[quote]phlegms wrote:
Don’t sweat it brah’, PR’s are PR’s. Squat looks really solid! The problem with smolov is it peaks you really hard, so if you leave it too long to test maxes you do seem to drop off in strength a little bit. I have learnt this the hard way… [/quote]
Cheers mayn, I spose it could have gone worse, but I know I have so much left to give 
I literally believe/agree with you re smolov though… I know the logic of deloading but I did feel less confident with literally everything then I would have 3-5 days after my last smolov day. If I run it again I will most likely wait a week tops before testing. The reccomendation of up to 3 weeks is… odd.
On that note… trying to decide what to run.
Considering full smolov for squat but 5/3/1’ing bench/military/dead (cos’ lets face it, can’t have my deadlift sucking) and throwing in an arm day where I smash up triceps too. I feel like, for me personally, hitting this from lots of angles rather then just hammering bench alone, may work out better. I would deadlift after the lightest of the 4 smolov days most likely… I think it would work fine. Edit: so theres 3 squat days. EASY. Sorted.
inb4 you can’t smolov AND deadlift <3
Something like this:
Monday: Smolov Squat + 5/3/1 Military/Delts.
Tuesday: Back & Calves
Wednesday: Smolov Squat + Arms
Thursday:
Friday: Smolov Squat + 5/3/1 Dead.
Saturday: 5/3/1 Bench/Chest & Calves.
Sunday:
After this afternoons dissapointment… constructing this new plan has made me feel quite positive… still squatting lots, but overall working out in a way I much prefer for upper body.
Squatting usual does a good job of preparing me for deads.
[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Squatting usual does a good job of preparing me for deads.[/quote]
If Andy Bolton can build the first ever 1000lb pulls deadlifting after squatting… it must be possible
Being as I’m doing a seperate back day I probably won’t do any assistance for it though, will see how it feels this week I guess. Looking forward to slightly different setup and no annoying-ass deload.
Smolov Intense Phase, Day 1 & 5/3/1 Military
Oly Squat
100/220 x 3 - belt on - 117.5/259 x 3 - 132.5/292 x 4 - 132.5/292 x 4 - 132.5/292 x 4 - 132.5/292 x 5
^ So yeah, after my first work set I discovered taking more then 2 days off before squatting again after testing max’s might have been smart… EASY for my legs but my lower back was literally running at around 20% capacity and my glutes were dying. Suicidally finished all my reps anyway like a boss.
Military Press
40/88 x 5 - 45/99 x 5 - 50/110 x 6 < not to failure… but my lower back made going for true max reps pointless today so I moved on.
Seated DB Military
28/62s x some & call it because of back - 24/53s x 6-8 then call it because of back.
Seated DB Laterals
24/53s x 6 - 24/53s x 8 - 24/53s x 7 < super loose and weak today, wutever
Inc. Bench R.Delt Raise
20/44s x 9 - 20/44s x 9 & call it here…
DB Front Raise
16/35s x 7 < might start doing these again
So not the best session to start the new routine but I got through… but going to foam roll/hockey ball my lower body and lower back like mad and the squatting should be a lot more comfortable Wednesday and Friday. Hoping I’m not too crippled to work back tomorrow.
Back Day w/calf
Pull-ups (thumbless grip)
BW x 8 - straps - +15/33 x 8 - 30/66 x 3 - straps off - BW x 17
HS Low Row(thumbless, strapped)
2.5pps x 10 - 3pps x 10 - 3.5pps x 8 PR - 4pps x 4 PR < loose form on last two sets, u mad bro?
Stretchers (strapless)
55/121 x 11 Rep PR - 60/132 x 8 PR
Deadstop DB Row (controlled thumbless reps)
50/110s x 10 awh mayn
Rope Straight arm Pulldown
15/33 x 8
then LR & straight to…
DB Pullover
36/79 x 9
Smith Calf Raise(double popped & paused)
1pps x 8 - 2pps x 5 - 2pps x 5 - 2pps x 5 - LR - 1pps x 8
^ will start to take calves srs again
Having to stop myself from going down to the gym and training again tonight… feeling real good strength wise.
Alas… this is partly because I’m procrastinating from writing an essay for a weeks time.
10 weeks and 2 days until I’ve literally finished University education. Time to get real serious. Could use me some brain candy or something.
[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
Having to stop myself from going down to the gym and training again tonight… feeling real good strength wise.
Alas… this is partly because I’m procrastinating from writing an essay for a weeks time.
10 weeks and 2 days until I’ve literally finished University education. Time to get real serious. Could use me some brain candy or something.[/quote]
Oh god, what a terrifying thought. Luckily I’ve still another year after this one is finished…then a sweet delicious masters to keep me away from the real world!
[quote]phlegms wrote:
Oh god, what a terrifying thought. Luckily I’ve still another year after this one is finished…then a sweet delicious masters to keep me away from the real world! [/quote]
I want to do a masters just to avoid this “so called” real world. But it’s not a good enough reason
As it is I believe the “real world” is what you make it and I intend to make it pretty awesome… even if that doesn’t see me earning big bucks anytime soon. Most likely travelling followed or preceded by earning a personal training qualification. We’ll see.
Counted calories so far today: 3500… and this is actually quite a bit more then I have been eating on average, nevermind days when I dont train and therefore miss out on 1060 calories of shake. Where I’m at right now though, I can probably gain on roughly this… will force a bit more food down before bed but truth is i wasnt pushing way past 4000 even when I hit 198. Loled @ Mike Jenkins at the Arnold saying he eats 3500 a day else he’d be 400lbs in about 10 days.
what is yur life blackagger? haha
Smolov Intense, Day 2 + Arms
Squat (aim is: 204 x 3, 220 x 3, 276 x 4, 140 x 3 (x3) - 132.5 x 5 (x2)
92.5/204 x 3 - 100/220 x 3 - belt on - 125/276 x 4 - 140/308 x 3 - 140/308 x 3 - 140/308 x 1
^ Called it there. Obviously the key factor of smolov is hitting the reps but this isn’t a case of lazyness/no balls, its a case of not taking enough time off after maxing. I’m using my head to set myself up for future success. The doms at this point was that stage where you can barely get up off a bench nevermind perform 2 more heavy squat sets. I will probably just ignore today and hope the doms clears itself out as the sessions go on, rather then do anything too drastic. If anyone does full smolov… take a week off after maxing before starting smolov intense…
Good news is the weight itself will be very easy when I’m 100% and I had zero lower back pain.
Seated DB Hammers
20/44s x 9 - 22/49s x 9 - 24/53s x 3
Seated Incline DB Curl
14/31s x 10 - 16/35s x 10 - 18/40s x 4
EZ-Bar Spider Curls
Bar + 20/44 x 6 - +20/44 x 7 PR - +20/44 x 6
Fixed-bar Reverse Curl
30/66 x 15 - +30/66 x 18 Rep PR
Dips
BW + 10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 8 - +30/66 x 2 < NEED to work hard on my dips… a big part of my plan for a bigger bench is to bring my dipping strength up massively, also need to work on my form for these as I know I have more in me at this stupid low bodyweight.
EZ-bar PJR
+35/77 x 10 - +37.5/83 x 3 < apparently these get weaker after dips…
Rope OH Extension
20/44 x 15 - 25/55 x 12
Slanted-bar Pushdowns
35/77 x 10 - 40/88 x 3
Reverse Rope Extension
20/44 x 7 - drop - 15/33 x 4 < these actually felt awesome/super strict. can’t use much weight at all though…
Decent day overall. To do:
- Improve dips/focus on them massively
- Foam Roll the shit out of my legs and get them prepared for the rest of smolov
So I got Jefit for my android because it was free and I fancied trying it.
Took my FULL measurements to enter into it:
09/03/12
Weight: 85kg/187.3lb
Waist: 32.25" relaxed
Sucked in/vacuum: 31.5"
Right arm: 15 1/8"
Left arm: 15"
Right forearm (lowest point): 12 7/8"
Left forearm (lowest point): 12 6/8"
Shoulder width: 22" < done by myself, could be wildly inaccurate
(back of one shoulder to back of the other)
Chest: 44" < seemed reasonable accurate, tensed but again done by myself
Right leg: 25 4/8"
Left leg: 25 3/8"
Right calf: 15.5"
Left calf: 15.5"
Neck: 15.25"
I was happy with the leg measurements for my leanness/weight, my calves were about 16" in the past so they seem to have lost a little bit of size, will be working hard on them from now to get them growing again. Was very happy with my waist but very dissapointed with my arm measurements… VISUALLY this is the best/biggest they have ever looked… but since they have been around 15.5" before I thought I’d be tapering at at least 15.75"… needless to say in the mirror they have improved massively, but they will be a huge focus moving forward as them being well over 16" would change everything.
Lats/chest existing in front lat spread are starting to that pose not too embarrasing.
Smolov squatting and 5/3/1 deadlifting shortly.
[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Dem stretchmox[/quote]
Glad you commented on something I’m reasonably proud of, visible markers of progress.
But you know that Mr. Intensity 2012? I’m Mr. Honesty 2012 with my cripplingly realistic measurements. Started training @ 133lb w/ 11" arms… 187lb @ 15" = 13.5 pounds per inch of arm. I believe Poliquin had a theory something along the lines of 15 pounds of bodyweight per inch on arms… so I guess I’m just a victim of where I started from to an extent. Aim = 16" arms @ 200lb.
Smolov Intense Phase, Day 3 + 5/3/1 Deadlift, ‘5 week’
Olympic Squat
A2G & Beltless - 100/220 x 4 - 110/243 x 4 - Below Para & Belted - 125/276 x 4 - 125/276 x 4 - 125/276 x 4 - 125/276 x 4 - 125/276 x 4
^ No reps missed today but still way harder then it should be at this weight, stupid levels of doms up in this
Deadlift
Double overhand - 127.5/281 x 5 - 147.5/325 x 5 (mixed grip last 3 reps) - tried straps as I forgot chalk - 167.5/369 x 3/4 < can’t even remember but every time I try straps I literally hate it, don’t know why I’m so determined to make them work.
Either way, deadlifting after smolov DID NOT WORK for me (that weight should be about a 20RM lol) & I’m making the tactical decision to avoid lower body (besides calves) this week, meaning I will carry on week 2 of smolov on the 19th. This is to replace the deload week I should have taken after max’s. Not sure what I’ll do for deadlift but not 5/3/1… Perhaps just singles not to failure once a week or one set of 5 a week.
[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
This is to replace the deload week I should have taken after max’s. Not sure what I’ll do for deadlift but not 5/3/1… Perhaps just singles not to failure once a week or one set of 5 a week. [/quote]
As a bit of quick background, I’m basically the same size as you (5’10", 205lbs) and am close to the same strength levels (squat 320x11, bench 225x8, deadlift about the same as you).
I run 6x/week BBB currently, which is very poorly suited to deadlifting. Because I can’t work DLs into the program in a way that works for me, I’ve been taking the program’s off day to go in, do deadlifts, and then leave.
Thus far, I’ve basically been doing what you’re talking about doing: going in and just sort of working up to a heavy weight near failure. I’ve found that, at least in my case, it hasn’t worked for me very well. My deadlifting numbers are poor compared to where I feel they should be, and progress has been pretty slow.
Granted, that’s because my programming is terrible for it. I like BBB enough to sacrifice DLs for it. But I just thought I’d share that experience before you opted for it.
What I’m thinking about doing, if I decide to continue this experiment of using the off day to do deadlifts, is to take the 5/3/1 template for the deadlift days and try it. Lol, which is similar to what you’re doing now, so I’m sorry to hear that it’s not working out all that well.
@ above: well it wasnt really a fair test being as I forgot my chalk, tried pulling with straps, and was severely “overtrained” (maybe for real for once)
So I’m still not 100% on my plan… whilst I don’t really expect to increase my deadlift as such running smolov, I was hoping to at least maintain it and the amount of strength “lost” is far more then my amount of squatting strength gained. After all if I do a meet, it’s my total that counts, not how much squat progress I’ve made. Assuming I stick it (smolov) out in just over 4 weeks I will probably go back to full 5/3/1 template to try and “level out” and hopefully up my total considerably. That’s unless another programme really takes me fancy… perhaps a bench specialisation I can run nicely without it intefering with 5/3/1 for squat/dead.
@sam: hells ye, my lats and legs are ahead of everything else for sure.
5/3/1 Bench/Chest
Bench Press
62.5/138 x 5 - 72.5/160 x 5 - 80/176 x 9 < fml this actually feeling heavy on my wrists, should have used wraps
CGBP
75/165 x 7 - 70/154 x 8
Incline Bench
65/143 x 7 - 60/132 x 7
Dips
BW x 8 - +10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 2
Strict DB Fly w/squeeze at top and sporadically paused at stretch position
12/26s x 8 - 20/44s x 6 < too loose/shoulder pain - 16/35s x 12 - 18/40s x 6 - 16/35s x 7 - drop 12/26s x some
Cable Fly
7.5/17 x 12
Was going to train calves but they are literally dead from all the deep squatting (who’d have thought squats worked calves?)
Today I realised that I am a shoulder bencher (well, my front delts are super weak, but I sure as hell feel them/have shoulder pain when benching) followed by triceps bencher followed by chest bencher. The only thing that gave me a PROPER chest pump which I very rarely actually get was the strict DB flyes, specifically when really focusing on a hard squeeze at the top. Cable flyes/most muscular felt awesome too.
Today was kind of random/experiment day but regardless of what I’m training for I’m going to make sure I end my session with the sort of chest pump I got and always include flyes/other movements with a strong squeeze. Sometimes I forget the point of chest exercises IS TO BUILD MY CHEST.
poundages are pretty luls today, ignore them plz
Finally got caught up with this log good stuff man!
Looking big man. Great job
