As far programming it in, it’s super versatile.
I did 5 x 5 bench pressing with the EQ bar as a “main lift” for like 6 weeks in a row when my shoulders were irritated.
I’ve also used it as for a light Deload workout, on the pressing moves, after 3 weeks with the regular bar.
It works awesome as like a 2nd or 3rd move during a body-building split. For maybe 12-15ish reps. The way you have to move a little slow to keep the weights from jumping around really helps keep the work on the muscle.
How did it go?
Didn’t try it out yet. Yesterday was an off day so I did some agile 8 plus daily work which is just 25+ reps of single leg Romanians, reverse lunge with over head reach, band pull aparts, push ups, and sit ups on ab mat. I’ve got deads tonight so I think I’ll warm up with a couple sets of the band hanging squats. Plus doing banded lateral walking as well.
Ok I did like 2 sets of 8 with 24kg kettlebells hanging off doubled up medium bands. A lot of spring and wobble and re-racking first set was kinda comical. It was like a bunch of short choppy steps to get back. Felt good and I think I’ll keep it in as a warmup for squats and dead’s for a bit.
Some stuff that popped up.
Row complexes. Start kinda light. Do 5 Pendlay Rows, 5 bent over rows then 5 deadlift rows. If you make all the lifts, add weight. Work up as heavy as you can in 10 minutes.
Get your lats tight before you pull. If your lats are locked, your back will be in the correct position and stable throughout the lift.
Keep balance for leg gains. Make sure you don’t have a left/right imbalance. And don’t let your quads overpower your hams. Matt says that your force production will be limited by the weak side. SO your body will only let your quads get so strong before you need more hams to get strong.
Somehow, these are all connected. I’m thinking that I can use some kind of complex to develop my back in a more balanced way. It’s like my lats aren’t progressing much because my lower back is too weak to support an effective load for rows. And I’m not developing much Strength because I’m not getting the big, coordinated moves that use the whole back in.
Might try the row complexes as I’m looking for a row progression anyway.
I was doing a little reading. Josh Bryant said Rest/Pause caused a lot of fatigue. And it was too intense to use every workout. Or on too many lifts.
I guess I was doing that shit 4 days a week, sometimes for 2 muscle groups a day. Now wonder I got so worked up.
Make a little diamond with your hands, then slide your grip out. Hey Oh!
Accessories for the bench.
Delt raises.
Chest supported Rows ( “high” on the machine, with a little stretch to get the lats.) Then shrugs on the chest supported row. (“low” on the machine, with a 5 count hold at the top for traps). Stretch for lats, hold for traps. Right on the same machine. That’s cool.
Pushups, on the knees, on a “Tsunami” flexible bar. Get 100 reps, move your hands in or out every time you take a break. Kind of a decline angle so you need to keep your back tight and elbows down. Bendy bar so you can’t bounce too much. On the knees so it’s easy enough to get some volume.
Oh boy! More stuff to steal!
I’ve been drinking 3 tablespoons of olive oil per day for 24 days.
I haven’t lifted in 19 days.
So far bodyweight is holding steady and I’m feeling pretty good. I have like zero aches and pains. Plus more energy and free time to do stuff. I guess I can understand why some people can live without lifting weights.
I’m getting interested in the idea of German Volume Training and the vague concept of doing some rows, but even the act of tying my gym shoes seems like too much right now.
I did 4 weeks of the Olive Oil. I still weight right about the same, and my waist didn’t change.
But I didn’t lifts weights and I ate pretty shitty while I was using the oil, so to maintain the 4-5 pound weight loss from the previous month seems like a good result.
Eat pizza and cheesecake and don’t get fatter = Success to me now.
Anyway, I liked adding some fat to the diet. Meat and Nuts breakfast was totally cool and I’ll probably just eat nuts instead of toast or oatmeal like 2/3 of the time for breakfast now.
Slamming shots of oil was kinda dumb, but the general idea of getting more olive oil in is cool. And swapping carbs outs and fats in is a nice, quick boost to the physique. Like when you cut out carbs for a couple weeks and get a little leaner really fast. Only you don’t tired or lightheaded and your muscles stay full.
I think that if you wanted to make the biggest impact in the shortest time, it would be good to start with the Meat and Nuts Breakfast approach. Start the switch from carbs to fats gradually. Do that for 2 weeks. I lost 4 pounds the first week, but the loss slowed after that.
Then after two weeks, keep up fats for breakfast, and further reduce carbs during the rest of the day while adding olive oil (or some other fat) in. That way you get the visual benefits (like you look a little leaner for a few days) again.
I think the fats also helped with joints, soreness and inflammation and all that B.S. Usually if I take too much time away from the weights my shit gets progressively more stiff and sore. Like I have to keep moving to keep the rust off. after this break, everything feels good.
Why the lifting hiatus? Hopefully nothing sinister?
Good to know we can just do a shot of oil then go get ice cream and not get fatter. Might consider that after my ribeye, chicken drumsticks and corn on the cob dinner.
No, nothing Sinister!
I was just getting all worked up and had to take a little break to calm down. I really irritable and I couldn’t concentrate. My woman said I was a grumpy asshole and I kept doing dumb shit like flooding the bathroom/bedroom trying to fill a bucket with water. Or getting all enraged attempting to make scrambled eggs.
It’s taken forever to get back to “normal” and I’ve been doing other stuff to stay busy so I haven’t exactly rushed the process.
Sorry to hear that things are difficult, mate.
Do you see a connection to your lifting in any way as a positive or negative for what you’re experiencing.
I hope you can figure out what’s causing these feelings and work through it asap. You’ve got this!
Thanks man! I think I’m through the worst of it. I guess I was letting some work stuff stress me out, and that caused a little friction with the woman. Problems all night and day plus the accumulation of months of lifting was just more strain than I could bare.
Things are more normalized. I’ve patched things up with my girl and I’m just wrapping up a big project at work. That’s most of my problems resolved right there. I think I’m heading back to the gym this weekend.
8-6 Back to the Gym
Pushups On Smith Machine Bar
x 10 x 3 sets
Bamboo Bar Squat
x 10 x 3 sets
Bamboo Romanian Bend Over
x 10 x 3 sets
Bamboo Seated Press
x 10 x 3 sets
Bamboo Bent Row
x 10 x 3 sets
Stretch outside hip/piriformis. Stretch pec/front delt.
I’m jumping on a 3 session per week, full body scheme from Thibadeau. It’s his “Omni-Contraction” stuff, where you have a Concentric day, an eccentric day where you lower slowly and an isometric day where you work some holds into the lifts.
After all the time off I didn’t need much loosening up or getting ready, that’s cool.
Nice I’ll be watching your log so I can gain some knowledge on that stuff. I’m on a big 5/3/1 kick at the moment but always need more programs to line up.
So does your gym have a bamboo bar or is that personal? How do you like it and would you recommend that particular bar or some other variation? Might be a down the road purchase for me, just wondering.
The bamboo bar was at the gym with a bunch of other cool stuff I’d seen on the internet for years. It wasn’t The One Special thing that got me to join up, just one more thing to try out.
Anyway, I liked it. I’m glad it was there because I don’t think I would have sought it out n my own. It’s the easiest way to work through any kind of joint pain, you don’t do anything special, you just use that bar. And it’s cool for “Light Day” because you still have to try, it’s just a lighter weight. And it’s proven to be good for coming back from injuries.
There is some new cool shit out there though! the “Tsunami Bar” and the "RhinoFlex Bar (by Bandbell) are fiberglass barbells with regular sleeves for regular weight plates. No bands or hanging stuff, just plates on a flexible bar. And you can still hang shit off of it if you want to.
I haven’t used one yet, but they look pretty awesome. The Rhino Flex especially looks legit (in my opinion). Dave Tate at EliteFTS seems t really like the Tsunami.
Here’s a commercial for the Rhino Flex
Tsunami Bar
I’ve seen/heard of the tsunami bar but I’ll peep the rhino flex.