Lifting for 1-21-11

Starting Strength
Week IV, Day A, Workout XI

Squat:
5 @ 45 lbs, 4 @ 95 lbs, 3 @ 135 lbs, 2 @ 185 lbs
3*, 3*, 2* @ 210 lbs

Bench Press:
5 @ 45 lbs, 4 @ 95 lbs, 2 @ 135 lbs
5, 4, 3 @ 150 lbs (+5 lbs)

Deadlift
5 @ 135 lbs, 3 @ 225 lbs, 1 @ 275 lbs
5 @ 295 lbs (+10 lbs) (PR)

Barbell Row
5, 5, 4 @ 150 lbs (+5 lbs)

difficulty: medium

To recap, I was violently ill on Monday. I got minimal nutrition that day, and didn’t get a significant meal until Wednesday night. So, Wednesday’s workout was out. My appetite has since returned, no longer ill, and have eaten normally the past two days. On the upside, I got a SHIT-TON of sleeping in on Monday and Tuesday.

So. I completely bombed my squats. I couldn’t put my finger on why. I’d just go down for the next rep and.. Just feel like I lost it, so I dumped the weight. I don’t believe I’ve ever dumped the weight three times in a workout. I decided to get the “three sets”, no matter how bad they were. Sometimes we bomb workouts. Can only go up from here, right? …Right?

After all, bench press progressed to where it should be in today’s workout. And I nailed my deadlift set. So I think I’ll rebound in the next two workouts.

Set a new 5RM for my deadlift. Good times. Just completely nailed it. Sometimes you have those sets where you have to grind or push or SOMETHING. But this, I felt in completely control. It didn’t feel heavy at all.

As for my difficulty rating… I bombed the squats, but I felt really GOOD through the rest of the workout. Kind of impressed, considering it’s the end of the day and I had a ten hour shift at work. And I had to put the truck away AND do a bit of shoveling, so I was pretty much exerting myself from 8 AM – ~11 AM. Also finished the workout in about an hour.