Guest viewing is limited

Killn' The Cube: My powerlifting venture begins

Good work today man! Have you been training wrapped or not?
 
CountryLiftin said:
Good work today man! Have you been training wrapped or not?

I appreciate it bro.

Non-wrapped. I've only wrapped up once and it was for 1 set of 275. They sell some wraps at my gym for like $15, so I might end up snagging a pair. They don't increase the weight as much as my Strangulators, so I like that. I don't care too much about my wrapped squat, honestly.
 
Conditioning:

Sled drag:
200lb+sled-
x4 forward
x2 backwards
300lb+sled- 50yds x6

Farmer carries w/ farmer handles:
180+handles-
50yds x2
280+handles
50yds x4
360+handles
50yds x2

These were ****ing amazing. The 360+handles were pretty challenging I must say. The handles weighed, I'm guessing, 25 a piece. So that's around 410lbs total for 50yds twice. They tore my hands to pieces and I loved it.

Calves: 180x15x3 (DC)

1 mile walk on treadmill

Foam roll/mobility

Got some good work in today. My conditioning surprised me. Also, I'm not terribly sore from all the heavy work done yesterday. My body is primed to handle a lot. I'm going to take advantage of that.
 
Westside-Week 1: ME upper

CG floor press:
225x3
255x3
275x3
285x3

These were hard AF. The last rep on 285 was ugly, but I locked it out.

Bench w/ short light bands &sling shot:
225+bands x5
245+bands x5
255+bands x5

All good reps with pause. A lot of leg drive here, felt really good. The band tension was more than what I've done previously because the pegs are closer to the ground.

Swiss bar OH press:
115x8x2
135x8
155x4- lost my balance and the bar was wobbling like hell. These smoked me.

Tricep machine: 15x4

Chest machine: 12x4

That's it. Going tmrw to crush my back. Love the new toys I have. I'm feeling that I'm getting stronger, despite weighing 215 completely dry. I'm definitely leaner than I was 2 weeks ago, but strength is on the up.
 
What'd you add/subtract to tighten up?
 
herderdude said:
What'd you add/subtract to tighten up?

I had to really think about this one because I wasn't necessarily making a concerted effort to tighten up, but it has been due to a few things.

1) they keep the gym hot as balls and this has been by far the most I've sweated during workouts.

2) I don't know why, but ever since I've been here I've been working considerably faster.

3) I've cut out nearly all fast-food. Ever since I got that stomach bug right after eating White Castle I haven't wanted anything to do with it.

4) not as much sweets.

This conditioning work I'm implementing should help carry on the trend, just need more clean calories now.
 
Gotta love that unintentional leaning out.
 
Went to the chiro today as well. Was expecting a lot of flaws but he said he's never seen anyone with this good of range of motion and strength in the hips. I guess I had the strongest hip flexors and abductors he's ever seen.

There were only 2 things he saw. 1, my pelvis was higher on my right side and titled forward causing my left leg to be longer. 2, my shoulders were rolled forward in the socket. He said that could be a big reason why I'm having trouble with my thoracic extension in my squat, which causes the anterior pelvic tilt. He fixed them both so I'm hoping it helps.

Good news all and all.
 
Forgot; he wants me to do more lunges and to not bury my squats so deep twice a week. My ME day I'm going to bury them, if possible, then DE day, box squats at parallel. He was a big advocate of TnG box squats, so I'll take his word for it. He's a very credible guy.
 
Back day:

Pendlay rows:
135x10
185x10
225x8x2
275x5

WG pull-ups:
BW+25x5x3
BWx8

Went all the way down, stretched, and flexed hard AF at the top. Pretty challenging.

Lat pull downs w/ NG bar:
Weight unknown x12x3

Pull-over machine:
Weight unknown x15x3 (this gets so much blood in the lats. Best lat machine I've used hands down.)

KB curls: 26#x12x3 (focus on TUT)

DB hammer curls: 40x12x3

Good day, back is pretty smoked. DE lower tomorrow and DE bench Saturday. Sunday is nothing but food and bass fishing.
 
I'm going to get some pics of the place either tmrw or Saturday so you guys can see it. I'll snap a pic of some of the mono's and benches and platform. They took out the forza bench, but there's 6 more EFS benches.

I'll get some pics of all the bars and stuff too. Maybe some machines as well. The place is massive and there's so much equipment you can hardly navigate through.
 
Westside- Week 1- DE lower

DE deadlift: 365x2x6

DE box squat at parallel:
245x2x2
265x6x2

Farmer carries w/ handles:
230x50yds
330x50yds x2
410x50yds x2

DB lunges: 20x16x3

Tis' all. I didn't need anything else, my body 8! Bp
 
Westside- Week 1: DE bench

Bench:
135+light bands 2x2
155+light bands 2x2
225 straight weight 2x4

225 moved faster than ever in my life. Reallt, really good progress here.

Standing 1 arm DB OH press: 50x12x3

DB triceps extensions: 35x8x3

Chest machine: 10x3

Cable row: 12x3

Unilateral row on machine: 8x3

NG pull downs: 12x3

Incline DB curls (TUT): 25x15x3

Standing preacher curl: DC

Was a great way to work off this hangover. Felt really strong. The Cowboys TE was there with his 17 yr old brother. They're both ~6'7" ~290#. Huge mofo's. Either they went light, or they're not that strong, but built like brick sh1thouses.
 
rob112 said:
I stole ideas from you and NomZ today and I did lunges. What a sucky good stretch!

I hate them, but they're a necessary evil. I got away from them for too long. They'll be a staple for my unilateral work from now on...dammit.
 
I hate them, but they're a necessary evil. I got away from them for too long. They'll be a staple for my unilateral work from now on...dammit.

I agree, haven't been up on my unilateral work either. I noticed today that balance isn't as good with them and can stretch as far/easy.
 
BSS's and single leg SLDL are amazing.

I gotta get back to the BSS. I like a Cressy move where you reverse lunge and immediately following do a 1 leg RDL. Man...I hate those movements but dat stretch in ma fibrez!
 
I need ideas please.

What can I do for ME deadlift variations? I've been doing deficits and rack pulls (no blocks or mats), for a long time, but I'm looking for something different.

I'm not going to do ME SGDL's, RDL/SLDL's, or pause DL's. I like to use those as secondaries. So, I'm stuck.

Any ideas?

My only thought is to start slapping on accommodating resistance to my ME work, which I've secluded to only my DE work.
 
Sean1332 said:
What are your weak points?

When maxing, off the ground, when repping, lockout. So, off the ground is my primary focus. I've been doing deficits and I'll continue with them, but I need to cycle my stuff around.
 
You could do so many things. In the conjugate method, something as little as adjusting your feet or grip width or foot flare, doing ME Sumo stuff, ME stuff with a predetermined amount of bands or chains. Basically put your chosen amount of bands and chains on from warmup set #2 and work up in bar weight until you're topped out.
 
I feel like deficits altered the lift too much for me. Maybe just stand on a mat for them. You could pull sumo or box squat for a bit. Front squats would be good too. Maybe even wear straps so you could overload the pull a bit.
 
I did some wide stance conventional pulling the other day. It was interesting. I think a little foot flare allows me to get tighter as I start pulling. I agree with you Sean, anything more than 1-2" is too much of a deficit. A 3/4" deficit would be enough of a change. Another idea for conjugating your ME pulls would be to pull in different shoes. Any tiny adjustment is enough of a difference, it doesn't have to be a wholesale change.
 
Thanks guys, you're right about the little subtleties making a big difference. Some monster suggested me widen my convo stance, so I'll tinker with it. Grip as well. I guess I was thinking too much along the lines of exercise variation and overlooked the small adjustments.

I'm going to throw in some chain work to my ME sets. There's a lot of them, but I haven't used them, yet.

I front squat a lot, sometimes 2x week, but always at least once. Deficits never exceed 1.5". Hell, I'm 90% sure I'm stronger from a deficit. I'm a weird lifter.
 
Try to find which height you're worst at and work the shït out of it, convo, sumo, different band and chain weight, straight weight. You might be better at getting tight off of a slight deficit which makes it easier, where something like 2" blocks would teach you to tighten up and squeeze that bitch off the floor.
 
Great stuff in this mother trucker. Don't really have anything to add except I agree on too much deficit not being like a regular deadlift. 1.5" is usually enough for me.
 
herderdude said:
Try to find which height you're worst at and work the shït out of it, convo, sumo, different band and chain weight, straight weight. You might be better at getting tight off of a slight deficit which makes it easier, where something like 2" blocks would teach you to tighten up and squeeze that bitch off the floor.

I wish we had blocks or mats bro! 2" is a great idea. I might just buy some mats and cut them up. I'm still hesitant to go real heavy on sumo. It's feeling awkward and I know I'm not ready for 5+ on it. I have been practicing though.
 
rob112 said:
Great stuff in this mother trucker. Don't really have anything to add except I agree on too much deficit not being like a regular deadlift. 1.5" is usually enough for me.

Definitely agree. I did 3" once and it changed my form way too much. Never again.
 
I wish we had blocks or mats bro! 2" is a great idea. I might just buy some mats and cut them up. I'm still hesitant to go real heavy on sumo. It's feeling awkward and I know I'm not ready for 5+ on it. I have been practicing though.

I'm sure you can find a rack that will get the weights 2" from the ground! Just please for the love of all that is heavy don't do any rack pulls with the good bars! I would say just do sumo the best you can and get vid and we'll help you get better at it. It'll build hips, which will help your total. If I learned anything from my 605 squat fail Friday, it's that growing my squat past where it's at now will require me to build my hips. I'll be pulling sumo and box squatting in the upcoming offseason.
 
herderdude said:
I'm sure you can find a rack that will get the weights 2" from the ground! Just please for the love of all that is heavy don't do any rack pulls with the good bars! I would say just do sumo the best you can and get vid and we'll help you get better at it. It'll build hips, which will help your total. If I learned anything from my 605 squat fail Friday, it's that growing my squat past where it's at now will require me to build my hips. I'll be pulling sumo and box squatting in the upcoming offseason.

I don't think so man. I would have to stand on plates to get the right elevation. There's not a bad bar there, but I certainly would not take the one from the platform.

I'll just pull sumo tmrw as an accessory. Who knows how heavy, it's hit or miss as far as my technique goes.

Box squats FTW!
 
Sounds like tomorrow is a good day to find your 5RM on the sumo deadlift!
 
herderdude said:
Sounds like tomorrow is a good day to find your 5RM on the sumo deadlift!

Haha, I'll go by feel. I have problems with lumbar rounding on sumo, I REALLY don't want to be too ambitious on something I know I have questionable form on. I will be doing 5's, though.

3RM on a deadlift variant, then sumo, then I'm picking up 300lb per hand and walking as far as I can, then some accessories.

May the tork be with me.
 
Haha, I'll go by feel. I have problems with lumbar rounding on sumo, I REALLY don't want to be too ambitious on something I know I have questionable form on. I will be doing 5's, though.

3RM on a deadlift variant, then sumo, then I'm picking up 300lb per hand and walking as far as I can, then some accessories.

May the tork be with me.

300# per hand? Good luck....
 
Herderdude makes a great point. Definitely ask about which bar to use if you rack pull. My gym has two bent ones and they don't want any more bent! Haha
 
Westside-week 2- ME deadlift

515x3 (PR)

That sh1t was HARD!

Sumo:
315+2 20#chains 3x8

Buddies were doing DE, so it was a good op for me to work on my sumo. They moved FAST. I think I figured out where I'm strongest.

Farmers:
205/hand x50yds
305/hand x25yds

Those were no joke. I have a vid of it that's uploading.

SSB squats:
245x5
295x5
335x3

I was pressed for time, so I hit that and got out.

One of the most brutal workouts of my life. I.feel.amazing.
 
Thanks fella's. It took a lot out of me. Those farmers made my knees ache. I've never experienced that, they're fine, but I'm weighing the opportunity cost.

Here's the vid:
Invalid Link Removed

Nothing special, just wanted to show that I did in fact move it. Too bad I ran out of space, turning around=not happening.
 
Back
Top