It's a Dog's life

Training Over 35 Lifter
1041

[quote]soldog wrote:

from what i saw on the sumo, your form looked good BUT the angle was not the best and the weight didn’t look all that heavy for you:)

Thanks again meat!

Since 315 was too easy and I got home late. I decided to do a short session and test my max. I’d appreciate comment on form and warm-up progression. If the video shows here, it is the 365# attempt.

12 March 2009
W=199#
Bike 10 min Sh. Rehab.
Sumo DL 135x5, 225x5, 245x3, 295x1, 325x1, 345x1, 365x1 PRs (previous PR of 335# conventional DL

345# attempt

365# attempt

I think I had more than the 365# but wanted to end on success.

Meat, QT, JimmyT, skidmark, hel and anyone else who cares to chime in:

I’d really like any suggestions on a plan to get me to a 405# sumo DL say by the end of April.

Thanks for all your help![/quote]

not bad but you are doing what skid is guilty of doing (and pretty much everyone that’s new to sumo pulling)- you are picking the weight up with your lower back. the main reason to use a sumo pull is to get the quads into the motion. once you grab the bar, your legs are already almost fully straight. you need to get your feet pointed out more to where they are closer to parallel to the bar. the you nee to get your knees so they are closer to parallel to the bar. then you need to pull yourself down to the bar while also pushing your knees out as hard as possible. it’s much like decending into a squat- you force those knees out hard on the way down. that builds tension in the hips and gives you pop out of the bottom. look at it this way. if when you setup, you can easily get down to the bar. then you aren’t close to being in a good pulling position. you want to put those hips on a bind on the way down. otherwise, your only option is to muscle the weight up using your lower back.

besides the things i mentioned, you are also jerking the bar off the floor. this can lead to a bicep injury and also makes the move a lot harder. what you want to do is get into position. besure to build that tension in the hips. you should have to basically pull yourself down to the bar. as you set your grip, you pull the little bit of slack that’s in the bar and once the bar is taunt, then you rip that shit off the floor.

these are just a few things to work on now. i would personally just start with your setup. dont even pick the bar up. you will know when you have your set up right because your hips will be screaming and you will have to fight to get to the bar.

keep the videos and questions comming.

1042

[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
not bad but you are doing what skid is guilty of doing (and pretty much everyone that’s new to sumo pulling)- you are picking the weight up with your lower back. the main reason to use a sumo pull is to get the quads into the motion. once you grab the bar, your legs are already almost fully straight. you need to get your feet pointed out more to where they are closer to parallel to the bar. the you nee to get your knees so they are closer to parallel to the bar. then you need to pull yourself down to the bar while also pushing your knees out as hard as possible. it’s much like decending into a squat- you force those knees out hard on the way down. that builds tension in the hips and gives you pop out of the bottom. look at it this way. if when you setup, you can easily get down to the bar. then you aren’t close to being in a good pulling position. you want to put those hips on a bind on the way down. otherwise, your only option is to muscle the weight up using your lower back.

besides the things i mentioned, you are also jerking the bar off the floor. this can lead to a bicep injury and also makes the move a lot harder. what you want to do is get into position. besure to build that tension in the hips. you should have to basically pull yourself down to the bar. as you set your grip, you pull the little bit of slack that’s in the bar and once the bar is taunt, then you rip that shit off the floor.

these are just a few things to work on now. i would personally just start with your setup. dont even pick the bar up. you will know when you have your set up right because your hips will be screaming and you will have to fight to get to the bar.

keep the videos and questions comming.

[/quote]

Thanks meat!

1043

That’s funny: I don’t FEEL guilty…

1044

Took Friday as a rest day and went snowboarding today with my son. We had a bunch of good runs and both of us are learning fast. Unfortunately, I took a hard fall right on the point of my right shoulder that ended the day early. It’s not doing too bad right now, we’ll see tomorrow just how it feels. Indulging in my favorite pain killer right now: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

1045

[quote]soldog wrote:
skidmark wrote:
I think you already have 405, you just haven’t attempted it yet.

Thanks skid - maybe I just need to get my head around it, but it didn’t feel like I had another 40#s in me…[/quote]

It is easy for us to believe in you :wink:

1046

15 March 2009
W=203
Bike 60 min. total 5 w/u, 30 Steady state HR around 140, 15 hill sprints, 10 Steady state cool down
Sh rehab
Bench barx20, 95x10, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5
Incline barx20, 95x5 tweaking rt shoulder
Decline barx20, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5 clicking in rt shldr
Bentover BB row 135x5, 185x5/5/5/5/5

Sumo DL set practice in between each row set Video

I wanted to take the bike outside but wimped out: too cold and windy.

This session took 2 hours and 15 minutes total with all the messing around with the camera.

1047

Thanks for keeping a low-tech guy in mind, neat video! Because of you and others, I to just started sumo-deads. Doing 4x8@185 just to feel it, and thought my knees were going to explode! Low back didn’t like it either.

Pretty much needed all the points Mr.Meat just laid out I’m guessing. Glad I’m getting caught up with you guys cause I miss to much good stuff!
Keep pushing it, Capital Hill Z-man (flat-lander to you mountain types)

1048

[quote]zildjianman wrote:
Thanks for keeping a low-tech guy in mind, neat video! Because of you and others, I to just started sumo-deads. Doing 4x8@185 just to feel it, and thought my knees were going to explode! Low back didn’t like it either.

Pretty much needed all the points Mr.Meat just laid out I’m guessing. Glad I’m getting caught up with you guys cause I miss to much good stuff!
Keep pushing it, Capital Hill Z-man (flat-lander to you mountain types)[/quote]

I tried to do a video in my last post but T-Nation evidently didn’t like it.

1049

Caught up with your thread and congrads on your PR!I agree with meat on your set up.That tension or energy in your hips will make all the difference in your pull.I also noticed your grip was a bit narrow.
Your set up on 3-15 was much better but your grip is still narrow in my opinion. Toes pointed out slack out of the bar and off the floor it goes my brother.Get that over and under grip down and you should pull that 405 easy. Nice work!

1050

[quote]Jimmy T wrote:
Caught up with your thread and congrads on your PR!I agree with meat on your set up.That tension or energy in your hips will make all the difference in your pull.I also noticed your grip was a bit narrow.
Your set up on 3-15 was much better but your grip is still narrow in my opinion. Toes pointed out slack out of the bar and off the floor it goes my brother.Get that over and under grip down and you should pull that 405 easy. Nice work![/quote]

Thanks for the feedback Coach Jimmy!

I had been wondering about the grip and went with a narrow grip to see if it reduced the range of motion. I’ll move it out to the knurled area of the bar around shoulder width. I usually switch to a over/under grip when I get to my higher weights.

1051

Looking good doggy!

1052

[quote]soldog wrote:
Jimmy T wrote:
Caught up with your thread and congrads on your PR!I agree with meat on your set up.That tension or energy in your hips will make all the difference in your pull.I also noticed your grip was a bit narrow.
Your set up on 3-15 was much better but your grip is still narrow in my opinion. Toes pointed out slack out of the bar and off the floor it goes my brother.Get that over and under grip down and you should pull that 405 easy. Nice work!

Thanks for the feedback Coach Jimmy!

I had been wondering about the grip and went with a narrow grip to see if it reduced the range of motion. I’ll move it out to the knurled area of the bar around shoulder width. I usually switch to a over/under grip when I get to my higher weights.[/quote]

Any grip that has your arms other than perpendicular to the floor will increase your range of motion. Shoulder width is the way to go.

1053

[quote]skidmark wrote:
Any grip that has your arms other than perpendicular to the floor will increase your range of motion. Shoulder width is the way to go.[/quote]

Well d’oh! (smacks head) Sometimes I just turn my brain off when I do what I call “thinking”…

Thanks skid…

1054

17 March 2009
W=203
Ride 10 min W/U
Sh. Rehab, T-Y-and W or L: I need to look at the video again and get these right ? Thanks kmcnyc for the push
Squats barx20, 135x5, 185x3, 205x3, 225x3/2/2/2/2
After I barely made the 3 rep of the first set, I changed the plan to doubles not triples

And that?s all folks! Ran out of gas.

1055

You’ll probably get more reps as you get used to the form. Didn’t look like you were having any trouble on the doubles. Nice job keeping the elbows down!

1056

[quote]skidmark wrote:
You’ll probably get more reps as you get used to the form. Didn’t look like you were having any trouble on the doubles. Nice job keeping the elbows down![/quote]

Thanks skid! The videos always look easier than it feels at the time. My guess is that 5 sets 3 reps next time is a given because I think that had I been in a real rack I would have gone for it.

1057

Wow, you really need to get down low to unrack the bar.

Great to see you back in the swing of things. Stay strong Soldog!

1058

[quote]streamline wrote:
Wow, you really need to get down low to unrack the bar.

Great to see you back in the swing of things. Stay strong Soldog![/quote]

Yeah - it’s like a half squat at the start and end. I’m looking forward to getting my room cleared out and getting a real power cage setup. (even if it is a cheap one)

1059

Nice squats!Keep hammering away!

1060

[quote]Jimmy T wrote:
Nice squats!Keep hammering away![/quote]

Thanks Jimmy - That’s right - Keep on, Keepin’ on!