Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis

Training Training Logs
261

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]kgildner wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]kgildner wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
DL is going up like a mofo[/quote]

Please spread the wealth[/quote]

Things that have made my DL go up…

Chalk, a texas power bar, 5/3/1, and some angry angry metal.[/quote]

I’ve been stalled at 210 kg/464 lbs for ages now, but it seems as though we now have similar training approaches. Like you, I’m going to try to continue to hammer out the SLDLs (which I perform on squat day, however). They seem to have a much greater carryover to conventional DLs than do RDLs.[/quote]

I know you are stronger than I am, but I did learn a bit when I stalled out a while back.

Have you tried deloading or taking smaller jumps? I stalled for what felt like forever at 405, even regressed for a bit when I was trying to go into the gym and force reps at 405 and above (when this was my brand new max). I literally, in my mind, was like “oh, I got 405? lets try 455. Let’s try reps over 400.” I switched out to just continuing to slowly build at different rep ranges and my shiz just started to move (you can see it in my logs if you look hard enough), and I can honestly see 10 @ 405 someday. I should be able to hit 455 by then haha.

My plan is to go until I fail reps on 5/3/1, then deload completely to my lowest calculated max (using 90% of that and basically starting over entirely), and just pound reps until my weights climb back up and I fail. I have deloaded once, maybe twice in 2 years.

This also keeps the main principles of the program in balance. (Starting way too light, progressing slowly with weight, setting rep records, etc…)[/quote]

That’s sound advice; I think there is definitely merit to getting stronger across many different rep ranges.

I just came off of a deload week and will try to focus more on volume during this six-week 5/3/1 cycle. The last two cycles I wasn’t going for extra reps on the “+” sets, instead opting for AMRAP at the training max and then a few heavy singles. Apparently this isn’t the best strategy for me!

262

[quote]chobbs wrote:
Our press is almost identical…but your bench press is light years ahead of mine :([/quote]

My bench has been stuck for a long time I feel.

I could be wrong, but it stopped moving up when my squat and deadlift started to crawl. I’m not sure it there is any merit to that or not.

263

Share this very, very angry metal music, I am going down with 350… and hopefully coming back up with it in a couple of weeks.

I am currently channeling chuck vogelpohl’s srength through a beanie to squat with, but I feel like I need more. :wink:

264

Had to skip my training session today. I only got 4 hours of sleep last night and was very tired. I tried to take a nap, but it wasn’t sufficient. I woke up still feeling tired. I tried to get as much school work done as possible. I will have to delay until tomorrow. This will not throw me off schedule though. I will be all caught up and ready to lift legs on Friday as scheduled.

As a side note to myself, I had a lot of family events going on at this point in time.

265

[quote]DSSG wrote:
Share this very, very angry metal music, I am going down with 350… and hopefully coming back up with it in a couple of weeks.

I am currently channeling chuck vogelpohl’s srength through a beanie to squat with, but I feel like I need more. ;)[/quote]

Maybe you could wear two beanies? If one is good, two has to be better.

It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.

Maybe I will try the beanie first. Let me know if it works. I believe in superstition with regards to sport.

With respect to the metal. I have been listening to a ton of As I Lay Dying while I lift.

Just make sure you pull at the breakdown.

266

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]DSSG wrote:
Share this very, very angry metal music, I am going down with 350… and hopefully coming back up with it in a couple of weeks.

I am currently channeling chuck vogelpohl’s srength through a beanie to squat with, but I feel like I need more. ;)[/quote]

Maybe you could wear two beanies? If one is good, two has to be better.

It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.

Maybe I will try the beanie first. Let me know if it works. I believe in superstition with regards to sport.

With respect to the metal. I have been listening to a ton of As I Lay Dying while I lift.

Just make sure you pull at the breakdown.[/quote]
That is some very angry metal music.

Also yes, I will have to stop when my form goes to hell, that’s a given. I stop whenever my form goes to hell, when I hit a hellish rep (like taking four seconds to get back up from the bottom to the top), or I just simply miss the rep.

Also, I have semi long hair, and I am semi strong. It is support that long hair=strength, so what does semi long hair+beanie do? :wink:

267

[quote]trivium wrote:
It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.[/quote]
As does the middle eastern version of Dan Green, Zakhir Hudoyarov. The weight of the hair when they throw their head back provides invaluable momentum on the squat and deadlift.

268

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.[/quote]
As does the middle eastern version of Dan Green, Zakhir Hudoyarov. The weight of the hair when they throw their head back provides invaluable momentum on the squat and deadlift.[/quote]

There is a middle eastern version of Dan Green?

I wonder what other varieties there are.

269

Chin Up
Bodyweight for sets of 9/7/6/6/4/4/5 (There were a few extra reps that I didn’t record here and there.)

Face Pull (found the regular rope. These felt easy, so I decided to try to focus on form for all sets.)
50 lbs on stack for a set of 10
70 lbs on stack for a set of 10
80 lbs on stack for sets of 10/10/10/4/10/10/10/10/5

Rear Lateral Raise
15 lb dumbbells for sets of 15/15/15/15/15/13/5/4

Preacher Curl (The preacher curl at my gym sucks. These were awkward, crappy, and painful for my wrists and elbows.)
60 lbs for sets of 10/10/10

Standing Straight Bar Strict Curl (Because the Preacher curl didn’t feel like enough.)
60 lbs for sets of 10/5

I am in a big hurry to get to sleep. No further write up tonight other than the fact that I have noticed that I always put my phone in my left pocket when I do chins. I need to remember to put my phone in my right pocked occasionally so that I don’t build imbalances.

Weighed in at 208.8 about 5 minutes ago. I’m gonna slam some PB&J, get 5 hours of sleep and head to work.

Squat day tomorrow is questionable. We will see how I feel.

270

[quote]DSSG wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]DSSG wrote:
Share this very, very angry metal music, I am going down with 350… and hopefully coming back up with it in a couple of weeks.

I am currently channeling chuck vogelpohl’s srength through a beanie to squat with, but I feel like I need more. ;)[/quote]

Maybe you could wear two beanies? If one is good, two has to be better.

It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.

Maybe I will try the beanie first. Let me know if it works. I believe in superstition with regards to sport.

With respect to the metal. I have been listening to a ton of As I Lay Dying while I lift.

Just make sure you pull at the breakdown.[/quote]
That is some very angry metal music.

Also yes, I will have to stop when my form goes to hell, that’s a given. I stop whenever my form goes to hell, when I hit a hellish rep (like taking four seconds to get back up from the bottom to the top), or I just simply miss the rep.

Also, I have semi long hair, and I am semi strong. It is support that long hair=strength, so what does semi long hair+beanie do? ;)[/quote]

I may need to start growing my hair. Either that or a beard. I have noticed a lot of big dudes have beards.

271

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.[/quote]
As does the middle eastern version of Dan Green, Zakhir Hudoyarov. The weight of the hair when they throw their head back provides invaluable momentum on the squat and deadlift.[/quote]

There is a middle eastern version of Dan Green?

I wonder what other varieties there are.[/quote]

Not sure if Azerbaijan is considered Middle East, but Hudoyarov is awesome. He appears to be genuinely thrilled when he makes big lifts and just seems like a really likeable guy all-round.

272

[quote]kgildner wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]trivium wrote:
It is funny you mention this though haha. I have considered growing my hair out. There has to be some correlation between awesome long hair and strength. The Bible says so, Dan Green confirms.[/quote]
As does the middle eastern version of Dan Green, Zakhir Hudoyarov. The weight of the hair when they throw their head back provides invaluable momentum on the squat and deadlift.[/quote]

There is a middle eastern version of Dan Green?

I wonder what other varieties there are.[/quote]

Not sure if Azerbaijan is considered Middle East, but Hudoyarov is awesome. He appears to be genuinely thrilled when he makes big lifts and just seems like a really likeable guy all-round.[/quote]

I read that he injured his back squatting…but still decided to finish the meet. He totaled just over 2100.

273

Ok, so I am taking tonight to catch up on some sleep and eat a few huge bowls of pasta.

I am having a bit of a brainstorm session…

I have been planning to open a gym in my area in the near future (when I get out of college). I want to make it be like a boxing gym, but for strength athletes and bodybuilders (real ones). I will give out lockers to members, have squat racks/monolifts that aren’t homemade. I want a GHR and competition worthy benches. I want chains, and bands, and chalk, and specialty bars, and strongman equipment, and regulation weights for special occasions. I want to give discounts for people who compete, for people who add weight to their totals, for certain lifts, etc…(Not sure how to do this for BB. Maybe for whoever can shave their own back without help? Best glutes?) I want to sponsor meets, and keep a board of the gym’s best lifts/total, and a chalk board for each locker number’s S/B/D or strong man lifts. Members can request equipment, or seminars, classes/roundtables with members etc. I want to have a hustle/intensity award for the week (winner gets a gallon of milk), and one for a good deed done for a fellow member (helping with spotting in a special situation, actually answering a less experienced guy’s question, etc. This would not be made known until after you have done at managements discretion). I want to make gym challenges for the month, and year. I will also poll the members periodically to see what we can do better, and try to better the community when possible.

Anything I am missing?

274

[quote]trivium wrote:
Ok, so I am taking tonight to catch up on some sleep and eat a few huge bowls of pasta.

I am having a bit of a brainstorm session…

I have been planning to open a gym in my area in the near future (when I get out of college). I want to make it be like a boxing gym, but for strength athletes and bodybuilders (real ones). I will give out lockers to members, have squat racks/monolifts that aren’t homemade. I want a GHR and competition worthy benches. I want chains, and bands, and chalk, and specialty bars, and strongman equipment, and regulation weights for special occasions. I want to give discounts for people who compete, for people who add weight to their totals, for certain lifts, etc…(Not sure how to do this for BB. Maybe for whoever can shave their own back without help? Best glutes?) I want to sponsor meets, and keep a board of the gym’s best lifts/total, and a chalk board for each locker number’s S/B/D or strong man lifts. Members can request equipment, or seminars, classes/roundtables with members etc. I want to have a hustle/intensity award for the week (winner gets a gallon of milk), and one for a good deed done for a fellow member (helping with spotting in a special situation, actually answering a less experienced guy’s question, etc. This would not be made known until after you have done at managements discretion). I want to make gym challenges for the month, and year. I will also poll the members periodically to see what we can do better, and try to better the community when possible.

Anything I am missing?[/quote]

Ok first and fore-most… I <3 As I lay Dying. Overcome or A Greater Foundation is my favourite song at the moment.

Regarding the gym, you mentioned monthly challenges etc, why not have like an annual awards ceremony (most improved lifter/boxer, most impressive physique, worst gym dress sense etc lol). How about instead of playing radio allowing members to collaborate and make playlists for the times they usually come in? Opening a gym is also something id love to do after i finish uni. Ive got more random ideas but too tired to remember them right now

275

Elite fts has tons of excellent articles on starting your own gym

276

[quote]chobbs wrote:
Elite fts has tons of excellent articles on starting your own gym [/quote]

Thank you. Found one by Brian Schwab so thatll be a cool one

277

[quote]chobbs wrote:
Elite fts has tons of excellent articles on starting your own gym [/quote]

I have read a few of them. My favorite was the one about starting a PL gym. I want to have a gym for serious lifters though. Not just PL. I get tired of having to wait on people who suck to get out of the squat rack. An example of this being…

My gym has one rack that is safe to use. (I wont squat without a safe rack. I just wont do it.) There were two kids in it that were between the ages of 12 and 15 who were doing push press with 65 lbs in the rack and taking 5 minutes between sets of 5 that they weren’t struggling to get. They were literally just in there talking and occasionally moving their arms. (I started my warmup on the crappy rack that was broken.) The fatter one was commenting on other people’s workout routines, until I walked over and asked them if they were about done as they had been standing there for my entire stretch and one of my warmup sets (which took between 15 and 20 minutes).

Then when I finally got in the rack and loaded my next warm up set, a voice came over the PA system saying that they gym was closing in 20 minutes. I looked at the clock on the wall and checked the website. I had 2 hours left to get my work in. THEY WERE CLOSING AN HOUR AND A HALF EARLY. This happens all the time. The posted hours don’t mean shit. They will literally put up a sign an at noon the day of saying that they will close at 2:30 instead of 4.

People who are serious about their goals should have a place to work out that is serious about helping them get to those goals.

/rant

278

If someone is push pressing, I am pretty sure they can have the courtesy to clean it. To be honest, cleaning actually makes for a better overhead press.

279

Yesterday’s lift.

Squat
5xbodyweight
5x45
5x135
5x225
5x245
5x285
(Felt kind of angry at how difficult these felt. My hips hurt a bit here as well. I was thinking to myself “this isn’t going to cut it today. I still have heavier shit left to do.”)
8x320 (Failed rep 9 because I mentally quit on it out of the hole. I lost my setup on rep 3.)
6x285
12x240 (Did 5, took some breaths, did 5, took some breaths, did 2 and racked it.)

Gym closed on me…so I went to another gym…This took forever to do. I mean like an hour because the other gym is on the other side of the city.

Leg press
10x2pps
10x3pps
10x4pps
10x5pps
8x6pps
5x7pps
1x8pps (Just didn’t have it in me to do any more at that point.)
10x4pps
10x4pps
10x4pps

I gotta work on feeling more comfortable when I’m down in the hole. I think that is what is off. Maybe foot position, or something. Ill post up a video sometime. I still have to post the last one of me pausing a few reps.

I read the article “West of Westside” yesterday as well. What a good read. Highly recommended. Makes me want to consider a few things and try to make some real subtle changes.

280

Maybe try some extended pause squats? So like a good 3-5 seconds in the hole. It could also be a flexibility issue making you unbalanced right at the bottom. I had a similar thing recently with my low bar squat, i brought my feet in probably less than an inch and really focussed on activating my glutes and trying to pull the floor apart and it made a big difference. Amazing how little subtle things can make a lift feel so much worse/better