Dan's PL+ Log

[ronin0352]

38 y/o 5' 10" 300 lbs (give or take a few)
I can only claim a couple years of raw training & one competition behind me. Just got my first pair of briefs and have tried them twice. Got close to depth the second day, but still haven't got there.
Had my 2nd rotator cuff surgery on the day before Thanksgiving, so my shoulder isn't 100% yet, but it's steadily improving. My bench was never impressive to begin with, but I am hopeful that it'll get better now that I've got 2 healthy shoulders. I had always had to train alone in a commercial gym until recently but now I have a training partner/coach and a garage with our combined equipment/weights attached to my home. I'm hoping to do big things once I get used to gear and learn to use it.

Raw numbers are 643/341/605 (obviously bench isn't back there yet).

[ronin0352]

DL

245 x 5
335 x 5
425 x 5
486 x 1
526 x 1
556 x 1
586 x 1

This is 161 lbs more than I've pulled since my surgery, so I was good with that. Was probably good for more, but didn't want to risk it.

Squat

245 x 5 x 2
345 x 5
395 x 5
435 x 5
470 x 5
485 x 5

Dynamic Rows

135 x 8 (DOH, just to check how the shoulder would tolerate these)
225 x 8 (DOH)
275 x 8 (DOH & UH, alternating)
315 x 5 (UH)

[ronin0352]

Video

[mike95763]

Nice pull Dan. So I guess you decided to continue your journal here after all

[ronin0352]

Thanks. Yeah, I just couldn't access the site at all yesterday for most of the day.

[ronin0352]

Prowler

176 lbs x 8 sprints (approx 20-25 yds ea) 4 pulling/4 pushing

I hate that thing

[ronin0352]

Bench

65 x 25
95 x 12
145 x 12
195 x 8
245 x 4
255 x 1

Still shitty, but still an improvement.

[ronin0352]

Not even a mediocre day. Just had to switch to graves for 10 days and I don't think I've made the adjustment completely yet. 4 hours of broken sleep after a stressful night of work. Woke up with a very stiff lower back and tried to roll it out and convince myself all I needed was to wake up, warm up and get pumped up...I lied.

Squat

245 x 5 x 2 (Rehband knee sleeves only)
345 x 2
435 x 1
536 x 1 (Belt, Briefs & wraps)
626 x 1
705 x 0 x 2

Unracked 705 twice and just was not feeling it. Decided I would be better off just calling it a crappy day than pushing it.

[ronin0352]

**Between my shitty session Friday and the fact that this Friday's ME squat work has to be moved up to Thursday, it was decided I should not go over 3 plates for my sets of 5 today. It was hard to get motivated for that, but I did it anyway. Just used a narrower stance (Shoulder width, if that) and went as deep as possible**

SSB Squats

155 x 5
245 x 5
295 x 5
315 x 5
335 x 5

No assistance as I'm waiting for my girlfriend to get here with a U-Haul trailer of stuff to unload.

[ronin0352]

Squat

245 x 5 x 2 (First set with about a 2-3 second pause in the hole. Woke up 10 minutes before, so trying to wake up still)
335 x 5
435 x 1
516 x 1
606 x 1
696 x 1
775 x 1
805 x spectacular fail *

*I wasn't focused enough on controlling the weight, wanted a good explosion out of the hole and when I hit bottom and exploded, I went straight back. Next week, I'm sticking around 650 - 700 lbs and doing some doubles with the briefs to get more practice. This is similar to what happened 2 weeks ago with 845. I can't tell what I'm doing wrong, all I know is I'm letting the weight get behind me when it gets heavier.

[ronin0352]

Forgot to log this the other day. Shoulder popped when I was squatting on Friday, so I did some rehab-like high rep bench Sunday. Sets of 25 starting with the bar and working up from there, then some light sets of 5. I'll edit later when I can look at my log book

[ronin0352]

Squat

134 x 5*
244 x 5*
345 x 5
435 x 5
475 x 5
500 x 5

*Very stiff when I woke up, so I did my first couple warm up sets very slow, stretching and with a pause at the bottom.*

Had to leave for work, so nothing else this morning. It's amazing how a good session can change your outlook on the day though. Woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck then slept on a bed of large rocks. Got loosened up and then 435 felt as easy as 345. 500 didn't even feel heavy at all, felt like I could have done 550 for 5 reps this morning.

[ronin0352]

DE Squat

134 x 5 (13 1/2" box)
244 x 4
334 x 3
435 x 2
435 + bands x 2 x 3 (Raw to here)
525 + bands x 1 (briefs on & 14" box, couldn't quite hit depth)
575 + bands x 1 x 3 (trying to get the feel for it)
575 + bands x 2 (Felt great once I got it down)

Video

[ronin0352]

Squat

134 x 5 x 2 (Rehbands only. Super slow, super deep, just getting a good stretch)
244 x 5
345 x 5
435 x 2
516 x 1 (Suit on, straps down, lever belt open)
606 x 1
696 x 1 (Straps up, lever closed, knee wraps)
786 x 1
836 x 1

Video

**First time with full suit. Single ply, Super Centurion. Nothing after putting the suit on was to depth, obviously. It's amazing how a weight that would bury me raw is still not enough to even get depth with a suit on.

[ronin0352]

DE Bench

134 x 5
95 + 100# chains x 5
145 + 100 x 5
165 + 100 x 3
175 + 100 x 2 x 3

Even with just this my left shoulder was lagging behind. Didn't hurt, but felt weaker for sure...I'll cling to the positive and just be glad there was no pain since I thought I'd re-injured it a couple weeks ago.

Prowler

E-Prowler + 288# ~25 yd x 2
E-Prowler + 200# ~25 yd x 2


I love (HATE!!) my prowler.

Went for Mexican food for lunch, quick trip to Walmart, yard work and soaked a long time in the hot tub. In retrospect, I probably should have started a little lower than 288 on the prowler. My quads were on fire after one lap

[ronin0352]

DE 14" Box Squats

bar + 171 bands x 5 x 2
134 + 102 bands x 5
244 + 102 bands x 2
345 + 102 bands x 2 (briefs on, couldn't touch the box)
435 + 102 bands x 2 (no touch)
525 + 102 bands x 2 (no touch, but just by a hair)
575 + 102 bands x 1 x 4 (finally touched, but took a few tries to get my foot placement right. Bands kept pulling me forward or back due to improper footing)
575 + 102 bands x 2 x 2 (Both felt good. These are the sets in the video.)

Video

[ronin0352]

Squat (raw)

134 x 8
244 x 5 (Knee wraps)
345 x 2
435 x 1
525 x 1
575 x 1
615 x 1

The reason I've been using knee wraps all the time, even light, is that my knee sleeves roll down and I can't get them to stay up. I wrap them looser on lighter sets, but my knees are messed up from the military anyway so I just feel better with a little something there.
The plan for today was to squat near my raw max of 643 (without going for a PR) then unrack & hold up to around 900 to get my CNS used to the weight. 615 was deep and easy, so I my enthusiasm probably would have gotten the better of me and I'd have gone for a raw PR but I ran out of time and had to leave for work. Poor planning on my part...guess 3:15 AM wasn't early enough to get up.

[ronin0352]

Squats 12 1/2" box + bands (102 lbs band resistance, weights listed are only bar weight)

44 x 6
134 x 5
244 x 2
345 x 2
395 x 2 x 6

Unrack & Hold (Trying to get CNS accustomed to heavier weight for geared lifting)

606
746
876
Just a few seconds on each, didn't have much time.

[ronin0352]

876 bends the bar pretty good. We need a better bar

[ronin0352]

Bench

94 x 10
114 x 10
134 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 5
195 x 5
215 x 5
235 x 2
245 x 1
255 x 1
265 x 1
275 x 1
285 x 1

Nothing impressive still, but 30 more pounds than I've pressed since my surgery

[ronin0352]

DE Bench

bar x 30
95 x 12
134 x 10
134 x 3 (+100 lbs chains added)
184 x 2 (Shoulder hurt a little on rep 2)
174 x 3 x 5

[ronin0352]

ME Squat

134 x 5 (Slow, deep with pause, just trying to wake up @ 4 AM)
244 x 5
345 x 3
435 x 1
516 x 1 (Suit bottoms only)
606 x 1
696 x 1 (Straps on)
786 x 1
845 x 1 (Pretty close to depth here, still fast as hell back up)
935 x static hold for about 7 seconds.


Good Mornings

244 x 8
334 x 8
384 x 8

[ronin0352]

DE Squat
13.5" Box & Monster Mini bands (102 lbs band resistance at lockout)

bar x 5
134 x 4
244 x 3
345 x 2 (Briefs on)
435 x 2
525 x 2
575 x 2 x a few + one single
600 x 1 x 2

Video

Static Holds
786
876
966 x 7 seconds (Meant to hold for 10 seconds, but the clock in my head was going pretty quick with that on my back

[ronin0352]

Bench

bar x 20 or so
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 1
295 x 1
185 x 5 x 3
185 x 15

10 lbs post surgery PR. Could have probably done more, just have to keep reminding myself that slow steady progress is better than pushing it and re-injuring it.