Log - 6/2/2012

First deload since I switched back to LP. This gave me a chance to notice some nagging flaws in my technique.

Warmup

Squat - 45, 95, 135, 185

235lbs - 5x3

Still working on my unrack here, mostly. The unrack makes the rep, so flaws in the walkout are a very significant problem.

Bench - 45, 95

140lbs - 5x3

Somewhat better here, though still not where I'd like it to be. I suspect a lot of the problem is the upper back complaints I've been getting since I increased my chinning volume (see below).

Chins: 2, 1, 1, 1, 2 (I think)

I totaled somewhere between 25 and 30 for the entire workout; I got something like 3, 2, 1, 2, 2 during the squats, and that's where most of the increase is from.

I'm not changing the progression, though; the goal is still one extra rep per workout starting Thursday. My minimum for next time is 27, not today+1. I may change that if I'm consistently going up by more (which isn't all that improbable given that I'm dropping weight and doing a LOT of chins), but for now I'm not looking for too much. Maintaining +3/week gets me over fifty by the end of the summer, and that point I can probably start working on consolidating them into 5x8 or something. THEN adding weight (and probably subbing out the Dead day chins for dumbbell rows).

Front Squat Holds:

275lbs - 5x15ct

Weight's going up next time. I've done these before at 295 but wasn't sure what to expect this time; clearly the pilates got my abs stronger, though, because this was even less difficult than it was when I weighed 20lbs more.

Face Pulls:

15lbs - 5x10

With 3ct holds.

The increase in chinning volume seems to have caused one of the upper back/shoulder muscles on my right side to tighten up very significantly. As a result, after I finish a set, the back of my shoulder feels like it's tearing apart. I'm confident that this is a muscular problem and not further labral tearing because rolling some musculature in that area (I suspect it's the rear delt, but I'm not sure) for a minute or so alleviates it and keeps it from coming back. Unfortunately, the amount of pressure required in the rolling is pretty extreme, so actually doing it is a pain in the ass. From the looks of things, the solution to all of my problems is massage (hardly unusual).