This week is the end of a 4 week block with a deload on the squats and testing on the DL and PP.
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- BS
- 10 @ 50% / 238
- 10 @ 55% / 262
- 10 @ 60% / 286
- 10 @ 70% / 333
- Push Press
- 5 @ 40% / 90
- 5 @ 50% / 113
- 3 @ 60% / 135
- Accessory:
- Cliffhangers 3 x :30 + 10 side crunches ea. side
- GM: 3x10x115
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- Deadlift: 4×3 @ 65% / 328
- Sn RDL: 3x8x225
- Accessory work:
- Blackwell back drills: 3×10 (4.4#, 5×5#)
- Push-ups: 4×12
- DB curls: 4×15
- Cash-out: 15 minutes assault bike (139 calories)
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- Split jerk:
- EMOM x5 @ 87% / 275
- EMOM x5 @ 90% / 280
- Rest 2 minutes, then work up to a heavy single
- Went 295, 306x, 306, 315 (5lb PR)
- Cardio – Rower: Work/Rest 1:1 (Row 1, rest 1, row 2, rest 2, row 3, rest 3, row 4, rest 4, then back down) for a total of 4227m
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- Deadlift 1RM: 3x3x155, 3×205, 3×253, 3×303, 2×353, 1×405, 1×430, 1×455, 1×480, 1×506 (PR), 1×516 (PR), 1×525 (PR)
- Push Press 1RM: 3×105, 3×130, 3×155, 2×180, 1×205, 1×216, 1×230, 1×247, 1×260 (PR), 275x
- Accessory work:
- Plate raises: 3×12 w/25#
- DB curls: 4×20 / 30#
The deadlifts felt surprisingly good. I was shooting my butt up on the heavier singles at the end, but a 20lb PR was beyond anything I expected going into training this morning. In fact, when I was writing the percentages out on the board, I did not expect to hit 95% (480). When 90% (455) went up so easy, I thought that I might have enough in the tank for a tiny PR. The trouble with the deadlift PR was that I spent too much time celebrating and waited too long before starting in on the push press. By the time I got to PR range for that, I was pretty cold. I barely missed 275, which is a benchmark weight for me on the PP. I was happy with 260, but really wanted 275 and oddly enough I did not feel as successful.
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I had FS on the program but opted to skip that for whatever reason. Going into the gym, I thought about doing a clean EMOM type warm-up and then testing my max, but when I got there, I figured I would just test my max. I felt pretty tight and immobile. I have not tested a heavy clean since the day before this 4 week block, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. In the back of my mind, I figured that if I could pull 525lbs off the floor, that I could pull at least 200lbs less than that high enough to get my elbows under it.
- 50% x 3 / 155
- 60% x 2 / 185
- 70% x 2 / 215
- 80% x 1 / 245
- 85% x 1 / 260
- 90% x 1 / 275
- 95% x 1 / 290
When I got under 290, I could tell it was out front a little bit. The pause & bottom-up FS have truly helped because once I get settled under it, I had no doubts that I could stand it up. The big question for me was what jumps to make after this. I thought if I could hit 307, that would be a 1lb PR and give me enough confidence to try 315. Three wheels is a big benchmark for me. The pull for 307 was there, and I took a shot at it twice, but it still spit me out. I hate seeing videos of me missing lifts, but I really hope that I can look back on this one day and smile, remembering when I struggled with this weight.
In the end, having zero misses up to 95% was still a great accomplishment, especially considering that I have done no heavy cleans in the past 4 weeks. My back was pretty tight in between lifts but felt good once I got setup and started to pull. My knees also feel pretty good.
Strangely though, after this, I had an immediate tank in energy and drive. I tried to do some accessory work (pull-ups, reverse hypers, and upside down KB presses) but after the first set of pull-ups, I got light headed. All I wanted to do was sit down and stare at the wall. I didn’t even want to go home. Just sit there. Once I collected myself, I came home to relax.
Live to fight another day.