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Thread: Just came here to brag

  1. #211
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Sully had a good post earlier this month on the "chest up" cue - The Tao of the Deadlift.

    But Rip might say something about overextending your neck.

    Keep at it!

  2. #212
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    Those are very good links, thanks a lot, Bill! I just love that article's title... I am very fond of Sully's humour!

    Good catch on the neck thing! I guess I was so focused on the chest up that I didn't pay any attention to keeping my head in a good position...


    On the bright side, you know what's better than a Lalique day? A Coco Chanel day, of course! For very special occasions only. I'm glad I deserve it today. This is perfect timing too. With this fragrance and Aunt Flo's departure earlier today, my odds of getting laid tonight are of 100%.


    Intensity press - 5 sets of 3 at 92 lbs (PR)

    I managed to do 5 triples back to back, which had not happened since pressing 88 lbs on 21 January. This is a huge win for me! Here's set 5: the least pretty, but the most important set!

    It is needless to say that I am extremely happy with today's session. With a 0.75 X BW press, I am officially strong, even by men's standards.

    Next goal is the psychological milestone of 95 lbs. I cannot wait to send my mom a video of me pressing a barbell loaded with 25-lb plates... She will hate it!

    After that, next goal will be a sticker-club press (100 lbs).

    Volume squat - 4 sets of 5 at 192.5 lbs

    Today's goal was either 4 sets of 5, or 20 reps total. Based on my first volume session at 192.5 lbs, I was not sure how this would go. I also woke up with some persisting discomfort below my left knee (medial side). I didn't know whether this would affect my ability to squat but gave it a shot anyway, with the caveat that I could always stop if needed.

    Luckily, I seem to be quite good at discriminating between "shit hurts sometimes" discomfort and "leave this alone or else" signals.

    The knee discomfort did not get aggravated by the squat. One odd thing did happen during the last set, rep 2: I felt something like a cramp in my right quad, but kept going and it didn't occur again.

    Set 1 and 2 were oddly easy, 3 was though, and 4 was very hard. That said, the distraction caused by the cramp feeling (and the mild panic it triggered) could have affected the perceived difficulty of that set.


    Definitely a Coco Chanel worthy training session. I'll add another lb to my press next time, and shoot for 5 X 5 squats before I bump up that weight.

  3. #213
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    Quote Originally Posted by tiny&mighty View Post
    On the bright side, you know what's better than a Lalique day? A Coco Chanel day, of course! For very special occasions only. I'm glad I deserve it today. This is perfect timing too. With this fragrance and Aunt Flo's departure earlier today, my odds of getting laid tonight are of 100%.

    Definitely a Coco Chanel worthy training session. I'll add another lb to my press next time, and shoot for 5 X 5 squats before I bump up that weight.
    Haha! Hopefully that worked out well for you!

    My bride, not much older than you, "enjoyed" an early menopause. She certainly doesn't miss any of that. Nor do I.

    Keep at it!

  4. #214
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    That's hilarious! When I turned 40 in December, my mom said: "Your last decade before you catch the menopause!"


    Intensity bench - 5 sets of 3 at 131 lbs (PR)

    Tougher than last time at 130 lbs, but mission accomplished. The leg drive thing definitely saved most of those third reps. I guess it was good timing to make that improvement to my form at this point in my training. Otherwise, there's no way I would have reached this point.

    Accessory Rows - 3 sets of 5 at 90 lbs

    Still easy, could have gone heavier. It does seem to help with my "proprioception" when I set my lower back, which is the whole point of this. I also used this as an opportunity to focus on keeping my head down in anticipation of my next deadlift session.

    While this didn't bother my shoulder today, once I got to the chin-up bar, there was something odd going on in there. I'll keep the rows for another week, switch to an overhand grip, and reassess from there. I hope we get an early spring so I can start cleaning again sooner than later.

  5. #215
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    Your deads are looking great, nice job

  6. #216
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    Thanks, Mr. Bingley! It sucks that I had to reset, but at least I am seeing tangible improvements in my form. It is also easing my transition to the standard barbell (shaft circumference is 1 cm longer) and to using straps.


    I would normally have trained yesterday, but we were expecting a visit from another one of my friends from Montreal. With work and her showing up during my training window, it seemed best to postpone this session to today. I didn't want to rush this one.

    I had taken the day off from work today and my friend left around noon. I wasn't in the best dispositions for training given how late we were up last night, and how much alcohol was involved. No hangover to report, but was not well rested either. If it weren't for the fact that I want to train on Sunday, I would probably have taken today off as well.


    Intensity squat - 2 set of 3 at 212.5 lbs (PR)

    From 3 doubles last time, I was able to complete the 2 triples I had programmed. The second set was a lot harder than the first one, but no "holy shit" moment to report. Here is it, back and front.

    Volume press - 5 X 5 at 83 lbs

    Nothing special to report, besides an improvement at staying stiff throughout (I tend to relax my glutes at the top of the movement).


    Given my suboptimal state today, I am very happy with how well this session went. I'll keep the squat at 212.5 lbs for another week before I finally attempt my first 1.75 X BW squat, another requirement to join Rip's army.

  7. #217
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    nice depth and good pace! post-drinking PRs are always fun!

  8. #218
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    your sq to bw ratio is amazing. I think I managed a 1.57 x bw 3 years ago...which is now a 1.49 given the weight I've gained during covid lol

  9. #219
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    Thanks, Mr. Bingley!

    In all fairness, I think I have a good genes for the squat. I'm short and I've always had pretty thick legs that will grow in response to the silliest of stimuli. Back in my teens years, I hated that and wished I had figure skater legs. As an adult, I've come to terms with the fact that my legs are more of the sprinter or speed skater type and appreciate what I can accomplish as a result.

  10. #220
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    starting strength coach development program
    Today was a tie between two Guerlain classics: Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue. Since both were originally created over a century ago, a beginner's nose will find them awkward nowadays. Definitely an acquired taste.

    But today's odd session warrants an odd scent. I ended up picking Shalimar because I think I have a likely explanation for today's oddness. If I didn't, this would have been a L'Heure Bleue day, with its old-fashioned powdery notes.


    Volume bench - 5 X 5 at 119 lbs

    Oddly easy, even with 3 minutes of rest throughout. I normally take 4 or 5 towards the end. Not today, and every rep was confidently accomplished.

    Deadlift - 2 sets of 3 at 225 lbs

    Set 1 went well, and I think it looks pretty good, with a tangible improvement from what the same set looked like in December (here).

    *jiggly cellulite alert*

    Set 2 is another story, though it doesn't look nearly as bad as it felt, especially when compared to the same set performed in December (here). Rep 1 was grindy but looks good overall. For rep 2, I didn't set up properly and didn't keep my back straightly set, though it's still not so bad. Same with rep 3, but my back angle got worse on this one, which was a slow grind. There was a "holy shit" moment just after the bar left the floor; at that moment, I remembered that "5 seconds thing" I've heard about not giving up on a rep too early. So I'll give myself a tap on the back for pushing through this one.


    I think what happened here is that I simply ran out of fuel. I didn't eat as much as I should have over the last days, including today. When I took my usual post-workout bath, I couldn't wait to get some food in me. I was able to drown two glasses of chocolate milk ever since, which is very odd for me. So I'll have to be more careful about carbing up before deadlift day, if I want to wear my Lalique scent in the foreseeable future.

    For the next deadlift session, I'm a bit torn between being conservative with a 2.5-lb jump, or ambitious by adding another 5 lbs. We shall see.

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