Day 34 - Testing 1-Rep Maxes

I decided to see where my 1-rep maxes were after a few months of training while losing weight. I knew I would be weaker, but I was still a little disappointed in the results:

Squat: 365 pounds
Press: 165 pounds
Deadlift: 375 pounds
Bench Press: 265 pounds

The weight leaned a little to the left on the squat. Since I don't have a good power rack, I didn't want to push it and further and risk getting stuck under the bar without a spotter. My previous max was 430 pounds using a high-bar technique.

The press felt really heavy at a weight much lighter than what I used to push up. My previous best was 185 pounds.

The deadlift moved fairly quickly, but I was lightheaded and saw stars afterwards. For those reasons, I stopped at 375 pounds. My previous best was in the low 400s.

With the bench press, 275 pounds just wouldn't budge! My previous best was 290 pounds.

While I am happy that I've lost weight and that I've moving better on the basketball court, I wish it hadn't been at the expense of so much strength. Here are the goals I've set and listed in a previous blog: 

• Squat 450 pounds
• Deadlift 450 pounds
• Press 185 pounds
• Bench Press 305 pounds

I still want to reach these goals. For this reason, I'm going to adjust my training starting Monday. 

Day 33

Pause Squat: 255 pounds 3x5, RPE 8

Bench Press:  215 pounds 3x5, RPE 9

Barbell Row: 195 pounds 3x5, RPE 8

Legs felt pretty good. Arms felt more like jelly.

Day 32 - Down a belt hole and deadlifting better

Workout B

• Pause squat: 250 3x5, RPE 6
• Press: 140 punds 3x5, RPE 9.5
• Deadlift: 325 pounds 1x5, RPE 7

Well, I was trying to perform 3-second tempo squats with a pause at the bottom, but my descent was more around 2 seconds. I'll try to slow it down in the future. 

The press was hard, but it didn't look too hard on the video. The video definitely helps me see that the weight moved fairly easily should give me some confidence the next time I press. 

The deadlift is moving pretty easily right now. I just need to embrace the grind and expect every rep to feel difficult even if they move quickly. 

My waist has also shrunk down to what it was 7-8 years ago! I no longer need the larger belt!

Day 31 - Switching to Tempo Squats

Workout A

• Tempo Squats (pause at the bottom): 245 pounds 3x5 - RPE 5
• Bench Press: 210 pounds 3x5 - RPE 9
• Barbell Row: 190 pounds 3x5 - RPE 8

I performed tempo squats with a 3 second eccentric (downward) phase, 1 second pause during the isometric phase (at the bottom), and an explosive concentric phase (moving as fast as I could with good form). Even with the slower eccentric phase and pause at the bottom, these were way easier than box squats. I may start adding more than 5 pounds each session for a little while because of how easy this is feeling. 

Here is a video on tempo squats: 

I struggled on the bench press. I decided to mimic the tempo for my squats and it was hard moving the weight off my chest. 

Again, RPE 8 on barbell rows.

My weight is now down to 210 pounds. That is about 25 pounds down from where I started months ago. Of course, I am expecting to struggle adding weight to the bar if I keep losing weight, but I am moving around the basketball court a whole lot more easily than I was before. 

Day 30 - Last Day for Box Squats..and Happy New Year!

Workout B:

• Box squat: 240 pounds 3x5 - RPE 7
• Press: 135 pounds 3x5 - RPE 9
• Deadlift: 315 pounds - RPE 7

This will be my last day using box squats. I'm going to switch to tempo squats with a pause at the bottom. When I box squat, I feel like I lean back a little too much because the I'm trying to partially sit on a box. So, I am going to try tempo squats with a pause at the bottom to help me keep the bar over the midfoot while the slower tempo on the eccentric phase will cause me to keep good form like the box squat did. 

I was pretty tired and the press was a grind. 

The deadlift didn't feel too bad today. 

Day 29

Workout A:

• Box squat: 235 pounds 3x5 - RPE 7
• Bench Press: 205 pounds 3x5 - RPE 6
• Barbell Row: 185 pounds 3x5 - deload due to elbow injury - RPE 8

Box squats are difficult! They have definitely helped me correct some form issues in only a couple of training sessions, but they are hard!

The bench press moved really easily today and my elbow is only feeling a little stiff right now. 

Barbell rows seem to move at a RPE of 8 no matter how much weight I use. 

I'm working late shifts this week, so we'll see how this effects my training. 

Day 28 - Staying with Box Squats

Workout B

• Box Squat: 230 pounds 3x5 - RPE 6
• Press: 130 pounds 3x5 - deload due to elbow injury - RPE 7
• Deadlift: 310 pounds 1x5 - RPE 8

On my first set of box squats, I was definitely leaning to the left. This was corrected by the third set. I deloaded the press because of my elbow. The deadlift is still progressing, but I feel like I'm struggling more than I should with this amount of weight. At least it isn't stalling like it did the last time I was around this same amount of weight. 

Day 27 - Merry Christmas...and an elbow injury

Workout A

• Squat (box): 225 pounds 5x5
• Bench Press: 200 pounds 3x5
• Barbell Row: not done due to elbow injury

First off: Merry Christmas to everyone.

A few days ago, I tried squatting in the low-bar position and had something pop in my left elbow. I decided not to workout that day and rested until today. When I tried lifting today, the pain was bad but the lack of strength in that arm was worse. Since my squat form hasn’t been acceptable, I did box squats. I deloaded on the bench press and was able to get through those sets without elbow issues. The barbel row was a no-go because I had no grip strength in that arm. I’ll need to use straps on rows and deadlifts for the time being, but I’m not sure how much weight I’ll be able to use even with the assistance.

For Christmas, my family gave me a pair of Adidas 4.0 weightlifting shoes. I will let you know if they make a difference in my training.

Day 26 - I finally did it! Low-bar squats!

Workout B

• Squat 135 pounds 5x5, RPE 5
• Press 145 pounds x5, 5, 1
• Deadlift 305 pounds 1x5, RPE 8

I finally got the bar in a low-bar position without too much discomfort. I was a little worried about adding too much weight today, so I kept it light with the plan to add 10-20 pounds per session to work my way up to a reasonable weight over the next few weeks. 

Work has been really busy this week and I didn't have much energy for the press. I surprised myself with my success on the deadlift. This is probably due to the easier weight I used on the squat. 

Day 25 - Frustration

Workout A

• Squat 305 pounds 2x5, skipped the last set because of poor form
• Bench Press 220 pounds 3x5
• Barbell Row 190 pounds 3x5

I recorded my second squat set today and was not happy with what I saw. The weights were leaning to the left, I had significant butt wink at the bottom, and my hips were shifted to one side. Even I completed all of the reps, I think I'm just asking for trouble if I keep adding weight at this point. I've been high-bar squatting until my shoulder mobility allows me to do low-bar squats. This session shows me that I need to change something, whether I finally try low-bar or drop the weight, so that I don't hurt myself. In November 2018, I pulled my right groin on a set of squats and I'm pretty sure my form then was similar to my form now. Pushing forward with more weight or even the same weight doesn't make sense because any injury due to poor form will only set me back. 

Day 22 - Missing Reps

Workout B

• Squat 295 pounds 3x5
• Press 140 pounds x 5,5,4
• Deadlift 305 pounds 1x4

I missed the last rep on both the press and deadlift. I played basketball this morning and it did tire me out for the day. The recommendation to continue to make progress with this program would be to eat more and to stop playing basketball to allow for optimal recovery. I fully understand that my progress will be slower because of basketball, but I’m okay with that because I LOVE to play basketball! We’ll see if I need to deload in the near future.

Day 21 - slowing down

Workout A

• Squat 290 pounds 3x5 - RPE 8
• Bench Press 215 pounds 3x5 - RPE 9.5
• Barbell Row 185 pounds 3x5 - RPE 7

The last set on the bench press was tough. We’ll see how I my next sets go at the end of the week.

I’ve still not been eating well. Since I’ve lost some weight, it’s been difficult to want to eat more food each day. I know my numbers will stall really soon because of this issue.

Day 20 - RPE

Workout B

• Squat 285 pounds 3x5, RPE 7
• Press 135 pounds 3x5, RPE 7 
• Deadlift 295 pounds 1x5, RPE 8

I came across a podcast on what to document in a training log and I decided I needed to add some more information. One piece of information that I will now include is the RPE for each exercise. RPE is the “rate of perceived exertion” and is a subjective measure of the effort needed to complete a set at a given weight. This should help me keep track of my levels of fatigue and if I need to change to facilitate better recovery. For example, if I notice my RPE fluctuating up and down during linear progression, I may notice a pattern in my diet or sleep that could contribute to some training sessions  being harder than others

Day 19 - In the Groove

Workout A

• Squat 280 pounds 3x5
• Bench Press 210 pounds 3x5
• Barbell Row 180 pounds 3x5

Right now, all of my lifts are feeling smooth. I hope to keep this up as the weights continue to increase.