bigm141414

H'okay so busy busy week for me. Work decided to ramp up to 11 and which meant lots of running around. I was glad for Wednesday to roll around so I can take a crack at setting a new deadlift max. Barbell therapy was needed after the hectic-ness. Okay so let's get right into. Deadlift one rep map day: Warmup - 45,135,315,405 475 in a descending rep scheme where I pulled a single at 475. Things were feeling pretty good even after sleeping poorly, and running around all day. I tried hard to get to the work gym before the afternoon crush because I knew I was going to need all of the plates and I didn't want to inconvenience other lifters too much. ( I did in fact inconvenience one person who wanted to do some squats in the smith machine with 2 plates, but I needed allllll of the 45s [my work gym only has 4 sets of 45s, woefully inadequate in my opinion]) Opener - 535lbs Success Opened with my previous max to test how things were going to feel. It went much smoother than my last attempt. Last time my legs were shaking quite a bit during the lift. I will also mention that I weighed in at 206.5lbs this morning which is almost 20lbs lighter from my last attempt at this weight, so even if I failed everything else I would be satisfied with a bodyweight multiple. Second Attempt - 545lbs Success +10PR This felt rough but the video looks solid. After setting the bar down I got the tingly sensation all over my body which has happened a few times before when I hit a heavy single so I was a bit worried that I wouldn't have more in me. I paced around the small gym floor and the sensation went away so I loaded up for another attempt. Third Attempt - 555lbs Success +20lbs PR This was definitely heavy. The video doesn't do it justice. As soon as I broke the bar from the ground time slowed down and I felt like I was stalled in mid pull. My entire inner world screamed "push through the floor!!!" for what felt like minutes but in real time it was a half second or less. The bar went up and I got locked out. It was a quick lock out because my right hand was giving way under the combined force of sweat and gravity. My work gym doesn't allow chalk so nothing could be done about the increased perspiration. But I lifted it! Fourth Attempt - 565lbs Lol Nope. Failed Riding the high of my 555lbs PR I attempted to add 10 more pounds because why not? It was a big newp moment, I was spent and the bar didn't even budge off the ground and I didn't even have it in my to try real hard to make it move. So I called it a day, content with where I am, and as I was stripping the bar, handed 2 sets of 45s to the waiting squatter. Video of the 3 successful attempts for completeness sake. All in all a great day and a great month of max attempts. With all three lifts (245 bench, 405 squat, 555 deadlift) I now have a gym total of 1,205lbs. Woo 1,200lbs club! This makes me strong yeah? After years of fits and starts the consistency I put in this year has finally paid off. Right now I am on vacation for the long holiday weekend in the US and I am going to spend the next few days thinking about where to go from here. I still need to hit a 585 deadlift by the end of the year which doesn't seem as far fetched as it did back in January. I also went and checked out an actual powerlifting gym on Tuesday which I am 95% sure I will try out for the month of September. It's expensive but given where I am now and where I want to be I need access to more than what I have in my garage gym and at my work gym. The powerlifting gym does also have a (rarely used) olympic lifting platform which means I have the option of getting back into snatches and clean and jerks. I just need to think about how to work in everything I need to do into a reasonable plan for next month. Anyways, that was my month. I can't wait to see how much more I can add to the bar in the coming months.

Thanks! Definitely. And also as I start to get older. I am not as spry as I was when I first joined these forums, but while I may be slowing down I can at least say I am just as strong.

You should definitely be pleased. Good job getting through those envelopes and conquering the fear of paper cuts XD

405lbs 4 PLATE SQUAT CLUB MEMBER BAAAAAAAABY!!!!! (It's probably a little high for a comp, but ya know what I'll take it). It's also 1.94xcBW. Sooooooo close to 2x. I have time left before the end of the year, new goal of 2xBW squat???? Video proof (even got fancy with two angles) That is all for now. I am gonna not move for a while XD

Hey hey everybody. It was a bit of a downer week. The achilles tendon in my left foot has been stiff making it difficult to walk normally. It's better now but 100%. I did manage to squat last night (Thursday) and it went fine. The Lifts: Squats - 6x2@315lbs Not bad, I was careful not to stress the ankle too much. It took 3 work sets to get into the groove of lifting. It's been a tough week at work with some personnel issues and 3 late nights in a row. Today was the first day I left at a reasonable hour even though it was 630pm by the time I got under the bar. Bench - 2x8@165, 2x6@184, 2x4@195 More volume for the bench. I did increase the working weight numbers based on my 245lbs 1RM I set last week. Shoulder hasn't been an issue either. Today I have a day off of work so I plan to go get coffee, practice sketching, maybe finish a book or practice on the piano. Deadlifts session later today as well.

Maaaybe I could have gotten it, but bench for me is weird. Once the bar stops it stops hard like I've run smack dab into a wall. I don't grind out reps on bench like I can on squats and deadlifts. Who knows. There is still time this year to get to 250. I've already changed my program weights to make sure I am training with a 250lbs goal in mind. As for coffee reviews, I went back to the same coffee shop this week and again got the batch brew. IT was still amazing so it wasn't a fluke. There is some black magic sorcery going on and I will understand this so I can replicate it at home! I did do some more sketching, this time trying to practice legs. Which they are freakishly long. I had no idea how weird our legs are until i started trying to draw them Thanks!

Hey hey. Sorry I have been real quiet this week. There were a few things that contributed to it. 1) Just crazy busy at work early in the week, but it got better towards the end 2) Heat Waaaaaaaave - it hit triple digits and was in the uppers 90s(F) the entire week. I don't have AC so it mae for miserable sleep and rest and workouts. It was so bad that I skipped doing deadlifts because the energy was just sapped out of me. I did manage to get in a recovery squat session but that is about it on the workout fronts for last week. Mid Week Squat recovery Sesh: Squat - 6x2@315lbs I did these beltless and treated them as tempo squats. They were okay but this was on Thursday and by then my energy levels were in the single digits So Sunday has rolled around and I am jumping back into my program. It's also not as hot anymore and I finally feel rested enough to face the barbell. Squat 3,2@375lbs (170kg, or 1.8x BW) Program called for 2x3 but I failed the last rep. It wasn't for lack of strength but it was the mental game that got me. On my second rep I thought I was a bit shallow so my brain tried to compensate by going waaaaay too deep and I lost all tightness. Luckily the safty bars were there to catch it. Bright side is I got to do a deeeep ATG pin squat at 225lbs to get the bar back up. Even in failure there are moments to train. The first set was definitely a bit pancake-y and grindy but honestly I wasn't in "oh shit this is real heavy" territory. In fact I have another moment of "was that really 375?" Back in December 2021, 375 was my 1 rep max. It is now my work weight for heavy triples. I'll take it. Hopefully this trend of everything feeling light as a feather will continue through next week, which is test day. Bench - 2x8@165, 2xc6@180, 2x4@195 First bench session since 1RM test day last week. Shoulder feels much better after a week long rest. Also I will leave you all with this stupidly strong squat by american weightlifter Olivia Reeves who competes in the 71kg class and is 19 years old. Note she is not using a belt or sleeves and squats in the high bar way of weightlifters for a 210kg ATG squat. Truly inspirational.

I loved the little wave after the 6th rep XD 👋 I always appreciate seeing your focus and state of zen when doing KB snatches

A classic. XD

Happy Sunday nerds! I woke up and went to a lovely new coffee shop. The coffee was amazing easily one of the top 5 cups I've had in my life. It was a just a regular batch brew coffee but it was super intense in flavor and not just some watered down bitter liquid. Quite a lovely way to start off the day. I also spent some time doodling in my sketchbook and reading.......What's that you say? Hurry up and get to the lifts? That's what you're here for? Well fiiiiiiine. I'll put my coffee reviews on hold for now The Lifts! Sundays are for moving lots of weight. So today I had heavy squats and a 1RM bench test day. Squat 3x4@355lbs (161kg, 1.706xBW) Again, another week, another rep max PR session. It honestly wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Sure it was heavy, the most I've had on the bar since December, the most reps I've done at this weight ever, but it moved just fine. Maybe a low RPE 8. This just proves to me that a lot of my hang ups about squatting heavy has been mostly mental blocks. I've put in the work this year and I guess I am just surprising myself with the results. At least on squats. Bench Test Day - 1@235, 245 (PR, 111kg, or 1.177xBW), 265 (lol silly Bigm nope), 255(lol nope failed). Started out at my previous max and it moved really well which gave me a good confidence I could set a new all time PR. The next attempt at 245lbs moved fairly well too. A little grind half way up but I pushed through without much trouble. Which I was ecstatic about. Maybe toooooo ecstatic. I loaded up 265 because why not. Going down wasn't a problem, I was able to control it fairly well, going back up was a different matter. Failed about an inch off my chest. Lol After the 265 I tried at 255 because I was thinking, okay well 245 wasn't too bad, 265 was bad, maybe 255 is just right? Nah. Still failed. At least it went higher on the way up than my last attempt. So that's the result of 7 months of training, a 10lbs PR. I should be happy about it, but it is tinged a bit with frustration because I thought I was going to be stronger. Video evidence of my 245lbs PR So some good today, some just meh today. Rest of this week is a bit heavier on DLs, and lighter on squats and bench like last week. I'm going to go eat some ice cream to celebrate my PR.

Today's lifts! Another deload and active rest type session. Deficit Deadlifts -6x4@295lbs 1.5in block with double over hand grip Floor Press 3x8@155lbs Florr presses always put me in a napping mood. I mean I am already on the floor lying down, just hand me a blanket between sets. Not very exciting today because on Sunday we're back into rep max territory for squats and also it will be bench press test day. So fingers crossed that all goes well.

Today's Lifts! Quick deload squat session to get teh ol' joint moving. Most of yesterday and today I was running low on energy because work has been hectic, so I was glad for something easy and not mentally taxing. We save that stuff for sundays. The Lifts: Squat - 6x2@300lbs No problems. I did these beltless and they were closer to tempo squats, slow on the way down a decent pause at the bottom and slow on the way up. It was a good stretch for the hips Pause Bench 3x8@165 First set was a little cold, I didn't do too many warm up sets but after that it wasn't bad. 8 paused reps is a lot even at this medium of a weight. Anyways, I am still sleepy so I am going to call it an early evening.

Tuesday! Today was a deload deadlift day, which my body badly needed after yesterday's squats. I wasn't DOMS-y in the traditional sense but definitely not moving optimally. The Lifts: Deadlift 6x4@320lbs No issues at this weight and I used the time ot focus on form, specifically pulling my lats down and back and getting the slack out of the bar. Close Grip Bench 3x8@155lbs Another deload focusing on form and trying to get a good stretch when the bar is at the bottom. Shoulder is still achy but better today. Pause-at-the-knee Deadlifts 4x4@320lbs These were written as Pause Deadlifts, but I decided to just pause at the knee and set it down. I used it for some extra grip training as well holding on to the bar with double over hand instead of my normal mixed grip. All in all a decent active rest day. I was in and out of the gym in like 30 minutes which was a nice brisk change from the nearly 2 hour heavy sessions I had been putting in. Make me wonder if I should do some more body care stuff during this lightly loaded down time...🤔

D'awww thank you! I'm pretty proud of them Get the popcorn and...err..protein powder ready and settle in, it's gonna be a month full of suspense!

I totally understand this and I will stab people (politely of course) if they try to get rid of my library.

Are you contemplating selling anything instead of throwing it out? I know that is a decision for you and your mom to work through, but there are estate sale companies that will come in, catalog everything, set up the online listing site and handle the transactions. My family used one when we cleans out and finally cleaned out and sold the family ranch a few years ago (which while not 73 years of junk it did have 40 years of accumulated stuff from various points in my family's life). It was a lifesaver to not have to worry about running it ourselves. Plus I felt better knowing that we weren't leaving good stuff to be wasted.

Did I say we were done with the volume block? Because I may have given you the impression I was done counting large numbers for squat reps. As we begin the taper we start off the week with a brisk set of 4x5 on squats. Sounds easy after having to do 5x6, right? Well the weight went up for the first time in a month so I was a little hesitant to begin the session. Luckily 3 coffees, a pastry, and some reading at a local cafe this morning helped center my mind. The Lifts: Squat - 4x5@340lbs (or 154.2kg, or 1.62xBW as of this morning) I was worried for no reason. Okay, there was a bit of a reason because this is 1) the heaviest I've had on the bar all year (the program started pretty light) and 2) this is not only an all time 5RM PR for me, but a squat session PR as well. I've never done a 5 rep session at such heavy weights, it's always been triples or less. I am feeling pretty pumped. The first set was great, the bar moved real fast and I didn't overly struggle. After racking it, I had to double check my plate math because I was sure I mis-loaded, but nope, it was correct. Set 3 I struggled with the bar and lost tightness on reps 3 and 4. Catching my breath and rebracing was a problem. I have a bad habit of letting my eyes drift down when going down and this makes my chest droop. I rested a considerable amount of time, 6 or so minutes, before going to set 4 which was better but the last two were grinders but no big form problems. As I reracked the bar, leaned into it for support as I struggled to simultaneously catch my breath and unbuckle my weight belt. In this moment I fully understood why some lifters prefer lever belts as I spent an agonizing 3-5 seconds trying to loosen the prong so that I could breath unrestricted. Bench - 3x6@165 Nothing to write home about. Next Sunday is bench 1RM test day so I have some light work this week to rest up. I am glad for it because the soreness from 10x3 session on Friday still lingers. My right should is feeling a bit of a twinge and I need to baby it a bit this week. DB Incline Bench Accessory - 3x6@45lbs DBs Light accessories I skipped the pullup superset and instead substituted some banded distractions and lateral raises with 2.5lbs plates to hopefully work on the kink in my right shoulder. It felt a bit better, but still going to be careful with it. Not a bad start.

Wooo week one is in the bag! So it wasn't a great last week of this accumulation phase. I skipped the last Squat session on Wednesday due to a case of the sleepiness. I did not sleep well at all from Monday night until last night due to a combination of heat wave in my area (I don't have A/C) and work related ennui which left me without energy or motivation for so many squats. But never fear, I rallied and at least finished the last DL/bench day of the program this afternoon. The Lifts: Deadlift - 5x3@455 They were okay, I was again sweaty so my grip wasn't spectacular. I am hoping that the humid and heat goes away soon. Bench - 10x3@215lbs I was worried to do these because I was benching in the small work gym that does not have safety arms for the bench press. But all that worry was for nothing as the bar moved adequately on all of the sets. Afterwards, I just went home without my normal 20 minute cool down stretch season. I had already been at work over 50 hours this week and I wanted to flee to enjoy my upcoming rest day. So yeah. We're done with the volume block. Which means it is here, we're getting into. The chase for new maxes is about to begin! After 7 months of (mostly) consistent lifting it is time to put these old bones through their paces.

I did not sleep well last night. It would have been better but there was a neighborhood dog that was upset and decided to start barking nonstop starting at 5am. Sleepiness combined with the soreness of yesterday's session led to a not fantastic deadlift day. But I got in there and did my lifts. The Lifts: Deadlift: 5x3@455lbs Bench: 7x5@190lbs And that is it. There were accessories but I was pretty gassed. I did some cool down stretching. I will mention that it was a particularly humid day today and so I was extra sweaty in the work gym that does not allow chalk. Two more sessions of volume. I can survive this. Wiser words were never spoken by gym bros. I like how even the elite powerlifters I follow admit that bench press is the worst thing you can do and the only reason they do it is for comps. After I hit my numbers I am going to be switching to dumb bells or more OHP or something. Trying to slow glide into maintenance. The last month or so I have been keeping between 205 and 210 which is about as low as I want to go and it has been working well. I wouldn't mind a very slow bulk/recomp at some point but nutrition has never been much of a focus for me and that sounds like a lot of work. I've basically put my diet on autopilot, eating the same amounts and the same meals every day (with a few splurge days every now and again) and it's been working for me. I will say that long term maintenance is by far the hardest part of eating right.

I am here to lurk on your house progress.

Week 1 Day 1: So the challenge has begun! I guess I'll post what I did today Gym Stuff And that was it. Tomorrow is another lifting day, but for now, chores, a shower, some stretching, and most importantly: foooooood.

Hello Nerds! It's been a hot minute and I am stopping by since this challenge also lines up with my month of testing new strength maxes. To catch you all up, this year I have been taking the slow road to steady progress on my lifts. Over the last like 7 -8 years I program hopped, got frustrated, was inconsistent and basically have made no progress since like 2014 when it comes to my powerlifting maxes. But this year I buckled down and approached my lifts like the adult I suppose I am and have spent most of the last 7 months building up the consistent progress habit. I did have a minor set back in the March-April time frame when my old man body tweaked its shoulder pretty badly, stopping me from being able to back squat because of ROM issues. But it is better now, and I am back on track. So goals. Week 1 I am finishing up my last heavy volume week before I start a month of taper into 1 rep max testing. Week 2 is the first taper week, then Week 3 I test bench, then Week 5 I'll test squat and deadlift. As a reminder here are my strength goals I set out to hit by the end of the year: Highlights of the last few months: Squats - I've been squatting a lot lately. Like a lot a lot. All this volume has fixed a bunch of form issues which was creating problems with my knees. I've also relearned how to brace properly with a belt and I am less pancake-y when coming out of the hole. The past 4 weeks have been great at getting me some heavy ass volume which I have shied away from because I do not like counting higher than 3. I am a bit freaked out by some of the numbers during the taper weeks since I will be hitting rep PRs every week before the big day. Bench - I have always hated bench because I suck at it and could never make progress, but I have to say the last month has been great and I am starting to somewhat be on speaking terms with the bench press. My form has vastly improved as I have fixed my grip, found a better width, learned some great cues to keep my back slightly arched and how to push through my feet. I am feeling confident I can reach my yearly goal of hitting 250lbs bench in the coming weeks. Deadlift - The big milestone I hit was a 2.48xBW deadlift about 6 weeks ago. So close to 2.5x! Which is a huuuuuge milestone. I didn't set an absolute PR, it was all due to losing the COVID WFH weight over the last 18 months. I am hoping to add 20-30lbs to my current max DL this month. Fingers crossed. Pullups - I am up to sets of 5 with weighted pullups with 25lbs. After hurting my shoulder I have put a lot of effort into strengthening my shoulders, and I have to say, having strong ass lats has helped both my bench and deadlift. Dips - For the longest time I never really paid attention to dips, but given my shoulder issues I decided to focus on them more so now I can do multiple sets of 10 of dips with my gymnastics rings. All of which has helped my bench Weight - I am currently at the lowest weight I have been since I lived in Texas 8 years ago. I had forgotten how great I feel at my current weight. Not having the extra belly makes basically all of my lifts feel better. It has also been easier to keep the weight off since I have been more consistent with my lifting and I have made some lifestyle changes like barely drinking alcohol these days and reducing my caffeine habit significantly. Okay so that should have caught you all up. Now back to the barbell. No rest for the wicked!

Alright, that was a good enough dinner that being lured here was warranted......this time.

Actual handles! Handles add just a bit more badassery to the walk than just mere dumbbells XD. I am here for Strongman Cardio. We need more of this.