[quote]Astar wrote:
Good luck on the 1RM, hope to see a big number[/quote]
Thanks for your thoughts Astar… sadly today was not the day.
mon 10/11
warm up: back raise, leg swing, DB swing, ab wheel
squat - belt at 405, wraps at 455
135,225,315,365x3, 405,455x1, 505x0, 515x1, 535x0 (sigh)
split squat - razor focus on keeping the hips level, reps per leg
135,185,225,275x10
leg press
200,400,670x6, 850x5+2, 200x20
seated leg curl/leg extension
4 sets or so
Squatting did not turn out as well as I had hoped. Lost upper back tightness at 505 and didn’t even try to fight it. 515 went alright, but I’m not completely happy with depth. 535, also lost upper back tightness and didn’t get enough hip depth… i.e. wraps were way too tight and I tried to get extra bar depth by leaning forward more. With some more technique work, 535 is definitely doable… 545 also not out of the question. There is still plenty to learn about wrapping: there seems to be an optimal tightness for me.
Split squats were great… really felt them in the glutes at 275, but no back discomfort and stability has improved. Leg presses… ok. Felt like something was close to tearing at 850 so I stopped short of my rep goal and re-grouped. Changed foot position and it still didn’t feel great so I packed it in.
Leg curls were nuts. Hammies definitely aren’t very good knee flexors… I will work on this.
Vid:
Nice work, yeah you just need a little more depth, I can’t tell from that angle, but do you flare your knees at all?
Also work on getting a lot tighter before you descend, you were rocking around all over the place before you started the squat. Remember, every bit of energy wasted, is energy that could have been used for the squat.
[quote]ED3180 wrote:
Nice work, yeah you just need a little more depth, I can’t tell from that angle, but do you flare your knees at all?
Also work on getting a lot tighter before you descend, you were rocking around all over the place before you started the squat. Remember, every bit of energy wasted, is energy that could have been used for the squat.[/quote]
I did flare. The rocking has always been an issue, though I’ve cut it down a lot. Basically running through a checklist in my head: low back, upper back, glutes, go.
I think if the wraps were a little looser or a different pattern I would have had depth no problem. The plan is to drop the wraps next week and set a rep PR, then use wraps the second week of every cycle from here out.
tue 10/12
warm up: DB arm swings, mil press, muscle snatch
mil press
95,105,115,135x5, 145,155,165x3, PP: 165x7
WG pullup - just inside rack width, straps at 45
BWx2x10, 25,45x5, 55,70x3, 55x6, 25x11
seated mp - to nose, thumb from smooth
65,95,115x10, 135x9,10,10,10
NG chinup
BWx4x10, BWx20, BWx2x10
floor skullcrusher/EZ curl
4 or 5 sets
Switched up the grip in the mil press and now I am back in business… false grip just wasn’t working for me anymore. Seated MP to nose were sweet… I really like these. WG pulls were good, just gotta be careful about my shoulders. NG chins were awesome; really worked the lats and back. Floor skullcrushers for a nasty tricep pump and curls just because. Curls suck, they are pretty boring.
Vid:
Hmm, where’d my Thursday post go?
Worked up to 495,515x3, 525x2, 405x14 for sumo deads.
fri 10/15
bench
95,135,165,185x5, 225,235,245x3, 185x14
cable row - bench grip, trying to row the bar like I’d bench
superset
incline bench
95,135,155x10, 185x6,6,6, 135x13
HS D.Y. row - plates per side. 3.25 means 3 plates plus a quarter
2,3,3.25,4x10, 4.25x6, 3x25
cable fly/pressdown
couple sets
stretch a little
Benching was great! Still small potatoes but I think I have finally beat the pain. Love the HS row machine!
mon 10/18
warm up: back raises, ab roller (someone is always using the decline situp bench), leg swings, DB swings
squat - belt at 405
135,225,315x5, 365x3, 405x3x3
oly squat - belt at 315
135,185,225,275,315x10, 365x3
duck-foot calf raises - Nautilus machine
superset
leg extension/seated leg curl
5 or 6 sets
calf raises - Naut. machine, with pause at top
superset
stretch
So someone turned up the gravity today… and I forgot how to squat. Probably has something to do with missing 3 heavy lifts last week. So just got my 3x3 in and no more. Oly squats were fun; video below. Tried 365 just for grins, but it was not bad so I may try going heavy on oly squats on non-wrapped weeks. For leg curls/extensions, I started off doing single-leg and then switched to two-leg after a few sets. Hopefully I can get some respectable pulls in on Thursday.
Vid of oly squats:
tues 10/19
warm up: BB end arm swings
mil press
95,115,135x5, 145x3, 155x3, 165x2, 135x9
WG pullup - rack width, straps at 60
BWx4x10, 45x5, 60x3,3, 45x6
dip
BWx2x10, 45x10, 90x6, 135x6,6,6, 90x10
NG pullup
BWx7x10
JM press/BB curl
feet raised pushup/DB curl
I need to do something else with the mil press. Lost it forward at the top of the second 165 rep and just racked it. May give mil pressing against mini bands a try next 3x3 week. Dips were a pleasant surprise! 135x6 is my current PR, but I did 3x6 without too much difficulty so that’s good. Just messing around with tri and bi exercises.
I played around with overhead press against mini bands and really liked it. It really helped me push my head through my arms at lockout (where I usually fail). Good luck with it.
I’ve been following your log for awhile. I’m a little bit behind you strengthwise, but I’ve been enjoying watching your progress. About how long did it take you to get your deadlift from 495 to 545? Oh, and what were you doing?
[quote]jakerz96 wrote:
I played around with overhead press against mini bands and really liked it. It really helped me push my head through my arms at lockout (where I usually fail). Good luck with it.
I’ve been following your log for awhile. I’m a little bit behind you strengthwise, but I’ve been enjoying watching your progress. About how long did it take you to get your deadlift from 495 to 545? Oh, and what were you doing?[/quote]
Nice, glad to have a MP-against-mini-band endorsement.
As for the deads… hard to say because after my first 500 pull, I switched to conventional for several months to see if I could make that work. Turns out I suck at conventional and the only chance I had to pull 585 this year was to go back to sumo. My weakness is off the floor and I don’t want to resort to deficit pulls just yet if I can make progress by hammering assistance stuff first. Training the adductors hard has given me a few pounds so I will keep doing that until it no longer works. Wide-and-high leg press is my favorite exercise for that but I imagine lunge varieties would also work.
Realized it was an adductor weakness when they freaked out after a failed heavy rep.
Edit: also I try to do 3x3 for working sets and don’t pull singles that often.
Thanks for following! It’s pretty sweet you get to train with 2scoops… his 600 squat at 181 is now my secret long-term goal.
wed 10/20
warm up: back raise, decline situps, leg swings, DB swings
sumo DL - belt at 455
225,315x5, 405,455x3, 505x1 (fried), 405x7x1 (practicing technique)
SSB sumo GM
65,105,155,205x10
back raises
BWx2x20
This week should have been a deload. I just can’t take the hint. For future reference, 1RM squat and/or dead weeks should be followed by a deload week. Going to take it real easy tomorrow benching and then take it easy next week, too.
thurs 10/21
warm up: BB end arm swings, bent row, BB curl, mil press, muscle snatch
bench
95,135x10, 155,185x5, 205,215x3, 225x5, 135x15
band pull-aparts
superset
incline bench
95,135,165x6, 185x4+1, 135x10
HS pulldown
1,2,2.25x10, 3x6, 3.25x1+2 (too heavy), 3x10
low cable fly/pressdown
4 sets of 10
stretch
Pecs definitly not fully recovered from something (dips probably). Regardless, things went alright. The HS pulldown is not as sweet as the HS DY Row… stupid foam on the handles is loose and rotates.
Down to DC this weekend to help my good friend move and then get huge next week. I will add in buckwheat shakes again because I need to eat more and digestion seems to be under control.
mon 10/25
warm up: back raises, leg swings, decline situps, DB swings
oly squat - belt from 365 on
135,185x10, 225,275x6, 315,365x5, 315x12,10
leg press - higher and a little narrower than usual
200,400,580,760x10, 580x20
dip belt calf raise
superset
leg extension/seated leg curl
3x10, 1x15+5
nautilus calf raise
superset
stretch
Squats were ok, though lots of driving this weekend took its toll on my body. Lots of little aches but managed to work through them. Leg pressing was great and apparently I have a large skull vein that pops out when leg pressing. Seated leg curls were tough for two reasons: burning in the right hammy, and pain in the left calf/hammy. Still suspect my left calf as the root of the pain. Soft tissue work and stretching seems to help a little but didn’t do any over the long weekend.
tues 10/26
warm up: bar-end arm swings
seated mil press - to chin
95,115x10, 135,155x5, 165x4 (PR, sigh), 135x10,13 (PR)
WG pullup
BWx6x10, BWx15
dips
BW,45x10, 90,115,135x6, 145x5 (PR), 115x10 (PR)
HS DY row - straps for last set, one arm at a time
1,2,2.25,3x10, 3x25
DB curls/rolling skullcrusher
4x6, 1x15+5
Mil pressing was ok. WG pullups were ok. Tried to do NG chins as a second vertical pull exercise, but right side ribs hurt like crazy (like injury hurt). Dips were awesome and surprised me with two PRs. Curls/skullcrushers were ok. Arm training is so boring.
Looking forward to mil pressing against bands next week… could be fun!
hey thought i’d comment on your log lol. on the 515 squat vid, because of the angle of the vid i can’t tell a couple things but you may want to take a slightly wider stance, def focus on keeping your knees pushed out while coming up on the squat and you should sit back more in the squat, it makes it easier and faster to hit depth, it looks like as you get more in the hole the more forward you get so that makes me think that it may be a hip flexibility issue but you do oly squats but again the knees traditionally come pretty forward on oly squats. and you need to get let your mind go and not think about all that stuff goin through your head before you squat, it will help your squatting and yea it takes to much time lol.
thurs 10/28
warm up: back raise, decline situp, leg swing, DB swing
conv dl - belt from 405 on
135,225,315,365,405x5, T&G sets: 315x10, 365x15 (noice)
wide stance box squat - parallel box, toes just under rack, belt at 315
135,225,275x10, 315x6,6,6
nautilus calf raise
superset
back raise/decline situp
5 sets or so
dip belt calf raise
superset
stretch
Wasn’t looking forward to deadlifting today but I got in the mood when things felt good. 365x15 wasn’t super tough so I have room to improve. Wide box squats were recommended by an older sumo powerlifter who’s about my height, so I gave it a try. I will do these more… hips are almost in the exact same position on the box and at the start of a pull.
Lowest ribs on my right side are fucking killing me. Hopefully its just a muscle issue.
Vid:
[quote]2-SCOOPS wrote:
hey thought i’d comment on your log lol. on the 515 squat vid, because of the angle of the vid i can’t tell a couple things but you may want to take a slightly wider stance, def focus on keeping your knees pushed out while coming up on the squat and you should sit back more in the squat, it makes it easier and faster to hit depth, it looks like as you get more in the hole the more forward you get so that makes me think that it may be a hip flexibility issue but you do oly squats but again the knees traditionally come pretty forward on oly squats. and you need to get let your mind go and not think about all that stuff goin through your head before you squat, it will help your squatting and yea it takes to much time lol.[/quote]
Hey scoops, thanks for stopping by!
After hitting the wide box squats today, I think you may be right about a slightly wider stance. Hips are flexible enough but I need to try a different wrapping pattern because just up and down is messing me up. I will work on the knees out thing, just have to be careful with my left knee as it doesn’t like straying from a specific groove much. That stupid coming forward problem is really bothering me and it has to stop.
As for the mind games just gotta turn the music up more I guess lol. Thanks for the feedback dude, I appreciate it.
fri 10/29
warm up: BB end arm swings, AVG shoudler traction, mil press, muscle snatch
incline bench
95,135,155,185,195x5, TUT sets: 135x10, 155x10+?
cable row - close neutral grip
superset
WG bench - index finger on the rings
95,135,155,185,205x6, 155x10+? (don’t remember)
HS DY row - straps for last set
2,2.25,3,3.25x10, 3.25x15
feet-elevated pushups/preacher curl
4 or 5 sets
cable fly/band pull-apart
3 sets
stretch
Decent day! My arms are still a mere 17"… need to figure out a way to get them to grow.
mon 11/1
warm up: back raise, decline situps, leg swings, DB swings
squat - belt at 405, wraps at 455
135,225,315x5, 365,405x3, 455x3x3, Oly SQ: 315,225x10
reverse BB lunge - alternated legs on the last set (like a walking lunge), steps per leg
135,185,225x10, 225x10 alternating
nautilus calves
15-20 rep supersets
circuit
step ups → leg extension → back raise → seated leg curl
2 warm up circuits of 10, 2 all out circuits with extended sets
stretch hard
Brutal day. Wrapped way too tight on my second 455 set and tore up my skin pretty good. Then on the last set, second rep I came out of the hole wrong and went to put it on the pins but had a change of heart and just powered up… but that fuckup cost a lot of energy so I couldn’t hit the 5+ I was hoping for. It’s on video if anyone is interested but it’s also kind of embarrassing. Anyway, down sets of oly squats felt great. Lunges were tough. My right leg is less coordinated when leading than the left leg, maybe due to discrepancy in posterior chain strength? IDK.
The circuit was brutal and that was the intention (punishment for screwing up what could have been a productive squat set). Left knee/hammy/calf seems to be healing up as the leg curls were much stronger and more comfortable today.
Not sure where to go with squats right now. Pushing oly squats for a while could be fun but would probably be a setback as far as hitting a legit 505 squat this year… only two months left. Gotta think about this.