Silver and Steel

What you say about his ability to pull conclusions from a combination of multiple reference points is exactly what I think when watching through all his YouTube videos (which btw have such few views I don’t think many actually know about them).

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I agree. You have to game the YouTube algorithm to get any reach, which is too bad because his content is amazing.

Ok, superheroes. I’ve just been screwing around in the gym the last week, so I haven’t been logging. Today was kind of a “warmup” leg day back, so nothing exciting at all. I am super out of shape, so I guess some excitement…

  • 10 minutes elliptical
  1. Lying leg curl
    Worked up one plate at a time for 4 reps each to my work sets. Probably 40-50 reps there.
    140/8 x 2
    130/8 + maybe 4 drops or so

  2. Squat
    45/8
    135/8
    225/8
    275/8
    315/8

  3. Leg press
    The weird horizontal one
    2pps/20 x 3

  4. Leg extension
    3 or 4 sets working up, then triple drop set

  5. RDL
    135/6
    185/8 x 2

Sprint to take my daughter to line dancing with mom!

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I like how your warm up leg day still moves weight that most people in a commercial gym dream about. Love ya work mate.

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Had a similar thought, but mine is amended below:

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I love you guys - you’re always welcome here!

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I was also going to post something similar, when i can casually smash out 140kg for 8 I’ll be a happy man!

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Funny you say that but doing sets of reps with 140kg is also my marker for how well my squat is travelling. when 5 x 5 with 140 feels like something I can do any day, I know I am in a good place.

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And then that punny character knocks out 5x10 with 405

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yer but we don’t talk about him. I am pretty sure he is part cyborg.

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Yeah but it’s low bar, so it doesn’t count

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That made me think of this, even though it’s totally unrelated. Still funny.

image

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One of his reps was probably a degree above parallel, as well, invalidating the other 49.

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I heard those weights weren’t even calibrated so it probs wasn’t even 4 plates. Pfft.

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He wears squat shoes and a belt, too, and we all know those are a crutch. When I can do this like next month it will be for real so I’ll actually be strong

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In all seriousness I used to gauge my progress by these (but I don’t always do something about them)

Bench reps with 100kg
Chins up quantity
Squat 3 plate reps
Deads 4 plate reps

I can’t dead any more and my squat is building slowly (back depending) but I used to feel good when I could rep out at those weights. Not sure if it’s the mental 2 plate 3 plate 4 plate thing or not?

Either way I let them all slip so this year will build three of those back up!

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I am yet to use a belt. I’m at a 142.5kg x 3 squat and a 225kg TBDL. I’m beginning to wonder if I should just bite the bullet. Is there much reason to if i’m still progressing and everything feels safe?

Damn kids in my gym use belts for 80kg sumo PRs. My fault for working out in a leisure centre.

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Absolutely. There’s something about those milestones that just lets you know everything is going to be ok. The only reason I got to lifting after my back injuries was to deadlift 500. Just in my head that meant I won.

The two reasons to use a belt are to lift more weight and protect your back, so you certainly don’t have to if you feel those bases are covered. Is there any reason not to use one, though? There’s really no downside. You get the added bonuses of looking cool and it tells you when you’re too fat! I’m really cautious of my lower back, so I’d err toward learning to use a belt (and there is a learning curve) before you absolutely need the belt.

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Getting back into a program, Superheroes; on a Thursday because Mondays are for quitters. I was super intrigued by CT talking about specializing on body parts and managing total body volume, but still feel most comfortable with Meadows’ programming. It may be mental at this point, but my joints just handle the Mountain Dog method extraordinarily well, and I don’t have to hold back on anything. Anyway, I split the difference and am doing John’s Taskmaster program. It’s a bodypart specialization program, where you focus on one muscle group with higher volume and frequency in one-month blocks. It culminates in an arm block, so let’s hope I get there before they pass new gun control measures or it won’t be legal.

It kicks off with a back block:

Back!

  • 10 minutes elliptical
  1. Meadows Row
    -/8
    25/4
    50/4
    75/8
    85/8
    95/8

  2. One-arm BB Row
    50/8
    60/8
    60/8

  3. DB Pullover
    50/10 x 3

  4. MAG Pulldown
    Freaking love these handles
    48/6
    108/8
    96/11
    96/11

  5. Leg Raise
    4 x 12

  6. Donkey Calf
    4 sets of 10 + 10 partials + 10s stretch

  • 10 minutes elliptical
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I’m not currently using a belt and don’t need to with my puny weights I’m squatting right now but does it protect the back? In my mind it helps me to lift more which isn’t good as my back is still the weak link?

Maybe I should start again if it protects my back?

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