I recently lifted in the 2019 APF Raw Challenge in Chicago. I ended up with an 1802 total via a 705 squat, 463 bench and 633 deadlift.
I'm a couple days behind on updating my log. The rest of last week was a deload, nothing interesting to speak of really. Everything was kept to an RPE of 6 or less. Well, with the exception of some belt squats. Powerhouse just got one, might have went a little overboard there.
Started a new block this week with some different variations.
1. SS Yoke with chain - 385 + 3 chains a side, 3 x 5. This variation was was way harder than I thought it would be.
I think I'm making pretty good progress with correcting my hip shift. I had Chris watch from behind and give feedback on almost every rep, telling me if I was shifting to one side. My squat kind follows a J pattern. Looks fine until the very bottom and then shifts hard to my right. The past 2-3 weeks I was able to control is by moving very slow and with strong intent. This week I was able to squat at speed without shifting much, if at all.
The corrective exercises I've been doing are really simple. My chiro theorized that my QL was simply over powering the right glute and that I needed to retrain my glute to fire without the QL firing hard. So what he has me doing is standing against a wall and dragging one foot back using just the glute to move my leg. I put my thumb into the QL to make sure I feel that it stays relaxed and focus on flexing the glute. This seems to be helping a lot. The other exercise is super simple too, just a single leg glute bridge.
My goal is to correct this enough so I don't have SI joint pain again. I don't know how much correction that means, but I know it doesn't have to be perfect. I'm hopeful that in a few more weeks it will be consistently correct. I will continue the correctives indefinitely, low impact and easy so no real reason not to.
2. Pause Deadlift - 455 x 3 x 3
I was thinking about this last night - one of my biggest deadlift problems is that I suck at straining. I do a bad job of fighting a tough pull. I think that might be why this movement has helped a lot in the past. It forces me to be under tension longer and makes me fight.
3. Pin Pulls - 495 x 5 x 2
Tried these with a slow eccentric, same logic as above - build some time under tension.
4. Banded Glute Bride - 3 x 10 per side, green band
5. GHR - BW x 4 x 8
6. Planks