April 30th - Actual Deadlift PR

 30.04.2025

I've been kind of a mess. My ribs whatever thingy - perhaps intercostal neuralgia - it sort of healing, then it sort of came back. Going in between going hungry and eating too much. Had a theribbulous reflux this morning, had to take an omeprazole. It helped me back in the day when I unknowingly abused NSAIDs - you know, aspirine - but apparently it makes your bones weaker, which is a big deal. Monday has been kind of a mess. Sunday too, Tuesday - a whole lot of nothing. Tuesday, in fact, was sort of horrible, actually. Bad thoughts.

Workout

Deadlift

20 - suddenly feeling so bad and weak

70 for 10 - much better

120

160

203 for 3

233 for 3 - very slow, taking pauses between reps - because I think I rediscovered the technique that seriously allows me to shorten my DL range. I'm really forcefully curling down my upper back, which clashes a little with my breathing - so I have to balance, but it's still well inflated, although possibly not to the max. And the bar stays by my legs throughout the whole movement! Very interesting.

243 for 2 - nice, one rep mixed another reverse mixed. Very easy, very short range. Hard to believe I'm actually rediscovering this style of deadlift for myself!

253 for 2

263 for 1

273 for 1 pretty easy, Skin still hurting a lot on lowering the bar. A great advantage of this more vetical amplitude is the lack of torque in bar rotation at the start of the movement, when it gets close to my legs. Lockout was easy. It just makes all the sense now - I'm stuck with the bar far away from my body when I do my normal - formerly normal - type of DL which is so much more similar to the weightlifting pull than this Konstantinov DL I'm doing now.

283 for 1 - not bad, only a little shake past the knees! Not even just a defacto PR - a factual PR! +2 something kgs. +2.5kgs, if we're being specific.

293 for a very close attempt - first I did it mixed, all all reps before that. Didn't set up right - only jerked it off the floor a little bit and had to drop it immediately. Not completely used after all. Second attempt better - I put the belt high again, and used straps, set up better. I got it very easily to the sticking point, held there, but had to put it down. This is the closest attempt ever.

On 283 I burst some skin on my left middle finger and at the base of my right pinky. Peculiar that I can actually do the finger-hook technique without excessive pain now! But the skin does wear out eventually. And then you have to let it recover. I['m very happy. Yesterday - Tuesday - was so bad I was again fantasizing about killing myself, even though my old 'despondence' and 'despair' - those very specific feelings - they're completely gone. But all those health issues combined with constant confusion and feeling of living in a world that is a lie - that bothered me yesterday. Lack of energy, too. Lack of energy has gotta be the worst thing amidst all that. I could have gone the same way if I gave in to that feeling I got on my first warmup set, on 20. But instead I'm elated at this tangible progress I have within me. I know 283 isn't my max, I know I can do more but I haven't optimized it. It's been over 2 hours, admittedly. GIven that, it's great how I still managed to deadlift 293 to my knees and hold it there. I just want this fricking rib pain to go away though 😁 I don't have it now - thanks to endorphins - and also I didn't have it when I woke up today, Thank God - but I'm a little wary it might come back.

I really wish I could write here more again, but I've been curiously focusing more of my writing effort on the book. It's not the same of course, but it's kinda similar. (o rly?) I'm glad. I'm glad I got 283 today. Do not underrate small PRs like that.

Villa Poppaea. Corredor entre el peristilo y el jardín de la piscina.