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Post by buckeye2010 on Mar 5, 2011 16:27:53 GMT -5
Greg, I love following your log. You have a great work ethic and I enjoy reading the insight that you also provide-some very good thoughts. I think that you will obtain 405 easily by summer. I am hoping to do around that at the American Challenge competition in June. Have you done many competitions?
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 5, 2011 17:31:27 GMT -5
deadlift 455x8 (PR)
barbell rows 235x10 --> 185x10 --> 135x10
3 second paused bench worked up to 275x3
box squat 405x6 (PR)
underhand barbell front raises 65x10
whew! the deadlifts just about did me in! that's a huge improvement from 405x10 last time. i think i tweaked my back just a little bit, but not too badly to squat. didn't warm up enough, but it'll be fine by tuesday. the paused bench let me know for sure what my weakness it. definitely need to start working some pauses back into my routine. the squat was a 1 rep PR for that weight, and that's especially big since it was after pulling heavy. good day
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 5, 2011 17:41:46 GMT -5
thanks for the advice noskcaj!
buckeye, thanks for the kind words! i've only been into lifting seriously for about four years, but i think i've learned a fair amount along the ways. i post my thoughts to remind myself exactly how past workouts went down what i planning my upcoming sessions, but also to hopefully help other people out too. i like experimenting and almost always use my own programs based on ideas i've pulled from a lot of different sources. i haven't competed as much as i'd like. i did the AAPF state meet in 2007 and went 365-285-405 at 181, and pushed that up to 425-315(i think)-515(i think) at 181 before i turned 16 at 100% raw nationals (i did 100% raw teenage states in between those two meets). at that point, i started growing into a more mature body and jumped to 220 and went 523-371-551 at the first raw unity meet. i got hurt not too long after that, and took a year and a half off competing. i did another local IBP meet just because i missed the platform, and went 475-375-550 at 242. after that i got hurt again, and found myself at the start of this year 250 pounds and miserably weak. i took the time to cut down to 190, and now i'm just starting from scratch again, trying to build the foundation i was missing last time. where is the american challenge? i'm looking for a meet to do (again, finally!) in the mid-late summer.
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Post by Rosario-546 on Mar 6, 2011 8:58:36 GMT -5
Nice bio update, I like reading that stuff more that the training sometimes.
Few comments, dam you blew up from 181 to 242, I remember when I was your age, I tired and tired to do that but simple couldn't put on that size, grand-it I was playing soccer 3x which didn;t help the cause but what could I do. Impressive on your part, then to drop all the way back down to 190, must have been a lot of work. I worked my donkey off just to go from 205ish back into the high 180 range, can't see doing that again!
I did an IBP meet last year in Statesville, NC....pretty cool meet way different from the meets I've been too in NY. Super loud music it's my thing really, think I just retain my hearing.
The American Challenge goes from June 04-July 30 depending on location. Your NC location is the first one June 04 in Barco?? And it's only a single lift event.
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 7, 2011 21:05:53 GMT -5
push press 205x7 (PR) drop to 135x8 strict (no leg drive)
chins bw+83x6 bw+38 2x8 (once overhand, once underhand) one isometric hold for 25 second at the top of the pullup, overhand
front squat with light bands 135x2 (first rep to a box, second rep w/o box) 185x2 225x2 245x2 275x2 (idk how much this was at the top, but it was HEAVY! fast out of the hole to lockout tho)
paused bench (with doubled light bands) 95x3 135x3 185x3 205x3 135x8 (widegrip)
T bar rows 100 6x10 (varying grips) SS plate pushes 6 trips down and back
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 7, 2011 22:19:24 GMT -5
gaining was never a problem for me. it was basically a combination of heavy weights and 6000+ calories a day for a long time. when i initially jumped from 175 to 215 or so, the majority of it was muscle, simply because a second surge of puberty hit me like a freight train. going up to 242+ was sloppy. i was hurt for a lot of that time, but eating like i was still lifting. as far as losing all that weight went, i was reading stuff on the internet and came across intermittent fasting. it was a godsend. i had dieted down from 250 to 230 or so and hit a brick wall. when i combined IF with carb cycling, the weight fell off effortlessly. the only reason i stopped at 190 was that i had no interest of being a 181 again. at the moment i'm between 205 and 210, still doing IF and just eating 2 meals a day between 1500 and 3000 calories (depending whether it's a lifting day or an off day).
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 8, 2011 1:30:50 GMT -5
writeup for today: the push press was sweet! after 185x8 last time, i was shooting for 6 with 205. after 6, i felt like i had 7. when i first tried it, it got out in front of me, so i brought it back to my shoulders without locking it. i regrouped and got a 7th rep easy, but i was burning by that point. the 135x8 strict was fairly easy. if i go to heavy or do too many reps on strict OHP i start having inflammation problems, so i just wanted to do some smooth reps to keep the feel of driving out of the hole without my legs. chins felt good again. i'm hoping going up 5 pounds each time it's the first pull of the day will take me right out to reps with 100 (a long-time goal of mine). the front squats were all fast, but i know the last set is the most weight i've actually moved on a front squat. my problem isn't moving the weight, but just the crushing sensation of heavy weight across the front of my shoulders, so i wanted to overload lockout with bands to address that. the doubled bands for bench added a LOT more than i expected. i'm hoping working in some bands and pausing reps will help my speed off the chest. the rows and plate push combo just ran me into the ground at the end. killer conditioning combo. great workout!
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Post by Rosario-546 on Mar 8, 2011 7:53:15 GMT -5
Nice job with the OHP.
Like anything the bands get easier over time. Ill typically use the mini bands doubled which is supposed to be 90 at the top and 40 at the chest. But like any band there weight depends on may variables, and bands decrease there tension over time. So you think your getting stronger....which who doesn't like that.
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 9, 2011 22:38:49 GMT -5
yea, the tension decreasing over time is what threw me with these bands. my old PR with older light bands was somewhere in the neighborhood of 275 (when i was benching right around 400), so the way the 185 set hit me caught me a little off guard
squats worked up to 405x5 (PR) dropped to 315x3 (form work, explosive)
snatch grip high pulls drop set 275x5 --> 225x7 --> 185x10 --> 135x10
seated DB OHP worked up to 70sx9
static holds front squat 425x25 seconds back squat 605x25 seconds
dead stop front squats worked up to 265x5
wide grip pulldowns drop set 160x10 (PR) --> 120x8 --> 80x12
today's workout was great. the 405x5 squat set was my best without a box since starting back. all these were about 2-3 inches below parallel. i stopped the set when i could tell i'd start having to get forward and grind reps, but i felt good for 7-8. my all-time PR is 10. just as a note, unless otherwise indicated all my squats are high bar. i find i can build my squat better high bar, then get another 50 pounds for a max attempt by practicing low bar for about a month. the high pulls thrashed my traps again, which is sweet. the 70x9 seated DB OHP surprised me. i wanna say i only got 75x5 standing a couple weeks ago, so i'm happy about that. the dead stop front squats consisted to front squatting down to the bottom of the rack (3 inches below parallel), relaxing my hips, and driving out of the bottom. the last set about killed me. the static holds surprised me. the front squat was freaking heavy, the back squat wasn't bad at all. the PR pulldowns was pretty cool too, especially at the end of the workout. 120x10 was my PR on this particular pulldown machine about 5-6 weeks ago. i only got 5 hours of sleep last night, and still hit some solid lifts. great day!
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 9, 2011 23:54:54 GMT -5
max effort training:
i do my max effort work in my own way. i had a pretty long response to buckeye on the PR thread, and i figured it was worth expanding on in my log. i started using the traditional WSB setup of rotating ME exercises and trying to hit a new 1rm or 3rm. i ran into several problems with this approach. my CNS was always drained, and if i had a day the weights felt heavy i was condemned to miss a PR and take a step back. i made some adjustments to fix these problems.
1. i no longer have a set rotation of exercises. if i'm making consistent progress in a specific exercise that helps a core life, like my push press now, for example, i'm not going to move away from it quickly. i'll ride that horse til i can tell it's about to drop, and i think you'd be crazy not to. also, if my low back is sore going into a deadlift session, i'm going to pull sumo or maybe do some rack pulls instead of doggedly pulling conventional from the floor like i may have with a set rotation. you can also tailor your exercises to address specific weaknesses in your lifts instead of sticking with ME lifts you're no longer benefiting from anymore.
2. i don't train exclusively in a lower rep range anymore. if my CNS feels drained, i'm going for a rep PR instead with a lighter weight to give my CNS a break but still have a chance at making progress. also, if i'm trying to put on weight or achieve hypertrophy in a specific area, i'll try to hit more higher-rep PRs. i may go for 6-8RMs instead of 1-3RMs. however, when i feel good, i'm not going to stop myself from moving some freaking weight! this strategy allows you to make progress based on how you feel on a given day.
3. I don't restrict myself to two max effort lifts a week. i go to failure or to near failure for every exercise, every session (15 exercises a week). in one of those studies cited a ton in the strength world, it was found that lifting a maximum weight, lifting a weight with maximal speed or lifting a weight the maximum number of times were all strategies for building strength. i do not poo-poo assistance work. i pick 5 exercises i can destroy, hit them hard, and call it a day. i've found that doing so allows you to recover better because you're not killing yourself with volume. it also keeps you focused if you know you have five money sets rather than a bunch a couple sub-maximal work sets and a bunch of assistance work you don't really care about.
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 12, 2011 17:23:04 GMT -5
13 hour car ride yesterday. woke up stiff and tired, not really feeling like lifting. the gym i lift at when i'm home is the gym i started my powerlifting journey in. there's a bit of nostalgia, but mostly it's a bit saddening. it used to be a gym in the truest sense of the word. i mean, it had a wall of cardio stuff and a fair number of machines, but most of the people who went were powerlifters, bodybuilders, or athletes who would sweat, bleed, and live for results. travis mash and lavan (a 450 raw bencher) ran the place and it was a beacon of awesome in the mostly lame fitness industry. since then, travis moved and lavan was fired, and it's turned into a "fitness center." sure, most of the equipment is the same, but the general atmosphere and most of the people from the good days are gone. oh well.
bench worked up to 345x4 (PR) dropped back to 295 for 3x2 with no leg drive
hammer strength row 1 plate per sidex10 2 plates per sidex10 2.5 plates per sidex10 3 plates per sidex8
sumo pull worked up to 425x6 (PR)
one arm OHP 100x3 per arm (PR)
shrugs, high pulls, and other such jazz
well, today's workout broke down a lot better than i thought it would. i thought i was hovering around 210. however, i weighed this morning and i was only 203. in light of that, the bench PR was huge. my bench usually goes up and down in direct correlation to my weight. still a little slow off the bottom, but i had a solid drive all the way through, not the dead spot a couple inches off my chest like for the 365 last time. the sumo pulls were awesome. the 425x6 is up from 405x5, with about the same effort. the 1 arm ohp was awesome too. it was smooth with my right arm, but i was suprised at the speed i had with my left. those kill my core. awesome overall movement. after my car ride yesterday, i wasn't expecting this good of a workout. i never felt like i was into it, like i never fell into a groove, but the numbers tell a different tale i guess. awesome day overall
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 14, 2011 18:08:49 GMT -5
lifted with my dad today. he has a freaky strong grip. if he ever trained consistently, i could see him being a 500 deadlifter at 165
front squat worked up to 355x1 (10 pound PR) 365x1 (20 pound PR!!!) dropped back to 335x3
chins bw+light band 1x9 underhand 1x6 overhand
straight arm pulldowns 80x12 or 15 (can't really remember, and doesn't really matter)
paused bench + doubled average bands worked up to 225x3 (PR) dropped back to some reps with 135
deficit pulls worked up to 475x4
inverted rows bwx25 overhand, x20 underhand
today was another great day in the gym. weight still down a bit (204), but i managed to hit a 20 pound all-time PR front squat, a 20 pound PR bench with bands (granted, that one could just be my body adapting to the movement again...), and moved my deficit pull up from 435x5 to 475x4 in 2 weeks. honestly i never found my groove front squatting, but i felt powerful enough to just muscle the weight up today. everything else felt smooth and effortless. it's great to have days like this!
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Post by dbunch on Mar 14, 2011 20:16:07 GMT -5
Wow – that is some impressive numbers for the front squat. I couldn’t do a good front squat to save my life.
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Post by Rosario-546 on Mar 15, 2011 6:22:57 GMT -5
Wow – that is some impressive numbers for the front squat. I couldn’t do a good front squat to save my life. Front squats is all about technique first, strength second. It's obvious that has figured out both. Do you see your squat improving as well? Nice work?
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 15, 2011 9:35:38 GMT -5
i definitely see my squat improving as well with the front squats. i just read back over my log to make sure to give you accurate info: on dec. 30th i squatted 405, which felt like ~95%, then attempted 440 and slightly tore my right hamstring. on jan. 2 i front squatted for the first time in AGES and managed 185 5x5 (which nearly killed me). by feb. 14th, i raised my front squat number to 285 5x5, not squatting at all in the process. on feb. 22, i finally tried squatting again and got 405x5 on a box close to parallel (maybe an inch or two high), and just a couple sessions ago i got 405x5 ATG the first time i'm free squatted with straight weight in a long time, and felt food for about 8. so, short answer: yes, i see my squat improving too and i think front squats are a big reason why!
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 17, 2011 0:29:36 GMT -5
push press worked up to 225x4 (PR)
strict press 145x10
axle clean and press (with fat bar) worked up to 160 2x3
reverse band box squat 405x5 455x3 500x3 550x3 590x1 610x2 405x8
3 board press 315x3 365x3 (smoked) 405x2
pulldowns (against a light band) worked up to 100x10 (without the band) - 200x10 (PR)
DB press 122x10 (PR)
great workout today! i wanted 5 on the push press, but 4 is still an improvement from 205x6 according to a 1rm calculator. the axle clean and press was harder than it looks, but not terrible. too bad i'm going back to school this weekend and won't have a fat bar anymore until summer. the squats were sweet! the band setup i used tonight was taking ~125 off at the bottom of the lift, and the box was right at parallel. my all time PR for this movement had been 585x1 i'm pretty sure. if you've never tried throwing a band around the top of the pulldown machine, give it a try. they smoked my lats. the 3 boards went about like i expected them to tonight. my goal is a 405 bench, so i'm going to work down closer to my chest with the boards and be able to feel the weight in my hands consistently.
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Post by dbunch on Mar 17, 2011 6:54:49 GMT -5
{too bad i'm going back to school this weekend and won't have a fat bar anymore until summer.}
get yourself a pair of fat gripz. the turn any bar into a fat bar and they fit on dumbells too
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 17, 2011 16:15:58 GMT -5
i'll have to check that out. how much do they cost?
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Post by dbunch on Mar 17, 2011 20:12:38 GMT -5
There are about $40 a pair.
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Post by Rosario-546 on Mar 18, 2011 6:20:35 GMT -5
FatgripZ are the best, although it's funny I rarely use them for benching. Being the classic over trainer that i am, I like to 1-3 times a month just add them to ever movements Im doing on that given GPP day. Complete changes the dynamic of the workout. And the FatgripZ allow me to do that, wait until you try Pullups with the GripZ, sucks!
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 18, 2011 17:37:51 GMT -5
sounds good guys! i'll definitely have to look into getting a pair. i'm broke at the moment, but maybe after i make some money this summer i can get some!
squats worked up to 425x5 (20 pound PR)
paused squats 315x5 365x5
hammer strength rows 2 sets of 10, exploding on the concentric and lowering slowly on the concentric. just trying something different
seated OHP (with the fat bar) worked up to 160x3. this was 1-2 reps shy of failure.
trap bar DL worked up to 560x4
trap bar shrugs 265x30ish
another great day! the squats were up 20 pounds from my last heavy set of 5, with a couple left in the tank. i think i may be good for 500 high bar. the paused squats were fairly easy. i used a lower bar placement for them so i'll be able to transfer to low bar squatting easier when i find a competition to train for. the rows weren't bad, just wanted to do something different. the seated OHP worked my stabilizers more than anything else. since i usually do them standing, i think my core stabilizes the weight a lot instead of my shoulders, so i think these were productive. i was supposed to do a front squat variation, but since i have access to a trap bar this week i figured i'd use it to just try something different. the weight felt like a ton in my hands, but actually moved fairly well, which is encouraging. just need to move up slowly but surely on my straight bar pulls to let me CNS acclimate, but the power feels like it's there for a 600+ pull in the not-too-distant future. the shrugs felt WAY too heavy. i need to start doing them again.
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Post by zimbo415 on Mar 18, 2011 19:24:39 GMT -5
congrats on the squat PR, darn good training Greg.
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 18, 2011 20:08:04 GMT -5
thanks zimbo! just trying to get a little better a day at a time
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Post by thatnuckolskid on Mar 18, 2011 21:47:12 GMT -5
a few people have commented on my recent string of PRs (thanks guys!), so i figured i'd post the routine i'm currenly using for anyone interested. the routine: day 1, week 1 squat vertical pulling OHP variation front squat variation horizontal pulling day 2, week 1 bench upright pulling deadlift variation OHP variation vertical pulling day 3, week 1 front squat horizontal pulling bench variation deadlift variation upright pulling day 1, week 2 OHP vertical pulling squat variation bench variation horizontal pulling day 2, week 2 deadlift upright pulling OHP variation squat variation vertical pulling day 3, week 2 bench horizontal pulling front squat variation OHP variation upright pulling etc... basically, i split exercises into 3 categories: upper body pressing, squats/deadlifts, pulling for upper body pressing, i just alternate between vertical and horizontal pressing (dips could be used instead of a bench variation for horizontal pressing) for squats/deadlifts, i use squats, front, squats, deadlifts, and their variations, in that order, but i start each cycle with a different lift: squat --> front squat --> deadlift, then front squat --> deadlift --> squat, then deadlift --> squat --> front squat, the repeat starting with squats again for pulling, i cycle vertical, horizontal, and upright pulling variations if you cycle the lifts like that, week 5 will repeat the same lifts in the same order as week 1. i never feel like i'm wasting time in the gym on this routine. i sometimes wonder midway through a set of triceps extensions or leg curls if i'm accomplishing anything. with this i don't. on all exercises i push to 1-2 reps shy of failure. this leaves something in the tank but pushes me hard enough so i can continue to progress, but doesn't make me burn out. you must be able to autoregulate to use this routine, but if you can, it's very flexible. it's based on hitting PRs, but you can go for different kinds of PRs based on how you're feeling. if you feel like a beast, go for a 3 or 1RM. if everything feels heavy, or you're trying for some hypertrophy, hit a rep max (10+). the first lift of each workout is the traditional lift. the rest is completely customizable to your needs. if bench is my main lift for the day, i always flat bench, competition style. however, if it's my second upper body press on my OHP day, i can use a variation to address my particular weaknesses. you can tailor the rep ranges to fit your needs. i rarely squat for a ton of reps, but deadlifts and presses find their way into the 8+ range a lot because i've found i make good strength gains there. most of my pulling is in a higher rep range because it's focused more on hypertrophy that absolute strength. if you start slow and leave a few reps in the tank, recovery shouldn't be a big problem. i've found that once you get efficient at the movements, you don't get tremendously sore. the soreness usually comes from cranking up the volume of your core lifts too much or adding in a ton of assistance work. on this routine, you train your entire body 3x a week. if you keep your intensity in check but are still hitting PRs, that's means you're recovering and making progress 3x a week instead of just once or twice (depending on your current routine) as an added bonus, it's fun
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Post by buckeye2010 on Mar 19, 2011 10:56:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. I am currently in an 8 week cycle working up to my next competition. I will take a closer look at your routine when I am done and might steal some parts of it. Over the years I have learned to listen to the people that show success in the weight game and have borrowed many aspects from other lifters. Keep up the outstanding workouts and keep posting your routines and PR's Craig
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