Week 3 of Wendler Squat day

warmups @ 5x75,95 and 3x115...
working weight 5x142.5, 3x162.5 and 3x180 making 1RM 198 I know I leaned forward more than I like on the last rep but counting it...

acc situps 20,10,6,8,8 with 45sec rests, pistol squats 10/10, 15/15, 15/15 with 30 sec rests...deload week now...

I have to admit I was a bit leary of the 180 today...I've done 185 (failed on set 4) but that was 25lbs ago and in March....with much longer rest periods...

Now onto deload week.

my husband is still joining me in this which is great...and next cycle we are going to be great as my 2nd working weight is his first so it's great...we load the bar I do a set, add on the weight for my 2nd weight Husband does a set...I do my 2nd set, add on the weight for my 3rd he does his I do mine then he does his last set...Yah...

@Missholiday have you tried a foam roller????

I can't believe it's Monday again already. Why can't weekends be longer? Seriously?!

Haven't checked in with my last few workouts but I've still been keeping up with everyone's posts. Fantastic work everyone!

So this is what my last couple of sessions looked like. On Friday I did workout A followed by some sprint intervals:
squats - 3x7 @ 130 pounds
BP - 5,4,4 @ 105 pounds...one more try before having to deload
rows - 4,4,4 @ 105 pounds

Last night (Sunday) I followed with workout B and more sprint intervals:
squats - 3x5 @ 135 pounds
OHP - 4,4,3 @ 80 pounds...time for another deload, just can't get past this number!
DL - 1x5 @ 180 pounds

Tonight I did an Insanity workout, because gd it, I'm tired of not being able to drop any fat! Been doing a cut for the last few weeks, which I can definitely tell is affecting my lifting weights, but nothing is happening other than that. Even tried on some jeans the other day, which I won't need in Texas for at least another month, but they were much tighter on the thighs than they were the last time I put them on. So not happy about that... :noway: Anyway, grumbling about that is over. I still love lifting, just need to find that sweet spot.

Quick squat question now... I'm getting back to my heavy range (was up to 145 pounds before majorly deloading) and I'm noticing a twinge in my ankle again. Broke it pretty badly back when I was in high school, so it's never been as flexible as my other one, but it's really starting to feel awkward on the heavy numbers. Anybody else have any ankle issues during squats?

@crabada, you're doing great! 135 lbs. on the DL is awesome...and it sounds like your form is good too! I agree about staying at the same weight for a few times or so to make sure you've got things down. I'm doing the same. I think as we get to the heavier weights, it's going to be harder and harder to keep good form and I don't want that to suffer (or to be hampered by an injury because of it).

So last night went like this:
Squats: Warm-up + 5x5 at 90 lbs. Will stay at this for a few more times to make sure form is good. Front of knee has been hurting the last few days, but if I went down slow into the squat it didn't hurt at the bottom of the squat and I was able to go all the way down. Making sure to keep feet and knees turned out as well.

OHP: Warm-up + 5x5 at 50 lbs. but some reps were not that pretty. Decided to back down from 55 lbs. that I attempted last time because I found I was arching my back with the last few reps. Will stay at 50 lbs. until I master it.

Deadlift: Warm-up + 1x5 at 125 lbs. This is my second time at 125 lbs. Depending on how I feel next time will go up by 5 lbs.

Workout B today (Day 19).
I cant believe its been 8 weeks already! Still loving SL 5x5

Squats - Warm up + 5x5 @ 85! I rocked this today
Bench - Warm up + 1x5 @ 70, 4x5 @ 65 - Hard today, was also trying gloves to help my grip/calluses
Row - Total fail! Warm up 1x5 @ 65 and then 1x5 @ 85, but my back was hurting so I stopped, did some pushups and stretched.

Squats: warm up + 5@60,70,85,100,115
Bench: 5@45,45,45,55,60
Row: 5@45,45,55,60,70

rode downtown, got haircut, rode back. i don't know what samson's problem was with haircuts. technically, i think this was workout a.


squats: 3x5@45, 1x5@65, 6x6@70. really happy about this. holy wow what a difference the low bar is making. ALSO taking as long as it takes just getting my shoulders properly settled into position underneath it, before i breathe in and actually stand the bar up - and thank you mark rippetoe. he has a grip video here that other low-bar folks might be interested in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0.

the warmups and the first set at 65 were so awkward for my shoulders and wrists i only meant to try 70 but really thought i'd be lucky to drop back to 65 for the rest. but with squats i just seem to get better and stronger the longer i go and the stiffness in my wrists and shoulders got less, so i just powered through the rest of it. i have no idea why but suddenly 70 pounds feels like nothing at all.

bench: 3x5@45, 6x6@50. the thanks for this one go to whoever posted a training video on bench press recently. i can't remember the poster or the guy who made the video, but it really has been helpful. i haven't made a serious try at bench press since the back kink so i wasn't sure how this would go either. key thing i've just found out about bench: having your *whole* body tight as you can get it throughout the set makes a huge difference. especially core, although i kind of hate to be singing in the core choir now. also, doing the preparations and setup that the guy in the vid suggested. if i can remember these points next time and actually use them, i'm expecting that the next progression will go okay.

rows: &?*&$E@ rows. they're in the doghouse, still. and i'm still preferring the kettlebells. i did 3x5 with 35lb, then 6x6 with 53lb, all two handed. also some very light sets of 20lb with the dual pulley cable while waiting for the squat rack, before i really got started with anything.

accessory/extras:

continuing with the lat pulldowns, close, medium, wide grip. i think 2 sets of each at 20lb and then 22.5.
two planks between 30 sec and a minute, as part of pre-workout stretching.
3 sets of 5 ohp at 45lb, just for fun and form.
3x1 sumo deadlift with 70lb kettlebell because the light weight made the motor pattern so easy. and 3x1 with 106lb.

OH! and. i haven't been seriously trying to do pullups for these weeks, but after i was done i went and tried them, just as a sort of test to see whether i had gained any real functional strength with all this accessory stuff. WELL. my pre-accessory assist of 70lbs felt so light i almost shot myself over the top of the bars when the seat hit the top, so i tried out 60 instead. 60 is my new 70, guys. so that means i'm pulling over half my own weight all by myself, now.