Max DeadLift

Morning resting HR 49 bpm

Mobility
Pumps / Knee Bends

Max DeadLift Attempt

No belt or aiding devices of any kind - just me in my slippers....and dressed off course ;)

Used the following sets and reps scheme from Beyond Bodybuilding:

75% x 2-3 / 80% x 2-3 / 95% x 1 / 100 - 105% x 1 / (85-90% x 2-3 x 3-4) / 70% x 2-3

You can skip the ones in brackets depending on how much your max attempt has taken out of you.

I had an educated guess that I could do around 160kgs and calculated it out as follows, rounding up or down a little:

120 x 2 / 135 x 2 / 152.5 x 1 / 160 x 1 / 135 x 2 x 3 / 112.5 x 2

The 120s weren't so easy - I didn't feel as good as I did yesterday and this was my warm up weight. The 135s went better though, got back on my heels and powered through them both.

The 152.5 was up next and I'd never lifted over 140. I didn't really think too much about it though, I was chilling out between efforts on my summer seat. I went in and pulled it up, but it felt pretty darn heavy. Form was beginning to go and doubt started to enter my head about going for 160. Looking back in hindsight, I should have went for 155 or maybe 157.5 tops - but hindsight is 20-20 as they say.

Bollocks to it I thought, lets try for this 160 - it's such a nice round number. I took a little longer than I had between the other lifts maybe 7 mins. I walked into the shed and eyed the weight on one side, too much I thought to myself. I was beginning to psyche myself out before I even started. I cleared my head. Just looked at the bar and began to tense myself up, cramping up all the muscles in my body. Took a big gulp of air into my stomach and it was time to go.

I went for it.....it didn't move....for a few seconds. Then it came off the deck and slowly went up to just below the knees. My back was bent over and my form was awful. I wrestled with it there for a few seconds.....then it went to just above my knees!! It stalled there and I couldn't lock it out, I was bent all out of shape and thought my grip was beginning to go. But I dug in...it just stayed there for what felt like 10secs but was probably only 2....then I began to pull my hips through and straighten my back. I LOCKED THAT SUCKER OUT FOR A BIG NEW PR!!!!! I held out at the top for maybe only a second and then dropped it before my hands gave out. It made quite a loud clatter on the ground, but it was music to my ears. I'm well chuffed. Finished out the sets and reps as detailed above and did a few stretches.

I seem to have gotten away with any mishaps - I hope. I was lucky though, it was my absolute limit, I could have easily injured myself. I'll write this now and hope I stick to it - I won't ever be going that close again, especially with such horrible form.

I didn't write out all that stuff in my post "What I think I know about strength" for nothing and at some stage I will be testing out my theory. For now though, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I'll start another Justa cycle tomorrow at 110kgs - just a little under 70%.