Squats: 3×405/184(belt), 1×455/207(belt), 1×495/225(belt+wraps)
Squat Suit: 1×545/247, 1×565/257
Good Mornings: 8@225/102, 8@235/107, 8@245/111
GHR: 3×10@bw(308/140)
Ab Pulldowns: 3×15@110/50

Today was the first time I’ve had my suit on since October and I’m pretty happy with how it went. The warm up work went good except for the single at 495 when I got a little forward coming out of the hole, I think it was just the knee wraps being different. Although I think it pulled my lower back a bit as it’s a touch tight right now. My first lift with the suit was slow, I dropped very slowly and really focused on the path and it was a little tougher coming out of the hole due to that. The 565 lift I sat back and dropped pretty quick, I sunk it deep and smoked it up, it was way easier than the 545 lift. I will suit up again in a couple weeks but after this I’m thinking of opening somewhere around 583/265 or 594/270. I’ll finalize that after next suit day.
I hit the good mornings again to try and get the glutes going, they were good again and I could really feel them. Hopefully I can get enough of these in to get at least a few kilos on the deadlift before the meet.

Speed Bench: 9×3@176/80 + double monster mini bands(approx 160/73 at top)
3 Board: 3@352/160, 3@363/165, 3@374/170
Tate Press: 10@38/17, 2×10@43/19.5
Weighted Ab Pulldowns: 20@110/50, 2×15@110/50

Speed bench was none too speedy, those doubled monster minis are just about evil. It was easily 250/114 off the chest and 335/152 at lockout. I’ll have to leave the monster minis alone for a little while or drop the bar weight to 135/61.
3 boards went really well tonight I was a little worried as the routine called for 3×3@375 so I decided to work up to 375 for my final set if everything went well. The first set I couldn’t find the groove, no doubt the fault of the bands, but the second and third set were much easier. I only had to grind the last rep at 375 a little.

SLDL off 3″ block: 5@375/170
Speed Deads: 5×1@375/170+60/27 chains(approx)
Good Mornings: 5@225/102, 5@245/111, 5@255/116
Bent Over Rows: 5@225/102, 5@245/111

This is the final week of the Sgt Rock SLDL routine and I have to say it’s kind of anti-climatic but I think that’s my fault. I’d say my deadlift should be at least 30 or 40lbs heavier than it is but because of my lockout problem my SLDL weight was lower than it needed to be. That’s not to say the routine did nothing for me, I really think it helped me build up a stronger lower back and much stronger hamstrings. However it didn’t hit what I think is my trouble area, my glutes and again this is my fault. The first week I did the 3×10 of SLDL and thought hell if I need to do good mornings while doing these. Unfortunately nothing hits my glutes like good mornings so you can see I added them back in today.
The speed deads are another method I plan to use to bring my dead up. I’m going to pull these once a week with either chains or bands for 5-8 singles depending on how heavy they are. Todays went really well and I kept the speed up through all the pulls. I tried a few pulls after with green bands and different ways standing on them and holy crap they are much harder. When using bands I’ll be dropping the weight down to the 250/114 area.
Just these three sets of good mornings ruled my glutes, these are going to be a staple of my next routine for sure. I’m going to hit these are hard as I can for the next month or so to hopefully allow me to PR at the meet.

Legs Up: 3×5@285/129.5
Floor Press: 8@240/109, 2×8@250/114
DB Rear Delt Flyes: 12@38/17, 12@43/19.5, 10@48/22
6 sets rotator cuff, various movements
DB Hammer Curls: 10@38/17, 2×10@43/19.5

Good workout today, I’m still getting over my cold, it’s moved into my chest which is a little annoying being hoarse and coughing while trying to workout. The legs up was a challenging weight especially when I cut my rest time down between the first and second sets, I barely got all my reps so I took a longer break before the last set and got them all except the last easily. Floor press was also good and after I was completely spent.
Did a new rotator exercise today, I can’t really describe it and I havent’ been able to find it online but Jeff does them all the time. Think of it like the middle part of a cuban press where you rotator the weight from the bottom to over your head but do it while laying on your back with dumbells, take the dumbells to the ground or as close as you can get at both the bottom and top. It’s a REALLY good stretch, I’m going to do them for a few weeks.

Raw Deadlift: 3×335/152, 1×425/193, 1×515/234
Deadlift w/Suit: 0x515/234, 3x0x535/243
GHR: 4×10@bw(308/140)
PullThrough: 10@110/50, 10@150/68

I want to say I am still sick, I’ve been sick since Wednesday when I mucked my bench workout, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. The 515 raw pull was not too bad, it got to lockout quick then a brief pause before I pulled my shoulders back. Once I put on the suit however I could NOT get my shoulders back, each time I pulled I got to lockout quick and got stuck and each time I pulled a got a little higher. I’m fairly convinced I could pull 600 to this point, 535 felt like 300 coming off the ground. I’ve got an issue, it’s either a muscle problem or a form issue or both.
I did some accessory and felt sick to my stomach so I called it a day and went home.

SLDL off 3″ block: 2×5@358/162.5
Bent Over Rows: 5@220/100, 5@242/110
DB Shrugs: 20@92/42, 20@98/44.5
Lat Pulldowns to Chest: 10@110/50, 10@135/61, 10@160/73

Good workout today, got both my sets of SLDLs double overhand even though I failed my second set last week with less weight. Both sets were pretty easy, the hardest part was the grip for sure. However these are ramping up and I’m definately feeling it more in my lower back.
I was going to do pendelay rows instead of bent over rows today and I did them as my warm up with 110/50, I liked them but decided to stick with bent overs. 2×5 is what Sgt. Rock’s routine actually calls for and I’m going to stick with it until the end. The set at 242 was hard but I got them all, I’ll start at 242 next week and move up if I feel I can.
Finished with high rep shrugs and lat pulldowns which I should feel tomorrow.

Floor Press: 3×5@295/134
Legs Up: 3×8@230/104.5
DB Rear Delt Flyes: 15@33/15, 2×12@43/19.5
Laying Lateral Raises: 3×15@20/9
External Rotations: 3×10@25/11
DB Bicep Curls: 2×8@38/17
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls: 2×8@50/23
Abs: 20@115/52

Good jump in weight on the floor presses, they still felt pretty light however. It wasn’t until the last set where I had a little trouble, and that was more just from fatigue. That very fatigue made the last set of legs up bench a real treat where I could barely lock out the last rep of the third set. Before that the sets felt like speed work but the last few reps of the last set were a real grind.
I changed from doing rear delt flyes on a machine to using DBs which really changes the feeling. I enjoyed the change quite a bit and so I’ll stick with the DBs for a few weeks. Hammered on my already sore rotators(some didn’t like having the bar resting on them yesterday during squats), did the always pleasurable biceps and one all out set of abs.

Squat(low bar): 3×3@405/184
GHR: 15@bw, 2×10@bw
ABs: 2×20@95/43
Obliques: 2×20@71/32

Video of first two squat sets.
I really want to work on getting the bar lower down on my back which was what today was dedicated to. Jamie says it’s about another inch or two lower than it was which sounds good too me. I really want this to help me keep my upper body solid all through the squat. If you watch the vid you’ll notice that the first set my upper body stayed pretty much rock solid from the point I started to the point I finished the reps which is what I want. The second set showed a bit of a dip on the second and third rep. This is still an improvement from what has been happening lately if you look back at last weeks squatting you’ll notice my upper body dip alot on the ascension.
After we did 35 reps of GHRs in as few sets as possible, three was as few as possible for me however I think it would have been wiser to do 12, 12, 11 because after the 15 rep set my hamstrings were cooked. Finished up with some core work and called it a day.

Scott brought up the topic of shoulder flexability and I estimated 18″ between my hands, I may have been a little high but I definately am deficient in the flexability department.

SLDL(EDIT: off 3″ block): 2×5@341/155
Bent Over Rows: 3×5@198/90
Speed Bench: 9×3@185/84 + 80/36 chains
2 Board Press: 2×5@345/157, 1×4@345/157

For the first time since I started this SLDL routine I wasn’t able to do all my sets double over hand. I got the first set but my grip was compromising my form so I had to do alternating grip for the second set. These felt good, not too heavy but definately felt them in the lower back/glutes. The bent over rows finished off the lower back and upper back…well just the whole back really. I bumped the weight on these and dropped the reps and I was able to keep good form still. I’ll stick around this weight for another week then see how it feels at 225.
Did speed bench with chains and they went really well, usually I find that with chains I can’t get much speed but today I was popping the weight off my chest no problem. It wasn’t until I got to the close grip sets that they got harder(I do three different grips, standard/mid/close).
Upped the weight on the two board press another 10lbs and all was well for the first two sets, although they were hard and the last rep of the second set was quite the grind I thought I could get all 5 on the third set but it wasn’t to be. I popped it off the boards about 3 inches then just got stuck. I’m going back to 3 board next week thank god.
Since I missed my workout yesterday which would have been the SLDL workout I decided to get both workouts in today and just do the main movements. It was fun to switch things up and do this, it’s a good test of your stamina.