the way up. Still have a lot of work to do there. I wanted my lifting partner to get a mental boost from Board Pressing a larger number than he was able to in hopes of building confidence. He was able to board press 285 easily with a 270 Full ROM PR. I wanted to do the same because I know how doing this a few weeks ago gave me a huge boost of confidence. Last time i put up 315 and it literally (watched video time) took 5 full seconds to put the bar up. 315 went up in about 2 seconds today. New Board Press of 325 went up in about 2.5 seconds, kind of gave up on my 335 attempt but with a little more will power could have achieved it. So pretty happy and motivated for next 2 cycles of 5-3-1 Bench program.

Deads. Well shoot. After all that bench and a million other excuses i missed 405. Current PR is 385. Had it to just under my knees and quit. I don't have a lot of confidence with this lift on days I am not feeling it. I will flush my bad thoughts and wait for my next opportunity. Oh well.

[TravisRatzloff]

Back to my regularly scheduled programming

Wk 31 (Continued from 10 days ago)
9/11/20, 11am, w/o partner. (But lifted with my mom (72 yo), so that helps )

Press - 95, 115, 135
(155) 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Deads - 155, 225, 295, 325
(375) 4, (280) 5, 5, 5

Glad to get to finishing this weeks work. Redoing press at 155, because it has been nearly 2 weeks since that lift at a heavy number. Will increase reps to 3 sets of 5 next press session (wed).

Deads, didn't hit my 5 reps because i am an idiot and messed up my breathing. First few went up pretty well. After missing my 405 on wednesday I wasn't sure how this going to go. Went well. I will probably move up to 385 next session. Which is my official PR, so that will be nice to hit for at least a triple. I have been adding a volume dead day on wednesday. I am going to add one more set to those like i did today and maybe increase weight to what I am doing on friday. So wednesday I will do (285) 5, 5 ,5, then Friday will be (385) 5, (285) 5, 5, 5. If able.