3/3/21 Wednesday March 3, 2021 (Texas method light - BB Squat, Bench, Chins, Prowler)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM light - BB Squat, Bench, Chins, Prowler

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5

265 x 3

295 x 1

work sets
320 x 5 x 2 sets (happy with this, about 80% of Monday's 5x5 at 390)

BB Bench:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3

255 x 1

275 x 1

work sets (last Wednesday bench 5x5 was 280) 
285 x 5 x 1 set

285 x 4 x 1 set

285 x 3 x 2 sets

285 x 2 x 5 sets

25 reps

Chins

x 8 (chins were pretty strong today)

x 8

x 8

Prowler

2 45s each side x 2 rounds

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:15am - Complete

Notes -  A good day.  Enjoyed the new green 25 lb calibrated plates from Rogue today.  PR on bench volume at 285.  It's certainly getting heavy, and challenging, but still able to get all the reps.  Body feeling pretty good all around, it's nice. 

3/1/21 Monday March 1, 2021 (Texas method volume - BB Squat, OHP, DL)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM volume - BB Squat, OHP, DL

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5 x 2 sets 

155 x 5

265 x 3
315 x 1

345 x 1

375 x 1

work sets 
390 x 5 x 5 sets (up from 5x5 at 385 last Monday - these were solid sets)

BB OHP:

warm up

45 bar x 5

95 x 5

155 x 3

175 x 2

185 x 1

work sets

195 x 3 x 4 sets

195 x 2 fail on 3 1 set

195 x 2 x 5 sets

25 reps -  Up from 5x5 at 192.5 last Wednesday, pleased with how this went

BB DL (all hooked, no belt):

warm up
155 x 5
265 x 3

315 x 1

work sets

325 x 5 x 1 set (pulled very fast)

9:15am - Complete

Notes - Very pleased with this effort.  Squats, pretty tough, but good reps, I am getting deeper, my walkouts are better, I am controlling the bar, this is just a lot better.  I have to keep this going.  OHP was a good effort, not missing reps (just 1), at inching towards 200 lbs for the volume day, which is a great marker.  DLs were pulled very fast and strong.  Additional calibrated plates arrived from Rogue at the end of the day today - 4 beautiful green 25lb plates - excited to get those out and pair them up with the red 55s:) 

2/26/21 Friday February 26, 2021 (Texas method intensity - BB Squat, DL, Bench, OHP)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM intensity - BB Squat, DL, Bench, OHP

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5

265 x 3
315 x 1

375 x 1

405 x 1

work sets
430 x 5 x 1 set (good set, pretty deep reps)

BB DL:

warm up
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
265 x 3

315 x 1

375 x 1 

work set

435 x 4 (PR)

BB Bench:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3

235 x 2

265 x 1

285 x 1

work sets
292.5 x 3 x 2 sets (PR)

(Monday's 5 x 5 weight was 282.5)

BB OHP:
warm up
155 x 3

185 x 1

work sets
205 x 1

215 x 1

220 x 1

222.5 x 1 x 1 set (PR)

(Wednesday's 5 x 5 weight was 192.5)

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:15am - Complete

Notes - Super pumped today about the DL result - 435 x 4, that's a PR.  And it was a strong set.  I honestly probably should have tried to pull the 5th rep.  So next week it's going for 440 x 4.  That was the highlight today.  I also hit a PR for two triples on the bench at 292.5, and a PR single on the OHP at 222.5 which was one hell of a grinder, hardest OHP I have ever grinded through.  And then I racked it.  A great Friday.

2/24/21 Wednesday February 24, 2021 (Texas method light - BB Squat, OHP, Chins, Prowler)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM light - BB Squat, OHP, Chins, Prowler

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5

265 x 3

295 x 1

work sets
315 x 5 x 2 sets (happy with this, about 80% of Monday's 5x5 at 385)

BB OHP:

warm up

45 bar x 5

95 x 5

155 x 3

175 x 2

work sets

192.5 x 3 x 4 sets

192.5 x 2 fail on 3 1 set

192.5 x 2 x 5 sets

25 reps -  Up from 5x5 at 190 last Monday, I thought this was a good approach, I went in thinking 5 triples and 5 doubles, almost got it with no misses

Chins

x 8 (chins were pretty strong today)

x 8

x 8

Prowler

2 45s each side x 2 rounds

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:15am - Complete

Notes -  A good day.  Felt good on the squats, I really like the improvements made on Monday - getting into the hips much better, using the adductors, less low back fatigue, this is all good. OHP was a good day, pretty heavy for a 5x5 but a solid effort with triples and doubles, not much rest in between sets.  Finished with chins and some prowler work. 

2/22/21 Monday February 22, 2021 (Texas method volume - BB Squat, Bench DL)

  Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM volume - BB Squat, Bench, DL

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5 x 2 sets 

155 x 5

265 x 3
315 x 1

345 x 1

375 x 1

work sets 
385 x 5 x 5 sets (best depth and best sets of 5x5 I have had in months - glad I dropped the weight a bit, I have to dial in depth)

BB Bench:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3

235 x 2

265 x 1

work sets (last Wednesday bench 5x5 was 280) 
282.5 x 5 x 1 set

282.5 x 4 x 1 set

282.5 x 3 x fail on 4 1 set

282.5 x 3 x 2 sets

282.5 x 2 x 3 sets

25 reps

BB DL (all hooked, no belt):

warm up
155 x 5
265 x 3

work sets

315 x 5 x 1 set (pulled very fast)

9:15am - Complete

Notes - This was a win today.  I went into this on the squat determined to get deeper, keep the bar over midfoot, and drive the hips out of the hole.  I was able to do that across all 5 sets.  Just a lot better technique today, and no issues at all with the left leg which was great.  Really happy about this, and I can build on this.  The bench was pretty good, it's getting pretty damn heavy for 5x5 and I am not making 5s, but I can get to 25 reps using descending sets.  Finished with one set of deads at 315, tried to pull the slack out of the bar, these were pulled fast, have to think about where I want to go on Friday.  I am thinking trying to pull a set of 5 at 430. 

2/19/21 Friday February 19, 2021 (Texas method intensity - BB Squat, OHP, DL, Bench, Chins, Prowler)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM intensity - BB Squat, OHP, DL, Bench

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5

265 x 3
315 x 1

375 x 1

405 x 1

work sets
425 x 5 x 1 set (kind of a shitty set)

BB OHP:
warm up
45 bar x 5
95 x 5
155 x 2

185 x 1

work sets
202.5 x 3 x 2 sets (PR) (felt pretty good especially the last rep was a grinder but got it)

BB DL:

warm up
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
265 x 3

375 x 1 

work set

455 x 1 fail could not break it from the floor

455 x 1 fail pulled for longer, same issue

Had to take a work call and I said fuck it after 40 minutes when I went back to the bar, I was cold, it wasn't worth it to try and do back-offs

BB Bench:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3

235 x 2

265 x 1

295 x 1

work sets
315 x 1 

317.5 x 1 (PR single)

(Monday's 5 x 5 weight was 280)

Chins

x 5 x 4 sets

Later in the afternoon - Prowler 

2 45s x 4 sets 

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:15am - Complete

Notes - Keeping with recent trends, a good day pressing (a PR for two triples on the OHP at 202.5, and a PR single on the bench at 317.5) and a shit day with the lower body lifts.  Though my left leg and hip has improved a lot from Monday's issue, it did affect the squat today and I really wasn't able to get deep enough of push out of the hole without feeling it.  So that sucked.  And the DL is kind of a mess now.  I couldn't move 455 off the floor.  Since I started working with the new calibrated iron plates, I think I am not used to how much I need to take slack out of the bar and it's just off.  So back to the drawing board on the DL, after what has been honestly a pretty good run.  It wasn't super hard to get to a 405 DL, it was pretty damn hard to get to 450, and now it appears it will be real hard to get to a 500, which is a big goal.  

2/17/21 Wednesday February 17, 2021 (Texas method light - BB Squat, Bench, Chins, Prowler)

 Warm up

7:45am- Training session -  TM light - BB Squat, Bench, Chins, Prowler

BB Squat:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5

265 x 3

295 x 1

work sets
315 x 5 x 2 sets (dropped it way back just to test the left leg, went pretty well actually)

BB Bench:
45 bar x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3

235 x 2

265 x 1

work sets (last Monday bench 5x5 was 277.5) 
280 x 5 x 2 sets (PR)

280 x 4 x 1 set

280 x 3 x 1 set

280 x 2 x 4 sets

25 reps

Chins

x 5 (all reps were stopped at the bottom, tried to be more strict)

x 5

x 5

x 5

Prowler

2 45s each side x 3 rounds

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

9:15am - Complete

Notes -  Overall, happy with this, particularly the Bench, which continues to progress pretty well.  That was a solid effort, and it's been a great run over the long term in improving my bench over the last year.  This is a volume effort that would have been pretty unimaginable a year ago when I resumed benching after taking the better part of 8 years off from the bench. I made so many mistakes with this lift when I was younger, and just really happy to have learned from the Starting Strength method a number of tips that have me safely benching this heavy at this volume.  Squat was ok, I tested out the left leg and it's improved from Monday's incident, really good thing I was able to get bodywork and acupunture yesterday afternoon, that helped a ton.  We'll see on Friday.  I think it's time anyway to re-evaluate this lift, go back to basics on some level, get fucking deeper more consistently, and just improve period.  I'm going to be less focused on the weight, I realize it's taking away from my deadlift improvement anyway and at this stage I should be trying to get my damn deadlift past 450 and up to 500.  If I am squatting deep around 400 lbs for sets, I'm going to get better.  I have to get deeper more consistently, can't be high.