8-9 Eccentric Day
Neutral Grip Pushup
x 5 reps with 9 count eccentric x 3 sets
Nordic Curl Eccentric
x 5 try for 9 count x 3 sets
Belt Squat
x 5 with 9 down x 3 sets
Seated Row
x 5 … x 3
Bonus Content
1 Arm Cuban Press x 5
Rear Delt Raise x 15
Lu Raise x 8
2 times
Neutral Grip Band Pushdown x 25
Overhead Extension x 25
once
50 minutes
Agonizing over my pushup technique is a nice break from agonizing over my bench press technique.
Old Westside stories.
Chuck speaks!
More stuff
Fat handles, grenade balls, etc. Near the middle Matt is showing how to do pushdowns and mentions keep your wrist straight with the rolling handle, to keep tension on the tris. And not rolling your shoulder over at the lockout. More ways to practice wrist position and tricep tension in the bench.
More Westsiders.
8-12 Isometric Day
Bench Press Iso hold at top
double red bands on barbell x 20 count x 3 goes
45 Back Raise, hold right near top x 20 count
Back Raise on Glute/Ham, hold near top x 20 count
Inverse Curl, hold near top x 20 count
Double KB Squat Hold At Bottom
x 20 count x 3 goes
Seated Cable Row Hold
x 20 count x 3 goes
Bonus Content
Cable Pushdowns x 20
DB Hammer Curls x 20
4 pairs
Bands are good for isometrics. I was squirming under the bench press with nowhere to go. The program called for romanian deadlift iso holds with barbell at knees, but I did months of deadlift isos earlier this year, so fuck that. I kinda liked the back raise versions for the hams.
Iso hold on the cable rows was nice. It was good to practice keeping tension in my lat on the right side vs letting my shoulder shrug up and the tension going into my neck and trap. Last workout was cable rows with a slow eccentric and I could feel the same thing going on, only I was using a lot of bicep too.
2 tips put together to make one awesome tip.
I really like this as a great idea. I like that he pushes the cables out with his elbows at the top, so the weight is always levering against the contraction. I’ll play around with something like this on my next set of flies.
It kinda seems like that device you use for training on the rings. The most difficult part of the ROM is “lightened” so you can get into great position through the whole move.
8-15 Concentric Day
Pushup on Barbell
x 10 x 4 sets
Bamboo RDL
x 10 x 4 sets
Bamboo Squat
x 10 x 4 sets
Seated Bamboo Press
x 10 x 4 sets
Bamboo Row
x 10 x 4 sets
I used 20 pounds hanging for a warm up set, then 40 or 60 pounds hanging for the work sets. I had the timer set for 55 minutes, but I went over like 6 minutes. I was sweating pretty good.
The program calls for fewer reps and more weight next week, but I think I’ll stick with the sets of 10 and try to get done in 55 minutes. And maybe dump the lightest set, use 40 for the warm up and get all the work sets in with 60.
I’ve back squatted with the bamboo bar like 4 times now.
After the first time, I woke up with the same mid back, over extension tightness and sore hip as always.
The 2nd time I was able to feel I was only half bracing, not pushing the air into my back, just into my abs and chest. So that improved, but my shoulder hurt.
3rd time was last week. Bracing was improved, shoulder didn’t hurt. But I woke up the next day with a tight right side of neck, with pinched nerve type rhomboid pain. It was mild and manageable, but a sign that I was using my trap and neck muscles to keep my right shoulder stable, not my lat.
Yesterday during the squats I had better brace, no shoulder pain, and I could keep lat tension if I really focused. And I used Slightly heavier weights for a couple more reps. It felt like progress. And today I woke up with no hip, back or neck pain.
So, tight abs, inflate back ribs, get lats going. Nice.
I got a nice lat cue from Dave Tate. He just poked a guy in the back, along his low ribs, until he found the “bottom” of his lat. Then he was like “Feel it THERE” as dude did some rows. So I gave myself a reach around to feel the same spot and flexed my lat. Then did that before lat stuff.
Then this Thibadeau routine has me doing slow eccentric or is hold rows, it was a great way to practice keeping tension.
8-17 Eccentric Day
Neutral Grip Pushup
x 5 with 9 count eccentric x 4 sets (dip handles lowest position, feet on bumper plate)
Belt Squat
x 5 … x 4 sets (50 in plates. will use 40 and 60 pound KBs next)
Nordic Hamstring Curl Eccentric
x 5 reps, trying for a 9 count eccentric, catch myself with arms and push back up x 4 sets
Seated Cable Row
x 5 … x 4 sets (100 OK, 120 too much)
3 way delt raise x 12 each way
QL sidebend x 8
2 rounds
I felt pretty wired up after this one. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and was almost running down the isles.
Wondering about amino acids, I looked up some info about supplements, which one are good, and dosage from Charles Poliquin.
I was already using magnesium, Chuck said get 10mg/kg of BW. So, 1000mg. I was getting about 600-700 from ZMA at night and mag glycinate at lunch.
Fish oil. 4mg/kg BW. I thought i was doing well, taking 3-4 1000mg capsules, until I looked closer and saw that I need 8 capsules to hit the EPA/DHA numbers.
Whey. This was interesting. Poliquin didn’t say to get X whey everyday, he said to use whey to drastically increase your protein intake when you’re trying to gain muscle. Like work up to 300 grams of whey protein in addition to your regular eating.
From some article
"Emerging research supports a “protein change” theory that found that when initial protein intake is below 1.5 g/kg/d, the most strength and muscle is gained when participants increase protein by more than 50 percent over what they previously consumed.
Try “periodizing” your protein, taking as much as 3 g/kg/d to coincide with hypertrophy training cycles. Then, opt for leucine-enhanced amino acids during strength or power cycles to provide variety and support continued adaptation."
I was thinking about getting down with some creatine, but damn, I’m like half assing or 70% assing the stuff I’m already using.
Hopefully typing this up will help motivate me to choke down all that fish oil.
More junk
My neighbor hit me up for some gasoline so he could finish mowing his lawn. I let him take my mostly full, 5 gallon can, with the nice long, easy to use poor nozzle. MF’er shows up 3 weeks later, with a 2 gallon can, with some bullshit child proof nozzle that leaks gas everywhere and sucks ass to use. This fuckin’ guy!
I just saw mention of a study where they measured the level of Test in sports fan’s saliva. Before a game and after a game. Fans of teams that won had higher test, and fans of losers had lower Test. I guess I’ll have to be careful with football season coming up.
The backup fish oil that my woman got to replace the dwindling bottle of current fish oil has more fish juice per capsule. With some mix and matching, it looks like I only need 5-6 pills per day.
Hey Flats I know this is kind of asking for much, but you mentioned how you were watching Matt Wenning videos which told you what you were doing wrong. (I’m assuming it’s related to conjugate training)
What were you doing wrong?
(F e e d M e E V E R Y T H I N G G G G)
……
Anything you know that I don’t know, I want to know. Relating to bench, squat, dead, ME, DE, RE, mobility, neglected muscles, nutrition, etc.
Fuckin A Tim!
From the Westside Blog: Laying out your days
From Wenning Strength Youtube: A few little dudes fuck up training and some experienced guys correct their issues. Like keep your shoulders on the bench, straight wrists and keep tension in your back stuff.
Tall guy squatting.
If you’re over 5’9" you’re “tall” and you lean forward when you squat. 100% of tall guys will plateau in the squat because of the forward lean.
Tall dudes who simply try to stay more upright during barbell squats, or tall dudes who try to contort into Olympic high bar squatting, or guys who try to rely on front squats to bring up their legs Mostly fail.
Tall dudes who make progress do goblet squats, belt squats, or front racked kettlebell squats to build legs without worrying about their ego.
Tall dudes get hip pain from squatting and plateau. Dudes who move forward do hip flexor work and ab work and eliminate the problem vs lingering around with sore hips and a bad squat.
Of course you still do regular “squat.” But you gotta do extras too.
Ayo, our good friend Flats has shared some great stuff.
WE APPRECIATE IT FLATS!!!
I’m gonna read/watch the hell out of this
8-19 Isometric Day
Bench Press, hold near top
mini bands x 40 count x 4 sets
45 degree hyper iso hold, slightly above parallel
15 pound medicine ball x 40 count x 2 sets
Back Extension on glute/ham bench, hold at top
bw x 40 count x 2 sets
Seated Cable Row
80 x 40 count x 4 sets
Double KB Squat Iso, hold at bottom
20s x 40 count x 4 sets
Reverse Hyper
70 x 30 reps
Standing Hip Flexor Raise
my leg x 25
3 pairs
Holding the top of the back raise on the glute/ham killed my hamstrings.
BBQ for dinner.
He is a living breathing encyclopaedia!!
Yes we do @FlatsFarmer, thank you!