Donati's Log Of Steel Bending, Grip And Powerlifting

[Buccos1]

Tue (1/5)

DU - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 5

DU - BBW

1/4 x 7" Grade 8

KTA

Week 2/Day 1

[diesel]

Tue (1/5)

DU - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 5

DU - BBW

1/4 x 7" Grade 8

KTA

Week 2/Day 1

Bending and KTA. Wow. Nice work! KTA is a really good program if you can stay healthy through its entirety. My solution back in the day was Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream.

[Buccos1]

Thanks man! Ben and Jerry's is def. one of the staples of my "cheat days." I'm going to bend strategically throughout KTA. I went the entire run of RRBT, keeping an almost-normal (for me at this point) bending schedule. There were some sessions though, that turned pretty brutal and turned into "pain-management endurance runs." So far, I like it. Not 100% for sure now, but I can feel spikes in strength during some of the closes and know that some of the techniques will definitely make me stronger with grippers.

[Buccos1]

Wed (1/6)

KTA

Week 2/Day 2

[Buccos1]

Thur (1/7)

Deadlifts (Conventional)

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 225

(1x2) 315

(1x1) 405

(1x1) 440

(1x1) 475

Barbell Curls

(1x3) 95

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 125

KTA

Week 2/Day 3

Deadlifts felt rough today! The 475 raw turned into a grinder. I got a new GHP8 for negatives, and it is brutal! Even trying to "cheat-close" with my legs, it is still tough (handles didn't quite touch). Prior to KTA, I never really did negatives, and when I have, almost every rep has been tough. But, lately, with the volume, things are improving--just not with a GHP8 yet!

[Buccos1]

Fri (1/8)

Axle Bench Press

(1x3) 125

(1x3) 175

(1x2) 215

(1x2) 265

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 305

(1x20) 215

Standing Axle Strict Press

(1x3) 85

(1x3) 125

(1x2) 145

(1x0) 175

(1x1) 175

KTA

Week 2/Day 4

[Buccos1]

Sat (1/9)

Squats

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 345

(1x1) 365

(1x1) 385

KTA

Week 2/Day 5

[Buccos1]

Sun (1/10)

Axle Curls

(1x5) 75

(1x5) 95

(1x5) 105

Farmer's Walk - 30 yds.

(2x1) 90lbs each hand

KTA

Week 2/Day 6

[Buccos1]

Mon (1/11)

Dead Bench Press

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x2) 225

(1x2) 255

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 305

(1x1) 320

Bench Press - Sling Shot (Red)

(1x1) 365

(1x1) 375

Band Pushdowns

(2x20) Light Band

KTA

Rest Day

The weather around here has been pretty brutal as-of-late. Most of my training is out in the un-heated garage, which usually isn't a problem when the temp is in the upper-30s/40s. But, the past day-or-two, it's been in the upper-teens/lower-20s (outside temp - close to 0 degrees). I had on about 4 layers today and was still cold. Almost felt like a board press with the Sling Shot! The space-heaters I use don't make that much of a difference ... maybe a few degrees in the amount of time I have to use them.

Everyone (wife, kid, now me) is also sick, with a fever coming on now. I can definitely fight through that as I always have, but it's going to be tough with KTA and the weather.

[Buccos1]

Tue (1/12)

KTA

Week 3/Day 1

The fever got worse overnight, going up to about 103, briefly. I didn't have enough strength to lift today, but decided to give everything I had to two gripper sessions. The a.m. session was brutal. I barely got my 123lb. #2.5 closed ... might have missed it by a mm even. In the afternoon, after getting the fever down, warmups felt pretty solid. When I attempted the 123 again, I destroyed it ... felt like an easy #2! So, I grabbed my 136lb. #2.5 and made an attempt. It turned into a solid close. This ties my all-time PR. This close was actually better than back in November, as I was able to keep the handles shut for a few seconds.

As much as my hands are hurting now from KTA, there is no doubt that I am getting a lot stronger on grippers!

[Buccos1]

Wed (1/13)

KTA

Week 3/Day 2

Still fighting through this cough/cold/fever/garbage.

[Buccos1]

Thur (1/14)

DO - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.25" Grade 5

Red Nail

KTA

Week 3/Day 3

[Buccos1]

Fri (1/15)

KTA

Week 3/Day 4

I'm still fighting a fever ... up-and-down since early in the week. As it is, I have felt weak and cold all week, and haven't lifted weights since Monday, which is a rarity for me, unless taking a week off before a meet. Just getting in quality sessions has been tough the past few days.

[Buccos1]

Sat (1/16)

Standing Press

(1x5) 95

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 155

(1x1) 175

Squats - briefs

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 405

(1x1) 425

(1x1) 455

KTA

Week 3/Day 5

Finally! I was able to feel good enough to get out in the gym, and brave the temperatures. Overall, I felt pretty week (almost didn't get 175 up on standing press). But, it felt great to get a workout in, even though the fever ended up coming back at night.

[Buccos1]

Sun (1/17)

KTA

Week 3/Day 6

I finally ended up going to the doctors today when my temperature went up again mid-day. The prognosis was bronchitis with some other respiratory stuff. (My kid has been sick too, which probably hasn't helped, especially as he tends to sneeze in my face when I hold him.)

[Buccos1]

Mon (1/18)

Dead Bench Press

(1x3) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x2) 225

(1x2) 255

(1x1) 285

(1x1) 315

Barbell Shrugs

(1x5) 225

(1x5) 315

(1x5) 405

(1x5) 455

Axle Curls

(1x3) 85

(1x3) 105

(1x3) 125

(1x8) 85

KTA

Week 3/Day 7

The temperature has been close to zero degrees around here lately, which usually puts my garage around 10-15 degrees. If I have the space heaters going in tandem, I usually can get it up into the twenties, as it was today. I was feeling better, so decided to brave it and got a decent workout in. So far, no fever!

[Buccos1]

Tue (1/19)

KTA

Week 4/Day 1

I made an attempt at my 139lb. #3 and missed it by 1-2mm. It was close! I fumbled around with the set a little too much, or might have gotten it. I tried two attempts after this and didn't get as close on either.

[Buccos1]

Wed (1/20)

Sumo Deadlifts - Briefs

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 405

(1x1) 455

Push Press

(1x3) 115

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 165

(1x1) 185

(1x0) 200

KTA

Week 4/Day 2

I decided to try push presses for the first time ever. I watched a lot of technique videos and tried to set-up correctly, but just couldn't get the bar/my wrists in the right position. So, today's reps weren't really that great. 200 went about 3/4 of the way up.

[Buccos1]

Thur (1/21)

KTA

Week 4/Day 3

I made 2 attempts at my 140lb. Grand Master and both were pretty bad.

[Buccos1]

Fri (1/22)

Axle Bench Press

(1x5) 125

(1x3) 175

(1x3) 215

(1x2) 265

(1x1) 305

Push Press

(1x3) 95

(1x3) 115

(1x2) 135

(1x2) 165
(1x1) 185

(1x0) 200

Decline Kettlebell Pushups

(2x20)

Band Pushdowns

(2x20) Light Band

KTA

Week 4/Day 4

Once again, I was having major trouble getting the bar/my wrists into proper position for the push press. I am going to stick with regular strict military presses/standing barbell presses and not mess around with these. Once I hit my goal of a bodyweight strict press, I might start to include a little knee bend/leg drive to assist with the ascent, but otherwise keep it mostly an upper-body movement.

[Buccos1]

Sat (1/23)

Dead Stop Squats

(2x2) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 245

(1x1) 275

(1x1) 295

(1x0) 315

(1x0) 315

(1x1) 315

KTA

Week 4/Day 5

This was the first time I committed an entire session to dead-stop squats. They are not fun! 295 was a tough rep all of the way up. My first attempt at 315, I got about 1/3 up, and had to retreat. I tried it again, and barely moved it off of the safety bars. I waited about 5 minutes, and tried every trick I had to get psyched up for one last attempt. It turned into an almost 10-second ascent rep, but it went up. I am going to work these in for a few weeks, with the hopes of improving my raw squat in the hole.

[Buccos1]

Sun (1/24)

DU - IMPs

Yellow Nail

1/4 x 6.5" Grade 5

DU - BBW

5/16 x 7" Grade 2 (hard)

Ironmind Hub

(1x1) 45

(1x1) 50

(1x1) 55

(1x1) 60

Ironmind Pinch Block

(1x1) 50

(1x1) 55

(1x1) 60

KTA

Week 4/Day 6

I forgot to post a near-miss from yesterday. I made an attempt at my (easy) COC #3 and just missed it. Probably a mm. I still have never shut the #3, but this was the closest I have ever been.

The Ironmind Hub felt awesome today! I haven't done much of this the past few months, and was surprised 60lbs went up easily. Today was the first time I tried one of my hard-style 5/16 x 7" grade 2s DU. These things bend similar to a Red, and are harder to kink. I hit it hard two times over about 20 seconds, and then took about a minute, then hit it again until it was to about 50 degrees.

[Buccos1]

Mon (1/25)

Bench Press

(1x5) 135

(1x3) 185

(1x3) 225

(1x1) 245

(1x1) 295

(1x1) 330

Bench Press - Sling Shot (red)

(1x1) 365

(1x1) 375

Standing Axle Strict Press

(1x3) 95

(1x3) 125

(1x2) 155

(1x1) 175

Band Pushdowns

(2x20) LB

-Superset-

Side Raises (2x20) 10s

Front Raises (2x10) 10s

KTA

Week 4/Day 7

I was kinda disappointed on bench, as I wanted to get 330 for 2 reps. I got a decent first-rep, but had to fight it a little near lockout. That was enough to abort the second rep, as I was without a spotter.

[Buccos1]

Tue (1/26)

Barbell Shrugs

(1x5) 135

(1x5) 225

(1x5) 315

(1x5) 405

(1x5) 475

(1x5) 525

Barbell Curls

(1x5) 115

(1x5) 125

(1x3) 135

KTA

Rest Day

[Buccos1]

Wed (1/27)

Deadlifts

(1x3) 135

(1x2) 225

(1x1) 315

(1x1) 405

(1x1) 440

(1x1) 475

KTA

Week 5/Day 1