Third Time's a Charm

[Matt Dawson]

Finally built a platform for the power rack this weekend. Pretty standard with two layers of 3/4 inch OSB topped with a layer of horse stall mats. The rack is held in place with T-nuts installed under the bottom layer and 3/8 inch bolts driven down from the top. I went a little larger with an 8' x 10' footprint. The rack is installed so that there is a 6' x 8' area in front of the rack, and with spotter arms installed there is still 4' x 8' open for power cleans and deadlifts.



Also built some wall mount change plate storage from dowel (closet rod) and scrap wood. Pleased with the way they turned out.

[francesco.decaro]

Finally built a platform for the power rack this weekend. Pretty standard with two layers of 3/4 inch OSB topped with a layer of horse stall mats. The rack is held in place with T-nuts installed under the bottom layer and 3/8 inch bolts driven down from the top. I went a little larger with an 8' x 10' footprint. The rack is installed so that there is a 6' x 8' area in front of the rack, and with spotter arms installed there is still 4' x 8' open for power cleans and deadlifts.



Also built some wall mount change plate storage from dowel (closet rod) and scrap wood. Pleased with the way they turned out.

It looks great! Congrarulations, awesome work!

[Maverick]

Nice setup!

[Matt Dawson]

Bodyweight 219

Squat 300x5x3
Press 165x4, 5, 3, 3
Deadlift 345x5x1

Missed some reps on the press. Definitely came into this workout under-rested and a little fatigued from building the platform by myself. Lifting, carrying, rearranging 80 lb sheets of OSB, 100 lb stall mats, a power rack, weights, etc., was a workout in itself. Will have to think about how to approach Friday's workout: (1) repeat 165x5x3 (2) attempt 167.5x5x3 (3) switch to 5 sets of 3.

[Matt Dawson]

Uploaded videos from today's workout.

Squat feels mostly OK. Could sit back/get bent over more I think. I do think I am hitting depth though that's less than clear from this angle. Another inch deeper wouldn't hurt. Will focus on getting bent over more on light squat Wednesday.

Press is getting more sensitive to technique errors. I was able to complete 5 reps on the second set, so I think the issue was primarily technique rather than strength. My hip reflex has not felt great for the last few sessions, but I don't think that was the problem either. Even on the failed rep I was able to propel the bar overhead at a good pace before it got stuck. All three missed reps today were accompanied by heels lifting off the ground likely due to pushing the bar forward of mid foot.

Deadlifts are only 10 pounds behind my previous PR set in June. Still dropping hips slightly, back not as flat as I'd like, but it feels much stronger than it did the last time I was in this weight range. I need to get this straightened out in order to avoid another back tweak and set some new PRs.

Squat 300 lbs - YouTube

Press 165 lb Third Set Fail - YouTube

Deadlift 345 lbs - YouTube

[Matt Dawson]

Light Squat 240x5x2
Bench 225x5, 4, 4, 3 Bench Press 225 lbs Second Set Fail - YouTube
Power Clean 155x3x5

First day with light squats. I attempted to get bent over more but couldn't make it happen. When I try to bend over more my pelvis won't come along for the ride, and the result is mild lumbar flexion and a discomfort/stretching sensation. I experienced the same sensation right before the last time I tweaked my back on a light warmup set. I think my body is telling me to heed the warning signs and it's not worth pushing it further. I have some history with a herniated disc in 2020 and my back is very sensitive to flexion under load. Overall, I think my position in the bottom doesn't look too bad. Depth is OK. Knees are 1-2 inches past the toes. If my back is a few degrees more vertical than optimal then maybe I can live with it.



Benched two plates for five reps on the first set which is a PR milestone. Could only hit four reps on the second two sets before failure. Rest was 10-12 minutes between sets. Uploaded the second set above. It might look like I could have grinded through the fifth rep but my right shoulder got out of position and right shoulder started to lift from the bench.

Power cleans still need a lot of work.

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 305x5x3
Press 167.5x3x5
Deadlift 355x5x1

I attempted sets of 5 across for the Press but failed on the fourth rep on the first two sets so I just continued with 5 sets of 3. I don't want to stop adding weight to the bar just yet, so I may continue with 5 sets of 3 for both pressing movements for as long as I can before either resetting or switching to compressed Texas Method .

Next week's deadlift session should be a new PR. Will drop deadlift frequency to once per week on light squat Wednesday and power clean on Monday/Friday until it approaches a respectable number.

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 310x5x3
Bench 227.5x3x5
Power Clean 165x3x5

[Matt Dawson]

Light Squat 250x5x2
Press 170x3x5
Deadlift 365x5x1

[Matt Dawson]

Squat 315x5x3
Bench 230x3x5
Power Clean 170x3x5