Returning from injury

brianthebard

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

MOAR close grip benches........... your always bitching about tricep strength!!

I'm not even sure its lack of strength, just lactic acid or something else getting in the way. I do intend to add dips next month if I can get a decent number of reps in one go, or yeah close grip or something similiar, but tbh I think I'm mainly a triceps bencher atm, I need to work on chest a bit more. So in addition to those changes I'll switch to five sets of ten on dumbbell bench.

jayoo

Dumbbell benching rules. and you dont have to worry bout being squashed, and not getting squashed is always good:pac:.

brianthebard

Were you in yesterday jayoo?There was a guy benching with the 50kg bells for reps, it was animal!

brianthebard

today;

Warm up
40x5
62.5x5,
77.5x5,
(belt)
92.5x5,
105x8.

Front squats;
55x5x10 (first unbelted, all other belt)

pull down abs; (different machine)
30x3x12.

Been feeling a bit poorly this week, that's my excuse for not doing as much assistance as usual. First set of front squats were hard, after that I took in my stance and they were still damn hard but felt better. Might have gone for more on the 105 but the eighth rep was more good morning than squat so racked it. Weight was a bit off today, on the ball of my foot rather than my heels, dunno what that was about.

itsallaboutheL

brianthebard wrote: »

Were you in yesterday jayoo?There was a guy benching with the 50kg bells for reps, it was animal!

Lots of us could do that!!

jayoo

I have never tried the 50kg bells for benching, use them sometimes for single arm shoulder push presses. My mate said that one guy he knows uses them for benching, think he trains mma as well, so not gonna get on the wrong side of him:pac:

lately i have been going in the morning after work, did a full body today, changed rep range around a bit, no deads, but on squats my back felt really fatigued, not during them, but directly afterwards.

brianthebard

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

Lots of us could do that!!

Whatever...

Jayoo I'm not surprised your back was fatigued tbh, mine usually is after max effort squatting.

brianthebard

military press;
20xlots
30x3,
35x3,
37.5x10.

Seated press;
30kgx5x10.
sort of supersetted with;

jumping chins w/slow negative;
3,3,3.

bradford press;
25kgx3x10.

Just looked back at my percentages, did 37.5 last week and this week cause of plate maths, which is sort of annoying, shoul've reduced the weight last week or upped it this week or something. Oh well. 14kg bells weren't free for the seated press so we did barbell, was nice for a change. Chins felt a bit better this week, got my head above the bar on almost all of them, but that could be an improvement in my jumping ability more than anything so we'll just wait and see. Deads tomorrow, woo. Did 135x4 last month so would like at least 5 reps. We'll see how that goes.

brianthebard

Sumos;
65x3,
75x3,
85x3,
105x3,
(belt)
120x3,
135x5.

Snatch grip deads, w/ belt and straps;
70x5x10.

one legged deadlift w/rotation;
8kg ball, 6 reps each side of each leg, two sets.

Happy with the sumos, and the snatch grip deads were so much better than last week. I was using 15s and 10s both weeks cause the guy I train with is doing 50kg on them, so they were basically deficit pulls last week. Raised them up on 2 5kg plates each side and the difference was huge. Straps cause my grip was dying last week, and belt to spare my back. We were in a bit of a hurry after that so just did the core stuff and left.

brianthebard

yesterday
Bench
warmup, 20xlots.
47.5x3,
52.5x3,
57.5x18 (pb)

Squats;
50x6,
60x5,
70x4,
85x3,
(belt)
100x3,
112.5x5.

Front squats (atg, belted)

60x3x10.

Very happy with the bench, seemed to get the lats involved a bit for the first time ever, and it felt really easy for once. I had no spotter yesterday so had just aimed for 6 but I couldn't stop at that once I realised how it was going to go, and only stopped at 18 because it slowed somewhat.
Squats were ok, never could've matched the bench and again no spotter. Had to do the two yesterday because I'm home for the weekend, gave me a good taste of what twice a day would be like, just need to add more assistance. Also seem to have lost a few kilos which is nice considering I'm still drinking a litre of milk most days and not exactly counting calories.

brianthebard

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

(reminder for myself)

brianthebard

military press;
20xlots
30x5,
35x3,
40x10.

standing press;
32.5x8, 30x6,8.

Sumos;
70x4,
90x4,
(belt)
112.5x5,
127.5x3,
142.5x5. (pb)

snatch grip deads (belted);
70x10x4.

jumping chins w/slow(ish) negative.
2,2,2,2,2.

one legged dl w/rotation;
9kg med ball, 2x12 (each leg).

Should've taken more rest when pressing, everything else was pretty handy though. 142.5 is the most I've pulled sumo I'm pretty certain, and I'm getting better at going for reps. Focused more on the pull with the chins today than the negative, I think its improving and I'm able to hold the top position longer now as well. Could've done a fifth set on snatch grips but had been in the gym a while at that stage and my back was a little sore so left it. Tore a massive callus on my left hand doing the chins, stupid rubber covered bars. finally, I tried plie squats with the med ball to see what they're like, think I'll include them as sumo assistance next month. they look ghey but if they help the deadlift...

itsallaboutheL

Nice Pressing dude, i know its not a follow to the letter bible but i remember reading thru the e-book thinking please say seated MP please say seated, and i don't think he did... did he??

I'm gonna do it anyway of course just to annoy Hanley

Hanley

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

Nice Pressing dude, i know its not a follow to the letter bible but i remember reading thru the e-book thinking please say seated MP please say seated, and i don't think he did... did he??

I'm gonna do it anyway of course just to annoy Hanley

It's really simple, you can NEVER do a military press seated.

It's like saying you're doing standing curls while sitting down.

brianthebard

Lol my pressing sucks!

I don't think Wendler would mind if you did seated press, I don't remember the manual saying you shouldn't. Imo using the seated press means you can rotate between seated and standing so even if there's no other benefit I think that's useful.

itsallaboutheL

brianthebard wrote: »

Lol my pressing sucks!

I don't think Wendler would mind if you did seated press, I don't remember the manual saying you shouldn't. Imo using the seated press means you can rotate between seated and standing so even if there's no other benefit I think that's useful.

I just prefer the seated for pure shoulder strength, if i wanted to be functional i'd start losing some weight!!

celestial

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

I just prefer the seated for pure shoulder strength, if i wanted to be functional i'd start losing some weight!!

I've got to be missing something here with the continual references to you being fat. Looking at that video of the one-arm snatch I was expecting a seriously pot-bellied powerlifter type - where was he?!

If you're benching 135kg+ then I don't mind cos 'he's fat'. If you're not fat then you've no business having a bench like that, capish?

itsallaboutheL

celestial wrote: »

I've got to be missing something here with the continual references to you being fat. Looking at that video of the one-arm snatch I was expecting a seriously pot-bellied powerlifter type - where was he?!

If you're benching 135kg+ then I don't mind cos 'he's fat'. If you're not fat then you've no business having a bench like that, capish?

Thanks man!!

I'm kinda similar to what Drifter was, i'm carrying about 6or 7 kg thats doing FA for my lifting, and i could do with getting rid of it but i couldn't be arsed!

jayoo

Brian do you ever do seated cable rows on the pully machine, for some reason i seem to be the only one who does these.

i take the 20kg plate and put it against the base of the machine and this way i can get a full range of motion as my feet are against it.

its also cool because if you go to the side which is beside mirror you can watch your form, being able to see the pull from the side really brings meaning to "pulling with your back and not your arms".

unfornatuly the weight stack is a bit limited,

brianthebard

no I don't I have seen a few others do that up there though. Perhaps you could shove some of the smaller dbs or plates on top of the stack to add some weight? Or just go for reps, personally like to do that with rows.

FunkZ

Brian me aul' flower!

What can you squat and dead with a belt, and then without a belt? What sort of carryover does a belt bring? What was your injury? And does the belt help this?! Cheers dude.

brianthebard

All my max or near max lifts since I started back have been with a belt, but I have done a few box squats with I think 125 without the belt and had no problem. I'm not sure the belt gives much carryover, it just gives your abs something to brace against and feel, which adds more stability to the lift. So to compare, belted squat max=135, unbelted box squats x2 reps= 125. not really a difference there imo, just a less sore back afterwards.

I have a bit of a curve in the spine which means I can hyperextend it quite easily. So where most people might have some trouble maintaining an arch mine can go too far, causing a bit of a pinch effect on my disc(s). that's my understanding of the problem anyways. It just means that I should only aim for a neutral spine instead of a massive arch.

I think the belt has helped a bit, partly psychologically, partly by improving brace effect of my abs, partly by letting me feel my lower back a little more (ie in contact with the belt) which gives me a better idea of what its doing.

brianthebard

Today;
Bench
barxlots
50x5
55x3,
62.5x8.

Squats;
warmup, 40kg front squats two sets)
back squats;
60x5,
80x5,
(belt)
92.5x5,
105x3,
120x4.

front squats (belted)
60x3x10.

db bench (w/wraps)
20kg bells, x10,10,10,5.

jumping chins;
8 or 10, unsure.

partial tgu's;
4kg x8, x10. (each side).

Had hoped for 6 but didn't get it, mostly form issues I think. Bench wasn't like last week unfortunately, 10 would've been better. used wrist wraps on the db bench cause my wrists were fecked at that stage. And partial tgu's are great, hadn't done them in a while.

brianthebard

This is what I'm thinking for assistance for the next while;

day one;
rolling db extension.
rack pulls with shrug.
chins.
seated power cleans.
ab exercise.

day two;
db bench.
back squat.
plie squat.
chins.
ab exercise.

Anyone have any thoughts on that? Its just a two day a week plan until my dissertation is in, I'm trying to hit the most important bases and the following month I'll have a sort of three month reevaluation of how I'm doing and what weaknesses need to be addressed.

brianthebard

Totally ****ed up my numbers today, wasn't paying attention and hadn't worked them out beforehand. Pissed off with myself but I've them written up now.

today;
jumping chins;
2,2,2,2,3.

military press;
20x*
25x5,
30x5,
32.5x10.

sumos;
60x5,
80x5,
90x5,
105x5,
120x12 (belted)

rack pulls with shrug (belt, straps);
90x12,12,8.

rolling db ext;
16x10,10,8.

curls;
10kg +ez bar;
21, 12.

1 leg dl w/rotation;
7kg ball x12,12,12 (each leg).

Complete stupidity not to have my numbers done in advance, but there you go. At least I increased the reps on the deads, but its just going to make next week harder. curls for my elbows basically. Going to drop the rack pulls and maybe go back to pull thrus.

brianthebard

Today; at least I got my numbers right.

jumping chins;
2,2,2,3,3,3.

Bench;
20x2 sets,
30x5,
40x5,
50x5,
55x5,
60x5. (no spotter, chickened out of more)

Squats;
50x6,
60x5,
70x5,
90x5, (actually meant to be 85, oops)
100x5, (belt)
110x7 or 8 (it was hard to count.)

db bench;
22x10,10,7.
supersetted w/plie squats;
22kgx10,15,20.

pulldown abs.
33.75x20x3.

I want to get back to 4 days a week! I'm thinking of doing rack presses to get used to having heavy weight over me safely, I've done 60x10 last cycle I think so I know I was good for more but I didn't feel all that good. Squats were ok, my hips seem to rise too fast sometimes. Need to work on form.
Plie squats could be useful for sumos, I'm going to do 20 reps on all 3 sets next week before going up in weight.

brianthebard

today

bastardised diesel crew warm up

military press;
20x10,
30x3,
35x3,
40x10.

Deads;
60x5
80x3,
107.5x3,
(belt)
122.5x3,
137.5x4.

Speed pulls;
60x3,
70x3,
80x3x3,
60x2x2.

rolling db ext;
16x10, 14x10x2.

ez curls;
bar+20, 10,10,10.

jumping chins;
six sets of 3.

1 leg dl w/rot;
8kg ballx12,12,12.

Bah.

brianthebard

Today;

jumping chins;
4,4,4,3,3.

Squats;
bar
50x3,
60x3,
80x3,
92.5x3,
105x3,
(belt)
117.5x3.

70x10.
70x10 (wrist wraps)
70x10(+belt)

Bench;
40x5,
52.5x3,
57.5x3,
62.5x5.

db bench;
22x10,10,8.

pulldown abs;
36.75x20,20,20.

Changed rack position on the last set of squats, messed everything up. The place I want the bar is half way between the two stops and they're not adjustable. It was a real shame too cause everything before and after that was good, I just had a problem getting the bar back into the same set of pegs as I took it out of (bar seems to sink into me, or else my back is compressing!) so tried the lower one. I thought that the reason I was having problems with the squat lately might be that I wasn't doing it as often but now I think it might just have been the rack position. I'll go with the higher position for the next month and see if that makes a difference.

Bench was ok, no spotter on either lift so didn't go for max reps. Tried doing plie's with the db bench but had to save my energy for the bench, just drained out of me.
Rack press is a no go, the lowest position they can go is about six inches above my chest, I could stack plates under the bench but I think that would make it pretty unstable.
Might try some single unassisted chins next week, don't know how that'll go. While I'm pretty sure I've gotten stronger on the top half of the pull, based on how high I can now get my head and how often I can hit that position compared to before, the jump pretty much blows through the hang part of the lift so I don't know how much I'll have improved there if at all.

jayoo

Brian, the gym now has a suggestion box:pac:
Time for some helpful abuse;)

brianthebard

Awesome! I'm thinking of looking around next month when my memberships up, so if they don't bring in some suggestions post haste they'll be losing my money anyways. Power racks and kettlebells for all!