February 6th 2014 Speed Squat + Heavy Pull

Box Squat (Parallel)

worked up to 100kg * 2 * 12 (30 seconds rest)

then worked up to 150kg * 2 (RPE 8)

Squats felt pretty good today, weight was light and moving fast, so kept trying to practice my acceleration and make the weight 'jump' off my traps as much as possible. Working up to a heavier double after that just to feel some heavier weight. Focused on pausing and holding the weight on the box, and using the glutes to power it out of the hole.

Rack Pulls (3" below knee) (RPE 9)

100kg * 2

130 * 2

160 * 2

180 * 2

200 * 2

220 * 1

232 * 1 

3 inches below the knee is roughly the same as a 4" block pull for me, but I prefer pulling off the rack because I always find it much harder to start the pull. Target for today was 500# and hence it was somewhat of a little triumph to be holding more than 500# in my hands again post injury. It's been 18 weeks since my injury which is the fastest I've come back from this similar injury, the previous time taking me about 24 weeks. Back position on the 232 felt comfortable enough, but felt like it was near limit so stopped. Could bring the hips through easily, which for me is a tell tale sign my back integrity was still ok. 

Front squats

60 * 10 * 2

Just some light front squat work, but my hips were tightening up from the pulling, so stopped here and moved on to stretching, since I couldn't open them enough to really get the butt sitting down. 

All in all, a good session. Did some flossing with the bands for my ankle, calves, quads and hips, but not very thoroughly, just enough to allow me to get into good squatting position. I find it's much faster than rolling and stretching though, but the effects are temporal. Toe is still fractured and still swollen but the bruising has gone down. Didn't have to think much about it while squatting today though; maybe it's the amino energy(?).