I put in some good work this past Thursday on deficit deadlifts. This was the first time I tried pulling from the deficit using the deadlift bar as opposed to my stiffer weightlifting bar. It actually felt a little bit awkward, but pretty strong overall. I managed to triple 475 off a 2.5" deficit. But the cumulative fatigue from all this heavy pulling has finally started to catch up to me and I’ve been operating in a pretty big fatigue deficit these last few weeks. I think if I were fully recovered I could probably triple 500 from the deficit with the DL bar. Probably not something I’m going to bother attempting at this stage though. I need to get in some more practice hook gripping heavy weights so that my right thumb will stop tearing open and I need to start getting in some more work with the sumo deadlift because I believe that’s my best shot at pulling the heaviest deadlift. Conventional has been feeling pretty good lately though. Anyway, just need to survive one more week of training and then it’s deload time.
8/24/17
Broad jump- 3,3,3,3,3,5
Deficit Deadlift(2.5" deficit)- (135x5)(225x5)(315x3)(375x3)(425x3)(455x3)(475x3)
Deficit Trap Bar DL- (130x5)(230x5)(280x5)(330x5)(380x5)(410x5)
Hyperextension- 100 total reps in under 10 min
Also, it was hot as freaking balls during this training session. The heat really wiped me out. That is not something that happens very often.
In honor of creating an “easy” session so that I can deadlift unhampered on my heavy day, I’ve decided to re-introduce snatch grip deadlifts. Prior to yesterday I hadn’t done a snatch grip deadlift since 2011, where I maxed out at 365lbs. Yesterday I worked up to a pretty easy set of 5 with 365. I followed this up with more of those easy high bar, narrow stance ass to grass squats, and then finished up with some solid reverse lunges. A good day. Quality work, decent leg volume. Nothing overly taxing, but my quads/glutes are pretty sore today, though that is to be expected.
Kneeling Jump- 5,5,5,5,5
Snatch grip DL- (135x5)(225x5)(275x5)(315x5)(340x5)(365x5)
High Bar Back Squat(235)- 5,5,5,5,5
Reverse Lunge(155)- 6,6,6,6,6
Yesterday was fun. I brought back rack jerks for the first time since freaking 2012 or 2013 I think lol. They felt terrible and awkward but it was always so much fun to just throw some weight overhead, plus they’re great developing explosiveness in the legs and they help to maintain a strong an solid overhead position/a modicum of shoulder mobility. I used to love jerks so much they were the last thing I still did even when I had abandoned the rest of Olympic weightlifting. My PR was a single with 320lbs back in the day. Yesterday I worked up to a very technically raw triple with 235. If I actually keep doing these for a few months that number should increase substantially. I supersetted the jerks with standing vertical jumps and then finished up the day with banded kettlebell swings and some light hyperextensions. Solid work. It feels good to move quickly.
Also, threw together a video of some recent deadlifting clips on my YouTube channel. My most recent deficit deadlift session where I pulled 475 for a triple, some trap bar work, and my first foray into snatch grip deadlfiting.
Took a nice long deload which consisted of mostly sprints and vertical jumps. It seems my vertical is still pretty solid and apparently I can still run fast, so that’s a win. But now it’s back to the weights! Yesterday was my first lower body session and it was pretty solid. I did snatch grip deadlifts for the second time ever and worked my way up to a tough but solid set of 5 with 405. After that I continued with my baby progression on high bar ass to grass squats and then finished up with some heavy-ish farmer’s walks. Everything from my lower back to traps is fantastically sore today, but I’m not complaining. I’m going to do some volume bench press work today and then tomorrow is my dynamic lower body day, which is fun stuff so I’m looking forward to it.
9/17/17
Snatch Grip DL- 135x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 355x5, 385x5, 405x5
High Bar Squat(265lbs)- 5,5,5,5,5
Farmer’s Walk- (110’s x 50yds)(160’s x 50yds)(180’s x 50yds)(200’s x 50yds)
Got in a solid session yesterday on my power day. I started with jerks from the blocks, then moved onto a pairing of banded kettlebell swings and vertical jumps, and finished up with some light hyperextensions for blood flow. Since my deload ended up getting prolonged beyond what was planned, this was only the second session that I’ve done jerks this training cycle and prior to that session a few weeks ago I hadn’t done them in something like 4 years. I worked up to 235x3 in the first session back and this time I managed an iffy 275x3. I say iffy because the 3rd rep was caught on an unlocked elbow due to fatigue setting in. The strength was there though. As before, my goal with this movement is to hit 150kg (330lbs). My all time best is 145kg (320lbs). We’ll see if I stick with it long enough this time to make it to that goal lol. For now though, I’m just having fun throwing heavy weights overhead.
I didn’t feel like doing snatch grip deads yesterday, so instead I tried pulling against bands for the first time ever. I used my “stiff” bar and pulled against 2 of the red EliteFTS mini bands. I have no idea how much tension they were adding, but the top set was pretty difficult. Not a max set and it moved well, but it “felt” pretty tough. Though this could just be because I pulled a fucking GUTTED triple with 505 two days before and my lower back was still really sore and the erectors kept threatening to lock up on me lol. I don’t think I updated my log after Thursday’s DL session, but I’ll link the instagram post. Anyway, yesterday was solid. I went up to 410x5 against the bands, then I moved onto my light high bar ass to grass squats where I knocked out a 5x5 with 275lbs, and then I rounded out the day with a farmer’s walk finisher where I loaded up the implements to 200lbs each, charted out a path of 20yds total, and did as many trips as I could up and back in 10 minutes. I ended up with 6 trips in exactly 10 minutes, or 120 total yards covered with 400lbs of weight. Not too bad for a first time. That was a fun new challenge. I feel pretty good today!
9/24/17
Deadlift against 2 red mini bands- (135x5)(225x5)(315x5)(355x5)(390x5)(410x5)
High bar back squat(275)- 5,5,5,5,5
Farmer’s Walk- 200lbs implements for 6 trips of 20yds in 10 minutes
Yesterday was my upper body assistance day. I have reincorporated the push press because it’s fun, it helps me preserve the ability to hold weights overhead which I believe is important, and I’d like to make a run at a long standing goal of mine from years past which was to push press 300lbs. I do not believe that the push press in any way, shape, or form, improves my bench press. I just do it because I enjoy push pressing and I don’t enjoy bench pressing, but I force myself to bench press twice a week anyway so I need at least one of my upper body sessions to be a bit more fun. This was the third time I have push pressed since reintroducing it and it’s starting to get crisp already. My PR single from before is 250lbs. So far in 3 sessions I have hit 215 for 4 reps and 220 for 2 reps while tired. I know I tripled 225 a few years ago, but I don’t think I ever tripled more than that before. It will be interesting to see how things progress over the net few months. I’m already getting pretty comfortable throwing the bar over head. The movement feels coordinated and my leg drive feels strong and I’m much stronger overall now than I was when I used to do this lift.
Anyway, after push presses I finished up with some light dips for volume, a few light hammer curls, and some neck work. Solid day all around. Today is deficit deadlifts coming up shortly.
9/27/17
Push press- (bar x 10)(95 x 5)(135 x 5)(155 x 5)(175 x 5)(185 x 5)(195 x 5)(205 x 5)(210x4)(215 x 4)(220 x 2) - tried a third rep here but triceps ran out of gas
Dips (body weight + 70lbs)- 15,15,13,12 (55 total reps)
Hammer curl(30s)- 15,15,13,12 (55 total reps)
Neck flexion(45)- 15,15,15,15
How did you use to program speed/agility work (box jumps and all of that) back when you were a Weightlifter, and how did you think it effected your training? Did you use it far out from a peak and cut it out the closer you got? How did you weigh the volume compared to something else?
I want to start using box jumps after this peak so that I can build up some speed/power that could maybe transfer to my lifts.
I didn’t do any programmed jumps or sprints or anything when I trained for weightlifting. I just squatted and did the lifts. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t a few sets of box jumps 2-3 times a week before squats or cleans or something though.
Deadlifts went well yesterday. I was doing 2 inch deficits with my stiff bar and I managed to work my way up to 465lbs for a solid triple, with a bit more left in the tank. Not too shabby. After that I did a few sets of reverse lunges and then finished up with some heavy-ish hyperextensions. I finally rigged up my hyper bench in a way that I can go heavy on it without the discomfort I was experiencing before that was preventing me from really pushing things. So that’s exciting and it’ll be fun to get in some extra quality posterior chain volume on there and really start pushing the weights up on that exercise.
Huh, I thought you did speed and agility work back in the day. I will do some jump training though since my jump is dick, and most good weightlifters have ridiculous jumps.
How’s the recovery? I think they last time I was in this log you were still recovering from a really nasty injury.
Well, I always played sports most of my life. After that I did start doing agility work and jump training but I stopped doing it while I was training for weightlifting and I still had my highest vertical jump ever at that time lol. I did it before weightlifting and I picked it up again after. Then I stopped for a while again and I’ve reincorporated it a bit lately. Moreso different jump work and less agility/speed work.
In regards to the injuries, it depends when you were last here haha. I had hip surgery in 2015 which I’m fully recovered from, but I was also dealing with a mystery injury in 2016 that no one could help me with. I’m doing good now though. I’ve been training hard and my body feels pretty great, just a few dings here and there.
Been pretty busy lately and haven’t much of a chance to update the last few weeks, but I’ve still been training (mostly). I got in some solid, easy work on Sunday and my legs are soooo sore today from squatting just 295lbs. That’s what happens when you miss a week. Anyway, 5x5 squats are still moving easily, no belt, and very good depth. Last time I was working a 5x5 around these weights it yielded a double with 475 in wraps. So maybe I can get back up to that pretty easily haha. I’m happy with how the squat is going right now. Once I hit 3 plates in 2 more weeks I’ll slow the progression down to 5lbs a week, probably add the belt, and keep riding it. I really want to milk it and take my time so I can get back up to 4 plates pain free. I’m also going to try to finally hit a 300lbs hang power clean, so I’ve added that exercise back in to my training cycle as well. I’m not planning to compete again until mid 2018, so until then I will be working on a few different things and just keeping my nose to the grindstone.
10/15/17
Hang power clean(185)- 3,3,3,3,3 (too easy, took 10 minutes - good starting point)
High bar back squat(295)- 5,5,5,5,5 (pretty easy)
Farmer’s walk(210 per hand)- 4 trips of 20yds in exactly 6 minutes
I’ve grown bored to tears of bench pressing in recent weeks so I’ve started to add in more and more overhead work to spice things up a bit. I’ve been push pressing for a couple weeks now, and this past week I added in another day of overhead stuff with some strict pressing with both the barbell and some dumbbells. I’m doing this work after just a few rep sets on the bench. I started off light, but it felt nice to strict press the barbell again. Delts have a good soreness to them that hasn’t been there in a while.
Also, just finished up a new video on my YouTube channel. First real project I’ve embarked on in a while. It’s a tutorial on the power clean. Something I’ve thought about doing for a while now, but I kept putting off for whatever reason. I’ve broken the movement down into 5 steps, but the video ended up getting pretty detailed. I’m not the best power cleaner, but I’m proud of how the video turned out. Let me know what you think and feel free to share it if you feel so inclined.
In light of my conventional deadlift becoming somewhat stagnant, I switched back to the sumo deadlift for yesterday’s session and hopefully for the foreseeable future, depending on how things progress. I hadn’t planned to start the cycle quite this heavy, but the weights were moving too easily to start any lighter. I wouldn’t have been building momentum so much as just wasting time. So I did my first work set with 500lbs and cranked out a pretty comfy set of 5. I figured one back off set with this exercise is enough as long as I do some other form of pulling afterward to accrue more volume, so I moved on to conventional deficit deadlifts next, and then I rounded out the day with some walking lunges. Solid work all around. Also, the only way to do sumo deadlifts is barefoot. Leg length discrepancy be damned.
Continuing my progression with power cleans and squats. They both kind of felt shitty yesterday, but I still got all the work in easily. My hips were a little tight from pulling sumo last week for the first time in months and that affected my ability to catch the cleans smoothly and to squat to full depth easily. After a set or two of the squats though things had finally started moving smoother. I finished up the session with some solid farmer’s walks. I did five 20 yard carries with 210lbs per hand in 8 minutes. Not too shabby. With such low rest periods on these my grip does start to fail a bit sooner than it would otherwise, but by forcing myself to get the work in in such a short period of time, I’ve realized how much unnecessary rest I used to take on these. You start sucking wind, but you can get in a good bit of quality work in really just a few minutes.
10/22/17
Hang Power Clean(190lbs)- 3,3,3,3,3
High Bar Back Squat(305lbs)- 5,5,5,5,5
Farmer’s Walk(210lbs per hand)- 5 carries of 20yds in 8 minutes
In my quest for a 300lbs push press, I have decided the most reasonable course of action is to begin by building up a base of volume. So last week I kicked things off with a 5x5 done with 190lbs, and this week I knocked out another 5x5 with 195lbs. My lifetime PR in the exercise is 250lbs from I think 2012, which was probably the last time I did the exercise. After messing around with it for a few sessions this past month I hit a pretty easy single with 230lbs, so I’m just calling that my max for now. I really enjoy this exercise. I’ve always loved throwing weight over my head much more than bench pressing, and I feel that the unique elements of the push press specifically will go a long way towards helping me maintain my power and athleticism as I get older. Anyway, I knocked out this 5x5 and then did a bit of volume work on dips along with a few curls and finished up the day with a bit of targeted neck work. Fun stuff. Tomorrow is deadlifts!
Also, here’s a quick video recap with some commentary of my deadlift session from last week if anyone is interested. The sets are 500x5 sumo, 480x5 sumo, and 4x5 @ 350 conventional from a deficit.
More sumo deads yesterday. I went up to 510 for my top set and was hoping to get in a set of 5, but I only managed 4. I just lost too much position to fatigue by the end of the set and the bar got away from me on the 5th rep so I had to let it go at the knees. Once you get up to around the 500 range the whip on that deadlift bar really starts to kick in, and it’s really been affecting my sumo since the balance is so much more precarious. I’ve got to learn to reel that shit in if I want to get 600. I can’t imagine what the whip on this thing must feel like at 800+lbs.
The good news is, little by little my body is “remembering” how to pull sumo. On the back off set with 485 I managed to crank out 5 rep, and I was able to really feel the difference between when I’m driving through the floor with my legs and hips vs. when I’m letting the stress shift onto my back instead. So, that’s progress. The more I can learn to use my legs here again, the more I’ll ultimately be able to pull. Anyway, after the sumos I moved on to conventional deficit deads and hit 4 easy sets of 5 with 355, and that was a wrap.
Power Cleans, High Bar Squats, And Secret Training
I’m still progressing easily on my power cleans and high bar atg squats (as I would hope at this stage). I finally got to slap the 3rd plate onto the bar for squats and knocked an easy 5x5 with 315. I decided to put the belt on this week because, I don’t know. I just felt like it. It wasn’t “necessary” but I want to continue to make myself perceive the weights as easy for a while still. I’m going to drop down the progression rate from 10lbs a week to 5lbs a week now. I’m sure I’ll remove a set at some point in the near future and once the bar weight approaches something in the 330 or 340 or 350 (tops) range I will likely drop the reps down to 4 per set. Anyway, feels great to be relegated to using weights that I hit in my first year of training. Always fun to look back on the last decade and feel as though you’ve regressed back to stage 1 lol. I know it’s not true. But 315 is 315 and I squatted 315 when I was 19 I believe.
After squats I did my first round of my new secret training method it’s a quick and straightforward supplementary training method that I’ve never tried actually tried before. It was once touted as the holy grail, and has since been lost to history. It’s harder to do than I thought it would be. I’ll reveal it in a few weeks if I find that it has been useful. If not, I’ll just pretend I never wrote this
Also, I just posted my 510 sumo set from the other day onto my YouTube channel. I already shared the Instagram vid but YouTube is better so I’m sharing it again
10/29/17
Hang Power Clean(195lbs)- 3,3,3,3,3 (12 min from set 1 to set 5 - very easy still)
High Bar Back Squat(315lbs)- 5,5,5,5,5 (pretty easy)
Secret Training
Farmer’s Walk(210 per hand)- 5 trips of 20yds in 10 min
