My Road to Elite

Training Training Logs
801

Week 6, Day 2 (a weird session)

Deadlift (Ivanko bar)
2x5x225
2x2x315
1x1x405
add suit
1x1x470 (85%)
2x1x485 (88%)
subtract suit
1x2x435
1x1x485
1x1x505 (4 pound raw PR)
1x1x520 (19 pound raw PR)
video tomorrow

Close grip bench with chains (44lb chains, 1 finger from smooth)
1x6x115
1x6x135
1x6x155
1x5x170

DB Tricep Extensions
1x10x20
2x10x25
4x10x30
1x9x30
1x10x25
1x12x25

Side-lying external rotations
2x15x2.5

The day the deadlift suit died.

The idea today was to either go 6x1x485 (88%), or work up to a smooth single at ~520. But when I was having a hell of a time getting down to the bar in the suit, and I was completely out of position once I got down to the bar I knew that wasn’t going to happen. When my second pull at 485 was almost impossible I was extremely pissed and was about to call it quits for the day on deadlift. Glad I didn’t! I got the suit off and was planning on pulling some doubles at 80%. Well I pulled the first double, it was really easy and it was at that point I told a lifting partner that I felt I was good for a smooth 500 raw today. I decided that I would pull 485 to see how difficult it was in comparison to the suit. It was easy as hell, flew up, so I thought why not get a cheap PR, so I pulled 505 without much problem. So I thought I’ve got one more pull left in me, why not go for a bigger PR. 520 was slow off the floor but the lockout was really smooth, definitely a great sign.

So my conclusion, I will not be pulling in a suit for my next meet at the end of January. Just not worth fighting to get my technique correct. The reality is I don’t think I could approach good technique in that suit, it is just too damn tight now. I am actually a little nervous about how tight my squat suit will be, we shall see in a couple of weeks.

Now I have to rework my deadlift plan. I don’t plan on pulling any heavier than this until the meet. I might pull a couple of singles around my planned opener, 512.

Close grip with chains was fine. My shoulder didn’t love it, but it seemed to do okay. I will play this exercise by ear.

Overall very happy with this session, it started as a nightmare but got better in a hurry. I had done some studying and some thinking and I thought I had the suit figured out, no big deal I suppose.

802

NICE!!! Good for you man, cant wait to see the video.

803

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
NICE!!! Good for you man, cant wait to see the video.[/quote]

Thanks a lot, appreciate it!

804

Here’s the pull that put a dagger in my 2nd deadlift suit (it fits like shit now and I can’t get down to the bar properly)

Here are the pulls that salvaged the session and convinced me I am stronger raw, at least for now.

805

I think you could be engaging your glutes better without the suit, which might be why you’re having much less trouble locking out the weight. Have you ever tried pulling with a Metal Viking V-type? The few times I experimented with suited sumo it seemed to work pretty damn well.

806

[quote]mrodock wrote:

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
NICE!!! Good for you man, cant wait to see the video.[/quote]

Thanks a lot, appreciate it![/quote]

No problem, after looking at the video I really think that your good for another 15 or 20 pounds.

807

[quote]novaeer wrote:
I think you could be engaging your glutes better without the suit, which might be why you’re having much less trouble locking out the weight. Have you ever tried pulling with a Metal Viking V-type? The few times I experimented with suited sumo it seemed to work pretty damn well.[/quote]

Yeah I definitely think you are right.

I have not, but that would definitely be on my short list of what I want to try. Do you have a V-type laying around? I’d buy it from you if you are interested. Was it a squat suit or a deadlift suit?

My only worry with Metal is the thighs are generally pretty small and my legs are bigger than my hips.

808

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:

[quote]mrodock wrote:

[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
NICE!!! Good for you man, cant wait to see the video.[/quote]

Thanks a lot, appreciate it![/quote]

No problem, after looking at the video I really think that your good for another 15 or 20 pounds.[/quote]

Yeah I thought I left about 10-15 pounds on the table. With a good deload coming into the meet I’m excited to see what I can pull.

809

New Deadlift Plan (now that I will be pulling raw and don’t need suit practice)

Week 7
8x3x80%

Week 8
5-6x2x85%

Week 9
work up to ~512

Week 10
1x3x50%
1x3x60%
1x3x70%
5x3x75%

Week 11
1x3x50%
2x3x60%
5x2x70%

Week 12
1x3x50%
2x2x60%
4x1x70%

Because I have been pretty aggressive in training the deadlift over the last few weeks, I should back down more in weeks 10-12 than in Sheiko #32. So I kicked off 5% off the top weights on weeks 10 and 11, and am doing singles at 70% in week 12 instead of doubles. I feel good about this plan.

810

[quote]mrodock wrote:

Yeah I definitely think you are right.

I have not, but that would definitely be on my short list of what I want to try. Do you have a V-type laying around? I’d buy it from you if you are interested. Was it a squat suit or a deadlift suit?

My only worry with Metal is the thighs are generally pretty small and my legs are bigger than my hips.[/quote]

It’s a size 50 IPF V-type Viking squat suit. It might be a size too large for you, but if you take in the hips it could work for you. I’ve only used it 4 times (once w/ straps up) in the 2+ years I’ve owned it. I don’t even know why I bought the damn thing because I was already using double ply equipment and I had no intention pulling sumo. You still interested in it?

811

[quote]novaeer wrote:

[quote]mrodock wrote:

Yeah I definitely think you are right.

I have not, but that would definitely be on my short list of what I want to try. Do you have a V-type laying around? I’d buy it from you if you are interested. Was it a squat suit or a deadlift suit?

My only worry with Metal is the thighs are generally pretty small and my legs are bigger than my hips.[/quote]

It’s a size 50 IPF V-type Viking squat suit. It might be a size too large for you, but if you take in the hips it could work for you. I’ve only used it 4 times (once w/ straps up) in the 2+ years I’ve owned it. I don’t even know why I bought the damn thing because I was already using double ply equipment and I had no intention pulling sumo. You still interested in it?[/quote]

Yeah definitely, a 50 MIGHT fit, but probably wouldn’t take much adjustment.

Did you pull in it backwards?

812

Nope, straight up.

813

Did you end up getting that last PM?

814

[quote]novaeer wrote:
Did you end up getting that last PM?[/quote]

Yep, success! Your threat is duly noted.

815

Week 6, Day 3

Bench (paused)
1x3x135
1x1x165
1x1x195
Shirt (42 Fury)
1x1x225 (1.5 board, no touch)
1x1x255 (1.5 board, touch)
1x1x275 (no touch)
1x1x295 (36 pound PR)
1x1x315 (56 pound PR)

Squat (cambered bar)
1x5x225 (50%)
1x4x270 (60%)
2x3x315 (70%)
6x3x340 (75%) [belted]

Lat Pulldowns (V-bar)
1x10x85
1x10x105
1x10x125
1x7x145

Pendlay Rows (these felt terrible today for some reason)
1x8x110
1x8x145
1x8x130

Squat (cambered bar)
1x3x250 (55%)
1x3x290 (65%)
4x2x340 (75%) [belted]

Sumo Goodmornings (beltless)
1x5x205
1x5x245
1x5x265

Since my handler was in the gym I thought I would try and figure out what I could touch in with the bench shirt. I have gone up a weight class since I last benched in a shirt AND this shirt is a size smaller than the one I was using. So in summary I was benching in a 44 at 181 and now I am using a 42 at 198ish. I could touch with 195 in the other shirt, haha. Anyway this was quite a surprise since I was HOPING I was strong enough to bench 300 at the meet. I’m really going to think carefully about how to plan bench leading up to the meet.

Squat was really hard, that is all.

816

You look pretty strong man your deadlift is your high point. Youll get that touch its probably just a technical issue. good lifing man!

817

[quote]brauny96 wrote:
You look pretty strong man your deadlift is your high point. Youll get that touch its probably just a technical issue. good lifing man![/quote]

Thanks brauny. Going up a weight class has improved my leverages quite significantly. I’ll be working hard on touching more cleanly and easily in the coming weeks.

818

I might consider trying to pull in the suit novaeer sends me. If it fits pretty decent and gives me some poundage I have an OUTSIDE shot of qualifying for nationals. I would absolutely have to go 9 for 9, but it can be done.

819

[quote]mrodock wrote:

[quote]novaeer wrote:
Did you end up getting that last PM?[/quote]

Yep, success! Your threat is duly noted.[/quote]

Here are my enforcers for the Milwaukee region:

820

[quote]novaeer wrote:

[quote]mrodock wrote:

[quote]novaeer wrote:
Did you end up getting that last PM?[/quote]

Yep, success! Your threat is duly noted.[/quote]

Here are my enforcers for the Milwaukee region:

[/quote]

Wow, just filled out the check and I found a stamp and envelope