Awesome guys, appreciate the input. Tried the pin Squats today, definitely felt like they were doing what they were supposed to
Squats: First few sets felt rough honestly, but last 2 were pretty light feeling. Had to put on a shirt though, sweaty back was just making chalk ineffective and bar was sliding
275x5
295x4
315x3
330x2
340x1
Pin Squats: Would have videoed these, but was keeping rest at about 30s so couldn’t really.
195x6x1
Deficit DL: This was cool, I honestly feel I could have gotten 4, maybe even a snap-city 5 if I wanted it lol.
405x3
So a few notes:
Need to find some shirts that will keep the bar from slipping off my back, that aren’t thick thermals because I feel like I’ll over-heat in them
Didn’t like the first higher rep sets of the 5/4/3/2/1 scheme, not sure if that means I should stick with them or ditch it for something more like straight ramping/wave-loading and stick to 5+ reps on my other Squat day
Not sure if maybe doing Pin Front Squats would be better, to really hit my upper back and quads weakness, or if just regular pin Squats would be better right now.
Working up to just 1 top set of Deficit DL’s seems to be working pretty well. Very happy repping 405 from a deficit after Squatting, feel that’s solid progress.
[quote]MarkKO wrote:
Plain cotton T-shirts, rub chalk across the shoulders. You should then have precisely zero bar slippage. [/quote]
Need to be 100% cotton? I’ve had some plain t-shirts, it seems a lot of shirts made now are kind of ‘slick’.
Did a quick back workout today, nothing crazy, just get the work in to keep some balance. [/quote]
Yep, as far as I know. I’ll only train in 100% cotton, slicks are the worst. They’re made for running and stuff, I guess, so the focus is on moisture wicking and comfort or something.
Animal make cool shirts, they’re my favourites to train in. Even plain tees from Walmart (Kmart for me here in Aus) are good, the heavier the cotton the better.
[quote]MarkKO wrote:
Plain cotton T-shirts, rub chalk across the shoulders. You should then have precisely zero bar slippage. [/quote]
Need to be 100% cotton? I’ve had some plain t-shirts, it seems a lot of shirts made now are kind of ‘slick’.
Did a quick back workout today, nothing crazy, just get the work in to keep some balance. [/quote]
Yep, as far as I know. I’ll only train in 100% cotton, slicks are the worst. They’re made for running and stuff, I guess, so the focus is on moisture wicking and comfort or something.
Animal make cool shirts, they’re my favourites to train in. Even plain tees from Walmart (Kmart for me here in Aus) are good, the heavier the cotton the better. [/quote]
All of my training shirts are free from volunteering or bought from running or lifting meets lol. Maybe it’s a sign that Spidey22 should sign up for a meet soon, haha.
Edit: On a serious note, the cotton ones seem to be the best for grip.
Actually the above was a lie, I did buy a Candito and Ben Rice shirt to support their channels. I never had a problem with using chalk on them.
[quote]MarkKO wrote:
Plain cotton T-shirts, rub chalk across the shoulders. You should then have precisely zero bar slippage. [/quote]
Need to be 100% cotton? I’ve had some plain t-shirts, it seems a lot of shirts made now are kind of ‘slick’.
Did a quick back workout today, nothing crazy, just get the work in to keep some balance. [/quote]
Yep, as far as I know. I’ll only train in 100% cotton, slicks are the worst. They’re made for running and stuff, I guess, so the focus is on moisture wicking and comfort or something.
Animal make cool shirts, they’re my favourites to train in. Even plain tees from Walmart (Kmart for me here in Aus) are good, the heavier the cotton the better. [/quote]
All of my training shirts are free from volunteering or bought from running or lifting meets lol. Maybe it’s a sign that Spidey22 should sign up for a meet soon, haha.[/quote]
Ordered some plain cotton T’s. I really wanted to do a meet in August, but it was just bad timing with when I had to start grad school, move to a new city, etc. If there were some more close to me, I’d be down to do one, definitely!
Did some Benchinggggg today
Paused Flat Bench: Was ok I suppose, wanted 5 with 215 though.
175x5
185x5
195x5
205x5
215x4
Close Grip Floor Press: Idk if these will help, I like floor press and need some more triceps strength. But idk how much carryover Floor presses have for raw benching really.
175x5
165x6
155x8
Seated DB: Been adding cumulative reps to these every week, so solid progress here
40’sx3x12
Tris+Delts Iso
Good workout. I’m liking the ramping a lot. Feels like a lot of the work I get in is higher ‘quality’.
Any opinions on the floor pressing? I know most will just say’ try it for 4-8 weeks and see what happens’ but I just kind of like the movement better than regular CG Benching for some reason.
I think the floor press is awesome, but not as a lockout builder. It actually hammers my chest something fierce, and I find it’s better for developing power off the chest.
I never really got much out of close grip benching in general. I liked it as a ME movement back when I did what I thought was Westside, but as assistance it didn’t do much for me. Might consider dips for a tricep builder.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
I think the floor press is awesome, but not as a lockout builder. It actually hammers my chest something fierce, and I find it’s better for developing power off the chest.
I never really got much out of close grip benching in general. I liked it as a ME movement back when I did what I thought was Westside, but as assistance it didn’t do much for me. Might consider dips for a tricep builder.[/quote]
Yeah I’m not worried about my lockout, as much as that ‘middle’ position of the bench, where it seems my triceps just hit a wall at. I definitely feel a strong chest contraction with floor press, but I figured a closer grip would help my tris a bit too.
Close Grip Benching on a Flat bench almost feels like a balancing act to me more than a lift lol. But I could just be taking too close a grip. I know everyone loves dips, but even doing them slow and controlled, I always get a very deep, harsh pain in my left collar bone from them, which got injured years ago from basketball. So I’ve always strayed away from them, not worth the effort lol.
If it’s the middle portion of the bench, it might actually be more a deltoid issue, or perhaps just a technique issue in regards to flaring. You’ll have to keep in mind that I’m the most untechnical bencher on the planet, and just muscle everything up, but my triceps rarely get called in until toward the very end of the lift. I’m also afflicted with the long arm curse, so I feel your pain.
Incline dumbbell pressing at various inclines might work well.
Pwnisher: yeah I actually neglect incline pressing a lot. I just never really no where to insert it lol
Squat sesh today
Squats: Last rep of last set was a rough looking, but I do think my form is improving, and I’m getting back the strength I had when I was 20lbs heavier
235x5 (beltless)
255x5 (beltless)
275x5
295x5
315x5
Franken-Fronts:
195x2x6
205x3
Split Squats:
40’sx2x10
Abs
Solid workout. Plan was to just go to 310 for the top set, buttttt I got a bit overzealous. Whatever, I’m glad I got it for 5. Knee cave was apparent, bad on the last rep, but it was a bit more manageable when I took a cue from Ed Coan and didn’t push out my knees, but instead opened up my taint.
I do notice that when I get fatigued, I instinctively arch my lower back (because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do for most of my lifting career, arch hard and sit way back), and that seems to get my hips out from under me, and seems pitch me forward. I think I need to almost think of tucking my hips ‘forward’ to counter act it. Regardless, I’m getting stronger, so I’m happy.
Sumo DL: Was supposed to get a double with 465, but I knew another rep would be dumb. Was going to try a 2nd single but could just tell it wasn’t going to happen
465x1
385x5x3 (90s rest)
A1 Chins:
BWx3x8
A2 SLDL:
265x3x8
B1 BB Rows: Did this with my Sumo Stance
190x3x8
B2 GM’s: Tried to do these standing, still meh
115x3x8
So I really didn’t think I’d get 465x2 without going TnG. Plus my floor is a bit uneven so realllyyyy heavy weights not touch and go kind of get misaligned. lol. I feel like the back rounding is fucking me up, but I just can’t get into proper position. It’s like I can get more upright with a wider stance, but it wrecks my hips. I can get tighter with my grip and upper back conventional, but lower back gets pretty hit. I just feel dumb because when I pick up the weight, 465 feels light, everything feels light, I’m just making it harder and Idk what to do.
Also Idk about the GM’s, I’m just not sure what I’m supposed to be ‘feeling’ with them, like seated and standing both kind of just feel like shitty squats lol.
Thinking of good mornings like RDLs with the bar on your back. You’re going to be pushing your butt out pretty far and really loading the hamstrings. It’s not going to take a lot of weight to create an effect.
Most likely, when they feel like shitty squats, they weight is probably too heavy. There can still be some value there, but it’s not the normally intended effect for them.
Hopefully the picture posted but either way you had a better starting position before you did the hip pop thing. Try getting rid of it and see if you can keep a neutral spine.
[quote]Samplaysbaseball wrote:
Hopefully the picture posted but either way you had a better starting position before you did the hip pop thing. Try getting rid of it and see if you can keep a neutral spine.[/quote]
Definitely agree. Is your upper back rounding deliberate?
IMO you would probably get a lot out of a slower and more deliberate setup for sumo. Focus on getting and keeping your shoulders behind the bar before you do anything else. Shove your backside further back if you need to achieve that and really arch your lower back, because that’ll help getting your shoulders where they need to be too.
Breaking off the floor try not to move your trunk AT ALL - use your glutes and hams to push the floor apart and away and focus your trunk angle on keeping your shoulders behind the bar. Only when you lock your knees, then push your hips forward and stand up straight.
At the moment it kind of looks like your sumo pull is more a conventional pull with a super wide stance because it looks like you break off the floor using your back.
That all being said, if this works best for you don’t listen to me, I’m just going based on my experience with sumo so far. I initially did what you did but while the bar came off the floor faster it very quickly slowed down and pulled me forward. Setting up slowly and patiently levering the bar up with my hams and glutes while just keeping my trunk at an angle to keep my shoulders behind the bar makes the bar come off the floor slowly but very steadily and lets me really accelerate into lockout.
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Thinking of good mornings like RDLs with the bar on your back. You’re going to be pushing your butt out pretty far and really loading the hamstrings. It’s not going to take a lot of weight to create an effect.
Most likely, when they feel like shitty squats, they weight is probably too heavy. There can still be some value there, but it’s not the normally intended effect for them.[/quote]
Okay so I should feel them in my hams more so then my mid/lower back? I always thought them as a ‘back’ lift, and RDL more for hams, but I guess that makes sense.
Thanks so much Sam, man I would have never noticed the hip pop thing being the issue, I’ll definitely ditch it this next session. You may have just saved me a lot of time haha
MarkKO, yeah I think you’re right. I’ll be honest, I may be stronger at Conventional, seeing as I can get 405 from a deficit after Squats pretty easy, so I do probably treat Sumo like conventional. I do intentionally round my upper back, but I think I need to round it, not do the hip pop thing, almost ‘fall back’ behind the bar, and not get jostled the bar doesn’t immediately fall fly off the floor lol. \
I halfway think my Sumo will end up being like what High Bar Squats is for Low Bar Squatters, like it maybe something I can train and end up helping my ‘stronger’ style. Idk yet though.
Then I tried some Wide Grip Paused but it felt like shit.
My garage was ridiculously humid, even after drinking a ton of water while out there I still came in at 183 after my workout (I was 188 this morning). Feet would slip even after chalk, I just felt sooooo fatigued the entire workout it being so stuffy. It makes me so mad because i should have gotten 230x3, my Bench sucks lol.
FlatsFarmers posted 2 cool looking rep schemes, I assume step load is just ramping, and the 2nd one is wave-loading style:
Progression 1
week 1: 5x5 (step load)
week 2: 2x5, 3x3 (step load)
week 3: 5,4,3,2,1 (step load to new max)
Progression 2
week 1: 2x(6/5/4) at 75%/80%/85%
week 2: 2x(5/4/3) at 80%/85%/90%
week 3: 2x(4/3/2) at 85%/90%/95%
Would give me some structure. I think it’s a rugby team’s set-up, idk seems cool, But honestly it doesn’t matter because lifting in Hell’s Sauna is going to just kill me no matter what happens lol
