Nice going on the PT test.
Do you think you’ll go to sumo pulling from here on out, or is this just to give your lower back a rest?
Have a blast at the Arnold and I look forward to seeing those photos.
Let me just say HOLY FUCK
That was awesome. Details and 100+ pics to come tomorrow.
Here’s the thread:
Right now the Sumo is just to give myself a chance to recover while still getting a training effect. I pulled a fairly easy 275x5 today and followed it up with a pain free 315x5/3x10x185 convo.
The plan right now is to keep pushing Sumo as a 5/3/1 lift and just use conventional as assistance.
The good thing about being back home is that I get to mess around with some pretty sweet Hammer Strength machines that college doesn’t have- was screwing around with the Iso-lateral High Row today, that’s a great machine.
Need to get some Muscle Clamps though, only spring collars here.
Just Bench, no 5/3/1 (Wednesday 03/11/09)
Flat Bench: 5x5x185
A. Neutral Chin: 8, 8, 6, 5
B. HS Incline: 4x8x140
C. Tricep Work
D. Curlz
New bench and bar is weird and difficult to get accustomed to. Getting to mess around with the HS machines is cool though. Squat tomorrow.
Gotta run up to Rochester for a friends’ bday party, not much else to log about.
Squat /3/ (Friday 03/13/09)
Front Box Squat: 185, 195x 3, 205x5
GM: 135x5(bad idea)
Lots of messing around with different exercises, me getting frustrated and Bulgarian Split squats
Seated Row: 6 sets
DB Suitcase DL 35, 40, 45, 50x8
Side Planks
I had a very, very productive visit at the Chiropractic college- had some really targeted massage and adjustment and had a great conversation with a new intern who’s a fan of Cressey.
It’s been a while, but it looks like my Lower Crossed syndrome (mainly tight hip flexors) is back with a vengeance and I may have a bulging disc. I also have a good deal of muscle guarding around my left erector and PSIS and both of my piriformis are balled up as hell. This is either the cause or symptom of both my legs being locked in some heavy external rotation which I’ve had since I was a kid.
This means me kissing regular back squats goodbye for a while (not that big of a deal to me) and working on my single leg mobility and stability as I come off of the foot injury. I felt absolutely fantastic after the visit but I was also pretty weak in the gym.
205 on the Front Box was remarkably hard but pain free. Good Mornings above 95 lbs are outlawed for at least another month, and I don’t have a whole lot of other options for lower body training that are good ideas right now other than single leg work.
My left side is remarkably weaker than the right which limits what I can do but addressing asymmetry is a good idea so I’m going to continue on that path while still trying to get as much of a training effect as possible.
I’ll be coming out with a full core training plan for myself here in a couple of days, time to work on some internship applications now!
Man I’ll tell you what, I hate to see that your back is messing with you so much. I know you’ll be back and stronger soon though. If you think I may be able to help you with whatever understanding I have of recovering from a lower back injury, just let me know. Maybe I can do something, dunno.
Something I’ve been doing for a bit and something Coach Gentilcore mentioned in his most recent article is to add another set to each unilateral exercise for the weaker side. Simple and it works very well. My left glute consistently sorer than my right, telling me that said imbalance is slowly working its way toward relative balance.
Also, I’ve applied for the summer term internship at Cressey Performance as well.
If we were both to get selected, I would probably die. That would be completely BA.
Good luck sir!
Damn that would be the shit.
Thanks for the heads up. My single leg balance is just so bad right now, I can’t believe that it’s gotten to this point even with an injury.
At least now I’ve got a nice weekend of rest and moving back into my dorm (Spring Break over already whaaaaaat).
Bench 3x5 (Monday 03/16/09)
2 Board: 185, 200x5 and 215x6
Dip: 5x10xBW
Hammer Chin: 8, 6, 6, 6, 6
Curlz and Gripz
Board Press was decent today, had some left in the tank. Definitely easing back into the Dips though, have to treat the ol sternum with care.
Squat 5 (Tuesday 03/17/09)
Front Box: 175, 190x5 and 200x5
GM (light): 3x8x95
Bulgarian SS: 3x10x15 (balance is so bad)
Side Plank and Ab Wheel
Box Squat was much, much harder than it should have been. Definitely switching back to regular front squat once this cycle is done.
Military (Thursday 03/19/09)
A. Military: 80, 95x5 and 105x11
B1. Pullup: 3x3x+25, 4x6xBW
B2. DB Press: 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80x10
External Rotation
Good performance today, can’t complain about anything. The 80x10 is a definite PR on the DB Press and it was my first time in months doing it.
Deadlift (Friday 03/20/09)
A. Sumo: 185, 215x5 and 240x15
B. Conventional: 1x5x275 (Big Mistake)
Light GHR and side planks
Sumo felt great today, probably going to make a 15 lb jump for next wave. I thought 275 would be a light lift for conventional just to get some in though and that was a mistake- was in a good deal of pain for the rest of the day.
Writing this two days later however I feel fine so no harm done. Plan from here on out because my list of pain free assistance exercises is so short is probably going to be BBB for Sumo followed by GHR and Core Work.
Getting better though.
Bench (Monday 03/25/09)
A. 2-Board: 170, 195x3 and 220x6
B1. Dip: 5x11xBW
B2. Chin: 8, 8, 8, 6, 6 BW
Board Press went good but I was getting the sternum pain again on dips. Seems fine now, I’ll keep pushing the lift.
Deadlift (Wednesday 03/25/09)
A. Sumo Deadlift: 200, 225x3 and 255x15
B1. Sumo BBB: 2x10x155
B2. KB Swing: 3x20 (35 lb bell)
KB Windmills
Had some problems with feet slipping in my deadlift slippers today, went with regular shoes and I pulled a great PR. Probably going to go back to chucks for these.
But the Sumo was great. Same reps as last week with 15 extra lbs tacked on. I really don’t feel like the Big But Boring is helping my sumo much though. The KB swings felt pretty therapeutic (low weight, good form) so I think I’m going to stick with them as assistance work.
big but boring is 5x10 but dont worry too much about it…if you dont like sumo do something else for accessory!!
Welcome in 5/3/1 anyway!!
Yea, I’ve done the full 5x10 on pretty much every lift but I just couldn’t stomach sets across on Sumo today.
Thanks for dropping by!
Squat (Friday 03/27/09)
A. Front: 165, 190x3 and 210x10, 255x1
B. BBB: 5x10x115
C1. Bulgarian SS: 2x10xBW
C2. One Arm DB Row: 65, 75, 85x10
Side Bends and Ab Wheel
Shit today was a good day, without a doubt the best front squat day that I’ve ever had. Halfway to the gym I decided that I was fed up with Front Box Squatting so I decided to just do regular front squats. I’d been having some trouble on the Box with keeping my elbows up so I tried a new cue that I picked up on the intrawebs a couple days ago (“elbows in”) and it worked immediately.
255x1 was a 5 lb PR and that’s after not even doing the lift for roughly 6 months, and after hitting 210x10. I think the 210x10 was a bigger accomplishment though. Closer and closer on the journey to 3 plates…
[quote]IronAbrams wrote:
Squat (Friday 03/27/09)
A. Front: 165, 190x3 and 210x10, 255x1
B. BBB: 5x10x115
C1. Bulgarian SS: 2x10xBW
C2. One Arm DB Row: 65, 75, 85x10
Side Bends and Ab Wheel
Shit today was a good day, without a doubt the best front squat day that I’ve ever had. Halfway to the gym I decided that I was fed up with Front Box Squatting so I decided to just do regular front squats. I’d been having some trouble on the Box with keeping my elbows up so I tried a new cue that I picked up on the intrawebs a couple days ago (“elbows in”) and it worked immediately.
255x1 was a 5 lb PR and that’s after not even doing the lift for roughly 6 months, and after hitting 210x10. I think the 210x10 was a bigger accomplishment though. Closer and closer on the journey to 3 plates…[/quote]
Sick front squats. Looks like your max is probably around 275 at the moment.
Mine is probably around 260.
That’s close enough for me to prompt a race to 315.
You game? 
Hell yea man. Always up for some friendly competition.
I’m operating off of a training max of 235, which makes next week’s weight to be 225. From there I’m probably going to skip the deload and go straight to a 245 training max making the weeks 210, 220 and 235. That will put me near the end of the semester, so I’ll probably get in another 1 or 2 waves before my summer schedule starts (whatever that may be).
4 day Field Training Exercise for ROTC coming up on Thursday, decided to deload this week.
Bench Deload (Monday 03/30/09)
A. Bench: something for something
B1. Dip: 5x12xBW
B2. Pullup: 8,8,8,8,6
Cuban Presses and External Rotations
Nothing special, just a work up on bench and then lots of dips, pullups and prehab.