Journal- Improving my deadlift without deadlifting: A four-week experiment

[Guinness5.0]

I was kinda wondering about the speed deads and clean pull in the same workout.

Maybe do your speed deads first so that the clean pulls are easier? When I finish up I take the step away and dead the weight back up to the rack to take the plates off. Man does it seem easier, bar seems like it's already at your knees

Maybe you want to be fresh for the cleans, though. Just thinking out loud.

Changing the order might be a good idea. That does make sense.

I do them in the same workout because it seems to me that the speed dl's off plates are really only hard at the bottom, and the clean pulls are only tough at the top. Then again, I think I'n doing them wrong so who knows

You know, it REALLY would make sense to flip-flop them b/c my weak spot on dl is at the bottom. Thanks bros!

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 2

THURSDAY

Squat 1x5: 355
Bench 5x5: 265
GM 5x5: 175

Comments:
-This program is kicking my ass- my hams/glutes/erectors were begging for mercy during squats. My quads had SO much more in 'em than the rest of me.

-Bench was good. I hope to break records similar to my previous 5x5, but with the extra pressing in my program this time, it may be tough.

-GMs are going well. Still getting weird looks and I feed off them I'm hoping to gat up to 225 or so with these by week 4.

-I may drop the clean pull snext week.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 2

FRIDAY

Speed DL's off two plates 1x5: 315
Push-press 1x5: 175
Pullups 5x5: bw

Comments:
-I got to the gym late b/c a stoplight at a major intersection on my way was down- it was bumper-to-bumper for 30 minutes . So i dropped the clean pulls today.

-I was reverting back to my old habits on dl- my trainer buddy at the gym pointed it out to me (starting with my hips then bringing shoulders into it instead of one fluid motion). I'm glad he caught it as I'd hate to instill a bad habit while trying to IMPROVE my dl

-I think I've been using too much leg drive on p-p so I used less today and had to reduce weight as a result. I like it even though it was tougher.

-I'm done with the clean pulls. I'm gonna get buried if I stick with 'em. It's week two and I'm pretty damn sore from hams to traps.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I think the deads and clean pulls on the same day might be too much. Maybe sub in power shrugs?

 

[Guinness5.0]

Yeah I think the deads and clean pulls on the same day might be too much. Maybe sub in power shrugs?

That's not a bad idea. i wonder if it'd be a bad idea to throw 'em in halfway through my cycle. I think I might....

Still half the point of this run is to increase my capacity for the big lifts, so I suppose another taxing movement that doesn't brutalize the posterior chain wouldn't be bad- especially since it's not pulling from the floor (I'm kinda thinking out loud here).

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 3

MONDAY

Pause squat 5x5: 315
Bench 1x5: 290
GM 1x5: 205

Comments:

-I definitely think I set the weights right for this cycle. Pause sqats were quite tough but I'll be able to go up again in weight next week. Same for bench- I think today was a PR but I need to double check.
EDIT: i went for 295 and got four last run, so I suppose this is a PR

-I'm getting strong as shit on GMs. THey're getting easier even as the weight goes up . Gotta love picking up a new lift and the rapid progress that goes with it.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Nice pause squats, very impressive.

I've been pausing at the bottom of my fronts and even at 165 I could feel my hips wanting to shoot back a bit getting out of the hole.

And your GM's sure shot up - I'm feeling my goal of 225 might be a bit much, I may top out at 185 or 205.

 

[blut wump]

What are your plans for testing whether the experiment has boosted your deadlift? Are you going to take a week of deloading or just go for it? I guess it'll come down to how worn down you are but the way you're running this, I can see you dragging it out into being the Guinness 5.0x5 and doing a real intensity phase.

JO: I considered the front squats similar to doing a machine hack squat. Pretty much straight up and down. Are you leaning slightly forward to get out of the hole? Try looking up higher to keep your torso more erect.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Trying not too. Between the tenuous rack and elbows wanting to go down I can feel the torso wanting to tip forward though.

I noticed looking up does help although in general I try to keep my head straight ahead. I may have to make an exception for fronts.

I think it's also a matter of concentration since with my oly shoes I can really sit back and drive off my heels.

 

[blut wump]

Maybe it's just my sizeable gluteal area that's acting as ballast.

Give the cross-over grip a whirl if you haven't yet tried it. The bar feels pretty solidly placed for me with it.