RipStone's 5x5-GFH journal

[RipStone]

Monday, Week 13

(all loads in pounds)

squats:
-95x5
-135x5
-185x5
-215x5
-245x5(pretty happy with this max set today. i was able to stay much more inbalance for all my reps, rather than lean foward a little on the ascend. i guess the extra lower back/pull work is already paying off.)

bench press:
-95x5
-135x5
-155x5
-175x5
-193xWHO THE FUCK KNOWS( i had a spotter whose hands were obviously a postive side to a magnet and was attracted to the negative ions in the bar. see RANT* below)

BB rows:
-70x5
-95x5
-115x5
-135x5
-152x5(form got a little sloppy on the last 2 reps. i might have been loosing my angle too much. i will see how these go next monday. re-setting these back a few pounds in order to have better form might be in my future.)---->PR!

weighted hypers:
70x9
70x8
70x6
BWx15(my lower back was feeling a lot of lactic acid, so I decided to do my 4th set just with my body weight. I did a slow negative on these.)

Abs;
-hanging-twisting leg raises: BWx15, BWx12

-standing cable crunches: 60x8x2

Comments: I had a lot of energy today. This had been a good trend of late. I think I can equate my higher enegy levels latley to an increased metabolism. I have been getting hungrier latlety, so I have been eating more. Usually getting hungier means your metabolism is higher and if your metobolism is higher that means you have more muscle!

WARNING; RANT...

So about my max set on bench press. I ask a guy who is a trainer there for a spot. He isnt training someone, he's just doing his own workout. This guy would not take his hands off the bar! So, as I was in the middle of my set I kept on having to tell him "I got it", which was really distracting of course. On the 5th rep the bar was going up slow, but I was pretty confident I was gonna be able to lock it out IF HE WOULD JUST GIVE ME A SECOND, but NO! Hands on the bar right away. And here's the kicker. After I am done he tells me "good set". I respond, "Thanks, but I would have liked to see if I could do all the reps on my OWN!" He says, "you did 5 reps" and I answer, "but you were helping me". His repsonse" No, I wasnt."

So know I have no idea what to think or do. I know his hands were on the bar. I know that it felt like he helped me, especislly on the last rep. But he claims it was all me. So how should I progress with bench press?? I am thinking that on friday I am gonna try 193x5 again(instead of the usualy triple) to make sure I can do the weight before adding more weight to the bar next monday. Sound ok??

Sorry for the rant. I am just steamed cus I look foward to monday's workout all week cus I want to set new PRs. But then shit like this happens and it's dissapointing.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I go through a 'pre-bench checklist' with new spotters. I tell 'em, "The way I look at it, if you even touch this bar it's a failed rep for me. I just want you to help me rack it if I absolutely can't move it. OK?"

So far, so good w/ this approach. Just make it clear that hands on = failed rep for you.

 

[djeclipse]

That sucks about the spot on the bench press. I do the same as Guinness5.0, I say not to touch the bar unless I ask them to. I then tell them how many I want to get on my own and then say everything over again so it's 100% clear. The on that last rep where it's going up extreemly slow I tell them not to touch it.

The problem is spotting has somehow become helping a little bit on all the reps and then telling the person that they did them all on their own. It's so bad now days that most of the people lifting the weight expect that type of a spot.

I say try it again for 5 reps on Firday, if you get it go up on monday and hopefully put that bad spotbehind you.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Sorry to hear about the spotter problems. Like Guinness said, make it absolutely clear to him that helping you when the bar hasn't stalled and started going down is just as bad as not bailing you out when you actually do need it. Tell him that the only difference in your mind between the two scenarios is that you'll be able to kick his ass in former because you're not trapped under the bar.

If shit like this keeps happening, just do your top set in a power rack, and if some moron complains because he wants to use it for curls or ass-to-45-degrees squats, tell him that you'd gladly vacate it if a single person in the gym were capable of providing a competent spot.

 

[RipStone]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll make sure to have my spotters sign a contract before they have the honor of spotting me In all seriousness, that helps alot.

So you guys think its ok to do 193x5 on friday instead of the normal triple?

 

[Cynical Simian]

I'd say go with 195 like you did this past Friday after essentially the same thing happened with last Monday's set of 193. Based on your comments, you can handle 193; while proving it to yourself by doing 5 reps on Friday might accomplish something mentally, I think going ahead with an increase for a triple on Friday would be better for your progress. If 195 feels as easy as it did last Friday, it should be appropriate for next Monday's set of 5.

 

[RipStone]

I'd say go with 195 like you did this past Friday after essentially the same thing happened with last Monday's set of 193. Based on your comments, you can handle 193; while proving it to yourself by doing 5 reps on Friday might accomplish something mentally, I think going ahead with an increase for a triple on Friday would be better for your progress. If 195 feels as easy as it did last Friday, it should be appropriate for next Monday's set of 5.

Aha...makes sense. I'll do that. Thank ya sir.

 

[anotherbutters]

I've just found where I saw the limited range variant of the good morning I mentioned last week. It was Tournefier in the first vid in this post http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5685517&postcount=22 (thanks to asdf).

 

[RipStone]

I've just found where I saw the limited range variant of the good morning I mentioned last week. It was Tournefier in the first vid in this post http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5685517&postcount=22 (thanks to asdf).

Thanks for the link.

He certainly does have a very limited ROM for GMs, but its hard to argue with his results.....he gets those squats up wit ease! Damn impressive to watch.

 

[RipStone]

week 13, wednesday

front squats:
-bar x 8
-115x5
-130x5
-145x5x2(I took thge advice of[forgot who, but thanks] and racked the bar one notch higher. this helped me set the bar at a better posistion on my shoulders. front squats felt a lot better today, than last week. depth was great.)------> PR!!

hammer chins:
-15x5x3(+5 from last week)
-10x5x2(same as last week)

OH press:
-75x5
-90x5
-110x5
-126x5(really good set. i felt like i could have done another 1-2 reps with ease, which is good at this stage. its about time i start progressing w/ OH press!)------> PR!!

-bent knee-GMs:
-bar x5
-75x5
-95x5
-115x5
-130x5(good sets here. i was gonna go for 135x5, but i didnt wanna push my luck.)------> PR!!

abs:
-standing-twisting cable crunches: 45x20
-circut abs work

comments: lots of PRs= boy. my intensity was once again through the roof. i really have a adreline high going right now as i type this.

question: i was inspecting my shows that i usually wear and i noticed that the heel was a little higher than i thought. the shoes i normally wear are Nike's "free" model. they are really light weight....kinda like wrestleing shoes, so i thought they would be good. but for the heck of it i swictched shoes today to a walking style shoe; New Balance 770s. They are pretty flat soled. i dunno but they seemed to help a lot asd far as squat depth. so, should i stick with these arte should i maybe get some Chuck Taylors? Keep in mind for back squats I use a power lifting stance, but go below parallel.

Thanks gents.