Training for a whole year

[Eric Schexnayder]

I have been training on and off for nearly six years. Each time I make good progress, something comes up that challenges my ability to remain consistent, and I have allowed myself to get too derailed too many times. As I have just turned 35, I am realizing more and more that I need to cement training permanently into my lifestyle.

This log is the starting point, and it is where I will document my progress as I attempt to train consistently for an entire year. I'll be starting with Novice Linear Progression programming.

I restarted my training efforts about 4 weeks ago but am just returning from a 10 day vacation at the beach. I don't intend to include the last few weeks of training as it's really just been me re-learning the lifts and getting back to decent weights.

So today was the first day. Only 364 more to go. For now, I am also going to target 3 workouts per week or a total of 156. Only 155 to go.

Today's workout:

Squat
215x5x3

Press
115x5x3

Deadlift
315x5

These were a 10% reset from pre-vacation lifts. Wednesday will be some 10 lb jumps to get back to where I was prior to vacation.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Inadvertently deleted yesterday's post.

Day 3, 362 days remaining
2/2 workouts, 2/156 total

Squat
225x5x3

Bench Press
165x5x3

Deadlift
325x5

Squats were a breeze. Adding 10 lbs next time. Bench a little rough, need to invest in a rubber mat for my plywood platform. Deadlifts were hard; fifth rep went up but then slowed dramatically at the knees. Had to really grind through it.

Exhausting day at work.

Friday will add 5 lbs to both Press and Deadlift. Power Cleans back on Monday.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Day 5, 360 remaining

3/3, 3/156 workouts

Squat
235x5x3

Press
125x5x3

Deadlift
335x5

Pretty tired from the week but wanted to get back to pre-vacation weights this week so I added 10 lbs to press and deadlift. All lifts pretty easy.

All techniques feeling pretty solid except the squat is currently this awkward two-step thing getting into the bottom position. But it’s feeling strong coming out of the bottom so not changing anything for now.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Day 8, 357 to go
4/4, 4/156

Squat
240x5x3

Bench Press
175x5x3

Power Clean
165x3x5

Squat felt heavy but strong. Weird technique is still letting me hip drive well, and without lower back pain (which I was experiencing after squatting due to lumbar and thoracic rounding).

Over the weekend I installed a strip of rubber flooring on my platform where my feet go for the bench press. Felt strong!

Power cleans were fun as always.

Garage was hot. Took both fans to stay cool.

[carson]

Stick with it. What is that "weird two-step technique" on the squat? I seem to have one as well. Knees out and less than 1/2 second later hips back. When I think like that I manage not to lean forward too far. It isn't perfect but it does help to get depth without losing balance. Is your two-step anything like that?

[Eric Schexnayder]

Stick with it. What is that "weird two-step technique" on the squat? I seem to have one as well. Knees out and less than 1/2 second later hips back. When I think like that I manage not to lean forward too far. It isn't perfect but it does help to get depth without losing balance. Is your two-step anything like that?

Thanks for the encouraging words, carson.

I am breaking at the hips and knees simultaneously, but then stopping my knees, sending my hips back more until my back angle is good (which pushes my knees back more), and then putting my knees where they should go before finishing lowering my hips. So I end up doing a half-good-morning at the top with knees going forward, back, forward. Everything else is normal and feels strong coming out of the bottom. Just feel like if I can sort of good-morning this weight I should be able to squat more using better technique.

[Eric Schexnayder]

10/355
5/5, 5/156

Squat
245x5x3

Press
135x5x3

Deadlift
340x5

Good workout, everything felt strong. On the deadlift I hadn't been using the cue to drive my heels through the floor. Doing that again now and they are flying off the floor. This pleases me.

And I jumped another 10 lbs on the Press. Not the typical protocol but I have been above this for a set of 5 before, and to be frank I am tired for feeling like a pussy pressing less than one plate. So now I'm back there at least. This also pleases me.

[Eric Schexnayder]

12/353
6/6, 6/156

Squat
250x5x3

Bench Press
180x5x3

Power Clean
170x3x5

Good workout, but god *damn* it's hot out there.

Squat is coming along, I think I'm slowly melding the bending over with the knee setting. Hip drive is still strong out of the bottom. Had one rep where I accidentally stopped looking forward and ended up staring between my feet. Felt my lumbar spine collapse when I did that. Lesson learned.

Probably could have added 10 lbs to bench this time, but I already got my fill of rebellion on Wednesday.

[Eric Schexnayder]

15/350
7/7, 7/156

Squat
255x5x3

Press
140x5x3

Deadlift
345x5

Rough workout. Each of the lifts took everything I had. Rep 5 of the deadlift in particular was a real grinder. Stopped at the knees but I got it.

Given the trouble the deadlift gave me, I’m tempted to drop its frequency down to once a week, but I don’t want to make a programming change off a single data point. I may try one more workout and go from there.

[Eric Schexnayder]

17/348
8/8, 8/156

Squat
260x5x3

Bench Press
185x5x3

Power Clean
175x3x5

Squats rough. I think I need some TUBOW drill work. This choppy technique is going to get me failed reps, or worse, injured.

Bench was easy but need to start taking technique more serious. Just kind of manhandling it right now. At least the new flooring is helping me stay tight.

Cleans took some effort. Thinking between today’s cleans and Monday’s deadlifts I’m getting close to having to drop pulling frequency.