I’ve been skipping glute and hip stuff and doing less leg raises this month.
Maybe I should lay off the steps ups, let the sled take care of single leg stuff and see if my knees calm down.
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10-16 Lower Down
Get loose
45 Back Raise x 15
Single Leg Ham Curl x 10
3 pairs
Band Adductor x 20
Hanging Leg Raise with pad between knees x 15
3 pairs
BW Squat to Box x 20, lower box each set
Hack Squat x 10
4 pairs
SSB GM x 12
Neck Harness Extensions x 25
3 pairs
This is the least I’ve ever hated Good Mornings.
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Max Squat
400 Reps Sets Total Reps Total Volume
Week 1_75% = 300 2 12 24 7200
Week 2_80% = 320 2 12 24 7680
Week 3_85% = 340 2 10 20 6800
Here’s a chart from Westside showing a 3 week wave for dynamic effort squat day. Or the day with high volume and moderate weight. You can see weight go up, up, but sets drop during the 3rd week. Less total work, but heavier so it’s not a vacation.
And advice on how to run it.
“After a meet, start your cycle at 100 pounds less than your new meet squat record. After a three-week wave, start the second three-week wave equal to your new record. Every fourth week change the bar you start with and repeat. This holds true for the bench by changing bars or switching from chains to bands or a combination of both. The speed pulls will change from standing on a two-inch or four-inch box to placing the plates on two-inch or four-inch mat rack pull on multiple pins and so forth. By using a three-week wave, you gradually become stronger year in and year out while raising volume slowly, but continuously, throughout your career.”
From the article “Progressive Overload” on the westside -barbell site.
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10-18 Down Upper
Band pullover x 15 x 5
Band Arm circles, in and out x 15 x 3
Band uppercuts x 15 x 2
T Bar Row, 5 count eccentric x 8s then 6s
Bamboo Bar Bench Press x 10, couple extra on last set
5 sets
DeFranco shoulder shocker x 3 rounds
Close Grip Pushup down to a 2 board x 10, 3 board x 10… , 5 board
2 rounds. I did like 4 pushups on the last set
Barbell Curls
3 sets up, then 10-4-4 rest/pause
Incline DB Hammer Curls x 10
Cable Curls x failure around 8
2 times
Abs laying over medicine ball between bench/ row sets. Lots of band face pulls between pushups and curls. Band anchored overhead, face level and around knees.
Good workout. Everything felt nicely directed. I need to go do some dragging. I’ve bounced back and I’m feeling good after a couple easy days but it’s put me behind. Date nite is cancelled!
Tire Drags
300 feet backwards
100 feet sideways with rope on right leg
100 feet sideways with rope on left leg
100 feet pull thru
100 feet good morning
300 backwards
4400 down
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10-19 Tire Drag
Low row x 15, med row x 15, high row x 15, straight am push x 15, pull apart action x 15…
x 300 feet on the way down
Overhead tricep extension x 15, bicep curl x 15, fly x 15…
x 300 feet on the way back
One time holding the straps and a second time with the straps thru Fat Gripz handles. Sometimes I cheated by moving my feet as I pulled with my arms. It still burned.
5,600 feet. On the right side of it!
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Oh!..you figured out all the ways to use the tire. Right on bro! One of my favorite logs!
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1 mile down. Nice work.
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Thanks guys!
Here’s a sled workout from the West-side blog. Its kinda raining out but maybe I’ll try this today.
"Keep in mind, one of the best exercises one can do for overall strength is the sled pull. At Westside we rotate these as the warm-up, main lift, auxiliaries, cool down, and conditioning. 1 Trip consists of ~60m down the parking lot, and ~60m back with as little rest as possible.
If you haven’t performed heavy sled work in a while, give this a shot:
Max Sled Pull x1 Trip
Sled Pull x2 Trips @ 80%(Max Sled Pull)
Sled Pull x4 Trips @ 50%(Max Sled Pull)
Reverse Hyper 4x40(weakest body part emphasis, i.e., erectors, glutes, or hamstrings)
Seated Banded Hamstring Curls 4x50"
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10-20 Lower
Hanging Leg Raise with pad squeezed between knees x 15 or less
Decline situps x 25 or less
45 back Raise x 15 or fewer
BW box squats, lower box each set x 20
4 rounds
Really trying get some adductor and internal rotation on right leg/thigh squeezing pad between knees on leg raises. Box squats with shoulder width stance for extra quads and front hips. Start high and easy and work down.
Sled Drag, real sled, on asphalt, power walk forward, reverse drag back
3 plates x 1 trip
4 plates x 1 trip
5 plates x 1 trip -PR I think
3 plates x 2 trips
2 plates x 4 trips. Last 2 in one go.
1800 feet
Reverse Hyper x 40
Seated Band Leg Curl x 50
Once each. I didn’t have the minerals for 3 more sets of each.
7,400 feet
Cool sled song.
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Awesome quote find! I’ve never thought about doing a mass weight sled pull. Really opens up a world of options.
I’ll give that workout a shot
… and step up my game while I’m at it.
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It was a nice change up from lifting motions. “Heavy” but it took awhile. Like a middle school workout after watching Rocky.
Here’s a different one from the same place.
"Some people have an aversion to conditioning in the cold.
You can fix this by wearing clothing in a pattern called ‘layers’.
Just like mama said.
A good warm-up for ME/DE Lower:
30% 1RM Back Squat on Sled
Sled attached around hips
Quarter Mile Sled Drag
recover to 90%
60m Sled Trip (upright)
1min rest
60m Sled Trip (slight forward lean)
1min rest
60m Sled Trip (forward lean, torso almost to parallel to ground)
1min rest
60m Sled Trip (torso parallel to ground)"
- End of first blog post -
Plus one more bonus one.
"A little sled conditioning for y’all…
Sled Drag x3 Continual Trips as Heavy as Possible
running your sled straps through your belt
no resting
1 Trip = 60m down and back(120m total)
Recover to 90%
Sled Drag x3 Continual Trips
60% of weight found above
no rest
holding med ball low on hips
Recover to 90%
Sled Drag x3 Continual Trips
40% of weight found above
no rest
med ball held high against clavicle and chin
Simple but effective"
2 Likes
10-21 Upper
Some arm circles to get loose
Incline DB Shrugs, with some rows x whatever felt good
Seated Cable Row with two D handles x 25
Twice
Incline DB Shrug/Row x a bunch
Single Arm DB Row x 12
Twice
3 Way Delt Raise x 10 x 4 sets
DB Floor Press
60 x 12
50 x 20
40 x 30
Alternating DB Curls with Fat Gripz x 10 x 4 sets
Up to 40s for the third set
EZ Bar Curls x 15
Single Arm Preacher Curl Machine x 7
3 pairs
Good one today. Chest supported rows supersetted with unsupported rows really worked. Dumbbell floor press was cool. After I worked into the groove it was like only my elbows were moving and I got to feel like a good bencher for a moment.
A little while later
Tire Drag x 600 feet
Overhead tricep extensions, high rows and then pull-aparts for one continuous trip.
8,000 feet down.
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Hey man, any ideas on how to fix a constantly super tight psoas. my left psoas is super tight constantly and does not go away. I had a deep tissue massage the other day, they released my psoas but it just went back to being super tight again. I’m pretty sure it’s the main cause for alot of my problems and not being able to squat
Lay on the floor, put your feet up on the wall so your shins are parallel to the floor and our thighs are vertical. Without moving your feet up or down “pull down” or leg curl with your hamstrings to contract/tense your hams to take pressure off your lower back. Pinch a pillow or foam roller or something between your knees to activate/contract your adductors to take tension of your hip flexors. Use your abs to “crunch” or pull your rib cage towards your pelvis, contracting your abs to take pressure off your hip flexors.
From there take deep, slow breathes deep into your belly. Put your hand on your oblique area, just above your hip bone, like near where your Psoas feels tight and expand that area as your breathe.
Think about letting your lower back relax, and let it go fro arched and extended to neutral and not tight. Keep squeezing your hamstrings, adductors and abs, and almost try to “butt wink” or lift your tailbone off the ground as you curl with your abs and hamstrings. Keep up the deep breathing.
From here you can start digging around your hip bone, pressing in with your fingers trying to massage/loosen the tight muscles around there. I think Chris Ottawa uses the handle of a screwdriver to dig around.
Supple Leopard uses a lacrosse ball with a weight to dig around in there at around 2:45 or 3:00 minutes in. Before that he shows some band hip stretches that might be cool.
Sometimes your lower back and upper glutes can get tight and they can pull on your pelvis putting pressure on your Psoas too. At like 3:00 minutes in Athlean X shows how to release or floss or mash up the QL muscle. I like that part but I don’t like the stretches he shows first.
This is some random internet dude working on tight glutes which can also help loosen you up to move more normally, use less lower back and let your hips relax.
5 Likes
10-23 Bonus Tire Drags
Low rows, high rows, pull aparts, overhead tricep extensions x 600 feet x empty tire
Backward drag x 100 x sled + 45 kettlebell
Forward drag, stay upright x 100
Forward drag, lean forward x 100
Forward drag, lean more foward x 100
Go forward, torso parallel to ground x 100
Backward drag back home x 100
1200 more feet. 9,200 down.
Upper body stuff was burning. I didn’t realize that I was kinda tight and sore before I started. Leaning forward for dragging was cool. It really hit my hamstrings, way easier and more effective than sled good mornings and way less stupid that sled pull thru. Leaning all the way forward parallel to the ground blasted my abs. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen or heard about or just spontaneously tried that before. Great weather too.
2 Likes
10-24 Lower
Get loose
Hanging Leg Raise, squeeze pad between knees x 15
45 back Raise x 15
BW Box Squat, start high lower box each set x 25
4 rounds
SSB Good mornings
12/10/8/6
Pin 4 Rack Pull then Shrug at top
x 6 for 3 sets, moving hands wider each set
Plate Loaded Hand Gripper x 10
Seated Band Leg Curl, squeeze pad between knees x 55
Oblique Crunches on stability Ball x 8ish then straight up crunch x 10 or so
4 rounds
Sled drag Sunday was probably a little much for a deload week. Last night was tough for an extra workout. My hip flexors and lower back were so tight I had trouble standing up straight. Light weights today.
Matt Wenning on deloading
-
Go 3 steps forward then 1 step back. Progress for 3 weeks then dial something back or cut something out.
-
Deload by reducing what you’re good at, still do the work for what you’re bad at. Like if you’re super strong reduce Max Effort and keep accessories tough. Or if your work capacity is good drop out the high rep assistance but still do heavy stuff.
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10-25 Upper
Dumbbell Y/T/L raise stuff, arm circles against wall x 2
Chest Supported T Bar Row, 5 count lowering x 8-6
Inverted Row x 8
Kettlebell side delt raise x 20/15/10
3 rounds
Front Plate Raise x 15/15/11
Pushups on handles x 15
3 pairs
Barbell Curl x 12 then less
Rear Delts on reverse Pec deck x 10 one and a half reps
3 times
Incline DB Hammer Curls x 12
Cable Curl, slow lowering x 5 ish
2 times
Barbell curls were stagnant last week and went backwards this week. Other curls still exciting.
A little while later
800 feet x overhead tricep extension, pull apart, high row continuous. I had to break into low rows at one point for a rest from the other 3 moves.
10,000 feet dragged. I’ll probably do a little extra to make up for any possible counting/measuring errors. Or maybe I’ll just roll that tire into a ravine and never see it again.
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Hey flats. You’ve probably seen this, but in case you haven’t. Should be really good
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Thanks man, I hadn’t seen that yet! Almost 4 hours, that’ll get me through a lot of chores.
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