“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Deadlift (working max: 335#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x170
  • 1x3x205
  • 1x5x225 (work)
  • 1x5x255
  • 1x8x290

• 5 reps – Press (working max: 150#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x5x100 (work)
  • 1x5x115
  • 1x8x130
• Asst. #1 – DB Rows
  • 3 x 10 x 75
• Asst. #2 – Pulldown Abs
  • 3 x 10 x 40/50/60
• Asst. #3 – Dips
  • 3 x 6 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 10/10/6 x 30

Today was experimentation.

When deadlifting, it’s best to use double-overhand grip to build your grip. But when you’re hitting maximal weights, it’s better to use a mixed grip because that gives you some mechanical advantage in your grip. I’ve been having my left hand supinated and right hand pronated. That feels correct to my right-hand-dominant-self, but it’s a wee uncomfortable… it feels like my left is twisted a little too much. Recently read an article that mentioned how to determine which way you should mix. It said to just let your arms hang at your sides. Look at your hands. Likely one will turn a little more than the other, so there you go, use that natural setup. When I did that, I saw my left wanted to pronate more. So I tried that today on my last set (left pronate, right supinate). No question it made my left arm feel better… if it helps minimize risk of biceps tear, great. However, I don’t know if it was just because it was new and awkward feeling, but I felt like I did not have as strong a grip on the bar. So after about the 4th or 5th rep I switched hands (left supinate, right pronate) and continued… that felt weird since I was in the middle of things. Then I did a rep double-overhand, which was fine. And by the end of things I called it at 8 reps because I was blowing focus. If I had stayed the course I probably could have gotten 1 or 2 more reps, but my focus was blown. But that’s ok, I am experimenting. I only use mixed grip on my last (heaviest) set, using double overhand all other times to help build grip. I’m going to try mixed for a while on all my sets, using the left pronate right supinate and see how it goes, because if it truly is better for me, great; I just have to get used to it and more reps and lighter sets will get me there.

On Press… I’m starting to wear my belt, and really tight too (pulling the tongue of the belt against a pole to get some extra leverage to really tighten the belt). It helps me remember to tighten my whole body, especially my lower body, when pressing.

All assistance work is done as a circuit, about 90 seconds of rest between each cycle. I’m giddy silly at how well dips are going for me. I recall when I couldn’t do one, but now I’m zooming along. I’m happy to slowly climb with sets across until my old-fart body is more used to it (e.g. I’ll try 7 across next workout). But I think once I feel right, I’ll just try going for 10 across and if I miss, just keep going until I get 10 across… then try 15 across, and after that maybe consider adding weight.

The pulldown abs. That’s a replacement for the hanging leg raises due to the constant shoulder issues I have. I had NO idea where to start with it on weight, so I did 40 and that was too light. Upped it 10# each set and that still felt too easy. But I’m not sure if it’s easy, or if maybe I should do it for more reps. This is another place I’ll have to experiment. I need to really feel where it’s working because right now it feels just like hip flexors, which is fine, those need work too, but I do want to feel something in my abdominals. I am not liking how the rope basically hugs my neck… you know… jugular vein. But I figure with some technique experimentation and doing a little more research, that will be manageable.

An interesting workout to say the least.

Cue: tight.

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Squat (working max: 270#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x5x135
  • 1x3x165
  • 1x5x180 (work)
  • 1x5x205
  • 1x7x230
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 6 x 5/4/3.5/3/3/2.5 x BW

• 5 reps – Bench Press (working max: 220#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x135
  • 1x5x145 (work)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x8x190
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head)
  • 3 x 15/15/10 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 100
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
  • 3 x 12 x 75

I’ve been reading and studying more on how to improve my technique. Some EliteFTS articles, some stuff from Andy Bolton, and some other articles that I could find. Yes… thinking about driving my neck back into the bar really helped. In all my squat sets today only the 5th and 7th rep of the last set had some sort of falling forward. I was most pleased, but boy it made that last set tough. Still, I’d rather have a good tough set than and easy sloppy, or even a hard sloppy.

The other cue, especially from reading Andy’s stuff, was about keeping tight. This is a BIG thing I need to work on in all my lifts is the whole-body tightness. The place to work on it? All the lighter sets, even the warm-up set with an empty bar. I strove to do this on bench press today too, but gee… I’ve felt so “natural” with bench compared to the other exercises that I haven’t worked it as much, but alas that’s beginning to show. I just need work on everything. 😉 And you know, I think about looking for a good coach… maybe not full-time, but at least a good seminar or a couple private lessons to firm things up. Who knows.

Certainly I’m going to do all my assistance work as a circuit, as that seems to work well for me in terms of pumping me up a bit more and getting me in and out of the gym faster, because 2 main lifts takes up a LOT of time.

Onwards we go.

Just read this EliteFTS Classic article: The Eight Keys, A Complete Guide to Maximal Strength Development.

Tons of great stuff in there, but a few take-homes for myself.

1. hanging leg raises

I hate doing this exercise, but I love what it works and how compound a movement it is. It doesn’t just work my abs, but works my whole body. I hate doing it, but I love the results. I also love that while I’m still only going knees to shoulders, I’ve gotten so much stronger at this. I’m still waiting for when I can do 3×10 across, but I’m working on it and getting there.

But as you may have read, I keep having this ugly problem with my right shoulder/deltoid area.

So… I might try something else: pulldown abs. Here’s a video:

There’s lots of other “how to” videos out there, but I’ll do it like the powerlifters do it.

And I figure why not try this. I haven’t done it, I don’t know what it will bring, but I know that the hanging leg raises bring “bad pain” so hey… what’s the harm in trying this and seeing what comes of it, y’know?

2. squat weak points

The article has a section about squat weak points. It talks about falling forward:

You may also have allowed your head to drop down. Your body will always follow your head so you must keep your head back. Notice I didn’t say up, but back. Watch the eyes of any great squatter as he rises out of the bottom. Through the blood clots you’ll see his eyes are focused up and he’s driving his neck back into the bar. Even the guys you think are looking down are still driving their head into their traps.

This is something I hit upon some time ago, trying to feel “chin in”… pulling my head “in”. They have a better way of putting it, driving his neck back into the bar.

One technical reason is not rising with your chest first out of the bottom. You’re rising with your hips first. When your hips flex first your chest will always go forward. You have to think of rising with your chest first and squatting the bar back, not up. If you have the bar driving back it’ll travel in a straight line instead of going forward. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line and this is how the bar must travel.

The gym owner notes that I’m falling forward. Could it be weak abs? It is possible, but as I’m examining my body through my heaviest squat sets, it seems more a technique problem. I’m driving my hips up first, like Rippetoe teaches. BUT Rip also maintains you have to keep your chest up. I think I’m not doing this. THAT could be a weak lower back, or just that I’ve got shitty technique. Right now, I’m thinking shitty technique because I’m not feeling the torso musculature being activated or working and saying “oh shit, I’m too weak to move this”. So it COULD be weak, but I think it’s technique.

I think a key here is “squatting the bar back, not up”.  And I notice when I engage my arms and press up with my arms out of the hole, that helps too, not just because it takes some weight off, but it’s keeping that vertical groove. I also realized that I need to have my arms in a closer grip on the bar so my upward press is a press… that strains my elbows some, but it’s alright.

So it’s a bunch of things here, and I need to really keep these cues in mind and see what difference they make. I’m about to start the next cycle, so squat weights will be “light” — a perfect time to hone form.

—–

You know what it is?

The journey.

 

Just because you reset doesn’t mean you still can’t PR. 🙂

“Week “

• 5/3/1 – Deadlift (working max: 325#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x5x245 (work)
  • 1x3x280
  • 1x6x315 (PR)

• 5/3/1 – Press (working max: 145#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x5x110 (work)
  • 1x3x125
  • 1x6x140
• Asst. #1 – DB Row
  • 3 x 10 x 70
• Asst. #2 – Hanging Leg Raises
  • 3 x 10/7/1 x BW
• Asst. #3 – Dips
  • 3 x 5 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 10/8/8 x 30

To me, it’s at least a rep record, doing 6 reps of 315 on the deadlift. I’ve actually moved 320 but only for 3 reps (during my aborted “3 month challenge” run, which forced the rep limit). But even during that run I only did 315 for 3 so… it’s at least a rep PR. Form continues to improve too. I felt good…. probably a bit due to the ego boost 3 wheels gave me.

The press wasn’t really a PR, since looking back over my notes I’ve done 140 for 6 before, but this was a lot easier and a lot better form, plus it was after deadlifting (i.e. not fresh first exercise). So hey, I don’t care what it really amounts to, other than I reckon I’m getting stronger, even if only slightly.

All of my assistance work I did as a circuit/superset… just one after the other, 2 minutes in between runs. On the 3rd set of leg raises, that weird shoulder issue in my right delt hit me HARD… sharp pain shot through me, it hurt like hell, I literally dropped off the bar, and that was all she wrote. I don’t know… I opted to try just 1 dip to see how it felt, but dips were fine. It’s gotta be a nerve thing, getting moved or pinched just the right way when I’m hanging, I guess.

But the circuit was kinda nice to do… it was harder, and should do a little better for my conditioning. I’m thinking on my “day 1” routine that I might try doing the same…. tho since that involves chins, the chins I might still do throughout… like after each set of squats, after each set of bench press… just whatever to get lots of volume on it, then the back raises, db bench, and face pulls do as one circuit and really push it to get my heart pumping.

Much to think about.

But it’s weird to be done with the cycle, have no deload, and start next week. I am liking how 2 days a week is working out for me in terms of my schedule and progress. We’ll see how it works for me long-term tho… at least 3-4 more cycles before I can make that call, I would assume.

The PR of no PR

“Week 3”

• 5/3/1 – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x135
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x5x195 (work)
  • 1x3x225
  • 1x4x250
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 6 x 4/4/4/3/3/3 x BW

• 5/3/1 – Bench Press (working max: 230#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x5x165 (work)
  • 1x3x185
  • 1x6x205
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/12/10 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
  • 3 x 12 x 70
• Foam Rolling

I say the PR of no PR because strictly speaking I didn’t set any PR’s… that’s not going to happen this soon after a reset because you’re obviously moving less weight than before.

But there were some PR’s for me in the sense of personal improvement. Sure I only got 4 reps with the squat, but I was really working hard today to keep my form solid. No, it wasn’t 100% perfect form, but it was a heck of a lot better than last week. I’m going deep. I’m working to keep everything tight, get the arm drive, abs tight, head/chest up/in, and sure, it was a LOT tougher, but I’m working hard to make every set solid like this. So sure it means less weight/reps are moved, but if the form is better, it’s a win.

Benching felt better today than it has in a while… again, my cue for today was “tight”, and it sure helped.

I’m also stoked at how I’m improving on chins and other exercises. Sure it’s just assistance and nothing to set the world on fire with, but hey… chins are nice to improve upon. 🙂

FWIW, I’m enjoying 2-days a week, plus there’s more dietary fiddling I’m doing, which well… it might work out. We’ll see. I’m in a hurry, have to write more on this later.

I’m adjusting to 2x week.

“Week 2”

• 3 Reps – Deadlift (working max: 325)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x3x230 (work)
  • 1x3x265
  • 1x6x295

• 3 Reps – Press (working max: 145#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x3x105 (work)
  • 1x3x115
  • 1x6x130
• Asst. #1 – DB Rows (superset with Press warmup sets)
  • 3 x 10 x 70
• Asst. #2 – Hanging Leg Raises
  • 3 x 10/5/6 x BW
• Asst. #3 – Dips (superset with Leg Raises)
  • 3 x 5/5/5 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 10/7/6 x 35

I was really pressed for time today… got going late, forgot to superset my DB rows, and tried to make up for it a bit by ensuring 1. my walk to/from the gym was very brisk (contemplating getting a weight vest and wearing it on my walks), 2. I did a little circuit with the leg raises to dips to curls… just one after the other. To that end, that weird pain that comes up in my right delt… it’s not really the shoulder, like the joint, but something nerve? medial muscle? hard to say exactly, but it gets painful and you can see it forced me to stop short… I just couldn’t get out the reps without too much pain up there. Oddly, I did more dips today than I did last week, and actually felt really damn good with them. Yes I recall when I couldn’t do one dip or one chinup… I’m not setting any world records, but I’m doing some personal good. And no shoulder pain on the dips, even going all the way down, upper arms parallel to the floor.

Working to keep my back proper on the descent of the deadlifts… consequently I’m moving slower and I think the increased time under tension is of course decreasing my reps, but hey… I’ll take improved form over 1-2 more reps, y’know?

Not a bad workout. I am digging 2x week… feels like it’s going to work better for my schedule and my body.

Today went a little better.

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x130
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x3x185 (work)
  • 1x3x210
  • 1x6x235
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 8 x 4/3/3/3/3/3/3/3 x BW

• 3 reps – Bench Press (working max: 215#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x85
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x3x150 (work)
  • 1x3x175
  • 1x7x195
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/11/8 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
  • 3 x 12 x 70
• Foam Rolling

Today felt better overall. I didn’t feel like I was going to throw up. 🙂

On squats, I’m falling forward. Abs. That’s my problem. It’s the same as before… are they weak? Well, they could be weak but it also feels like I’m just not activating them well enough. I know today on my last set I was trying to manage that light headed feeling, and so I wasn’t pressing and tightening up my torso enough… nor enough arm drive, nor anything other than getting my ass out of the hole. And it showed, with only 6 reps (wanted 8).

I did realize that part of why I’ve gone down in weight but also feel like I’ve gone down in general is because I’m squatting deeper. I realized a little while ago that I was not going parallel… it felt like I was, but I wasn’t. Now it feels like my ass is almost touching the floor, but video confirms it’s parallel. And that’s going to mean a loss of things. Got work to do.

Bench felt better, tho oddly I am feeling just weaker on bench… everything feels unstable.

Everything else… whatever. Just assistance work. Tho I have to say I continue to be pleased with my progress on chinups. 8 sets, 3 reps tho 4 on the first… I’m happy. It wasn’t that long ago I couldn’t do 1. I’m pushing to get 5 across. I’ll get there.

Does almost throwing up measure a good workout? 🙂

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Deadlift (working max: 325#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x5x215 (work)
  • 1x5x245
  • 1x8x280

• 5 Reps – Press (working max: 145#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x5x95 (work)
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x8x125
• Asst. #1 – DB Rows (superset with Press warmup sets)
  • 3 x 10 x 70
• Asst. #2 – Hanging Leg Raises
  • 3 x 10/7/5 x BW
• Asst. #3 – Dips (superset with Leg Raises)
  • 3 x 4/3/3 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 8/8/6 x 35
• Foam Rolling

You know… I can still wonder if I’m getting enough volume, but I don’t need to wonder if I’m getting enough intensity. Yes, I felt pretty nauseous by the end of the workout. I attribute it to pushing hard, not just during the sets themselves, but also in between. There wasn’t much rest between sets, nor between exercises. So weights may not have gone up, but less rest and more push-push-push and sure enough the intensity of the overall workout was up.

I really do have to push things if I want to get done in time. So, all good I suppose. But the long-term will really decide how good and fruitful this approach is for me.

I am happy to have pushed a little further than last deadlift (my cycle 9-2 false start). And while my Press did the same as the prior Press, it felt easier.

I’m not thrilled that I only got a few dips per set, but I am making them full range (upper arms go parallel) plus I did them right after the pressing with maybe 45 seconds of rest? So I’ll cut myself some slack. I also wonder if it was just not being used to things, because by set 3 I actually felt like I could have done more, but I’m sore enough and will be sore enough. Ease into it… I’m not a young buck any more.

But I think I might like this 2 days a week thing.

In light of my recent desire to change my workout approach, today Jim Wendler posts this to T-Nation.

What’s advocated? 2 day a week, and his suggestion is his “option 1”.

There we go.

Tho Jim’s article is pretty good because it does a good job of addressing needs of folks that travel. I’m thankful I don’t have to and haven’t had to travel much in my career, but whenever I did it was always difficult to deal with exercising. Jim’s got some good principles to follow here.

Aside:

In doing this I’ve been thinking how to adjust my goals for this year. There’s about 30 weeks left in the year. If this “2 days per week” program works out, that means a new cycle every 3 weeks, 10 cycles left. I figure another reset or maybe even 2 may have to happen before the year is over. So let’s say I might have only 6 true bumps in weight. Where does that put me? Well, for lower body that’d be maybe 60# and upper body maybe 30#.

If that holds true, it won’t put me where I want for Press. I’d like my working weight (the weight I use on my 5/3/1 week, last set) to be 185. With my current reset, that puts me 40# down. It’s possible I could make it. Even if I don’t, as long as I’ve made progress towards it, fine.

Now on bench, my reset weight is 205 (working max 215). So going up to 235 is again not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be at 250. But, at least bench pressing 2 wheels makes me happy.

Squat I could be ok with. I would like to squat (again, on my last 5/3/1 set) 315, or at a minimum breaking 300. This should be attainable, so long as I don’t mess up my back. 😉

Deadlift going to 365 will be quite acceptable. I’d love to break 405, but even without the reset that’d still be a ways off.

But my longer-term goal is breaking the 1000# total (bench, squat, deadlift). And I don’t want to break it in terms of 1RM or other calculated maxes, but actually moving that. Given I don’t do 1RM work, it basically means taking the weights I use on my last 5/3/1 set and totaling them up. I figure a year from now I ought to be able to break that. It’s what I’d like to do.

We’ll see how well my new “busy man” schedule takes me towards those goals.

So, how did the first day of the “2 days per week” program go?

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x130
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x5x170 (work)
  • 1x5x195
  • 1x6x225 (ugh)
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 6 x 4/3/3/3/3/2 x BW

• WORK – Bench Press (working max: WT#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x85
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x5x140 (work)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x10x185
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/10/8 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 80/90/90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls (supersetted with DB bench)
  • 3 x 12 x 65
• Foam Rolling

Well… this was interesting.

First, if I don’t superset, this will take a LONG time. So superset it is. In fact, I didn’t intend to superset db press with face pulls, but I looked at the clock and opted to do it. But again, it’s not as much about time at the gym (tho that’s relevant) as it is the impact on my daily/morning/weekly schedule. That’s still to be determined.

I’m upset that I only did 6 reps on the squat, but I know why. I was light headed the entire workout. I’d get under the bar, take my deep breath in, and then my head felt all light and swimmy. Every set of every exercise felt this way. *sigh* So once I got to 6 my head just couldn’t do it… didn’t have the oxygen. That sucks. Heck, on the bench press I did risk not getting the 10×185 but damnit I just did that a few days ago and damned if I wasn’t going to at least meet it… and I barely did, thank you head. 😦

I also didn’t know what some weights would be. On DB Bench I accidentally picked up the wrong weights (2 40’s instead of 2 45’s). I might be able to do 2 50’s, we’ll see. Certainly face pulls need the weight upped. Back raises… oof…. that was tougher than I expected. But when did 4 chins and maintained 3 through most of the rest of the sets, I was pretty happy with that!

I don’t feel as tired and “worked out” after this workout, likely due to the reduced volume. We’ll see how this fares for me over the long term.