That's awesome! I have really learned to love squats in the last 7-10 years. I bet you can get to 500lbs. That's 33lbs a year and realistically, you can probably already do 415-425 for a single now.

Yeah, 5/3/1 has me doing either 5x5 or 5x10 after the heavy sets, so I am getting the volume in that way. I definitely feel like I've made some big gains since switching over. Probably getting close to needing to up my rest time from 3 to 5 minutes on my heavier stuff.

Agree on the mind/muscle connection. I catch myself dreading some of my workouts because I still think in my head "wow that's heavy" but then when I get underneath it, it feels light. My brain hasn't caught up to my body yet I don't think. I have definitely noticed that my form is much more solid/doesn't break down on my heavy lifts the longer I do the work - you can't replace the practice that doing reps for 2 years provides.

I have my belt figured out on squats, it is deadlifts where I really struggle with belt positioning and the timing of when to brace my core. It seems like one day I will feel like I have a good groove, but then I switch weight/reps and I feel like I have to approach it a totally different way.

I know what you mean on deads! I've got my belt position right, but sometimes I don't get the mechanics down right. So 380 lbs will feel heavy, and I'll be thinking now way I can do my heavy sets, but then I get it locked in and I was able to pull 425 for 3 reps a couple weeks ago and then 410 for 6 reps followed by a single with 430 last week!

It's like you need a small arch in the back (remember thinking you must have a straight back on deads) but of course not too much. One thing that has helped my deads is I warm up with Romanian deadlifts to really get the posterior activated.

CC09LawAg said:

---

Agree on the mind/muscle connection. I catch myself dreading some of my workouts because I still think in my head "wow that's heavy" but then when I get underneath it, it feels light. My brain hasn't caught up to my body yet I don't think.

---

Makes me remember some things I have read and watched online about improving the neurological stimulus and that sort of thing. Might be worth further researching since I know you are getting after it!

Nice lifts @2girlsdad!

Random PSA...Quest looks like it has a bunch of stuff @ 40% off today on Amazon.

I also add what helps is the last few weeks I've started taking l-citrulline dl-malate an hour or so before I lift, and then beta alanine right before. The beta alanine starts to kick in towards the end of the warmup sets (start getting the itches on the face and feel a flush type warmth).

The citrulline malate is great! For instance, this AM I got up at 330 AM and the first thing is drink it with water, and it's so sour it hits you like a bolt! Nice way to go from groggy to alert as fast as smelling salts!

Curious what everyone's typical window of feeling sore after a workout is.

Lately my legs have been much more sore for longer, albeit I am trying to increase the intensity (both during squats and adding a couple other movements). I also alluded to being a baby on leg day, so trying to quit that. I last hit my legs on Saturday and today am finally feeling pretty normal in my legs.

10andBOUNCE said:

---

Curious what everyone's typical window of feeling sore after a workout is.

Lately my legs have been much more sore for longer, albeit I am trying to increase the intensity (both during squats and adding a couple other movements). I also alluded to being a baby on leg day, so trying to quit that. I last hit my legs on Saturday and today am finally feeling pretty normal in my legs.

---

If I do a new-ish exercise, then the soreness may last for 2-3 days afterwards. But once I get on a routine with a certain movement, then the soreness drastically decreases despite my still progressing forward (either by adding sets/reps/weights or a combination of them). You can still achieve good progress without becoming too sore due to the repeated bout effect

The worst recently was actually last week. I took the entire week of Xmas to New Years off from the gym, which is the longest I've gone without lifting for over 2 years. So the first week of this year felt like I was getting beat up in the best way possible

Depends on the day and specific exercises but most leg days I'm sore for about 2-3 days. I did legs (predominantly squat/quad focused) yesterday and energy is low but legs aren't sore. They will be tomorrow…

I also enjoy doing a hamstring and accessory focused leg day on the 3rd or so day after leg workout. It usually hurts at first but getting the blood flowing in the legs helps a lot in my opinion.

Now if I do something crazy on legs I don't normally do like heavy Bulgarians or some insane volume workout with squats or leg presses, I am sore for 5 days minimum.

10andBOUNCE said:

---

Random PSA...Quest looks like it has a bunch of stuff @ 40% off today on Amazon.

---

Just as another heads up for people that have had cholesterol issues, the saturated fat in some of the bars/cookies is crazy high. It can sneak up on you, especially if you also like to eat red meat.

I used to be a fiend on these, but really had to cut back. Still eat some of the chips every now and then.

Buck Compton said:

---

10andBOUNCE said:

---

Random PSA...Quest looks like it has a bunch of stuff @ 40% off today on Amazon.

---

Just as another heads up for people that have had cholesterol issues, the saturated fat in some of the bars/cookies is crazy high. It can sneak up on you, especially if you also like to eat red meat.

I used to be a fiend on these, but really had to cut back. Still eat some of the chips every now and then.

---

Also, their protein cookies can produce prodigious gas, at least in me.

10andBOUNCE said:

---

Curious what everyone's typical window of feeling sore after a workout is.

Lately my legs have been much more sore for longer, albeit I am trying to increase the intensity (both during squats and adding a couple other movements). I also alluded to being a baby on leg day, so trying to quit that. I last hit my legs on Saturday and today am finally feeling pretty normal in my legs.

---

I honestly don't feel soreness on my lower body stuff unless I am switching up exercises/targeting a previously neglected muscle group (i.e. hamstring iso, hip flexors, etc.). Upper body I usually feel pretty good after about 48 hours. Sometimes takes 72 if I did higher rep/lower weight work, but again I imagine that's because it's outside of my "normal" rep ranges and would likely subside if that was the workout I did consistently.

I do have what I would describe as dull/aching type pain in my legs for a good 3 or 4 days after most of my deadlift and squat workouts. I haven't noticed it really having any impact on my strength when it's time to do my next lower body workout though.

That's legit. I can't imagine what or how I would get to that OHP.

205 OHP is beastly

Congrats

Congrats on the OHP! I'm right there behind you (been focusing on OHP the last year as well) and understand the challenge with OHP. Unlike other lifts where you can grind through, OHP is tougher to push through when you hit that sticking point (at least for me).

Alright, so you OHP masters need to at least share a little insight as to how you got where you are at. Any tips or tricks you can think of?

I started and still kinda do the 5/3/1 for OHP. After I do as many reps as I can with X%, I then either stay at the weight, or even go up, and then do sets between 3-5 reps.

I just lift heavy sets until the weight gets easier and then go up!

I had plateaued on my 5 rep max with OHP for months and months - switching to the 5/3/1 scheme got me past that plateau in a couple of training cycles.

I will say, OHP seems like the lift where my technique matters the most. I think focusing on really rooting my feet to the ground, playing around with my grip, and really locking in my core has made a big difference in me being able to do more reps during my working sets.

My brain connection to my shoulders seems to be strong. I always feel the muscles doing what they should when lifting, especially at the top of the lift. I have much more trouble getting the same feeling when squatting. I have to focus and try to keep my core and glutes doing what they need to.

How far do you all go down on OHP? That is one thing I have never really looked into much. I just naturally lower it to just above my chest near clavicle - is that the correct place?

So you guys don't do any other heavy dumbbell press or that kind of thing to supplement? Keep it simple with progressive overload?

Yes - when first starting out I was ego lifting and not going all the way down - could have partially been a mobility issue too since I was coming into it off a completely sedentary lifestyle. But now I make sure to come all the way down.

I sometimes mix in a seated dumbbell overhead press on my bench day as supplement work, more in the 8-12 rep range. That and lateral raises. My shoulders tend to burn out quickly so I am always trying to find the balance between doing enough work for gains but not overdoing it and messing up my recovery.

I have noticed that strengthening my back through pull ups and chin ups seems to have helped as well.

When I am doing a PPL split and get to my more shoulder focused push day, I like to start with incline barbell or bench press and then move into shoulder press. This personally helps my shoulders warm up, especially front deltoids, and then transition easier into heavier OHP with dumbbells.

Yeah if you keep your shoulders back you should hit a natural bottom on the OHP. Stay upright and keep your shoulders back.

Thanks all!

Sometimes if I'm feeling frisky, I'll do some DB Arnold presses, but 95% of the time it's just OHP and sometimes front delt DB raises (all the way up).

Another key to OHP is trying to go straight up, so essentially you moved your head back to get the chin out of the way, and as soon as you clear your head you bring it back forward.

Farmer1906 said:

---

Farmer1906 said:

---

Back under the weights this week.

Some baselines

Squat - 375 x1
Incline Bench - 285x3
Trap Deadlift - 470x1

Barebell DL & OHP coming later this week.

I'm mostly happy with the start. I haven't been under 300 pounds on squats in a long time so I was happy I was able to hit what I got. I failed at 400 on squat and 500 on DL. I also was scared to up on bench without a spot.

---

205x3 OHP. I put way more focus on my shoulder the past 6 months and it's starting to show.

---

405 DL

I am not in love with my lower body #s, but this should kind of be expected. It hasn't been a focus for me recently & I dealt with a nagging achilles the last 2ish years. Exercise and stretching (not a bunch of fancy rehab machines) are what ultimately helped.

Goals for 2024
400+ Squat
450+ DL
500+ Trapbar DL

That 285x3 on incline press is impressive! I can only do that on flat bench.

Thanks for all the encouragement from everyone. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite threads.

I'm hoping to get 405 on my deadlift and squat when I max out in about a month.

Uncharted territory for me but I want to get to 5 plates. I'm hoping that it is doable.

Then if I can get 5, I know I'm going to want a 1500 total. But I have no idea what to expect going forward to I'm trying to take it little by little.

Based on some of your class years in your user name, I imagine you're in the same boat as me on this. The last couple years, and even more so this year in particular, I'm shocked by how much of a warmup I need. Throughout my 20s, I'd do a warmup set on principle but would be ready to go after that, and frankly, if I was lifting cold I'd probably still have been okay. I'm just about 36 now. For first big exercise of the day (bench, squat, DL) I am doing a set of 16-20 with the bar, then a set of 12ish with 135, a set of 8 with 165-185, set of 4 with 205-225, and only then do I hit my working sets. And every damn day I think on my warm up sets, "well I feel like crap today, its gonna be terrible..." but by my first working set I'm okay.

Also, specific to my chest, not sure if this is common, but coming in cold I feel like I almost have a strain in my pec. However, a slow, easy-does-it warm up gets it feeling fine. That sensation of working the strain out for lack of a better description is new to me, so wondering if I need to take a few weeks off or if it's just a hey man, welcome to being old and broken down situation.

Spot on. When I started back up on 5x5, I wasn't doing warm up reps beyond a little bit with the bar. Obviously not a big deal when you're starting out with 65 pounds, but later on I would notice my first set or two would be pretty rough, but then by set 3 I was feeling pretty good.

I wasn't as knowledgeable back then and so I assumed if I lifted warm up weights that I was just wasting energy that should have been going towards my working set. Obviously, that isn't the case. But I was pretty out of shape so the thought of doing 15 or 20 extra reps seemed like too much.

When I started using the app, it had programmed in the warmup weights so I started doing them and it has made a huge difference.