Keone (5/7) - Bear 3

Deadlift
355x5
355x3
355x2
290x5 x17

Bench Press
155x5
145x5
125x5 x21 (+125x4x1)

So today I discovered a new technique that worked very well for me: taking in breath before taking the bar out of the J-hooks, and holding it for all five reps. That helped me to get to 21 sets today.

An observation I've made about this program is it gives you a lot of opportunities to improve technique under stress. It's because the weight is not that heavy, but there is adversity from not getting much rest since the previous N-1 sets. I've been running sets like experiments, trying different things related to breathing, starting position, etc., and seeing which things make the sets easier.

It also seems that not training to failure is the mechanism by which I am able to come back two (or even one) day later to do the same exercises.

Deadlifts are a lot harder than bench. Part of it is starting at a more difficult weight for deadlift, but it also seems like deadlifts will always be more physically and mentally taxing. (Certainly they generate a lot more sweat.) After I run out on deadlifts, I want to collapse on the floor for a while, while after I run out on bench, I'm, you know, not able to do sets of 5 anymore, but I still feel pretty good.