[ktw]

Have you messed around with your bench setup at all? On your 2 board video it seems like if you tucked your feet back further you would get a little more leg drive/arch out of it.

On your squats two things I noticed that may be of safety concern:
Do not rock on the box. When you came up before your hips moved you rocked forwards. Some old WSB trainees still do this out of habit, but I've read bits from Louie and pretty much every big squatter out there saying that this is a bad habit that can lead to lower back injury really fast.

Also, when you complete the lift don't start stepping in right away. Stand there for a second. If you were to do this in a meet, especially a NASA one you would get redlighted for not waiting for the rack command. Also, it increases the risk for injury if you were to misstep or not be all the way locked out on one leg. I saw it happen last week with a kid, completely fell over and dumped the bar (had no safety pins either).

Anyways, good **** man. How do you like those cluster benches? I think those might get worked into my program pretty soon.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by ktw

Have you messed around with your bench setup at all? On your 2 board video it seems like if you tucked your feet back further you would get a little more leg drive/arch out of it.

Been messing around with the bench setup for a while. Still haven't found something I like.

On your squats two things I noticed that may be of safety concern:
Do not rock on the box. When you came up before your hips moved you rocked forwards. Some old WSB trainees still do this out of habit, but I've read bits from Louie and pretty much every big squatter out there saying that this is a bad habit that can lead to lower back injury really fast.

I'll watch for that and need to make sure I start with the head. I always make sure I release my hip flexors and it's probably me releasing and then tightening back up that is making me rock?

Also, when you complete the lift don't start stepping in right away. Stand there for a second. If you were to do this in a meet, especially a NASA one you would get redlighted for not waiting for the rack command. Also, it increases the risk for injury if you were to misstep or not be all the way locked out on one leg. I saw it happen last week with a kid, completely fell over and dumped the bar (had no safety pins either).

I realized that too after watching the video and need to make sure I wait for the rack command in my head in training.

Anyways, good **** man. How do you like those cluster benches? I think those might get worked into my program pretty soon.

Thanks for checking in and the advice. The clustered rest/pause RE bench sessions SUCK!!! Well, they are awesome at the same time as I feel they are hitting right where I need them to which is the bottom of my bench of the chest. Really is allowing me to overload on an RE day with out getting in to the 90%+ range. I don't think I'd ever do it for more then 3 weeks though and plan on continuing to rotate 3 weeks of DE and 3 weeks of Clustered RE rest/pause work going forward.

[jason2459]

Week 7/ Day 3

Muscle soreness 0 - 5 (0 none .... 5 feels like it just ripped off my bones)
2 - hams
1 - glutes
1 - Lower Back
Damn those Dimels.

Joint pain 0 - 5 (0 none ... 5 I need some plastic joints installed)
.5 -Shoulder
1 - Hips

B/W:???? didn't weigh myself. I know I'm down in weight but I guess it is to be expected.

Time to complete workout:
40m

ME Bench
1 Board
1xseveral@bar
1x5@95, 115, 135, 165, 185
1x3@225, 245 PR!
1x1,miss@275 PR!
1xmiss@300

245x3 - IronScene - Powerlifting & Strength Videos
275x1 - IronScene - Powerlifting & Strength Videos


Man totally missed on the 300. Wasn't even an issue of sloppy form trying to get it up but just got flattened on the bottom. Totally crappy setup today on all my sets I feel. I need to stay tight and get this to at least move next week.

Assistance
BOR's
1xseveral@bar
1x15@105
2x15@135

http://ironscene.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1052535715

Full Rotator Cuff exercises w/ red band
Alternated
2x10 Left arm Forward rotation
2x10 Right arm Forward rotation

Alternated
2x10 Left arm backward rotation
2x10 Right arm backward rotation

Alternated
2x10 Left arm inner rotation
2x10 Right arm inner rotation

Alternated
2x10 Left arm outer rotation
2x10 Right arm outer rotation

Overhead Tri Ext
1x30 w/ red band

Forgot to do FacePulls which I'll usually do before or after the Tri Ext.

Comments
Felt out of it today. Went to bed late but really didn't feel exhausted or anything this morning. Just blah.

[ktw]

I wish I could help you with the setup, but this is the internet and all. I can only describe what me and my training partners do.

I lay down on the bench with my feet on the ground at approximately the midpoint of the bench. This leaves about half of my upper body hanging out of the back of the bench. I then take an underhand grip, pull myself up as high as possible while at the same time squeezing my shoulder blades together. I then pull myself as far forward as my flexibility allows and then settle on the bench in this order: Traps, head,neck. For a while this will feel pretty uncomfortable. At this point you should be on your toes, which you may or may not like. If you don't, just scoot your feet diagonally until the heels barely touch. Actually since you are lifting in NASA you will have to do this. It is hard to visualize this, but mess around with what I described. Going into my first meet working on setup put about 40 more lbs on my raw bench in only a matter of weeks.

On the box squats I think it is a matter of your hip flexors and posterior chain not staying tight. Try coming down until you feel the box and then coming back up without actually sitting on it. When I had to teach someone to box squat I had them just barely touch the corner with their ass so they would know where it was at without sitting on it and losing tightness and then every session it would move closer and closer in. Overall you looked good on it though.

I think I might try those cluster benches today, but I'm worried that the high percentages will burn me out faster.

[ktw]

check this video of some of our shirted benchers out. Should show you what I was talking about in the post above.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by ktw

I wish I could help you with the setup, but this is the internet and all. I can only describe what me and my training partners do.

I lay down on the bench with my feet on the ground at approximately the midpoint of the bench. This leaves about half of my upper body hanging out of the back of the bench. I then take an underhand grip, pull myself up as high as possible while at the same time squeezing my shoulder blades together. I then pull myself as far forward as my flexibility allows and then settle on the bench in this order: Traps, head,neck. For a while this will feel pretty uncomfortable. At this point you should be on your toes, which you may or may not like. If you don't, just scoot your feet diagonally until the heels barely touch. Actually since you are lifting in NASA you will have to do this. It is hard to visualize this, but mess around with what I described. Going into my first meet working on setup put about 40 more lbs on my raw bench in only a matter of weeks.

On the box squats I think it is a matter of your hip flexors and posterior chain not staying tight. Try coming down until you feel the box and then coming back up without actually sitting on it. When I had to teach someone to box squat I had them just barely touch the corner with their ass so they would know where it was at without sitting on it and losing tightness and then every session it would move closer and closer in. Overall you looked good on it though.

I think I might try those cluster benches today, but I'm worried that the high percentages will burn me out faster.

Thanks. I'm building up steam to be able to actually complete a full 4 sets of 5 reps. I dropped the percentages a little this week to what I don't know. I just started lighter then I did before but I had already planned that from the beginning. I'd probably start at these weights if I were to do it again. Only way to know that was to do it though.

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by ktw

check this video of some of our shirted benchers out. Should show you what I was talking about in the post above.

That's funny, I've watched pretty much all the videos from strengthworksgym on youtube. Watched Amanda's heavy squat session before going in on Tuesday. I thought it was a pretty kick a$$ session.

[ktw]

Haha, that's a weird coincidence. Amanda is ranked 9th in the world in her weight class in o lifting and will be competing in Beijing in '08. Check out Brad's benching. That guy has to be one of the strongest raw lifters I have ever seen. The first day I saw him bench he hit 455x5 with no spot and I've seen him squat 685 beltless. The funniest part is that he is a 4th grade teacher

[jason2459]

Originally Posted by ktw

Haha, that's a weird coincidence. Amanda is ranked 9th in the world in her weight class in o lifting and will be competing in Beijing in '08. Check out Brad's benching. That guy has to be one of the strongest raw lifters I have ever seen. The first day I saw him bench he hit 455x5 with no spot and I've seen him squat 685 beltless. The funniest part is that he is a 4th grade teacher

That is awesome. That is one thing I am lacking and probably the thing a powerlifter really needs the most and that is a good crew to train with.

[jason2459]

Week 7/ Day 4

Muscle soreness 0 - 5 (0 none .... 5 feels like it just ripped off my bones)
.25 - hams/gluts/lower back They just wanted to let me know they were still there and didn't like those Dimel Deads.
1 - chest/tri's

Joint pain 0 - 5 (0 none ... 5 I need some plastic joints installed)
.25 - Shoulder

B/W: Find out in 3 weeks. Decided I'm not looking at the scale until I weigh in.

Time to complete workout:
48m

DE SQ/DL

sumo/conv High Pulls
some x several @ 135

Sumo/conv Pulls
many x yeah@ 135

Full Squats
whatever x screwyou @ 135

Just said screw it today and just did a mixture of things in no particular order or arrangement. I'd do several reps of sumo pulls and then right into a few reps of high pulls or did only some high pulls or just some normal pulls and so on and so forth. After I did random amount of reps from 1-whoknows I did several x whatevermany full squats. I just know by the time I was done I was out of breath and sweating profusely. Heck I was like that about half way through actually. I spent a good 25-30 minutes doing all this. Next week at three weeks out I'll be dropping my volume so I definitely got it all in today.

Supplemental
Sumo SLDL
3x5@295


Assistance
Hanging Leg Raises
3x20

Leg Ext
1x20@295 (I think that is how much it was. I just pinned it to the bottom. So however much the stack was.)


Comments
Blah. Blah blah blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah BLAH!!! Blah. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. :buttrock:

[ktw]

Wait are you 3 weeks out from the meet? Like 3 weeks out from the date of the meet? If so you really need to start hitting some full range singles on your main lifts or at least working some paused ME benches in considering you only have 2 weeks of lifting left before the meet (because of the week deload before)

[ktw]

I just looked at your first page. Ditch those 1 boards and get a spotter to give you a handoff and call the press and rack commands. At this point there is no point doing a 1 board if you're raw, especially since it's your first meet. Same thing goes for squats, have someone, anyone, call the squat and rack commands and have a side spot judge your depth. The bench thing is going to be key though, because there are a lot of little things that NASA officials will redlight you for and they tend to have pretty long press commands. Just suggestions, I just don't see how a 1 board is going to do anything at this point.

[jason2459]

I hear what you are talking about. I was already thinking about changing a few things for next week to practice the calls and reduce the volume.

Monday I'll probably take out the DB Pressing and put in some singles with what ever weight I end up with at the end of the rest/pause cluster with a hand off like you suggested with calls.

Tuesday I was thinking of working up with full range squats, go to some low box squats, then finish with some very high box squats and make sure I wait before racking. Then get rid of everything else but the abs work.

Then Friday kind of do what I did today as it felt great.

Then stick to the deload week 9 and pretty much off the week of the meet.


Here's the orginal plan.

Week 8 (Home stretch)
Monday: RE Bench 4 sets 80%/82%/84%/86% 1-2m rest between & 5-10reps/set with 5s rest between reps., DB Flat Bench, Pull ups, Tate Press
Tuesday: ME SQ/DL: Low Box Squat, Demil Deads, Pull-Throughs, Standing Ab PullDowns
Thursday: ME Bench: 1 Board Press w/pause, Pendlay Rows, Seated DB Clean and Press, Tri. Rope Push Downs
Friday: DE SQ/DL: Box Squat 50%, Sumo SLDL, GHR, Hanging Leg Raises

Week 9 (Deload)
Week 10 (Rest/active recovery/do nothing)
October 27th Meet.

Planned Attempts at the meet.
Squat
1st 385
2nd 435
3rd 455

Bench
1st 245
2nd 275
3rd 300

DL
1st 385
2nd 415
3rd ??? 435 - 450

Total: 1205
If I can hit all the third attempts that would put me well ahead of my goal from when I first decided to compete of hitting a 1145lbs total for my first meet which originally would have been April 2008. What I do on the DL will depend on if I miss on my 3rd attempt on the squat and the bench. If I only get my second attempt on those two then I'll go for 435 just to make sure I hit my goal of 1145. Now if I get my 3rd attempt on the squat and the second attempt on the bench then I'm set at hitting 1145 with my second attempt on the DL. Ok, I might be thinking about this way to much.

[jason2459]

BTW, KTW I meant to ask this yesterday. Do you post over at FI by chance?

[ktw]

No, I don't really post anywhere anymore. I used to go to FI a year or so ago but never posted much. Occasionally I have a log going.

If you're a natural trainee, I would suggest only taking 1 week off before the meet and move the deload week to the week of active recovery. From what I've read neural de-training starts to occur at 9 days on, so not hitting anything over 90% for 14+ days might not be a good idea. You have a pretty good idea of what to do right now, so I would just maybe extend that plan by a week, maybe cut the volume slower. At this point you're most likely not going to get a whole lot stronger, so the key is to practice form and maintain strength without any overtraining.

Most un natural trainees take the full two weeks off before, but I've never heard of a natural trainee taking that much time off before. Most I know will hit their last ME lift the monday two weeks before and then hit something at about 85 to 90% for their last workout. Squatting might be a different story. Since the bar places a lot of stress on your spine, it might be a good idea to deload the spine for a full two weeks. Maybe hit some deads for your last lower body ME workout and some speed squats/pulls at about 40%