if you really want to squat more maybe you should do more squats than 2 sets a week uh just saying
[quote]PlainPat wrote:
if you really want to squat more maybe you should do more squats than 2 sets a week uh just saying [/quote]
You havent been following the log very long, have you?
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
[quote]PlainPat wrote:
if you really want to squat more maybe you should do more squats than 2 sets a week uh just saying [/quote]
You havent been following the log very long, have you? [/quote]
I read the last few pages I dont know your exact situation with injuries or whatever and I know you care more about physique but if you want to squat more which from some comments it sounds like you do want to maybe you should squat more
I appreciate where the comments are coming from, but the current split I’m on is after several years of multiple days per week squatting, from 1 up to 4, none of which ever really helped to increase it… So I just switched gear from chasing a top number to building up the bottom number, if that makes sense, so that maybe the bigger “base” will lead to a higher peak after many, many months.
Blast 2 is over, here are notes from the last two blasts and thoughts heading into the next one
-
Decline DB press went from 55’sx20 to 75’sx15
-
Smith BTN press: 135x18 to 155x15
-
Incline press 155x15 to 170x14
-
Rack Chins 10lbs added weight x21 to 55x22
-
Squats 155x20 (started light) to 185x18 (death set basically, going to stick here until 20 is “medium” hard)
-
Stiff Legs 225x5 to 260x5, and 185x8 to 220x11
Obviously not everything but those are the biggest of the “big money” exercises with the most improvement.
Heading into next blast the only thing I’ve had to pay attention to really was my shoulder issue, which I have worked around as needed and subbed out the DB Press for just doing some volume work with side laterals. 3 heavy pressing days was too much combined with the horizontal pressing I found for myself. I might do something similar with one of the tricep/bicep exercises for join integrity and safety reasons, maybe even a pull down exercise as form goes way down when the weight goes up I have noticed.
Improvements are quite slow now on the exercises that have stayed in for both blasts all the way through, the “easy gains” in the beginning are all but gone and now its just a matter of grinding out the small ones until those too are gone.
I am going to add some cal’s in to gain some weight as I seem to have plateaued right about 185ish on my current plan, even “sneaking” in some extra cals here in there. Will hit 190 and see what it looks like, then either hold it or go on from there.
Crusing this week, maybe even next. Basically just getting some relatively low intensity work in (sets of 10-15, not to failure) so my strength doesn’t plummet and I’m not crippled by soreness when I return back to blasting.
Back in to full swing…
Just a quick update to the 3-5 people who actually look at this thing, It will essentially be turning into an occasional update type thing… I just didnt find it that interesting to post my log here and it seemed hard to follow. I’ll post after every Blast with notable items, and occasional with “things I’ve found” kind of stuff, and with general switches in my approach (if/when I decide to cut weight again)
First cycle of this blast done, lots of improvement although some lifts are approaching what seems to be their limit. Major milestone was 185x20 in the squats (bodyweight), after ramping to 240x1.
Previously here I was ramping to 225x1 (easy rep, just using this to make the 185 “feel easier”, which is does massively) then I started at 185x15, then 17, then 18, and finally got 20. There was some knee caving issues here, so instead of getting over excited and bumping the weight up, gonna stick with 185 until its solid and then move up.
My lift that is most close to stalling is the incline bench, which I Really dont want to lose, so I’m going to try a “trick” and bump it up 5-10 pounds next cycle, then back to my current weight and see if that heavier week makes the lighter week more fruitful.
Good cycle this time, although some stuff remained stagnant, most of the lifts are up or more solid at the current weight.
Squats were worked up to 235x1 x 2 sets, and then the 185x20 felt more solid and I got through in in less time, breaking it up into fewer mini-sets. Feeling good about it heading into the 3rd cycle of this blast, then cruise and then up the weight for the Windowmaker.
Ironically this seems to be helping my squat out more than other, higher frequency stuff :-/ go figure
Couple of things stalling this week, but not worried, just taking it as a few tough days. Did have some good improvements on other lifts, so it is all still going well overall.
I did get my deads for 275 for 8x3, but it was tough and the weight was bounced since my Golds gym got Bumper plates and a deadlift platform ( this was actually a HOLY SHIT moment, because these are the same people who used to tell me to stop dead lifting…)
Gonna stick to 275 and “solidify” it, which seems to work well for many in the strength world.
In other news I may finally be getting my own Home Gym, I found a guy in my neighborhood selling a good setup for $700. Stuff that would cost me ~$2000 to buy, so its really hard to pass up. I enjoy GOING to the gym less and less, and time is an ever precious commodity in my life so this may finally be my ticket to a home set up.
Buy it, you WILL NOT regret it. Trust me.
Yeah, I’ve been waiting on the right deal to come along and it seems like it finally has. I should be able to pick it up Saturday
Ordering the same stuff on EFS or Rogue would have easily been like $2.5k after shipping, which is like 20 years of a $10/month Golds membership… Hard to justify, but at $700 its a bit easier
Back on the cruise, good blast this last time around.
For Squats this last time I did sets of 10 instead of the one 20-repper, both to see how many I could do and to get some more volume in leading into the cruise. Ended up doing 10,10,10,4 (could have done more but my form went to shit on the rep) … I am SOOOORREEE 2 days later, so I guess I ignited some new fibers. Also did 14 more reps than normal, although the effort wasn’t shit-your-pants like it is with the widow maker.
If all goes according to plan I should have most of what I need for my home gym this week, I’ll keep you guys posted. If I get that going I think I’m going to do something along the lines of what Alpha does, which is a “metcon” kind of thing to start the day, then a strength section, which I’ve organised with CT to be a “hybrid” of his Superhero program, and his current strength/hypertrophy philosophy.
I’ve basically come to the conclusion that ANY hard training works about as well as any other hard training… There are certain program to use for certain niche goals (maximal strength, max hypertrophy)… But I no longer am under the illusion that if I just did THIS exercise for THAT rep scheme on THAT program it would make some magical difference in my physique or strength.
Lots of updates here for those that follow this bad boy:
-
Had my Wedding yesterday! Kind of a crap week for training, but a great week for living… I’ll take it. Lots of yard work and stuff leading up to it killed my lower back for my dead lifting session so I had to lower the weight significantly, but its all in the grand scheme not that important, so one week of a weak lift doesnt rile me up any more
-
Rogue had some great Cyber Monday deals I couldn’t pass up… The Home Gym is on the way! I’ll get some pics in here when I can. I just need a few more weights and I should have almost everything I need to make the dream a reality
Congratulations on the wedding!
Any honeymoon planned?
Looking forward to home gym pics.
Heading to New Zealand when it heats up a bit on that side of the globe, going to be fun I’m sure
Man I cannot WAIT to cancel my gym membership. I was doing some one legged work on the leg press machine and the staff came over to tell me to make sure the weights dont make any noise… As in the gentle clanking when the stack comes down and touches the rest of the weight. Unbelievable.
Wow, talk about a complete lack of understanding of what it takes to work hard and make progress.
[quote]timmcbride00 wrote:
Wow, talk about a complete lack of understanding of what it takes to work hard and make progress.
[/quote]
I know, its crazy… I ended up putting my workout towel in the weight stack so that it landed on it instead of going metal-on-metal.
The Planet Fitness model must be catching on I guess
[quote]Lonnie123 wrote:
I know, its crazy… I ended up putting my workout towel in the weight stack so that it landed on it instead of going metal-on-metal.
The Planet Fitness model must be catching on I guess[/quote]
Ha, ha, yes!
I love that you found a way around their silly rules.
Got my home gym set up today, I’m still working on getting the flooring for it so I wont have it set up for a little bit, but by the new year I should be cranking out of my garage gym… A boyhood dream realized.