Nelmsjer's 2006 Journal

[blut wump]

I was just looking at the squat vid. I noticed on the last rep you do a little dip forward with the knees and then straighten with the hips before ascending further. Would that indicate your quads need more work to push through or would it indicate that your posterior chain needs more work? I'm just trying to think which muscles you're shuffling strain onto. You do it on all three reps but it's more pronounced on the last.

Impressive effort.

 

[nelmsjer]

Thanks, everyone. I know I say this a lot, but I truly do appreciate all the feedback and compliments. Blut_wump, I wish I knew the answer to your analysis. I am going to assume that my quads need the work, as I have always been very posterior chain dominant. On the other hand, is it a weakness in my lower back that is preventing me from staying more upright the entire time? I don't know.

Let me see, here (looking back):

AB, the regrab is so that the hands are all the way around the bar and prepped for the clean.

Bunny, thanks for the chop.

Everyone else, thanks again.

 

[nelmsjer]

Well, tonight I competed in a little power lifting meet held here on the base. 3 new PRs to add to the week, and I had a blast.

Squatting was interesting. I don't know where parallel is, anymore. So when I opened with 395 and dropped to the bottom, the gym kinda' got quiet. It was funny, actually. I followed it up with 415, which I brought a little higher, and it was easy. So, for my last lift, I threw on 450. It went down slowly and went up even slower, but I broke parallel and got the lift. It's the only thing I wore a belt on for the night, and it is an all-time PR.

Next up was bench. Last competition took me to 275 for a serious grinder. This time, my second lift was 285, and it went up easily. It actually went up fast. So, I tried 310 for my last one.

And got stapled to the bench. LOL! Failed lift, but a PR at 285 for a raw competition-style bench.

Finally, it was deadlifts. I opened with 450, and it felt strangely heavy and a bit slow. I did 35 minutes of incline treadmill walking earlier today, so I wrote it off to that. My next lift was 470, and it went up about the same speed as the first, so I went up to 485.

Slowest lift of my life, but I nailed it, and it was a new PR for deadlift. Most I have EVER done or even attempted. It felt awesome. And not to inundate you with video, but here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgg9W6JsqUA

So...a 1220 total at 197.8 bodyweight for the day. Absolutely deplorable for powerlifting standards, but I have got a big fat smile on my face.

 

[anotherbutters]

More PRs

Congrats! The finish on the dead was very quick.

I've always started my deads a lot lower than that, but I tried them straighter this week and realised it's a lot easier for me.

 

[blut wump]

Wow. Congrats. I like the way the lockout snaps into place. Great pull and great squatting.

 

[Illuminati]

Well, tonight I competed in a little power lifting meet held here on the base. 3 new PRs to add to the week, and I had a blast.

Squatting was interesting. I don't know where parallel is, anymore. So when I opened with 395 and dropped to the bottom, the gym kinda' got quiet. It was funny, actually. I followed it up with 415, which I brought a little higher, and it was easy. So, for my last lift, I threw on 450. It went down slowly and went up even slower, but I broke parallel and got the lift. It's the only thing I wore a belt on for the night, and it is an all-time PR.

Next up was bench. Last competition took me to 275 for a serious grinder. This time, my second lift was 285, and it went up easily. It actually went up fast. So, I tried 310 for my last one.

And got stapled to the bench. LOL! Failed lift, but a PR at 285 for a raw competition-style bench.

Finally, it was deadlifts. I opened with 450, and it felt strangely heavy and a bit slow. I did 35 minutes of incline treadmill walking earlier today, so I wrote it off to that. My next lift was 470, and it went up about the same speed as the first, so I went up to 485.

Slowest lift of my life, but I nailed it, and it was a new PR for deadlift. Most I have EVER done or even attempted. It felt awesome. And not to inundate you with video, but here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgg9W6JsqUA

So...a 1220 total at 197.8 bodyweight for the day. Absolutely deplorable for powerlifting standards, but I have got a big fat smile on my face.

thing you have to remember is that Powerlifting is not about what everybody else does, its about what you can do, and how much you can improve, and whether or not your are pushing yourself. don't ever try to compare yourself to someone else. once you start doing that, you will be done.
always set mini goals for yourself and are attainable. let me give you an example...me, i want to (and will eventually) deadlift in the 900's. I know that if that is my only goal, that i will look at where i am at (565) and feel like 900 is unattainable, and that i'll never get there b/c i'm more than 300lbs away, and 300lbs is hard to chase. but, if i set mini goals for myself, like 50lbs at a time, and always keep my ultimate goal in mind, then i will have more fun chasing it. so right now, i want 600. once that is knocked out, i will want 650, then 700....i think you get the point.

Congrats on the PR's. i watched your deadlift video. your starting strength is what is holding your back. try deadlifting off a 2" platform for the next few weeks, and then switch back to doing your deads off the floor.

 

[nelmsjer]

Thanks, all, for the feedback. I'm exhausted and sore this morning, but I'm still pretty happy about last night. Illuminati, I'll work on the platform deads, and I agree completely with your philosophy on personal achievement. I preach the same thing, brother.

 

[nelmsjer]

Well, all, it is time for change. I'm just feeling too much tiredness, joint aches, and overall stiffness. I also feel slow. I know a lot has to do with the training and ever-increasing weights, which I have truly enjoyed. Unfortunately, it is also related with 84 hour work weeks in a warzone. We have been very, very busy, and my posting (lack of) shows it. It sucks, sometimes.

So, IP and I are going to switch to some higher rep sets for about 1 month. We will be ramping weights up each week, hopefully hitting failure in week 4. Our schedule will look like this:

Monday: all for 3 sets of 10, working up to a "heavy" set

Squat
Incline Bench
Lat Pulldowns

Wednesday: Speed work with bands, maybe 6 sets of 3, and maybe a heavy triple if we have time

Full Cleans (no bands, obviously)
Deadlifts
Bent Row
Bench

Friday: (2 sets of 10, 1 set of 8, 1 backoff set to 12)

Bench
Squat
Bent Row

 

[2.5 Years]

450 Squat and 485 Dead! Incredible Nelms - especially at 197 lbs!
CONGRATS!!!

 

[Guinness5.0]

Did you use a PL stance for the squat, or just not bottom-out an Oly? Congrats either way. BTW we deadlift a lot alike (which doesn't bode well for you ).