Jason’s BodyBlog

I needed yesterday really badly. I’ve been kind of down this week for some reason. Sort of an emotional low and feeling out of it. Not sure why. I didn’t do anything yesterday. I took off early from work and just relaxed and vegged out in front of the T.V. No GPP work. Didn’t go outside except to water the garden and plants, that was relaxing. I thought about what I’m doing and what I want to do. Luckly I reaffirmed myself that I have to keep pushing myself and I want too not just because I have to. I’m looking forward to the next round. I went to bed early and woke up late. I set the alarm for 6:30am. I felt refreshed….

1xseveral reps@bar (some SLDL, some conv, and ended with sumo)

1xseveral more@135

1×3@225

1×1@315 (Got my belt on to make sure form is right with belt on)

READY FOR THE FIRST ATTEMPT
1×1@405 PR!!

Got my feet into position. Pretty wide sumo stance with my toes about two inches away from the plates. Bar touching my shins. I take in the Breath of life and hold it. I go down and set my grip into place and with out more then a second chance for any time to slip by I start the pull. I sit back and get my shoulders behind the bar and it comes up off the ground with ease and before I know it the bar is at my knees. That’s when the weight hit me and I knew I better keep pulling back as hard as I could before I loose it. I lean back and bring my hips forward as hard as I can. I strain but pull my shoulders back. LOCK OUT!!!

No second attempt or more today. I was happy with that and felt releaved this week is over. I can’t wait to start training again next week….

“Bench: 280
I’m getting stuck on the bottom now so get some 1 and 2 board presses in my workouts. I’m thinking I also need some more delt and lat work to help out. Maybe throw in some ME OHP work. I also feel like I am going to slow on the decent so I’ll speed up the decent on speed days instead of take is slow on the way down. “

Well, I deffinitely did not get stuck on the bottom this time. In fact the bottom to half way up was very solid. I also think I brought the bar down much faster and smoother then before which is good. Two goals that I was able to accomplish. I was 5lbs off from the weight I wanted but then again I started off going for 5lbs over that. I shoulda coulda woulda… oh well.

Thinking about yesterdays lift I can spot several touble spots. First, and again like the squat, is my breathing. On thing I didn’t think about at all was my breathing. I need to get that under control and timed right with the lift. I didn’t take in any breath that I remember or anything. Need to work on that.

Also, leg drive. That is something that I’ve never been able to understand but just recently I’m starting to get it and now need to practice using more leg drive and get that into my bench.

The last thing is now hitting the mid area of the bench. I’ll get some more floor presses in there and 2-3 board work. I still need to continue to bring my shoulders up to par. I think they are really lacking still.

Went to bed at a fairly decent time last night but I kept waking up thinking the alarm was going off. I was too excited about getting into the gym today. I took two scoops of the SteelEdge again and it really gives me a ZIP!!

Started off with some warm ups

1xa few@bar

1×5@135

1×1@225

TIME FOR THE FIRST ATTEMPT

1xmiss@285

Okay, okay. I got a little over zealous here. I at least moved it back up a little and needed just a small little push in one spot. I got into my setup with as much of an arch as I can get, planted my feet into the ground and pulled my shoulders back together. I got a lift off but made sure to tell the person to not help at all unless the bar is moving back towards me. Stalling is okay. After the lift off I was expecting to feel like the bar was going to be really heavy but it wasn’t. I brought it down and it felt okay. The problem was on the way back up. I got it to about mid height and it stalled, big time, then started to move back towards me. The spotter gave it a little nudge and I got it the rest of the way up.

SECOND ATTEMPT!!!
1×1@275 PR!!

This felt heavier then 285 for some reason. I still stalled for a second at about mid-height but got it.

Previously My goal going into today and problems I was working on the past 8 weeks:
“Squat: 425
I felt it was really hard to get down into the hole and feel if I was below parallel. I figure some more low box squats will help here”

Well, I didn’t have a problem feeling the myself get into the hole. I feel those low box squats did help with that. I also had no problem getting a lift off the bottom. I hit 415lbs pretty smoothly so I’m satisfied with that. I messed up on 435 so I need to fix my issues there.

I don’t think I was ready for the weight. I think my body could have done 435 if I didn’t screw up my form in the beginning. I need to load up the bar with some heavy @$$ weights in the next 8 weeks to let my body get used to the weight.

I’ll get some high box squats in there and some more arch back good mornings. The high box squats will allow me to really load up the weights more then I normally would be able to do and make 435 not seem like such a shock just standing there. The arch back good mornings that I have been doing to strengthen up my erectors and protect myself from injuries and to help with recovery from a form break.

The MAX attempts have started. I felt rested this morning even though I stayed up a little later then I was planning last night. I will have to make sure to NOT play Guitar Hero II on Thursday night as it really wears out my hand and keeps me up late. B)

I didn’t take SteelEdge all last week as I really wanted to feel it for these max attempt days. I took a double dose of SteelEdge this morning. WOW, did that give me a good spark, or I should say HUGE BLAZE, this morning. I was already awake too because I was very excited to get into the gym and hit the squats.

I started out just going through the movements with the bar and geting in a good stretch. Getting myself into a groove. Then I started it up.

1×5@135 Felt really good. I’m in my groove and warming up.

1×3@225 Little more weight and felt like I was exploding up.

1×1@315 Put on the belt to get some air in the belly and push against. Really went slow on this to get a really good strech and feel some weight.

READY FOR MY FIRST ATTEMPT:
1×1@415 PR!!!

I got myself under the bar. I told myself that this was going to be really heavy but it didn’t mater. I could do this. I wont fail. I just need to keep tight and keep pushing. I took in a really deep breath and stepped out. Left foot back and out then the right foot back and out. Two step step out. Perfect. Let a little air out and Breathed in like it was my last breath. Down I go. Felt like forever before I hit the hole but once I was there I could feel it. My hips were down and stretched out like I was giving birth. I lifting my head and shoulders as hard as I could and started the rise up. KEEP YOUR BREATH IN!!! I had to yell at myself. KEEP PUSHING AND KEEP IT TIGHT!!! I gripped the bar as hard as I could and pulled the bar down into my traps as they started to raise up and flexed my hips as hard as I could. Up I went.

GOOD LIFT!!!!

I gave myself a breather and decided to go for a second attempt.

1xmiss@435

I know exactly where I messed up on this one. I didn’t breath right. That is where it all started. I stepped out with it fine. Let out a little but didn’t take back in enough air. When I started to go down I didn’t push out enough into the belt and I felt myself go forward a little. I had to pause for a split second and correct my form. I got myself down and started up but just didn’t have enough force to get up more then a few inches and I had to bring it back down. I spent to much energy on correcting my self on the way down.

SQUAT 1RM: 415lbs