Hitting the Numbers… Or Trying To
So, today was the day I circled on my calendar. The plan was simple: 550x3x4. Probably deadlifts, that’s usually my heavy day target. Walked into the gym feeling alright, kinda ready for war.
Got to the platform, loaded up the plates. 550 pounds looks intimidating no matter how many times you see it. Spent a good few minutes just getting my head right. Chalked up the hands, got my belt tight, usual routine. Tried to block everything else out.
The Pulls
First set went up. Four reps. Felt heavy, yeah, but moved smoother than I expected. Stood up, walked it off, felt pretty damn good. Thought, okay, maybe I actually got this today. Confidence was high.
- Set 1: 4 reps. Solid.
Took my rest, maybe three, four minutes. Went back for the second set. And man, reality hit. That first rep was okay, second was harder. Third rep was a real struggle, felt everything start to slow down. Fourth rep… pure willpower. Barely got it, form probably went to crap but I locked it out. Knew right then the last set was gonna be brutal.
- Set 2: 4 reps. Ugly, but done.
Needed more rest before the last one. Probably sat there for a good five minutes, just breathing, trying to convince myself I could do it. Stepped up to the bar again. Pulled the first rep. Slow. Pulled the second. Even slower, felt like molasses. Went for the third… and nope. Got it maybe halfway up my shins and it just stalled. Nothing left in the tank. Had to drop it. So much for 3×4.
- Set 3: 2 reps. Failed the third.
What Now?
So, yeah. Didn’t hit the goal. 550 for 4, 4, 2. Frustrating? Absolutely. Spent the rest of the workout just kinda going through the motions on accessory stuff. But look, it is what it is. You push, sometimes you don’t get there. It’s not like some big disaster happened, nobody died.
Just tells me where I’m actually at, not where I thought I was. Gotta respect the weight. Maybe the jump was too big, maybe I was tired, who knows. Point is, didn’t make it happen today. Plan now is probably dial it back a bit next heavy day. Focus on making the reps cleaner. Build back up. It’s a process, right? Annoying, but that’s the game. Just gotta show up next time and try again.
