carlsuen's SF 5x5 journal

[carlsuen]

week 7 day 3 (saturday) 2/9/06

squats
5x60
5x60
5x80
5x100
3x122.5kg
8x80

bench (speed work)
10x40
10x50
10x60
8x60kg

rows
10x40
5x50
5x60
3x77.5kg

power clean
6 singles@60kg

curls

tri extensions..

all's good.. really happy on the squats.. rows are starting to get hard too.. but it will ride for awhile.. its been awhile since i did BB stuff like tri extention.. they're sore now..

 

[silver_shadow]

i'm curious how you do high reps (8-10) for speed work?

 

[carlsuen]

well.. maybe i got the defenition of 'speed work' wrong.. but i just do em as fast as i can.. is it supposed to be performed with low reps (5's?)

pls correct me..

 

[silver_shadow]

well you are right about doing as fast as possible. the only routine i know of is what's used by WSB trainees. there's squats 8-9x2 (sets x reps) at ~ 50-60% of 1 RM and flat bench 8-9x3 at ~ 50% of 1RM. time between reps is no more then 1 min usually.

i'm not so sure about how much use speed work would be for all but almost advanced to advanced trainees - maybe i could be wrong about that though. if that is correct, then you'd be fine merely concentrating on exploding the weight during the normal course of your routine. JMO

 

[carlsuen]

ahh.. i see i see.. i really value your opinion.. as no one seems to be commenting much on my training.. so i might not know what i'm doing wrong..

and of cuz i'm not training for a meet.. just looking to increase the poundages on my 5x5 bench.. that's it..

and of cuz i'm not very familiar with WSB style.. so i might not know what i'm doing too.. haha.. i've become so complacent with the 5x5 as it's just so easy..

 

[silver_shadow]

no one seems to be commenting much on my training.. so i might not know what i'm doing wrong..

you seem to have a pretty high views to posts ratio in this thread... so i can't understand it... maybe ask questions... not sure

 

[carlsuen]

lol.. i did.. i've been commenting about my left arm bothering me.. it's affecting my bench and OHPs.. don't think it's anything serious.. but it only tingles and twitches when i bench and OHP..

 

[Jim Ouini]

I read your journal. I just don't feel like commenting all the time

 

[carlsuen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BltW4a9bp8

this is my oly clean vid.. it's really horendouz.. reading from SR's thread.. it might be the bar rotation problem? but that's no excuse for my lack of speed there..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr6lVd3ToGE

and this is a power clean vid done from the hang.. check it out..

so critique away guys..

 

[carlsuen]

crap.. youtube can't seem to upload my files.. will fix it asap..

 

[carlsuen]

week 8 day 1 (tuesday) 5/9/06

squats
5x60
5x60
5x80
5x100
5x122.5 PR 5th rep was a strugle, was stuck at mid point but pushed thru it..

bench(high rep stuff)
8x40
8x50
8x60
8x60

rows
10x40
5x50
5x60
5x77.5 PR? seperated the 5s.. did 3 singles.. then rested like less than 10 secs and proceeded to do another 3.. does this count?

left early as i had dinner with friends before going in to the gym.. so was kinda full and didn't feel like doing pullups and abwork..

squats are getting hard but not a problem..

wonder if this round of my rows counted.. they're getting hard.. at this weight i have trouble getting the bar to touch my chest..

ok workout overall..

 

[silver_shadow]

i just took a quick look at the first page of your journal - squats were 5x90, they are now at 122.5, bench was 3x62.5, now you can do that for 8 reps and that's not even a PR i'm guessing. didn't look at the cleans, rows, DLs... but that's some nice progress for barely 1 and a half months... keep up the good work.

i personally wouldn't count the rows as a PR - not until i can do it with less than around 3-5 secs between reps, mainly because you're deweighting them (i think?)

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah great progress carl. I assume you're a lot bigger too?

 

[carlsuen]

thx guys.. sorry to dissapoint u but if u noticed.. the first page of my journal is dated back earlier this year in febuary.. and i started this round of 5x5 in page 2..

anyway this is what i started off..

squat - 117.5
bench - 77.5
deadlift - 122.5
rows - not very sure as i haven't done them for long.. (yes i deweight the load)
power clean - 77.5
push presses - 75
military press - not sure too as i was doing push presses prior to this

so my squat and DL's are the only numbers improving.. rows are new to me and getting hard.. i will maintain this weight next week.. bench and military are stuck and will only work on them when i finally get my mini plates..

SS, overall i put on 5kg on my squats and 7.5kg on my deads.. i'm only on week 8 so it's ok i guess.. most important is that i've advanced in my lifts and have not gotten stuck.. i'm only 21 so there's years ahead for me..

jim, i don't actually look bigger.. i haven't put on weight nor have i lost any weight since joining EF last year.. but body composition wise has defenitely changed compared to febuary 06.. i feel stronger and look slightly leaner now..

after this run i will "try" to run a cutting cycle for 12 weeks with diet in check and doing cardio too.. we'll see by then..

 

[silver_shadow]

i'm not sure why you'd want to do a cutting cycle... the last time i saw your pics, you seemed alright. what's your waist size... that's usually the best measure (outside of BF tests). also, there've been a few posts that BiggT has made lately (i think in PBs journal) about recomping vs cutting... just something you may want to look into.

 

[carlsuen]

well thx for the compliment.. i think.. hehe.. well my waist size is about 34 and belly about 37.. would like to lose the gut and fat ass i have.. as BW exercises are really suffering.. i'm not strong enough to easily handle chins and pullups..

current measurements..
6feet
90kg
chest 42
belly 37
waist 34
arms 15 1/4
legs 25
claves 16 1/4
shoulders 22
BF around 20%

hmm.. interesting, i guess i might be using the wrong "word" here.. cutting shouldn't be the right word.. recomping more like it.. yeap.. i don't wanna look smaller or lose mass.. just shed off the access baggage..

thx SS!!

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to silver_shadow again.

 

[carlsuen]

week 8 day 2 (thursday) 7/9/06

front squats
5x60
5x70
5x80
5x90kg

snatch grip BTN press
10xbar
10x30

standing DB press
10x25lbs

deadlift
5x60
5x80
5x110
3x130kg

chinups
6xBW
5xBW
3xBW
3xBW

abwork on swiss ball..

stretching..

really felt fatigued today.. guess my 9 week cycle is almost coming to an end.. as my lower back is feeling it.. i'm so weak at deads!! i quit after the 3rd rep and didn't want to go any further.. was stretching like mad in between sets.. i'm beat..

left rotator cuff is really weak.. and i felt some pain when i pressed with the barbell.. so i switched to DBs and tried to press it.. it was the same, i still felt some pain.. not extreme but it tells me not to mess with it and i'll get it checked soon..

will see a chiro soon, as i'd like to get my whole body "loosened" up..

 

[oso0690]

wow i just dropped by and you seem to be doing real good. that sucks about your rotator cuff, have you had the problem for a while? Just throwing this out there but do you have good posture? Do your shoulders kind of pull forward or backward or just inbetween? a check could be to stand relaxed, then look at your hands. do your palms face toward your body or more toward behind you? They should be toward your body if they aren't. Also warming up the rotator cuff before hand with some RC stretches and light exercises could help out....

another throw out there could be look into deep tissue massaging for your shoulder, might possibly help? lol anyway good job with your progress, I'm hoping I will make it up to week 8 or 9

 

[carlsuen]

lol dude.. i didn't quite get your post on hand posture man!??!! i'm confused.. hehe.. regarding the massages? what did u have in mind? also, i only know of a few RC stretches.. but i'd like to know more of cuz.. and The Shadow posted a good article in another thread about RC's and overhead lifting too.. but i'd like to find something to help me strengthen it and get rid of the pain..

i've had it for like 2 months max.. could be from my push pressing.. i was push pressing 70++kg while i can only OHP 50kg.. i have a very weak upper body strength.. my bench sucks too.. i could have gotten it from my bench too.. my form would sometimes break on the last rep or 2 and i'd have to really grind the weight up which sometimes puts me in weird position..

which is why i'm backing out from OHPs and bench till i get micro plates.. really bumbed about this..

 

[Jim Ouini]

Sorry about the injury. Hope it's not serious.

On a positive note, really nice front squatting. You must feel confident with the rack

 

[carlsuen]

thx jim.. it's not actually an injury.. i wouldn't categorize it as that yet.. i would say a really weak joint for me..

yeah i feel confident enough in the rack.. but i have a really weak core.. last sets of the fronts although are not that hard.. but i find that my legs come up first and i tend to lean forward a bit and consciously pulling back before lockout.. and i have to consciously keep my body posture as straight and feel like i'm front squatting backwards so that i don't let the weight pull me forwards.. i'm working hard on strengthening the abs.. i think i'll throw in more volume for abwork.. will add from 2 times a week to 3 times a week at the end of every session..

 

[silver_shadow]

i could have gotten it from my bench too.. my form would sometimes break on the last rep or 2 and i'd have to really grind the weight up which sometimes puts me in weird position..

my bet is that it started out here and just got aggravated whatever you did after that.

t happened to me on my right delt a few weeks ago... i was doing a 10x10 german vol training... on the last few reps of the last few sets, fatigue REALLY began to set in and even though it was a light weight which i'd normally be able to put up real easy, it was a grind to get the bar up. form didn't break down, just my shoulder lol. i took 2 weeks off from the gym to let it heal... it's fine now. sometimes you just have to make that tough decision now so that it doesn't become more serious later.

something you might also consider when you bench is how wide your grip is... lifting raw demands a narrower grip.

PS: here's a confession - while doing the GVT i didn't want to get "pinned" under a lighter weight and ended up pushing when i could have just rested the bar for a little and then pushed

 

[carlsuen]

lol@SS

yeap.. i know what u mean.. but i finally found out the reason why i was hurting and it's becuz i press BTN which screwed up my RCs i think.. it's the only reason that i could think of..

i bench with the 2nd finger on the rings.. but since last week i brought it narrower to 4th or 3rd finger.. will try for pinky finger soon..

 

[oso0690]

lol dude.. i didn't quite get your post on hand posture man!??!! i'm confused.. hehe.. regarding the massages? what did u have in mind? also, i only know of a few RC stretches.. but i'd like to know more of cuz.. and The Shadow posted a good article in another thread about RC's and overhead lifting too.. but i'd like to find something to help me strengthen it and get rid of the pain..

i've had it for like 2 months max.. could be from my push pressing.. i was push pressing 70++kg while i can only OHP 50kg.. i have a very weak upper body strength.. my bench sucks too.. i could have gotten it from my bench too.. my form would sometimes break on the last rep or 2 and i'd have to really grind the weight up which sometimes puts me in weird position..

which is why i'm backing out from OHPs and bench till i get micro plates.. really bumbed about this..

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-115-training They are all great articles on posture. I have really only gone through the first 3, so the other 2 might be helpful but I got the info on the first few. In number 3 they have pictures of a guy with his shoulders rounded which would mean his palms face more toward behind him than to his body. lol i probably don't make too much sense, but you can just skim around mostly the 2nd and 3rd ones to check out your shoulders that I know of.

 

[carlsuen]

didn't lift on saturday as i was feeling too beat up.. lower back was killing me so i gave it a rest.. will push for 125kg anyway tomorrow and see what i'll get..

will come up with a new layout based on the 5x5 principle with box squats included..