Robert's Log of Flailing

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W6, D1:

Zercher Squat:
225x2
255x1
295x1
325x1 @7.5
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3

Bench:
165x3
185x1
205x1 @7.5
205x1 @7
215x1 @8
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3

Sumo Deadlift:
315x3
365x1
405x1
455x1 @7
485x1 @8
385x3
385x3
385x3
385x3

Notes: Solid day. The coffee and pear 45 minutes before the workout defintely helped this session. I'm going to start having fruit and coffee 45-60 minutes before workouts to have more energy, and to not get gassed by the time I'm on the DL working sets.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W6, D2:

Box Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @7
365x1 @8
275x3 (free squat)
275x3 (free squat)
275x3 (free squat)
295x3
295x3
295x3

Low Incline CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Curls:
45x12
45x12
45x12
45x12

Notes: Another solid day. Decided to push box squats. Heaviest weight I've had on my back in over 7 months. Going to push for a heavy squat single in a couple more weeks. I should be good for something in the neighborhood of 345-355.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W6, D3:

Deficit Sumo:
345x3
345x3
345x3
365x3
365x3

Slingshot Bench:
215x3
215x3
215x3
215x3
215x3

BOR:
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5

Cardio: 100 calories in 11 minutes

Notes: Solid day. Slingshot bench was harder than anticipated, but that might be just what I need to get my bench moving.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W7, D1:

Zercher Squat:
225x3
275x1
305x1
335x1 @8 (10# PR)
255x3
255x3
255x3
255x3

Bench:
165x3
185x1
205x1
215x1 @8
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3

Sumo:
315x3
365x1
405x1
455x1
495x1 @8.5
395x3
395x3
395x3
395x3

Time: 71 minutes

Notes: Super solid day. I was wiped out when I completed this. Not sure how much more I can keep adding to the zerchers. I add 10# per week to the top single, and it seems to move as fast as the week before. Might be fun to try and hit that for 365 beltless before the end of the year.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W7, D2:

Box Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1 @9 (too big of a jump)
275x3 (free squat)
275x3 (free squat)
275x3 (free squat)
275x3 (free squat)
275x3
275x3
275x3

Low Incline CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Notes: Decent day. 365 was harder than last week, due to jumping straight to it from 315.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild: W8, D1:

Zercher Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @8.5
255x3
255x3
255x3
255x3

Bench:
185x1
205x1
215x1 @7.5
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3

Sumo:
315x3
365x3
405x1
455x1
495x1 @8
395x3
395x3
395x3
395x3

Notes: Solid day. 495 this week moved better than last week. Might have to just YOLO next week and attempt 505+.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W8, D2:

Box Squat:
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x1
315x1
335x1

Incline CGBP:
135x5
145x5
145x5
145x5
145x5
145x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Cardio: 100 kcals in 10 minutes

Notes: Solid day. Decided to scale back the box squats. Not sure it's particularly beneficial to push these 24 hours after my heaviest workout of the week. I've been having this feeling for a few weeks, and today finally decided to audible from what I had originally planned. I'm going to give this a go for a few weeks to see how it goes. If there's no adverse affects (read, getting weaker) I'll keep the box squats programmed more moderately.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W8, D3:

Deficit Sumo:
365x3
365x3
365x3
365x3
365x3
405x1
455x1

Slingshot Bench:
215x3
215x3
215x3
215x3
215x3

BOR:
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5

Cardio: 125 calories

Notes: Another solid day.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W9, D1

Sumo:
315x3
365x2
405x2
455x1
495x1 @7.5
515x1 @8.5 (20# PR)
405x3
405x3
405x3
405x3

Bench:
185x1
205x1
225x1 @8 (best top single all of 2020)
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3

Zercher Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @7.5
365x1 @8.5 (20# PR)
265x3
265x3
265x3
265x3

Notes: Awesome day in the gym. On an 80/10/10 scale, where 80% of sessions are normal, 10% are below average, and 10% are above average, today was a top end 10% day.

For sumo, I finally had some cues click. It mostly had to do with setting up better with my chest more behind the bar. For reference, look up @deadliftpanda on IG and go through his "deadlift cues" highlight reel. What I was focusing on was the glass wall cue and keeping my chest behind the bar when setting up, instead of getting my stance and just bending over to grab the bar like I would with conventional. I'm pretty excited to keep working on this since I pulled a pretty easy 20# PR on the first day, and theres still a lot of room for improvement.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W9, D2:

Box Squat:
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3

Low Incline CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Notes: Solid day. I'm pretty smoked from yesterday's workout.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W10, D1:

Sumo:
365x1
405x1
455x1
455x1
455x1
495x1
365x3
365x3
365x3
365x3

Bench:
185x1
205x1
215x1 @8
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3
165x3

Zercher Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @8
255x3
255x3
255x3

Notes: Didn't have it today. Sumo felt terrible, couldn't get the techique changes to click at all. I guess you'll have days like that. Onward.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W10, D2:

Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @8
365x1 @9
295x2
295x2
295x2
295x2
295x2

Low Inclince CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Notes: Solid day. 365 was an intentional overshoot, but I wanted a 365 beltless squat this year.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W11, D1:

Sumo:
315x1
405x1
455x1
495x1 @8
395x3 (almost stopped backoffs here, set was awful)
395x3
395x3
395x3 (last set, best set)

Bench:
165x3
185x1
205x1
215x1 @7
225x1 @8
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3

Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @7.5
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2

Notes: Decent day for the first day after a 12 day layoff.

The 345 squat today moved better than the 345 before the Thanksgiving break. I'm going to attempt to directly train my squat again. I've been doing zerchers and box squats, with some regular squatting mixed in (2-3x2-3, 1X a week). I'm going to swap in regular squats for the zerchers, and keep the box squats. I'll be curious to see if I can manage to drive my squat up this way. I have found from just the short 10 weeks, that the box squats have given me much better control entering the hole and I don't "good morining" my squats nearly as badly as I used to.

I'm going to give a go at trying to hit a 405 beltless squat next year, as well as a 555 beltless deadlift. Since returning to lifting in September, I've been training beltless for everything. I'm going to keep training beltless for the foreseeable future since it's simpler.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W11, D2:

Box Squat:
225x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
275x3

Low Incline CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Curls:
45x12
45x12
45x12
45x12

Notes: Solid day.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W11, D3:

Sumo:
365x3
365x3
365x3
365x3
365x3

Slingshot Bench:
185x3
205x3
205x3
205x3
205x3
205x3

BOR:
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5

Cardio:
100 calories on the elliptical

Notes: Solid day. Worked on what I had hit on with my last two backoff sets Monday, and worked on setting up a bit farther from the bar. I found that getting to close to the bar when setting my stance puts my chest too far over the bar, which results in my hips shooting. Setting up about 1" farther behind the bar than I have been for the last 4+ years seems to be the ticket. Ill continue to work on this going forward and see if this change has the desired result.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W12, D1 & 2:

Sumo:
315x1
405x1
455x1
495x1 @7.5
515x1 @9 (whoops)
405x3
405x3
405x3
405x3

Bench:
185x1
205x1
225x1 @7.5
235x1 @8.5
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3

Squat:
25x3
275x1
315x1
315x1 (knee and hip, stopped here)

Notes: Shit session. My body doesn't seem to like a standard LBBS as a trained lift for more than a 2-3 week stretch. My hips were achey all week last week.

D2

Zercher Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1 @7
395xF @LOL

Front Squat:
135x5
185x3
225x1
225x1
255x1 @8
185x3
185x3
185x3

Low Incline CGBP:
135x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5
155x5

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Curls:
45x12
45x12
45x12
45x12

Notes: Better session than yesterday. Decided to try the belt for S&G's, which lead to the failed Zercher attempt. 365 Moved so easily I figured I had more in me, but my upper back failed about 2/3 of the way down on 395 and I had to dump the weight. That shit hurt (my forearms).

So, after some thinking, it seems the squatting that makes my hips feel janky involves a decent amount of adductor. Things like Zercher and Front squats do not have this issue. I can tolerate 3-4 total sets of back squatting a week. So, I think for a couple weeks I'm going to see how front squats and zerchers feel to do the vast bulk of my squatting, with 2-3 sets of back squats mixed in on the days I front squat. I feel that like zerchers, I will get used to the pain of the front rack position, provided I actually do it. I've also now got it in my head that a 315 front squat needs to be added to the 2021 list of goals.

[Jumrobe]

Squat experimental session:

High Bar, Narrow Stance:
225x2
275x2
315x1 @7
315x1 @7
225x2
225x2
225x2
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1

Had some thoughts pop in my brain today after last nights ramble, and some other realizations that I wanted to fiddle with before I forgot what they were. The realizations were essentially: (1)that there has to be a way to squat with the bar on your back that lowers adductor involvement to the be essentially pain free for the hips. (2) My chest position has been all wrong. I tend to get my chest very "up" when back squatting. I don't do this when I front squat or zercher squat, ergo, try to mimic the chest position I'm in when I zercher squat, but with the bar on my back. I was able to do this with some adjusting on how I got under the bar to unrack.

All sets felt good. Tomorrow will determine how my adductors feel. Hopefully this was a positive finding that I can work with going forward.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W12, D3:

Sumo:
375x3
375x3
375x3
375x3
375x3
375x3

Slingshot Bench:
205x3
205x3
205x3
205x3
205x3

BOR:
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
185x5

Cardio:
102 cals in 9:00

Notes: Solid day. My body is ready for the 3 day break. Nothing hurts, can just feel the fatigue.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W13, D1:

Squat:
225x3
275x1
315x1
345x1 @7
365x1 @8
375x1 @8.5 (10# beltless PR)
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1

Bench:
185x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1

Rack Chins:
x5
x5
x5
x5
x5

Notes: Solid day. Didn't, and still don't, have much motivation to do a "normal" week of training this week, but I do want to lift. So, I figured I go into the basement, work on the squat things I hit on Wednesday last week, and see where things went. Squats were feeling good with the changes I made, despite going into the session with an achey hip and knee. If I was in a mood to truly max, I think 385-90 was there, but I'm not pushing that in the basement, by myself. PRs will be set with some in the tank going forward. I'm now 10# closer to the 405 beltless squat I'm chasing, and I thing with a solid plan of training next year, it should be an achieveable goal.

[Jumrobe]

Rebuild W13, D2:

Conventional Deadlift:
225x3
315x3
405x2
455x1
455x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1

Bench:
165x1
195x1
Add Slingshot
215x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1
235x1

High Bar:
225x3
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2

Notes: Decent day. The changes to my squat have it feeling very strong, and so far, hip pain free.