Back At It

9.9.15/Wed-pm ~187lbs
Back Squat, high bar, squat shoes, NO BELT, medium/loose Red Line wraps @ 365
135 x 6
225 x 4
275 x 3
315 x 2
345 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 1, miss
Standing Overhead Press (STRICT) 155 x 3
Front Squat, squat shoes, NO BELT, medium/loose Red Line wraps 275 x 3, 285 x 2

It's been a busy Labor Day weekend and I was forced to stay out of the gym for a full seven days. Last session was the bench on 9.2.15. I've been dosing LGD at 8 mg ED, GW at 14 mg ED, and two pills of TestUp per day. Feeling good. Weighing ~187 in the mornings, right where I'd left off.

I had unrealistic hopes for doubles with at least 375 today. I went up to 385 and it felt so solid that I thought I might get a few singles with it. But on the second attempt I went a bit too far down in an attempt to catch the bounce and I lost my arch. Couldn't fight through the sticking point once my transmission (my spine) started to give, not with this weight which is literally the heaviest I've ever lifted in this style (high bar, medium wraps).

I should note that instead of my usual knee sleeves I wore the Harbinger black, thin "Power" wraps. I wrapped them so loosely that I was able to wear them the entire session without any discomfort. These truly gave me even less added weight than my much thicker knee sleeves do. So I am very, very happy that I was able to work up to 345 in this manner. I imagine that my max with just sleeves or such light and loose wraps is somewhere over 355, maybe even 365.

This is a fantastic way to start another meso-cycle after a brief layoff.  The LGD hasn't even kicked in yet. I should really start to see my bodyweight and my lifts moving in another few days.

As usual, I paused the first rep or two of my squat warmups till 275. At 315 I started the controlled bouncing. Also as usual, I folllowed up back squats with a quick set of standing presses then front squats. The first rep of the press is always "true" coming from a dead stop; the following reps use the stretch reflex.

Gym Anecdote

A very athletic-looking brotha approached me after my set of 285 on the front squat to compliment me on them. I had to rejoin that he looked like an athlete himself with some power behind him. He told me he wrestled and played football...running back. He was about 5'8" or so and all muscle, definitely under 10% bodyfat. He looked like a running back.

I asked him if he remembered his sprint times or vertical because while I am "gym strong", I really admire people with natural speed and power. He told me that all he knows is that he could jump and grab rim with both hands. At his 5'8" height that works out to over a 30" vertical.

Next

I'm PVC rolling right now. I don't care how pussy-ish it seems. If I don't do it, my quads become increasingly bound up and painful. This is something that I need to pay attention to if I want to keep progressing and stay free of chronic pain.

I'm also reveling in the fact that I am as strong as ever and in some ways stronger than ever. Apples to apples is a little hard since my best front squat was done in just sleeves and right now I'm using wraps on my top sets. But still 275 x 1 was my best years ago in sleeves and today I got an easy triple with that weight. My best ever high bar squat with just sleeves was 365 and my best with loose powerlifting wraps was 385...and I'm right about at both those numbers now here at the begining of a cycle.

I am gunning for 425 x 2 back squat in wraps and 315 x 3 front squat in wraps by the end of this cycle in the next four or five weeks. Tomorrow I will bench and maybe deadlift. It's a bit too close to squats, but I'm just trying to establish some numbers at the begining. And I may just put the deadlift off till Saturday. After that I don't really plan to do it much this cycle because it impedes my squat recovery too much.