*Less than 4 weeks out from RPS Lexen Spring Fling*
Yesterday was the last day of heavy SS Yoke Bar Box Squats on my secondary lower body day. I've been alternating Squats and Good Mornings with the Yoke Bar, which is definitely the most challenging bar for me to use (If there's one thing I'm good at, it's rounding forward with this thing on my back). I've been making some slow but steady progress with it, and I'm optimistic that the attention to these weaknesses with pay off on the platform in a few weeks. The goal today was to work up to some heavy singles in briefs and knee wraps, to a 16" box and then to a 14" box. The most I believe I've ever had on the Yoke Bar is 510-520lbs, so despite the last set looking pretty rough I was happy to squat a lot more than I ever have in the past with this bar. Doing these at work where I walk them out and grab whoever is around to spot me wasn't ideal, but I figure it's an extra challenge that'll make my regular squats feel that much easier..
Warmup: Seated Exercise Bike - 5 mins
A1. Banded Hip Series (via David Allen)
A2. Hip Extension & Flexion w/ mini band - 3 sets of 12 each direction
B. SS Yoke Bar Box Squats - In Metal Ace Briefs & All Black Knee Wraps
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdOyrh8dDZI]
To 16" Box:
510x1
540x1 (gym PR)
560x1 (gym PR)
Drop to 14" Box:
510x1
Once I got over 510 I definitely started rounding forward, but was happy that I fought through them all fairly easily coming up. I set up my feet uneven a little bit on my last set which I think threw me off even more on the box. I definitely need to continue to work on sitting back more, and keeping my upper back tight. Overall, I was happy with how things went and it was a good step moving forward.
One of the biggest challenges that I continue to work around in training (and especially these past few weeks) is my lack of sleep and recovery. I don't discuss it often but I've had pretty bad issues with insomnia and anxiety for the past several years, and it definitely takes a toll on my training. I am very blessed with my current situations, and certainly don't have a lot to be complaining about, which is why I don't talk about it much. That being said, having strings of days where I don't sleep more than an hour or two definitely forces me to be patient with my training and be aware of the effects stress has on it. I mention this only to encourage those that may have similar issues. Try to fight the temptation to beat yourself up and let frustration derail you from your goals. I still don't have a perfect solution, but I have recognized that many of the people I know that deal with severe anxiety are also some of the hardest workers, who have an extremely high standard of what they do. Don't let discouragement cloud your ability to see the impact you've had on the lives around you (whether it's in the gym, work, home, or school).
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