Getting Physically & Mentally Stronger Through Barbell Training
Texas method intensity day.
Right side feels better. Going to do 3 sets of 5 and keep on adding weight every workout.
Let's see how my training went this past week:
Decided to add a couple of sets of low bar squat to Monday's already high volume squat workout, and it was quite challenging. Maybe it's my lack of conditioning, but I had to lie down on a bench with my feet elevated during the later sets. I have never done this before.
I did 2 sets of 5 after 5x3 of low bar squats. My low back muscles felt extremely pumped after the sets of 5, and may have made the high bar squats more difficult than it should have been. I think I'll try adding the 2x5 low bar squats after 5x5 high bar squat to see how it feels.
Surprisingly, I did not experience much DOMS in my legs or lower back the next day, and I could walk up and down the stairs just fine.
Maybe, because my body proportion is similar to that of Wolverine, I have similar healing powers too! I definitely do not have the body hair though.
For overhead presses, I missed again (twice!) at 260 lb even though I didn't bench as much on Monday (3x5 instead of the usual 5x5), allowing my triceps to be "more fresh" on OHP day.
Maybe it has to do with my grip width, and how it affects my upper body position. I find that with a wider grip, I can stand more erect, but with a narrower grip, I need to lean back a little so that the bar is over the center of my body. I used a narrow grip, and I'm pretty sure I was standing more erect than leaning back, because the bar felt a little too forward as I tried to press the weight up.
Or maybe, I'm just not strong enough to OHP 260 lb. Yet.
I did get a body weight (200 lb) 7 rep max, and I'm hoping for 225 x 5 for the next session.
Out of all the lifts that I do with a barbell, I think I'm making the most progress with my bench press.
I hit a new 3RM at 330 lb. Previous my 3 rep personal best was 320 lb a little over a month ago. +10 lb increase is not too bad!
I think this weight would be a good opener for the bench press in a powerlifting competition.
Also, I think I finally (and accidentally) figured out how to utilize my lats to drive the bar up during the bench. I'll need to experiment more though.
Anyway, check out some of the articles I wrote this past week:
And take a look these:
Some training updates and notes from this past week, mainly for myself to clarify exactly what the hell I'm doing (or about to do), and for those who might be interested in my workouts.
For the squat, I'm increasing the volume on both volume day and intensity day.
For volume day, it will be:
So that's 40 total squat reps (generally Texas Method is 25 total squat reps, and I've done 30 in the past). I'm playing with the idea of adding a couple of low bar squat back off sets of 2x5. Not sure yet.
And intensity day:
Normally for intensity day for the Texas Method is 1x5.
We'll see how this works out.
I haven't squatted 500 lb or more in a long time. In fact, my squat has gotten weaker after making some changes to my programming. I have a feeling this increased volume, along with performing low bar and high bar squats in the same workout, will build a solid foundation and get me back on track.
My short term goal is to finally get a high bar squat of 500 lb or more (current max is 495 lb, missed on 500 lb a few times), and to break my overall squat (which is a low bar squat) PR of 510 lb.
I missed a 260 lb overhead press on Wednesday, but did get some repetition PRs (225x4 and 200x6).
My triceps always feel a little fatigue and sore on Wednesday from Monday's bench workout. I suspect that if I decrease my bench press from 5x5 to 3x5 on Monday, I'll press 260 lb on Wednesday. We shall see.
My first bench press PR of the year! 360 lb with a reverse grip:
Everything felt smooth for the most part. I did feel the bar move forward towards my head by a fraction of a nanometer (normally on the descent, it goes down until the bar touches a point below my sternum), but I managed to control it and press it up.
I think I'll hit some repetition PR's before tackling a 1 rep max again.
I'll be trying out some added volume for deadlifts at 5x5. Basically, I'll work up to a heavy single (500 lb) with a hook grip to keep my pain tolerance high and to ensure I can deadlift 500 lb anytime, and then hit 5x5 for my work sets. I'm starting with 320 lb and will probably be adding 5 lb or so per week.
I was thinking of doing rack pulls again and gradually decrease the height of the bar over time, but changing the sabre style safeties in my power rack is a bit of a pain in the ass. Maybe I'll come back to this in the future.
Lastly, I also posted a video of me doing some L-sit chin ups, which I believe helps in the OHP (see my article below) and keeps me from looking like a Centaur.
Anyway, here are some blog posts I wrote this past week that you might have missed:
And check out these articles about the overhead press:
3 Ways To Increase Your Overhead Pressing Strength by John Phung (hey, that's me!)
I wrote a guest post for AllThingsGym.com at the request of the site owner. I write about some things that has helped me with my overhead press. I have a still have a few tricks up my sleeves, so maybe there will be a part II in the future 😉
Pimpin' Ain't Easy #4- Let's get Down to The Finish (NSFW) by Jamie Lewis
Another article about the overhead press, detailing different methods by guys like Tommy Kono and Bill March, who both had a similar body weight as me in the past, but pressed well over 300 lb over their heads.
As long as I've finished my number two's for the day, my body is ready for heavy squatting and deadlifting.
Well, I finally hit that 495lbs high bar squat! I think I missed that weight 2 or 3 weeks in a row. I think a 500lbs high bar squat is just around the corner.
And also nailed a 510lbs low bar squat the next day. Short-medium term goal: 550lbs. Long term goal: 600lbs. Still a long way to go...
Anyways, here's some of my blog posts you might have missed:
And here are 3 solid articles I came across this week that I think you should check out:
