EFS Beginners Program: Week 12 Squat Test

Squat warmup using a 14" Box to rehearse depth, touch and go: 135x5, 170x3, 205x2, 240x2.
Squat: 275x1, 310x1, 340x1 (25 lbs PR).

I'll sum everything up on Friday since it's late. First time in the longest I've squatted with a straight bar and nothing else. Hopefully, my shoulder won't remind me of it. My forearms are, though: they feel pumped. My original goal was 330, and 3 weeks ago my 16" SSB Box Squat was 315x2, so I felt safe going 10 pounds over my goal. I even managed to pause at the bottom to check my depth. The SSB bar works: I had a strong arch all the way and never got bent over at the bottom. Bench on Thursday, Deadlifts on Friday.

EFS Beginners Program: Week 11 DE Squat/DL

Last day, a deload, and almost the end. Next week is test week. Next week I'll have to put on an entirely different game face. Attitude-wise, I'm excited but nervous: those 4 plates in the deadlift beckon me, 250 in the bench seems so close. As always, the squat has me the most concerned - - - always does.



SSB Parallel Box Squat: 75x2, 105x2, 135x2, 165x2, 195x2x6.



Speed DL: 225x1x8



Reverse Hyper: 3 sets of 7



Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets of 10

EFS Beginners Program: Week 11 ME Bench

2-Board Press: 65x3, 85x3, 105x3, 125x3, 145x3, 165x3, 185x3, 205x3. Per the manual, worked up to 80% of last week's total. Or, should I have done 205x1? Whoops!?!

Assisted Pull-ups (Green Band): 4 sets of 7.

Hammer Curls: 30x10x4.

EFS Beginners Program: Week 11 ME Squat/DL

Rack Pulls (2" Below The Knees): 165x6, 205x4, 245x2, 285x1, 325x1, 365x1, 405x1(PR). Goal reached. I was only to pull what my target was for next week's deadlift. A little scary, because I was holding on for dear life with the 405. So barring my grip getting a little stronger, I'm gonna have to pull this one fast. Or about as fast as I can; )

Weighted Situps: 20x10x3

EFS Beginners Program: Week 11 DE Bench

Oh, yeah!!! Last week before test week.

Dynamic Bench Press: 65x3, 85x3, 105x3, 125x3, 145x3x8.

3-Board Press: 155x3, 175x3, 200x3. Per the manual, worked up only to 80% of last week's PR in that lift as a deload.

DB Bench Press: 55x10x3. Could have done a little more, but didn't. My shoulder's feeling pretty good and I didn't want to jinx it.

DB Rows (Elbows In): 55x10x3.

EFS Beginners Program: Week 10 DE Squat/DL

Parallel SSB Box Squat DL: 125x2, 155x2, 185x2, 200x2x8. Deload begins.

Speed DL: 235x1x8

Reverse Hyper: 5 sets of 7 with a Monster Mini Band

DB Side Bends: 40x10x3

Slow Leg Lowers: 3 sets of 10

EFS Beginners Program: Week 10 ME Bench

2-Board Bench Press: 65x3, 85x3, 105x3, 125x3, 145x3, 165x3, 185x3, 205x2, 230x1, 255x1. Target reached.

Assisted Pullups (Green Band): 6 sets of 7

Triceps Extensions (Straight Bar): 55x10x4

Hammer Curls: 25x10x4

EFS Beginners Program: Week 10 ME Squat/DL

Rack Pulls (2" Below The Knees): 175x3, 215x3, 255x3, 295x3, 335x3, 370x3 (PR). I was originally thinking of just tripling my max of 365, so I figured 5 more pounds couldn't hurt much. I'm on track for next week, when I'm supposed to pull my full deadlift target max of 405.

Manta Ray Barbell Lunges: 105x10x3.

Arched Back Good Mornings: 145x10x3

Weighted Situps: 20x10x4

EFS Beginners Program: Week 10 DE Bench

I just received my new computer last week. It was a Velocity Micro PC: I was able to pick everything from the motherboard to what software went in it. The good part was that since it came with no software beyond the OS, I was able to install what I wanted to and avoid the garbage (bloatware) that usually comes with a PC. The bad part was that I had to install it all. So there went last week.

This weekend, I did my Navy weekend, and put in some PT time in the gym - - - as soon as I step out of the office, there's the basketball court and the gym is to the left (The Marines drill there, too.). Saturday, I worked up to a 245 lbs 2RM on the 2-board press, then did shoulder work and stretches the next day.

Today's Workout:

Speed Benches: 55x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 145x3x8.

3-Board Press: 165x3, 195x3, 225x3, 255x0, 250x3. Don't know what happened with the 255: I wasn't tight, legs weren't planted . . . . weight was fucking heavy. Once it touched the boards, it stayed there. I rested, dropped the weight a bit, then got it. Why push my luck with a weight I'm not attempting in the end.

DB Bench Press: 65x10. DB Rows (Elbows In): 65x5. Very wobbly. I've been babying my shoulders so much that I've become weak with the dumbbell movements. I'll deal with it in a couple of weeks.

Close Grip Bench Press: 135x10x4. My effective substitute for the DB benches (and the band pushdowns). Since I just got done with these on week 9, I knew what to lift and figures it would only help me to do them as an RE movement.

Barbell Curls: 55x10x4.

EFS Beginners Program: Week 9 DE Squat/DL

Parallel SSB Box Squat DL: 125x2, 155x2, 185x2, 210x2x8, 235x2, 265x1, 300x1.

Speed DL: 235x1x8, 275x1, 315x1, 345x1

Reverse Hyper: 5 sets of 7 with a Monster Mini Band

DB Side Bends: 40x10x4

Slow Leg Lowers: 4 sets of 10

Calf Lifts: 1 sets for each set of squats, to failure

Bring on Week 10!!!

EFS Beginners Program: Week 9 ME Bench

Close Grip Bench Press: 55x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 195x3, 215x3. Reached last weeks goal . . . LOL!!!

Pullups: 6 sets of 8

EZ Bar Extensions: 55x10x5

Preacher Curls: 55x10x5

External Rotations: Repped out at 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15 lbs
Band Pull Aparts: 5 sets of 7
Scapular Wall Slide: 5 sets
Band Traction Work

EFS Beginners Program: Week 9 ME Squat/DL

Friday, I Skipped the lunges and good mornings (last week's shoulder aggravator), and took a risk testing out Week 10's ME Squat/DL movement instead. The risk paid off: my shoulder feels no ill effects, and I have a good idea on what I'm capable of. Of course, I won't be doing them after SSb squats so I may do even better. I think for next week's speed work I will switch to a straight bar with the Manta Ray. For one, I think my shoulder's ready and I found that halfway through the squats my back was getting taxed, instead of towards the end, a sign that I'm starting to overtrain with the SSB Bar.

On Saturday, I felt so exhausted, and all my back muscles were lit. My shoulders were just fine. Actually, I find deadlifts sometimes helps my shoulder. Jim Wendler once joked about the power of the rack pulls as a cure all for everything, maybe he wasn't kidding.

16" SSB Box Squat: 135x3, 165x3, 195x3, 225x3, 255x3, 285x3, 315x2. 305 was my original goal here, but I felt I could do more after the 285 set. I got two controlled but very slow and hard reps, and that was enough to discourage me from the third rep. Still a PR, and I'll take it.

Rested 10 minutes.

Rack Pulls (2" Below The Knees): 235x3, 265x3, 295x3, 325x3, 355x3, 395x0. Yeah, like I've mentioned before, the top part of my deadlift feels slower than the bottom. And 395 felt like a ton, it wouldn't even budge from the rack. I know, the SSB squats probably took a proper chunk out of me, so I'll wait until Week 10 before I make an assessment.

EFS Beginners Program: Week 9 DE Bench

Hey, it was the holidays, so I'm a few days late. What's four straight days of workouts gonna hurt:)

Shoulder is feeling even better, just have to keep babying it. After this, I have two more weeks of this, then 1 week to test on the 3 powerlifts. The light at the end is getting bigger and brighter.

Dynamic Bench Press: 55x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 145x3x6, 170x2, 190x1, 215x1. Last three sets were 70%, 80%, and 90%1RM.

3-Board Press: 195x3, 225x3, 245x3. My goal 1RM for next week is 260, so this puts me on track.

Standing DB Military Press (Neutral): 40x10x5. Easier than last week's 4 sets.

Preacher Curls: tested out to an 85 lbs 2RM. As my shoulder gets better, this becomes easier to do.

External Rotations: Rep-outs with 5, 8, 10, 12, and 15 lbs dumbbells.
Band Pull Aparts: 5 sets of 7 with a monster-mini band
Band Traction Work with a purple band. This shoulder "trio" replaces the seated DB power cleans that are part of the program. I'm sure that the power cleans would be great, but I didn't want something jarring my shoulder on top of everything else right now. This has really helped my shoulder get better.