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Another 24

Jim Ouini

Jim Ouini

New member
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. :mad:

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 :rolleyes: 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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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 . . .
 
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?
 
Protobuilder said:
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 . . .
Click to expand...

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.

blut wump said:
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?
Click to expand...

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.

The Shadow said:
how high are you getting those pulls??
Click to expand...

I'm doing clean pull lows, so my arms remain straight and the bar's around my belly button.
 
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.
 
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)
 
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.
 
Yeah, it is subtle and a lot of guys do it and don't even know they do.....kind of like when you hang clean from the hip and you bend the knees a little for momentum. However, if you don't do it and then finally figure it out, you'll have a moment of revelation and it can realistically be good for about 50lbs on your clean.
 
I'll do that. It'll be the 3rd time I've referred to SS in the past couple days, heh.

Funny thing, I've been doing some things from the hang, with the weights starting on the pins of the power rack. Maybe time to take the training wheels off and get the hang of the rebend.
 
Week 1 Day 2

Worked out at home today with my brother. All weight in kg

Pause Squat
Bar x 10
40 x 5
60 x 1
92.5 x 3 x 6

Was going to for 4 sets but I lost my balance on my 5th rep of 3rd set so I decided to stop. First time I've done these for reps, the first 3 reps are easy and then boom /madden it gets hard real quick. Obviously I started out too heavy on these. I held a ~2s pause at the bottom, these were butt to ankles which I'm not used to except on my fronts. So I underestimated how hard these would be for reps.

CG Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 5
85 x 4 x 6

Semi-Easy. I hate benching with the Eleiko bar, though, it just seems wrong :p

Chinese Prone Bench Row
40 x 5
80 x 4 x 6

Not that hard but laying prone on the bench makes it hard to breath. Plus your neck is kinda cranked back. Acceleration of the bar wasn't that great since I didn't want to bang the bar on the bottom of the bench.

GHR
Mini x 3 x 8

Felt good

Overall: Maybe too much new stuff, not a great workout. I hope I get better at the pause squats, I need it.
 
Note: I just got back from the chiro. He took some x-rays and did some other thing where he measures muscle activation along my spine. Said I had something 'chronic' in my lower back.

He also said I was lopsided and had some hip torsion going on, so his initial adjustment was cracking my neck :worried: and something else in my upper back, then a slight tug on my hip while I was lying sideways.

I'm going to lift later on today and see how it goes.
 
Mine advised against lifting for a day or so after the adjustments, to let everything settle back into its proper place after he'd 'released' the joints.

By hip torsion, I presume you mean one leg appears longer than the other when lying on your front? That's what I had, and there was a knot in one of my glutes that was keeping it that way.

I'm glad you've found out what's wrong - hopefully you can now fix it. Did the chiro recommend anything, other than going back to him (no doubt)?
 
He didn't say what was wrong, he hasn't looked at the x-rays yet. He did say something about how I was of the age where things start going wrong in a chronic way :rolleyes:

I haven't been hurting that bad lately, some aches and pains, some tightness when I get up from sitting a long time. Kinda figured that goes with the territory with this hobby of ours :chomp:

Week 1 Day 3

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
165 x 1
185 x 6
205 x 6
225 x 6
245 x 6

Tad harder than I'dve liked (as usual) for week 1.

Incline bench
Bar x 10
135 x 3
165 x 4 x 6

Easy.

Clean Pull
135 x 2 x 3
225 x 8 x 3

Decided to drop the weight and get the form down better. Pull off the floor was easy, and just tried for triple extension at the top.
 
Jim Ouini said:
I hate benching with the Eleiko bar, though, it just seems wrong :p
Click to expand...

Nah, it's OK . . . so long as you bounce it off your chest to really get that Eleiko whip. Lol

I went to a chiro. once.. . . what he said didn't really make sense to me. He said my lower back curved to one side, and that if I came back for like 20 sessions (LoL), he'd be able to buy a new car and my spine would straighten out . . . for awhile. I didn't see how popping my back 3x/wk would permanently straighten my spine. I called BS and didn't go back. My back is fine today even w/ all the DL'ing and squatting.
 
Protobuilder said:
Nah, it's OK . . . so long as you bounce it off your chest to really get that Eleiko whip. Lol
Click to expand...

That reminds me, I have that 'Training Champions' IM DVD and as opposed to the monster squats, snatches and c & j's one usually sees this one shows them doing back extensions, situps and - you guessed it - benching. I was watching it thinking 'oly lifters bench?'

One of the more boring DVD's I own :p

Protobuilder said:
I went to a chiro. once.. . . what he said didn't really make sense to me. He said my lower back curved to one side, and that if I came back for like 20 sessions (LoL), he'd be able to buy a new car and my spine would straighten out . . . for awhile. I didn't see how popping my back 3x/wk would permanently straighten my spine. I called BS and didn't go back. My back is fine today even w/ all the DL'ing and squatting.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm a little wary. I'm going to try a few sessions and see how it feels, at least as far as my insurance will cover (if they'll cover, I have to double check). I do feel pretty good today, getting out of bed I had only the slightest of twinges although my neck is kinda sore from getting cracked.
 
I'm no chiro., LoL, but I've heard that some degrees of bend, etc. are natural and that pretty much everyone has some sort of "crookedness" that a chiro. will happily try to "correct" . . . but it will probably come back after a while.

I've heard other people swear by chiro's though so . . .who knows. Good luck.
 
I'm sure I've written this elsewhere but I viewed the chiro as someone who could help me to help myself. He was needed at times to remove kinks and the relief was pretty much immediate. In the end, though, it's your muscles that hold everything in place and only by working your posterior chain and core can you expect them to be good for the task.

I'm convinced that squats, deadlifts, rows are great for your back. I do a fair bit of DIY chiro, though. My back still seems to slip out and I have to twist, massage and stretch to put it back. I think age and a sedentary job and lifestyle take their toll eventually.
 
As BW says, it's your muscles that hold everything together, so once it's all been loosened by the chiro, if there's a muscle imbalance in there somewhere, everything could well be pulled back out of shape again. I'm kind of viewing a physio and chiro as going hand in hand - the chiro releases the joints and the physio helps with imbalances so the joints can settle in the right place afterwards.

I say see what a physio says too :).
 
Week 2 Day 1

Back Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 5
185 x 2
225 x 1
255 x 4 x 6

Business-like. First set was easy, 2nd set was kinda hard. 3rd and 4th no problem. I really have to concentrate on keeping my upper body tight.

Incline Bench
Bar x 10
135 x 6
145 x 6
160 x 6
175 x 6

Easy. I feel like I have lots of room but I've always run into a wall pretty quick on these.

Clean Pull
135 x 3
185 x 2 x 3
225 x 2 x 3
235 x 2 x 3
245 x 2 x 3

Overall, not bad but I have to admit the last set was horrendous form. But what can you do. :rolleyes:

Overall: good workout today, felt about like Week 2 should. Gym was sweltering today and I forgot my athletic socks so I had to wear my black dress socks and sweats :qt:
 
It sucks to forget your athletic socks. On gym days, I put them on in the morning just to be safe. I hate having to work out in my little black dress.
 
Week 2 Day 2

All weight in kg

Pause Squat
Bar x 10
40 x 5
60 x 1
95 x 4 x 6

Went up a couple kg from last week and got an extra set in too. Felt a lot better today. Also, I rested less between sets. Lick'em and stick'em.

CG Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 5
85 x 4 x 6

Easier than last week. No problems.

BB Row
40 x 5
85 x 4 x 6

Switched back to regular rows. 1st set was surprisingly hard, 2-4 were good.

GHR
Mini x 2 x 10

Overall: Good workout. All the exercises felt good this week, especially pause squats.
 
How are the clean pulls feeling? If you're getting those triples with 245 to the belly button, I'd estimate you could probably squat clean 225-245 if you really nailed down the speed/elbow whip when squatting under the bar, provided you can front squat whatever you pull.
 
I don't know if I've improved much on the clean pulls - I may have to move these to the beginning of my workout, kinda tired after squatting and benching to do these.

I may have to get a vid up :worried:
 
Week 2 Day 3

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 6
225 x 6
250 x 6
275 x 6

Incline bench
Bar x 10
135 x 3
175 x 4 x 6

Clean Pull
135 x 2 x 3
245 x 3 x 3

Had to cut the workout short, carpooled today.

Overall: Good workout. Week 3 comin' up.
 
Week 3 Day 1

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
285 x 4 x 6

Not bad, got tired by the last set.

Incline bench
Bar x 10
135 x 6
155 x 6
170 x 6
190 x 6

Easy. Should've gone up a bit.

Hypers/Rev. Hypers
2 x 10

Skipped clean pulls again :worried: I'll do them tomorrow, this is 2 workouts in a row where I was pressed for time and couldn't get them in.

Overall: I may consider a Week 5 of loading, I think I have a tiny bit of room in my squat maybe, some more on my incline and haven't really pushed the clean pulls. We'll see.
 
Week 3 Day '1'

Make up day since I missed my clean pulls yesterday.

Warmed up with some hang cleans, 60kgs

Clean Pull
110kg x 8 x 3

Here's a vid :rolleyes:

http://media.putfile.com/DSCN0150-49

I don't know about my form; I tried to get some pop from something I read by GP awhile ago but I still don't think I'm getting enough extension and the bar high enough. I'll work on it.

For anyone who views it, sorry it takes me so long to get ready. The bar is pretty new so it takes awhile to get my straps situated. The 'action' doesn't start til ~40s so go get a cup of coffee, walk the dog, wash the car or just listen to Urge Overkill in the background ;)
 
It is much better than some of the deadlifts into shrugs that you see....the pull to mid-thigh is fine, nice and smooth It was hard to see from the video because the plates were obstructing my view, but it didn't look like you were re-bending your knees, I would recheck it if I were you and watch some vids and do some reading if you think it'll help, because the rebend will allow you to generate so much more pop and explosion.

As far as extension, really exaggerate things, the final pull is meant to be as explosive as possible, you came up on your toes, which is good, I couldn't tell whether or not you could have come up higher, if you feel you could, then work on doing that. The top of the video was cut-off, so I couldn't tell if you were shrugging fully and at true triple extension, I didn't see any glaring issue that would lead me to believe you weren't doing this from the vid, but again, I culdn't say for sure because I couldn't see.

As for height, the bar really only needs to be pulled to belly-button height.

But, overall you seem to have the right idea. Just really exaggerate the last pull and consciously try to be as explosive as possible. And, work on the rebend, not rebending really will hold back your poundages. It will make the final pull much more snappy and explosive too. You seem like the type of lifter who will have a 'moment of truth' when you get the rebend to click and will see big results instantly.
 
Thanks a million for the reply.

I gotta look up this rebend thing in Starting Strength tonight; I did try a couple reps where I pulled slowly off the floor to right below my knees and then – for lack of a better term – paused, gathered myself and tried to pop. Don’t know if that qualifies as a rebend but I’m sure it was less subtle then intended.

As far as bar height are we talking belly button height measured if I’m just standing still i.e, not fully extended? I really don’t think of it too much because then I’ll be tempted to bend my arms. Even if I stand here with a broomstick and shrug my shoulders to my ears with my arms straight and on my tippy toes the broomstick is right at about hip level (as opposed to waist level). Maybe I have long arms :chomp:

Again, thanks for the input – I can read books and watch videos all day but there’s nothing like posting up a vid and getting constructive criticism.

Maybe I’ll do my hang clean next ;)
 
Generally, at full extension, the bar has to be no higher than the belly button to clean it (thats at full extension at the top of the final pull). If you're fast enough squatting underneath, then you don't even really need the bar that high.
 
Week 3 Day 2

Weights in kg

Pause Squat
Bar x 10
40 x 2 x 5
100 x 4 x 6

Not too bad except I thought I was pausing longer, like 5s or so ;) Oh well. I might have another couple weeks on these, maybe 105 and 110. For anyone that views the vid, sorry about the noise but my wife decided to vacuum right as I was going to start my set :rolleyes: It startled me.

vid

CG Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 8
90 x 4 x 6

Easy except for last rep. I did pauses on some sawhorses that I use for a spotting, kind of like pin presses I guess. Luckily the sawhorses are adjustable and I can get the bar on my chest with the bar barely hitting them.

BB Row
40 x 2 x 5
90 x 4 x 6

Came up a bit on a couple reps. Ah well I'll just consider it practice for the rebend on my clean pulls :Chef:

vid

Overall: Maybe a shade easy for Week 3. Like I said I maybe can push this to a Week 5. I gotta see how Friday and Week 4 go, though ;)
 
Week 3 Day 3

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 6
225 x 6
265 x 6
295 x 6

295 was kinda hard, had a wobble on my last rep but other than that no drama.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 4
155 x 1
185 x 4 x 6

No problem

Clean Pull
135 x 2 x 3
225 x 2 x 3
255 x 6 x 4

Different rep scheme on my worksets to move the workout along faster. Unfortunately some guy doing 135 deads starting from the pins started talking to me and it ended up being a wash. Anyhow, had a wild rep or two as I really tried to get triple extension but what can you do :rolleyes:

Overall: Decent workout. I'll try for 295 x 4 x 6 on Monday and see how that goes.
 
The BBRow looked good. There's a bit of body movement but that's just momentum. You're not going to be rock-steady unless encased in something. They look just fine to me.

Those squats seem super-slow. What's with that strange bobbing action you have in the hole?
 
The rows were perfect. Like BW said, you won't get them textbook perfect; if they are TOO smooth, then you need to put more weight on the bar. I thought they were good.

I agree on the squats, even with pause squats, you don't want to descend deliberately slow, doing anything in strength training deliberately slow isn't beneficial. And I think the little bobbing action in the hole was just to stabalize or maybe even gain a little momentum to come up after the pause.....your overall squat form is excellent in terms of depth and body positioning though.
 
Thanks guys. Your comments are much appreciated.

As far as the speed on my squats, I used to go down faster but since I hurt my back I've been really cautious. I don't have my confidence back yet that I'll stay tight enough and not tuck my butt under without aggravating it. Believe me, I'm not deliberately counting one one-thousand, two one-thousand...maybe that's why I get tired easily during squatting, too much TUT ;)

As far as the bob, yeah it's for stabilization and getting a little bounce out of the hole.

BTW, I don't think I'm getting that depth at my heavier weights :rolleyes:
 
I like to think what I'm doing involves less of a stretch reflex than my normal squat.

I could be wrong, though.
 
BTW, I thought I'd mention it was a very strange day at the gym on Friday. Especially since I'm always pointing out the knuckleheads at the gym.

The guy squatting next to me was doing below parallel squats with 205 or so. I've seen him do 275 so I figured he was doing some workload management. Then he stripped the weights and did OHP, then some pullups. Very strange.

As I was finishing up my squats two other guys, both probably mid-30's and quite skinny, started doing some hang cleans with the bar and even though they were reverse curling I heard the one guy stomp his feet. I then overheard him say 'We should give this 5 x 5 a shot and see if we get stronger'

Finally, I saw some other dude doing snatches with what looked like pretty good form to me.

Very strange day indeed :)
 
At that point the alarm went off and your wife pointed out that it was time for work?

That must have felt surreal.
 
Yep, although reality dumped a cold bucket of water on my head when the guy doing snatches finished up with some high cable bicep curls.

To be fair, though, there was a cute little blonde doing something or other in the cable area, so he's only human.
 
Week 4 Day 1

Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
265 x 1
295 x 4 x 6

Good sets. Hard but reps never in doubt. Had a couple wobbly ones but the reps following were better so I have to think it's a form issue. I think one thing I do is tend to keep pushing through my heels even when I'm past parallel on the way up instead of letting the weight distribute over my foot.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 4
145 x 6
165 x 6
195 x 6

Surprisingly easy. I think I must be in the beginner category because I feel I'm getting a bit stronger here in the volume phase :p Have a slight twinge in my left shoulder though.

Clean Pull

Did some powercleans with 135 x 3 x 3, they actually felt decent

225 x 2 x 4
255 x 2 x 4
275 x 2 x 4

Felt good. Much snappier than before I feel. I still don't know if I'm rebending but mentally I'm thinking get my knees out of the way and 2nd pull as the bar hits my thighs. I hope that's right ;)

Overall: Good workout, I'm happy with all the lifts today. I'll be out of town on business so I'll miss Wed. workout. Not sure what I'll do Friday when I get back.
 
Week 4 Day 2/3

I flew in this morning from MN, I felt pretty tired and only had 2 glasses of milk for breakfast before the flight (3.5hrs). So I made myself an egg sandwich, then later had a fruit smoothie about an hr before my workout. Still wasn't feeling tip-top but I didn't feel like missing another day of training so I had at it.

My plans was to kind of do a 'combo' workout of Wed/Fri but I didn't get as far as I wanted. Oh well.

All weight in kg's

Warm-up
Powercleans 40 x 3 x 3

Felt pretty slow, not as good as Monday. Weight might've been too light to force me to explode. Still got the blood going though.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 8
40 x 5
60 x 3
90 x 1
120 x 1
140 x 4, x 5

Well I didn't feel very strong today and I had an ache in my right knee. I was going for 140 x 6 and begged off on the first set since rep #4 was very hard. My second set I sucked it up and got an extra rep but I had to dump the bar on the 6th. It's quite strange to me my sticking point is above parallel. I still think I have some form issues in terms of shifting my weight from the heels as I come up.

Pause squats
110 x 6
95 x 6
90 x 6

Relatively easy but kind of tired by now. I did these to get some volume in, trying to combine Wed's pause squats as my ramp up to Friday heavy 1 x 6.

CG Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 5
70 x 2
100 x 4 (bar hit my adjustable saw horses that I use as spotters; didn't allow me to touch chest so I stopped)
95 x 3 x 6

Pretty easy except for last rep; I probably could've done the 100 x 4 x 6 but I wanted to make sure I got all my reps in.

Overall: Probably not smart to go for a set of heavy squats after traveling; I'm going to get a good night's sleep tonight then try to do some cleanpulls and maybe some rowing tomorrow.

Still debating what to do next week - I may chalk this one up to a bad workout considering the circumstances and try to repeat my weights on squats next week and try to move up on everything else since I feel I have room. We'll see, since both my hip flexors are feeling kind of strained right now.
 
What kind of shoes do you train in? If you're using sneakers, it is common to get shaky at random points in the lift and you'll have lots of problems directing force where you want to, especially as the weights get heavier....if you use sneakers, just buy a damn pair of Olympic lifting shoes already, lol, lifting on an Eleiko bar in sneakers should be punishable by law.
 
I squat in oly shoes, they've helped me a lot to sit back but I sometimes feel like I'm pushing through my heels too long. When I look at the vid I'm getting stuck right about where I'd start calling it a quarter squat, it's that far up from parallel.

I think I have a new found respect for quarter squatters ;)
 
Week 5 Day 1

Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 5
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x1
305 x 2 x 6, stopped, right knee hurt and right lower back hurt a little

Reps were hard, I was going to do 4 but the 6th rep of set #2 was a real grind. My right knee had been bothering me for the past week or so, and the twinge in my back was pretty sharp so I decided to play it safe. At least I feel I had the leg strength to do all the reps, I think.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 4
145 x 6
165 x 6
205 x 6

Had to push hard on my last rep of 205 but I had no sticking point.

Clean Pull

225 x 2 x 4
275 x 1 x 4
295 x 2 x 4

Had to cut one of my sets since I was in a hurry. I tried to start my 2nd pull higher up, I think it's better.

Overall: Tough workout with having to bail on the squats. But I didn't want to have a repeat where I tried to push through and ended up losing a few weeks of training. My plan is to try for volume the rest of the week but play it by ear.
 
Week 5 Day 2

Weights in kg

Pause Squat
Bar x 10
40 x 5
70 x 2
90 x 1
100 x 1
110 x 6
115 x 3 x 6

115 was tough. I had to do that bob thing in the hole to get that last rep and I really had to grind it out. Had some left over knee pain and hip pain but it wasn't debilitating so I just ignored it as much as I could.

CG Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 8
100 x 3 x 6, x 5

Missed my last rep at lockout. Pretty hard sets.

BB Row
40 x 2 x 5
100 x 4 x 6

Hard but doable. Form was about the same as 90 a couple weeks ago.

Overall: Pegged these weights about right. Pretty happy about the pause squats, actually all my lifts today were decent. Friday I will try to squat heavy again if my knee and hip cooperate, otherwise I may start my deload a day early :p
 
Week 5 Day 3

Squat

Bar x 10
135 x 2 x 5
185 x 6
225 x 6
275 x 6
310 x 6

310 was hard, especially the 5th rep was tough. I took 3 or 4 deep breaths, really braced my stomach and back and the 6th went up a lot better. I think my last 5 x 5 I was pushing deadlift too hard in volume phase and I ended up failing on 295 x 5. So this time it's a little better.

While I was squatting, 3 guys started squatting next to me, all kinda chubby and didn't look like they'd been in the gym much. Anyway, one guy seemed to be the ring leader as the other two pretty much hung on every word as he explained this and that. He was really dissecting the squat, telling one guy his feet weren't pointing exactly forward and in fact during his set he kept yelling 'right foot! right foot!'

Thing of it is, he was only doing 10lbs on each side and was really shakey at that. Then ring leader's turn is up and he slaps on another dime and proceeds to do a 8 hard reps.

When he finished one of them asks him about tempo and he said something about hitting both muscle fiber types and how 'it depends on how much isometric work you want to do'. Whatever :rolleyes:

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 4
165 x 1
185 x 1
205 x 3 x 6, 1 x 5

205 felt heavy from the start; By the 4th set I was pretty tired and had nothing on the last rep.

Clean Pull
135 x 2 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3, quit, had an ache in my lower back/hip and I couldn't get any snap.

Overall: Besides bailing out on clean pulls it was a decent workout. I think it was good to push another week of volume, I am definitely ready to deload now. I'll probably stick with 3 x 3 convention, and am contemplating deadlifting if I feel up to it.
 
Week 6 Day 1 - Deload

Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 2 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
275 x 1
305 x 3 x 3

Well my left hip (I think my glute med.) was still feeling strained all weekend, I took a lot of time stretching and getting loose and when I finally started warming up I could feel it. I did a pause squat at 275 and it felt heavy so I wasn't feeling that great about 305. Anyway, they actually went up real solid, no sticking point or hitches. And it didn't hurt to come out of the hole but the last few inches and racking the bar hurt it. At least I don't squat until Friday and we'll see what happens.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 3
205 x 3

Easy.

Went home after that, didn't want to try any hang cleans or clean pulls since I couldn't snap my hips at all.

Overall: I'll have to see how this thing plays out. I'm hoping a few days rest and it'll be better.
 
310 for six is decent lifting. How far are you thinking of taking the triples?

These minor injuries suck. You just have to cope and try to work around them.
 
Not sure. I'll just keep adding a few lbs/kg every week and see where it takes me. I may even belt up in Week 8 and 9 :chomp:

It's strange these little injuries keep moving around, left knee, right knee, right lower back, left hip. I wonder if I'm compensating for one and it creates another.
 
Jim Ouini said:
Not sure. I'll just keep adding a few lbs/kg every week and see where it takes me. I may even belt up in Week 8 and 9 :chomp:

It's strange these little injuries keep moving around, left knee, right knee, right lower back, left hip. I wonder if I'm compensating for one and it creates another.
Click to expand...

I think I was about 13 years old the last time I can remember NOTHING at all hurting to some degree, lol......I wouldn't sweat anything minor, just be smart about it. It sounds like the kind of stuff that will take care of itself by Fri. Nice squatting too, by the way.
 
Thanks gt, sometimes when I get under the bar on my heavy set I'll curse you guys and think 'It's warm-up weight for those bastards' ;)

I think I quoted Charlie Francis in AB's journal when he said 'The only way to guarantee no training injuries is not to train'.

But yeah I gotta be smart, I've already walked away from a few sets already :verygood:
 
Week 6 Day 2 deload

Hang Clean
60 x 5 x 3
70 x 1 x 3

Just messing around while my brother squatted. My last 3 sets at 60 were good, I even caught some air. My one set at 70 just was awful, as I kind of pulled back on exploding because my hip/groin was hurtful. Oh well.

CG Bench
Bar x 15
60 x 3
80 x 1
100 x 3 x 3

Easy. Paused on each rep.

BB row
Bar x 10
40 x 1
60 x 1
100 x 3 x 3

Pretty hard actually. Hip pain too.

Overall: Decent deload workout, having to work around the nagging injury
 
Week 6 Day 3 Deload

I had the day off from work so I went to my old gym Bally's. Saw some familiar faces and one of the knuckleheaded trainers pontificating to his client about the optimal pyramid schemes and such :rolleyes:

Back Squat
bar x 2 x 10
135 x 2 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 3
275 x 3 (pause squat last rep)
310 x 3

I don't know if Bally's weights are off but 310 felt light :p Well not exactly light but there was no struggle, no drama, nice and solid. In fact I was tempted to pause on my last rep but I didn't want to mess around, especially with my hip still tender.

Anyway, it definitly would suck if their weights were off, 225 actually felt really light today too. :worried:

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 5
185 x 1
205 x 3 x x3

Incline bench was a little different so it took a little getting used to; still all the reps were relatively easy

Pullups
30 x 3 x 3

Just to get some back work in, probably doesn't make it much difference either way.

Overall: Good workout, despite my groin bothering me I felt strong today for some reason. Must've been the sights, sounds and smells of Bally's. Or their weights are 5lbs off :p
 
There's nothing like the atmosphere of a bally to get you pumped and ready to destroy the weights.. the fat chicks strolling on the treadmills, the PT's groping their female clients in the squat rack, the groups of gotti boys in beaters flexing their stuff for the world to see. No wonder you had a good workout

sounds like the deload is working if the weights felt lighter than normal.. 310 for an easy 3 is nice :)
 
Thanks big T.

Ya know I have to say I miss Bally's a little, I've actually seen all those people you mentioned there at one time or another. It just seemed to fit like an old (and smelly) shoe today. :biggrin:

As opposed to my current gym which is more like a spa, little white towels available everywhere along with disinfecting spray at each piece of equipment, even the squat rack.
 
Week 7 Day 1

Will start ramping 1/3 x 3 weights now.

Back Squat
Bar x 10 (front)
Bar x 8
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 3 x 3

Well last week I did 305 x 3 x 3 and 310 x 1 x 3 for deload. So I had an inkling to do 310 x 3 x 3, but frankly speaking I was tired of tip toeing around 3 plates. Work sets felt solid with no drama and no sticking point, my lower back and hip started complaining but nothing major, it feels OK now.

During my sets those 3 guys who squat together got in the rack next to me; the ring leader is Mr. Squat apparently as he doles out advice before he gets under 135 (although I have to admit he's got decent form). But he keeps barking instructions at his buddies during their set: 'Right foot! Watch it - knees are going over toes! Feet aren't parallel!' Geez man just let the poor guy get his reps in :rolleyes:

Later on I saw all 3 in the jacuzzi together :rainbow:

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 5
155 x 3
185 x 3
210 x 3

No problem, had to push though. I'm aiming for 225 x 3 my 4th week of intensity, that would be a nice accomplishment for me.

No clean pulls or anything of the sort due to lower back. So volume has been cut drastically. I am still holding out hope that I'll be doing some kind of pull from the floor before it's all over.

Overall: Good start to intensity, I felt pretty good, aches and pains not withstanding. I'll be out on business so I'll miss Wed's workout.
 
You mean you went to Bally's and didn't even take advantage of the pec deck and crossover station for some inner pec blasting????

Nice work.....also, commercial gym weights are just as likely to be SLIGHTLY more as they are slightly less......either way, it sounds like the deload is serving it's purpose and the strength you built is showing through.
 
BiggT said:
You mean you went to Bally's and didn't even take advantage of the pec deck and crossover station for some inner pec blasting????

Nice work.....also, commercial gym weights are just as likely to be SLIGHTLY more as they are slightly less......either way, it sounds like the deload is serving it's purpose and the strength you built is showing through.
Click to expand...

My Bally's has 3 pec decs and one power rack :Chef:

Thanks for the input; I certainly hope I'll get a nice rebound, and going from 6 reps in volume to 3 reps now feels kinda good


Guinness5.0 said:
Subscribed (rather tardily). Gotta keep up to date on the antics over at Bally's
Click to expand...

Thanks for checkin in G. You haven't been around much so I assume it's going well outside the gym
 
Week 7 Day 3

Back Squat
Bar x 2 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 3
275 x 3
320 x 3

I was debating 320 or 325 but after perusing through Beyond Brawn I decided on slow and steady. Good thing I did since 320 was hard, at least the first 2 reps were. The 3rd rep I got my hips under the bar really quick and came up pretty fast.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 6
165 x 1
185 x 1
210 x 3 x 3

Has some strain in my left shoulder; 1st couple sets were 'feeling out' hard, last rep I concentrated a bit more and it was relatively easy.

Overall: Decent workout, squats a bit harder than I'd hoped but reps never in doubt. I hadn't had great sleep the past couple nights, maybe 6hrs average, so I'll try to catch up on it this weekend and come back stronger next week.
 
Week 8 Day 1

Back Squat
Bar x 10 (front)
Bar x 8
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
275 x 1
320 x 3 x 3 No belt 3 x 3 PR :)

First set was good, I felt really strong and tight. 2nd and 3rd less so and had a wiggle on the 3rd rep of each, but reps never in doubt. It feels great to put up a PR again, especially squatting.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 3
215 x 3 PR (I think, haven't pushed these but I remember having trouble with 205 last year)

185 was fast 'n easy. 215 was no problem but the 3rd rep I did BB style and it was a little tougher ;)

Clean Pull
135 x 2 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3 x 3

My back and hips felt great today so I tried some clean pulls. Last time I did these was at end of volume, I think I left off at 295 or so, so I backed up a bit. These felt good, I remembered to start my 2nd pull a little higher so it's touching my thighs and I think it helps.

Overall: Great workout. Afterwards I felt excellent, not sure if it's the deloading, glucosamine kicking in or whatever. Funny how the aches and pains come and go but I'll take it for now.
 
Week 8 Day 2

Worked out at home. Weights in kg's

CG Bench Press
Bar x 15
40 x 8
70 x 2
103 x 3 x 3

No problems. I did paused reps on my last set, I had to push hard on these.

BB row
Bar x 10
40 x 5
70 x 2
103 x 3 x 3

I think these were a little better, especially 2nd set. I was pulling back hard into my tummy. Maybe it's hanging down more. Whatever. 3rd set had some humping action :rolleyes:

Trap Bar DL
75 x 2 x 3
115 x 3
135 x 3
155 x 3 x 3

I got this bar a few days ago as promised. Wasn't really sure how heavy to go although I figured they're easier than regular deads or even sumo deads. My first set at 155 I used the 'high grips'. So I wasn't bending down as much as regular deads. So I flipped the bar around and used the grips that were even with the bar and that felt more like it. I might use the high grips (it's maybe 4" higher than the bar) in the future as maybe a makeshift rack pull? We'll see. In any case, I liked it, easy to concentrate on driving your legs into the ground and I still had some hip extension action at the end.

Overall: Good workout, happy I was able to pull from the floor a little and not feel like I wrecked myself for Friday.
 
Week 8 Day 3

Worked out at home today. All weights in kg's

Squat
Bar x 10
40 x 5
60 x 3
80 x 1
100 x 3
130 x 3
147.5 x 2, fail
147.5 x 3

Had to dump the bar on my 3rd rep of 1st set at 147.5. I think I sat back too long so I had no hesitation to try it again. 2nd set was hard and I had some wobble. I think overall I didn't warm up very well and concentration was off a bit. Oh well at least I got it :mix:

Flat Bench
Bar x 15
40 x 8
60 x 3
80 x 1
100 x 1
110 x 3
125 x 2

I usually incline today but I have no incline bench at home so I thought I'd see where my flat is. In a word: sucks :worried: Yipes. I hadn't flat benched for a good while and my CG and Incline were in the 100-105 range so I guess this was just asking a bit much.

Clean Pull
60 x 3
110 x 3
140 x 3 x 3

Off the floor felt decent. I asked my bro to get a vid:

http://media.putfile.com/DSCN0183

Overall: 'Eh' workout. Squat was iffy, bench was off and who knows about the clean pull :rolleyes: I'll try to push it a little bit next week and see how it goes.
 
Week 9 Day 1

Worked out at gym today; it was packed. Weights in lbs :Chef:

Back Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 2 x 5
185 x 2 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1
325 x 3 x 3 (no belt PR)

I have to admit to being a little nervous since I had to dump the bar on the same weight last Friday. Anyway, it went pretty well, I felt decently strong although I had some wobble on my 3rd set. I am very happy I hit my target today, although the hip pain on my right side came back.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 4
165 x 3
185 x 3
220 x 3

I felt strong on these today - 220 was no problem, no sticking point.

I skipped clean pulls because of my hip.

Overall: Good strong workout, albeit abbreviated.
 
Week 9 Day 2

Messed around arranging my home gym for about an hour. Kind of tired after doing all that :). All weights in kg's.

Trap Bar DL
70 x 2 x 3
110 x 2 x 3
140 x 1
160 x 1
187.5 x 3 x 3

Not sure how these are supposed to feel. Off the floor it feels like a conventional dead or maybe worse since my hands are out a bit wider. Lockout is pretty easy, relatively speaking, although my back was still twinging a bit from this weekend.

CG Bench
Bar x 10
70 x 2 x 3
107 x 2, 2 x 3

Meant to go 105 but I had an extra 2kg on one side :rolleyes: No wonder I felt off balance. The first set it threw me off but I thought I was just weak since my grip was a bit narrower than usual. Last 2 sets I hunkered down and got all 3 reps lol

No rowing, will move to Friday to give lower back a break

Overall: decent workout, happy to get 187.5 DL even if it's trap bar. CG was messed up but all things considered I can't complain.
 
Thanks Tweakle. Aren't you Canadian? You should know how many liters are in a kilo ;)

Anyway, this trap bar is 54lbs Then I loaded 160kg in bumpers - at was all that would fit, I may need some metal plates since they're thinner if I want to go up. So now that I'm doing the math it's more like 185kg or 407.

The lift doesn't feel that new, it's a lot like a conventional dead off the floor and a sumo dead to lockout. Well to me anyway.
 
Week 9 Day 3

Worked out at home. All weights in kg's. Kind of warm today and I worked out in the middle of the day so I was somewhat worried about my energy levels. Plus my hip wasn't feeling tip top so I had lots going on in my head today.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
60 x 2 x 5
80 x 2 x 2
102 x 3
125 x 3
150 x 3 (no belt 1 x 3 PR)

vid

Well I was pretty concerned about my top set today. 125 felt pretty heavy, in fact I stumbled forward a little bit on the 3rd rep, really an awful set. So I approached 150 with a lot of concern - for anyone that watches the vid you can tell as it takes me a minute to finally start the rep after the camera starts :rolleyes: I even busted out my little portable spotters. Anyway, I thought I coulda been a tad deeper but hams were touching calves so I'll take it. ;)

BB row
Bar x 10
70 x 3
105 x 3 x 3

vid

A little body english but who cares :) Mostly I was concerned about my hip starting to bother me but the sets were OK.

Overall: Good workout, another short one. I'll either do my inclines tomorrow or wait until Monday.
 
blut wump said:
Nice work. They looked plenty good enough to be 'over 40s ATF squats'. :)
Click to expand...

That sounds familiar ;)

I think we older folks get some slack because hams to calves isn't as hard to attain if one has saddlebag thighs.

anotherbutters said:
Those portable spotters look pretty neat.

When you walk towards the camera after the rows, it looks like your right foot twists inwards. Everything ok?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's just my pigeon toed-ness, I think.

The portable spotters are cool, I'd never used them for squatting as you can tell as I didn't have it aligned properly and the bar would've completely missed them if I did have to dump it. Not that I mind dumping it on the ground so much but my wife's car was right behind me. I've used them primarily for benching
 
I can't get the vids to upload on my cpu for some reason, but screw it, lol....Your squats have made leaps and bounds, man.....I predict a double bodyweight raw squat within 18 months or so......it seems like you went from mid-200s to mid-300s over the last 6 months, really nice progression........what do you weigh? Around 200ish?
 
Thanks man, my progression is maybe more like 290's to 330's in a few months. Slow going but coming along I think, lots of tweaks and form improvements along the way and I have a feeling more to come.

I weigh 205 right now, so double BW would be 4 plates and change. My goal is to hit that before I turn 50 ;)
 
Thanks for the kind words Proto, really appreciate you checkin out my log.

I think my 'skill level' is such that I can make gains on my squat just by squatting, to paraphrase Biggt.

Although I'm itchin to try that Dan Johns method where you squat with the bar starting right at your sticking point and try to blast through that ;)
 
Jim Ouini said:
Although I'm itchin to try that Dan Johns method where you squat with the bar starting right at your sticking point and try to blast through that ;)
Click to expand...

Those are really tough. I was inspired to try some after watching a clip of B-fold doing GMs starting from a 90% position and blasting it up. For some reason I think they're called negative GMs. I tried both GM and squat. They turned out to be way more difficult than B-fold made them out to be. My conservative estimate still had me taking plates off. They're sort of fun, though, and I plan to do some more esp. for squats which seemed to have a lot more potential for useful carryover than the GMs. Those seemed more a strongman feat in and of themselves.
 
Yeah I need to research it more but I was wondering what %RM to try these at and if they're supposed to done in a DE-like manner or ?
 
I can't be of much help. I was just tooling around with the concept to get an idea what it's like. I'm under the impression that you can do these any way that seems best- I did them for both ME and repetition. DE I've no experience with. I wasn't paying attention to pct. Either the weight went up or it didn't.
 
Jim Ouini said:
Yeah I need to research it more but I was wondering what %RM to try these at and if they're supposed to done in a DE-like manner or ?
Click to expand...

i did not really read where this question was coming from, but DE is around 50-60% 1rm.
 
fallingeggs said:
i did not really read where this question was coming from, but DE is around 50-60% 1rm.
Click to expand...

Yep. This technique in question is where you place the bar on the pins right at the height of your sticking point, then start your squat from there. Sounds tough.

Week 10 Day 1

Worked out at the gym today. Gym was totally packed, all weights in lbs. For some reason I was low energy and lethargic all day so I wasn't sure how my workout would be.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10 (FS and BS)
135 x 2 x 5
185 x 2 x 2
225 x 1
275 x 1
330 x 3 x 3 (no belt 3 x 3 PR)

I really had my doubts after the first set, each rep was tough and slow. And my hip kinda hurt. Also, one guy decided to do his Crossfit inspired workout in front of me right when I walked out with the bar. :rolleyes: He was jumping around like a Kansas City Faggot, kinda distracting. Anyway, for a split sec I thought I'd just stop at 1 x 3 and call this cycle good but then I thought of that guy pulling his kid in that raft. My 2nd and 3rd sets were much better and in fact I'd venture to say the reps weren't in doubt (looking back on it now ;) ). I think the key for me is getting my hips under the bar, which I didn't do very well my first set.

Incline Bench
Bar x 15
135 x 5
165 x 1
185 x 1
225 x 3 x 3 (3 x 3 PR)

This is 1 x 3 day but I missed Friday 220 x 3 x 3 and since it's the last week I thought I'd just bump up the weight to 225, which was my goal, and go for 3 x 3. It was heavy but at no time did I think I'd miss any reps. Had to push my shoulders hard into the bench to get them :evil:

Overall: Obviously happy I hit my weights today, both are milestones for me. I think I'm going to push both 5lbs up on Friday 1 x 3. We'll see.
 
Thanks BW, much appreciated.

For a moment it was gonna stay a 1 x 3 PR but I quickly dismissd it and talked myself into that 2nd set.
 
NICE squatting......great numbers, and solid work on the incline too. LOL at the crotchfit fag too.
 
Thanks for the positive reinforcement Biggt, means a lot coming from a guy who front squats my 3RM back squat with ease ;)

Today my glutes are pretty sore, they don’t hurt though. My knees feel great which I take as an encouraging sign that my form is coming along (knock on wood)
 
Yeah....as long as the squats are deep as can be and you're not tipping forward, the knees will feel like a million dollars.
 
Thank you AB.

I don’t know about my rows – I think I’ve done 275-280 x 3 before but I’d like to get a vid to check my form. Might’ve been too much bar humping.
 
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