It will definitely make you stronger
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3/21/2022 J’s Stupid Simple Program Week 7 day 1
Squat: 5x10. 135, 185, 205, 205, 205.
Superset DB Row: 5x3@100
Wide grip Bench 3x3 135,155,175
Good Mornings 3x8 95, 115, 115 slow and deep
Captain’s chair leg raises, straight, 1x20
Leg Extensions 3x8
Excited to finally move the reps down on squats. Plan is for sets of 6 on Thursday, then lower next week.
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3/22 Tuesday
200lb bag picks. 9.5 reps LOL:
Attempted 8 reps going every 30 seconds. First four lengthwise, last 4 crossways. The last pick I failed - twice. Just couldn’t get it. So I rested a moment, then got video of a crossways and lengthwise pick for form check.
100lb bag floor press. 2x10.
Ab wheel, 2x4.
Wanted to do some overhead work with the 100lb bag but just couldn’t get it up. My right arm was not responding very well, plus I had all the kids out there too by that time.
Here are the videos @simo74 @T3hPwnisher @carlbm
Lengthwise: I missed my lap and ended up pinching between the knees.
Crosswise: You can’t see it but I jammed the fingers of my right hand when shoving them under. It hurt for a while after. My lap position looks awful. More dorsiflexion and upright torso maybe?
Feedback welcome. I’m aware that just “getting stronger” is the most significant piece of this. The bag outweighs me - I’m about 186lb right now.
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Instead of having your feet outside the bag on the crosswise pick, I like to have my feet UNDER the bag. It’s like the difference between a sumo and a conventional pull.
I set myself into place, roll the bag onto my feet, then pick. It also creates a bit of daylight between the floor and the bag.
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I think this is the first time someone has tagged me out of the blue to help in a log. Which is great. It either means I know what I’m doing - OR people just think I know what I’m doing. So I’m good or confident.
Either way I’ve pretty happy.
I can only comment on how I lift things like this. And when I did stones I got my hips lower.
If you pause the top video at 10/11 seconds and the bottom at 17/18 you’ll see the angle of the hips. They are VERY high. Meaning that you get very little leg drive. In the bottom video you have alomst no leg drive, and row the bag onto your lap. Impressive but its not efficient.
I’d get lower, get those arms driven in deeper. The deeper the arm the higher the bag after standing up.
Also - cleaning / shouldering a sand bag is hard. I can clean a 100kg log. But I struggle with my 60kg purpose built multi grip sand bag. Sand bags are loose. And that means energy transfer is ineffective. This might take a while. But it will be worth it.
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@T3hPwnisher Thanks for that tip. Makes total sense, I’ll try it!
@carlbm Re: the out-of-the-blue tag, I saw your commentary on @simo74 so was hoping I could benefit from the same well of expertise - and it paid off! Thanks for that.
OK re-watched the second video, and at 0:17 I see it now - I just rowed the bag up instead of deadlifting it. Maybe that’s why my right elbow hated me afterward. I’ll work on getting the hips lower and driving up with the legs, maybe I can get another video check in a week or two.
Hehe I’m afraid so. I’m not a strong person and this is a pretty serious challenge.
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Finally, a moment to note down some thoughts.
I changed the log title last year to name my goal of 1-2-3-4 plates. Felt, at the time, that by the end of '21 I could have attained that, or at least the 1-2-3 part. I was wrong.
What changed everything, to be honest, is the baby. Having 4 kids, and one of them very little, and caring a lot about all of them and about my wife, means that life can’t revolve around sleep, eating, and training, especially if those variables are to be aligned for quickly reaching a 315 squat.
However, I have made progress. Way back in October/November of '21 I had worked my way up to a max single, at 285lb. The week before I’d done triples at 245 and 5x5 at 225.
Fast-forward to the past few weeks, and I’ve done sets of 10 at 205, sets of 8 at 235. Perhaps I can shoot for sets of 6 at 255, and 4 at 275 or 285?
If necessary, repeat that for a week or two, then drop to sets of 5 and 3 for another week or two?
I may not hit 315 for a while but I bet I’m a lot closer this time. I know I folded like a wet paper sack under 295lb in December.
As to the 4-plate deadlift, well, once I get the squat I keep thinking the deadlift won’t be so hard to attain. Particularly as I make friends with my 200lb bag… but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
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It’s humbling that you think so. And I’m happy to help.
Spoiler alert. This is the only way to get stronger. It’s not pretty or easy. But from a moderately strong guy - it’s worth it.
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I am new to this sandbag stuff too mate so not sure how much I can help but always happy to talk getting stronger.
I think @carlbm and @T3hPwnisher have pretty much said it all. It deff looks like you try to row the bag up which would be very hard for that size of bag. When I watched the first video where to tried it longways it didn’t look too different to how I do mine other than the row bit. The comment you made about it not going into your lap looked like it was caused by the size of the bag and where you lift it from. The only other thing I can see when you do the long ways pick is that your left hand is not very far under the bag, you roll it onto your right hand but then as you try to get your left hand under as it is rolling back it looks like it doesn’t really get under. The further you get your hands under will help you get it closer to your body and maybe have it a little higher which will stop it going between your knees. I hope that makes some sense.
All being said that is a bloody heavy sand bag and it was your first go at it, it will get better quickly as you get stronger and more used to it. Well done mate.
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23lbs. Put this together because he wants to be like me. He weighs about 50lb.
And it looks like he has hips high like me too 
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3/24 Jssp w7 d3 or d4
Did some strict pressing last night, got 135x2 but failed attempting a 3rd rep.
Today, squats:
6x135, 185, 225
6x255 sucked awfully. Depth didnt feel sufficient.
6x255 again, mentally treated it like 6 singles, stull sucked awfully, and i know depth was lacking
6x235 wasn’t easy but i made damn sure to hit depth. Had to throw ego away again.
6x1x235 going 1 EMOM for 6 minutes, really solid reps each time
Leg extensions
Done.
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Then you are doing something right. This is a good bit of weight.
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Topped that off with a gallon of whole milk, beef and sausage for lunch, 8oz steak for dinner, and cheese+proscuitto for a snack. Hope that helps.
@Cyrrex thanks, thats kind of you. But all you blokes are squatting 315+ for reps, and it’s taking me years to close in on a single. Its kinda disappointing.
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Being too hard on yourself. Firstly, not sure how many people are really repping 140, and taking the lifting population on the whole it is definitely not very many as a %. That said, you have what it takes to get it done. Personally, I would recommend both a mind-shift and a training shift, but there are many paths.
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3/25/2022 JSSP W7 Day something
Bench press:
Had some fun. Did triples up from 95lb to 205lb, with 2 sets of 3 at 205lb. Last rep of each was a tiny bit grindy but it wasn’t awful. At home with no safeties or spotters but was confident enough.
Leg Extensions: Supersetted these with the bench press using the shitty little attachment on my bench. About a million sets of 20, increasing weight until it was annoying but again, no great exertion here. Just taking it easy and doing something.
@Cyrrex Thanks, and I’m open to a mind-shift and traning shift, BUT not at this moment - I’m committed to something on the advice of a guy at my gym, I’m several weeks in and several more to go. I feel it would be disrespectful to bail on his plan at this moment.
Basically having done 4 weeks of 12s on Monday an 8s on Thursday, I’m in two weeks of 10s on Monday and 6s on Thursday, then 2 weeks of 8s and 4s. Then I guess have a look at where I am before proceeding.
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OK I feel a little better now LOL. This was in October of '21, just after hitting my goals of 135 strict press and 225 bench press. So I have made meaningful progress in the past several months.
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Yeah, that is a way bigger work capacity, and your maxes are better as well.
Agree with @Cyrrex mate. You are still getting the work in and doing a good job. Remember that this is a hobby and it still has to fit around the other parts of your life that require time and effort like work and kids and relationships.
Comparing yourself to some lifters on the forum that you follow is probably not the best idea. Firstly you likely only follow and interact with people who are already strong and we all have different training mileage.
All that matters is that you are doing the work and over time you will get stronger. If a 3 plate squat is truely the main goal right now then you need to consider how hard you want it and what time can you alllcate to training it. This will dictate whether it is a 6 week, 6 month or 6 year goal ?
@wiseman83 helped me increase mine over the last 2 years but it also took work and commitment.
Give us some idea of the time you can allocate to this goal and I am sure we can help you with some good ideas to get there.
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We got some squat videos up in here we can take a look at? They say success leaves clues, but at the same time, failure does too.
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@wiseman83 that’s a great idea, thanks. I’ll get some videos next week and tag you!
@simo74 thanks for all that.
Regarding the time I can allocate to this goal: Well at the moment, I use Monday and Thursday mornings for squats, those sessions are typically about 45 minutes.
I shoot for Tuesday to hit anything else that’s really needed (Pressing or Benching or DB stuff). But the Tuesday work is totally unstructured. I have met my goals on press and bench so I don’t put a lot of mental energy into them.
Then every weekend I try to do some sandbag work, and plenty of long walks and/or a short run.
If every session should be converted to just squatting, I’d be willing to do that; so that should give you an idea of the total amount of time.
One point unanswered by my current “program” is any assistance/accessory work to do on squat days. As it is, after squats, depending how I feel I may do one of the following: Nothing; more squats; front squats; BSS; leg press; good mornings; leg extensions. Just whatever I feel at that moment is a good idea. Perhaps structuring that a bit better would be wise?
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