Way to keep it up in here! Looks like you are still getting time to workout.
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Way to keep it up in here! Looks like you are still getting time to workout.
[QUOTE=Raigs;1631200933]Way to keep it up in here! Looks like you are still getting time to workout.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, kind of, lol. It's pretty hit and miss. Yesterday's workout didn't get completed until after 10:30PM, but I got it in. ;)
[B][U]February 12, 2021 - Dynamic Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Rolling DB Tricep Extensions:[/B] 15lb DB's - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Low Cable Crossover thingies laying on a bench with DB's, lol:[/B] 15lb DB's - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Face Pull:[/B] Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Pushups:[/B] Bodyweight x 10 reps
[B]Spoon Press:[/B] 15lb DB's x 15 reps
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Speed Bench Press w/Bamboo Bar:[/B] 126 pounds (bar is only 6 pounds) - 9 sets x 3 reps (sets 1-3 were close grip, 4-6 medium grip, 7-9 wide grip.)
Kept the weight the same as last week and tried moving it faster. It started out good, but I wore down toward the end and the reps slowed noticeably.
[B]Seated Shoulder Pin Press w/Band:[/B] Mini Band + 75 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
[B]Floor Press w/Chains:[/B] 75 pounds + 4 chains (15 pounds each) - 3 sets x 12 reps
The final set kicked my backside. Barely ground out the final rep.
Video shows the first set of Speed Bench with a close grip, and a set of the Shoulder Pin Press.
[youtube]SUk7tYnX7fQ[/youtube]
That's pretty cool you have a bamboo bar man. How do you like it?
Nice work man.
That bamboo bar made me nervous for some reason lol.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1631283383]That's pretty cool you have a bamboo bar man. How do you like it?[/QUOTE]
I like it. In retrospect, I wish I wouldn't have bought it, but that's purely for financial reasons. Though I've not tested it yet, I think I could've gotten a similar enough effect from my olympic bar, and used the financial savings elsewhere. But I'm happy with the bar. It works well, and I feel like it's doing what I wanted and expected it to do. It's well made, and serves its purpose.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1631298783]That bamboo bar made me nervous for some reason lol.[/QUOTE]
Ha! Yeah, I can see why. I nearly lost control of it the very first time I used it, so that potential is there. But even though it [I]looks[/I] shaky now, I was never in danger of losing it.
[B][U]February 13, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Barbell Hack Squat:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Glute Bridge:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Bent Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Squat:[/B] 265 pounds x 1 rep (10 pound PR)
This was certainly not a beautiful squat, but I'll take it.
[B]Deficit Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 225 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
First set moved well enough, but I struggled on the later sets.
The video shows the Squat PR and one of the middle sets of Deficit Sumo Deadlifts.
[youtube]PNO_L_davKs[/youtube]
[QUOTE=CW47;1631333083]I like it. In retrospect, I wish I wouldn't have bought it, but that's purely for financial reasons. Though I've not tested it yet, I think I could've gotten a similar enough effect from my olympic bar, and used the financial savings elsewhere. But I'm happy with the bar. It works well, and I feel like it's doing what I wanted and expected it to do. It's well made, and serves its purpose.
Ha! Yeah, I can see why. I nearly lost control of it the very first time I used it, so that potential is there. But even though it [I]looks[/I] shaky now, I was never in danger of losing it.
[B][U]February 13, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Barbell Hack Squat:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Glute Bridge:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Bent Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Squat:[/B] 265 pounds x 1 rep (10 pound PR)
This was certainly not a beautiful squat, but I'll take it.
[B]Deficit Sumo Deadlift:[/B] 225 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
First set moved well enough, but I struggled on the later sets.
The video shows the Squat PR and one of the middle sets of Deficit Sumo Deadlifts.
[youtube]PNO_L_davKs[/youtube][/QUOTE]
You get it from EliteFTS?
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1631337573]You get it from EliteFTS?[/QUOTE]
Got it through bandbell.com. I usually try to purchase direct from the designer/manufacturer when possible.
[B][U]February 14, 2021 - Max Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Arnold Press:[/B] 25 pounds x 15 reps / 15 pounds x 15 reps
[B]Meadows Row:[/B] 115 pounds - 2 sets x 25 reps
[B]Tricep Pushdowns:[/B] Mini Band - 2 sets x 25 reps
[B]Curls:[/B] Mini Band - 2 sets x 15 reps
Went through these relatively quickly. Had to grab something to eat before moving on to the main work because I was wiped out. Still wasn't fully recovered after eating. Lots of work to do on GPP. Would like to work my way up to doing 3-4 exercises for 3-4 sets of 20-25 reps, and run through them with little or no rest between. It's going to take a while...
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]Bench Press:[/B] 165 pounds x 1 rep / 185 x fail
165 moved slower than I had hoped. Decided I didn't want to repeat my previous max of 175, so I took a good long rest and attempted 185. Failed at it...3 times, lol. First attempt with a medium grip got off the chest okay, but stalled quickly at about 3-4 inches up. Tried a wide grip next, and barely got it off my chest. Final attempt was with a close grip. Got that one moving a couple of inches, and it died as well.
My conclusion is that I need to change my approach. I've been focused heavily on tricep work. I think it has helped, but my shoulder and chest strength is now lagging behind, so I need to switch to stuff that will bring them up.
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 115 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
I should easily be able to progress on this for several weeks. Started with the weight relatively low to concentrate on just staying balanced, and controlling the bar.
So you are gonna revamp your bench approach? I like that idea. If, for no other reason, going at it in new ways will keep you interested in the day to day workout. In my opinion, if you want it, I would focus on the shoulders. Shoulders and triceps are the main movers in the lift. Lats and chest tend to play more of a support and stability role. I like incline work for strengthening the shoulder portion of benchpress but really anything with a full ROM would work.
That squat was spot on! The 265 looked like you still had another 20+ pounds before it started to become difficult loi. The 225x5 sumo dead looked like it didnt cause you too much trouble either, but that squat was HNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!
[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1631464253]So you are gonna revamp your bench approach? I like that idea. If, for no other reason, going at it in new ways will keep you interested in the day to day workout. In my opinion, if you want it, I would focus on the shoulders. Shoulders and triceps are the main movers in the lift. Lats and chest tend to play more of a support and stability role. I like incline work for strengthening the shoulder portion of benchpress but really anything with a full ROM would work.
That squat was spot on! The 265 looked like you still had another 20+ pounds before it started to become difficult loi. The 225x5 sumo dead looked like it didnt cause you too much trouble either, but that squat was HNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG![/QUOTE]Thanks for the feedback on benching. I'm always interested to hear how other people would approach things.
I'll definitely be doing more shoulder focused work.
Squats are weird for me. They feel freaking hard even when they look super easy on video. I certainly may have had another 10 pounds in me, but my squats always tend to look decently fast until I hit a wall and it doesn't move at all. So I have a hard time gauging it. I'll gladly take 5-10 pound PR's every 6 weeks for a while. ;)
[B][U]February 16, 2021 - Dynamic Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Gliding Hamstring Curls:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Hanging Knee Raise:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Kroc Row:[/B] 55 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps
Completely unintentionally, this turned out to be great grip work. I ended up needing to use straps, and my hands still started cramping up near the end.
I'm really glad that I gave the gliding ham curls another shot, because they went much better this time around. Making sure I kept my body as straight as possible from knees to shoulders as I finished the movement made a huge difference.
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]16 inch Box Squat:[/B] 145 pounds - 12 sets x 2 reps
[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 185 pounds + 4 Chains (15.8 pounds/ea) - 10 sets x 2 reps
Did the squats with a very wide stance. I would've struggled to even complete 2 reps like this 6 months ago, but today they felt relatively easy.
The squatting progress is very apparent, and it feels good. :)
I'll have to adjust the placement of the chains next time around on the deadlifts, because the plates kept landing on top of them, but otherwise the reps moved very fast and felt great.
Really stringing together strong training sessions and killing it.
Awesome job.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1631579293]Really stringing together strong training sessions and killing it.
Awesome job.[/QUOTE]
Thanks brother. Trying to keep building momentum...
[B][U]February 17, 2021 - Dynamic Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Rolling DB Tricep Extensions:[/B] 15lb DB's - 3 sets x 15 reps
[B]Face Pull:[/B] Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Spoon Press:[/B] 15lb DB's - 3 sets x 15 reps
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Speed Incline Bench Press:[/B] 65 pounds - 9 sets x 3 reps
[B]Paused Bench Press - Wide Grip:[/B] 115 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Expected to be able to do more weight on both of these, but my shoulders and triceps were a bit fatigued going into them. I'd ideally lower the weight on the warmup/GPP work, but my DB's don't go any lower than 15 pounds. I expect my body will gradually acclimate that work, and it won't fatigue me to the same extent that it is now. I may try 2 sets of 20 instead of the 3 sets of 15, and see if that helps.
My goal of focusing on shoulders was definitely successful though. They had a really nice pump going by the time I was done.
How are you liking speed work in terms of transferring over to you max effort work?
I remember reading something from Dan Green when he was asked about speed work. He said that he doesn't do speed work but rather he makes sure to hit his warm up sets as fast as possible and that's his form of speed work.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1631670853]How are you liking speed work in terms of transferring over to you max effort work?
I remember reading something from Dan Green when he was asked about speed work. He said that he doesn't do speed work but rather he makes sure to hit his warm up sets as fast as possible and that's his form of speed work.[/QUOTE]
That is a very good question.
TLDR for anyone who's in a hurry...
Yes, I like it. I feel that it's transferring over to max effort work really well, and I plan to continue doing it for the foreseeable future, but there may be better options out there for some people. Read on for my full explanation...
I never understood the real importance of moving the weight as fast as possible until I started doing speed work. I always felt like I was pushing as hard as possible, and that should be all that matters. But lifting as fast as possible from the very beginning of the lifts has made a noticeable difference on Max and near max work. Getting the weight moving fast at the beginning portion of Bench and Squats has help me get past my sticking points with far more weight than I could previously. I've not really seen any obvious impact on deadlifts, but that's probably just because my sticking point has always been getting off the floor, and so it's not as obvious that I'm getting past a sticking point in the lift. But my max has continued to rise on deads, so the speed work is probably at least partially responsible for that.
Speed days have also been a great source of technique work for me. This is pretty important since I'm otherwise only really doing the main movements once every 6 weeks right now. The speed work creates a lot of opportunities to setup for the primary lifts, engraining correct positioning, and finding cue's that work well. Yesterday, for example, I setup for bench 9 times (not including warmups), and was able to focus on a couple of specific cue's, repeating them numerous times as well. This has been just as important to me as the actually speed factor.
Finally, it fits well within the system I'm using. It complements the twice per week Max Effort work perfectly. I'd say that it could still have some benefits if I wasn't doing max/near max work so frequently, but it really works best in this type of system.
Now whether or not speed work is necessary, or even helpful long term is another issue entirely, and I don't really know the answer to that. Hypothetically, I can most definitely see that it may not be the best option for someone who is already in the habit of lifting with as much force as possible, and who already has the movement patterns really dialed in. My guess is that some medium to high rep work in place of the speed work might be a better option in that scenario. I kind of have it in the back of my mind to experiment with that at some point (maybe years) in the future.
[QUOTE=CW47;1631764043]That is a very good question.
TLDR for anyone who's in a hurry...
Yes, I like it. I feel that it's transferring over to max effort work really well, and I plan to continue doing it for the foreseeable future, but there may be better options out there for some people. Read on for my full explanation...
I never understood the real importance of moving the weight as fast as possible until I started doing speed work. I always felt like I was pushing as hard as possible, and that should be all that matters. But lifting as fast as possible from the very begging of the lifts has made a noticeable difference on Max and near max work. Getting the weight moving fast at the beginning portion of Bench and Squats has help me get past my sticking points with far more weight than I could previously. I've not really seen any obvious impact on deadlifts, but that's probably just because my sticking point has always been getting off the floor, and so it's not as obvious that I'm getting past a sticking point in the lift. But my max has continued to rise on deads, so the speed work is probably at least partially responsible for that.
Speed days have also been a great source of technique work for me. This is pretty important since I'm otherwise only really doing the main movements once every 6 weeks right now. The speed work creates a lot of opportunities to setup for the primary lifts, engraining correct positioning, and finding cue's that work well. Yesterday, for example, I setup for bench 9 times (not including warmups), and was able to focus on a couple of specific cue's, repeating them numerous times as well. This has been just as important to me as the actually speed factor.
Finally, it fits well within the system I'm using. It complements the twice per week Max Effort work perfectly. I'd say that it could still have some benefits if I wasn't doing max/near max work so frequently, but it really works best in this type of system.
Now whether or not speed work is necessary, or even helpful long term is another issue entirely, and I don't really know the answer to that. Hypothetically, I can most definitely see that it may not be the best option for someone who is already in the habit of lifting with as much force as possible, and who already has the movement patterns really dialed in. My guess is that some medium to high rep work in place of the speed work might be a better option in that scenario. I kind of have it in the back of my mind to experiment with that at some point (maybe years) in the future.[/QUOTE]
Good read man I appreciate you putting the time into it.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1631914583]Good read man I appreciate you putting the time into it.[/QUOTE]
Thanks man. I'm glad you asked, because typing that out got me thinking about some things. In particular, I mentioned using speed to get through sticking points...
After pondering some more, I think I've been approaching 'fixing' sticking points the wrong way. A lift is always going to have a sticking point (a portion in which you're weaker). I've to this point been thinking about eliminating sticking points by attacking that specific portion of the lift. Doing board presses to build strength a couple of inches off my chest, for example. But the more I think about it, the more skeptical I am of this approach. I'm starting to think that the real key is just to get the weight moving fast enough so that it doesn't stop at a sticking point. That means getting stronger and faster at the part of the lift before the sticking point.
One way to look at it is that it's sticking at that point because I moved the weight too slowly at the previous part of the lift. Like, if you're going over a jump on a bike, you really don't need to practice the part where you're in the air - you need to practice building up enough speed to carry you through it. Bad analogy, but it will have to do for now.
[B][U]February 20, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
Energy was very low to start the workout, and pretty much stayed that way throughout.
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Barbell Hack Squat:[/B] 95 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Glute Bridge:[/B] Bodyweight - 2 sets x 25 reps
[B]Bent Row:[/B] 95 pounds - 2 sets x 20 reps
I think I'm going to need to move this work to the end of the workout until I get in better shape. It's completely wiping me out right now. I was shaking before even completing the second round, and then had to take a long rest before starting the main work.
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Wide Grip Deadlift:[/B] 345 pounds x 1 rep
Well this was an interesting one... Momma was working today, so I was watching baby all day. Had him in a swing nearby as I was lifting. He seemed to enjoy watching, was smiling and letting out a few giggles here and there (laughing at my weak ass probably, lmao. Or he just liked the sound of the weights hitting the floor.) Anyway, I was a bit distracted, and misloaded my final rep. I had meant to jump from 335 to 355, but only put a 10 pound weight on one side. You can see in the video below that the left side started coming up faster than the right initially. I figured right away that something was off, but just kept on with the lift anyway. I did load up the 355 afterward, but it didn't feel right as I was trying to break it off the ground, so I just stopped. The little guy was hungry and starting to scream at this point, so I emptied the bar and called it a day. Didn't feel like warming up again later to do the supplemental lifts. But I was pretty wiped out as it was, so it was probably for the best.
[youtube]8LTa91xZOwA[/youtube]
[B][U]February 21, 2021 - Max Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]30 degree Incline Press:[/B] 155 pounds x 1 rep
Okay result I guess. I did this for 160 midway through December, so was hoping to beat that. The form was 100 times better today though. I'm really at a point now where I need to stop worrying about hitting PR's every time out, and just focus on doing the lifts correctly and pushing myself as much as possible. I watched an old Dave Tate video this week that reminded me that the purpose of Max Effort days is to strain. Not hit PR's...just strain. It was a good reminder, and has helped me refocus on the real purpose of this workout. From that standpoint, it was mission accomplished today. I did attempt 160. It got up 4 or 5 inches and then wasn't going any further.
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 125 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
I'm loving this exercise. It forces me to stay under control and maintain balance. It also works over the chest and shoulders really good.
[U]GPP:[/U]
[B]Arnold Press:[/B] 15 pounds 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Tricep Pushdowns:[/B] Mini Band - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Curls:[/B] Mini Band - 2 sets x 20 reps
This was much better at the end instead of at the beginning. I was fresh for the Max Effort work, and then was able to push myself on these lifts without worrying about conserving energy. I included short clips of the pushdowns and curls in the video below to demonstrate how I'm doing them.
Video shows the Incline at 155 and 160, along with some of the pushdowns and curls to demonstrate how I'm doing those.
[youtube]-r3-Ka5D4Jo[/youtube]
It's always good to get reminders that refocus your training.
Solid work.
I’ve found incline press to always be a finicky lift.
There are days I’m dialed in and it’s like butter, and then other days it’s ass.
So the fact you’re within striking distance of the same weight as a couple months ago while really hammering a ton of awesome lifting is a solid sign.
I like to think if I’m close to my every day max on a given day, then I’m probably progressing how I want to.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1632010823]I’ve found incline press to always be a finicky lift.
There are days I’m dialed in and it’s like butter, and then other days it’s ass.
So the fact you’re within striking distance of the same weight as a couple months ago while really hammering a ton of awesome lifting is a solid sign.
I like to think if I’m close to my every day max on a given day, then I’m probably progressing how I want to.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that! It's definitely a good mindset to have, and I'm going to adopt it. ;)
[B][U]February 23, 2021 - Dynamic Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Main (Speed) Work:[/U]
[B]16 inch Box Squat - Wide Stance:[/B] 160 pounds - 10 sets x 2 reps
The goal here was to keep feet rooted and knees stable (no caving). It was a success for the most part. There were 1 or 2 reps that weren't exactly fast because I got out of position, but overall things went well.
[B]Conventional Deadlift:[/B] 195 pounds + 4 Chains (15.8 pounds/ea) - 8 sets x 2 reps
I mentioned last week that the plates were coming down on top of the chains. Today I put 2 chains in the center of the bar (between my feet), and the other two on the collars (about halfway between the end of the collars and the weights). This worked pretty well. The chains are definitely less stable this way, and I had 1 fall off completely on the final set, but it was for sure an improvement. All reps moved fast - faster than last week - maybe faster than my deadlifts have ever moved. Doing conventional deads more regularly recently, I'm getting into a pretty good groove with them. I don't think I've mentioned it here, but I'm going to focus on conventional instead of Sumo for a while since I haven't really done that in about 2 years, and I should be able to make good progress for a few months. The complement this change, I'm focusing more on wide stance squat work (as is evidenced by today's squats).
[U]Warmup/GPP:[/U]
[B]Gliding Hamstring Curls:[/B] Bodyweight - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Kroc Row:[/B] 55 pounds - 2 sets x 25 reps
Time was pretty short, so I wasn't able to do all that I would typically want to, but I got through these pretty quickly and easily. Starting to see some minor improvements in my work capacity.
Video just shows 1 set of the Deadlift speed work.
[youtube]GPKmX7Owm0g[/youtube]
Great work.
My forearms burn just thinking about Kroc rows.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1632203983]Great work. My forearms burn just thinking about Kroc rows.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, the combination of those supersetted with the gliding hamstring curls was great grip work. I had to take a couple of minute break before the final set of Kroc Rows because my grip was giving out. I actually found out during this same workout last week that I can use straps with the Powerblocks if I need to. It's a little awkward, but it's doable. I need the grip work though, so I won't be doing that unless it's absolutely necessary.
[B][U]February 24, 2021 - Dynamic Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Speed Incline Bench Press:[/B] 85 pounds - 9 sets x 3 reps
Jumped up 20 pounds from the previous week, and the reps still moved faster. These felt great today. :)
[B]Paused Bench Press - Wide Grip:[/B] 125 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
My back was cramping up on every set. I'm just going to assume that means I was doing something right, lmao.
[U]GPP:[/U]
[B]Rolling DB Tricep Extensions:[/B] 15lb DB's - 2 sets x 20 reps
[B]Face Pull:[/B] Mini Band - 2 sets x 25 reps
[B]Spoon Press:[/B] 15lb DB's - 2 sets x 20 reps
The tricep extensions were brutal. Was basically to failure on the final set. Face pulls and spoon press were easier than last week.
[B][U]February 27, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
On baby duty alone today and tomorrow. It made it a challenge to get a workout in. Started preparing around 2PM and didn't get done until almost 6PM. For the most part that's not really a problem, but I had several long breaks as I was ramping up to the max squat attempt, so I wasn't as loose as I would typically be.
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]Squat:[/B] 225 pounds + 4 Chains (68 pounds) x 1 rep
This was 293 at the top of the squat. This final rep was a true max for today. I really don't ever have grindy reps like this when squatting - it either goes up without much apparent resistance, or it stops dead about a quarter of the way up. I was able to fight through this time (though it certainly wasn't a thing of beauty), so that felt really good.
[B]Stiff Legged Deadlift:[/B] 225 pounds - 2 sets x 10 reps
[B]Deadlift - 5 second eccentric:[/B] 225 pounds - 2 sets x 5 reps
Just wanted to throw in some deadlift work here, and decided on a combination of these 2 lifts rather than just doing one for more sets. I did them in alternating sets. It was a good combination. :)
[U]GPP:[/U]
[B]Squats:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x reps
[B]Pushups:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x reps
[B]Situps:[/B] Bodyweight - 3 sets x reps
10 year old wanted to do some exercise with me, so we did 3 rounds of bodyweight squats, pushups, and situps without rest (I may have taken a few seconds here and there. ;)) This was honestly the hardest part of the whole workout for me. Would probably be good for me to do this on a regular basis.
I give up! It will NOT let me edit this post any further. Video can be seen below.
Being on baby duty takes me back to when my daughters were babies and I would try to lift while watching them, good times lol.
Solid training though bro.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1632521733]Being on baby duty takes me back to when my daughters were babies and I would try to lift while watching them, good times lol.
Solid training though bro.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's a challenge, lmao.
On a totally different note, it's getting to be a real pain for me to post on my thread. I'm constantly getting errors when submitting. I've taken to copying and pasting my full post into word so I don't lose anything when trying to post. For the last couple of posts I've had to post a small portion and then edit it numerous times. Sometimes it will only submit if I limit the edit to 1 or 2 words. Pretty frustrating. :/
Here's the video from today's workout. IT shows squat reps at 205 plus chains and 225 plus chains.
[youtube]COUFiZsDZzk[/youtube]
Working out with the kids is def tough. Thats why i get up so early. Way to keep it up though and get it done!
[QUOTE=Raigs;1632558793]Working out with the kids is def tough. Thats why i get up so early. Way to keep it up though and get it done![/QUOTE]
Thanks :)
[B][U]February 28, 2021 - Max Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]30 degree Incline Press - Close Grip:[/B] 160 pounds x 1 rep
I did this with a medium grip last week for 155. Still seems really weird to me that my close grip is stronger than a medium or wide grip (it's the same with flat bench). Just gives me better leverage I guess? I'll take it. ;)
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 135 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Feel like this lift is for sure going to help with speed and strength off the chest. I'll be changing to something else next week, but will for sure be coming back to this lift sometime soon.
[U]GPP[/U]
[B]Arnold Press:[/B] 15 pounds 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Tricep Pushdowns:[/B] Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps
[B]Curls: [/B]Mini Band - 3 sets x 15 reps
Video shows the max incline bench.
[youtube]d2gjPa4g6tE[/youtube]
Looking good!
solid rep on that 160. Close grip puts more tricep into it. The wider the grip the more shoulders take the load. The trade off is the closer your grip the more the bar has to travel.
Hoping this lets me post.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1632582913]Looking good![/QUOTE]
Thank you :)
[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1632678853]solid rep on that 160. Close grip puts more tricep into it. The wider the grip the more shoulders take the load. The trade off is the closer your grip the more the bar has to travel.
Hoping this lets me post.[/QUOTE]
Yep, makes sense. I'm trying to work on bringing up my shoulders now. ;)
Do you consistently have trouble posting in this thread too?
[B][U]March 2, 2021 - Dynamic Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Main (Speed) Work:[/U]
[B]16 inch Box Squat - Wide Stance:[/B] 170 pounds - 8 sets x 2 reps
Didn't have time to get any other work in.
February 24, 2021 - Dynamic Upper
[U]Warmup:[/U]
[B]Gliding Hamstring Curls:[/B] Bodyweight - 1 sets x 20 reps
[B]Hanging Leg Raise:[/B] Bodyweight - 1 sets x 20 reps
[B]Kroc Row:[/B] 55 pounds - 1 sets x 25 reps
Quick warmup before getting into speed deadlifts, because I figured it was a really bad idea to do that cold.
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]Conventional (Speed) Deadlift:[/B] 205 pounds + 4 Chains (15.8 pounds/ea) - 6 sets x 2 reps
Wasn't able to get this in yesterday, so I started off with it today.
[B]Speed Incline Bench Press:[/B] 95 pounds - 9 sets x 3 reps
[B]Paused Bench Press - Wide Grip:[/B] 135 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
These felt significantly different from one set to the next, with some feeling pretty easy and others being a grind. I'm sure it was a setup issue, but I haven't pinpointed exactly what the issue was. On the final set I made an adjustment to my foot placement which made a noticeable difference to the amount of leg drive I was able to generate. It was a bit less stable though, so I'll need to work on it.
I’d say just keep hammering your back to be as big as possible and eventually any setup will feel solid lol
Great speed dead then into benching. I dislike how the littlest things on bench can change how it feels.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1632875833]I’d say just keep hammering your back to be as big as possible and eventually any setup will feel solid lol[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that will do it. ;)
[QUOTE=Raigs;1632997143]Great speed dead then into benching. I dislike how the littlest things on bench can change how it feels.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's been pretty consistent for quite a while, so this was odd. Could be just a one off thing.
[B][U]March 6, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
Watching two 10 year olds and the baby today again, so getting in a full workout wasn't going to happen. Pretty happy to get in what I did, even if it did take me 4 hours. :)
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]3 inch Deficit Deadlift:[/B] 325 pounds x 1 rep (PR) / 345 x FAIL
Deads felt good today. I had plenty of horsepower off the floor. 325 felt easy enough that I deleted the video because I was sure I'd hit at least 345. Turns out I was wrong, lol. This was one of the very rare occasions where my lower back was really the weak point, and gave out on me part way up. Previous PR was 305, but that was quite a while ago. This is honestly the best that deficit deadlifts have ever felt though, so I'm a happy man.
[B]12 inch Box Squat:[/B] 65 pounds + doubled up mini bands - 1 set x 3 reps / 4 sets x 5 reps
First set was awkward because the bands pulled me out of position right from the beginning, and just weren't lined up right. The rest of the sets were much more balanced. The mini bands were a lot stronger than I expected when setup like this. I was holding them down with 95 pound DB's and they were lifting off the ground at the top (so probably close to 200 pounds of tension at the top). I had to put some weights on top of the DB's to get them to hold. Really like the way these felt though. The tension throughout the lift is really nice. I did some sets with a wide stance, and others with a narrow stance just to see what the affect was. As expected, the wider stance works the hips and hamstrings more, while the narrower stance requires much more from the quads. The band tension was a bit too much for me with the wide stance, so if I go with that I'll probably just need to do the bands without any other weight on the bar. Not really sure which I'll do at this point though...
[B]Dimel Deadlift:[/B] 135 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps
Added this in for Hamstring work, and it was my first time doing them. I really didn't feel it in my hammys, which obviously means I wasn't doing them quite right. I'll try to remember to video myself next time so I can see if I can pinpoint where I'm going wrong. I'm also not really grasping what the difference is between this and RDL's. From what I understand it basically the same thing, except with lighter weight and with reps done much faster and more explosively. I'll need to keep working on this lift.
Video shows the deadlift fail at 345.
[youtube]9WS7-KtcLG8[/youtube]
That’s a really good session and honestly I’m even more impressed you had the drive to get that done over the course of 4 hours while watching 3 kids.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1633125793]That’s a really good session and honestly I’m even more impressed you had the drive to get that done over the course of 4 hours while watching 3 kids.[/QUOTE]
For sure. It's hard to get in a rhythm when you do 2 warm up sets, have to step away for 15 minutes, do the next 2 warmup sets, and repeat. But I didn't really have anything else to do. Not like I was going anywhere, lol.
[B][U]March 7, 2021 - Max Upper[/U][/B]
Today was much the same as yesterday. I was happy to be able to be able to get in the 3 main exercises for the day, even though it basically took me all day.
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]Bench Press:[/B] 160 pounds + 2 Chains (37.2 pounds) x 1 rep
Good sign of progress here, after maxing out around 170 on Bench a couple of time over the 3 months, this tells me that I have more than that in me right now. Though I'm making small improvements, I'm still lacking stability, and seeming to lack speed/strength off the bottom. The two are connected, I'm sure. Will just keep working at it.
[B]Pin Press:[/B] 115 pounds + 2 Chains - 5 sets x 5 reps
Put this in to work on that bottom end strength I referred to above.
[B]Close Grip Floor Press:[/B] 100 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Focusing on Tricep work here. Had my hands even a little closer together than I typically do when doing close grip work. These felt fantastic. I've grown to really love the floor press, and I feel like it's the main thing that's allowed me to be able to fight through and finish reps that start stalling at the midway point, as I've done a few times recently.
Video shows the Max Bench lift and one of the Pin Press sets.
[youtube]x0hW78-lEfE[/youtube]
I never understood the difference between Dimel deadlifts and an RDL. To me they're the same movement. Only thing I see is the Dimel is done in a more explosive fashion but it's just a damn RDL in the end lol.
Nice lifting man and nice PR.
Solid work as always.
Wish I could help you with advice on speed, but sadly even when my bench press was mid 300s I don’t think it was ever fast lol.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1633205043]I never understood the difference between Dimel deadlifts and an RDL. To me they're the same movement. Only thing I see is the Dimel is done in a more explosive fashion but it's just a damn RDL in the end lol.
Nice lifting man and nice PR.[/QUOTE]
Thank you Anthony. I'm with you 100% on the Dimel Deads. They seem completely pointless to me, and I'm unlikely to do them again.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1633205263]Solid work as always.
Wish I could help you with advice on speed, but sadly even when my bench press was mid 300s I don’t think it was ever fast lol.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I think it's totally normal to lean more towards either speed or strength. At least you have/had something going for you. I suck at both, lmao! Still working at it though. ;)
[B][U]March 10, 2021 - Dynamic Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work:[/U]
[B]20 inch Box Speed Squat:[/B] 175 pounds - 12 sets x 2 reps
This was so freaking light. A 20 inch box squat is probably about 4 inches higher than my normal squat depth. It's really amazing how much of a difference that makes.
[B]Paused Conventional Speed Deadlift:[/B] 235 pounds - 10 sets x 2 reps
A paused speed deadlift seems like an oxymoron. It actually works quite well though. It allows for a really tight setup and short pull off the floor, followed by an explosive lockout. These also moved like there was no weight on the bar at all. I've noticed that my deadlift is really herky-jerky, and have been trying make it smoother and more efficient. I found a cue that made a huge difference today, which is simply to keep my knees out. It made a noticeable difference right away. Now I just need to repeat it about a thousand times so that I don't need to think about it anymore, lol.
I'm considering changing speed deads to singles instead of doubles. I really don't see the benefit of the second rep, and changing it to singles would allow me to add in a couple more sets each week, which means more opportunities to practice the setup and first reps. This should be good for me because I tend to do much better on second reps, and really need to figure out how to get that first rep right. I think I just talked myself into it. ;)
[B]Pin Squat:[/B] 135 Pounds - 4 sets x 5 reps
I thought this was a really good light weight to start out this new exercise with. Turns out my ass is incredibly weak on this lift. My flexibility and balance are poor at the bottom, and hips feel weak as well. The first 2-3 reps were super easy, but by the time I got to the final rep it was a real battle. On two of the sets I actually lost my balance on the final rep and nearly fell over.
It's good that I've identified a weakness. Now I can work on improving it. This will probably be a staple in my programming for quite a while. I think it will probably have some carryover to my deadlift as well. This is important, because with the really bare bones programming I've had to resort to recently, I'm trying to pick exercises that will serve multiple purposes.
My goal next week will just be to do the prescribed 5 sets at this weight instead of the 4 sets I completed this week - not going to worry about increasing weight yet.
Paused deadlifts are the devil.
One of the toughest lifts in all the land lol.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1633466333]Paused deadlifts are the devil.
One of the toughest lifts in all the land lol.[/QUOTE]
I've done them with a Sumo stance recently, and your description is entirely accurate, lmao!
For some reason they were not at all bad for me in a conventional stance. Being done as speed work though, the load is relatively light (I think it was about 65% of my max). I imagine at higher percentages it would be a different story.
[B][U]March 11, 2021 - Dynamic Upper[/U][/B]
[B]Speed Bench Press:[/B] 85 pounds - 9 sets x 3 reps
Can't remember the last time I did a standard bench press for speed work. I should probably do it more regularly. The first thing I noticed is that my setup is not as tight as it needs to be. My shoulders were jumping off the bench with each rep. I don't notice this when benching with bands and chains (which are typically part of my speed work), but without the added resistance it was readily apparent. It improved minimally as I went along, but it was pretty bad all throughout. Not sure exactly how to fix this, so I guess I'll just have to keep working on getting tight all around.
[B]Seated Overhead Press:[/B] 65 pounds - 2 sets x 5 reps / 75 pounds - 3 sets x 5 reps
The weight felt light in the initial sets with 65 pounds, so I added 10 more pounds. I'm not sure I can do 5x5 at 85 pounds, so I'll start out at 75 again next week and see how it feels.
[B]Close Grip Bench Press - 3 Board:[/B] 135 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Easiest way to correct your shoulders coming off the bench is use heavier weight(srs). It is speed work, so you are moving fast, but if the weight is not enough you can literally propel yourself off the bench through momentum alone.
Solid work though and I love the addition of paused deads. They make the initial part of the deads stronger... if you can tolerate them long enough to benefit from them! I need to add them back into my routine but they are such a brutal variation of deadlift that I end up saying to hell with it and just doing regular deadlifts. As far as paused speed deads being an oxymoron, that is only true if you have never done them that way. Pausing with the bar around your knees and then finishing the rest of the pull as fast as possible is a great way to improve your pull.
And yes "knees out" is a great cue for both squats and deadlifts :D I think it is supposed to help load up the hips and glutes
[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1633609353]Easiest way to correct your shoulders coming off the bench is use heavier weight(srs). It is speed work, so you are moving fast, but if the weight is not enough you can literally propel yourself off the bench through momentum alone.
Solid work though and I love the addition of paused deads. They make the initial part of the deads stronger... if you can tolerate them long enough to benefit from them! I need to add them back into my routine but they are such a brutal variation of deadlift that I end up saying to hell with it and just doing regular deadlifts. As far as paused speed deads being an oxymoron, that is only true if you have never done them that way. Pausing with the bar around your knees and then finishing the rest of the pull as fast as possible is a great way to improve your pull.
And yes "knees out" is a great cue for both squats and deadlifts :D I think it is supposed to help load up the hips and glutes[/QUOTE]
Makes sense on the bench. I've seen people that are able to move light weights quickly without losing position, so that's certainly something to work towards, but it's not a huge problem since it doesn't happen with more weight on the bar.
And yeah, I just meant that linguistically paused speed deads are an oxymoron. They make perfect sense from a programming standpoint. Though I do wonder how much benefit actually comes from the pause portion of the lift when the weight is light enough to do speed work. There is for sure still a benefit there, but maybe not as much as there would be with heavier weight. But still a super beneficial lift, and I like it a lot.
[B][U]March 13, 2021 - Max Lower[/U][/B]
Stretched out over about 6 hours again today, but it turned into a pretty solid workout.
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]Paused Squat:[/B] 255 pounds x 1 rep (PR)
Previous PR was 205 in November. A 50 pound increase is insane in that time frame. The squat felt fantastic today. I felt comfortable and tight at the bottom, which hasn't typically been the case. The only real difference in my approach was that I leaned my torso forward just a tiny bit more than I typically have on the descent. This left me in a more balanced position at the bottom, and mostly prevented me from shifting forward when starting back up. You'll see in the video that I did shift forward a little bit on the final attempt. This was the only time that happened, and I was able to recover and regain a good position half way up. I'm super happy with this result today. :D
[B]Front Squat:[/B] 115 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
It's been a long time since I've done these, and it felt like it, lol. Started out with 135 on the bar thinking it would be a light weight to start out with. The weight was fine. My balance was not fine. Ended up having to drop the bar on the first set because I was going to fall over at the bottom. Tried it a second time and still was out of sorts, so I dropped the weight further. Started to get into a more of a groove as the reps piled up. I forgot how much these work my abs too...
[B]Lever Row:[/B] 45 pounds - 2 sets x 10 reps
[B]Meadows Row:[/B] 45 pounds - 2 sets x 10 reps
These exercises were done consecutively without rest. 10 reps of lever row with right hand --> 10 reps of meadows row with right hand. Repeat with the left hand. And then a second set done the same way. Worked the lats pretty darn well.
Video shows the Max Paused Squat.
[youtube]603YwalWE30[/youtube]
[B][U]March 14, 2021 - Max Upper[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]Bench Press - Fat Grip:[/B] 175 pounds x 1 rep
Making definite progress on the bench this cycle. Current Bench Press PR is 175. I'm confident that I'll be able to beat this without the fat grip. Fat grip is really awkward for me because I have tiny hands. It doesn't feel stable, and that's the primary reason why I do it so rarely. I mentioned a week or two ago that I had adjusted my foot placement to improve leg drive. That adjustment is making a huge difference. After refining it some, I am much tighter and more consistent throughout the lift. I used to have a huge jerk as the bar started up off my chest. Now it is just a very minor shift. Leg tension is increased and much more constant throughout. The rep at 175 was my worst of the day in this regard, but that's to be expected as I get closer to a true max right now. Will continue to work on this.
[B]Larsen Press:[/B] 135 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Did a Pin Press last week, but decided to change it out this week. Did this because I feel like the Larsen Press is doing more to improve strength off the chest, and there's no reason to pull it out of my programming as long as I'm still progressing on it. I will undoubtedly use the Pin Press at some point, but for now I'm sticking with what's working until it stops working.
[B]Close Grip Floor Press:[/B] 105 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
I changed from having my feet up to having my legs extended on this, to take out any leg drive. While it wasn't a night and day difference, it was still pretty noticeable. I will stick with this method since it better aligns with the purpose of the lift. The first set was actually the hardest - probably just because I wasn't used to doing this without some leg drive. Got in a good groove on the subsequent sets though and was able to hammer out the reps without them becoming too much of a grind (last set was probably around a 7 RPE).
Video shows the Fat Grip Bench Press Max attempt.
[youtube]k3V4pLNDdwM[/youtube]
Nice max effort days boss. That paused squat was a grind and glad you came out on top of it.
Solid lifts as always.
That lever row + meadows row superset sounds diabolical.
I bet John himself would be proud of that one lol.
[QUOTE=Anthony21;1633770943]Nice max effort days boss. That paused squat was a grind and glad you came out on top of it.[/QUOTE]
Thanks man! With doing near max work regularly, I've gotten 100 times better at grinding out reps. Mostly because I've somehow learned how to keep my form relatively tight while continuing to push. A year ago there's not a chance I complete that rep. And now I completed it and thought I probably still could have been able to grind another 10-20 pounds. It's a good feeling.
[QUOTE=Filmbuff81;1633771303]Solid lifts as always.
That lever row + meadows row superset sounds diabolical.
I bet John himself would be proud of that one lol.[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah, it was 100% a spur of the moment thing, but it was fantastic. Lats were definitely sore the following day.
[B][U]March 16, 2021 - Dynamic Lower[/U][/B]
[U]Main Work[/U]
[B]20 inch Box Speed Squat:[/B] 185 pounds - 10 sets x 2 reps
Still felt quite light, and the reps moved with some major speed. Good stuff. :)
[B]Conventional Speed Deadlift:[/B] 255 pounds - 10 sets x 1 reps
Well...son of a... I totally forgot to do these paused, smh. I did remember that I was going to change over from doubles to singles. I did 10 singles instead of 8 doubles, and that worked out great - less fatigue, but still enough volume, and plenty of technique work. These were some of the fasted deadlift reps I've ever done. Focused on the knees out cue I mentioned last week, and the form and fluidity of the movement was improved hugely. I took video of a few reps to see if it was looking as good as it felt, but I really don't have time to upload the video.
I'll try to remember to do these paused next week (actually going to write it down in my log book right now, before I forget...)
[B]Pin Squat:[/B] 135 Pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Big, big improvement over last week. But yeah, these need to be in my programming regularly for quite a while to come, because this hits directly at my sticking point in the squat. There were still a couple of reps where I nearly couldn't get the weight moving, when 135 pounds otherwise feels incredibly light when doing a full squat. I'll increase the weight next week and see how that goes.
[B][U]March 17, 2021 - Dynamic Upper[/U][/B]
[B]Speed Bench Press:[/B] 105 pounds - 9 sets x 3 reps
My quads were sore by the end of this. I'll take this as a sign that I'm making better use of leg drive. ;)
[B]Seated Overhead Press:[/B] 75 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps
Despite it happening somewhat regularly, I'm always surprised how much easier the second week of doing an exercise can be than the first. I struggled to do 3 sets with 75 pounds last week. This week is was a breeze.
[B]Close Grip Bench Press - 3 Board:[/B] 140 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps
Another oddity here that I experience sometimes... The first set was the hardest of the 3. In this case I'd assume it was because my triceps just weren't firing on all cylinders to start with, which is kind of surprising after doing 12 sets of pressing work before this. It could also have something to do with the fact the touch point with a board is different than what I'm accustomed to. Either way, this was good tricep work, and I was in a nice groove on the second and third sets.
I'll start the final week of this cycle on Saturday. For Max Effort work this week I'll be doing 3 rep max's. Then in the first week of the next cycle I'll test to see where I'm at on Squat and Bench, and then test Deads in week 2. Based upon how this cycle has been going, I'm honestly expecting new PR's on all three. But who knows...it all comes down to how I'm feeling and performing on a given day. Regardless, it's evident that I've been making some really solid progress on all lifts.
The simplified/reduced programming I've been doing of late seems to be working really well. At some point more volume will be necessary, but it's apparently not necessary right now, so I'll ride this wave as long as I can. Not like I really have much choice anyway, because I'm struggling to even fit these shortened workouts in, lol.
You are killing it. Loved the paused squat vid. What does the fat grips do for bench? Same thing as an axle bar benchpress? lol sorry I have never used fat grips. I know they help grip strength for pulls but I am not sure if I have ever seen anyone use them for bench.
Did your quads cramp up on bench? I usually know I am getting that part right when it feels like I just did a squat workout :D
Also, good job getting the work in when you are busy. It can be a pain to get time for lifting sometimes. It is another reason I like Wendlers approach to a busy life. He has the "Don't Do Jack Shiet" method. You get in, get the big lift work done and get out. 3 working sets and you are done. This may not be the best way to make gains but it does help maintain when you are getting punched in the face by the clock
[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1634077763]You are killing it. Loved the paused squat vid. What does the fat grips do for bench? Same thing as an axle bar benchpress? lol sorry I have never used fat grips. I know they help grip strength for pulls but I am not sure if I have ever seen anyone use them for bench.
Did your quads cramp up on bench? I usually know I am getting that part right when it feels like I just did a squat workout :D
Also, good job getting the work in when you are busy. It can be a pain to get time for lifting sometimes. It is another reason I like Wendlers approach to a busy life. He has the "Don't Do Jack Shiet" method. You get in, get the big lift work done and get out. 3 working sets and you are done. This may not be the best way to make gains but it does help maintain when you are getting punched in the face by the clock[/QUOTE]
Fat Grips...good question... I have no freaking idea what they do, lmao! No, honestly what they do is create a marginally larger range of motion (my hands sit about 3/4 inch below the bar). They do make the grip rather uncomfortable though, and I've felt a little bit concerned about dropping the bar since my hands are really small to begin with. This is one of those things that I'll really only do a couple of times per year.
Quads didn't cramp up, but I could 100% see that happening.
Yep, for sure a person can get by with really minimal work. And really, there's no reason to do more than the minimum that's necessary to progress, unless you just like doing it (and I do, but I'm fine not doing it as well).