Thread by @TheMageling, This is gonna be my powerlifting training thread. I’ll post my log [...]

This is gonna be my powerlifting training thread. I’ll post my log for the day and some notes. Mute this if you don’t care about lifting!

I’m ending the year/beginning next year on a Heavy-Light-Medium 12 week cycle. I’m using Andy Baker’s HLM Classic as a starting point. I’m not really following his programming on the presses because I am making gains on those and am loathe to change something that’s working.

All weights are in lbs, and Sets x Reps x Weight format is followed. I won’t post warmups because who cares. All work sets are belted and with wrist straps when applicable.

I’m a week into the program.

Here’s today, a Heavy squat day:
Squat 5x5x200
Bench 5x3x132
Back Extensions 3x12x15
Chins 3xF (7, 6, 6)

Light squats, volume overhead presses, heavy deadlifts today. Also got some knee wraps to replace my knee sleeves that just aren’t cutting it any more. Man... deadlift volume is hard.

Squat 3x5x170
Press 5x5x81
DL 4x5x205

(Forgive the mess in my garage)

Medium squats, heavy bench, and Romanian deadlifts. Enjoy my pathetic bench press. Merry Christmas!

Squat 4x5x185
Bench 5x3x133
RDL 3x8x140

Heavy squats and a new press PR today! Also I learned that my press is asymmetrical. I need to get that ironed out. But whatever, a three digit press is a win.

Squat 5x5x205
Press 5x3x100
Back Extensions 3x12x15
Chins 3xF (8,7,6)

Light squats, new bench PR, and deadlift volume. I think DL volume is paying off. They weren’t easy today, but they went up fast, if that makes sense.

Squat 3x5x175
Bench 5x3x134
DL 4x5x215

End of week 3. Bought a scale so I can monitor my body weight. Medium squats, volume press, and RDLs to carry me through the weekend. Happy New Year!

BW 134
Squat 4x5x190
Press 5x5x82
RDL 3x8x145

Week 4. Heavy squats are done, the week is all downhill from here. New bench PR, with the big girl plates finally!

Squat 5x5x210
Bench 5x3x135
Back extension 3x12x20
Chins 3xF (9, 7, 6)

Light squats, heavy press, and heavy deadlift. I failed a few press reps in my middle sets. Must have been a little distracted, can’t imagine why though.

Squat 3x5x180
Press 5x3x101 (missed a rep on set 2 and 3, got all others)
Deadlift 4x5x225

Wrapping up week 4. Medium squats, heavy bench, and RDLs. Weighed out at the end of today’s session at 132, so... the bulk ain’t going to well. Time to eat more garbage.

Squat 4x5x195
Bench 5x3x136
RDL 3x8x150

Week 5. Heavy squats, press volume. Slept terribly and had an exhausting day at work, but somehow made the squats and presses go up.

Squat 5x5x215
Press 5x5x90
Back extensions 3x12x20
Chins 3xF (8,8,7)

Light squats, heavy bench, volume deadlifts. My coach had some feedback about my benching today.

Squat 3x5x185
Bench 5x3x137
DL 4x5x235

Medium squats, heavy presses (a redo of 101 from last week), and RDLs. Next week is Hell Week where I cap out on volume. It’s gonna be great.

Squat 4x5x200
Press 5x3x101
RDL 3x8x155

Week 6, aka Hell Week, aka the last week before I start dropping volume so I can ratchet up intensity. I’m such a baby. Heavy squats, heavy bench, and accessories.

Squat 5x5x220
Bench 5x3x138
Back Extensions 3x12x20
Chins 3xF (9,8,7)

Light squats, volume press, volume deadlifts. My previous 5 rep DL PR was 245, so... deadlift volume is working!

Squat 3x5x195
Press 5x5x91
Deadlift 4x5x245

Hell Week is over! I did it! Halfway through the program, and 6 weeks from testing some new 1rms. Medium squat, progress on bench again, and RDLs. Weighed out at 133lbs today.

Squat 4x5x205
Bench 5x3x139
RDL 3x8x169

Week 7. I start dropping reps from the squat and deadlift and bump up the intensity this week.

Squat 5x4x230
Press 5x3x102
Back Extensions 3x12x20
Chins 3xF (9,8,7)

Light squats, heavy bench and deadlifts. Deadlift was a rep PR! Previous was 2x255, so next week will be a “real” PR.

Squat 3x5x175
Bench 5x3x140
DL 4x4x255

Last day of week 7. Medium squats, volume press, and RDLs.

Squat 4x5x210
Press 5x5x92
RDL 3x8x165

Week 8. Down to triples for heavy squats. Heavy bench and accessories afterward.

Squat 5x3x235
Bench 5x3x141
Back extensions 3x12x20
Chins 3xF (9,8,7)

Slept like garbage and am near max stress levels. But okay. Light squats, heavy press, and deadlift volume. Missed the last set on the press. New DL PR though!

Squat 3x5x180
Press 5x3x103
Deadlift 3x4x265

End of week 8. We did it! Medium squats, heavy bench, and some RDLs.

Squat 4x5x215
Bench 5x3x142
RDL 3x5x170

Week 9. Starting off with heavy squat doubles, volume press, and accessories. Peep that casual new chin rep PR too >.>

Squat 5x2x245
Press 5x5x93
Back Extensions 3x12x20
Chin ups 3xF (10,8,7)

Light squats, heavy bench, and a DL PR, good for over double my body weight. Had to use all my bumpers though... might need to get more plates >.>

Squat 3x5x190
Bench 5x3x143
DL 3x3x275

Wrapped up week 9 with medium squats, heavy press, and RDLs.

Squat 4x5x215
Press 5x3x103
RDL 3x8x170

Starting week 10 a little early in the day because of the holiday. Heavy squat doubles (new PR!), heavy bench (new PR!), and accessories (new chin PR!). Pretty fuckin good day!

Squat 5x2x255
Bench 5x3x144
Back Extensions 3x12x25
Chins 3xF (11, 9, 7)

Light squats (hard to believe I’m calling 200lbs light), volume press, deadlift triples (another PR!).

Squat 3x5x200
Press 5x5x94
Deadlift 3x3x285

Ending week 10 with squat volume, heavy bench (a hard fought PR), and RDLs. I’m excited for next week!

Squat 4x5x225
Bench 5x3x145
RDL 3x5x175

Week 11, last week of training before testing new 1rms. Heavy squat singles, heavy press, and accessories.

Squat 5x1x265
Press 5x3x104
Back extensions 3x12x25
Chins 3xF (11,9,9)

Tough day. I slept poorly so everything was much harder than normal. Missed a bench rep, but rested a bit longer the next set and got it. Powered through the DL double for a PR tho.

Squat 3x5x205
Bench 5x3x146 (missed 1 rep in 4th set)
Deadlift 2x295

Last full training week of this cycle. Next week is light and then I test new 1rms next weekend. Medium squats (felt easy!), volume press, and RDLs.

Squat 4x4x235
Press 5x5x95
RDL 3x5x180

Some light squats and bench so I don’t detrain. The rest of the week is for resting, testing 1rms on Saturday.

Squat 3x3x205
Bench 3x3x115

It’s 1rm testing day! Attempted 265, 285, 295 for squats and hit them all. Here’s my top squat at 295

Attempted 146, 156, and 163 for bench press. Got em all! This is 163. I feel like this was a great top selection because I don’t think I could have done an ounce more.

Okay, so deadlifts were a mess. Only got my opener at 295. Might try again tomorrow when I have more gas in the tank.

Alright, just gonna let those DLs ride. Here's a recap of my results of the program:

Squat: 245 -> 295
Bench: 130 -> 163
Press: 99 -> 104
Deadlift: 255 -> 295

Bodyweight hovered right around 133. Not bad for 12 weeks.

I'm going to start another Andy Baker program next week, KSC Texas Method. It'll be a bit more intense so my goal is to gain a decent chunk of weight along the way. Another 12 week cycle, and if it goes well I'll deload at do it again.

Some light stuff this week before I start TM in earnest next week.

Squat 2x5x205
Bench 3x3x140
DL 1x5x225

Prepping for starting Texas Method next week by keeping it fairly light, but a little higher volume. Also throwing in some SLDL practice, as that’s what I’ll be doing instead of RDLs.

Squat 4x4x235
Press 5x5x95
SLDL 3x5x180

Week 1 of a 12 week Texas Method cycle. Switching to lifting in the mornings because I hate myself and deserve to suffer. Kicking off with a volume day!

Squat 5x5x220
Bench 5x5x122
SLDL 5x5x180
Back extensions / Lying leg raise superset 3x12

Light squats, press volume, chins, and some conditioning.

Squat 3x5x175
Press 5x5x83
Chins 5xF (8,7,6,7,6)
Jump rope HIIT for 20 minutes

Intensity day. A day late because I’m shuffling my schedule around a bit (in other words, fuck waking up early).

Squat 2x3x250
Bench 2x3x139
DL 1x3x260, 1x5x225 backoffs
Dips 5x8

Week 2. Volume day! What’s it say about me that I’ve been looking forward to this since I woke up? Weighed out at 135.7. Progress!

Squat 5x4x235
Bench 5x4x130
SLDL 4x5x195
Back extensions & lying leg raises 3x12 superset

Light day. I’m starting to feel some of the effects of all this volume, in a good way. Plus look at my chins vs last week.

Squat 3x5x190
Press 5x5x88
Chins 5xF (10,8,7,6,6)
Jump rope HIIT for 20 mins

Ending week 2 with Intensity day. The vaccine doesn’t appear to have slowed me down, yet.

Squat 3x2x265
Bench 3x2x147
DL 1x2x275
DL backoffs 1x5x240
Dips 5x8

Week 3, starting with some volume at higher intensity. Really vibing with this take on TM so far.

Squat 5x3x250
Bench 5x3x139
SLDL 3x5x210
Back extensions and lying leg raises 3x12

Light day. Posting a clip of my press even though it’s not my upper body focus this cycle, just because.

Squat 3x5x205
Press 5x5x94
Chins 3xF (8,8,8,8,7)
Jump rope HIIT

Intensity day, and the last one of this three week set. Lots of heavy singles. Higher volume and a little lower intensity next week as I switch to absolute increases and not just estimated percentages.

Squat 3x1x280
Bench 5x1x155
DL 1x1x290
DL backoffs 1x5x260
Dips 3x8

Week 4, volume day. I tweaked my neck over the weekend, so today was tough but I got through it. Proud of myself.

Squat 5x5x225
Bench 5x5x127
SLDL 5x5x185
Back extension and LLR 3x12 superset

Still dealing with neck pain but it’s starting to feel a bit better this evening. And thankfully it’s a light day!

Squat 3x5x180
Press 5x5x88
Chins 5xF (all 8s! 40 in a session is an all time chin-up PR for me

)
Jump rope HIIT for 20 mins

Intensity day. It is accurately named. Squats and bench were tough but the DLs really zooted up.

Squat 2x3x255
Bench 2x3x144
DL 1x3x270
DL backoffs 1x5x235
Dips 5x8

Week 5, volume day, brought to you by meloxicam. Trying to take care of my neck by stretching between sets and not hunching over a book.

Squat 5x4x240
Bench 5x4x135
SLDL 4x5x200
Back extension and LLR superset 3x12

Light day. Got an extra chin rep on an all out last set. Feeling pretty good today!

Squat 3x5x195
Press 5x4x93
Chins 5x8 (+1 bonus rep)
Jump rope HIIT 20 mins

Intensity day! It’s cool to be putting up doubles at weights above what I used for my opening singles in a faux meet just 5 weeks ago. I weighed out today at 138, which puts me up 5lbs from then.

Squat 3x2x270
Bench 3x2x152
DL 1x2x285
DL backoffs 1x5x250
Dips 5x8

Week 6 of KSC Texas Method. Starting with volume day. I can feel the gains coming, I’m excited for this week.

Squat 5x3x255
Bench 5x3x144
SLDL 3x5x215
Back Extensions and LLRs superset 3x12

Light day. Super stressed out! But I can control this part of my life. I need to figure out why my presses are crooked at lockout. Maybe it’s my feet placement?

Squat 3x5x210
Press 5x3x99
Chins 5xF (all 9s!!! 45 friggin chin ups!)
Jump Rope HIIT 20 mins

Intensity day, a day late, and end of week 6. Putting up a DL PR today, and multiple sets of near old 1RMs. Texas Method appears to be working! Weighed out at 138.

Squat 3x1x285
Bench 5x1x160
DL 1x300
DL backoffs 1x5x270
Dips 5x9

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