Hyde Attacks the Optimum Alpha Stack

Sinuses are getting bad and can't breathe well through my nose, fatigued, and even ECA didn't do much for this. After pressing went for a set of pull-ups and my back was still sore and could barely manage them. Hit 3 hard sets of rows and packed it up. Just beat up. Time to start winding it down for next sat.

Micro Pullaparts

Speed Bench
45x8
+doubled monster minis
45x3
135
Close
4x3
Med
3x3
Wide
1x3
165x2
185x2

Floorpess
255x3x5 Volume PR at this weight

TRX Fatman Rows
3x10

Weight was down to 234.0 today, which is good. Carrying extra won't help my deadlift any.
 
Hyde said:
Sinuses are getting bad and can't breathe well through my nose, fatigued, and even ECA didn't do much for this. After pressing went for a set of pull-ups and my back was still sore and could barely manage them. Hit 3 hard sets of rows and packed it up. Just beat up. Time to start winding it down for next sat.

TRX Fatman Rows
3x10

Weight was down to 234.0 today, which is good. Carrying extra won't help my deadlift any.
Click to expand...

Had to look up the fat man rows. LOL

Hope you feel better soon!
 
Anything special to the floor press? Never tried them. You just get down there and press, or are there specific cues to work on?
 
RegisterJr said:
Anything special to the floor press? Never tried them. You just get down there and press, or are there specific cues to work on?
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I tried floor presses with DBs and had a hard time getting them in the ready to press position. Once I started to press I liked the lift.
 
RegisterJr said:
Anything special to the floor press? Never tried them. You just get down there and press, or are there specific cues to work on?
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It's really important to take the legs entirely out of the lift - that's the point vs using a 1-2bd press. I lay mine out straight. Retract the scap and take your comp grip and draw the bar out of the jhooks w the lats and tris like normal, and I like to pause momentarily at the bottom of each rep to let the bar settle a tad. I focus on keeping the elbows under the wrists both on the descent and ascent.

kenpoengineer said:
I tried floor presses with DBs and had a hard time getting them in the ready to press position. Once I started to press I liked the lift.
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Db floorpress for 10-20 reps is an awesome accessory that's low stress on the shoulders and pecs if you're working around something, but it can be a real pain to get a weight appropriate for under 10 in place so I stick to barbell for that.
 
Yesterday was off. Normally I train late afternoon/ early evening but today had to rise early and get it done on not much sleep. The sinus infection and fatigue is very real, and while I was very strong at the bar there's a total lack of endurance like the other day. This session concludes the peak for the 19th so if I train no more to rest everything should still work perfectly.

Duffin Warmup

Deadlift on Okie Deadlift Bar
135x10
225x6
315x4
405x1
+belt
455x1
495x1 (last warmup)
+25 chain x1

Bb Shrugs
315x11 (one RPE10 clean set)

Bb Rows
245x3x8

RDLs
295x2x8

All accessory was doh and strapless. Might get a little boring in here for a bit until the show!
 
Today and tomorrow are off. Splitting doses of Epicatechin throughout the day on off days. Think I'm going to completely avoid lifting after Sunday and stick to light sled dragging til the 19th.

Gf and I went to the local bakery that's been in business since 1919 - they've got it down to diabetic science. Took some pastries over to my dad's for coffee and it was awesome.
 
If you are set on dragging, go for it. But I take my activity down to stretching barely breaking a sweat my meet week, and I have found that the less active the better.
 
Nice work Hyde!
 
herderdude said:
If you are set on dragging, go for it. But I take my activity down to stretching barely breaking a sweat my meet week, and I have found that the less active the better.
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Oh it will be strictly bloodflow, no illusions of conditioning. Might use the bike some too. Since I'm unemployed and studying in the daytime it's lounge city for me, so it's important I get out and move around just to keep everything from getting tight.
 
How're you feeling?
 
RegisterJr said:
How're you feeling?
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It's still there but the 2 days off has definitely helped things out. Fatigue showed up terrible again today while working up on bench and stayed til I started the cat squat... Then it just kind of went away. I mean I was actually sucking wind and nearly wheezing between pressing and then it just...loosened up or something. Bizarre. But felt great by end of squats.

Micro Pullaparts

Bench
Work up to 285x1 (openerish weight)
205x10 paused

Strict OHP
135x2x10
+belt
155x8
165x6

CAT Squat on cheap straightbar
275x5
+belt and sleeves and 45chain total
5x3, 1x6 short rests

Beltess Pulls on Tex Deadlift Bar
300x6 singles

Cheater BB Rows
255x4x6

Db Hammercurls
20s and 30s x15
40s x12, 12, 10

Stone Load
120, 160, 180x1

Bench form blew apart at the bottom and still pressed it w ease, which is encouraging. Kept the OHP at RPE8 prob. The squats were admittedly super light but they did feel the best they have in 2 months. Pulls moved accordingly. Never done atlas stones and one of the gals was doing them so I was experimenting. No belt or tacky or sleeves just hopped in and stopped after 180 cuz it felt like I was gonna have to start working and I don't need to be straining 6 days out.
 
wasme said:
Googling Atlas Stones..

Edit: Googled... looks tough as hell
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Stones can be pretty hard on the body. They weren't hard because I cut out early as I didn't wanna tax my back, but I'm sure they're brutal really going for it. I remember several years back at a different gym not being able to even budge the 120 off the ground lol
 
Split my Epicatechin dosage up morning and pre-bloodflow today, 1 scoop Preworkout before as well.

Cycle, row machine 15 min total RPE4
Light Band Pressdowns 100
Light Band Stepdowns 50/leg
Db Hammers 15s x100
Facepulls, hang, light stretching

Didn't wanna go in but felt way better after w a light pump everywhere. Resisted the temptation to grab a barbell.
 
I'm gonna be down in St. Louis this Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. How far is your gym from there? Looking for somewhere to squat Friday night.

Edit: nvm I just remembered you said you're in Normal.
 
jswain34 said:
I'm gonna be down in St. Louis this Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. How far is your gym from there? Looking for somewhere to squat Friday night.

Edit: nvm I just remembered you said you're in Normal.
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Depending on where you're at of course, when folks are looking for a walk in place to train heavy I always recommend Eagle Gym in Overland. Close to airport and not too far from downtown; I would drive 40 min from home to deadlift there w my peeps Saturday mornings. They have a monolift and a pulling platform and blocks and a reverse hyper.

It's a bit of a dirthole, but it's a place you can get it done without globo gym bs for $5. tyga tyga has been there
 
I found some place called max effort strength and conditioning that (from their website) seems good enough to get the job done and is only 15 mins away from where i'll be. Their site says they have a bunch of racks and specialty bars, etc. I'll just have to call in and see what their walk in fee is. Thanks for the recommendation though, ill look into that one and see how far it is from where im gonna be.

Edit: damn it. Nvm. Just saw on their site that they arent open to the public. Invite only i guess. Back to the drawing board.
 
jswain34 said:
I found some place called max effort strength and conditioning that (from their website) seems good enough to get the job done and is only 15 mins away from where i'll be. Their site says they have a bunch of racks and specialty bars, etc. I'll just have to call in and see what their walk in fee is. Thanks for the recommendation though, ill look into that one and see how far it is from where im gonna be.

Edit: damn it. Nvm. Just saw on their site that they arent open to the public. Invite only i guess. Back to the drawing board.
Click to expand...

Look up their location in IG and find a user that posts there and ask for an invite.
 
RegisterJr said:
Look up their location in IG and find a user that posts there and ask for an invite.
Click to expand...

️I emailed them and the owner emailed back saying he accommodates powerlifters that are traveling into the area. I just have to go when he is at the gym. Currently trying to figure out a time. We'll see if it works out.
 
jswain34 said:
️I emailed them and the owner emailed back saying he accommodates powerlifters that are traveling into the area. I just have to go when he is at the gym. Currently trying to figure out a time. We'll see if it works out.
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Tell him you're a buddy of a guy that trains with Laramie at Be Strong. Owner of Max Effort does his programming - it's sadistic, full body 3x a wk w at least 2 comp lifts and variant for the 3rd every day.

He doesn't know me but Laramie sends him vids of all his sets and I'm probably in 1/3 of them lol
 
You could also check out Chris Janek's gym - Tank's Training Facility in Granite City. Awesome gym and lifter/coach. He's squat 1130 at 308 at the Arnold last year before he had all his heart surgeries. They're open til 9 or so I believe now.
 
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Guy is down to skeleton mode battling to recover from such intense surgery but he's world class. His best lifts are at least 1130/750/900 I believe. Really hope to see him return in a year or so to the Arnold.
 
Will check that one out of this doesn't work out. Thanks for all the help Hyde.
 
Eagle gym is cool. If you like the feel of a grimey gym that you KNOW people put work in at, then that's a gym I'd look into. We (me and Hyde) got a session in a day i was in STL. Atmosphere was very similar to my home gym
 
Looks like that gym is about a half hr away from where ill be. Im gonna be by wilbur park, lemay, bella villa. If those mean anything to anyone.
 
I'd go to whichever of the 3 is closest on gps honestly - I like Eagel and Tanks and the pics of ME look swell.
 
ME is ~15
Tanks is ~20
Eagle is ~30

So plan is to go to ME if i can work out a time with the owner. Then I'll decide between the other two with cost of a day pass probably being the deciding factor.
 
Today is off btw; nothing but a quick walk to get some air this morning. Will go in for bloodflow tomorrow. Weight is 236 in morn last 2 days but I see no reason to get super bloated for a deadlift contest.

Will eat normally w a lean towards strength/bulk til the weighin at 4:30pm Friday then pack in more carbs all evening without a big sodium emphasis. Probably a burger/fries/cola meal then half-strength Gatorade and high refined carbs/low fats and pro rest of the night.

Today's diet looks like yesterday's and next 2 days: 5 eggs w cheese, salsa and 1oz ham and English muffin plus 12oz whole milk, 2 meals each of 6oz 90/10 beef mixed w 60g egg noodles and marinara, either 2 Cookies and Creme poptarts or 10 Oreos, 8oz flat iron steak w large sweet potato and asparagus, insert 4-800 calories of junk to help hold weight. I ate the poptarts yesterday as well as 1/3 bag of blue corn tortilla chips w salsa and 1/3 container of gelato and woke up same weight today, 235.8, so this should be a good base.
 
Eatin good brotha. I dig it. Excited to see how this pull comp goes for you. I forget...is it geared?
 
jswain34 said:
Eatin good brotha. I dig it. Excited to see how this pull comp goes for you. I forget...is it geared?
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Yeah multiply, straps, unlimited. But I'll be pulling in a belt and singlet mixed grip just like I'm used to. Too late to screw w the program so treating it like a raw meet. I don't even wanna hitch.
 
The singlet mainly cuz it's really tight on me now and the legs will ride up and won't risk snagging the bar near ******* where I'll battle.
 
Don't you wear a singlet daily anyway?

:banana:
 
RegisterJr said:
Don't you wear a singlet daily anyway?

:banana:
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Only at my night job

Morning weight 237.2

15 min of cycle and rower
2 sets facepulls
2 sets hammers w 15s
45, 155x2x8 squat
245x8x1 pulls
Work up to 215x4x1 bench

Good session, got blood in everything and did what I always do on the Cube on this day precontest. Pulls feel really good, nothing hurts, excited for Saturday. I look pretty good for 237 honestly it's crazy.
 
Nice to get caught up wishing you luck brother!
 
Good luck tomorrow Hyde
 
Thank you everyone! Very excited for tomorrow. Yesterday was just bloodflow crap like there cycle and mobility and eating. Was a bloated 238 this morning and a super bloated 244 right now. I didn't cut so there's nothing depleted so I'm truly just carb loading hard.

Pasta w beef, pop tarts, cocoa pebbles, Chinese buffet w 2 plates of sushi and 2 plates of rice w soy sauce and other junk, Gatorade, some potassium, and so on. Sick of eating after last few days. Ready for 220 in March lol

Looking forward to a great show!
 
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585 all-time best gym record

525 and 555 were buttery smooth but 585 stuck on my thigh and had no choice but to hitch. 3 reds in a meet, but obviously it was good at a strongman show and as I was only guy I think in 242 on max floor I won the class

Considering I literally only had 5 weeks to ready for this meet I am pretty pleased. No injury and zero pain or tweakage; this is a great place to be as I'll be going into meet prep in a week or 2 for mid March.

Tomorrow is off for travel and might test bench and front squat Monday!
 
Congrats on the big pull, man! 600 soon!
 
jswain34 said:
Congrats on the big pull, man! 600 soon!
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Thanks fellas - there was part of me that almost went right for 600 w straps and a big hitch but I decided to get what I came for and am pleased. But I definitely believe I could have taken 600 that way.
 
Btw that's Chase Karnes in the red shorts on the left in the background. He looks bigger in person than he does on the EFS website. Pretty freakin strong 220; that guy can cut some weight.
 
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