RipStone's 5x5-GFH journal

[RipStone]

week 8-tuesday

-cardio: 10mins incline treadmill walking(3.5mph, 9.0 incline), 10min on elliptical trainer

-stretching

djeclipe-lol. Like the story man. I had a really similar expiernce actually. I was listing at my college gym and this kid is doing curls(of course) and he asks me for a spot. I say "for curl?!" cus I have never seen anyone get a spot for curls or need one. So I am not really sure how to spot him, but I kinda bluff it and help him out. So just lke you, I was doing the reps for him and even with my "help" he ws struglling and bending his back, on his toes, etc....not a pretty sight to say the least. So, I am done spotting him...so I think and I go back to doing my next set of whatever I was doing. Few mins later, he comes over to me and asks me for another spot and this time he has another 20lbs on the bar! I just couldnt stand this anymore so I tell him that he should use less weight and focus on his form more and then demonstrate how tro do curls the proper way. He was actually really thankful for my help. It was obvious that he was a newbie. The things people do....

 

[Jim Ouini]

I once had a guy ask me for a spot on the leg press since he was 'maxing'. I guess from the look on my face it was obvious I'd never done it before so he told me to put my hands on the platform and push to 'help get it going'

 

[RipStone]

Hey Ripstone here's an article I found to be a good read, especially since you mentioned tight hip flexors, hip break etc. May or may not find it helpful

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459517

Thanks again for this article. I took a look at it and it had some helpful tips. One I think I might try out tommorow is stretching before I squat. Now, Ian King mentions some hip flexor stretches, but I couldnt find any specific strethces. Do you(or anyone else) know of any good ones? Thanks.

 

[RipStone]

Wednesday, Week 8

(all loads in pounds)

squats:
-barx warmup
-135x5
-155x5
-185x5
-185x5(did some stretching before I started and inbetween sets. I dunno if it was just a placebo affect, but I went very deep today).

OH press:
-75x5
-95x5
-120x5(DAMN! I was supposed to do 110x5 for this set, but after I was done with the set I looked at the weight cus it felt kinda heavy and I realized I put 10s on instead of 5s)
-125x5(I was planning on going for a +1lb PR attempt today, but since I fucked up the progression I decided to hold off. I did duplicated my PR though. Overall I think this worked out well by default cus I got some more volume in, lol. The 5th rep was pretty damn slow thouugh.)

deadlifts:
145x5
195x5
235x5
285x5(+5lbs. First 4 reps were really tight for wise. 5th rep was a little sloppy as could tell I rounded my back a little too much.)-----> PR!

chins:
BW+20x5(+2.5lbs)
BW+17.5x5
BW+17.5x5
BW+15x5
BW+15x4+1 r.p. negative(didnt quite get the 5th rep, so on the 4th rep I did a negative. The I did a rest pause negative rep too).

abs:

-hanging-twisting leg raises: BWx14, BWx12
-kneeling cable crunches: 100x12, 100x12
-swiss ball crunches: 10x20

comments: Pretty good workout all in all.

question: I am going to see some friends next week out of town, so I will take a week off from this program. How should I handle the progression when I return? I probabaly will have access to a gym, but if I go I am gonna go with friends and they are gonna wanna F around(like they always do....thats "working out" for them).

 

[young_squatter]

Awesome workout,

Wish I could answer your question, But I dont know to much about the program and how to progress on it, So bump.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks again for this article. I took a look at it and it had some helpful tips. One I think I might try out tommorow is stretching before I squat. Now, Ian King mentions some hip flexor stretches, but I couldnt find any specific strethces. Do you(or anyone else) know of any good ones? Thanks.

I typically do this one like this:

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipFlexors/KneelingHipFlexor.html

I really feel it if I squeeze the glutes and tilt the pelvis underneath (like a dog tucking his tail between the legs - not hard for me since I'm usually like that anyway before I squat )

And I do this one using the pins in the power rack instead of the chair.

http://www.drbackman.com/psoas-muscle-stretch.htm

Same thing with squeezing the glutes for the reciprocal inhibition thing.

And coolcolj had a good hip flexor stretch where you kneel on a bench with feel hanging over the edge and sit on your calves. I can't remember the thread, though.

 

[djeclipse]

Spotting for curls is just not right. Good job on telling him to use less weight and also for him to admi this mistake and use less weight. Maybe next time this guy asks me to spot him again I'll tell him the same. The only thing is he looks like he's been working out for a while, he's not some small noob.

Thanks again for this article. I took a look at it and it had some helpful tips. One I think I might try out tommorow is stretching before I squat. Now, Ian King mentions some hip flexor stretches, but I couldnt find any specific strethces. Do you(or anyone else) know of any good ones? Thanks.

I stretch after every set for everything I do. I read somewhere that it helps promote muscle growth.

 

[anotherbutters]

The only thing is he looks like he's been working out fr a while, he's not some small noob..

Not necessarily a bad thing - you might get a quick cardio workout out of it

 

[RipStone]

YS- thanks ya sir.

jim- thanks once again for the links. i will add those stretches to my arsenal.

djeclipse- yea, this kid was a newb so it will be different if you get some meathead who is stuck on his ways. good luck with that man, lol. also, you said you stretch in between all sets....interesting. i know it helped a lot today for squats. could you go into more detail about this?

AB- haha

 

[djeclipse]

djeclipse- yea, this kid was a newb so it will be different if you get some meathead who is stuck on his ways. good luck with that man, lol. also, you said you stretch in between all sets....interesting. i know it helped a lot today for squats. could you go into more detail about this?

He asked me to spot him again, I was doing back and bies yesterday, felt sick so I was already feeling week. I was on my second last seated alternating curl set so my arms were already tired. Same thing with the spot. I didn't say anything because I just wanted to finish my set and get home for some food and sleep. he's not a meat head, I just think he's been working out that way for so long, I think it's an ego thing. One of those guys that wants to be seen lifting the heavy dumbells.

Anyway, stretching. My routine is like this. I do my set, after my set I write down my reps in my little book then immediately do a stretch for the body part I am working on. if it's something like bench press and I can feel my tries beginning to get a "pump" (for lack of a better word) then I'll also stretch my tries along with my chest. Then I drink from my water bottle, reflect on how week I am... repeat.

For the stretch I don't really push hard, just enough to feel it in the muscle area and hold it there for a few seconds, I don't really count. I am basically the only one at the gym that does this and people always look at me. But this is how I've always done it and it's part of lifting for me.

Also at the beginning of every workout I do really light weight first to warm up the muscle I am going to be working and then get that first stretch in. If I am doing back I will start by doing curls with 5-10lb dumbbells (only 10 reps) to get the bies warm, then stretch. Then I'll do the same for BB row. Then start the workout.

So for squats/legs I will start with really light hamstring curl machine, then stretch the hams. Then squat the bar, stretch my quads and calves, then start the workout stretching between every set.

Do a google search on stretching and muscle growth.

Also for cardio I do the same thing. I’ll war up on the machine for 2-3min, stop, stretch and then being the cardio.