Wonder no longer, I was a bitch.
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Thanks mate. I know, and I’ve been expecting it. Plus, I’ve had some other stuff on my mind that I hadn’t until the weekend realised was bugging me, so there’s that lack of focus too.
Onwards and forwards, etc. I’m lucky generally, I get so many good days I really can’t complain at all.
I am not sure who is unbalanced, me, or you. I always thought you should be able to front squat what you can snatch grip deadlift.
If you ever need an ego boost, you can always just PR on an exercise you haven’t done in awhile. I hope whatever is bothering you is resolved soon.
Do you have any training plans scheduled, or are you pretty much just in off season mode until you hit a certain weight?
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I’m not trying to attack you or anything of course,but I find comparisons like this dumb.Unless 2 movements have similar motor paterns,I do not see the point in comparing them strength wise
I mean, there is a rationale behind it. One is an exercise that is more through the knee joint, the other is more through the hip joint. They both have the limiting factor being either the upper back, or through your ability to extend your hips/knees (with the limiting part being the joint that goes through the most range of motion). Of course they aren’t going to be the same, but here’s me with a 375 front squat, Mark with a low 300’s front squat, but his snatch grip deadlift is significantly stronger than mine. Obviously there are some major strength discrepancies.
Also what really defines similar movement patterns, and dissimilar movement patterns? My squat is always exactly on par with my sumo deadlift, one is a squatting pattern, the other is a hinging pattern. They are very different exercises, yet they have a very obvious relationship both statistically, and physiologically: they both require maximal strength in the abs, back, legs, and hips, and my strength in them are always equal regardless of if I train one, the other, or neither.
The same can be said about the olympic lifts. It is the sports standard to be able to clean and jerk approximately 85% of your squat, and snatch approximately 85% of your clean and jerk, if you can’t do that then your form limits you, if you can do that or more then your strength limits you. They are extraordinarily different movement patterns, but there is a widely accepted, and typically exact ratio between them.
And no hard feelings, mate, it is silly to get riled up from online messages boards.
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You are right there,I think variations of that movement describes better what I wanted to say.Maybe I should leave big words for the more knowledgable people
I see what you’re saying now and totally agree
@Destrength my max front squat is 363 lbs with no pause. If I hadn’t paused that 286 yesterday I’d have been able to do more. Abs weren’t switched on or anything, just poor performance is all.
But, you’re right, my FS and SGDL are worlds apart assuming I use straps. No straps and they’re probably fairly close.
I’m fine, I let little things get to me sometimes is all. The last thing I need is an ego boost I think. I know I’m stronger now than ever, I just haven’t displayed that so well. Plus, I realised I’ve added more assistance volume which is obviously also going to have an impact until I adjust.
Actually feeling pretty positive today. Mostly that’s because I’ve reflected over the last week why things weren’t exactly as I would have liked them to be. I came to some conclusions.
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I generally don’t give myself leeway to fuck up in areas I consider important. I see this as a positive thing in the long run, but it can be a transient pain in the arse.
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I’m enough of a realist to eventually understand that I’m going to fuck things up periodically and that this will not cause everything to fall apart. However, it usually takes me a week or two to remember this, hence the transient arse pain.
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When I do fall short of my standards in any one area, it tends to have a snowball effect mentally. Result: I fall short of more things, etc.
So, case in point, I very slightly mismanaged a couple of things outside training in the last few weeks. When I say slightly, I mean really slightly. No tangible effect on any damn thing or person. Just me not doing what I expected of myself. Around this time I happen to see a jump in progress with my leaning out and I also increase my volume of assistance work as well as get a bout of gastro. Naturally, strength is slightly impacted while my body adapts to these two changes and recovers from the gastro. Rationally, I accept this. Because I’m beating myself up about a trivial mistake, however, I start getting shitty with myself for not being at the strength level I was previously. Cue some stupid off the cuff training decisions that just reinforce the idea that I’m getting weaker.
Could have saved myself a good week of annoyance if I’d been thinking straight.
Looking forward to benching later, even though I’m slightly trepidatious - which is probably going to be better than overly confident.
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Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Bench press
25 pump aparts with rotation between first three warm-ups
3x198 lbs, under 6 RPE
3x226 lbs, 6-7 RPE
4x253 lbs, 10 RPE - tried for five and missed, flared too early. Didn’t feel bad, I knew a fifth was a risk
Decided to try a couple of singles because the first three reps at 253 felt so good
1x269 lbs, 9 RPE
2x286 lbs, 10 RPE
Pleased. Yes, my butt might be lifting a tad but I’m also getting leg drive.
FSL DB bench
5x7x85 lbs
30x110 lbs calf raises between sets
Dips 50 total reps: 12, 10, 10, 10, 8
Kroc row warm-ups in between dips sets
Kroc rows
100 lbs x 27 L+R - left me wheezing like a squat plus set
80 lbs to balance of 50 total reps: 13, 10
DB shrugs 50 total reps at 80 lbs: 25, 15, 10
Wanted something different
5x 9 metre/5 plate sled rope pulls (like a row, kind of), push back down track
Took about five minutes taking turns with a young bloke who trains at Elite and has good PL potential. Surprised how un-gassed this made me.
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200% stronger than last week!
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Definitely! I know what I need to do on bench now too, just a matter of dong it every rep.
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Good work on bench matey, the new grip width working well for you?
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I think it’s going to once I figure out exactly how much to tuck on the chest (that Nuckols cue of flaring as normal but touching lower is key to wrist over elbow I suspect), exactly when to flare as I come up and how to consistently get leg drive.
The bar path feels more natural, that’s for sure and my left shoulder seems to continue to mend.
Bottom line, if I’m hitting 130 kg for a double on my second week using the new setup with not having BB benched for a month I think with twice weekly benching I’ll go where I want.
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Way to come back after last week. Helps to get the mind in the right place too.
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Does it ever. I pretty much had to come back just for my confidence. What I’m noticing is that the main thing affected at the moment is my rep capacity. First few are fine, then I die in the arse.
Yea, honestly it looked like you were going to smoke that 5th rep until all of the sudden you didn’t. 1-4 all looked great, 5 looked great 70% of the way through. Do you ever do close grip bench? Looks like you get stuck a lot higher than I do and I am wondering if that is symptomatic of tricep weakness.
I am sure once you get into pressing more frequently you will be fine on all of these issues.
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I think it’s more getting used to the narrower grip than anything - although that’s pretty much the definition of a weakness I guess. It’ll come. It doesn’t feel like triceps giving out though, the failure happens just before I feel my triceps kick in to lock the weight out. It’s that in between part after the bar has come off my chest (pecs and delts?) But before the triceps lock it out.
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Yea, I used to be at the widest legal grip and switched to index fingers on the rings and it took a while before I got used to it too. I am sure it will come around, your speed off the chest is already really solid though, definitely better than mine.
And yea, I am not sure what muscles transition the weight at ~15cm off the chest, never thought about it honestly.
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Felt seriously more average as the day wore on. By the time I got to the gym I was in a shit mood. There’s a reason I try not to train more than two days straight, and this was day four. It just fit better this week. Lower back feeling weak, right knee feeling sort of full/funny, right hip tweaking slightly and shoulders (both) stiff AF.
Today’s training
Agile 8 plus shoulders
Squat
12 strap fatman pull-ups between first three warm-up sets
3x341 lbs, 6 RPE - rushed my descent and lost tightness the moment I hit depth
3x390 lbs, under 6 RPE - slightly better
10x440 lbs, 9 RPE - forgot to film. Typical. Also, controlled my descent and this felt about the best set I’ve done in a while. No pitching, no hard work for my back. I’m going to assume I hit depth because I usually do. Had at least one more in the tank but called it at 10. Been gunning for this reps/weight combo for maybe six months. Onwards. Next step is probably along the lines of 500 lbs for reps in sleeves and walked out.
1x484 lbs, 9-10 RPE - slow, but very happy with my technique. Also, 16 lbs off my sleeved PR and at around 10 lbs lower bodyweight if not more.
Front squats, Oly shoes
5x6x231 lbs
Reverse lunges, Oly shoes, BB on back
50 total reps at 132 lbs: 12, 11, 11, 9, 7
Hips and glutes absolutely buggered by this point
90 degree back raises 25 reps - no way in hell I was doing 100 total. These were kind of cool, totally lower back and no hamstrings
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Brutal workout Mark. Strong with high volume.
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