Haven’t logged any thing in years and have spent a large portion of the past year only training once or twice a week do you work, laziness, and nagging injuries in my hips. But, worked with Amit Sapir and we completely redid my Squat from top to bottom changing everything from foot placement to bar placement. It has paid off in pain free hips and a fairly smooth Squat. This upcoming meet I’m looking to retake 804 on Squat that put me to sleep on my last attempt on the platform. I managed to hit 760 at that meet for a 20lbs PR but 804 has alluded me since. Nine the less I am 8 weeks and peak starts today with some bench and accessories. I work 10-12 hour shifts right now doing construction so I am fairly tired when I get home so most of the week I won’t be training. Just eating and recovering.
Monday - Thursday off
Friday- Bench and accessories
Saturday- Squat and accessories
Sunday- Back and biceps
Thus past Wednesday we got off work early so I decided to load up a bar and see how going heavy and how wearing wraps felt since I hadn’t been in them in quite a few months and definitely haven’t since changing my entire Squat. None the less worked up to a very easy 700lbs at 217lbs bw. So, unpeaked, unplanned, and just did it on a whim I am very happy with that.
Honestly man I was trying to force my self to Squat wide, flat footed, and such which has been wrecking my hips a little more and more every session. The past 8 months it had gotten extreme to the point where I was literally taking serious painkillers, alcohol and massive amounts of antiinflammatories orally, creams and injectables just to get through Squat days. I was being extremely foolish but was in a roll hitting 50 plus PRs every time I stepped on the platform.
But, I realized I was suffering in all other areas of my life. Work, school, family, relationships all started to suffer. I knew I was messing up bad. It got to the point where I decided I was done. Completely wanted nothing yo do with powerlifting any more. But, luckily Amit Sapir spent weeks talking me through it, face timing me, and any thing he could think to help keep me from quitting. We took 2 weeks completly off from squatting and then Amit had me literally adjust every single aspect of my squatting. Foot angle, foot width, shoes, knee movement, hip movement, bar placement, torso, where I wear my belt, EVERYTHING and we finally came up with what you see here allowing me to Squat 100% painfree and even seemingly stronger after a few months or working it.
Had I returned back to my old style I would be laid up back exactly where I was barely able to walk. I was trying to force my body to do something it just didn’t want to do.
Awesome man. Your posts always remind me that I should hire a coach again, lol. I’m glad you got your issues worked out. I’m thinking injuries take out 99% of lifters sooner or later.
Sunday 27th November- Bench Day
Comp Bench Paused: 300lbs for 5x2
Spoto Press Press Close: 225lbs for 3x8
Side/Front/Rear Lateral: 20lbs DBs for 15 per side
Triceps Inward Extension: 45lbs DBs 4x8
Dips: 2x20
Bench has been weird lately as I have been having some bicep issues and the only way around it is to have a extremely slow negative almost a legitimate 5 count descent. So, the weights are lower this go around but TUT is probably 2-3 higher.
Wednesday 30th November- Squat Day
Back Squat: 715lbs for 1x1 and 1x2 and then a back down set of 660lbs for 3.
Yoke Bar Long Pause Squat: 350 for 5x5
Leg Extension/Leg Curls/Lunges: 3x15
Weighted Planks: 3 sets of 90 seconds
On the Squat I made a 120lbs jump to 715 and it showed in the first set. Depth was the best on that squat but the big jump and lack of wanting to do it made it slower than needed to be. So, on next set I actually got focused and a little more fired up and managed to smoke it speed wise but I was high. Every one there said it would have passed but, none the less I could tell it wasn’t where it needed to be, so I immediately took it again for an unplanned double.
So far feeling good. Just trying to stay healthy and focused. Amit has lowered my Squat Volume to once every 10 days to make sure I am recovering and ready to go for the big Squat days. With have a light pull and back day along with some bench and upper body body building work to help with recovery between each big Squat session.
Food is being bumped as well as we move into peak closing in on 300g of protein and 700g of carbs on training days.
Question: even if flat footed squats feel good, do you think it’s worth trying heeled shoes (no chance to stance, bar position etc)? I’m asking because your new squat seems very, very similar to mine apart from you wear heels.
To be honest I’m not sure because I changed everything. Literally feet are in closer, toes are turned out, heels added, bar is slightly higher, I don’t focus on pushing my hips back hard any more as much as I try to break at knees and hips much more evenly now and the focus in arching up a little harder trying to stay as up right as possible. It is ALOT more quads and I mean ALOT more quads than I was before.
If I tried to switch just my shoes and still Squat wide, low low bar, and hips back I would be pushed over even further than I used to be and would be in a really forward Squat and probably wind up on my toes when it gets heavy which is what always happened when I tried just throwing on Oly shoes. But, if you have some or a friend you can borrow some for i say give it a shot. Worse case scenario it doesn’t help and you are right back where you already were. But, give it a month or so. I have been in heels for 3 months now and I am still very shaky and unsure some times just because of how long I drilled flat shoes and that movement. So, chances of getting in them and hitting an all-time PR (even if they do help you in the long run) is highly unlikely.
I have a pair already. I think I’ll give it a go and see how it feels. I’m running a marginally less intense month leading to the end of the year so I doubt I’ll have a better opportunity to test the heels out than now.
Like you said, if it works so much the better. If it doesn’t, I don’t lose anything much.
I hate deadlifts and I hate deadlift day. Haven’t deadlift months but, Amit wants me to take atleast 2 heavy deadlifts sessions, 1 lighter opener and 1 speed deadlift as we get close to let me rememeber how to deadlift. With that being said today he told me to go up and he looked at every rep and told me where to go. I was thinking we would go 500-530 today. Some how ended up at 625. Which is a Life Time PR for of 3lbs and a 25lbs conventional PR. So I’ll take it. It wasn’t the prettiest. I am letting it get out in front of me so I have to work on keeping it closer or I’m going to continue having the hitch issue.
Deadlift:
500,550,600 and 625 for 1 https://www.instagram.com/p/BNkt3ToDjhr/
Band Weighted GHRs: 12,10,8,6
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 225 for 3x10
Barbell Row Returned to Floor: 225 for 10,8,6
DB Row: 100 for 15,12,10
It’s incredibly impressive tossing up 700-pound squats and 600-pound deadlifts in a situation where you can basically only train three days a week. You must really do a great job on the intensity on your training days. Also, this…
It’s mature to recognize that you’re letting other areas suffer, but it looks like you’ve figured out a way to try and keep your PL goals in sight while doing a better job tending to the rest of your life as well. Good luck!
Thanks man. Honestly. Life got really busy for awhile working construction this summer so really made logging and training a hassle. Now with winter and rain setting in I have more time to put into it so, I’ll try to be a bit more active.
Assted pullups: 5x12
Side laterals: 12 reps, 15,20,25,30,35s drop set 12 reps to 25 and then 15lbs.
Face pulls: 4x15
12" Close Grip Press/extension: 135 for 4x12 paused
DB Extension: 3x12 with 30s
Triceps Rope Pressdown: 3x15
Ez Curl 24s: 8/8/8 with 65lbs
Hammer Curl: 3x15 with 30s
The first rep of the 740 single was high but I was really scares to fall again (damn near knocked my self out dumping the bar on a single attempt.) The second rep still not buried but I’m damn happy with it.
Very off day at the start. Finally pulled my head out of my ass on the last 3 sets.
740 for 1 ugly ass slow single. Was supposed to do it for 2 singles but the second completely folded me over. Reracked the bar collected my balls and hit for a damn double. Have never doubled more than 660 if I’m not mistaken. Then backed down to 700 and hit 2 triples. The last set was literally the fastest and best I looked all night. Amit thank you again for calling me a pussy.
Damn good day today pulling and that is very rarely said by me if you know me haha.
Deadlift
500 for 2
525 for 2
550 for 3 (best was 545 for 3 and was big grinder)
600 for 2 rep PR and heaviest I have ever doubled with out straps. https://www.instagram.com/p/BN-i730jHL1/
Yoke Bar Pause Squat
155 for 5
245 for 5
295 for 5
335 for 5
385 for 5
Inverse Curl: 70 lbs for 4x12
Leg Lifts and Planks superset: 3 sets of 60 seconds a piece
