danz NLP log

[danz]

18 Aug:

Squat 115kg x 5 x 3, seem to struggle to consistently go to the same depth, seems like I might be cutting is short a little sometimes. Will pay more attention to this with knees out.

OHP 56.25 x 5 x 3 easier than last time and better bar speed

DL 100kg x 5, worked on form. Ass to the wall (for lower back tightness) and knees back.

[danz]

20 Aug:

Squat 117.5kg x 5 x 3, I think I have pretty bad depth issues. I'm not really breaking parallel as I'd like and not consistently enough. I feel like this causes my hamstrings and adductors to stay weak which is maybe why I also keep feeling cramps on my left hamstring every first workset for the last two weeks (except one). Considering a deload to properly get the technique dialed down. First two sets were hard. I feel like it's because I was cueing to get knees out (for depth) and this caused me to not think enough about knees back, which caused me to raise my chest. Third set was better but still not as good as I'd like. Will await coach's instructions on this.

BP 78.75kg x 5 x 4, will hit a new weight on Sunday.

DL 127.5kg x 3 x 1. Couldn't get the 4th. Thought I may have given up early, so after a minute of resting I tried again, got it a little off the floor and that's it. I think it's a technique issue as well. I notice that I now started with hips quite higher than the hip height of the DLs that got me up to this weight. So the technique correction may be a little too late. I'm assuming that the muscles that should work on the DL weren't due to poor technique (hamstrings?), and so at this new weight with corrected technique they just might be the limiting factor. Considering a deload here to strengthen limiting muscles too with correct technique (hips high at the start, knees back on the way up), pending coach's input.

In terms of food & sleep, the OHP progression shows that they are fine I believe. I am gaining 0.6kg (1.3lbs) per week the last month, currently at 78.3kg (172lbs). Getting one tablet of electrolytes a day, eating a banana at least a day, some mango, stretching my hamstrings on rest days quite a bit.

[danz]

22 Aug:

Squat 95kg x 5 x 3.

I went for a light Squat late primarily due to the cramps in my left hamstrings. I still felt them cramp a little bit on these sets, but not to the degree where my form deteriorates. I also think it was pushed close to its limit today with a light Squat day (much more so than the glutes/lower back which feel fine). I'm assuming that because it took me a while to dial down on my technique with hip drive, as I was raising my chest a lot, my Squat was more quad-dominant and probably the hamstrings were not stressed enough. My guess is that they are lagging. Even now after the workout they feel tense without flexing them (from light Squat day..). The other guess is that training at 6AM is not the best. I'll shift my training to evenings from now on.

OHP 57.5kg 5-5-4. Failed last rep, was very close to getting it (was stuck for 4 seconds). Rested a few minutes and completed 1 more rep.

Deadlift 127.5kg x 1, 105kg x 5. Felt much better. Used legs better than last time where I pulled more than pushed. Same concern here as with the Squats. I had been deadlifting with lower hips than I am now, which means more quad-dominant (feels like a different exercise now really). Building up on correct technique again.

[danz]

25 Aug:
Squat 120kg x 5 x 3, better today, cramps on left hamstring only on warmups. Hit depth better too.

BP 86.25kg x4/5 bad spotter touched the bar again on 5th rep.

Chins 10-7-5

One of the squat sets:
Squat 120kg - YouTube

Need to cue knees out more at the bottom

[danz]

27 Aug:
Squat 97.5kg x 5 x 3
OHP 58.75kg x 3 x 5
DL 127.5kg x 5

[danz]

29 Aug:

Switched to a different gym for the coming week due to needing to be in a different city.

Squat 122.5kg x 5 x 3 - felt heavy. I think the weights are different in this gym and I might have progressed more than 2.5kg.
BP 78.75kg x 5 x 5
Chins 9 - 8 - 6

Last squat set:
Squat 122.5kg - YouTube

[danz]

1 Sep:

Squat 100kg x 5 x 3
OHP 60kg x 3 x 5
Rack Pulls 125kg x 5

[danz]

3 Sep:

Squat 125kg x 5, 112.5kg x 5 x 2
BP 87.5kg x 5 x 1
Chins 10-8-7-5

[danz]

5 Sep:

Squat 102.5kg x 5 x 3
OHP 61.25kg x 3 x 5
Rack Pulls 127.5kg x 5

[danz]

8 Sep:

Squat 127.5kg x 5, 115kg x 5 x 2
BP 80kg x 5 x 5
Chins 10-8-7-5