Dom's STRENGTH & SIZE journal: chasing a big deadlift

[Dominik]

WEEK 2 - Volume phase - Squats - 12/9/06

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1. Squats (singles: wide stance, breaking parallel) @ 90-95%

Warmup

135 x 12
225 x 5
315 x 3
350 x 1

Work sets

450 x 1
475 x 1
450 x 1
450 x 1
450 x 1

Squats (triples: wide stance, breaking parallel)

420 x 3
420 x 3
420 x 3

Squats (rep work: medium-wide stance, breaking parallel)

365 x 8

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2. Good Mornings (arched back, 15-30°)

Warmup

225 x 5

Work sets

300 x 6
300 x 6
300 x 6

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3. Hanging Leg Raises

3 x 15 (+35)

4. Back extensions (45°)

100 x 20
100 x 15
100 x 15

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Sets: 18 - Workout time: 55 mins

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Comments: Solid workout. Wore the belt on all work sets.

[JBElite]

Very strong session as always Dom. Good mornings with that much weight astounds me ! When you have a squat session with heavy singles like that, can you describe how you go about doing them, as far as rest periods in between and whatnot. I know anything in the +90% range is going to be more taxing, but I would like to get an idea as to how hard you push yourself in respect to the rest periods when doing singles because sometimes I feel like I'm lollygagging, and other times I think to myself "well I am getting up there close to my max."

[Andalite]

awesome..

im sorry if i sound like a retard, but how much experience do u have? and how much do u weigh and what are ur lift stats?? the reason i ask is because ur soo damn strong and i think u told me ur still in univrsity. am i right?

[dbcb314]

How is that belt feeling?

I hope to get one over Christmas some time... I am sick of this cheap, POS belt I have...

[Dominik]

Very strong session as always Dom. Good mornings with that much weight astounds me ! When you have a squat session with heavy singles like that, can you describe how you go about doing them, as far as rest periods in between and whatnot. I know anything in the +90% range is going to be more taxing, but I would like to get an idea as to how hard you push yourself in respect to the rest periods when doing singles because sometimes I feel like I'm lollygagging, and other times I think to myself "well I am getting up there close to my max."

Thanks JB. Because I've been training this way for a while, several singles with 90% is something I'm comfortable with, it's the 95-100% sets that I have to psychologically prepare for and rest longer on. Generally anywhere from 2-5 mins on max effort work, depending on how I feel, some workouts I feel a lot stronger and fresher than others, but I'll rest as long as necessary going for a PR on squats and deads.

With the GMs, I know a lot of people do them all the way to parallel, but I don't go quite that deep since I see no reason to. My back never goes under 30° on deads and unless I was getting totally stapled on squats, it wouldn't get anywhere near that. As I understand it, it's no longer the erectors bearing the load beyond that point so much as the ligaments, and I can't say that's something I want to be testing out too often.

awesome..

im sorry if i sound like a retard, but how much experience do u have? and how much do u weigh and what are ur lift stats?? the reason i ask is because ur soo damn strong and i think u told me ur still in univrsity. am i right?

I've been training for 4 years. 6'1", 253lbs. Nope, not studying anything. re: strength, I put it down to genetics, the way I train, and simply being very determined to continually lift more.

While I've made weight progression a priority from day one and I've always wanted to be strong, this past 18 months or so I've really stepped it up. It's easy to feel strong when you're a big fish in a small pond. It's when I took more of an interest in powerlifting and saw how strong some guys were in videos online, 220+, that I realized I wasn't **** and I had to aim higher. It's paying off.

How is that belt feeling?

I hope to get one over Christmas some time... I am sick of this cheap, POS belt I have...

Feels good D. Didn't feel so good when I got it though. They don't lie when they say you have to break them in. Like I told you, I almost couldn't get it off. So when you get one, 4", either 10 or 13mm, spend a bit of time rolling it up in both directions, to loosen it up. Once it's been broken in, it's comfortable.

[vdWesthuizen]

nice session once again,

sorry if you've answered this, i know you go to about 30degs on the GMs, but what kind of form do you use? slow up and down? or more like the O-lift type seen in this video?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tpA47OUohpM

thanks.

[G_Train]

I am envious of those GMS Sir Dom

[EoR]

Heavy squats and then heavy GMS after; hardcore DOM

I just got into GMs myself, but I am limited to what I can comfortably clean and press and then BTN press and catch

[Dominik]

nice session once again,

sorry if you've answered this, i know you go to about 30degs on the GMs, but what kind of form do you use? slow up and down? or more like the O-lift type seen in this video?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tpA47OUohpM

I occasionally do them exactly like like that with an explosive movement, but I'd describe what I normally do as arched back GMs, but I don't go to parallel. I like the Oly GMs, and I'd like to make room for both on separate days or rotate them.

I am envious of those GMS Sir Dom

G, at lot of my strength is in my lower back and glutes. That's why I'm confident when I bring my legs up to match their strength I'll be as comfortable on squats as I am on deads.

Heavy squats and then heavy GMS after; hardcore DOM

I just got into GMs myself, but I am limited to what I can comfortably clean and press and then BTN press and catch

You need to get your mitts on a power rack my friend. You can then set the pins to a safe depth and GM as much as you want. But for now I'll settle for hearing the words "I bought some chalk."

[aqua-beowulf]

You need to get your mitts on a power rack my friend. You can then set the pins to a safe depth and GM as much as you want. But for now I'll settle for hearing the words "I bought some chalk."

Don't waste your breath Dom. I've been after him to buy a power rack for longer than you've been harassing him about chalk

*In Yoda voice... "Stubborn, that one is"*

[Dominik]

Don't waste your breath Dom. I've been after him to buy a power rack for longer than you've been harassing him about chalk

*In Yoda voice... "Stubborn, that one is"*

Haha, I can tell. If I was training at home, that would be the first piece of gear I'd buy. It all revolves around the rack. No point cheating yourself out of using heavy weight because you can't hold onto it (no chalk or straps) or get it into position for squats and MP. Since he knows all this, at least he can't plead ignorance

[PhreEkGarden]

Thanks for the reply about my video dom, I replied with a question to it. Man I would love to see some videos of you deadlifting. =P

[Dominik]

Thanks for the reply about my video dom, I replied with a question to it. Man I would love to see some videos of you deadlifting. =P

No problem. It's always good to make a few adjustments while your back is healthy. Nothing worse than being in denial with your form for too long, it eventually bites you on the ass, and then even with perfect form lifting is painful.

I'm definitely up for it, but I'm currently training at the worst possible place for it right now and at the busiest times since that's the only time my training partner can train. There's rarely a single piece of equipment free when I walk in it's so busy unlike that big ass gym Hola trains in that looks like a warehouse with nobody within 100ft of the guy.

It's something I'll have to do for important milestones, not just for this journal, but for my own records so I can look back on the progress I've made. If I got seriously injured tomorrow and couldn't train, even though I do it for myself and no one else, it'd be a shame not to have a record of my best achievements. Only people who know me could vouch for it.

[ShreddedShruggin]

unlike that big ass gym Hola trains in that looks like a warehouse with nobody within 100ft of the guy.

Yeah well thats what happens when you go weeks at a time without bathing/showering.

-Grimface

[PhreEkGarden]

Is it a problem that im not really starting with my butt real low? as long as when I lift it my shoulders go up with my hips? Thats the only thing I meant when I was comparing to Konstantinovs. He seems to start with his butt high. Is that something I should try not to do?

[Dominik]

Yeah well thats what happens when you go weeks at a time without bathing/showering.

Haha, so that's his secret?

Is it a problem that im not really starting with my butt real low? as long as when I lift it my shoulders go up with my hips? Thats the only thing I meant when I was comparing to Konstantinovs. He seems to start with his butt high. Is that something I should try not to do?

You've basically got two extremes. Hips too low which blows your leverage and is essentially a "reverse squat" and hips too high which results in stiff-legging it and is a lot more dangerous. You want to be pulling from a position somewhere between those two extremes. IMO, with the back angle no lower than 30°.

With Konstantinovs, he can start from a higher position because he's mastered the upper back rounding which cuts down on the ROM and allows him to pull as if he had longer arms. To maintain the same back angle without rounding his upper back like that, he'd need to bring his hips down so he's closer to the bar. If you look at the angle of his back, you'll see that it's around 30° when he initiates the lift. His shoulders and hips also rise perfectly.

A lot of people confuse upper and lower back rounding and think "hey, his back is rounded and his hips are high," and use it to justify their own bad form. His form is anything but bad. For his proportions, it's perfect. That's why he's #3 in the world.

[EoR]

lol dom and aqua

First I need time, and 2nd assembling something that large needs more than one person and everyone is a busy person.

One day I'll just go in and buy everything, I did it before when I bought pins for incline, a dipping station, more plates.

A new cage means I would need to sell my gym for the room in the garage.

Actually I would settle for bumper plates and a mat, I would really get into snatches and be able to drop any weight I cleaned, but then I figure out room and get plate racks and blah blah... you're not buying this are you?

Dipping belt, squat rack and chalk when I go next time

[PhreEkGarden]

A lot of people confuse upper and lower back rounding and think "hey, his back is rounded and his hips are high," and use it to justify their own bad form. His form is anything but bad. For his proportions, it's perfect. That's why he's #3 in the world.

Thanks a ton for the advice Dom, im not trying to compare myself to him or anything, just trying to find out all I can so I can fix my own form. Im just not sure yet whats best for my proportions. Gonna work on form alot before trying to lift anything heavy again. Ill let ya know later when I think ive fixed it and take another video, and hopefully have fixed it.. heh.

[eddied27]

Hey Dom....thanks for the feedback on the deadlift vid I sent. I haven't started with Sumo's yet. I've still got another 3 weeks on my 5x5 then I'll decide to do another 5x5 run or give WSB a try.....then I'll start with the sumo's.

Today....I widened my stance more which allowed my hips to get lower. I watched my form in the mirror to be sure I wasn't as flat in the vid. I was a little more angled than in the vid and I could tell the difference on the lifts. The first set was tough given the wider stance but the next two felt better

Anyway.....quick question. Any exercise suggestions to improve the initial move on dead's? I find that to be my sticking point. Once I get it to knee level and above, I have no problem getting the weight to lockout.

Any help appreciated. Take care....Ed

[Dominik]

Dipping belt, squat rack and chalk when I go next time

Baby steps EoR. Step 1. Get chalk

Thanks a ton for the advice Dom, im not trying to compare myself to him or anything, just trying to find out all I can so I can fix my own form. Im just not sure yet whats best for my proportions. Gonna work on form alot before trying to lift anything heavy again. Ill let ya know later when I think ive fixed it and take another video, and hopefully have fixed it.. heh.

No problem at all. It really is a simple lift once everything is clicking. The most important thing is safety. You can only keep chasing those big numbers while your back is healthy so you want to be pulling with your back at a safe angle. From there you can experiment and fine-tune your leverage.

Anyway.....quick question. Any exercise suggestions to improve the initial move on dead's? I find that to be my sticking point. Once I get it to knee level and above, I have no problem getting the weight to lockout.

Hi Ed, the two exercises I've found to work best for improving explosiveness off the bottom are platform deads (i.e. standing on plates or blocks, up to around 3-4" of elevation, any more than that changes the exercise too much IMO) and speed pulls, typically with around 50-60% of your max. Optionally you can use bands or chains on them so you're getting speed off the bottom and then some solid resistance for your lockout.

[benchintraining]

Great squat session Dom. Those are really strong GM's.

[ColinTheCelt]

It is a taller man's sport, no question about it, and the short guys typically struggle on events like the stones and Fingal's fingers. It all depends on the events in the contest. Shorter guys should fare well on squatting and pressing events, especially if they're packing a decent amount of weight, and there are events where it doesn't matter, like farmers walks, etc.

Mariusz is around 6ft, Mark Philippi is 5'11"-6ft, Benedikt Magnusson is 6ft, but they're all a little over average height. Not exactly short. I'd say the perfect height would be around 6'3" and you see that with Savickas, Koklyaev, Virastyuk, etc.

i agree, being tall helps, but i never really got exactly why. other than atlas stones and fingers most events dont necessarily conote height. i can see why being really short would hurt but being 5'11' wont hurt you much more than being 6'1" and as we can see sometiems the best strongman is slightly shorter than the others (Juoko Ahola and Mariusz Pudzianowski for example).

i see abig history of guys in WSM being 5'11", take Ab Wolders for example. but youre right 6'3" seems to be about the average height.

id say being 6'3" can help but being 5'11" wont necessarily hurt. am i wrong?

[Dominik]

WEEK 3 - Volume phase - Overhead & Chins - 12/11/06

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1. Hammer Strength Shoulder Press (wide grip)

Warmup

45 x 12 (weight on each side)
90 x 8
135 x 3

Work sets

155 x 6
155 x 6
155 x 6

Back-off sets

135 x 10

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2. Weighted Chins (underhand grip, shoulder width) @ 90% of 3RM (% now calculated on bw + added weight)

Warmup

bw x 8
+45 x 6

Work sets

+80 x 5
+80 x 5
+80 x 5

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3. Weighted Dips (upright, full ROM) @ 90% of 3RM (% now calculated on bw + added weight)

Warmup

+45 x 12
+90 x 6

Work sets

+135 x 6 (+55kg)
+135 x 6
+135 x 6 (Total weight: 252 + 135 = approx. 387lbs)

Back-off sets

+90 x 15

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4. Barbell Rows (strict, 15-30°, medium-wide grip) @ 82.5% of 3RM

Warmup

135 x 12
220 x 5

Work sets

310 x 10
310 x 10
310 x 10

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5. Hammer Strength Incline Press (wide grip)

Warmup

90 x 12 (weight on each side)

Work sets

135 x 15
135 x 15
135 x 18

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6. Hammer Curls (strict)

45 x 10
60 x 12
60 x 12


7. Cable Laterals (strict)

55 x 10
90 x 8
90 x 8
65 x 15

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Sets: 24 - Workout time: 70 mins

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Comments: Tried the HS Shoulder Press which I haven't used in a while. I like going wide on all these machines, especially with shoulders, to really hit the delts rather than emphasize the triceps. I've noticed a lot of people hold the handles close so their arms are angled at the bottom. Not me. Enjoying the high rep work at this stage of the program. Gets heavier after this week.

[W8isGR8]

Gets heavier after this week

lol

[VikingMan]

With Konstantinovs, he can start from a higher position because he's mastered the upper back rounding

I suppose the answer is right in front of you, with him pulling without injuring himself, but you'd think that would be just as dangerous as rounding the lower back, putting uneven preasure on the disks in his mid and upper back.

Do you have any resources on HOW one does upper back rounded deadlifts?

[W8isGR8]

I suppose the answer is right in front of you, with him pulling without injuring himself, but you'd think that would be just as dangerous as rounding the lower back, putting uneven preasure on the disks in his mid and upper back.

Do you have any resources on HOW one does upper back rounded deadlifts?

You have to remember the scapula aren't fixed, so "rounding" them forward is okay, since they're meant to move. Also, muscles are at their strongest point slightly stretched, so the traps/rhompoids are pretty well engaged. Also, the curve of the spine is naturally rounded in the upper back area(T1-T12), whereas the lower back is arched.

[Dominik]

Great squat session Dom. Those are really strong GM's.

Thanks a lot Bench.

lol

I'm on the creatine now, watch out

i agree, being tall helps, but i never really got exactly why. other than atlas stones and fingers most events dont necessarily conote height. i can see why being really short would hurt but being 5'11' wont hurt you much more than being 6'1" and as we can see sometiems the best strongman is slightly shorter than the others (Juoko Ahola and Mariusz Pudzianowski for example).

i see abig history of guys in WSM being 5'11", take Ab Wolders for example. but youre right 6'3" seems to be about the average height.

id say being 6'3" can help but being 5'11" wont necessarily hurt. am i wrong?

A big factor is sheer weight. A taller guy carries more weight by default. Look at Savickas who's 6'3" and in the high 300's. Very few guys under 6ft could match his weight and still be mobile. For example Glenn Ross and Dom Filiou are around the same weight only Dom is about 5 inches taller. You only have to take one look at them to see who is more mobile and is carrying less fat on their frame.

Pudzianowski will only ever beat Savickas if it's a strength + endurance contest. For sheer strength, he can't beat a monster like that. If he was taller, he'd be able to carry more weight lean and come a little closer to matching up. Koklyaev can go round for round with Savickas, he's more technically proficient on all his lifts, for example he'll clean an axle rather than pull it up onto his gut like Big Z, but in the end brute force edges him out. Many would argue though that that's what strongman should be all about. I'm a big fan of Mariusz, but at the end of the day I just want to see monsters lifting truly ridiculous weights.

I suppose the answer is right in front of you, with him pulling without injuring himself, but you'd think that would be just as dangerous as rounding the lower back, putting uneven preasure on the disks in his mid and upper back.

Do you have any resources on HOW one does upper back rounded deadlifts?

Good question VM. I use it in a more subtle way than Konstantinovs and to be honest I'd only consider lifting that way when I'd well and truly stalled like he explained in that interview where he lifted with a flat back and more leg drive up to 750.

Something to keep in mind is when they pick up Atlas stones in strongman, their entire back is rounded in order to hold the stone. Lower back injuries in the gym are also far more prevalent than upper back injuries. I'd say so long as you do plenty of upper back work for the muscles in the thoracic region, the low-mid traps and rhomboids, specifically rows and shrugs, you should be okay. Anyway, Konstantinovs has trained under the guidance of experts and he's earned the right to lift that way. I'd say we're both a long way from thinking about copying him. Just my 2 cents.

[VikingMan]

I'd say we're both a long way from thinking about copying him. Just my 2 cents.

I've certainly got a lot more possible progress to get out of my training without having to worry about what I might be able to do to mechanically get even more progress.

Thanks.

[PanzeR-]

I like this log. It MIGHT have something to do with the fact that most of your posts arent about your workouts

Anyway dom, as you suggested, I'm giving more effort on my pulling movements.
I increased the volume for my back work and i guess it is paying off.
My old PR on deadlift was 385 with a shady form. Reading all your posts, i trained the past weeks with a much more proper form. In fact, i am ready to call my form "perfect". Anyway, after finding 365lb easy for 4 reps, i gave a shot to 4 plates per side. It was my 2nd max attempt on deadlift and it went up quite easily. Then i added one 5lb plate each sides and lifted it. Those 10 pounds were heavy, but i still got it up with a perfect form

[eddied27]

Hi Ed, the two exercises I've found to work best for improving explosiveness off the bottom are platform deads (i.e. standing on plates or blocks, up to around 3-4" of elevation, any more than that changes the exercise too much IMO) and speed pulls, typically with around 50-60% of your max. Optionally you can use bands or chains on them so you're getting speed off the bottom and then some solid resistance for your lockout.

Dom....if I'm doing a 3 day 5x5 (M/W/F) where my dead's are done on Wednesday, would I do the speed dead's alone on Saturdays to give enough recovery time on both ends?

Thanks for the help BTW.....much appreciated!

Ed