[quote]barbedwired wrote:
Chobs- since I’m running 5/3/1 the 90 percent is quite doable since its 90 of a T.M for the day. The only glitch I ran into- when doing 90 percent of a true max the 3x3 can be quite difficult. According to how you feel you may want to just hit the reps w. No pause or deficits …or… after the each set pull 10 pounds. Again…i only had this happen when experimenting true maxs a couple times. All other times it has done wonders. K enough of the derail. Goodluck.[/quote]
Check by my log if you want and see how I’m doing, I’ve only done starting recently
Will do.
- How do you guys feel about frequency? I feel like I have been taking a lot more “off days” now that my weights have been getting heavier. (I usually use four 10 day waves in each cycle, but recently I am taking about 12 days to complete each wave. I am ALWAYS sore as hell for a few days after legs.) Efferding said that when he hit a world record squat in training, that he was only squatting 2 times a month and deadlifting 2 times a month.
[quote]trivium wrote:
14. How do you guys feel about frequency? I feel like I have been taking a lot more “off days” now that my weights have been getting heavier. (I usually use four 10 day waves in each cycle, but recently I am taking about 12 days to complete each wave. I am ALWAYS sore as hell for a few days after legs.) Efferding said that when he hit a world record squat in training, that he was only squatting 2 times a month and deadlifting 2 times a month.[/quote]
Thats one of those things you gotta learn for yourself. I’ve found higher frequency is better than higher volume or intensity for me, its always a balance of those three. Also of relevance, Ive never had leg DOMS if Im either or squatting or pulling more than twice a week. I get a bit of low back and pec DOMS no matter what so far, but thats also less with higher frequency.
Could also be your diet/supplementation for that.
- What do you guys think of cutting back your progress on one or two of the big lifts to focus on a lagging lift? So for example with 5/3/1, I would halt my training maxes for 2-3 of the 4 lifts and really focus on it.
Thinking long term - I run each 4 week cycle- twice in a row before for upping the training max. Kinda automatically helps w. What your saying by giving the lagging lift more time while not going down or back on the other lifts. I like it this way.
For skull crushers I use an EZ bar. It allows a more neutral grip. I read somewhere that it helps with elbow pain. I can’t remember where I read it or I’d give them the credit.
[quote]barbedwired wrote:
Thinking long term - I run each 4 week cycle- twice in a row before for upping the training max. Kinda automatically helps w. What your saying by giving the lagging lift more time while not going down or back on the other lifts. I like it this way.[/quote]
I do 3 week waves per cycle without a deload because I take days off. I figure that the extra recovery takes the place of my deload. I may have to re-evaluate my strategy some day, but it seems to be working as of right now.
[quote]Rick76 wrote:
For skull crushers I use an EZ bar. It allows a more neutral grip. I read somewhere that it helps with elbow pain. I can’t remember where I read it or I’d give them the credit.[/quote]
I will give these a try some day. I am trying to avoid all skull crushers at the moment just because of the fact that I have been having very minor wrist/elbow discomfort during a few of my lifts (bench press/dips). I think the volume of shiz on those joints is getting to me a bit, so I am trying to avoid the extra stress/strain.
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How do you mentally prepare for a lift? I seem to get all psyched out after 3 plates find there way on the bar with squats, 3.5 plates with deadlift, and 2 plates on bench. Every time I get under them for some reason even though I get these weights for 8 to 10 reps every time.
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Why do my warm up sets feel heavy as hell sometimes? I end up doing fine with my heaviest weights on the day, and have them sometimes even feel easy?
So for example I had to grind 225 for 5 on squat the other day but then when I worked up I got 350 for 3 solid reps and felt like I could have possible gone for another. Then on my back off sets, 275 for 5 felt like death.
Maybe these two things are related?
16 - the issue with your warm ups sets is most likely related to the activation of your nervous system. Some people can do 1 or 2 warm ups with the bar or 135 and their nervous system is firing on all cylinders straight away, others have really slow activation times and need more sets/work to get every going 100% 
[quote]trivium wrote:
15. How do you mentally prepare for a lift? I seem to get all psyched out after 3 plates find there way on the bar with squats, 3.5 plates with deadlift, and 2 plates on bench. Every time I get under them for some reason even though I get these weights for 8 to 10 reps every time.
- Why do my warm up sets feel heavy as hell sometimes? I end up doing fine with my heaviest weights on the day, and have them sometimes even feel easy?
So for example I had to grind 225 for 5 on squat the other day but then when I worked up I got 350 for 3 solid reps and felt like I could have possible gone for another. Then on my back off sets, 275 for 5 felt like death.
Maybe these two things are related?[/quote]
Wow, this is basically me to a tee.
This is a good point. I have set weights and reps for big lifts. The weight and reps have evolved over time and def. Get me warmed up and activated.
On 16, I feel like some people have that “switch” they have to flip
When I first started out, I didn’t need the warm up sets. Now, I really take my time with it and use them to help me set a rep goal for my main lift. I start with bodyweight, then go up from there.
Lately I literally try to talk myself out of squat day all day while I am at work.
During my lifts I second guess myself all the time. This is where 5/3/1 comes in nicely. It doesn’t allow you to bitch out on your main work. Then the assistance you can compromise a bit if you are feeling especially beat up, or go for a PR. Fantastic system.
When I get to my last set, I almost always have to get angry or fired up because I am half expecting to get stapled under the weight. I try to unrack the bar fast to make it feel lighter, like I am going to dominate the lift from the second it comes off the pins. I take a huge breath and then descend. (I don’t feel like I am able to get the same amount of breath in at higher weights.)
[quote]trivium wrote:
When I first started out, I didn’t need the warm up sets. Now, I really take my time with it and use them to help me set a rep goal for my main lift. I start with bodyweight, then go up from there.
Lately I literally try to talk myself out of squat day all day while I am at work.
During my lifts I second guess myself all the time. This is where 5/3/1 comes in nicely. It doesn’t allow you to bitch out on your main work. Then the assistance you can compromise a bit if you are feeling especially beat up, or go for a PR. Fantastic system.
When I get to my last set, I almost always have to get angry or fired up because I am half expecting to get stapled under the weight. I try to unrack the bar fast to make it feel lighter, like I am going to dominate the lift from the second it comes off the pins. I take a huge breath and then descend. (I don’t feel like I am able to get the same amount of breath in at higher weights.)[/quote]
Once again, this sounds just like me hahaha
[quote]trivium wrote:
[quote]jkondash89 wrote:
I might be able to help on the deadlift part.
Dont do rack pulls up high like you would for lockout strength. Set the pins/blocks/whatever you to your sticking point and pull from there for a few cycles this got me out of a rut when i was stuck at 525 for 2 cycles. Best of luck.Also another good way of breaking that sticking point is band tension. If your gym doesnt have them you can pick them up fairly cheap[/quote]
I would consider the bands, but I don’t have a deadlift platform or rack where I can set it up.
Thanks for the post! I am glad to hear that they helped someone.[/quote]
Get the Short Bands on EFS. They are perfect for deadlifting and you don’t need anything to set them up. They are also much cheaper due to being much shorter.
I’ve always struggled above the knees with the DL as well. Nothing worked better than when I incorporated bands. You work your lockout harder when using bands of course, but they also teach you to really get the bar moving at the start. That little bit of added speed makes locking out a weight you’d normally miss a lot easier.
Much better than pulling from pins, which often puts you in a different (and more advantageous) position than you’ll ever be when deadlifting from the floor.
^what he said
I think rack pulls and band pulls both have their place. I like really low rack pulls like mid shin to below the knee range. Really gets me stronger. But my back strength is piss poor so that’s probably why
- I have heard a few people in the last few months make the statement that double overhand deadlifts use a slightly different form than mixed grip deadlifts. Can anyone explain this to me?
I feel a bit different when I do them, but in the end aren’t you still doing the same exact thing?