Push Press 235 x 1 (PR)
Play with that head position a bit more. I’ve come to feel that the backward movement of my neck into the bar creates a lock on the bar. Now, this isn’t tilting the head to actually look up, but forcing the head and neck back into the bar creating that tension and lock. This is part of what I’ve interpeted as a “tight upper back” along with squeezing the shoulder blades together.
^^^^That is exactly what I did, but I didn’t realise just how dramatically it would throw off my balance. So next time I’ll try it a bit more gently.
03/01/2011
Hill Sprints 35 yds x 10
Kept it to ten because it’s 6 sets of 4 on squats tomorrow.
Why are you tinkering with your squat form? What are you hoping to accomplish?
I think your squat form is great. Maybe too deep by powerlifting standards (it takes one to know one), but I don’t really see any form flaws.
Hella pushpress, and I love the Nirvanna.
Outstanding job. Great PR.
Good work in here, keep it up.
KP - I’m not tampering with anything major, just trying to keep my head up more out of the hole and driving my neck into the bar more. And weirdly, I like being deeper than necessary.
Joe, UN42 and Jack - Cheers
04/01/2011
Power Snatch @ 132 lbs x 5 sets of 2 reps
RUSSIAN SQUAT ROUTINE WEEK 2 W/O 1
Back Squat @ 345 lbs (80% 1rm) 6 sets of 4 reps
Bench Press (long pause on chest) @ 242 lbs x 3-3-3
Prone Bench Row @ 176 lbs x 5-5-4
GMs @ 132 lbs x 5-5-5
Lowered the row poundage from last times 198 because I seem to have irritated a bit of rib cartilage that has been bothering me most of the week. Did them today with full lungs while holding my breath and that took the pressure of my ribs. Worked better.
Didn’t like the GMs much and I wasn’t sure if I was doing them right and I didn’t have my camera to check. Probably not a great idea to do them after 6 sets of squats anyway. Maybe I’ll try them again after this cycle.
The squats were suprisingly comfortable. It’s weird this program, you dread the constant increase in volume but somehow the workouts inbetween at the base level (6 sets of 2) make the harder days achievable.
I tell you what, the Russians certainly seem to know a thing or two about programming!
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
KP - I’m not tampering with anything major, just trying to keep my head up more out of the hole and driving my neck into the bar more. And weirdly, I like being deeper than necessary.
[/quote]
Even more weird, I totally get that.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Didn’t like the GMs much [/quote]
All the more reason to do them. Where did you feel them most? Video next time.
KP - While I was doing them I didn’t feel them anywhere, but today my hams are so SOOOOOORE! probably because I did them stiff legged. I didn’t know whether to bend my knees or not, how low to bend (parallel to ground?) if the bar was meant to roll up towards my neck?. Basically I was crap. I’m not going to give up on them just yet, but I could really do with a link to a video where I could see them done correctly. Any suggestions?
05/01/2011
Hill Sprints 35yds x 10
Did these mainly for recuperative reasons (dispersing DOMS). Surprisingly I had a lot of “pop” in my legs today and they felt really good.
I hit GMs with 95 lbs. for 3x5 Monday, and my hamies are still sore. I did them stiff legged and very slow. I can move a lot more weight if I cheat a little and treat it more like I’m training the movement rather than the muscle. Some of the big guys like Pete move a shit-ton of weight on GMs–more than I squat–whereas I think Meat rarely trains GMs above 135. I know Wendler advocates training GMs slow and strict with no more than 135 lbs.
I think there are a lot of different “right” ways to train a GM, you might want to just vary your stance (wider, narrower, stiff legged, knees bent) and the strictness of the movement and see what works for you. I usually try and hit parallel, but not always. Sometimes I will work heavier to less than parallel to get more weight on the bar.
Thanks alot for that Jack. Maybe I wasn’t as far off as I first thought then. I do GHRs a couple of times a week but they have never hit my hams as hard as these did. I just expected to feel them more in my erectors though. I think I’ll persevere with them, do them slow and strict with a low poundage and just think of them more as a hamstring exercise.
I do my GMs with straight legs and soft knees. I try to go to parallel without allowing any back rounding. I don’t believe the bar rolls up on me, but I carry it high anyways. The most I’ve ever worked up to was 90 lb. for five reps at 110 lb. bodyweight. And I think it was too much. Now Ms. O, she does GMs with obscene amounts of weight.
06/01/2011
Power Snatch @ 132 lbs x 5 sets of 2 reps
RUSSIAN SQUAT ROUTINE, WEEK 2, W/O 2
Back Squat @ 345 lbs x 6 sets of 2 reps
GHR @ bw x 5-5-5
GMs @ 132 lbs x 5-5-5
DB Curls @ 47 lbers x 5-5-5
Now three days off. Whoo Hooo! I’ll need it, Monday is 6 sets of 5.
Sorry… barging in here…
Regarding good mornings, I’m also struggling with how exactly to bend or not bend. My understanding was that a guy (or gal?) is supposed to push the hips back a bit at the low end and keep a slight knee bend (soft knees, right KP?). I could easily be wrong here… just starting the discussion. I can totally see why doing them stiff-legged would lead to wicked DOMS.
And by the way, I’m five colors of jealous regarding your lifts. BEAST.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
I do my GMs with straight legs and soft knees. I try to go to parallel without allowing any back rounding. I don’t believe the bar rolls up on me, but I carry it high anyways. The most I’ve ever worked up to was 90 lb. for five reps at 110 lb. bodyweight. And I think it was too much. Now Ms. O, she does GMs with obscene amounts of weight.[/quote]
I was just going to chime in on GMs because they are a regular part of my repertoire. There’s a ton of different ways to do them. When I go lighter (155ish) I try closer stance straighter legs and lower. Heavier is wider with more leg bend and not nearly as low. Try a few different ways.
We did some ghetto GHRs last night and my bum and hammies feel it today. I think it really depends on what you’re used to. I’m not used to those 
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I was just going to chime in on GMs because they are a regular part of my repertoire. When I go lighter (155ish) [/quote]
I will not club O in the knee in order to be the winner. I will not club O in the knee in order to be the winner.
Looking strong as hell. All that squating is paying off.
i am really looking forward to seeing how much this program adds to your squat