Workout No. 315
Monday, 17th October 2016

Squat 3x5 @ 230lbs / 105.0kg

Pause Front Squat 3x8 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Bench Press 6x6 @ 135lbs / 60.0kg

Chin-ups 5/4/4

Upped my working squat weight by 5lbs to 230lbs / 105.0kg and completed 3x5 sets. Bar moved decently but unfortunately observed some very minimal heel lifting especially during the last rep or two. Still not happy with my form despite trying my level best to stay fully grounded.
Pause front squats as accessory work which may help enforce and drill in a solid bottom position @ 135lbs / 60.0kg. Kept the weight light and focused on form.

Starting with another cycle of the Smolov Jr bench press programme which involves benching 4 times a week for 3 weeks. The idea is to keep posterior chain loading low to allow some time for my back to recover while bringing up my lagging bench. May not be able to train 4 times a week so may stretch out the 3 week programme to a month or so. Will not be bulking this time round but rather be on a super slow cut so I may struggle with the high volume. The final week will have me benching 10x3 @ 175lbs / 80.0kg which is just about bodyweight for triples.

Generally Day 1 of each week will be 6x6, Day 2 7x5, Day 3 8x4 and Day 4 10x3 with increasingly heavy weights from Day 1 to 4 and across weeks as well.

Started with 6x6 bench presses today @ 135lbs / 60.0kg which was a walk in the park. Chin-ups for back work to finish.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 2 2016, 05:06 PM

Workout No. 316
Tuesday, 18th October 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 275lbs / 125.0kg
Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 295lbs / 135.0kg

Bench Press 7x5 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg

Been quite happy with my last few sessions of deloaded sumo deadlifts to work on my form so I upped the top set weight again to 295lbs / 135.0kg for a 5 rep attempt. Looked much more respectable this time and the weight actually moved very fast.

Day 2 of the Smolov Jr bench programme. 7 sets of 5 reps @ 145lbs / 65.0kg had my forearms and biceps feeling fatigued for some strange reason and I was surprised at how heavy the bar felt towards the end.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 2 2016, 05:11 PM

Workout No. 317
Thursday, 20th October 2016s

Squat 5/5/3 @ 235lbs / 107.5kg

Bench Press 8x4 @ 150lbs / 67.5kg

Heaviest weight I’ve squatted in a while but had an epic fail on the 3rd set. First 2 sets weren’t too pretty but were still decent sets. On the 3rd set however, on the 3rd rep, my heels lifted off the ground and the weight started shifting forward as I was driving through my fore- and mid-foot and I stumbled forward, crashing into the rack. No big issue apart from the loud crash but I need to fix this forward lean problem ASAP.

Bench presses felt easy today and I completed 8x4 @ 150lbs / 67.5kg with fairly minimal rest between sets. Surprisingly felt easier than Day 2 of Smolov Jr. on Tuesday with a lighter weight of 145lbs / 65.0kg for 7 sets of 5.

Workout No. 318
Monday, 24th October 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 275lbs / 125.0kg
Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 315lbs / 142.5kg

Bench Press 10x3 @ 160lbs / 72.5kg

Reattempted a 5 rep 3 plate deadlift again today @ 315lbs / 142.5kg and was very pleased with how fast and good the reps looked. Everything seemed to feel perfect today and I even double checked the weights on the bar to make sure I was lifting the right weight because it felt so light.

Bench presses didn’t feel as light though and on the last day of Week 1 of the Smolov Jr bench programme, I was starting to get worried that I wouldn’t make it through Week 3.

Workout No. 319
Tuesday, 25th October 2016

Squat 3x5 @ 222lbs / 102.5kg

Bench Press 6x6 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg

Snatch 5x5 @ 45lbs / 20.0kg

Deloaded my squats slightly today after the epic fail on Thursday and shifted the bar lower on my back as I realised that I have transitioned over time from a low bar back squat to more of a mid bar sorta thing. Seemed to be a quick fix for my heels-off-the-ground problem with the bar further backwards which worked quite well and I felt much more grounded. Surprisingly though, my forearms were sore after the 3 sets which in turn affected my benching. I think the new set-up somehow caused my arms to support a fair bit of the load instead of it all being primarily supported by my back. Didn’t feel that way though.

Benches felt really difficult because my forearms were tight but the weight was light anyway so 6x6 @ 145lbs / 65.0kg did not cause me too much grief.

Had my lifters on so did some snatch drills for fun to finish off my session.

Workout No. 320
Thursday, 27th October 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 275lbs / 125.0kg
Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 325lbs / 147.5kg

Bench Press 7x5 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg

Monday’s sumo deadlift session went so well that I decided to up the weight by 10lbs and go for a rep PR tonight. 5 reps @ 325lbs / 147.5kg. Warmed up with a penultimate set of 1x5 @ 275lbs / 125.0kg before attempting the 5 pulls @ 147.5kg. Bar moved decently fast and didn’t have to grind at any point. Very pleased. Upper back collapsed ever so slightly at this weight and could do with some strengthening to avoid power leaks but generally, very decent form. Happy to report that lower back alignment looked good too.

Halfway through this Smolov Jr bench cycle and today did not feel as easy as it usually does, probably because of the volume. 7 sets of 5 @ 155lbs / 70.0kg and the last rep of each set was slightly grindy. Didn’t feel very tight and did not utilise sufficient leg drive at times too. Poor discipline but got by as the weight was not too near my max.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 7 2016, 10:10 AM

Workout No. 321
Monday, 31st October 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 150.0kg

Bench Press 6x4 @ 72.5kg

Went for a trial today at Anytime Fitness just opposite my house. Since moving office to KL, my current gym in PJ has become a bit of a chore to get to after work due to the distance and traffic and I am exploring other options. May still bear with it though as I really enjoy the equipment and environment at my current gym.

Negative points as follows: No bumper plates here, only rubber coated ones. Bar seems decently built but the knurling is poor. Rubber mats were really soft to the point that when I pulled my first heavy set of warm up deadlifts @ 125.0kg, I could feel myself sinking into the mats and losing balance slightly. Only the 25kg plates are standard sized. 20kg plates are marginally smaller in diameter. Safeties are in 2” increments, nearly useless for my bench press. Unfortunately, there isn’t a good pin position in the power rack for my bench. Either too high and I can’t get the bar to touch my chest or too low and I’ll get pinned should I fail. Tragic.

Positive points: Near home, no tolls to get there from work, free parking, cheap.

Warmed up for sumo deadlifts and attempted a single heavy set of 5 @ 150.0kg. Bar speed was decent but I was losing my grip badly on the last rep. Just about locked out before I lost it. Not sure if I am just making excuses for myself but the knurling seems soft and I gripped my 5 rep 147.5kg attempt last week just fine using the regular bar at my current gym.

Felt really weak on my bench too. 2nd last session for Week 2 of the Smolov Jr programme calling for 8x4 @ 72.5kg. Perhaps I was not used to the width of this bench compared to my regular bench but I had trouble anchoring in my upper back properly and evenly. 72.5kg felt really, really heavy and I really struggled with the last rep of each set and keeping tight in general. Supposed to do 8 sets in total but called it a day after 6.

Generally quite a respectable gym but I think I’ve been too spoilt training at the facility I am training at now so I’ve been nitpicking. We shall see. My membership ends at the very end of 2016 so I’ll have to make a decision soon.

Workout No. 322
Tuesday, 1st November 2016

Front Squat 3x5 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Bench Press 8x3 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Back has improved significantly since I started the new stretching regime prescribed by my coach 2 weeks ago. Still lifting decently heavy weights generally pain and strain free. Loaded up the bar for heavy-ish front squats @ 205lbs / 92.5kg. Did 3 sets of 5 at this weight and the bar actually moved very well. Confident that I could’ve repped out 8 reps without too much effort if I tried.

Was not confident at all for my bench press today as 72.5kg for 4 reps was such a struggle yesterday. Also, if strictly adhering to the Smolov Jr programme, I supposedly should take a day off before attempting the heavy triples on the final day of Week 2 but I just benched only yesterday. Can’t train tomorrow so I decided to just give it a go. Pussied out slightly and attempted 165lbs / 75.0kg for the 1st triple and surprisingly the bar moved very easily. Put on another 5lbs for the full 170lbs / 77.5kg as prescribed by the programme and attempted another set of 3. Bar moved very well; much better than the 4 reps @ 72.5kg yesterday. Supposed to do 10x3 but got slightly lazy and it was getting late so I stopped after 8 sets. Pleasantly surprised with how well my bench presses went today.

Workout No. 323
Friday, 4th November 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x5 @ 335lbs / 152.5kg

Bench Press 6x6 @ 150lbs / 67.5kg

Squeezed in a fast session today, just to continue with my Smolov Jr bench progression. Started with a single set of 5 heavy deadlifts @ 335lbs / 152.5kg which I was quite pleased with. Weight moved well, and it felt like I still had a little bit left in the tank. Will attempt either 345lbs / 157.5kg or 350lbs / 160.0kg next week.

Final week of the Smolov Jr bench programme starting off with 6 sets of 6 reps @ 150lbs / 67.5kg. As always, the first day of each week of the programme never feels too bad and I completed the sets without struggling too much.

Workout No. 324
Sunday, 6th November 2016

Bench Press 7x5 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg

Arrived back from Melaka just after lunch today and had a few hours to kill so I headed in just to get in some bench reps. Rep scheme today was 7x5 @ 165lbs / 75.0kg. 5 reps at this weight has always been a bit of a challenge and I have never finished a full 5x5 before. Last rep of each set was a slight grind but am really glad that I managed not just to complete the 5x5 but a 7x5! Have been stuck on sets of 4 reps at this weight for a while.

Next session will be 8x4 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg before attempting 175lbs / 80.0kg for triples. Excited!

Workout No. 325
Monday, 14th November 2016

Bench Press 8x4 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg

Clean @ 60.0kg, 65.0kg, 70.0kg, 75.0kg and 80.0kg

Finally back after a full week of missing training as I was overseas for business. Did 50 push-ups a day while away just to get a little bit of volume in.

Not sure how I would do today for my bench presses after a week off so I was slightly concerned. Ramped up my warm up weights and tried a double @ 155lbs / 70.0kg. Bar moved decently so I dared to attempt my first set of 4 @ 170lbs / 77.5kg. Really focused on my set-up and I was actually surprised that the first 4 reps moved so smoothly. Rested at least 3 minutes between each set and slowly but surely completed the remaining 7 sets.

Had some fun with cleans after finishing my benching.

Workout No. 326
Tuesday, 15th November 2016

Bench Press 8x3 @ 175lbs / 80.0kg

Final session of this cycle of the Smolov Jr bench programme. My bench has always been my weakest lift by far. Glad that I am finally at a bodyweight bench for triples. First set of 3 was nice, tight and smooth. Had to take progressively longer rests between each set as I went through the sets. 3rd rep started to get grindy past the 5th set.

Screwed up my set-up when attempting my 7th set. Unracked the bar and tried out my first rep. Bar felt really unbalanced for some reason and I had to really grind out that 1 rep to avoid being pinned under the bar. Re-racked and realised I stupidly put one pinky on the Olympic marker and one pinky on the powerlifting marker. Reattempted my 7th set again after some rest. 8th set was an epic grind and I could feel a slight strain in my lower back too so I decided to call it a day without completing the full 10x3 as prescribed. Can’t complain the slightest about the way this benching cycle turned out.

May start a stricter cut after this depending on how I feel. Also, need to start working hard on my squatting form!

Workout No. 327
Thursday, 17th November 2016

Squat 1x5 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg
High Bar Squat 1x5 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg
Front Squat 1x5 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg

Push-ups 50

Haven’t been squatting heavy for nearly a month so after completing my benching programme, I’m back in the game. Tried something a little weird today. Started with 5 reps of low bar back squats @ 225lbs / 102.5kg. Not too happy with my form as my heels lifted slightly when performing the reps. Proceeded to try out another 5 reps but now in the high bar position. Felt more difficult but the reps looked smooth and fast surprisingly when reviewing the video. Last set of 5 were front squats. Really grindy but a rep PR for me for front squats at this weight! Had previously only managed 2 reps. Big improvement!

More push-ups today. Trying to squeeze in 50 reps on both training and non-training days as far as possible.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 21 2016, 08:28 PM

Workout No. 328
Friday, 18th November 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x4 @ 345lbs / 157.5kg

Snatch Grip Deadlift 3x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg

Ring Rows 3x8

Push-ups 50

Feeling decently good today after the squats so bumped up my sumo deadlift weights by another 10lbs to 345lbs / 157.5kg. Pulled a solid 4 reps before deciding not the attempt the 5th as I suspected that my form would deteriorate. No point taking any undue risks.

Worked on some snatch grip deadlifts specifically for my upper and mid back. 3x8 @ 205lbs / 92.5kg as this was an accessory movement.

More back work in the form of ring rows before finishing off with the standard 50 push-ups.

Workout No. 329
Monday, 21st November 2016

High Bar Squat 2x5 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg
Squat 2x5 @ 225lbs / 102.5kg

Pull-ups 3/3/3/3/3

Ring Rows 3x8

Wanted to start working on fixing my squatting form today. Started with 2 sets of 5 reps of high bar squats @ 225lbs / 102.5kg, focusing on trying to keep my heels grounded. Not too happy with the results as there was still some minor heel lift during some reps. Switched to low bar for the next 2 sets but encountered the same problem. Might deload and work my way up again. Will have a chat with my coach ASAP.

5 sets of triples for pull-ups. Quite disappointing to be honest. Not sure why I have lost so much pull-up strength. Used to be able to manage 5 reps but struggled with 3 today. Perhaps the daily volume of 50 push-ups is affecting my pulling strength.

Finished off with 3 sets of 8 ring rows, also extremely difficult.

Workout No. 330
Tuesday, 22nd November 2016

Sumo Deadlift 1x3 @ 345lbs / 157.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 @ 115lbs / 52.5kg

Push-ups 50

Right glute was pulling a fair bit today so I was cautious with my deadlifting. Started ramping-up to my working weight and my final warm-up set @ 295lbs / 135.0kg felt quite good. Made a decision to go for 345lbs / 157.5kg as my working set. Set-up and started the first pull. 3 reps moved quickly but I knew my form was not right as my hips shot up first so I stopped after the 3rd rep.

Moved on to strict overhead presses for volume @ 115lbs / 52.5kg for a full 5x5. Grindy but can’t complain. 50 push-ups to finish off.

Bro, how are you doing your 50 pushups? 5 sets of 10?

25-15-10. 2 minutes rest between each set.

Did you get a lot of carryover from the push up to your bench press? I stopped doing push ups a long time ago because I couldn't overload it and didn't get a lot of carryover to my bench press.

Interesting read, we both started with SL 5x5 and I was feeling demotivated because I'm stalling at my overhead press too. I felt motivated reading how you break through your OHP plateau again and again! Thanks for the share. Are you still lifting though? Been awhile since you updated here