LaCombe Strength

Who needs a lower back anyway?

605lbsx1 on a 3" block pull.

Block pulls suck.

Max Effort Lower : Wrapped Chain Squats
Ended up with 495lbx1. It's around 705lbs at the top with the 210lbs of chains. 50lbs PR at 37lbs lighter bodyweight. Excited that I hit this!!!!

This post will be a continuation on my previous post about tracking progress.

I highly recommend to everyone I meet in the gym to record their lifts.
The videos can be used in the moment, to see how a lift moved, see form breakdown, and it can be utilized to adjust how much weight you'll jump for the next attempt. After a heavy lift, I very much prefer watching a video of it to decide my next move. At some point, heavy weight feels heavy and it's hard to decide how much to jump just based on feel alone.

Lifting videos can also be used for future purposes, such as reviewing the video the next time you hit a certain variation.
For example, my most recent lower day was yoke bar squats and i ended up hitting 535lbs for a single with sleeves. Come to find out, the last time I hit this variation was on 12/14/18. In the 21 months that have passed, I've hit 35lbs more without wraps. Having quick access to these videos makes it easy to review on the fly and compare.

Another important facet of having both these videos is the ability to use them to track progress. I can easily tell I've progressed in strength on a variation lift. The form is similar and the only thing that is different is the most recent video is 35lbs heavier and done without knee wraps. It can also be used to remind yourself of cues, or to notice subtle ways you've allowed your form to breakdown or adjust.

I also want to point out, that if you take a lifting video, you DON'T have to post it! A lot of people don't record their lifts because they don't post them. You're looking at it wrong! Record it for your own tracking purposes. You might be surprised of the results. There has been a lot of times where I'll record somebody's lift and I hear them say, "Wow! That moved a LOT faster than it felt!".

Next time you're lifting, record your top sets. You might be surprised with what you can learn.

In the above videos, around 14 months have passed and yet my floor press hasn't gone up. 🧐🧐 Obviously I haven't made any progress! I should quit!


Progress isn't always measured by weight on the bar. In the 14 month gap I've dropped weight, improved weaknesses, and yes, increased my bench max! Although floor press is a close variation, it is probably the hardest for me.


Variations to a lift may not necessarily be making a ton of progress, but that doesn't mean overall you aren't getting stronger. There is a difference between lifts that build your bench and lifts that test your bench. Although my floor press max hasn't moved, my bench has.


Why is this?
Because for me, floor press is a builder. This is a movement I do to increase my bench. I don't care what I floor press, I care what I bench. And you should too.

Hit 610lbs off a 1" block pull tonight. It was aight. Followed it up with some pin 4 rack pull triples which really did a number on me.