Ive been squatting- conjugate programme based on WS.

[ExpensiveUrine]

Yeah, exams are a bitch at the moment. Do whatever you can man.

[Varven]

Hammer Machine rows - underhand grip

39 1x12

45 1x10. 1x10

39 1x12

I have no idea whether thats kgs on each side or lbs on each side. But yeah, the machine is very convenient to train around my injuries.

Shoulder width underhand grip pull downs

66 1x12

72 1x8

66 1x10

60 1x12

All these pulls were done with hook straps, and underhand grip to doubly ensure the tendons dont get strained.

Hise shrugs

60kg 1x10

100 kg 1x10 , 1x10

120 kg 1x10

100kg 1x10

Umm it felt quite uncomfortable with just the bar on my back so I used the cushion thing, and it stil felt like my bones were grinding against the bar.

Bench dips, as I dont want to aggrave grip by using a normal dip.

bodyweight 1x12

bw+10 kg 1x10

bw+20 kg 1x10

bw+ 30kg 1x10

these felt really really good.. mad pump in the tris, wont diss this ex again, theyre a pretty good alternative to normal dips !

straight bar tri pushdowns on cable machine

54kg 1x12

60 kg 1x10, 1x10

54kg 1x12

did a drop set all the way down to the last plate.

upper back work is all good, now if I can get my chest to train again around the injuries, life would be awesome.

[Pseudonym]

Mate, I'm really impressed with the way you're overcoming the obstacles caused by your injuries. Shows determination and initiative - well done!

:clap:

[Varven]

Mate, I'm really impressed with the way you're overcoming the obstacles caused by your injuries. Shows determination and initiative - well done!

:clap:

Thanks admin, my motivation is watching other journals on here. Something about that competitive spirit that just doesnt want to be left behind cause of injuries.

[Varven]

Had a big exam today, so was low on food and was mentally strained but nonetheless went in for a me lower body work out.

Warm up on leg extns / hpers

o/h squat

20 1x10

30 1x8

40 1x6

box squats to parallel

warm up

60 1x6

80 1x6

90 1x5

work squats

100 1x3

110 1x2

115 1x1

120 Failed damn

110 1x1

115 1x2

100 1x5

The gym was closing by now, so no time for supplementary lift: leg press, assistance lift: leg curl or ab work.

Ah well at least managed to get in the ME work

115 Felt quite strong, was so confident of 120, dunno how i missed it. Cant wait for about the next 2/3 months to cycle around other ME exs and then get back to this and see how much weight Ive put onto the bar.

Goal is when I return to this ME ex in about 8 - 10 weeks, I can do singles on 140kg.

[Varven]

Though Im eager to push hard again this week, it wont be possible to keep making max effor gains every other week. Therefore I shall force myself onto a deloading week. I shall swap exs around, try new stuff, work at sub maximal weights, try some body building type routines etc.

Then next week I shall return with a new set of ME exs and see how far I can push.

I shall retain the DE work though as it isnt really excessively taxing on the CNS system.

Further changes to DE work: will drop rep range from 3 to 2 and increase sets from 8 to 10 - 12.

Will focus on lots of assistance work and core work.

[Varven]

De-loading workouts

Dynamic effort speed squats are maintained.

However, they get reset with a slightly higher weight.. a sorta micro cycle in the cycle.

DE squats

55kg 10x2

Seated bb military press

20 1x10

30 1x10

40 1x10

50 1x6, 1x6

42.5 1x7

Rack deads

60 1x10

100 1x6

140 1x5

150 1x4

140 1x5

100 1x12

Body building work

cable lateral raises Superset with cable bicep curls

12kg 1x15 ss 18kg 1x15

12kg 1x15 ss 18kg 1x15

I missed ab work.. again ! not good at all. Gotta figure a new way out to squeeze them in as invariably by the time I get from work or class to the gym, I only have time for the bare basic lifts before the gym closes.

[Varven]

I have just entered into a bet with a gym PT. The guys 90kgs, been training for 6-7 years, benches 140kg for a 2RM BUT squats 110 for a 2RM and deadlifts 150 for a 1RM.

Thus were both at the same level in terms of squat/deadlift, though I weight in a few kgs lighter in bodyweight.

Long and short of it, he reckons the principals of West Side/conjugate system are bollix and I wont be able to get much stronger with them. So I challenged him to a squat show down in 3 months from today. My current 1rm on squat is 120kg. In 3 months I think I would be reasonable in getting to 140kg for a 1RM, though I am aiming for 150kg 1rm on squat and 170kg deadlift.

Anyone else hazard a guess whether Im going to undershoot, nail or overshoot the 140kg squat mark ??

This is good motiavtion

[Varven]

Wednesday, Had a rushed maintainance type workout.

I havent worked out chest in weeks and week, so decided to get back to it today.

Hammer grip-close width-dumbell bench press - paused.

This is an ex taht is often done in the 3x20 range to get out of sticking points by the WS boys.

I thought it would be a good place to start off... apparently not.

10kg 1x12

18.5kg 1x10

23kg 1x8, failed. my forearm just dropped, it was quite scary. I didnt feel pain or anything, it just went weak and dropped. Freaked me out, obviously I have NO gripping strenght or tendon strenght whatsoever.

23kg 1x5

21kg 1x10

Close grip Bench press on a cambered bar as its easier on the wrists.

bar+10kg per side 1x12

bar+ 20kg per side 1x10

bar+ 25kg per side 1x8

bar +20kg per side 1x10

I havent been pressing much at all in ages, so it felt really weak. Will take time to build back my tris and chest.

tricep push downs on cable machine, couple of 15 rep sets. I guess its more bodybuilding type work.

Crunches on hyperextension platform.

bw 1x10

bw 1x15

bw+10kg 1x10

bw+15kg 1x8

bw+20kg 1x6

These felt strong. will retain them till I can start banging out the reps @ relatively heavy weight. Ive read about guys who squat big (700lb+) slamming out 15 - 25 reps with upto 60kg :shock:

Will try out some new core work next time like side deadlifts for obliques.

[Varven]

Its still de-loading week so ME work is taken off the plate with high rep new exs being tested.

Hyperextensions 2x12

good mornings: bent leg: so hits hammies and lower back

bar 1x10

30kg 1x10

40kg 1x8

50kg 2x8

felt good.. will be interesting to try it with real weight on ext week.

Pull throughs.. half the stack, dont know what weight:

3x10

lat pull downs.. shoulder width underhand grip

60 1x12

72 1x8

66 1x10

[waldo]

Good Morning weights should only increase accordingly as your core gets stronger. Be VERY careful with that exercise. There's a reason why you never see it being done in conventional gyms.

[Varven]

Good Morning weights should only increase accordingly as your core gets stronger. Be VERY careful with that exercise. There's a reason why you never see it being done in conventional gyms.

Hey man,

when you talk about core, do you specifically mean in relation to the posterior region, or all inclusive abs etc ?

What Im getting at is: Next week Ill be hitting 4 sets of 8 reps with weight that is not exactly failure but close to it.

The week after that Ill be hitting 5x5 on it.. so how do you estimate what weight is safe to make strenght gains without damaging yourself ?

[waldo]

All inclusive. Glutes, hip flexors, rectus abdominis(6-pack), obliques, spinal erectors, deep abdominals such as transversus abdominis. If you don't know what some of those muscles are, especially transversus abdominis, look em up and learn how to activate them and strengthen.

[Varven]

Today was supposed to be Dynamic Effort or Repetitive effort work but dropped it as I had a session with a PL coach. Just went over form on lifts and basics, and good news is Im on the right track so far.

He was telling me about a novice lift in the weekend and lifters in my weight category had max lifts very close to mine and were in the top 3 positions. So Im very keen to train hard for the end of this year for a novice meet.

[ExpensiveUrine]

Today was supposed to be Dynamic Effort or Repetitive effort work but dropped it as I had a session with a PL coach. Just went over form on lifts and basics, and good news is Im on the right track so far.

He was telling me about a novice lift in the weekend and lifters in my weight category had max lifts very close to mine and were in the top 3 positions. So Im very keen to train hard for the end of this year for a novice meet.

Very interesting. What's your coaches name?

Might give it a go too. What comp are you gonna compete in, do you know?

[Pseudonym]

Did he have anything to say about your elbows?

[Varven]

I dont know the competition yet bro, but it will definitely be a novice meet as Im not yet anywhere near ready to compete in a open meet. I will pm you with more details.

About the elbows, like everyone else his best advice was a good physio. Im still better off than him as he snapped and broke a wrist clean during a competition bench makes me feel gratefull im not in half as bad a place !

[Varven]

Had a light mma session last night to loosen up a bit. been getting stiff from all the squatting alone. Wont be having my maintanance upper body work as Ive got a long day at work and am running on 4 hours of sleep. would probably be doing more damage than good so taking the day off.

[Varven]

Friday I went for a max effort day.

New ME ex: stiff bent leg good mornings. They hit the hammies just as hard as lower back.

warm up on o/h squats

20kg 1x10

30 1x8

40 1x8

Good mornings

warm up set

bar 1x10

40kg 1x10

50kg 1x5

work sets

60kg 1x10

65kg 1x8

70kg 1x5

75kg 1x3

60kg 1x8

Supplementary lift : Front squats

40kg 1x10

60kg 1x10

70kh 1x8

80kg 1x6, very hard as I had cushioned running shoes on. BAD bad bad idea.. i got all wobbly, I tried a set at 90 and nearly buckled over. Have to get flat heeled shoes.

60kg 1x10

very nice quad pump... I love/hate this ex

Assistance work:

Rack Deadlifts from knee height

60kg 1x8

100kg 1x8

140kg 1x5

150kg 1x5

140kg 1x9

Not too bad a workout overall, should be interesting to hit the goodmorning hard again this coming week. Waldo was right heh, I have the sorest mid section, whe powering out of the bottom off the good morning, theres a LOT of ab recruitment.

[Varven]

Today was supposed to be a dynamic effor day.

However, I recently managed to sell the idea of box squats to two other big lifters at my gym.

And so when I came in today they convinced me to have a heavy squat day.

I decided to give it a go as its good to work out with others to push me along. overall A +++ workout, the 3 of us pushed each other to a new level on squats..

warm up on hyper extensions/ leg extensions

box squat

60kg 1x8

100kg 1x5

130kg 1x5 this is scary zone already, my last pb was 2 reps on 120kg, but I had a spotter on each side urging me on.

150kg 1x3

160kg 1x2 I could never have done this without spotters or the competitive drive when working with other lifters. Damn hope I can train with these guys more often.

130kg 1x5

100kg 1x6

Too fried to do a supplemental lift.

assistance lift:

lying leg curls

54kg 3x10

Standing 1 arm db shoulder press.

Right side felt ok, just weak from not being worked out. However, left side I couldnt do anything, I literally have no strenght in the tendons or stabilizers.

so Ive split the 1 rm db presses :

left side 10kg 1x15 15kg 1x10, 18.5kg 1x6, 1x6, after these 2 sets I was in danger of the arm crashing into my head as the tendons are just screwed.

Right side 10kg 1x15 15kg 1x10, 18.5kg 1x12, 1x12.

Very happy with squats, but wont be pushing this hard again as Im sure its what leads to injuries, however, goes to to show the body is stronger than the mind and how good it can be to train with others.

[Varven]

had a chest session after literally ages.

still scared about tendons

Decline bb presses

60kg 1x12

70kh 1x10

80kg 1x8, 1x6, could feel the strain so didnt push for higher reps. next time will drop to 75kg and go for higher reps

iso lateral wide machine presses

30kg a side 2x12

20kg a side 1x20

hammer iso lateral low lat rows

23kg a side 1x15

32kg a side 1x12

42kg a side 1x6

I attack lats 2 to 3 times a week on differnt exs with different rep ranges. The West Side pl'ers heavily emphasise this...

crunches

bw 2x15

bw+10 1x10

[deegee]

Looks like you are improving in all areas, kep it up

[Varven]

Thanks, I need to place more emphasise more work on my core/abs.

Im happy with gluteal/hammie development (in terms of strenght, and believe it or not ive added size on too ! ). My work capacity under strain is increasing, so i will increase volume abit to include more quad work from next time.

Will also start using short time frames on dynamic effort work day to increase GPP. I must say I was a bit sceptical about West Side training at first but it seems to be working so far.

[waldo]

Forgive my naievity, but shouldn't box squats be done at a much lower % of 1rm? I was under the impression that because of the pressure put through the spine, lower weights were crucial, and also allowed that explosiveness when standing back up. Found this from Louie Simmons....

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/box-squat.htm

[Varven]

Originally Box squats were used to build up explosive dynamic effort.

I.E typically a 3 week wave cycle was used 50%, 55%, 60% of a 1Rm, for 8 - 12 sets of 2 to 3 reps.

Later on West Side found the box squat to be extremely useful as a Max Effort excercise too.

So it is used for 5 - 1 rep range as well.

In face they hardly ever do a full competition squat. They train extensively on the box upto the point they can max out on it. They then experience a typical 5- 15% carryover when they move to full squat on comp day.

Eg if some is box squatting 200kgs for 1 rep, they could expect too add another 10 - 30kgs onto their full squat.

I dont feel any strain on my spine as such. However i do feel the strain on my Hammies/glutes/lower back.

I dont feel anything on my quads either..