2/6/2023
Have been reading Dan John’s Never Let Go, and ran across this gem:
Snatch, 8 reps, into
Overhead squat, 8 reps, into
Back squat, 8 reps, into
Row, 8 reps, into
Deadlift, 8 reps.
Prescribed as a warmup. I typically don’t warm up but @Dan_John 's idea here is that your warmup is part of the workout, grooving important movements that are otherwise not covered in today’s strength work.
Started with 2 rounds of the above, at 65 and 85 lbs. Limiting factor currently is stability in the overhead squat, but it shouldn’t take long to be warming up with 2 or 3 rounds at 95lbs, and that by itself is going to do me good I can tell.
Next, decided to try DB bench instead of the usual, so:
DB bench: 5x70s, 5x80s, 4x90s, 3x2x90s
superset with
BB row: 3x10x175 with lots of english, 3x10x135 with tight form.
Then 2 sets of DB pec flyes. Definitely do not have the hang of these.
Dips, 3x12 unweighted, SS ab rollouts from knees, 3x6.
A couple sets each of biceps and triceps after that. Had some weird hand pain doing a french press, switched to the cable machine.
I tried writing a response cue-by-cue that I use but learned I have a hard time meaningfully communicating deadlifting form via typing. You’re right, you started well, but your hips raised and your upper body leaned forward.
The only current advice I can think of is echoing what others have said, but with an asterisk - heavy Pendlay rows. They’re single -rep barbell rows, where the bar is rowed explosively from the ground with the body locked into a support brace. Hold the bar against the abden for a second, then lower it under control. Reset your position, and blast that bar off the ground again while maintaining very strict bracing. That lift helped my upper back strength and flat-backed, hip-hinged bracing a lot more than other movements.
A buddy of mine gave me a tip for finding your strongest starting position, he knows his stuff and I have used this trick in the past to slightly adjust my form.
Load the bar with a semi-heavy weight, nothing crazy, maybe 70%. Perform a few touch and go reps and record yourself. You’ll find that your initial starting position on rep one differs quite a bit from the subsequent touch and go reps. Typically (for me) my TnG reps “start” with a higher hip position, and I think the case will be the same for you if you try this.
Your hips shoot up to your strongest position leading your shins to shoot back and the bar ends up way out in front causing the weight to be lifted by your back as opposed to your whole body.
The best cue I’ve found is driving hips into the bar from the start. Keep your hips as close to the bar as possible and the bar as close to your body as possible.
@boilerman there’s a former powerlifter at my gym, and he gave me almost the same advice yesterday. Basically that me trying to keep my hips low was wasted effort trying to conform to someone else’s biomechanics, and that the reason they rise is because that’s how I’m built to lift; so, set up the start position based on that hip height and go from there.
I hope I understand him, you, and @TriednTrue all correctly.
Will drill this when I get a chance.
2/8/2023
Life prevented a gym trip this morning so squat day happened at home. I did this brutal thing:
135 lbs.
8 rounds:
8 front squats followed immediately by 8 back squats.
Holy crap.
Kept rest periods at 1 minute, then 2 minutes, then 3 and was close to death the whole time. Don’t believe me? Try it, I dare you. Legs were like jelly afterward.
Followed that up in the PM with 250 swings. 25 EMOM for 10 rounds, 50lb bell.
2/9 thursday
Work meeting schedule gave me an opportunity for a rare off-routine gym trip, so i took it.
Warmup: 65lb, Dan John complex, 8 each of snatch, oh squats, squats, rows, deadlifts.
Snatch: 2x95lb; 4x2x115lb
Hip thrusts: 135lb. 3 sets.
Between those main sets, a bunch of forearm stuff, french press, curls.
Finished with 4 rounds of sled push, no rest.
And there was a suspension trainer by the sled so i did 20 inverted rows on it before leaving.
Quads are incredibly painfully sore from yesterday. Not surprising. Hurts to walk.
For the record: i need more of both of the last 2 workouts.
Both were off program and not about progression (in the short term).
One was about pushing myself to limits, and the other was refreshing and was about drilling two movements that I’m not good at, using minimal weight.
I’m still hurting from the first one, and i still feel good from the second.
2/10 Friday
Quick home session today.
BTN press, strict press, unweighted pullups. Overhead carries with the 100lb sandbag. DB side raises.
Not a lot of work. Am frankly still wiped out from Wednesday’s squats plus the calorie deficit.
2/13 Monday
Sick. Stayed home and did this:
2 rounds of my favorite Dan John complex. Used 65lb then 95lb.
(8 of everything: snatch, oh squat, squat, row, DL.)
Overhead squats with 95 woke me up.
5 rounds:
15 batwings
10 pushups
2 rollouts from toes, dropping to knees at the end of range
The batwings just used 20lb DBs.
Then 250 swings going 25 EMOM for 10 rounds, 50lb
All considered a great, light, invigorating session.
Still sick. Baby sick too so nearly no sleep.
That coincided well with work and family pressures to just train light and fast and briefly, at home. So i did:
Goblet squats.
Snatch each set of overhead squat triples. Best was 125lb. Improving.
Front squats, best was 3x185lb and 1x205lb.
250 kb swings in 9:06 i think. Instead of going 25 emom i did 100, 75, 75.
2/17/23
Woke up feeling weak, and concerned that im losing my strength by cutting. Wife made it worse by saying i look so much better, who cares how much you lift, keep looking like this!
Bent my bar at home so went to the gym for this Morning’s session. Glad i did:
Warmup, Dan John complex w 85lbs. 8 of each: snatch, oh squat, squat, row,deadlift.
Then:
Presses, sets of 5, then doubles up to 125.
Superset with pullups. Singles up to 90lbs, PR tie, then 3x4 BTN pullups.
Then 5 single clean-and-press. 135, 145, 155, 165, 175 but didn’t lock out the last one. I definitely have it in me but was in my own head because i haven’t put anything that heavy overhead in a while, and thats nearly bodyweight.
Overall felt great.
Thanks, unfortunately not truly as impressive as it sounds. I believe it happened during 95lb snatches being dropped from full height… a little less impressive than one might imagine.
Academy has bars for $75 so i’ll probably go that route soon; but for today I’ll get by with sandbags.
2/18/2023
100lb sandbag, 30 throws over shoulder in under 5 minutes.
200lb sandbag, 10 shoulders, took about 15 minutes.
DAMN that’s hard. Sandbag weight is NOT linear! Shouldering the 200 is a serious challenge for me. Going 10x was really tough.
2/20/23 Monday
Warmup: 1 round of the Dan John Complex with 85lb:
8 power snatch, 8 overhead squat, 8 squat, 8 row, 8 deadlift.
Bench Press: 5x135,155, 175; 8x195. 3x8x135 for backoff.
Next week go up and hit 215.
Supersetted that with: Snatch-Grip High Pulls, 4x3. 135, 155, 155. Next week stay at 135 and control the eccentric a bit.
And, 3x8 rows 155.
A couple power cleans; failed an attempt at 195. I have it in me; just didn’t get it this time.
Dips: 3x12. Superset with: Ab rollouts from toes, dropping to knees at the extreme end, 3x3.
Pec flyes 3x8x40lb, standing skull crushers 3x8, standing EZ bar curls 3 sets.
5 pullups on the way to the shower.
Felt really good. Looking forward to next week trying things a little differently: Will try a heavier bench press than I have in a while, will give SGHP another go with less weight, will do doubles or triples of the power clean and just get some practice in without going over 175.
Overall I’m doing really well. Cut carbs out as of yesterday; I have a feeling the next few pounds are going to require better discipline than I’ve been showing, and when carbs are allowed I think I give myself too much freedom.
FWIW, I bought a boneyard barbell from rogue, and have been very happy with it. Yeah, you dont get the warranty, but the bars are basically the same as any other rogue bar. I dont imagine you get a warranty from Academy either, but I bet the rogue bar can take a lot more of a beating before you need to replace it. No real wrong move either way, but I think the boneyard bars offer a good middle ground between cheap barbell and paying a lot for top of the line stuff.
2/22/2023.
Really simple: add weight to every set.
Power snatch each set of OH squats. Up to a single at 125.
Limited by the snatch catch, which when unconfidently caught makes me hesitant to rep out the squats. Need to learn how to catch it deeper, ultimately in the bottom of the squat.
Front squats up to a single at 215. Possibly a PR?
Squats up to a single at 285.
Thats it.
Edit to add: repaired my bent barbell by means i need not describe.
Got up at 4:30 to support work emergencies and still have time to lift on the way in.
Warmup with the usual Dan John complex at 85lbs. Got a miserable left thigh cramp from this. Lol 5:00 AM.
Pullups: 9x3 at varying grips, between sets of the above
2 sets each side raises, bis, tris. Change clothes and off to work.
Note. Two teeny girls started taking selfies right next to me during the 155lb work. It was very uncomfortable. I think they wanted me in the background.
Some of the attempts i failed to lock overhead. I think i have 175 in the bag, but i need to drill the technique more.
Also: 95lb strict press was SO HARD. Guess because i lost weight? And now BTN is EASIER? The lower ROM of BTN seems to make it easier despite the mechanics, at my current condition. I winder if i could try to BTN a heavy single or double and be better than a strict press?
IMO, the BTN uses weaker and/or fewer muscles to put it up, but is in a better mechanical position than strict press. So you might just be better with those muscles in a relative sense, and combined with the shorter ROM….?