That was… hard.
COOL! I am thinking about looking into sheiko in a month when I am finished smolov. I seem to do really well on high volume.
At least mentally, anyway. I feel really accomplished, ha-ha.
Any vids from your meet?
There are videos of every attempt I think! One of the guys from PEI that went with us (this meet was NS Provincials) had his wife film all of his attempts, all of his training partners, and all of mine. It’s just a matter of waiting until they/she gets around to uploading them.
In the post that didn’t work, I outlined my attempts. I’ll rewrite it now that I’m less frustrated lol.
Squat-
170 - Good
187.5 - Good
200 - Good
Bench
105- Good
115 - Good
122.5 - No good, stalled a couple inches off the chest.
Deadlift
200 - or was it? I went up, smoked the lift, and Kevin (the training partner of the filming guy whose wife filmed) comes over and says “ahh, dude, that was 220!” So we showed the video to the judges, and one side judge confirmed that he saw 3 reds and a blue, and so I was credited with 220. I was going to make 220 my third, so…
225 - No good. lol, the 5kg jump completely destroyed my life, so I passed on my third.
Total, 535kg. 25kg pb in the squat, 5kg off on bench and like 15kg off on deadlift. Therefore, a 5kg total pb.
I always feel great doing high volume stuff, but I’ve only ever done high volume in the sense of high reps, never high sets. I haven’t increased my strength much (other than squat) in the last little while, so I’m hoping sheiko really helps here. If I don’t have a great showing in a couple months, I’ll be starting westside again (I wonder if that’s STB’s fault… lol)
Well, here was todays Sheiko:
3 day (Wednesday) % reps sets weight
1 Deadlift up to knees 50% 3 1 242
60% 3 2 290
70% 3 2 339
75% 3 4 363
2 Incline Bench press 6 4
3 Dip 5 5
4 Deadlift from boxes 55% 4 1 266
65% 4 1 315
75% 4 2 363
85% 3 4 411
5 Lunge 5 5
6 Abs 10 3
And it was a LOT easier than Monday. But… to be fair, it’s probably because I couldn’t finish any of the fucking deadlift sets.
Training at my university gym until I get a car means no chalk, means my grip sucks.
I’ll have to suck it up for the next couple weeks until I can get a car and back out to my real gmy.
Apparently the videos were deleted, making the CPU website the only evidence I have of the lifts… which doesn’t help me improve at all lol. Oh well, next time I’ll have them video’d by someone else.
Friday’s,
1 Bench press 50% 5 1 128
60% 5 1 153
70% 4 1 179
75% 3 2 191
80% 2 2 204
75% 3 2 191
70% 4 1 179
60% 6 1 153
50% 8 1 128
2 Dumbbell fly 10 5
3 Squat 50% 5 1 220
60% 4 2 264
70% 3 2 308
75% 3 5 330
4 Good morning (sitting) 5 5
Squat 50% 5 1 220
60% 4 1 264
70% 3 2 308
80% 2 5 352
Bench press 50% 5 1 128
60% 4 1 153
70% 3 2 179
80% 3 5 204
Dumbbell fly 10 5
Push up 10 5
Front squat 45% 3 2 198
55% 3 2 242
60% 2 4 264
Good morning (standing) 5 5
So, the days seem to be getting easier, which I hope means I’m getting stronger somehow.
The bench days have all been ridiculously easy. I’m skeptical that my bench will improve on Sheiko, but I’ll ride it out. Planning on doing 30 or 37 after 29 finishes. Then time 32 for the meet. I think 32 is the peaking one for people new to Sheiko style training.
What if I don’t hear the press/rack commands cause my brain is thinking too loudly (it does that).
Do they yell PRESS!!! Really loud so deep thinkers will be able to hear it? Or should I just wait an extra long amount of time before I rack/press stuff.
Like say I am benching and it’s touching my chest and I count in my head 1-2-3-4-5 then I press, HAH.
I worry too much.
I am excited to start sheiko when I am done smolov.
They’ll yell it loud, don’t worry! Most judges (they SHOULD do this) will raise their hand, lower it when they say SQUAT! then motion for you to rack while they yell RACK.
The press command will also be very loud. You won’t have any trouble hearing it. As for just waiting, I wouldn’t. Some judges will really torture you with the period of time before their PRESS! comes. On the other hand, some will be fairly quick and actually tell you to press as soon as the weight is motionless.
Just open up light, like really light. Most say something you can do for 3 on a bad day, which I’m sure you’ve heard, but why not even lighter, like something you can do for 4 or 5 if you were dead. It will take a LOT of the stress off. Leaving weight on the platform is absolutely fine your first meet 
Smolov has always interested me… I should try it out eventually.
3 day (Wednesday) % reps sets weight
1 Deadlift up to knees 50% 3 1 242
60% 3 1 290
70% 3 2 339
75% 2 4 363
2 Bench press 50% 6 1 128
60% 6 2 153
65% 6 4 166
3 Dumbbell fly 10 5
4 Deadlift from boxes 55% 4 1 266
65% 4 1 315
75% 4 2 363
80% 4 4 387
5 Lunge 5 5
Fuck those deadlift to knee things. I’m doing it all full deadlift.
Didn’t actually get to do the deadlift from boxes or lunges tonight, oh well.
Good luck with Sheiko
Thereeee he is.
1 Squat 50% 5 1 220
60% 4 1 264
70% 3 2 308
80% 2 5 352
2 Bench press 50% 5 1 128
60% 4 1 153
70% 3 2 179
80% 2 2 204
75% 3 1 191
65% 5 1 166
55% 7 1 140
3 Dumbbell fly 10 5
4 Squat 50% 5 1 220
60% 5 2 264
70% 4 4 308
5 Good morning (standing) 5 5
The heat was unbearable in the gym today. I was a dripping pile of sweat the whole time.
Overall, the first group of squats went well, although they all seem to move slow. Not necessarily max effort feeling, just… slow.
The bench was still easy. The second group of squats went well, although they all, again, feel like grinds.
I’m starting to think that Sheiko makes me great at grinding out lifts. However, I’m still not convinced that it helps me grind out max effort lifts. Wait and see at the meet I guess. Additionally, I feel slow as fuck. Definitely not feeling quick and powerful like on a WS inspired template.
Perhaps I can slowly add in plyometrics to the start of the sessions.
Yeah that’s how I am feeling on smolov right now. Most of my sets have multiple grinders in them. I don’t know if I set my max too high, or if this is how it’s “supposed” to be, but I am kinda not wanting to finish the intense part cause my form might be getting worse! I DUNNO!!
The sets certainly aren’t easy… but they don’t feel hard either? It’s a strange feeling. It’s just a grind, almost sluggish. I know I’ll get it, but it’s still SOOOOO slow.
Squats from way back on Dec 5/2011. I was so strong back then… Need to find that consistency again (which I have been lately), and build my shit back up. Previously having a 190kg x 4 squat and then only going 200kg at my last meet (6 months after the 190 x 4) makes me feel like shit (AKA makes me want to train harder)
EDIT: I’m dumb. There’s the video.
1 day (Monday) % reps sets weight
1 Squat 55% 5 1 242
65% 4 1 286
75% 3 2 330
85% 2 4 374
2 Bench press 50% 5 1 128
60% 4 1 153
70% 3 2 179
80% 3 6 204
3 Dumbbell fly 10 5
4 Push up 10 5
5 Squat 50% 3 1 220
60% 3 1 264
70% 3 1 308
80% 3 4 352
6 Good morning (standing) 5 5
The 4 doubles at 375 was killer… but no where nearly as killer as finishing with 350 for 4 triples.
I also started pausing all of the bench reps. MUCH more difficult and I believe will help quite a bit more. Should develop some awesome starting strength, and definitely will help staying tight.
This also seems to be the hardest day by far. so I’m glad I got through it