Fitness Log 2013-07-06: Overhead Squat (PR), Clean & Jerk, Front Squat (PR)

Overhead Squat

• 45 lbs x 5
• 65 x 5
• 85 x 5
• 95 x 3
• 105 x 2
• 115 x 1 (stumbled forward to save rep)
• 125 x 1 (stumbled forward to save rep)
• 135 x 1 PR!

It’s nice to see my overhead squat moving up.  135 is a particularly good number given the number of times I’ve attempted that in the past and failed.  I’ve avoided overhead squats for so long because I’m bad at them but that’s exactly why I need to do them.  I have video from about a year ago where I was stumbling all over the place trying to hold an empty bar over head so a full, controlled 135 lb squat is pretty nice.

Clean & Jerk

• 135 x clean/push jerk x 1/1
• 165 x clean/push jerk x 1/1
• 185 x x clean/push jerk x 1/X
• 205 x clean x 1
• 215 x clean x X

Not a beautiful day for the clean & jerk.  I find my Thursday cleans and Friday jerks  have been going well and this probably to the detriment of the Saturday clean & jerks.  No biggie as long as the other days are going well.

Front Squat

• 205 x 3
• 220 x 2
• 230 x 1
• 240 x 1
• 255 x 1 (with ease — PR!)
• 260 x 1 (PR!)
• 265 x 0

This was somewhat unexpected.  Not only did I kill the 255 that I’ve been working on the past few weeks but I went ahead and got 260 right after that.

Planning

This is a deload week (haha, sort of) and I like to take deload weeks to think about how I’ve been progressing and what I want to do starting the next cycle.  I’ve been considering switching to an aggressive squat program.  I’ve thought about Smolov Jr. or the Russian Squat Program but now I’m leaning towards Bas’ Barbell 6 Weeks To A Bigger Squat.  I’m also considering simultaneously doing the Get a Big Bench Program.

The plan would look something like this:

• Mon: Bigger squat
• Tue: Bigger bench + maybe overhead press linear progression?
• Wed: Rest
• Thu: Bigger squat + maybe Wendler deadlifts?
• Fri: Bigger bench
• Saturday: Olympic lifts, front squat
• Sunday: Rest

I say “maybe” because I’m not sure how long it will take to do the Bas’ Barbell program and how I will feel after.

My one concern with this is that my current program has been going great.  However, my current program is a Dan John “park bench” type program.  It allows for great slow and steady progress but I’m feeling like I could stand to do a more aggressive “bus bench” style program.  The squat, in particular, is the foundation of strength and boosting this should have a profound effect on pretty much everything else.

In any case, this will be something for me to think about and consider!