Sat, 28 Nov 15

I don't know why I sometimes don't remember my own advice when trying to solve problems with my own lifting.  My deadlift has been dog shit for the past couple of years due mostly to a series of minor strains and such in the same area, my right low back.  More specifically, I had previously deadlifted 600 easily in my one and only powerlifting competition (3 whites) and 625 on an axle in a strongman competition down at Brute Strength Gym.  However, since the initial insult to the structural integrity of my low back two years ago trying to load an unevenly weighted 300 lb keg over a bar, I had at various times since then, and in this order, only been able to pull 555, 545, 565, and most recently (4 months ago) 545.  Grip was in no way an issue and the weight did not feel heavy enough that I should actually be topping out at those numbers, but anything heavier was usually glued to the floor or only barely cracked and then I was so far out of position that I had to drop it.  And all that time I kept approaching the problem the same way - more deadlifting from the floor using my usual (conventional) stance and a straight bar (variously axle or barbell).  In retrospect this was utterly stupid and I deserve all the frustration and negative thoughts about how much I sucked due to my own pathetic weakness (comparatively to myself) because it didn't dawn on me to take my own advice and when a lift is stuck and you suck, change your approach!  It worked like a charm for getting my overhead up over 300 consistently and same thing for getting my deadlift back up in the 600s.  FINALLY!  The changes I made were that I made 18" rack pull my primary deadlift variation on my deadlift days, I added in very light sumo tugs on my squat day, and my first supplemental exercise on deadlift day following rack pulls was low handle trap bar deads, also fairly light.  That plus religiously hitting low back on my 45 degree hyper bench at the end of my training twice a week and 4 months later, I'm back to what I consider (for me) to be almost respectable weights again.

Deadlift

10x45

5x135

5x225

3x325

3x425

1x505

1x535

1x565

1x585

1x600 - Hell yes, about damn time.  I'm still using straps to minimize aggravating my flexor tendon(s) on my right arm, but it was easy, if a little slow, mostly because of 2 years of self doubt that I was working to overcome before and during the lift.

Circus DB C&P

3ea x 75

3ea x 115

3ea x 135

3ea x 155

3/2 x 175 - 3x right arm and 2x left arm.  I'm pretty sure this is a rep PR for this weight and if I had actually been training reps for time I definitely had a couple more left with my right arm and I could have come back and hit another with my left depending on time, but regardless I'm happy with a set of 5x175 today.

Yoke

50'x250

50'x450

50'x540

50'x650 - Coming in a little slow for me at barely under 10"

50'x750 - Even slow(er), but I was expecting it to be that way this week and just doing the weight with no drops was the main goal for today.

Sandbag Carry (turns @ 50')

313' x 200 - Wow are my energy systems not used to this kind of work.  I definitely tanked it after making the turn at 300 because it was feeling so awful.

Prowler

14x60' x prowler 3.0+50 - 3 man rotation, done in 10'

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpoY6ACx44]