HCT-12 recap

Here are the brief results of using a slightly modified HCT-12 routine over the last 4 months.

Squat 6RM went up about 20 pounds, from 185 to 205.
Bench press 6RM went up about 5 pounds, from 210 to 215.
Deadlift 1RM went up about 20 pounds, from 245 to 265.
Overhead press 6RM went up about 10 pounds, from 110 to 120.

These don't seem like big numbers, but I'm pretty happy with them. I think the big thing with the deadlift was just practice and form. Squats, in my opinion, are really difficult to improve while losing weight.

Over the course of the next several months, the new program will have me getting much closer to my 1RM every 4 weeks, so my progress will be a little easier to judge. I like the auto-regulation in HCT-12, but the structured approach of 5/3/1 really appeals to me. Getting up to 95% of my 1RM every four weeks will really allow me to judge the weights I've been using, so that I can plan the next cycle. I'm going to start with relatively conservative numbers on my first run, and adjust according to how they feel.

My workout logs should get a bit shorter, as I'm going to stop logging my warmup sets. I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on they type of warmup that works well for me, so recording it in detail seems like a waste. Instead, I'm going to try to keep a little bit more detail about things that are worth mentioning; like how I was feeling that day, which weights need to go up, which things I need to work on, etc.

Monday will be my first day on 5/3/1, and I'm stoked about it.
Just FYI, the figures I'm using for my 1RM for the first cycle:
Bench: 240
Squat: 240
Deadlift: 265
Overhead press: 135