Dec 31, 2014

 ** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Dumbbell Row **
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 60.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 3 x 10 reps

Dec 30, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 7 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 7 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 7 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 7 reps

 ** Sumo Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Ab Wheel **
- 3 x 10 reps

Worked out approximately 3 hours after waking up and without eating.  Actually felt really good and smooth, significantly better than yesterday's 3x9.  could be because of time of day or that I rested a solid 9 hours last night, regardless, this suggests that working out earlier might be a possibility.

Dec 29, 2014

 ** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 145.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 145.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 145.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 145.0 lbs x 6 reps

** Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Dumbbell Row **
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 60.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 9 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 9 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 9 reps

Felt good doing all the upper body work in the morning, and that left me open to do squats at night.  This is the second consecutive day of squatting, which I figure I can get away with since it's still "day 1" of sorts, working at 70%.  I wanted to compare the Smolov Base mesocycle set/rep scheme with the Smolov Jr. set/rep scheme, the main difference being that the Smolov Base uses a more pronounced daily undulating periodization scheme, working through a range of 3-9 reps over the 4 workouts, whereas with Smolov Jr., it's 3-6 reps.  I gave the 9 reps a try and I found that it was indeed, anything past 6 reps that I started to feel more gassed...possibly because besides the one or two sets of widowmakers I did with 155 (bodyweight), I never worked above 5 reps.

I also closed my squat stance slightly (from ~130% shoulder width to about 115%; this stance is basically just the stance I naturally go to when I step back and it feels comfortable), and did a lot of distraction work with the band, doing child's pose and letting the band just provide distraction force backwards (so it imitates the bottom of my squat, just with me lying down instead of standing up.  With a combination of these two things, my hip felt fine and I felt powerful pushing through the sets, so I'm pretty happy the impingement I felt yesterday was not there today.  I also focused more on screwing my feet as I initiate the squat, which hopefully "opens the groin" and pushes my knees further apart than yesterday, which should also help minimize the risk of impingement.

Dec 28, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 6 reps

 ** Sumo Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Ab Wheel **
- 3 x 10 reps

I hopped straight into day 1 of the Smolov Jr 24 program right after getting off the car after driving back from Delaware.  Needless to say I was tired, didn't sleep well all week (and haven't trained at all) but was really rearing to get back into it and figured it wouldn't be too bad, starting at 70%.  The lifts felt light, but my right hip started to feel impingement.  I was afraid of that; whenever I wait a while, even if it's the same stance, I start to get some impingement.  Anyhow, I'm going to try to keep with the same stance and just try to do more stretching and warming up...etc.

Modified Smolov Jr 24 Routine

Was planning on doing a modified russian squat/power routine, which is a 6 week program where the first 3 weeks you are consistently working at 80% with increasing set/rep schemes, then dialing down the volume and increasing the intensity the last 3 weeks.  This is meant to be a 6 week program that should increase the lift(s) by 5%.

Instead, I am going to try (at least to start with) a modified Smolov Jr routine.  I call it the Smolov Jr 24 because instead of the original Smolov Jr, which has about 35 reps per workout, I've cut it down by 1/3 so it's about 24 reps per workout.  One reason for this is because it brings the total reps more in line with Prilepin's Table (which, yes, detracts from the whole point of Smolov routines which is over-reaching with ridiculous volume), however, because of this reduced volume, I'm hoping to be able to run through the cycle multiple times, at least for a while.  Additionally, because I'm reducing the volume, I am going to try to throw a set of deadlifts in after the squats are done.  This way they are not being completely neglected.  I'm going to be trying to do a semi-sumo squat stance, with my stance width being exactly the same as my squat stance width (~130% shoulder width).  I liked the undulating periodization set/rep scheme of this more than the repetitive 6 sets of 2 reps that is programmed in the Russian Squat/Power routine.  I am hoping that after 3 weeks of this, I can increase each lift by at least 5%.  If I can run this twice by the time Jon Wang comes, I hope to peak with each lift being ~10% higher than what it is now (so squatting 330).


Since I will squat and deadlift on the same day, 4x a week (with an optional 3x10 on the ab roller), on bench days, I will throw in the accessory movements (pullups (3-5x10), shoulder press (3x5), and optional dumbbell rows (3x5)).  I think this program can run decently, as long as my hip doesn't start acting up again.

Dec 23, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 285.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 300.0 lbs x 1 reps

Wasn't planning on it but went for 285 today and felt it go up pretty smooth and quick so decided to just go for broke and try to hit 300 to close out the year.  The form wasn't the prettiest and the hips shot up a bit faster than the rest, but I managed to hit 300 without too much of a grind so that felt great.  Now that I've hit the 300 I'll be looking for a program to start with this new 1RM.  Going to do some research for the next week or so while I'm traveling and visiting the in-laws in Delaware.  Since I can't train, I figure it'll be a good rest/recovery week while I plan for the next step.

Dec 21, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

Got back from NYC tonight and was quite tired, but couldn't resist squatting with the SBDs again.  Initially was going to do a top set of 5 with 255 again and then do drop down sets at 225, but after the first set of 255, I just decided to stick with it and do 3 sets of 5 with 255.  Was good too because it helped me make some necessary adjustments to my form which seemed to help a lot.

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm now squatting in flat chuck taylors instead of my oly shoes.  I find that this helps dramatically in terms of letting me push off my midfoot instead of just the heel, and also because of this (and the flatness of the shoes), I don't get pushed forward, which keeps the bar path quite straight, which I am happy with.  I also naturally squat wider (130% shoulder width) in these shoes with a moderate toe flare (~30 degrees).  With the SBDs, I can screw my feet into the ground and not worry about my knees dying from the torque, which did bother me somewhat last week.  I also feel very comfortable with this stance and the squatting in general.  Better than I ever have to be honest.  I feel very stable and powerful in this stance compared to the rest, and I also don't seem to have an issue with hip pain or impingement (so far).  I think part of it may be because the SBDs help limit my depth, and because squatting wider may just be better for my bone structure.  Also, my previous best was 275 for 4 reps, and the whole time working up beyond 255, it was when I was squatting barefoot with a wider stance.  However, squatting in the shoes is much more stable since it lets me screw my feet into the ground a lot more, whereas barefoot (esp. on carpet), I don't get much traction or stability.  I think with the wider stance, I'm also able to utilize the glutes a lot more, so I'm able to use a lot more power.  With this stance, I also don't need to worry or overthink about the eccentric (what to do with the glutes, flexed or relaxed, does my torso angle change, does the bar path move, do my hips rise early...etc.).  I just tighten everything and then screw my feet, opens up the knees to initiate, and drop straight down with the torso as upright and tight as possible.  I noticed in one of my first sets that my hip crease is only slightly below parallel, which, given current IPF standards, might be a problem, so in my later sets, I actually purposely do a controlled rebound in and out of the hole and upon watching the videos, this makes depth VERY convincing.  Plus, the rebound is helpful and builds confidence since I don't need to worry about whether depth was hit.  I also found that packing the neck and simultaneously cuing full upper back tightness at the same time makes for 1 solid cue to keep the upper back from rounding upon the ascent, and this was fantastic for keeping the bar path straight.

Dec 19, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

I busted up my ribs and couldn't brace at all the past few days, so I just did a lot of high reps with 95 lbs, trying different techniques and whatnot.  Today my ribs aren't 100% yet, but my SBD knee sleeves came in so I couldn't resist giving them a try.  I gotta say, they far surpassed all my expectations.  They feel amazing and keep the knees really toasty, and they also act as a perfect indicator for me when I hit depth, because they will bunch up a bit behind my kneecap when I hit parallel.  I can actually rebound off them a bit as I come out of the hole as well.

The past few days, as mentioned, I was trying a variety of different forms of squats again with light weight.  I find that regardless, when my form breaks down, it manifests as my hips shooting up a bit fast, and with the oly shoes, it pushes me forward so the bar ends up ahead of midfoot.  Today, after slapping on the sbds, I spontaneously decided to ditch all the forms I had tried and throw on flat shoes (chuck taylors) and with the chucks, my most natural and comfortable stance seems to be wider (about 130% shoulder width).  I then initiated the squat by flexing the glutes, bracing the core, packing the neck (simultaneously squeezing the upper back as tight as possible), then screwing my feet into the floor.  This pushes my knees open and forward slightly, and then I drop straight down while staying as upright as possible.  With the SBDs, the squatting felt SO comfortable that I just kept jacking up the weight and I ended with a top set of 255 for 5 reps.  Never felt easier, to be honest.  Only thing is I think in between sets, if I rest/sit with my knees bent, over time my calves started feeling crampy.  Should take note of this and try to rest with my legs straighter to prevent this.  Anyhow, looking forward to squatting with these again asap after I get back from my NYC trip this weekend.

Dec 15, 2014

** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 200.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

Made 2 attempts at 205 for bench press DM but failed.
Later when finishing off my last set of dumbbell shoulder presses, I felt a tearing/ripping down my mid back/side, I would say around the lower lats?  Don't know why or how it happened but it's pretty painful and I suspect it will be quite debilitating.  Even trying to brace/tense the core ever so slightly will trigger significant pain and discomfort, like a huge cramping sensation.  Will have to see what I can do while recovering from this...

Dec 14, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 270.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 240.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

During the working sets of 240 today, I realized that I actually feel stronger with a bit more forward lean, particularly at the bottom of the descent and coming out of the hole.  When I try to stay too upright, the bar path actually moves backwards when entering the bottom position, which definitely decreases stability.  When I maintain the forward lean with the weight balanced more between the heel and mid foot (as opposed to 100% on heel), the bar path doesn't shift backwards and stays more vertical throughout.  Also, with more forward lean when I'm ascending (especially if I'm grinding), then it feels like I have more stable surface supporting the weights so I can focus more on just standing up; I don't have to worry about balance as much, particularly with regards to falling backwards with the weight.  **See set 4 for decent bar path, and compare with rep 1 of set 5, where the weight shifts backwards in the hole, then with forward lean for the rest of the 4 reps)

Dec 13, 2014

** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 200.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

Dec 12, 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 265.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

Kept the squat form the same except instead of 2 discrete movements (hip break, full stop, then descent straight down), I made it more smooth because my knees were starting to feel sore and stiff, which may be because of the jerkiness of the discrete hip break.  Now, with glutes flexed and core braced, I push the hips back and once I feel the weight firmly on my heels, I start dropping into the descent, with knees pushed out.  Note, After pushing the hips back and the descent begins, I feel my glutes more relaxed (less firmly flexed/tight).  I think before I was too focused on keeping the glutes solid so I'm making this note for myself to remember that it's natural and ok to feel like the glutes are relaxed during the descent.

Because my ribs/intercostal muscles were also still bruised/sore, I strapped the belt on lower.  Before I had it wrapped higher around the ribs, which made it feel significantly tighter, but I think that's what is hurting the ribs.  Interestingly, though it felt less tight when lower, it felt more comfortable and I didn't lose tightness or strength.

Dec 11, 2014

** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 195.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

Dec 10, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Wednesday 10 December 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

Hips and knees actually didn't feel great all day and it was also a pretty tiring and stressful day so autoregulation wise, wasn't the best time for training, but pushed through it anyway.  260 felt a bit shaky, as did set 4 of the working sets, and I think the reason is because although I push my hips back and descend straight down, I realized that the weight was not over the heels enough and so the descent felt less solid and confident.  Also, had less power on the ascent.  Realized this most consciously during set 4 so for set 5 I focused more on the heels and things felt significantly better, despite it being the last set of the day.  Power was better out of the hole, and descent definitely sped up.  Hopefully I'll feel better by next squat session on Friday.

Dec 9, 2014

** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 160.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 40.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 50.0 lbs x 5 reps

All bench press reps were done with a minimum 1 sec pause touching the chest.
Lats/upper back still sore from the pullups and squats (squeezing upper back tight) yesterday so passed on doing dumbbell rows after all the pressing.  Really need to get back on the pullups.  Used to be one of my biggest strengths but it's been sorely neglected for a long time since I started the powerlifts.

Yu Lift Daily Max (DM) Program

Warm-up

-Rumble roller

-Banded hip flexor stretch with glutes flexed (pull backwards, sideways with internal and external rotation, stand and pull forwards)

-Leg swings (forward and sideways)

-Fire hydrants (rotating both ways)

-Squat (pushing knees out with elbows) to standing hamstring stretch

Squat: (Mon/Weds/Fri): Squat to DM (1 rep); 3-5 back-off sets of 5 reps; Pull-ups 5x10 (Optional Accessory: Ab Roller 3x10)

Bench: (Tues/Thurs/Sun): Paused bench press to DM (1 rep); 3-5 back-off sets of 5 reps; Shoulder Press 3x5 (Optional Accessory: One Arm Dumbbell Row 3x5)

Deadlift: (Sat): Deadlift 3x5; Pull-ups 5x10

-Back-off sets = DM-30 lbs for squats, DM-25 lbs for bench press (calculated from 1RM, ~10% drop in effort, which should allow for 5 reps)
-Increase DM by 5 lbs each workout (after this stalls, can increase 5 lbs each week instead)

Adapted my training program to this new daily max style program.  There's a few reasons for this, and I think there's some advantages to this, at least for me.  

1)  Doing the daily max helps build confidence because you know you can hit a good clean rep at a significantly higher weight than what the working sets will be.  This is particularly confidence-inducing too because when progressing on a program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts or the like, linear progression is occurring with each workout, but that progression also involves a new PR with 5 reps.  If say, the previous workout was a real grind to get that 5th rep for each set, then it's very natural to be nervous entering the following workout, trying for a heavy weight that has never been attempted before, and doing 3-5 sets of 5 with it.  Doing a daily max builds confidence that a heavier weight CAN be done without technique breakdown or grinding a good many workouts prior to the working sets of 5 reps actually reaching that weight.  By the time the working sets of 5 reps come around, your new daily max is already 30 lbs heavier, so again, confidence will be significantly boosted.  Note: the choice of dropping 30 lbs (at least within this weight range of ~300 lbs) was actually chosen because based on a 1RM calculator, that's ~ a 10% drop in effort.  For example, if 300 lbs is the 1RM, 270 is 90% and can be done for 5 reps.

2)  Along the same lines, doing a daily max with higher weight helps you get more accustomed to having a heavy weight on the back, and also keeping the technique solid with a heavier weight.  This will help with preventing you linearly progressing up to a new weight that you are unaccustomed to and possibly grinding the reps and burning out your CNS or worse, getting injured because of technique breakdown.

3)  There's a lot more confidence for hitting a daily max because everything can be poured into that 1 rep and performing it perfectly, as you would in an actual powerlifting competition.  When you get under the bar, you don't need to worry about doing an additional 4 reps afterwards.  You can just focus 100% on hitting that rep perfectly.

4)  By hitting daily maxes and then doing back off sets, not only will those sets feel easier, but volume can be built up with those sets and it is well known that strength building occurs in those lower intensity higher volume sets, NOT the actual testing or demonstration of strength through the 1 rep maxes.

In contrast to my previous linear program though, I am only doing 1 main lift per day, the main reason being time constraints.  In doing this, I can focus on squatting 100% that day without worrying that I still have to do my full bench and deadlift workout still.  This also allows me to push beyond just 3 sets and can boost my volume that way.  However, in doing it this way, I have relegated the deadlift to it's own day, once a week, but on that day, I'm doing 3x5 instead of 1x5.  Although the frequency is decreased so much, I think the performance and training effect should actually be better because I can actually focus on hitting the deadlifts as opposed to doing it after I'm all burned out from the volume of squats and bench presses done beforehand.  

Dec 8, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Monday 8 December 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 2 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pull-up **
- 5 x 10 reps

Dec 6, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Saturday 6 December 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps

Spent all week toying with different squat techniques again to try to find a strong position that doesn't run the risk of impingement.  I tried squatting like Candito, but I find that although there are good aspects: it keeps my shins relatively straight, the knees and hips break at the same time, back stays neutral with no pelvic tilt, but it forces the torso angle to actually change as I descend, which makes it difficult for me to keep the bar path straight.  I also tried Jay Nera's technique of setting the upper body in stone and then relaxing the glutes to let the hips drift back before initiating the descent, but I found that I feel less tight doing this and it also leads to some anterior pelvic tilt.  I also watched many other people squat in videos, particularly Alex Kang, and I never understood how he can just knee break and go straight down without the hips being in the way.  Then from some side angles, I saw that it is because the glutes (flexed or not, I don't know) and hips are actually pretty far back to begin with, whereas when I flex my glutes, I also "hip thrust" them so my body is a straight line under the bar.  I tried doing this, with glutes flexed but no hip thrust so they stay farther back, and then going straight up and down, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the bar path straight and vertical.  In the end, I literally came full circle, to the very first low bar squat form I used when I first started barbell squatting, which is Alastair MacNicoll's 2-part squat, involving a very distinct hip break, followed by squatting straight down.  For me, this accomplished a few things.  First, by pushing the hips back like that to start, it keeps the back completely neutral without any concern of pelvic tilt, thus less concern of impingement.  Secondly, This allows me to keep everything tight and flexed, including the glutes, as I push the hips back in 1 piece.  Third, after bracing my core and "setting my body in stone", when I push the hips back, I am inducing all the forward lean I will have for the whole squat, which makes it easier to go straight up and down, which includes keeping the bar path as vertical as possible.  With this technique, I find that I also seem to be in a stronger position with my gaze more downward, which is also somewhat helpful because when I kept my eyes straight ahead, as I go up and down, I can't keep my eyes fixed on anything in particular because the field of vision keeps changing.  By keeping my eyes more downcast, I can keep my gaze focused on one thing the whole time.  However, this makes it more necessary for me to ensure the upper back is really tight, since I lose the tightness that comes with looking straight and packing the neck.  Anyhow, I experimented a lot and after deciding to stick with the 2-part squat (unless I run into problems again as I seem to all the time), I drilled it in with some heavy squats up to 255x3, then 5x5 back off sets of 205, which is about a 70% estimated 1 RM.  I also started experiencing some tendonitis in the elbows from the previous squat workout early in the week and so I tried applying the wrist wraps higher up and it seemed to help a lot more.  I suspect before I had them too low so though they did help take some weight off, they were still bending enough to cause problems.

I ended the workout with bench press.  I dropped the weight a lot, down to 155 lbs, because I haven't benched in well over a week, and now I'm actually trying to do pause benching, as is necessary in competition, versus touch and go.

Overall, I think the ego has been beaten out of me due to all the changes in squat form, all the injuries with hips...etc., that I'm doing what I should have done in the beginning, which is to go slow and make gains incrementally as opposed to rushing.  The benefit of what I did do in rushing forward is that, until you are tested with heavy weights which are really challenging, you don't know how well your form might hold up, so now with my squats, I'm hoping I can keep with this form for good.  I will move forward from here slowly.  It's a passion, it's a marathon, and I hope to be running it for long long time so I need to stop my ego from pushing me to treat it like a sprint.

Dec 1, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Monday 1st December 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 1 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 20 reps

Hip impingement is back and I don't know why.  I did the same mobility work to warm up, including a lot of hip flexor stretching and mobilizing the joint capsule using the resistance band for distraction force.  Don't know what's the problem but it is definitely affecting my squat, although I was able to do 3x5 of 255 again.  After that, with the 155 lb back off high rep set, I toyed with placing the hands closer and the back tightness did feel quite good!  I will have to try that closer grip with heavier weights next time.  To try to help with the hip impingement I think I will try to stand more shoulder width as opposed to hip width and push out the knees even more to try to create more space.  Hopefully that helps.  I'm quite peeved the impingement is back...

Nov 26, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Wednesday 26th November 2014

 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 20 reps

 ** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 190.0 lbs x 5 reps

 ** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

 ** Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps

Did more volume today because I'm planning on heading back to Toronto tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday, at which point I'll probably be too tired to lift much, so I probably won't be lifting again until next Monday.

Squatting 255 was actually quite a grind, but that could be because I only ate 4 eggs and didn't really eat anything else all day so I was not well nourished.  Will probably do 255 again on Monday when I start again.  For later reps in the sets I need to remember to stay more upright so I don't put as much strain on the lower back.  After this, I did the "widowmaker" 20 rep squat workout with body weight.  155 lbs at 151 body weight.  Wasn't too bad.  The squats themselves were easy, especially since it's quite a backoff set after 255, but it did push the cardio.  Might be something I consider tacking on after each workout just to boost my conditioning, but that depends on what the DOMs will be like.  Don't want it to interfere with the main 3x5 of my program.

190 bench was also tough.  Probably will stay at this on Monday before progressing.

Overhead press felt easy actually.  Starting to be more comfortable with the form so should be able to progress for a while longer with this.

Nov 25, 2014

** Barbell Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 105.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pullups **
- 5x10 reps

Nov 24, 2014

** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 245.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 245.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 245.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 245.0 lbs x 5 reps

Nov 23, 2014

** Barbell Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 100.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 100.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 100.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pullups **
- 5x10 reps

Nov 22, 2014

** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps

Squats felt great.  Making sure that I retract the shoulder blades to keep the upper back tight made a HUGE difference in stability both on the eccentric, and also keeps the upper back from rounding and chest up on the concentric, which also helps prevent the bar from moving too far forward and deviating from a straight bar path.  In later reps, with some fatigue accumulation, I do notice my hips tend to rise a bit faster, which does push the bar forward and more stress on the lower back, so I need to try to prevent that in the future.  As for squat form in general, it's feeling really comfortable and smooth.  With glutes flexed, upper back flexed, neck packed, core braced, I just think about weight on the heels and sitting down, butt to heels, and this allows for a smooth hip break and basically ATG depth while maintaining relatively upright.

Bench press also felt good.  Need to remember to use more leg drive though.  The heeled shoes definitely help with that, as well as gaining a slightly better arch.

Deadlift feels light, but lower back still seems like there's slight rounding.  I'm trying to keep the hips high, but I need to remember that when I start each rep, I need to "put the lats in the front pocket".

Nov 21, 2014

** Barbell Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Pullups **
- 5x10 reps

Tried doing OHP instead of dumbbell shoulder press since I think, though I have the powerblocks which gives more than enough weight, the hardest part is actually kicking the dumbbells up into the initial starting position.  I'm going to give the barbell OHP a shot since it can actually be set up in a good starting position without kicking it up.  Have to get used to the form though.  Biggest fear is actually tipping and falling forward or backward, which could be really dangerous and destructive to the surroundings.  As such, I'm starting light and plan on increasing slowly in 5 lb increments.  I figure it's alright as it is after all, an assistance exercise.  Pullups I'm just starting again as I believe it's a great exercise (was my favorite before) and I've neglected it for quite a while.  Next time, should add back the dumbbell rows as well.  I'm feeling guilty that since I got the squat rack, everything's been barbell-centric and by far my most expensive gear (the powerblocks) are kind of just sitting around...

Nov 20, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Thursday 20th November 2014

** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

Used "butt to heels" as cue.  At top, keep weight on heels and just thinking about sitting down with the butt.  Felt good and strong, great depth, virtually ATG, good speed.  Watching the videos after, it looks like by using this cue, I am unconsciously doing a hip break.  Well, it's working out well.  Need to remember to keep upper back tight and upon concentric, to push the back INTO the bar to keep upper back from rounding and hips rising too fast.

Nov 13, 2014

FitNotes Workout - Thursday 13th November 2014

** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 180.0 lbs x 5 reps

 ** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

Driving to DC for the SfN conference early tomorrow morning and I am unlikely to be able to work out at all until I get back Next Weds, the 19th, so that's a lot of workouts missed.  As such, I went ahead and benched and deadlifted tonight, although I did those yesterday already.  It felt alright, though really my priority is the squat.  I gave that a break though.  I don't want to stress the hips too much and be set back due to injury instead.  I'm hoping to wake up early tomorrow and knock out some squats before I start the drive, but I'm not the most optimistic about it, especially since I'm weaker in the morning, I'll have to wake up an hour before I start squatting since I don't want to deal with spinal compression/spinal fluid issues, and then I'm not sure how wise it is to squat heavy before driving 6-7 hours.  Anyhow, I'll see how I feel tomorrow morning when I wake up.

Nov 12, 2014 - Squat Depth

Today was the 2nd workout since starting over.  As I started at 225 on Monday, I'm hopping back onto my program of adding 10 lbs per workout so I did 235.  Felt light, pretty smooth and easy, but as I mentioned in the last post, my focus for today was on speeding up the eccentric.  It felt relatively successful, particularly for the first set.  The first rep of each set was still slower than the rest, as it seems like it takes me the first rep or two to "find the groove", so I need to work on that.  I tried looking more downward to help with the speed but I don't think it made a difference.  Rather, after all the sets were done and I was examining the videos, it seemed like some of my squats may be just at parallel and may not be convincingly legit.  The last rep on my first set though, was the best rep I did form-wise, depth-wise and speed-wise so I examined that one quite a bit.  Seemed like I kept my upper body more tight and stayed slightly more upright for that rep and depth was definitely well below parallel.  I toyed w/ the form with just the bar after my working sets were done and I found that indeed if I made sure I made my upper body as tight as possible, or "set in stone" as Jay Nera would call it, which includes cocking the head back to pack the neck (what Alex Kang and Izzy both suggest), then it really helps to maintain that back tightness.  This does help me stay more upright, which should make my depth more convincing.  One addition is that I need to make sure I allow my toes to flare out a bit more.  I think between 30-45 degrees is most comfortable and stable for me, but I usually end up starting out more and 15-20 degree flare.

Take Home Message:
-Upper back tight, cock head back, pack neck
-Flare toes 30-45 degrees outward
-Ensure that weight is on HEELS
-After everything is tight, FLEX GLUTES and sit straight down --> think butt to the heels while knees are pushing out
--MASTER ECCENTRIC CUE-- BUTT TO HEELS
--> use "butt to heels" as the fast eccentric cue as opposed to thinking about "push knees out" as the main initiation cue

FitNotes Workout - Wednesday 12th November 2014

** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 235.0 lbs x 5 reps

Nov 10, 2014 - Starting Over

FitNotes Workout - Monday 10th November 2014
 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

 ** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps

** Deadlift **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

After taking a week off due to pretty bad hip issues, I started up again, though quite cautiously.
The squat form that I have adopted now as a result of my hip pain and impingement is a shoulder width stance with toes flared about 30 degrees out (Rippetoe type stance).  From what I've read, a wider stance is technically supposed to give more room to minimize impingement but on the other hand, a wider stance limits the amount of external rotation that can be achieved at the joint capsule.  Also, although flaring the toes out reduces the amount of torque I can generate at the hip, it allows me to push my knees out to the side much farther, which opens up even more room for me to drop down without (or minimal) impingement.
I toyed with unlocking the hips back (Chad Wesley Smith) and also with relaxing the glutes (Jay Nera) before initiating the descent, but in the end, it seemed like I felt most comfortable with a straight knee break, pushing HARD out to the sides as much as possible (Alex Kang).  This not only allowed me to have the smoothest squat, but also the fastest, though my eccentric is still painfully slow.  I have been wearing shoes to keep me more upright and allow me to push off the heels easier, and I have been trying to keep my chest up and eyes straight forward.  However, something I will try next squat workout is to actually look more downward.  Just trying with body weight squats after my main workout, I found that even with no weight, my eccentric is quite cautious if I'm looking straight ahead; however, if I look more downward so I can actually see the ground and see my knees, then I seem much more confident with dropping into the hole.  I will try this somewhat downward gaze next time, though I will also simultaneously have to pay more attention to not letting my upper back round or hips shoot up too fast while doing this.

The bench press felt good and relatively light, but it has been 2 weeks since I've done it so I started at a light weight and will progress up from there.  Wearing the oly shoes while benching allows me to use leg drive more, which is good, but I am not used to it so I need to consciously remember to cue myself to use leg drive.

Deadlifts were not good.  I was already quite tired by the time I got to the deadlifts so didn't really have too much motivation nor energy to really attack it.  Also, with this new Texas Power Bar (TPB), the knurling is quite rough, which is great for the grip, but brutal on the shins if I were to have a stance outside of the small smooth sections close to the middle.  As such, I went with a conventional narrow stance.  225 didn't feel heavy and it moved fast, but I think my back was rounding during the movement because I was already fatigued.  That and my sore intercostal muscles, which seem to be taking an extremely long time to heal, prevent me from bracing very well.  Next time I will try belting up to compensate for this issue, though I hope not to rely on the belt too much...but until my intercostals actually heal up, it is kind of a band-aid solution.  I will also try widening my stance slightly so that my shins are right at the farthest point of the smooth sections.  This is a very minor move, but hopefully it will help me recruit some more glute activation so I can hip thrust more explosively during the movement.  With a narrow stance like I had, it ended up being primarily a quad and spinal erector movement.  Hopefully now that I am starting up again, I can re-build my work capacity so I am not completely gassed by the time I get to deadlifts, otherwise it is really going to suffer.  On a related note, because of the knurling, unless I get shin guards or figure something out, I think sumo is kind of out of the question as I don't think Danyi will be too pleased with me ripping up my shins and bleeding all over the floor...

FitNotes Workout - Thursday 30th October 2014
 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 265.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 265.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 265.0 lbs x 5 reps

 ** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 170.0 lbs x 5 reps

After this I did A LOT of squatting sets with 135 to work on form.  I thought I had figured out the problem and why my knees were coming forward more the past few days compared to when I did 255 and I think now I REALLY did find the underlying reason.  It's simply because my stance width was narrower.  My natural stance tends to be just outside of shoulder width, but when I did 255 and was very happy with it, I was going with a 150% shoulder width wide stance.  It finally dawned on me that my problem was that my stance was a few inches narrower so my knees were tracking forward more.  The benefit of the narrower stance was that it puts less strain on the adductors and my depth is lower, so there's no question about being well below parallel.  I'm actually surprised I had no impingement issues with it anyhow.  In the future if I go back to this stance, I think I'm going to follow Jay Nera's cues of relaxing the glutes and letting the hips drift back slightly (and naturally) before squatting straight down.  This allows me to be much more upright and achieve depth really easily.  Also allows for a quicker descent.  However, next squat session I'm going to go back to the wider stance and see how it feels.

Initially I went to wide stance because going significantly below parallel was causing hip impingement issues, and then later on, with more research, I found primary articles doing EMG studies which found that a wide stance squat (150% shoulder width) activates the quads the same as a narrower stance, but significantly increases glute activation, which is a huge factor since the glutes are an incredibly strong muscle.  I do need to keep increasing my flexibility to make sure my knees can be pushed over the toes during the wider stance tho.  Also, will try to do a purposeful bounce at the bottom to 1) benefit from a rebound effect and 2) ensure that the hip crease goes below parallel during the bounce.

FitNotes Workout - Wednesday 29th October 2014 ** Barbell Squat ** - 45.0 lbs x 5 reps - 95.0 lbs x 5 reps - 135.0 lbs x 5 reps

FitNotes Workout - Tuesday 28th October 2014
 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps

FitNotes Workout - Monday 27th October 2014
 ** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 5 reps

FitNotes Workout - Sunday 26th October 2014
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 255.0 lbs x 5 reps

My Fitness Background Thus Far (From the beginning to October 29, 2014)

The beginning:  As a young teenager, I was inspired by my uncle to work out, so each day I would do a lot of pushups and situps.  Later, my brother and I, inspired by good ol' Arnold Schwarzenegger, bought a workout bench, some vinyl dumbbells that went up to 10 lbs each, and started doing some simple bodybuilding style exercises (brocep curls?).  Later, we progressed to buy an ez-curl bar and some small weight plates as well, but we were still very much training using isolation exercises.

In university, I went to the athletic center since it was right beside my residence.  For most of the first 2 years, I was there every day, sometimes twice, and I was doing typical 2 or 3 day bro-splits.  Again, the focus was on isolation movements.  Lots of curls from different angles...etc.  I typically avoided the larger compound lifts (stupidly).  Didn't do squats, never heard of deadlifts, and did a lot of dumbbell chest press instead of bench press since I worked out alone and didn't have anyone to spot me.  I was working towards the best weight-strength ratio I could so I was trying to stay around 130-135 lbs.  In 2nd year at one point, I was doing overhead tricep pulls with a cable machine and I lost balance and it wrenched my shoulder back, which was quite debilitating.  After that, I pretty much stopped consistently hitting up the gym for many years, which is a pretty big regret.

Crossfit Cindy Period: Didn't start working out again until some point during my PhD, where I got a pullup bar and started doing a lot of pullups.  Specifically, I saw the crossfit "cindy" workout (15 squats, 10 pushups, 5 pullups) on ice1cube's youtube channel and started doing that.  First time through, it actually made me throw up because I didn't know my limits and always believed I was quite fit.  I kept doing it every day and soon, I was doing over 20 sets in the 20 minute time frame.  I would sometimes even do it twice a day.  I also started adding in Ab Ripper X from Tony Horton's P90X routine, and also hopped on a stationary bike for another 15-20 minutes, cycling about 7-10 km each night. I am a creature of habit, which is good for discipline and consistency, but also bad since my routine, once broken, takes a while for me to hop back in, so I went through a few cycles of doing this workout daily, then stopping for weeks to months before starting again from the ground up.

Beachbody Workouts: In 2012, I met my (to-be) wife, Danyi, and during that time, I was actually somewhat stagnant and not working out, so by the time Christmas came around a few months later, I was 160 lbs, which was (and is) significantly heavier than I've ever been..."happy fat" it was called.  So 2013 New Year, I started working out again quite seriously, and I started with Shaun T's insanity program since Cheng and Jess were also thinking of starting it.  It was brutal to start and my legs were constantly sore and for the first few weeks I wanted to quit every day but I pushed through and soon enough, started feeling great and looking forward to the workouts.  It was during this time that my body weight dropped all the way from 160 to about 135-140, and my body fat, which I didn't measure before, was down to about 9-10%.  By the 3rd month, I even started doing the hour long insanity workouts twice a day (bad idea, in retrospect).  That lead to a bit of overtraining indeed.  Then Shaun T's new workout "Focus T25" came out and so I started doing that.  I went through that program quite quickly and started doing 3 of the workouts per day.  I kept this up until December 2013 (that's a whole year of insanity/focus t25).  In T25's gamma phase, weights were used (I was using cheap Walmart weights that went up to 20 lbs per dumbbell) and it really reminded me how much I missed weight training, so with my wife's support, I picked up the 50 lb Powerblock adjustable dumbbell set and a workout bench and started the beachbody "Body Beast" workout program, which focused, again, on bro-splits.  This was during Christmas of 2013.  I did this program for about a month and then started tinkering with it and changing it around, trying different splits.  

Weight Training Reignited: I sold my 50 lb powerblocks and bought a 90 lb set at this time and I started toying with different splits.  Tried going super high volume, one body part a day, tried a 2 or 3 day split, and also tried a push-pull split.  One major thing I noticed as I learned more about weight training, both from reading, youtube fitness channels, and largely personal experience, is that my exercise selection kept getting shorter and shorter.  When I first started, each body part had a huge list of exercises that I would do to hit it from different angles...etc.  Then I'd start cutting it down more and more and upping the volume of the exercises I was finding to be more beneficial.  Eventually, the number of exercises became quite short, but it was also around this time that I felt that my training was stagnating again because I was maxing out on my major lifts (dumbbell squats, deadlifts, and chest press) using the 90 lb powerblocks.  As such, I had a choice to make.  I could join a gym, I could upgrade AGAIN and get the powerblock expansion kit to bring it up to 125 lbs per dumbbell, or I could switch to barbell training.  I chose not to join a gym because I felt that all the fitness equipment I had already would seem like a complete waste (the powerblocks, yoga mat, pull up bar, walmart dumbbells/weights, ab roller, stationary bike).  Also, I liked the convenience of working out at home, according to my own schedule and timing, without having to share equipment...etc.  I also chose not to upgrade the powerblocks because dumbbells can be unstable to use in certain positions, and dropping it could really ruin the floor or get myself hurt.  Also, I found a squat rack, complete with safety pins, as well as a 300 lb olympic barbell set at Dick's that, combined, would cost as much as the powerblock upgrade kit, so I made the jump to barbell training the weekend of July 1, 2014.

Barbell Training: Even using dumbbells, I had ascertained that squats, deadlifts, and chest press were the major 3 exercises, and of course, this would carry over to barbell training.  I also started following a lot of strength/powerlifting athletes on youtube and facebook, and also started reading up a lot more, reading books like Starting Strength, Practical Programming for Strength Training...etc. along with numerous online sources.  In deciding which novice program to start with, I found myself interested in a combination of Starting Strength and Stronglifts.  I liked the idea of 5x5 (since I was always someone who didn't know when to quit and tend to think more is better --> stupid idea) but I thought some of the suggestions in the Stronglifts program were downright silly.  Things like starting with the empty bar and increasing by 5 lbs every workout was ridiculous for someone who had already been strength training for a while.  I also didn't like the idea of deadlifting 1x5 once a week.  Furthermore, I felt that although these programs emphasized the Big 3 lifts, they neglected other parts such as the upper back.  As such, I made some modifications and personalized a program which I playfully named "Yu Lift":  

Workout A (Big 3): Squat 3x5, Bench Press 3x5, Sumo Deadlift 3x5, (Optional: Ab Roller 3x10)

Workout B (Accessory): Shoulder Press 3x5, One Arm Row 3x5, Pullups 50x, (Optional: Farmer's Walk 10 laps of 40 yards)

The program consisted of a 2 day rotating split.  The first day (workout A) consisted of the Big 3 Powerlifts:  Squat, bench press, and deadlift.  Initially I did 5x5 until it started to become too much, particularly with 5x5 deadlifts, so I have now reduced it to 3x5.  Also, I added 3x10 ab roller as an optional exercise, since as ab exercises go, this was the one I felt would help the most in terms of bracing the core, whereas many of the other ab exercises like crunches actually put the spine into flexion, which is the opposite of what I wanted to train the core to do, for the purposes of performing the powerlifts.  Workout B was for the accessory exercises, which are the delts and upper back mainly.  For these I used dumbbells to work the stabilizing muscles more and as an option, time and energy depending, I would add in Farmer's Walk since it's about the most functional exercise ever and I can use it to improve my grip strength and try to keep some of my conditioning up (I have actually ignored this for a while actually...)

I've been trying to work with this program for the past few months but have had many setbacks.  I was diagnosed with hip impingement, especially on my right hip, which gave me a scare that I wouldn't be able to squat anymore.  I also started feeling some tendonitis in my elbows after heavy squatting, and as of last week, I somehow injured my intercostal muscles so haven't been able to brace the core much at all.  It's been quite frustrating dealing with all these setbacks and injuries but the good that can come of it is it has really forced me to work on getting my technique, particularly my squat technique down to something that works for me personally.  I have been messing with my squat form A LOT to try to find what is comfortable for me and doesn't aggravate the hip.  I tried many different squat widths, different directions of toe pointing, knee break, hip break...etc. and as of now, I think I have settled on a squat form that doesn't seem to aggravate the hip impingement and also doesn't seem to put too much strain on the spinal erectors with heavier weights.  My form now is a low bar back squat, with a relatively close, full grip on the bar (using wrist wraps to prevent tendonitis), a wide stance (150% shoulder width), toes pointed out at about a 30-45 degree angle, with a subtle knee break that really loads the hips so the shins stay virtually vertical and perpendicular to the floor.  I also fix my gaze straight ahead instead of down, and I pack my neck back after taking my breath since this helps keep my torso more upright (at a 50 degree angle) and decreases the possibility of back rounding or leaning too far forward.  I mainly try to model my squat after Ed Coan, Dan Green, and Jonnie Candito.

The cues I follow for my squat are now as follows:

1) Tight upper back; squeeze the bar and pull down to engage the lats
2) Lock knees and flex glutes
3) Deep breath into diaphragm, pushing rib cage down and out (into belt) --> Pack neck back to help maintain upper back tightness and prevent rounding
4) Fix eyes straight ahead
5) ECCENTRIC CUE: FLEX GLUTES, EXTERNALLY ROTATE HIPS (screw feet into floor), BRACE CORE --> subtle knee break while pulling hips back and down, weight on heels, keep shins vertical --> forward lean will happen naturally
6) Rebound out of the hole and HIP DRIVE up by pushing the butt up while also pushing upper back into the bar (to prevent rounding and hips rising too fast and turning into a good morning)
7) FLEX GLUTES to thrust hips forward to finish movement

I believe I have found comfort in the wide stance squat because it helps limit my depth to just below parallel (legal IPF depth), which is good since going lower, particularly ATG, really causes a lot of impingement.  Also, it's possible that the angle of impingement just isn't affected as much when my stance is wider.  With narrower stances or toes pointed forward, the impingement was definitely very present.  Also, as mentioned, before I would look somewhat downward, which lead to more forward lean and upper back rounding with heavier weight, which then put a lot of stress on the spinal erectors.  I also used to use a false grip, but that was not helping with the elbow tendonitis and also prevented me from gripping the bar, which means my upper back isn't as tight.  I also tried doing a distinct hip break like Alastair MacNicoll, but that always felt somewhat less stable as a starting position, but then doing a knee break like Alex Kang also meant I was utilizing less of my posterior chain and also reaching much lower depth, which would cause impingement.  In the end, by heeding Ed Coan's cues and watching Coan, Green and Candito squat over and over again, I came to my current squat form.  For my own purposes, it is important for me to remember Omar Isuf's cues of flexing the glutes and externally rotating the hips before initiating the eccentric component of the squat.  By externally rotating the hips, I can follow through with a smooth, stable squat without any clear hip/knee break...etc.  

I have also toyed with conventional vs sumo deadlifts and as of right now, I am stronger in a conventional position, though I think I will try sumo again at the same stance width as my squat in hopes of greater carry-over between movements.  However, I am on hold until my intercostal muscles heal up more, so I am hoping to start my program again come Monday, Nov 3, 2014.