Pretty good day today. Hips came up too fast at 495 but it was ok. 545 was heavy! Haha but I got it. The naked box put my height at parallel I think but the more I look at the video the less certain I am. SSB GM’s with chains was an awesome idea and hits the sumo deadlifting muscles directly. I’ll alternate SLDL’s and these after next week.
Thinking about doing some clean and jerks with the log tomorrow.
I think at your box plus 1 inch that you are right at it, as in you’d get a white and a red from the side judges, because it’s real close. I also think your squat would explode (in a good way) if you worked your stance out wider.
[quote]jakerz96 wrote:
I think at your box plus 1 inch that you are right at it, as in you’d get a white and a red from the side judges, because it’s real close. I also think your squat would explode (in a good way) if you worked your stance out wider.[/quote]
Thanks for the feedback. I will probably try to widen it bit by bit… don’t want to jump out to a wide stance and have my hips explode instead lol. Been doing a lot of traction for the internal and external rotators after leg days to help get the hips in shape for sumo pulling again so I would imagine that will carry over to wider-stance squat flexibility as well.
warm up: PVC and LAX roll, shrug, clean, jerk, snatch
clean and jerk
worked up to 215x1 pullups
worked up to 115x1
big log OHP
4x3 or so chinups
BWx4x10
arm stuff
stretch
Predictably, today did not go so well. Probably shouldn’t have done full cleans the day after a grinding squat. Maybe I’ll go back to SQ-BP-DL-OHP days order. Also I really jacked up my right wrist and right erector (probably from trying to protect the wrist). Some more PVC rolling after training and back traction loosened the erector up but I will keep an eye on it. Might have to take it relatively easy on Thursday or just go back to 3x/wk.
A powerlifter was very surprised to learn I was 184, guess he pegged me at 205 haha. I’ll take that as a compliment!
Back rounded on 515 but 495 was very good. 405x10 was kinda tough. 140 walking lunges were tough. Tried to give it all on the last sets of sissy squats and GHRs and probably came close. Can’t get rid of the nagging feeling that I could have done a little more, though.
It’s a little embarrassing to really push the reps that way. The encouraging self-talk, utterances of agony, the whole experience of pushing yourself hard when almost everyone else in the room just seems to be going through the motions. Maybe it’s because there isn’t a “usual” crew and I don’t know the other lifters well enough. It’s like exposing the raw and intimate emotions that drive you relentlessly into the pits of agony, not to friends but to strangers. “Hey, watch me express my deepest self-loathing and torment as I relentlessly pursue pain sufficient for a emotional catharsis. Maybe if I suffer enough you can watch me arrive at a temporary forgiveness. Then, you can make some comment to yourself and dismiss me as just another young guy trying extra-hard to look good for the ladies, or some other equally trivial shit.”
And my wrist is still hurting. Hopefully it will be ok for benching tomorrow.
The boards aren’t always easier. If you have a weak spot in your bench and a board puts your turn around there then it’s gonna be harder. It’s just that most people are weakest at the chest. 1 and 2 boards are tough for me for what it’s worth.
[quote]jakerz96 wrote:
The boards aren’t always easier. If you have a weak spot in your bench and a board puts your turn around there then it’s gonna be harder. It’s just that most people are weakest at the chest. 1 and 2 boards are tough for me for what it’s worth.[/quote]
Hmm alright, guess I will be a little smarter about it next time and work on the 1 board. Might as well try a 2 board just to see as well. Thanks for the input.
squat-to-box
135,225,315x5+, 405x2, (belt) 455x1, (wraps) 495x1, (add 1") 525x1, (no box, no wraps) 405x9 - miscounted
wide-stance SSB GM - chains are 75lbs a piece for an extra 150lbs at the top
(chains) 65x10, 155x2x10, (belt) 185x2x10 donkey calf raise
superset
leg extension/lying leg curl/seated calf raise
3x10++
stretch
Decided to straight bar squat as I will be away from Thursday until Tuesday (plenty of extra recovery time). It went really well actually. For some reason the box seemed like 2" lower than last time but it’s probably just in my head. 455 and 495 were smooth and fast and 525 was just smooth haha. Or might have been fast, IDK didn’t take video. No sticking points so that’s good. Decided against adding a plate to the box and just did some reps at 405. I was hoping for 10 but I lost count and f-ed up the 9th rep anyway. Bodyweight was a record 189 after lifting. Abs are definitely softer but they are still there so I’m just going to run with this growth spurt. This is like 10lbs since coming to Los Campeones.
Benching tomorrow to give my wrist extra time to heal before cleans/snatches next week.
warm up: PVC and LAX roll, smith incline (bar only)
bench - start illegal wide, work in to pinky on rings
135x20, 185x10, 225x5, 255x1,3, 275x1, (AVG PMS) 275x10, 315x3 inverted row
superset
smith incline - weight prolly not accurate, see below
barxlots, 135x4x10 fat rotator bar pulldowns
superset
cable flye/incline pushup
3x10+ rear delt flye/machine pullover
3x10+
out of time
So in all fairness a guy who just finished 225x3x5 on regular inclines said the smith press was not 135. This makes some sense as one of the counterweight cables is detached and there are some seriously beefy bearings welded to a full-size bar. Regular benching was ok, felt a little weak though. It seems I can hit 275 pretty much any day of the week but it hasn’t gotten any easier and I think I need a more structured plan to increase it. I will meditate on this some during my 32 hr bus ride.
My latest system when my bench seemed to be moving up steadily was a simple volume based progression w/ heavier speed work on another day.
I’d pick a modest number I could hit for sets of 5 on any day, then add 10lbs a week over 3-4 weeks to like 3 sets of 5 PR on the 3rd or 4th week volume day. I was alternating between 1 board and flat bench for this before I hurt my wrist. I was also doing up to a heavy single or double off boards w/ some chain, before doing the volume stuff as down sets.
I’d have an off day every once in awhile, but I was able to get into a nice groove doing that, but then I injured my hand.
32 hours on a bus sounds miserable. Good luck with the travels.
[quote]grettiron wrote:
Regular benching was ok, felt a little weak though. It seems I can hit 275 pretty much any day of the week but it hasn’t gotten any easier and I think I need a more structured plan to increase it. I will meditate on this some during my 32 hr bus ride.[/quote]
Well, it’s one or more of a few things… You’re slow, your triceps are weak, your pecs/shoulders are weak, you have trouble with the transition a few inches off the chest, your form is bad, you aren’t really staying tight, no leg drive, lats aren’t helping you off the chest, grip is in the wrong spot, you need to use a false grip, mobility is poor (or flexibility), your back is too weak, your ass/glutes are too small, or you are just weak.
That was easy right? Just work on all these things right? Good luck, I have been moving super slow on the bench for quite some time too.
