Training update, 7/5 - 7/10/2014: 5/3/1 Week

Ah, excitement. 5/3/1 week has drawn to a close and we are headed into deload. I am reasonably happy about this as, no matter how much I might like the new semi sumo, I seem to have tweaked the low back a bit. Alles ist gut, few days of rest and lower output and we should be right as rain.

It has been a good week with some very positive work, even if there was some video sabotage going on.

First, we squat.

Saturday, 7/5, was squat day. Mildly saddened that I didn't get to squat for freedom and Murrica on Independence Day, but I spent it with the family instead.

Lots of squat days. Only one family.

Boom.

Here is what occurred:

Scratch that. That occurred on the Fourth- paletas and fresas con crema at La Michoacana. If you are in Memphis and you like sweet stuff (besides me, of course- I'm WAY taken, but you can still visit), you need to go pay one of their five shops a visit. Long story short is that La Michoacana is a local chain of family owned ice cream/desert parlors with a Mexican flair - you know, because the food is Mexican.

Straight up.

Their staff is very friendly and very helpful. For those of us that do not speak Spanish or are not familiar with certain offerings, they are always eager to translate, explain, offer suggestions, etc. They push good times, a clean shop, and as many awesome natural ingredients as you may want to have frozen on a stick.

Or in a cup. Or in a cone.

So...

As to squatting on the 5th, here is what occurred:

• Warm up, etc - about 10min
• Squat - warm up sets, then 5x285lbs, 3x325lbs, 3x365lbs
• Lat pulldown, straight fat bar - 3x10x110lbs
• Front squat - 5x165lbs, 5x195lbs, 5x215lbs
• Reverse Hypers, HITO - 4x10x90lbs
• Band pull aparts - 3x15 w/EliteFTS moderate Onyx band

Pretty decent sesh, really, though there were some technical difficulties in the A/V department. Tried to record my last two working sets of skee watts, the first of which apparently resulted in about ten blank videos of exactly zero second duration each. On the second, my phone apparently fell over and decided to stop recording.

Like this:

It's a bugger, because I really wanted to see my depth on the last two reps. The first one felt off, so I reset my feet a little and went for the other two, which felt a bit better.

C'est la vie.

Due to a conversation with one of the other gym members (Brittany, it's your fault) and the vague recollection that front squatting can make you stronger, I decided to throw those back in at an easy pace to get used to doing them again. During the previous run of front squats, I was getting a lot of wrist pain due to poor mobility and a refusal to change to "bodybuilder grip" front squats, so I wrapped the wrists well and had no issues. Hopefully that continues. Worked up to a set of five at 215, called it there and decided they were worth doing again, will do again heavier on the next go around.

Reverse hypers, band pull aparts, called it a day.

Couple days of work, back at it on the 8th for benchlings. Tiny little benchlings.

That said, they are getting a little better. Steady progress all the time, eh, guvnah?

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHH?!

Sorry, y'all. That's just how my brain works.

You'll be fine. There, there.

Here's what occurred:

• Short warm up, 5min?
• Bench - warm up sets, then 5x145lbs, 3x165lbs, 6x185lbs
• TBar row - 4x8x55lbs
• Bench - 3x10x135lbs

Short sesh, got stuck at work late, grabbed a Starbucks on the way in and got to it. Decent work - one more rep on the 185 than I have done in the past, though a little bit of a grinder with a soft lock out. Alles ist gut, still progress.

Sweet belly, brah. Looks like I could stand to bring my grip out a finger or I could tuck my elbows a little more- got some flare going on. Need video from the other side to see it it's just my injured side flaring out or if it is a technique issue.

Anyhoo, progress.

Boom.

Few more days later and it was time to deadlift on the 10th. Deathlift. Deadly deathlift.

Stuff.

This was another early morning sesh, actually managed to get my behind out of bed and roll out at a good time. Here is what occurred upon my arrival at the Ferrum de Ecclesia:

• Warm up, stretch - about 10min
• Deadlift - warm up sets, then 5x285lbs, 3x320lbs, 6x360lbs
• OHP - 10xbar, 7x65lbs, 5x95lbs, 3x105lbs, 7x115lbs
• GHR - 3x8 (bodyweight)
• Lat pulldown, wide angled bar - 3x10x100lbs
• Shoulder series - x2 w/ EliteFTS red Pro Mini band

Good training sesh despite the morning time. Think my 5/3/1 deathlift day top set on the last cycle was 350lbs for five reps, this was 360lbs for six.

I'll take it.

I got my belt figured out a little better- rotated the belt so that the prong/buckle was at my left side instead of in front- and I think I figured out what my problem was, though I still haven't corrected it.

Here's the second working set, 3x320lbs:

And the last set, 6x360lbs:

Forgive the little yell, there. Post lift pressure release. I don't normally get "loud" before a lift, so between that and holding air through a set I typically have some stored up energy to purge.

Anyhoo, if you game tape that, you can see where I don't have my hips as involved as they could be at the start of the lift. I am sitting back, but the knees aren't getting pushed out nearly as much as with my "full sumo" - and that's saying something because my hip mobility sucks something awful.

There is an official video for this song, but I can't bare to post it here due to its high level of douchebaggery and weed, man. The song is pretty fucking hard, though. Boom shaka laka.

or

There is this old school jam. Lolly.

So yeah. Coming up on the deload days, will take a couple days off due to upcoming vacation BUT I am going to get into the gym on one of these days off and try to get the hips more involved in the semi sumo, maybe help keep that bar in the shins. As mentioned way up there in paragraph one, tweaked my low back on that last set and I'm pretty sure that was due to letting the bar float out there on a few of those reps, so I know it needs to be fixed. And like now.

So there you have it. Calculated total is now close to my first meet total, with four months left to work before my next potential meet. As long as I can stay injury free, think I'm looking good for being able to beat my previous meet total despite the injury and shitty bench. Roll this program for another month or so, gauge progress, and contemplate whether to stick with the 5/3/1 or roll with some good ol' block periodization. No point in changing if it's still working.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Work done, progress made, work to do.

Go forth and destroy.