dabears progress thread

Yeah I snapped my chest into lock on first one my accident.

The good news is 300 lbs felt light. I'm going to do 315 next week and see... Was my 1RM a month ago

Originally Posted by DonaldE

What is your leg measurement

2002 BMW 330i

Measuring around the hamstring just under the glutes, 25" non-flexed/non-pumped.

Originally Posted by dabears

Here's the video. First rep wasn't very good but i think second is pretty legit?

Form isn't bad. I think you need to externally rotate your hips though.

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

Form isn't bad. I think you need to externally rotate your hips though.

thanks! I didn't know exactly what you meant so I looked it up... how would I achieve this on a deadlift? Keeping my toes slightly outward like on my squat? Forcing my knees out? Please elaborate

Originally Posted by dabears

thanks! I didn't know exactly what you meant so I looked it up... how would I achieve this on a deadlift? Keeping my toes slightly outward like on my squat? Forcing my knees out? Please elaborate

Forcing your knees slightly outward/opening your hips at the joint after you've decided on foot placement.

Easy enough, it's funny I was naturally trying to do that yesterday because I felt my knees were buckling onwards. I'll make a mental note, I do the same thing when I squat

Leg workout... Missed gym all last week due to a serious flu.

Back Squats

Warmup
Foam Roll
Slow goblet squats, dynamically stretching
135 x 5
135 x 5

Worksets
245x5
225x6
200x7
200x8

Felt heavy but good. I'll go up 5 lbs next week

Romanian Deadlifts
185x10
185x10
185x7

I was using the alternating grip, on last set tried a double overhand with no thumbs... Grip failed.

I think I am going to do 135x12 and really go slow on the reps to get the stretch... My grip has been fatiguing way before hamstrings.

Standing calf raises

180x15
180x15
180x15

Originally Posted by dabears

Leg workout... Missed gym all last week due to a serious flu.

Back Squats

Warmup
Foam Roll
Slow goblet squats, dynamically stretching
135 x 5
135 x 5

Worksets
245x5
225x6
200x7
200x8

Felt heavy but good. I'll go up 5 lbs next week

Romanian Deadlifts
185x10
185x10
185x7

I was using the alternating grip, on last set tried a double overhand with no thumbs... Grip failed.

I think I am going to do 135x12 and really go slow on the reps to get the stretch... My grip has been fatiguing way before hamstrings.

Standing calf raises

180x15
180x15
180x15

I might up those 135lb warm ups to 8-10 reps.

I was thinking same thing. I was going incredibly slow and just trying to stretch out and warm up the CNS but don't think I achieved the latter best I could.

Just had worst chest workout in recent memory... Had a great sleep and ate 1800 calories of spaghetti and meatballs for lunch 4 hours ago. Wtf...

Last week

Bench
180x4
165x3
155x4

Incline db
65x6
65x4
60x7

This week

Bench
175x3
155x4
135x8

Incline db
65 x 0 (failed on first rep)
55 x 5
55 x 7 (adjusted bench one notch lower)
55x7

Going to write it off as bad week and move on...

Keep working. Your number look impressive. A bad workout is better than none.

Originally Posted by jmcdolej

Keep working. Your number look impressive. A bad workout is better than none.

thanks, yeah just confused as I got 9 hours of sleep and ate a fk load. It happens.

m3inline you definitely got in my head with the ring marks on the bar haha I was making sure my elbows were correct during warmup and wondering if I was wide enough, despite benching that way forever

Originally Posted by dabears

thanks, yeah just confused as I got 9 hours of sleep and ate a fk load. It happens.

m3inline you definitely got in my head with the ring marks on the bar haha I was making sure my elbows were correct during warmup and wondering if I was wide enough, despite benching that way forever

At least you're cognizant of one of the many errors committed on the bench. That's one that will never happen to dabears.

Weighed 176.8 this morning and it was a pretty legit measurement... Going to weigh again on Monday. I haven't lost any strength so not exactly sure what's going on.

I've decided to get a caliper test done real soon so I can stop guessing at my bf and get a proper lean mass number.

Originally Posted by dabears

Weighed 176.8 this morning and it was a pretty legit measurement... Going to weigh again on Monday. I haven't lost any strength so not exactly sure what's going on.

I've decided to get a caliper test done real soon so I can stop guessing at my bf and get a proper lean mass number.

you're losing weight?

Yeah I've been in the 178-180 range past two months. So either this is an anomaly (find out Monday) or I've lost some weight. I'm thinking its fat if anything, my strength is the best it's ever been. The water weight on the scale was real close to what i consider my "water set point"

Originally Posted by dabears

Yeah I've been in the 178-180 range past two months. So either this is an anomaly (find out Monday) or I've lost some weight. I'm thinking its fat if anything, my strength is the best it's ever been. The water weight on the scale was real close to what i consider my "water set point"

right around the same weight now. I want to see 180 so bad

Originally Posted by DylloS

right around the same weight now. I want to see 180 so bad

You should see it pretty quick eating the way I think you are

I'm the opposite, when the scale moves too fast I know I'm ****ing up

Leg workout yesterday, strength continues to rise. I will add 5 lbs to all squat sets next week.

Back squats

135x5
185x4

Then

250x5
225x6
205x7
185x8

Romanian Deadlifts

155x10
155x10
155x10

Found a happy medium in weight, great stretch in hammies

Standing Calf Raises

185x15
185x15
185x15

Interested to see bench performance tomorrow after horrible workout last week

So looks like with a "subtle" form change I am starting from scratch weight wise.

Instead of stopping the rep about 1 inch from my chest and going up, I started lightly touching the chest and going up.

My last bench press two weeks ago with 1 inch gap:

Bench
180x4
165x3
155x4

Today touching chest:

Warmup:
95 x 8
135 x 5

175 x 1 (There was no way I was getting two...)
155 x 6
140 x 7 (struggled on last)
125 x 8 (struggled on last)

So two observations. First, my warmups have obviously become too heavy considering my first workset is 155 and im warming up with 135.

Second, is there maybe a chance my elbows are going too low when I'm touching chest? Like should they be going below parallel? And could this be whats hurting performance, not my previous "improper" form?

Also noticed on my incline dumbbell bench my elbows were going way below parallel... I should be stopping at parallel and pushing up right?

I'm going to try and get a video soon so it is easier to answer my bench form questions.