Nate's Log

[Nate B]

Monday, 2/15:

BW: 215.8

Very cold and lots of snow. Almost got snowed in the shed during the workout lol.

Comp DL:
485x3 @ 8
375x8x3 @ 5-6

Pretty happy with the top triple, looking forward to putting 5 plates on the bar again soon. Didn't get tight enough or hinge properly for the second rep, but recovered nicely for the third. I'm really trying to improve my wedging and hinge mechanics with sumo this block - hoping all the low-ish intensity, high rep backoff work helps reinforce it.

3-1-0 Tempo Bench:
215x4 @ 6
225x4 @ 6.5
235x4 @ 7.5
220x4x2 @ 6

Lever/Landmine Belt Squat:
+200x10 @ 9
+200x6x4

[Nate B]

Tuesday, 2/16:

BW: 215

DB Curls:
40s x15x3 @ 8-9

DB LTE:
40s x12x3 @ 8

Lateral Raises:
Red band x16x3 @ 8-9

LISS Cardio:
30 mins stationary recumbent bike @ 5-6

[Nate B]

Wednesday, 2/17:

BW: 215

3-0-3 HBBS:
255x7 @ 6.5
270x7 @ 8
280x7 @ 9
265x7 @ 7.5

TnG Bench:
245x6 @ 7
255x6 @ 8
265x6 @ 9
250x6 @ 7.5

Incline DB Bench:
90s x10 @ 9
90s x6x4

Was @ 6 by the last set.

[Nate B]

Thursday, 2/18:

BW: 214.8

SLDL:
335x7 @ 6.5
355x7 @ 8
365x7 @ 9
345x7 @ 7

365 was there for an accurate RPE 9. Used to hate doing SLDLs and had some mild kinesiophobia with them in the past, but I've kind of been enjoying them during this block.

Block Bench:
250x6 @ 7
260x6 @ 8
270x6 @ 9
250x6x2 @ 7, 7

Good Mornings:
175x10 @ 8.5
175x6x4

My toes were about to freeze off and I just wanted to get these over with, so I didn't bother with attempting a load increase. Kept my rest times on the shorter side for the 4 sets of 6 to make them a little more challenging.

[Nate B]

Sunday, 2/21:

BW: 214.2

While I'm not super happy with (some of) my lifts, at least the cut is going well. I'm losing around 6 lbs per month, and considering my target is 1.5 lbs/week, I'd say I'm pretty much right on track. If I stay on schedule, I should be comfortably below 210 and ready to transition into a maintenance phase by late March/early April.

Comp Squat:
390x3 @ 8.5
330x5x5 @ 5-7

Squat is moving in the wrong direction. 390x3 felt worse than last week - borderline RPE 9 tbh - but moved about the same. Resisting the urge to panic and make a bunch of different programming changes to my next block. I'll stick with one or two, then reassess.

Comp Bench:
275x3 @ 8
240x4x6 @ 5-ish

Bench is steady at least. Moved about the same as last week. Hopefully more weight soon.

Lever/Landmine Rows:
+160x10 @ 9
+160x6x4

[Nate B]

Monday, 2/22:

BW: 213.8

Comp DL:
485x3 @ 8
375x8x4 @ 5-6.5

Got a little impatient off the floor on the last rep of the top triple and let my back round a little more than I'd like. Didn't throw my bar path off much and I was able to execute a pretty smooth rep, but letting myself get out of position like that won't fly on a max or near max attempt. Still a good session overall.

3-1-0 Tempo Bench:
215x4 @ 5
230x4 @ 7
240x4 @ 8
220x4x2 @ 6, 6.5

Happy with these, as well as this variation in general throughout this block.

Lever/Landmine Belt Squat:
+200x10 @ 9
+200x6x4

[Nate B]

Tuesday, 2/23:

BW: 213.8

DB Hammer Curls:
45s x15x3 @ 8

JM Press, 3ct ecc:
95x15x3 @ 8-9

Lateral Raises:
Red band x16x3 @ 8-9

LISS Cardio:
25 mins stationary recumbent bike @ 5-6

[Nate B]

Thursday, 2/25:

BW: 211.2

3-0-3 HBBS:
255x7 @ 7
265x7 @ 8
275x7 @ 9
265x7 @ 8

Wasn't feeling 100% for these.

TnG Bench:
245x6 @ 7
255x6 @ 7.5
265x6 @ 8.5
255x6 @ 7.5

Top set moved really well and felt like I could've possibly gotten two more reps (with the second being a grinder) if needed, so rated it @ 8.5. Put my e1RM for the day above 330, so I was pretty happy with this.

Incline DB Bench:
90s x10 @ 9
90s x6x2
60s x6

Started to feel some pain in my right shoulder during the 10@9 set that got worse after two sets of 6. Stripped the dumbbells down to 60 lbs and the pain was still there, so I just opted out of a fourth set. This is the same shoulder that I sustained a grade 2 AC joint sprain/separation back in college, so I'm a little more cautious with it than I otherwise would be. Hopefully it fades with conservative loading and doesn't derail the good bench progress I've been making.

[Nate B]

Friday, 2/26:

BW: 212.8

SLDL:
345x7 @ 7
355x7 @ 8
365x7 @ 9
345x7 @ 7.5

Block Bench:
250x6 @ 7
260x6 @ 8
270x6 @ 9.5
250x6x2 @ 7, 7.5

My touch point on my chest was a little off a couple of the reps of my top set. Load was probably correct, I think it would’ve been @9 with more consistent technique.

Good Mornings:
185x10 @ 9
185x6x4

[Nate B]

Saturday, 2/27:

BW: forgot

Chinups:
AMRAP in 7 minutes

DB Rows:
110x13x3 @ 8-9

BB Curls:
65x12x3

These were irritating my shoulder at heavier loads, but I could tolerate this.

Band Triceps Kickbacks:
Red x15x3 @ 8

Ab Wheel, kneeling:
AMRAP in 7 mins

LISS Cardio:
25 mins stationary recumbent bike @ 5-6

[Nate B]

Sunday, 2/28:

BW: 212.2

A week ago, there was about a foot of snow on the ground. Today, it was 60 degrees and I was lifting with the shed door open. Welcome to Ohio.

Comp Squat:
395x3 @ 8
350x5 @ 6

Widened my stance a bit and turned my toes out a couple more degrees and these felt and moved great! Was hitting depth a lot more consistently and convincingly, too. Also, I noticed in warmups that these were irritating my shoulder pain, so I stopped forcing my elbows down as much and it instantly felt better. Maybe that was the source of it? Either way, a lot happier with these squats that I have been the past couple weeks or so. I think my struggles were technique related and not due to my programming, which is reassuring.

Comp Bench:
275x3 @ 8
245x5x2 @ 6, 6.5

Flat bench doesn't seem to bother my shoulder at all, but incline bench and biceps curls do. Pain is weird.

Pendlay Rows:
205x8 @ 6
215x8 @ 7
225x8 @ 8

[Nate B]

Monday, 3/1:

BW: 213

Comp DL:
485x3 @ 7.5
425x6 @ 6

I'm having a pretty good low stress week so far. Technique was really clicking today...I think the mental cues are helping - hips (to bar) before initiating the pull to get wedged in, and imagining a string pulling my upper back towards the wall behind me after the bar breaks the floor.

CGBP:
225x3 @ 5.5
235x3 @ 6.5
250x3 @ 8

3-0-0 Platz Squat:
225x8 @ 6
235x8 @ 7
245x8 @ 8

I've really come to love Platz squats - fantastic minimal equipment supplemental squat/quad developer IMO, especially for someone like me who can't front squat because my fucked up shoulder makes a remotely comfortable front rack pretty much impossible. Going deep ATG and having my heels almost touching and elevated ~1.5" forces me to be so upright that it almost mimics a front squat movement pattern. Added a 3ct tempo to the eccentric to keep the load even lighter.

[Nate B]

Tuesday, 3/2:

BW: 213

LISS Cardio:
30 mins stationary recumbent bike @ 5-6

Ab Wheel, kneeling:
AMRAP in 7 mins

[Nate B]

Wednesday, 3/3:

BW: 212.8

HBBS:
295x6 @ 7
305x6 @ 8
315x6 @ 9

This was one of these days where warmup weights felt heavy.

TnG Bench:
255x5 @ 7
265x5 @ 8
275x5 @ 9

Shoulder still feels fine for bench. These moved nicer than the squats.

Larsen CGBP:
175x10 @ 7
185x10 @ 8
195x10 @ 9

Super light. Swapping out the inclines for a flat bench variation seems to not irritate the shoulder.

[Nate B]

Thursday, 3/4:

BW: 211.2

Conventional DL, beltless:
375x6 @ 6
385x6 @ 7
395x6 @ 8

Going to continue doing a conventional movement on my secondary deadlift day for at least another developmental block. With no meet in the near future and my comp sumo DL progressing fine, I see no real need to up the specificity just yet. Hoping to hit 405x6 @ 8 by the end of this block, but won't push it too hard it it's not there. Paired with a conventional supplemental variation like GMs and RDLs, I'm hoping this cycle really strengthens up my posterior chain before jumping back into a little more sumo specific work.

Spoto:
235x5 @ 6
245x5 @ 7.5
250x5 @ 8

RDL:
295x10 @ 6
305x10 @ 7
315x10 @ 8

These felt light and moved well but they were still tough. Cardio definitely a factor in the RPE ratings.