Light stuff

Squat:
-70x3,4
Very stiff

Deficit deadlift:
-110x5
-142x5
-165x3
Kept it easy

Chins:
-bw x 8,8

+punching bag

Squat 190 PR attempt - miss

Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 4
-130 x 3
-153 x 1
-165 x 1
-185 x 1
-190 x 0 (PR attempt)

Chins:
-BW x 8,8,8

Snatch

Started off with some warmup on the heavy bag, then snatched light. Had to go collar to collar for my shoulders to work with it, otherwise they were too tight. I'll have to work on that a bit or get used to it. Finished off with some more rounds on the heavy bag.

Snatch:
-40 x a lot - shoulders were tight
-60 x 1,2
-70 x 2
-80 x 2 - this was a little heavier than I wanted to go
-70 x 2

Squats again

Some punching rounds first.

Squat:
-70 kg x4
-110x4
-130x2
-152x1
-166x1
-175x1
-90x30

Christmas Eve - squat 400 then 335x10

Squat:
-70 kg x 5
-110 x 3
-132 x 3
-151 x 1
-164 x 1
-181 x 1 (400 lbs)
-151 x 10 (335)



Chins:
-bw x 6, 5

Squat 153 kg then Clean 130

Decided to keep the squats light and have some fun.

Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 3
-130 x 2
-153 x 1

Clean:
-70 x 3
-90 x 2
-105 x 2
-115 x 1
-125 x 1
-130 x 1 (286, 93.5%)

Squat 388 then 325 x 10

Squat (kg):
-70x5
-110x3
-130x2
-151x1
-162x1
-176x1
-147x10

Review of Adidas PowerPerfect II Weightlifting Shoes

Buy it here!
ADIDAS Power Perfect II Weightlifting Boots

Stock Image of the Shoe

Manufacturer: Adidas

Cost: Varies - $119-179

Review categories: Price, Comfort, Durability, Aesthetics. Rating from weak to strong.

Review:

Price: Okay
At $119, its certainly not a cheap shoe, but as weightlifting shoes go, its in the middle of the price ranges. You can get VS shoes for around $50 if you look, or you can spend $200 on Romaleos or AdiPowers. I think for what you pay for, these shoes hold up.

Comfort: High
Adidas lifting shoes tend to run narrower than most others, specifically in the toebox (the front of the shoe where the toes sit). I don't have especially wide feet, but when I lace them up tight, I can certainly feel the sides of the shoe, and sometimes its too tight. The solution is just to loosen the laces and the strap.

That being said, this is a shoe built to aid in your performance for weightlifting. If it isn't tight and your foot slides, you will not lift as well. I have a pair of Ristos with a huge toebox, and my feet just slide around. Unless you have extra wide feet, these are nice shoes.

The heel height is the standard. Its a raise of 3/4 inches, but it comes out to 1.15" because the entire shoe is raised due to the rubber sole. This is normal, and consistent with other lifting shoes, except the Adidas PowerLift shoes but those are not for Olympic lifting.

The strap does a pretty good job of keeping the shoe tight. I'd prefer it a little lower on the shoe, but thats subjective.

Durability: High
I've had these shoes for almost 2 years now, and they are still in great shape. The velcro is strong and just like new - my pair of Ristos barely stick anymore and I only used them for a year.

Word of wisdom - don't let the laces touch the velcro. It frays the laces and will hurt the stickiness of the velcro. I have been pretty careful, but I've had to replace the laces. Luckily, laces are cheap and easy to replace, while velcro is not easy to replace.

Front view - new laces.

Tread remains in great shape.

The tread on the sole is still in great shape. The good new about this shoe as opposed to some of the fancier shoes with split heels, and holes in the heels, is that this can be re-soled pretty easily. If you want to go that route. After many years.

Aesthetics: Okay
Of course this is a subjective score, but the shoe looks classy. The materials appear (and are) high quality, the red, white, and black color-scheme is nice. Unfortunately it only comes in one color scheme, which is why I give a score of okay instead of high.

Summary:
Price: Okay
Comfort: High
Durability: High
Aesthetics: Okay

After using this shoe for over two years and still going strong, I'd highly recommend the Adidas Power Perfect II to anyone looking for lifting shoes - at any level.

Thursday - First day lifting at home for winter break

Kept it short, and just squats and chins, did some other training but not lifting afterward.

Squat:

-155 x 5

-245 x 3,3

-315 x 2

-355 x 1

-380 x 1

-315 x 10

I was feeling incredibly weak and stiff on the squats. They were all slow and bad. I almost quit after 5 reps with 315.

Chins:

-BW x 8,8,8

+some punching handwork

Weightlifting Shoes

I originally wrote this post for the UMD Weightlifting Club and it was informative, so I figured I'd repost it here. I'm the author.

This isn't a review, but its about merchandise so I thought it was warranted.

While no shoe styles are mandatory, if you want to train the Olympic lifts you need proper weightlifting shoes. The prices can range from $40 if you find a good deal to $200 if you have money to burn. The main difference between weightlifting shoes and normal shoes is the heel. Made of a solid wood wedge or composite piece, the heel allows the lifter to squat lower into the snatch or clean (as well as front and back squats during training). In addition, due to its incompressibility, the sole of the shoe is able to direct all force from the lifter into the ground and not dissipate the force in the softness of the shoe (for example, a normal running shoe has soft heels which compress under heavy loads).

Adidas Ironwork II

You won't find weightlifting shoes in many stores in the US, so look online for a good deal. You can find them from:

• Do-Win
• Pendlay
• Rogue
• VS
• Max Barbell
• Risto
• Adidas
• Nike

This is not a conclusive list, but these are several manufacturers to check. In addition, the links are to manufacturers main sites in many cases, and the best deals can often be found elsewhere.

Tuesday - Final session of the semester

Last time lifting in the ERC for the fall.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-355 x 1
-375 x 1
-315 x 10

Some cleans

Press:
-95 x 5
-115 x 5
-135 x 4,4,3

Chins:
-BW x 10,8,8

Review of Century Black Label Grappling Gloves

Buy it here!
Century Black Label Grappling Gloves

Manufacturer: Century Martial Arts
Cost: $29.99
Materials: Vinyl, foam, velcro

Categories under review: Price, Comfort, Protection, Durability, and Aesthetics.

Review:
Price: Strong
At $29.99 retail, its tough to find MMA gloves that are cheaper, with the exception of Christmas special deals. The range of MMA glove prices is relatively small, but this product still warrants a strong here.

Comfort: Okay
These are comfortable enough, but they tend to loosen up over time. I have very wide fingers, and I am finding after about 10 months of use the fingers don't fit very tight any more. It doesn't effect protection, but its something a higher quality product would not suffer from.

The thumb is a nice addition, which is why these are called "grappling gloves". I can't compare the thumbed glove with other non-thumbed gloves, but I'll say that its comfortable and has not, unlike the fingers, widened over time.

The joints in the padding is put in a good place to bend when I make a fist, which I did not find to be the case with the Silver MMA gloves by Century.

Protection: Okay/Strong
These glove have a very large piece of foam on the front of the glove, which managed to cover all the way to the first knuckle on the finger, at least on my hand. Most gloves I've used don't cover this far, so it was a nice  feature.

This thick foam protects your knuckles and your partners face pretty well - not as well as a 16 oz boxing glove, but this isn't a boxing glove. The thumb essentially stops the thumb from scraping and keeps the glove on a bit tighter.

This glove won't stop knockouts, but it does protect pretty well against bruising and cuts from most hits.

Durability: Weak/Okay
Over the past months of use, the glove has gotten looser - the stitching has gotten looser, and eventually it will fall apart. The threading that holds the foam pieces together in the joints of the padding is beginning to weaken. The velcro remains strong.

These gloves have been used by many people well over 150 times since I purchased them, but it has not yet been a year and wear and tear is showing. Eventually gloves will break, and these weren't that expensive. You get what you pay for.

Aesthetics: Weak
These gloves look pretty cheap. Its very possible to make vinyl look and feel high quality, but this product does not deliver here. Also, the black/red combo is the only color choice. This doesn't effect the utility, but looks are poor, especially when threading starts to come undone.

Summary:
Price: Strong
Comfort: Okay
Protection: Okay/Strong
Durability: Weak/Okay
Aesthetics: Weak

These are cheap, no doubts about it. Its a good entry into the MMA glove market, and if your use isn't too high, they may last a long time. Padding is pretty good, and the additional thumb is nice if you are looking for that.

I'd recommend them to someone looking for their first pair of MMA gloves for occasional sparring, who doesn't want to spend too much.

Review of Century Silver Shin Instep Guard

Buy it here!:
http://www.centurymartialarts.com/Sparring_Gear/Silver_Training_Gear/Century_Shin_Instep_Guard.aspx

The product after 6 months. The white on the bottom isn't a rip,
its athletic tape residue from a foot injury.

Manufacturer: Century Martial Arts
Cost: $79.99 retail ($39.99 wholesale)
Materials: Vinyl, foam, gel, velcro, elastic, canvas (Note: the large have a canvas backer, but the small/medium have a different material.)

Categories under review: Price, Comfort, Protection, Durability, and Aesthetics.

Review:
Price: Okay
These are pretty expensive at $80. There are a lot of shin-instep guards that cost half that amount, though the amount of padding will vary. On the other end, you could drop $150 on some Hayabusa shin-instep guards that would look really cool. These are relatively costly, but you get what you pay for.

Comfort: Strong
After using various cloth and foam shin-instep guards in my many years training in taekwondo, I expected these to slide around and move. This is not the case. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times these have moved during sparring in the past 6 months, and this was during grappling.

The velcro has yet to be affected by wear after this amount of time. The elastic on the foot is a bit ruffled, but its still as tight as it was, and keeps the instep section on tight. The canvas backer isn't abrasive, and it helps to mitigate any sliding, though it certainly gets sweaty. I've eliminated smell by air drying mine out of my gear bag after every session.

It took a while to get used to the strap enclosure and get it right, but once I figured out how to make it best fit me, these are incredibly comfortable.

Protection: Strong
These are the thickest shin-instep guards I have ever used or seen. After putting these on, I can block anything and not feel it much. It covers most of the foot but not the toes. The gel coupled with really thick foam will protect you 100%. People looking for a more tactile feel should not purchase these guards.

Profile of the product to demonstrate the thick padding.

I have not noticed any negative effects on my kicking ability from the excessive padding. Its important to note that if you want to condition your shins to take and give hits, don't wear these all the time.

Durability: Strong
I've been using these for 6 months, which amounts to well over 100 sessions sparring with these pads on. There are no rips in the material, the padding is entirely intact, and the velcro still works as well as it did in the beginning.

The canvas backer is durable and dries quickly, which helps to eliminate smell. The stitching on the straps is thick, as is the stitching holding the instep to the shin guard. The gel and foam has yet to compress noticeably.

The elastic one one of mine that holds the heel tight has become ruffled, but it still remains tight and unripped.

Aesthetics: Okay
These are plain looking and come in one color - blue, which matches the entire Silver MMA Line. I like blue because I can write my initials on the back, but I use these in a club setting where that is important.

These are no-frills design. If you are looking for something fancier looking, this isn't the product for you. I like the look, but I give an okay simply because having only one color choice is restrictive.

Summary:
Price: Okay
Comfort: Strong
Protection: Strong - Very Strong
Durability: Strong
Aesthetics: Okay

The Silver Shin Instep Guards are not the cheapest out there, but they don't deserve to be. Quality is high, protection is very high, and these appear to be a very durable product. I can't speak for the entirety of the Silver MMA Line, but this product far outclasses the Silver MMA gloves, from the same product line, in quality and protection.

I highly recommend these shin-instep guards.

Review of Century Silver Line MMA Gloves

Buy it here!
Silver MMA Gloves

Century Silver MMA Gloves top and  bottom

Manufacturer: Century Martial Arts
Cost: $18.99
Materials: Vinyl, foam, thread, velcro

For this review, I'll rate several different categories, from strong to weak, with strong being good for that attribute, and weak being bad.
I'll discuss: price, comfort, protection, durability, and aesthetics.


Review:
Price: Strong

I've had these gloves for a few months now, so I feel that its been long enough to review them fully. First thing I was to talk about is the price - you could certainly spend a lot more (going by the retail price), or you could spend less, but honestly, its going to be tough to get much cheaper. That being said, you have to remember that you usually get what you pay for, so don't expect magic from these gloves.

I'll give the gloves a pretty strong price point, since they are certainly one of the cheapest you can get (not counting all those deals around Christmas), but they aren't incredibly cheap that any quality concerns would be overlooked - which I will get into later on.

Comfort: Okay
I'll be honest, I have not purchased numerous other MMA gloves from different makers, but have tried many on from time to time, and these are not the best there is. Of course, that is to be expected, but the fit of these gloves compared to others I have used is not as good.

Maybe its my hand, but the joint in the glove on top (the padding is broken into two pieces as seen in the photo) doesn't actually fall in line with my own joint, and the padding sits further back on my knuckles compared to other MMA gloves I have used, exposing more of my fingers. You can't expect fingerless gloves to cover all the knuckles, but others brands have done more.

However, I do like the tightness of these gloves - in several months using them 4-5 times per week, they have yet to loosen much at all, which is something I like. The fit is okay, and its consistent.

Protection: Weak
The padding itself is pretty thin - this is a pretty bare bones glove. I bought it with that in mind and it suited my needs, so I had no complaints on that end. If you want something with more padding, look at the picture. It covers the knuckles, and thats about it. There are plenty of MMA gloves with more padding.

These gloves are good if you are looking for something to stop your knuckles from impacting your partners face. You can't hide behind these gloves.

Durability: Okay
I've had these gloves for several months now and taken them on and off, used them, had others use them, for well over 50 sessions. There is no wear on the velco, the stitching is intact, and there are no cracks in the vinyl. I've kept them from smelling by taking them out of my bag after every session to air out. So far so good.

I did have one issue upon using the gloves for the first time, that should not have happened. Seen in the picture below, on my first training session a piece of the thread that holds the vinyl tight against the glove ripped. I re-stitched it with stronger thread, and there have been no more issues.

Break in the threading that I re-stitched.

The issue would not have compromised the integrity of the glove - the vinyl is attached in several places. The padding MAY have moved around a bit, or the threading could be further removed due to fraying and have an effect on the structural integrity of the glove. The other glove did not have this issue. This is more a quality control issue than a durability issue, in my opinion.

Aside from that, I've had these on and off constantly during sessions, I've had them grabbed when I throw people, and no rips, tears, or anything. Aside from that minor first issue, I'm very happy with the durability of the glove - its the only reason I can't give them a strong in this category.

Aesthetics: Okay
If you want gloves with big logos on them, or a snake, or whatever, go buy Rival or Hayabusa. Personally, I have a soft spot for solid colors and no-frills design. The color consistency is 100%, the color has not bled, and it doesn't look low quality (as subjective as that is).

The gloves match the entire Century Silver Training Line, which is the middle-end set of training products Century puts out. They have the all-leather Gold Line, the blue vinyl Silver Line, and the black-and-red vinyl Black Label Line, the cheapest of the three (though I have had good experiences with Black Label).

If you like a solid color - blue - and no unnecessary logos or designs, than these gloves may be right for you. I give an okay for the look of the product, because one color is restrictive.

Summary:
Price: Strong
Comfort: Okay
Protection: Weak
Durability: Okay
Aesthetics: Okay

If you want something that isn't too expensive with a basic looks and don't want excessive padding, these may be for you. Everything has its purpose, and I've enjoyed training with these gloves. They suited my needs, they may suit yours. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in a comment.

Too long of a break - Friday - Squat mostly

I've been getting some great martial arts training in, but with a combination of schoolwork, finals, getting sick for a few days, and a mild ankle sprain, I took almost 2 full weeks off of lifting. Gains down the drain.

Came back into it today (Friday the 14th) with light stuff.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-335 x 1
-365 x 1
-315 x 8

Nothing tough, just getting back into it.

Bench:
-135 x maybe 10 sets of 6-7, all paused, maybe more.

Chins:
-BW x 8,8,some

+some stretching and messing around

Monday - Squat ladder 360 x 3

Back Squat:
-warmup
-360 x 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3

Press:
-95 x 5
-115 x 5
-120 x 5,5,5,5

Cable Crossover:
-55 x 8,8

Ab Roller:
BW x 10,10,10

+assorted other random stuff

Friday- squat ladder 360x2

Squat:
-135x5
-225x4
-275x3
-315x2
-360x1,2,3,1,2,3

Deficit deadlift:
-135x5
-225x5
-315x5
-365x5,5,5

Wednesday - squat light, fun stuff

Back squat:
-135x5
-225x5
-275x3
-315x2
-365x2
-385x1
-315x10

Press:
-105x5,5,5,5,5

Overhead hold
-135x30 seconds

Tbar row:
-45x10
-90x6,6

Ab roller:
-bw x 10,10

Squat ladders 355x3

Had done fun with something new.

Squat:
-135x5
-225x4
-275x3
-315x2
-355x1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3

Deficit deadlift:
-135x5
-225x5
-315x5
-365x5,3

+stretching

Wednesday - mini vacation

Squat:
-155x5
-245x3
-335x2
-355x2
-365x1

Maybe I'll just do some fun stuff for a bit. Work up to some top doubles or singles.

Deficit dl:
-245x9,8
-335x5,5,5

Monday - Squat, other stuff

Monday before Thanksgiving

Squat:
-135 x 4
-225 x 4
-275 x 3
-315 x 5,5,5,5
This is 5 lbs more than called for by the program, which is good because its round 2.

Bench:
-135 x 6
-140 x 6
-145 x 10

Saturday - squat, press, deficit deadlift

Last day of the first cycle of the soviet program.

Squat:
-135x5
-225x4
-275x3,3,3,3
Then
-315x2
-355x1

Press:
-95x5,5
-115x5,5
This was hard.

Deficit deadlift:
-135xmany
-225x5
-275x5,5,5

Wednesday - Squat, Deadlift PR, other

Back Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 4
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-355 x 3,3,3

Deadlift:
-225 x 5
-315 x 5
-365 x 3
-405 x 2
-455 x 1 (ugly PR, 5 lbs more than 450 back May 2011 haha)

Tbar Row:
-45 x 8
-90 x 8
-105 x 8,8

Monday - Squat, Bench, other stuff

Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 3,3,3,3

Bench:
-135 x 5
-175 x 5,5,5 (I think I should slow down with the weight increases. It has been a long time.)

Single Leg RDL:
-55 x 10,10

DB Press:
-55 x 8

Chins:
-25 x 5
-55 x 5,5,4 (getting better)

Saturday - Light Back Squat, Front squat PR,

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-250 x 3,3,3,3,

Front Squat:
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-365 x 1 (10 lb PR!) (165 kg)
weighed 192

T Bar Row:
-45 x 8
-100 x 8,8,10

Friday morning- squat, etc

Early in the day, of course it sucked. Got it done though.

Squat:
-135 x 3,3,
-225 x 4
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-355 x 3,3,3,3,3 (85% 5x3)

Bench:
-135 x 5
-165 x 5,5,5 (getting up back slowly. No rush here. Of course this is easy weight though.)

Chins:
-BW x 5,5,

Monday - Squat 76%

Squat:
-135x8
-225x5
-275x3
-315x4x5

Chins:
-bw x 4x6

Row:
-65x8

Deadlift:
-135x10
-225x5
-315x5

Saturday - Back Squat, Front Squat PR, etc

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 3
-250 x 3,3,3,3 (60%)

Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-275 x 1
-315 x 1
-355 x 1 (PR)

Pullups:
-25 x 5
-55 x 5,4,3 (try to get 5,5,5)

Ab Roller:
-BW x 10
-45 x 10,10,10

Tuesday - Squat again, other stuff

Squat:
-185 x 8
-275 x 4
-315 x 3
-355 x 5,5,5,5,5
This was hard.

Tbar Row Machine:
-60 x 8
-80 x 8
-90 x 8,8

Ab Roller:
-BW x 10,10, 10 slow

Monday - Hurricane Sandy Workout

Started doing a squat program I took from the Weightlifting Encyclopedia. Its only 3 weeks, I'll see if its sustainable for more than that. The intensity isn't super high, which is good for longevity's sake. Actually trying this with my real max.

Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 4
-275 x 4
-335 x 5,5,5 (80% of 415 max)

Chins:
-BW x 5
-25 x 5
-50 x 5,5,5,4
-BW x 6 and hold

Ab Roller:
-BW x 10,10 - super slow 5 seconds down and pause

Saturday - back from a break

Squat:
-135x5
-225x5
-275x3
-315x3
-355x1
-385x1

Front squat:
-225x3
-275x2
-315x1

Bench press:
-135x5x5

Ab roller
-45x4x5

Squat and deadlift light

Monday - Feduleyev week 2

I got back form the gym with some weird rash on my shoulders, chest, and neck. I hope it goes away soon.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-235 x 4
-275 x 4
-315 x 4
-355 x 3,4,4
My hips were sitting back too much on some reps, I need to stretch out my front and focus on going down.

Chins:
-45 x 5,5,5

Push Press:
-110 x 5
-135 x 5

Deadlift (kg)
-110 x 5
-140 x 3
-162 x 2
-184 x 1
-194 x 1 (430ish lbs)

Ab roller:
-BW x 10
-25 x 8
-45 x 8,8,8
-BW x 8

Saturday - Squat, Pullups, other stuff

Back Squat:
-135 x some
-225 x 3
-255 x 4
-275 x 4
-315 x 5 x 4
Not bad at all, easy stuff today.

Front Squat:
-135 x 2
-225 x 2
-275 x 1
-315 x 1
-335 x 1
Next time I'll go for 340, getting back towards PR attempts in a few weeks.

Pullups:
-25 x 5
-35 x 5,5
Chins:
-35 x 5,5

Bench press:
-125 x some sets - testing it out, I feel like I could get something back here as long as I'm careful.

Ab roller:
-BW x 10
-45 x 8,8,8

Wednesday - Squat and Deadlift

Back squat:
-185 x 6
-235 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 4
-355 x 3
-335 x 5,5

Deadlift:
-135 x 1
-225 x 5
-315 x 3
-365 x 1
-405 x 1,1,1

Clean and Jerk:
-135 x many - just messing around

Ab roller:
-BW x 8,8,8
-45 x 8,10

I need to be careful with my deadlifts, making sure not to do it before a heavy or volumous squat day. That would be a big mistake.

Monday - Feduleyev Cycle Begins!

I'm only doing the smolov intense with 95% max, so 395. Shouldn't be as bad. I'd like to get some good front squats in on some days, and some good low volume deadlifts in on days when I can.

Back Squat:
-135 x 4
-225 x 4
-255 x 5 (supposed to be 3, oops)
-295 x 4
-335 x 4,4,4,5

BB Row:
-135 x 8
-155 x 8
I wasn't really feeling it in my back, just my arms, so I stopped since thats what I was looking for.

DB Pullover:
-65 x 8
-85 x 5

Wednesday and Friday - Squat 420miss and Deadlift 445

Wednesday:

-tested the back squat again, but I missed 420. Got 395 in the warmup though easy.

Back Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 3

-275 x 2

-335 x 1

-365 x 1

-395 x 1

-420 x miss

Pullups:

-25 x 5

-35 x 5,3

Deadlift:

-135 x 5

-225 x 5

-315 x 1 (felt really heavy)

+some ab stuff, back extensions with 70 lbs 3x8

Friday:

I was going to test the front squat but its been a while so I decided to keep it lighter. I'll test another time. Also hurt my right wrist a bit. I should tape that next time.

Front Squat:

-135 x 2,3

-185 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 2

-315 x 1

-335 x 1 

Deadlift:

-135 x 5

-225 x 5

-315 x 3

-365 x 2

-385 x 1

-425 x 1 (didn't mean for the weight jump to be so high)

-445 x 1 (5 lbs off best from May 2011)

-465 x miss

Squat Test: 415 lbs at 190 bw

Great day today. Hit 390, 410, 415. I'll try for more Wednesday, though I'm happy with what I got. Excited for the rest of the program.

Squat:
-135 x 2,3
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-325 x 1
-365 x 1
-390 x 1
-410 x 1
-415 x 1 (189 kg)

DB Row:
-85 x 8,8,8

DB Press:
-45 x 8
-60 x some

Pullover:
-80 x 8,8

Smolov base end

Squat:
-10x3x355

Tbar row:
-90x8,8,8

Decline situp:
-25x8,8,8

Back squat 7x5x340

Almost done.

Squat:
-warm up
-340x7x5

Chins:
-bw x 5,5,5

Back Squat 5x7x320 and Chins +50

Back Squat:

-135 x 5

-225 x 5

-275 x 5

-320 x 5 x 7

Chins:

-25 x 5

-50 x 5,5

Wednesday - Squat 4x9x300, DB rows

Shorter workout today.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 3
-300 x 4 x 9

DB Row:
-85 x 10, 10

Monday - Squat 10 x 3 x 345

Squat:
-warmup
-10 x 3 x 345

DB Row:
-75 x 10,10,10,10

Saturday - Olympic Lifting

Took a day off the squat program mostly due to time constraints, I'll do the 10x3 on Monday.

Snatch (in lbs, which is weird):
-85 x 3, some more
-135 x 3, some more
-155 x 2
-175 x 2,2,2 (80 kg)

Clean and Jerk:
-135 x several
-185 x 2
-225 x 1,1 (102 kg)

Clean:
-255 x 2,2

Chins:
-BW x 5,5,5,5,5

Kept it light because I haven't oly lifted in a while, I was sick recently, and I was tired from the squat program I did the day before. Next time I Oly lift I'll take it a bit higher.

Smolov 7x5x330

Not terrible. I was sick for a few days.

Back squat:
-135x5
-225x4
-275x3
-330x7x5

Ohp DB:
-50x5

Sick, took a day off.

I had to miss Monday because I had some plans with visiting family, but I did not lift on Wednesday because I was sick and took a nap instead. Time well spent I think. 7x5 next time!

Squat 5x7x310

Torturous, again.

Squat:
-135x5
-225x5
-275x3
-310x5x7

Pull ups:
-bw x 5,5

Squat 4x9x290

Like pulling teeth.

Squat:
-135x5,5
-225x5
-290x4x9

Situps:
-25x8,8,8

Smolov 7x5x310

This is starting to suck now. At least 5 reps is quicker, though 7 sets is torture.

Squat:
-135 x 5,3
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-310 x 5,5,5,5,5,5,5

Pullups:
-BW x 5,5,5,5,5

Smolov Day 2

Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-290 x 7,7,7,7,7

Clean:
-135 x 3
-185 x 2
-235 x 2
-255 x 1 - stay light, just back into it

Ab roller x 30, 10

First day of Smolov base cycle

Squat:
-135x5
-225x5
-275x9,9,9,9

Front squat:
-185x2
-225x1
-275x1
-315x1

Deadlift:
-135x5
-225x5
-315x3
-365x2

Squat 385, front squat 305

Back squat:
-135x5
-225x5
-275x3
-315x3
-365x1
-385x1

Front squat:
-105x1
-185x3,3
-255x2
-305x1

First session of the semester: Squat 375 lbs

Squat:
-135 x 7
-205 x 5
-225 x 5
-275 x 3
-325 x 2
-355 x 1
-375 x 1

+martial arts practice

Nothing too heavy today.

Squat 142 kg

Light day, getting back into it after a week of vacation on the beach.

Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 3
-142 x 2,1

Some work on the hanging bag. I broke it.

Squat 175 kg

Trying to inch that squat back to 183. Either way, wherever I am I will run a program when school starts back up.


Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 3
-142 x 1
-151 x 1
-175 x 1 (96%)
-142 x 5 > for fun, I guess

Deadlift:
-70 x 6
-110 x 5
Started to feel heavy off the floor ever though it was light, so I finished up with some combos on the hanging bag, like an hour or so. Turned into more than I planned.

Squat 172 kg

Started off with a warmup on the heavy bag, just hands. Squatted up to 94%.

Squat:
-70x2,4
-110x4
-133x3
-153x2
-172x1 (94%)

No straps with the squat.

+planks

Squat 165 kg & Deadlift 140

Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 5
-130 x 2
-150 x 1
-165 x 1

Deadlift:
-110 x 10
-140 x 10

Chins:
-BW x 5,5

+physical therapy

Squat 365, Deadlift 385

Funny how the squat was actually easier than the deadlift. Though I could have pulled more on the DL, I need to get back into that as well. At least I'm not losing strength, those were 90% and 85% of best respectively. Once I see where I am, I'll start a squat program.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-345 x 2 (85%)
-365 x 1 (90%)

Deadlift:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-315 x 3
-365 x 1
-385 x 1

Back to real lifting - Squat and Deadlift

Light squats and deadlifts today.

Squat:

-135 x 5

-185 x 4

-225 x 5

-275 x 2 

-315 x 1,1,1

-335 x 1

Deadlift:

-135 x 10

-225 x 5

-315 x 2 

Injury again...

Hurt my right shoulder doing judo this time, but not nearly as bad. I'm looking at getting back into the gym at the end of the week. Still, I may restart the program or cut the weight if doing my full max gets to me too much.

Wednesday - Back Squat, Pullovers

Quick workout before martial arts. I'm glad to be getting in and lifting, even if its just a little bit.

Squat:
-135 x 5
-205 x 10
-245 x 7
-325 x 4
-285 x 10

Pullover:
-60 x 8
-100 x 6

+martial arts

Monday - Back squat, Pullovers

Its been a week since I lifted. This isn't going well, but at least I have a program to follow. As long as I complete the reps I know I'm not losing strength, since its prescribed for my max. I just gotta do it.

Back squat:
-135 x 4
-205 x 10
-285 x 7
-345 x 5
-305 x 8

I saw stars from the first rep onward on the 345 set.

Pullover:
-55 x 8
-80 x 8
-95 x 10

These are starting to get fun.

Monday - Bulgarian Squat Program Round 2

I realized I wasn't getting anywhere just screwing around, and I'm not able to get the volume I need with lifting so little now. This program will force the volume but isn't that heavy for the most part. I'll be done working by the testing and hard weeks, which is good.

Back Squat:

-135 x 5

-205 x 10

-265 x 7

-325 x 4

-285 x 9

I'm going to have to round the weights up or down, looks like almost all of them are XX3, so I'll do XX5 instead like today. I'm not going to front squat every time, maybe every other. At least once per week.

Behind the neck PP:

-135 x 5,5,5 

I'm using the ACE wrap on my wrist and it works great.

Pullups:

-BW+35 x 5,5,5

Pullovers:

-60 x 10

-95 x 7

-100 x 4



+martial arts 

Saturday - BS and FS

Haven't been lifting consistently enough because of work and martial arts practice but thats ok. Really pretty tired though. Did martial arts afterward for 3 hours, too.



Back Squat:
-135 x 3,5
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-355 x 2
-375 x 1 (2x BW)

Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-275 x 1
-305 x 1
-335 x miss - tired

Some light jerks.

+martial arts, core work, and sprinting

Saturday and Sunday - BSQ, FSQ, etc

Saturday:

I had no power so it was hot and I was tired.

BSQ:
-135 x 5
-225 x 2,2
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-355 x 1

FSQ:
-225 x 1
-275 x 1
-315 x 1

Pullups:
-BW x 40 x 5,5,5

--------------------------

Sunday:



Still no power, and I had a shoulder sunburn which sucked. Also my right wrist hurt.

BSQ:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 1
-355 x 1
-375 x 1

FSQ:
-225 x 1,1
-295 x 1
-335 x 1

DB Press:
-35 x 5
-65 x 3
-45 x 5

Pullover:
-50 x 10
-80 x 10

Monday - Back Squat 3x3, Front Squat, Press and Pullovers

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 4
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-355 x 3,3,3

Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-265 x 1
-305 x 1
-325 x 1 (93%)

DB Press:
-45 x 5
-65 x 5, 5R-4L

DB Pullover:
-65 x 10, 85 x 10

Thursday - Back Squat 3x5, Front Squat, Pullups, Deadlift

It was so hot today. Lifting was better since inside, but still hot.

Back Squat:

-135 x 5

-225 x 4

-275 x 3

-335 x 5,5,5

Front Squat:

-185 x 1

-225 x 1

-275 x 1

-325 x 1

Pullups:

-BW+35 x 5,5,5

Deadlift:

-225 x 2,2

-315 x 4,3

-385 x 1

-415 x 1 (92%)

Sunday - Back Squat, Pullovers, Chins

Back Squat:
-155 x 5
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-325 x 1
-355 x 1

DB Pullover:
-40 x 10
-70 x 10
-80 x 10
-90 x 5

Chins:
-BW x 7
-BW+25 x 6
-+35 x 5,3

Friday - Squat, Front Squat, DB Press

As usual, pretty tired from work and martial arts training.

Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 4
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-355 x 1
-375 x 1 (93%)

Front Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 2
-275 x 1
-315 x 1
-355 x miss (PR attempt)

some shoulder exercises

DB Press:
-60 x 5

Monday - Back Squat, Front Squat, DB Press

Back Squat:
-135 x 4
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-335 x 3
-345 x 3

Front Squat:
-185 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-355 x miss (past the normal sticking point, not a bad attempt)

DB Press:
-60 x 5
-65 x 5,5

Saturday - Light day

Tired and I just woke up a little bit ago.

Back squat:
-135 x 3,3
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-325 x 3,3,3 (80%)

DB Pullover:
-45 x 8
-85 x 10 (HARD)
-55 x 8

Chins:
-5, 3 trying different grips

Wednesday - Squat, DB Press, Deadlift

Just some messing around. I was going to do a few heavy singles in the 360+ range, but after my lift at 365 which was easy I lost balance with the 375 and fell forward. I felt like I was too tired from starting judo yesterday to go heavy. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

Back Squat:
-135 x 6
-225 x 6
-295 x 3
-335 x 3
-365 x 1
-375 x miss (leaned forward)

DB Press:
-35 x 5
-60 x 5,5

Deadlift:
-135 x 8
-225 x 10
-315 x 8,8

+martial arts and sparring

Monday - Back Squat 395, Front Squat, DB Press, Pullover

Having some more fun before I get into Oly lifting. Plus getting good at going heavy. Felt easy today.


Back Squat:
-225 x 7
-275 x 6
-315 x 5
-335 x 3
-365 x 1
-395 x 1 (98% max)

Front Squat:
-225 x 2
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-335 x 1

DB Press:
-60 x 5,5,5

DB Pullover:
-40 x 10
-80 x 10

+martial arts and stretching

Saturday - Back Squat, Front Squat

Low volume day, just messing around a bit to kill time. I'll start real lifting again next week.

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 4
-275 x 3
-315 x 2
-365 x 1
-390 x 1 (97%)
-335 x 3

Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-275 x 1
-325 x 1

DB Press:
-40 x 5
-55 x 5

+martial arts practice

Wednesday - Back Squat PR 183 kg, Deadlift and Chins

Final day of RSR. Testing day.



Back Squat:
-70 x 4
-110 x 3
-130 x 2
-151 x 1
-165 x 1
-183 x 1 (PR +8 kg)
-188 miss (this was more than the program called for, but I figured I'd take it for fun)

Deadlift:
-110 x 10, 15

Chins:
-BW x 5,5,5

Hanging leg raises:
-BW x 10, 8

Monday - Back Squat, Snatch Test

Second to last RSR session, so I decided to test my snatch. Hoped to hit a PR like with the clean, but I couldn't hit 100. Wasn't finishing the pull. Got an easy 95. I was powering some of the lifts, but I'll work on that.

Back Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 3
-130 x 2
-140 x 6 x 2



Snatch:
-50 x 3,2
-61 x 2
-72 x 2
-81 x 1
-85 x 1
-90 x 1
-95 x 1
-100 x miss 6 attempts in front. Not finishing the pull. Didn't feel heavy.

Saturday - Back Squat 175 for 2x2

Though not a 1RM test, this was a test of my squat. 175 was my old max, and I hit it for 2x2 today. After missing the first set, I got back and hammered it for two successful doubles.

Back Squat:

-70 x 4

-110 x 3

-130 x 2

-152 x 1

-175 x miss, 2,2

Chins:

-BW x 5,5,5

Thursday - Back Squat, Clean PR

I was feeling a lot better today, probably because I fell asleep at 10 pm and sleep all night. Even though I didn't eat much yesterday or the day before I didn't feel too weak. Squats weren't great, but not too bad either. Cleans, well those went well.

Squat:
-70 x 5
-110 x 3
-142 x 6 x 2


Clean:
-70 x 4
-90 x 2
-100 x 1
-104 x 1
-110 x 1
-115 x miss (balance), 1
-120 x 1
-124 x 1
-130 x 1
-134 x 1 (Previous PR)
-139 x 1 (PR!) (306 lbs)
I put 144 on the bar, but I decided not to take the attempt (pussy out). Still a great session.

This was the first time I had cleaned for real since February before the shoulder injury, so I'm glad the squatting worked. PRs are PRs.

Tuesday - Back Squat

I was feeling a lot better today than yesterday, though not 100%. Good enough to lift.

Back Squat:
-70 x 3
-110 x 3
-130 x 2
-166 x 3,3,3 (367 lbs)

This sucked. But  I got through it.

Sunday - Squat

Easy day today.

Back Squat:
-70 kg x 3
-110 x 3
-124 x 2
-142 x 6 x 2

Saturday - Squat (4.3)

Back Squat:

-70 kg x 3

-110 x 3

-133 x 2

-157.6 x 4 x 4 (347 lbs)



This was pretty tough, though my form was pretty solid aside from the final rep or two of the last set. I took video.

I stopped here, because I thought I would go to Home Depot and buy some materials to finish the ceiling, but of course that was a complete failure, wasting almost 2 hours of my time, and I did not even get the materials. I will try again tomorrow, hopefully with success.

Wednesday - Squat

Yesterday I did some pretty difficult and draining martial arts training, including running stairs, so I was glad today was an easy day. Squats went up really fast and it was easier than I expected, for sure.

Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-310 x 6 x 2

Front Squat:
-135 x 1
-185 x 1
-285 x 1

Stopped here, had to head out.

Monday - Squat, Press - Finals Week

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 4
-275 x 3
-325 x 5x5
The squats were not too bad. They were heavy and by the last couple sets I was dying of course, but it felt light out of the rack and not too bad in the hole. I was still pretty drained though, and not enough sleep took its toll. No front squats or deadlifts today.

DB Press:
-60 x 5,5,5

+stretching
Note: I loaned Stretching Scientifically from the library, and I skimmed it before lifting today. Instead of the usual static passive stretches I do, I tried to do isometric (PNF) stretching instead.

Thursday - Squat, Front Squat, Snatch, Clean and Jerk

6x2 is nothing when 6x6 was the day before. Too easy.

Squat:
-135 x 4
-225 x 4
-275 x 2
-310 x 6 x 2

Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-285 x 1
-315 x 1

Snatch, Hang Snatch:
-50 x 3
-60 x 2,3
-70 x 3

Clean and Jerk:
-70 x 3,3,3

Wednesday - Squat 6x6

This really killed me. I did like a million pushups and stuff yesterday and a bunch of physically demanding martial arts kicks, so my legs and torso were dead. Plus, it was 6x6 day.

Back Squat:
-310 x 6x6

DB Press:
-60 x 5
I tried this again but it was too heavy for even another rep, so I just did some with 30 lbs

OH Squat:
-95 x 5

Light Clean and Jerk:
-135 x a few

+stretching, martial arts practice focusing on punching combinations

Monday - Back Squat, Clean and Jerk, DB Press,

Back Squat (RSR: 3-1):
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 3
-310 x 6 x 2
For some reason this made the sides of my ribs hurt. I was really full from eating a lot yesterday so I had the belt on a looser hole. I also find that as I do more heavy squatting, I'm just not up to front squatting on some days.

Clean and Jerk:
-135 x 2
-185 x 1,1,1

DB Press:
-60 x 5,5,5

DB Pullover:
-40 x 8,8

+stretching

Thursday - Back Squat RSR, Pullovers

Today was really hot and tiring. The lifts weren't that hard, but I was really jittery and I didn't feel like I had enough energy to Oly lift or do and front squats after 6x5. Probably should have rested. Went back to my apartment and slept for 3 hours...I feel great now, lol.

Back Squat:

-135 x 5

-225 x 3

-275 x 2

-310 x 6 x 5

DB Pullover:

-8 reps x 40, 50,50

Wednesday - RSR 2-2, Front Squat PR attempt, DB Press, DB Row, etc

Back Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-275 x 1
-310 x 6 x 2
This wasn't too hard. Got through it quickly.

Front Squat:
-135 x 4
-205 x 2
-255 x 1
-295 x 1
-325 x 1
-355 x miss
It didn't feel too heavy at 325 so I figured it couldn't hurt to test. Oh well, I got pinned.

DB Press:
-55 x 6,6,6

DB Row:
-50 x 8,6,6 really focusing on contracting at the top for my shoulder girdle to hold it up

DB Pullover:
-20, 30, 35 x 8
For range of motion.

+stretching

Monday - RSR 2-1, Hang Snatch, Deadlift, DB Press

I was feeling really tired today since we sparred for a few hours yesterday at Black Belt Club. Also, it is Monday morning, which never helps.

Back Squat:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3,3
-275 x 3
-310 x 6 x 4
This sucked, I was so tired and yawning the whole time.

Skipped the front squats today.

Hang Snatch:
-95 x 3
-115 x 3
-135 (60 kg) x 3,2,3

Deficit DL:
-135 x 5
-225 x 5
-315 x 3
-385 x 1 (Damn this was so much harder than it should have been)

DB Press:
-55 x 5,5,5

+stretching
+some side kick combinations from Cung Le's book Sanshou: The Compete Fighting System

New goals: not just for lifting

With all that has been going on for me with injuries, competitions, and so on, I feel like I need to step back and really reassess what my goals are for myself. This isn't just about weightlifting, its about martial arts too. I've been reading everything I get my hands on, buying tons of books on amazon, upping my training, my stretching, and so forth, but I don't really know what I'm working towards.

My friend Patrick lefts this item on his own workout log.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

1. Leave most workouts feeling better than you started.
2. Always break a sweat.
3. Want to do what you ought to do, then actually go and do it.
4. If it's not working, stop doing it. If it is working, keep doing it. Either way, don't make a decision until you've honestly tried it.
5. Intuitive training is great, but have some guidelines to help you keep focus.

1. This takes care of itself as long as I'm training what I need to train.
2. No worries there, lol.
3. Maybe I need a bit more work here. I tend to do what I want to do sometimes, and not what I should do often enough. Usually pretty good here though.
4. I'm usually pretty good on this front.
5. I'm a fan of intuitive training, but my intuitive training usually just devolves into maxing my lifts over and over until I stall.

I need some new goals. My goals for lifting should be easier so I'll tackle those first.

Weightlifting Goals:

I need to get stronger, more maximal strength. I need to increase my back and front squat, which will help increase my snatch and clean and jerk. I need to continue to work the snatch and clean and jerk to improve my technique. I specifically need to increase my one rep max in the squat, front squat, clean and jerk, and snatch. I don't need to increase my strength endurance or overall endurance.

Aside from that, I'd like to make sure that I don't neglect the parts of my body that are needed by not worked by the olympic lifts and squats. I need to continue to work my upper back so it doesn't collapse on front squats. I need to strengthen my shoulder so I get it back to full working capacity, and I'm almost there. I want to make sure my lower back doesn't lose strength. To counter all the squats, I should really do some more heavy ab exercises, because I tend to skip those.

Those goals in bullets:

• back and front squat strength
• snatch and clean and jerk strength and technique
• upper back, shoulder, lower back, abdominal strength

I need to ensure that the programs that I do incorporate something from all those areas. Since I'm still strengthening the shoulder, heavy Olympic lifts will be held off for a bit more, but I'm getting there.

Martial Arts Goals:

If I want to test for 3rd dan this winter, I need to set some goals to make sure I am ready. In addition to that, I want to make sure I continue to improve. The first goal here is to increase my flexibility. I've been stretching 7 days a week, doing harder stretches after lifting 5x per week, focusing on the front and side splits. I've already made some progress, and I need to stick with that.

I need to finish learning and practice my testing forms, and practice my lower level forms so I don't forget any and continue to improve them. In addition to that,  I need to take a look at the testing requirements and practice doing those so I know I am ready.

Aside from testing, I want to change my style of kicking with the instep to kicking with the lower shin. I have broken my foot in the past kicking elbows and I don't want it to happen again. Kicking with the shin requires a slightly different technique, and I need to practice that. I want to practice low kicks and sweeps, since I don't have much skill there. I want to improve my hand technique proficiency so I can fight with my hands and not just kicks. I want to continue to learn about different styles and try to incorporate what I find useful from them into my own style of martial arts - it doesn't have to be taekwondo, I already put wrestling and judo in there. Though some of these goals are harder to pin down, I'll try. 

In bullets:

• keep stretching
• review the testing requirements of USTF 3rd dan and practice them
• review older forms and master testing forms
• change my kicks with instep to kicks with the shin and the different technique that entails
• improve hand proficiency
• improve low kicking and sweeping
• keep learning about other styles and incorporate what I can

Short term goals fulfilled

Short Term Goals:

Full range of motion in the shoulder!

Get my squat comfortable and heavy.

Do a front squat!

Do a clean!

Do a snatch!

Do a barbell press!

Long Term Goals:

Squat my max again, and then some!

Get back to Olympic lifting, stronger than before!

I have fulfilled my short term goals and I would say I am stronger than I was in the squat. I missed 395 but I know I can make it on a good day. I'm back into Olympic lifting, but I need to go heavy soon!

Thursday - RSR 1.3, Front Squat,

Back Squat:
-135 x 4
-205 x3
-275 x 2
-310 x 6 x 2
This felt pretty easy.


Front Squat:
-225 x 1
-275 x 1
-315 x 1
-340 x 1 (97%)
The last one was pretty hard but that is expected at 97%.

Hang Clean and Jerk:
-up to 185 x 1
This felt pretty heavy and I was using the Ivanko bar and metal plates so I stopped.

+stretching

Wednesday - RSR: 1.2, Front Squat, Press, Row

Pretty tired today but the squats weren't that hard. They just were really exhausting. I tested out the new belt from bestbelts.net today. I really like it, its much more secure than the cloth Valeo. My only worry is that I am using the tightest setting, and if I lose weight it may not fit, so when I go home in a few weeks I'm going to take it to a leather shop and get them to punch 2 or so more holes in it for peace of mind.

Back Squat:
-135 x 4
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-310 x 6 x 3

Front Squat:
-225 x 2 - really easy
-295 x 1 - this was hard
-315 x 1 - this was hard, but not as bad as 295

DB Press:
-50 x 6,6,6 (1 more rep per set than Monday, when was 3x5)

DB Row:
-80 x 8,8,8

Rack Jerks up to 185 lbs
+stretching

Monday - Start Russian Squat Program

I was pretty stiff today. The back squats were harder than they should have been. It must have been my back and shoulders though because front squats didn't feel too terrible, though not great. Guess it was just one of those days.

Back Squat:
-135 x 5
-225 x 4
-275 x 2
-310 x 6 x 2

Front Squat:
-225 x 2
-295 x 1
-315 x 1
-unracked 335 but no attempt because I would have missed it

Deadlift:
-135 x 3
-225 x 3
-315 x 3,3 - kept it light since I was still feeling pretty tired

DB Press:
-50 x 5,5,5 (I'd like to try doing more reps Wed and then even more on Fri, then bump the weight again)

I got my new belt in the mail. Its from bestbelts. It looks almost identical to one made by Inzer, though I spent less on it. I'm excited to try it on Wednesday.

Friday - Back Squat, Front Squat, Press, Clean and Jerk

This was an early morning workout.

Squat:

-135 x 2,4

-185 x 3

-225 x 2

-295 x 1

-335 x 1

-365 x  miss (still really stiff)

Front Squat:

-225 x 1

-275 x 1

-315 x 1

Back Squat again:

-315 x 1

-365 x 1

DB Press:

-45 x 8,8,8 - 50 next time

Snatch up to 95 lbs

Clean and jerk:

-135,155,175,195,225 (102 kg)

Thursday - Squat Max Test, Front Squat

Squat max test again. This went better than last time, as I expected.



Back Squat:
-185 x 4
-225 x 3
-275 x 2
-315 x 1
-355 x 1 Easy
-380 x 1 Not too hard
-395 x 0 Unracked, it felt hard but I felt I could do it. I guess not lol. Next time less intermediate max attempts.

Front Squat:
-135 x 2
-225 x 1
-295 x 1
-315 x 1
Called it a day for the front squat there.

+Stretching

Back Squat Test, Front Squat

Mixed results testing the back squat today. Worked up to a pretty easy lift at 365 which is 10+ more than my previous tested max after the injury, but still -20 off my best at 385. To be expected, I suppose. I then attempted 385 but didn't catch a good bounce at the bottom and missed.

I then worked with a few single back up to another easy 345, then unracked 370 but by that point I was pretty gassed. Came back for a single in the front squat at 335 for 95%.

I think if I max it out over a few days like with the front squat I'll get better at max squatting and achieve slightly better results. Still gunning for the 400.

Back Squat:

-135 x 4

-225 x 2

-295 x 1

-325 x 1

-365 x 1

-385 x miss

-135 x 1

-225 x 1

-315 x 1

-345 x 1

-370 x no attempt (unrack only)

Front Squat

-225 x 1

-275 x 1

-315 x 1

-335 x 1

DB Press:

-45 x 8,8,8

+stretching

Monday - So hot. Squat, Rack Jerks

Its like 90 today and the fans in class beforehand weren't working. Worked up to a light set of doubles and called it a day for the squat. Testing wednesday.

Squat:

-135 x 2

-195 x 3,3

-225 x 3

-275 x 2,2

Rack Jerks:

-135 x 2

-155 x 2,

-175 x 2,2

Snatch bar work, stretching

Friday - Finished Bulgarian Squat Program, Front Squat, Light Clean and Jerk

I can see why they say to put a rest day in. No matter, I didn't take it and I lifted the day after maxing. I was so stiff though.

Back Squat:

-135 x 1,3

-195 x 7

-250 x 4

-305 x 3

-250 x 6

Front Squat:

-135 x 1

-185 x 2

-225 x 1

-275 x 1

-315 x 1 (90%)

-335 x miss (very tired from back squatting yesterday) (95%)

DB Press:

-40 x 8,8,8

P Clean and Jerkx3:

-95 x 1

-135 x 1

-145 x 1

-155 x 1

+stretching. I'm definitely getting better.

Next step, maxing the back squat! After that, Russian Squat Program!

Thursday - Back Squat, Front Squat, Light Oly work

Back Squat:

-195 x 5

-250 x 3

-290 x 2

-355 x 2,2 (This was the 100% I based the program on)

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 1

-295 x 1

-325 x 1

-355 x miss (PR attempt)

DB Row:

-70 x 5,8

Snatch up to 95 lbs

Clean and many jerks up to 135 lbs

Some barbell press at 135 lbs

Wednesday - Back Squat, Front Squat PR, DB Press, Light Oly lifts

Back Squat:

-195 x 7

-230 x 4

-285 x 3

-230 x 8

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 1

-295 x 1

-320 x 1

-350 x 1 (PR +5lbs)

DB Press:

-35 x 8,8,8 (40 next time)

Hang Snatch, hang clean and jerk:

-up to 95 lbs for several sets, this felt fine.

Monday - Back Squat, Front Squat PR, Deadlift, DB Press, Light Snatch

Back Squat:

-185 x 7 (supposed to be 195 but made a mistake)

-250 x 3

-285 x 2

-335 x 2,2

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-285 x 1

-315 x 1

-345 x 1 (PR +5lbs)

Deadlift:

-135 x 3

-225 x 3

-315 x 1,2

-385 x 1 (kept it light, I had already squatted pretty heavy and my legs and back were tired)

DB Press:

-35 lbs x 8,8,8

Snatch

-bar for several sets (hang snatch, muscle snatch)

-65 lbs x several sets (hang snatch)

Saturday - BSquat, FSquat, Rows

Back Squat:

-195 x 7

-230 x 4

-285 x 3

-250 x 5,5

-215 x 8

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-305 x 1

-325 x 1

-335 x 1 (98.5%)

Snatch bar work

DB Row:

-60 x 8,8,8

Stretching

IRs, ERs, Band rows

Friday - Back Squat, Front Squat, DB Press, Snatch Bar Work

Decided I should start doing bar work for the Oly lifts. I did snatch stuff today after lifting. Muscle and hang snatch.

Back Squat:

-195 x 10

-250 x 6

-285 x 2

-320 x 3,3,3

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-305 x 1

-325 x 1

-345 x miss (102% attempt)

DB Press:

-30 x 8,8,8

+Snatch bar work

+band rows, IRs, ERs

Thursday - Back Squat, Front Squat PR, DB Row

Everything felt strong today, even though this morning I felt like shit.

Back Squat:

-135 x 4

-195 x 10

-230 x 7

-285 x 4

-230 x 10

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-295 x 1

-315 x 1

-340 x 1 (PR!)

Previous PR 335 in November.

DB Row:

-85 x 6,6,6

Wednesday - Real Squat, Front Squat, DB Press, DB Row

Real squat!

Back Squat:

-195 x 10

-250 x 6

-285 x 2

-320 x 3,3

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-300 x 1

-325 x 1 (97%!)

DB Press:

-30 x 8,8,8

DB Row:

-85 x 8,8,8

+scapular protractions, stretching

Monday - Squat, Front Squat, Press, DL

Squat:

-195 x 10

-250 x 7

-285 x 4

-230 x 10

Front Squat:

-135 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-315 x 1 (94%)

-325 x miss (97%)

DB Press:

-20 x 10,10,10

Deadlift:

-135 x 3

-225 x 3

-275 x 3

-325 x 2

-375 x 1

-395 x 1 (88%)

+external rotations, internal rotations, band rows

Tentative Program for Now

Hoping this will work because the squat program is usually pretty low volume.

Saturday - Back Squat, Front Squat, DB Row

Tried front squatting it doesn't hurt at all anymore! Yes!

Back Squat:

-195 x 9

-250 x 6

-285 x 2

-320 x 2

-285 x 6

Front Squat mini test:

-135 x 1,4

-185 x 3

-225 x 2

-275 x 1

-315 x 1 (94%)

DB Row:

-50 x 8

-65 x 8

-85 x 8,8

Making a new full body program

Since I can't Olympic lift, but I can lift in other ways besides squat, its time that I came up with other exercises to do instead of just screwing around after squatting. The first step is coming up with a list of exercises I can do heavy right now. Then, coming up with a list of exercises I will need to take from the ground up. Third, making a list of exercises I want to be able to do, but I can't do yet. Lastly, making a program for what I choose.

List is of course subject to change.

Exercises I can do heavy:

-back squat

-deadlift

-dumbbell row

Exercises I need to take from the ground up, but can be done:

-DB press

-front squat <- this might not be too bad actually

-weighted pullups

Exercises I can't do now, but I want to work towards:

-clean

-jerk

-snatch

-barbell press

-clean and snatch pulls

Thursday - Squat, DB Row

Tested out the dumbbell row on the advice of my PT. It worked out fine, and I think its going to be a great exercise. Interestingly, it was harder on the right side because I supported my body with the left. This will be good. I need to make a real program of this stuff. Its been a long time since I couldn't just say: "Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Squat, go home".

Squat:

-195 x 10

-230 x 7

-285 x 4

-250 x 9

This was really easy today, blew through it.

DB Row:

-60 x 10

-70 x 10,10

Wednesday - Squat, Deadlift

On week 2 day 3 of Bulgarian program.

Squat:

-195 x 10

-250 x 8

-305 x 5

-230 x 9

Deadlift:

-135 x 3

-225 x 3

-315 x 3

-345 x 1

-375 x 1

Kept the deadlifts light and low volume. Just felt like doing some.

Sometimes hindsight only comes after months...

For some reason, I just realized why my program back from September of 2011 didn't work. I had taken the program that Mario made for me, and modified it by putting my own exercises in, back squatting more often, and overall just taking random stuff that I didn't like out and putting my own stuff in. Which was dumb.

I got nothing out of the program except some time to rest my hurt shoulder...which albeit was good, but I shouldn't have to lose that time for real progress. I didn't realize at the end of the program why it sucked so bad. I didn't even max my lifts after, because I was missing at 90% left and right. I went right to Smolov Jr where I made progress.

I can't believe I didn't learn from that. Either I need to do what a coach tells me, or I need to make something new. I can't just take the same old program and change the exercises and volume and not expect it to just suddenly work better. I'm sure that there was a reason that I wasn't simply back squatting every day in the program, and instead doing pulls some days. Things I didn't think about at the time, or really ever until now.

Hell, even the first day sucked because I didn't even know what percentages to use for stuff.

Here it was: http://cloystreng.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-day-of-new-program.html

Monday - Squat

Week 2 day 2

Squat:

lbs

-135 x 4

-195 x 10

-230 x 7

-285 x 4

-250 x 9,9

Friday - Squat, Pullups

Squat:

-90 x 10

-112 x 6

-145 x 4 (This was supposed to be 138, but I messed up counting. I knew it felt heavier than it should..)

-122 x 6

-102 x 9

RDL:

Did a few RDLs with 70 kg to stretch, nothing heavy at all.

Pullups:

-BW x 5,5,5

Thursday Night - Squat, Deadlift, Pullup

Figured that since I can deadlift, might as well do it. Keeping the volume low for now though becaue I'm doing a squat program, though I may up the volume and intensity as I go because I can only really do three exercises right now.

Squat:

-79 x 10

-99 x 7

-130 x 4

-115 x 10

Deadlift:

-110 x 6

-143 x 5,3

Pullups:

-BW x 5,5,5,5

rehab stuff

Tuesday - Day 2, plus some extras

Did rehab stuff in the morning. Lifted afterward. Managed to get my heavy bag mounted in a way where it doesn't sit on the ground, which took some effort. Hopefully it remains up like this.

Squat (KG):

-80 x 10

-113 x 6

-137 x 5

-121 x 8

This wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday because of the walking.

Pullups:

-BW x 5,5,5

Deadlift: (I was able to do this with zero pain. When I tried to press, it was not the case. No pressing still. I can do pushups now though.)

-up to 160 kg x 1,1,1,1

Monday - First Day of the Bulgarian Squat Program

This was harder than it should have been, but I walked around for like 7 hours yesterday, so thats why. I can see that this program is really meant to be used in conjunction with other lifting, its not enough volume for an all-encompassing program like RSR or Smolov Jr.

Squat (I tried to match the weights as close as I could):

-79 kg x 10

-107 x 7

-131 x 4

-111 x 9

Pullups: I can do these now!

-BW x 5,5,5

Rehab:

-DB Press: 25 lbs x 10,10

-Front Raise: 10 lbs x 10,10

Saturday - Squat Test

KG this time.

Squat:

-60 x 4

-80 x 4

-100 x 3

-130 x 3

-140 x 2

-152 x 1

-161 x 1 (92%) (355)

-166 x miss

I'm going to start the Bulgarian squat program, and use the 92% value of 161 for my max. I did lose a bit of strength and I'm planning on doing more than 3x per week.

Wednesday - Mini Squat Test

Tried some heavier singles today, with pretty good results. I got an 88% squat, missed a 91% but I think if I had rested a bit more I would have it.

Squat:

-135 x 5

-185 x 5

-225 x 4

-265 x 3

-285 x 2

-305 x 1

-320 x 1

-335 x 1

-350 x miss

Tuesday - Squat

Up to 285 today, not too bad. Its getting hot. Shorts weather for sure, especially for squatting.

Back Squat: lbs

-135 x 5

-185 x 5

-205 x 4

-235 x 4

-265 x 5 (This did not seem too hard, so I moved up in weight)

-275 x 5

-285 x 6 (meant to do 5)

Next time I'll bump it up higher, getting closer to where I want to be before I max for the squat program. I don't want to go into it too early, but at the same time I don't want to stagnate and lose strength for any longer than I have too. I already stopped everything for a month.

Monday - Squat

Took out the paused reps because its getting heavier and I want to get back to normal weights now. I did the first sets up to the first work set with pauses though.

Squat:

-135 x 5

-155 x 5

-185 x 5

-205 x 5

-225 x 5

-245 x 5,5,5

(111 kg)

Olympic Lifting Training Programs

These are all copied from the book "The Sport of Olympic-Style Weightlifting: Training For the Connoiseur" by Carl Miller. There is a lot of great analysis that goes along with stuff like this, and these are just some of the programs that are in the book. I highly recommend the purchase. Its pretty cheap on Amazon. I figure its fine posting these here for people to see, but if anyone wants me to take them down I will do so.

Note: Each image is a different program. Most are 6 weeks long.

Next Program to Do

I was pretty worried that I wasn't going to be able to find a good program that worked for ONLY squatting. I didn't really want to do Smolov Jr again because its so short, or the Russian Squat program, because both of those require strict adherence and I remember them being REALLY hard, and boring.

I found some interesting programs in the book I bought called "The Sport of Olympic-Style Weightlifting: Training for the Connoisseur" by Carl Miller. He gives nine programs, but I wasn't able to consider some because they weren't meant for squatting, incorporated two or more lifts (instead of just one), or they were shorter than I wanted. I narrowed it down to three: a Soviet program, a Bulgarian program, and a Hungarian program. I made some notes in the book which I scanned outlining my choice of the Bulgarian program.

I don't think I will use my actual max, though I might. I'll likely use either 90 or 95%. (EDIT: I may max and use that, since the grip is different and all that.)

Notes:

Bulgarian:

Hungarian:

Soviet:

Saturday - Paused Squats

Felt pretty good today, though harder than it should be at 225 lbs.

Paused Back Squat:

-95 x 5

-135 x 5

-175 x 5

-205 x 5

-225 x 5,5,5

There were all done with at least 1second pause at the bottom position.

DB Press:

Left - 20x10,10

Right - 50 x 6,6,6

Incline pushups and wall arm raises.

Friday - Squat

I can feel it getting easier to squat. I found a lowish bar position that feels the best right now. Still a very Olympic squat though, its straight down.

Squat:

-135 x 5

-155 x 5

-185 x 5

-205 x 5

-210 x 5paused,5paused,5paused,5paused

Doing paused reps to try and build strength. Also, too fast of a bounce at the bottom is tough with the position I'm holding the bar right now. Its feeling better over time, I'm getting used to squatting with the straps.