Getting Strong Again, Lochinvar's Journal

[Flounderbout]

So far, for the shoulder, it has been working like a charm. I don't feel as much pain when benching but even better, my shoulder doesn't ache all day long. Here is an article he wrote about it. Warning, language is strong and he will drop F-bombs.

http://www.lift-run-bang.com/2012/09...gin-of-my.html

I love it. Cheers Loch. I see many many reps in my future.

[lochinvar76]

Some people see a fallen tree in their front yard. I see a reason to burn some extra calories. Ever try deadlifting a whole tree? I'll let you know how that works out.

if you need testers for your recipes, i am willing. i am pretty good at following a recipe.

i am *really* excited both for your cookbook and to meet you in 2015. pretty sure i will be there, too. NASA 4 lyfe

can't believe you went in and did deadlifts with a messed up clavicle. hard core!

It's going to be awesome to meet you! I was sad when I couldn't make that last meet you were here for. I'm more than happy to have you test run some of my recipes! Just let me know the kind of Asian food you like so I'm not sending weird crap your way that you won't want to try lol

Great article, and a good looking deload. You did great at the poundstone build up!

I think I made it to 27 my last shot at the poundstone... someday though

It really is humbling, isn't it? You think, "It's just the bar. This'll be easy" and then about 30 reps in you feel like your arms are going to fall off.

Loc....you're even a volume junkie on deload....hard work pays off...keep chuggin

I like volume and I cannot lie...

I love it. Cheers Loch. I see many many reps in my future.

It's a new adventure! The thing is, I see a lot of this same mentality in the Cube method. You'll notice that I would do the primary movement, another heavy movement in the 8 to 12 rep range and then from there most exercises are 15 to 25 reps... and those 100 rep triceps pushdowns. Paul Carter and Brandon Lily have some very, very similar training methodologies.

[Flounderbout]

That's not a tree. barely worth cranking up the chainsaw for that little tiddler...

[Jtbny]

Great article by Poundstone. I get asked the same thing at the gym constantly about accessory work and why I go "light" in their opinions. Assistance work I train like a bodybuilder main lifts like a powerlifter. I usually get a Bert stare with that response

"More than a year ago I started playing with higher rep sets because it just kind of dawned on me, that beating yourself up with support or assistance work with really heavy weight seemed, well, ****ing stupid. That the whole purpose of support work was just that.

To create more support for the big lifts."

Have fun with your front yard strongman stuff. Hopefully you can widdle something cool from the tree.

[lochinvar76]

Base Building: Week 1
Monday - Squat/Deadlift

Warm Up
Agile 8
Barbell Good Morning - 3 sets x 45 lbs x 20 reps
Goblet Squat - 3 sets x 45 lbs x 15 reps

Barbell Squat
135 x 5
185 x 4
230 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5

Barbell Deadlift
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3

Notes: Doing Base Building as a gap filler until I come within range of the November meet to start the Cube method. Monday is squat and deadlift. For squat, you pyramid up in weight and reps without taking a break until you hit a single with 80% your training max. You then drop to 60% your training max for 5x5. The kicker is that you get your build up sets and 5x5 work done within 15 minutes.

From there it was on to deadlifts. I spent some time stretching my TI bands, TFL and priformis before jumping into it. I have noticed that when I do a lot of squatting before moving to deadlifts, my lower back tightens up like my wife's grip on the wallet. Yeah, she has control of the money but that's only because we'd be heavily in debt with two computers in every room of the house. Anyway, I digress...

Made sure my lower back and hips were ready and then jumped into the deadlift sets. These went up easily enough though the last set I felt tired and winded. 60 seconds rest between sets may not be enough for deadlifts....

Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: The only sports trophies I earned as a kid were from bowling. I was really damn good at that game. But growing up in Maine, there's not much to do in way of sports that is not inside.

That's not a tree. barely worth cranking up the chainsaw for that little tiddler...

Hey, I live in a desert! For us that is a HUUUUGE tree! I only wish it were a mesquite... because I would chip that sucker up and let it dry out. Mesquite smoked chicken for ages.

Great article by Poundstone. I get asked the same thing at the gym constantly about accessory work and why I go "light" in their opinions. Assistance work I train like a bodybuilder main lifts like a powerlifter. I usually get a Bert stare with that response

"More than a year ago I started playing with higher rep sets because it just kind of dawned on me, that beating yourself up with support or assistance work with really heavy weight seemed, well, ****ing stupid. That the whole purpose of support work was just that.

To create more support for the big lifts."

Have fun with your front yard strongman stuff. Hopefully you can widdle something cool from the tree.

I've realized the same. I used to constantly beat myself up with heavy weight and low reps week after week. Then my body would feel like a wreck and I'd stop lifting. It wasn't until I started going easier on the accessory stuff that I was able to just keep going. Granted, I'm such a volume junky I'm always sore and something aches, but it's not something that is completely stopping me.

Turns out that getting that tree gone was simple. I had planned to leave work early and pick up a chainsaw to cut it up. Some neighbors had volunteered to help me tonight when they got off work too, so it wasn't going to be so bad. Got a call from my wife a bit ago telling me that a 20+ sized Boy Scout troop was out doing tree removal and they got the entire thing chopped up and hauled away in two trailers within an hour.

I was looking forward to a huge dinner to compensate for all that work, though. Guess I'll just have to save the Korean BBQ short ribs for another day....

[Scrabbz]

Great work on the deload, keep up the great work. Let me know how the tree deadlifting goes.

[Flounderbout]

Barbell Squat
135 x 5
185 x 4
230 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5

Barbell Deadlift
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3
350 x 3

Gulp. Some days I look at the journals of people who are fecking strong, and I think "do I really want to get stronger, if this is the sort of crap that I have to look forward to...?"

Nice work.

And damn those boy scouts, depriving you of the opportunity to wield a chainsaw in an amateur and extremely dangerous fashion, and thus feel like a real man!

[lochinvar76]

Base Building: Week 1
Tuesday - Bench Press

Warm Up
Agile 8
Arm Circles - 30 seconds each side, each direction
Barbell Bench Press - 45 x 100

Bench Press
135 x 5
165 x 4
205 x 3
235 x 2
275 x 1
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 6

Behind The Neck Press
85 x 15
85 x 15
85 x 15
85 x 15

Front Plate Raises
25 x 20
25 x 20
25 x 20
25 x 20
25 x 20

Face-Pulls
50 x 50
50 x 50

Workout Notes: Bench went pretty good. Changed my foot position and was able to get a bit tighter feel by bringing them out a bit wider and further back. Reps went easy for the first three sets. Fourth set was a bit harder and didn't feel comfortable going for the last two reps on the last set. Would have tried if I had a spotter but didn't feel confident I wouldn't wind up fatiguing out.

Accessory work as high rep behind the neck presses, plate front raises and face-pulls. Really working on shoulder stamina and building up the cuff for support right now. This is all a part of the plan to attack my shoulder issues and get things resolved. I don't log it but I also do band rehab work at night on my shoulders. My shoulder has been feeling better and better each week now.

Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: I actually enjoy movies based on Jane Austen's works. Partially because I enjoy them and partially because I like how happy it makes my wife when I sit down to watch them with her.

Great work on the deload, keep up the great work. Let me know how the tree deadlifting goes.

Alas, no tree deadlifts for me. The bulk of it was cleared and piled on the street before I even got home from work.

Gulp. Some days I look at the journals of people who are fecking strong, and I think "do I really want to get stronger, if this is the sort of crap that I have to look forward to...?"

Nice work.

And damn those boy scouts, depriving you of the opportunity to wield a chainsaw in an amateur and extremely dangerous fashion, and thus feel like a real man!

You don't have much room to talk with all that squat volume you've been doing. Seriously, I dread the thought of doing a Smolov....

I had even offered to do it all bare chested. Who doesn't like the image of a big, burly bearded man wielding a chainsaw? But alas, my wife still let the Boy Scouts do their good deed and clear our yard.

[RT1957]

Great WO Loc....is Base Building part of the cube method or is it another program??

[mirroroferised]

I'd have been pissed about the tree, I love doing stuff like that lol


Really strong benching man. That squat and deadlift day is crazy.

[lochinvar76]

Great WO Loc....is Base Building part of the cube method or is it another program??

It's an entirely different program. The Cube is built around peaking on a 10th week, which means you want that week to hit your meet. The problem happens when you're meet is going to fall in the middle of your Cube cycle and you have to shake things up. I could do the first 6 weeks of the cube, which is non-peaking, then a week deload then hop back onto the Cube. I decided to do 7 weeks of Base Building and then tackle the Cube on September 1st to peak for the November meet.

I'd have been pissed about the tree, I love doing stuff like that lol


Really strong benching man. That squat and deadlift day is crazy.

Thanks! I was a touch annoyed that I didn't get to do the work on the tree but it's also good to let others do good things and feel like they contribute.

[lochinvar76]

Cube Method: Week 1
Wednesday - Front Squats

Warm-Up
Agile 8
Dumbbell Swings - 3 sets x 25 lbs x 15 reps

Front Squat
95 x 5
140 x 4
190 x 3
225 x 2
245 x 1
185 x 5
185 x 5
185 x 5
185 x 5
185 x 5

Stiff-Leg Deadlift
295 x 8
295 x 8
295 x 8

Bodyweight Lunges
6 minutes - 100 each leg

Notes: Front squats was fun. Had no trouble keeping the shoulder platform and fairly upright on the descent. Hit parallel and shot back up. The first three sets were rapid fire but I slowed down on the fourth and the fifth set was a second pause between reps. The goal with Base Building is to blow through all your 5 sets rapid fire and then bump up the weight 5 lbs. After the front squats I did some heavy, slow SLDL's and then finished off with 6 minutes of bodyweight lunges. The idea is to slightly point out the toes and open up the hips with each lunge. The 6 minute alarm went off of lunge 197 and I thought, "Let's make it a round number," and pushed out another three. I'll be honest, these lunges BURNED.

Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: I sing my ass off when driving alone in the car. Turn the radio up and just belt out the songs without a care in the world.

[Scrabbz]

100 lunges each leg after that workout sounds brutal. And the SLDL is just crazy at that weight. Actually the entire session looks crazy...

[lochinvar76]

Base Building: Week 1
Thursday - Incline Bench

Warm Up
Agile 8
Incline Bench Press 45 lbs x 2 sets x 50 reps
Arm Circles - 30 seconds each arm, forwards and backwards

Incline Bench Press
65 x 5
105 x 4
135 x 3
165 x 2
195 x 1
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8

Dumbbell Bench Press
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 10

Close Grip Bench Press
185 x 8
185 x 8
185 x 8
185 x 8

Notes: In Base Building, the fourth lifting day of the week is either OHP or incline bench, alternating each week. This week was incline bench which is the stickiest lift for me due to my shoulder. I made sure it was really warmed up and didn't got heavy at all. I found that if I worked inclines with my ring fingers on the middle ring in the knurling there was far less pressure on my shoulders. So I went with that. The last few sets were hard, not due to chest being fatigued, but shoulders unused to do much volume at that angle.

Accessory work was dumbbell bench press with a hammer grip. Brought the dumbbells down deep into the ribcage and then exploded them up. Close grip bench was done with my hands barely inside shoulder width and brought all the way down to the chest with a slight pause before pressing.

I got the entire build up and 5x8 sets of inclines done in just 13 minutes. The entire workout was about 30 minutes in length. Yes, I seem to like very short rest intervals. Keeps me from getting bored.

Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: The second time I ever got drunk, I wound up stripping naked and streaking down a major road at 2am. I am very glad that camera phones were not a thing back then....

100 lunges each leg after that workout sounds brutal. And the SLDL is just crazy at that weight. Actually the entire session looks crazy...

After about four straight minutes of lunging, your legs begin to call you names with each rep.

[lochinvar76]

Base Building: Week 1
Friday - Back/Bi's

Warm Up
Agile 8

Yates Rows
135 x 8
185 x 8
225 x 8
285 x 6
285 x 6

Kroc Rows
125 x 15
125 x 15
125 x 15
125 x 15

Barbell Curls
45 x 27
45 x 21
45 x 20
45 x 21
45 x 11

Notes:
Today was Back and Biceps, which I like to call my Bro Day. Worked up to some heavy Yates Rows. I do these overhand rather than underhand to save the biceps. After that it was on to Kroc rows. Made sure to get as deep as I could and then explode the weight up and into the ribcage. These left my back feeling really pumped and well worked. The back work made the barbell curls much harder than last week. My biceps were well fatigued and it was a struggle getting through the full 100 reps. It's going to take a LOT of work to get the stamina for these.

[mirroroferised]

That's a lot of curls. No wonder you were fatiqued by the end. Do you always try and get 100 curls in? My bro loving nature is intriqued

[Scrabbz]

That's a lot of rows and a lot of curls. Great work sir.

[RT1957]

Is base Building to achieve more mass to add to the bodies ability to call more tissue for heavier lifts...Or is it a pure Bodybuilding routine....I could look it up but it's more fun and informative to talk with someone using a method

[lochinvar76]

That's a lot of curls. No wonder you were fatiqued by the end. Do you always try and get 100 curls in? My bro loving nature is intriqued

Yup, the goal is to work up to doing a single set of 100 reps. I posted a link to an article about the Poundstone curls earlier in my journal. Does better at explaining it away than I do.

That's a lot of rows and a lot of curls. Great work sir.

Thanks, Gary!

Is base Building to achieve more mass to add to the bodies ability to call more tissue for heavier lifts...Or is it a pure Bodybuilding routine....I could look it up but it's more fun and informative to talk with someone using a method

Base Building was a system put together by Paul Carter, an elite raw powerlifter. He pulled a 1686 total in the 242 weight class last December... without belt or knee wraps. Dude is a beast.

I have the e-book for Base Building and it encompasses three total routines which he recommends cycling. There is a mass building period where your focus is hypertrophy and muscular development with a focus on bringing more mass to weak bodyparts. Then you move into the Base Building section where you perform working sets somewhere between 65% and 75% of your estimated daily max (90% of your true 1rm).

During the Base Building phase, your goal is to get all of your build up and working sets done in 15 minutes. If you can get them all done in that time and the reps are clean, fast and every set feels easy... then you up the weight 5 lbs. You focus on your weak spots and strengthening the other muscles that support the main lifts. The exact rep scheme used is going to depend on how advanced you are. For example, there are different rep schemes for people who deadlift less than 500, people who deadlift 500 to 650 and then a different one for people who deadlift more. Unlike most programs, this one relies heavily on auto-regulation. 5/3/1 has a very set progression whereas you move the weight up on this routine based entirely on 'feel'.

There is then a peaking cycle you can use that runs three weeks leading into a meet. That's the system in a nutshell. I friend of mine added 300 lbs to his total running this system over the past year, so while only anecdotal, it seems to work very well. It's the system his powerlifting gym uses for it's team. Personally, I'm married to the Cube and am using this as a filler.

Also, my biceps are already sore from today's workout and have been seizing up on me.

[Jtbny]

I kept reading Agile 8 in here and then I read Wendler recommend it so I had to look into it. I'm now doing that at home before I ride over the gym so thanks for that.

[mirroroferised]

Yup, the goal is to work up to doing a single set of 100 reps. I posted a link to an article about the Poundstone curls earlier in my journal. Does better at explaining it away than I do.

Did a bit of reading last night but was tired so mostly skimming. Added them in today for my high rep day and man, that sh!t is tough lol

[lochinvar76]

Cube Method: Week 2
Monday - Squats/Deads

Warm-Up
Agile 8
Goblet Squats - 3 sets x 45 lbs x 12 reps

Barbell Squats
135 x 5
185 x 4
240 x 3
290 x 2
330 x 1
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5

Barbell Deadlift
355 x 3
355 x 3
355 x 3
355 x 3
355 x 3

Notes:
Squats went nice and easy today. Going to bump up the weight 5 lbs come next week. All reps were done rapid fire while making sure I hit depth. Between each set I did a seat prirformis stretch, 10 seconds each leg and then a cross leg IT band stretch, 10 second each leg. This saved my lower back from getting tight at all and I was able to really blow away the deadlifts easy.

I finally started wearing socks for my pulls and I felt more confident bringing the bar in against the shin when I initiated the lift. This actually made quite a huge difference and I could feel my pulls getting more speed off the floor with a much better bar path. I have every bit of confidence that with my training plans and form improvements that I can easily break a 500 lbs deadlift this year.

Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: I don't like hot chocolate.

I kept reading Agile 8 in here and then I read Wendler recommend it so I had to look into it. I'm now doing that at home before I ride over the gym so thanks for that.

Hope it works out well for you. I've noticed that a lot of the bits and pieces that ache after lifting don't bother me so much since I started the Agile 8. Granted, now it's just other things (lower back and TI band) that bother me. It's never ending, the chase to work out the bits that hurt.

Did a bit of reading last night but was tired so mostly skimming. Added them in today for my high rep day and man, that sh!t is tough lol

Very tough. On Saturday my biceps were so sore I couldn't straighten my arm out. They're finally loosened up today but I still have a bit of an ache there. This is going to be a long process getting up to a single 100 rep set. Even when I move from Base and back into the Cube I plan to keep these in my cycle.

[doughnutgut]

Barbell Squats
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5
240 x 5


I finally started wearing socks for my pulls and I felt more confident bringing the bar in against the shin when I initiated the lift. This actually made quite a huge difference and I could feel my pulls getting more speed off the floor with a much better bar path. I have every bit of confidence that with my training plans and form improvements that I can easily break a 500 lbs deadlift this year.

Did you see the link Jtbny posted regarding the lats in the pockets?

Oh and niice squatting.

On Saturday my biceps were so sore I couldn't straighten my arm out.

Curlers gonna curl bro.

[Scrabbz]

I find it quite insane that you call 240 on squats for 5x5 easy. That's very impressive sir.

[lochinvar76]

Did you see the link Jtbny posted regarding the lats in the pockets?

Oh and niice squatting.

Curlers gonna curl bro.

I watched the vid and I've been doing that for a while, actually. One of my mental queues is to 'activate the lats' where I imagine pushing them down and flexing them as I come down to grab the bar and pull out the slack. Here's my breakdown when I pull sumo:

1. Screw feet into ground, feet angled outward with toes towards middle of plate.
2. Rotate knees outward and dip down.
3. Extend arms and activate lats as I bend over to grab the bar.
4. Swing hips forward and pull slack out of bar.
5. Once shins touch the bar, initiate leg drive.

That's my set up and it's been working really well for me. Without socks I wouldn't let the bar touch my shins but pull when they were about an inch away to save the skin. Just that extra 1" seems to make a world of difference in leverage. I'm pulling sumo, though, which is going to be quite different than folks who pull conventional. My sumo pulls alternate between floor and block pulls. On my explosive and hypertrophy work days I would love to pull from a 1" deficit but my gym doesn't have a good platform I could pull sumo from. Right now, with a good carb up and a few days good sleep, I'm confident I could pull 5 plates off the floor.

As for the curls, I want big strong arms for my wife. She loves to grab them and tell me to flex.

I find it quite insane that you call 240 on squats for 5x5 easy. That's very impressive sir.

Just a matter of putting the time under the bar and being a big, dumb ox. Mooooo.

[Flounderbout]

[Random Lochinvar Fact of the Day: I don't like hot chocolate.

Not only have I unsubbed, but I have made a friend request so that I can defriend you too...



I am looking forward to reading more about the cube. At the moment my brain fogs over a bit at all the detail, but I used to think that about 531, which is probably the simplest program out there. I like the idea of cycling blocks of programming - I have quite enjoyed the change of scene that Smolov has given me and the switch from the volume of the base cycle to the intensity of the intense cycle.

As for the 100 reps stuff. Yeugh...

[geek23ka]

you're in week one of basebuilding, so i wanna loosely follow that and see if your old man joints hold up. my old lady joints are crying bc of how mean sheiko is.

are you prepping for a meet?

[lochinvar76]

Not only have I unsubbed, but I have made a friend request so that I can defriend you too...



I am looking forward to reading more about the cube. At the moment my brain fogs over a bit at all the detail, but I used to think that about 531, which is probably the simplest program out there. I like the idea of cycling blocks of programming - I have quite enjoyed the change of scene that Smolov has given me and the switch from the volume of the base cycle to the intensity of the intense cycle.

As for the 100 reps stuff. Yeugh...

Hey, any questions you have about the Cube Method, just drop em on me. I'm happy to answer... even if you do like hot chocolate.

you're in week one of basebuilding, so i wanna loosely follow that and see if your old man joints hold up. my old lady joints are crying bc of how mean sheiko is.

are you prepping for a meet?

The plan is to compete in the NASA Westerns happening this November. There is a potential conflict over that weekend that depends on work. They have tentatively schedule a major production roll-out and upgrade for that weekend. There's a very good chance it'll get pushed back, which means it's very likely I can make it. If they don't push it back... well... I'll be working.

My goal is to come in under 220 and hit a total of at least 1250.

[doughnutgut]

Thanks forvthe cues Loch. I will one day give sumo more of my time.

[geek23ka]

The plan is to compete in the NASA Westerns happening this November. There is a potential conflict over that weekend that depends on work. They have tentatively schedule a major production roll-out and upgrade for that weekend. There's a very good chance it'll get pushed back, which means it's very likely I can make it. If they don't push it back... well... I'll be working.

My goal is to come in under 220 and hit a total of at least 1250.

what numbers for each lift, roughly? just curious. what are your current maxes?

i'm excited to watch you smash that total come november!