J Dawg's log

To preface this, I want to make it clear that I'm not going to post every single thing I do in the gym here--there's no way I will be able to stick with that. Instead, I'll mostly just be focusing on getting the numbers for my top sets down and this will probably be done in a weekly wrap-up format. And I do not expect a single person to read any of this.

So here are this week's training highlights:

Squat: Top set of 225 x 3, backoff sets of 210 x 3, 210 x 3, 200 x 3. Deadlift top set of 330 x 4 (rep PR) and screwed the backoff work because I was tanked from that set. Bench top set was 145 x 3 and then three sets of 135 x 3, all paused pretty dang well for the most part.

I did squat 145 x 19 and had to go back and do a 20th after I realized I can't count. So that was kind of cool.

Counting is hard.

Yesterday's stuff:

Volume squat sets,

4 sets of 175 x 6

extra workout, accessory lifts

10/24/2014

accessory work

10/25/2014

Deadlift,
Work up to a 3-rep top set RPE 7

335 x 3

back-off sets of 285 x 3, 3 sets


10/27/2014

Bench

5 sets of paused 137 x 4

10/28/2014

squat,
5 sets of 170 x 7

accessory work

10/30/2014

squat
5 sets of 210 x 4

10/31/2014

volume bench,

125 x 7 paused, five sets
assistance/extra work

11/1/2014

deadlift
top set 330 x 4, RPE 8

back-off sets of 300 x 4, two sets

185+ 40 lbs chains x 2 for 6 sets speed work, 30 seconds rest

11/3/2014

paused bench
145 x 3 for five sets

11/5/2014

squat
225 x 3, five sets

11/6/2014

volume bench, 135 x 5, five sets paused

extra/accessory work

11/8/2014

volume squat

185 x 5, five sets

extra/accessory work

11/10/2014

paused heavy bench
155 x 2, five sets *155 x 2 is a 2-rep PR

11/11/2014

volume squat

215 x 3, five sets

extra/accessory work

11/22/2014

Deadlift
Singles
Work up to 375 x 1, 390 x 1, 405 x 1
Went home.

11/24/2014

Bench, paused
Work up to:
140 x 4, three sets of 145 x 4

11/25/2014

Squat
175 x 8, three sets of 180 x 8
Extra workout stuff, bb/assistance work


11/28/14

bench
four setes of 130 x 8 paused
bunch of assistance/bodybuilding work

11/29/14

work up to top set of RPE 8
345 x 4, back-off sets of 310 x 4, 310 x 4, six sets of speed pulls

12/1/14

bench
work up to 150 x 3, three sets of 152 x 3 paused

12/2/14
squat
4 sets of 195 x 6
some assistance work

12/4/14
squat working up to three sets of 240 x 2

12/6/14
volume bench
four sets of 135 x 6 paused
bunch of assistance/bodybuilding stuff

12/7/14
deadlift
working up to 355 x 3, drop sets of 320 x 3, two sets, speed pulls 6 sets of 245 x 2 30-60 seconds rest

12/9/14
bench
paused 155 x 2, three sets of 160 x 2

12/10/14
volume squat
215 x 4, four sets
some bb/assistance work

12/11/14
extra workout day/bodybuilding/hypertrophy

12/14/14
Deadlift
Worked up to 380 x 2, two load drop sets

12/16/14
Paused bench 145 x 4, 4 sets

12/17/14
Volume squat
4 sets of 185 x 8
Bodybuilding/extra work

12/19/14
Heavy squat
4 sets of 225 x 4

12/20/14
Paused bench
4 sets of 135 x 8
Bunch of bb/accessory work

12/21/14

Deadlift
Top set of 350 x 4, two drop sets of 315 x 4

12/23/14

Paused bench

150 x 3, 155 x 3, 155 x 3, 155 x 3

12/24/14

volume squat
200 x 6, four sets
extra work/bb crud

12/25/14
heavy squat
worked up to four sets of 235 x 3

12/26/14
volume bench
four sets of 140 x 6 paused
bodybuilding/assistance work

12/27/14
deadlift
worked up to top set of 370 x 3, ended up being fairly easy, possibly undershooting the RPE target for this day again. Two load drop sets of 335 x 3 and then called it because I didn't sleep at all last night and my hands were ripped to shit.

Notice: Nearly everything I worked with this week was a rep PR. Four sets of 155 x 3 on paused bench is work sets with what is also a rep PR. 140 x 6 is a six-rep paused bench PR from a higher bodyweight that I did for multiple volume sets this week. 235 x 3 is a three-rep PR on the squat and I did that for four sets this week's session. Doing that session was a challenge because not only was the first set a rep PR, I was also just so completely without energy/like a zombie that session that it's a miracle I pulled it off, period. 370 x 3 on the deadlift is a rep PR. This gives you an idea how how significant this week was for me. I mean, a lot of prior weeks have been like this, but when you step back and look at this week's sessions it's insane.

Note that on none of this am I doing an AMRAP or going to failure. It's not part of my programming and taxing my body to that degree is not necessary to make progress for me. IT's about getting in great reps, focusing on technique, and building up a momentum to keep doing good stuff. Cannot wait for this coming week...

12/29 heavy bench
160 x 2, three sets of 165 x 2 paused, I think. Pretty sure it was that and not four sets of 165 x 2.

12/30
volume squat
4 sets of 220 x 4, this did not go well and it signaled the start of needing a deload on squatz.
bodybuilding work/accessory stuff

1/1/2014
heavy squat
worked up to a terrible double at 240 and shut it down because my squat needs a deload, apparently. Also am semi-deloading my bench.

1/3/2014
deadlift
worked up to a 390 x 3 set and did two drop sets of 350 x 2. Then did speed pulls. Was supposed to do a heavy double but 390 x 2 was so easy Kyle yelled at me to do a third.

1/4/2014
accessory/bodybuilding work

1/6/2014
deload bench day
10 sets of paused 115 x 5, timed 1-minute rest intervals between
accessory work

1/8/2014
volume/work back into the squat day
four sets of 200 x 5

1/9/2014
semi-paused volume bench (pauses could have been better but whatever, I'm cool with it on this session)
135 x 10 for 3 sets, 135 x 9 for the last because I just gassed out halfway through the last rep. I do remember when doing sets of 10 used to feel hard with any weight though.

Bodyweight was a semi-surprising 134.6 this morning. Not really wanting it to go lower because I could make 132 and whatever fraction of a pound that weight class is officlally at from this weight like stupid easily. I'm so much better at being on a caloric deficit than maintenance. I never know what to do with myself.