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

[Guinness5.0]

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.

You read my mind B-Dub. I had originally intended to deload and do a 1 rm test, but the more I think about that the less sense it makes- I think I need to get stonger on my triples to really carry it into my 1rm. So I'm tentatively planning a deload into an intensity phase at the moment, then test 1rm. Honestly though my hips are BEAT from the dl's off plates and the pause squats. THey feel fine whiel Im lifting but ache all day otherwise.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 3

TUESDAY

Dl's off plates 1x5: 365
Pushpress 5x5: 175
powershrug 5x5: 405
decline situps: 1x15,1x9,1x8

Comments:

-I don't think I can call my elevated dl's "speed dl's" anymore, though I'm doing them explosively. 365 is the weight that buried me the first time I did dl's from the floor so it's clear that my strength has improved immensely since then . These were actually a ton easier than I thought they'd be, and if I do end up running an intensity phase with this I wonder what I could pull for 3x3 with these.

-powershrugs are fun! Plus the guy in the rack next to me was squatting and doing an exceptionally entertaining job of it. He had the bars set just a bit below his sternum and was making hissing noises on the way up. Good times.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I don't think I can call my elevated dl's "speed dl's" anymore, though I'm doing them explosively. 365 is the weight that buried me the first time I did dl's from the floor so it's clear that my strength has improved immensely since then . These were actually a ton easier than I thought they'd be, and if I do end up running an intensity phase with this I wonder what I could pull for 3x3 with these.

Ya know it's funny I was thinking the same thing yesterday - I was pulling 315 off the step so fast it felt like 225, and now I'm pondering possibly 365 x 5. At this weight I may actually be 'thinking fast' instead of pulling fast, though

I'm really interested to see where I'm at when I lose the step

powershrugs are fun! Plus the guy in the rack next to me was squatting and doing an exceptionally entertaining job of it. He had the bars set just a bit below his sternum and was making hissing noises on the way up. Good times.

I must try these powershurgs soon. If I recall you didn't like the top end of the clean pull so maybe it's better to break out the movement.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I must try these powershurgs soon. If I recall you didn't like the top end of the clean pull so maybe it's better to break out the movement.

The clean pulls just didn't seem pertinent- i wasn't overloading a weak spot with them (the top part was still way too easy when the pull from the floor was getting tough), and I realized that for now power cleans aren't a priority so there didn't seem to be too much incentive to keep 'em. If I (ever) end up making the bottom of the dl my strong point then I could definitely see clean pulls being advantageous.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 3

THURSDAY

Squat 1x5: 365
Bench 5x5: 280
GM 4x5: 195 (time limited)

Comments:

-I'm calling today's squat a PR as I had knee wraps on last time I did 365 for 5

-I was teaching a (HOT) girl to squat and some other (HOT) girl comes up and tells us how her ex-husband hurt himself squatting so she should use the smith machine rather than free squat. I had a pained look on my face the whole time but I held my tongue. I knew if I opened my mouth I wouldn't be able to shut up without sounding like I was insulting the girl's intelligence. It sucks though b/c thsi lady was a half-naked MILF (the Smith proponent) so of course the girl i was teaching figures she must know what she's talking about . I should mention that I had basically bad-mouthed machines in general and the smith in particular jsut to get this girl wanting to squat. My best laid plans always fall apart .

-Bench was solid. Tough but never a doubt.

-The squat session took too long with teaching and BS dodging so my GMs were rushed. I wanted to do 205 but with shortened rest intervals I thought it wouldn't be so good of an idea. These things are getting more comfy every time I do 'em, and my back/hips seem to be getting better. I'm fairly certain that I'll deload into an intensity phase.

 

[mekannik]

Just out of curiousity - what is your definition of a Good Morning? Rounded back? Or are you keeping an arch in your lower back (much like your conventional squat - only pivoting at your hips)???

I routinely do a cycle of Russian Deads (arched lower back) and both my deads & squats gain from this assistance lift.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Just out of curiousity - what is your definition of a Good Morning? Rounded back? Or are you keeping an arch in your lower back (much like your conventional squat - only pivoting at your hips)???

I routinely do a cycle of Russian Deads (arched lower back) and both my deads & squats gain from this assistance lift.

I just noticed that I had 295 as the listed weight of my GMs when in fact i meant 195

To answer your q: I consider losing the natural spinal arch a situation to be avoided at all costs, so my GMs are of the hip-pivot variety I suppose (i'm quite new to them and don't have a vid to reference so this is just going off feel). I stick my butt way back and go forward until my upper back is in the neighborhood of parallel to the ground. I look into the mirror in front of the rack throughout the movement. My foot spacing is narrow- right where they're at for conv. deads.

Sound good? I'm more than open to input as I know how beneficial yet risky these can be. So far though I feel like I'm doing them "right" as the weight is climbing and they feel better each session

Also, I'm unfamiliar w/ Russian deads- got a link or description? Any dl assist is something I'd like to contemplate.

 

[blut wump]

I do my GMs (not that I've done very often) pretty much the same. I tend to bend my knees a little as I rotate forwards and usually know it's time to go back up as feel my paunch touching my thighs. The mirror tells me that it's about parallel.

 

[mekannik]

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_74pain

Little over half way down. 2 pics and a couple paragraphs on Russian Deads and Good Mornings.

When I incorporate Russian Deads into my cycle - I have worked up to 315 x 3 (no belt). But you definately need to watch your form and then make sure to deload to let your back muscles acclimate.


What are your current stats (height, weight)?

 

[Guinness5.0]

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=body_74pain

Little over half way down. 2 pics and a couple paragraphs on Russian Deads and Good Mornings.

When I incorporate Russian Deads into my cycle - I have worked up to 315 x 3 (no belt). But you definately need to watch your form and then make sure to deload to let your back muscles acclimate.


What are your current stats (height, weight)?

6ft, 250 (and dropping), bf % in the high-teens