..., I was stronger than I thought just a few minutes ago, and stronger than last week, so Banana there, but here's what I did last time with 290 LBS (four weeks ago):
So no Banana for that. But nonetheless, next week is onward and upward, 300 LBS.
Last time with 300 LBS was four reps at 0 rnr, forcing me to de-load down to 270 LBS the following week. If I can just get five reps at 300 LBS next week, I'll be able to progress to 310 LBS the following week, which means I'll be getting stronger.
Being forced to de-load will come. But fight against it, fight to push it back to the next workout, don't let it be today. But don't injure yourself either! Balance. Insist on good form. A failure in your form (aka technique, aka mechanics) is a technical failure, if your form fails, then you have "trained to failure". Training to failure is not the fastest way to get stronger. Limit training to failure. Keep it to a minimum.
Today I anticipate a train to failure on the first set regardless.
Remember my program is every first set is AMRAP, which means TO but not INCLUDING technical failure, it means, I stop right before I can't do another rep with the good form.
Competitions are for trying to lift the most weight, and if you're competing in the bench press, you're going to bounce the bar off your chest because of how much energy and momentum you can give the bar right before you have to lift it up. It's like being able to shoulder check the bar right before trying to lift it. Your strong and flexed torso acts like a trampoline for the bench press during competitions.
You never actually train that way for strength, that is strictly a competition move. It's for when you're literally trying to win money. That is so different from what we're all lifting weights to do, we just want to get stronger. We're not going to be winning any money, so why use an inferior form, wrt actual strength training?
And I'm not talking about oly lifters (styled 'weightlifters' who play the sport 'weightlifting') here, I'm talking about deadlifters. Deadlifters are just powerlifters, compared to oly lifters, who focus on the snatch and on the clean-and-jerk. But competition deadlifting, like competition bench press, is a different form from a training deadlift. It's as different for you as you strength train, as the snatch and clean-and-jerk exercises are different, they are, categorically different. They are sports moves. Lifters play a sport called lifting, and competition deadlifts, and competition bench press, just like the snatch and clean-and-jerk Olympic lifts, are their sport's moves.
I love baseball, and professionals wear metal 'spikes' for shoes and slide right on the dirt or the grass sometimes. But I'm not going to do that if I'm playing in a pick-up softball game with my church. The softball game is for fellowship, that's like, lifting is for strength training. It's not to see how much you can lift for a "one rep max" "1RM".
Last week recap:
290 LBS
1. 5, 0 rnr (zero reps in reserve; aka AMRAP; aka training to just before technical failure)
2. 4, 1-2 rnr
This week:
300 LBS . . .
1. . . .
(Fatigue isn't a body toxin, but you can almost just think of it that way. Your body builds up this toxin called fatigue rapidly when you train to failure. Fatigue makes you weaker. The body metabolizes fatigue with time and rest, so that it goes away, but while you have fatigue, you're not as strong, and if you're not as strong, then you can't build your strength as much either. )
I anticipate hopefully four, and not less, reps today in my first set. Last time with 300, four weeks ago I think, I did four reps (in the first set any number under five is AMRAP, aka 0 rnr). I really hope of course, that I do five, by hook or by crook (just means 0 rnr again). Then I'll be able to try another set today, and also advance next week to 310 LBS.
So I
really want to do five right now ngl. I just am not sure I'll be able to match the four that I did four weeks ago is all. I'm not sure, if this is just a temporary symptom of only having one workout a week or what; but before I do my first rep, I frequently am not sure how strong I am that day; and this is one of those days. I don't feel particularly strong, which is normal. Sometimes I feel very obviously not strong, especially if I did something difficult the day before, and didn't eat right and didn't get good sleep to recover; but that's not today; I feel OK.
I think four reps of 300 LBS sounds OK. If I can only do two, that'll be curious, but not the end of the world. Because I insist on good form, even if for some reason I can't lift 300 LBS, I'm not in any particular danger of injuring myself.
I had qualitatively better sleep hygiene this week. I am objectively stronger than I was last week.
So we'll see how this goes. 300 LBS, AMRAP or five (whichever comes first), coming up, sometime later today, as possible.
