Less weak than last week

[Bill Anders]

Press went well. I almost had the 4th rep on the two 3-rep sets. I lost it on the first one to impatience, and the second to fatigue. The 2-rep AMRAP was very grindy, which oddly pleases me that I can now grind out a few like that. The cue "tight and drive" is really helping me.

Great to hear! I have "tight armpits/elbows up" written on my dry erase board right in front of me. More than anything, getting the upper back tight really seems to be doing the trick.

[David Hooper]

04 August 2021
Weight - 209
Squat - 235 (light)
Bench - 177.5
Deadlift - 355

Squat went well. Bench was fine, but I descended too fast on the first rep of the final set, and it got really grindy at the end. Not sure how much was the descent and how much was simply that 177.5 is heavy for me today. Either way, it's done.

Deadlift was also fine. I can finally get back to increasing deadlifts. I first hit 355 on April 24 and have injured/derped myself back several times since then. Really looking forward to Monday.

[David Hooper]

06 August 2021
Weight - 210
Squat - 325
Press - 127.5 (3,3,2,2,2,2,2)
Clean - 140 (3,x), 135 (3,3,3,3)

I need to check my pre-workout eating habits. I was a bit late to the gym due to a meeting, but my stomach was growling pretty good before I even started. Could have definitely used more food.

Squat went well. I feel like I can keep this progression for quite a ways.

I just lacked the initial drive on the press. On nearly every set, I could have made one more rep if the bar had been just an inch or two higher before slowing down. I'll assume a part of it was lack of food and move to 130 next time, but grinding out that many sets isn't sustainable, time-wise.

Clean didn't go so well. I managed a set at 140, but really struggled on the next set. I could feel myself wanting to arm pull to compensate, so I dropped back a touch and worked at 135. I'll repeat 140. I do wonder if hunger played a part here as I really felt hollow by the time I got here, but the 135 went up about the same as last time, so....

Onward and upward.

[David Hooper]

09 August 2021
Weight - 210
Squat - 235 (light)
Bench - 180
Deadlift - 365

Success all the way around. The bench got grindy and really slow on the last rep, but still went up.

Finally, my deadlift is at a new high mark. Nice and brutal, just how it's supposed to be. The last rep was solid, though, so I hope to keep 10 lb jumps for a while yet.

[David Hooper]

11 August 2021
Weight - 211
Squat - 330
Press - 130 (3,3,2,2,2,2,1)
Clean - 135

Racks were full when I arrived, so I actually reversed order and started with cleans. I got to 135 in warmups and was erratic, so I stayed there rather than try 140 again. Really focused on the catch: feet moving, knees and hips unlocked, and slamming elbows forward.

Press could have been a bit better. I almost had 4 on the second set, and 3 on the penultimate set. That suggests I had inefficiencies throughout. I won't be able to keep up that many sets as a matter of course, so I may have to back it down a bit to get it done in fewer sets. Also trying to figure out if I can squeeze in any extra pressing or assistance work on bench day since I have more time on those days.

Squat was fine. Back to setting new PRs. I did feel tightness in a hamstring but don't know if that had anything to do with the cleans being done prior to the squat. It didn't interfere either way.

[David Hooper]

13 August 2021
Weight - 212
Squat - 235 (light)
Bench - 182.5
Deadlift - 375

Not sure how much weight gain is lean vs. fat, but it's no time to slow down. Things are getting really tough. I did eat more food before training today and I think it really helped.

I'll move light squats up a touch next week.

Bench is really form-dependent now. I was grindy at the last rep on both the 2nd and 3rd sets.

Deadlift was tough. I could feel my legs wanting to buckle on the last rep, but still managed to get it to full lockout without any cheating. I may be near the end of 10-lb jumps on deadlifts; I'll see how recovery goes this weekend and make a judgement call. Even if so, a skinny middle-aged dude going from 155 to 375 without hitting a wall isn't too bad.

That said, I did do a few cleans during deadlift warmups, up to 125 lb. I can't imagine that they interfered but I don't think I have much margin to play with anymore.

Time to eat. A lot. :-D

[David Hooper]

16 August 2021
Weight - 213
Squat - 335
Press - 132.5 (2,1), 130 (1), 125 (3,3,3,2)
Clean - 135 (lots of inconsistency), 125 (3,3)

Squat went fine. Tough and starting to slow down a bit more at the last rep.

Press just wasn't there. My shoulder has been sore since last Wednesday (I wonder if I strained something that day). Just racking the press was uncomfortable, and I couldn't get good initial drive. After a very grindy double and single, I decided to back down to where I could actually do work.

Clean was problematic too. I'm having a hard time with the catch, and the cues from Meggers' recent article haven't helped yet. (I'm very much a version B guy when the catch goes wrong.) I got to 135 and struggled for consistency again, and eventually backed down a bit because I was really fighting the urge to arm pull to compensate. There are a lot of times where I know the bar is going high enough - I'm just not getting under it fast enough before it falls. I'm really working hard on the catch in warmups now but I think it'll take some time to learn better habits.

[David Hooper]

18 August 2021
Weight - 212
Squat - 245 (light)
Bench - 185
Deadlift - 385

Last rep of the bench was really grindy. As in, hearing somebody say, "geez, look at him fight it" grindy. I wonder if the soreness in the shoulder was a factor. (Speaking of: it was better today. I do not believe it to be impingement as it isn't the right kind of pain, and it passes every impingement test that can be done without a scan. Still, I had my spotter watch my elbows and arm angle to make sure I was in the right position on the bench. I think it's just a niggle.)

Deadlift went better than 375 did last week. :-) I focused on setting my back just as hard as I could before initiating, and the pull felt smoother. On the second rep, however, I did get the bar a bit too far forward and ended up on my toes for a brief moment at the start. That's the first time that ever happened, though, so hopefully it's nothing systemic.

I did a few cleans during warmup again, and they seemed to go better - all the way up to 135. I did realize that I was probably too slow on the first pull, overcompensating in my effort not to be too fast. I gave it a bit more gas at the start and the weight did indeed go up better. We'll see on Friday how that goes.

[Bill Anders]

Great work on that deadlift, Hooper!

[David Hooper]

20 August 2021
Weight - 212
Squat - 340
Press - 132.5 (3,3,3,2,2,2)
Clean - 135

Squat is still moving up 5 lb at a time. It wears me out, but in the good kind of way. I'm beginning to take more of a break between it and pressing, though.

Press felt much better today. The shoulder is still a bit sore, but not nearly like it was. It didn't hurt to hold the bar. After doing a single at 125, I knew I could work at 132.5. I almost had a fourth on a couple early sets and a third on a couple late sets. I tend to be inefficient on the first press, which seems to be costing me reps on the back end of sets.

Clean was so much better today. Moving the bar faster on the first pull made a huge difference. I was just being way too deliberate about it and leaving too much work for the jump. I also brought the bar in a bit closer on setup. (I had initially been in too close, was coached to move it out, and naturally I overcompensated and moved it too far out over time.) That helped with the catch as I wasn't jumping forward to catch up to the bar. Lastly, I found a cue set that seems to work for me: "fast, jump, feet". The 'fast' gets me moving on the first pull. 'Jump', well, helps me jump harder. 'Feet' helps me not be a stick in the mud on the catch, which gets me in better position. If I start struggling in one of those phases, I think of that cue in all-caps. E.g., "fast, JUMP, feet". It's easy enough for me to cycle through that during the lift, so I'll keep it for a while and see how it goes.

All in all, a good day.