Update: (15/04/2012)
Before that day, i just used westside methods (Dynamic days/Max effort days).
No longer use westside methods. After 1 year my lifts improved a total of about 20kg accross the board. 1) because i am a complete retard and was most likely doing the method wrong. 2) refer to step 1.
So i changed on the 15/04/2012 to the Bulgarian method. It is really an olympic weightlifting method but John Broz outlined a way to do the program for powerlifts (ie bench n deadlift). So basically its back squat to a max everyday. T & Th are FS to a max, W & Sun are bench press days, M & S are speed pulls ( 60 - 85% over 3 weeks) because 1) i cant hold an arch in my back during a max single and the only time ill do deadlifts >90% are in a comp.
If someone had of told me about this program while i was doing westside i would have argued with them to the end of time how your CNS will die. SO because it goes against everything ive read & JOHN BROZ ( average broz gymnasium) youtube channel shows off the results im doin it for one year, no days off. If it doesnt work in one year, then onwards i go to something else. In one year im hoping to from:
Back squat: 112.5kg/247lbs(this is box squat 1rm i cant remember last time i squatted without a box so this is what i have to go off) - 150kg/330lbs
Front squat: 82.5kg/181.5lbs - 100kg/220lbs - Completed 8/05/2012
Bench: 100kg/220lbs - 110kg/242lbs
Deadlift: 140kg/308lbs - 160kg/352lbs
Clean: 55kg/121lbs - 80kg/176lbs
Snatch: 40kg/88lbs - 60kg/132 - Completed 29/06/2012
(pathetic numbers for someone who has trained for 1 year i know).
and to compete in powerlifting, regardless of total.
Anyway if interested skip to page 6 to avoid retardness of me trying to do westside lolol.
special workout:
farmers walks - 4 x (think its 40 - 50 steps)
Lat machine standing abdominals - 3 x 10
cant remeber the name of it. but the exercise you put a barbell in a corner and just twist - 3 x 10
home.
dynamic upper body:
bench - 9 x 3 @ 50% switching grip every 3 sets
flat db bench - 1 x failure @ 20kg
Slingshot close grip bench - 4 x 4 - 6
- 60 x 6
- 65 x 6
- 70 x 6
- 80 x 4
first time using was great.
High lat pulls to chin - 3 x 10
DB side raises, one arm - 3 x 10
PLate front raises - 3 x 10
this is from last week but im having trouble positing on log
special workout no1 upper body:
chest fly’s - 3 x 10 - 12
one arm rows - 2 x 10
aggrivated lower back so stopped
static stretching 5 - 10 mins
was not a good idea. Stretching the lower back. How can you repair something by stretching thats already torn.
again from last week.
special workout no2 upper body:
tricep roll back - 3 x 10
hammer curls - 3 x 10
tricep pushdowns - 3 x 20+ reps (prehab/rehab) doing because i read in dave tats article LOL.
everything supersetted was good, quick.
again from last week.
max effort lower body - belted
Death squats - 2 x 20 - 25 (did not do properly but man they killed )
Box squat - 80 x 5 (around 70 - 80% i would say ) just did because i could.
Ghetto GHRs - 6 x 4 - 12
I use an incline sit up machine and sometimes i get the groove and fail at 4 - 8 other times i dont get in the groove and can do 10 + reps. Big time hit and miss, but best ive got.
Standing lateral pulldowns, stiff arm - 3 x 10
Back raises - 3 x 10
again dont hve 45* machine so need to use a stability ball - sometimes it works, other times it doesnt.
Abb exercise stabilty ball thing ( jo defranco WS4SB exercise is great very hard) 1 x 6
was spent. Big workout, probably not the smartest giving ive torn a ligament or something in left side lower back but ive found my form is strick. And isnt that what a belt is for?
again from last week.
max effort upper body
Slingshot bench - 6 sets (only remeber the last few numbers)
- 90 x 1
- 100 x 1
- 110 x 0
- 110 x 1
Ive got weak shoulders and it makes about 1 - 2inch in the bench ROM where ive got to fight for it, if i can pass that my triceps can usually lock it out. Will be doing more work. Biggest PR for me and hopefully next week i can get 115 or 120 that would be great.
flat DB press - 1 x failure @ 20kg
Slingshot close grip : 3 x 3 - 6
- 70 x 6
- 80 x 6
- 90 x 3
High pulls to chin - 3 x 10
DB side raises, one arm - 3 x 10
Front plate raises - 3 x 10
Noticed upper back rounding during the final stages of the touch - must fix.
from this week lol think a few of the other posts have been to oh well.
Special workout no2 lower body:
High rep face pulls - 2 x 20
tricep pressdown with rope - 1 x 50
Stability ball abb thing - 3 x 6 - 10
BB twist thing - 3 x some
wasnt much of a lower body workout with all the upper body stuff. I always try to do more abb exercises on special workouts because i dont train them during main sesh. Most likely why im weak, should take a hint at that.
Dynamic lower body: (should of been belted but back has been good)
Box squat - 9 x 2 worked up to 70%ish started @ 50% changing weight every 3 sets
Unrack & hold - 3 x 5 - 10 seconds
- 100 x 10
- 140 x 10
- 140 x 5
Ive been doing these for a few weeks as i really want to get a 3 plate squat and just getting my mind used to the weight. Ive noticed a difference, great for anyone who is nervous about heavy weight. My opinion anyway.
Speed pulls - 4 x 1
- 80 x 1
- 90 x 1
- 100 x 1
- 110 x 1
Round back seated GM - 3 or 4 x whatever
was going for timed sets but that didnt workout so i just tried to train the muscel as best i could.
Ghetto GHR - 3 - 4 x 3 - 10
again found the groove on some and others i didnt.
Lower back extension : 3 x 10+
" "
Standing lat pulldowns - 3 x 10
found problems with deadlift tech. Noticed as i come to lockout the weight shifts to toes and not on heels. Will fix or i can say goodbye to setting a new PR one day.
this idea is totally stolen off storm the beach, but i think its great.
Number of things that i am going to do every week:
100 slingshot pushups
100 bar benches (fix form issues)
100 bar - 20 - 30% 1rm deadlifts ( fix form issues)
Hip stretching - 2 x per day (3 on training days) - is a cause for my lower back problem. + i am tight on one side and non tight on the other. WIll fix!
Hamstring stretching - 2 x per day ( 3 on training days) - again same reason as hips
Abbs every special workout
One special workout soley dedicated to abdominals
100 tricep pushdowns - for elbow health
Olympic lift once a week - rotate snatch + cleans
the numbers will change once my GPP gets greater and i expect to be quite sore this week. But hopefully itll fix all the shit thats going wrong.
Conducting an experiment with myself with the olympic lifts to see how they go. Do not know form atm but ill learn.
Im really planning on competing next year and want to lift more than a 12 year old girl does. Gotta do what you gotta do.
special workout no1 lower body:
snatch - 4 x 6 - 10 x bar weight
Deadlift - 1 x 40 - 60 x bar weight
Landmine abb exercise whatever its called (gotten off stormthebeach’s blog) : 4 x 1 - 10
- 1/2 plate (being 10kg) x 10
- 1 plate (being 20kg) x 10
- 1 1/2 plate x 9
- 2 plates x 1
Firstly snatch is hard. that is all i have to say about it. Learning as im going.
secondly deadlifts were good, was really emphasising placing the weight on my heels especially at lockout. switched grips did all the jazz. Last 20 or so reps i put 1.25kg plates under toes. That is all.
thirdly - my abdominals suck as expected. But whats worse is my grip. That is all.
go forth and conquer.
i find this highly motivating
dynamic upper body:
warm up (i do this every time i come to the gym, minus the slingshot pushups)
farmers walks : 3 x 40 - 50 steps
Shoulder warm up ( refer to smitty diesel its the 2 min one. is wonderful)
Tricep push downs : 1 x 12
Slingshot pushups : 1 x 25
Hip stretching and groin stretching
bench : 9 x 3 @ 55% then lowered to 50%
- switched stances every few sets and found that the way louie sets up is fantastic, i get great leg drive from that. Will be experimenting more with.
flat DB bench : 1 x failure
Close grip slingshot bench: 3 x 3
- 80 x 3
- 90 x 3
- 95 x 3
Im getting fairly good at close grip will be switching next week to JM presses or the week after, just to something i suck at.
High lat pulls to chin - 4 x 10
DB side raises, one arm - 3 x 10 *
Plate front raises - 3 x 10 *
- = supersetted
hopefully it makes my shoulders strong.
snatch grip shrugs - 3 x 10
todays workout sucked really. the bar was moving slower than i liked with dynamic and i had to drop back which is never a good thing but just one of those days. Also must do rotator warm ups with other warming ups. I now will know when im going to have a shitty workout, when the farmers walks feel heavy.
special workout no(1) upper body:
warm up
Shoulder rehab work ( refer to smitty diesel’s videos)
flat bench : 50 times - trying to make sure my whole body stayed tight and i didnt move my shoulders forward
Vogelpohl rows/lat exercise : 3 x 10
hanging leg raises : some x some ( hardest exercise )
special workout no(2) upper body abbs combined:
- tricep pushdowns (bar) - 1 x 50
- Hammer curls - 3 x 10
- Tricep roll backs/kick backs whatever they are called - 3 x 10
abbs from other post… something went wrong and it didnt post full message.
- standing lat abb exercise : 3 x 10
- strict sit ups ( straight legs) : 3 x 10
- jo defranco abb exercise thing : 3 x some
didn’t really want to combine both of these special workouts but had no choice today. Woke up late, and had uni later on. Gotta do what you gotta do.
i also find this highly motivating.
Max effort lower body:
Box squat (below parrellel, just) - 6 sets
- 40 x 3
- 60 x 3
- 80 x 3
- 100 x 1 PR
- 110 x 1 PR
- 120 x 0
(heaviest ive box squatted so i was insanely happy) However on the 120 something went wrong - i buckled, lower back gave out or something and just fucked me. Sat on box and had no way of getting up. Will try next week or might do a rest. lol
Concentric squats - 6 x 1
just did 30 second gaps between sets with the bar still on back and resting on pins at the sitting position on the box. Very taxing. Good exercise will do for a max effort exercise one day.
Ghetto GHRs - 5 x 4 - 10
Got the set up just right today which was good, hopefully i can keep replicating.
Thoracic back extension hold (dunno if thats how it is spelt) - 3 x some seconds
different exercise never tried before. Worked what i wanted it to, but im really looking for exercises to target the lower back really well, the part right near the glutes and i just cant seem to find it. if anyone knows of any please tell ( apart from reverse hyper - unfortunately i dont have access)
Stability ball back extension - 1 x failure
Standing round back goodmorning - Rest pause sets.
i just did a lot of lower back work in the end because it buckled at least i thought it did anyway.
videos coming soon.
video of the 110 box and 120 fail.
not much compared to most of the lifters on tnation.
special workout no(2) lower body:
Farmers walks : 5 x 40 - 50 steps
bar box squat : x 50
Was focusing on sitting back fully and having knee either in life or behind ankle, driving elbows closer to the bar and locking core.
Bar deadlifts : x 50
focus: Placing weight on heels through entire ROM
Round back standing GM : Rest Pause sets x failure
