The final push to a 2000+ drug free total at 242

[gnuckols]

I've had a log on here before, but I got busy and stopped posting so I wanted to start a fresh one.

Introductory stuff:

Name - Greg Nuckols
Age - 21
Weight - 242 (110 kilos)
Best overall lifts - Squat 750, Bench 445, Deadlift 725
Best competition lifts - Squat 750, Bench 425, Deadlift 710, total 1885
Goals: Right now my main goal is to total 2000+ at 242 drug free.

That's the basics! Here's video of my last meet for anyone interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OujNnxEBnbM

If you have any questions, comments, or just want to chat, feel free!

[gnuckols]

Yesterday:

Squatted up to an easy 515x3 high bar, dropped back to 425 for some beltless triples. First time I've been able to squat high bar, ATG. Mobility PR.

After that we pulled off a box from just below knee height. 715 moved easy, but my hips were still too jacked from squats a few days ago to break 815 off the box. Oh well, live to fight another day.

Other various light things.

Today:

Benched up to 340x10 (10rm PR), dropped back for a few light sets

Lots of stretching and such. My hips and back are probably out of commission until about thursday.

Video of the 585x10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed_7skxxeaI

[arian11]

Fark you are strong. What kind of training method you following?

[dan_g_28]

Hi OP. 2 questions for ya.

1. How old are you?
2. You natty, brah?

[gnuckols]

Fark you are strong. What kind of training method you following?

Thanks man!

My squat I train as often as possible in the offseason (minimum 4-5 times a week, usually closer to 6). I compete low bar, but I tolerate a higher training frequency with high bar, so I use it more often when I'm 8+ weeks out from a meet. As I near a meet, I'll run a basic linear periodization plan to peak. If memory serves, here's what I did leading up to last meet (if it wasn't exactly this, it was darn close)

6 weeks out 585x8 (no wraps)
5 weeks out 635x6 (wraps from here)
4 weeks out 675x4
3 weeks out 705x2
2 weeks out 725x1
1 week out 675x1 (opener)
Meet

725 was a grinder, 750 was quite easy at the meet.


Bench I don't really train much, mainly because I hate it. Usually I'll just work up to a max single or triple on a day I'm too sore to do anything else. I've had good success with sheiko-esque routines, but I rarely actually DO them because the thought of benching 3-5 times a week with a lot of volume is quite distasteful to me.


For deadlift I use ROM progression. I'll start with about 50 pounds over my max from knee height and try to get 5ish reps. Each week, I'll lower the height an inch or so until I can get it for 1 or 2 from mid-shin (about 3-4 inches off the ground). Then I'll put 40-50 more pounds on the bar and start over.

[gnuckols]

Hi OP. 2 questions for ya.

1. How old are you?
2. You natty, brah?

1. I'm 21.
2. I've never used anything on the WADA banned substances list to the best of my knowledge, if that qualifies as natty.

By the way, that's a nasty bench at 225.

[arian11]

Are you an over or under kinda guy?

[Durge]

Jesus Christ, you guys are strong mofos, must be the beard

[gnuckols]

Are you an over or under kinda guy?

However the toilet paper is when I find it. I'd rather not clog my own toilet when I can help it.

[gnuckols]

New blog post about how fast you should lose weight (hint: it's not 1-2 pounds a week): http://gregnuckols.wordpress.com/201...s-i-think-not/

[gnuckols]

Squatted up to 405+doubled minis x5 high bar (last one paused)

Plyo pushups onto quite a high platform xa bunch of sets

Lots of sledge hammer work

Various lifting of a 5 foot long section of what was once a telephone pole

Keg carry (bear hugged, with a 45 pound KB on top) x100 yards

Walk with a 180 pound human on my shoulders 2×100 yards

Sprint while giving Lyndsey (my fiance) a piggy back ride x100 yards

A poop-ton (approximate value) of arm work



Well, it actually felt like today was a pretty low volume training day until I typed it all out. It’s a lot of fun not having a meet to train for so I can work a lot more variety into my training. I will say this, though: sprinting 100 yards with Lyndsey on my back LEVELED me. The fact that I did all that work without just being smashed at the end of the day lets me know my work capacity is improving substantially.



Here’s a fun video to end the night with. Next time you want to brag about your 4 wheel deadlift, just keep in mind that a 114 pound woman is stronger than you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWgQOwcKJaU

[gnuckols]

Today Lyndsey and I went down to Charlotte with Travis to visit Muscle Driver and hang out at the Attitude Nation gym while he did the Weightlifting Talk podcast with Jon North. While at Muscle Driver, we met most of the team, then James Tatum and Travis Cooper came with us to Jon's gym for the podcast. We also met Glenn Pendlay. I like that dude already. I'd read that he did his graduate work on the endocrine response to training (specifically testosterone to cortisol ratio, how that correlates with grip strength, and how you can use fluctuations in grip strength to give you an idea of accumulated fatigue to affect programming and optimize overreaching), so I asked him all about that. I also asked him about his equipment line (that he started in his garage). Basically he's a jacked nerd, which are my favorite type of people. I learned a lot from him, and I hope I can talk training with him and pick his brain again in the future.

After we returned, there wasn't a ton of time left in the evening, so I just got in a really quick bench session. Seen here is basically the entirety of my workout:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhm_a997ass

Lyndsey worked up to 75 + the chains as well, which was about 195 at the top. She's working on widening her grip out to accomodate the fact that she's 6 feet tall with a stupidly long wing span. She can already bench 145 with a pretty close grip, so if she can make the transition to wide smoothly I wouldn't be surprised if she goes 175+ relatively soon.

[gnuckols]

Squat: worked up to 605+200#chainsx3

One handed snatches

Lots of stretching

Russian leans for a double, then a 4 concentric-only reps (+5# on the last one)

I'm pretty happy about how today went. I cut my squats a wee bit high, but that's what happens with chain squats. You get 800 pounds of tight, but it's only 650 at the bottom. Rather than relax in the hole before trying to lift an increasingly heavy load, I just come up when my hips tell me "well, this weight has gotten too light to mess with anymore." Depth will improve as bar weight increases and chain weight decreases.

[gnuckols]

How useful is creatine really, and should you be taking a vitamin D supplement? http://www.masheliteperformance.com/#!greg-nuckols/cj4s

May be surprising stuff for most people.

[gnuckols]

Saturday:

Bench up to 360×6

Front squat 245 3×5, 1×10 (not heavy, but I took these ATG. Pretty easy on the legs, but surprisingly challenging for the abs and upper back. I keep telling myself I’ll do these more often….)

Today:

High bar squat up to an easy 545×3 (last one long pause)

Block pull (about 2 inches below knees) up to 755. Tried 825, but it just wasn’t happening. Upper back was still too tired from chain squats and front squats on Friday and Saturday.

Kneeling squats, bands around hips, up to 2 greens and a blackx3, dropped back to 2 greens x bunches, then 1 green x even more

A pretty decent two days of training. Saturday my CNS was crushed from those chain squats, but benching still went okay. The front squats were humbling, but productive.

High bar squats today felt surprisingly good. I was taking them deep and they were still moving quite fast. Sadly that wasn’t a portent for the deadlifts. I think I need to start this block pull cycle over with 755 instead of 800+. Today was still quite promising because a couple inches below the knee tends to be my weakest position for starting a deadlift because it’s not just a lockout, but I can’t use my quads much to get it moving. Unless I’m mistaken, I really think 750+ should fall easily by the end of the year.

The kneeling banded squats are AWESOME glute, rectus femoris, and VMO work. I thought they were pretty okay, but nothing special, until I almost face-planted walking down stairs later in the day. I made a video demonstrating them that I should have up in the next couple of days.