Thursday -- Deadlifts
I pulled again on the very stiff Eleiko power bar. For those who are curious, I first load a 10kg plate then a 15kg before the first 25kg plate. This is because the Eleiko bar is very short and the smaller plates give an extra inch or so on each side to accomodate my wide stance... I like my toes how they are. I've never dropped a weight on them pulling sumo and that is the trend I'd like to continue. Also, another tip for both productive pulling and an added safety measure is picking the bar up on a jack after each lift and tightening the spin-lock collars. This way the plates have no wiggle room. If they have wiggle room, the bar can shift horizontally when you lift it and that shift will reduce the power in the hips. Additionally, if the weight shifts right or left... It's that much closer to your feet when it comes down... It's a little bit OCD, but it makes a big difference
Stiff Bar Deads Sumo
275 (125 kg) x 2 x 8 (warmup)
495 (225 kg) x 6
606 (275 kg) x 2
694 (315 kg) x 6 (wasn't terribly hard, but it was enough)
Stiff Bar Block Pulls (3.75" blocks) Sumo
760 (345 kg) x 3
804 (365 kg) x 6 (these felt good. I'm trying to build an efficient start position and tempo to both carry over to hip strength off the floor and to build back and torso strength)
Stiff Bar Deficit Deads (3.5" deficit) Conventional
606 (275 kg) x 6 (these were easy, but enough to finish the workout. I'm still feeling my collarbone a little on these as I finish the lift, so that's still a point of concern)