Today was Bench day. Did the most responsible thing I’ve ever done and decided to tweak my form, lower the weights, and just work my way back up. Also, doing banded Bench for my warm-ups, really light, like 95 lbs, because it REALLY helps set the groove for my bar path. All pressing was paused.
Coan Power Upper:
Flat Bench: Easy obviously, working on the flat footed position.
165x2x10
CG Bench: Might need to widen the grip a smidge, just from this little bit triceps were reallyyyy pumped
140x2x10
Incline Bench: Actually doing these ‘BB’ style, touching higher on the chest, all the way down. Not bad.
115x2x10
BB Rows: Worried about overworking my lower back, so doing these from pins. Pause at contraction.
135x3x12
Rack Chins: Meh I thought these would be cool but honestly just didn’t care for them. Will likely change this to like a chin-ip ladder or something
3xAMRAP
DB Curls ~SS~ Laterals:
15’sx2x20 each
Very good workout, all done in an hour. Pressing weights were obviously a breeze, but I know the Coan method sneaks up on you, so I’m ready for it.
Also after neglecting hamstrings for some time, the SLDL’s killed me. Entire posterior chain is wrecked lol
[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Thanks for the help Des, sincerely appreciated.
Today was Bench day. Did the most responsible thing I’ve ever done and decided to tweak my form, lower the weights, and just work my way back up. Also, doing banded Bench for my warm-ups, really light, like 95 lbs, because it REALLY helps set the groove for my bar path. All pressing was paused.
[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Thanks for the help Des, sincerely appreciated.
Today was Bench day. Did the most responsible thing I’ve ever done and decided to tweak my form, lower the weights, and just work my way back up. Also, doing banded Bench for my warm-ups, really light, like 95 lbs, because it REALLY helps set the groove for my bar path. All pressing was paused.
[/quote]
Good for you, that is a frustrating thing to do.
Also I agree with what Des was saying.[/quote]
Thanks dude. I should have done this earlier, but was stubborn.
You are welcome, Spidey. Do you have any experience with body part specialization training programs? I feel like trying out one for my wheels (they look long and lanky compared to my upper body and core lol) after a meet in March or this cube cycle.
[quote]Destrength wrote:
You are welcome, Spidey. Do you have any experience with body part specialization training programs? I feel like trying out one for my wheels (they look long and lanky compared to my upper body and core lol) after a meet in March or this cube cycle. [/quote]
Not really I mean I did Big Beyond Belief, where I rep front/back squatted EOD and kind of made my quads a strong point (as you’ve noticed), leaving my upper body lagging. Because of that, I have tried to emphasize pressing muscles a bit in the last half year or so, I have thought about running Cube Predator sometime in the future
Want to really thank Destrength and HeavyTriple (who I texted about this). While it’s still a work in progress, just adjusting a few cues REALLY made the Sumo feel better. May not ‘look’ better, but damn it felt stronger. So thanks!
Deadlift + Light Legs
Sumo DL: Felt good, especially considering hams and glutes were still super sore, like enough to make walking difficult. Genuinely feel I had a ton in the tank with these
350x10
Paused Squats: High bar, pretty damn narrow of a stance. Started off light so I have room to progress
175x4x12
Band Leg Curls:
3xAMRAP
Goblet Squats: So did these in oly shoes, wider stance, and a band wrapped around my knees to really focus on pushing knees out AND keeping them out. Really took care of Quads and the external parts of my glutes.
25x3x12-15
Abs + Calves
Really solid workout. Found a solid balance of getting work in on the ‘light’ day without killing myself.
[quote]G1579 wrote:
Impressive grip doing that all double overhand. Do you do hook grip?[/quote]
Thanks dude. Yeah, hook grip for all my DL’s really, and even my chins now. As you’ll see in all my DL vids, I start shaking my hands as soon as the sets over because my thumb goes numb with them.
I’m honestly just scared of a bicep tear, and mixed grip always felt weird, so that’s why I opted for hook grip. I’m also lucky to have giant gorilla hands, so I probably naturally have a little better gripping capabilities than most.
[quote]G1579 wrote:
Impressive grip doing that all double overhand. Do you do hook grip?[/quote]
Thanks dude. Yeah, hook grip for all my DL’s really, and even my chins now. As you’ll see in all my DL vids, I start shaking my hands as soon as the sets over because my thumb goes numb with them.
I’m honestly just scared of a bicep tear, and mixed grip always felt weird, so that’s why I opted for hook grip. I’m also lucky to have giant gorilla hands, so I probably naturally have a little better gripping capabilities than most. [/quote]
Yeah lucky you, I’ve got little baby hands, hook grip does not work for me.
Deadlifts looked much much better. Lockout was actually particularly explosive and consistent. Although, I gotta be honest, I don’t know what the hell you were doing setting up for your first rep. I guess it worked lol
haha Merry Christmas everyone, or Happy holidays to those who don’t celebrate it. Set-up for the DL’s was a bit weird, but I was just basically just doing whatever I could to keep the shoulders set and fell tight. It’ll clean it’s self up over time haha
So I’m pretty sick. Definitely have a cold or something, been popping medication and chugging Vitamin C/antioxidant supps to try and get better yesterday and today. While I felt like shit, lifting makes me feel a little less like shit. So just did my Light Chest/Back day, and tried not to completely die.
Wide Grip Paused Flat Bench: Honestly surprised I even got this in my condition lol
135x3x15
DB Incline: Meh, this is where the fatigue kicked in
50’sx11,10,9 = 30
Band Flies ~SS~ Stretcher Push-ups: Honestly not as good a pump as I’d liked
2xAMRAP each
Hernon Rows:
50’sx3x12-15
Band Straight Arm Pulldowns ~SS~ Inverted Rows:
3xAMRAP each
Suitcase Rows ~SS~ Meadows Rows:
3x12/20
Honestly this is the day I miss a commercial gym, more variance for back and chest. Yeah I can usually just do DB Rows and such, but on a day like this where I feel like shit I wish I had some cables to just get a pump and not stress myself. Ohh well. Christmas was great though, minus the constant state of sickness mixed with medication induced grogginess.
Coan Push Press: Easy, left elbow was feeling a little rough
100x2x10
Rear Delt Flies:
2x20
Drop set of 12/12/20
Leaning Laterals: Didn’t really like these so only did 2 sets
2x15
Seated One-Arm Laterals:
3x12-25
Band Extensions ~SS~ Hammer Curls:
3x30/12
Tate Presses ~SS~ Reverse Curls:
3x15/20
DB Seated Extensions ~SS~ Band Hercurls: idk what the actual name of hercurls are but they are like a RDB pose curl lol
3x20/15
As you can see, all the stuff was super light today. Just trying to get lots and lots of reps in for the smaller body parts, hopefully to get some growth.
Back Squat: Brought my stance in just a bit, hoping it would keep my knees from caving in as much. I was concentrating on that a lot, so sets weren’t as ‘explosive’ as I like. Not really sure if what stance suits me better, though.
265x2x8
Front Squat:
175x2x8
SLDL’s:
185x4x12
Split Squats: Did these Meadows style, holding on to the rack, and holy shit, felt as close to a unilateral leg press I’ve ever experienced at my home gym. So boom, these are a keeper
25x3x12
Calves + Abs
Any suggestions on stance width for the Squat, not sure what to think honestly.
Those split squats see like they should be easy but god they are killers. Some partials and high reps and a drop set and have fun with death then you have to do the other leg
I’d say just play around with stance and see what you feel strongest with. I used to be more powerful out wide, but after murdering my quads for a while, my closer stance is stronger.
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
Those split squats see like they should be easy but god they are killers. Some partials and high reps and a drop set and have fun with death then you have to do the other leg[/quote]
Yeah I think I’m going to do high rep stuff with them, like 20+ maybe some drop sets with BW . Going to be a bad time haha
[quote]budreiser wrote:
I’d say just play around with stance and see what you feel strongest with. I used to be more powerful out wide, but after murdering my quads for a while, my closer stance is stronger.[/quote]
Yeah, my quads are stronger as it is. May just keep narrow stance as a paused assistance movement, and keep pushing the wider stance.
Banded Goblet Squat: Fuarkkkk these killed me. So surprisingly bad
25+Greenx3x12
Single Leg Partials: Weren’t planned, but I needed a Quad pump lol
15x2x30
Band Leg Curls:
Redx3xAMRAP
Calves + Abs
Boom, that was it. Was good. Sumo feels so great right now, and really hoping the paused squat volume and the banded goblet squats straighten out some form issues.