Who doesn’t love the Polish Hammer or Polish Powerhouse 
Given that he never turned heel, it would seem no one could help but love him, haha.
Had the idea that, instead of the car deadlift simulator, I might look to chain suspended SSB good mornings. This maps onto something I had been thinking about with the max effort method for a while. Westside only uses box squats when it comes to squatting. Their old school videos showed other max effort exercises, and they were chain suspended good mornings of various heights and pin pulls. What these all have in common is either a total lack of eccentric movement or a broken up eccentric and concentric phase. I would surmise this is because the intent of the max effort method is maximal strain, and this becomes difficult to accomplish with a movement that has an eccentric phase preceding the concentric phase.
Why? Because now one introduces an element of timing into the equation, which takes away from maximal strain. I noticed this on my top down deadlift today, as my striking the floor with the plates threw me out of the groove, and in my attempt to recover I was unable to strain maximally against the load. I tweak my left lat a little in the process as well, but that’s more just proof of concept that I wasn’t braced, mainly because I was having to intercept the movement between the eccentric and concentric phase.
Top down deads could fit in as a supplemental exercise (although at that point I might as well make them RDLs), and I HAVE been able to strain maximally with them WHEN I timed them right, but ultimately I’m introducing another variable into max effort work when I’d prefer not to do that.
My thoughts with the chain suspended good morning is that I’ll now have no eccentric phase to contend with AND I should still be training a movement pattern similar to the deadlift, and learn how to strain maximally in that position. I also think there may be some benefit to not having a weight in my hands for 2 weeks out of my 8 week cycle. Should allow some structures an opportunity to recover.
If I really want to get gnarly with this, I’ll look into chain suspended good mornings against bands, but I also foresee that beating the holy hell out of me. It’ll still be a while till I rotate back, but something to think about.
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I’m not saying you’re wrong, but it seems like you’ve kept up with the pressing workouts from Deep Water. You haven’t given yourself a chance to shrink (and there’s no reason to do so!).
Also it seems that deep water has those sets where you are going past failure or at least that’s it what seems from hearing you crazy asses that have done it. I don’t think it breaks from his theories at all. He may not like the volume but to each their own. I honestly like the whole training to failure thing…but what makes me like deep water is that the failure sets are there as well as soul crushing conditioning. If you are feeling DOMs for week after a workout being an already advanced lifter, that’s all that should need to be said.
I don’t think this is a Paul Carter against the world thing. I think it’s a “all the new studies, theories and advancements haven’t advanced things noticeably since the Pat Casey era” thing. Correct me if I’m wrong.
@Frank_C It’s actually only the benching I’ve kept, which has been a great program for sure, but also the least “Deep Water-y” part of the program. Volume is quite a bit more reasonable, which is most likely why I’ve been willing to keep doing it for so long, haha.
@zeptrey I only ended up going to failure about 2 or 3 times total in the course of 18 weeks on the program. You definitely get super close to it often, but no beyond failure sets. And conditioning is actually a bit on the lighter side, just because the workouts are so intense. But it will definitely push you: well worth pursuing.
@dagill2 Oh yeah, I got nothing against Paul at all as far as training methodologies go. I see eye to eye with him in a lot of regards. I just think it’s funny how much people want there to be just ONE true way, when folks have been training like maniacs and making great progress.
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“Deep Water: overcoming the waves of life” is that the book I need for the detailed programs?
Yup. That’s the one.
I’ll get started tonight. Thank you.
@dagill2 Awesome dude. The book is super over the top but still a fun read. I equate it to “pro-wrestling in written form”: guilty pleasure they you just grin through the cheese.
YESTERDAY’S PM WORKOUT
SUPERSETS (press-pulldown)
Axle strict press
5xAxle
5x66
3x161
3x181
10x206
10x181
Lat pulldowns 115
6x12
GIANT SETS (press-dip-raise-pull apart: sets 1 and 4: strict, sets 2 and 5: BTN, sets 3 and 6: log)
Axle strict press 166
2x10
Behind the neck barbell press 125
2x10
Log clean and press away 155
2x10
DB lateral raise 30
6x12
Band pull aparts
6x12
Poundstone curls
102xAxle
Notes: 3:45 between heavy press, 2:0 between giant sets. This was after 3 nights on night shift, getting 4 hours of sleep and taking my kid to a Chuck E. Cheese like thing we have locally here. I may have gotten some sort of stomach bug at work, because I had no appetite all day and skipped the majority of my meals while trying not to throw up, but managed to get in a dinner before lifting. Despite wanting to throw up between giant sets, this workout was awesome. The topset isn’t a PR, but is smoother than the last time I pressed 206 for 10, and I cleared everything on my giant sets.
Being smarter with the Poundstone curls now, only going up 1 rep a week vs the 5 I used to do. Gives me longer to sustain the training, and focus is on doing as many reps as possible before I have to stop. Made it to 80 this time.
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Sounds about right. Little lady was a bit quicker going off than usual last night so I only got through the first chapter. Straight out of the Charles Atlas playbook so far. He hasn’t quite had sand kicked in his face yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
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@T3hPwnisher - have you read any Dostoyevsky? I’m assuming yes, so if that’s right, what’s your opinion on his writings? I’m reading Dream of a Ridiculous Man and Notes from Underground for a class right now, and they made me think of you, haha.
@dagill2 It’s worth noting that it’s written ABOUT Jon by his training partner, which lets it get weird and excusable at the same time. Jon still struggles with writing, so he does everything by video.
@jshaving I actually haven’t. It’s always on my list, but I struggle with reading fiction. I’m sure it’ll make it’s way through eventually though. You enjoying it?
Yeah, I’d say it’s fairly good. I don’t know if I’m smart enough to fully understand all that it’s really saying, but I’m a decent reader and my teacher’s done a good job explaining it, so I think I’ve got a good handle on it.
While I don’t like feeling depressed or down in my own life, reading about others moments of darkness is kinda enjoyable for some reason.
Any books you’d recommend on similar subjects? I know you’ve mentioned stuff before but I don’t remember where to find it. Maybe in tlgains’ log or something, haha.
Kafka does a pretty good job of letting you experience other people’s misery. You can find compilations of his short stories in a lot of places. “The Penal Colony” is still one of my favorites of his.
In an opposite direction, you can read Nietzsche, who experience a LOT of darkness in his life but saw it as a life-affirming experience. One of the reasons I always appreciated it.
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PM WORKOUT
GIANT SETS (squat-clean-hyper)
Buffalo bar squat
7xBar
7x140
7x230
7x320
7x410
Hang cleans 120
6x3
Reverse hyper 455
6x12
Buffalo Bar stripset (no rest between sets)
8x320
10x230
12x140
14xBar
Notes: 3:45 between first 5 rounds. Then 2:00 before a superset of cleans and reverse hypers, then 4:45 and the stripset. I think 12s, 9s and 7s are gonna work, but I may change up the movement rotation so that I’m not buffalo bar squatting on the same week I’m doing BtN press. Right shoulder seems to get pissed off from the process. On that note, I feel like I did some sort of nerve damage to my back on the left side, because it’s been killing me the past few days. Sleep has been rough on it.
Topset of squats was just about right. Probably coulda done 5 more pounds, since I’ve managed this for more before, but still figuring out the post half marathon living.
Got notified from Mike Bartos that my power keg is en route. Looking forward to being able to get it into my training.
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At the rate I have been eating lately so is mine !!!
Kafka’s The Trial and the Swedish healthcare system sometimes remind me of one another.
Do you also happen to write?
He has a blog called “mythical strength”. If you like philosophy, weightlifting and gratuitous D and D references, you’ll love it.
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@dagill2 Always appreciate the plug dude, and your readership.
@Voxel I picked up a copy of The Trial recently. It’s on my list to get done. Kafka definitely helps empathize with navigating bureaucracy. And I wouldn’t call what I do “writing” so much as “ranting”, but I’ve also tried my hand on short stories before. I’ve got scenes of one running around in my head that I try to get down, but nothing coherent. Also have an abandoned e-book on post ACL reconstruction training that I’m pretty sure I lost.
LUNCHTIME WORKOUT
Swiss bar incline bench 230
3x10
Axle bench press 276
2x10
1x5
Close grip axle bench 236
1x10
1x9
1x7
Dips
1x40
2x27
DB row 105
1x20
Standing ab wheel between sets of benching
7x7, 1x6
Notes: 2:25 between benching, 2:00 between dips. The incline bench is really taking off now that I’ve prioritized it. Once rest times pick up again, I imagine the flat bench will get back on pace. Right shoulder still pretty buggy, and left back is flaring up, but they’re moving in the right direction. Pretty crazy that I started the ab wheel off as sets of 2 across and now I’m just about done with 7s.
Really making a focused effort to up the food. I’m feeling beat up, and as much as I try to sleep more, work and life happen, so food is the next step.
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