Arian's Rise to Power

[arian11]

8/4/14 - WEEK 3 DAY 1
WEIGHT: 202.3

COMPETITION SQUAT
385x2
385x2
385x2
385x2
385x2

COMPETITION BENCH
250x5
250x5
250x5

3 COUNT PAUSE BENCH
185x3 @7
200x3 @8
215x3 @8.5
225x3 @9
205x3 @8
205x3 @9

Plan going in was to get as many sets of 385x5 in but as you can see that didn't happen. Knee and hip felt fine but the strength just wasn't there today. Warm ups felt heavy so I dropped it down to 5x2. Bench felt great, went up 5 lbs over last week's 3x5.

[HoneyBadger300]

Good work on bench 3x5's. Glad your knee and hip were fine, what about in between sets?

[arian11]

Good work on bench 3x5's. Glad your knee and hip were fine, what about in between sets?

Started feeling it a bit on the knee end by set 4/5. After everything I foam rolled and stretched my IT band. Foam rolling didn't hurt as bad as it did last week.

[HoneyBadger300]

Started feeling it a bit on the knee end by set 4/5. After everything I foam rolled and stretched my IT band. Foam rolling didn't hurt as bad as it did last week.

Good deal. You getting all up in the anterior/lateral hip when you foam roll IT?

[arian11]

Good deal. You getting all up in the anterior/lateral hip when you foam roll IT?

After you guys posted stuff, I looked more into what kind of injury my symptoms relate to. It sounds like more than anything that it is IT Band Syndrome. Says I should do the typical RICE and take time off from squatting. I'm not sure if completely cutting out squatting would slow/stop deadlift progress for my push/pull meet next month. So I'm hoping it'll be manageable till then squatting just 2x a week, if not then I'll try dropping to 1x a week. Gonna keep bench at 4x and deadlift at 2x though.

[arian11]

Some videos from recent training:

Last week's deadlifts-


Yesterday's squat & bench-

[dtaps24]

I meant why are you doing sets across and so much volume per session? Especially injured. It seems to go against the spreading your working sets out so that you can get in more frequency. Seems to me you were responding well to that approach and it would seem to make more sense when injured to spread the work rather than try to squeeze more work in per session. Although it seems like the injury may rein in your volume anyways since you are being smart about it. It just seemed like a subtle shift in approach on the template and I was wondering what the thinking was.

[HoneyBadger300]

After you guys posted stuff, I looked more into what kind of injury my symptoms relate to. It sounds like more than anything that it is IT Band Syndrome. Says I should do the typical RICE and take time off from squatting. I'm not sure if completely cutting out squatting would slow/stop deadlift progress for my push/pull meet next month. So I'm hoping it'll be manageable till then squatting just 2x a week, if not then I'll try dropping to 1x a week. Gonna keep bench at 4x and deadlift at 2x though.

Izzy was having some of this. She did some tpr on her TFL which would help (why I asked if you were foam rolling up in your hip). Also I think less squats and more deads would be perfect for getting you back on track. Relaxing the TFL while strengthening the glute, pulling the IT Band back and away from the knee joint just a bit.

Strong work though, deadlifts were solid and bench was rock solid. 'Mirin your arch and 3x5. 5 reps on bench kicks my azz.

[arian11]

I meant why are you doing sets across and so much volume per session? Especially injured. It seems to go against the spreading your working sets out so that you can get in more frequency. Seems to me you were responding well to that approach and it would seem to make more sense when injured to spread the work rather than try to squeeze more work in per session. Although it seems like the injury may rein in your volume anyways since you are being smart about it. It just seemed like a subtle shift in approach on the template and I was wondering what the thinking was.

The thinking was that:

1) Wanted to build up my base strength a bit with straight sets at a lower intensity.
2) I tend to baby myself sometimes with RPE so having a set plan of what I'm going to hit on a "par" day would prove beneficial.
3) My squat seems kinda stagnant lately and I thought an increase in volume would help.
4) Making a small change to the original program like doing repeat sets rather than fatigue drops for competition lifts would spark some gains.

Izzy was having some of this. She did some tpr on her TFL which would help (why I asked if you were foam rolling up in your hip). Also I think less squats and more deads would be perfect for getting you back on track. Relaxing the TFL while strengthening the glute, pulling the IT Band back and away from the knee joint just a bit.

Strong work though, deadlifts were solid and bench was rock solid. 'Mirin your arch and 3x5. 5 reps on bench kicks my azz.

Interdasting

[arian11]

8/5/14 - WEEK 3 DAY 2
WEIGHT: 199.7

COMPETITION DEADLIFT
445x5
445x5
445x5

TNG BENCH
225x8 @8
235x8 @9.5
215x8 @9.5



Whoo, upped my 3x5 on deadlift 10 lbs more than last week. Technique wasn't as great as I was hoping but all the reps felt clean and like I had more in me. Hip started hurting during bench. Squats = knee pain. Deadlift = hip pain. Duhhh, makes sense. Icing now, then gonna take a hot shower and no lifting tomorrow so I get to relax and spend some time stretching and rolling.

[dtaps24]

The thinking was that:

1) Wanted to build up my base strength a bit with straight sets at a lower intensity.
2) I tend to baby myself sometimes with RPE so having a set plan of what I'm going to hit on a "par" day would prove beneficial.
3) My squat seems kinda stagnant lately and I thought an increase in volume would help.
4) Making a small change to the original program like doing repeat sets rather than fatigue drops for competition lifts would spark some gains.

I see, I see. Makes sense. Welp get healthy and give it a solid goo. If it works great, if not at least you learned sumpin.

[arian11]

8/7/14 - WEEK 3 DAY 3
WEIGHT: 200.7 LBS

FRONT SQUAT W/ BELT
245x5
245x5
245x5

1 BOARD BENCH
225x4 @6
245x4 @7
265x4 @8.5
275x4 @9
255x4 @8
255x4 @9

CLOSE GRIP 3 BOARD
225x6 @7
245x6 @9
225x6 @8

Front squats felt fast and nothing really hurt. Might have to do only front squats as my squatting if its the only variation that causes no pain.

EDIT:

[arian11]

8/8/14 - WEEK 3 DAY 4
WEIGHT: 201.2

STIFF LEG DEADLIFT
315x5 @6
345x5 @7
375x5 @8
405x5 @9
375x5 @8
375x5 @9

MAX GRIP PAUSE BENCH
225x3 @7
245x3 @8
265x3 @9
245x3 @8
245x3 @9

http://instagram.com/p/rdSwMsvoZ-/

Another day of no pain and I did a decent amount of stiff leg deadlift work.

[FastCatChamp]

Subscribed......real nice journal.

I'm entering Week 5 of the Generalized Intermediate Program after a few years of just spinning my wheels on bodybuilding style programs. The first four weeks Volume Block has been great. Looking forward to the Intensity Block of it. Already thinking of ways to plan another cycle of the sam style after the GI Program is finished.

Anyways, Im in.

[dtaps24]

Nice board press. Nicer fronts. Nicest matching Xfit Tshirts.

[HoneyBadger300]

That's some serious SLDL work, and even better that it was pain free. Gjdm

[goosefrabbas]

mirin' sldl's

[NorthStrong]

dat Stiffies legs fark

myron

[arian11]

8/11/14 - WEEK 4 DAY 1
WEIGHT: 201.2

COMPETITION SQUAT
385x3
385x3
385x3

COMPETITION BENCH
255x5
255x5
255x5

Another day of it being hot as balls and squats feeling like sh!t. Just did some maintenance work on squat till my knee started hurting a tad. Upped my pause bench 3x5 5 lbs more than last week. I think prior to this cycle, my best around this weight/rep range was 260x4 so it looks like bench is going quite smoothly. 314 or 319 should definitely be there next month.

[HoneyBadger300]

Sorry about the knee, always a good day when arian11 starts flowing on the bench.

[arian11]

8/12/14 - WEEK 4 DAY 2
WEIGHT: 202

COMPETITION DEADLIFT
455x5
455x5
455x5

TNG BENCH
225x5 @6
255x5 @8
265x5 @9
245x5 @8
245x5 @8
245x5 @9



They finally came and fixed the AC at the gym today and so it felt much better training tonight. Went up 10 lbs from last week on deadlifts and they all felt good. Bench felt alittle unstable and wobbly but weights still felt pretty easy.

[HoneyBadger300]

Strong. Amazing what difference being comfortable can make.

[arian11]

8/14/14 - WEEK 4 DAY 3
WEIGHT: 202.2

FRONT SQUAT W/ BELT
255x5
255x5
255x5

FLOOR PRESS
225x3 @6
255x3 @7.5
275x3 @9
255x3 @8
255x3 @8
255x3 @9

http://instagram.com/p/rswSRXPoZa/?modal=true

Fuxored my left shoulder a bit somewhere in the last 2 days. Either bad bench form, while coaching and showing people good and bad form on stuff like ring dips, sleeping on it or combination there of. When I try to external rotate, it hurts after a certain point. Luckily I had floor press today so I didn't have too big of a ROM for the joint. Top set hurt alittle when I was pushing up but that's it. I guess the last week of a volume block should be miserable anyways.

[goosefrabbas]

Text me back *******

[arian11]

Text me back *******

I don't have a text from you...

Then again, lately I've been getting 0 service in my house. I mean literally no service where I'll try to send a text and it says sending for 3 straight hours.

[goosefrabbas]

Did you get a new number? I sent you/someone an Arian meme.

[psychodiver9]

Did you get a new number? I sent you/someone an Arian meme.

I got it

[FastCatChamp]

Decent session even with the tweaked shoulder

Easy as you go.

[arian11]

Did you get a new number? I sent you/someone an Arian meme.

Nope same number. Try texting me again...and again...and again until you hit the right spot.

[cjr5425]

Hey Arian. I just started RTS generalized program to give it a shot. Did you notice an initial drop off with your deadlift because of heavy squats the day before? I did. Thanks.