Herder's 2014 Log: All About the XPC Semi's

Disregard last night's comments. I don't know what the **** I was talking about.
Here's what I should have posted...
"****, that looks hard".
 
iparatroop said:
Disregard last night's comments. I don't know what the **** I was talking about.
Here's what I should have posted...
"****, that looks hard".
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Hey man, I'm always willing to lend an ear. That's how we get better.

ME Axle Bar Bench (Thompson Method)
295x2
315x2
325x2
345x2x2
365x1
Add elbow sleeves
385xF

Got big balls on that last one. Wanted four plates. Should've cut it at 365, where I lost scap tightness on the way up.

Bamboo Bar Lilly Bench
88x3x15

I got a lot better at these. I need to get much better still as lat tightness and grooving the bar properly is what's going to get me my 385+ bench.

DB Rows
115x3x15

Swiss Ball DB Bench
60x3x45 seconds

Pec Deck
3x10

Meadows Shrugs
3x12

Hammer Curls
3x12

The most brutal upper body session I can recall. Really need to hammer the pecs more, I've let them go for a very very long time.
 
herderdude said:
Hey man, I'm always willing to lend an ear. That's how we get better.

ME Axle Bar Bench (Thompson Method)
295x2
315x2
325x2
345x2x2
365x1
Add elbow sleeves
385xF

Got big balls on that last one. Wanted four plates. Should've cut it at 365, where I lost scap tightness on the way up.

Bamboo Bar Lilly Bench
88x3x15

I got a lot better at these. I need to get much better still as lat tightness and grooving the bar properly is what's going to get me my 385+ bench.

DB Rows
115x3x15

Swiss Ball DB Bench
60x3x45 seconds

Pec Deck
3x10

Meadows Shrugs
3x12

Hammer Curls
3x12

The most brutal upper body session I can recall. Really need to hammer the pecs more, I've let them go for a very very long time.
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How do you like the swiss ball db bench for time?
 
SweetLou321 said:
How do you like the swiss ball db bench for time?
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It's an incredible pec pump. Like uncomfortable. We kept our hips low to get an incline effect, and the upper pecs were super uncomfortable from the pump. You ever play with them?
 
Getting pec cramps scratching my shoulders. I really hope developing my pecs does the trick on bench. I think it's gonna be upper back, but I'm gonna smash both anyway.
 
Jist building pec mass should shorten ROM for the press shouldn't it?
 
jimbuick said:
I doubt it will make much difference in that way, considering most of us touch closer to the stomach than we do to the chest.
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This. Building up lat mass will help more as it'll provide a bigger "shelf" while he's benching and it'll help while squatting as well.
 
LizKing531 said:
Jist building pec mass should shorten ROM for the press shouldn't it?
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I actually touch at my upper ab region, below the sternum even. I'm more concerned with being able to control the larger weights, which I've struggled with.
 
SweetLou321 said:
No i never have but it sounds like i need to try them out.
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Honestly, I'm not a fan. The exercise itself is great, but the Swiss ball is suspect. I'd recommend doing it on the bench (same setup, back on the bench and ass off).


I've seen those things pop with people on them doing heavy(ish) dumbbells and it wasn't pretty.
 
jimbuick said:
I've seen those things pop with people on them doing heavy(ish) dumbbells and it wasn't pretty.
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just imagining that is pretty terrifying. we got these plastic step things at my gym, and when i see people flopping hard on em while box squatting, i just envision them going right through em too the ground.
 
I didn't mind the swiss ball. It was actually easier to get the dumbbells to my chest rolling into place. It squirreled on me a couple times, but I was using a slow tempo with pauses on top and bottom, so it wasn't bad stability-wise. Hell, I think it helps discourage me from being more ballistic. I'll film all of my sets of these from now on just in case the ball pops. Who couldn't use a laugh?
 
herderdude said:
I didn't mind the swiss ball. It was actually easier to get the dumbbells to my chest rolling into place. It squirreled on me a couple times, but I was using a slow tempo with pauses on top and bottom, so it wasn't bad stability-wise. Hell, I think it helps discourage me from being more ballistic. I'll film all of my sets of these from now on just in case the ball pops. Who couldn't use a laugh?
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Just be careful man, I'm not talking about good laughs, I'm talking about broken bones...
 
jimbuick said:
Just be careful man, I'm not talking about good laughs, I'm talking about broken bones...
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I agree with jimbo, nothing like shattering both your arms and never pressing again.
 
jimbuick said:
Honestly, I'm not a fan. The exercise itself is great, but the Swiss ball is suspect. I'd recommend doing it on the bench (same setup, back on the bench and ass off).

I've seen those things pop with people on them doing heavy(ish) dumbbells and it wasn't pretty.
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If.done timed pressing on a bench. It was rough. Will probably just stick to that then.
 
Decided to squat and pull after 18 holes. I'm a tired dude.

DE Box Squat Against Lights (70 at top, 10 at bottom)
315x4x5

DE Pulls
365x7x3

Pull Ups
3 clusters of 5 singles back to back

Sumo Shrugs (3s hold at top)
225x3x8

Rev Hyper
1x10

I petered out pretty hard, but all of the squats moved well and felt good. I was letting my knees duck in a little bit on occasion. Not caving, just getting quad drive. Only happened on maybe four reps out of 20, but something to work on. Pulls were okay, just fatigue really.
 
CincyKiller45 said:
Nice work bro! I need to start using some bands for squats and deads again.

What are sumo shrugs..akin to SG?
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I get in a sumo stance, pull the weight to lockout, then come unlocked at the hips and knees and hit some shrugs, pulling up and especially back. Brian Carroll talked about sumo shrugs, but to be honest, I haven't watched the instructional video.
 
herderdude said:
I get in a sumo stance, pull the weight to lockout, then come unlocked at the hips and knees and hit some shrugs, pulling up and especially back. Brian Carroll talked about sumo shrugs, but to be honest, I haven't watched the instructional video.
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Okok, nice. Sounds solid...I haven't performed a shrug since December, lol.
 
10/20/Life Offseason Wk 4 Benchin (3x3 RPE 7)

Bench
Warm up with Lilly
Up to 245x3
Comp
275x3 Last warmup
295x3
305x3
320x3 RPE 7ish (hard to say this early in the game)

EDIT: Looking at vid, I'm gonna say that was a 7.5-8 RPE, according to Carroll's scale.

1 Board (Max Legal)
315x3x6
315x7

Bamboo Bench (max legal)
120x3x15

Lat Pulldowns
3x12

TRX Strap Fat Man Rows
3x10

Poundstone Curls
35,30,23,12

And done. I might play around with max legal off the chest in the future. Really felt good about the 1-board supplemental work. I looked and I'm not actually failing at the chest, I'm failing midrange. Still gonna work pecs. I'll be pushing the wide grip 1 board pretty hard, didn't know where to start, so I just went with 315. Also got my meet videos uploaded, I'll post those and my last bench set as well.
 
USPF Nats 336 Opener: Invalid Link Removed

USPF Nats 358: Invalid Link Removed

USPF Nats 385 Attempt: Invalid Link Removed

USPF Nats 512 Opener: Invalid Link Removed

USPF Nats 556 PR: Invalid Link Removed

USPF Nats 600 Attempt: Invalid Link Removed
 
rob112 said:
How did you like warming up Lilly press style?
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I liked it. My goal was to get the bar down quickly and catch it while still loading my lats properly. As you'll see in the meet videos, I took entirely too long to get the bar down. So I'm going to work on controlling the descent with speed. Like I tried to to this evening:

Bench 6/17: Invalid Link Removed
 
herderdude said:
I liked it. My goal was to get the bar down quickly and catch it while still loading my lats properly. As you'll see in the meet videos, I took entirely too long to get the bar down. So I'm going to work on controlling the descent with speed. Like I tried to to this evening:

Bench 6/17: Invalid Link Removed
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Nice, good stuff. I was contemplating doing that to warm up but due to losing tightness at the bottom...still man, good idea.


And that's a lot of reps over 300. I'm mad jelly homie. Nice work
 
Sean1332 said:
Dude that 600 pull was there! You broke the floor pretty easily.

Next time just lock it out..mmmmkay? lol

Solid work man.
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Thanks, so close. From the vid, I'd say my hips rose too much and that resulted me being in a bad position to lock out. So I think that's going to be form work more than lockout work. Lead with the back and keep the leg drive scrong.

Notes on my benching tonight: Bar path was all over the place, I need every rep to look like my second rep. When the weight gets heavy, I go over my face too early and lose drive. I really focused on pressing low on my board work, and it felt good.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and in coaching a guy on sumo, I pulled 475 beltless in some horrible shoes for sumo. PR there.
 
Nice bench work man.. Impressive amount of heavy reps there. As far as max legal, you mean the grip width I'm guessing?
 
capo180 said:
Nice bench work man.. Impressive amount of heavy reps there. As far as max legal, you mean the grip width I'm guessing?
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That's right, pointer fingers on the rings. My competition grip is ring finger on the rings. My close grip is one hand inside of that, so 2" outside of the slick part.
 
CincyKiller45 said:
So much good sh1t going on in here I don't know what to say...you're a hoss?
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Haha thanks. I'm tryin, bud. Just building and riding momentum.



So I was going to try to get a late squat sesh in, but wasn't feeling like going through a rushed session. Did maybe 8 sets of squats in varying stances with the empty SSB, some GMs, some GM squats, then put on a plate a side and got 50 reps. I was making Dave Tate noises after rep 35 and after rep 40, my butt shot up every time. I'm still sitting down from the set 5min after the fact, my quad pump is insane right now.
 
Alright, squats for real today.

SSB Squats

335x3
355x3
365x3

Depth wasn't great, speed wasn't great. Honestly, no box no briefs no wraps, I felt naked and afraid down there. It will improve. As long as I cued leading with my head and sitting back and loading my hips, it went well. Definitely bit by the SSB today.


Pause Squats with a chain on it (3s)
225x4
245x2x3

Pause squats are definitely tougher than box squats. I think pauses one day and box squats the other are going to be the way to go for building hips.

GHR (elevated back of machine)
BWx3x8

Did better than I thought. Going to continue to work these. 4x12 will be the ticket.

KB Swings
71x4x30
71x10
130 total reps, volume PR

Made sure to fire in hard with snap and attention to detail on every rep.

Backward Sled Drags
120#x 8 trips

Good session, covered all the bases and made a good effort. Main movement was not as crisp as I would like, but it's to be expected. I will improve at it or die under that bar.
 
I like pause squats better personally. Haven't box squatted in forever.
 
NomZ said:
I like pause squats better personally. Haven't box squatted in forever.
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I do like box squats, they give me a different style and build peripheral stuff. I think they'll carry over to better sumo pulls, and gaining 10-20lbs for reps week in and week out on those will only help. I can load the hips with a lot more weight that way, but the pauses do hit the hips really hard and in a position that's more transferable to my comp squat.

EDIT: Saw your comment on my video, definitely would agree that 584 was the number on deadlifts that day.
 
They both have their merits in that you have to stay tight throughout the lift. For a geared guy, the box has a better carryover for me as it's popping out of the hole that is me enemy.
 
Rodja said:
They both have their merits in that you have to stay tight throughout the lift. For a geared guy, the box has a better carryover for me as it's popping out of the hole that is me enemy.
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I agree that box squats have more carryover for gear. I couldn't squat in equipment to save my soul until I got good at box squats. And the way a box mimics a suit with good stopping power is undeniable.

I also like how box squats teach me to shorten the movement. It's really going to benefit my training partner in that regard. He used to bottom out just to barely break parallel. Now with a better shin angle, he's going to have a much easier time hitting depth.
 
herderdude said:
I agree that box squats have more carryover for gear. I couldn't squat in equipment to save my soul until I got good at box squats. And the way a box mimics a suit with good stopping power is undeniable. I also like how box squats teach me to shorten the movement. It's really going to benefit my training partner in that regard. He used to bottom out just to barely break parallel. Now with a better shin angle, he's going to have a much easier time hitting depth.
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Learning how to stay tight in gear while on a box is not easy, but must be done in order for a geared lifter to get the most out of the equipment.
 
Rodja said:
Learning how to stay tight in gear while on a box is not easy, but must be done in order for a geared lifter to get the most out of the equipment.
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Not to mention being able to relax the hips with the back tight to safely hit depth in competition. Every guy at the Compound was talking about how their Leviathans lock up at least an inch high.
 
herderdude said:
Not to mention being able to relax the hips with the back tight to safely hit depth in competition. Every guy at the Compound was talking about how their Leviathans lock up at least an inch high.
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I'm not strong enough for a Leviathan...yet.
 
I figured I'd throw this in cause it goes with what u are doing and saying and I just read it today

Invalid Link Removed
 
I like box squats. Some of the raw guys at the gym like them for accessory to the deadlift actually.

I always like it to get me sitting back as warmup, and as an extra squat movement to up volume. I recovery fast from box squats especially vs. paused. So say squat and pause one day, I can definitely box squat a couple days later without recovery worry. Man I gotta learn to make my points quicker.
 
rob112 said:
I like box squats. Some of the raw guys at the gym like them for accessory to the deadlift actually.

I always like it to get me sitting back as warmup, and as an extra squat movement to up volume. I recovery fast from box squats especially vs. paused. So say squat and pause one day, I can definitely box squat a couple days later without recovery worry. Man I gotta learn to make my points quicker.
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I agree with everything you said, bud. Especially, I too, need to arrive at the point faster. Lol.
 
Planned on doing back, abs, and conditioning today. Ended up bs'ing and getting some stuff done.

Pendlay Row
245x3x5

SGHP
245x2 whoops
155x5x8

Stones
~200x5 to full extension

Some jumps

And done. I did break a sweat and hit my back some. My 245 Pendlays weren't explosive or super clean, but I think they were passable. Getting tight in the bottom makes a huge difference on that movement.
 
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