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Spring 2006

BiggT

BiggT

New member
I think I will start a journal and keep it up at least through the Spring. I am always hesitant about posting things without video, but journals without #'s are pointless as you can't get feedback or bounce things off other members regarding issues that pop up. Anyway, I'm going to start start one. I was giving the Smolov squat cycle some thought, but I don't want to give up heavy pulling right now, plus I probably subconsciously pussed out for now, lol, but seriously, I am having too much fun with the olympic lifts right now to put them on the back burner.

Here is what I will my goals will be this Spring : A big power clean, behind-the-neck jerk, flat bench, and olympic squat (big olympic squat for me that is, lol), I will also be deadlifting (I use a hook grip at all times).

What else....I am very basic, nothing fancy and complicated. I have really good instincts when it comes to my own training, so I don't work with percentages or plan EVERYTHING out, but I start super, super conservative and bump up with a general plan. I am far from neurotic about my eating, again, it is a lot of instinct on what I 'feel' I need, with some basic guidelines....

I will be squatting and pulling twice and pressing with upper assistance twice.

So, here goes.....
 
Ahh, sounds good. Maybe your journal won't fail like mine. I can never keep it up. ;)
 
Monday 4/3/06

After 4 days in NC with some old high school buddies, sleeping poorly in a twin sized bed, drinking for the first time in about 6 months, and eating like an asshole (really just not enough), I got a good night of sleep Sun night and ate well today. I trained tonight from 5:30 until about 6:45.....started extra conservative and no set was hard.

I weighed in at 236, which is the lightest I have been in a long time. I am somewhere between 5'11 and 6'.

Here's the workout...

Power Clean : 3 sets of 2 with 135, then doubles with 185, 225, 245, 250, 275

Olympic Squat: 135x8, then 5's with 225, 315, 365, 405, 415

Deadlift: 5's with 225, 315, 405, 465

Steep Decline Situps: 3 sets of 15

I felt okay tonight, not great, but not as bad as I thought I would considering the weekend I had. Everything was easy, the top-end squat set was easy, but still not as easy as it should have been.

Here is my 'diet' from today as best as I remember....

8 AM: 6 egg whites plus 2 whole eggs, 4 strips of bacon, whole wheat toast, a quart of milk, multi vitamin, vitamin-C, fish oil caps.

11 AM: 1lb of chicken cutlets, grilled and 4 slices of whole wheat bread, 1 quart of milk

1 PM: PB and J sandwich on whole wheat

4 PM: PB and J on whole wheat

Trained from from 5:30-6:45

6:45: MetrX 51 gram

8:00: 1/2 lb of chicken cutlets, breaded and fried, 1 bag of instant rice, 1 package of frozen spinach, a quart of milk, and a slice of homeade apple pie, vitamin-C, fish oil caps.

I need to get some protein powder for before bed.....a quart of milk will have to do for tonight, I should be out by 11PM.....tomorrow is flat bench and some strict standing B-T-N presses.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Ahh, sounds good. Maybe your journal won't fail like mine. I can never keep it up. ;)
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Thanks, man....I always write it in a journal, but I am notoriously bad at online journals too.
 
Your diet looks like mine, except you don't have enough (er, any) red meat! And you don't eat egg yolks. Stop trying to be like BBers. :) Calories are what matter anyway.

For me, it's usually eggs, burgers, PB & milk (best meal ever), a gallon of 1% milk a day, fish oil, 2 cups of spinach, and that's it. I manage to hit 4,500 a day, but weight gain stll comes slowly. Fucking youth.
 
I'll throw the red meat in....I was just in a chicken mood today, I am actually gonna make a big meatloaf this week. With the yolks, I had 2 whole eggs plus 6 whites (but yeah, separating them at all is still gay I admit). That changes though, if I get up early enough I like to go out, but I rarely get up early enough, lol. I think I was just in a healthy mood today because I really did eat like a moron this weekend, including a McFlurry at the airport.

I love PB and ice cold milk too.
 
You guys would hate me if I posted my diet - I eat like a king :D Cooking is my third hobby (after beating off and lifting, in that order).
 
Guinness5.0 said:
You guys would hate me if I posted my diet - I eat like a king :D Cooking is my third hobby (after beating off and lifting, in that order).
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Post it up man.....I need to junk it up a little more actually.
 
It ain't junk at all...

I just finished a frittata (open faced omelette that's finished under the broiler) that consisted of diced vegetables (one yellow bell pepper, one green bell pepper, a medium onion, two cloves of minced garlic) sauteed in ~Tbsp each of olive oil and butter. The base was 3 whole eggs and 5 whites. Before I put it under the broiler I cut sharp cheddar and gruyere cheese into small cubes and dotted the top with 'em. When it was done I dusted it w/ chili powder and black pepper, then topped the whole thing off with half an avacado, diced.

Fucking gourmet, bro :) Don't get me started on the chili I made last night (made my own chili powder for that one).
 
We should start a recipe stickie on here....there might be one on one of the other boards on here, and I know it isnt training related.....but I think it would be beneficial
 
Guinness5.0 said:
It ain't junk at all...

I just finished a frittata (open faced omelette that's finished under the broiler) that consisted of diced vegetables (one yellow bell pepper, one green bell pepper, a medium onion, two cloves of minced garlic) sauteed in ~Tbsp each of olive oil and butter. The base was 3 whole eggs and 5 whites. Before I put it under the broiler I cut sharp cheddar and gruyere cheese into small cubes and dotted the top with 'em. When it was done I dusted it w/ chili powder and black pepper, then topped the whole thing off with half an avacado, diced.

Fucking gourmet, bro :) Don't get me started on the chili I made last night (made my own chili powder for that one).
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wow... compare that to me... i just gobble down crap! :p
boiled egg whites, milk w/ cornflakes/oats and boiled beef with rice! :Chef:
i'm just too lazy to do any better!
 
Nice start. Frittatas, egg separation, and easy squats at 415? LoL

I'll be following along. I've already got some advice:

biggt said:
I trained tonight from 5:30 until about 6:45
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Everybody knows that after 45 minutes, you immediately begin to shrivel and your body cannibalizes its muscle . . . but everyone's different I guess. So good luck! LoL
 
Protobuilder said:
Nice start. Frittatas, egg separation, and easy squats at 415? LoL

I'll be following along. I've already got some advice:



Everybody knows that after 45 minutes, you immediately begin to shrivel and your body cannibalizes its muscle . . . but everyone's different I guess. So good luck! LoL
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Really??? I'm gonna have to cut my rest time down to 10 seconds between sets then.
 
BiggT said:
I think I will start a journal and keep it up at least through the Spring. I am always hesitant about posting things without video
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It's good to read your journal. Don't even worry about the videos; you don't have to prove anything to anybody. It's for your own good so lying would be pointless. As for the people who don't believe your posted numbers, fuck them.
Good luck!
 
xblitz44x said:
It's good to read your journal. Don't even worry about the videos; you don't have to prove anything to anybody. It's for your own good so lying would be pointless. As for the people who don't believe your posted numbers, fuck them.
Good luck!
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and besides, that way, you could lie that you front squat 1000 lbs

lol
j/k
:p
 
Tuesday 4/4/06

Flat Bench: 135x8, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 325x5, 335x5

Barbell Row: 135x10, 225x5, 245x5, 265x5, 285x5, 285x5

Standing Strict Behind-the-neck press: 135x5, 185x5, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5

Good night overall. The 315 benching was a smoke show, I could have done 8-10 if I wanted. The last set at 335 was smooth, but it caught my attention, it certainly wasn't a joke or a smoke show, lol.

The rows were fun. I am going to do the 'Pendlay/JS' Rows this training cycle. I normally did them elevated on a box, but I wanted to try these. Every rep is de-weighted on the floor of course, and I stay as close to 90 degrees as humanly possible while explosing up with the weight, I'd like to add considerable weight to these.

The B-T-N pressing is more or less assistance work to the Fri session, which is heavy behind the neck jerks. I will not push the strict presses much at all this training cycle.

I was happy with my eating today.

Post-workout, I had 1 lb of ribeye steaks sauteed with onions, mashed potatos, and broccoli, and a quart of milk.
 
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Light weight! Nice job.

I've noticed people have a learning curve w/ the JS rows and then they take off.

Post-workout, I had 1 lb of ribeye steaks sauteed with onions, mashed potatos, and broccoli, and a quart of milk.
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Cutting must suck bro. LoL
 
Every exercise has a learning curve. How steep of one depends on the exercise.

He's cutting? Damn.

I have a quart of milk with every meal. I used to have trouble eating lots of food, but honestly, eating is a conditioned thing. If you train yourself to eat at the right times and in the correct quantities, you're set. I need to eat my 1,200 calories a meal.
 
BiggT said:
No cutting for me, Anthrax, protobuilder was just kidding around.
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Ahh, thank god. I wasn't sure. If you ate that while cutting, that'd be awesome.
 
Care to indulge us as to some relevent 1rms? I'm curious about your best dead and bench single in particular, and feel free to add anything else you feel like :)
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Care to indulge us as to some relevent 1rms? I'm curious about your best dead and bench single in particular, and feel free to add anything else you feel like :)
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My best dead is 605, I haven't tried to hit a max in a long time, I think I will set a big dead PR in the coming months, they are really feeling good. My best on the flat bench is 425, but I don't think that is gonna fall this time around though, I need to be more optimistic about it though. I've squat cleaned 325 and power cleaned 320. On behind-the-neck jerks, I've done 295x5 and singles with 315 before. I usually start the cycle with my push press/clean grip and move it out as the weeks go by and try to peak with a snatch grip, as the shorter distance the bar has to travel really allows you to maximize the weight. I picked b-t-n jerks and flat bench because 1 lift is really nothing but speed and the other allows you to overload the upper body with the greatest loads possible. Olympic back squats are my ALL TIME favorite lift, but they really are not my best lift at all, I just love them and I always had huge respect for monster squatters. I am by no means a monster squatter, nor will I ever be, I just take pride in how far I have come with them just because I've trained them so hard over the years. My best ATG olympic squat is 515x1. If I can hit 465 or better for a 5, then I will have a good feeling about a PR.
 
I don't want to be around you when you're hungry. Damn. You're a freaking monster. Major respect to you for your work ethic and consistency.
 
Didn't get a chance to post last night's workout....

4/6/06

Power Clean : 135x 3 sets of 2, 185x2, 225x2, 245x2, 265x2, 285x2

Olympic Squat: 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 425x3

Front Squat (just for shits and giggles) 225x2, 275x2, 305x2, 325x2, 345x2 (345 was tough)

Decline Situps : bodyweight at 3 sets of 20

Good night of training, I was overcome with the urge to front squat, so I just did them. I may pay for it, we shall see, lol.

Post workout was meatloaf, scalloped potatos, mixed veggies, and a quart of milk.....before bed was a Metrx 51 gram rtd and about a half a box of wheat thins, lol.

I will make the second olympic squat workout of the week a % day or an 8 rep day or a front squat day once my 5 reppers on Mon are at 455+.
 
Why don't you post up your workout template? That'd be cool to see.

Post workout was meatloaf, scalloped potatos, mixed veggies, and a quart of milk
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Who the Fuck do you live with? Damn. Are you cooking that shit yourself, or are you going out? Or do you still live w/ your mom? LoL
 
Wow Biggt, I had no Idea you were a TANK! Those are very impressive weights. Mr. Olympia soon huh?
 
Thanks Twealke and Ilovetolift. Protobuilder, I like to dabble in the kitchen, lol, I do like to go out a lot, I will specify, lol.....for a template, the base is this:

Monday: power clean, olympic squat, deadlift or good morning, situps

Tuesday: flat bench, upper assistance, lat work

Wednesday: off....or light power snatch

Thursday: power clean, second squat workout, situps

Friday: behind-the-neck jerk, second bench workout, lat work

Saturday: gay day (bis/tris/calves)...1 exercise, ~40 total reps for each

That is just my basic guideline....I add to the main workouts sometimes .....sometimes I will sprint after a workout or throw the shot around (IF I have access to it courtesy of an old buddy who coaches high school track)
 
Not to restate the obvious but you are a monster Biggt, throwing around some ridiculous weights. That's kind of how I picture you lifting, just throwing them around lol

Anyway, maybe I missed it but any reason why behind the neck presses? Just can do a lot more than in front?
 
Jim Ouini said:
Not to restate the obvious but you are a monster Biggt, throwing around some ridiculous weights. That's kind of how I picture you lifting, just throwing them around lol

Anyway, maybe I missed it but any reason why behind the neck presses? Just can do a lot more than in front?
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Thanks, man....I am doing the behing the neck presses as more of a light day for behind the neck jerks.....I like jerks from behind the neck because you can use a snatch grip and the shorter distance the bar has to travel actually allows you to use more weight than any other overhead lift, the jerks are really a pure speed lift, and with the bar overhead it is a crazy core strengthener. I am doing flat bench for pure strength. I usually like to train one upper bpdy lift for speed and explosion, like a push press variant or a jerk, then flat bench or incline.
 
Today's workout....Friday 4/7/06

Behind the neck jerks: bar x a lot, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, 265x3, 275x4 (I popped the first 2 up, the third one I was a little slow under the bar and I had to press it out a few inches and I felt like my intestines were going to explode out of my stomach, lol, so I did a 4th rep to finish off with proper jerk form) these are a lot of technique and hitting everything right at the sweet spots.

Flat Bench: 135x8, 225x8, 275x8, 285x8....these were easy, I don't want this day to be too taxing on the bench I'll make the 285 set 295 next week, then the week after I'll add a set at 305.....if my pec/shoulder tie-ins start giving me problems a few weeks into this (they're not now, but they have been known to in the past), I will make this a close-grip day.

Barbell Row: 135x10, 225x5, 245x5, 265x5, 285x5, these felt smooth and right on the money, I am loving the 'Pendlay' row, I will add 10lbs for Tues.

Post workout was 1lb of salmon, a tomato salad, and a bag of instant rice. I just had my last quart of milk for the day now, I opted with diet Pepsi with the salmon because fish and milk is a guaranteed way for me to puke, lol.

Tomorrow is my extra day of bis/tris/calves.
 
Very nice work, you have some incredible strength.If you dont mind me asking, how long have you been lifting and what were some of your beggining stats? Just curious to see how you started off ;) .
 
asdfzxcv said:
Very nice work, you have some incredible strength.If you dont mind me asking, how long have you been lifting and what were some of your beggining stats? Just curious to see how you started off ;) .
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I'm 26, I've been working out since I was 13. I was 5' 9" and about 160lbs or so in 8th grade. I was a pretty early bloomer and the football coaches approached me in 8th grade. We had the Jr/Sr high in the same building, so I started working out in the high school weightroom to get big for football, and in those situations, you either become one of those kids who hates the weightroom and does everything they can to avoid training and takes every opportunity to dog it during workouts, or like me, you become a weightroom junkie and you're there every day over Christmas vacation.

I was fortunate enough to have been taught right from square one, It was the early-mid 90's and PA is a big football state, and around that time year-round lifting for football was really taking off. At least twice a year, we had a rep from the 'Bigger, Faster, Stronger' program in the school doing a clinic/demo. I am very thankful that I didn't waste those teenage years where your test levels are off the chart.

As far as lifts....nothing out of this world. I remember my very first day being impressed with kids repping on the bench with 135, and looking on the wall in amazment of "The 300lb club". I did make basically non-stop progress through high school, and I think ANY kid between 13 and 17 can make non-stop progress with correct training.
 
I didn't post yesterday's workout.....I just did 4 sets of alternate d-bell curls, 4 sets of Tate presses, and 4 sets of seated calf raises.
 
Arm day is the most important day of the week man, if you dont post that how are we supposed to know how you're progressing?

impressive jerks especially for reps - I dont know how you guys balance that kind of weight overhead
 
Tweakle said:
Arm day is the most important day of the week man, if you dont post that how are we supposed to know how you're progressing?

impressive jerks especially for reps - I dont know how you guys balance that kind of weight overhead
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Thanks, bro, thats a big compliment coming from you.

As far as the arms, since that is the whole focus of my program, I am saving poundages for the end, lol.
 
Today....Mon. 4/10/06

Power Clean: 135x 3 sets of 2, 225x1, 255x1, 275x2, 285x2, 295x 3 sets of 2

Olympic Squat: 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 430x5

Deadlift: 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 485x5

Steep decline situps: 2 sets of 25

Had a real good night. Everything felt solid. I am going to make a few adjustments as you'll see as this week goes on, but nothing major, and the lifts I am focusing on this training cycle will remain the same of course. The deadlift was easy, I am going to try 505 for at least 5, if not more, next week, then do clean pulls or GMs instead of DLs the following week. Squats were tight and solid, I would like 445x5 next week. I am going to use Mon as high volume doubles on power cleans and then make Thurs a day to do some speed/technique work and hit a few heavy singles.

I weighed 240 and change.
 
I think you already said that you don't have a camrera, but I'd love to see those power cleans if possible.

Alternatively, do you (or anyone reading this) know of any sites/forums with good PC vids in 'em?
 
Guinness5.0 said:
I think you already said that you don't have a camrera, but I'd love to see those power cleans if possible.

Alternatively, do you (or anyone reading this) know of any sites/forums with good PC vids in 'em?
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asdfzxcv had posted this link to a vid of some teenaged kid clean & jerking 216kgs at a bodyweight of 85kgs. that is not only inspitational but also excellent for a study of technique. i can't seem to find it right now. maybe someone will chip in.
 
BiggT, sometimes I just don't know what to write in your journal. Your lifts are amazing and inspiring. I know I could get to where you are, but I truly believe it would take 2-3 years to get there. You are so blessed to have had great instruction from the very beginning. My hats off to you, bro.

And then you top it all off by just being an all-around great guy. Cheers.
 
Thanks for the comments everyone....MM, thats me in the avatar, avatar quality sucks though, but I can get some pics up.
 
Tonight's workout...Tues 4/11/06

Flat Bench: 135x10, 225x5, 300x5, 320x5, 350 at 3x3 (I want 2 5's with 350 next week)

Flat D-bells: 110's x 10-10-8-7 (triceps were totally fried)...these were fun, haven't done them in a little while.

Barbell Row: 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 285x5, 295x3 (I am going to 295 or maybe 300 x 5 on Friday) I am really liking de-weighting the bar on the floor.

Good night at the gym....weather was beautiful outside, so of course the place was not the least bit crowded.

Weighed in at 240.4....and my appetite is out of control.

Day off tomorrow, then some cleans and squats on Thurs.
 
I am really liking de-weighting the bar on the floor.
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Why? Sometimes I de-weight; other times I just rep it out, but even then I extend my arms and really accelerate up hard. Just curious if, from your experience, you can tell something's going on from de-weighting it.

Also, are you arching your middle/upper back at the top like the JS row is described? According to the write-up from JS, you're supposed to try and keep your lower back & hips steady but crunch your upper back back toward your hip at the top. Hard to describe.
 
Protobuilder said:
Why? Sometimes I de-weight; other times I just rep it out, but even then I extend my arms and really accelerate up hard. Just curious if, from your experience, you can tell something's going on from de-weighting it.

Also, are you arching your middle/upper back at the top like the JS row is described? According to the write-up from JS, you're supposed to try and keep your lower back & hips steady but crunch your upper back back toward your hip at the top. Hard to describe.
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I like the de-weighting because that split second to reset helps me consciously stay as close to 90 degrees as possible. Of course the 90 degree thing is important to keep it a lat exercise.

I do them the way you described, but not because I try to, it just kind of is the most comfortable thing to do.
 
Protobuilder said:
That must be why your gunz are so hyooge, bro.
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Nope, but I can't tell you my secret. I read it in FLEX once, it said "Top Secrets the Pros use to get huge guns" and it asked that you don't tell anybody about it for fear that their arms will get too big.
 
Werd. That is a common concern. Thanks for watching out for us, bro.

Hey, have you heard of the confusion principle? If your muscles get confused, they grow like mad brother!!1!
 
I enjoy deweighting the weight on rows as well. It helps me to concentrate on each rep individually. Get set, lift, drop. Get set, lift, drop.

I'd also like to see some pictures, BigT. I'm not a Platinum Member so I can't click your pictures. You look like a monster.
 
Here are some pics.....If somebody wants to repost for non-plats feel free, I am non-plat and can't do it myself.....later on, I will try to get them up on photo bucket.

I am about 245ish in all of these.
 
This one is from last July....I trimmed down to 225, just thought I'd throw it up to show that even I feel the urge to cut down a bit (for me anyway, lol)
 
Tony29011.jpg


Tony29003.jpg


trs.jpg


july005.jpg


Dec18009.jpg


Dec18005.jpg


BiggT = Monster.
 
Sasquatch sighting! Damn, there's someone else here as hairy as me.. who'd have thought.

looking large, esp that back & arms.. but do you have any plans to go GQ and cut back to the 220's this summer?
 
Thanks for the resize Nelmsjer, and the kind words from everyone. Tweakle, I am probably not gonna go GQ until at least the Fall. I am enjoying my workouts too much right now.....I will reassess though after this training cycle...HOWEVER, I do have an appt. next week to get my back waxed, lol, so thats kind of GQ.
 
Last night's workout

Thurs. 4/13/06

Power Clean: 135 x 3 sets of 2, 185x2, 225x2, 255x2, 275x2, 300x1, 305x1, 310x1

Olympic Squat: 135x8, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 445x3

Front Squat: 225x5, 295x1, 315x1, 345x1, 365x1

Jump Shrug: 405 x 3 sets of 15

Steep decline situps: 2 sets of 25

This was a decent workout. I could have been faster on the cleans, so I am making one day a lighter speed/technique day, maybe 20 singles with 225 or something along those lines. Squats will be 445x5 on Monday, and then Thurs will become a % day probably.
 
Nice job. How long does that workout take?

Do you ever do weighted ab work? Just curious why/why not. For awhile I was doing situps and adding weight, but now I dunno if I'm just lazy or what, but I'll do multiple sets of strict hanging knee raises or just regular situps focusing on really squeezing the abs tight throughout, and then I'll throw in some side planks/bridges and rather than just hold steady, I'll flex my torso up and back down slowly w/ the obliques.
 
I've been following the journal from the start but haven't had a reason to post anything...until those pictures. Really impressive; The New Guy will probably post them on bb.com as his own as proof of his e-stats.

Oh, and your lifts aren't bad either. ;)

Very informative journal; I hope it (or a new one) stays beyond the end of spring.
 
Protobuilder, I do use weighted decline situps at times. I am actually getting annoyed counting to '25' after a hard workout of squats and pulls, and the 25 are really easy and I am definitely not running the reps into the 50 range, so I will probably add weight next week to knock the reps down to the 8-12 range and I'll add a 3rd set.
 
Yesterday (Friday 4/14/06)

Behind-the-neck jerks: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 255x3, 275x3, 285x3, 290x2 (actually did 3, but I had to press out the last rep several inches and it was clearly not a true jerk) I MAY do these for speed next week followed by some heavier strict pressing.

Close-Grip flat bench: 135x8, 225x8, 255x8, 275x8, 300x8 (these were easy, I want to push the flat bench to end up at 2 sets of 5 with 350 on Monday, so I wanted to save my pec/shoulder tie-in area by going with a close grip).

Barbell Row: 135x8, 225x5, 255x5, 275x5, 300x5 (these are going really well and I feel I have a lot of room for improvement and a lot of untapped potential)

This was a decent day, I was a little pissed off about having to press out the last jerk, and then not doing an extra rep, but I really don't think I had the pop yesterday that I normally do, but still no excuse not to try another rep to leave the rack on a positive note. I feel like the weight was no issue either, so I beat myself up over this for half the day. Thats also the nature of the beast being a power jerker where there is such a fine line between a good lift and a press-out.
 
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This morning (Saturday 4/15/06)

D-bell hammer curls (4 sets of 8 up to the 60's)

EZ bar preacher curls (1 set of 20 at 85lbs) I don't know why I did this, the bar was already loaded to 85lbs and left there and I figured it'd be for shits and giggles.

Tate Presses (2 sets of 20 with 35 pounders) just did these light because the close-grips on Fri really got me sufficient work.

This was a waste and I should have stuck the hammer curls in on Fri, lol, but I had nothing better to do, so it was no trouble popping in the gym
 
Cynical Simian, thanks again for the feedback, I appreciate it.

Proto, I missed your last question about time.....the Thurs workout took about an hr and a half......the upper body workouts take an hr to an hr and 15 min.......when I do a squat, pull, and press in the same workout I am at the gym over 2 hrs, that gets mentally draining after a while (although, I do prefer to train the whole body at one session), so I switch to squats and pulls / upper and lats at times.
 
Cool deal, thanks. Now question number 2, that I should have asked the first time...

That is a LOT of weight. Have you had any shoulder issues from the eccentric lowering as you return the weight to behind your neck?
 
nelmsjer said:
Cool deal, thanks. Now question number 2, that I should have asked the first time...

That is a LOT of weight. Have you had any shoulder issues from the eccentric lowering as you return the weight to behind your neck?
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No shoulder issues, but, the way you lower them is faster than a press and while you don't let the bar control you, you don't fight it, and it drops very fast and smacks you on the traps and you just dip at the knees to absorb the impact. If you lowered the bar under strict control you'd most definitely have shoulder pain eventually.

In fact, with all out singles on these, it is easiest to do the rep and drop them to the front right to the pins or the floor or whatever, then set up the bar on the rack again....it is a pain in the ass though.
 
Nice lifts across the board, BiggT. It's very inspiring.

My first thoughts on seeng your food consumption was that I just don't eat enough, which might still be true. I then noticed that you get a lot of your food down you quite early in the day and then run on maintenance until the evening meal, which still seems a lot less than your morning intake. I tend to have four meals of more equal composition plus a night-time shake. I really must work out how much I actually eat at some stage.
 
Yeah, BW, I definitely eat the majority of my calories in the morning/afternoon, then I have a big meal post-workout with simple carbs and all, and then I am only awake another 3-4 hours on the weeknights, so if anything I'll have a protein shake with some crackers or something like that. I don't really do that for a reason, it just works out good with my schedule, plus the better 'plan' and frequency of meals in the morning and afternoon help keep me feeling stable and ready to lift after work, there is nothing like a blood sugar crash to make you not want to train, and I do notice I can keep bodyfat well under control while doing that.
 
Thanks for getting back with me on the negative portion. It really sounds like a fun lift, but the last thing I want is messed up shoulders.

Thanks again.
 
On the BTN jerk, is that I full-on, Oly-style jerk where you split your legs and everything, or is it like a push-press with a snatch grip, more explosion and a dip to receive the weight? I'm still confused.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
On the BTN jerk, is that I full-on, Oly-style jerk where you split your legs and everything, or is it like a push-press with a snatch grip, more explosion and a dip to receive the weight? I'm still confused.
Click to expand...


It is a full on jerk with a dip and drive, but I use a power jerk, so I never split my feet anyway. So, yeah, it looks more like a push press with the foot positioning, but you don't press the weight out, and when you drop, you receive the bar at arm's length.
 
Monday 4/17/06

Felt strong and quick today....I had about 2lbs of prime rib yesterday.

Power Clean: warmed up and did 10 doubles at 250 with a minute between sets. I'll do these heavy on Thurs, I felt I need a technique/speed day today.

Olympic Squat: 135x8, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 425x5, 455x5. A little more volume today since I didn't start to count my 5 sets until I got to 315. 455 was a very solid set, steady throughout. I probably could have got 7 of them to failure with the last one being a total grinder.

Clean Pull: 225x3, 300x3, 320x3, 340x3, 365x3. These were nice and snappy at the top. I subbed these for deadlifts this week, next week, I am doing an all-out DL set at 505.

Decline situps: 3 sets of 25...I will add weight to these real soon.

Overall a real good day. Weighed 241.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
I smell a big fat squat PR coming up. 455x7 should EASILY get you past 515, wouldn't you say?
Click to expand...

I am hoping so.....when I started this current push, I figured 465x5 would be more than enough in the bank for a PR....I will see how next week goes, do a de-load type of a week, then think about some singles.
 
My original plan was actually 445x5, but 425 felt so freaking good, that I took the 10's off and put quarters on....either 465x5 will fall next week, or I pushed it this week and I'll get a few reps at 465 and have to dump it. I am glad I stopped at 5 though, so I will go into next week with confidence.
 
I really think I buried myself good - I did a single with 405 today and it was tough :worried:. I hope I'm back full-force by next week.

Over over-reaching sucks :)
 
Guinness5.0 said:
I really think I buried myself good - I did a single with 405 today and it was tough :worried:. I hope I'm back full-force by next week.

Over over-reaching sucks :)
Click to expand...

I'd say you burried yourself, lol....405 should be a 10+ repper for you. With squats, I could always tell when I was done right when I walk out of the rack with 315 and it feels like 500 on my back, lol.
 
You naturals seem to spend all your time recovering. ;)

The usual extrapolation tables never seem to work well for deads but I'd say you've good grounds for confidence.

I think I'll switch to decline situps myself. I've not done them in years.
 
BW, I love the decline situps.....I used to do situps and hanging knee raises, but the steep decline eliminates the need for the knee raises in my opinion.
 
BiggT said:
Monday 4/17/06

Felt strong and quick today....I had about 2lbs of prime rib yesterday.

Power Clean: warmed up and did 10 doubles at 250 with a minute between sets. I'll do these heavy on Thurs, I felt I need a technique/speed day today.

Olympic Squat: 135x8, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 425x5, 455x5. A little more volume today since I didn't start to count my 5 sets until I got to 315. 455 was a very solid set, steady throughout. I probably could have got 7 of them to failure with the last one being a total grinder.

Clean Pull: 225x3, 300x3, 320x3, 340x3, 365x3. These were nice and snappy at the top. I subbed these for deadlifts this week, next week, I am doing an all-out DL set at 505.

Decline situps: 3 sets of 25...I will add weight to these real soon.

Overall a real good day. Weighed 241.
Click to expand...

Another great workout,hopefully I can post numbers like that in a few years.With the clean pulls how high are you pulling the bar?I have visited various sites and each one shows a different height to which the bar is pulled.
 
asdfzxcv said:
Another great workout,hopefully I can post numbers like that in a few years.With the clean pulls how high are you pulling the bar?I have visited various sites and each one shows a different height to which the bar is pulled.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the positive comments, and thanks for checking in on my journal. Without a doubt, all of these #'s are within your reach.

I pull the bar to my waist line (which is about as high as I pull my cleans), and I never technically pull with my arms or bend my elbows, I jump as high and shrug as hard as I possibly can, and relax my elbows and let the momentum carry the bar. To shamelessly steal a quote from Gayle Hatch, 'once the elbows bend, the power ends'.
 
BiggT said:
Thanks a lot for the positive comments, and thanks for checking in on my journal. Without a doubt, all of these #'s are within your reach.

I pull the bar to my waist line (which is about as high as I pull my cleans), and I never technically pull with my arms or bend my elbows, I jump as high and shrug as hard as I possibly can, and relax my elbows and let the momentum carry the bar. To shamelessly steal a quote from Gayle Hatch, 'once the elbows bend, the power ends'.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response,I had seen some sites depicting the clean pull like an upright row almost to chin height which didnt seem right.I watched those vids on Gayles site and they are quite good at showing the olympic lifts being performed.
 
OMG.. biggt.. you are a f*cking monster to start with.. and your #'s are amazing.. plus u look quite lean too.. kudos to all that hard work through all those years.. you've certainly motivated alot of us to quit whining and throw that weight on out backs soon.. i'll be following your journals too as i've gained some technical knowledge from u too..
 
Another solid workout you beefy bastard. I'd thought about alternating clean pulls too but just opted for straight deads b/c I've got a LONG ways to go strength wise . . . They are fun though. I really try to *snap* the traps hard and really explode that 2d pull. Fun.

I know you're not real strict w/ diet or anything, but have you noticed that certain foods or macros or w/e help/hurt your gym performance?
 
Protobuilder said:
Another solid workout you beefy bastard. I'd thought about alternating clean pulls too but just opted for straight deads b/c I've got a LONG ways to go strength wise . . . They are fun though. I really try to *snap* the traps hard and really explode that 2d pull. Fun.

I know you're not real strict w/ diet or anything, but have you noticed that certain foods or macros or w/e help/hurt your gym performance?
Click to expand...

With the diet....I have definitely noticed better recovery when I am drinking a gallon of milk a day, I usually drink skim, real men drink whole milk though. If I cut back a lot, I generally don't recover as well.

Also, as far as performance, I need my carbs. Complex carbs work best for me because I feel strong and stable throughout the day with no blood sugar crashes. I never counted, but I get anywhere from 400-550 carbs on any given day I would imagine. The majority of them are from quality sources.

What KILLS performance for me is eating too many simple carbs and pigging out at one meal, then feeling tired and stuffed and waiting too long before the next meal, getting hungry, then pigging out again. I like to eat pretty often, at least until my workout, this way I want to lift after work as opposed to go home and take a nap. Simple sugars are truly shit in my opinion, they cause insulin spikes and then hard crashes and leave you feeling tired and worn out during the day. Any shitty carbs or binge-out cheats I eat will generally be after my workout, because they just fuck me up pre-workout.
 
BiggT said:
With the diet....I have definitely noticed better recovery when I am drinking a gallon of milk a day, I usually drink skim, real men drink whole milk though. If I cut back a lot, I generally don't recover as well.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to interrupt but I agree with the gallon of milk thing. Milk is such an inexpensive, convenient, quality way to get calories. I buy 3 quarts of milk every morning for the work day. I've usually had a gallon of milk by 5:00 pm. In my opinion, milk is underrated.
 
xblitz44x said:
I don't mean to interrupt but I agree with the gallon of milk thing. Milk is such an inexpensive, convenient, quality way to get calories. I buy 3 quarts of milk every morning for the work day. I've usually had a gallon of milk by 5:00 pm. In my opinion, milk is underrated.
Click to expand...

I agree, unless people are lactose intolerant, I don't understand why they waste their time with gainers and powders when good, old milk is better anyway. I figured I spend about $80 a month on milk, if not, a little more. I like the occasional Muscle Milk as a meal replacement though.
 
Do you know if there is a downside to drinking a gallon a day? People tell me: "You're going to get kidney stones" and "Bottle rotted teeth" all sorts of other wacky crap but they are the types of people who seem almost jealous of another person's work ethic and dedication.
 
xblitz44x said:
Do you know if there is a downside to drinking a gallon a day? People tell me: "You're going to get kidney stones" and "Bottle rotted teeth" all sorts of other wacky crap but they are the types of people who seem almost jealous of another person's work ethic and dedication.
Click to expand...

With the kidney stones, they are probably referring the the high protein intake.....in that case any athlete is at risk whether they get their protein from milk or whatever. That's the only thing I can think of with the kidneys, unless someone else wants to add.

As far as bottle rotted teeth,lol....if you brush regularly, you'll be just fine.
 
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