225 x 1 (16th) Best Press day ever

 Everything worked like a charm

Every rep the same and damn near perfect

I jumped from 205 to 225 and nailed it on the first try

Then five down sets with 205 and each rep was damn near perfect as well

I had decided to take three attempts with 225 if needed because making that lift is the key of the day

But it wasn't necessary

The key was laying back after setting the arch and really trying to go back as much as I could before pressing. The  seemed to really get everything tight and coiled; like in my old paused benches

Set the Arch

Layback as far as I can and spot the X

Layback and press to the X 

205 x 1 warmup

225

205 x 1 set 1

205 x 1 set 2

205 x 1 set 3

205 x 1 set 4

205 x 1 set 5

WOW~!  Blown away.

BW 173.6 

BF 15.0

12 noon

174.4

11.1 ( bath)

59.5

laterals rear delts 3  x 8/8 20's

wt parallette pushups

bw x 8

53 x 3 x 8

put  a star on this one

Sunday Ruck

 Finally! A fast one. Didn't hurt one bit that it was 45 degrees and I slept great for a change. Good sleep is the magic elixir.

Also surprised that legs and lungs felt great after yesterdays. glycolytic fun fest

45 lb ruck

9 laps

1:25!

10,203 steps

3.5 ave MPH

173.8

14.5

32 kg One arm swings 10 x 10/10, 32 kg belt squats 3 x 10, pullaparts

 Surprisingly strong one

and fast. less rest/ sets than last month on these.

belt squats

173.5

13.5

Thursday Ruck

 Early one today, 9 am. cool and crisp literally perfect weather

45 lb

4 laps

2 miles

37 min

174

14.3

190 x 1 x 10, 20 kg swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups

 This went very well. Definitely setting the arch ( loading the bow) in front of the bar is key but also is key not shifting forward after. I did this a couple sets and the bar wound up going forwards.

For the first set or so I FORGOT to layback after I set the arch, so intent I was on the setup! I'm getting old, can't remember more than one thing at a time

set 1

 came up too vertical and moved hips foward instead of laying back. Another thing I was doing was letting the bar get TOO LOW and that made it harder to lay back

set 2, pretty much shifted back instead of laying  back, before I did shift the hips but not right

set 3 great setup

set 4 PERFECT set up

set 5 another good one. I layback from the shoulders then on the second layback the hips drive fwd

set 6 bad one, chest shifted forward

set 7  good

set 8 REALLY GOOD

set 9 perfect

set 10 perfect

20 kg swings  5 x 8/8

floor pushups 25, 25, 20

Key takeaways from yesterdays two plate miss

 

1)  Set up with hips in front of bar (  Load the Bow)

2) Lay back and really focus on the X

3) Lay back and press to X and STAY focused on X

HIP IN FRONT

LAY BACK

LAYBACK AND PRESS TO X

215x 1 two plates ( 225) close miss, 205 x 1 x 5, laterals, rear delts, wt pushups

 Setup wasn't perfect. Looking back now I see my hips weren't in front of the bar enough on the setup- took it way to lackadaisical in retrospect and wasn't near tight  enough. I was so focused on the second layback part I didn't load it right

Not TOO far off actually but at two plates there's literally no margin for error yet,

from 135- 195 no problem but it's so light I don't need the layback so no indicator

155 and 175 x 1 ok but prelude to being too vertica

195 good

205 x 1 but lost balance at top!

215 x 1 but out in front. not laying back enough plus the setup

then 225 miss, shocked it got this high

basically I didn't set the startup arch tight enough so I couldn't do the subsequent laybacks strongly

205 x 1 x 5 not perfect but decent

173

14.0

db laterals

rear delts 3 x 8/8 20s

parallettes pushups

bw x 8 ,32 x 8, 53 x 8 x 2

Sunday Ruck

 Good one. Determined to finish on time today and did, got it done in 1:25 or so lol, still slow but not as many 'doggo' stops lol

45 lbs

9 laps

4.5 miles

1:25

started at 6:30 in the dark. everything good from the start,actually surprised it wasn't faster

didn't even record my weight

172. something and bodyfat the same as I recall 14 something

48 kg One arm swings 20 x 5, 40 kg belt squat 3 x 8, pullaparts 3 x 30

 This went surprisingly strong. Left deep hip rotators better (  a bit strained after Wednesdays press session.) Nothing serious but left side I guess is not used to keeping my hips extended as they need to be, and now are, in this new position

Release quadratus and active psoas helped

But the  swing wasn't effected and doing five is so much better for power output and focus

Height was as good as I've done it and I wasn't feeling THAT strong. Happy with this

Then, back to belt squats

these wet well too. tried and proven exercise that loads but doesn't tweak me is what I need these days

172.6

14.5 no bath

Thursday hot ruck

 Indian summer made it's reappearance and it was a sweet 91deg when I started. Surprisingly not bad except for the last lap and a half

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

57 min

173.2

13.7

190 x 1 x 10, Perfect. 20 kg swings 5 x 8/8, floor pushups

 It HELD! The technique worked every single rep.Strong, easy and fluid. Couldn't be happier

190 x 1 x 10

173.6

13.4 4 am

174.6

9.5 !!!

61.1 ! PR

225 lb press # 15, 205 x 1 x 5 unbroken, laterals rear delts wt pushups

 Well this paid off very, very well. The technique ( and my mind) held and each rep was SOLID, And I even made all five down sets with 205 without messing up the last one and having to repeat it!

The technique is as it was on Wed,

Setup  on the X 

Layback

Layback press to the X

And the weight feels so much lighter this way  as the load is much more distributed, much like a low bar squat position

This was EPIC the best all around press workout EVER

laterals rear delts  3 x 8/8 with  20s

wt pushups
BW x 10

32 lbs x 8 x 3 sets

BW 174.6
BF 10.1
W 60.4 ( post bath, at 11:30 am)

Sunday walk

 Fibula feels ok just being cautious

9 laps

1:30 time

3 miles

fast paced at first then stopped to talk the war

felt  nice to just walk not ruck

all good

44 kg swings 16 x 5/5, TKE 4 x 15, pullaparts 3 x 30

 Fibula went back into place. Workout got done. Very pleased

Thursday ruck

 A decent one. All 3 miles for a change. Not slow not  fast. Not hot either, always helps

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

57 min

174.4

13.7

190 x 1 x 8, 205 x 1 x 2, 20 kg cleans 5 x 4/4 floor pushups 25,25 20

 Well this went GREAT!

I knew the layback press worked and is my strongest position( most close to my bench/incline) but HOW TO PULL THE TRIGGER

I figured it out! After I set up the layback,LAY BACK AGAIN AND PRESS. And, also, PRESS TO THE X ( that's what keeps it from going forward

so:

CUES

 SPOT THE X ON TAKEOFF

LAYBACK

LAYBACK AND PRESS TO X

I used Harry Paschalls idea of using 15% under my max and doing many singles to find the groove. this worked geat

Then  stressed tested it with 205. all still went great

20 kg cleans 5 x 4/4

floor pushups 25,25, 20

173.8

13.3

Noon
175.00

10.00

60.5   

My Goal Metrics all together! first time ever

Max Press 205 -215-220 miss 225 miss

  Just back to square one,Again.

No trigger to pull. Set up as desired and just not there

decent grinds but no real understanding of what I'm trying to do

All good up to 215

135 x 3

155 x 3

175 x 2

195 x 1

205 x 1

205 x miss out in front

215 x 1 no lockout

220 x  miss

225 x miss actually better

205 x 1 x 4 but all over the place and a couple misses?! 

ACCCCKKKKKKKK

174

13.5

Sunday Ruck

 Not bad. Stressed about the war in Israel but got it in

45 lbs

4 miles

1:30 min

slow but steady. too long talking to alan and the huskies

legs felt  strong but a bit dehydrated

173.0

13.0

40 kg One arm swings 20 x5/5, sandbag split squats 4 x 10, pullaparts 3 x30

 

172.2

14.3

Thursday hot, hard slow ruck

 Missing last sundays ruck seemed to have a negative effect,lol.. this was tougher than expected but I got through it. the heat didn't bother me til the end but it was toasty, close to 90 deg and no breeze

slow too. 60 min for the three miles and lots of little breaks

45 lb ruck

6 laps

3 miles

60 min

173.0

14.3

160 x 5 x 3, x 3 x 3, 20 kg swings 5 x8/8, 32 lb wt pushups

 This went great. Lowering the weight to 160 was a good move. Then  after 3 sets of 5 and one set of 4 I realized/remembered why I stopped doing fives TOO HARD TO BREATHE  after three. Then I lose the groove and it's about muscle not technique and my left shoulder doesn't like that

I can hold my breath for 3 reps but not 4 so I'm changing it to 8 sets of 3, at basically 75% of max. So very Westside

I'll go up to  165 for that next week.

The key to the setup is to simulate the back arch I get on the negative rep. Set up with the hips in front like that and knees locked and then  arm drive. worked great

 swings 20kg x 5 x 8/8

wt pushups 3 x 10 32 lbs

173.6

14.1

195-215-205 , laterals, rear delts, bw pushups

 This went way better than I imagined it would.I wasn't that beat up from the move and swings yesterday and my energy was decent too.

Plus the technique worked. Again the more I really lock my knees before starting the press the better it goes, Why I can't seem to FORCE myself to do this EVERY SINGLE TIME I don't know but I'm guessing cause my legs are weak lol

But I didn't miss a rep all workout even the fifth  set of the five down sets but it wasn't perfect so I took another  one

started off with a thumbs wider false grip and the bar as high as possible on my clavicle
I could feel the  elbows flare earlier and my left shoulder didn't like it and I lowered the bar placement to RIGHT below the clavicle and brought my grip back in to just on the smooth and it worked great

Just unracked by looking up( not back) pushing up on the bar as I stand up and LOCK the knees ( or at least try  to ) and initiate the press with arms and shoulder and then driving under ( hips and chest) if it slows at mid point. worked great, really.

I also think I need to do more reps on the way to the max weight. In hindsight I can see I was TOO vertical at the unracking. That is the lesson the reps teach me; the optimal body position I get after the first rep.

I need to groove that more as I warm up
eg
135 x 4

155 x 3

175 x 2

195  x 1

20 lb laterals rear delts  3 x 8

bw p bar pushups  3 x 10

173.2
14.5  better!

195 x 1 soft knees
205 x 1 decent
210 x 1 knees but decent too
215 x 1 strong! I stopped here
205 x 1 x 6  

28 kg swing 10 x 10/10, sandbag split squat 3 x 10, pullaparts 3 x 30

 

Had to train on Sunday as we closed out my studio on Palo Alto after a weird five years there, 3.5 that I did not inhabit thanks to covid bullshit. Not much to move but it's always sketchy  with my back and body doing that type of stuff

Pleased to report all went well but I stepped down in weight for the swings as I was tired and dehydrated. Smart move. Had to skip the ruck but not a problem; got PLENTY of walking and carrying in on Saturday