[quote]The Rattler wrote:
Yeah the video came up. That dumbbell looks cool. Might have to invest in one to take to the gym with me. I’ve always wanted to dumbbell row 100kg…[/quote]
Good stuff. It’s in my home gym and it’s not even an olympic handle just a thin “exercise plates” one (as is all the 185~kg I can fit on my non-oly bar… which is only rated to 180kg anyway). I think the length is pretty standard though, so I’m not sure whether you could fit more then I did without a custom dumbbell anyway. Perhaps there’s an extra long one you can buy from somewhere specifically for loading kroc rows.
[quote]The Rattler wrote:
Yeah the video came up. That dumbbell looks cool. Might have to invest in one to take to the gym with me. I’ve always wanted to dumbbell row 100kg…[/quote]
Good stuff. It’s in my home gym and it’s not even an olympic handle just a thin “exercise plates” one (as is all the 185~kg I can fit on my non-oly bar… which is only rated to 180kg anyway). I think the length is pretty standard though, so I’m not sure whether you could fit more then I did without a custom dumbbell anyway. Perhaps there’s an extra long one you can buy from somewhere specifically for loading kroc rows. [/quote]
There was an Olympic one on strengthshop.co.uk that I saw after you told me to look and I don’t think it was very expensive. No idea how much I’d be able to fit on it either but I’ll look into it. I’m currently doing deadstop dumbbell rows and putting them later on in my back workouts so I use a lot less weight than I could otherwise.
[quote]The Rattler wrote:
There was an Olympic one on strengthshop.co.uk that I saw after you told me to look and I don’t think it was very expensive. No idea how much I’d be able to fit on it either but I’ll look into it. I’m currently doing deadstop dumbbell rows and putting them later on in my back workouts so I use a lot less weight than I could otherwise. [/quote]
Yeah, I can see myself purchasing an olympic one just as another training tool for gyms with very limited dumbbells. I always do my dumbbell rows at the end of my session because even with deadstops I find I can put in a good performance after hitting up many other lifts beforehand. Krocs are always last so I’m pre-fatigued enough to make use of terrible form.
Squat
Beltless - 120/265 x 7 - 120/265 x 7 - add belt - 120/265 x 7 - 120/265 x 7 - 120/265 x 7
^ Felt harder then it should have today, just like my first session. Really need to carry on playing around and find right stance width and foot angle for my own biomechanics and to ensure maximum poundages/efficient squatting. Right now I feel like I’m squatting with 95% quads, 5% glutes, 0% hamstrings and no idea if I’m utilising “hip power” whatsoever. PL/Oly coach plz?
Calves & Abs
Standing Calf Raise (old school stack style) (full stretch/eccentric, pause at bottom, double popped & hard squeeze at top)
13 x 3 - 14 x 3 - 15 x 3 - 16 x 3 - 17 x 3 - 18 x 3 - 19 x 3 2-3 PRs
Seated Calf Raise (1p = 20kg)
2.5p x 8 - 2.75p x 8 PR - 3pps x 6 PR PR
Leg Raise (real controlled eccentric, hard lower ab contraction at top)
All LR - BW x 8 - BW x 10 - BW x 5 + 5 knee raise
Cable Crunch
50/110 (stack) x 10 - 50/110 + 32lb DB x 10 - 50/110 +64lb DB x 6 PR to work from
Already discussed lackluster squatting, I’m hoping my inefficient form doesn’t bite me in da ass fairly quickly thanks to swolovs DOM city. Was happy calves were stronger then ever despite squatting first.
Judging by your first video you aren’t using your hips at all. I know this because your knees valgus as it was pointed out. You should be spreading the floor with your feet, in other words try to rip the floor apart with your feet. It doesnt matter how your toes are pointed, if you aren’t actively spreading the floor your knees will valgus, period.
[quote]pbclax1 wrote:
Judging by your first video you aren’t using your hips at all. I know this because your knees valgus as it was pointed out. You should be spreading the floor with your feet, in other words try to rip the floor apart with your feet. It doesnt matter how your toes are pointed, if you aren’t actively spreading the floor your knees will valgus, period.
Good training in here.[/quote]
Thanks pb, little bits of advice like this are truly valuable in lieu of actually getting coached in person. I will definitely be trying it when I squat again (only two days, such is smolov).
General life news: I’ve decided on a personal training course I want to take, it’s a 6 week intensive course which leaves me as qualified as one pretty much can be and also guarantees a job at the end of it. Jab who posts here is doing the same thing, but at a different training centre. If it goes to plan, I will be living back in Leeds and this would afford me the opportunity to possibly look at getting some sessions in at Andy Bolton’s gym in the relatively near future (late 2012 onwards)… potentially even getting coaching off him in the powerlifts. I am not sure why I never considered such coaching when I originally lived there for three years. My goals are still primarily bodybuilding, but I really would love such coaching.
@DC: Thanks man, should find out my starting date soon I hope.
Biceps + Traps
Cross-body Hammers (tri flex at bottom)
21.6/48s x 10 - 23.6/52s x 10 - 25.6/56s x 10 (+3 from last week) - 27.6/61s x 4 Form PR
Superset with band tri pushdowns - 15/12/10/5+burnout
DB Inc. Curls (strict)
13.6/30s x 8 - 15.6/34s x 8 - 17.6/39s x 4
DB Alt. Curl (loose)
19.6/43s x 8 - 21.6/48s x 8 - 23.6/52s x 8 - 25.6/56s x 4 2-3 PRs
Reverse BB Curl
50/110 x 8 - 55/121 x 8 PR - 60/132 x 4 PR
Upright Row (wide grip for lower traps- squeeze at top)
40/88 x 10 PR - 45/99 x 8 PR - 50/110 x 4 PR
Deadstop BB Shrug w/ squeeze (off pins)
167/368 x 3 - 171/377 x 3 - 175/385 x 3 - 179/395 x 2 cheap PR - 147/324 x 7
The PT plans sounds exciting. It’s a shame you and Jab aren’t doing it the same place. [/quote]
Yeah my bicep pretty much instantly healed when I stopped benching 4x a week, lol… so that seems to have helped strength somewhat. It is a shame but we will definitely be colleagues in the sense of learning/discussing a lot and potentially going to conferences etc. etc… pretty cool!
Sweet that you’ve found a course you want to do. Also sweet about Andy Bolton’s gym. I’m assuming that’s in Leeds? Would be something I’d have to check out when I come up to Leeds!
[quote]The Rattler wrote:
Sweet that you’ve found a course you want to do. Also sweet about Andy Bolton’s gym. I’m assuming that’s in Leeds? Would be something I’d have to check out when I come up to Leeds![/quote]
I feel very positive about it, have no found out the course dates yet but it will be between August 13th and late September depending on when it does run. His gym is in Leeds, maybe 15 minutes walk from the train station… even if I can’t get coaching I would definitely lift there every now and again I’m sure.
Today I confirmed what I suspected, my squat technique sucks and needs huge work.
I experimented with toes pointed out but it felt very unnatural to me. I’ve deduced I have most power with a medium narrow stance; it still feels pretty narrow to myself but watching it back on film it’s clear many oly squatters are able to go much narrower then this effectively.
I noticed a little improvement with the knee valgus thanks to your suggestion PB, however, I did find it hard to focus on and it’s still a big problem for me that needs further work (specifically my right knee caving in despite it being the stronger leg).
For my last set, I tried to focus on breaking/leading with the knee’s and really focusing on maximum knee flexion (?). I feel this will be very important for anything close to a consistantly a2g oly squat (in oly shoes, importantly). I will be working hard on improving. If I “sit back” PL-style I hit very debatable depth and don’t use any of the power out of the hole or exploit advantages oly shoes/high-bar offer (depth/uprightness). But after watching this, I seem to be messing up any attempts at oly squatting pretty bad.
/essay
Smolov Squat Base: Week 1, Day 3
Squat Rest: 3-4 minutes
Beltless - 128/282 x 5 - 128/282 x 5 - 128/282 x 3 + 2 (1 min. rest for extra 2) - add belt - 128/282 x 5 - 128/282 x 5 - 128/282 x 5 - 128/282 x 5
I have a lot of work to do. Hoping for tomorrows 10x3 to go down with much improved technique.
[quote]AquaCruzer wrote:
Any reason for running smolov again?[/quote]
I just strongly believe in multiple times a week squatting being a great idea. Also because I saw such good gains from running it the first time. I’ll reassess after max attempt once I’ve finished base cycle, I may not run the full cycle again.
(main reason is I’m greedy and want 4pps squat asap)
Jake fwiw, your form looks good to me. Your chest stays out, your elbows come forward, you seem to be pressing through your heels and you’re getting good depth unlike me. The only thing that stands out to me is your R knee seems to collapse in a little too much(as PB pointed out). Perhaps your hips or vastus medialis are a bit weak on that side, perhaps you’re not pushing your knees out hard enough or maybe its really tight in the piriformis/glutes/it band/calves. But otherwise they look pretty good.
Thanks, it’s good to see you can tell I’m at least attempting to reach form. I just have this image of perfect olympic squatting in my head and I’m pretty far from it at the moment. Based on the evidence of today I’d say my knee caving problem is mostly related to not pushing out the knees hard enough, although general tightness won’t be helping matters. (I checked out your squats by the way, strong stuff)
^ Sorry for terrible brightness, was like 9:30PM. This was my first set and only beltless one today. Seemed to randomly have acceptable depth on this, but still frustrated with amount of torso lean.
Smolov Squat Base: Week 1, Day 4
Beltless - 136/300 x 3 (probably beltless PR) - Add belt/3 minute rest - 136/300 x 3 - 5 minute rests - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 1 (+2 after 3 min. rest) - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 3 - 136/300 x 3
Mentally very tough today, I will probably wear my belt for all of week 2 since there is such a big jump up in weights and my back is already very fatigued.
Bench Maxing
WU - 100/220 x 1 - 110/243 x F - 110 x 243 x 1 All-time PR - 115/254 x F - 112/247 x F - Paused - 100/220 x 1 Paused PR - 105/231 x no press call, fail - 105/231 x F
PR’d but obviously I was looking for far more then a 5.5lb PR after 3 weeks of such intensive pressing (smolov). Will be looking into a approaches that have me pressing probably 2x/week in the future and in the meantime probably starting Coan bench.
Got a bit stubborn I see lol. The 110 you got looked pretty easy.
Form wise I think most federations requires you to have your elbows locked before you initiate the press. No biggie but something you should be aware of.
