#drizzt

[Old Bull]

20.09.11 - 5 x 5 W3/D1

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 190kg (b/w)
  

Nice and Fluid drizzt, looked a lot better than the Smolov Cycle :clap: :clap:

[drizzt]

Thanks OB, definitely felt good, now we'll see how tonight's squats/deads go - as day 2 has been a "dip" in the week for me recently.

[drizzt]

22.09.11 - 5 x 5 W3/D2

103.2 today woaaah, definitely a high for the year. All good, I've got a couple kilo to move still :pfft:

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 8 @ 60kg
  1 x 5 @ 100kg
  1 x 3 @ 120kg
  1 x 3 @ 145kg
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 165kg (b)
  
• Overhead Pin Press (nose height)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 5 @ 40kg
  1 x 3 @ 60kg
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 75kg
  
• Deads
  Warmups
  1 x 5 @ 70kg
  1 x 3 @ 110kg
  1 x 3 @ 150kg
  1 x 1 @ 180kg
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 205kg
  
• Chins
  1 x 1 @ +20kg :shifty:
  2 x 5 @ +5kg

Comments

• Squats weren't bad, I've kinda come to expect that Wednesdays are a wee bit tough. Few grinding reps here and there, but never really in danger. Just a belt for these ones, all good (lovin' the new Toro btw).
  
• OH Pin Press - I'm loving it, but it is tough. Very near failure a couple of times, I think this is just due to not getting the tech right on a few reps. Just takes out so much of the leg drive you can otherwise generate with a push press! But it's gotta be good for ya. This (75) felt as hard as last week (70) so hopefully the trend continues and next week (80) is the same :pray:
  
• Deads! No belt, and hook gripped. Few grinders as the sets went on, but nothing too bad - cept heels leaving the ground on a couple of reps :naughty: Ah well, not too big of a deal to control, just getting tired/lazy letting the bar travel forward. Hands are sore from hook-gripping!
  Have a couple of sets on video I'm just uploading now...
  
• Chins were average as - first prescribed set (we're doing them in reverse so we have more in the tank for the heavier ones) I only got 1 of 5 reps! And even that rep was dusty :pfft: Can't blame the grip as that was fine, just fatigued in the arms/back, so much so that the body didn't wanna co-operate.
  So I dropped the next two sets down to +5kg and that was better, bit easier.

Nice session, looking forward to the top set of 5 @ 205 on Saturday for Squats :gunfire:

[drizzt]

Deads vid:

[Viking Power]

awesome work bro strong reps mate 8)

[drizzt]

Thanks bro, yeah I was pleased because I find the Hook Grip makes my dead a bit weaker than my alternate grip (OB reckons it could be because I'm so used to the alternate), so I'm keen to see how far I can take it. If all goes well I'll be hook gripping at the BBro :nod:

[Viking Power]

Thanks bro, yeah I was pleased because I find the Hook Grip makes my dead a bit weaker than my alternate grip (OB reckons it could be because I'm so used to the alternate), so I'm keen to see how far I can take it. If all goes well I'll be hook gripping at the BBro :nod:

Yeah I notice that you and MT were using hook grip, F88K that mate you can keep that grip :pfft: :pfft: I just stay with pussy overhand underhand bro unless I tear a bicep :roll:

Good luck pal look forward to seeing ya numbers not long 10 weeks almost nine :shifty: times counting down quick

[drizzt]

Good luck pal look forward to seeing ya numbers not long 10 weeks almost nine :shifty: times counting down quick

Cheers bro! And yeah I know, it's sneaking up pretty fast, just gotta trust in the process!

[M.T]

Good luck pal look forward to seeing ya numbers not long 10 weeks almost nine :shifty: times counting down quick

Cheers bro! And yeah I know, it's sneaking up pretty fast, just gotta trust in the process!

20 kilo jumps PW seems not physically possible then the body just soaks it up like it aint nuthn but a G thang.

[drizzt]

24.09.11 - 5 x 5 W3/D3

101.5 today, pretty standardish I guess.

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 8 @ 60kg
  1 x 6 @ 100kg
  1 x 3 @ 120kg
  1 x 2 @ 140kg
  Working
  1 x 5 @ 155kg (b)
  1 x 5 @ 170kg (b/lkw)
  1 x 5 @ 180kg (b/kw)
  1 x 5 @ 195kg (b/kw)
  1 x 5 @ 205kg (b/kw)
  
• Bench
  Warmups
  1 x 5 @ 70kg
  1 x 5 @ 90kg
  Working
  4 x 5 @ 110kg
  1 x 4 @ 110kg (missed 5th :doh:)
  
• Turkish Get-Ups
  1 x 5/ps @ 10lb
  1 x 5/ps @ 15lb
  1 x 5/ps @ 20lb

Comments

• Squats weren't bad today. Besides the final set I was humming along quite nicely.
  I brought out the pair of THPs I purchased a while ago but have never used, and decided to give them a whirl. They were very tight, but loosened up a tad by the 2nd or 3rd set I had used them. Introduced them loosely on 170 (which I'd normally do raw) just to get a feel for them. Felt ok, but they are a different kind of assistance to the Titaniums than I was used to. Wanted to persist with them and give them a fair trial, so used them for all sets today.
  195kg was really good, felt sweet on that with the wraps a bit tighter.
  205kg was very rough. I think a few things contributed here: 1) Just tired from the previous sets, 2) I did the belt up super tight, which rather than helping, just meant it was harder for me to breathe - stupid time to experiment with belt tightness :doh:, 3) The THPs don't give me the "spring" I'm used to out of the bottom like the Titaniums do (and which I prefer).
  Don't get me wrong, the THPs are a good wrap, just the way they help seem to be in keeping the knees locked in even harder than what the Titaniums do... whereas the Titaniums give you a bit of movement, and then rebound you back out. So the knee travel was freggin excellent, barely got any at all... but then in the bottom, I was expecting to get "kicked" back up like my other wraps, but it just didn't happen.
  First rep was ok, 2nd was a battler, 3rd I lost balance and stepped forward, 4th and 5th were tttooouuuugggghh. Depth very questionable :shifty: Gave everything to get them up. Anyway, have vid of these which I've just uploaded, so check it out below.
  Can't say I'm looking forward to 5 x 215 next Saturday :shock: Will reintroduce the Titaniums for that methinks...
  
• Bench was alright, felt like the first 4 sets went ok, but then at the end of the 5th I just got hit by a wall of fatigue and barely got the last rep off my chest. Still, not disappointed, just kinda accepting of it with bench being after a tough squat session.
  
• Turks were good, starting to really nail the form. May up the weights as they stay the same for the next few weeks, and these are a bit easy now. Currently feeling like more of a conditioning exercise (as I'm rooted after them!) as opposed to any sort of building ex. We'll see how it goes.

Skipped powercleans as the platform was in use, and we're back in tomorrow as M.T skipped this session because of sickness (so will be doing his stuff then). Will also do some assistance tomorrow.

[drizzt]

[drizzt]

Trained today, not a lot to say, just really spotted/helped out with M.T's session as he postponed yesterday's one to today.

Got in a bit of sled dragging, GHR, powercleaning and some token leg press too. Nothing worth properly logging...

[drizzt]

26.09.11 - 5 x 5 W4/D1(Bench)

102.7 today woooo up there for a Monday! Been downing lots of rice lately which looks to be keeping the weight up. Kinda hoping to be a bit closer to that 105 limit come Bbro time, as I'm still relatively lean-ish at this weight so I think I can hold another kilo or two ok, but we'll see.

• Bench (sets, reps, weights)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 5 @ 60kg
  1 x 4 @ 100kg
  1 x 3 @ 110kg
  Working
  1 x 5 @ 125kg
  1 x 5 @ 120kg
  1 x 5 @ 110kg
  1 x 5 @ 105kg
  1 x 5 @ 100kg
  
• DB Flyes
  3 x 10 @ 25lb
  
• Lying DB Tri Press
  3 x 10 @ 25lb
  
• DB Hammer Curls
  3 x 10 @ 40lb
  
• Rope Pushdowns
  3 x 10 @ 150 (stack)

Comments

• Actually didn't intend to go in today, but my bro texted me saying he was going in if I wanted a ride... which led me to a reassessment of how I'm approaching this program slightly (small events like this usually spark this kind of thought process in my mind for some reason :pfft:)
  I'm thinking from now on, I'm going to separate the bench sessions out from the rest of the template, and give it it's own days. Reason being, I'm so completely fatigued from squats (shoulders in particular from locking the bar in) that I've got very little to give to the bench. To the point where I believe its counterproductive to continue consigning my bench to an "also-ran" exercise in my workouts.
  SO I'm giving it it's own workout. And on the evidence of just the one session (today), it could work!
  I'm not at all confident I can get 125 x 5 after a heavy squatting session... but it went up without too much trouble today.
  Another thing I'm trying - due to fatiguing in the latter bench sets - is doing the working sets in reverse order. This way I'll get the heavy sets out first when I'm freshest, and then as I get more tired I've still got the gas to get the lighter weights out. I find (and Saturday is a prime example) that I'm completely sweet for the first 2-3sets, and then come the final part of the bench session, my shoulders throw in the towel and I just haven't got the gas in the tank to move the last rep or two.
  Each subsequent set after 125 felt just as hard today, which confirmed to me that I'm likely going about this the right way to suit the quick onset of shoulder fatigue I get.
  Another school of thought is it's good to have it directly after squats, as that's what is going to happen in a comp... but I kind of dismiss this theory, as while it is (remotely) similar in principle, in practice, I think I'm working to a higher level of fatigue in training than I would be on a comp day (especially just from the Squat-Bench portion of a comp). So separating the days shouldn't have much impact (if any) on my fatigue on a comp day. I think what counts for now, is that I get the reps out as prescribed, as opposed to missing them with the programmed template.
  
• Aaaand everything else, we kinda just turned into a CHARMS assistance session.

Will do the rest of Day 1 tomorrow, keen to see how this works out...

[drizzt]

27.09.11 - 5 x 5 W4/D1 (minus bench)

102.4 today, pretty standard.

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 8 @ 60kg
  1 x 6 @ 100kg
  1 x 4 @ 120kg
  1 x 4 @ 140kg
  1 x 2 @ 160kg
  1 x 2 @ 180kg (beltless PB)
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 200kg (b/kw)
  
• Power Cleans
  Warmups
  bar (hangs)
  1 x 5 @ 40kg
  Working
  1 x 5 @ 65kg
  1 x 5 @ 70kg
  1 x 5 @ 75kg
  1 x 5 @ 80kg
  1 x 5 @ 85kg
  
• Dips
  1 x 5 @ + 25kg
  1 x 5 @ +15kg
  1 x 5 @ +5kg

Comments

• Squats felt brilliant today, I was in the zone. Usually I'd belt above 140 for my warmups, but 160 beltless felt so smooth and easy that I thought I'd give 180 a crack without a belt too (have never gone above a 170 single beltless before). Only intended a single, but the first rep flew up, so I went for a second and that was pretty easy too. Could've got a few more without too much trouble, but I had to remember that these were warmups and not to let my curiosity get the better of me :shifty:
  However, I must say that the wraps aren't giving me as much lately as I felt they gave me in the past. I tried M.T's new RPMs on for the first set, and it just felt like they weren't giving me anything at all. Went to my new THPs for the second set and the same story - just not getting the "pop" I'm used to out of the hole. So I thought I'd give the Titaniums a go on the 3rd set (which never fail to give me a great rebound from the hole), did them up nice and tight, and they let me down too! Back to the new THPs for the final couple of sets to continue breaking them in, but I'm a wee bit disappointed with wrapping in general right now, heh.
  I'm not quite sure if it's a change in my style that has mucked things up or what, but hopefully this passes! Thinking if anything, maybe I'm descending a wee bit slower than I was in the past. Food for thought anyway.
  Despite the above, it was a fairly easy session. Had a bit of an "ab cramp" while I was wrapping up for set 4 - Doc worked on it quickly, said a rib had slipped a bit (or something to that effect) due to probably rotating during the squat and effected the abdominal muscle that was opposite it. Anyway, one (single!) ab muscle was poking out something fierce! And I couldn't bend over to wrap without getting intense cramp, so I wasn't sure how the remaining sets were gonna go. After freeing it up a bit, Doc suggested I not continue... but I wasn't gonna leave it at set 4! So finished up with a couple of spotters, just to be safe (have these sets on film), but it didn't flare up again for the remainder of the session.
  Biggest 5x5 I've ever done was 190 (a few times during Smolov, and once last week), so this is the new best 5 x 5 for me, and didn't really feel challenged at any stage (apart from the aforementioned wrapping disappointments).
  
• Powercleans were ok, again, form crumbled as the weights climbed. I'm beginning to think that my pop off the thighs is less hip thrust, and more jumping into the bar :pfft: I was looking at it on film thinking my hips don't really come forward at all... but I land a foot or so in front of my start position. And I'm pretty sure that's how I'm getting my pop. Not sure if this is an acceptable technique or not, but I may look at "fixing" this in the next PC session. Not too worried though as it seems to be working ok for me at the moment, but as I've mentioned previously, I do want to learn "proper" form so we'll see how it goes.
  
• Dips all good, nothing to mention - although need to remember to warm up next time if I don't do bench beforehand :doh:

Got some videos from tonight, uploading Bench and Squats now, will do Powercleans later on.

[BarBrother]

Just watched your 205 x 5 squat. That some gutsy shit right there :clap:

[Big john]

Just watched your 205 x 5 squat. That some gutsy shit right there :clap:

yea hard, Good team with ya also :nod: :clap: :clap: ...trainings coming along nicely bro. all on track for Bbro?

[drizzt]

Thanks bro, after losing balance on rep 3 I was thinking there was no way I'd get 4 and 5 out, but somehow managed to grind through. Disappointed with that set, they shouldn't be that hard :doh:

Here is a bit of today's work:

[drizzt]

yea hard, Good team with ya also :nod: :clap: :clap: ...trainings coming along nicely bro. all on track for Bbro?

Cheers bro. Yep all looking ok, bench will hopefully get better with it's own day, moving into 3x3s as of next week. I think Deads will be a decent move up now that I'm dedicating time to them again...

As for squats, they're funnily enough probably the big unknown for me. They're feeling really good, just I'm not sure how much improvement I'm going to get out of this program... we'll see.

If I can knock this 5 x 215 over on Saturday, lets say they'll be on track then :nod:

[Big john]

man M.Ts come along way...squats and bench look tonnes stronger than back at alk novice, too much bro! :clap: :clap:

[drizzt]

Yeah bro, funny you mention it because I said that to him after the session when we were looking at the footage - his tech on squats looks 10x better than what it was just a couple of months ago (despite his failure today).

His bench is improving at a freggin rapid rate (bastard!), so keep an eye out for those numbers at Bbro. Wasn't long ago he failed 117.5kg... now he comfortably reps 135

[drizzt]

Powercleans:

Just did our lightest and heaviest sets, with one in-betweener, to show how our (well, mine in particular) form degrades as the weight increases.

Things I've picked out from watching it, as mentioned above my hip thrust isn't really a hip thrust per se :pfft: My arms bend to pull the weight up on the 85kg set (kinda like an upright row). I think this is on the right path, but I should be shrugging, not bending the arms. And at times, the bar is still a bit close (when I get lazy I think).

Critique is more than welcome again!

[MARS]

First off. The Clean is a really fast movement with so much going on. It will be easier to dissect where you are going wrong if you pick 1 rep with your heaviest weight and put it in slow-mo. It's hard to critique all the reps at once because your doing different things wrong/right in each of them.

When I said go heavy as a way to improve technique it might not have been the best advice for you. Your Deadlift is 3x your PC and when you get to a weight you aren't comfortable with you seem to revert to your Deadlift setup. While initially you can lift more weight in that position, you will hit a ceiling earlier than you might like.

The arm bending toward the end is an obvious no-no as you said. I think the biggest thing you need to sort though is your setup. If you get the start of the lift right, other things may come right as a result.

You can't have a rounded upper back when you start. You need to:

1. Maintain an arched/flat back and hold your back angle until you open up.

2. When you grab the bar, roll the wrists forward, turn the elbows outward and contract the lats. (This will help keep the bar close to your body and minimise arm involvement in the lift.)

[M.T]

Good advices MARS :clap:

[drizzt]

Awesome stuff, thanks bro! Any advices on my "hip pop" that isn't actually hip but more leg?

When I said go heavy as a way to improve technique it might not have been the best advice for you.

Heh, thought not, just how quickly my form deteriorates from the light stuff to the moderately heavy, I kinda suspected something inherently wrong with the tech was limiting me.

Your Deadlift is 3x your PC and when you get to a weight you aren't comfortable with you seem to revert to your Deadlift setup. While initially you can lift more weight in that position, you will hit a ceiling earlier than you might like.

Yeah that is what I suspected re: deadlift setup, I get tired and I fall into what is comfortable for me :nod: At the time it actually feels like I'm deadlifting and then halfway up going "hey let's push the legs through and turn it into a clean?". Just don't feel comfortable or powerful at all on anything over 70 currently.

I'll post up my 85kg set tonight (heaviest I've ever gone for 5 reps) and slow it down.

Either way will drop down to the light stuff again and have a go at implementing the stuff you've mentioned, cheers bro

[drizzt]

29.09.11 - 5 x 5 W4/D2

102.6 today pretty standard.

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 8 @ 60kg
  1 x 6 @ 100kg
  1 x 4 @ 120kg
  1 x 3 @ 140kg
  1 x 2 @ 160kg
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 170kg (b)
  
• OH Pin Press
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 5 @ 40kg
  1 x 5 @ 60kg
  Working
  5 x 5 @ 80kg
  
• Deads
  Warmups
  bar
  1 x 5 @ 70kg
  1 x 2 @ 120kg
  1 x 2 @ 170kg
  1 x 1 @ 200kg
  Working
  3 x 5 @ 215kg (b)
  1 x 4 @ 215kg (b) *(missed 5th rep)
  1 x 3 @ 215kg (b)
  1 x 2 @ 215kg (b)
  1 x 1 @ 215kg (b)

Comments

• Squats were a wee bit rough today, have come to expect that from Thursday's "light" session. Last one we have to do though, as it leaves the template from next week on when we switch to 3 x 3.
  Shoulder injury flared up again :doh: Fierce too! Can't remember it being this painful before. Hopefully dropping the Thursday squat sesh next week will allow it to calm a little more, as I'm pretty sure it's the heavy squat weights that do it. Played around with wider grips and stuff but nothing seemed to provide immediate relief.
  Also have a niggle somewhere in the rib area below the shoulder blades (on the opposite side to my usually sore shoulder). Can feel it badly when there is a loaded bar on the back, compressing it. Doc reckons I'm getting sick, I just think I'm getting old and broken :pfft:
  I do find it a little bit ironic that my upper body is taking all of the injuries out of my squatting.
  
• OH Pin press was great, arguably easier than last week. Finding the closer grip much stronger, and the shoulder wasn't a factor here which was good/surprising.
  
• DEADS. Fantastically awful session. I knew after the last warmup set (single @ 200) that it was gonna be a tough day.
  Got the first set out ok, second bit more of a grinder, but it continued to get worse from there.
  3rd set I hitched hard on the 5th rep, potentially a little on the 4th too. Completed the set though which was the main thing (and I don't really mind hitching if it's at the end of a tough set like that, as long as it doesn't become habitual in the earlier stuff). Just my weak lockout rearing it's head again.
  4th set, I got 3 clean reps, hitched the 4th, failed the 5th just above my knees. At this point I knew I wasn't going to get 5 reps out on the 5th set, so I decided to break things up into smaller lots. Got a set of 3 out, a set of 2 out... and then did an extra one to make up for the one I missed.
  Overall, glad I got the prescribed 25 total reps out, but fuark me this was the toughest deadlift day I can think of. Hands are burning from hook grip (briefly switched to alternate for one set, but found it didn't improve anything so switched back), but a positive is that the hook held up for the entirety of it, even when the body was failing. Very happy with how that's come along.

Very tough day in the office! Have a couple of dead vids from sets 3-4 I think I may post up later if I get time.