Finishing 2010 with volume

[teamfatboy]

Thursday 29 July

Cardio - HIIT on a spin bike.

2m warm-up

10x 30s on/ 30s off

2m recovery

10x 60s on/ 30s off

2m recovery

10x 90s on/ 30s off

2m recovery

3x 60s on/ 30s off

2m recovery

MP3 player was flat so went old-school, no sounds except my tortured breathing Used HRM, aimed to hit 85% MHR in each 'on' - job done! 866 cals.

Then - venue change and the arm work-out I'd been missing...

Standing BB Curls superset with neutral-grip DB curls - 3x 15 each

Bench Dips superset with lying BB extensions 3x 15

Low-pulley cable curls superset with Preacher DB curls 3x 15

French Press superset with cable pushdowns 3x 15.

Arms on fire by the end - like Nessie, I have a feeling tomorrow will be "interesting" :pale: :grin:

[teamfatboy]

Looking forward to today, Sheiko Date 29.4.2 - bench, deads, more bench. Got diet nailed for the day, looking to head down and really truly SFW for once!

[teamfatboy]

Friday 30 July

Sheiko 29, Week 4, Day 2

BB Bench Press

1x 5x 50% 50kg

1x 4x 60% 60kg

2x 3x 70% 70kg

2x 3x 80% 80kg

3x 2x 85% 85kg

Deadlifts

1x 3x 50% 90kg

1x 3x 60% 110kg

2x 3x 70% 140kg

2x 3x 80% 150kg

3x 2x 85% 160kg - nope...1x 2x 160kg then 3R, 3R, 3R... just couldn't get it out of the hole.

3x 2x 80% 150kg

BB Bench Press

1x 5x 50% 50kg

1x 5x 60% 60kg

5x 4x 70% 70kg

DB Flies

5x 10x 15/side

Stretches and done.

I was happy with the bench, but not the deads, I was struggling to activate the right muscles, form the 'block' and get up through the mid-calf sticking point. Once the bar's at knee level, I know it'll go all the way, but that last ten kilos was just too much - probably between my ears as much as on the bar. But hey, some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you, right?

So, I'm now looking at the format for the next four weeks, and think I'll be seeking some skills advice to help with the mind-muscle connection and work on that sticking point.

[rimma]

Phew shifting some serious weights these days fella, makes me sore just reading it!

8)

Might be just about time to shift this journal to the powerlifting subforum, I think you need to play with the other 'comrades' :grin:

[bar-belle]

OMG - what have I done :shifty: ... I think Vee has a rule against videos in Le Sewer :pray: - thank goodness.

Oh come on don't be shy... :wink:

But hey, some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you, right?

That is so true...I had one of those days today too :? All part of lifting hey!

[cycomiko]

With any sheiko setup you should not be failing with weights, unless you have over estimated your maxes. The weights should be hard, but reasonably fast.

[teamfatboy]

I think the 1RM are accurate enough - I think there's probably technical flaws with a couple of my lifts, but that's all part of the learning, eh!

[cycomiko]

so magically a technical flaw appeared after weeks of shieko, by which most practitioners improved their technique substantially, which impairs your actually 1rm. Which still makes the weights you are using excessive for your current 1rm.

[teamfatboy]

I'm sure that the process of trial and error by which I picked the figures for this, my first foray into Sheiko, may have left something to be desired.

But I am reasonably content with my conclusion that doing full deadlifts, for the first time in this Sheiko programme, exposed faults in my lifting, or comparative imbalances in strength between muscle groups, which were not apparent at lighter weights.

I've never claimed to be a technically perfect lifter - like most of us, some lifts are probably riddled with flaws... but I look forward to learning how to fix them

[cycomiko]

1. Already been covered in this thread

viewtopic.php?p=196300#p196300

2. They are ultimately intertwined - constantly failing reps will impair both.

[teamfatboy]

Fair enough - I'll adjust the relevant 1RM appropriately next time. I'm in no particular hurry to reach those actual figures.

Define "they" - which things are ultimately intertwined?

[cycomiko]

They, are the items in point 2 of your original post, since edited out - technique and performance

[ThePman]

He's saying that if your technique was breaking down so much that you were missing reps at 85%, then it probably wasn't 85% :wink:

I have to second it...you shouldn't be missing reps on Sheiko. If you are, the weights are too heavy. There's no real difference in strength and technique.

[teamfatboy]

Ok, thanks guys. Thinking about this overnight, it raised two questions:

How DO I set 1RM to make this programme work for me? I picked the target for deadlifts based on two things:

a. while the workout shouldn't be so hard as to be out of reach, it shouldn't be a walk in the park either - which is what 85% of my initial starting point felt like - having re-read Pman's post I can see the error in that; and

b. there is advice I understood to be sound that says in theory, a 1RM shouldn't be readily attainable - and I'd lifted 160kg for reps before, which is why I raised it.

Pman's advice, since quoted back at me, refers to Sheiko as 'wave-like'. How do I plan the move between four-week blocks? (macro planning as opposed to micro planning) ?

[ThePman]

I either:

1. Use a comfortable max hit in training or

2. Take 90% of a competition max (or a max under competition conditions)

In practice there won't be a lot of difference in the two. Programs like this need a comfortable buffer between what you can do as a limit and what should be plugged into the program. This also requires that you have a pretty reasonable idea of a true 1RM, versus what you think you can do. Conservative is always better.

Case in point. My DL 1RM is ~250 at the moment under contest conditions (belt + stims + major psyche-up). If I subbed that in for programming, my 85% sets would be 212.5. I could probably do it, but I'd be beat to hell by the time it was done. I don't like having to get wound up in training to hit lifts.

In training I don't like to go above 225, or 90% of the comp max. That's a weight I can hit any day of the week, no psyche up or equipment required. If I used that as my programmed 1RM, the 85% weight would be 190. That's a lot more manageable without having to get worked up and risk missing reps.

Sheiko is supposed to have you using weights that feel heavy but still have some snap to them. That's how it works the magic, by frequently getting you under reasonably heavy weights, just not so heavy that they blow you out.

[Growth]

How DO I set 1RM to make this programme work for me? I picked the target for deadlifts based on two things

Picked the target? I thought you were supposed to use your actual 1RM not just pick or decide on what you want your 1RM to be? If i were you i would grab fresh actual 1RM.

I've been following your journal for a while, seems like your overthinking things a little. Just grab a spotter, grab fresh 1RMs, load them into your program - exercise, eat, rest, profit!

[teamfatboy]

I either:

1. Use a comfortable max hit in training or

2. Take 90% of a competition max (or a max under competition conditions)

In practice there won't be a lot of difference in the two.

I picked the target for deadlifts based on two things

Picked the target? I thought you were supposed to use your actual 1RM

OK.. so, having never done a test day, or a PL comp, I had no sound basis or experience on which to select a 1RM. So, in the absence of that I nominated 1RM which gave me figures for the 4-week plan that were, by and large, not dissimilar to what I'd been doing on a regular basis, with the exception of deadlifts. There, I freely admit, the earlier setting felt too comfortable during week one, so I raised it by 20kg - oh, and then there was some rounding-up as well, which will have contributed to the no-lifts. Hindsight, and a better information base, are always wonderful things :doh:

Programs like this need a comfortable buffer between what you can do as a limit and what should be plugged into the program. This also requires that you have a pretty reasonable idea of a true 1RM, versus what you think you can do. Conservative is always better.

Sheiko is supposed to have you using weights that feel heavy but still have some snap to them. That's how it works the magic, by frequently getting you under reasonably heavy weights, just not so heavy that they blow you out.

This would have been gold, if I had heard it sooner.

For all that, the experience has been a good one, I feel that bench at least will have improved.

So, to stop me looking more like a numpty, what about the macro training plan - what would normally follow?. I'm off to go Google-diving, but there's a lot of bro-science out there!

[steak]

Can I ask a couple of questions...

How are you finding the volume and structure?

Have you tested for your 1RM yet...if not how far through 29 are you?

[teamfatboy]

Sure you can :nod:

a. loving the structure and format - volumes, wellll they're a little longer than I'm used to, but nothing problematic, and I'm not generally getting too beat-up, no major DOMS;

b. Week 4, day 3 is tomorrow. No, haven't tested 1RM yet - Barbelle suggested waiting a week and then having a crack at it, which I was going to ask about.

Comment: this is very different to the way I've trained - focusing on the big three lifts.

[steak]

cool...

might I suggest doing week 1 again then week 2 day 1 and 2.(mon and wed) Rest till saturday and test. This will give you a little longer, better prep time and a little rest before testing.

I can send you the test day protocol if you like. Its very simple.

After that you can attend any injuries or niggles, do a week of conditioning (can send that too if needed) and jump back into 29 again with the correct numbers.

[drizzt]

Keep plugging at it TFB mate, I'm sure with the advice from the people on here you'll nail this Sheiko Beast soon enough :nod:

[teamfatboy]

Sunday 01 Aug

Sheiko #29, Week 4, Day 3 - the end

5min cycle to warm thru the legs

BB Squats

1x 5x 50% 90kg

1x 4x 60% 110kg

2x 3x 70% 130kg

6x 3x 80% 150kg

BB Bench

1x 6x 50% 50kg

1x 5x 60% 60kg

2x 4x 70% 70kg

2x 3x 80% 80kg

2x 2x 85% 85kg

2x 3x 80% 80kg

1x 4x 70% 70kg

1x 6x 60% 60kg

1x 8x 50% 50kg

DB Flies

5x 10x 15kg/ side

Machine Dips

5x 5x

Standing Good Mornings

5x 5x 60kg

Abs

3x 10x SB crunches

And done...

Happy with that - had the Pman's advice about 'conservative is best' playing on a loop throughout, but after this session I genuinely believe that the 1RM is about right for both squats and bench. Will definitely be lowering it for deads tho, and will look to get some specialist coaching on that to make sure I do better next time. I might have to schlepp up to the 'House to do it...

[bar-belle]

Congratulations TFB you made it out alive Looking forward to seeing test day results :nod:

[teamfatboy]

Yes indeedy, have the test protocol and a wee bit of a plan for the next week or so. I'm feeling quietly hopeful about at least bench, maybe squat.

Then it's skills, looking to practice deadlifts with lighter weight and nail the form, ready for a second go-around in Sept-Oct.

[bar-belle]

Yes indeedy, have the test protocol and a wee bit of a plan for the next week or so. I'm feeling quietly hopeful about at least bench, maybe squat.

Then it's skills, looking to practice deadlifts with lighter weight and nail the form, ready for a second go-around in Sept-Oct.

Good plan :clap: