Swanson-Cube Method to July Comp

Torobestia said:
So dumb question, but how do you plan to do the 2" platforms? Would they absorb the strength of dropping weight on them like the 4" blocks? I ask because I sometimes pull off a 2" and would like to build blocks for this (as opposed to using mats in my gym, which usually get destroyed not by smashing the weights but by the weights rolling around and clanging against each other).
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I'm going to get 1 2x6x8 and cut it into 4 24" pieces. I'll attach the 12x24" piece of 1/2" ply to the top, then the rubber on top of that.

They'll look just like my 4" blocks, minus the bottom row of 2x6 & mat.
 
Am I EVER going to DL right? This week, we laugh @ Swanson's attempts at deadlifting!

DL REPS
135, 185, 225, 275, 315

335x6x1. Not sure why I thought 6 was the number, should've been 8. Duh.

4" BLOCK PULLS
355x2x3
Blocks are nice, I like block pulls.

Olympic Stance Box Squat 8x3
Back Raises 15x2, 10x2
Box Jumps 3x8
Core stuff.

Nothing about today felt "right", except block pulls I suppose. Weird.

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Swanson52 said:
Am I EVER going to DL right? This week, we laugh @ Swanson's attempts at deadlifting!

DL REPS
135, 185, 225, 275, 315

335x6x1. Not sure why I thought 6 was the number, should've been 8. Duh.

4" BLOCK PULLS
355x2x3
Blocks are nice, I like block pulls.

Olympic Stance Box Squat 8x3
Back Raises 15x2, 10x2
Box Jumps 3x8
Core stuff.

Nothing about today felt "right", except block pulls I suppose. Weird.

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Nice lookin blocks!

They're definetly weird the first time.
 
So, I've been battling NEW problems in my deadlift form recently, and I think I may have found the culprit; I think you might be interested, despite the fact we deadlift differently (conventional vs sumo). For a long time, even though I did to some degree or another almost straight leg a lot of my deadlifts, I still had pretty good form. Nobody knowledgeable ever criticized my form. That was at least a year ago. Fast-forward to a few months ago, and now I have this thing where my hips shoot up too soon.

Anyways, 4+ months ago I had changed my setup to trying to emulate the setup Benedikt Magnusson uses, where he shoots his hips up and back to preload the hamstrings, then brings his hips down and lifts his chest and back upright and initiates the pull. Because my life and lifestyle isn't devoted to lifting weights and standing and sitting with proper form, I don't have as much mobility as he and others do. So that part where I bring my hips down and lift my chest up, I can't do that while externally rotating my legs to get into position, so I would start out high, my shoulders too far forward, and that would make my leverages pretty strange. What I think I need to do is squat down into my position to where my hips are already in the proper position to initiate the pull. I see you do the same thing, so perhaps you could experiment with changing your setup as well. I think doing that might give us less wiggle room to make mistakes.
 
I swear, I write these posts that I feel are 3 sentences long, but then they come out like that ^^^

BTW your form on the block deadlifts looks dead on, FWIW
 
Torobestia said:
I swear, I write these posts that I feel are 3 sentences long, but then they come out like that ^^^

BTW your form on the block deadlifts looks dead on, FWIW
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See that's where the short arms KILL me! My leverages are great 4" off the floor!

I'm watching vids on Magnusson. Dude barely drops the hips. F'ng monster.
 
This hip dropping nonsense hurts my brain.

Lets talk nutrition. I think I'm having my poor focus/recovery issues because of diet. It's tricky for me, however, because I'm HYPER sensitive to carbs. I'll end up lethargic or damn near food coma if I stretch even upwards of 200g on training days.

So...how about increasing fat & protein? I get 275-300g pro/day, but I'm only around 80g fat. What if I bumped that up by 20-30g? More? Thoughts?
 
Isn't Mr Starnes the one to answer that?
 
How much of a deficit are you at now? I would increase fats if you're looking to add calories back in. If you're in a pretty deep deficit now, I would add the macros to my peri-workout meals (so before, during, or after your workout). Otherwise, you could add them in wherever you think you need the benefit the most (you might need more energy earlier in the day, or in the afternoon, etc).
 
Torobestia said:
How much of a deficit are you at now? I would increase fats if you're looking to add calories back in. If you're in a pretty deep deficit now, I would add the macros to my peri-workout meals (so before, during, or after your workout). Otherwise, you could add them in wherever you think you need the benefit the most (you might need more energy earlier in the day, or in the afternoon, etc).
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Here's a typical training day right now. 2602 cals.

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Using various online calculators they say my daily expenditure based on sedentary lifestyle is 3300, but I ain't buying that.
 
The predominance of my carbs are centered around the workout: Pre and post. The rest of the day it consists of protein and vegies.


Aside from what thoughts I have expressed about your DL technique I don't think there is much more to say. It is definitely a mobility issue for you to solve in order to bring your hips in closer to the bar when sumo DL'ing.
 
I'm just gonna have to squat & bench big.

On training days I get around 70g carbs outside the peri window, 70-100 within.
 
AZMIDLYF said:
The predominance of my carbs are centered around the workout: Pre and post. The rest of the day it consists of protein and vegies.


Aside from what thoughts I have expressed about your DL technique I don't think there is much more to say. It is definitely a mobility issue for you to solve in order to bring your hips in closer to the bar when sumo DL'ing.
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Like so?

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I'm glad I could see it from the front, makes sense.
 
The front view gives you the visual of how low his hips are in relation to his knees. A side view would better show how close his hips come to being over the bar and that his hands are coming up almost in his crotch for a nice vertical back pulling angle. Chris of course is a freak show and a text book lifter.
 
AZMIDLYF said:
The front view gives you the visual of how low his hips are in relation to his knees. A side view would better show how close his hips come to being over the bar and that his hands are coming up almost in his crotch for a nice vertical back pulling angle. Chris of course is a freak show and a text book lifter.
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Closest I could come to side view, but I see. Additionally, if I want to emulate a lifter, shouldn't it be a text book one? :D

More, I really didn't see what you meant til I dug deeper. I really do want to get better. Look at the diff;

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Vs

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Additionally, as a longer-limbed guy, it is less geometrically "simple" for Chris to get into that position than I. I should be able to drop into that with no issue. But, with crap mobility I'm not even close yet.

Challenge; accepted.
 
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This is how I'm going to set up my day off macros; 50p/15c/25f per meal x 6.

Here we have 3 whole eggs, 7 whites, 1/4 avocado, Ezekiel bread & cream cheese. :D
 
Killer set up big man. Less the avocado/cream cheese and this is my daily day starter with a glass of grapefruit juice.
 
Lol @ bar touching my chest on floor presses. Elbows barely graze. T-Rex style!
 
I have a bigger ROM on floor press than bench. My arch (when I can get it right) takes out 4-5" on my ROM.
 
Bench heavy.

Today was...interesting. I had to enlist the help of the wife, we had a few cluster fawk moments, but it went well.

FLOOR PRESS
As I posted-the bar hits my chest before elbows touch.

Bar, 135, 185, 225, 275

310x2x5

BENCH
255x10x2. Failure at lockout on #10, 2nd set.

Dips, DB shrugs, BW pull ups finished it off. I'm smoked, really hammered it today. Vid coming.
 
Floor press

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Bench.

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LISS cardio, 30', tan, hot tub.

Crazy sore chest & tris today. Been awhile since I've felt this sore.
 
Training is going to be on hold for a couple days; I might hit some light squats tomorrow & light body on Sat, but it's just going to be easy "get a pump" work.

The pipeline company that I started my career with called me about a job opening in Colorado, and they want me there by 6/19. Best company I've ever worked for (NuStar energy, an offshoot of Valero), so there's no way I was saying no.

Needless to say, I'm packing today, loading Uhaul tomorrow & Sat, moving back to Denver on Sunday. Talked to my current boss, and found out he's quitting tomorrow, so he gave zero fawks. Weird.

The AWESOME part is I go back to my old PL gym, back with the dudes I've trained with that are ranked in the nation in several lifts...freakin stoked.

Maybe they can fix my DL. ;)
 
Sounds like a win-win situation big man!
 
Sean1332 said:
Congrats dude!!!!
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Thanks! Shirtless vids on deck. ;)

AZMIDLYF said:
Sounds like a win-win situation big man!
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For sure. My wife still worked out of Denver & Phoenix until about 6 weeks ago, but had to resign due to travel demands. With this move, she's able to go back to that position, and only have to fly to Phoenix every 3rd week or so. Win/win/win.

Moving out of Denver was stupid, glad we get to go back.
 
Nice man. Sounds like an all around great situation now.
 
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