Clockin' A Grip

Training Training Logs
161

Thanks for the tip. Stoppani was definetly worth a look. I had totally forgotten/never considered some of that stuff. I need to get on my plate curls.

8-25 Bench

Scarecrows on bench with 5 pound plates
Band Pullaparts laying on bench
Pull overs on bench with EZ-Bar
3 times. Super effective warm up

Jumps.

Bench
Light sets, reverse grip
135x6,6, 20. More Pull overs between sets

Slight Incline Dumbbell Bench with Twist
30x10
60x10, 3 sets. Chest Supported Kelso Srugg between sets

Close Grip Swiss Bench
Barbell Curl
Seated Cable Row
3x20 each

Grip:
Wrist Roller: 25, 50
Pinch from 8 inches: 25’s x6, 4 sets
2 Finger DL: 115x6, 4 sets
Wrist Roller: 60, 70

Pull overs on the bench were good. The gym has this weird looking EZ curl bar, so curvy you can grip it neutral. It was cool. The woman deadlifted 185x7, 7, 12.

8-28

Get ready

Jumps

Seated SSB Good Morning
A few up
225x6, 6, 20

Manta Ray Box Squat, A little High
95x10
135x10, 3 sets

Plate Loaded Shuts Machine with Band
Hip/Ab leg Raise
Leg Extension
3x20 each

Reverse Hypers
140x30, 4 sets

Tough one today. The “squat” to the box to do goodmornings, especially the descent is challenging. Box Squats didn’t feel great, will probably repeat 135 next week.

1 Like
162

8-29

Band Pull aparts x30
Band Pushdowns x120
Dumbbell curls x25
Twice

Walk up and down a big hill for 20 minutes.

My elbow hurt, so I did a bunch of band Pushdowns. I realised yesterday, my elbow doesn’t hurt anymore. Thanks Louie!

163

Dates are off. Today is Monday, 8-29

Get ready, jumps

Press
Warm ups, hang cleans in between sets
110x 6, 6, 15

Seated Dumbbell Press with Twist
25x10
55x10, 10, 6/4 Had to go rest/pause on last set

Grip
Wrist Roller: 35, 60
Sorinex Plate Loaded Gripper, Plus Red Band: up to 90x2
Wrist Roller: 80

No assistance today. Got 205x5 on the last set of hang cleans. Almost, almost felt strong for a second.

My girl squatted 145x 6, 6, 13

164

8-30 Legs

Hips/hams/quads

Jumps

Power Squat Machine
Warm ups, jumps, more hips
230x6, 6, 20

Plate Loaded Deadlift, Plus Red Band
45x10, handles too high
45x10, much better
70x10, 3 sets

Hip/Ab Raises
Back Raises
Let Extension

Reverse Hypers
180x25, 4 sets

I did some jumps to 30", and it was pretty easy, so I sat on a box just below parallel, then jumped up. Or hopped on one foot, landed on 2 then jumped up. Or left, right, up. Fun stuff.

When I finished, some Romanian chick came behind me, added a riser, and jumped to 36". Just to make me look bad?

1 Like
165

9-1 Bench

Scarecrows with 5 pound plates
Band Pull-overs, laying on bench
Curl/Tricep Pushdown

Jumps, Pull overs on bench

Bench Press
Warm up with jumps and Pull overs
155x6, 6, 15

Dumbbell Bench, with Twist
40x10
70x10, 6
60x10, 10 paired with Chinese Shrugs

Grips
Wrist Roller: 25, 50
Plate Pinches: 25’s , five sets of 6 lifts, from floor
2 Finger DL: 5 sets of 6, pins at knees
Wrist Roller: 75x2

-Elbow feels great. Triceps and rear delts have really come along, and my grip has widened a little on the bench. The dumbbell presses with the twist have really helped my barbell presses get “smoother.” I think my shit was so weak, I had to use a close grip, to cover up. I could feel a lot more muscle working today. In the future, I think I’m going to need to Bench lower weights to get better at benching. That should allow me to get stronger.

9-2. Deadlift?

Get lower body ready, jumps

Seated SSB Good Morning
A few sets working up. Felt rough
245x6. No more!
The squat to the box is the limiting factor. I could feel my hips trying to quit. My body wanted to arch forward, and let my back take the load. So that sucks, but it’s cool that I can “feel” it now. In the past, I would have just automatically switched to whack technique.

Box Squat with Manta Ray
95x10, 2 sets
135x10, 3 sets. Felt kinda like torture. I should have stuck with 115, three weeks ago, these felt good.

Abs/Leg Extensions

Reverse Hypers
150x30, 4 sets

It feels like the Seated SSB GM has taken me as far as it can right now. But it’s cool, I got like 12 or 15 good weeks out of it, and I feel ready to slide the plate loaded DL into its place. Of all the lifts I did this week, it felt “easiest” or like it had the most room to improve.

1 Like
166

I’ve been talking with the Wise Men, and they say I need External Shoulder Rotation, work for my Gluteus Medius and anti extension ab work. I believe I need to widen my bench grip, and do more step ups and sled drags.

I did some external shoulder stuff ( L flies?) against a micro mini band. If I squinted my eyes, and used my imagination, it sort of felt just like bench-widening practice.

Then I did some band monster walks for the hips. Afterwards, I walked up a big hill. I could really feel the outside of my hips and thighs. As I walked, leaning forward with lunging steps I could feel my pelvis “tucking under” just like when you do the ab wheel. The whole thing felt kinda like dragging the sled.

The way forward seems pretty clear.

2 Likes
167

This is a really interesting log. Half the stuff you do I’ve never heard of before. I should come by more often.

168

Some of those could be typos.

It’s deload week, I’ve been avoiding the gym, but doing some stretches and Pull aparts and stuff like that, in a haphazard way.

Today I did;

External Shoulder rotations against a band, in 3 positions.
3 “sets” of band x walks
3 “sets” of ab roller

Then walked up a big hill and around a corn field with the dogs, wearing ankle weights. I’ve slacked for a couple weeks on the ankle weights. They “worked” instantly. Also, I saw a fox. He looked really full and healthy, almost “fluffy.” It’s reassuring to see healthy animals around. One time there was a coyote in the backyard. He was skinny, haggard looking and pathetic.

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169

If this was meant to be humorous, it was.

170

It was a joke, but WTF are “Let raises of bench”?

171

9-9

Deload week extra workout

Band external shoulder rotation, micro mini x25
Band thru belt walk around light band x a bunch
Ab wheel x10?
Inverse Curl(8) then 45 degree back raise (12)
Repeat 3 times

Hang Clean 135x8
Pushup x20
Step up hugging medicine ball, 15 pounds x12 each leg
Repeat 3 times

Sled Power Walk
115 x 6 trips

During the last 24 weeks, I’ve trained 21 weeks and “deloaded” 3 times/weeks. This 3rd time, I actually felt pretty good all week, and went to the gym once.

I’m hype for next week.

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172

Perhaps an acronym along the lines of Light, Explosive, and Tension, so like fast explosive partial delt raises or something whilst seated on a bench.

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173

Light, Explosive Tension! I like that a lot.

That’s how I was trying to drag the sled. I wanted to make each step it’s own “move” , start slow for tension then accelerate to finish with an explosive drive and snap the sled forward.

1 Like
174

Months ago, I watched a video where Max Aita put Mark Bell through a squat session. It was really good, and I’ve tried to use the info. I rewatched it the other day, and liked it even more. I followed up with a Juggernaut video, where Max talked about his first hand experience with the “Bulgarian Method.” It was so good, I listened to the Mark Bell Supertraining Powercast that featured Max. Dude had a perspective/attitude a lot different than what I was used too.

He stressed that the Russian/Conjugate system was “methodical” and “phasic.”

He stressed that the Bulgarian Method was more “aggressive” and based on a competative/challenge oriented structure.

He talked about how one day, He just kinda “collapsed.” 275 in the squat buried him. His shoulders were all to hell, etc. Pushing top performance so long had caused him to loose his foundation, and his whole shit crumbled.

It was like the reverse of Louie’s “a pyramid is only as tall as the width of its base” analogy.

It also got me thinking about how Westside combined the methodical Russian approach(build your base) and the Bulgarian Method( in your face, contest conditions) in one routine. I thought that was pretty cool. Then I started thinking about 5/3/1. Wendler is always talking about using conditioning and mobility and non maximal lifting to build up. A gradual, methodical approach. Then I remembered Wendler talking about how it was the atmosphere/attitude at Westside more than the routine. It got me thinking about the “Break Records” aspect of 5/3/1. The program is “methodical and phasic” but every session revolves around challenging yourself to meet/exceed goals and records.

Louie and Wendler are good at this.

2 Likes
175

9-13 Press

Sled: 70x50 steps x 6 trips

L-Fly
Ab Wheel
Pulldowns
3 times

Press paired with Hang Cleans
A couple, even lighter
110x5
125x5
140x5
110x5x5

Assistance loop between back off sets

Cable upright row
Combo Dumbbell Delt Raise
Dumbbell Curl/Tate Press
3 times

Grip:
Roller: 35, 65
PVC “Hub”: 20, 25, 30x2
Roller: 75

My girl is back in school, and today was the first Monday early morning session. Started with some easy, light sled drags. The way the schedule works out, I can hit these 3 times a week. Took it easy today.

Something was tight, and I kinda strained my pec/delt catching the cleans. It was tight and made presses uncomfortable. Gotta remember not to rush.

Hub lift felt way better than last time I tried. Hit 30 for the PR, then did it again to be sure I hadn’t cheated.

176

Agreed.

Couple of things that come to mind for me:

  • who comes out of a decent tenure at Westside not knowing their shit? Nobody.

  • when you look at it from one perspective, 531 has max effort work (plus sets, you’re getting a rep PR or should be); repetition effort (the assistance); and if you incorporate throws, jumps and even paused reps you have a kind of dynamic effort.

177

The more I look around, the more it looks like there is only 1 way to train. Every “good” approach includes the same elements. There are just different ways to get it all in there.

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178

9-15 Legs

Sled: 135 x 36 steps x 6 trips

Power Squat Machine( sat on low box between sets for flexibility/mobility)
Work up
200x5
230x5
270x5
200x5x5

Kettlebell Stiff Leg (35)
Lunge (hold 25 plate in off hand)
Hise Shrug (200, in Power Squat Machine)
3 sets, 12, 12, 15 reps. Between back off sets

Reverse Hyper
190x25, 4 sets

179

9-17 Bench?

Rotator
Dumbbell Curl/Rope Pushdown
Maybe 1 other thing? Warm up was effective, whatever it was.

Bench Press, paired with Seated Cable Row
Bar
Light light
175x5
195x5
215x5
175x5x5

Chinese Shrug
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise
Rolling DB Tri Extension
3 “tri sets?” done between back off sets of bench

Grip
Roller:40, 60
Plate Pinch, from box below knee: 35’s x3 x6 sets. Short ROM, still tough.
2 Finger DL Lockout: 135x5x5. I was actually able to Pull Back!
Roller:70, 80

Better session that it looks on paper. Left Pec/shoulder was good to go. I’ve been hitting the band external rotations for 2 weeks and it’s already working. Bench grip is widening itself, first set with bar, I “automatically” gripped outside the rings. Right wrist and forearm lined up strong from there. I brought it in a little after that. Everything felt great until 215, then my right shoulder started lifting and the bar got squirley. Just gotta work on keeping it “deep in the socket.”

Seated Cable rows felt good. Posture/Position on the bench has improved. More upright, and supported by hips not back. Rear delt raises were good. 2 weeks ago I had to do some kind of weird, leaning forward, behind the back dumbbell shrug/row squeeze to feel them.

Can it all be rotator related?

9-18 Deadlift

Get loose

Sled Drag
70 x 50 steps x 2 trips
90 x 50 steps x 2 trips
115 x 50 steps x 4 trips

Plate Loaded DL Machine, with Red Band
A couple working up
65x5
75x5
85x5
65x5x5

Step Up
45 Back Raise
Shrug, on DL setup
3 times, between DL back off sets

Reverse Hyper
140x30, 4 sets. Got a couple sets of Hip/Thigh Leg Raises in too.

Upper hamstring/ lower glute/crotch super tight. Reverse Hypers loosened that shit right up. I should have done those first.

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180

Haven’t hit the RH up in ages, might do soon.