Demigod before 35 (Aldebaran)

Training Training Logs
821

Whatever the lunge is, sometimes even on BSS. But for my knees, it’s hard sometimes to know if it’s because of hip or ankle instability, imbalance, weakness or just my old injuries (ACL reconstruction, no meniscuses left, three pieces of hammies missing).

Conjugate Bodybuilding - Day 23 - 25/08

So this was a shitty day. 2 reps felt tough, but like I could 115 (I did 3 reps with 115 last week) but no I did zero reps. here’s the fail

Bar path wasn’t great, too high, and I lost balance and control and it just felt like the bar dropped on me.

So I wondered, how did I went from 3 to 0 reps? Perhaps too much CNS fatigue from yesterday’s session? Back too destroyed? My elbow troubles (especially the left) having caught up to me eventually? I wanted to do a deload. I’ve been going hard in the gym for 12 weeks, and I’ve been partying hard as much. Probably caught me.

Then I wondered then why (despite being very fatigued) all my other lifts other than lat pulldowns have increased? I went back and looked at last week’s log and (as it is supposed to be) I actually had my day off between the two max effort days. And that’s the lesson, there’s a reason why it’s that way. Too much central and back fatigue from yesterday. So the max effort lift suffered. because there’s no other way I could have gone from 3 to 0, I thought at least one…

Anyway, this is the wake-up call to start being really serious or I’ll just never improve.

Not much more to say. Really pushed hard on the lat raises, and perfect form. My whole delts were burning.

But then, I still skipped arms work, and went to buy a 1200 cals pizza to let my poow body recover.

The two next weeks have less volume and that’s a good thing. I’ll lower the RPE a notch in the “deload” week.

So here’s the choices, because I’m away for a couple days, and I work too much this weekend and gym will be closed when I’m finished.

• Do lower body day 2 tomorrow (everything should be fine but power cleans with my sore as hell back)
• Do cardio tomorrow (the thing I’m supposed to focus on but never do because I’m always hangover or something)
• In that case I have to skip one session: upper or lower? I don’t know yet. Upper is very high volume. Lower is quite easy. But I think I could find the time to do push-up chins, and curls at home

Here’s a delt pic for the strong guineapig

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822

Brb doing lateral raises

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823

How are you liking the program?

824

I know how you feel. My deadlift/ pulling days tend to feel like this.

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825

Well I did it when it got out. I like it, but not as much as the first time, though this time I dropped the isometrics as an activation. I tried but meh. Plyo were always better for me in that regard.

I think I just have to be less greedy sometimes. I used to never fail a rep and be too cautious for years. But I think that now for the big lifts, even if it’s max effort day, ramping up to a 3rm or what, I shouldn’t always do an RPE 10 like a do, only when I feel great.

I think I’d prefer more variation as well

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826

I’m definitely doing better when I focus on all my big lift reps being crisp. Then I still get a little sloppy with the volume, but I think it matters less.

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827

I think I’m gonna go with this for a while. Perfect technique on the big “technical” lifts, even if I feel weak with the weights used, and then go crazy on the assistance. I have seen plenty of guys here like Simo use RPE 4-7 on the big lifts and make good progress, so for sure I can aim for technical failure only. i think my joints will also like it better.

Le french workout - 28/08

A. High bar squat + Box jumps + Squat jumps + Band-assisted jumps 3 x 3 + 5 +5 +5 with 120 + 0 + 40 + 0 kgs

B. Bench press + Plyo push-ups + Med ball chest press + Band-assisted plyo push-ups 3 x 3 + 5 + 5 + 5 with 100 + 0 + 12kgs ball + 0 kgs

C1. Dual KB swing 2 x 15 with two 20 kgs KBs

C2. One-arm DB rows 2 x 8 with 42 kgs DBs

So i went to Dijon for three days, constant eating in restaurants (tried Five guys for the first time), constant drinking, not much sleep, then a 6 hours drive back, alone in my car.

I knew I had to try something exciting or I would never find the energy to go to the gym in that stat,e not having eating, tired AF. So I went and tried some French contrast. After all, this is a speed day, and I can’t train this weekend anyway.

I can understand how this is efficient and building pwoer, increasing speed and your vertical etc. Recovery obviously is terrible and my joints were achy. Squats were light, but they felt really heavy that day ahahah.

But on each set, the third was the best. Like your CNS is fired up and focus afterwards! Squats were the fastest and crispiest. My plyo push-ups never were this high, like true claping push ups (without changing the butt angle) whereas usually I have more trouble. Really nice method. And it does a bit of cardio as well ahah

Did some swings and rows for my posterior chain but honestly I was just fried and wanted to go home after that ahahah

Physical tests in 10 days. I’m a bit stressed, now I’m going into robot mode. The fire is ignited. let’s see what a week of good eating, sleeping, no alcohol, and cardio will do to me.

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828

What on earth are band assisted jumps? I know it sounds self explanatory but how do you do them? And why?

This is the type of workout that stresses me out. Too much going on. I haven’t conquered the simple stuff so there’s no need to get crazy. You must love CT’s stuff.

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829

Sorry on saturday I slep 3 hours and spent the worst day of my life at work yesterday (11 hours shift, hungover) went to bed immediately afterwards and slept for 12 hours lol.

I know I said it several times but now I’m getting serious. Tests are in a week. No more messing around.

As for the jumps, well they are like reverse-bands bench or squats. The aim is to do a lift with a weight inferior to bodyweight, which is great for fibers 2x and training fast/explosive pattenrs and alerting your strength/weight ratio:

Honestly it’s not that crazy. Usually it is for advanced atheletes but certain coaches (like JSS guys) like to use them with beginner athletes as well to reinforce technique, motor pattern, and fiber activation. Used quite a lot at the college level as well.

A french contrast is a circuit of 4 exercises:

• Heavy compound (80-90% 1RM)
• Plyometric
• Speed-strength exercise (weighted plyometric or explosive o-lift variation or main lift)
• Plyometric or assisted plyometric

Like Bench + Plyo push-up + DB push press + Lateral med ball toss

Of course with someone who’s not very advanced, you only use simple exercises, not a snatch jump. And honestly, I could see the benefits instantly (like when you skill-strength work or speed work and the sets 3-4 are the best)

So, am I advanced? I don’t know. I have 5- years of propoer training under my belt, and 2-3 more opf messing around. In terms of strength, no I am not, I think i can gent plenty stronger. Size? Well, I keep getting better each year but realistically, what can I gain left as a natural? 3 kgs of lean tissue? 5 being very optimistic? I’m nearing my genetic potential.

There’s also another reason, I used to be an athlete, and I always loved to train as one. Very interesting point by @T3hPwnisher the other day: he said he’s not very fast or technical, so he has no choice but to get brutally strong and big to do what he wants to achieve. I’m more of the other way around.

I don’t think I’ll ever be super big or strong, even with gear. I have frail and tiny joints (as proved by my injuries and suergeries ahah), not a big structure either. (small fingers, small feet: size 10 2/3 for 6"1, 6,6 inch wrists etc)
When doing football, when i was 110 kgs I was just pure fat (despite having training for several years)

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Me at my fattest

My best performance came after that, when I was weighing between 90 -95kgs. As a lineman. And I mean as fucking guard, and a nose tackle, against guys usually 130 - 150 and going up to 170 kgs. Yet I was one of the best linemen in the championship, and D1 level (sure D1 in France is garbage to the US lol but still) I had no choice but to get super technical and fast. I would destroy guys weighing 40 kgs than me in training because I was more explosive and technical (the lowest on the line, always).

Anyway, I think this kind of training is good for what I want to accomplish. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop actively trying to get bigger ahah.

Dude you deadlift 500 pounds and power clean in the 225 - 250 all the time, yeah you have conquered it ahahah

Yes, the Complete power look program was the first program with wich I had great results, in size and strength. And it was when I was doing his stuff that my performnace on the field was the best. I did his programs 80% of the time for 4-5 years, even hired him as a coach for a year.
I cannot lie , I’m attracted to weird, mystique, complex stuff. Probably why I never did 5/3/1: everyone does it (I know it’s a terrible reason not to do it, I even used a variation of it to an aspiring strongman client with really good results)

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830

It’s different strokes and styles for different people. I look at most CT or Meadows programs and just immediately check out. I’m absolutely sure they work, they just don’t sit well with me.

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831

Yes exactly. I’m a big believer in doing stuff you enjoy a bit at least, and that there is more than one way to skin a cat

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832

Oddly, after watching a bit of Joe Bennett stuff recently, that absolutely rings a bell with me, even though its straight up bodybuilder stuff too. Strange how the change in communication styles can help these things.

833

I can totally fathom that this is the case for some people. And if you feel that way, then that’s the way it is. To be honest, I do not believe an approach rich in variety to be inherently better. On paper, I’d bet on 531 BBB being, on average, better than say for instance “The Complete Power Look” if I know “nothing” about the person running it.

But, I’d lose the bet if the person it was revolved around was me, because I’ll run 531 BBB and be bored from doing the same thing for so many sets I’ll start sneaking dumb shit inbetween or program hop after a few weeks.

Straight sets, I can do about 4 before starting to feel restless. But if I do say a 1-6 contrast, I can easily do 6 sets. I need more complexity just to satisfy my brain, not because I’m in any way advanced.

Does this echo Canadian-Ascending-Descending training or is it the otherway around? I.e., which came first?

834

Power look and 5/3/1 are actually quite close I feel. 1 main lift, 2 assistance, 0-2 accessories. Each day devoted to a lift. This is the most “basic” program by CT with the 915. Both towards powerlifting/powerbuilding.

Indeed that’d be the same for me. I need variety to be stimulated, and to crank out intensity.

I don’t know which one came first but I’d bet it’s French contrast. CT also used something similar, his star complexes in 6 weeks to superhero that goes even farther on the spped to strength scale with the inclusion of overloaded movements.

All these methods are based on the contrast and complex methods, and blend them together.

They all work, and Star complexes are the more geared towards strength and size, French contrast the more about power and speed and Canadian the middle ground.

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835

I agree, which is why I specifically targetted 531 BBB in my comparison.

is also similar, although I’d argue the average intensity on the above is higher than on 531. As a corollary, the number of sets are reduced.

531 is not a bad base for the mainlift at all, CT uses it

Personally I need a bit more work on my main lift than those three sets just to find my groove.

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836

A billion % - I’m drawn to both their stuff and can’t stand the “simpler” progressions that the actual strong people on here seem to be doing.

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837

I contribute my failures to variety. You can improve your bench by doing variations and training the same muscles, but you still have to bench. That’s where I hurt myself.

I’d train bench until my shoulder got cranky and then I’d switch to DBs. After awhile, I’d bench again and find I lost everything.

A recent example is OHP. I worked up to 75s for 5x3 so 150 on OHP should be manageable - nope. 135 feels heavy.

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838

Such a great discussion on the “human” element of training. This is why I flat out won’t comment on a program I’ve never personally run before. I don’t think you can just look at a program and evaluate it: there’s so much about the person. It’s also why I go nuts when people see Deep Water and go “Oh, GVT”, just because they’re both 10x10. All people care about is reps and sets: there’s SO much more to it.

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What do you mean by failures? Injuries?

Unfortunately there’s merits to both. Doing often the same lift will increase motor pattern and neural efficiency. At the same time this can lead to being more prone to injuries or imbalances.

It’s the same for me but in reverse ahah I suck terribly with dumbbells

Indeed and I completely feel you. I guess that’s why I always want to run new stuff: to increase my “toolbox” as a coach, like Wendler said. The only progression I used for someone that I never ran before was precisely 5/3/1 ahahah. Guy is young and ultra competitive, he needed something to express himself so the AMRAPS are his favorite thing

840

I’m the exact same way. Always used my off season for that. And I always learn SOMETHING from the process. So worth it.

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