Cycle 0 Week 2 Deadlifts

Put on the suit for the first time in a while today. Didn't fit too tight since I'm around 192lbs now and that's about the weight I trained at in the suit for the last meet. Hopefully will put on a few lbs before the meet though.

Deadlift (suit on straps up-also used a flex bar)

375 x 2

405 x 2

425 x 2 @10 -ugly set

405 x 2

One of the guys there, Gary, kept saying that my shoulders and the bar were way too far forward. He suggested I do some lighter sets to get the form down.

335 x 2, 2, 2

On the second set of these, I tried looking straight forward (instead of looking downwards like I usually do) and this tremendously helped me keep my shoulders back. The pulls felt way smoother and I think the range of motion even decreased with this form tweak. Hopefully I can hammer this down by August.

Hamstrings were fried after this so I skipped Romanians.

Shrugs <--skipped them yesterday because of deadlifts today

405 x 12

455 x 12

495 x 12

545 x 12

Finished with:

4 sets of pullthru's with a 45

5 sets of reverse hypers (first time doing these on a real one)

3 sets of kneeling abs

Hamstring stretching

Squat

Squat

255 x 3

265 x 3

275 x 3

285 x 3 -depth questionable (video)

Here's a video from 3 months ago (275 x 5):

Comparison:

-bar rolling on my back has been mostly eliminated (grip is no longer thumbless)

-chest is staying up a little more

-knees coming forward less? (might just seem this way because of the different angle)

Form is still far from perfect but hopefully is going in the right direction. Any critique is much appreciated. Also sorry for spamming the wall with my videos lately...The fact that everyone has smart phones now makes it too convenient.

Pause squats (no belt)

195 x 3

205 x 3, 3

Power cleans

135 x 3

155 x 3

175 x 3

Lunges

135 x 4 -warmup

155 x 5

175 x 5

195 x 5 -PR

Standing abs

90 x 1 set

100 x 2 sets

Finished with some stretching. Unfortunately I didn't have a partner by the end of the workout for PNF stretching :(

Squat

Had to squat today because of my finals schedule. I'll most likely be back in the gym on Wednesday to bench.

While warming up I felt a slight twinge on the right side of my hip but it wasn't a sharp pain or anything so hopefully it's nothing serious.

Squat

255 x 5

265 x 5, 5, 5 -wasn't sure if I was getting depth on these but Misael watched the 3rd set and said depth was good

I tried rolling my hands a little higher up on the bar to prevent it from chaotically rolling up and down my back like it has been for the past year. It helped, but some rolling still happened on my later sets. Misael suggested chalking my hands up which helped slightly as well. Hopefully if I just get used to this new style of gripping the bar the problem will go away.

Lunges

135 x 4 x 8 (per leg)

Power cleans (light)-wasn't planning on doing these but Misael was doing them so I joined him

135 x 3, 5, 5

Standing abs

100 x 12

110 x 12

120 x 10, 12

4-27-10: Upper Back, New Diet, Video Form Review, & Biceps??

*** TODAY I BEGAN THE EXTRA CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER, CLOVER HONEY, & TRISCUIT ORIGINAL STYLE CRACKER NIGHT-TIME SNACK DIET ***

------>> for deadlifts, I need to maintain my hamstring pre-loading lift-off as I pull the weight off the ground. that is really helping.

------>> for squats, I need to focus on staying upright with my chest out, and sitting back.

------>> for bench, I need to maintain tuck better and learn how to facilitate and engage my lats (which is why I have begun pause work on upper back day).

Chest Supported T-Bar Rows
-> inner handles, close-grip
55lbs x 5
70x5
60x5
60x5
60x5
-> all sets with standard pauses

Weighted Ultra-Wide Grip Pullups
15lbs x 5
15x5
15x5
-> all sets with standard pauses, and slow and controlled going up and down

Shrug Machine (Seated)
70lbs on each side x 8
90lbs on each side x 8
135lbs on each side x 5 (really tough)

Cable Abs (bending at waist)
150lbs x 8
150lbs x 8
-> all sets with standard pauses

Close-Grip (Inner) Lat Pulldowns
140lbs x 8
140lbs x 7
-> all sets with standard pauses


*** GIVEN THAT I HAVEN'T DONE BICEPS IN A COUPLE MONTHS AT ALL . . . AND TALKING WITH GREG, GREG CONVINCED ME THAT I SHOULD DO AT LEAST 1 BICEP EXERCISE PER WEEK TO MAKE SURE MY BICEPS ARE STRONG ENOUGH SO THAT THEY DO NOT LIMIT MY BACK WORKOUTS.

TOUCHE GREG. TOUCHE.

I WILL RESTART OPERATION BICEPS. OPERATION TRAPS IS STILL UNDERGOING PHASE 2 OF PROGRESS.

Deadlift

Deadlift
341 x 5 sets of 2

GMOPs (off of #10 pin)
175 x 5, 5
185 x 5
195 x 5
These actually felt pretty good for a change. I think it helped to think about arching hard throughout the lift like Dave said. Also, we did these facing the mirror today and I realized that I feel the tension much better in my hamstrings when I focus on keeping my legs straighter.

Back raises
BW x 3 sets of 50 -massively massive lower back pump

Standing abs
100 x 12
110 x 10
120 x 10, 10

Deadlift

Deadlift
warmup
335 x 4+1 fail
Pretty disappointing considering I did 335x5 a few weeks ago. Not sure why but I was extremely tired at the beginning of this workout and usually the tiredness goes away by the time I do a heavy set but this time it didn't.

285 x 3, 3, 3
I noticed something about my form while doing these lighter sets. I've been trying to start with my hips lower, making it easier to start with my lower back arched. I realized though, that when I start with my hips slightly higher, the bar comes up much faster off the ground. Unfortunately I think this causes me to have a less arched lower back.

So I'm wondering whether it'd be better to 1) Start with my hips lower, focus on an arched lower back, but be slower off the floor, or 2)Start with my hips higher, be faster off the floor, but not have as good an arch. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions.

Leg curls
90 x 12, 12, 12

Kneeling abs
95 x 12
102.5 x 7
95 x 10

Back raises
BW x 35

Deadlift

Deadlift
warmup
315 x 3
335 x 1, 1
265 x 3, 3, 3
I'm trying to focus on keeping the lower back arch throughout the movement and I think because of this I'm finally learning how to push my hips through at the top.

Good mornings
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5

Lying leg curls
90 x 10, 10, 10

Hanging leg raises
4 x 15

Deadlift

I tried to do the 70% 3x3, 75% 3x3, 80% 3x2 that Jake suggested for working on form a couple of weeks ago, but I was a little tired at the end of it I think because 1) I haven't deadlifted in 3 weeks and 2) the percentages were based on the 381 max I hit 3 weeks ago, which I did with not-so-great form.

Deadlift
I had my brother watch me do a few sets to see how my lower back arch was.
265 x 3, 3, 3 -arch was good on all these
285 x 3, 3, 3 -lower back started to round slightly in the middle of the movement on the last set so I didn't want to do the doubles at 80%
305 x 1 -very slight rounding in the lower back
285 x 1 -arch was good

I have a couple of questions for Jake:
1) Previously you suggested doing this at the beginning of every deadlift workout, but would it be too much volume to do assistance exercises after this too (like good mornings or SLDL's)?
2) Should these numbers be based on a lower max since the 381 wasn't done with good form?

Lying leg curls
90 x 10, 10, 10, 8

Side bends
45 x 10, 10, 10

GHR abs
BW x 20, 20, 20

Bench

1/21/09

Bench

full pause on each rep

185 x 5

195 x 3 + 1 fail

195 x 3

195 x 3

Bench off Foam Roller

195 x 3

185 x 4

185 x 5

185 x 5

Close Grip Incline Bench

115 x 7 x 4

Dumbbell Chest Press on Weighted Medicine Ball (stability work)

37.5lbs x 12 x 2

45lbs x 8 x 2

Desperately need to work on my form: tucking my elbows would significantly increase my bench and reduce the many shoulder injuries I've had while benching.