feeling good, squating tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day 
pretty happy about that, a couple weeks ago, I was debating quitting heavy training, I was starting to dread my workouts, but a couple weeks of doing my own thing, coupled with finding this smolov program this morning, has me pretty reved up. I like seeing/feeling results week to week, and I know people hate smolov, but when I’m on it, I can feel myself getting stronger. Putting all my lifts on that steel cycle, was to much for me, not from a volume stand point, the exact opposite I think, it was the fact that all my lifts were on a program, that was keeping me from pushing hard. It’s one thing to do a workout with 10x3 with a weight you could get 7-8 with, but to be doing it with all my lifts, for weeks at a time, was bugging me out, I should have done what I had said originaly, and kept my other lifts on 531, because you get rep maxes every week, I don’t mind keeping 2-3 reps in the tank, once and a while, but on all my lifts, on all my workouts, fuck that. The template does work, and I’d still recomend it to anyone, but do one lift at a time, I’m still running it on the bench, and I’m sure I’ll get my goal, but I need to push the pedal to the floor, it’s just me. So I’m running the smolov, on squats, and fininhing steel cycle on bench. The rest I’ll just fill in as I go, how I feel each day. I don’t know right or wrong, but at the end of the day, being able to enjoy my training ranks number one, because if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it, and if you don’t stick to it, it won’t be effective. Latter
Ya. Thats for sure. Gotta be all in *. Or get mixed results.
Got this from Pwnisher’s blog today
‘‘Because the average man is only willing to take the risks that allow him to remain average.’’
turning and running, every time the going gets tough, is the surest way to end up no where, and mabey because of my age, and the fact that I lost so many years to injuries, addiction, and nonsense. I can’t stand wasted workouts, I have to feel like I’m breaking new ground, taking the tough road, and pushing limits. I’ve given myself 10yrs to dedicate to PLing, I was on the right road in my early 20s, but life got in the way, and now at 40, life is right, money, family, and health, are all in place, and it’s time to chase some goals again, strength wise. But I can’t be pissing around, trying to find the easy or quick way to do things, just make sure at the end of the day, I have no regrets, I couldn’t have done anymore. Thats it, thats all I can do. Latter
By the way, my wife is going to try and video tomorrows squat workout, and see if we can upload it, I’ve finaly gotten the uploading of pics down, so now it’s time to figure it out with vids, it’s not a big squat workout tomorrow, but I have some PR’s comming up, and I want to get this vid thing mastered, so we’ll see how it works out. I’m pretty pathetic with a computer, short of burning a CD, or downloading some porn, I never had a need to learn, or spend time on one, but because of Tnation, and setting up this log, I’ve had to figure all kinds of shit out, emailing myself a pic, then sending it to my documents, and then getting that up onto my log. Probably nothing to the young guys, but it took me 8mths, and 18pgs of a log to figure it all out, so atleast I know I have somthing to keep me busy for a couple days trying to upload a vid. I’d rather be 100 ft in the air, welding a steel beam in place, then fucking around with a computer, but such is life. Latter
Tuesday Jan 21 smolov squat day 2
Squat
a bunch of warm up sets and stretching
255x8
255x8
255x8
275x5
295x2
295x2
315x1
WOW ! how can two exact same workouts, feel so totaly different LOL. fuck, today was a challange. I did this exact same workout yesterday, and it was a breeze, I supersetted in a bunch of other stuff, and when I got to the last set of 315x1, I felt like I could have got 10 with it, I had extra energy so I did some cleans, and leg curls. Today was a different story, I wasn’t sore when I started my workout, I could barely tell I had a workout yesterday, but right away I could tell I didn’t have the pop I had yesterday, by the time I got to the two sets of 295, I was ready to call it a day, and the 315 felt like a true 1RM. I did some curls in between the first couple sets, but stopped supersetting after that, and just focused on the squats. I have the exact same workout tomorrow, but the last set is 345, instead of 315, then 3 days off, where I’m suposed to stretch every day, after that the real work starts YA ! Didn’t bother trying to figure out video today, because I didn’t feel like doing anything other than the squat workout. Friday I have a big bench day, I’ll try to video that. Anyway 12 weeks and it’s suposed to add 100lbs to my squat, but the russian that invented smolov, said that you have to pay for that 100lbs, by craming a years worth of training into 12 weeks. I live for this shit, but I’m going to have to get smart with my recovery, I have an old lacross ball I haven’t used for a while, think I’ll drag it out, and start using the hot tub at night. Life is good Latter
Hot tub! I take extremely hot showers and stretch in them sinceni dont have one. Sometimes if I feel like something got over worked ill go contrast and after the shower ill ice those muscles.
Ya, I’ll have to get used to multiple squatting each week again, but I loved it the last time I ran it, back in the fall. As a trainer I know in my heart I should be taking 4-6mths and building some muscle on my legs, I’m not ready to accept low 400s as where my squat comes to a hault, and things slow down. I’m running this smolov as a last hail mary I think, one last run at 500, before I give in, and start trying to muscle up my legs.
Anyways on a side note the bench is feeling pretty good, and I have my second last workout on friday, then I’ll be testing my max next week, I don’t think I’ll get 365 on my first cycle, but I should be pretty close, so probably before Feb is over I should have it, if my shoulder holds up. Enough of the late night babble sessions. I do the same thing every night, come in the office to turn the computer off, check my log, then spend 15min babbling about nothing, atleast not working out, oh well Latter
Wedsday Jan 22 smolov squat workout 3 ( 3 days in a row )
Squats
135x10
225x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
290x3
315x2
315x2
345x1 ( belted, gave in )
275x5 ( did a back off set, because wife came out with camera)
seated unsuported military--------shoulder dislocates (no rest for all 5 sets, just back and forth)
135x5x5 supersetted wiuth the broom stick dislocates
Where to start, Brutal workout, not because of weight, but because of it being third day in a row. I was tight, and a little sore, but got all the sets in, I gave in and used the belt for last set, and it made a big differance actually. So I’ve been having problems with my inner elbows being really sore, and it really effects my bench. The bottom of my bi, and the top of my forearm, just this aching pain, but today I had a ‘‘lightbulb’’ moment, and I realized it flares up when I’m doing a high volume of squatting, the last time it was bothering really bad, was during my last smolov run in Nov. It’s been gone, and not bothering me since then, as I haven’t been squatting much, but today after my second set, it really started to ache, and I think I figured it out. My shoulder’s have become stiff, and unflexable, and when I step under the bar, and twist my arms around to grab the bar, I feel a twinge, then I drive my hands in close to my shoulder’s, and my elbows get twisted in a weird position, because of my shoulder mobility, or lack of. I’ve been doing alot of strength training, the last 8mths, and I’ve put alot of muscle on my shoulder’s, chest and upper back, but I’ve been doing no stretching, no flys, and I haven’t even been doing any pull-ups or chins lately. Nothing that would stretch out my shoulder’s. I realized today, that with my elbow bent at a 90, I can’t rotate my upper arm, so it points at the ceiling. I’m 20-30 degree’s from having my upper arm, being able to point up, in this maner, I’ve become tight. So I did some disloctes and I’ll start to add in some other solutions to this problem, and in the mean time I’ll change my grip on the squats.
One last thing, I did get a back off set of my squats taped today, and sent to my email, but I can’t seem to open it, or send it to here, so I’ll wait for my wife to come home and do it. I’m really happy that I finaly figured out what was causing my inner elbow pain, because I didn’t know what was causing it, and I was unsure wheather to stop all curling moves, or to add more to strengthen the area, but now that I know I can rectify the problem. I’ve done pretty good the last 8mths gaining strength at my age, without having any aches or pains, but it’s time to start doing some stretching and mobility work to get to the next level. Latter
Good shit man, to get the video up all you gotta do is save it to your computer, remember or write down the name of the file. Make sure its closed once you save it, go to advanced post on your log and go to add video file/browse. you should then get a pop up that allows you to type in the name of your video file, I think you need to write a lil message in the word box as well. I hope this helps a bit ,a more tech savvy person may explain it better.
This ismy video, hopefully this works…
So there’s really no point to the above vid, other than a dry run to see if I could get a video up on my log. I’d just finished my third squat workout on somolv ( three days in a row) and was stripping weight off the bar, when my wife popped her head in, and said she would video me before she went to work, so I left the 275 that was on the bar, and did a quick set of 5, for no reason really, other than to have somthing on vid, as I have some PRs comming up, and wanted to figure this shit out.
I’m completely beat-up my low back and legs are wrecked from 3 days of squatting, and din’t really have this squat in me, but did it anyway. Couple things, I’m trying to get used to a new hand placement, as I usually hold the bar with my hands close to my shoulder’s, but this has been causing me pain in my elbow’s, so I’m trying to find somthing different, might have to start using straps for awhile. The other thing is she caught me off guard, and I kind of rushed into the squat, and almost lost the first rep, I was way out of groove, and almost fell over.
Anyway, happy to have figured out how to post a video, now I can start posting PRs when they arise, next time I’ll just prop up the phone and video myself, just had to figure out how to do it. It’s been bitter cold here, even colder than usual, like minus 27c this morning, so I warm up my garage with a propane heater, than turn it off, because I don’t like working out with it on, as I’m worried about air quality, you just get used to it, seperates the men form the boys Latter
I see no vid. But im always on my Android phone maybe thats why…
So today is a nothing day, it feels like it’s been along time since I had a day completely off from lifting. I decided going in, that I would follow smolov to the letter this time around, but, and there’s always a but, I’m just finishing up my bench cycle, with the second last workout tomorrow, and I decided it was in my best interest to take today totaly off.
I was suposed to do some light lunges today followed by stretching out my legs. The program started with 3 days in a row of heavy squatting, followed by 3 days of lunges and stretching, so I wanted to give my elbows one complete day of rest, and tomorrow I’ll hit my heavy bench, followed by lunges and stretching, and hopefully everything will fall back into place, with any luck.
As far as the video above, I’d usually be open to form critique, but in this case there’s not much sense, because I know my form was awful, by the time I did those squats, I was having a hard time just standing upright. My lower back was tight and sore, and my legs were wrecked, as I’d just finished 3 days in a row of heavy squatting ( you’d have to try smolov to understand )
Anyway, now that I figured out how to post vids, from this point forward, any vids I post are open for critique, and advise, this just isn’t the place for it. I probably shouldn’t have tried that set, I’m lucky I didn’t hurt myself.
At forty, after lifting for 20+ years, I guess it’s time to finaly take a look at placing some mobility work into my program I’ve never done any, and I don’t do any with my clients, this has just been the way, and both myself and my clients, have always been the strongest in the gym, while we watched the mobility crew stay weak.
I’ve never seen the point of it all, if you focus on full ROM, and a balanced program, as well as being involved in other sports, such as basket ball hockey, or MMA. Your body stays pliable just from being active on a daily basis, but I’ve slowed down ( not so active) and my exercise selection is minimal. I brought a mat home form the gym, and this with some bands and light weights, I’ll have a set up down in the basement, where I can spend some time every morning, doing some mobility, stretching, and corective work. I’ve worked hand in hand with a few PTs over the years, and I’ll get thing fixed up. Getting old sucks Latter
barbedwired
I see no vid. But im always on my Android phone maybe thats why…
I had a hard time getting it loaded, and had to finaly have my wife do it directly from her phone, but I can watch it form the old computer in my office, and it still has Vista, and usually I’m the one that can’t see video’s, I have to use my laptop, or Kobo Arc to watch Csulli’s vids, as I just see a white square with my old desk top, so let me know, because this is how I intend to load vids in the future. latter
[quote]barbedwired wrote:
I see no vid. But im always on my Android phone maybe thats why…[/quote]
They usually don’t work on phones but I can see it on my computer
Thanks Choobs, that was quick
[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Thanks Choobs, that was quick[/quote]
No problem brotha
I’m not sure how you handle your volume, but I need to stretch daily if I want to keep my squat and dead up. I mostly do some simple hip and hamstring stretches then stretch whatever else feels tight if I need to. Getting a PVC pipe for rolling works well too. Just add in something simple.
Thanks, its somthing I’ve gotten away with out, but I’ve never trained exactly like this before, or trained at this age before, so we’re figuring out as we go. Thanks for dropping by ‘‘jasperson’’ I could use the expierance around here, feel free to give advice when needed. I plan to drop alot of un-needed volume, on all but one lift per cycle, based on your training actually. Not sure I’ll get my volume down as low as you get away with, but it made me reavaluate some of what I’ve been doing. Plus some added mobility. Latter
Friday jan 24 6 week steel bench cycle—week 5
Bench
135x20
225x10
275x2
275x2
295x2
295x2
315x7x1
275x7
bench-----kroc row
225x10------65x15
225x10------90x32 9 90 is the biggest DB I have at home)
close grip-----hammer curl
185x20-------30x25
185x20------30x25
Feeling drained lately, but I was suprised how light 315 felt today, next week bench PR, in fact 315 is the heaviest I’ve gone since i came back to heavy lifting last April, so what ever I get next week will be a PR. I’m feeling kind of lost lately with my training, everything was going awesome from April until starting of Dec, then I don’t know what happened, I feel like I got off track, and lost focus. It feels like my training has no structure, I’m going out to the garage, but I’m not hungry or chasing anything like I was before Dec. I was going balistic, thinking about a 500lb squat, chasing it like a mother fucker, now I don’t even care if I train, just going through the moitions, I know I don’t really care about my bench or dead, I just want a 500 squat, and I think once I realized I wasn’t going to get in a year, I lost my focus. I don’t know, I’m going to run this somolv, and park my other lifts like I did before, just run a min. 531 on everything else, and try to get some fire back, that will take me into March, so we’ll see where I’m at then. My court date is in April, and hopefully I’m back in my gym then, it’s hard being stuck at home all day, nothing to do, but go out to a freezing cold garage once a day to lift some weights, I’m just feeling bummed, could be lack of TRT as well. Anyway solid workout, and Sunday is the official first day of my somolv cycle, the 3 days I did this week are called break in, hopefully this smolov pulls me out of this rut. Latter