12-week strength block: week 4 check-in
Squats are finally feeling smooth. Here's what's clicking and what still needs work.
Four weeks in. Here's the honest rundown.
Squats finally clicked this week — the cue that fixed it was thinking about "pushing the floor away" rather than "standing up." Sounds obvious in retrospect, but something about the phrasing made my bracing tighten up at the right moment. My depth improved and I wasn't getting that forward lean out of the hole anymore.
Bench is moving steadily. Nothing exciting, just adding 2.5lb each session and hitting the reps. The boring stuff works.
Deadlift is the one I'm watching. My lower back was talking to me after Wednesday's session — not injured, just tired. I think I'm pulling with too much lumbar extension at lockout. Dropping the weight 10% next week to clean up the pattern before I load it again.
Sleep has been the X factor. The two nights I got 8+ hours I felt noticeably stronger. The two nights I got 6 I dragged through the session. I know this, and I still don't prioritize it enough.
Goals for weeks 5–8: keep the squat pattern, fix the deadlift finish, get to bed before midnight at least 5 nights a week.