June 1st, Deadlift 4 sets of 5 - Wrestling victory from the jaws of defeat 😀

 01.06.2026

So, the Summer is finally here. The supposed date on which Michigander Marco starts. I wanna share the book, and I have been - on destructivereaders.

I need to read. I've been failing to read at my usual time, distracted.

Today I also have DL. The goal is to make it as easy as possible at 253 kgs for 4 sets of 5.

You may think to yourself - "how is he planning to make it EASY is the weight and sets are fixed?" Ah, but that's where the nuance lies.

First of all, the weight isn't extremely heavy for me; if I was at the top of my shape I'd be inclined to say it's a light weight. BUT I am not at the top of my shape, BUT I am heading there and I think I might be more than halfway there.

Second - making it EASY is about putting in EFFORT. If you DON'T put in EFFORT the bar moves TOO SLOWLY which DRAINS your energy TOO FAST.

So, if you won't put in EFFORT - which is HARD - you'll make the movement TOO HARD. Paradoxical, isn't it? But that's one part of the Secret Of Steel - and it's applicable far outside the gym too.

I wrote about this concept before, more than once. I wrote about it in detail, but I don't remember when. "Physical culture" tag added, and why not throw in "philosophy" in there lol.

***

My right hip has been feeling rather tender, a little overloaded from my recent weird escapades. One legged stand before the squat, even up to 190. Well, imagine walking with 400 kgs - that'd be hard too. My right arm - occasionally hurts a tiny bit, the rotator cuff. Maybe I'm deluding myself, but I think it has become more bendy, the distance between my thumb and shoulder is shorter.

Workout

Deadlift

20 - 70 - 123

163 for 5 DOHG

203 for 4 - first rep wasn't a full one, it was a DOHG above knees. Then four reps in straps. It's an example of what I was talking about the other day - I taught myself a wrong movement pattern because I've been lifting an overly heavy weight that I could only do a full rep with under perfect conditions.

233 for 5 - okay but hard.

253 for 5 - kinda messy. I don't feel "full" and "bouncy", if that makes sense. The last two reps were really slow. But it might be a sign I still haven't warmed up. Also, I wonder if my poor diet and sleep played a role (they did, but to which degree?)

Snacked a little bit. Maybe it helped.

253 for 5 - a little better, getting there. I think I now have a much narrower stance and grip, weird.

253 for 5 - that was really messy, and uneven. I was about to give up after two reps... But then I knew I DON'T feel exhausted, I don't feel bad - I have the energy in me to do all these reps, even if it'll be sort of a "rest-pause" deal - THAT'S how you develop your general work-ability (work capacity, strength endurance) - you keep going, keep squeezing, keep digging for energy in your cells. So, I decided I should try to make a couple small changes and I put my belt in the middle and went to do a much wider stance - so that my legs are touching my forearms where I usually grip them. So the remaining three reps, each of them was rather nice! Each of them had good speed!

I should have known something was off when I suddenly "got" a narrow stance, as if it wasn't my decision to do it... I speculate - this is pure speculation on the nature of human mind - that I felt unsure, so I dove in for a "trick" to help me perform an easier deadlift and SOMEWHERE deep in my mind there was a "trick" to go for a narrow stance! This "trick" was from long before 2020, long before I grew a nice deadlift brain... Yeesh, the mistakes of youth! Then again, it is pure speculation OF the clouded mind ABOUT the even more clouded mind.

So, I have one set left and I intend to make it the best set today. Let's see how I manage...

253 for 5 - lovely. I did four reps without needing any kind of break; I had a cramp in my right hip extender swelling up and after the 4th rep I had to get up and shake my leg around. On the 5th I lifted it real nice and racked it 😀

So, that was it. A lovely little lesson, voice of wisdom screaming from the depths for me to take the right path. Hallelujah! 😀☦

Decided I need some grip stuff.

Barbell holds - 4 sets of around 8-20 seconds with 160 kgs. DOGH narrow grip, but second set was underhand grip - I dared myself to see if I can do it (even though I remember doing it back when I was fixing my right forearm)

Those sets were supersetted with the following exercise -

Partial pullups - just the shoulder blades pulling down a-la dragon rectangle or however it's called, only partial though. Four sets of 5. It's one of the more vulnerable parts in pullups for me, gets worn out easily (see Summer 2020 and my parallel narrow grip pullups)

Grip - of course the usual pinching while unloading plates and in the end I attempted to do 25+25 with the right but no cigar. So I did two sets of holds with both hands, so I can at least get used to pinching with a wide palm grip. On the second set I swung the plates from side to side, a lot of fun.

Overhead press, narrow grip - 20 for 20, not torturing myself today

That's it. I filmed all of the sets today and I'm gonna review them and probably not post them because of how bad the first two and a half working sets were 😁

It was rather inspirational to see my frustrated shocking face on that third set but then I spoke about how I need to keep going and I went ahead and did it! And the fourth set was nice too. Not really interesting though, in the end.

I'm a little upset how I suddenly got reverted back into nighttime life and I feel like I have someone to blame for it. I was sleeping really nice yesterday but somehow I woke up at eight and couldn't. Something was happening to my CNS, what a load of nonsence!

I wonder if I could have an OHP workout tomorrow (technically today - on the 2nd). Totally feels like I could. All I really need is some good rest.

RPotD - peculiar fish

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bathyonus_laticeps.jpg

From plate 84 of Oceanic Ichthyology by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean, published 1896.