So are you intercepting your smolov squat w. The race to front squatting? Im confused now. …
Haha, while smolov basicaly breaks down into ramping up over the week, so if you have 4 work outs a week ( somtimes 3) but you satrt the week with lighter weight, and more volume, and end the week with the heaviest workout. Then basicaly start the next week with the weights you handled in the second workout the week before, so all your workouts are slowly moving forward, and over time ( 13 weeks) your handling more volume and more poundage. It peaks with an insane last couple weeks,. that break most people.
So far, I’ve been just using my warm-up sets as front squat sets, but as I get stronger at front squats,. this is becoming limiting, both on my front squat number’s and by affecting the following smolov workout, as I’m cooking myself with the front squat ‘‘warm-up’’ I’m only on the second week, so I think if I switch the first workout of the week over to a front squat work-out, now, and stay consistant with this set-up for the remainder of the smolov program, it shouldn’t be a problem.
I’ll probably still get some light front squat sets in through out the week, with my regualr smolov, just switch over around 205-225, but on the first workout of the week, make it a full front squat work-out, where I’m not afraid to push my limits on front squats, out of fear it will affect the rest of my work-out. It all makes sense to me, but that dosen’t mean it will make sense to anyone else 
Gotta go get the kid from the bus. More later.
More on the above, so back in the day, before 531 came along, most strength coaches used a version of 5x5, original Bill Star version. Where the layout is to squat, bench, clean, on Mon, Wed, Fri, Light, Med, heavy. So rather then adjusting the load each day with the same exercise, most coaches used variations of the same lift to adjust the light, medium, heavy theme. In the case of the squat, you might use, front squat, oly squat, low bar squat, and with bench, you might use, military, incline, bench. This way you could push to your limits, and still be getting a light, medium, heavy template, as far as the work-load handled ( we used to add up total tonnage, per workout). So although I don’t want to mess around to much with the smolov template, what I’m doing is pretty well documented, and shouldn’t be to much of a problem. This should also allow me one full day a week, to really push my front squat, because I avoided it for so many years, I have alot of catching up to do, not to mention the whole Chobbs thing, I don’t like loosing, and the little bastard’s suddenly found another gear to kick his training intensity up a notch, guess he dosen’t like loosing either. It’s good for both of us to be so motivated. Hope that makes things clear as mud for ya. later
Is there any chance you could post a vid of those knee-friendly squats you referred to?
From the side, ideally.
Ya I see. But w.o asking it was blurry lol.
[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
So I need to have exercises for my upper back, that are heavily load-able, and won’t wreck my lower back… I’m in the process of building myself a bench, thats high enough, that I can lay on it, have my arms fully extended below, and be able to do rows without the plates touching the ground.[/quote]
I have no idea how to imbed videos, nor do I know if that link works, but if you google “mike gray row” the first result will be a guy doing Chinese rows, or chest-supported barbell rows. His setup might give you some ideas.
I’ll be danged; it looks like the video imbedded. I have no clue how I did that.
Nice, this is just what I need to set-up, the bench I’m using right now has a bunch of cross member’s running back and forth under the seat, or i could use it as he dose above. I do have an old exercise bench out at the big house, so between that bench, some 2x4’s, and my trusty welder I should be alble to come up with somthing.
On another note, I had to buy a brand new computer for the gym, all Anytime’s are being made to convert over to new operating system, so new 3000$ computer was needed, this means the old one came home ( only 2yrs old) so new to me. I’ve finnaly brought my self to get rid of my old one at home, so many memories, anyway finialy up to window’s 7, instead of the old vista I’ve been using that wasn’t compatable to anything, should have spellcheck, and should be able to upload video’s better.
I’m still using the same screen I had, so I had to get an adapter to tie new computer over to my old ‘‘tube’’ screen that takes up my whole desk, LOL, I don’t like getting rid of things untill they stop working. Anyway thought I’d mention it, should allow me to be able to see everyones vids as well, I haven’t been able to. I’m going to up-load some pic’s and vids now. Latter
Nice. For my sport as a youngster we trained Chinese rows (we called them bench pulls) as our primary lat movement. They’re effing humbling but really effective.
front box squat 275
This is the set up I use for box squating, the cooler by it’s self puts me about 2 inches below parelle, green light squat, but not ATG can’t do those with bad knee anyway
Cooler plus one stack of rubber flooring puts my upper leg at exactly parelle, probably not a pass at a meet
Coolewr plus 2 stacks of rubber flooring puts me about 2 inches above parelle, this is where I like to break new ground with a heavy weight, get uesed to it, then over a few weeks, work my way down to just the cooler, then free squat
This is a better shot of what I’m talking about
Jed, if you pause the above vid, just as my ass touches the box, you’ll see how upright my lower legs are, this is with front squats, so it’s really hard to keep lower leg completely upright. The trick is to learn this doing box squats, may have to start high like I do, then lower box, and learn to keep form.
I know the vid came out sideways and it’s hard to see, and it’s not a good angle, but it kind of shows what I’m talking about. Doing the high box squats are great on my knees, but if you do these exclusivly it ruins your regular squat. For me I try to do as many squats in a workout as I can free squatting, Then when I get to the last big heavy sets I bring out the box, depending on where I;m at in the progression, depends where the box height is. There big knee saver’s though, learning to push your butt back far, and keeping your lower legs upright, takes almost all the stress off your knee’s, then right after drop back to 135, and try to mimik the box squat form, without the box, it takes time, but it’s worth the effort. I know atleast in my case I wouldn’t be able to squat period, if I hadn’t learned this.
Break at the hips first, focus on keeping weight on your heels, and pushing your butt way back, so that your lower legs are upright. Goodluck
Ya. My stuff downloads sideways too. Must be somethin to it. Hence…both our profile pics…
Wedsday Feb 5, BBing - arms and shoulder workout, decided to do EDT workout
Military--------pull-ups ( full range on rings)
15 min ( used alot of waves to get reps high)
135x8-6-4-2--------mex5-3-2
135x8-6-4-2--------mex5-3-2
135x8-4-4-4--------mex5-3-2
total’d --60-----------30--------------90 total reps in 15min
BB curl-------------BW skull crusher’s ( stationary bar today, no TRX)
15min
95x12-8----------mex20
95x10-10---------mex20
95x12-8----------mex20
95x10------------mex10
total’d --70-------70-----------140 total reps in 15 min
Dosen’t look like much, it’s hard to understand EDT unless you’ve tried it, not sure if I’ll keep doing it every week or not, but it seemed like a good way to get some shoulder and arm work in, with out using big weights and killing my recovery. Big news is, when I came in my arms were so pumped I couldn’t get my shirt off, so I decided to tape my arms, first time ever over 20 inches so thats a big day, in every lifter’s life. Nobody home today to take a pic, but before I start my diet in March, I’ll have to get a pic or vid of me stretching the tape to over 20inches. I have this complex about my arms, they look small for my body I think, but 20 is nothing to sneeze at, so I don’t know, mabey in my head. I am at an all time high right now 265, might hit 270 before I start dieting. I’m also really bloated, as I’ve loosened up my diet since Christmas, I always seem to do that a month or so before I know my diet is coming, big bloated mess ( 20’’ arms though) so my update pics begining of March won’t look anything like Dec pic’s, No definition right now, not even a line between my chest and abs, just bloat. Anyway, fun workout today. Later
Mythical strength is the name of a blog run by our very own Pwnisher, and if you haven’t been there, go, I’m pretty picky, other than this site, i visit --UPSTRONG—Lift-Run-Bang----Bas Barbell, thats it, and Pwniher’s site is as good or better than any of these. Check it out
Thanks Jake, I’ll give it a shot.
I’ve been considering setting up a box that will put me slightly above parallel and slightly below where my hips are at the beginning of my deadlift and just squatting with a mindset to use it as an accessory for the deadlift since that is my lower body power focus. With my feet at conventional d.l. width too, which is quite narrow, similar to The Punisher’s stance.
Nice. 20 is awesome.! Mine are 18 and its more than most.
Ya I hate trining arms, just can’t seem to find a place to fit them in, and I never feel like doing them at the end of a hard workout, can’t do them at the start, and I was supersetting the with squats, but started getting the pain in my elbow, I found that problem, but training arms with legs, isn’t such a good idea, when I’m alternating upper and lower body workouts everyother day either, cause then they’re never getting any rest.
Jed, ya if you don’t plan on ever competing, than there’s no reason stopping you from just doing box squats. Alot of athletic coaches I know only do box squats with they’re kids, becasue they feel they have better carry over to sports, and have less chance at injury, less inroads to recovery. So ya, if you don’t plan on competing in PLing, then just do box squats and deads, it would be alot easier on your knee’s for sure. You will need to add an exercise for quads though I would think over the long haul.
I like low step ups, off the side of a box, with continuous tension for this, nice quad burn, and real knee freindly, but lunges, or even sled work can build the quads as well, it depends on your goals, I haven’t been oever to your log enough to remember your goals. Good luck though. Later
Thursday Feb 6, smolv workout 2 week 2
Squat
warm-up
295x5x7
Cleans
135x5
155x5
185x5
205x3x3
155x10
Quick lttle workout, I was stiff from yesterday, so did a bunch of stretching first. I didn’t bother with any front squats today, just ramped up with back squats, hit my smolov number’s, and went right to cleans, power hang cleans I guess you’d call them, should do a video somtime to show my unique form LOL, anyway, busy day, wnated to get workout out of the way. Going to look at two buildings today, and possibly move gym, if I can put it all togather. later
Oh I started a form to ask Pwnisher questions, if anyones interested ‘’ Pwnisher Q n A’’ thought we could ask PLing questions as well as discuss article’s from Mystcal strength log. He’s a knowlagable guy as far as PLing is concerned, thought a thread dedicated to him would be a good idea.