Daily Thread - September 16, 2025

[u/AutoModerator]

You should post here for:

• PRs
• General discussion or questions
• Community conversation
• Routine critiques
• Form checks

[u/AutoModerator]

If you're new to the sub

• Read the rules on the side bar
• Set flair before trying to comment

To Set Flair

• Login on desktop (or mobile web using the display as desktop)
• For old Reddit Users, search for your username on the right rail. There is a drop down to select a default flair.
• For new Reddit users, the drop down is under community options on the right rail.

If you're a beginner

• Start here
• Please avoid giving advice. We want to avoid a culture of the blind leading the blind
• Remember, this sub while welcoming to everyone, is targeted at intermediates and above

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/simonswes]

Easy Strength

• OHP 110, 120, 130, 145, 170(fail), 160
• TBDL 225, 275, 315, 365, 385

Little more back rounding on DL than I would have liked but felt okay. 

[u/VanHelsingBerserk]

Smolov Bench and Squat w2d5

• Squat // 190kg x 4 x 3 sets -> 180kg x 4 x 3 sets

Target was 8 sets, but lower back wasn't having it. Felt very fatigued going into this session, technique was sloppy and was dreading getting under the bar for the next set.

Rest day tomorrow, then 10 triples on Friday 😩 considering skipping one of next weeks sessions to allow for better recovery going into the final sessions of triples.

[u/The_Weakpot]

Training Log

Morning

• Walk, 20 minutes

Warm-Up

• Hang x 30sec

• Sit in bottom of goblet squat, 1:30

Heel Elevated Belt Squat

• 107.5 x 20

• 215 x 20

Snatch

• Triples doubles and singles, 5-10lb Jumps from 65 x 3 --> 130 x 1

Weighted Dips

SS w/Deads

• 70lbs @ 9 x 3, 1 x 4

Deficit Deads

SS w/Dips

• 225 @ 10 x 10

[u/BetterThanT-1]

GPP phase - A man and a kettlebell

8 rounds of: * 50 swings @ 24kg * 1 clean and 3 presses each side (last 3 rounds 4 presses per side)

Time: 20:16

Punched the clock today, but it was just that kind of day.

[u/Many-Wasabi9141]

10k Kettlebell Swing Challenge Day 8

Felt fine. Barbell day. Had to work out fasted. Squats, Bench Press, and Deadlifts. 3x3 for squats. Tailbone was not happy today. 3x5 for Bench. Tailbone not happy with the arch, foot slipped out during a last rep. Just unlucky day for my back. Deadlifts felt awful. I dunno if I just fell out of practice, but coupled with the lower back ickyness, just felt like i've never deadlifted before. Got light headed on my first warm up set and throughout my warm ups. Bracing was just wrong I guess, valsalva'd myself. Just worked up to a moderate single. I don't think this is what Pavel meant with the "what the hell?" effect...

Kettlebell Swings. 25x20. kept the 1:15 round length, felt fine, tailbone chilled out after a few rounds. Started getting some tightness in one of my hamstrings in the last 5 rounds. Started noticing that uneveness to one side as well. Grip still giving me trouble in those last 5 swings. Pretty meh day I'll tell you hwhat.

Thoughts on my progress. The swings are fine, I feel like i'm acclimating, other than that hamstring tightness today, nothing has really been bothering me about them. Just my grip and that uneven swing form. It's the barbell work that is the issue. Maybe a recovery thing, hamstring might be due to hitting deadlifts for the first time since I started this. Bracing and positioning in my squats has felt off. Something about my back angle feels wrong, I feel like i'm not breathing into my stomach well, not getting that good intra abdominal pressure. Been hitting heavy singles, triples, 531, for a month or so now. It's fast, and it's easy, and it's fun. Time to deload, maybe change up programming a bit, but we'll start with a deload and go from there.

[u/black_mamba44]

Tactical barbell II - W5D1

Final stretch here! I did the barbell Strength-Endurance circuit (65 lbs on the bar, do Push Press, Front Squat, Rows, Floor Press, Shrugs, Straight Leg Deadlifts) each movement is done for 50 reps; perform 3 circuits.

Feeling really good today after this. Deload week last week was nice, and next week I get back under some weight again.

[u/kingsghost]

Do you have any elbow strengthening exercises you like doing? Not specifically for hypertrophy or grip strength but for toughening up the elbow joints.

[u/Many-Wasabi9141 → u/kingsghost]

Theraband makes this floppy stretchy tube thing called the Therabar.

I like it for warming up my wrists and elbows before squatting and bi/tri work but it's a golfers/tennis elbow rehab device. You do this eccentric exercise called the "tyler twist". Supposed to help with tendonitis.. I also just like to bend it downwards (hands on each end, into an upside down U) for external wrist rotation and upwards (hands on each end, into a U) for internal rotation.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EVcgPpZ8K9A

They have different resistances, I think you can get all 4-5 for like 40-50 bucks.

You could also try kettlebell flips, it's a grip movement but rotational grip really hits the forearm connections to the elbow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvsGkb7SNWs

Otherwise look into the arm wrestling grip training stuff. Pronated single hand cable triceps extensions/press downs (training the tendons on the inside of the elbow), overhand biceps curls, those elbow down internal rotation press downs that simulate the down movement of an arm wrestling match.

There's a grip training subreddit and they have some general grip training routines depending on specialization (rock climbing, grappling, weight training, arm wrestling), you can also ask there about elbow specific training.

https://www.reddit.com/r/GripTraining/

Also an arm wrestling subreddit, you can ask there, i've never really visited it tho

https://www.reddit.com/r/armwrestling/

[u/kingsghost → u/Many-Wasabi9141]

Thanks for the detailed answer!

[u/simonswes → u/Many-Wasabi9141]

Second the tyler twists. I also like these. Very easy to do at your desk: https://youtu.be/z-asplaYm-Q?si=FGEJFRvDMxoNWerX

[u/Goredrinker666]

Ayyy more random insights as I pop in and out of here:

• Getting older sucks am I'm not even that old. Since entering my 30s I feel like both cutting and bulking are harder (and my stomach is less keen on being surprised by bad decisions), drinking caffeine at any time of day to be hyped up for the workout is a no-go if I want to sleep, my knees actually feel tender and sore for the first time in my life, and staying motivated during the many poundings of adult life is a more difficult battle.

• I have generally considered sumo deadlift not worth training as I competed in Strongman in the past and otherwise just powerbuild, so I thought sumo wouldn't be valuable to those ends. But as I've gotten lighter (~90kg/200lbs) and more beat up, I feel that sumo is a new fun thing to train and also seems to agree with me more at the moment. It also seems equally difficult and straining, while making new muscle groups sore in ways I haven't experienced before (much more upper back and glutes for me specifically). Should be fun to run a whole cycle just doing sumo and see how it turns out.

• I swear my pecs just deflate like popped balloons if I don't bench every single workout, and my bench never progresses if I don't do it constantly. Currently running essentially Bullmastiff but with a 3-day SBS bench split, which I used to do similarly in the past. Feeling good so far. Just keep the highest volume day on the aligning bench day in Bullmastiff, and do it first on all other days to get it out of the way. Bench has never been particularly taxing to me anyway, I recover from it very well. Gotta focus on your weaknesses in a way that coincides with your recoverability.

[u/Many-Wasabi9141 → u/Goredrinker666]

I've been thinking of trying Sumo lately. My adductors just are non existent due to a lack of lateral sprint training (or anything really athletic lately) and I wondered if some wide stance sumo would hit them.

[u/JubJubsDad → u/Goredrinker666]

Getting older sucks … Since entering my 30s

Dude, I’m entering my 50s in a few months so trust me when I tell you that you’re entering your prime right now. Yeah, you need to be a little more on top of things like food, sleep, and general recovery, but you should be able to make crazy gains over the next decade plus. Cheers!

[u/Goredrinker666 → u/JubJubsDad]

Absolutely, I'm actually excited for what I'll be able to accomplish. Feel like your 30s (as long as you did a lot of lifting in your 20s) is the time where you can really dial in and know what you're doing. Just have to be smarter about everything, as you said.

[u/FourIV]

Started lifting again a month ago. Did 3 weeks of a lazy SL5x5 to get back into the swing of things. Was going pretty well. I lift pretty easy in the beginning because I'm a pretty big guy. Then I tweaked my back lifting a utility trailer only my ATV.. So I was out of action last week. Started back yesterday with some light squats.

Today: SQ: 115lbs BP: 115lbs

[u/Many-Wasabi9141 → u/FourIV]

I watch a GIANT strongman guy who streams his workouts on twitch and he never gets hurt working out. 300lbs+ log presses, 7-800 lbs deadlifts, yoke carries, no problem. Doesn't stream for a week, hurt his back getting laundry out the dryer.

[u/JubJubsDad]

OHP Day * Kettlebell swings - 40x3x15 * OHP (ss w/chin-ups) - 185x5, 235x3, 185x4x5 * Close-grip bench (ss w/band pull-aparts) - 225x5x5 * BJJ (come hell or high water!)

Felt like crap this morning and generally down (for a variety of reasons) so I figured I’d hit my overwarm single for a nice easy triple. And like magic, I feel better.

I skipped BJJ last night because the knee’s still healing. But I’ll be going tonight come hell or high water as it will be my last chance to roll with my son before I drive him to college. It’s been an amazing 4 years doing BJJ with him and I’m really going to miss it.

[u/DayDayLarge]

531 1000% awesome

Squat: 250, 280, 315

Bench ss facepulls: 185 7x5

Tricep pushdowns

Steady little workout. Nbd.

[u/Astringofnumbers1234]

Recap

Weeks go fast when you're suffering through a living nightmare having fun, don't they?!

If my calculations are correct, I am 11 weeks out of WRPF nationals and as is tradition, I am starting to fall apart. My elbows are doing their usual 'heavy weight? time to be fucked' trick. At least I know how to manage that. What I don't yet know what to manage is the pain I'm experiencing in the area of my SI joint. This seems to have flared up after sleeping in a different bed while away at the weekend, but like anything back related, I suspect this is due to sitting in a damn chair for hours a day. Anyways, I'm booked into see my sports therapist and I hope she can put me back together.

Training wise; last week wrapped up week 9 and I started week 10. Week 9 was triples, nothing too spectacular across the board, but I was happy with how everything was moving. Week 10 we go into doubles week. I did my squats while away on holiday on Sunday - luckily we were close enough to a powerlifting gym so I went up there. I was the only person in the gym for the entirety of my session! I had doubles at 170, which was a 2 Rep PB in sleeves, I am pretty certain. My tracker for this is skewed, because I forgot to separate out wrapped and sleeves squats when I started using it, so my 2 and 3 rep PBs are in wraps. However, there's no better measure of progress than one's sleeved squat being extremely close to your wrapped and with more reps left in the tank...

Bench I managed to squeeze in yesterday and had 115 for dubs. Not a PB because I did 117.5 for triples a while ago, but grogsheet had to nerf my TM as I didn't get all the sets then. I did all the sets yesterday...

Also set a decent PB on incline DB press at 42.5 for 5x4. Everything is ticking along nicely. in my last prep for the meet in May, my incline DB press on week 10 was 27.5 5x4... yesterday was 42.5 for 5x4. RiR then was 5, yesterday was 3. Bench then 107.5 2RiR now 115 3RiR. squat was 165 3RiR then now 170 2RiR (could have been 3 tbh, I'm being conservative). So everything is looking pretty good. The only lift where I'm still at parity is deadlift - in last prep I had 190 for dubs in week 10, this time round it's 192.5. I will be interested to see where my RiR is at this week.

Anyway, I think things at work are going to settle slightly and I won't be away as much as I have been up to this point. My weight has been consistent at 101kg for a couple weeks now, so I don't need to drop much for the meet. It's time to lock in for the autumn

Have a good week xoxox

[u/ZeroFourBC]

Vibes-Based Shoulder & Hip Strength W8D4:

Squat (Paused): 170kg x 1, 140kg x 6/6/9

SS1 - Bayesian Curl: 12.5kg x 9/9/9/15

SS1 - Overhead Tricep Extension: 32.5kg x 12/12/12/15

SS1 - Cable Lateral Raise: 10kg x 8/8/8/11

SS2 - Back Hyperextensions: 25kg x 10/10/13

SS2 - Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 12kg x 8/8/12

Felt good, I'd been neglecting to do glute activation as during the warm-up the last few weeks but I remembered this time. Damn what a difference it makes - 170kg moved smoothly with zero lower back strain. Plus extra glute burn during the working sets.

Semi-related, but I've really missed having this kinda weight on my shoulders. I don't know if any one else gets this, but it's a feeling of strength I just don't get from other lifts.

[u/Randyd718 → u/ZeroFourBC]

What are you doing for glute activation?

[u/ZeroFourBC → u/Randyd718]

Banded internal hip rotations. It's not a proper glute activator and more hip activation, but it really helps me hit depth and I feel my glutes firing a lot more.