Squats, Squats, Squats

podge57

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

alright, so i have to wear both?

yup

cardio,shoot me

ah damn, i dont think they will fit over each other...

Hanley

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

ah damn, i dont think they will fit over each other...

How tight are you slippers????

cardio,shoot me

pretty damn tight, its not the length, its my feet are really broad . , ill test it out tonight to be sure

podge57

- Today didn't really go to plan. I wanted 110x2, the first rep was easy enough, but then took way too long after it, lost my tightness and just racked it - I wouldn't have got it. Did another single after. It was tougher than 105x2x3 last week. Not sure why there is such a drop-off with only a 5kg increase, but my guess is that it's mostly mental
- I've been training hard the last few weeks, so going to start to taper it a bit this week. Easy workout Monday and Wednesday, then squat and bench openers friday

Bench
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
95kg x 1
110kg x 1
110kg x 1

Squat
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5

Pressups v. Mini Band
10
10
10

Tri Pushdowns
15
15
15

podge57

- Today was pretty good, got some decent squat and bench volume in - going to wait until friday to hit my squat and bench openers.

Standing AB Pulldown
20
15
15

Squat
20kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 2
170kg x 5
170kg x 5
170kg x 5

Bench
20kg x 5
20kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
100kg x 3
100kg x 3

Weighted Situp
+10kg x 15
+20kg x 10
+20kg x 10


I wanted to start doing some proper cardio after smolov, but the roads and paths around my house have been frozen since then, so I was stuck with an exercise bike. It cleared up today tho, and there is a road behind my house which was never opened, and is completely sealed off, which is perfect for sprints. For some reason, it is also lit up 24/7, so I can use it any time

Today I did 10 sprints of about 45-50m, jogging slowly back tot he start after. It was tough enough, but I felt great when it was done. Gonna try and do this 2-3x per week, and increase the amount of sprints or distance each time

podge57

- No heavy deadlifting today, just some upper back, romanians and speed pulls. Not much to write about, it was a fairly good session.
- Whenever I get some time, I'm going to make a db for doing rows. I tried some BB rows today, after doing romanians and speed pulls, I only really felt them in my lower back

Pullups
10
8
8

Fat Grip Curls
30kg x 12
35kg x 10
35kg x 10

Romanian DL
60kg x 8
80kg x 8
100kg x 10
120kg x 8
140kg x 6

Speed Pulls
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 2
180kg x 1,1,1,1 (15 secs rest)

Lat Pulldowns
20
15
15

cardio,shoot me

podge57 wrote: »

I only really felt them in my lower back

exact same for me , try pendlays in the mean time before you get a dumbell if you already havent, i used to feel them before i switched to dbs

podge57

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

exact same for me , try pendlays in the mean time before you get a dumbell if you already havent, i used to feel them before i switched to dbs

def. sounds worth trying out. I need to start doing some sort of heavy rowing again

podge57

- Today was pretty good. Squats felt strong, but form was off. Had a hard time keeping my knees out - my hips, hams glutes and groin were still sore from those sprints. Not too worried tho, will probably open at 195 to get a good solid squat on the board.
- Happy enough with my bench opener. Not sure if I paused the first rep long enough, but the second seemed spot on.

Squat
20kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 1
180kg x 1
200kg x 2

Bench
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
92.5kg x 2
105kg x 2

Circuit:

AB Pulldown
15
15
15

Face Pulls
15
15
15

Tri Pushdown
15
15
15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQAcew4levM

cardio,shoot me

good stuff podge! do you happen to know if theres like a set pause time? like 1 or 2 seconds? oh and whats the order we lift in? like squat first bench second etc Ps: if it isnt obvious i added you on teh facebookz :P

podge57

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

good stuff podge! do you happen to know if theres like a set pause time? like 1 or 2 seconds? oh and whats the order we lift in? like squat first bench second etc Ps: if it isnt obvious i added you on teh facebookz :P

Dont think so, just when the bar is motionless on your chest. I do remember last year it seemed a lot longer than I expected.

And yeah its squat-bench-deadlift, with female and lighter weight classes going first

And yes, I did realise that was you:D

cardio,shoot me

cool, i was half hoping bench was gonna come first but i knew as much.
squats leave me knackered way more than bench!. oh, while on teh topic, any idea what time weigh ins and lifting begin? and how long where you there last year , as in from weigh in till you where finished

podge57

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

cool, i was half hoping bench was gonna come first but i knew as much.
squats leave me knackered way more than bench!. oh, while on teh topic, any idea what time weigh ins and lifting begin? and how long where you there last year , as in from weigh in till you where finished

Got this from the site

"weigh in starts at 9:00 until 10:00 & reweighs until 10:30"

I would say the lifting would start shortly after 11.

Last year it started bout 10.30, I think I did my first squat about 12.30, and last Dl was late, sometime between 7 and 8 I think. But there were 70+ lifters there

Hanley

podge57 wrote: »

Got this from the site

"weigh in starts at 9:00 until 10:00 & reweighs until 10:30"

I would say the lifting would start shortly after 11.

Last year it started bout 10.30, I think I did my first squat about 12.30, and last Dl was late, sometime between 7 and 8 I think. But there were 70+ lifters there

I'd say there'll only be more there this year.

Cardio, make sure you stock up on water and food for the day.

podge57

Hanley wrote: »

I'd say there'll only be more there this year.

Cardio, make sure you stock up on water and food for the day.

Yeah, its gonna be a long day alright, might bring a sleeping bag just in case!

cardio,shoot me

im bringing about 5L+ water, gatorade, meal replacements from myprotein, fruit , and im trying to think of food that wont leave me feeling full .: btw whats the deal with reweighs? is that for people to make a last ditch effort to cut the last bit before it starts, or is it to check you havent gotten fatter in 30 minutes :P

Hanley

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

im bringing about 5L+ water, gatorade, meal replacements from myprotein, fruit , and im trying to think of food that wont leave me feeling full .: btw whats the deal with reweighs? is that for people to make a last ditch effort to cut the last bit before it starts, or is it to check you havent gotten fatter in 30 minutes :P

You don't want to be eating too much protein on the day tbh. It'll be hard for your body to digest and could leave you feeling unwell.

Reweighs are for those who didn't make weight in whatever class they were hoping for.

cardio,shoot me

hmm, so i should focus more on carbs and fats?

corkcomp

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

hmm, so i should focus more on carbs and fats?

Neither protein or fats on the day IMO, just carbs

brutusthebarber

Jaffa cakes, nuti grain shortcake bars, fruit, water, sugarfree redbull/boost.

I'd defo get about 3 bottles of the sugarfree boost stuff. Gonna be a long day!

EDIT: Just realised I was posting in Podge's log! Sorry for the clutter dude!!

podge57

brutusthebarber wrote: »

Jaffa cakes, nuti grain shortcake bars, fruit, water, sugarfree redbull/boost.

I'd defo get about 3 bottles of the sugarfree boost stuff. Gonna be a long day!

EDIT: Just realised I was posting in Podge's log! Sorry for the clutter dude!!

You actually reminded me I need to stock up on some cereal bars, dunno how I forgot about them

podge57

Needed a break from studying today, so just did a little bit...

Pullups
11
8
8

Pulldowns
15
15

Pushups v Minin Band
12
12
12

podge57

So here's how my day went

Got there just before 10, weighed in at 104.2kg.

Squat
#1: 195kg - Good
#2: 212.5kg - No Good
#3: 212.5kg - Good (2.5kg PR)

Squat warmups felt heavy, and my technique was way off. Couldnt get my knees out or keep my chest up. When Im training, I have mental cues for these things that come automatically, but that didnt happen yesterday. But I managed to get focused after bing stapled by 212.5, and somehow muscled it up. Really had to fight for it, toughest lift of my life - managed to bust blood vessels all over my face, chest and shoulders, as well as my eyes, but was really happy I made it

Bench
#1: 105kg - Good
#2: 110kg - Good
#3: 115kg - Good (5kg PR)

Really surprised myself here. First 2 attempts were really easy, and 3rd wasn't too difficult either. I think I need a better bench to train on, it made a big difference

Deadlift
#1: 230kg - Good
#2: 242.5kg - Good (2.5kg PR)
#3: 250kg - No Good

Opener was easy. 242 was a bit of a struggle, but never looked like missing it. Really had to fight hard for the 250, and it was extremely, slow, but I locked it out, and dont think I hitched it. Completely forgot to ask the judges why it got reds, which was a big mistake

Finished with a 570kg total, had a great day and really pleased with my lifts. Fairly sure I got talking to everyone who posts here. Had to be drug tested after too, which I suppose is a complement. I've never been as tired as I was when I got home yesterday, I was completely sapped.

Plan for nationals in March is +10kg on squat and bench, and a 260kg DL

vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPjhUJx7Myc

Kev M

Very nice. I'm impressed and inspired!

edit; badass song too!

VIS VIRES

Well done man, that was some great lifting yesterday fantastic fight on the squat..i thought you were unlucky on the 250 deadlift you'll defo get it next time...

Pavel66

Jaysus, that was awesome lifting!! That 3rd squat was very inspiring! Can't see why your 3rd deadlift wasn't allowed?

Don't take this the wrong way but why the hell is your bench so low in comparison to the other lifts?

cardio,shoot me

sure look at the length of his arms!

Pavel66

A bit like yourself Cardio

Even so the difference seems huge!

cardio,shoot me

yea, aside from his squat being more proportionate , our bench:deadlift ratio is much the same

87.5:180
115:250

brianthebard

Agree with cardio, it doesn't seem that big a gap. Podge's squat and dead are almost exactly where Kevpants was last year, and his bench is maybe 10kg's less than Kev's I think? Not really a huge discrepancy imo at least.

podge57

Thanks lads, was happy with how the day went. Deadlift was close, but at least I know I can do it

On the bench thing, not being built for it is one factor. I was also about a year into lifting before I started bencing, just never an exercise that I liked.

My technique is poor too, and I dont have much consistancy in my bench training, but those are 2 things which will change in the next few months, so hopefully I can bring it up to par

Pavel66

There is obviously nothing wrong with your squat and deadlift. Even though you are not perfectly built for benching , it is definitely your weakpoint.

I haven' t studied your log but you should think about ways to improve your bench. Regardless of arm lenght etc, your overall body Strength is so high that I reckon you can bench at least 130.

This would go some way to giving you the magical 600 total

podge57

Pavel66 wrote: »

There is obviously nothing wrong with your squat and deadlift. Even though you are not perfectly built for benching , it is definitely your weakpoint.

I haven' t studied your log but you should think about ways to improve your bench. Regardless of arm lenght etc, your overall body Strength is so high that I reckon you can bench at least 130.

This would go some way to giving you the magical 600 total

Yep, my squat and DL have gone up alot lately, so bench is where I have the biggest room for improvement.

I dont think there is any magic to it - I just need to focus on it more and train it more consistantly

I will go out on a limb here - I am going to be more consistant and put more effort in to my bench training and I will bench 125kg by March!

podge57

- Exams are over, so time to get back to more important stuff. Havent done anything except run for the bus this week. Was trying to ease myself back into things.
- I was focusing on keeping my knees out and chest up when squatting. They felt decent, pretty slow though. The floor press against bands was just for fun

Squat
20kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 5
100kg x 5
140kg x 3
160kg x 3
180kg x 3
140kg x 10

Bench
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
80kg x 10
95kg x 5

Floor Press w/ Minis
20kg x 8
60kg x 7
70kg x 7
80kg x 5
90kg x 3

Pulldowns
15
15

JJayoo

I was focusing on keeping my knees out and chest up when squatting

This reminded me of this video

http://www.youtube.com/thedieselcrew#p/u/22/Hdl-Ga3yuAg


Its from the diesel crew

podge57

JJayoo wrote: »

This reminded me of this video

http://www.youtube.com/thedieselcrew#p/u/22/Hdl-Ga3yuAg


Its from the diesel crew

Thanks, definitely going to work these into my warmup - could be just what I need!

podge57

- Today went well - I was mainly focusing on fixing some technique issues when squatting, which I mentioned on Friday. Warmed up well, and was happy enough the squats - kept knees out a bit better, and my chest stayed up too. Moved my hands in closer, which helped, but was extremely painful - you can see my wrists/elbows are all over the place at the end of the set

Squat
30kg x 3 x 6
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 3
140kg x 3
160kg x 2
175kg x 5
175kg x 3
140kg x 3 (Paused)
120kg x 3 (Paused)

Bench
20kg x 2 x 8
40kg x 8
60kg x 5
72.5kg x 8
82.5kg x 6
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5

Pullups
3 x 5

Pushups
3 x 10

Ab Pulldown
2 x 20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXzztk_Z_tQ

podge57

My training up to the nationals will look like this

Mon: Squat (Heavy) Bench (Medium)

Wed: Squat (Light) Deadlift

Fri: Squat (Heavy) Bench (Heavy)

I have all the number, sets etc written out, but Im too lazy to type them here

For the firts few weeks, there will be lots of volume, but as the weights start to increase, I will drop the volume

cardio,shoot me

nice squats dude! very long pause.

just a thought, have you tried using a thumbless grip and having just your palms on the bars? i found it was less painful.

podge57

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

nice squats dude! very long pause.

just a thought, have you tried using a thumbless grip and having just your palms on the bars? i found it was less painful.

Thanks, I tried a thumbless grip on the 160 warmup and it was painful too, also makes it hard to stop the bar rolling

I think I might need to place the bar a bit higher too

podge57

- Great session today. Squats were good, only took 90 secs between sets, so I was pretty gassed by the end.
- Deadlifts felt good too, but today was my first heavy deadlift day in 4 weeks (apart from the comp), and my hands must have softened up a bit. I was struggling to hold the bar at the top, and on the way down. My hands were torn to bits, and I ripped open the mother of all callouses. Going to do sets with straight weight one week, then work up to a heavy set the next.
- The 1 arm presses are like those @ 30 secs in this vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57pv_1j4dH0&feature=player_embedded#at=32), except I didnt use any leg drive. The weights listed exclude the bar

Squat (All Beltless)
20kg x 2 x 6
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
120kg x 8
120kg x 8
120kg x 8
120kg x 8

Deadlift
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
180kg x 1
205kg x 3
205kg x 3
205kg x 3
205kg x 3
205kg x 3

1 Arm Press
20kg x 15
30kg x 10
35kg x 8

Lat Pulldown
2 x 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVY0oZbX9Dc

podge57

Pic of said callous(es)

podge57

- Glad this session is over. Was at the doc. for a check-up, got some blood taken, and I've felt really drowsy and light-headed since then. Not sure if I should have lifted, but I did. Squats felt good enough - knees kicked in on a few reps, but they're definitely improving.
- Bench was easy, Ill be going a bit heavier next week. Didnt do any assistance b/c I was too tired. I'll try and get some done 2moro

Squat
20kg x 6
60kg x 2 x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3
167.5kg x 4
167.5kg x 4
167.5kg x 4
167.5kg x 4
180kg x 3

Bench
20kg x 8
20kg x 8
60kg x 5
70kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
92.5kg x 3
92.5kg x 3
102.5kg x 1


vid later

podge57

Todays video

My camera skills were a bit rubbish today

*Warning: very short shorts. May not be suitable for younger audiences *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Re-uqMiQR8

podge57

Ive decided to scrap my original plan for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I was trying to do too many things at once, and it was just too much. I think I have to realise I am not really a begineer anymore, so I need to take a bit of a different approach

Lately, I have been feeling great training on certain days, and on other days Ive felt really week. Chasing numbers has meant that even when I feel weak, I still try and stick to the plan. This is what happened on Friday, and I ended up feeling drained for days afterwards.

So I have decided to give Mike Tuscherers RTS system a go. I have read the manual and understand it. Heres an overview for anyone who is interested
http://www.reactivetrainingsystems.com/articles/training-articles/81-an-rts-overview
I think it will suit me well because I can squat, bench and deadlift regularly, and change things depending on how I feel.

I suppose the biggest difference between this are the RPEs which you will see after a set
Heres a breakdown
10- Maximal. No reps left in the tank.

9- Last rep is tough, but still 1 rep left in the tank.

8- Weight is too heavy to maintain fast bar speed, but is not a struggle. 2-4 reps left.

7- Weight moves quickly when maximal force is applied to the weight. “Speed weight”

6- Light speed work. Moves quickly with moderate force.

5- Most warm-up weights

4- Recovery. Usually 20+ rep sets. Not hard, but intended to flush the muscle.

http://www.reactivetrainingsystems.com/articles/training-articles/49-chapter-2

podge57

- Todays session felt pretty good. Benching was great, all the reps moved quickly, and my setup was good. Struggled a bit with deads - my ankle ligaments were really stiff, and I was struggling to get down to the bar without lifting my heels up. My hand seems to be swelling up every week after deads now, not sure what is causing this, but its pretty annoying


Warm Up
Band Pull-apart: 2 x 15
BW Row: 2 x 12

Bench: Est 1rm= 125kg
20kg x 2 x 8
50kg x 2 x 5

80kg x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 6.5 RPE - 63% of 1RM
100kg x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 7.5 RPE - 79% of 1RM
100kg x 3 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE - 79% of 1RM
100kg x 3 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE - 79% of 1RM

CG Bench: Est 1rm= 115kg
80kg x 6 reps x 1 sets @ 7.5 RPE - 70% of 1RM
80kg x 6 reps x 1 sets @ 8 RPE - 70% of 1RM
80kg x 6 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE - 70% of 1RM

Deadlift: Est 1rm= 245kg
80kg x 5
100kg x 3
140kg x 3

180kg x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 7 RPE - 74% of 1RM
215kg x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 8.5 RPE - 88% of 1RM
215kg x 2 reps x 1 sets @ 9 RPE - 88% of 1RM
205kg x 2 reps x 2 sets @ 8 RPE - 84% of 1RM

3 Count Paused Squat: Est 1rm= 170kg
60kg x 5
100kg x 5

115kg x 7 reps x 3 sets @ 7.5 RPE - 67% of 1RM

brianthebard

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/ankles.htm

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/ailing_ankles.htm

might be worth a look.

podge57

brianthebard wrote: »

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/ankles.htm

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/ailing_ankles.htm

might be worth a look.

Thanks - Im just after running through a few of the exercises there, and my ankles seem to be loosening up a bit.

I did a load of running last night which is definitely what caused the stiffness. I dont think my ankles are used to supporting a 105kg frame - when I used to run regularly, I was 75kg :eek:

brianthebard

Lol that's some epic weight gain you've achieved so far man, well done. I don't have any real ankle problems, but I have one or two drills I do before squats which loosen them out, otherwise I can feel a bit of stiffness. The other night my right heel was lifting slightly off the ground, first time that's happened. Anyways I reckon like foam rolling or whatever else, a week or so of working your ankle mobility will start to yield noticeable results.