Another 24

[Jim Ouini]

Everyone seems to be starting a new program lately - must be summertime

I finished up my HST, back still not 100% but I'm dealing with it. I had always planned to run a 5 x 5 afterwards but had some hesitation after tweaking my back again.

Anyhow, I had to come up with something today so I just jotted some stuff down using the 5 x 5 template. My brother wants to work out with me at home on Wednesday's so I have to take that into consideration i.e, can't do pullups since I have no bar. So I pretty much have to row that day.

So here's what I came up with. Nothing groundbreaking, pretty similar to a run I did before, except I'm doing 4 sets of 6 reps instead of 5 x 5. Hey I think that's the way Starr had it originally anyway

Monday
Back Squat 4 x 6
Incline Bench 1 x 6
Clean Pulls 1 x 6

Wed
Front 5 x 3 or Pause Squats 4 x 6
CG Bench 4 x 6
BB row 4 x 6
GHR

Friday
Back Squat 1 x 6, backoff 1 x 10-12
Incline Bench 4 x 6
Powershrug 3 x 10
Hypers/RH

Week 1 Day 1

Back Squat
Bar x 8
135 x 5
165 x 3
195 x 2
225 x 4 x 6

Tried out my improved technique. Felt good.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 6
145 x 6
155 x 6
165 x 6

I wanted a break from benching. Haven't done these in a long while. I figure my 6RM is around 205 or so. All sets were easy except for the last where I had to push a bit. Again the racks at this gym have the bar starting too far back.

Clean Pull
135 x 4 x 2
185 x 2 x 2
225 x 6
245 x 6
265 x 6
275 x 6

Hadn't pulled from the floor in a good while. It felt good but more taxing than I would've liked. I thought my 6RM would be around 335 or so based on a 5 x 5 I ran way back yonder. Too be quite honest I didn't get much explosion, more like a deadlift with a shrug I think the reps are kind of high for these so I may switch these to 8 x 3 or somesuch, or ditch them altogether depending on how my back feels. Still comtemplating.

Overall: I was flying through this workout until I hit the clean pulls. My off the floor form was a little different than, say, my deadlift. I was more upright and using my glutes and hams more. Afterwards my back felt great, tight but in a good way.

 

[BiggT]

Yep, lol, it is actually Bill Starr's "4-6x4-6"

Really impressive #'s on the clean pulls.....I'd suggest no more than triples on them though, once you get winded the natural tendency is to get sloppy, and that ingrains horrendous habbits. Seriously, though, 275 is no joke.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks Biggt - but that makes me think I was doing my clean pulls even more wrong than I thought I was

I mean it's just a deadlift with a jump shrug in one smooth motion, right?

BTW, I guess I could skim your journal but how does your clean pull compare to, say, your deadlfit and powershrug?

 

[Protobuilder]

4-6x4-6 just doesn't roll off the tongue. LoL I hope this program works well for you and that your back gets back into shape. I dunno if 6s instead of 5s is taking it "easy" on your back though. LoL

Re: high pulls. . . I had a thread on it awhile back I think. Maybe search for "high pull" if you can . . . also: http://www.midwestbarbell.com/totalelite/index.php?showtopic=1520

It's really just a power clean but w/ weights so heavy that you can't get the elbows under it. Same first pull as the clean (slow to just above the knee, slightly accelearating), same second pull (past the knee, accelerating, and full triple extension trying to pop the bar as high as possible using full body explosion). But the bar won't get much past your abs b/c it's too heavy. I guess you could think of the 2d pull as a jump shrug, so long as you start it from just above the knee . . .

 

[blut wump]

It's good to see you moving away from fives but mind you don't get bored with the high reps.

It's odd with all of the Oly-type lifts, going over about three reps does seem to lead do breakdowns in form once the weight is decent working weight, not that I have much experience.

Having dropped deadlift, are you planning to go a little heavier on the Weds squats to compensate?

 

[The Shadow]

how high are you getting those pulls??

 

[Jim Ouini]

4-6x4-6 just doesn't roll off the tongue. LoL I hope this program works well for you and that your back gets back into shape. I dunno if 6s instead of 5s is taking it "easy" on your back though. LoL

Re: high pulls. . . I had a thread on it awhile back I think. Maybe search for "high pull" if you can . . . also: http://www.midwestbarbell.com/totalelite/index.php?showtopic=1520

It's really just a power clean but w/ weights so heavy that you can't get the elbows under it. Same first pull as the clean (slow to just above the knee, slightly accelearating), same second pull (past the knee, accelerating, and full triple extension trying to pop the bar as high as possible using full body explosion). But the bar won't get much past your abs b/c it's too heavy. I guess you could think of the 2d pull as a jump shrug, so long as you start it from just above the knee . . .

Great link, thanks! Yeah my clean pull was like the 3rd one, the one that Glenn said sucks, due to my lack of explosion. I need to work on that. I must have the fast twitch fiber make up of a pine cone. I started with my hips lower, like in the 2nd vid, which I don't usually do in my deadlift.

It's good to see you moving away from fives but mind you don't get bored with the high reps.

It's odd with all of the Oly-type lifts, going over about three reps does seem to lead do breakdowns in form once the weight is decent working weight, not that I have much experience.

Having dropped deadlift, are you planning to go a little heavier on the Weds squats to compensate?

Thanks, I think I'll be able to count my reps and not lose track like I did during my HST lol

For my Wed squat I'm going to try to keep it reasonable, no planned increase due to dropped deadlifts. About 10-20% of my Monday weight as usual.

how high are you getting those pulls??

I'm doing clean pull lows, so my arms remain straight and the bar's around my belly button.

 

[BiggT]

Jim, I was all ready to reply when I got to work, but Proto's link says it all. When you said deadlift into a shrug it raised the red flags of not being explosive enough. Besides, the first pull from the floor to shin level straightens the knees, then you do basically an RDL until the bar passes the knees, then you rebend the knees, gain momentum and begin the explosive part of the lift, the final pull. Keep the elbows straight, but relaxed, they're like ropes, just let the momentum from your shurg carry the bar to the desired height......as Gayle Hatch says, once the elbows bend, the power ends, lol.

As far as height, I pull mine to the belly button, I find most people who aren't competing olympic lifters think you have to pull entirely too high, when you pull yourself under a clean or even a power clean, it is all speed of movement, the bar doesn't have to be very high at all. Plus, if you get into the habbit of pulling with the arms to get the bar to chest level, then you'll develop the horrible habbit of pulling with the arms, which destroys your power. So, basically, you're not pulling the bar with the arms to catch, you're pulling your body under the bar. And with the clean pull, you're just stopping at triple extension, not pulling yourself under.

I think clean pulls are a great lift to teach a smooth pull from the floor and then explosion on the final pull.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Wow thanks I didn't know there was a rebending of the knees. I will try that.

Yesterday I was concentrating on controlled 1st pull and then as the bar reached knee level I tried to pop my hips and shrug, keeping the arms straight. But I didn't rebend my knees and it certainly wasn't as smooth as I'd have liked.

Great info, I'll take another hack at it (maybe tomorrow, light)

 

[blut wump]

Take a good look at Starting Strength again. He really breaks down the clean and the knee rebend is a big part of that. It's something I never quite got the hang of (there should be a joke here somewhere) and is one of the reasons I wanted weights for home.