To get Fast, Lift Fast!
Now it’s proven!
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Hah nice work! You did it by yourself? If so, even nicer work! PR’n by yourself is pretty tough, often times even more so on a track - most road paths are a bit less mentally draining from my experience because you have this point A to point B approach, rather than n * A’s (where n = 8 for a 2 mile run). I mostly train alone so, i’ve done it alot. Just getting started for the PR attempt is especially nerve wracking for me lmao. I think it does help though. I’ve trained with some people who are really impressive in speed sessions, but don’t hit the kind of times in 5k or 1 mile that you’d suspect they would.
The team environment can definitely boost your performance in training, that’s for sure. The solo training stuff seems to sharpen the mental fortitude more effectively, in my experience.
One thing that interests me is, how the brain can start freaking out as you get CLOSER to finishing. For me that’s lap 3 on a hard mile run. My brain shuts down my body for the lap, literally every time. So i’ll go sub 75s for laps 1 & 2, then 80s for lap 3, then 72s for lap 4 etc. It’s just nuts, a protective mechanism, overriding the signals generated from my conscious - unless i’m somehow sending “fake signals”, which is probably more likely.
In the running world, 5k is apparently one of the most brutal distances according to most athletes and coaches. ~3k (1.8 - 2 miles) is really close also IMHO. I’ve talked to lots of runners, and pretty much all of them would say something like “i’d rather run a half marathon or marathon than a 5k”. To me that’s nuts. I get it somewhat, but then I don’t. But I also approach everything by dipping into lactic threshold and beyond, so with that mindset, everything seems brutal lmfao, but less brutal as the distance decreases.
I’ll post a 5k vs 10k quote etc in my journal a bit later. I have a nice one from this “little black book” from an elite running coach.
peace man!
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Hey man, you ever run with a group? Once in a while it’s a good stimulus, and it can really help accelerate the gains. But if someone didn’t want to do that, another option is entering some 5k’s like I do - without even caring about the full 5k, and just running the first mile hard, could get you there real quick. $$ usually go to a good charity so there’s that. Could literally just go all out on the first mile & then walk the rest. I’d literally do that if I was racing guys who drop a sub 5 for the first split, which might happen on the 17th (crazy fast 5k) and in January on the 27th (another crazy fast 5k).
peace!!
This!!
Man, I was in a 4 man 400 a couple months ago and it was SUPER nerve racking just prior to the race. One guy was so rattled he tried to keep extending the start lol. Love this feeling. There’s a vid of the race in my log, some 10-12 weeks ago or so. Fun stuff.
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Woke at 198.9 lbs, looking decent.
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Apparently…
Getting stronger never hurts performance.
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I’ve always felt that way about swimming. When I competed in highschool, those 1,000 meter medleys used to kick my ass.
Even now when I just swim to help my composition out, it’s like someone lit a match from my neck to my calves, and when I get out of the water, the actual gravity of just standing there feels like I’ve got jelly legs or something.
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I remember the run you penned in your palm.
I was like … damn.
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Woke at 199.5 lbs, looking decent. Back to work today. I may or may not have thrown my phone across the room when the alarm went off…
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Today’s training
Plate raises with 33 lbs for a bunch
Press
10xbar
8x88
10x132 lbs, 6 RPE
9x132 lbs, 9 RPE
3x8x132 lbs, 8-9 RPE, 8-9 RPE (rep eight with leg drive), 8 RPE (reps 5-8 with leg drive)
Work sets took 14 minutes. Mixing up false grip and full grip. Goal next week is 2+x10
Low/mid rows supersetted with chest supported raises
Rows 5x12x143 lbs - getting a really good MMC, full stretch at the bottom, and really squeezing lats at the top
Raises 5x12x20 lbs at slot 17 on grey bench - absolutely amazing medial delt pump, felt like they were jumping out of my shoulders
Facepulls supsersetted with Hammer Strength pulldowns
Facepulls 3x15x46 lbs holding the balls on the end of the ropes - up one pin next week
Pulldowns 3x15x110 lbs - up to 121 lbs next week
Barbell curls
3x35xbar
Done in an hour and 10 minutes
Short turnaround, tomorrow training before work so maybe 12 hours. Carb loading for dinner.
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Woke at 203 lbs, not looking bloated but kind of soft. Obliques not as visible as normal maybe, or it could be my head fucking with me.
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Obliques are always a good indicator. Maybe you meant serratus anterior muscles? The both are commonly confused with each other.
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Thirteen hours since training yesterday.
Today’s training
Ninety degree back raises for a bunch
SGDL off 10 cm blocks, stiff bar, beltless
10x132 lbs, hook grip
8x220 lbs, hook grip
6x308 lbs, hook grip - really pleased with how not agonising this was
3x10x352 lbs, 6, 7, 8 RPE - took nine minutes. Hard. Time to swap out, I’ll figure out what to. Probably sumo off 10 cm blocks
Squat
5xbar
5xplate/143
5x2 plates/225
4x8x330 lbs, 6, 6-7, 6, 7-8 RPE - despite low RPE these fucking floored me. Took 19 minutes and about 15 more to recover
25x90 degree back raises with pause at top
5 rope STBs in a three and a two
Done. Abs trashed
Took an hour and 25 minutes. Thirteen hours probably isn’t ideal between training sessions.
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Quick note: belt felt slightly easier to do up than last week so I’m guessing physique wise I’m doing OK and my head was just fucking with me.
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Shoulder work for days. Little gem here that I’m posting for future reference
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Ok, couple of things.
It’s only been seven weeks of this five days per week mass phase but it feels longer (not in a bad way, though). Some things have come out of it, too.
- it looks like switching block pull variations every three weeks works really well. By week three I’m approaching the limit of what I can hit in my rep range. Logic dictates this will apply to DL generally, right? One way to find out, which is rotate DL variations every three weeks when I start meet training. Does it go against/preclude the old school periodisation I want to use? I don’t think so. I was already going to spend three weeks at each load in a rep range and increase sets, so I’m guessing all rotating would mean is start with an easier variation for 10s, then go slightly harder for eights, etc. @FlatsFarmer seem reasonable? Something like sumo block pulls for 10s, drop the blocks down a bit for eights, switch to semi sumo for sixes, etc;
- I’m also pretty set on limiting how often I pull off the floor, as I suspect I don’t need to and recover better if I don’t. I’ll need to keep front and box squats somewhere weekly though, to keep the off the floor muscles working and developing;
- I don’t see myself changing from five days a week back to four. The ‘extra’ fifth day would be my current Monday, focusing on shoulders and would stay higher rep/lower intensity as I have no reason to peak my press. It’ll also let me keep in an extra day of upper body pulling which seems to be money for my back development;
- my chest is definitely a weak point but I seem to somehow still have managed not to train it much more: I’ve got DB bench and feet up bench (and flyes), but all my other pressing is military, seated DB and incline BB. My shoulders are feeling pretty damn good though, and I think that’s a result of giving them more attention. Triceps are arguably getting a decent amount of work, at any rate. That’ll change when I start meet training, with bench twice a week. Whether or not I go bench and CGBP or just bench I’m not sure. I think I may just go bench twice, at least at first;
- in terms of weekly structure I’m looking at meet training going Monday to Friday: bench, squat, shoulders, DL, bench;
- I’ll probably keep pull-ups at once a week, and leave them on Friday so they’re as far away from squat as possible to save my elbows;
- I’m starting to get the itch to prep for a meet again, which is good. I’ll hang out with mass until mid January but probably start integrating more and more PL stuff while keeping reps high and loads lower. Timeline is looking like I’ll deload 12-19 January as we’ll be in Fiji, so I’ll just have the resort gym. Then 22 January onwards I’ll start that 18 week prep cycle, so I’ll just need to find a meet that falls around mid June to fit. By then I’ll have a solid idea of what DL variations I’ll rotate as well as how I’ll implement my second squat variation after DL - at the moment it’s looking like three weeks front squat, three weeks low box squat (probably SSB). Sets/reps will probably be 10x2/5x5 mostly.
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Widest stance, highest blocks. So the wide stance works some meat you don’t normally hit, but doesn’t destroy your hips.
By the time you hit the floor, your feet are closer and you’re cool. Then you’re kinda fresh for conventional during the home stretch.
That sounds pretty smart. I’m probably going to copy that. You should get Punisher’s opinion. He had success progressing the deadlift ROM. I just kind of jumped around from height to height style to style. Your plan looks way better. I wish you told me sooner!
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Woke at 201 lbs, looking a bunch better. Been sleeping like shit the last few days though. Hopefully that changes soon.
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Noticed the APL is up and running again, and they’re offering free membership for 2018 @khangles @anon96032531 @guineapig @painter27 @duketheslaya @kleinhound
Read their rulebook, probably the best set out I’ve seen. Leaves me with no questions. Very clear.
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Um…
Australian Powerlifting League is affiliated with the International Powerlifting League. So it’s discount IPF pretty much. They are probably trying to poach lifters from PA… or you are secretly an agent/shill for APL working to destroy PA
Powerlifting Australia is affiliated with the International Powerlifting Federation and still banned in principle tho practically still gonna organise some last few competitions
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