Deadlifts 5X5

Deadlifted Saturday morning with a friend who I used to lift with.  Having a partner was a good thing, and it's something I've really been missing.  Having a partner at the gym is great for several reasons:

It keeps you motivated and in the gym more often.  I've been going to the gym very infrequently lately,  2-3 times a week.  With a partner, you feel an obligation to make sure you don't miss a workout, or just put it off till tomorrow or the next day.

It helps you to try heavier loads.  I usually don't hesitate when I want to try a higher weight, but there have been times when I want to push the weight up on squats (for instance) and don't because there's a nagging worry in the back of my head that I don't have a spotter.  Or I won't try a 5th rep because I'm worried I won't be able to stand back up with the weight on my back.  Or I'll end up doing a shitty last rep because I didn't want to go all the way down.  Etc, etc.  Having a spotter and not needing it is better than not having one at all.

It makes you keep your workout fresh.  Having someone to bounce ideas off of helps.  Sometimes your workout needs to change, and a second pair of eyes on the workout helps make this happen.

And finally, it makes you train harder.  This one is the simplest, and most important.  Honestly, no matter how self motivated you are, when you have someone looking over your shoulder, you work harder.  Not only that, there's always a small element of competition, even if it's never acknowledged.

So there, some benefits to having a partner. Anyway, I deadlifted.  Here are the sets.

Saturday - 10/13/12
Deadlifts - 5 sets
135x8
225x5
285x5
285x5
285x5
275x5
275x5

And then a crazy blood blister formed on my right hand.  No idea how that's gonna turn out.  It's still there, beneath the surface, only hurts when I put pressure on it.  Maybe it'll just go away...?