Segansational's Motivation Log

Segansational said:
Weight: 155.2#
BF: 23.8%

Here's today's top set for bench:

Click to expand...
Nice work, you had what looked like you probably 2 more if you had a spotter there. It was moving nicely. Well done!

If the JM Press didn't feel great you can get good stimulation with good carry over from Close Grip, looking at your last rep the struggle spot looked to be from about halfway up on. Could be a speed issue, but probably more triceps related if I were to guess. So CGB, Board Press / Safety Block press would be my go to if JM Presses are painful. Outside of that perhaps some banded pressing, or speed work during the last month to increase explosiveness and blasting through a sticking points. Of course, I would listen to the guys with even more PL experience than me if they suggest other options.
 
Segansational said:
Weight: 155.2#
BF: 23.8%

Here's today's top set for bench:

Click to expand...

I think if you train like this, you will be reasonably ready to wait for the pause at the meet. However, there is a double bounce every single rep at the chest, so you won’t get the press command until the bar is motionless. I would try to eliminate that bounce so it settles faster & you’ll get the press command faster than you would here.

Once you get the press command, you also do NOT want to bounce it - then it becomes “downward motion” if the press command was given. So I’d try to work the bounce out for both of these reasons. But the press looks clean & fine, no big issues here at all. Looked easy for you!

As for weak points… I’m inclined to say anyone under a 225 max doesn’t even have a big specific one, at least not worth honing in on. The whole upper body is a weak point; as in, anything you beef up is going to probably transfer, whether that’s pecs, delts, or triceps. Literally any upper anterior work will probably help.

That being said, I have never not seen closegrip bench work for accessory volume not help guys at least through a 300lb max. It’s extra bench volume that is very mechanically similar, usually easy on the shoulders with weights heavy enough to transfer very well, and nobody who puts size on the back of their arms benches less. They just help. I would choose these over JM Presses if you only have time for one of them.

JM did a LOT of primary bench volume. He would work up to 3 triples he would not miss in his shirt like practicing for a comp, then do 6x6 raw bench, THEN 6x6 closegrip bench. These became 6x3 when he was close to a contest, but that’s a ton of benching. So his secondary day was just tricep lockout focused, usually floor press against lots of chains and the JM Press. But every 7-10 days he would bench for real and spend hours murdering himself once each micro/week. He would eat a whole box of donuts over hours of work. He was a freak of nature.
 
I think based on that set you are underselling yourself, to yourself, and you're going to be very happy with how you see things progress over time. I think a double bounce at tops weights like that would leave me pinned beneath the bar so I'm betting as practice continues the weight continues to grow quite a bit for you. I could see your legs flexed hard, I always find myself looking at that to see what guys are grabbing for leg drive. I need to pay attention to my next set to see if I move my foot the way you did on rep 1 or if I stay planted from the lift off. now I'm really curious about my own feet. I always think and feel like i'm tight as hell with a small arch and driving through my feet but now i wonder.
 
Agree with everyone above. Only thing I notice different then when I set up I slide down plant feet then drive back into the bench really locking my shoulders in and back. All personal preferences.

Looked like it moved well!
 
Deadlift Day - 5/3/1

Warm up routine.

RDLs:
Empty bar
+20x10

Deads:

Warm up, all sets DOH with banded pullaparts.
45x10
65x8
95x6 - Added belt from here onwards, 1 set before I'd usually think to add it.

Working sets,
115x5 - felt heavy this AM.
130x3 - felt like I almost overactivated my lats on these reps, as in almost rowing it up first before pushing with my leg drive/hips. Might just have been because of the awkwardness of how close I have to get to the floor without 45s.
145x4

Top set felt OK. Not necessarily easy or hard. Just "was". But given top set rx'd was 1+, this progression seems to be right.

Neutral Grip Pull Ups:
x6,5,4

Was probably a good addition to put these at the end to help stretch the spine after compressing with the DLs.

58:18, 192 cals.

Pre: 3/4 scoop Notorious Rage, 4 caps Rev02 (last serving), 1g Choline Citrate, 1g Vit C, 10g Collagen
Intra: Same as usual.

Notes
Finished up a bunch of supps lately, Rev02, my multi, DHEA/pregnenolone, etc. Will be doing a small restock of essentials with the @sns8778 Labor Day sale, but will be trimming down a bit to only the most critical. Will be dropping the DHEA/preg dosing this month. I also do have a bottle of NuligoXT and Glycophase (Berberine HCl formula) that I may start up for blood sugar regulation, since it was recommended I add Berberine HCl and more fiber into my diet.

Was hoping to get a little extra sleep in this AM, but the kids got up right at normal time and of course the TV wasn't working right so had to fiddle with that for a bit. Then they came down soon into working sets and wanted to workout. I was not feeling that today - so, average session at best with interruptions, but that's how it goes some days. Sweat a lot and felt relatively spent after this AM, moreso than I should've been.

Debating the deload this week or not, but maybe that's the sign.
 
If you're following 531, deload is crucial. If your TMs are accurate then three weeks of top amraps is brutal. This is my first time taking it past 3 cycles and I think it's cause I'm being diligent in deloads and trying hard to fight my urge to overdo it.

All if these lifts are skills. If the pulls don't feel perfect just remember practice makes almost perfect (perfect practice makes perfect).

Everytime I cut my rom changes. I pulled 485 in Dec of '23 and then cut 20lbs and a few months later I felt like I didn't even know how to deadlift. The 531 consistency is helping get that practice in and also the confidence.
 
If you’re ever within 5lbs of 135 for a set of deadlifts like that, just bump it up. 135 normal height would be easier than 130 with smaller plates that force you to pull from a deficit, and it would be better practice for how your heavy set will be. Technique is so important.
 
Squats, Deload

Warm up routine.

BB Squats,
45x10
75x5
85x5
110x5

Messed up and was supposed to do 90# for the 2nd working set (vs 85#). Just distracted I guess.

Thor Hammer Kettlebell Goblet Squats:
25x2x10

37:38 mins, nothing to really bother recording fitbit wise.

Pre: 2.5mg Y, 1 scoop Ignition Switch, 2 pumps L-carnitine gel, 1g Choline Citrate, 1g Vit C, 10g Collagen.
Intra: Same as prior.

Weight Check: 157.0#
BF: 23.5%

Notes
Kids have been trading nights of waking up anywhere between 3:30-4:30ish. So my waking schedule is getting messed up a bit. No cardio yesterday because of it. Today got up around 5:42 AM for a short deload squat session. Headphones were dead too this AM, so nothing

Kept stims low for deload week. Middle of my back was not feeling 100% today. I could tell that spinal compression is taking a bit of a toll already 1 month back into it, so the deload week was the right call.
 
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deloading before its too late leaves you hungry for that day back. deloading too late crushes your cns, and your spirit, and makes the return to hard work so much more difficult. I did that for a decade. so I know it well, lol.
 
Sitting in a chair with an icepack over the affected area of your spine for 10-20 min max will do a LOT to pull local inflammation out, moreso than taking ibuprofen systemically even can. My ART/chiro encourages this any time something is inflamed in my back. And you can repeat this 45 minutes later if desired as needed to pull down inflammation. This is critical for me to do as needed throughout prep - we have pre-existing spine damage, so between hard training, yard work, playing with kids or friends things are often going to get grouchy. But you have the power to calm it, and this is crucial - pain aside, inflammation is fluid that will cause the local surfaces to slide/become unstable during movement, plus press on nerves that would otherwise be fine.

I sit shirtless in my recliner and wrap a big ice pack in a very thin shirt. You could just wear the thin shirt, but then the icepack would transfer moisture to your chair. And you only want the minimal amount of cloth necessary to prevent skin burn, without preventing the cold transfer. A ziplock bag over the pack would probably work if you wanted to keep a thin Tshirt on.
 
Yesterday was a cardio morning. Fitbit didn't record right, but believe it was close to 30 mins give or take. Also got in a late afternoon walk around our neighborhood, 15 mins and ~1600 steps.

Bench Deload Day

Warm up routine.

Bench Press:
45x10
70x5
85x5
100x5

Floor Presses:
65x10,13
75x10,10

Machine Press:
6 plates x 8,8

Kept all of the accessory work light, but focused on movements that will help for benching.

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr 5 mins, 156 cals.

Pre: 2.5mg Y, 2 pumps L-carnitine gel, 1 scoop Ignition Switch, 1g Choline Citrate, 1g Vit C, 10g Collagen
Intra: Same as prior.

Weight Check: 157.4#
BF: 23.7%

Notes
This week I've upped my TRT dose to be 400mg/200mg Kyzatrex on last provider consult. This is purely to adjust AM peak to sustain longer into the afternoon and remove any fatigue symptoms early afternoon. Not quite 5 days in, but already noticing a difference in energy levels all day. No issues with upping the dose so far. This is likely my sweet spot, but time will tell!

Also, random side note. I decided on a whim to buy some lifting slippers. Picked up on close out sale a pair of Notorious Lift Sumo Sole Gen 4s. Supposedly good grip, wide toebox, zero drop, and even though I don't pull sumo supposedly no real difference between their non-sumo version (just slightly more reinforced outer edge).

Readiness Score hit 99 this AM, likely due in large part to the deload. But a good night of uninterrupted sleep also contributes.
 
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how did that deload bench feel for you?

Segansational said:
Also, random side note. I decided on a whim to buy some lifting slippers. Picked up on close out sale a pair of Notorious Lift Sumo Sole Gen 4s. Supposedly good grip, wide toebox, zero drop, and even though I don't pull sumo supposedly no real difference between their non-sumo version (just slightly more reinforced outer edge).
Click to expand...

those look dope!! I like the ankle support of my flats but these are super tempting.
 
Dustin07 said:
how did that deload bench feel for you?



those look dope!! I like the ankle support of my flats but these are super tempting.
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Oh, I mean, like I hardly did any work - essentially like a warm up for actual benching. But I guess that's the point, isn't it? Keep the motion, cut back to a weight that realistically isn’t taxing.

It also went very fast, which is why I put in two accessory pressing movements for hypertrophy after. But also intentionally cut working weights by 30-50% so as not to build non-productive fatigue.

Yeah, I'm pretty psyched! I mean, totally a frivolous buy (otherwise I pull in socks) - but at the clearance price - I couldn't pass it up. They're bright red, the pair I got, but who cares?
 
Those are good shoes; several people at the gym use them because they’re so affordable for how good they are.

And the name is misleading - they wanted people to know they won’t slip on sumo work like a lot of shoes will, BUT they’re just as effective for conventional pulls or squatting. If you want a zero-drop, super-low stack height (read: thin sole for shorter pulls) shoe that lets your toes splay & connect to the ground, that’s the model you want. I almost bought some even recently.
 
Segansational said:
Yesterday was a cardio morning. Fitbit didn't record right, but believe it was close to 30 mins give or take. Also got in a late afternoon walk around our neighborhood, 15 mins and ~1600 steps.

Bench Deload Day

Warm up routine.

Bench Press:
45x10
70x5
85x5
100x5

Floor Presses:
65x10,13
75x10,10

Machine Press:
6 plates x 8,8

Kept all of the accessory work light, but focused on movements that will help for benching.

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr 5 mins, 156 cals.

Pre: 2.5mg Y, 2 pumps L-carnitine gel, 1 scoop Ignition Switch, 1g Choline Citrate, 1g Vit C, 10g Collagen
Intra: Same as prior.

Weight Check: 157.4#
BF: 23.7%

Notes
This week I've upped my TRT dose to be 400mg/200mg Kyzatrex on last provider consult. This is purely to adjust AM peak to sustain longer into the afternoon and remove any fatigue symptoms early afternoon. Not quite 5 days in, but already noticing a difference in energy levels all day. No issues with upping the dose so far. This is likely my sweet spot, but time will tell!

Also, random side note. I decided on a whim to buy some lifting slippers. Picked up on close out sale a pair of Notorious Lift Sumo Sole Gen 4s. Supposedly good grip, wide toebox, zero drop, and even though I don't pull sumo supposedly no real difference between their non-sumo version (just slightly more reinforced outer edge).

Readiness Score hit 99 this AM, likely due in large part to the deload. But a good night of uninterrupted sleep also contributes.
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Have floor presses been in your rotation the whole time? I must have missed it if it was, then and a pin press can really help build up a bench!
 
akboom87 said:
Have floor presses been in your rotation the whole time? I must have missed it if it was, then and a pin press can really help build up a bench!
Click to expand...
Not since starting this 5/3/1 cycle. So far it's been Machine Chest Presses, JM Presses, and now Floor Presses. So I'll probably be using some combo of those, just depending on how I'm feeling that day and how much time I have post-benching.
 
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