July 1, 2015 – Week 5, Day 2

Dynamic Warm-ups

Hatfield Overload Squats
155x5
155x5
245x3
245x3
335x1
335x1
425x1
515x1
585x2
455x2
455x2
455x2
455x2

Safety Squat Bar Dead Squats (3” above parallel)
335x1
335x1
335x1
335x1
335x1
335x1

Carry Medleys (sandbag/husafel stone/keg)
250x70’/240x70’/240x70’
250x70’/240x70’/240x70’
250x70’/240x70’/240x70’

Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlifts (straps)
135x3
185x3
225x3
275x6
275x6

34 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Upper body and lower body were just beat from yesterday so I knew that things could be touch and go with some exercises. The show must go on. Lighter warm-ups on hatfield squats felt good in regards to how my leg muscles felt and with bar speed. My knees were a little achy at the start but generally that always goes away once the weights accumulate. I was initially going to do my big plate jumps and then do smaller jumps to the heavy double but the weight was moving so well and the unracks weren’t difficult so it was big jumps all the way. There was some doubts with the double as I walked it out but once I hit the bottom of the first squat, I knew I was going to crush it. Just got to remember that weight is going to feel heavy on these, even when it is speed work. Very happy with how this set went and I feel I could have done at least five is I needed to. I was expecting my sore upper back to make it a struggle. Speed sets followed; less sets, less reps but more weight. Walking the weight out seemed to be the hardest part of these sets. I almost got off balance on the first set because I wasn’t expecting myself to rocket back up so quickly. I think my form got better each set. A bit of rest followed while I set things up for dead squats. A bit of cramped quarters but it worked. On the first set, it was like I forgot everything about concentric lifts and shrugged it up. I got a groove going shortly after that and the weight went up like speed work. A little above parallel (though I’m sure my body is trying to contort itself to make it more haha) so similar to my deadlift stance and a bit harder to recruit the legs. I kept my hands off the bar as it felt better to just try and focus my lower body to lift it that way. Back home for medley work. I increased the distance by 5’ for each leg again. Same concerns (fears) as the last several times I’ve done this and again, they were unfounded as I crushed it. Fatigue makes cowards of us all, just have to block it out (and it usually is 70’s pop songs haha). Only moment I can recall making miscue was getting the husafel stone on the first set as I kind of hesitated with the pick-up. I improved each set and managed to do the last one in under a minute. Then into the garage for snatch grip romanian deadlifts. Strapped up for these as hands were very sweaty and I’m not testing my grip on these. This would normally not be a working weight on this exercise but after the previous exercises, my hamstrings and lower back were ready to go to sleep. Felt these a bit more in the lower back then the banded ones, perhaps since I can’t keep the bar as close since the bar is higher up my thighs. Going to have to give myself a mental cue next time to keep the upper back tighter so that the bar doesn’t wander. Loads of stretching to end the day.