07.31.2016
Back Squat, light wraps (never taken off), no belt, paused first rep till 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 4
225 x 2
255 x 1
275 x 6 x 4
Straight Bar Pull Up @ 192 x 10

Went for volume on the squats today with a lower weight because I really need to build a better base. First set felt tough, but each set felt better than the last after that. I probably could have gotten a fifth set, but I wanted to save a little energy for pull ups.

My right hip went out on me a few nights ago. Intense pain so I couldn't walk. Made me late for work because it hurt very much upon waking, too. I skipped training yesterday to give my body a chance to pull itself together a bit more.

I think the injury began from deadlifting heavy while fatigued a week ago, and then moving a bunch of small boxes over the course of the week. I was just walking around when the pain came and I couldn't walk. Either way, I'm feeling better today and training went well.

07.27.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep till 185
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 1
235 x 6 x 2
Dumbbell Row, supinated, right-left 120 x 10

07.24.2016
Back Squat, light wraps, no belt, paused first rep till 275
45 x 16
135 x 8
225 x 4
275 x 2
315 x 1
325 x 2 x 2
Straight Bar Pull Up @190 x 10, 8

These squats really aren't an improvement. I think I'm still not recovered from that squat/deadlift session Tuesday.

But this was maybe my best pull up performance ever.

07.23.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep till 185
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 8, 7

07.20.2016
Back Squat, light wraps, no belt, paused first till 275
45 x 16
135 x 8
225 x 4
275 x 2
295 x 1
315 x 3 x 2
Deadlift, conventional, no belt, hook grip 405, 425 x 2 x 2

07.19.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep till 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 4
225 x 2
235 x 1
245 x 3, 1
Dumbbell Row, supinated, each side, left first 120 x 10 x 2

Nice, long pause with first 225 BP; last rep of the first set of rows was not quite to torso, last two reps on second were equally short of complete, but close enough since it's just dumbbell rows.

I'm about 30 lbs shy of my best ever 275 x 4. I need to lose about 10 lbs of fat and gain that much in muscle.

07.16.2016
Back Squat, light wraps, no belt, paused first rep till 275
45 x 16
135 x 8
225 x 4
275 x 2
295 x 4 x 2
Straight Bar Pull Up @188 x 8 x 2

Really getting good at keeping right quad involved when the going gets tough on squats. I still need to wrap up from the bar-only set to ward off discomfort in that right knee, though.

Pull ups were all to clavicle though girst reps in the set were an inch below even that. I could have done one more set, but I had someplace to be.

07.12.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep of warm ups to 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 2
235 x 4, 4, 3 + miss at 3/4

Dumbbell Row, supinated, each side 120 x 8 x 3

I stalled just a couple inches from lockout on that last rep of bench. Weight back up a bit to over 190 again.

07.10.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep till 185
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 5 x 3

Back Squat, very light wraps, no belt paused first three reps till 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 5 x 2

After yesterday's horror squat show, I thought I should get some volume with lighter weights after benching. Benches were surprisingly strong with three sets of five at 225. Last month I couldn't do 225 for even a single, so this is nice. I know the benches depressed my squat about 10% so my "real" sets of five would have been with 305. The first set was a struggle, but the second set felt much better. I walked out for a third set, but realized I just didn't have it in me.

Knees are feeling better on the days after squat. My body is clearly getting used to them again. I am hoping to work back up to 315 for sets of five on my squat days (as opposed to bench days on which I squat after benches) this month.

07.09.2016
Back Squat, light wraps, no belt, paused first rep till 275 (and third rep of 225)
45 x 12 x 2
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 1
315 x 1

Pull Up, straight bar @ 187 x 7 x 4

Suddenly lost over 5 lbs of water weight and today's squat and pull up numbers reflect this loss. 335 on the squat wasn't a max, but it was tough enough that a double would have been failure. My max is just over 345 probably as of right now. That means almost 190% of body weight, but it's still not good enough.

I had to wrap up from the warm ups with the bar. Knees just not feeling good, especially the right one. Losing all that water weight did not help at all. But it helped me get more volume than I have in months on my pull ups. 

07.04.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep of warm ups till 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 2
235 x 1
245 x 2 x 2

Deadlift, conventional, hook grip, no belt 405 x 1 x 6

Went in a day early. I was able to get that 245 for two doubles this time as opposed to the one really tough double a couple days ago. I'm a little bit disappointed that I was only able to get a bunch of singles with 405 on the pull, though. My pull can be generously stated to be 160 over my bench. That's really too close. Granted, the pull has not been a priority for me...and this is still about 30 lbs over my last attempt...and 90 lbs over what I could do a month ago...

But still, it's just so clear that my extracurricular regimen benefits the more androgen receptor dense upper body than lower body.

07.03.2016
Back Squat, paused first rep up to 225, wraps at 275, no belt
45 x 12
135 x 6
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 2, 1, 1, 1

Second single felt so good that I thought I could keep going. But then the third single felt very hard. Good speed on all of them as well as great form; no getting bent over. Wraps were light till the top set at which point I tightened them a bit.

Didn't have time or energy to do the pull ups I usually do to decompress my spine. Still weighing under 190 during the day. Waking up at 187-188.

07.02.2016
Bench Press, touch and go, paused first rep of warm ups to 225
45 x 12
135 x 6
185 x 3
225 x 1
235 x 1
245 x 2

Dumbbell Row, supinated, each side 120 x 6 x 3

I was obsessed with getting a double on bench with 245 and I got it. But that was all I had in me. It's a 10-lb jump from last time, but for only one double versus the two doubles I got with 235 a few days ago. Still, just six days ago I was only able to get 235 for a couple of singles. 245 for a double less than a week later. And less than a month ago, I could only get four on my best set with 185, which means that my max double was probably 205 or a little less. So 40 lbs this month on the bench this month.

I'm using the heaviest dumbbells in the gym for DB rows now. So now I have to settle for getting volume. Body weight DB rows are still the goal. I'm at 188 lbs right now. I hope that by the time I get to 220 I can handle the 200's.