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In early October, I fell on my outstretched hand from a standing jump (leaving a first rate chalky hand print on the 9-foot ceiling of my garage). Hurt like bloody hell, and didn't get better. I continued working out normally for about a month before it finally occurred to me to go to the ortho to make sure I hadn't fractured or torn anything. Fortunately, I hadn't. However, I still had a nasty sprain to recover from, and the ortho's instructions were to lay off it. LAY OFF IT, he said, and see me in three weeks.
Anybody every try to figure out how to lift weights (particularly if your sport is olympic weightlifting) without using one of your hands?!? Trust me, it ain’t easy. So, short story long, I narrowed my exercise list down to front squats (hands crossed BB-style), hyperextensions with a 55 lb dumbbell for added resistance, good mornings and “Needsize Abs.” That’s it. Next, I had to decide how to organize it for the next three weeks. I’d been curious for some time to experiment with the infamous Smolov squat cycle — and what better time than now, since I couldn’t do anything but squat! I chose the Smolov Junior cycle, which is nothing but squatting 4x a week for three weeks because (i) it’s only three weeks in length and (ii) it starts with 6x6 instead of 9x4 (sets of 9 is scary for a guy who considers 5 reps endurance work!).
Excluding Hypers and good mornings, here’s how the first three weeks worked out (note workload is listed in kilos x reps x sets):
NOTE: The following is listed as kilos x reps x sets. Numbers are based on my then-current 1RM of 125kg. Also, I had recently just barely managed 2x6 with 112.5kg. Here’s goes…
Week 1:
Day 1: FSQ 87.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 95x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 100x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 107x3x10
Week 2:
Day 1: FSQ 92.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 100x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 105x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 112.5x3x10
Week 3:
Day 1: FSQ 95x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 102.5x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 107.5x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 115x3x10
Unloaded with a few “light” squat workouts (e.g., 105x5x5), then 132.5 for a new current (but not lifetime) PR.
I came away from my next doctor’s visit with instructions to give it “another three weeks.” Okay, so back to Smolov, second verse, same as the first (only this time just two weeks through):
Week 1:
Day 1: FSQ 92.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 100x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 105x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 112.5x3x10
Week 2:
Day 1: FSQ 97.x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 105x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 110x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 117.5x3x10
Remember, just about 6 weeks ago I did 112.5 for 2x6. My last workout I did 5 kg more for 2.5 times as many repetitions. Talk about an increase in work capacity!
Test time. First test went up to 135kg. Very tough, but also only 4 days after my last Smolov workout. Four days is NOT enough time to deload from this.
Second test came five days later. Worked up to a single at 137.5kg. Then my wife pointed out that it was only a few kilos shy of three 20kg plates on each side. Solution? Load’er up! Result? Successful LIFETIME PR of 142kg (some of my bumpers are actually 45lbs).
Postscript: My wrist continues to recover. My O-lifts are currently back to about 65kg and 85kg, and climbing (slowly) at a rate of about 2.5kg. Masters Nationals is in 10 weeks, and I am optimistic I’ll be back at 100% by then — with the added benefit of a whole new boxful of leg strength to add into the equation!
And that, my friends, is how you turn lemons into a lifetime PR.
mpc
"Think of Tiger Woods out there hitting a bucket of balls. He's not swinging the 5-iron to get stronger -- he's swinging it to hone the groove. Hone the groove."
Anybody every try to figure out how to lift weights (particularly if your sport is olympic weightlifting) without using one of your hands?!? Trust me, it ain’t easy. So, short story long, I narrowed my exercise list down to front squats (hands crossed BB-style), hyperextensions with a 55 lb dumbbell for added resistance, good mornings and “Needsize Abs.” That’s it. Next, I had to decide how to organize it for the next three weeks. I’d been curious for some time to experiment with the infamous Smolov squat cycle — and what better time than now, since I couldn’t do anything but squat! I chose the Smolov Junior cycle, which is nothing but squatting 4x a week for three weeks because (i) it’s only three weeks in length and (ii) it starts with 6x6 instead of 9x4 (sets of 9 is scary for a guy who considers 5 reps endurance work!).
Excluding Hypers and good mornings, here’s how the first three weeks worked out (note workload is listed in kilos x reps x sets):
NOTE: The following is listed as kilos x reps x sets. Numbers are based on my then-current 1RM of 125kg. Also, I had recently just barely managed 2x6 with 112.5kg. Here’s goes…
Week 1:
Day 1: FSQ 87.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 95x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 100x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 107x3x10
Week 2:
Day 1: FSQ 92.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 100x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 105x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 112.5x3x10
Week 3:
Day 1: FSQ 95x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 102.5x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 107.5x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 115x3x10
Unloaded with a few “light” squat workouts (e.g., 105x5x5), then 132.5 for a new current (but not lifetime) PR.
I came away from my next doctor’s visit with instructions to give it “another three weeks.” Okay, so back to Smolov, second verse, same as the first (only this time just two weeks through):
Week 1:
Day 1: FSQ 92.5x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 100x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 105x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 112.5x3x10
Week 2:
Day 1: FSQ 97.x6x6
Day 2: FSQ 105x5x7
Day 3: FSQ 110x4x8
Day 4: FSQ 117.5x3x10
Remember, just about 6 weeks ago I did 112.5 for 2x6. My last workout I did 5 kg more for 2.5 times as many repetitions. Talk about an increase in work capacity!
Test time. First test went up to 135kg. Very tough, but also only 4 days after my last Smolov workout. Four days is NOT enough time to deload from this.
Second test came five days later. Worked up to a single at 137.5kg. Then my wife pointed out that it was only a few kilos shy of three 20kg plates on each side. Solution? Load’er up! Result? Successful LIFETIME PR of 142kg (some of my bumpers are actually 45lbs).
Postscript: My wrist continues to recover. My O-lifts are currently back to about 65kg and 85kg, and climbing (slowly) at a rate of about 2.5kg. Masters Nationals is in 10 weeks, and I am optimistic I’ll be back at 100% by then — with the added benefit of a whole new boxful of leg strength to add into the equation!
And that, my friends, is how you turn lemons into a lifetime PR.
mpc
"Think of Tiger Woods out there hitting a bucket of balls. He's not swinging the 5-iron to get stronger -- he's swinging it to hone the groove. Hone the groove."
