Tag: PR deadlift

Finally…a long time coming

My “after lifting” walk was ok; had some tingles but quit just before the onset of pain.

I was a bit disgusted that the second mile was as slow as it was but…what the heck.

The deadlifts that came first though: I woke up feeling a bit energetic.

10 x 134, 10 x 184, 3 x 224 …felt easy.

Main work sets: 3 x 270, 3 x 270, 3 x 270, 3 x 270, 3 x 275 none felt that hard.

So…I passed on my high handle work and tried for 300 lb (301 on my weird get up..44 lb bar so: 4 45 plates, 2 25 plates, 2 11 lb plates, 2 2.5 lb. plates.)

Miss at 301…got it ABOVE my knees but lost balance on the handle and had to set it down.
I bailed on the second attempt as I didn’t have my grip in the right position.

3rd attempt was the charm: ground it up oh-so-slowly and locked it out.

The first: didn’t lock out..no lift.

Shown: 3 x 275, miss at 301, make at 301

Bottom line: this is the fist “honest” 300 I got since 1995…26 years, and I was 35 lb heavier then. I did get 410 at this bodyweight but that was 1978-1979. Will I get there again?

Back to today: I did it AFTER my work sets; the 5 sets of 3 at 270+ is also a 60+ age group best for me too.

I still remember the humiliation of being unable to get 225 off of the ground back in August 2019. And yeah, I know how weak I am; I’d get laughed at on Instagram, etc. This is a personal victory even if it is only a “70’th percentile” age group wise, etc.

Deadlift progression

2021

2021 current milestones week by week:
5 x 255 Feb 21, 2021
4 x 255, 1 x 260
4 x 260, 1 x 265
3 x 260, 2 x 265
3 x 260, 2 x 265
1 x 260, 2 x 265, 2 x 270
3 x 265, 2 x 270
2 x 265, 3 x 270
4 x 270, 1 x 275, single 301 (April 18)

Max (bar or low handle only)

Aug 2019: 200
Nov 4 x 225
Dec 230, 233, 235, 240


Jan 2020: 245, 255, 260
Feb 260, 266
Aug: 274
Dec: 284

April 2021: 301


2021 Progression (since I started the “5 sets of 3”)

Jan 23: High handle: 5 sets of 3 x 274, 1 x 301, Low handle: 10 x 224.

Jan 31: high handle: 5 sets of 3 x 279, 1 set of 1 x 301 low handle 10 x 224

Feb 7: missed 319 badly (high handle); too beat up to do much but 5 sets of 3 x 274 high handle , 10 x 224 low.

Feb 14 regression; found that 260 low was difficult; retreated to 3 sets of 5 x 244 low, 1 set of 5 x 274 high.

Feb 21: 5 sets of 3 x 255, high: 3 x 279, 1 x 301

Feb 28: 3 x 255, 3 x 255, 3 x 255, 3 x 255, 3 x 260, high: 3 x 279, 3 x 279

March 7: 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 265, high: 3 x 285, 3 x 301

March 14: 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 260, 3 x 265, 3 x 265, high: 3 x 285, 3 x 301 

March 21: 3 sets of 3 x 260, 2 sets of 3 x 265, high handle singles: 285, 301, 285

March 28: 3 x 260, 3 x 265, 3 x 270, 3 x 270, 3 x 265 (heaviest set so far)

high handle: 3 x 285 (not that bad), 1 x 301 (struggle…cut it there)

April 4: 3 x 265, 3 x 265, 3 x 265, 3 x 270, 3 x 270 (maybe a bounced rep in the last set) high: 3 x 285, 3 x 285

April 11: 2 sets of 3 x 265, 3 sets of 3 x 270, High: single 290, single 300

April 18: 4 sets of 3 x 270, 1 set of 3 x 275, single with 301 (low handle)

Prior:

August 5, 2019: managed a High Handle hex dead 225 (1 rep)
August: typical sets were 4 x 175, 4 x 195 (handles up)
September: 4 x 205 head dead (handles up)
November: got 4 x 225 hex dead, handles DOWN
December: got 1 x 225 bar dead, then 4 x 225
December 20, 2019: got 1 x 230 bar deadlift
DEcember 25: got 1 x 233 bar deadlift (home)
Dec 27: got 1 x 235 dead
Dec 29: got 1 x 240 dead (bar)

2020
Jan 11: got 245 hex dead (handles down)
Jan 25: got 255, then 260 conventional dead
Feb 1: got 255, 260 Sumo, 6 x 233 conventional
Feb 8: got 266 conventional, 5 x 238 Sumo.
April 5, 5 x 244
April 18: 5 x 244

Gap for sore back: switched to low handle trap deads

May 23: 10 x 206
June 7: 10 x 217
June 20 1 x 250 trap
July 4: 10 x 222
August 1: 4 x 250 (trap, low handle)

Gap for Virtual ultra (24 hour)

August 22: 4 x 254 (trap..low handle)
August 29 1 x 274 (trap, low handle)

September 5: switched to full stop deadlifts: sets with 244
September 12: 10 x 222 (full stop)
September 27 4 x 254 5 x 244 (full stop)
October 4deficit: 10 x 134, 10 x 184, 5 x 224
regular: 2 x 259; didn’t try a 3’rd rep as I felt a tug in my right hamstring (high)high handles: 10 x 224:
October 17: High handle: 5 x 254, 5 x 264 (fairly easy)Low handle, neutral: 5 x 244
October 24: High handle: 5 x 264, 5 x 274, low handle: 10 x 224

October 31: 1 x 254, High Handle 1 x 284, 1 x 274

November 7: High Handle: 5 x 274, Low Handle: 5 x 249

November 14: Low Handle: 1 x 254, High Handle: 1 x 289, 1 x 294, Low Handle: 10 x 224

November 18; High handle 10 x 234 (by accident; added an extra 5 to each side)

November 21: Low Handle deficit: 1 x 254. High handle 1 x 301, 10 x 244. Low Handle: 10 x 224.

November 28 Low handle 5 x 254 (no bounce)

December 5 Low Handle 1 x 284, 10 x 229. (no bounce)

December 12 High handle: 1 x 274, 1 x 304 (easier than the 301 2 weeks ago), 1 x 274, 10 x 244
Low handle: 10 x 224 

December 19: 5 x 274 high handle, 5 x 254 low handle. (missed 301 low handle 4 times)

December 26: High handle: 1 x 314, 5 x 279, low handle: 5 x 254

2021

Jan 2: 5 x 279 high, 4 x 259 low, 5 x 234 deficit (lots of misses with 319 high)

Jan. 9: High handle: 5 x 279, 5 x 279 (effort) Low handle 5 x 255

Jan. 16: High handle: 5 x 285, 1 x 285, 5 x 274, Low handle: 10 x 224.

Jan 23: High handle: 5 sets of 3 x 274, 1 x 301, Low handle: 10 x 224.

Jan 31: high handle: 5 sets of 3 x 279, 1 set of 1 x 301 low handle 10 x 224

Feb 7: missed 319 badly (high handle); too beat up to do much but 5 sets of 3 x 274 high handle , 10 x 224 low.

Feb 14 regression; found that 260 low was difficult; retreated to 3 sets of 5 x 244 low, 1 set of 5 x 274 high.

Yin/Yang: not getting weaker but…

Well, I looked it up. My max bench press in 2010 was 2010. I got 205 in 2017. I got 200 last year and 198 (at home) this year. At this bodyweight, my max was about 255-260, though 250 was more typical. I did get 300 at 226 lb of bodyweight in 1985 and 310 at 240 lb. I didn’t keep up with my deadlifts but I did get 415 as a 20 year old (ugly..probably red lights at a powerlifting meet) and about 330 in 1995.

This year, I get 267 in February ..ONE TIME, with the straight bar; best was 260 sumo style and, until today, 250 was my best with the trap bar (low handles).

But I have to remember: last fall, I it was a real struggle to work up to 225 and I got 240 at the start of the year..245 with the straight bar. So there is little doubt that I have improved, but, well, anything over 250 just feels so damned heavy, and it shouldn’t.

Today’s workout: deadlifts plus a walk, where I quit as soon as the thunder came along…course was to Dozer (31:30) then to the Riverfront (old Hooters) and back via Moss.

The walk actually felt good and easy, but deliberate. Yes, there was a 16:40 mile, uphill. 15:48 wasn’t a bad pace though..and I might have done 2 more miles but the thunder was coming and I do have to watch my right knee just a bit.

But to the deadlifts: trap bar, low handles:

back/glute warm up

10 x 134
10 x 184
1 x 228 (22’s)
Now it get interesting:
miss 255 (barely off the ground)
miss 255 (to the knees?)
255..got it; slight knee inward (just enough to have a bit of residual effect)
5 x 217 (couldn’t make myself get 10)
10 x 217 (got it..all good reps)>

Weird facts:

(via here)

This says I *should* be able to do 289. But…

What the heck? I am much better at reps than I’ve ever been at an all out max..I’ve always been that way.

Just for the hell of it…bench press:

shoulder press

pull ups (best this year, on my new bar)

All this is nice. But, but…though I find the above entertaining (and it tells me that pull ups > bench press > repetition dead lift > shoulder press > max deadlift FOR ME…

IT DOES NOT MATTER. i’VE become an Alan Thrall fan…no, he isn’t an elite lifter, and there are higher profile trainers. But he is so down to earth..and humble. And his instructions are easy to follow. Yeah, I know..superficially, he looks like someone that I’d cross the street to avoid.

And to my constant whining…