ITT: Share your unconventional or unpopular training idea's

[JamesA1990]

If you've got some different, unconventional or interesting training ideologies id love to hear them.

Also explain your reasoning if you like!



Sumo Vs Conventional

For me - I compete with conventional stance deadlift but i train sumo MORE than conv. Even to the point where sumo has surpassed my conventional for rep work

Why? Sumo feels like a safer movement for my back and i can get a lot more work done. Conventional my back is put into more compromising positions but i can maintain it for a single rep


Rows?

I've also completely ignored all rowing movements. I have a texas method and sheiko training background, sheiko gives absolutely no mention to rows. In response to a question about rowing, 'what kind of rows would benefit my bench?' Boris Sheiko i believe said something like 'what kind of bench press would benefit my rows?'. Ive decided to do a 180 on this (for the first time) and im going to try to develop a huge barbell row. Mainly because if nothing else, it will bring up a weakness



Project Momentum - working on your weaknesses

Mike Tusherer from RTS did a experiment with several hundred lifters, split the group up between people who were 'good' at high reps and people who were 'bad' at high reps. He determined this by testing their 1RM, then using 80% to do an AMRAP. 8+ reps means you were good at high reps, 7 and below meant you were 'bad' at low reps. Then he split those groups in half, half were given a high rep program and half were given a low rep program (higher intensity).

the findings was that the groups that trained what they were bad at was the group that improved the most on their 1RM. People that were bad at low reps benefited a lot from training at higher reps, and the group that was good at high reps benefited a lot from training with lower reps and higher intensity. (as apposed to the opposite)

I found this quite interesting, im definitely a 'low rep' kind of guy, especially from the Sheiko background from lots and lots of doubles and triples, so this training cycle and the next im going to be doing sets of 8's 7's and 6's then a peak, rather than 5's 4's 3's 2' 1's etc



Over head / Shoulder work

I've ignored all shoulder work too (apart from face pulls). This might be my next area a try to bring up after rows, but probably not for a few training cycles



My competition best lifts (IPF) are

Squat 240 / 529

Bench 160 / 353

Deadlift 280 / 617. (missed 300 / 661 at lockout)

[RmBoyos]

always have snacks after squats
time my workouts to see how efficient i get over time
blue monster is better than white monster

[JamesA1990]

always have snacks after squats
time my workouts to see how efficient i get over time
blue monster is better than white monster

I like it. I get hungry by the time I've finished squats but I eat right before, usually gets me through

[AFC96]

Project Momentum - working on your weaknesses

This sucks lol. I'm coached by RTS and since Project Momentum results seems like they implemented to their athletes immediately. My training has been 8-9-10-11 reps on squats/bench/good morning and ONLY 1 heavy SBD exercise/week.

Officially a crossfit athlete.

[RmBoyos]

I like it. I get hungry by the time I've finished squats but I eat right before, usually gets me through

and deadlifts i find as well

a nice little sugar bump - usually have a full tube of fruit pastilles (about 200 cals, 48g sugar)

[lhprop1]

This is more related to recovery/treatment, but I feel that ice should only be used in your drinks.

For nearly a decade, I've been (unpopularly and quite possibly incorrectly) refusing to use ice for any injuries, bumps, hurts, etc. Seeing how blood flow is necessary to a speedy recovery and seeing as how ice restricts blood flow, I've chosen to ignore the "RICE" acronym. In my personal experience, ice is nothing but a temporary topical pain reliever. Over 20 years of playing rugby and 13 years of competing in strongman comps, I've had to deal with quite a few injuries. Ever since I stopped using ice, my recovery time has been much faster, even as I get older.

As far as an acute injury like a twisted ankle, I prefer to wrap that summabich immediately, as in within a minute of it happening. If you prevent the swelling from ever happening in the first place, there's no need to ice it.

I know this may be unpopular and I know that I've got no medical training in any capacity. This is just what I've learned from personal experience and it works for me.

*This post is solely the personal ramblings of a busted up old guy and does not claim to provide medical advice in any way. Don't sue me.

[Domf3]

Once a week I like to hit 5 sets of squats without a belt in the 12-15 rep range to develop my lower back. I use an E-stim unit to relax muscles in my neck when they get tight.

[jonkunneman]

Always deadlift with straps, and dedicate 1 day to grip

[Beachmuscles13]

I see every one grinding.

I avoid grinders like the plague. I tend to sale short a rep on my top end work. I personally feel a grinder aches my tendons for weeks. I did a bench grinder a week ago because I am preping a comp. I still feel like trash and those where my openers. I haven't maxed since my last comp and people ask me what they are? I am like I don't know but I was doing this amount for 1 rep and now I get it like 3 reps

Is this weird?

[themonkay]

Not sure if unpopular but I think controlled TNG Deadlifts are a great way to get some volume in; similar to TNG Bench.

[RmBoyos]

Not sure if unpopular but I think controlled TNG Deadlifts are a great way to get some volume in; similar to TNG Bench.

i do this too! love it

on the topic of DL's

always use straps unless going for a PR or in the last 2-3 weeks of a peak

why? because if you have a mixed grip, the right side of your body is getting slightly different stimulus to the left - which over time can lead to issues - straps eliminate this, and then you can do a comp grip when peaking...

[screamingjesus]

Using straps too much makes under-over feel weird. Specificity is important.

[deadliftosaurus]

I have started the smolov full squat cycle but instead doing it for the squat I am doing it for the deadlift. And it is rearly painful to my back coz i do four times deadlift per week with a lot of weight sets and reps. Fkin insane.

[JamesA1990]

I have started the smolov full squat cycle but instead doing it for the squat I am doing it for the deadlift. And it is rearly painful to my back coz i do four times deadlift per week with a lot of weight sets and reps. Fkin insane.

Hey,

thats really fukked up man. I said unconventional not retarded

lol jk.... good luck. Let us know how that goes...

[Fuge0]

Hey,

thats really fukked up man. I said unconventional not retarded

lol jk.... good luck. Let us know how that goes...

lmao

indeed i don't think deadlifting 4 times a week is a brilliant idea...

be safe deadliftosoraus

be safe

[lhprop1]

Hey,

thats really fukked up man. I said unconventional not retarded

lol jk.... good luck. Let us know how that goes...

He's no mere mortal like you or me. His name is deadliftosaurus, after all.

[deadliftosaurus]

forum(.)bodybuilding(.)com/showthread(.)php?t=174155251 I opened a thread about it
nevertheless it is the hardest programme I have ever done my back hurts during the warm up. I have adopted at some point even though the program becomes harder by the day mostly because of the unrecovered muscles.
Tomorrow I finish the second week of the base cycle with 10sets of 3*220 with my 250max so I only have 1 week to finish the brutal basic cycle. the rest I think is easier coz I never did so many reps or sets.
----UNFORTUNATELY, I'm so dead after each set that I cant do any other exercise so I just walk a little and the do some stretching. I do like 5minutes rest between sets and it takes me around an hour to finish each session. Its hard and unconventional :P...

[rdferguson]

On upper body I superset everything. I still give myself plenty of rest after each superset, but every press is followed immediately by some kind of pull. This includes on warm up sets. It's not unusual for me to end up doing ~10 sets of pull ups in a work out because of all my bench press warm ups and work sets.

I squat and deadlift on the same day. I don't even modulate things so that heavy squats are paired with a light deadlift variation.

I frequently do more than 1 work set of deadlifts, often for more reps than can normally be counted on one hand. Yesterday I did 3x5 conventional and 3x10 sumo (although normally I do conventional and sumo on different days). I also swap which hand goes over and which hand goes under to make it as even as possible. I started out always doing right over left under, and it only took about 6 weeks before my lat activation was completely imbalanced on deadlifts and everything else.

I'm mostly uninterested in carry-over between exercises. For example, I don't do CGBP or inclines for carry-over into bench -- I do them because they add to overall pressing volume, break the monotony and make me prettier. I find that so long as everything is overall balanced and I do at least a couple good work sets of the main lifts, it doesn't matter much performance-wise what assistance exercises I do so long as I do them.

[blue9steel]

For bodybuilding purposes I think touch and go deadlifts are better than dead stop. I also think that doing 1x5 deadlifts weekly is a ridiculously low amount of volume that leads to poor posterior chain strength.

[JamesA1990]

Always deadlift with straps, and dedicate 1 day to grip

i used to avoid straps like nothing else. Thought it would negatively affect my grip. Now im starting to be smarter as i can get in more work since its not my grip is giving out, its that my hands are so beat up and sore

I see every one grinding.

I avoid grinders like the plague. I tend to sale short a rep on my top end work. I personally feel a grinder aches my tendons for weeks. I did a bench grinder a week ago because I am preping a comp. I still feel like trash and those where my openers. I haven't maxed since my last comp and people ask me what they are? I am like I don't know but I was doing this amount for 1 rep and now I get it like 3 reps

Is this weird?

im with you here. I havent failed a single rep in training in well over a year, never push it to that point. clean reps ftw

Not sure if unpopular but I think controlled TNG Deadlifts are a great way to get some volume in; similar to TNG Bench.

This is another thing ive only just started doing too, still hate tng bench tho - just doing feels right

[JamesA1990]

forum(.)bodybuilding(.)com/showthread(.)php?t=174155251 I opened a thread about it
nevertheless it is the hardest programme I have ever done my back hurts during the warm up. I have adopted at some point even though the program becomes harder by the day mostly because of the unrecovered muscles.
Tomorrow I finish the second week of the base cycle with 10sets of 3*220 with my 250max so I only have 1 week to finish the brutal basic cycle. the rest I think is easier coz I never did so many reps or sets.
----UNFORTUNATELY, I'm so dead after each set that I cant do any other exercise so I just walk a little and the do some stretching. I do like 5minutes rest between sets and it takes me around an hour to finish each session. Its hard and unconventional :P...

are you still alive?

[brotein1992]

I pull with straps 95% of the time and in every single meet I've done I set a pr. Hook grip crew

[Partyrocking]

@lhprop1- the founder of RICE doesn't support it anymore. I think he'd agree w/ everything you wrote.

I start every workout with facepulls and pullups.

I pretty much ignore OHP. I know it's a staple, but I've never found any carryover with it and my bench, so I just bench more instead.

I record myself a lot. I probably look like an IG blowhard, but I find that I slip into bad habits quickly if I don't keep checking my form.

[melDorado]

I never heard of anyone else doing this but it's my goto accessory for strengthening my pull at below knee level

I pull in the rack with the safeties on the lowest setting. My rack has like a 2" deficit which is helpful. I pull about 65% of my 1rm until it hits the pins and then I keep pulling against them for as long and as hard as I can. I do like 3 or 4 sets of 2 usually. I get weird af looks and occasionally the safeties fall out but I swear by it srs

[Zarthon]

I used to start my 2nd bench day with OHP. Since relegating it to accessory status on my volume bench days, my bench has had more noticeable improvement than when I started with OHP then benched after that. I still use it as a shoulder focus day and do shoulder accessories after benching that day but OHP being dropped to a second lift has definitely helped my bench improve.

[Andalite]

I never heard of anyone else doing this but it's my goto accessory for strengthening my pull at below knee level

I pull in the rack with the safeties on the lowest setting. My rack has like a 2" deficit which is helpful. I pull about 65% of my 1rm until it hits the pins and then I keep pulling against them for as long and as hard as I can. I do like 3 or 4 sets of 2 usually. I get weird af looks and occasionally the safeties fall out but I swear by it srs

We call these Graduated Deadlift Struggle Sets (GDSS) and we do this at varying heights (hence the word "Graduated") and he use 90%+ of our maxes with this. So for example,

GDSS @ Shins @ 3 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Knees @ 5 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Thighs @ 10 seconds @ 90%
Repeat this maybe once
Regular DL @ 90% for a single

This is a sample workout.

[rdferguson]

I used to start my 2nd bench day with OHP. Since relegating it to accessory status on my volume bench days, my bench has had more noticeable improvement than when I started with OHP then benched after that. I still use it as a shoulder focus day and do shoulder accessories after benching that day but OHP being dropped to a second lift has definitely helped my bench improve.

I would expect that to work. You're getting more practice on the bench press while fresh and doing the most important part of the workout (for bench press) up front. That tends to get positive results.

I never heard of anyone else doing this but it's my goto accessory for strengthening my pull at below knee level

I pull in the rack with the safeties on the lowest setting. My rack has like a 2" deficit which is helpful. I pull about 65% of my 1rm until it hits the pins and then I keep pulling against them for as long and as hard as I can. I do like 3 or 4 sets of 2 usually. I get weird af looks and occasionally the safeties fall out but I swear by it srs

We call these Graduated Deadlift Struggle Sets (GDSS) and we do this at varying heights (hence the word "Graduated") and he use 90%+ of our maxes with this. So for example,

GDSS @ Shins @ 3 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Knees @ 5 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Thighs @ 10 seconds @ 90%
Repeat this maybe once
Regular DL @ 90% for a single

This is a sample workout.

I was first introduced to this kind of training when I was 17. Unfortunately, I was introduced to it via something like Men's Health (can't remember exactly which crappy source it was), which butchered the whole concept and taught me to do it in a way that only served to build up my ego and not my actual strength or muscle mass But done right, it's a great way to target weak points, learn to exert force (and keep exerting it!) and/or contribute to overload.

[JamesA1990]

We call these Graduated Deadlift Struggle Sets (GDSS) and we do this at varying heights (hence the word "Graduated") and he use 90%+ of our maxes with this. So for example,

GDSS @ Shins @ 3 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Knees @ 5 seconds @ 90%
GDSS @ Thighs @ 10 seconds @ 90%
Repeat this maybe once
Regular DL @ 90% for a single

This is a sample workout.

I know it as isometric training, i've had it highly recommended to me by a very high level powerlifter but havent found a suitable time to set aside a good few weeks of it

The way he suggested was using a weight quite a bit lower than 90% and once it hits the pins you keep trying to power through it

[Andalite]

I know it as isometric training, i've had it highly recommended to me by a very high level powerlifter but havent found a suitable time to set aside a good few weeks of it

The way he suggested was using a weight quite a bit lower than 90% and once it hits the pins you keep trying to power through it.

Yes this is the same.

[RVAPump]

I bench press 4x per week