Frank (5/20): RTS, Volume 3, Squat

My glute is still just a tiny bit stiff, so I didn't want to push things too hard today.  Funnily enough, it was actually my adductors that were giving me the biggest problems.

After squats, I did a bunch of high rep work with the power runner and the abductor/adductor machines.

Why is it always my squat days that suck so hard?  Maybe it's just Sunday mornings.

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
2x395 @ 10-
2x395 @ 10
1x395 @ F
The first rep of the second set was my best rep.  For the others, I couldn't get any power off of the bottom, probably because I couldn't really use my glutes.  Lots of good mornings here.

Frank (5/13): RTS, Volume 2, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
2x385 @ 10-
2x385 @ 10
2x385 @ 9+
2x385 @ 9+
2x385 @ 9
These actually felt better the more I did.  

Power Runner: 2x8 @ 360, 2x8 @ 410
GHR: 4x10

Frank (5/6): RTS, Volume 1, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315
3x375 @ 9+
3x375 @ 9+
3x375 @ 9+
3x375 @ 9+
3x375 @ 9+
3x375 @ 9+
Wider stance.  I have to remember to shove my knees out.

Power Runner: 6x360, 8x360, 8x410

I also played around with sumo deadlifts.

Dee 4/21 - Squat

Morning - training with BWRFC:

Running pyramid: 100m, 200, 300, 400, back down, 100m walk as rest.
Circuit: pushups/arms, plank/core, jump rope, 1min on, 10s between, 3 circuits

TPS Squat day:
2x5x45lbs, 5x95, 3x115, 3x135, 3x155, 3x3x135

A very good day for beginner squatters learning to lift, and a good environment to train in for experienced lifters. Got some advice on driving my elbows forward/up when coming out of the hole, hence the extra sets to work on that. It changes how the bar sits on my back so it will take some practice. Met a Mystic River (elite local rugby team) dude there who has a very deep squat but wobbly knees. Also talked to Jane Stabile a bit, who is a world champion equipped lifter in the 50+ age brackets, and very nice. I'm a big fan o' her. :)

Frank (4/21): RTS, Intensity 3, Squat

I went to a squat workshop at TPS today.

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x415
Fx465
3x365
I guess it was just too heavy.  Bummer.  Murph said I need to work on two things:
1.  Drive everything (head, chest, etc.) back as I come up out of the hole.  Drive my elbows forward.
2.  Learn to brace by breathing through my abdomen.
These are things that have been yelled at me at many points in my training, but I guess it's good to know that everyone agrees about what I need to work on.

Frank (4/15): RTS, Intensity 2, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
1x425 @ 9+
1x440 @ 10-
Fx440
This was reassuring after my abject failure last week.  I probably shouldn't have gone for that second single, though.

Reverse Band Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 5x315, 3x405, 1x495
2x585 @ 9
2x585 @ 9

GHR: 3x10
Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (4/8): RTS, Intensity 1, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
Fx425
1x405 @ F
1x405 @ 10
1x405 @ 10
8x315
8x315
Wow, major suckage.  The last warmup was already a little weird, so I guess I could have foreseen this.  I'm not sure why this happened except that maybe I wasn't mentally all there.

Reverse Band Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 5x315, 3x405, 1x495
2x585 @ 9+
2x585 @ 9+
Huh.  This confirms my suspicion that my squats were mainly a mental problem.

GHR: 3x8
Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (4/1): RTS, Volume 3, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
3x395 @ 10
3x395 @ 10
3x395 @ 10
The first rep was OK on all sets. The third rep was bad on even the first set. The others noticed that I seem to stall about half way out of the hole.

High Box Squat
2x405 @ 8
2x455 @ 9-
2x455 @ 9-
I did this on Lauren's recommendation. I seem to stall about an inch off the box, which I guess means this is where I need more work, though it seems to me that this is a bit higher than where I usually stop. Ross also said that I look very uncomfortable under a heavy load, so this will help me get used to it. I'm uncertain whether my weak squat is due to technique problems or just not being strong enough, but I'm betting on the latter. In the future, I'll do these as squat assistance on deadlift days.

Reverse Band Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 5x315, 3x405, 1x455, 1x495
3x545 @ 9
3x545 @ 9
3x545 @ 9+

GHR: 3x8
Leg Press: 3x8 @ 360
Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (3/25): RTS, Volume 2, Squat

I'm back to training at TPS with Lauren and Ross (and anyone else who shows up this early on a Sunday morning). Chad Wesley Smith was giving a Juggernaut Method seminar while we were there, which I couldn't attend, unfortunately, because I had to lift.

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
2x395 @ 9+
2x395 @ 10-
2x395 @ 9
2x395 @ 9
2x395 @ 9+
The first and second set were a little rushed and thus sloppy. The third and fourth were good. The fifth was also sloppy, but I was getting tired by then. I'm still a very back dominant squatter. I can work on shoving my elbows forward, but otherwise, I think I just have to stay focused while lifting. The others were a little short on time, so there wasn't that much lifting discussion.

Reverse Band Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 5x315, 3x405, 3x455, 1x495
2x545 @ 9
2x545 @ 9
2x545 @ 9
2x545 @ 9

GHR: 3x8
Leg Press: 3x8 @ 315
Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (3/18): RTS, Volume 1, Squat

I was originally planning on getting up at 7 to train with the crew at TPS, but I felt terrible when I woke up, as in I wanted to curl up into a fetal position and go back to sleep terrible. Which is precisely what I did. I felt much better when I woke up 5 hours later.

On the bright side, the weather outside is gorgeous. It felt like such a waste to be inside lifting weights.

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315
4x375 @ 9+
4x375 @ 10
4x375 @ 10
5x315
5x315
These were all pretty terrible, and my head felt like it was going to explode. I called it after three sets but did a few more reps at a lower weight just to get in some extra work.

Reverse Band Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 5x315, 3x405, 3x455
4x495 @ 9+
4x495 @ 9+
4x495 @ 9+

Leg Curl: 3x10 @ 100
Leg Extension: 3x10 @ 100
Decline Situp: 3x15
I was just experimenting with some of the machines.

Frank (2/26): RTS, Intensity 1, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
1x430 @ 10
1x430 @ 10
1x430 @ 10
5x315
5x315
The first single was awful. My chest caved, and the only reason I could lock it out was because of my absurdly strong back. The second was better, though I still stalled a few inches out of the hole. The third was as bad as the first. This was supposed to be my opener. Very troubling.

"Natural" GHR: 3x5
Decline Situp: 3x15

I also managed to drink a gallon of water for the first time yesterday, which made me balloon (literally) up to around 190 for a few hours. I also have to pee like a racehorse every hour or so now. Another interesting side-effect is that drinking so much water completely throws off my sense of hunger. This is a good thing for losing those last few pounds but is not ideal for maintaining strength since I get weak pretty quickly if I'm not eating enough.

Frank (2/19): RTS, Volume 3, Squat

Trained at Edge Gym in NYC today. The lead-up to today's training was all sorts of fail. First, I've been sick since Friday and was leaking fluids pretty heavily on Saturday. Fortunately, I felt much better today and decided to risk sharing my pestilential aura with the other gym goers. Second, I didn't get to the gym until 5:15 today, when I discovered that it closed at 6. Third, after I got there, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my shorts. I briefly considered just squatting without pants since I was wearing boxers, but I eventually concluded that the people of NYC were not ready for my full glory and squatted in jeans. Not ideal.

On the bright side, I did meet up with Sheng, Keone, and Eunice again, which was nice since I haven't seen them in a while. Actual training also went pretty well.

Squat
5x135, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
3x395 @ 8+
3x395 @ 9
3x395 @ 9
3x395 @ 10-
3x395 @ 10-

That's it. I had to skip deadlift assistance and other assistance, but the first exercise of my workouts is where I do 80% of my work anyway, so I count this as a success.

Frank (2/12): RTS, Volume 2, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
2x395 @ 9
2x395 @ 8+
2x395 @ 8+
2x395 @ 9+
2x395 @ 9
2x395 @ 10-
I came up a little unevenly on the first set, which was mainly due to me being sloppy. The second and third were good. The fourth set was pretty bad -- the first rep was uneven and my hips shot back on the second. The fifth was better, but slow. The sixth was also OK, but the last rep was a bit of a grinder.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405, 1x455
2x475 @ 8
2x475 @ 8
2x475 @ 8+
2x475 @ 8+

"Natural" GHR: 3x6
Not completely natural because I cheat by pushing off the ground a bit at the bottom. I will progress slowly toward full naturalness over time.
Decline Situp: 3x15

My morning weight was 186.6 on Friday, 186.4 on Saturday, and 185.6 today. Brian assures me that cutting 4lbs is nothing, so I'll take his word for it and not fret too much about making weight.

Frank (2/5): RTS, Volume 1, Squat

I had stomach cramps all through last night and only managed to fall asleep at around 5am. I was still feeling pretty crappy by the time I came in today, but not so crappy that I couldn't train.

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315
4x375 @ 8+
4x375 @ 8+
4x375 @ 9-
4x375 @ 9+
The last set was a bit of a mess, but the others were all technically sound.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405
3x455 @ 8
3x455 @ 8
3x455 @ 8
3x455 @ 8
3x455 @ 8+

Natural GHR: 3x6
Decline Situp: 3x15

I went from having stomach cramps to feeling like I needed to puke to just feeling a bit woozy by the end of the training session, which was a marked improvement. I guess squats do cure everything.

Frank (1/29): RTS, Intensity Week 3, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
1x455 @ 10-
Fx475
Fx465
The 455 was fast and had minimal form breakdown when I stalled out at my usual spot. I've been trying to descend faster in order to get more of a bounce out of the hole, and it worked pretty well on that rep. The 475 pretty much stapled me to the ground. I got the 465 only a few inches out of the hole, and I didn't descend as aggressively either. I might have been able to get it if I wasn't so greedy on the second attempt. Still, I'm OK with this result given that this is only the second time I've managed to get 455, and it was much easier than the first time I tried it.

EDIT: I just looked back at the log, and the first time I got 455 was on March 29, 2011. Yeesh. Talk about slow/no progress... That was when I last failed 635 and 315 too, so at least I got those.

EDIT 2: Apparently, after the meet last May, all I've done was Sheiko and more Sheiko (i.e. hopping to a program I didn't really understand) rather than sticking to my principles (i.e. what I knew worked) and making tweaks where needed. Stupid stupid stupid. Many years form now, I will look back at these last few months and weep.

Natural GHR: 2x5
Decline Situp: 2x15

Frank (1/22): RTS, Intensity Week 2, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
1x435 @ 9+
1x435 @ 10
1x435 @ 10-
These felt pretty strong, which was somewhat of a relief. I tipped forward a bit on the last two, but though I couldn't see myself, it was nowhere near a good morning.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405, 1x455
1x495 @ 9
1x495 @ 9
1x495 @ 9

GHR: 4
Declien Situp: 15
I took it light on the assistance because next week is 100% week.

Frank (1/15): RTS, Intensity Week 1, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365, 1x405
0x435 @ F
2x405 @ F
I was hoping to double or triple 435, but failed to even get a single rep. I then tried to triple 405 but only managed a double. I'm not sure what went wrong. I do find that if I'm hungry the day before a training day, then that particular training day will suck. I was definitely hungry yesterday. Caloric deficit FTL.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405
3x455 @ 9+
Basically called it a day.

GHR: 10, 10, 8
I moved the pad a little closer on the third set to make it harder.
Unweighted Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (1/8): RTS, Volume Week 3, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
3x385 @ 8
3x385 @ 8
3x385 @ 8
3x385 @ 9
3x385 @ 9
My form broke down a little toward the end of the fourth set, but I decided to do a fifth anyway. I probably could have done six, but it would have been ugly.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405, 1x455
3x475 @ 8
3x475 @ 8
3x475 @ 8
3x475 @ 8+
3x475 @ 9

Yes: 3x10 @ 100
No: 3x10 @ 100
Decline Situp: 3x15

Frank (12/31): RTS, Volume Week 2, Squat

Squat
5x45, 5x135, 5x185, 5x225, 3x275, 3x315, 1x365
2x385 @ 8
2x385 @ 8
2x385 @ 8
2x385 @ 8
2x385 @ 8+
2x385 @ 9
Not too bad. Using a Chris-like grip helps me keep my back tight, chest up, and torso upright. The last two sets were a tiny bit good-morninged.

Deficit Deadlift
5x135, 5x225, 3x315, 3x365, 1x405
2x475 @ 8+
2x475 @ 8+
2x475 @ 8
2x475 @ 9
I had my belt on too right for the first too sets. I must be getting a bit pudgy.

GHR: 4, 6, 5
Decline Situp: 3x10
I was originally going to do ab rollouts, but my abs were too sore.
Yes: 3x10 @ 140
No: 3x10 @ 140

Q 12/24 and 12/27

12/24
Deadlift: 255lb x4 x3
Back extension: +5lb x12 x4
Pullups: 8 x4
Abs: 10 x3

12/27
Squat: 225lb x3, 245lb x3, 275lb x3, 225lb x3
Dumbbell press: 45lb x8 x3
Lateral raise: 15lb x10 x3
Dips: 12 x3
Pullups: 8 x3