[quote]Modi wrote:
Change of plans…I had to lift today instead of tomorrow. I was a little worried that it was going to be brutal, but today felt easier than yesterday. What the hell do I know right?
11 sessions down, 1 to go. Then I’m off to an all inclusive resort in Mexico for a week to fatten up before I come back and test my new max![/quote]
I just watched the vid, btw. Man, you were firing thru that weight like it was 405. I’m glad you got it in today, cause I am going to be playing it over and over between my sets (you doing 5x7 with my 1 rep max!).
So, are you getting that last session in friday or are you gonna go for it tomorrow?
[quote]Modi wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
The question is, what is stallion? I would say a Centaur, maybe.
I don’t know. I think he’s got dibs on Stallion.
Maybe we need to reclassify Invictica. I’d offer a suggestion, but we’ve already exhausted my knowledge of horses. Is Thoroughbred an option?[/quote]
Thoroughbreds are considered a “hot-blooded” horse, known for their agility, speed and spirit (from wiki). I think he is going to need to load up a video to prove his worth of that title
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
Modi wrote:
Change of plans…I had to lift today instead of tomorrow. I was a little worried that it was going to be brutal, but today felt easier than yesterday. What the hell do I know right?
11 sessions down, 1 to go. Then I’m off to an all inclusive resort in Mexico for a week to fatten up before I come back and test my new max!
I just watched the vid, btw. Man, you were firing thru that weight like it was 405. I’m glad you got it in today, cause I am going to be playing it over and over between my sets (you doing 5x7 with my 1 rep max!).
So, are you getting that last session in friday or are you gonna go for it tomorrow?
[/quote]
Thanks man, it felt decent today.
Tomorrow is just too busy for anything, maybe some foam rolling if I get a chance. I will finish on Friday as planned. I’ve got the whole afternoon off, so I won’t be rushed.
Friday is 485x3x10. It’s almost too bad it isn’t 10lbs heavier. If the first 9 sets go well, then I might take 495x3 on my last set, but I’m not making any promises.
Ok, so Smolov is a LOT like golf. Sure, you can have a great day, but that doesn’t mean jack-squat moving on the the next day. That being said, I had no muscle fatigue from Monday’s workout until this afternoon. Then, my legs felt like jelly, but the good thing was that there was no lower back pain. The bad thing was my arm was throbbing after the 3rd set, so I was having issues getting my elbows down.
The set count went like this: 3x 133.8kg, 3x 154.2kg, 3x 176.9kg (but it was supposed to be 174.6. yeah, I’m a dumbass), 3x3 183.6, and 3x195. Fatigue was high, but I was able to grind out another session. Lesson learned: I changed my unracking stance, but I left the pins where I usually have them with a narrow-stance unracking. The result is that I had to hold the bar a little higher than usual, which made me uncomfortable (very slightly). After my last set, I put up all my weights and just worked with the bar, unracking and re-racking. If you have never done this after a full workout, I would suggest leaving SOME weight on the bar. I think the hardest part was getting the bar where I wanted it with only 20kg of resistance. But, I know what I need to do in the future.
And, yes, I watched Modi’s last session between sets and that really did get me going mentally.
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
Modi wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
The question is, what is stallion? I would say a Centaur, maybe.
I don’t know. I think he’s got dibs on Stallion.
Maybe we need to reclassify Invictica. I’d offer a suggestion, but we’ve already exhausted my knowledge of horses. Is Thoroughbred an option?
Thoroughbreds are considered a “hot-blooded” horse, known for their agility, speed and spirit (from wiki). I think he is going to need to load up a video to prove his worth of that title
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
Ok, so Smolov is a LOT like golf. Sure, you can have a great day, but that doesn’t mean jack-squat moving on the the next day. That being said, I had no muscle fatigue from Monday’s workout until this afternoon. Then, my legs felt like jelly, but the good thing was that there was no lower back pain. The bad thing was my arm was throbbing after the 3rd set, so I was having issues getting my elbows down.
Nice work! I completely agree. When you think it’s going to be hard, it suddenly gets easy, and when you think it will be easy, the shit doesn’t want to move.
I told someone else that I stopped thinking a couple of weeks ago. I just go in and lift what my little sheet of paper tells me to lift. It wouldn’t lie right? I mean, were not the first people to have done this program. Just go in, get it done, and limp back home.
[quote]Modi wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
Nice work! I completely agree. When you think it’s going to be hard, it suddenly gets easy, and when you think it will be easy, the shit doesn’t want to move.
I told someone else that I stopped thinking a couple of weeks ago. I just go in and lift what my little sheet of paper tells me to lift. It wouldn’t lie right? I mean, were not the first people to have done this program. Just go in, get it done, and limp back home.[/quote]
Yeah, no one at my gym can see how I can squat so many times a week. I tell them that it actually gets “easier” once you get past the first few days and they look at me like I’m high. But, yeah, follow the template to the letter (no matter which one you choose to follow) and it can be done. Hell, I am getting close to doing this for the past 4 months now. I feel like I have made HUGE strides in my form and stamina. It’s no longer a matter of if I will hit 5 wheels, it’s when I will hit it.
[quote]Invictica wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
Modi wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
The question is, what is stallion? I would say a Centaur, maybe.
I don’t know. I think he’s got dibs on Stallion.
Maybe we need to reclassify Invictica. I’d offer a suggestion, but we’ve already exhausted my knowledge of horses. Is Thoroughbred an option?
Thoroughbreds are considered a “hot-blooded” horse, known for their agility, speed and spirit (from wiki). I think he is going to need to load up a video to prove his worth of that title
Inv, post up, holmes!
ahahahaha, I’ll take this title if I hit 180kg.
[/quote]
hahaha. Ok, but you know I forgot that you did post your vid after the base cycle. So, it’s not a matter of IF you hit it, it’s WHEN you destroy it, you Thouroughbred!
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
Modi wrote:
The Smolov Squat Base Meso Cycle is in the books.
Today was a good day, with a nice little bonus on the last set.
It’s about friggin time. I have been waiting to see all day (tells you how busy work is today).
That was a site to behold. Congrats on busting out the Smolov. So, what number to you have going thru your head right now for next Saturday?
Oh, and have a good trip!
[/quote]
Thanks Undersired. I wanted to feel like I’ve earned the trip.
I hate to make predictions because it all depends on how I feel that day.
But…if I felt like I did today, then I will probably go 550 for my first PR and my first 2x BW Squat (sad, I know), and then 565 sounds like a good second. That would be a 30lb PR, and based on how today went, it should be there.
[quote]Modi wrote:
undesired08 wrote:
Modi wrote:
Thanks Undersired. I wanted to feel like I’ve earned the trip.
I hate to make predictions because it all depends on how I feel that day.
But…if I felt like I did today, then I will probably go 550 for my first PR and my first 2x BW Squat (sad, I know), and then 565 sounds like a good second. That would be a 30lb PR, and based on how today went, it should be there.
[/quote]
I understand about predictions. And 2x bw at our weight is not sad. Of course, it pales in comparison to the ultimate goals, but it’s a good base. I think smaller guys get off easier with the 2x’s bw thing, but that me being a weight-ist.
Personally, I hope I “fill out” enough to make it 2 more wheels. But, that is a few years down the road.
Week 2 is now in the books. Today’s session shines a spotlight on the end of the “easy sessions”. Sets went as this; 133.8kg x3, 154.2kg x3 (vid says 152.2, but that is due to me not being able to think too clearly), 176.9 x4, and 183.6 4x5.
I had to put a LOT of effort into getting the last 4 sets completed, but they all went up. Unlike last Saturday’s session, which felt like a warm-up, this one felt like the “end”. Starting from the first warm-up set, the weight felt a little heavier than usual. But, I survived. Can’t wait till Monday when it’s a 5x5 w/183!
Unfortunately, I nursed my back for the rest of the weekend, my left erector was knotted pretty bad after the last session. The pain went all the way to my rib cage. After lots of massaging, heat, and ice, I felt pretty decent going into the gym tonight. The work started with 124.7kg for 3, 142.9kg for 3, and 163.3 for 3. Then hell began, 5x5 w/183.6.
I was ok until the third set. When I came out of the hole, I was feeling really good, and popped the weight up. When I hit the top, the weight bounced and when it came back down it jolted me pretty hard (my left leg buckled severely). The pain in my back was terrible and this happened on the first friggin rep. The rest of the reps were not very pretty, but they were completed. I grabbed a tennis ball and laid on it until my back went numb prior to my next two sets.
Now, I have to heal up as fast as I can to hit Wednesday’s session. I have 2 more weeks left on this “journey”, there ain’t no way this is going to stop me. Plus, this thread is not called “Death by Smolov” for no reason.
Good work gentlemen, I love following the thread…I look forward to starting a smolov before the end of the year. Need to get my base of work capacity back up first.
[quote]Free2Be wrote:
Good work gentlemen, I love following the thread…I look forward to starting a smolov before the end of the year. Need to get my base of work capacity back up first.[/quote]
What part are you planning on doing? Or are you going for the full-monty?
5 more workouts till freedom. I just blew off a big party this weekend cause I’m so close to the end of this glorious cycle. The 5x5 90% is the most frightening thing I have done in the gym. I have the song “Blood is the Price of Glory” cranked on my Ipod during the set.
5 more workouts till freedom. I just blew off a big party this weekend cause I’m so close to the end of this glorious cycle. The 5x5 90% is the most frightening thing I have done in the gym. I have the song “Blood is the Price of Glory” cranked on my Ipod during the set.
There was really no point to this post.
Let’s finish strong [/quote]
There was a point, you knew I was waiting for an update. going from 4x5 to 5x5 was not fun. Tomorrow shouldn’t be too bad, only 2 heavy sets. Now Saturday I am hoping to be close to 90% healthy and crank out those 4 sets like they are childs play :-D.
I went back in this log and read some of it and man, there is just no way I am going to let this slip. I am also thinking that testing two weeks in a row isn’t such a bad idea, but I will have to see how I feel when we get to the finish line.
There was a point, you knew I was waiting for an update. going from 4x5 to 5x5 was not fun. Tomorrow shouldn’t be too bad, only 2 heavy sets. Now Saturday I am hoping to be close to 90% healthy and crank out those 4 sets like they are childs play :-D.
I went back in this log and read some of it and man, there is just no way I am going to let this slip. I am also thinking that testing two weeks in a row isn’t such a bad idea, but I will have to see how I feel when we get to the finish line.
[/quote]
Yea the reps really do me in, 25 reps looks like a daunting number for 90%. The heavy sets are okay, 6 working reps, no biggy, which gives you a preview for 12 working reps, which is not too bad either, tough but not frightening.
Good luck on healing man. Way to push through it.
Hahaha yea, If we quit now, the last 10 weeks of only squatting would have been completely in vain. No way is quitting an option.
