Third Time's a Charm

[francesco.decaro]

August 22:

Squat 270x5x3
Press 157.5x5x3
Deadlift 315x5x1

Squats are starting to feel reasonably heavy again. I will continue with 5 pound increments 3 times per week until it's time to incorporate a light squat day.

I have entered PR territory on the press and switched to 2.5 pound increments. I feel that I am getting a good bounce out of the bottom and if I can stay in the groove the bar shoots up to lockout at a good pace. Would like more practice than only 3 work sets every other workout.

Finally back to 3 plates on the deadlift. However, I feel like I did not do a great job of getting my back set. Perhaps with the increased bodyweight I need to widen my stance a bit to create room for the belly to drop down. Will start to alternate with power cleans beginning with the next workout.

That's a pretty heavy Press, compared to where your other lifts are at, you must be damn good at them.

[Matt Dawson]

That's a pretty heavy Press, compared to where your other lifts are at, you must be damn good at them.

Yes the press is at 75% of my bench, so I think I must be doing something right. Or maybe I'm cheating it with excessive lower body involvement though I do take care to keep knees straight. I am able to generate a strong bounce at the bottom to get the bar overhead. When the timing is right its like riding a wave all the way up past the sticking point. The 2.0 hip reflex allows me to press I think 10% higher than I would be able to do strict. I submitted a form check this morning pending Rip's approval. I welcome your feedback as well.

[Matt Dawson]

Today's workout:

Squat 275x5x3
Bench 210x5x3
Clean 155x3x5

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 280x5x3 Squat 280 lbs - YouTube
Press 160x5x3 Press 160 lbs - YouTube
Deadlift 325x5x1 Deadlift 325 lbs - YouTube

Squats felt pretty good today. Really focused today on getting the knees set early and it made everything feel much smoother.

Press feels heavy and I get in a rush. I tried to emphasize the shrug at the top but don't know whether I succeeded. Traps feel a little sore but that might be leftover from power cleans on Wednesday. Overall I really enjoy the lift and look forward to adding more volume in the future.

Deadlifts did not feel great. I put more effort into trying to set my back than picking up the bar.

[francesco.decaro]

Squat 280x5x3 Squat 280 lbs - YouTube
Press 160x5x3 Press 160 lbs - YouTube
Deadlift 325x5x1 Deadlift 325 lbs - YouTube

Squats felt pretty good today. Really focused today on getting the knees set early and it made everything feel much smoother.

Press feels heavy and I get in a rush. I tried to emphasize the shrug at the top but don't know whether I succeeded. Traps feel a little sore but that might be leftover from power cleans on Wednesday. Overall I really enjoy the lift and look forward to adding more volume in the future.

Deadlifts did not feel great. I put more effort into trying to set my back than picking up the bar.

If you'll allow me to exercise my error detecting abilities, take this with a grain of salt.

Your squats look good to me, mabye you wanna set your back angle a little bit earlier in the descent.

Dude, your press is FLYING, just look at the video again in a couple days. Nice job using your beard as a touching point ahah only thing is, I wouldn''t look down while the bar is overhead and careful about shifting on your toes too much during the hip thrust, on the 1st rep you lifted your heels and on the last one you got off balance. The heavier this becomes the more important these details are so you wanna correct them while it's still light.

You are dropping your hips slightly on your deadlifts, it looks to me like your arms are perpendicular to the bar instead of at an angle. It looks good overall but it might be a form creep that you'll need to fix later on. For your low back, try widening your grip a finger and think about shoving the knees out and push out the chest as much as you can to engage your lats. I myself am starting to learn that now.

[Matt Dawson]

If you'll allow me to exercise my error detecting abilities, take this with a grain of salt.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Dude, your press is FLYING, just look at the video again in a couple days. Nice job using your beard as a touching point ahah only thing is, I wouldn''t look down while the bar is overhead and careful about shifting on your toes too much during the hip thrust, on the 1st rep you lifted your heels and on the last one you got off balance. The heavier this becomes the more important these details are so you wanna correct them while it's still light.

I was kind of out of control on all three worksets. Trying too hard to juice the hip thrust to get the bar moving. The head down thing was a bad attempt at moving forward under the bar. Instead of moving the entire torso forward only my head tilted forward and down.

You are dropping your hips slightly on your deadlifts, it looks to me like your arms are perpendicular to the bar instead of at an angle. It looks good overall but it might be a form creep that you'll need to fix later on. For your low back, try widening your grip a finger and think about shoving the knees out and push out the chest as much as you can to engage your lats. I myself am starting to learn that now.

I think you're absolutely right about widening the grip. I'm much too crowded in the start position. I just revisited the deadlift chapter in the blue book and it says "[m]ost people's hands will be about an inch into the knurl, or about 18-1/2 inches [47 cm] between hands." I've been taking my grip right at the edge of the knurl, only 17-1/2 inches (44.5 cm). I take a much wider grip for cleans and don't have the same difficulty getting my back set.

[Matt Dawson]

Bodyweight 218

Squat 285x5x3
Bench 215x5x3 Bench 215 lbs - YouTube
Power Clean 160x3x2; 135x3x3

For the last several weeks I've been working out in the afternoon, but starting this morning I'm moving back to 5:30 am workouts. This schedule works better with family/kids.

Squats felt fine. Will incorporate a light squat day on Wednesday once the worksets start to feel properly heavy again, maybe after 300 or so.

Bench feels pretty good. Still adding 5 pounds every workout. The bar feels heavy in my hands and yet when I play back the video I'm surprised at the bar speed. I want to continue with 5 pound increments for as long as I can, but I'm not sure if that's too greedy. Open question to any visitors as to whether its time to drop to 2.5 lb increments. I've linked to my third workset above.

Power cleans were a mess. I've completely lost the feel for them so I backed down to 135 after my first two sets. Its funny but I think part of of the issue is that I switched to sweatpants instead of shorts due to the knurl scuffing up my thighs. It seems I was relying on a visual cue when the bar reached the level right below my shorts to initiate the jump/second pull and today I felt lost without it. I'll have to relearn the timing by feel and work my way back up.

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 290x5x3
Press 162.5x5x3 Press 162.5 lbs - YouTube
Deadlift 335x5x1 Deadlift 335 lbs - YouTube

Bar speed is slowing way down on the press. Trying to stay more in control but heels lifted a little on rep 4. Got a little too far forward on rep 5 and missed the beard but still managed to save it.

Widened my grip an inch on either side on deadlift. Stance was about an inch wider, too. Lower back felt more solid than usual. Yes, I bumped the bar forward with my shins on a few reps. Also need to keep my head down more. How does the arm angle look?

[francesco.decaro]

Squat 290x5x3
Press 162.5x5x3 Press 162.5 lbs - YouTube
Deadlift 335x5x1 Deadlift 335 lbs - YouTube

Bar speed is slowing way down on the press. Trying to stay more in control but heels lifted a little on rep 4. Got a little too far forward on rep 5 and missed the beard but still managed to save it.

Widened my grip an inch on either side on deadlift. Stance was about an inch wider, too. Lower back felt more solid than usual. Yes, I bumped the bar forward with my shins on a few reps. Also need to keep my head down more. How does the arm angle look?

Bench looks heavy enough, I think you will notice when it's time to go to 2.5lbs jumps because 4th and 5th rep will feel much heavier. Still, your pressing movements are pretty strong.

You might want to emphasize the hip movement on the press a little bit more. It's gonna feel slower than the speed you are used to, but it will help you get a bigger bounce and keep the bar in the right place. Also, I've heard, it is natural to transition to a sort of double lay back once the weight starts to get heavy. Which is still not, I think. The bar was flying until the 4th rep and looked just the same as the previous workouts.

Deadlifts look good to me, except for the mistake you noticed yourself. I'm glad the change in grip width feels better

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 295x5x3
Bench 220x5x3 Bench Press 220 lbs - YouTube
Power clean 145x3x5 Power Clean 145 lbs - YouTube

Squats still feeling OK. Only 25 pounds behind my previous PR so I'll implement a light day Wednesday next week.

Bench press continues to climb. Two plates are just around the corner. The first set was the hardest for psychological reasons I think. Video of third set above. Elbows wanted to flare out toward the end of the set which feels very hard on the shoulder. Will have to focus on keeping them tucked a little tighter through to the end.

Power cleans were slightly better today. Weight is still very light and I have a tendency to pull too fast off the floor and overshoot the jump position. That will correct itself as the weight gets a little heavier.