Goals Progress
315lb bench press: ~317lb (1rm estimate)
405lb squat: ~429lb (1rm estimate)
1000 pound club: ~1061 (1rm estimates)
Weight: 157lb
| Date | Bench Press (lbs) | Weight (lbs) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of August 2024 | 165 | 142 | Getting into it again. 185 was my rep max from mid 2022 when I last regularly lifted |
| End of September 2024 | 185 | 151 | Hit my previous rep max |
| End of October 2024 | 205 | 156 | |
| 11/16 | 215 | 158 | |
| 11/28 | 225 | 159 | 2 plates for the first time ever |
| 01/07 | 215 | 159 | New years goal to hit 3 plates this year. |
| 01/14 | 225 | 158 | Just getting back to where I was before the break |
| 01/20 | 230 | 156 | |
| 01/27 | 235 | 158 | Hit 235 * 4 |
| 02/08 | 230 | 159 | 230 * 6 |
| 02/10 | 235 | 160 | |
| 02/13 | 240 | 161 | |
| 02/17 | 245 | 161 | Hit 240 for 5, then 245 for 3 |
| 02/21 | 245*3 | 162 | Tweaked left shoulder from going hard during Monday sesh. 245*3 still |
| 02/26 | 250*2 | 162 | Was almost *3, like 2.7 |
| 02/28 | 250*3 | 162 | 3.5. Man eating is tough. Had a $34 meal from Whole Foods with mostly dry stuff (minimize weight). I need to work harder to gain weight healthily. Push myself there like my workouts |
| 03/17 | 225*3 | 152 | 3.5 failed no spotter threw the weights off. Fuck man. Spent a week in Costa Rica without hitting chest and eating less due to access to food. Then got hit with my worst sickness since 2022. I was still active during CR. Sickness hit me for 10 pounds. I was ready to go to 255 now I can barely do 225 for 1 set. 2 weeks and my progress is reset to January levels. I might still be sick too. I did feel pretty deep frustration when I failed my set. But no matter. We move. That’s life. I’ll be back here before mid April. Stay fucking consistent, get back up to eating as much as I was before. FUCK YOU I GOT THIS. |
| 03/24 | 225*3 | 156 | Did *3 for 2 sets. Then 205 for 7 (spotter on 8th). I was doing 225 for 10 before I left for CR. But feeling good about gaining 5 more lb, and if we follow previous progress by May I should be back to 250. Makes timeline for this year tighter but still possible |
| 03/31 | 230*5 | 159 | First day raising weight since 1 month ago. Feels so damn good. Could have gone for a 5th. And I fucking did on set 2. Can literally raise again in 2 days to 235 |
| 04/02 | 235*4 | 159.5 | We’re absolutely flying. On 3.5 hours of sleep. Up again next time. |
| 04/07 | 240*3 | 161 | Almost back to my original weight. Almost back to my original lifts. Feels good |
| 04/09 | 245*3 | 160 | Got cocky and upped it again (with a spotter). Worked out great. Next Monday/Wed I’ll be back fully |
| 04/14 | 250*2 | 162 | Back to my body weight and lifting weight under a month later. 315 soon |
| 05/05 | 255*1 | 163 | At the other gym, bench felt weird and my back slipped. Could have done 3 I think |
| 05/19 | 24055 | 163.5 | 5 by 5 at 240 felt good. Was doing 5 by 5 225 when I hit 255, so in theory I could do 270?? Will try to hit 25555 before that though |
| 05/28 | 24555 | 164 | Slow progress, but still progress. |
| 06/16 | 25053 | 165 | |
| 06/24 | 255*5 | 165 | A legitimate *5. We’re now 30 pounds off of 225, and 30 pounds from being able to one rep 315. Halfway through the year. |
| 07/21 | 245*5 | ||
| 185*5 | 166 | Started squatting again. Started going gym 4 times a week. Hopefully helps with overall strength and leg drive for bench. Will start listing both exercises even if I didn’t hit it that day | |
| 08/23 | 245*5 | ||
| 22553 | 169 | Gaining weight, but lift not going up. a) Injury from 2021 in right arm has flared up, b) sleep is off, c) intensity at the gym hasn’t been there. | |
| 09/17 | 235*5 | ||
| 22553 | Injury persists. Routine has reached the upper limit potentially. Work affecting me as well. | ||
| 10/14 | 23553 | ||
| 22555 | ~160 | Went to Peru at the start of October and ended up in an ambulance for the first time due to food poisoning. | |
| 10/27 | 240*5 | ||
| 23553 | 162 | Recovering. | |
| 11/09 | 24553 | ||
| 24555 | |||
| 13553 | 161 | Started deadlifting. | |
| 11/10 | 25053 | ||
| 245*5 | |||
| 135*5 | 164 | Climbing back up | |
| 11/16 | 25053 | ||
| 24553 | |||
| 22553 | 160 | Did a Dexascan today and turns out I was never 169. I would measure myself with clothes + phone. Measured myself in those same conditions right after the scan and I was 166. So max I hit was 163lb. BMI is 18.7% at 160. | |
| 11/17 | 255**53 | ||
| 24553 | |||
| 22553 | 160 | Back to my peak lifting strength on bench! | |
| 11/23 | 255**54 | ||
| 25553 | |||
| 25553 | 160 | Making great progress on deadlift and squat. Way way faster than it was for bench. |
1000 pound club seems very achievable. Maybe I strive for both that and 3 plate bench? | | 11/30 | 25554 25553 2755**3 | 160 | Hit 275 deadlift! No straps. Lots of chalk.
Still stuffing myself 2 meals a day (sometimes 3 when I have a full breakfast), protein powder in the morning, taking mass gainer (~700 cal) + 10g creatine + a smaller meal before bed. | | 12/01 | 25553 25553 27553 | 160 | Bench seems to be plateauing again. Hopefully next week I can try for 260. | | 12/03 | 25553 27553 27553 | 161 | 275 squat. Got some knee sleeves which probably helped. Plugging my numbers into a one rep max calculator strengthlevel.com (for one set of 5) I get 286.9 309.4 309.4 Which puts me 905.7. ~100lb away from the club. 30lb on bench until 3 plates for 1. I suspect that will take me longer still. | | 12/08 | 26053 27553 27553 | 160.5 | LFG. First time breaking 255 on bench. 2 sets of 5 clean reps. 1 of 4 clean. | | 12/22 | 26552 | 160 | 265 for the first time!! Through not sleeping well and a cold last week. 1 set 5, 1 set 4, dropped to 255 for 2, and then feet up bench 10*225
Injured my hip on the third so haven’t been pushing weight on legs | | 01/19 | 260*4 | 156 | Lost 6 pounds over the month at home. Tried to eat a lot, but alas no mass gainer.
I’m still close and on track by March. | | 02/01 | 2554 | 154 | It’s been even more difficult to get enough calories as I’ve moved and have figured out my new routine. My mass gainer order was delayed by 2 weeks. Hopeful that I can lift what I was able to lift when I weighed 7 pounds more. | | 02/23 | 2605 2755 ~ | | Did 5 easily, could have done 2655. Haven’t done bench in 2.5 months because of the back/hip injury from before | | 03/02 | 26552 28554 | | 5th was a struggle. 285 for the first time on squat. I’m less than a month away. I feel confident enough to go for 270 next week on bench and 295 on squat. My lower back still flares up on exercises that concern it. Deadlift I’ll probably do last in the 100lb club attempt, rip 315 to round it out at the cost of my back. | | 03/08 | 2655 29054 | | Can probably one rep 330 squat now. 305 bench. I could probably pull a deadlift for 335. ~30 pounds off. I may need to start deadlifting again to raise that number | | 03/09 | 2703 | | Bad sleep, feeling uncoordinated. Failed on 4th rep. I think 2705 in normal conditions is doable. | | 03/16 | 27532 29554 | | for some reason I thought I did 275 last Monday so I went for it today. Actually 3 solid reps for 2 sets (4th rep on first was shaky, second I needed help from spotter). I need to trick myself more often. 295 for full set on squat yesterday. My numbers are likely 305, 345, 315 right now. 35 off 1000, 10 off 315. No injury and I’m there in < 2 months. I weigh 156lb, 5lb less then when I was at my max somehow. | | 03/18 | 24510 close grip | 23510 with a couple in the reserve. Getting excited now that I’m closing in. In the final stretch. I need to continue to keep sleep, nutrition, routine constant and avoid injury | | | 03/23 | 2802, 2754 30554 22552 | Went for the 5lb raise not ready. Failed to get it up on the third. Towards the bottom but above back range so it’s a pure chest constraint not arms or back. Squated 305 and feel comfortable pushing to 315 next week. Back deadlifting, I can definitely one rep 315. Only constraints right now are getting to the 315 on bench and adding margin of error on squat and deadlift. | | | 03/30 | 2804 31554 x | Hit that squat yesterday and still feel like I have room. 32554 should be easy next week. 2804 for the first set. Puts me at 317 Epley. And ~400 for squat. Deadlift fail on Wednesday, instantly felt the pain. In theory im there. I just need a 2854 session and I’ll feel comfortable with an attempt. | | | 04/05 | 2853 then 2804 33054 x | If next Sunday I get clean 345 54 and Monday clean 2855 it’s go time for the Monday after. Deadlift I’ve just accepted I have to pull 315 off and potentially leave with some back pain. | | | 04/13 | 27552 34554 x | Left arm feeling off probably tweaked it during yesterday shoulders, decided not to go for 285*5. Next week will go for that, and then 🤞week after attempt 315 bench 405 squat 315 dead. Still not risking deadlift progression after how it felt trying to push above 225 a couple weeks ago. I’m confident I could do a 315 and call it without hurting myself too bad | |
Started tracking 1/20 so before then isn’t accurate to the letter
Check close grip vs wide grip, triceps could be a limiting factor.
Today (02/21) do close grip, start with 225 then go up to 245 second set. Just do 4 sets on bench, do flies,
If I hit a plateau for more than a couple weeks
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iK1VmYlyhbLMIt0zE7NDVpIft7o2nOZzdPs1AJWLjGA/edit?gid=36975061#gid=36975061](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iK1VmYlyhbLMIt0zE7NDVpIft7o2nOZzdPs1AJWLjGA/preview?gid=36975061#gid=36975061)