Donati's Log Of Steel Bending, Grip And Powerlifting

[Buccos1]

Sun (2/21)

KTA
Week 8/Day 4

I got one rep with my #3 today.  The session started off super-weak, but finished up pretty strong. 

[Buccos1]

Mon (2/22)

Dead Bench Press
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 185
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 265
(1x1) 295
(1x1) 315

Floor Press
(1x2) 225
(1x2) 275
(1x1) 295

Dips
(2x10)

KTA
Week 8/Day 5

My hands were hurting pretty bad today.  I was supposed to make a few attempts at the #3, but passed.  Bench felt OK.  Slow, but decently strong.  My top rep on floor press just made it.  I haven't done this movement much, and I seem to lose any gains with it after some time off.

[Buccos1]

Tue (2/23)

Barbell Shrugs
(1x8) 135
(1x8) 225
(1x8) 315
(1x8) 405
(1x5) 475
(1x3) 525

Standing Axle Press
(1x3) 85
(1x3) 105
(1x3) 125
(1x3) 145
(1x1) 175
(1x1) 185

KTA
Week 8/Day 6

I made an attempt at the MM0 today.  I had a decent set, and definitely clicked the handles, but my filming was a little too far out.  (I actually had my wife film, but it was way too far back.)  So, a no-go.  But, I have now closed the CoC #3 multiple times, and want to keep killing it.  I am going to try to work on my filming and angles, and hopefully wrap this up soon.

 

[Buccos1]

Wed (2/24)

Axle Bench Press
(1x5) 125
(1x3) 175
(1x3) 215
(1x2) 265
(1x1) 285
(1x1) 305

Barbell Curls
(1x5) 95
(1x5) 115
(1x2) 135

KTA
Week 8/Day 7

I got another rep with the #3 today ... this one was better than yesterday's.  But, the set was a little too deep.  When I closed it, it actually felt like a 2.5!

[Buccos1]

Thur (2/25)

Deadlifts
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 405
(1x1) 440
(1x1) 485

 

[Buccos1]

Fri (2/26)

Standing Strict Press
(1x5) 95
(1x5) 115
(1x3) 135
(1x3) 150
(1x2) 170
(1x1) 190

Speed Bench Press - Axle
(1x3) 125
(3x3) 175

Dips
(2x10)

KTA
Week 9/Day 1

My 190 standing press wasn't super-strict, but it went up.  I'm still chasing bodyweight.  My weight has gone up a little lately ... been floating right around 200lbs., which I think is mainly due to deadlifting every week, as opposed to bi-monthly, which I did for a long time.  

[Buccos1]

Sat (2/27)

Pause Squats
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 275
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 335

Squats
(1x1) 350

The pause squats felt a little better than last week.  I did a regular rep at the end of the session, hoping I'd kill it, but it ended up feeling heavy and turned into a slowish fight-rep.  Maybe it was due to being worn from the pause squats?  I'm not 100% sure on my attempts for the meet, but will likely open with 325-340, depending on how my knees are feeling.  Then, go up to 350-360 for a second attempt.

[Buccos1]

Sun (2/28)

DO - IMPs
Yellow Nail
5/16 x 7" Grade 2
Red Nail

KTA - Week 9

My gripper strength has been up-and-down a lot due to KTA, but lately, crushing strength has been very good.  But, my hands still hurt pretty bad, and bending has been getting more difficult each week.  But, I don't plan on stopping now, especially as I've kept going through the entire RRBT program and now 2 months of KTA.  Today's Red in single IMPs took almost a minute.  

[Buccos1]

Mon (2/29)

Dead Bench Press
(1x3) 135
(1x3) 185
(1x2) 225
(1x2) 265
(1x1) 295
(1x1) 315

Barbell Shrugs
(1x5) 225
(1x5) 315
(1x5) 405
(1x5) 475

Barbell Curls
(1x5) 95
(1x5) 115
(1x5) 125

Dips
(2x10)

Lying Dumbbell Extensions
(2x12)

KTA - Week 9

[Buccos1]

Tue (3/1)

KTA - Week 9

I made multiple attempts at my #3 today, all of which were weak, except the first one, which was about 2mm from closing.  Definitely not what I was expecting for today.  

[Buccos1]

Wed (3/2)

Deadlifts
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 405
(1x1) 455
(1x1) 485

KTA - Week 9

 

[Buccos1]

Thur (3/3)

Standing Strict Press
(1x5) 95
(1x5) 115
(1x3) 135
(1x3) 145
(1x2) 165
(1x1) 185

Barbell Shrugs
(1x5) 225
(1x5) 315
(1x5) 405
(1x5) 475
(1x3) 525

Dips
(2x10)

KTA - Week 9

[Buccos1]

Fri (3/4)

Floor Press
(1x3) 135
(1x3) 185
(1x2) 225
(1x2) 250
(1x1) 295
(1x1) 305

Speed Bench Press
(1x3) 155
(5x3) 165

Dips
(2x15)

KTA - Week 9

Floor Presses felt pretty strong today.  I almost took another attempt with 315.  And dips are definitely getting better.  After having done them in my last few sessions (after a few-year hiatus), they are feeling easier for sure.  I had a dip belt at my other place, but haven't been able to find it after the move.  I'm going to have to start adding weight to these.

I had two very close attempts at the #3, both at about, or just under 1mm.  The rest of my attempts felt pretty bad, and my hands are feeling destroyed.

[Buccos1]

Sat (3/5)

Squats - briefs
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 405
(1x1) 435
(1x1) 455

Sumo Deadlifts - briefs
(1x2) 225
(1x2) 315
(1x1) 405
(1x1) 455

KTA - Week 9
 

Squats felt good, but heavy.  I waited about fifteen minutes, and then started deads.  I usually don't do squats and deadlifts on the same day, but want to start combining these, or at least back-to-back days, before the meet.

 

[Buccos1]

Sun (3/6)

DU - IMPs
Yellow Nail
1/4 x 7" Grade 5
19/64 x 7" O1 Drillrod - 20 deg.

Ironmind Hub
(1x1) 50
(1x1) 55
(1x1) 60

Inverted Hex Pinch
(2x1) 40

KTA - Week 9

 

[Buccos1]

Mon (3/7)

Bench Press - (1-2 sec. Pause)
(1x5) 135
(1x3) 185
(1x1) 225
(1x1) 255
(1x1) 285
(1x1) 315

Standing Axle Strict Press
(1x5) 85
(1x3) 125
(1x3) 155
(1x1) 175

Dips
(2x10)

KTA - Week 9

The last paused rep with 315 felt heavy.  I was expecting to blast it up, but the extended pause turned out to be tough.  I got one close with the #3 today, and a few near-misses.  Trying to film my attempts is starting to drive me crazy!  I have been messing around with a lot of angles, and it's starting to mess me up when I am making my attempts (starting to overthink things ... worrying too much about angles etc.)  

[Justin Matney]

I hear you. I missed my MM1 due to filming difficulty--closed the gripper, didn't take good video. It's very frustrating to me. 

[Buccos1]

18 hours ago, Justin Matney said:

I hear you. I missed my MM1 due to filming difficulty--closed the gripper, didn't take good video. It's very frustrating to me. 

Yeah, that's rough!  I'm to the point now, I am closing it at least once per session, but am getting messed up with the angles and overthinking the set-up too much (which ends up killing my set and start power).  I guess if I keep going, and getting stronger, it won't matter much with this gripper.  Definitely need to come up with something consistent for filming though.

[Buccos1]

Tue (3/8)

Barbell Shrugs
(1x10) 135
(1x10) 225
(1x10) 315
(1x10) 405
(1x8) 455

Barbell Curls
(1x5) 95
(1x5) 115
(1x5) 125

Decline Kettlebell Pushups
(2x20)

2 25s Pinch - Holds
5 sec.
5 sec. 

KTA - Week 10

[Buccos1]

Wed (3/9)

KTA - Week 10

I missed the first few attempts at the #3 by a few millimeters ... just overall, a pretty weak session.  After the first few attempts, I could barely move the handles.

[Buccos1]

Thur (3/10)

Squats
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 335

Deadlifts
(1x3) 135
(1x2) 225
(1x1) 315
(1x1) 405
(1x1) 455

KTA - Week 10

I took my planned openers for the meet today: Squat (335) and Deadlift (455).  Both felt pretty good, but my knee has been bothering me lately (meniscus I think).  I was a little worried about today going in, but all felt OK.

[Buccos1]

Fri (3/11)

Bench Press
(1x5) 135
(1x3) 185
(1x3) 225
(1x1) 245
(1x1) 275
(1x1) 295
(1x1) 315

Standing Axle Press
(1x5) 105
(1x5) 125
(1x3) 145
(1x2) 160
(1x1) 180
(1x1) 195

KTA - Week 10

I hit a PR on axle presses today, which was very close to bodyweight (BW is probably 199 right now).  I'll be putting the video up here soon.  I made my openers with bench (was originally planning 305, but might take 310-315.

I made a few attempts at the 3 today, hoping to film a MM0 attempt, but everything was weak ... not even close after the first one.  I am coming down to the end of KTA fast.  I'm not sure if I will get my MM0 attempt the next week-or-two, but will definitely get it.  I will be having eye surgery in a few weeks, so will have to take some time off, which I probably need bad.    But, I'm sure there will be some regression with grippers.  I'll just have to pick it back up and hit it hard when I can.  I also will change some of my training up, and hope to use elements of all of the things I've done with grippers the past 4-5 months, which has seen me get my first CoC#3 close, which I'm super-happy with, even if I don't get the MM0 right now.

 

[Buccos1]

195lb. Axle Standing Press

 

[MANTHOS]

Strong stuff brother! Keep it up!

[Buccos1]

On March 16, 2016 at 0:57 AM, MANTHOS said:

Strong stuff brother! Keep it up!

Thanks Manthos!  I am going to keep hitting the presses until I can get 225.  Might not be super-strict, but I won't use leg-drive.