Week 15: 8/15/11
I was really expecting to have a pathetic session because of the above reasons but it was much better than expected.
This weekend I was rewatching a YouTube vid series by Matt Wenning of Elite Fitness System on squats called: So you think you can squat? I also was reading 16 Ways to maximize your Glute Ham Raise by Dave Tate. This got me to think that I should add the Glute Ham Raise (GHR) as part of my pre-workout warm-up to help improve my lifts. So I started off today with my regular foam rolling and some dynamic stretches for mobility work and then did some GHR, 2 sets and goal was 2 sets of 10 using body weight at first then progress to slowly add weight to it. It was painful!
I think I will also start incorporating seated good-mornings and reverse hypers (once I find the machine at the gym to do the reverse hypers). To help assist on my lifts. Also will try to add Standing Ab Pull Downs to help strengthen my core. I may buy some bands so I can do ab pull downs at home.
So this weekend I learned some things to help improve my lifts and very happy on educating myself on that.
Decent workout today even though I stalled in some of them. I think in the end it was a good learning trying out these new assistance exercises.
Lifting:
(WU = Warmup Sets, WS = Work Sets)
Pre-WO Warmups:
GHR:
BW x (8/4)Seated Good Mornings: 10 x (1×10) * Yeah I need to use a MUCH heavier weight next time
Standing Ab Pull Down: +80 (8/8)
Squats:
WU
Bar x (2×5)
85 x 5
130 x 3
175 x 2
220 x 1
WS
265 x (5/4/4)
Overhead Press:
WU
Bar x (2×5)
80 x 5
WS
125 x (5/5/4)
Deadlift:
WU
Power Cleans WU:
120 x (3×3)
DL WU:
195 x 5
240 x 3
285 x 2
WS
330 x (1×5)
Pull-up:
WU
BW x 5
WS
+60 x (5/5/4)
Prone Bridge:
(3x60s)
Cardio:
none
Workout Notes:
Squats:
The only thing that have me really upset with today’s squat session is that my mind weakened on me and stopped me from doing the last rep on sets 2 and 3! It was really disappointing that I gave up on myself, mentally!
Other than that I think my form was much better than the last 2 sessions.
My Elbows are kept up most of the time and my chest are up as well.
I descended into the hole in a much more controlled manner as well and kept the bar secure on my back.
Sometimes I would just progress anyway to +5 lbs next session due to such a close call on the reps but i think I need to mentally build myself up and deload for the 1st time since switching to 3×5 from 5×5. I know my body can do the lifts but I need to train my mind as well so a deload should help build me up so I can be both physically and mentally ready for the progress that is to come.
Overhead Press:
Even though it’s a stall and only missed 1 rep I will consider this a stall. This will give me time to improve my form better and get stronger as well. OHP is such a tough lift and usually is the lift that I stall numerous times on and early.
May as well milk it before I add another +5 lbs to it.
Think once I do my 1st deload since switching from 5×5 to 3×5 I will start microloading also.
Power Cleans:
Trying to keep the time between reps less and surprised myself by not getting dizzy this time.
Deadlift:
This is the fastest I did the set with little time between reps. I think doing it quickly like this made the lift a bit easier to do also compared to havign a ton of time between reps which I have done in previous sessions.
Think my form is not too bad except for the last rep.
I am just happy to try and get a PR next session now!
Pull-up:
Then somehow I slowed down and lost momentum when I was trying to get my last rep and was unable to complete it.
Will try again with the exact same weight next session.
Prone Bridge:
Starting to get bored of this accessory exercise and may replace it with Ab Pull Downs one day.
tazunenaide
August 21, 2011 at 11:03 am
EliteFTS, great Information, thx!
Mannix Castro
August 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
Yeah, they have a ton of great information there. I just ordered a resistance band to do stretches and core work with.