DJ: Monday, Prime Time

I will be busy throughout much of the day, but I’m looking forward to the intellectual stimulation I get from Prime Time.

righty, I’m going to continue if I may from where we left off last wednesday - discussing OLAD for powerlifting, (apologies in advance if I’m sounding like a stuck record…).

I’ve opted to use the Bulgarian ‘daily max’ methodology that CT (and others) have written about - whereby you work up to a max single FOR THAT DAY, and then do a bunch of doubles and triples at various %'s of that top weight. Each day will have just the One focus lift, although I may perform a couple of variations of it, as per your suggestion - eg do Romanian Deads before normal deads or whatever…

First question: are you familiar with this approach?

Second question: do you rate it?

Third, unrelated question: if a trainee was looking to move up a weight class or add some extra LBM just for the hell of it, what approach would you take with them?

Coach John (and fellow T-Nationers),

Do you typically let your deadlifts fall back to the ground and pause before lifting or do you employ more of a negative with a “touch and go” method? Or is it load dependent?

Thanks

My first response didn’t make it. Too bad, it was genius. Basically, I think I said that the Bulgarian method works well with OLAD, but you have to find some volume somewhere. Seven singles ain’t much…

Deadlifts should have a notation in the journal about what kind you did. I had buddies in college who said: “I did 505 for ten,” yet basically they did a single and nine bar bounce lock outs…

Re the volume, I thought this may be an issue, so I opted to do a few triples on the way up to the daily max. I’ll illustrate with Fridays workout(weights in KG’s btw):

incline 60,65,70 x 6 (warm up sets)
80, 90 x 4
100 x 3
105, 110, 115 x 1
100 x 3,3
105 x 2,2,2

wide grip 60, 80 x 5
90,100 x 3
110, 115, 117.5 x 1
100 x 3,3
107.5 x 1,1 - felt heavy so stopped - should have got a few doubles here…

bench 90 x 5,4 - performed because I wanted to, so there!

Coach,

Me, so obviously nothing intellectual … have you noticed that OLAD is wreaking so much havoc that we now have a support group?

“Hi, my name is Bastard, and I too perform only one lift a day.”

“Welcome Bastard …” sobbing ensues …

In other news, I have determined that you are bad for the American economy and tax-payer. I pointed a friend of mine, a high-paid (read: over-paid) government military guy, to your page last week. Apparently, all he did was lounge around the office and read your stuff until he left early on Friday. Not that I know anyone else that does either of those.

Welcome to Monday,
Bastard

I need to be less witty and entertaining. I will work on that…

[quote]BFG wrote:
Coach,

Me, so obviously nothing intellectual … have you noticed that OLAD is wreaking so much havoc that we now have a support group?

“Hi, my name is Bastard, and I too perform only one lift a day.”

“Welcome Bastard …” sobbing ensues …

In other news, I have determined that you are bad for the American economy and tax-payer. I pointed a friend of mine, a high-paid (read: over-paid) government military guy, to your page last week. Apparently, all he did was lounge around the office and read your stuff until he left early on Friday. Not that I know anyone else that does either of those.

Welcome to Monday,
Bastard[/quote]

BFG, I second that accusation… Today has witnessed a vicious battle between the article section on Dan’s website and the combined forces of household chores and bedroom decorating. It’s been a massacre I’m afraid, and now I have to explain to the mrs why I have nothing to show for my day off… (no, I’m afraid she wont be impressed with the workout randomiser I’ve made, even if I am).

Coach John,

Hit a liftime PR squat clean of 210 this morning. Only 5 pounds away from my Liftime PR power clean of 215. Closing in on the 225! Had to let you know. I’m doing a 3 days per week cycle now where on day one squat snatching from the scoop for an easy double, then from the hang for an easy double and then full squat snatch for a hard but not max double. Same thing on the cleans, but doing it for a single.

I hit the 210 this morning and KNOW I had more in the bank. I know the issue is not my leg strength because if i rack it, I’m coming up with it. Day 3, at any rate, is strength work with a a double or triple to be worked up to in the jerk, then snatch grip deads, then front squats. Doing those in the 3-6 rep range. Last strength workout sucked, but the OL have gone up. So who cares is the way i look at it. Let me know what you think of the program. Look forward to flipping some tire swith you soon!

Nick

Dan,

You always emphasize recovery (for good reason). I know you like cold showers, Mg, and K…as well as a balanced work-rest-play-pray continuum.

Anything you’d like to add?

I’m trying to get this PrimeTime flowing.

Also - who are those two models you hired for your Carried Away DVD?

Nice to hear from you, Nick. I’m looking forward to Phoenix. I won’t be doing much in the next few weeks, but I would like to hear you nail that 225…

[quote]Nick Radonjic wrote:
Coach John,

Hit a liftime PR squat clean of 210 this morning. Only 5 pounds away from my Liftime PR power clean of 215. Closing in on the 225! Had to let you know. I’m doing a 3 days per week cycle now where on day one squat snatching from the scoop for an easy double, then from the hang for an easy double and then full squat snatch for a hard but not max double. Same thing on the cleans, but doing it for a single.

I hit the 210 this morning and KNOW I had more in the bank. I know the issue is not my leg strength because if i rack it, I’m coming up with it. Day 3, at any rate, is strength work with a a double or triple to be worked up to in the jerk, then snatch grip deads, then front squats. Doing those in the 3-6 rep range. Last strength workout sucked, but the OL have gone up. So who cares is the way i look at it. Let me know what you think of the program. Look forward to flipping some tire swith you soon!

Nick[/quote]

Dan I would like to hear some of your thoughts on the 40 day workout. When you spoke about hitting a 300 pound incline I got real intersted in the program. I know you’re gonna say “just try it” and I will when certain conditions permit me too but I just wanted some more information like did all your other lifts improve just as much, how did it work for all the ohter athletes who tried it, and anything else you might be able to share with me.

P.S. You totally changed the way I train. Simple really is better I want to thank you for that.

Coach John,

I read an article of yours in which you said that you have used sawhorses for squatting. How in the world did you pull this off? I am a midget at 5’7" and I have trouble getting light weights off the horses.

I can move the bar but not without cheating the weight up, I don’t lift the bar smoothly like I would with squat stands. I bought sawhorses that are a little higher than average and I still feel like I am starting too low.

It’s not that I can’t get low, I can sit down ass to grass, but this is a bad position to start a lift from for me.

Any tips on how to perform this lift better?

In case the first one didn’t go through… Dan I would like to hear some of your thoughts on the 40 day workout. When you spoke about hitting a 300 pound incline I got real intersted in the program. I know you’re gonna say “just try it” and I will when certain conditions permit me too but I just wanted some more information like did all your other lifts improve just as much, how did it work for all the ohter athletes who tried it, and anything else you might be able to share with me.

P.S. You totally changed the way I train. Simple really is better I want to thank you for that.

I guess…and I can’t get a handle on how to write this…the will to overtrain just a little throughout a career so you can understand the need for recovery. Like the ability to do “too much,” then bring it in. Soon, you sense when you get on the “too” and bring it in before you break down.

[quote]Jeff K wrote:
Dan,

You always emphasize recovery (for good reason). I know you like cold showers, Mg, and K…as well as a balanced work-rest-play-pray continuum.

Anything you’d like to add?

I’m trying to get this PrimeTime flowing.

Also - who are those two models you hired for your Carried Away DVD?
[/quote]

It has been a real mix. That is why I am asking people…and you would be great…to share their experiences. There are a lot of questions I don’t know the answers to with it and, to be honest, I think a 20 day approach might be better. No one…yet…has found much value from 30-40. So, it works great, yes, but…

[quote]realt81 wrote:
Dan I would like to hear some of your thoughts on the 40 day workout. When you spoke about hitting a 300 pound incline I got real intersted in the program. I know you’re gonna say “just try it” and I will when certain conditions permit me too but I just wanted some more information like did all your other lifts improve just as much, how did it work for all the ohter athletes who tried it, and anything else you might be able to share with me.

P.S. You totally changed the way I train. Simple really is better I want to thank you for that. [/quote]

You see…that is the value of it. It is really really hard to just get it to budge the first five or six workouts. Then, you “figure it out,” the CNS jumps in and you become instantly better!!!

[quote]basementD wrote:
Coach John,

I read an article of yours in which you said that you have used sawhorses for squatting. How in the world did you pull this off? I am a midget at 5’7" and I have trouble getting light weights off the horses.

I can move the bar but not without cheating the weight up, I don’t lift the bar smoothly like I would with squat stands. I bought sawhorses that are a little higher than average and I still feel like I am starting too low.

It’s not that I can’t get low, I can sit down ass to grass, but this is a bad position to start a lift from for me.

Any tips on how to perform this lift better? [/quote]

I built a sled yesterday, and was out and about with it today. A thought crossed my mind: Has anyone ever tried Tabata Sled Sprints? It seems like it could work…

-FC

can someone point me in the direction of the 40 day workout?? Don’t think I’ve seen that one…

In the archives of my “Get Up” Newsletter, there is a full report of it. It starts with last year’s October edition (or around there) and then I have a full blown out review as the year (2005) moved on…

[quote]juninho wrote:
can someone point me in the direction of the 40 day workout?? Don’t think I’ve seen that one…[/quote]