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anotherbutters
New member
I know, my squat's what I'm mainly concerned with. At least I feel like I've worked my legs now. 1x5 just doesn't feel like enough work at the weights I'm down to now.
AB's Happy Smiley Thoughts journal
- Thread starter anotherbutters
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anotherbutters
New member
SF 5x5 Week 2, Monday
Ok, I'm going to reset the squats and follow the standard SF 5x5 from now on. I guess having had a better squat than I have now doesn't give me any right of passage to get it back quickly. I'm just going to have to work at it. I think it was Jim who posted in my original journal "You didn't think this would be easy did you?". How prophetic
1. OH Squats - flexibility work
bar x 5
bar x 5
I did a few pauses in there too, but I just don't like how my wrists feel after these. I want to get better at them, but I feel like they're destroying my wrists and they're affecting my benching. I can't snatch the bar up because I'll take out the light above me, so I have to take the bar from the rack, but then my little fingers are right next to the supports and I bashed one of them last week. I'll move them to the end of the workouts and see how it goes.
2. Squats (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
65 x 5
70 x 5, down from 82
I'll ramp these 4kg per week, putting me back on 82kg 3 weeks from now. I'm sure my strength will come back and these will go up quicker, but I'm not going to count on it. I'm just going to have to be patient and take it as it comes.
3. Squat cleans (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
45 x 3
50 x 3
I thought I'd try full squat cleans, since that's something else that people have been talking about on the board. These felt pretty good, but I powercleaned the final two reps by mistake.
4. Bench (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
63 x 5, up 1kg on Friday
Comments
I really need to work on my conditioning, so I'm going to throw in some cardio on Tue and Thu. I was huffing and puffing after the cleans
Ok, I'm going to reset the squats and follow the standard SF 5x5 from now on. I guess having had a better squat than I have now doesn't give me any right of passage to get it back quickly. I'm just going to have to work at it. I think it was Jim who posted in my original journal "You didn't think this would be easy did you?". How prophetic
1. OH Squats - flexibility work
bar x 5
bar x 5
I did a few pauses in there too, but I just don't like how my wrists feel after these. I want to get better at them, but I feel like they're destroying my wrists and they're affecting my benching. I can't snatch the bar up because I'll take out the light above me, so I have to take the bar from the rack, but then my little fingers are right next to the supports and I bashed one of them last week. I'll move them to the end of the workouts and see how it goes.
2. Squats (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
65 x 5
70 x 5, down from 82
I'll ramp these 4kg per week, putting me back on 82kg 3 weeks from now. I'm sure my strength will come back and these will go up quicker, but I'm not going to count on it. I'm just going to have to be patient and take it as it comes.
3. Squat cleans (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
45 x 3
50 x 3
I thought I'd try full squat cleans, since that's something else that people have been talking about on the board. These felt pretty good, but I powercleaned the final two reps by mistake.
4. Bench (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
63 x 5, up 1kg on Friday
Comments
I really need to work on my conditioning, so I'm going to throw in some cardio on Tue and Thu. I was huffing and puffing after the cleans
Cynical Simian
New member
What will you be doing for cardio? Something like the squat complex that asdfzxcv did? You might even try incorporating the OH squats into them instead of trying to do the squats before/after your main exercises on MWF.
anotherbutters
New member
It's funny, I had exactly the same idea. I was just going to jump on the rowing machine, but then I remembered asdf's bar complex and thought about moving OH squats too!
I was also wondering about whether cleans or rows are better for hypertrophy. On the one hand, cleans are a very dynamic movement for developing explosive strength, but on the other hand, you can get the reps in with rows without your form breaking down.
I was also wondering about whether cleans or rows are better for hypertrophy. On the one hand, cleans are a very dynamic movement for developing explosive strength, but on the other hand, you can get the reps in with rows without your form breaking down.
iceprincess
New member
I really need to work on my conditioning, so I'm going to throw in some cardio on Tue and Thu. I was huffing and puffing after the cleans
Don't make me come down there and whip your butt into shape...because I will!! Be afraid, be VERY afraid.
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
anotherbutters said:
Rows are likely better than cleans, but both are good. Use one exercise one cycle, another the next.
nelmsjer
New member
AB, I agree with AI.
From a pure hypertrophy perspective, I believe that rows are going to slightly induce greater hypertrophy. Having said that, the gains that you can experience in athleticism from performing cleans will override the negligent differences in overall hypertrophy. In addition, the cleans will have a greater overall impact on a larger number of mucles in the body.
However, athleticism and "functionality" may not be your goal.
Or...do the cleans for a reduced volume, specifically focusing on the technique and explosion, and add the rows for hypertrophy.
From a pure hypertrophy perspective, I believe that rows are going to slightly induce greater hypertrophy. Having said that, the gains that you can experience in athleticism from performing cleans will override the negligent differences in overall hypertrophy. In addition, the cleans will have a greater overall impact on a larger number of mucles in the body.
However, athleticism and "functionality" may not be your goal.
Or...do the cleans for a reduced volume, specifically focusing on the technique and explosion, and add the rows for hypertrophy.
anotherbutters
New member
SF 5x5 Week 2, Wednesday
Bodyweight: 80kg (176lb) - been steady for a few weeks
1. Front Squats (kg)
(warmup: bar x 10)
30 x 5
40 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
I've never pushed front squats and I think this is the most I've had on the bar. It's barely worthy of being called a PR though. This wasn't too difficult.
2. Deads (kg)
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 5 ...... up 10kg on last week
After my comments last week on feeling like I'm starting off too low, I checked my position today and definitely think I am. I tried starting off with slightly straighter legs and it felt much better, like I could pull the weight back, rather than having to stand up with it first.
However, since I haven't done deads in months, I've forgotten all the little cues of which muscles to pull with and in which order. I'm going to have to give Starting Strength another read. These were fairly hard today, but I'm sure I could have added anoter 5kg.
3. Military press (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
25 x 5
30 x 5
35 x 5
39 x 5 ...... up 1kg
Still a big arch in my back on the final set, but I think it was better than last week. I need to get used to doing these again too. I caught the bar whilst warming up, trying to push my head forward under it, leaving me with a knurled forehead
4. Chins
BW x 7
BW x 6
BW x 5
BW x 5
BW x 5
Up 2 reps on last week, and the first time I've managed 7 reps, not that they were pretty.
5. Core work
Leg lowers: 10x, 6x
These are lying down with feet pointing to the sky, TVA recruited, then feet lowered and raised again very slowly, keeping the lower back flat to the floor. They're getting much easier, although I only managed 6 reps before I couldn't keep my back flat on the floor on the 2nd set. Well, I couldn't keep my back completely flat on any of them, but it was damned close.
Then I did some bridging work, on my back with only my shoulders and one leg supporting me, the other leg pointing straight out and not letting the unsupported side of my hip drop. 10 seconds each leg for several reps.
Comments
In terms of conditioning, I felt much better in this workout, even compared with Monday (sorry IP, you're not needed
). Last week was absolutely knackering, but I was ok today, taking everything in my stride. Cool!
Good workout. I'm looking forward to finding my form on deads and starting to push them.
Bodyweight: 80kg (176lb) - been steady for a few weeks
1. Front Squats (kg)
(warmup: bar x 10)
30 x 5
40 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
I've never pushed front squats and I think this is the most I've had on the bar. It's barely worthy of being called a PR though. This wasn't too difficult.
2. Deads (kg)
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 5 ...... up 10kg on last week
After my comments last week on feeling like I'm starting off too low, I checked my position today and definitely think I am. I tried starting off with slightly straighter legs and it felt much better, like I could pull the weight back, rather than having to stand up with it first.
However, since I haven't done deads in months, I've forgotten all the little cues of which muscles to pull with and in which order. I'm going to have to give Starting Strength another read. These were fairly hard today, but I'm sure I could have added anoter 5kg.
3. Military press (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
25 x 5
30 x 5
35 x 5
39 x 5 ...... up 1kg
Still a big arch in my back on the final set, but I think it was better than last week. I need to get used to doing these again too. I caught the bar whilst warming up, trying to push my head forward under it, leaving me with a knurled forehead
4. Chins
BW x 7
BW x 6
BW x 5
BW x 5
BW x 5
Up 2 reps on last week, and the first time I've managed 7 reps, not that they were pretty.
5. Core work
Leg lowers: 10x, 6x
These are lying down with feet pointing to the sky, TVA recruited, then feet lowered and raised again very slowly, keeping the lower back flat to the floor. They're getting much easier, although I only managed 6 reps before I couldn't keep my back flat on the floor on the 2nd set. Well, I couldn't keep my back completely flat on any of them, but it was damned close.
Then I did some bridging work, on my back with only my shoulders and one leg supporting me, the other leg pointing straight out and not letting the unsupported side of my hip drop. 10 seconds each leg for several reps.
Comments
In terms of conditioning, I felt much better in this workout, even compared with Monday (sorry IP, you're not needed
). Last week was absolutely knackering, but I was ok today, taking everything in my stride. Cool!Good workout. I'm looking forward to finding my form on deads and starting to push them.
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
Hey AB, ever see the movie Layer Cake? Some good stuff there. Reminded me of you when I saw it last night - it's based in London.
s8nlilhlpr
Banned
anotherbutters said:
Have you tried a drop snatch?
Set the bar on your back, and grip in snatch position. Drop down and drive your arms up into the full lockout, then just stand up. Easier for me this way, than trying to full snatch high weights. Should keep the bar roughly shoulder height if you drop low enough, so you won't hit the lights.
