Week 6, 85% (with 85% training max)
Bodyweight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
Day 1: 3x3x175 BP, 3x2x225 DL
Day 2: Run with a friend, 5K, 27 mins
Day 3: 3x3x175 BP, 3x2x225 DL
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: 3x3x175 BP, 3x2x225 DL
Day 6: Run 7 miles, 55 mins; after, 1-mile cool down. Total 8 miles.
Day 7: Rest / 45 mins medium-duty yard work
Snow day: We actually had a light sprinkling of snow for about an hour here on day 2. I went jogging with a friend while flakes swirled around us "like one of those stupid-as* snow globes," as my friend hilariously put it. Exhilarating.
Milestone corroboration: The day 6 run was the second sub-8 pace long run of this block. I was glad the first one wasn't a fluke or a one-time deal.
Notes: I am sensing the increased power in my lifts. All three days of lifting went better than any previous session in this entire block. Each lifting day was snappy, and I ended thinking I could have done much more. I've sensed no aches or pains, either, except for some mild soreness in my triceps on day 5. I'm fairly sure, however, that I stupidly caused that myself by not warming up properly for BP on day 3. It's amazing how taking one little shortcut can have repercussions down the line!
I had a very busy day at work on day 4, so I took a complete rest day, which I didn't take last week (the yardwork I did last week on my rest day ended up taking more of a toll on me than I thought it would).
The day 6 run was intense--really, a tempo-level effort. Heart rate at 15 seconds after the run was 170; at 1:15 after the run, 138. I sensed the power in my legs, as if they were saying, "Give us more!" But my poor lungs responded, "No effing way!" So, I sense that my leg strength is outpacing my lactate-threshold capacity right now. That's fine because the top goal of this block is to progress DL while maintaining, as much as possible, aerobic/endurance capacity for my running.
For day 7 I did the same type of yard work as last week, except for a shorter time, and I paid close attention to how I was lifting and carrying equipment. It seemed to be a good use of a rest day.
Supplement note: I started taking 2.5 grams of TMG, daily, on day 4. The studies I've seen seem to agree that TMG works best once it's been in the system for a little while (one study says two weeks). My own anecdotal experience leads me to believe that it works better when cycled. Thus, I'm going to go on it for three weeks and then go off. I've tried to coincide those three weeks with the heaviest lifting week (95%) and the testing thereafter. Ideally, I'd have started sooner, but this will still suffice.
FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
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FortyPlusRunner
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- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Last edited by FortyPlusRunner on Mon Nov 06, 2017 5:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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grouchyjarhead
- Posts: 984
- Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 7:45 pm
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Great log. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Thanks! Me too, haha.grouchyjarhead wrote:Great log. Looking forward to seeing your progress.
By the way, thank you for your moderating work here. After experiencing the clusterf* that was "discussion boards in the late 1990s," I stayed away from them for a LONG time. But you guys run a tight ship here. I appreciate it.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Week 7, 95% (with 85% training max)
Body weight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
SBike: Stationary bike
Day 1: 3x2x200 BP, 3x1x250 DL
Day 2: SBike 30 mins, 8.35 miles
Day 3: 3x2x200 BP, 3x1x250 DL
Day 4: Rest / Walked to work (15 mins)
Day 5: 3x2x205 BP; 1x250, 1x257.5, 1x265 DL
Day 6: 2.5 hours of fairly continuous medium-duty yard work
Day 7: Rest
"Prepare Ye": The day 1 session was the roughest of this entire block, and I can think of three reasons why. First, I made a dumb decision to stay up late the night before; I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do, and it was my own fault--not a good way to go into 95% week. Second, I had a very different breakfast from my normal pre-lifting meal; I added a bunch of slow-digesting protein, which may be fine during the day, but not right before a workout. Third, the yard work I did on my rest day wasn't exactly light, and tacking that on top of the 8-mile run the day before was probably not the best way to prepare for 95% week. Lesson learned: prepare ye the way of 95% week. That means take it easy a couple days before 95% week starts.
Pump Up the Volume?: During the first half of this block (weeks 1-3), I lifted considerably more volume in BP than the second half. In fact, I did 4, 5, or even 6 sets of BP during 90% week, and they went well. The downside of that was fatigue. So, in the second half of the block I did the minimum sets of BP (3). As I've come to 95% week, I'm finding it MUCH HARDER to lift those weights. I thought at first it was just a bad lifting day (which happens to everyone, and which I'd contributed to with some dumb decisions), but the evidence suggests otherwise. First, BP was tough on both days 1 and 3, and I was well prepared for day 3. Second, DL went well on both those days--and I've kept the DL volume consistently high (9 sets per week). Here's my hypothesis, then: has decreasing the volume of BP in the second half of this block contributed to the difficulty I'm experiencing in 95% week? Would an increased volume in 75% and even 85% weeks in BP have made 95% week more manageable? I suppose I'll have to try next time and see.
Notes: Day 1 BP was ROUGH. The first two sets were like the weights were pushing me, not the other way around. I sensed soreness in my triceps, anterior delts, and forearms through those first difficult work sets. I managed to pull myself together for the third set, and it went more smoothly: form and power were there. DL went much better right from the start: while I sensed that the weight wasn't light, I was thinking I could definitely do more. I experienced some of that odd "pleasant soreness" after the third set, too--the kind that prompts you to think that you challenged yourself at just the right limit.
I took day 2 SBike very easy: heart rate was usually in the 115-120 range.
Day 3 BP was STILL ROUGH. Like day 1, I sensed soreness--this time a little more acute--in my forearms, anterior delts, triceps, and even middle back. Also like day 1, I started to get a handle on the weight by the third set, but it was tough going. On the other hand, DL was just fine--heavy, yes, but do-able, and I sensed I could lift more.
Day 4 was a much-needed rest day. The Heavy Lifting Fatigue started to clear a bit.
Two interesting things happened on day 5. First, I added 5 lbs to my BP lifts. This would seem, at first blush, to be a stupid thing to do, since the weights had been challenging on days 1 and 3. However, I could have pulled the plug at any time--even after the first rep with the additional 5 lbs--and I didn't need to. Moreover, this was the last day of 95% week, and I wanted to see just how close to my limits I was with BP, and the additional 5 lbs didn't seem to be heavier. Yes, it was a tough three sets, but no tougher than days 1 and 3. Doing the three sets at 205 instead of at 200 gave me some valuable information: I'm close to my limits on BP, but not so close that I had to shut everything down.
Second, I also wanted to see how close I was to my limits with DL, so I scaled the three sets as follows: 95%, 97.5%, 100% (all with 85% training max). This necessitated doing the second set with a 2.5-lb weight on one side with no balancing counter-weight on the other side!!
THE HORROR! Anyway, all three sets went fine. I sensed the heaviness, yes, but I wasn't straining. There's room for growth here. I suspect I made some progress on DL.
The day 6 yard work was a very long exercise in strength-endurance but unavoidable. We have a half-acre of land and a lot of trees, and it's that time of year.
Carnac the Magnificent: Based on the above data, I'm ready to make some predictions about testing, which I'll do next week. But first, a recap of former testing results:
Previous 1RM test for BP: 235. Body weight at the time was 221 lbs.
Previous 1RM test for DL: 302. Body weight at the time was 222 lbs.
Current body weight is 196 lbs--about 25 pounds lighter than when I last tested. In fact, since the last time I tested, I've been focusing mainly on maintaining strength while reducing body fat. So, even if I test at the same numbers as above, I'll count that a victory. Maintaining maximum strength while dropping weight is a win/win in my book. If I've gained strength, it's a bonus.
Important note: I used 245 and 310, respectively, as my 1RM numbers for this block. Sometime in the past few months, I forced progression with both BP and DL. However, I've not officially tested on those numbers; my official 1RMs remain as above (235/302).
I'll probably test in the middle of next week.
Body weight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
SBike: Stationary bike
Day 1: 3x2x200 BP, 3x1x250 DL
Day 2: SBike 30 mins, 8.35 miles
Day 3: 3x2x200 BP, 3x1x250 DL
Day 4: Rest / Walked to work (15 mins)
Day 5: 3x2x205 BP; 1x250, 1x257.5, 1x265 DL
Day 6: 2.5 hours of fairly continuous medium-duty yard work
Day 7: Rest
"Prepare Ye": The day 1 session was the roughest of this entire block, and I can think of three reasons why. First, I made a dumb decision to stay up late the night before; I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do, and it was my own fault--not a good way to go into 95% week. Second, I had a very different breakfast from my normal pre-lifting meal; I added a bunch of slow-digesting protein, which may be fine during the day, but not right before a workout. Third, the yard work I did on my rest day wasn't exactly light, and tacking that on top of the 8-mile run the day before was probably not the best way to prepare for 95% week. Lesson learned: prepare ye the way of 95% week. That means take it easy a couple days before 95% week starts.
Pump Up the Volume?: During the first half of this block (weeks 1-3), I lifted considerably more volume in BP than the second half. In fact, I did 4, 5, or even 6 sets of BP during 90% week, and they went well. The downside of that was fatigue. So, in the second half of the block I did the minimum sets of BP (3). As I've come to 95% week, I'm finding it MUCH HARDER to lift those weights. I thought at first it was just a bad lifting day (which happens to everyone, and which I'd contributed to with some dumb decisions), but the evidence suggests otherwise. First, BP was tough on both days 1 and 3, and I was well prepared for day 3. Second, DL went well on both those days--and I've kept the DL volume consistently high (9 sets per week). Here's my hypothesis, then: has decreasing the volume of BP in the second half of this block contributed to the difficulty I'm experiencing in 95% week? Would an increased volume in 75% and even 85% weeks in BP have made 95% week more manageable? I suppose I'll have to try next time and see.
Notes: Day 1 BP was ROUGH. The first two sets were like the weights were pushing me, not the other way around. I sensed soreness in my triceps, anterior delts, and forearms through those first difficult work sets. I managed to pull myself together for the third set, and it went more smoothly: form and power were there. DL went much better right from the start: while I sensed that the weight wasn't light, I was thinking I could definitely do more. I experienced some of that odd "pleasant soreness" after the third set, too--the kind that prompts you to think that you challenged yourself at just the right limit.
I took day 2 SBike very easy: heart rate was usually in the 115-120 range.
Day 3 BP was STILL ROUGH. Like day 1, I sensed soreness--this time a little more acute--in my forearms, anterior delts, triceps, and even middle back. Also like day 1, I started to get a handle on the weight by the third set, but it was tough going. On the other hand, DL was just fine--heavy, yes, but do-able, and I sensed I could lift more.
Day 4 was a much-needed rest day. The Heavy Lifting Fatigue started to clear a bit.
Two interesting things happened on day 5. First, I added 5 lbs to my BP lifts. This would seem, at first blush, to be a stupid thing to do, since the weights had been challenging on days 1 and 3. However, I could have pulled the plug at any time--even after the first rep with the additional 5 lbs--and I didn't need to. Moreover, this was the last day of 95% week, and I wanted to see just how close to my limits I was with BP, and the additional 5 lbs didn't seem to be heavier. Yes, it was a tough three sets, but no tougher than days 1 and 3. Doing the three sets at 205 instead of at 200 gave me some valuable information: I'm close to my limits on BP, but not so close that I had to shut everything down.
Second, I also wanted to see how close I was to my limits with DL, so I scaled the three sets as follows: 95%, 97.5%, 100% (all with 85% training max). This necessitated doing the second set with a 2.5-lb weight on one side with no balancing counter-weight on the other side!!
THE HORROR! Anyway, all three sets went fine. I sensed the heaviness, yes, but I wasn't straining. There's room for growth here. I suspect I made some progress on DL.The day 6 yard work was a very long exercise in strength-endurance but unavoidable. We have a half-acre of land and a lot of trees, and it's that time of year.
Carnac the Magnificent: Based on the above data, I'm ready to make some predictions about testing, which I'll do next week. But first, a recap of former testing results:
Previous 1RM test for BP: 235. Body weight at the time was 221 lbs.
Previous 1RM test for DL: 302. Body weight at the time was 222 lbs.
Current body weight is 196 lbs--about 25 pounds lighter than when I last tested. In fact, since the last time I tested, I've been focusing mainly on maintaining strength while reducing body fat. So, even if I test at the same numbers as above, I'll count that a victory. Maintaining maximum strength while dropping weight is a win/win in my book. If I've gained strength, it's a bonus.
Important note: I used 245 and 310, respectively, as my 1RM numbers for this block. Sometime in the past few months, I forced progression with both BP and DL. However, I've not officially tested on those numbers; my official 1RMs remain as above (235/302).
I'll probably test in the middle of next week.
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Week 8, Testing and Recovery
Body weight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
SBike: Stationary bike
TM: Treadmill
Day 1: SBike, 30 mins, 8.27 miles; after, 3 dead-hang body weight pull-ups
Day 2: 1 circuit of SE; after, Run TM 1.6 miles, 15:15
Day 3: Rest / Easy walk to work (16 mins)
Day 4: Rest / Easy walk to/from work (32 mins)
Day 5: Testing. 3x315 DL; 1x230 BP
Day 6: SBike, 30 mins, 8.58 miles; after, a bunch of SE stuff--pretty much whatever moved me
Day 7: Run 5.11 miles, 41:34
Manly Quote of the Day: "Even 15 minutes is of value." --Arthur Lydiard, the grandfather of modern high-mileage distance running, who sometimes ran over 200 miles per week
Notes:
SBike on day 1 was very easy; average heart rate was 120. However, I sensed some overall fatigue, probably from the 2.5 hours of yard work a couple days previous. My thinking at this point is to delay testing until day 4. I like to sense at least two days of "ready to rip" energy before testing, if possible. The BW pull-ups were fine, but not electric.
The single SE circuit on day 2 was GREAT. Here's how it went down (notation is reps x weight in lbs): Front squat, 30x30; BP, 40x40; DL, 30x40; Bent over row, 35x30; OHP, 40x20. I kept the rest periods minimal between these, and right after I hopped on the treadmill for a quick jog. A welcome thought came to mind as I sensed some power in my legs: "I'm ready to rip some sh* up!" Good; I'm almost ready for testing day.
I walked easily to work on day 3 and sensed some of that "I did SE for the first time yesterday in a loooooong time" soreness. No way I'm testing tomorrow; it can wait until day 5.
The walks to and from work on day 4 went without incident; I didn't sense any lingering soreness, so I decided that day 5 would indeed be testing day.
For details on the testing, see the bonus post below.
For the day after testing, I stationary biked very easily; average heart rate was 123. Then I blew through some SE exercises pretty much at will, alternating pull-ups, dips, push-ups, OHP, ATG squats, and a few other things. Joyfully invigorating.
The day 7 run was pretty much at tempo effort; heart rate one minute after finishing was still 138. This was a "limited guidance" run: I started my watch at the beginning of the run and didn't look at it until the 40-minute mark. Interestingly, my pacing was almost identical to when I run with "full guidance," i.e., a report every half-mile about current pace, etc. I could sense the power in my legs from all this deadlifting, too, which was rewarding.
Body weight: 196 lbs
Notation is sets x reps x weight in lbs
SBike: Stationary bike
TM: Treadmill
Day 1: SBike, 30 mins, 8.27 miles; after, 3 dead-hang body weight pull-ups
Day 2: 1 circuit of SE; after, Run TM 1.6 miles, 15:15
Day 3: Rest / Easy walk to work (16 mins)
Day 4: Rest / Easy walk to/from work (32 mins)
Day 5: Testing. 3x315 DL; 1x230 BP
Day 6: SBike, 30 mins, 8.58 miles; after, a bunch of SE stuff--pretty much whatever moved me
Day 7: Run 5.11 miles, 41:34
Manly Quote of the Day: "Even 15 minutes is of value." --Arthur Lydiard, the grandfather of modern high-mileage distance running, who sometimes ran over 200 miles per week
Notes:
SBike on day 1 was very easy; average heart rate was 120. However, I sensed some overall fatigue, probably from the 2.5 hours of yard work a couple days previous. My thinking at this point is to delay testing until day 4. I like to sense at least two days of "ready to rip" energy before testing, if possible. The BW pull-ups were fine, but not electric.
The single SE circuit on day 2 was GREAT. Here's how it went down (notation is reps x weight in lbs): Front squat, 30x30; BP, 40x40; DL, 30x40; Bent over row, 35x30; OHP, 40x20. I kept the rest periods minimal between these, and right after I hopped on the treadmill for a quick jog. A welcome thought came to mind as I sensed some power in my legs: "I'm ready to rip some sh* up!" Good; I'm almost ready for testing day.
I walked easily to work on day 3 and sensed some of that "I did SE for the first time yesterday in a loooooong time" soreness. No way I'm testing tomorrow; it can wait until day 5.
The walks to and from work on day 4 went without incident; I didn't sense any lingering soreness, so I decided that day 5 would indeed be testing day.
For details on the testing, see the bonus post below.
For the day after testing, I stationary biked very easily; average heart rate was 123. Then I blew through some SE exercises pretty much at will, alternating pull-ups, dips, push-ups, OHP, ATG squats, and a few other things. Joyfully invigorating.
The day 7 run was pretty much at tempo effort; heart rate one minute after finishing was still 138. This was a "limited guidance" run: I started my watch at the beginning of the run and didn't look at it until the 40-minute mark. Interestingly, my pacing was almost identical to when I run with "full guidance," i.e., a report every half-mile about current pace, etc. I could sense the power in my legs from all this deadlifting, too, which was rewarding.
Last edited by FortyPlusRunner on Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:25 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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nickgoldma
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:11 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Great log. I enjoy reading through this. Enjoy.
Get after it!
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Thanks Nick!nickgoldma wrote:Great log. I enjoy reading through this. Enjoy.
I'm definitely enjoying and am very thankful for the camaraderie I see on this board.-
FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
SPECIAL TESTING DAY BONUS EDITION
Warm-up: I walked to the gym at a decent clip with 10-15 pounds on my back in a backpack. I was ready to go when I got there; listening to some heavy Devin Townsend Project along the way probably helped.
Reminder: previous 1RM test for DL was 302. Body weight at the time was 222 lbs.
Deadlift: As I was most interested in seeing if there was any progress in DL, I decided to test it first.
I started with 3 reps at 135, which felt like pushing a feather. Good. A few minutes later I did 2 reps at 225. Not too bad--getting into the groove. I waited a few more minutes and pushed 1 rep at 275. It reminded me a lot of the single rep I did at 265 last week: I sensed the heaviness, but I could tell there was room for more.
So--preliminaries done, I set up the bar for 315 total and waited five minutes. I got in position, got tight, and pushed. OH MY HEAVENS THAT IS REALLY EFFING HEAVY. Relative calm and peace at the top of the movement. SLAM as I lower it, not quite as softly as I'd hoped. The second rep is actually easier because I'm over the shock of HOW FREAKING HEAVY this is. SLAM--two reps done. At the top of the third rep it's like the eye of the storm: a beautiful, calm, restful moment of lucidity. But the weight has to go back down. SLAM. There is no fuc*ing way that is coming up again. I'm done.
New 1RM for DL: 3x315 = 334, an increase of 32 lbs. Current body weight is 196, a decrease of 26 lbs. Hallelujah.
Bench press:
Reminder: previous 1RM test for BP: 235. Body weight at the time was 221 lbs.
I ripped through my warm-ups pretty easily: 5 x empty bar, 3 x 95, and 2 x 135. I waited about five minutes and then pressed a rep at 185. Not too heavy; there's room for more there.
I decided to go for the gusto, so I set the bar at 230 total, just under my former 1RM. I waited five minutes, got under the bar, got tight, and went for it. I get the weight in the air and realize THIS IS A LOT HEAVIER THAN I THOUGHT. Slowly I let it down to my chest, and it takes everything I have to push it back--agonizingly slowly. I'm never in danger of losing it, which is a comfort to me during this small moment of hell, but there is NO EFFING WAY I'M BRINGING IT DOWN AGAIN. I rack it after the first rep and that is that.
Disappointed, I take 10 lbs off, wait five minutes, and try again with 220. SAME F*KING DIFFERENCE. I push the one rep, never really in danger of losing it, but having no power to do anything more. Flashbacks of the really difficult 95% week dance in my head. Anyway, I'm done.
New 1RM for BP: 1x230 = 230, a decrease of 5 lbs. Current body weight is 196, a decrease of 25 pounds. Overall, a win, if just a slight setback.
Postmortem
The nine sets of DL per week in this block were obviously a big success. As is clear from previous entries, I was able to maintain aerobic condition while increasing DL max strength, so that's a win/win.
BP is a different story. Everything seemed to go well until 95% week, where it got really difficult really quickly. At the time, I mused that the decrease in BP volume in the second half of the block contributed to 95% week's difficulty.
It's worth noting that at no time in this block was my chest ever sore. Not once. Triceps, forearms, and shoulders yes; chest, no. That seems to suggest that it's time for accessory work if I want to increase BP max strength. Either that or maintain the high BP volume in the second half of the block, which will strengthen accessory muscles.
Also worth noting is that I was lifting with a very conservative training max (85%). This necessarily means that when you test, you are going to be working with weights that are significantly heavier than what you train with even in 95% week. I may consider running a block of J-Madd's "Warhorse" template to slowly bring my training max up.
In any case, I'm very happy with the progress in DL, and I'm glad I haven't lost much at all on BP, even with all the body weight I've lost since I last tested.
Warm-up: I walked to the gym at a decent clip with 10-15 pounds on my back in a backpack. I was ready to go when I got there; listening to some heavy Devin Townsend Project along the way probably helped.
Reminder: previous 1RM test for DL was 302. Body weight at the time was 222 lbs.
Deadlift: As I was most interested in seeing if there was any progress in DL, I decided to test it first.
I started with 3 reps at 135, which felt like pushing a feather. Good. A few minutes later I did 2 reps at 225. Not too bad--getting into the groove. I waited a few more minutes and pushed 1 rep at 275. It reminded me a lot of the single rep I did at 265 last week: I sensed the heaviness, but I could tell there was room for more.
So--preliminaries done, I set up the bar for 315 total and waited five minutes. I got in position, got tight, and pushed. OH MY HEAVENS THAT IS REALLY EFFING HEAVY. Relative calm and peace at the top of the movement. SLAM as I lower it, not quite as softly as I'd hoped. The second rep is actually easier because I'm over the shock of HOW FREAKING HEAVY this is. SLAM--two reps done. At the top of the third rep it's like the eye of the storm: a beautiful, calm, restful moment of lucidity. But the weight has to go back down. SLAM. There is no fuc*ing way that is coming up again. I'm done.
New 1RM for DL: 3x315 = 334, an increase of 32 lbs. Current body weight is 196, a decrease of 26 lbs. Hallelujah.
Bench press:
Reminder: previous 1RM test for BP: 235. Body weight at the time was 221 lbs.
I ripped through my warm-ups pretty easily: 5 x empty bar, 3 x 95, and 2 x 135. I waited about five minutes and then pressed a rep at 185. Not too heavy; there's room for more there.
I decided to go for the gusto, so I set the bar at 230 total, just under my former 1RM. I waited five minutes, got under the bar, got tight, and went for it. I get the weight in the air and realize THIS IS A LOT HEAVIER THAN I THOUGHT. Slowly I let it down to my chest, and it takes everything I have to push it back--agonizingly slowly. I'm never in danger of losing it, which is a comfort to me during this small moment of hell, but there is NO EFFING WAY I'M BRINGING IT DOWN AGAIN. I rack it after the first rep and that is that.
Disappointed, I take 10 lbs off, wait five minutes, and try again with 220. SAME F*KING DIFFERENCE. I push the one rep, never really in danger of losing it, but having no power to do anything more. Flashbacks of the really difficult 95% week dance in my head. Anyway, I'm done.
New 1RM for BP: 1x230 = 230, a decrease of 5 lbs. Current body weight is 196, a decrease of 25 pounds. Overall, a win, if just a slight setback.
Postmortem
The nine sets of DL per week in this block were obviously a big success. As is clear from previous entries, I was able to maintain aerobic condition while increasing DL max strength, so that's a win/win.
BP is a different story. Everything seemed to go well until 95% week, where it got really difficult really quickly. At the time, I mused that the decrease in BP volume in the second half of the block contributed to 95% week's difficulty.
It's worth noting that at no time in this block was my chest ever sore. Not once. Triceps, forearms, and shoulders yes; chest, no. That seems to suggest that it's time for accessory work if I want to increase BP max strength. Either that or maintain the high BP volume in the second half of the block, which will strengthen accessory muscles.
Also worth noting is that I was lifting with a very conservative training max (85%). This necessarily means that when you test, you are going to be working with weights that are significantly heavier than what you train with even in 95% week. I may consider running a block of J-Madd's "Warhorse" template to slowly bring my training max up.
In any case, I'm very happy with the progress in DL, and I'm glad I haven't lost much at all on BP, even with all the body weight I've lost since I last tested.
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Good call! I am loving OWT. Honestly, It is humbling experience for me as wellFortyPlusRunner wrote:I may consider running a block of J-Madd's "Warhorse" template to slowly bring my training max up.
Congrats on PRs!
"Man is what he reads." - Joseph Brodsky
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FortyPlusRunner
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:19 am
Re: FortyP's 9 sets of Deadlift per week log
Thanks!Barkadion wrote:Good call! I am loving OWT. Honestly, It is humbling experience for me as wellFortyPlusRunner wrote:I may consider running a block of J-Madd's "Warhorse" template to slowly bring my training max up.
Congrats on PRs!
I may just join you on the warhorse warpath...