I think there is a hidden aspects to this getting stronger stuff that deserve mention:
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You have to believe it IS possible that you can get stronger than you are now. Maybe it’s obvious, but maybe it’s not.
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You have to be positive about the experience of training. You either like this stuff or you need to be doing something else. If you like it, you become aware of all sorts of resources to make you better at it and you’ll improve.
If you don’t like it, you’re not going to get good at it. And you’re not going to figure out how you can get better at it, because you don’t really like it and just want to be done for the day.
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You have to be consistent. Show up, do the work. Don’t whine, because nobody cares; you’re the one showed up and asked for it in the first place.
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You have to be aware of the effects of what you’re doing. Working hard is not necessarily working effectively. Don’t conflate the two. Think of all the ways you’ve succeeded and evaluate why you failed and use both to plan to avoid failure while improving. If it means smaller steps do that. If it means doing exercises you hate, do that. Know your weaknesses and address them.
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You have to get mentally in sync with people stronger than yourself and come to identify yourself as being of the same mindset. Doing this will change you from seeing yourself as weak or “normal” to identifying yourself as potentially strong. Your idea of normal has to change.
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Have targets to shoot for and imagine yourself hitting those targets at every opportunity. By the time your body actually accomplishes the action, your mind has succeeded a thousand times. The mental practice clears the way to physical accomplishment.
Just reminding myself, I guess…
2013-05-06
Power Clean + PP
135x3
155x3
175x3
187.5 3x3
FS
225x3
245 3x3
Snatch High Pull
195 3x3
Incline BP
195 3x3
Pullups
BW+50 5x3 sets
DB Curls
50x4 + 32.5x5
50x4 + 32.5x5
Hammer Curls
50’s x 5
Wrists are not liking any sort of supination. Tendons are tight from typing 8-12 hours a day. Better start pretending I’m hitch-hiking on breaks.
Saw a good video of Mike Tuscherer talking about Thriving on, rather than surviving your training. Basically attack the weights, do each set like you mean it, which I’ve gone off from. Did it tonight for all sets and it makes a difference, definitely.
Mr Tuscherer(tangent:Mr. T. - “I pity da foo’!”) is putting some good thoughts out there to consider in his video series lately.
Loaded with work, home repairs and other obligations. If I can sneak some training in today, I will. Otherwise not til Sunday, likely.
Your numbers are fantastic, particularly at 175.
[quote]JoeGood wrote:
Your numbers are fantastic, particularly at 175.[/quote]
Thanks Joe. I’m just taking baby steps back to par.
2013-05-12
Clean and Press
135x5
145x3
155x5 (surprised me)
160 3x2
Cleans
197.5 3x3 (popping these off my shoulders at the top)
SQ
225x3 (3 sec pause rock bottom)
255x3 (speedy)
280x3 (still pretty speedy)
300 3x3 (need to get faster at this weight)
CGBP
205 3x3
Pendlay Rows
228 5x3 sets
Extra time between sessions did me good. Think I’m going to move cleans to FS days and do DL or High pulls on BS days.
2013-05-14
Power Clean + PP
135x5 (pressed)
155x3 (pressed)
175x3 (pp)
195x3
205x2
215x1 (+10 from last time)
185x5
Clean
225x1
230x1 + 3 FS
Hack SQ (cage was busy)
3plx3 (per side)
4plx3
4pl+2dimes X3
5pl x 1 (PR +40lbs)
4plx5 (PR +2 reps)
Hack SQ is such a cheater exercise
DL
315x3
365x3
415x1,1 (easier than the 405 last time)
355x8
Incline BP
197.5 3x3
Pullups
BW+55 x 5,4,3,3,2
Curls and extensions for pure sex appeal.
Starting to hit my stride now. Wish I could have front squatted today, I know I would have bettered 265 this time. I really like 1 and 5’s day, but the 3x3’s are what’s building up the base.
2013-05-16
Still a little ragged from deadlifts a couple days ago
Power SN
w/u to 155x1 (forgot how to get under and rear shoulder support muscles are not up to snuff)
CJ
w/u to 215x1 (borked the split or I would have gone higher)
Clean and Press
155x3
165x2
175x1
185x1
157.5x5
SQ
135,155,175x5
185,205,225,255,285x3
315x1
340x1
300x5
worked in with someone else so I ended up following his warmups to about 255, then he followed mine. Big dude. He squatted my top weight - two reps - but it wasn’t easy for him. He outweighed me by 70 pounds at least. Think i got a little respect there. Nice guy. He confirmed that I hit depth on the top set for me.
CGBP
207.5 3x3
Pendlay Rows
230 5x3 sets
Make-the-t-shirt-sleeves-tight activities
some and some
Funny story. I stopped by my old gym to do some SN and CJ and found out that my old gym and my old-old gym merged. Owner gave me a week’s free pass to the new, merged joint. So I went over to the new place. I apparently had a rep of some sort at the old place as everyone from the old gym helpfully told me where my (former) bar and bumper plates were kept…and immediately started trying to wind me up. Too cool.
Stellar day. Worked from home, got to lift outside, got to do some Oly lifting (SN sucks again), and I still was able to boost the poundages despite being a little sore and tired.
2013-05-20
Clean + PP
135,155,175 x3
190 3x3
Clean
205 3x3 (PR +1 reps and +2 sets)
FS
225x3
250 3x3
Incline BP
200 3x3
Pullups
BW+70 3x3
BW x8 (fast up, slow down)
Arms (front and back)
I have two sets of arms, din’cha know?
Gonna see if I can get in a SN/CJ session tonight, while I still have access to the equipment.
2013-05-21
SN
95,115,135x3 (floor,knee,hips)
145x2,2
155x0,1,1
135x1+OHS,1+OHS
CJ
165x2
185x1
205x1,1,1
185x2 (lowpull,hangclean+2jerks )
Mushy and out of form altogether. I loved it.
C.T Fletcher is my new inspiration. Always worth a listen on the you tubes.
2013-05-22
Clean + press
135x5
150x3
165 3x3
SQ
225,255,285x3
305 3x3
CGBP
210 3x3
DL
315x3
365x3
395x1
420x1
High Clean Pull
225 3x3
Kept it short and to the point.
Much as I like deadlifts and the high pulls, I think I need to concentrate on RDLs for a while to get that squat up.
Squat, form-wise, was better last night than usual, but I can feel the lack of strength in the hams in the mid-portion of the lift where you pull the hips through. Feeling the same thing on the clean and snatch pulls - just not getting the force in hip-snap that I should. Took my grip a little wider on the bar and that made it easier to stay more upright, which I didn’t expect, actually. Concentrated on keeping the elbows down as much as I could, rather than back and going down a bit faster to encourage the bounce at the bottom.
I’m starting to top out for the moment, it feels like, so I’m going to have to quit making 5lb+ jumps on some movements and go with the more incremental increases for a bit so adaptation can catch up. I’m very close to all the initial target weights and reps I set for myself, what I call par, so things are going well. Just need to slow down for a week or two.
2013-05-24
Clean + PP
135xa few
155x3
175x3
195x2
217.5x1
192.5x5 (PR +7lbs)
Clean
235x1+3 FS (PR +5lb)
206x3 + 1 PP (PR +1lb)
FS
225x3
245x2
265x1
280x1
245x5
Incline BP
135x8
205x2
195 3x2 sets
DB Row
120 5x2 sets
90 15x1 set
And that’s all. Was going to do RDL but I’m feeling kinda stretched today.
I let my calluses build up too much, and, as always happens when I don’t manage them, the one at the base of my right hand ring finger has split. And it’s become infected so I’m going to have to avoid pulling type moves for a while until it settles down. It was really painful yesterday with the finger being twice it’s normal size and the palm being swollen, but I really wanted that clean PR.
It means I’ll be pressing from the rack and doing good mornings instead of pulls 'til it clears up, but I could probably use a little less work right now anyway.
Need some advice;
Here is my 531 workout;
swwbp = swiss bar bp
chsrow = chest supported row
hscgprs = close grip hammer press
curl = straight bar curl
sat Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 swmbp 5x10
swwbp Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x155 3x165 5x175 5x95 swminbp 5x10
5x175 3x190 3x200 5x115
5x200 >3x210 >1x225 5x140
sun toprow 5x10
chsrow Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x100 3x110 5x115 5x60 swmcrl 5x10
5x115 3x125 3x135 5x80
5x135 >3x140 >1x150 5x95
tues hscgprs 5x10
hscgprs Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x125 3x135 5x145 5x75 legpress 5x10
5x145 3x155 3x165 5x95
5x165 >3x175 >1x180 5x115
wed curls 5x10
curl Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x90 3x95 5x105 5x55 precrl 5x10
5x105 3x110 3x115 5x70
5x115 >3x125 >1x130 5x85
Leg presses after curls…
[quote]adamsfam2k wrote:
Need some advice;
Here is my 531 workout;
swwbp = swiss bar bp
chsrow = chest supported row
hscgprs = close grip hammer press
curl = straight bar curl
sat Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 swmbp 5x10
swwbp Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x155 3x165 5x175 5x95 swminbp 5x10
5x175 3x190 3x200 5x115
5x200 >3x210 >1x225 5x140
sun toprow 5x10
chsrow Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x100 3x110 5x115 5x60 swmcrl 5x10
5x115 3x125 3x135 5x80
5x135 >3x140 >1x150 5x95
tues hscgprs 5x10
hscgprs Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x125 3x135 5x145 5x75 legpress 5x10
5x145 3x155 3x165 5x95
5x165 >3x175 >1x180 5x115
wed curls 5x10
curl Warmup Warmup Warmup Warmup
5x90 3x95 5x105 5x55 precrl 5x10
5x105 3x110 3x115 5x70
5x115 >3x125 >1x130 5x85
Leg presses after curls…[/quote]
What’s the question?
Took 13 hours of sleep last night. Finger is a lot better today. Going to take another day off and hit it tomorrow, if I can find a gym open on Memorial Day.
2013-05-27
Clean + Press
135x5
150x5
167.5 3x3
Started to grind on the last rep of the last set. May jump just a pound next time.
SQ
225x3
255x3
285x3
315 3x3 (target weight reached)
2nd and third sets were easier than their preceding sets. I might need to warm up more.
GM (low bar close stance)
185 8x2 sets
CGBP
215 3x3
I was a afraid these would be hard tonight. They weren’t.
Clean High Pull
235 3x3
CG Ballistic Pullups to sternum
BW 5,4,3,3
BTN Pullups
BW 5x3 sets
CG Cambered Curl Bar curls
70+bar weight x5,8
Reverse CCB curls
50+bar weight x 8
I dunno what that CC bar weighs but it’s heavier than most others I’ve ever used.
Decided against doing a max+5 on the main exercises. I think it was a good decision. Tonight felt just right.
Looking through my logs, I’ve only failed one rep in the last three months. It was a second rep on FS @265. Cool.
