[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I’ll post pictures soon.[/quote]
I was kind of waiting on these to reply…
But nice job on doing that in the first place. That’s a pretty high bar they set, just to get in the door.
[quote]LoRez wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
I’ll post pictures soon.[/quote]
I was kind of waiting on these to reply…
But nice job on doing that in the first place. That’s a pretty high bar they set, just to get in the door.[/quote]
I just realized my follow up post didn’t show up. that was a long post too… oh well.
that’s the facebook page for the gym where the meet was. They posted a bunch of pictures, and the first picture in the album is me, wearing sunglasses and some badass Jack Skellington socks. I’ll get my own pictures up here later.
Nothing particularly interesting to add today. I had a very limited amount of time in the gym last night, so I just did bench press and some Oly-stuff. Worked up to 275x5 and 295x3 on the flat bench. First rep was paused on both sets. Finished with some higher rep sets at 225 and 185. shoulder/pec started bothering me again, but I feel like I’m getting better.
Had planned to deadlift, but I did some oly stuff with friends instead. Started with power snatches. Basically just did a bazillion singles with 135. No drop at all, just took it from the ground to standing straight up. Because I suck at snatches. Finished with a few clean and jerks at the same weight, then I had to leave.
Weighing around 186 in the morning right now. I’m starting to think I might actually hit 200 lbs this year.
Nice job at the strongman comp! Although I’m pretty sure they’re not supposed to surprise you with harder events than they advertised lol.
[quote]csulli wrote:
Nice job at the strongman comp! Although I’m pretty sure they’re not supposed to surprise you with harder events than they advertised lol.[/quote]
I did think 600 lbs for max reps in the 175 weight class was fairly unreasonable, but they didn’t have a backup plan on the truck weight. The crucifix hold, however, was pretty specific on the application, as was the log size, and these were easily scalable. The women used an 8" log, and they could have taken chains off on the crucifix.
That being said, if my competition was getting 5 reps at 600 on the deadlift, it’s not like I was going to win if they dropped the weight to 400 or 500, although it would have been more fun if I had been able to get at least 1 rep. And I DID win the crucifix hold, and set a PR on the log press while losing that event by 40 lbs.
And I got the best message possible from my experience, which was this: I need to get stronger. There’s no way around that for me, particularly if I want to have any reasonable amount of success in the sport. And I need to compete in the 200 weight class, when available. I can add a ton of muscle and still be eligible to compete at that weight.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
And I got the best message possible from my experience, which was this: I need to get stronger. There’s no way around that for me, particularly if I want to have any reasonable amount of success in the sport.[/quote]
FWIW, that’s the exact message I got from your experience too, for myself.
[quote]LoRez wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
And I got the best message possible from my experience, which was this: I need to get stronger. There’s no way around that for me, particularly if I want to have any reasonable amount of success in the sport.[/quote]
FWIW, that’s the exact message I got from your experience too, for myself.[/quote]
glad to hear it. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I feel this way. Being a big fish in a small pond is no good for growth, and that’s sort of what I’ve become at my gym. I felt so fucking weak at the end of that competition. It sucks to be the weakest guy in the room. I felt very much like I did when I first set foot in a gym 10 years ago.
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.[/quote]
Nice dude!
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.[/quote]
Nice dude![/quote]
Thanks man. I have a tendency to get stuck at milestones when I hit them, so blowing past the 500 DL was big for me.
Although it should be obvious, I’m learning more and more that heavy singles and doubles are not what build my 1rm most efficiently. Rep work is definitely key for me. I attribute my recent bench and dl pr’s to rep work much more than I do heavy work.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.[/quote]
Sick lifts man that’s awesome
Work that strap grip. It’s so much better than a. Cross grip you will add another 20-40lbs on the top end and massive amount of reps at under max
Hey Ryan, much appreciated! I’m following your log as well, great stuff in there.
I watched a few videos on front squatting with straps, and I’m sure they’ll improve in my next session. I hated the cross grip when I did it, even though my 1rm was pretty solid. The 295 that I nearly dumped earlier this week actually did injury me. When the bar slipped off my delts, I basically caught it on my right arm at the point where the delt meets the upper arm, and I’ve got a fairly deep bruise from it. My 2 subsequent gym sessions have resulted in, essentially, a ‘dead’ right arm for about an hour after the session. Shooting pains throughout the arm, emanating from the point of injury. It’s not very fun.
Grats on the deadlift PR! You’ve gotten really strong in the last couple of years.
505 deadlift. I have the 525 as well, but I’m having trouble with the file size/uploading. Hopefully this video is sufficient evidence that I’m at least capable of 525 
Also, the plate sizing is weird. The 2 inside plates are 45lb bumper plates, the next 2 are ‘regular’ 45 lb plates, and the last 2 are 25’s. 525 barely fit on the bar using this configuration. I had just enough room for the clips.
Not much to add here today. I did a crossfit workout for the first time in a few weeks. 5 burpees, 7 DB push presses (30’s) and 9 knees to elbows, hanging from a bar. Then 100m run while your partner does the same thing. AMRAP. We got through nearly 10 rounds. I got 5 rounds, he got all but the knees to elbows on his 5th set.
My right arm still feels dead. Also, I drank lots of beers last night. Rough morning, had to be up at 730.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Hey Ryan, much appreciated! I’m following your log as well, great stuff in there.
I watched a few videos on front squatting with straps, and I’m sure they’ll improve in my next session. I hated the cross grip when I did it, even though my 1rm was pretty solid. The 295 that I nearly dumped earlier this week actually did injury me. When the bar slipped off my delts, I basically caught it on my right arm at the point where the delt meets the upper arm, and I’ve got a fairly deep bruise from it. My 2 subsequent gym sessions have resulted in, essentially, a ‘dead’ right arm for about an hour after the session. Shooting pains throughout the arm, emanating from the point of injury. It’s not very fun. [/quote]
Glad you like. Feel free to ask anything you want or are interested in.
You will really like the strap grip. Give it a couple tries. Maybe even do light fronts each session for a while just to practice setup and the feel. Shorten the learning curve
Haven’t lifted since Sunday, which I didn’t log. Should be lifting tonight.
Sunday I did some front squatting, practiced with the straps more. Some of my sets felt really good, and others not so much. Still haven’t gotten the hang of it, but it’s definitely getting better. I spent a lot of time on this, then moved to OHP. I failed at 185, which was ridiculous for me. It’s possible that it was because of the push pressing from the day before. Not sure. I needed a few days off though. I’ve been pretty stressed, and my body has felt worn down.
My wife is less than 2 months from her due date, and things are really starting to hit me mentally/emotionally. Plus stress from work. Anyway, I’ve used the last few days off to my benefit in terms of resting and some mobility work. I’m doing a few things to work on my overhead mobility primarily.
I’m also going to make my back a bigger priority than bench press for a little while.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.[/quote]
Nice dude![/quote]
Thanks man. I have a tendency to get stuck at milestones when I hit them, so blowing past the 500 DL was big for me.
Although it should be obvious, I’m learning more and more that heavy singles and doubles are not what build my 1rm most efficiently. Rep work is definitely key for me. I attribute my recent bench and dl pr’s to rep work much more than I do heavy work.
[/quote]
That’s an interesting thought. I’m just like you (hit and stick at a mile stone) and have been working on spending a lot of time on rep work with 5/3/1+. Hopefully I’ll get results similar to yours!
Oh and good luck with the new one when they get here!
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Another short gym session last night, but a big PR for me. Started with some front squats, used straps on the bar rather than the cross grip. Still looking for ways to save my elbows. I didn’t really get the hang of this grip, but I’ll give it another shot.
The next thing was supposed to be bench press, but since I pressed heavy the night before, I just did a few light sets, up to 185 for like 10.
DEADLIFT PR ALERT: I was with my friend, and since I didn’t have a 5 plate deadlift on video yet, I wanted to get that. I went ahead and just put 505 on it, not sure if I’d get it or not since I hadn’t hit a heavy single in a little while. Smoked it. I felt strong enough to set a 20 lb PR beyond that, at 525. I’ll post both videos when my friend sends them to me. The 505 is beautiful, the 525 is a grinder. I didn’t hitch it, but I almost lost it at the knees. Then I said, fuck this, it’s going up, and I finished the lift.[/quote]
Nice dude![/quote]
Thanks man. I have a tendency to get stuck at milestones when I hit them, so blowing past the 500 DL was big for me.
Although it should be obvious, I’m learning more and more that heavy singles and doubles are not what build my 1rm most efficiently. Rep work is definitely key for me. I attribute my recent bench and dl pr’s to rep work much more than I do heavy work.
[/quote]
That’s an interesting thought. I’m just like you (hit and stick at a mile stone) and have been working on spending a lot of time on rep work with 5/3/1+. Hopefully I’ll get results similar to yours![/quote]
I have 2 examples involving the 3 plate bench that tend to confirm this theory, both of which I’ve logged here. A few years ago (2012 I think), I was approaching that 3 plate mark. I had hit a solid 295, and an iffy 305, from what I remember. I wanted 315, so every bench day, I would basically just work up to a heavy single. And I missed 315 at least 5 or 6 times in the span of like a month. All of a sudden, I had stopped progressing. I never hit it.
Over the next couple years, my bench max dropped dramatically, to the point where earlier this year I couldn’t hit a solid 275. I returned to rep work, and didn’t even have a goal in mind. Then one day I hit 275 for 6 reps, and realized I was strong enough for 315. It just sort of happened.
My lifetime maxes for awhile were a 405 squat, a 305 bench, and a 505 deadlift. I think that’s pretty telling. It feels good to have them a bit removed from multiples of 100 now (405/315/525, with the squat likely to go up next time I max on it, something I haven’t done since September).