sam's garage logs

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Day 1 - Sat Feb 8 2020
Bodyweight: 173.5
Front Squat: warmup 45x5x2 95x5 135x5 working 155x4x3 155x3x2
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 155x4 working 170x4x3 170x3x4
Chin: 7 min block: 14 total (aborted after about 3 minutes due to back pain)

Back is fucked from front squats. Even the 155lb working sets were a disaster. I meant to do 155x4x3 then 155x3x4 but skipped the last two sets. I'm going to stop doing them for a few weeks then try to reintroduce at a much lighter weight (say, 95x8x2) a couple times a week and build up from there.

Bench was fine. Bar felt a bit slower than I would have liked, though.

Chins were stopped part of the way through the block because halfway up each rep my upper/mid-back muscles engage and give out a sharp pain. Was bearable at first but eventually became too much. It's the muscles that are killed by the front squats that hurt.

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Day 3 - Mon Feb 10 2020
Bodyweight: 173.5
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 working 190x3 205x2 235x1x2 255x1 275x1x2 (RPE 10, then RPE 9)
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 working 135x3 155x2 175x1x2 190x1 205x1 215x1 (RPE 8.5)
Deadlift: warmup 135x5 225x3 275x1 315x1 working 335x1 (RPE 9) 290x3x6
Close Grip Bench: 145x8x3

Went back to back squat today to give my upper back a break. Felt a bit harder than I wanted, but not terrible. Lingering soreness in upper back affected deads a bit but overall the deads were fine, given the intensity. Bench unremarkable as always.

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Day 5 - Wed Feb 12 2020
Bodyweight: 173.3
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 185x3 225x2x2 working 245x3x3 245x2x3
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 165x3 working 185x3x4 185x2x3
Snatch Grip DL: warmup 135x5 working 225x5x4

Squats were terrible, as they almost always are on strength days. My e1RM may have dropped during my week of front squats, so maybe 245 is a bit higher than 82%. Still, by the last set I felt like it was an RPE 10.

Bench was fine. Got a little tired by the end. Hard to tell RPEs when I'm seven sets in, but it didn't seem high.

Snatch grip deadlifts were mentally easy but physically felt the most demanding. My heart-rate was way up after each set, but I felt good doing them regardless.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Day 1 - Sat Feb 15 2020
New TMs: Squat 305->300, Bench 225->230, Dead 365->370
Bodyweight: 170.7
Squat: warmup 45x5x2 95x5 135x5 185x5 working 210x5x6 (last set RPE 7)
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 working 160x5x7 (last set RPE 8)
Chins: 10 minute block, 53 total (alternated 3 and 2 reps every 30 seconds, plus a bit extra in the last minute)

Lowered my squat TM down to 300. The sets today all felt easy. I also switched from squatting in heels to squatting in socks. We'll see how that works out as the weights get heavier, but I felt like I wasn't pushing forward as much at the sticking point as I was when using heels.

Bench went just fine as always.

Chins felt easy. Next time I'll add 5lbs of weight.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Day 3 - Mon Feb 17 2020
Bodyweight: 171.0
Squat: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 working 185x3 215x2 235x1x2 255x1 275x1 (RPE 9)
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 working 135x3 155x2 175x1x2 195x1 210x1 (RPE 9)
Deadlift: warmup 135x3 225x3 275x1 315x1 working 335x0 (failed two attempts!) 245x5x4
Close Grip Bench: 150x8x3

Felt weak as hell today. Calories were way under my goal over the weekend (Friday I only ate 1300 calories) and I felt sore for days after Saturday's workout. RPEs were higher than I expected on every lift but the deadlift in particular was fucked. Two attempts at what should have been a 90% weight (and was a weight I did just fine a week ago!) and both failed. I lowered the backoff sets from 275 to 245 and was thankfully able to do that weight pretty easily.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Day 5 - Wed Feb 19 2020
Bodyweight: 171.9
Squat: warmup 45x5x2 135x3x2 185x3 225x3 working 240x3x5 (RPE 6 up to RPE 9)
Bench: warmup 45x5x2 95x5 135x4 160x4 working 185x4x4 (3 TnG, rest, 1 comp bench) (TnG RPE <7, comp RPE 8)
Snatch Grip Deadlift: warmup 135x5 185x5 working 205x5x4 (RPE <7)

Bumped my calories back up a bit the past few days (tried to hit 1900 every day) and I think the results were positive. Today's workout felt much better than Monday's disaster.

Squat, for the first time in ages, felt appropriately difficult for sets of 3 at 80%. I also attribute some of that to switching to squatting in my socks. I think the heels I was wearing before cause my back to be too vertical and my quads take too much of the weight. In socks I felt stronger.

Bench was easy. Tough to rate RPEs on these weird sets, but it was definitely easier than when I did the same workout at 180lbs two weeks ago.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Day 6 - Thu Feb 20 2020
Bodyweight: 172.0
OHP: warmup 45x5 65x6 85x3 105x1 120x1 (RPE 9) 135x0 (failed attempt ) 7 min block: 105x4,4,4,3,3,1,1 (18 total)
Rower: 30 minutes, 6500m

Week 2 Day 1 - Sat Feb 22 2020
Bodyweight: 170.0
Squat: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 185x4 working 225x4x3 225x3x4
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 155x4 working 175x4x3 175x3x4
Chins: 7 min block with 5lbs: 40 total (4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2)

Still squatting without shoes. Found that pointing my toes forward more helps with my balance. Squat feels way more posterior chain dominant now. Looking forward to Monday to see how my form holds up on higher weights. Last squat set RPE <7.

Bench went well as usual. Last set RPE <7.

Did chins with added weight today and was pleased to get 40 reps in 7 minutes. When I started doing these chin-up density blocks I couldn't get that many reps in 10 minutes unweighted! Though, I did weight 10lbs more back then

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Day 3 - Mon Feb 24 2020
Bodyweight: 170.8
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5x2 working 185x3 215x2 235x1x2 255x1 275x1 280x1 (RPE 8.5)
Bench: warmup 45x5x2 95x5 working 135x3 155x2 185x1x2 195x1 210x1 220x1 (RPE 9)
Deadlift: warmup 135x5 225x3 275x2 315x1 working 340x1 (RPE 9) 295x3x6 (last set with straps)
Close Grip Bench: 150x8x3



I've been squatting without shoes for the past week or so. I think it's greatly improving my form. The youtube video above is my top single today at 280lbs. The video below is from a few weeks ago and the shows me doing a top single at 285 with significantly worse (IMO) form.



Bench went well. The top single at 220lbs is 5lbs off from my lifetime PR of 225, so I'm feeling great about that!

Deads were probably too heavy, but I did at least manage to get the single at 340, which was a relief after failing the single at 335 last week. The triples at 295 were tough. I'll maintain my e1RM or lower it on the next cycle.

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Day 5 - Thu Feb 27
Bodyweight: 165.8
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 185x3 225x3 working 245x3x2
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 165x3 working 190x3x2 190x5 (RPE 10)

Small workout tonight because I lost 5lbs last night due to some kind of fever/flu. You can imagine how. It sucked. Just wanted to get in the gym and do a bit of work without killing myself. I kept the intensity at where it would have been on a regular workout but cut the volume way down. Didn't even bother with snatch grip deadlifts which I was scheduled to do in today's workout.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Hypertrophy - Sat Feb 29
Bodyweight: 168.3
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 185x5 working 210x5x6
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 working 140x5x4 160x5x5
Chins: 10 minute block, 5lbs added: 46 total

I've been eating less since being sick due to a bit of a suppressed appetite, so while I didn't feel particularly weak today, the session did tire me out more than usual. Squats in particular left me feeling drained.

On bench I did a stupid math mistake and ended up doing sets at 140lbs instead of 160lbs. I figured out halfway through the workout and then did 5 sets at 160. I hope it all evens out in the end!

Chins were hard, especially compared to last time I did them. Only got 46, was hoping to get more than that since I got 40 in 7 minutes last time.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Power - Mon March 2
Bodyweight: 166.8
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 working 185x3 215x2 235x1x2 255x1 275x1 (RPE 9, misgrooved, shitty rep)
Bench: warmup 45x5x2 95x5 working 135x3 165x2 185x1x2 195x1 210x1 (RPE 8.5) bonus rep 225x1 (RPE 10!)
Deadlift: warmup 135x5 225x3 275x2 300x1 working 325x1 (RPE 9) 275x4x2 265x4
Close Grip Bench: 140x8 150x8x2

Most lifts were good today but the deadlift was tough. I'm over my sickness from last week but my lifts are still feeling a bit harder than typical. On the bright side, I managed a bench single at 225, which is tied for my all time PR!

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Strength - Wed March 4
Bodyweight: 167.2
Squat: warmup 45x5x2 135x5 185x5 225x3 working 240x3x5
Bench: warmup 45x10 95x5 135x5 160x4 working 185x4x4 (3 TnG 1 paused)
Snatch Grip Deadlift: warmup 135x5 185x3 working 205x5x4

Squat sets started out hardish (RPE 8), got a little easier in the middle (RPE <7) then the last set was hard (RPE 9). Bench also started out harder and then got easier as the sets went on. SGDL was fine, RPE <5 on every set. Maybe up to RPE 7 on the last.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Press Day - Thu March 05
Bodyweight: 167.2
Overhead Press: warmup 45x5 65x6 85x5 105x3 115x1 working 125x1 100x7min (24 total reps)
Rower: 30 minutes, 6180m

Week 2 Hypertrophy - Sat March 07
Bodyweight: 165.8
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 185x5 working 225x4x3 225x3x4
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 155x4 working 175x4x3 175x3x4
Chins: 7 minute block with 7.5lbs: 34 total

I kept my TMs the same when I started this cycle, so today's lifts all felt pretty easy. I'd say each set hovered around RPE 7. Maybe lower on the sets of 3.

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Power - Mon Mar 09
Bodyweight: 166.8
Deadlift: warmup 135x5 225x3 275x2 300x1 working 330x1 (RPE 9.5) 275x4x5
Close Grip Bench: 150x8x3

Short workout today. Skipped the singles on bench and squat because I got home from work so late and didn't feel like I had time to do the full session. The 5 sets of 4 at 275 deadlifts felt pretty good, though. I felt like I had tons of grip strength, and I really focused on engaging my lats. My whole back was sore the next day.

Week 2 Strength - Thu Mar 12
Bodyweight: 165.4
Squat: warmup 45x10 135x6 185x5 225x3 working 245x3x3 245x2x3 (all sets RPE <= 7)
Bench: warmup 45x10 95x5 135x5 165x3 working 190x3x4 190x2x3 (RPE 7-8)
Snatch Grip Deadlift: warmup 135x5 185x5 working 215x5x4

Moved this workout from Wednesday to Thursday due to very long hours at work on Wednesday. Everything felt good, all very appropriate RPEs by my estimation.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Hypertrophy - Sat Mar 14
Bodyweight: 164.1
Squat: warmup 45x5 135x5 185x5 working 215x5x6
Bench: warmup 45x5 95x5 135x5 working 165x5x7
Chins: 10 min, 7.5lbs: 48 total

New Training Maxes: Squat: 300 -> 305, Bench: 230 -> 235, Dead: 360 -> 345

I hadn't eaten much by the time I worked out so, while my RPEs were fine (low, across the board), I felt pretty drained and low energy. My deadlift singles have been feeling like a much higher intensity than prescribed, so I dropped my TM from 360 to 345. Everything else has felt good lately, though, so I bumped up the squat and bench TMs.

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Squat Strength - Wed Mar 25
Bodyweight: 163.4
Squat: warmup 45x10 135x5 185x5 225x3 working 250x3x3 250x2x3
Snatch Grip DL: warmup 135x5 working 205x5x4

Week 2 Bench Strength - Thu Mar 26
Bodyweight: 162.2
Bench: warmup 95x5 135x5 155x5 175x3 working 195x3x4 195x2x3
DB Curl 20x12x2
DB Row 35x10x2

Now that I'm working from home I've decided to split up my routine from a 3 days/week program into a 6 days/week program. This is just to keep the time in the gym down to 30 minutes or so, mostly for motivational reasons. It just feels easier to go out to the garage if I know I'm just gonna be out there to squat or bench, and not do a full hour plus workout.

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Squat Hypertrophy - Sat Mar 28
Bodyweight: 162.9
Squat: 45x10 135x5 185x5 215x5x6

Week 1 Bench Hypertrophy - Sun Mar 29
Bodyweight: 161.5
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 170x5x7
Chin: 10 minutes at 10lbs: 50 total reps

Week 1 Squat Power - Mon Mar 30
Bodyweight: 161.9
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x3 215x2 240x1x2 265x1 280x1 (RPE 8.5)
Dead: 135x5 225x4 275x3 295x2 315x1 265x4x5

Week 1 Bench Power - Tue Mar 31
Bodyweight: 162.3
Bench: 45x10 95x5 135x5 145x3 170x2 185x1x2 205x1 220x1 (RPE 9)
Close Grip Bench: 155x8x3

[kingsamj]

Week 1 Squat Strength - Wed Apr 1
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x5 225x3 250x3x5
SGDL: 135x5 190x5x4

Week 1 Bench Strength - Thu Apr 2
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 165x4 190x4x4
DB Curl: 20x8x3
DB Row: 35x8x3

Week 2 Squat Hypertrophy - Sat Apr 4
Squat: 45x10 135x5 185x5 235x4x3 235x3x4

Week 2 Bench Hypertrophy - Sun Apr 5
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 180x4x3 180x3x4

Week 2 Squat Power - Mon Apr 6
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x3 225x2 245x1x2 265x1 280x1 285x1
Dead: 135x5 225x4 275x3 300x1 320x1

Week 2 Bench Power - Tue Apr 7
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 145x3 170x2 185x1x2 205x1 220x1 230x1 (RPE 9.5)
CGBP: 155x8x3

Week 2 Squat Strength - Wed Apr 8
Week 2 Bench Strength - Thu Apr 9

Week 1 Squat Hypertrophy - Sat Apr 11
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x5 220x5x6

Week 1 Bench Hypertrophy - Sun Apr 12
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 170x5x7
Chins: 10 mins at 12.5lbs: 44 total

Week 1 Squat Power - Mon Apr 13
Squat: 45x10 135x5 185x3 225x2 250x1x2 270x1 285x1
Dead: 135x5 225x4 275x3 300x1 320x1

Week 1 Bench Power - Tue Apr 14
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 145x3 170x2 185x1x2 205x1 220x1
CGBP: 160x8x3

Week 1 Squat Strength - Wed Apr 15
Bodyweight: 160.5
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x5 225x5 252x3x5
SGDL: 195x5x4

Week 1 Bench Strength - Thu Apr 16
Bodyweight: 161.4
Bench: 45x5 95x5 135x5 165x5 195x4x4
DB Curl: 30x8x3
DB Row: 40x8x3

Holy crap I knew I hadn't logged in a while but I didn't realize it was half a month! I've been steadily working out!

[kingsamj]

Week 2 Squat Hypertrophy - Sat Apr 18
Squat: 45x10 135x5 185x4 235x4x3 235x3x4

Unremarkable. Squats were fine.

Week 2 Bench Hypertrophy - Sun Apr 19
Bodyweight: 160.6
Bench: 45x10 95x5 135x5 165x4 185x4x3 185x3x4
Chin: 7 min, 15lbs: 35 total

Bench easy as usual. Chins were tougher. In chin density blocks I like to alternate sets of 3 and 2 every 30 seconds, but on the last minute I couldn't get 3 rep sets anymore.

Week 2 Squat Power - Mon Apr 20
Bodyweight: 161.8
Squat: 45x5 135x5 185x3 225x3 245x1x2 270x1 285x1 290x1
Dead: 135x5 225x4 275x2 300x1 325x1 285x4x5

Felt very strong today. Squats all felt good, even the top single at 290. I've been giving myself a lot more rest and taking more time on the "power" workouts. I'm in quarantine and don't have anything else going on, so taking 50 minutes to do two lifts doesn't bother me much. The deadlift single at 325 is over twice my current bodyweight, so that felt good

[kingsamj]

Since the site downtime I've switched from Hanley's 2 week Montana method to Andy Baker's Garage Gym Warrior (the first one, not the new second version).

Training Maxes:
Squat: 295
Bench: 230
Dead: 350

Week 3: Monday - May 25 2020
Bodyweight: 159.2
Squat: 135x5 185x4 210x4 235x4x4
Bench: 95x5 135x4 175x4x3
Dead: 135x5 245x4x3 (with straps)