Adrenalin rush for sure jjackrash. I was glad things didn’t escalate to a harsh level because I’m sure if she would have been armed I would have shown no mercy.
hey Gorilla…are you doing any speed work? I just finished my 2 weeks of speed and negative work. I think I must have done it rigth because the squats number for the second intense session which I did this week are going really well…
@Steviebeast-The box squat work I did Friday(last) night was speed work. My sets were done very fast and explosively. On my bench days when ever I am doing %70 for reps the lifts are done explosive fashion and the set intervals are quick.
great…I also found that on my negative…(I did 4 negative squat days during these 2 weeks…and 3-4 negative sets each day) I went as low as possible. I too like you started going really low, basically my thigh was touching my calves. During the negative I was careful to try to hold it before it would hit bottom.
I am lighter and smaller than you, (5 11 166) so I did lots of depth jumps and jumps with weights. I would imagine a bigger guy would hurt his knees some?? Of course I wish I could squat a ton too…I went from 240-285 in the first session…all the way down too…Now I am hoping to just add something…but this first week back is really not as hard as the first 4 were. I am also doing OHP for smolov…I do all the ohp on the same day as the squats…Its rough but manageable…Good luck
@steviebeast-I’m doing the Smolov bench the same day and time as squats and up to this point I haven’t thrown in much else besides light abs at the end of a workout and an extended set of hammer curls(i.e. 35lbs each hand for 30 reps simultaneously). I might try to add in an occasional over head press and a dead lift if I can manage the energy. I think I’ll save the jumps for after Smolov is finished.
oh the two things I do everyday…ice knees and foam roll. I firmly believe in them now. I didnt before but after the first week my knees got sore…So I iced,then tried the rolling and it really helped loosen up my thighs and lower back. Love it!!
@steviebeast-The foam rolling is an essential part of my daily life and prior to lifting. I find the lacrosse ball rolling to equally if not more effective in loosening up my hamstrings and my lower back via rolling my feet. My knees are okay and I don’t do any ice application but I’m glad it works for you.
i never tried the lacrosse balls…they really work? you lay on them on your back?
I just did my last smolov day of week 1 yesterday for the second session…I misread the workout…instead of 5x4 I did 4x5!!! kill me…I guess it doesnt really matter…
I also did 5 sets of deadlifts afterwards…all sets of 3 going to 1 of 335…wasnt very hard…I think its the only way to keep my deadlifts up to par…I didnt do any the first session.
steviebeast-The lacrosse ball is excellent. Right now, while I’m typing, I have my right thigh smashing down on a lacrosse ball. I’m rolling the ball back and forth laterally and bouncing the leg on various spots. You can really target areas of tightness. Sometimes I lean against a wall and let the lacrosse ball roll down to areas in my rhomboids, teres major and or teres minor, and infraspinatus area. I’ll roll the scapular area and really press on tense sections. I don’t like lying on back with the lacrosse ball but I do like using the foam rollers for the back.
I’m going to try and fit in deadlifts tomorrow because I begin the Smolov Intense Meso Cycle 1st day and don’t know if I can handle the lower back strain. I’m thinking speed dead lifting off low pins with sub maximal weight or maybe some other dead variation with a percentage in the 75% range, which would mean using a mid -400’s number for working sets.
I need to get me a LAX ball. That said, I have the wife walk up and down my back/butt/hamies/ on her tip-toes and heals pretty much every night. It beats the hell out of a foam roller by a long shot.
Gotta try the wife walking on my back. Good suggestion jjackkrash.
If you try it you will both need a little patience at first. It takes some practice. It also helps if she has something to hold onto for balance like a couch or railing. After some practice it only takes about 10-15 minutes to get a great benefit with fairly minimal effort, unlike a hand massage which can be exhausting to get the same benefit. If you both stick with it you will be golden.
did you notice since you said you squatted lower that you have less back pain? I have less…putting the bar higher and sinking my butt right under me helped…but I want to try that ball thing…sounds great…but painful!!!
Im trying to bulk up. Did fitness and sports too many yrs…suddenly went from 160 to 168ish in the last 3 months…feels so weird being bigger but I love it. I feel like I can smash door down ! haha
I have always done pretty heavy clean and presses so that is a good area for me…but not squats. Cant wait to do 315 x10 all the way down.
wonder what 600 feels like? death perhaps?
@steviebeast-Sometimes when I squat low I have back pain, sometimes I don’t. I think various factors such as a slight misalignment of the bar or a bad set up and uneven form contribute to my lower back pain.
Last evening’s lifting lasted about 45 minutes and the pace was vigorous.
T-Handle Swings:
60lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45 lbs(Bar) x 25
135 x 10
185 x 5
210 x 7sets x 5reps
Squats to parallel pin:
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 1
635lbs Negative x 1 rep to parallel pin
Standing Crunches:
70lbs x 25
I think I’m going to increase T-Handle poundage to 70 lbs because the reps are getting easier and I like getting heavier on my light-cardio pre-lifting because the warm-up greases my joints from the shoulders to my toes. The negative on the squat to pins was strong and I really went slow, grinding until the last inch or so.
Easy fast night but I got started about 2 hours later than normal due to a long day at work and X-Mas decorations today.
T-Handle Swings:
60lbs x 50 reps
Incline Bench Press:
45lbs(Bar) x 25
135 x 10
185 x 4
220lbs x 8sets x 4reps
Power Cleans:
125 x 8 x 3
Standing Crunches:
70lbs x 25reps
45 minutes lift time. Hit all my lifts in good form. On to the next one.
ok wow…so I havent benched in months. I havent even tried over 200 since I just do overhead presses. So yesterday after doing the squats and OHP (which I did 165x3) I decided to try a bench. Without really killing myself I did 255…probably could have done 270 fresh. The pressing helped my bench even though I have not been doing it. At 162 lbs I use to bench about 255 when I did it regularly. Now at 168, not benching any, I still can do the same!! Its like a miracle. I wonder if you have noticed the same thing?
@steviebeast-I don’t think it’s a miracle, you’ve been building a lot of the same muscle groups you use for bench when you do the pressing. It’s great you are benching well and most likely are stronger in the lift than you were before. I think pressing definitely helps my benching. Before I tore my right biceps and had surgery about a year and a half ago I was push pressing 275 lbs for 3 reps and benching 385 lbs. Nowadays, I am building up to my previous benching and pressing abilities and it’s been a real struggle but I will persevere.
275?? over head ? thats insane!!! yikes…dont think ill ever get there. I have been most of my life into fitness and speed…played wide receiver in college and semi pro…only recently got into this strong stuff…And Im 46 so i want to stay relatively healthy… All these squats makes me wonder but my legs feel great. I never get sore now. The ohp is tought…i am using the smolov squat 2nd session for the ohp and its really hard to keep up now.
I cant imagine holding 275 over head…wow
steviebeast-46 is young and I agree staying healthy and mobile is very important as we get older. Using the Smolov Squat for the OHP must be a killer. I think it would be insane to use the Smolov progression for OHP because I have never been able to have long term big increases in my OHP but maybe it’s time for me to try something new.
Only had about 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night and everything on my body aches. I feel I will have a horrible night of lifting and I can’t see getting tanked up on caffeine at this point in the evening because I won’t be able to get to sleep. Postponing tonight’s lifting until tomorrow for a more recovered, normal, and strong performance.