I have no idea what's going on anymore.

[ThePman]

I'm definitely gonna keep it on for the time being, it's made a huge difference. The shoulder was just being its usual self, and it's part my fault for not staying on top of the warmup stuff. Maybe I'll learn one of these days, haha

This afternoon:

Push Press, work sets of 75 for 4 doubles

DL + quad minis, 125 for 6 singles

1A. DB overhead press, 24kg 2x6

1B. Sloppy BB rows from the floor, 110 2x5

One high-rep set of back raises to finish up

The quad minis have to be adding around 100kg to the lockout, since every one of those was a nice hard grinder from the knees on up. Not that I'm complaining.

[ThePman]

Tonight:

1A. SQ (hvy, 80-90%) 110x2, 120x2, 130x2, 137.5x2, (+belt) 145 3x2

1B. BP (med, 60-70%), 75x3, 82.5x3, 87.5 3x3

Finished up w/ a couple of rounds for the guns, including a nice occlusion set which really hurt.

I'm stoked about the squat. I used the band around the knees for all sets, including the 4-5 warmups not listed, and it's made a huge difference. There wasn't so much as a peep from the quad (though I thought it was going to go wacky when I sat down for the bench, but it played ball). I didn't even use the belt until the top sets, and only then for mental confidence. It's too early to call it healed, but I'm optimistic that I can keep it rolling ahead if I stay smart about the loading.

[Viking Power]

Tonight:

1A. SQ (hvy, 80-90%) 110x2, 120x2, 130x2, 137.5x2, (+belt) 145 3x2

1B. BP (med, 60-70%), 75x3, 82.5x3, 87.5 3x3

Finished up w/ a couple of rounds for the guns, including a nice occlusion set which really hurt.

I'm stoked about the squat. I used the band around the knees for all sets, including the 4-5 warmups not listed, and it's made a huge difference. There wasn't so much as a peep from the quad (though I thought it was going to go wacky when I sat down for the bench, but it played ball). I didn't even use the belt until the top sets, and only then for mental confidence. It's too early to call it healed, but I'm optimistic that I can keep it rolling ahead if I stay smart about the loading.

great to hear P Man awesome stuff keep going hard brother :clap:

[steak]

awesome news! you sound pretty stoked! 8)

[steak]

gone a bit quiet man :grin:

[Big john]

awsome new on the quad bro! good to hear

[ThePman]

So I kinda forgot to keep logging my training. By forgot, I mean I really couldn't be bothered and I've been on a bit of an informal forum hiatus lately.

I figured I could stop by and leave a quick update on what I'm doing anyway. I've had some ideas about frequent training stewing in my head for months now, and given that I work at a gym I've given in over the past month or so.

Which is to say, my workout is pretty simple: I show up and (front) squat. To a max. Five to six days a week. I alternate benching and push pressing each day, and then finish up w/ an upper-back exercise (chins or DB Kroc rows). Then I go home.

I've been doing this the last month or so, throwing in the occasional stiff-leg DL off a platform or back squats in between my usual front squats. I was doing GMs for a few weeks but ultimately dropped them in favor of squatting.

Nothing super amazing to report, though in the last seven days I've stiff-legged 180x5 off a 3" platform (no belt but using straps), back squatted 150 (no belt, but band around the knees), and front squatted 120 both for easy singles (high 8/low 9 RPE range).

Still not "back" but I've got momentum behind me and no signs of impending quad-doom. Which makes me happy.

[steak]

you're alive!

good.

whats with this 5 days a week stuff.. No beer on special at the moment?

[ThePman]

heh, the sad part is I barely drink anymore. I need to fix that.

No real changes workout-wise, still front squatting heavy on a daily basis. I was feeling good tonight so I had a DL session, pulling against minis up to 160 then worked up to a decently challenging 220x2 off the floor, all w/o a belt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbMYeNwvTA

Back squatting tomorrow night.

[Beef]

heh, the sad part is I barely drink anymore. I need to fix that.

No real changes workout-wise, still front squatting heavy on a daily basis. I was feeling good tonight so I had a DL session, pulling against minis up to 160 then worked up to a decently challenging 220x2 off the floor, all w/o a belt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbMYeNwvTA

Back squatting tomorrow night.

good lifting mate, just looked at your vid don't know if you noticed but there's a sound delay after you drop the weight haha

[steak]

heh, the sad part is I barely drink anymore. I need to fix that.

well you did enough work on an easy 220 DL bro to earn yaself a jar or 3 :clap: Good speed off the deck Matt...youd be happy with progess?

[ThePman]

Can't complain much I guess. Things are moving up and my injuries have all been beaten into submission, which is all I can ask for.

Back squats tonight. I might snag a video if anything interesting happens.

[teamfatboy]

Nice deads, very nice...

so, did "anything interesting" happen with the squats today ?

[ThePman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81rvZobHur8

This is the best squat I've done since I tore my right quad back in October. The band around the knees is helping me keep it together. Benching still isn't spectacular but at least my shoulder isn't hurting me.

These were the heaviest sets. I did three back-off sets for each exercise and six sets of chins with +25kg (for doubles) to finish up.

[teamfatboy]

Good to hear the progress continues - great depth with the squat, no half measures there.

I couldn't quite see from the video, when you say 'band around the knees' are you using a mini or something to stop them from splaying ?

[ThePman]

Yeah I don't mess around with Gym Squats :grin:

It's a purple/medium band, and it's mainly there to remind me to keep the knees out (and use more hip) vs. letting them drift in. I'm pretty sure that along with some IT band syndrome is why the thing tore in the first place.

I've got Tonka to thank for suggesting that to me. It's made a huge difference in being able to squat w/o pain.

[ThePman]

No real news. Still squatting to a max five days a week.

Worked up to a BSQ of 155 on Friday (I was feeling a little fatigued from DLing Thursday, and my volume was a tad higher so I didn't quite feel like pushing or beating 160) and then did 5 doubles w/ 135 to back off.

I feel more confident that the quad/knee/IT band will stand up to more regular back squatting, so I'm going to start alternating fronts and backs on a daily basis now. I also want to introduce a second day of deadlifting each week, so this is how it'll end up looking:

M - FSQ, BP

T - SQ, PP

W - FSQ, BP, DL

Th - SQ, PP

F - FSQ, BP, DL

M - SQ, PP

T - FSQ, BP, DL

W - SQ, PP

Th - FSQ, BP, DL

F - SQ, PP

PP = push press

The DL will between 70-85% for doubles autoregulated according to feel; ideal is to work up to heavy double or even single on a really good day. If not, this will be more explosive/speed work.

Everything else will be to a daily max with 3-5 back-off sets, and upper-back work.

[steak]

squat maniac :grin: good work MR P

[ThePman]

I'm winding up my little Bulgarian experiment for now. This is the seventh week and it's starting to get a little mentally tedious. I'm not physically beat up, not hurt, and gains haven't really stopped. I just need/want to do something different for the next month or so.

The verdict on this approach is that it works, and I'll be keeping this in the stable to use from time to time. Squatting/pressing to a daily max 5x/week has taught me a lot and made me look at things differently.

As far as results, I came into this with daily training weights of 110kg FSQ, 70kg Push Press, and around I think 110kg Bench. Tonight I hit a 125 and 130 FSQ, 80-85kg has become the training weight on Push Press, and I've been able to bench 115-120 on the regular.

Back Squat and DL are too vague to tell since they didn't get much attention, but I hit my best back squat since my injury in October (160kg) and consistently hit 150-155 with no real psyche-up. I hit a 220x2 DL, and that's about as far as I tested that lift. All of these numbers are completely unequipped, in street clothes.

These aren't spectacular numbers I realize, and a lot of this is paving over old roads so to speak, but I'm pleased with the results and mainly with the fact that my considerable list of injuries is cooperating.

I've been fascinated by the idea of very frequent, high volume, moderate intensity lifting for awhile now but always had the mindset that you'd just overtrain. Between this experience and mulling over the idea with minds better than mine, I've become sold on the idea.

I'm going to take a brief break and focus on more "intensity" for a month or so, then go back to this method.

[nate225]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81rvZobHur8

This is the best squat I've done since I tore my right quad back in October. The band around the knees is helping me keep it together. Benching still isn't spectacular but at least my shoulder isn't hurting me.

These were the heaviest sets. I did three back-off sets for each exercise and six sets of chins with +25kg (for doubles) to finish up.

Looked very comfortable, my only concern was that this video popped up next to yours:

You didn't use Dikul's plates did you! :grin:

[ThePman]

ha, I think if I was gonna use fake plates and lift on a soundstage I could come up with some more impressive lifts

I wrote this up earlier, as it's what I'm contemplating doing next.

http://www.ampedtraining.com/workouts/a ... ength-size

On the other hand, given that I'm still making pretty good progress with the Bulgarian system, I'm having second thoughts about moving away from it. I'll have to make up my mind in the next day or two.

[nate225]

ha, I think if I was gonna use fake plates and lift on a soundstage I could come up with some more impressive lifts

I wrote this up earlier, as it's what I'm contemplating doing next.

http://www.ampedtraining.com/workouts/a ... ength-size

Had a quick skim - will have a good read later. Taken from Siff?

On the other hand, given that I'm still making pretty good progress with the Bulgarian system, I'm having second thoughts about moving away from it. I'll have to make up my mind in the next day or two.

Seems a little obvious if you are still progressing, unless of course it's having negatives in other areas? Physically beat up, Mentally bored, or just getting in the way of drinking time! :grin: If not I'd suggest you continue - there will be time to trial the APRE when the Bulgarian return diminishes.

My 2c.

[ThePman]

ha, I think if I was gonna use fake plates and lift on a soundstage I could come up with some more impressive lifts

I wrote this up earlier, as it's what I'm contemplating doing next.

http://www.ampedtraining.com/workouts/a ... ength-size

Had a quick skim - will have a good read later. Taken from Siff?

Yeah, the system is originally from Supertraining, but a paper came out a week or two ago that looked at it in D1 football players, compared to a linear program for 6 weeks. The APRE system beat it pretty well. I've been in touch w/ the authors about it, and it looks like a winner.

Seems a little obvious if you are still progressing, unless of course it's having negatives in other areas? Physically beat up, Mentally bored, or just getting in the way of drinking time! :grin: If not I'd suggest you continue - there will be time to trial the APRE when the Bulgarian return diminishes.

My 2c.

It's hit or miss really. The only "problem" with it is getting up at 630 every morning to go squat It gets a little demoralizing at times, but if I make myself go I'm always happy I did.

But yeah I agree with you RE: not changing if it's working. The program will mess with you head...you'll feel bad and beat up, then out of the blue you'll hit a PR on your 4th or 5th squat workout of the week. Damndest thing. That thread over on Glenn Pendlay's board has gone over a lot of it, and they've been pretty surprised by it as well. Counterintuitive, but it works.

[ThePman]

So I reconsidered my decision to stop the Bulgarian setup. If it's working, I really ought not be messing with it. I tell everybody else that, so I might should listen to my own advice every once in awhile

This week has been interesting. I've "only" squatted three times this week (so far). Tuesday, after three days off, I had the worst workout since I started doing this insanity. Had no juice and even joints/muscles were achy. I worked up to about 80% before I realized it wasn't happening, then rolled/stretched for 20 minutes and called it a day. I also took off Wednesday for good measure.

Today I just set a high-bar (OL-style, full depth) PR (165kg, after also hitting 150 and 160 on the way up) and would have gone for (and gotten) 170 if I weren't trying to leave reps in the tank. I'm kinda surprised since I worked up to a 120 front squat and 220x2 rack DL yesterday, but I'm not gonna turn down gifts.

Seems kinda anti-climactic but I also hit a 120kg bench that was about an 8 on the Mike T RPE scale (at least a couple reps left in the tank). No joint pains to speak of in the shoulders or the usual suspects in the legs.

So, uh. Yeah. Overtraining. Woo.

[Jigga]

So, uh. Yeah. Overtraining. Woo.

There is no such thing as overtraining. There is just trained and untrained - John Broz