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[U]October 24, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Bench - Bench Press w/Mini Band[/U]
[B]Mini Band + 155 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Added 10 pounds to my max in the last 6 weeks. The reps were flying up during the warm ups, so I had no doubt I'd hit this. Didn't even bother doing a 5 pound PR first. There was at least another 5 pounds there to be had, but I was happy to take the 10 pound PR.
[U]Pushup[/U]
[B]Bodyweight + Mini Band - 5 sets x 8 reps[/B]
[U]Pendlay Row[/U]
[B]125 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Was probably more of a hybrid between a Pendlay and a Bent Row.
[U]Kneeling Overhead Press[/U]
[B]75 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Easy Peasy.
[U]Some Random Tricep Stuff[/U]
Figured out that I like Rolling DB Tricep Extensions. :)
[U]Ab Wheel Rollouts[/U]
[B]3 Sets x 5 Reps[/B]
Bought an Ab Wheel today. Had to try it out. Even 5 reps was a struggle. Hopefully I'm not hurting too bad from it tomorrow.
Video shows the Bench PR
[youtube]NxL16U5gYK8[/youtube]
I'm really, really happy with my progress since starting the Conjugate system. I was constantly hitting plateaus previously, but literally haven't hit one on any lift since changing to this approach. It's working much better than any other programming I've used. It's encouraging, because I've made good progress despite not knowing what I'm doing from an exercise selection perspective. Once I get some experience with the various lifts and know what works well for me, things should really take off.
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[QUOTE=CW47;1620356771][U]October 24, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Bench - Bench Press w/Mini Band[/U]
[B]Mini Band + 155 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Added 10 pounds to my max in the last 6 weeks. The reps were flying up during the warm ups, so I had no doubt I'd hit this. Didn't even bother doing a 5 pound PR first. There was at least another 5 pounds there to be had, but I was happy to take the 10 pound PR.
[U]Pushup[/U]
[B]Bodyweight + Mini Band - 5 sets x 8 reps[/B]
[U]Pendlay Row[/U]
[B]125 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Was probably more of a hybrid between a Pendlay and a Bent Row.
[U]Kneeling Overhead Press[/U]
[B]75 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Easy Peasy.
[U]Some Random Tricep Stuff[/U]
Figured out that I like Rolling DB Tricep Extensions. :)
[U]Ab Wheel Rollouts[/U]
[B]3 Sets x 5 Reps[/B]
Bought an Ab Wheel today. Had to try it out. Even 5 reps was a struggle. Hopefully I'm not hurting too bad from it tomorrow.
Video shows the Bench PR
[youtube]NxL16U5gYK8[/youtube]
I'm really, really happy with my progress since starting the Conjugate system. I was constantly hitting plateaus previously, but literally haven't hit one on any lift since changing to this approach. It's working much better than any other programming I've used. It's encouraging, because I've made good progress despite not knowing what I'm doing from an exercise selection perspective. Once I get some experience with the various lifts and know what works well for me, things should really take off.[/QUOTE]
Do you think it might be possible that the mini band has lost elasticity since you've been training with it, and it's easier now than it was in the beginning? ;)
Just kidding you man. Good work there. I know bench is b*tchy wench, very technical and sensitive to bodyweight changes.
What's the basic idea behind Conjugate?
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[QUOTE=ECGordyn;1620358461]Do you think it might be possible that the mini band has lost elasticity since you've been training with it, and it's easier now than it was in the beginning? ;)
Just kidding you man. Good work there. I know bench is b*tchy wench, very technical and sensitive to bodyweight changes.
What's the basic idea behind Conjugate?[/QUOTE]
Lmao! This is the first set of bands I've used, but from my understanding they should last for quite a while. ;)
My bodyweight is on the rise. With a pregnant partner, I've put on some sympathy pounds of late. Gained about 5 over the last month, and I'm sure that's helping significantly. But I think it's mostly a matter of improved technique.
Conjugate is actually a pretty simple concept. It's split into Bench workouts and Lower workouts (the lower workouts can be either squats or deads, or both). I do a 'Max Effort Bench' and 'Max Effort Lower' workout once per week, where my goal is to hit a 1-3 rep PR. Then I do a 'Speed' day for each also. On these days I work with a percentage of 1RM, which ranges from 40-80% depending upon the lift. The percentage isn't really important though. The goal is bar speed. On these days I typically do 8-12 sets of 2-3 reps, with less than a minute rest between sets.
I add in assistance exercises on each day that are designed to have carry over to the main lifts. And then some accessory lifts as well (abs, biceps, whatever), usually focusing on weak points.
The other big concept with Conjugate is to constantly change up your exercises. This is to reduce the likelihood of of injury, avoid plateaus, and eliminate the need for deloads.
I change my Max Effort lifts every week. I have a basic template I'm following right now that has me doing the competition lifts every 6 weeks, and in between it's a mixture of different grips, stances, resistance types (bands, chains), ranges of motion, tempo's, bar types, etc.
I'm running the Speed days with the same exercise for 3 weeks, increasing the % of 1RM each week.
The assistance and accessories have their own cadence as well. I started out doing them for 6 weeks at a time. I've reduced it to 3 weeks now, and will probably reduce it to 2 weeks at some point. Those adjustments are just based upon how my body is reacting to the stimulus.
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[U]October 25, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Effort Lower - Deficit Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]305 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
This is the first time I've really pushed it to the limit on deads since tweaking my back a couple of months ago. I had to attempt it twice because my hands started slipping right away doing it double overhand, even with a hook grip. Put on straps so I could just focus on pulling. It was pretty sloppy, but it went up.
[U]Good Morning[/U]
[B]150 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps[/B]
[U]Pullup[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 5 sets x 5 reps[/B]
[U]Bulgarian Split Squat[/U]
[B]35 Pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
Left out Rack Pulls today because my energy crashed. Finished my workout about 2 hours ago, and I'm still a little shaky. Happy with the Max Effort lift today. Deficit Sumo is a good lift for me. I really struggled to get the bar moving, so it should be a good lift for me to develop more strength off the floor.
Video shows the Deficit Sumo Deadlift:
[youtube]f8FDeNTDnGk[/youtube]
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The pull looked fairly smooth to me once you got it off the floor. I am no expert at sumo, though, so taking my critique of that lift is not advisable lol. You didnt appear to have too much of an issue after you got it started though.
Love that 5x5 GM with 150, though! It is even more impressive that you can rep out half your maximal(ish) deadlift on GMs after you actually put multiple max attempts into the deadlift :D Solid work and I would have crashed out well before I got to the rack pulls lol
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1620443881]The pull looked fairly smooth to me once you got it off the floor. I am no expert at sumo, though, so taking my critique of that lift is not advisable lol. You didnt appear to have too much of an issue after you got it started though.
Love that 5x5 GM with 150, though! It is even more impressive that you can rep out half your maximal(ish) deadlift on GMs after you actually put multiple max attempts into the deadlift :D Solid work and I would have crashed out well before I got to the rack pulls lol[/QUOTE]
I swear to god those freaking Bulgarian Split Squat take it out of me more than any other exercise. Not sure why that is. The good mornings are probably more like half mornings, lol. I can't really go to close to horizontal because the bar starts rolling. Really would like to get a safety squat bar at some point...
And yeah, breaking it off the floor was for sure the challenge with the deadlift. I knew if I could get it off the ground it would go all the way up. I'm pretty sure the reason I struggled to get it up is because of poor hip mobility. I couldn't get my hips low enough to get into proper position. It's probably the kind of thing that will get better the more often I do it. I may even do this as one of the speed lifts at some point, because the numerous reps should be really beneficial.
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I think it has something to do with the fact that you know you have to do "twice" the amount of work with only half the balance lol.
Goodmorning are not required to go to horizontal to be effective. If you are feeling them in the target area then they are sufficient. If you see me do them on squat day I tend to go horizontal(ish) only because that is what is needed to get lower back and glutes involved. But when I do them on deadlift day I use a more stiff legged stance and the ROM is maybe down to around 30-45 degrees because I can feel the hammies doing all the work. Any lower and the hamstrings relax, the knees tend to want to bend, and it would go back to being a low back/glute lift.
Just thought I would throw that out there. A few guys I know have shelved GMs because they cant get "full" ROM out of them and I hate to see such a great leg and lower back builder being shelved for a reason like that.
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1620599421]Just thought I would throw that out there. A few guys I know have shelved GMs because they cant get "full" ROM out of them and I hate to see such a great leg and lower back builder being shelved for a reason like that.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for that. It makes perfect sense. I definitely won't be completely dropping the Good Mornings. Even though I feel like I'm not getting the most out of them right now, I can tell that it's a good lift. I've been gravitating towards lifts that carry over to multiple body parts, and Good Mornings for sure fall into that category.
[U]October 27, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Bench - Close Grip Bench Press[/U]
[B]85 pounds + 2 Chains - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
Finally made use of my chains. :)
[U]Dumbbell Bench Press[/U]
[B]50 Pound DB's - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Floor Press with Fat Grips[/U]
[B]110 Pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
After doing these for 4 weeks, I think I've finally got the movement figured out. The bar path has kind of been all over the place, but something clicked during the second set today.
[U]Dumbbell Shrugs[/U]
[B]50 Pound DB's - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]Overhead Tricep Extension[/U]
[B]Light Band - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]Hanging Knee Raise[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
My biggest takeaway from this session is that I'm getting too freaking thick. I was having trouble bending over to pick up dumbbells, and holding my bodyweight on the hanging knee raises. My weight has ballooned out of control over the last 3 weeks as the temps outside have dropped and I'm no longer doing the daily bike rides, walks, skateboarding. I'm going to have to really reign in my food intake. Aside from that, it was a really solid workout. All of my pressing is continuing to get stronger. I expect I'll take a hit there as I start cutting weight, but it has to be done.
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lol you can pass some of that weight my way if you want lol.
dont stress the floor press too much as far as getting in the groove. it is a very forgiving exercise :D solid push workout. and I love your choice of adding a core exercise into every lift day. that will have huge carry over to every lift!
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1620660711]lol you can pass some of that weight my way if you want lol.
dont stress the floor press too much as far as getting in the groove. it is a very forgiving exercise :D solid push workout. and I love your choice of adding a core exercise into every lift day. that will have huge carry over to every lift![/QUOTE]lol, if only it were that easy.
And yeah, core work always pays off. If it's called 'core', it's probably pretty important. ;)
[U]November 1, 2020[/U]
First workout in a while because the baby came ahead of schedule. :)
Just been doing lots of baby carries over the last 5 days. I took it a bit easy today, trying to ease back into things.
[U]Dynamic Lower: Pause Squat - Wide Stance[/U]
[B]95 pounds (45% of 1RM) - 12 sets x 2 reps[/B]
This works a couple of major weak points for me. My programming had me doing 55% of 1RM this week, but I lowered it so I could do the reps with some semblance of speed. My wide stance squatting has always been significantly weaker for me. While my form was far from perfect, I'm seeing great overall improvement. My back angle is consistent. I was keeping my weight back, instead of leaning forward at the bottom. And there was little to no hip shift happening.
[U]Dynamic Lower - Conventional Deadlift[/U]
[B]155 pounds (50% of 1RM) + 2 Mini Bands - 12 sets x 2 reps[/B]
The Mini Bands feel like they add 30-40 pounds on a Sumo Deadlift, but probably only half of that on a conventional (because of the setup I'm using). So in order to get up to about the 75% 1RM I wanted, I had to add a second band. It was still pretty easy, but this if the first of a new 3 week cycle for my main Dynamic lifts, so it'll get harder over the next 2 weeks.
[U]Barbell Curl[/U]
[B]75 pounds - 2 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Yates Row[/U]
[B]75 - 2 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Decided to superset some curls with rows, so I threw these in. Kept the weight the same as the curls since this was my first experience with this type of row. I like the way it feels. I may have been doing it wrong though, because I felt it more in the upper back than in the lats.
I would typically take a day or two of rest before doing Max Effort workouts, but if I'm feeling decent tomorrow, I may just jump right into it.
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[U]November 2, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Bench: Incline Press - 30 Degree [/U]
[B]155 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Got my first taste of home workouts with a baby in the house. Did warmups and worked up to 145, had to step away to help momma and baby, and then resumed my workout 90 minutes later, lmao. Still really happy with the max lift on this one. I don't have any max lifts logged at a 30 degree incline, but for reference I maxed out at 160 on the flat bench at the beginning of this program. I'm making improvements on my grip that's helping me keep the bar steadier during the unrack. Also getting better at having consistent leg drive instead of kicking it into gear when the bar hits my chest. These changes mean I'm wasting less energy on unnecessary movement.
[U]Kneeling Overhead Press[/U]
[B]80 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
A full 5 pound increase over last time. I was questioning whether I'd be able to do this, but managed to get all the reps in. I'm doubtful about being able to do another 5 pound jump next week, but I'll see how I feel on the day.
[U]Ab Wheel Rollouts[/U]
[B]3 Sets x 10 Reps[/B]
Doubled up from 5 to 10 reps per set. It felt good. I put a blanket under my knees and that helped enormously.
Video shows the Max attempt at 155 pounds:
[youtube]XZKHOgqC8hc[/youtube]
I scaled back the volume quite a bit again today, removing pushups, pendlay rows, and tricep work. Just trying to ease back into things while still being able to go all out on the important lifts.
I am fairly tight today after my first workout back yesterday. I'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow and decide whether or not I'll do my Max Lower, or push it off a day.
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Congrats on the baby. Workouts will be different now. Try to get what you can get in and don’t let it get you down! Just gotta keep pushing.
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[QUOTE=Raigs;1621193891]Congrats on the baby. Workouts will be different now. Try to get what you can get in and don’t let it get you down! Just gotta keep pushing.[/QUOTE]
Thanks man. Really appreciate that.
I'll for sure need to be more focused, and keep to a tighter time frame. I'm home for a few more weeks, and then the real challenge will come when I return to work. But I'll get it figured out. ;)
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[U]November 4, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Effort Lower: Squat - Paused[/U]
[B]205 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Yes, that was it for today. I was super tight going in to the workout. Had to do many more warmup sets than normal, along with some stretching (which I typically don't do before lifting). Once I got limbered up, the squats felt really good. All of the ramp up sets were super clean - some of the best and most consistent squatting I've ever done. The final rep at 205 got away from me. I got out of the groove, tilting forward. I'm pretty sure it was a result of going just slightly deeper than previous reps, wanting to be sure I hit a full range of motion, and I lost tightness as a result. Still had enough in me to power through it, but I called it good there. I hadn't expected to make it to 200 pounds to begin with, since I've always seen a big difference in strength between a normal tempo squat versus a paused squat. Really good day for me.
Most of my assistance/accessory work for today would have been targeting my lower back, which is where I was super tight to begin with. I just decided to cut it all out and be fresher for my upcoming workouts.
[youtube]Ohr91RYV8JU[/youtube]
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That’s neat you got so much time off work.
Smart move on not pushing through the tightness. Your back will thank you later.
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Bench keeping up with my workouts, with a lower overall workload each day. Just haven't had time to post up the info until now.
[U]November 5, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Bench - Close Grip Bench Press[/U]
[B]95 pounds + 2 Chains - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Floor Press with Fat Grips[/U]
[B]115 Pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Overhead Tricep Extension[/U]
[B]Light Band - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Video shows a set each of the Close Grip w/Chains and the Floor Press.
[youtube]jxGg3TYSelE[/youtube]
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[U]November 6, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Lower: Pause Squat - Wide Stance[/U]
[B]115 pounds (55% of 1RM) - 10 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Working on building up hip strength with these. They look pretty ugly and feel awkward, but it's important that I keep working on the wide stance squat stuff.
[U]Dynamic Lower - Conventional Deadlift[/U]
[B]175 pounds (55% of 1RM) + Light Band - 10 sets x 2 reps[/B]
The light band feels like slightly more resistance than the 2 mini bands I did the previous time. This is the first time in months I've pulled with any speed at all. It felt great.
Video shows one set of each lift.
[youtube]VipEAiMzIKo[/youtube]
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[U]November 8, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Bench: Bench Press - 3 Board[/U]
[B]175 pounds - 1 set x 3 reps[/B]
The goal was a 3 Rep Max today. I didn't know what to expect since I've never done a 3 board bench before. I was having trouble getting any kind of back arch because of lower back tightness, and it affected my stability. I'm really happy with the 175 though.
[U]Pushup: Mini Band[/U]
[B]Bodyweight + Mini Band: 5 sets x 9 reps[/B]
I've worked up from 5 to 9 reps per set over the last 6 weeks. The 9 rep sets this week felt only slightly more difficult than the 5 rep sets did at the beginning of this cycle. Good progress.
[U]Kneeling Overhead Press[/U]
[B]85 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
I'm super happy with my pressing progress. My 10 rep max is 90 pounds. That was a total anomaly at the time, and it was for only 1 set. I'm sure I could beat that now. My pressing has never been so strong. The consistent progress overall is making it really easy to go into workouts feeling positive and motivated.
Video shows the Max Bench 3 Rep Max.
[youtube]suo26Jpilj4[/youtube]
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Nice work on staying up with the workouts. Nice that you are trying different things with the boards even though it felt weird I bet it felt good later
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[QUOTE=Raigs;1622080501]Nice work on staying up with the workouts. Nice that you are trying different things with the boards even though it felt weird I bet it felt good later[/QUOTE]
I like using the boards. The 3 board asks much more of the triceps than a standard bench press, which I guess is pretty obvious since it focuses on the lockout portion of the lift. And that lift actually felt pretty good. I didn't realize the touch point was off until I saw it on video.
[U]November 9, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Effort Lower: Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]245 pounds + Mini Band: 1 set x 3 reps[/B]
Another 3 rep max today. The reps can be seen in the video below. I felt sure that I could do another 10-20 pounds. Tried 265 and was only able to get it about an inch off the ground. Actually, I'm sure I could've completed at least 1 rep, but I stopped because I wasn't able to hold correct positioning. I was so convinced I could do it that I tried it two more times, lmao. The second attempt had exactly the same result. On the third attempt I held my positioning firm, but was still unable to get the bar more than an inch off the floor.
After the primary lift, I wasn't able to resume my workout until 6 hours later. I ended up just doing some band work. Came up with some really good ways of doing Triceps, Biceps, and Rows with a mini band that I'll for sure use in the future. I did a few AMRAP sets of each. Arms are still fried now, 3 hours later.
[youtube]PXvOewuk5To[/youtube]
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[U]November 10, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Bench - Close Grip Bench Press[/U]
[B]105 pounds + 2 Chains - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Dumbbell Bench Press[/U]
[B]55 pound db's x 12/10/10 reps[/B]
[U]Wide Grip Pullup[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 2 sets x 5 reps[/B]
[U]Hanging Knee Raise[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 2 sets x 5 reps[/B]
Pretty good workout today. It's the first time since the baby came home that I got through a full workout without any major interruptions. I adjusted the touch point on bench so it was slightly higher and felt much more explosive at the bottom of the lift. The reps moved quicker than they did with 10 pounds less last week.
My workload per workout has been lower than normal over the last 2 weeks, but that's because I've removed out a rest day. So my total weekly volume should be pretty similar to what it's been in previous weeks. After this week I'll be back to lifting only 4 times per week instead of 5, and my volume per workout will increase once again.
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November 12, 2020
[U]Dynamic Lower: Paused Squat - Wide Stance[/U]
[B]135 pounds (65% of 1RM) - 8 sets x 2 reps[/B]
This was the final week of the cycle, so it's too late to adjust now, but I definitely used too much weight. The percentage is based on my competition squat. It should have been based on a paused wide stance squat, where I'm significantly weaker. There was nothing speedy about these reps at all unfortunately. Another lesson learned.
[U]Dynamic Lower - Conventional Deadlift[/U]
[B]185 pounds (60% of 1RM) + Light Band - 8 sets x 2 reps[/B]
I struggled with double overhand grip at the top of the lift, so I changed to a mixed grip on some of the sets. It felt really good. My form is improving bit by bit.
Also did some rows today, but nothing worth noting. I'll rest tomorrow and then start a new cycle on Saturday, testing out competition Bench and Squat this weekend. I'm eager to find out where I'm at.
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[U]November 14, 2020[/U]
This workout took almost 4 hours from start to finish because of the constant interruptions. I can obviously deal with it since I'm not working right now, but not sure how things will go once I'm back to work. I may need to make some adjustments to my programming at that point.
[U]Max Bench: Bench Press[/U]
[B]175 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Oh yeaaaah! Another 10 pound PR! That's 2 cycles in a row with a 10 pound increase on my max. I only increased my max bench by like 20 pounds over the previous 4 years, so to match that in my last 2 cycles is huge.
[U]Bench Press: Bamboo Bar[/U]
[B]56 pounds (6lbs bar + 50lbs) - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
I can clearly feel the burn in the muscles that struggling to stabilize the bar. A good sign, I think.
[U]Pushup: Close[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Kroc Row[/U]
[B]55 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
This was probably too light, but I realized a while back that I was doing these wrong after I watched some more videos of them, so I just wanted to focus on the movement today. Think I got them right this time around. :)
[U]DB Shoulder Press[/U]
[B]60 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Decline Crunch[/U]
[B]35 pounds - 3 sets x 20 reps[/B]
Video shows the bench rep at 175. You'll see my lifting my legs off the ground near the end, because my glutes started cramping up.
Video also shows the second set of 10 with the Bamboo Bar.
[youtube]vEnPSVkWIdQ[/youtube]
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[U]November 15, 2020[/U]
[U]Max Effort Lower: Squat[/U]
[B]185 pounds x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Bulgarian Split Squat[/U]
[B]35 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]T-Bar Row[/U]
[B]90 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Pullup - Wide Grip[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 4 sets x 6 reps[/B]
A max attempt was not in the cards today. Sleep pattern was messed up. Had no energy. My lower back was extremely tight (seems to always be the case the day after benching, so I may need to change up my schedule to add in a rest day between). I thought a thorough warmup would get the energy going and loosen up my lower back, but it never happened.
I did quite a lot of volume as I was trying to loosen up, but didn't track it. The top set was at 185, which was a real struggle. I actually did a few sets at 185 as I tried to loosen up, with the biggest being a set of three. The tightness resulted in me leaning forward at the bottom on almost all of the reps, and made the reps much more difficult.
I have a lower body max effort every week obviously, so if I'm feeling especially good on one of those upcoming days I may just try a max squat in place of whatever I have planned for that week. I'm not going to force it though. Will just keep on the path and trust that the work will continue to pay off over time.
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I’m so happy to see you not giving in on workouts even when you get called upon. That bamboo bar sounds brutal
If your lower back Is getting tight fron benching. Maybe you need to add some more core work. I have them in my warmups most days. Leg days I do one leg wall sits. Dead day is planks. Just to get some more activation. I found that has helped my lower back pain.
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[QUOTE=Raigs;1622787911]I’m so happy to see you not giving in on workouts even when you get called upon. That bamboo bar sounds brutal
If your lower back Is getting tight fron benching. Maybe you need to add some more core work. I have them in my warmups most days. Leg days I do one leg wall sits. Dead day is planks. Just to get some more activation. I found that has helped my lower back pain.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, you're right. As I've cut back on volume over the last couple of weeks the core work has gotten the axe a lot of the time. I need to do it more consistently.
Stretching daily would help too. I was doing it consistently for about a month and it felt great, and I've neglected to do it for a while now.
Another easy change that should help would be to just change the order of my workouts, which I'm probably going to do starting tomorrow. I initially planned bench day before lower days thinking that the bench wouldn't impact the lower days much. It's proving not to be the case. I'll probably just swap the two. If that doesn't help, I'll add a rest day between my max effort workouts.
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[U]November 17, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Lower: Box Squat - 16 inch Box[/U]
[B]115 pounds (55% of 1RM) - 12 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Finally got the moving with some good speed. The two cues I focused on were pulling my lats down to assure upper back tightness, and keeping knees out to help maintain glute tension. These have been inconsistent for me, and it made a huge difference in the lift today.
[U]Dynamic Lower - Deficit Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]200 pounds (65% of 1RM) - 10 sets x 2 reps[/B]
[U]Glute Bridge[/U]
[B]45 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]Zercher Squat[/U]
[B]95 pounds x 8/10/10 reps[/B]
Tried these once before, but I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I was aiming for 15 reps and thought it was doable after a warmup with 65 pounds, but it wasn't happening. I got loosened up more after the first set, which is why I was able to get more reps in the following sets. I have to admit that I'm a HUGE fan of these at the moment. The pain in the crook of my elbows freaking sucks, but I love how it demands flexibility, and moves the focus of the squat to the quads. Getting strong at this lift should help a lot with being able to self correct when I lean forward to much on back squats (also should help with flexibility at the bottom of the lift so that I don't lean forward too much).
[U]Face Pull[/U]
[B]Mini Band - 3 sets x 20 reps[/B]
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Solid work in here. Sorry I been out a while. It seems your journal is not bumping itself up in my subs.
Hows new baby fatherhood treating you?
Also, great work on that 20 pound increase in bench. That is a great indication that what you are doing for bench is working. Zercher squats.... gonna have to give those a shot one day lol. They do seem like they would have a lot of carry over to back squat and probably even front squat.
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Yeah the kiddo becomes 1# before stretching. I just throw it in whenever I get 1 minute and just stretch throughout the day.
Great on finding a better feeling on the box squats. Messing around with one thing can change the whole lift.
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1622896511]Hows new baby fatherhood treating you?
Also, great work on that 20 pound increase in bench. That is a great indication that what you are doing for bench is working. Zercher squats.... gonna have to give those a shot one day lol. They do seem like they would have a lot of carry over to back squat and probably even front squat.[/QUOTE]
Everything is going great with the little one. I'm thankful that I still have 2 more weeks at home. I'd for sure be exhausted if I was working full time.
Zercher Squats are definitely closest to a Front Squat. It essentially is a Front Squat, just with the bar sitting lower. It's slightly less demanding of the upper back. But I agree that it should have some real carry over to the back squat. I expect it also to have some good carry over to my Sumo Deadlift as well.
[QUOTE=Raigs;1622903651]Yeah the kiddo becomes 1# before stretching. I just throw it in whenever I get 1 minute and just stretch throughout the day.
Great on finding a better feeling on the box squats. Messing around with one thing can change the whole lift.[/QUOTE]
For sure. It gets frustrating sometimes because these cues are things that I already know, and just have struggled to make them a habit. They really need to be incorporated into my squat routine and be something I do every time, so I'll need to work on that.
On the stretching, I do some throughout the day. I've just been neglecting (forgetting) to do the lower back specific stretches I had been doing for a while, so I'll need to get back into the habit of doing those.
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[U]November 18, 2020[/U]
[U]Dynamic Bench - Bench Press w/Bands[/U]
[B]65 pounds + Mini Band - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Floor Press w/Chains[/U]
[B]65 pounds + Chains - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]Bench Dip[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]Meadows Row[/U]
[B]25 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
[U]DB Shrug[/U]
[B]60 pounds - 15/12/12 reps[/B]
[U]Hanging Knee Raise[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 8/15/15 reps[/B]
Got in some good volume today. Dynamic Bench was flying up, probably too much because I was jumping all over the bench. Got some good triceps work in with the floor press and dips. Good upper back work with the shrugs and meadow's row. I made it through the full workout without any interruptions. :)
I'll take 2 rest days now, and then on Saturday I test out my max on Sumo Deadlift. The most I've ever done Sumo is 305. I'm hoping to hit at least 315. Think I have a good chance of even doing 325 or more.
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That is a good looking dynamic bench workout. Glad to see you got that leave from work to spend time with the baby and take some of the load off of mom. They have to go through hell, so the least we can do is baby the hell out of them for a little while after they go through that battle :D
[QUOTE=CW47;1622937771]Zercher Squats are definitely closest to a Front Squat. It essentially is a Front Squat, just with the bar sitting lower. It's slightly less demanding of the upper back.
[/QUOTE]
I feel like you lied to me lol. Just tried Zerchers today and they played hell on the traps and shoulders! But they are definitely fun
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I’m here for the max attempt on deads!!! You got it.
Nice that you got an uninterrupted workout in. Once the kiddo is a few months you should be getting all of them without bother. So that’s something to look forward to. :)
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[QUOTE=WolfRose7;1622996911]nice session that one[/QUOTE]
Thank you! It felt really good. :)
[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1623005031]That is a good looking dynamic bench workout. Glad to see you got that leave from work to spend time with the baby and take some of the load off of mom. They have to go through hell, so the least we can do is baby the hell out of them for a little while after they go through that battle :D
I feel like you lied to me lol. Just tried Zerchers today and they played hell on the traps and shoulders! But they are definitely fun[/QUOTE]
Yeah, no kidding - momma deserves a break.
LMAO regarding the Zerchers! I haven't had a chance to check your log yet, but my guess would be that it's because of a difference in the amount of weight we're lifting. 95 pounds isn't going to be enough to stress much of anything.
[QUOTE=Raigs;1623005401]I’m here for the max attempt on deads!!! You got it.
Nice that you got an uninterrupted workout in. Once the kiddo is a few months you should be getting all of them without bother. So that’s something to look forward to. :)[/QUOTE]
Oh yeah!!! I'm ready to do this! I think that swapping my upper and lower days will have me coming into my max lower days feeling really well rested and recovered. It would/will be nice to do some deads and squats without a super tight lower back...
I'm looking forward to uninterrupted workouts. It's really hard to get back into a workout after stepping away for an hour...
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Dude I know the feeling I’ve even taken another scoop of pre workout to get back into it. In the end I just warm up again and start where I left off once you get moving it’s gravy. Just need to get moving and don’t have negative thoughts or excuses.
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[QUOTE=Raigs;1623041831]Dude I know the feeling I’ve even taken another scoop of pre workout to get back into it. In the end I just warm up again and start where I left off once you get moving it’s gravy. Just need to get moving and don’t have negative thoughts or excuses.[/QUOTE]Yeah, it's completely a mental challenge. Need to just be able to re-focus and get back into it.
[U]November 21, 2020[/U]
This workout was done yesterday. Had my parents visiting for the weekend, so I did a minimalist workout of only the main lift.
[U]Max Effort Lower: Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]315 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
Worked up to 305 without any issues. On the rep at 305 I struggled get into a well leveraged position at the bottom, and you can see in the video that I was fidgeting about trying to get my hips, knees, and back all into the right place. Despite this, the lift went up relatively smoothly once it broke off the floor. Felt like I had quite a bit still in me so I jumped up to 325. I failed at that twice, being unable to get it off the floor. I was not going to settle for matching my previous PR on this lift, so I dropped by down to 315. Failed the first attempt there as well, still struggling to get into a good position at the bottom of the lift. On the next attempt I was determined that it was going up no matter what. Ended up slightly rounding my upper back to get the bar moving. It went up smoothly once it was off the floor. The lockout felt good at the time, but after reviewing the video it probably wouldn't have qualified as a good lift in a competition. I got full back extension, but it looks like I didn't fully lock out my legs. I had to drop the weight quicker than I wanted to because my grip was slipping. Lucky for me this wasn't a competition, and it's going as a completed lift in my book. ;)
Anyway, I'm pretty frustrated by my struggles in getting into a good position at the bottom, and therefore not being able to get the bar moving off the floor, especially since the weight feels relatively light once it gets moving. Hopefully the Deficit Sumo Deadlifts will help with this. Not sure what else I should be doing, aside from working on my flexibility.
Video includes the completed reps at 305 and 315.
[youtube]fuvhkRx_SwQ[/youtube]
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[B][U]November 23, 2020[/U][/B]
[U]Max Bench: Incline Bench Press - 45 degree w/Chains[/U]
[B]115 pounds + 2 Chains x 1 rep[/B]
[I]*Note: 2 Chains + 2 Carabiners = 35 pounds[/I]
Touch and go - I definitely tried to take advantage of some bounce off the bottom (and as you can see in the video below, I probably needed it). This one was a grinder. I moved the touch point up higher than last time, and it helped a lot, felt like a much more natural movement.
[youtube]QFd9VFv5ARc[/youtube]
[U]Bench Press: Bamboo Bar[/U]
[B]76 pounds (6lbs bar + 70lbs) - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Pushup: Close - Feet elevated 16 inches[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Kroc Row[/U]
[B]60 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]DB Shoulder Press[/U]
[B]65 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Decline Crunch[/U]
[B]40 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
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[B][U]November 25, 2020[/U][/B]
[U]Dynamic Lower: Box Squat - 16 inch Box[/U]
[B]130 pounds (60% of 1RM) - 10 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Wow! Implemented a small change that MyEgoProblem shared from Calgary Barbell, and it resulted in the best feeling squats I've ever done. Essential it just entails setting the angle of your back before starting the descent. I can't believe how much of a difference this made.
[U]Dynamic Lower - Deficit Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]215 pounds (70% of 1RM) - 8 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Again, implemented a change suggested by WolfRose7 and MyEgoProblem to start with my hips slightly higher. In multiple rep sets, the first rep has always felt worse than those that followed. Today I paid more attention to hip height when watching the video, and noticed that my hips were just slightly (maybe 1 inch) lower on the first rep than on the second. Made a conscious effort to keep them a little higher, and this change felt fantastic also. I was much more explosive off the floor, and it felt like everything was lined up correctly and I could just push from the ground up.
[U]Glute Bridge[/U]
[B]45 pounds - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
These seemed to hammer my hamstrings more than my glutes. Not sure if it's because I'm doing them incorrectly, or if my hammy's are just that weak right now. Both legs were cramping. The exercise felt great though.
[U]Zercher Squat[/U]
[B]125 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
Added 30 pounds and more reps now that I was somewhat comfortable with this lift. I video'd one of the sets but for some reason I couldn't get it downloaded. Felt good though.
[U]Face Pull[/U]
[B]Mini Band - 3 sets x 25 reps[/B]
Video shows 1 set each of Box Squats and Deficit Sumo Deadlifts.
[youtube]UREiQNGBQAk[/youtube]
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[B][U]November 26, 2020[/U][/B]
[U]Dynamic Bench - Bench Press w/Bands[/U]
[B]75 pounds + 2 Mini Bands - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Floor Press w/Chains[/U]
[B]75 pounds + 2 Chains (15 lbs/ea) - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Bench Dip - Feet elevated 16 inches[/U]
[B]Bodyweight + 10 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]Meadows Row[/U]
[B]35 pounds - 3 sets x 12 reps[/B]
[U]DB Shrug[/U]
[B]65 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Hanging Knee Raise[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
Good solid workout today. The weight felt 5-10 pounds too light on all of the lifts except the Dips and Knee Raises. I'll gradually get them dialed in though.
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Every time I reply to this thread I get an error. Testing to see if it still holds
Edit: Solid work lately. Very solid. I think your programming and the way you are approaching the lifts is paying off in both strength increases and the lift forms
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Nice DL session. Its great to have this community people offer advice and most of the time its really good advice. Thats great it felt better. Probably will have a nice jump in weights going with that advice
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1623866271]Solid work lately. Very solid. I think your programming and the way you are approaching the lifts is paying off in both strength increases and the lift forms[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I must be doing something right because you're right - I'm seeing good improvement in both areas. :)
[QUOTE=Raigs;1623899811]Nice DL session. Its great to have this community people offer advice and most of the time its really good advice. Thats great it felt better. Probably will have a nice jump in weights going with that advice[/QUOTE]I think so! And yeah, the advice I've received, and the things I've learned from following logs and reading posts around this forum has been really invaluable.
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[B][U]November 28, 2020[/U][/B]
I'm changing up the rep ranges on my accessory/supplemental lifts quite a bit compared to what I've been doing over the last couple of months. They'll be ranging from 2 to 20 rep sets. Trying to gauge how my body will react to these different rep ranges. I had some 6x4's in today's workout, which I've never done before.
Overall, this workout really hammered my legs and my upper back. I'm feeling the pain now (in a good way)
[U]Max Effort Lower: Front Squat w/Bands[/U]
[B]155 pounds + 2 mini bands x 1 rep[/B]
I've never even been able to front squat 155 pounds before, much less with the extra resistance. My lack of reps with this lift really showed. Reps were somewhat inconsistent during the ramp up, with some good ones and some not so good. In the 155 pound rep you'll see in the video below that I leaned forward a fair amount, actually banging into the rack near the bottom. Still managed to complete the rep somehow. I attempted a rep at 165 but wasn't so fortunate. Weight shifted forward once again and I wasn't able to overcome it. I for sure have another 10 to 20 pounds in me if my form was decent. This is a good result for me though, and I'm happy with it.
[U]Good Morning[/U]
[B]155 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps[/B]
Starting to get more comfortable with this exercise finally. However, it's still one of the few lifts where I'm still hesitant to really let it rip for fear of reinjuring my back. I'm slowly building confidence.
[U]Bulgarian Split Squat[/U]
[B]70 pounds - 6 sets x 4 reps[/B]
[U]T-Bar Row[/U]
[B]140 pounds - 6 sets x 4 reps[/B]
[U]Wide Grip Pullup[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 5 reps[/B]
5 reps doesn't seem like much, but going back a year or two I wasn't even able to do 1 rep with a wide grip because of my shoulder issues. My shoulder strength has increased enormously, and it definitely shows on this exercise.
Video shows the Front Squat.
[youtube]-II-jBfus-A[/youtube]
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Your problem with your front squat is not your form. It is where you anchored your bands. The fact that those bands did not rip 155 off your delts is a pretty amazing testament to your strength and determination lol. I bet if you had those bands anchored further back towards your heels you would not have had the same issue.
That or lose the bands for front squat. The front squat is one of those lifts that seems to lend itself to speed anyway. Even the most grinding front squat rep looks fast.
Glad to see you are enjoying GMs. I would only offer a small suggestion. Try them in the higher rep range. You did 5x5. I would recommend trying 3x8-12. GMs are great in any rep range but keeping them lighter will reduce the risk of lower back injury, which you said you are afraid of, and I think most people find them more effective when used in the high rep ranges.
I know Wendler likes 12-15 reps on them. My personal preference is 8-12, although I will go heavy with them sometimes.
Great work on the front squat and GMs. But an even bigger congrats on the pullups! I know it feels good to have such a great improvement on them!
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[QUOTE=400Lb Gorilla;1623997481]Your problem with your front squat is not your form. It is where you anchored your bands. The fact that those bands did not rip 155 off your delts is a pretty amazing testament to your strength and determination lol. I bet if you had those bands anchored further back towards your heels you would not have had the same issue.
That or lose the bands for front squat. The front squat is one of those lifts that seems to lend itself to speed anyway. Even the most grinding front squat rep looks fast.
Glad to see you are enjoying GMs. I would only offer a small suggestion. Try them in the higher rep range. You did 5x5. I would recommend trying 3x8-12. GMs are great in any rep range but keeping them lighter will reduce the risk of lower back injury, which you said you are afraid of, and I think most people find them more effective when used in the high rep ranges.
I know Wendler likes 12-15 reps on them. My personal preference is 8-12, although I will go heavy with them sometimes.
Great work on the front squat and GMs. But an even bigger congrats on the pullups! I know it feels good to have such a great improvement on them![/QUOTE]
Thanks for the great feedback! I'll take all of it onboard and implement it. ;)
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[B][U]November 29, 2020[/U][/B]
I typed up more detailed comments initially, but I got an error when submitting the reply and lost it all...
[U]Max Bench: Floor Press - Close Grip[/U]
[B]165 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
[U]Bench Press: Bamboo Bar[/U]
[B]96 pounds (6lbs bar + 90lbs) - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
Bar was all over the place on the first set (see video below), and got much better in the following sets.
[U]Pushup: Close - Feet elevated 16 inches[/U]
[B]Bodyweight + 10 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
[U]Kroc Row[/U]
[B]75 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
[U]DB Shoulder Press[/U]
[B]75 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
[U]Decline Crunch[/U]
[B]50 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Video shows the Floor Press max attempt, and the first set with the Bamboo Bar.
[youtube]pXDTTiXXbhg[/youtube]
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[B][U]December 2, 2020[/U][/B]
Since I'm back at work full time this week, time is at a premium. Posts are probably going to be brief or non-existent on weekdays, but I'll put them up when I'm able to. Apologies to all of you who have been following along, and those of you whose logs I'm following - I'm probably going to be pretty inactive for a while.
[U]Dynamic Lower: Box Squat - 16 inch Box[/U]
[B]140 pounds (65% of 1RM) - 8 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Moved fast again. Feeling great!
[U]Dynamic Lower - Deficit Sumo Deadlift[/U]
[B]230 pounds (75% of 1RM) - 6 sets x 2 reps[/B]
Fasted reps I've had in a long time. Feeling great here too!
[U]Glute Bridge[/U]
[B]Bodyweight - 3 sets x 20 reps[/B]
[U]Zercher Squat[/U]
[B]135 pounds - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Got called away for an "emergency" during the 3rd rep on the final set. My son was breast feeding for the first time in about 2 weeks, lol. Did a little dance in celebration, then went back to finish up my set. I almost fell on my ass on the fifth rep. This lift is brutal. I'll do them again, but I'm glad I'm not doing them again next week, lmao!
[U]Face Pull[/U]
[B]Light Band - 3 sets x 15 reps[/B]
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[B][U]December 2, 2020[/U][/B]
Posting up yesterday's workout. Not much time to get through it, so I worked fast and had to cut out some lifts. The benching work was really solid. Bar moved quickly and smoothly on all reps.
[U]Dynamic Bench - Bench Press w/Bands[/U]
[B]85 pounds + 2 Mini Bands - 9 sets x 3 reps[/B]
[U]Floor Press w/Chains[/U]
[B]85 pounds + 2 Chains (15 lbs/ea) - 3 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]DB Shrug[/U]
[B]77.5 pounds - 3 sets x 8 reps[/B]
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[B][U]December 5, 2020[/U][/B]
Did this workout yesterday. Time was short, so I didn't have time to post it.
[U]Max Effort Lower: Conventional Deadlift[/U]
[B]325 pounds x 1 rep[/B]
I setup for an attempt at 345 after the 325 moved smoothly. As I was pulling the slack out and starting to push, it just didn't feel quite right so I shut it down right away. Still not confident my back will hold up. I didn't attempt to move the weight with any explosiveness at all. The reps move almost in slow motion as I focused on bracing and maintaining tightness throughout. I'm actually surprised how easily the 325 went up. Were I to throw caution to the wind an yank that sucker off the floor, I think 365 was definitely there. I'm not going to be doing that anytime soon though. I'm happy to keep Sumo as my main deadlift, and hit easy singles on conventional.
[U]Squat - Banded[/U]
[B]95 pounds + 2 Mini Bands - 5 sets x 5 reps[/B]
These hit my legs much harder than a normal squat. It felt great on the muscles, but was somewhat awkward. I'm hoping to get much more comfortable with these over the next couple of weeks, and be able to add on more weight.
[U]Pullthrough - Banded[/U]
[B]Light Band - 4 sets x 10 reps[/B]
[U]Row - Banded[/U]
[B]Average Band - 4 sets x 10 reps[/B]
Video shows the 325 x 1 Deadlift
[youtube]FFeZL3Cez6w[/youtube]
Also, I finally ordered a belt for some additional support when squatting and deadlifting. Never used one before, so I'm eager to see what the impact is. Got a 10mm Untreated Pioneer Cut Belt: [url]https://generalleathercraft.com/product/10mm-thick-untreated-stock-pioneer-cut-power-lifting-belt/[/url]
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[B][U]December 6, 2020[/U][/B]
[U]Max Bench: Bench Press - Banded[/U]
[B]165 pounds + 2 Mini Bands x 1 rep[/B]
Making good progress on maintaining stability throughout the lift. I felt a little wobbly today, but watching back the video I can see that I was actually much more stable than I was 6 (or even 2) weeks ago. It for sure puts me in a position to better utilize whatever strength I have to complete the lift. I thinking I may be able to realistically hit 180-185 next time I max out on Bench Press, which we put me at about a 30 pound increase in 3 months.
[U]Incline Press: 30 Degree - w/Fat Grip[/U]
[B]95 pounds - 5 sets x 5 reps[/B]
Not sure why I programmed these to be done with Fat Grips. They really don't seem to have any benefit on lifts like this. There's a minor increase to ROM, but it's pretty minimal. I probably won't use them on pressing exercises in the future.
[U]Kneeling Overhead Press[/U]
[B]95 pounds - 6 sets x 4 reps[/B]
Video shows the Max Bench attempt from today.
[youtube]vZsvsewA1-c[/youtube]
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Great work on the deadlift and max bench. Just a question, sorry if you already answered this, but why do you prefer sumo? I know you said you dont trust your lower back for conventional but you made that 325 look easy and right. Your chest may have come up a little faster than the hips, but overall that was a great looking pull!