The Devil's Lair: Last Winter Installment

Last day at Diablo for the winter. I will return in the summer to get really strong.

Box Squat: 155x2x12
185x2
205x2
225x1

I need to:
-Spread the floor
-Come down faster, but under control
-Drive through the hips off of the box

All of that considered, I felt like I'm coming along pretty well. I'm actually using my hips and hamstrings to squat (they're weak, so that's why the numbers suck right now) and if I really bust ass I could be squatting decent numbers in February.

Deadlift against light bands: 225x1
275x1x5

These weren't too pretty after the squats (my hips were shot to hell). Still, my DL is getting a lot better I think.

During the squats and afterwards, Ted was talking to me and the other new guy about weight gain. He wants me to gain at least 3 lbs a week until I hit 220 (for the February meet), and then get up to 240 before I return to Diablo in June. Then over the summer I will get up to 260. I need to make these goals, as I have heard that the price of failure is not pretty.

The Devil's Lair: Ringing in the New Year

4 board (w/pinkies on ring): 195x3
215x1
235x1
255x1
265x Miss x 2 (Dumped the first one too low, and lost tightness at the bottom on second)

Once again, my main issues here are losing tightness at the bottom and not enough leg drive. I also need to bring the bar down faster.

DB Bench: 60x5
75x5, 5
85x5, 5

T-bar Rows: 2plates + 25 x 10
3x10
3+25x10, 10, 5

It turns out that our way of doing T-bars is not the best for building your bench. I tried to do the last set properly at the same weight and failed. Hillary and Ted told me that I needed to be more over the bar, and not using my legs.

Rear Delt Flies: 35x10/10
40x10/10, 10/10

Forearms and Other stuff to finish

I really feel like my back has gotten larger over the break. I lost some size on my quads, but I think that all went to my lumbars lol. Before coming to Diablo I never really realized how much you use your back in benching.

The Devil's Lair: Moar Deadlifts

Pin Pulls against quadded minis: 185x3
225x3
265x3
285x1
305x1
315x1
335xMiss

Ted said that I missed the last one because I was loose at the start(but my form overall was better). I need to work on pulling the slack out of the bar, and of course, getting stronger hamstrings. Ted said that the bands were ~180 or so at the top. Good to know my lockout is pretty strong.

Cambered Bar Suspended GM's: 150x5
180x5
200x5
220x5, 5, 5

These felt awesome in a really brutal way. I really feel these in the glutes/hams, which is exactly where I need work.

PROWLER (plate count is total weight on prowler): 2 plates x 2 trips
2plates + 2 25's x 2
4 plates x 2 (this sucked)

Reverse Hyper and Abs to finish.

I have been learning the conjugate system from Ted, and he wants me to keep with the westside methods while I am still at UCLA. I figure it can work like this:

Monday: ME Lower
Tuesday: DE Bench
Thursday: DE Lower
Saturday: ME Bench

He has me using straight weight for most of this, so its all good.

The Devil's Lair: Last DE Bench

Bench: 95x3x4
115x3x4
135x3
165x3
185x3

I need to remember 3 main things: 1 - leg drive; 2 - chest up & belly full of air; 3 - sink my lats and press with my back & tris. Starting to get it, which is a good sign.

Tate Press: 35x10
45x10, 10, 10

Cambered Bar Bench Pull: 25'sx5
35'sx5
45'sx5, 5, 5, 5

Rickshaw Shrugs: 315x10x4

Forearm Hammer thing

Weighed in at 205 again today. Ted decreed that this was not enough, and that I needed to be at least 220 by the February meet.

The Devil's Lair: DE Squat 2

Box Squat: 145x2x12

For some reason, I am not getting the "sit-back" part of the squat down. These were still kyle-speed, but I felt like I was using more hamstrings and glutes to squat it up (a small step for kylekind).

A loooong break here b/c it was Saturday and I needed to help spot and run the Monolift. Saturdays are the days that most people squat, and squat they did. One of the guys, Luigi, worked up to a relatively easy single at 7 plates after speed squatting wearing only briefs. Oh yeah, he broke his arm a couple of months ago as well. Crazy.

Speed Pulls (against purples): 225x1, 1, 1
275x1, 1, 1

My form is getting better on sumo. More hips, less back. I just need to figure out my squat.

Reverse hyper and abs to finish.

The Devil's Lair: ME Bench 2

3-board: 195x3
215x1
225x1
235xfail

These were done with much better technique. I am starting to get the hang of things. Hillary even said that my 225 looked good. Gasp! I am still losing tightness at the bottom, which can be fixed by stronger lats. If I build up my lats and upper back, I should be able to bench much more.

DB Bench (palms in): 60x5
75x5, 5
80x5, 5

T-bar Row (these are done with minimal leg drive): 2plates +25 x 10
3x10, 10
3+25 x10, 10

Rear Delt Raises: 30x10/10
35x10/10, 10/10

Ted told me to not dick around on the rear delt stuff, and really try and push the weight. He said that a lot of the guys will go up to the 115's for these.

Today I met more of the guys there, including George. George came to Diablo at 225lbs. After one summer, he left Diablo at 270lbs. 55lbs gained. His advice was eat all the time, drink protein shakes when you aren't eating solid food, and don't fail. Ted apparently comes up with hellish punishments for failure.

The Devil's Lair: Deadlift

So it was deadlift day today. I started out with my conventional DL. Hillary told me to really get tight behind the bar and load my hamstrings. I felt it on the later sets, but my hamstrings are weak so it didn't help.

Conventional: 315x1
345x1
365x1 PR

Then Ted had me put on my suit to see what my sumo looked like. Ted gave me a bunch of pointers (which in the end amounts to what Dave does in his pull - Good Job Dave). Ted mandated that I pull sumo for the meet.

Sumo pulls: 275x1, 1, 1
315x1, 1, 1

Chain-Suspended Giant Cambered Bar Good Morning (Feet on Fire): 110x5
150x5
180x5, 5, 5

I really like these. The camber makes the movement a lot easier on the shoulders and this really hammered my hams (lol).

PROWLERRR: 25's x 2 trips
45's x 4 trips (Was only supposed to do 2 trips but I forgot)
45's + 25's x 2 trips (hard)

And the regular warm-up sled, rev hyper, and abs apply. Been pushing the weight/reps on these every workout. I have the feeling I'm going to come back 10 lbs heavier with most of that being on my lower back.


ALSO, Dave. We need a cambered/Safety squat bar and a sled/prowler. These things are awesome. Possibly a Monolift as well (just kidding about that one).

The Devil's Lair: DE Bench 2

Well, I re-gained 3lbs to put me at 203, which makes me feel better. I have been eating beef and elk for the past couple of days. Delicious. Ted recommended the Nog as well for weight gain. Seems to be a trend...

Bench: 95x3x6
115x3, 3
135x3, 3
155x3
175x3

Things started clicking a bit more today. By the end the leg drive and tightness were starting to come together which is nice.

Tate Press: 40x10x4

Cambered Bar Bench Pull: 25's x 10, 10
35 x 10
40x5x6

Ted said that I really need to push the weight on these to get strong lats and a big bench. Will do.

Rickshaw Shrugs: 225x10, 10, 10
275x10, 10

These felt good, even with the fat handles.

Forearm Stuff to finish.

The Devil's Lair: DE Squat

As I feared, the form critiques of epic proportions came today. I need to focus (mainly) on sitting waaaaaaay back, not down, and driving up with the hips. Ted says that I am all quads, which is pitching me forward in my squat. And yes Brent, Ted actually yelled "BACK BACK BACK!"

Box Squat: 135x2x12

Deadlift (Conv): 225x1, 1, 1, 1
255x1, 1
275x1
315x1, 1

These were for speed (well, Kyle speed) and I got some good pointers on these too. The main one was to kind of pull your body under the bar before you actually started pulling. I didn't quite get it, but it will help fix my problem off the floor. 315 felt really easy though.

The Devil's Lair: Bench (Post #600)

2-Board: 185x1
205x1
225xMiss

DB Bench (palms in): 55x5
65x5
75x5, 5, 5

T-bar Row (machine): 2 plates x 10
2+25x10
3x10, 10
3+25x10

Rear Delt Raise (1 arm): 25x10/10, 10/10
30x10/10

Forearm Hammer Thing: 2x4 exercisesx10 reps

Ted was coaching my bench today. We really hammered the setup of the bench, which turned out to be very, very helpful. The 205 went up pretty fact for me, and he showed me a trick for keeping my elbows in. Never thought my back could get that tired just benching.

On the food side of things, I lost weight during finals week. I weighed in at 200lbs today. Ted told me I had 100lbs to gain, but that I needed to go back to UCLA at 215. Wonder how long it will take him to make me into a SHW?

The Devil's Lair: Squat

Ted and Hillary were my instructors today. Ted has a squat somewhere in the 800's I believe and Hillary has a 562 squat (at 165 no less). They had me doing box squats today. The main point that I need to work on is sitting back and not rocking on the box. I am using too much quad to squat the weight, and not enough hips. Also, I need to widen my stance.

Worked up to 235x1 for a box squat with OK technique. Ted said that this week was just to get me into the system and see where I'm at. They'll kill me next week.

Pull-throughs: 50x10, 10, 10, 10

These were done on a belt squat machine. A lot harder than a regular cable it seemed.

Then, THE PROWLERRRRR!!!1!!
Unloaded x 4 trips
+50lbs x 2 trips
+90lbs x 2 trips

This thing is hard. Not quite as bad as one of those rowing machines (god I hate those) but kicks your ass in an awesome way. We need one of these Dave.

Reverse Hypers and Side Bends to finish. Along with the sled warm-up. These 3 things are a given, so I will stop mentioning them.

Stuck around for a bit afterward and Ted introduced me to some of the guys. Apparently most of them started out skinny and weak (like me) and now I think 75% of the guys there totaled Elite. Ted has been hinting that I just may fill out into the 275's if I train there in the summer too. Sweet.

The Devil's Lair: DE Bench

Today was the first day at Diablo Barbell. I met a few of the guys, and Dalen Randa coached me today. Training here the entire winter break will cost me $150, which I feel is a very reasonable price considering Ted told me that most of the new people here routinely add 200-300lbs on each of their lifts. Conjugate system FTW.

Bench Press: 95x3x8

Dalen said that I need to get more leg drive and focus on bending/pulling the bar apart. He said everything else looked good, except that ideally I should be benching to my upper abs (not a possibility in USAPL). He is also able to do that strange belly inflation thing that I do, and said that I should do it when I bench.

Tate Press: 35x10
40x10, 10, 10

Cambered Bar Chest Supported Rows: bar + 50lbs x 10
+90lbs x 6
+70lbs x 8
+50lbs x 10, 10

Rickshaw Shrugs (device weighs 135lbs): 185x10, 10, 10, 10

Warm-up was a ~300ft trip with a sled, and the workout ended with reverse hypers and abs. This will be done on all lifting days. Tomorrow is ME Squat, so I look forward to not being able to walk.

White Devil Bench

Superwide Bench Press: 175x6
185x6
195x4

Floor Press (med grip): 165x5, 5, 6
175x5

Skull Crushers: 80x8, 8, 10

Real JM Presses (my fault): 95x8, 8, 8

Rainbow Dragonfly Ponies: 5, 5, 5

Today I contacted Ted O'Neill at Diablo Barbell up in NorCal, and he gave me the OK to train there over Winter Break. Naturally, Brent kept on saying "come on Kyle - they'll kick you out of Diablo for that" and "lets go Diablo!", so eventually (with my help) we came up with "Diablo Blanco". Hilarity Ensues.

Dave wanted to try JM presses again, and apparently I had done them wrong. I still like my version better.

Rainbow Dragonfly Ponies are also known as "Dragon Flags" and were done by Bruce Lee as ab training (word on the street).

Also, Pre-finals delirium has set in. I almost killed 3 people in the gym today because I couldn't think about anything but triceps and carbonyl reactions.