10 weeks to APF TX State

[jimbuick]

UT would be the top option. Texas State is getting there, but still needs some faculty improvements.

Would you recommend a masters or bachelors for that?

 

[mmorton]

UT is a hard school to get into my friend. Good luck

 

[Celorza]

UT is a hard school to get into my friend. Good luck

I'm in UT and in top of my class for Manufacturing Engineering and it's not even a challenge...

 

[jimbuick]

UT is a hard school to get into my friend. Good luck

I have a buddy who's there.

My GPA from HS was a 4.5 so depending on what I get with my SAT it shouldn't be an issue. Also with the hazelwood act and prior military service it becomes a little easier.

 

[Celorza]

I have a buddy who's there.

My GPA from HS was a 4.5 so depending on what I get with my SAT it shouldn't be an issue. Also with the hazelwood act and prior military service it becomes a little easier.

You'll get in and graduate no problem...I'm not kidding its easy as pie.

 

[jimbuick]

You'll get in and graduate no problem...I'm not kidding its easy as pie.

I wasn't too worried about it honestly. I don't really get worried about anything though lol.

 

[mmorton]

That's sweet Austin is awesome. With that GPA I'm you'd probably get in any school.

 

[mmorton]

With college you just have to do the work and put in the effort for your weekly assignments. I'm sad it took me so long to get back.

 

[jimbuick]

That's sweet Austin is awesome. With that GPA I'm you'd probably get in any school.

A lot will depend on SATs obviously, I plan to take it soon. I have to make the appointment with education services first.

 

[Rodja]

Would you recommend a masters or bachelors for that?

Undergrad is irrelevant since most of the load is basics and minor. By the time you'd graduate, the landscape could be very different.

I'm in UT and in top of my class for Manufacturing Engineering and it's not even a challenge...

UT-Austin or one of the affiliates? There's a world of difference.

 

[Rodja]

2/12

AM

BB Rows
205x10
255x15x3

Pullups
BWx8x3

Cable Rows
180x10
220x10
250x8-drop-200x8

PM

OHP
145x8x2
145x7

Dips
BWx15
BW+35x8x3

Facepulls/Tate Press
100x15x3/40x12x3

External Rotations (mini)
15x3

I've been somewhat neglecting lat work and decided to throw in a random two session day with one specifically lat work. This week is my raw week for my CNS and muscular recovery has seldom been an issue for me. Made sure to really up the calories at dinner (2 avocado cheeseburgers with homemade hashbrowns) and am feeling sore today from the huge increase in volume, but that is to be expected.

 

[LiveToLift]

I'm in rodja. The videos are beast for sure.

 

[jimbuick]

Undergrad is irrelevant since most of the load is basics and minor. By the time you'd graduate, the landscape could be very different.

UT-Austin or one of the affiliates? There's a world of difference.

So much school....

 

[Rodja]

So much school....

You haven't even started the journey.

 

[jimbuick]

You haven't even started the journey.

Lol that's the worst part!!

 

[Rodja]

2/13

Sumo
365x2x7

Hypers/Standing Cable Crunches
BWx15x4/110x15x4

I have irritated something in my hips to the point where it's causing some major discomfort. This week is raw and underload work, so I hope that alleviates the discomfort and that I can find the trigger point to relive the pressure.

 

[Rodja]

2/15

Floor Press (pinky on rings)
225x5
275x5
315x1
275x7

BB Curls/Pressdowns
90x10/110x15
90x10/110x15
90x10/110x15

Side Laterals/Pullaparts/Dual External Rotations (mini)
35x15/15/15
35x15/15/15

Solid raw sessions with easy assistance work. My back is still not feeling great, but it's improving with some capsaicin, NSAIDs, and MFR.

 

[rob112]

Topical capsaicin?

Sent from my iPhone using Am.com

 

[Rodja]

Topical capsaicin?

Sent from my iPhone using Am.com

Yes. I put on way too much yesterday and had a bright red patch for several hours yesterday. It really loosened up my back, though.

 

[rob112]

Yes. I put on way too much yesterday and had a bright red patch for several hours yesterday. It really loosened up my back, though.

A buddy just recently mentioned this to me as well. I may give it a shot on pulls and squats days.

Sent from my iPhone using Am.com

 

[Rodja]

2/17

Cambered Low Box Squats
335x3x5

Called it after the squats. Tried to throw in some basic BW assistance work, but the spine did not feel fine.

I've been doing extra mobility work on the area and didn't realize how immobile I am compared to my flexibility. I finally bought another baseball to use on my glutes and there's some funky adhesions in there that are very tender, especially in the right glute.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Rodja,I have a question for you. What weight is typically the point where knee wraps come into play? My son is getting up into some good squat numbers and I am unsure on if/when to go here.

 

[Rodja]

Rodja,I have a question for you. What weight is typically the point where knee wraps come into play? My son is getting up into some good squat numbers and I am unsure on if/when to go here.

This is a really difficult call to make. What style of squat does he generally use? If it's wide stance, then I'd say somewhere in the 80-85% range. If it's Oly style, then probably when he gets closer to 90%.

It's not so much a weight thing, IMO. One of the guys that I train with (who is aiming for 800 in May) doesn't wrap his knees until the last microcycle in his training when he adds in the straps.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

He is right in the middle of wide/Oly and says that his knees don't feel anything when he squats. We are going to test a max in March and I guess we will get an indication then. Thx Rodja.

 

[Rodja]

He is right in the middle of wide/Oly and says that his knees don't feel anything when he squats. We are going to test a max in March and I guess we will get an indication then. Thx Rodja.

It's not so much feeling anything in his knees; it's more of an issue if the knees cave in instead of pushing out and/or staying in track with the femur.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

We've been working very hard on the outward push and he has never had any problem with the knees caving so I guess we will see when the weights get maxed.

 

[Rodja]

We've been working very hard on the outward push and he has never had any problem with the knees caving so I guess we will see when the weights get maxed.

If he has a solid dip/bounce at the bottom, then he'll get a lot of knee wraps. They really help to spring you out of the hole.

 

[Rodja]

2/19

Incline CG
185x8
205x6x2

Meadows' Rows
90x15
115x15
135x12
135x12-drop-90x12

Flat DB Press
80x12
90x8x2

Rolling Triceps Ex/Side Laterals/Triceps Fallouts
35x12/35x12/BWx10
35x7/35x12/BWx9

Standing Facepulls
80x15
90x15x3

A couple of major updates from the weekend. First, I've adjusted my training schedule to have one more wave of 2:1 followed by a wave of 3:1 prior to meet week and then the final week being active rest and mobility work. Next is a gear change. I pulled the trigger on a new pair of briefs: Metal Jack size 44. It'll be a tight fit under my sit, but I'll be able to get it with enough weight.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Nice meadows!

 

[Rodja]

2/20

Sumo
Worked up to 540x5
570x1

Snatch-Grip Deads
335x5x4

DB Side Bends
70x10x4

BW Hypers
50 reps

On paper, this session looks really good, but I wasn't able to really dig in once again and I'm one session away from pulling in only my suit. The main thing that the extra gear is preventing me from doing is to really push out on the side of my foot and generating maximum force to the bar. I'm not frustrated as my hips have loosened up and I was able to put in a solid sumo session, but it's a nuisance that I'm struggling so much with my gear.

 

[Sean1332]

That's still awesome weight to be pulling regardless of the equipment issue. Do you have any ideas what your lifts will be for the meet? Planned openers weights?

 

[Rodja]

Planned openers right now are 615/415/545. Squat is going to be very conservative to get my confidence rolling along and the others are weights that I can confidently do on nearly any given day. Goal for the meet is 715/455/615.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Assisted at 220 lbs class?

 

[Rodja]

Assisted at 220 lbs class?

As in geared or "geared?"

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Equiped

 

[Rodja]

Equiped

Yes, it'll be equipped.

 

[Rodja]

2/23

Bench

Worked up to 495x2 (3-board)
455x1 (2-board)
455x1 (1-board)
425 touch; lost about halfway up

Pullups
BWx7x4

WY/Side Laterals
20x6/35x15
20x6/35x15

Pullapart Series


First time that I have attempted to touch in several months and, although I didn't get it, looking at the video, I did really well on the descent, but lost my legs and got stuck about halfway up. The 455 to a 1-board was slightly muscled up and I can tell from both videos that I am too focused on pushing the weight away instead of driving myself into the bench.

 

[LiveToLift]

Sick bench bro! Looked for the vid!

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Nice numbers big man!

 

[Rodja]

Several things that I notice here:
1. I didn't pull the weigh to the board on the last 1" and had to front raise it off.
2. My heels came up and I did not get leg drive.
3. I took too long to flare my elbows.
4. I did keep my lats tight.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Yeah,you could see the weight just sort of fall to the board that last inch or 2. Have you tried not having your feet tucked so far back under you? The leverage angle seems very extreme to really get much push out of it.

 

[Rodja]

Yeah,you could see the weight just sort of fall to the board that last inch or 2. Have you tried not having your feet tucked so far back under you? The leverage angle seems very extreme to really get much push out of it.

I have a very mobile thoracic and I have to get my feet in that position to get the best arch that I can to shorten my ROM. I actually have moved my feet and place the weight on the balls of my feet.

 

[LiveToLift]

Sweet video rodja! Such a monster.

 

[Rodja]

2/24

Squat

Worked up to 616x1 (opener; reverse-band)

Ab Wheel
BWx10x5

This session did not start off well. Two girls that are competing with us in April went before us. As I was showing one of them her knee travel, my knee partially dislocated. This is the third time that this has happened in a year with each time more painful than the previous one. I walked around for about 20 minutes and then popped it back into alignment. I took my time and very tentatively added weight (I wore a sleeve the entire time) before adding my briefs and suit. I worked up to where I wanted to get and then called it after I hit my opener. The knee is tender and pretty sore today, but there's not a huge limp. The meet is still on, but I won't be demonstrating a valgus force anymore.

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Ouch big man!! I could not even imagine dislocating my knee. I know what shoulders feel like but a knee seems brutal. Is this something from a past injury that now makes you more prone to this? Are there any therapies that can prevent this?

 

[Rodja]

Ouch big man!! I could not even imagine dislocating my knee. I know what shoulders feel like but a knee seems brutal. Is this something from a past injury that now makes you more prone to this? Are there any therapies that can prevent this?

My knees have been loose for as long as I can remember. I guess that it's the ligaments are stretched and allows for too much mobility within the joint. I don't think there is any therapy for it, but it generally only happens in a non-lifting scenario.

 

[Sean1332]

I hope you recover from it quickly and maintain it. Sorry to hear

 

[AZMIDLYF]

Yeah,not much can be done for ligaments. I would still see if you could ask a PT that you might know about any knee therapies to tighten up your knee.

 

[rob112]

Dam, hope ya feel better soon

Sent from my iPhone using Am.com

 

[Rodja]

I had a busy day today and walking around on it actually made it feel a lot better. It's still a little tender around the meniscus/MCL area, but it's not nearly as sore as it had been previously when this happened.