Wooden Platform, Iron Men!

[dlocas7]

94's x 1 --- And that's a PR for 2022 and 2023! The lift was slow, but it wasn't an absolute grinder.

Awesome! I’ll presume that your parakeet squawked in approval.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if I was going to hit 91½ or 94's. I only took the decision from the way the 89's moved.

[dlocas7]

Monday December 11th

Here, something "interesting" is happening. It may not be interesting for the right reasons, but it helps me in understanding better how my body responds to training. Some midsection muscles at my sides are very fatigued; I noticed this after my Sunday session where I only did Dumbbell overhead presses using only 54 pounds per hand. I've been doing a lot of that overhead pressing over the last couple of months, so it's pretty sure this is my stabilizing muscles at my midsection that are about to go on strike.

Now, what am I to do?
1) I need those muscles fresh and strong next Saturday when I'm going to attempt a new PR.
2) I've done a lot of dumbbell pressing as of late, so my technique and coordination are very well tuned.

That leaves me with floor presses. I'll lay on my back and work up to a heavy weight with very little volume. The goal will be to avoid fatigue while improving intra-muscular efficiency, which transfers well from one lift to another, unlike inter-muscular coordination which is lift-specific (this is very well explained in this paper https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/exce ... h-training).

Thus...

Floor Press (close grip & start off bottom, from blocks)
128 lbs x 3 x 4 reps
158 lbs x 3 x 3 reps
188 lbs x 1
210 lbs x 1
230 lbs x 1
249 lbs x 1
259 lbs x 1 --- Just working up in weight until gravity seriously slows me down, and 1-2 heavy singles at that top weight.
269 lbs x 1
254 lbs x 5 x 1 rep

I'm not even going to practice deadlifting. Recovery in my lower back is the priority this week. No amount of practice will make a lick of difference if I try to hit a max deadlift with a fatigued lower back. At any rate, technique is a lot better when you're fresh. Lol.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday December 13th

Floor Press (close grip & start off bottom, from blocks)
128 lbs x 3 x 4 reps
158 lbs x 3 x 3 reps
188 lbs x 3 x 1 rep
210 lbs x 2 x 1 rep
230 lbs x 1
249 lbs x 1
259 lbs x 1 -- Same strength as Monday.

My back is recovering nicely. Last evenight I fell on ice and hurt my right knee; it's a bone contusion on the rotula. It's already recovering well, and there's a chance I'll still be able to test my deadlift on Saturday; the worst-case scenario would be to test it stiff-leg off blocks (PR is 504 lbs on this).

[dlocas7]

Saturday December 16th

*** SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT ***

Today is my special test day on three lifts or events... 1) Dumbbell Press, overhead, 2) Deadlift, 3) Axle two-hand Deadlift. In that order.

Dumbbell Clean & Press (overhead strict, standing, parallel grip; life PR = 96½ lbs per hand)
54 pounders x 3 x 1 rep
64's x 3 x 1 rep -- warm-up singles
74's x 1
---------------
Opener... 89's x 1
Attempt 2... 94's x 1
Attempt 3... 99's x 1 -- NEW PR!!! It went slow but steady; I still had room for a little bit more.


Deadlift, conventional (life PR = 554 lbs)
230 lbs x 3 x 1 rep
280 lbs x 2 x 1 rep
320 lbs x 1
370 lbs x 1
-------------------
Opener... 450 lbs x 1 -- Smooth, but not as easy as I would have liked. There's still some fatigue in my left flank.
Attempt 2... 484 lbs x 1 -- PR for 2023. Very hard. Maybe 20 lbs more in me. My limit was around 500 lbs on that night.
Attempt 3... PASS --- I didn't want to aggravate the minor tweak in left flank. I know where I'm at with this lift now.


Axle Two-Hand Deadlift (2-inch bar... life PR = 340 lbs, held for 8 seconds)
200 lbs x 2 x 1 rep
250 lbs x 2 x 1 rep
-------------------------
Opener... 300 lbs x 1 (very easy)
Attempt 2... 320 lbs x 1 (solid)
Attempt 3... 345 lbs x 0 (I got it up about knee high, but then I had to drop it back down as it was slipping out of my chalked-up hands!) I never attempt something crazy like that in training, but this was like a competition, so I went for it!

All my openers were very well chosen. They were all very easy. I also chose correct poundages for my second attempts. I made them all and I made 7/8 of all lifts attempted, and passed my 3rd attempt on the Deadlift to avoid risking injury.

The volume I did on overhead pressing really paid off. I trained for 11 weeks focusing on that lift, without ever going stale thanks to avoiding failure. I'm not as strong as I was on close-grip floor pressing as when I PR'd at 295 (off bottom blocks), but I'm at my strongest ever on dumbbell overhead; peak strength is very specific. Doing heavy singles with lower volume on close-grip floor presses proved helpful, in spite of being counter-intuitive, during the final week; I was dropping lift-specific fatigue while still training my ability to extend my arms under a very heavy load. I showed up with a fresh core and felt very strong on all of my presses.

To improve on the deadlift, I know what I need to do... More volume in lower body training and doing a heavy, comfortable single regularly.

On grip training, just doing a bit more volume should help me. My 100% is at 330-335, so I must keep in mind that doing lifts at 300 means I'm at 90%. It will be important not to neglect my sets in the 250-280 range, or the 125-140 range when working on one-handed lifts. Some pinch lifts with plates should help too.

[DCR]

Awesome post, @dlocas7. I found myself reading along like it was an actual meet. Congrats on the new PR!

[dlocas7]

Thanks @@DCR

Thanks for contributing to making this forum a great place for iron lifters!

This was a fun home one-man meet to do. I was actually visualizing fictional lifters making their own "attempts". I was really in competition mode, and the training went very well on pressing, not so well on deadlift and great on Axle grip work. I've learned a ton about those three lifts and their characteristics and areas of stress. I was managing elbow fatigue on pressing, lower-back fatigue on deadlift and... thumb/finger-tendon fatigue on axle training.

Right now, I'm basically taking the week off. I'll perhaps do some light lifting to keep blood flowing. The big take-away is, setting a date for a test day improves focus in training and helps me staying in shape. I've improved in ways I couldn't have if I didn't have set that date in Dec. 16th.

Hope your lifting's going well for you too!

[dlocas7]

Wednesday, December 20th

Snatch Pulls -- Because I feel like doing them... I'm in an in-between time before starting a new training block. Just having a bit of fun!
128 lbs x 3 x 3 reps
158 lbs x 3
178 x 3
200 x 3
220 x 3
240 x 2 -- I didn't get weaker. I think I've gained a bit of strength in the upper back, but the snatch/clean pulls are mostly lower-body driven.
260 x 2 x 2 reps --- I normally cut the third rep when the weight gets heavier, because that third rep is always sloppy.

Behind-the-Back Deadlift (Hack DL)
140 lbs x 2 x 3 reps --- I'm a newbie again!
210 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
250 lbs x 2 x 3 reps --- I'm already getting the hang of it again. I'll keep to low weights and low per-session volume because I need to ease my muscles and sinews into that new lift. The frequency will be high, and I'll increase the top set according to what I feel comfortable with. The movement and coordination need to be re-established before I load that lift with heavier iron.

This is a lift I haven't done in nine years. My lifetime PR on it is 470 lbs, and this was done in early 2015 when my max DL was at 455 x 3. I'm rethinking my lower-body training. Last cycle, I was almost always sore and fatigued in the lower back. I need a lift that will allow me to use my legs and move some weight while minimizing the shearing forces on my spine.

In addition to that quad-dominant movement, I'll do a hip hinge, probably stiff-leg deadlifts off blocks. Something I can load heavy while managing the tonnage.

End-of-Barbell Hold, One-Handed --- Just grabbing one thick end of an olympic barbell and holding it for time. I indicate the barbell weight.
280 lbs x 10 sec. (~140 lbs in hand)
300 lbs x 10 sec. (more difficult for left hand)
320 lbs x 8 sec. (left hand was at its limit / this weight is OK for 5 sec. holds) Doing this lift lets me work my thick-bar grip while putting my other hand on my knee for support, so I can greatly reduce the load on my spine. God gave me a strong back for Christmas and I thank Him, but He gave me just one.

[dlocas7]

Saturday December 23rd

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip) / Tonnage = 5,070
54 pounders x 3 s. x 5 reps
69's x 5 x 5 reps

Dumbbell Clean Pulls (raising the dumbells as high as possible without catching them)
94's x 3 x 2 reps -- the goal is to get exposed to extra volume from heavier weights; doesn't need to be super-heavy (this was 95% of my PR)

Behind-the-Back Deadlift / Tonnage = 3,224 (for lower body, I only count weights that are above 250)
138 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
229 x 2 x 3 reps
259 x 2 x 3 reps
280 x 2 x 3 reps -- Felt easy. Quads worked strongly. Lower body work without the lower-back strain; very good for overall health too.

Stiff-leg Deadlift with a snatch grip, off 6" blocks / Tonnage = 2,900
229 lbs x 5
280 x 5
300 x 5 -- Very easy. This will be my poserior-chain exercise for the next weeks. That session felt great!

Feeling the spirit of Christmas!

[DCR]

Behind-the-Back Deadlift

Are these the same movement as what I usually see referred to as a barbell hack squat, or something else?

In any event, loving your Christmas spirit.

[dlocas7]

Thanks, @DCR !
Yes, these are barbell hack squats. They work my lower body differently and are a lot easier on the lower back.

[dlocas7]

Tuesday December 26th

Floor Press (narrow grip, start off wooden blocks)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
178 x 3
200 x 3
210 x 3
220 x 3
230 x 3 --- Tonnage (from 158 & up) = 4,694 lbs

Behind-the-Back Deadlift (barbell Hack squat)
138 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
230 x 3
260 x 2 x 3 reps
280 x 3
300 x 2 x 3 --- Tonnage (from 260 & up) = 4,194 lbs

The last weight is where things start getting more challenging. Doing straight sets of 3-5 at 270-280 to accumulate volume should be helpful at this point. It's time for building the base of the pyramid.

Barbell Row off 6-in blocks
148 lbs x 5
200 lbs x 3
229 x 3
249 x 3 -- feels ridiculously easy
269 x 3 -- this was supposed to be my top weight for the day, but I'm on a hot night for this lift.
279 x 6 !!! This is a lifetime PR. I'm quite thrilled to know that I'll be able to train at 270-280 and benefit from it. This lift is staying in my program. It may have played a role in the improvement I've seen in the dumbbell overhead press. Tonnage (200 & up) = 4,515 lbs

Pinch Lift & Hold 'em!!! Pair of York Olympic Standard 45-lb plates... two-handed hold for 2 sets of 10 seconds. Maximum squeeze!

[dlocas7]

Thursday December 28th

Floor Press (narrow grip, start off wooden blocks)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
178 x 5
200 x 4
210 x 4
220 x 4
230 x 4 --- Tonnage (from 158 & up) = 5,610 lbs. Tonnage for the week for Press = 15,674 lbs. Elbow tendon is at green light.

This being said, I lost some strength on the floor press, yet my dumbbell overhead press is at its strongest ever. What do I make of this? There's minimal carry-over from one lift to the other, or maybe there is from heavy floor presses to dumbbell pressing, but not the other way around.

Behind-the-Back Deadlift
138 lbs 2 x 3 reps
229 x 3
269 x 6 x 3 reps --- Tonnage for the week for B-t-B Deadlift = 12,260 lbs (keep an eye for knee tendon fatigue; right now it's green light)

Snatch-grip Deadlift, stiff-legs off 6-in. blocks
200 lbs x 5
269 x 5
290 x 5
330 x 5 -- the first rep is always so hard! But the rest is easy. Tonnage = 4,445 lbs & this makes 7,345 lbs in Deadlift for the week (20 k for lower body). Lower-back fatigue is now down from red-orange light to yellow light.

Barbell Row off 6-in. blocks
200 lbs x 5
230 x 5
250 x 5
270 x 7 --- Is there a drawback against developing an arm-pulling strength that's getting close to 300 lbs for reps?

Pinch Lift & Hold 'em! Pair of 45-lbs York Olympic Standard plates... Hold for 2 sets of 10 seconds, overcrush squeeze! Squeeze harder! Harder!

[DCR]

Barbell Row off 6-in. blocks
…
270 x 7 --- Is there a drawback against developing an arm-pulling strength that's getting close to 300 lbs for reps?

That’s a no from me, dawg. Damn.

[dlocas7]

Barbell Row off 6-in. blocks
…
270 x 7 --- Is there a drawback against developing an arm-pulling strength that's getting close to 300 lbs for reps?

That’s a no from me, dawg. Damn.

Thanks, DCR!

[dlocas7]

Saturday January 6th -- Afternoon Session

Dumbbell Clean & Press
54 pounders x 3 sets x 5 reps
71½ 'ers x 4 x 4 reps --- Tonnage = 3,908 lbs (all above 50%)

Dumbbell Clean Pull
94's x 3 x 2 reps --- Clean without the catch; the goal is to expose the muscles to an increase in load, so no need for super-heavy weights.

Behind-the-Back Deadlift (BB Hack Squat)
138 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
229 x 5
269 x 3
280 x 5 x 3 reps --- Tonnage = 5,007 lbs (269 lbs & up included)

This begins the first week of a new training block that will last 12 weeks plus one rest week before testing max lifts on April 6th.

[dlocas7]

Saturday January 6th -- Evening Session

Barbell Row (off 6-in. blocks)
128 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
200 x 2 x 3 reps
250 x 2 x 3 reps
270 x 3
290 x 3 (PR) 1-2 reps left in tank
305 x 3 (PR) This lift probably helped me getting stronger in the dumbbell overhead press, so I'll keep training it. It didn't do much for my Deadlift over the last few months, although it probably doesn't impede it as long as I keep the volume reasonable.

Axle (2 in. bar) Deadlift (off 6-in. blocks)
200 x 3
250 x 3
300 x 2 x 2 reps
300 x 2 x 1 rep --- Couldn't get the second rep on 3rd triple, so I did another single after 5-6 minutes. Working at 90% on that lift is depleting. Next session will be much lighter with much more tonnage.

[dlocas7]

Sunday January 7th

Dumbell Stiff-leg deadlift as warm-up --- 54 pounders, 2 x 5 reps

One-arm Snatch as warm-up --- 54 lbs, 2 x 3 reps for each arm

Dumbbell Clean & Press
54 pounders, 2 x 5 reps
71½ 'ers x 4
81½ 'ers x 4 for one harder set --- Tonnage = 2,304 lbs. Instead of doing the 71½ pounders for 6 sets of 4 all in one chunk, I did only 4 x 4 yesterday, then came in today and did a ramp-up for the two last sets, giving myself some fun with that one heavier set.

Last training block (Oct.-Dec. 2023) my overall press tonnage averaged 12.5 k per week. This block, I aim to be around 13-14 k per week, with easier and harder weeks. This week I'll be around 14 k, and next week I'll be around 11 k only to go to 15 k on the third week. I'm always varying the % of intensity and often follow Prilepin's Chart. If I get inflammation in elbows, I'll do an easy session at 55-60%.

Stiff-leg Deadlift with snatch grip, off 6-in. blocks
200 lbs x 3 --- straps even at the lightest weight. I worked my fingers really hard yesterday and I don't want a tendon inflammation again!
250 x 3
290 x 3
310 x 3
330 x 2 (with belt for this and the following single)
350 x 1 (easy) --- Tonnage (250+) = 3,557 lbs. Basically, 4 x 3 with last set broken into x 2 and x 1 so I can end with a heavier single. I'm very careful not to overdo it here! I'll add some more work if I'm able to recover fine from this. I have three months to improve and I don't want to peak early either.

Abs Plank --- 3 x 20 sec.

Last training block, my overall lower body work averaged 10 k pounds a week, and this is why I lost ground. This training block, I will be at 20 k-plus overall for lower body work, but big chunk of it will come from lifts that primarily target the quads. I'll keep track of the workload I do for Behind-the-Back Deadlift and my hip-hinge-dominant lifts such as those stiff-leg deadlifts, which I really enjoy doing. I keep a very close attention to the work I subject my lower back to, but this bodypart can be trained to be stronger and sturdier, but it has to be progressive.

This week, I'm on track to be around 21-22 k pounds for overall lower body, with "only" 7 k for deadlifts. Last block, I did all hip hinging and had serious recovery issues whenever I was hitting 15 k or more, so I had to take unplanned layoffs, which of course lowered the average per/week tonnage. Thus, I start off my hip-hinging at 7 k and will go from there according to feedback.

A happy new year to all my fellow lifters!

I hope this place stays around. I was once at Muscle & Brawn, and it suddenly vanished in 2017.

[dlocas7]

Monday January 8th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 3 x 5 reps
71½ 'ers x 4
76 'ers x 3 x 4 reps --- Tonnage = 3,825 lbs

Dumbbell Clean Pull (no catch)
94's x 2
99's x 2 x 2 reps --- Went very well. My PR for the dumbbell clean is a pair of 104's

Behind-the-Back Deadlift (BB Hack Squat)
138 lbs x 6
229 x 5
269 x 3
280 x 3
300 x 4 x 3 reps --- Tonnage = 5,247 lbs

Barbell Row (off 6-in. blocks)
200 lbs x 5
230 x 5
260 x 4 x 4 reps -- First time doing that many total reps at that weight.

[dlocas7]

Thursday January 11th

Barbell Clean & Press (strict) First time doing that lift in almost a year.
85 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
128 lbs x 3 x 4 reps
148 x 4 x 4 reps -- An easy session. I keep an eye on my left elbow as I don't want that golfer's elbow to return. Tonnage = 3,904 lbs

Clean Pull -- Fatigue cost is kept low by using low reps and few sets
200 lbs x 3
250 x 2 x 2 reps
270 x 2
290 x 2 x 1 rep -- The main thing is to properly execute the lift and get that pop out of the bar. No need to go super heavy, but the top weight needs to go up over time. Two single is better than a double to make sure my technique is right. Tonnage = 2,720 lbs (it doesn't look like much, but...)

Behind-the-Back Deadlift --- Coordination improving. Solid work for quads and glutes, very much like squatting.
138 lbs x 6
229 x 5
280 x 3 -- counts for tonnage from here on.
300 x 3
320 x 4 x 3 -- PR post-2015. Tonnage = 5,580 lbs.

Stiff-leg Deadlift with snatch grip, off 6-in. blocks
209 lbs x 3
250 lbs x 3 -- counts for tonnage here and up
300 x 3
320 x 3
340 x 2
360 x 1 -- Felt a bit easier than 350 four days ago. I'm learning to brace properly and quietly get that bar moving, and then accelerate. Tonnage = 3,650 lbs

Weekly tonnage...
Pressing (all overhead) = 13.9 k
Hack BB Squat = 16 k
Hip Hinging = 7.2 k (around 10 k couting my clean pulls)

[dlocas7]

Saturday January 13th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
74's x 2 x 3 reps
81½ x 5 x 2 reps --- Tonnage = 4,582 lbs

Dumbbell Clean Pull (all the way up, no catch)
94's x 2
99's x 2 x 2 reps

Snatch-grip Deadlift
128 x 3
219 x 5
290 x 3 -- tonnage is counted from here
330 x 3
380 x 3
400 x 3 -- Tonnage = 4,200 lbs

Axle Two-Hand Lift, 2-in. thick bar
200 lbs x 3
250 lbs x 4 x 4 reps --- There's a time and place for lighter training. Last time I trained, I used 300 lbs for 6 total lifts and failed on my third double. This time, the bar was much lighter, but I did 16 flawless lifts, holding the bar very tightly each time.