My program has Shoulders before Triceps so they take half my energy away, so Ceph said to use the Smith would be easier to control.
[quote]SmallToBig wrote:
My program has Shoulders before Triceps so they take half my energy away, so Ceph said to use the Smith would be easier to control.
[/quote]
Do whatever works for you man. I personally prefer free weights over machines (including the Smith), but the Smith does have its merits. For example, I’d never do reverse wide-grip presses using a suicide grip on a regular bench because I value my neck.
As long as you keep progressing, it doesn’t matter what other people think.
Smalltobig be sure to keep a tight arch in your lower back when you squat, you are rounding pretty much from the get go. Good weight but tighten up that form.
[quote]Scott M wrote:
Smalltobig be sure to keep a tight arch in your lower back when you squat, you are rounding pretty much from the get go. Good weight but tighten up that form.[/quote]
I’ll video another one so see if it’s any better. Thanks Scott.
What up boys! I’m back from the stomach flu. Feelin a lot better, not holdin all my weight yet (lost 12lbs from the sickness) but that’s alright…been eating just more meals but still can’t hold large food portions, so lots of meals in smaller sizes.
ready to start SUPERGROWTH tomorrow…lookin to tear shit up! I’ll b postin videos!
Also got a raw powerliftin comp. end of september!
STB! good job on the vids man!
STB, thanks for following through with a video.
The only lift I thought was questionable was a seated military press of 175lbs x 9, which I assumed was done freeweight. Now, here, you’re doing 70kg, on the smith, and done high incline style, with what looks like a plate and a 10 (or plate and a 5kg) on each side. THAT makes a LOT more sense to me.
I can free weight 205lbs x 6-8, but in the smith, done in that “cephalic” high-incline style, I can press what looks like 275lbs.
Keep it up.
[quote]jo3 wrote:
SmallToBig wrote:
My program has Shoulders before Triceps so they take half my energy away, so Ceph said to use the Smith would be easier to control.
Do whatever works for you man. I personally prefer free weights over machines (including the Smith), but the Smith does have its merits. For example, I’d never do reverse wide-grip presses using a suicide grip on a regular bench because I value my neck. [/quote] Huh? Wide-RGB with a suicide grip?
How can you use a wide-reverse grip and still grip with pretty much the whole hand ?
Only way I can do those is with only my thumb and index finger around the bar for real, the other fingers just kind of hang around, and with the bar lying in the crease that the flesh of my hand makes.
I’d need to use a narrower grip to use the whole hand, thumbless grip without hurting my wrists and forearms.
And when doing these free-weight, theres way more shoulder in there than I’d like compared to triceps.
Imo the smith variant (pressing towards feet as well as up, DC grip as above) works infinitely better as a tricep exercise, but yeah, to each his own.
[quote]
As long as you keep progressing, it doesn’t matter what other people think.[/quote]
And guys, give STB some slack here, he’s totally new to training… Impossible to know all the lingo from the get-go.
Btw, is your smith machine angled, STB? Or does it go straight up/down?
Bit difficult to tell from the vid, looks angled. (I hate those lol)
If the machines’ rails are angled so that on the CGP you’re pressing towards your head (the higher you go, the closer you get to directly overhead)… Then turn that bench around so that you’re pressing away from your head, towards your feet.
Got to play around with bench placement/your placement some. There should be no strain on the bicep tendon, all tricep and some delt, some lat…
Hey all just finished my first week of BBB, looked like this:
DB Row
DB Bench
Hammer curl
Donkey Calf raise
BB Military
Weighted Dip
Squat
Weighted Janda Sit-ups
Lat Pull-downs
DB incline
Romanian DL/Leg Press
HS Shrugs
Standing Calves
BB Curl
CG Bench
Squat
HS Chest Press
Pull-ups
Seated DB Military
Seated Calves
Floor Press
EZ Curl
I feel good so far, legs a bit sore, appetite has increased. This is definately a big change from the low volume upper/lower split that i was on. I miss heavy deads, but im going to follow DH’s advice and wait for the training phases to do them, besides Romanians give the hams some much needed attention. BTW C_C there is no 5-7 rep range used in the 4 day template unfortunately. Im just gonna have to go as heavy as possible especially on the 8-10 reps day.
Hey don’t worry Jesse…there is a 5-7 rep range day…once your done your ramp, and go onto supergrowth…the 4th day is 5-7 reps.
[quote]Jesse wrote:
Hey all just finished my first week of BBB, looked like this:
DB Row
DB Bench
Hammer curl
Donkey Calf raise
BB Military
Weighted Dip
Squat
Weighted Janda Sit-ups
Lat Pull-downs
DB incline
Romanian DL/Leg Press
HS Shrugs
Standing Calves
BB Curl
CG Bench
Squat
HS Chest Press
Pull-ups
Seated DB Military
Seated Calves
Floor Press
EZ Curl
I feel good so far, legs a bit sore, appetite has increased. This is definately a big change from the low volume upper/lower split that i was on. I miss heavy deads, but im going to follow DH’s advice and wait for the training phases to do them, besides Romanians give the hams some much needed attention. BTW C_C there is no 5-7 rep range used in the 4 day template unfortunately. Im just gonna have to go as heavy as possible especially on the 8-10 reps day.[/quote]
No, not during the ramps. You do 5-7 rep sets on day 4 of each week of the supergrowth phase following ramp 1, for example.
Ohh thanks guys, my bad. I didnt notice that the rep ranges change in the supergrowth phase. Thanks again for pointing that out.
[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
And guys, give STB some slack here, he’s totally new to training… Impossible to know all the lingo from the get-go.
Btw, is your smith machine angled, STB? Or does it go straight up/down?
Bit difficult to tell from the vid, looks angled. (I hate those lol)
If the machines’ rails are angled so that on the CGP you’re pressing towards your head (the higher you go, the closer you get to directly overhead)… Then turn that bench around so that you’re pressing away from your head, towards your feet.
Got to play around with bench placement/your placement some. There should be no strain on the bicep tendon, all tricep and some delt, some lat…
[/quote]
Angled 
And i’ll check to make sure on Tuesday if so i’ll do what you advised.
Thanks Cephalic !
Just wanted to let you guys know this program is worth sticking with. I am 2/3 of the way though week two of the first ramp and I am already feeling the overreaching starting to take place. I had to drag my butt into the gym which never happens. I am the same guy who was complaining about this program not having enough volume when I started it. Good luck guys!!
MODOK, SCOTT, DH, C_C
I’d like your take on something, if you dont mind…
Having read the whole BBB ebook + the thread on tnation AND the thread about ramping, it made me wonder…
Wouldnt it be more beneficial during the supergrowth phases of BBB to just have ONE working set to failure (instead of three) while having 2-3 ramping sets?
If not, could you explain why?
Thanks in advance
(Modok i already pmed you this question but a reply on the actual forum would prolly be better)
(I know Modok and DH kinda replied to this but more by telling me what the program was “asking for” and not really in the sense of : this would work better, because…"
[quote]MODOK wrote:
zraw wrote:
MODOK, SCOTT, DH, C_C
I’d like your take on something, if you dont mind…
Having read the whole BBB ebook + the thread on tnation AND the thread about ramping, it made me wonder…
Wouldnt it be more beneficial during the supergrowth phases of BBB to just have ONE working set to failure (instead of three) while having 2-3 ramping sets?
If not, could you explain why?
Thanks in advance
(Modok i already pmed you this question but a reply on the actual forum would prolly be better)
I think the more appropriate question, since you seem to have this on your mind pretty prominently is, why do you think one working set to failure would be better than the program’s prescribed sets and reps? Let us know the reasoning behind your thinking and we can discuss it.[/quote]
Bigger emphasis on the difference in recovery between ramps and growth phases
[quote]zraw wrote:
MODOK wrote:
zraw wrote:
MODOK, SCOTT, DH, C_C
I’d like your take on something, if you dont mind…
Having read the whole BBB ebook + the thread on tnation AND the thread about ramping, it made me wonder…
Wouldnt it be more beneficial during the supergrowth phases of BBB to just have ONE working set to failure (instead of three) while having 2-3 ramping sets?
If not, could you explain why?
Thanks in advance
(Modok i already pmed you this question but a reply on the actual forum would prolly be better)
I think the more appropriate question, since you seem to have this on your mind pretty prominently is, why do you think one working set to failure would be better than the program’s prescribed sets and reps? Let us know the reasoning behind your thinking and we can discuss it.
Bigger emphasis on the difference in recovery between ramps and growth phases
[/quote]
If you want an even bigger emphasis on the difference in recovery, why not just take an entire week off?
[quote]jo3 wrote:
zraw wrote:
MODOK wrote:
zraw wrote:
MODOK, SCOTT, DH, C_C
I’d like your take on something, if you dont mind…
Having read the whole BBB ebook + the thread on tnation AND the thread about ramping, it made me wonder…
Wouldnt it be more beneficial during the supergrowth phases of BBB to just have ONE working set to failure (instead of three) while having 2-3 ramping sets?
If not, could you explain why?
Thanks in advance
(Modok i already pmed you this question but a reply on the actual forum would prolly be better)
I think the more appropriate question, since you seem to have this on your mind pretty prominently is, why do you think one working set to failure would be better than the program’s prescribed sets and reps? Let us know the reasoning behind your thinking and we can discuss it.
Bigger emphasis on the difference in recovery between ramps and growth phases
If you want an even bigger emphasis on the difference in recovery, why not just take an entire week off?[/quote]
Thats a pretty smart remark
[quote]MiJuggernaut wrote:
Fuck one set to failure. If you are Dorian Yates go ahead. One set to failure has delivered me the shittiest results of any program ever. Not scientific or cool but completely true. Do not waste your time. guess what, volume and frequency ar way more important than intensiveness. If you don’t think so go do dome shitty 3 day a week HIT rogram. We’ll see you on the other side. [/quote]
Not this crap again…this has been discussed too many fucking times already. I’ll just say to each his own…but ramping weights to 1 top set to failure DOES work and has yielded much much better results for me personally than doing multiple sets at the same weight.