John's first log

[Cinic]

6/22/17 - 5:00P - 97F

Freaking hot. Portable evaporative cooler ordered. Supposed to be here Tuesday. Should take edge off heat at least until the humidity hits.

Squat
275x3x5

Bench
(T&G 225x3 - 45s rest - 225x1 w/ comp pause) x 4

SGDL
240x5x4

Was hoping to get in my press density block at the end of this workout but had to run my kid to a basketball game and ran out of time.

[Cinic]

6/26/18 5:30P - 98F @ start

Wrist update: Pain gone. Feel silly for reason.

Workout behind this week. Missed Sunday due to having to work. Felt weirdly untrained and weak. Not sure if 3 rest days should make me feel like this. Maybe I'm just getting used to training more? I'll finish up this cycle a day behind this week. Next week for the 4th we're taking a trip to Denver so my training will be kinda messed up and I'll probably only get in two sessions. I might just repeat the P & S workouts from this week and then start a new cycle the following week.

Squat
260x4x3
260x3x4

Bench
210x4x3
210x3x4

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
7' Density Block
29 Reps (one less than two weeks ago)

Used the portable evap cooler in the garage for the first time. Not totally thrilled with it, but it did knock over 5 degrees out of the air throughout the workout. Plus it's blowing cool air on me the whole time. I think I'm asking a lot of it to cool off a 100 degree room that's all heat soaked. I'll give it a few more workouts and see if I keep it. Only other real option would be to install a mini-split AC unit. But those are $$$ and I'd really need to insulate the walls, ceiling and garage door to not feel like I was just throwing dollars into the garbage.

I lived in a house in Tucson during college that had only an evap cooler. We'd run it all night and chill the house and it's thick brick walls then shut it off in the morning when it started warming up. House would stay nice most of the day until the evening when it started to warm up. But then the sun would set and it would cool off enough to start the thing up again. In my current case, I'm trying to take a 100F room and cool it off. And at 5:00 it's still 110 outside so the fresh dry air I need to bring in is even hotter. Prolly a no win situation here. And it'll be even worse when the storms and humidity hit in a few weeks.

[Cinic]

Logging in the last few sessions here....

6/28/18

Squat
207.5x3
242.5x2
267.5x1x2
282.5x1
310x1
320x1

Bench
167.5x3
195x2
217.5x1x2
237.5x1
257.5x1
265x1 - smooth

CGBP
182.5x8x3

I got a late start to this workout and was tired/hungry so I postponed the DL until...

6/29/18

DL
400x1
347.5x4x3
347.5x3x2

These were getting pretty grindy. Not sure if I should add 10# to the next cycle or what.

6/30/18

Squat
282.5x3x3
282.5x2x3

Bench
230x3x4
230x2x3

SGDL
260x5x4

Still missing out on the press sessions more than I want. I like pressing. But by the end of the workouts I'm just done and schedule isn't allowing the extra day.

[Cinic]

7/2/18

Going on a trip to Denver for the rest of the week so I didn't start a new cycle. This workout was a repeat of W2D1 of my last cycle. I'm gonna train one day in Denver and I'll repeat my W2D2 for that one.

Squat
260x4x3
260x3x4

Bench
210x4x3
210x3x4

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
7' Density Block
31 Reps

[Cinic]

7/6/18

Trained on vacation in Denver at Iron Warrior Gym. Decent enough place. Plenty of space. Bars kinda bent though. Was easy to setup a visitor pass all thru their website for $15.

Pretty much repeated last MM cycle W2D2.

Squat
205x3
245x2
265x1x2
285x1
315x1
325x1

Bench
170x3
195x2
215x1x2
240x1
255x1
265x1

CGBP
185x8x3

DL
405x1
345x4x5
Only second time ever pulling 405. I liked the DL bar they had at this gym. I'm used to a B&R bar and this was smaller diameter which made for better grip and a bit more flex off the floor.

[Cinic]

7/8/18

Started MM Cycle 5 today. Getting muggy out. Evap doesn't work so well when it is not dry weather. I'm curious how the DL is going to act this cycle. It feels like things have been slowing down a bit and getting harder.

e1RM for this cycle are:
Squat 355 (+10#)
BP 285 (+5#)
DL 445 (+10#)
Press 1@9 is TBD

Squat
247.5x5x6

Bench
200x5x7

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
10' Density Block
38 Reps

[Cinic]

7/10/18

Thunderstorms around so it's muggy but not as hot. 92F to start but really humid....for AZ.

Squat
212.5x3
247.5x2
275x1x2
290x1
320x1

Bench
170x3
200x2
220x1x2
242.5x1
262.5x1

CGBP
185x8x3

DL
400x1
335x4x5

[Cinic]

7/12/18

Thunderstorms - hot and sticky outside. Didn't feel great today. Evap cooler isn't working that well w/ this weather.

Squat
267.5x3x5

Had some right knee pain and some lower back pain during the squats. Knee pain came and went. Back pain persisted. Still tender this morning. It's dead center and pretty low. Weights felt heavy and I got the work done.

Bench
(T&G 227.5x3 - 45s rest - 227.5x1 w/ comp pause) x 4

Was trying the slightly higher safeties after the discussion about bench safety. But I kept touching them in thru the first two sets that it became a distraction so I lowered them back down an inch. I've got some horse stall mat leftovers but they're 3/4". I'll get some 1/2" strips of something to put under the bench.

SGDL
245x5x4

Felt the back pain at the top of the rep here.

I have a fairly excessive lordotic curve and need to focus on not over extending my low back. I always have a bit of pain a bit lower and to the left of what I felt today. This is my 5th cycle on MM. Not sure if I'm getting a bit beat up or what. Maybe I need to switch to something else for a cycle or two. We'll see how I feel after a couple days off.

[Cinic]

7/15/18

Squat
267.5x4x3
267.5x3x4

Bench
215x4x3
215x3x4

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
7' Density Block
31 Reps

[Cinic]

7/18/18

Hot - 98F in garage. Was feeling pretty good at start but the heat was taking it out of me by the end.

Squat
212.5x3
247.5x2
275x1x2
290x1
320x1
327.5x1

Bench
170x3
200x2
220x1x2
242.5x1
262.5x1
270x1 (This was smooth - 8 or 8.5)

CGBP
185x8x3

DL
410x1 ***PR*** Video Below
355x4x3
355x3x2

If I try to get the 4th rep on the later sets of these deadlifts, it's really grindy w/ nice back rounding.



That back twitch/rounding right before I pull is when I tighten my abs....not sure I like the way that looks. But the low back pain mentioned a few posts back has me scared of over-extending at the top.

[cgeorg]

Back looks fine to me, that was real fast too!

[Cinic]

Back looks fine to me, that was real fast too!

Thanks for the input on my back. The reassurance is helpful.

I was real worried about that pull. But it's amazing how one little PR can improve one's mood and outlook on training. I need all the motivation I can get with this heat.

[Cinic]

7/20/18

Final workout of MM cycle 5.

Squat
290x3x3
290x2x3

Bench
232.5x3x4
232.5x2x1
232.5x5x1 (I decided to rep out a few here. At least one left in tank, maybe 2 after 5 reps. This lines up pretty well with my e1RM of 285...although I'm not sure how fatigued I was. Was using 2 min rests b/w sets)

SGDL
267.5x5x4

So the local strength-lifting meet was just announced for the end of October. I had fun doing that last year and will probably do it again. I'll need to get press focused on my training. Not sure how to adapt MM w/ a press focus. Is it as easy as substituting press for bench press and vice versa?

[cgeorg]

Yep. Maybe do incline instead of cgbp

[Cinic]

7/22/18

Started MM Cycle 6 today. Am swapping Press and Bench Press to prepare for October strength meet. @cgeorg's recommendation above is solid, but I don't have an incline bench. For now, I'll stick to the CGBP unless someone has a better recommendation. I have a fairly limited equipment home gym.

e1RM for this cycle are:
Squat 365 (+10#)
BP 290 (+5#)
DL 455 (+10#)
Press 170# (guess)

Squat
255x5x6 (maybe 7...lost count and did enough to make sure I got 6)
Tweaked a neck/back muscle during set 4 or 5. Left side between spine and scapula. It'll probably hurt like a bitch tomorrow morning and be better in a few days. I ignored it for the rest of this workout.

Press
120x5x7
These didn't get grindy. I had not pressed in a while so my e1RM was a guess. But my shoulders were very fatigued/pumped by the end. I'll see how the rest of this cycle works out but I might take a larger jump on the next cycle than I normally would. My bench is stronger than is has been maybe ever so I'm not sure how that will carry over to the press.

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
10' Density Block
40 Reps

[Cinic]

Neck feels better than I expected. Bothered me a bit during the night and I'll get a twinge if I move my head too quickly now. But it's not the can't-turn-head pain of tweaks past. Hopefully it just improves until it goes away.

Shoulders are sore. And that's a rarity for me. Everything else will get sore but I hardly ever get DOMs in the shoulder muscles. Guess that's what I get for skipping the pressing for so long.

[Cinic]

7/24/18

Hot.

Squat
225x3
255x2
282.5x1x2
300x1
327.5x1

Press
102.5x3
120x2
132.5x1x2
145x1
157.5x1
165x1 *
*This was off program but I wanted to get another data point. My e1RM guess was 170 for this cycle. It moved pretty well - 8 or 8.5. My sticking point has usually been up high like my triceps can't lock it out. I think the CGBP has helped here and I also think that's a good reason to keep it in my program while I work on my pressing.

CGBP
187.5x8x3
These were easier than usual - probably b/c no benching before.

DL
410x1 Repeat of last week's PR. Guess it wasn't a fluke.
342.5x4x5 (So much easier than the week 2 day.)

[Cinic]

7/26/18

Good lord it's hot.

Squat
292.5x3x5

These were freaking hard. Looking back at my log I think I did an incorrect weight last cycle...or I just logged it wrong. Not sure. But they were slow at 8.5 or 9. Way harder than they should have been. Here's my problem though - I'm still in the mindset that I do the program as written. Should I have regulated these down to something that felt more like what 80% should have felt like? I don't want to grind myself into dust.

Press
135x4x4

SGDL
250x5x4

[Cinic]

7/28/18

Bench Press
1@9 = 275
7' density block at 80% of @9 = 220# for 23 reps.

This was my first density block while swapping press for bench press in the MM. I did not like it. Seems like there's so much setup involved w/ a bench press versus a press that I had a hard time with it. I tend to lose form and aggravate my AC joint when benches get hard. I know the point of this is to get a heavy rep and some quick volume work, but I'd really rather do the 1@9 with some 6x4 or 4x6 or whaever rather than the density block.

7/29/18

Squat
275x4x3
275x3x4

Press
127.5x4x3
127.5x3x4

Assisted Chins
Purple Band thru foot
7' Density Block
33 Reps (+2 over last cycle)

Squats were better than strength day last week. Neck pain doesn't bother me during training. Except that it was annoying during the SGDL last week and I forgot to mention it.

[cgeorg]

I'd really rather do the 1@9 with some 6x4 or 4x6 or whaever rather than the density block.

Sounds like a very reasonable modification. If you have the time for it, why not?