Thanks for the input Bunny but I’m not a thrash metal, smash my head against the wall, get all fired up kind of guy. I’ll give you the shoes though, I have got a flat soled pair but I keep forgetting to put them on. I will sort that.
I do intend to lower the intensity and cycle things gradually up again, but I was just trying to squeeze out a last PR from this particular cycle before the new year. I’m not a big fan of taking deload weeks (I do know they make sense) because I wasted 15 years “under” training and have only started to make real progress recently working out 5 days + a week with a decent volume.
Not an expert here, but it looked as if you came forward, off your heels during the last part of the descent. Then your hips came up first, throwing you even more forward. keep that upper back tight and force the elbows under the bar. I might guess that GMs focussing on pushing the hips back and keeping a tight back arch may help as well. {/end pseudo pretend advice to a much more capable lifter}
Y’now - you missed 442 four days ago. What made you think 445 would go today? Sometimes a weight is just too heavy for the day. Take a step back, lighten the poundage and take another run. The idea is to take a daily max, not necessarily an all-time max each day. Get as close to failing without actually doing so. The poundages will differ from day to day but trend up ward over time. Even just taking a 90% lift will make you stronger, done once a day.
edit:
I saw no form break, I just saw a weight that wouldn’t go up. That indicates to me no weakness anywhere, just a need to recover, back off and ramp back up and get a little stronger.
If you want to smoke 465 by Feb. 1, take off until Monday and then run the Smolov base cycle using 435 as your starting max. Then rest 4 or 5 days and test again. You will need to eat and sleep mostly when you are not lifting, but you will blow past 450 like it wasn’t even there.
(I’m a lousy squatter, but I have a good eye. And this is not advice, merely observation.)
I did not see any weak points per se in any of your previous videos. In this particular one, the bar looked like it moved forward from the get go (it’s supposed to remain centered over your mid-foot for optimum leverage), which probably means (and this goes with the other guys’ comments) your brain “decided” your back was too tired to keep the weight centered, and tried to get your legs to do all the work. I agree with what George said as well.
Will a stronger back help? Always. But your back did not look weak in your other videos.
Usually when I fail like that, my coach says that it’s my low back/abs that aren’t allowing me to stay tight and lead outta the hole with the chest. Sometimes it causes me to slightly GM and ratchet up leading with my hips.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
You are a hard-headed SOB, I’ll give you that.
[/quote]
Well there’s no need for that kind of abuse!
I thought I must have posted on the powerlifting forum by mistake.
Seriously though, thankyou for the responses, both those I wanted to hear and those I didn’t. I’m taking “some” of the advice on board. I’m going to follow the russian squat routine based on a sensible estimated max of 430. It means a drop to 3 squat sessions a week from 5 and I will dispense with the daily max stuff. The first w/o requires 6 sets of 2 at 344 and the weight remains at that for the first 3 weeks so this should be a bit of a rest for me, at least intensity wise, from what I’ve been doing of late.
I’m not going to deload though. I guess I just enjoy working out too much. A week without any training is very hard for me and if I had to train at 50% one week out of every four I’d rather not bother! Which brings me to my hypothetical question,
If someone said they could train you to reach your lifting goals (realistic, achievable goals, like we all make each New Year, not an olympic weightlifting gold or a 1000lb bench press) by working out only once every 20 days compared to attaining say 80% of those goals training 3,4,5 days a week, what would you do?
28/12/2010
Hill Sprints 12 x 35yds
Took these very easy, more of a jog than a sprint, but at least I didn’t pull a calf and I must have burnt off a few mince pies!
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
If someone said they could train you to reach your lifting goals (realistic, achievable goals, like we all make each New Year, not an olympic weightlifting gold or a 1000lb bench press) by working out only once every 20 days compared to attaining say 80% of those goals training 3,4,5 days a week, what would you do?
[/quote]
That is a very tough question. For me, the training in and of itself is so pleasurable. I look forward to it immensely. However, I am very goal-oriented and get frustrated that I have so little talent in this sport and might consider selling my eye teeth to be a superstar.
I guess I’d have to forgo the once every 20 days (and my goals). I’d probably go insane from not lifting before I’d reach 'em anyway.
i like efficiency, so if I could progress better by lifting less, even once every 20 days, i’d do it. and I’d just find some other kind of training to throw in the off days, like more highland games practice, etc.
I’m with John here. More time for throwing and other stuff that’s been pushed off the plate. But even if I wasn’t wanting to do 5,000,000 things other than lifting, results are what matters. I enjoy the training but not enough to eat into results.
Interesting answers. I’m definitely with KP on this one. I wonder if the fact that for MJ and Carl lifting is only a part of what they do influences their decision, whereas those who lift for the sake of lifting would feel differently? Who knows? Anyway…
29/12/2010
RUSSIAN SQUAT ROUTINE, WEEK 1, WORKOUT 1. (Based on 1rm of 430 lbs)
345 lbs 6 sets of 2 reps
I’m going to follow this routine exactly to the letter, so much so that I am not scheduling any other work other than the required sets and will add work afterwards or on off days depending on how I feel that particular day.
GHR @ bw x 5-5-5
Bench Press @ 242 lbs x 2-2-3
Bench/Prone Rows @ 176 lbs x 4-5-3
Performed the bench press with a long pause on the chest in an effort to get stronger off the chest, an area I am very weak. I’ve always had a problem with bent over rows because I hate the way the heavier people go the shorter their ROM gets. On “my” version (I don’t know what they’re called, but I’ve seen them performed by olympic rowers. I’m not claiming to have invented them BTW) there is no way to cheat and use momentum and if you don’t hit the bench you can’t count the rep!
Those “prone rows” are the coolest. I’ve never seen anyone do them. All the more reason to try them myself. Like you, I get annoyed by how much people “cheat” with their lifts and rely on momentum or muscles that aren’t supposed to be engaged to properly do the move.
Had to bring my w/o a day forward because I can’t do Friday this week. Upped the snatches by 22lbs. Performed the squats as explosively as I could. They felt quite easy after doing 3 reps a set on Friday. Was going to try 242 on the push press but decided to be conservative. Wish I had tried it now as I think I’d have got it.
Once I’d finished my squat sets I thought I would play with my technique a bit. I’ve noticed I drop my head slightly coming out of the hole, which throws me forward. So I thought I’d try throwing my head backwards, but I overdid it. (vid below)
