Notes:
The 5 second descents were pretty unpleasant. I had to rest-pause the final set b/c I under-rested. I would have just cranked it out, but the bar was new & I didn’t want to risk dropping the thing & be that guy.
So far I’m liking this style of training. It gives me stuff to do at the office, and I’m in & out of the gym quickly.
POTENTIAL COMPETITIONS
Strongman - Big Tex Winter Rumble - Austin, TX - Feb 24th
Car deadlift for reps
farmers hold
keg/axle/log medley
yoke/sandbag medley
stone carry & load
This one just sounds super fun & has a fair bit of odd implements. Plus it’s only a three hour drive. It isn’t great timing though, a lot is happening for us in February so competing may not top the priority list.
Powerlifting - USPA Pure Energy Classic, Portland, TX - April 14th
Turns out my gym is hosting a powerlifting competition. If I am still here in April (I’d say it’s a 50/50 shot), I think I’m going to give this a go. It’d be fun, and, I mean, it’s at my gym on a Saturday so I’d probably be there anyway.
Pause Front squats - 225 x 6 x 4
Cybex pull-downs, seated cable rows, & axle curls.
Have a video, We’ll see if I get around to uploading it lol. Kind of boring though. I apparently have a nasty habit of drifting forward when I initiate the ascent - I think tomorrow I’ll be doing the speed squats to a box a la @danteism
Today however I’m shooting for a 3rm in front squats & it’s my heavy overhead/bench day… Purdy excited
3 rounds: Muscle snatch x5, Snatch grip btn press x5, bradford press x5, strict press x5 - 65lb bar
(^ I tried for 5. I got most of them until the strict press, which I only got 2-3 each time
“v-taper workout” - 3 rounds with 110lb bar
Smith high-incline bench
Notes
The box was a wee bit too high for my liking, but this felt like it served its purpose which was to keep me upright when initiating the ascent.
PM
Jui Jitsu!
I had a great time in class. We learned some drills, but we don’t get to spar on the mat until a few weeks.
Wednesday, 1-17-18 Smolov Jr, week 2
Bodyweight 179lbs in the am
A) Front squats, 5-second descent - 4x6 @ 220lbs
Mountain Dog Shoulder Routine:
B1) Incline Swiss Bar Bench - warm-up, 185x6 (PR), 6 (PR tied!), 4
B2) 60 reps of rear delt flys w/ 5lbs
C) upward rotation face-pulls
D) Jui Jitsu - worked on take-downs & arm bar submissions
Notes
Those 5-second descents are miserable. I had to use the mind trick that I was only doing 2 reps, I just happened to be doing it three times. I think I tend to get too much air actually sometimes, & right when I unrack the bar it all compresses & I start to black-out immediately.
I’m pretty stoked about the incline PR. & the fact I hit it a second time surely means my strength baseline has gone up. I really like training in the lower rep heavy weight type fashion.
Jui Jitsu was fun again. My back is a bit tender though as I got body-slammed a few times by my wife.
A1) Paused Front squats - warm-up, then 6x4 @ 235lbs
A2) & chins of varying grips (totaled around 80 I’d say)
B) T-bar row - 45x10, 90x10, 135x10, Dropset: 160x6, 135 xAMRAP, 90 xAMRAP, 45 x AMRAP
C) Machine curls.
Notes
Man, I’m loving front squatting every session. The bar feels super stable in the front-rack position, & thinking about it I’m getting a fair bit of upper chest stimulation since I have to force my elbows up… It hits the upper back & upper chest as it’s seemingly the opposite movement pattern to the pullover. Kind of cool.
I also remember why I don’t care for training 4x/week (or rather having to be in the GYM 4x/week), in that I’m having to put a little too much on the back burner. I’m cool with 4+ sessions, just not 4 gym sessions.
Front Squats
45x10
95x3
135x3
185x3
225x3
255x3
275x3
Axle Overhead (not quite a push jerk, not quite a push press)
45x5
95x1
135x1
185x1
205x1 235x1 (Lifetime PR)
245x damn close
Notes
Damn that overhead felt good! So good in fact, that I def had another 5 in there (just not quite 10). I think it’s pretty clear that all of this front squatting is having a direct impact on my overhead numbers. I think the high-frequency shoulder work is helping too, but I just know it’s the front squats that are contributing the lion’s share.
Wow awesome weights being moved especially on the overheads/bench. And yeah, front squats definitely help the overhead. It’s one of the many reasons why I like front squatting so much.
Thanks man! That’s quite the compliment coming from you. Dude it’s pretty amazing. I’ve Been enjoying the front squat for quite a while, but seeing this carryover cements its place in the rotation.
Thanks bro! Its funny how progression goes; just putting it work for a long time & seemingly not going anywhere, then all of a sudden walls just start coming down.
then 5x10 of a standing shoulder/chest press contraption - then I was out.
1-23-18
Jui Jitsu
Finally grappled! I went against the instructor for 6 minutes. I was going full tilt, he was not lol. I outweigh the guy by 40lbs, but just could not trap him no matter how hard I tried. He just let me wear myself out until I gassed, to which he just choked me out. He told me after that strength is a great asset, but I need to learn when to use it & when to not. He also rolled with me after rolling with a purple belt - then proceeded to take-on another opponent as I sat dry heaving in the corner.
I haven’t breathed that hard in so long - talk about crazy conditioning.
That remind me my first judo class, going at 110% and not be able to do anything against my teacher (20 pounds lighter and… it was a woman!). That’s very humbling!
Great log man, congratulation on your PR on the press that’s impressive!
Thanks & happy to have you following along on the journey @Patlafauche!
It’s such a humbling experience. Man, some of those women in the class are intense, I imagine the outcome would have been similar had they been my opponent. I wasn’t foolhardy enough to think I was going to get a submission out of him, but damn lol.
Damn I mean it is pretty clear that technique and skill trumps strength and body mass but that is still pretty crazy. I am not super into combat sports but it is still super impressive to see people with great skill practicing their sport.
Well at least being tall and big prevented a lot of fights from happening for me (which has been kind of funny) . So it still worth something.
Front Squats, 5-second descent - warm-up, 4x6 @ 230 (these suck so much)
trx upward rotation pull-aparts
lateral raises
Jui Jitsu
We worked on a few things, but the main focus was pushing ourselves off our backs & onto our side while being pinned down. So much harder than it sounds lol.
I grappled again with the instructor, & really tried to focus on his advice to use strength strategically. He said stay tight, but not flexed. I only exerted my force when I needed to escape something, or felt like I had an opportunity to get a submission & it felt a lot more smooth. I only got choked out once! He told me after that in that particular hold, my natural instincts to pull myself out worked to his advantage, as all I did was pull his lock tighter, haha.
After next week, I’m looking to drop back down to 2x/week lifting. I’d like to model it after Wendler’s 2x2x2, 2 days lifting, 2 days Jui Jitsu, & 2 days of yoga/flexibity & soft tissue work which I desperately need.
For the lifting, I’m planning on using @Alpha’s February 2015 programming from the Neversate website.
