Its j, l, j on three and four steps; j, l, r, j on the five steps if followed by another five-stepper or if I did not nail it just right.
Hard to say about the benefit: I know my speed squats are better than before, and my max has gone up, but that could be due to other training effects. I also find it envigorating, not taxing, in the same way that power cleans can be.
The stair jumping has got to be helping with your explosiveness. Also a nice break from the “traditional” lifting routine. You say it’s not taxing but do you think your getting cardio benefit out of it?
Well, I do suspect it is helping; I’m just cautious about claiming too much from six or seven sessions (although I started with box jumps in July). Same for any cardio benefit.
What is sure is what you say about it being something different in terms, I guess, of motor demands and mental focus. It also breaks up the week.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Squat
12 x 80 x 2 reps (speed, 1 min pause)
Lunge
BW x 20, BW + 12 x 16, BW + 20 x 12 reps
Hanging straight leg raise
2 x BW x 8,7 reps
Standing cable crunch
3 x various x 10-20 reps
In line with my last remarks, what I have come to like, or better understand, about this kind of day is that the focus is not on how much weight is lifted, but on the quality of the movements (both squats and lunges): It is actually relaxing in its own way. Good day.
I had the same issue with dynamic bench. I thought how can 50-60% of my max for 3 reps do anything. But I think its been helping me.
Good to see the stair jumps still in the routine. I agree on the benefit of them breaking up the week (something different). I have been alternating every week between my jumping routine and some speed DL work.
Glad to hear that your max squat is moving up.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Deadlift
70 x 20, 100 x 16, 125 x 12, 152.5 x 6 reps
Deadlift (with band, speed)
70 + 11-23 blue band x 5, 70 + 36-55 green band x 5 reps
Wider grip bench press (with pause)
70 x 12, 90 x 8, 2 x 100 x 4 reps
Wider grip bench press (fast as possible)
70 x 14 reps
Felt cooked today after the DLs, maybe because it was inordinately warm in the gym today. These high-rep DLs have been beneficial but I will step back from them a bit the next go-round. Liked using the (single) bands. Just trying them out a bit for the first time, attached the band end-to-end on the revolving collars, stood on it and didn’t really notice it under my feet, like this fellow: band deadlift example - YouTube
Figured out the idea is start fast and finish fast through the increasing tension. While this test session was pretty light, I got the impression these banded lifts - not much at the bottom, then kicking in towards the top – could knock you out if you are not careful.
I decided I need to make the second bench day dynamic; and will do so in next program cycle. Nothing against the paused bench, but unless I take more weight off the bar and up the reps it is like a second ME day.
Nice workout. Dead 152.5x6 and pause bench 100x4…
Saturday, 11 October 2008
Chin-up
BW x 10, 10, 7, 7 reps
Ironmind pinch block pick-up
12.25 x 10, 17.25 x 8, 19.75 x 3 L / 3 R, 18.5 x 6 L / 8 R, 19.75 x 4 L / 6 R, 19.75 x 8 L / 9 R, 19.75 x 6 L / 8 R, 19.75 x 4 L / 4 R (think this is right)
Wrist roller
2 x 18.5, 4 x 17.25 pronated, 3 x 12.25 supinated
Two-handed hangs from pull-up bar
3 sets max time
Weighted neck extension
3 x 25 x 20, 20, 12 reps
Weghted neck flexion
3 x 20 x 20 reps
Weighted incline crunch
2 x BW + 10 x 5 reps
Used practically no chalk on the pinch block today. Learned to get a consistently better hold by making sure my thumb was centered and stretching my fingers out as far as possible before gripping.
Geech, I feel bad that you missed sleep over my squating worries.
I laughed when I read that comment. Felt like my dad was talking to me.
Monday, 13 October 2008
Squat
70 x 14, 100 x 8, 3 x 125 x 5 reps
Leg curl
2 x 75 x 8, 6 reps
Ab wheel
2 x 10 reps (standing)
5 reps full extension, 5 reps kneeling concentric
1 x 7 reps (standing)
Crowded gym today. Rushed to get a video of a squat set, which turned out rather ugly (the first of the working sets). So I put it up here as a reminder to stay focused on what I am doing and tight:
http://www.T-Nation.com/myTNation.do?id=195498
See also below.
Didn’t look that bad and you get some great depth.
For ease of reference.
[quote]ecogenx wrote:
Geech, I feel bad that you missed sleep over my squating worries.
I laughed when I read that comment. Felt like my dad was talking to me.[/quote]
I suddenly feel very old.
[quote]hel320 wrote:
Didn’t look that bad and you get some great depth.[/quote]
Well, thanks for the encouragement, Hel. But mind and body were not wholly up to getting the camera set up and then running over to do the set. I really need time to concentrate a bit before doing what is a work set for me.
When I first started taping my lifts a couple weeks ago, I had a similar problem concentrating on the lifts. I use it as an opportunity to work on my ability to focus on the lift and ignore distractions.
Taking those squats nice and deep 1Geech. Nice and solid all the way through, no hip rise.
Outstanding.
Nice depth - but are you tucking your tailbone too much at the bottom?
[quote]soldog wrote:
Nice depth - but are you tucking your tailbone too much at the bottom?[/quote]
Dang - good catch, soldog.
[quote]Carl Darby wrote:
When I first started taping my lifts a couple weeks ago, I had a similar problem concentrating on the lifts. I use it as an opportunity to work on my ability to focus on the lift and ignore distractions.[/quote]
Copy that, Carl. But it is a bit like what Casey Stengel said: "“The trouble is not that players have sex the night before a game. It’s that they stay out all night looking for it.” It is not the taping, but setting it up that is distracting.
My mistake was setting up the camera in the middle of a session; in the past I have taped the entire session start to finish. Yesterday was just too crowded – and I not only lost concentration for the lift, but did not even get good video.