Workout No. 258
Friday, 27th May 2016

Deadlift 5x5 @ 310lbs / 140.0kg

Bent Over Row 3x10 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 @ 105lbs / 47.5kg

Brutal session today which is the final training session of this month’s programme. Heavy volume deadlifts after 3 sessions of heavy compound lifts @ 80% for multiple sets of 5 this week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Still feeling some slight DOMS in my legs and back so I was slightly worried about today. First set of 5 @ 310lbs / 140.0kg felt okay. Heavy but everything stayed tight. 2nd set and 3rd sets were good too. Had trouble keeping my upper back 100% tight starting on the later reps in the 4th set and my upper and lower back started rounding slightly on the 5th set from fatigue. Struggled to stay tight even for the set-up for the final few reps even before pulling. Still quite happy though with my effort today at 82.5% of my 1RM deadlifts.

Higher weight for bent over rows today and I didn’t feel the slightest bit of wrist strain. 3x10 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg with a one second pause and squeeze at the top of each rep. Struggled slightly with grip endurance, especially after the deadlifts.

Finished off the session with the standard 5x5 for overhead presses @ 105lbs / 47.5kg. Might have possibly gone heavier but I was feeling really floored so I decided to not be so hardcore today haha. 2 days of recovery before starting my next training block! Excited!

Workout No. 259
Monday, 30th May 2016

Squat 5x6 @ 215lbs / 97.5kg

Pause Squat 4x8 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Bench Press 5x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg

Incline Bench Press 3x8 @ 95lbs / 42.5kg

New programme for the month of June; generally higher rep stuff in the 72.5 to 75% range for the main lifts. Started with 5x6 squats @ 215lbs / 97.5kg and really focused on form. Sets looked good and solid but were more taxing than I expected them to be. I was also not 100% fresh from the deadlifts on Friday and still had some residual soreness in my posterior chain.

Pause squats were disgusting. Kept my form strict, disciplined and beltless. The last few reps of each set were pure agony. Felt like I had emptied the tank and had nothing left after finishing the 4th set.

Bench presses were light but I had not recovered fully from the squats so the weight today didn't move so well and did not feel so light despite only doing 5x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg.

Incline bench presses felt slightly easier for the 3x8 @ 95lbs / 42.5kg. Went home feeling extremely tired despite having 2 recovery days over the weekend and today being the first training session of the week.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 6 2016, 10:11 AM

Workout No. 260
Tuesday, 31st May 2016

Deadlift 5x6 @ 285lbs / 130.0kg

Deficit Deadlift 4x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 @ 100lbs / 45.0kg

Push-ups 23/21/18

Posterior chain was still feeling super tight as I was doing my mobility work before starting my workout. Deadlift reps were fast as I started pulling the weights but I ran out of steam for the later sets. Too much accumulated volume since last week from the 5x5 80% deadlifts as well as yesterday's 5 tons of squat and pause squat volume.

Had to rest a bit before attempting deficit deadlifts which were a killer too for 4x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg.

Overhead presses were many times easier than the deadlifts and I managed to complete the 5x5 fairly quickly before moving on push-ups to finish off.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 6 2016, 10:12 AM

Workout No. 261
Thursday, 2nd June 2016

Front Squat 5x6 @ 190lbs / 85.0kg

Glute Bridge 4x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Pause Bench Press 5x6 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Pull-ups 5/4/3/2/1

I was struggling to stand up and sit down yesterday and cringed every time I had to get up from a chair after Tuesday's deadlifts. Have not felt DOMS like this in a long, long time. Spent 30 minutes doing some stretching and mobility work last night just so I would have a better chance at performing in training today. Started with 5x6 @ 190lbs / 85.0kg. Hips felt tight as I was squatting but reps looked okay on the video and the bar moved well.

Loaded up the bar with 135lbs / 60.0kg for glute bridges and finished 4 sets of 8 reps. Had to use a yoga mat as padding and although the weigh felt quite heavy, I had plenty left in the tank after finishing each set. Perhaps I should consider upping the weight a fair bit the next time round.

Haven’t been doing pause bench presses in a while. After the first set, my coach told me that I was doing them wrongly. Instead of pausing and letting the bar rest on my chest, I am supposed to keep tension in my muscles and barely touch my t-shirt with the bar for the pause portion of the lift. This made the sets significantly harder but I just about managed to grind out the full 5x6.

Final day of this block of the Russian Fighter Pull-up Programme starting with 3 reps on Day 1, and finally pulling 5 reps for the first set today. Completed 5/4/3/2/1 pull-ups before heading home. New PR!

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 6 2016, 10:12 AM

Workout No. 262
Friday, 3rd June 2016

CROSSFIT #39
EMOM
5 Thrusters @ 95lbs / 42.5kg (even minutes)
5 Burpees Over Bar (odd minutes)

Time: 20:00

Snatch Grip Deadlift 5x6 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Another Crossfit session today with the powerlifting crew. Fun but painful. EMOM format, 5 thrusters @ 95lbs / 42.5kg on even minutes and 5 burpees over bar on odd minutes.

Heart rate started climbing until the 6th minute or so when it plateaued and stayed high throughout the 20 minutes. Burpees were surprisingly easy and the thrusters were not too bad too to be honest. The lockout for the bar to overhead got progressively harder but I never really struggled at any point. Didn't miss any reps too. Still floored though nevertheless after the 20 minutes.

Rested a fair bit before deciding to get some powerlifting work in tonight. Main programmed movements were snatch grip deadlifts and seated overhead presses. Did a fair bit of overhead pressing work already during the WOD so decided to only do the snatch grip deadlifts. Loaded the bar up with 205lbs / 92.5kg and attempted the 1st set. Not very used to this movement so it felt quite awkward on my first attempt. 2nd set was much better and I adopted the following cues: knees out, sit back, lower hips, drive with the legs, chest up. Looked much, much better. In hindsight, I should have used a slightly heavier weight. Might try 225lbs / 102.5kg the next time round.

Also, hips were feeling tight at the start of the session but loosened up during the WOD. Hopefully my recovery goes well this weekend and I feel fresh on Monday, ready for some squatting!

Workout No. 263
Monday, 6th May 2016

Squat 5x6 @ 220lbs / 100.0kg

Pause Squat 4x8 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Bench Press 5x5 @ 150lbs / 67.5kg

Incline Bench Press 3x8 @ 100lbs / 45.0kg

Upped the weights across the board today from last week’s weights. Started off with squats for a surprisingly comfortable 5x6 @ 220lbs / 100.0kg. Reps looked really smooth and the weights felt reasonably light. Will definitely go for the 5x6 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg next week.

Increased the pause squat weight by 5lbs too but wore a belt this time round. My lower back fatigued quite a fair bit last week when I attempted the pause squats beltless and I suffered on deadlift day last week as a result.

5 reps on the bench @ 150lbs / 67.5kg was not easy but I would still consider it comfortable, with at least 2 or 3 reps left in the tank. May go up in weight again next week.

Slightly heavier incline bench press this week too, and the bar moved smoothly. Weight felt a bit too light in the end. Have also noticed that my left wrist seems to be feeling much better and does not get agitated by this movement anymore.

Workout No. 264
Tuesday, 7th May 2016

Deadlift 3x6 @ 285lbs / 130.0kg

Deficit Deadlift 4x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 @ 105lbs / 47.5kg

Felt slightly fatigued at the start of the session today, but better than I did last week on the same day. Started off with my stretching and mobility routine before progressively loading up the weights for my deadlifts. Back and hips felt tight when I pulled 225lbs / 102.5kg beltless for 3 reps as part of my warm up. Not a good sign. Loaded up a total of 285lbs / 130.0kg on the bar, put on my belt and pulled 6 reps. RPE was about 8 but the bar felt really heavy and my lower back and hips felt really tight. Upon reviewing the video though, the set looked fine and my back alignment looked decent. Bar speed was fast too, and the reps looked smooth although it didn’t really feel like it the slightest. 2nd set was a similar experience. Pulled the 3rd set after resting a full 5 minutes and that really floored me. Rested for another extended period and attempted my 4th set. Pulled 2 reps and ran out of steam. It was like my muscles decided that they had enough and didn’t want to fire anymore. Put the weights down and decided to stop for the day. I think the accumulated volume and fatigue is getting to me and I am not recovering sufficiently between each session. Discussed this with my coaches after the deadlifts and they will adjust my programme accordingly.

Kept the weights for deficit deadlifts light. 4x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg. Easy enough to do touch and go reps. Didn’t want to attempt a higher intensity as I was already feeling floored and depleted.

Overhead presses surprisingly didn’t feel so heavy for the 5x5 @ 105lbs / 47.5kg. Will increase the weight next week to a new rep PR weight of 110lbs / 50.0kg.

Workout No. 265
Thursday, 9th June 2016

Front Squat 4x3 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Glute Bridge 4x4 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Pause Bench Press 4x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Pull-ups 5/4/3/2/2

Dips 5/4/3/2/2

Coach finally prescribed a short deload for me! Today's programme is just 4x3 at light weights of 50 to 60% 1RM for the main lifts. Started with front squats. Weight didn't feel that light though to be honest but recovery between sets was fast and I sped through the sets, resting only 90 seconds between them. Hips still felt tight though.

Brought the bar down to the floor, removed 10 pounds from each side and proceeded to perform 4 sets of 4 glute bridges. Easy peasy.

Pause bench presses next for 4x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg. Really, really slowed down the eccentric portion of the lift to make it a little more challenging for myself.

Ended the session by progressing on my pull-ups to 5/4/3/2/2 while super-setting dips for the same no of reps between each set.

Workout No. 266
Friday, 10th June 2016

Snatch Grip Deadlift 4x3 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Overhead Press 5x5 @ 110lbs / 50.0kg

Pull-ups 5/4/3/3/2

Second deload day. Started with 4x3 snatch grip deadlifts @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Back felt tight while warming up. Felt better after putting on the belt for the working set but still not 100% comfortable.

Working set was hardly taxing though so I attempted a volume PR on the overhead press. A decently solid 5x5 @ 110lbs / 50.0kg. Have also noticed that utilising a slightly wider grip (but still narrower than my bench grip, which is by no means wide) has helped me get past the sticking point around my neck more easily. Wore a belt though just to give myself a little more confidence considering the condition of my back.

Pull-ups for 5/4/3/3/2 to continue the pull-up progression. 2 days of rest ahead of me. Hopefully my back feels normal again on Monday.

Workout No. 267
Monday, 13th June 2016

Squat 5x6 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg

Bench Press 5x5 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Pull-ups 3/2/1

Have not lifted anything heavy since last Tuesday but my back was still tight and there was some residual soreness despite the two deload days I took last Thursday and Friday. Decided to ramp up the weights progressively to see how my back responds. 135lbs for 5 reps felt fine and 185lbs for a double didn’t feel too bad either. Put on my belt and squatted the first set of 225lbs / 102.5kg for 6 solid reps. The set actually looked quite good on video and almost everything was on point. Bar speed was respectable too. Could feel the tightness in my back increase the tiniest bit though after completing the set. Took a 3 minute rest before attempting the 2nd set which was horrible. My heels left the ground for the last 3 reps of this set, something which has not happened for a while. My chest collapsed forward ever so slightly too. Perhaps I was too worried about my back and this somehow affected my form. Rested for another 3 minutes before attempting my 3rd set. Much better and it looked much more like the first set. Even until the final set, the bar speed looked fine but the fatigue in my back was building up progressively with each set. Back felt tighter than ever after completing the 5x6 so I decided to skip the programmed pause squats. Need to talk to my coach. Shouldn’t be taking so long to recover.

On the bright side, a volume PR for bench today. Decided to go for a slightly heavier weight after skipping pause squats and risked the 5x5 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg. First 3 sets were smooth but the final 2 sets were slightly hairy. Had to grind through the final rep without a spotter haha. Not very close to missing the rep but I doubt I would be able to pull off the 6th rep. Not bad. Consecutive volume PRs for overhead and bench presses.

Restarted my pull-up training as I was utilising some momentum before this. Very strict pull-ups for 3/2/1 today.

Workout No. 268
Tuesday, 14th June 2016

Overhead Press 3x5 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg
Overhead Press 2x4 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Pull-ups 2/2/2/2/2

Back was unfortunately still feeling tight so I decided with my coach to lay off lower body work or anything that loads up my back for a while. Took advantage of not having any taxing squats or deadlifts today by attempting another PR for overhead presses. Managed 5x5 @ 110lbs / 50.0kg on Friday and decided to up the weight by another 5lbs. Got all 5 reps on the first 3 sets. Last rep was very grindy and slow for all 3 sets, but a rep PR is a rep PR! Only managed 4 reps for the final 2 sets but I am happy enough.

Strict pull-ups for 5 sets of 2 reps to finish off today’s very short session.

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Workout No. 269
Thursday, 16th June 2016

Front Squat 3x6 @ 195lbs / 87.5kg

Bench Press 10x3 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3

Back was still slightly tight while stretching but it didn’t feel too bad today so I gave front squatting a go. Everything felt solid and tight while warming and ramping up. Got up to 185lbs / 82.5kg and it felt fine so I upped the weight to my working set weight of 195lbs / 87.5kg for 3x6. Only did 3 sets as I wanted to keep the volume low. My back surprisingly started feeling better after the front squats.

Moved on to bench presses. Went for something different today. Heavy-ish bench presses for 10x3 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg. First few sets felt fine but it was difficult to get that full body tightness towards the last few sets which were a tad grindy. Never came close to failing any set though.

Finished off the session with a few pull-ups.

Workout No. 270
Sunday, 19th June 2016

Squat 3x6 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Bench Press 6x6 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg

Won’t be able to train a few days next week due to work and personal commitments so I headed in today for a quick workout. Only had about an hour to train so I tried to get the best bang for my buck. Still keeping the volume low on anything that loads up my lower back so only did 3 sets of 6 reps for squats today @ 230lbs / 105.0kg. Rep PR for me at this weight so I am decently pleased. Bar speed was decent and I am confident that I could’ve managed 8 reps at this weight. Last heavy-ish squats before starting the new Hepburn cycle in July. Targeting a working weight of 245lbs / 110.0kg for the cycle which I suspect will be difficult but manageable.

Continuing with my high volume benching programme for the month of June while letting my back rest a little. 6x6 @ 140lbs / 62.5kg was relatively easy and was completed with minimal rest between sets. Still have the following sets and reps to finish this week:

7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg
8x4 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg
10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

If all goes well, I plan on starting the Hepburn cycle with 165lbs / 75.0kg and upping it to 170lbs / 77.5kg after a few sessions if I feel comfortable.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 24 2016, 08:10 PM

Workout No. 271
Monday, 20th June 2016

Bench Press 7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3/3

Face Pulls 3x12

Continuing with my high volume, high frequency benching programme today. Rep scheme was 7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg. Some fatigue remaining from yesterday's session though. All the racks were taken so I had to resort to using a squat stand instead. Hate having to use the squat stand as my set-up is more inconsistent compared to when using the racks. Weight was light though so it didn't matter so much. Definitely wouldn't attempt the 10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg at the end of the week on a squat stand. 7x5 is a little more volume than I am used to and especially after benching on consecutive days, my joints were slightly sore and surprisingly, my upper back and biceps too. Lost a little tightness on the later sets but the bar still moved decently.

Some pulling to balance the high volume pushing in the form of pull-ups for 4 sets of 3 coupled with some face pulls using a band for general shoulder health. Next benching session will be on Wednesday if I can find the time which will probably be coupled with some front squats.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 21 2016, 06:25 PM

Workout No. 272
Wednesday, 22nd June 2016

Bench Press 8x4 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg

Headed in today just to bench and complete my programme for the month. Just 2 more benching sessions to go! Started loading up the bar but the later warm-up sets felt heavier than usual and even 135lbs / 60.0kg did not move as I would have liked it. Was slightly concerned that I would not make the rep and set scheme today considering how my warm-up sets were feeling. Started my first working set of 160lbs / 72.5kg and surprise surprise, super smooth. Took my time and finished off my remaining 7 sets resting about 3 minutes between each one.

Realised that I made a mistake and should have been benching 155lbs / 70.0kg instead today. Ah well. Glad I made it through anyway.

Workout No. 273
Friday, 24th June 2016

Bench Press 10x3 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Final bench session for this cycle! Felt decently fresh but the first working set felt quite heavy. Focused on getting my set-up perfect for the 2nd set and the bar moved a little bit better. Took an hour to complete all 10 sets. Elbows, forearms and biceps were slightly sore at the end of the sets but my triceps and chest barely felt fatigued. Very interesting.

Workout No. 274
Monday, 27th June 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Pause Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 5x3 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Done with my bench programme and am back to a full body powerlifting programme starting today. Hopefully my back and posterior chain hold up to the weights and the volume that I will be attempting.

Started with squats for 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg which is roughly 77.5% of my 1RM. Loaded up the bar for the 1st set after completing my warm-up sets and the bar felt really heavy. Bar did not move as fast as I would have liked it to as well, which isn’t particularly encouraging considering that I managed the same weight for 6 reps last week. 2nd set moved a bit better but on the last rep of the 3rd set, my chest fell forwards slightly and I actually lost balance and stumbled forward. Very disappointing. This hasn’t happened in a very long time. Took a slightly longer rest and reattempted my 4th and 5th sets. Much better. Right glute and lower back felt slightly tight after the final set.

Pause squats next for 3 sets of 6 reps @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Managed to keep good form throughout. Happy to report that my posterior chain tightness did not bother me the slightest bit during the sets.

Some relatively light bench presses today compared to what I was attempting last week and lower volume too. Solid sets @ 155lbs / 70.0kg and I even took the opportunity today to experiment slightly with my grip widths.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 29 2016, 04:44 PM

Workout No. 275
Tuesday, 28th June 2016

Deadlift 5x3 @ 295lbs / 135.0kg

Overhead Press 5x3 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Lateral Dumbbell Raise 3x8

Haven't deadlifted heavy in over 2 weeks. My posterior chain was feeling fine until yesterday when I decided to load my back up again with the squats. Today, right glute and lower back didn't feel 100% and were a little tight while stretching and doing my mobility routine. Attempted the first set of deadlifts @ 295lbs / 135.0kg for 3 reps. Felt quite heavy but I guess it was understandable considering that I have not attempted any heavy pulls for a while. 295lbs / 135.0kg is approximately 77.5% of my 1RM. Reviewed the video of the first set and my lower back was rounding slightly. Took a 4 minute break before attempting the 2nd set and paid extra attention to my lower back alignment and lifting my chest to set my back. 2nd set looked much better. The following 2 sets also looked decent until the 5th set whereby while pulling the final rep, my lower back rounded slightly again. Struggled to keep tight overall and the weight should definitely not feel so heavy. Pulled a heavier and higher volume 310lbs / 140.0kg for a 5x5 a month ago. Sigh. Will reassess later on the week and decide on how to proceed depending on how my posterior chain feels.

Overhead presses on the other hand @ 115lbs / 52.5kg for 5x3 felt relatively easy. Weight is about 77.5% of my 1RM as per this week's prescribed programme. Experimented with grip widths too today similar to yesterday's bench press attempts.

Some variation to my accessory work for this session. Was programmed to do some lateral dumbbell raises for 3x8 reps. Have never worked with dumbbells before in this gym. Threw in some bro curls for good measure haha.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jun 29 2016, 05:25 PM

Workout No. 276
Thursday, 30th June 2016

Squat 5x3 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Front Squat 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg

Bench Press 4x3 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Squatting for the same set and rep scheme today as I did on Monday but today was notably smoother and the weight felt lighter. Felt some tightness building up in my right arm during the sets, concentrated around the upper forearm, elbow and bicep, and to a lesser extent, my shoulder. Have not experienced this tightness due to squats before and I don’t think my set-up has changed in any way today. Didn’t feel like my wrist or arm was taking the weight of the bar either. Tightness became quite significant towards the 6th and final set.

Proceeded with front squats for 3x6 @ 185lbs / 85.0kg. Right arm tightness did not affect my front squatting at all.

Was slightly concerned about bench pressing with the tightness but decided to give it a go anyway. Loaded up the working set of 155lbs / 70.0kg and unracked the bar. Slight discomfort. Lowered the bar for the first rep and felt the tightness in my right arm at the bottom position. Didn’t really affect my pressing strength though. Form was affected slightly as my bar path deviated due to the discomfort. Attempted another 3 sets after the first and stopped after the 4th set as I did not want to aggravate my arm any further. Skipped the programmed Spoto Presses and called it a day.