Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Return of the King
Options
Comments
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭
Join Date:Posts: 8912
Saturday July 5th: Smolov Jr. Cycle 5 - Bench Day 10 of 12
Bench (all paused)
92.5kg - 7x5 ... easy. Video of 7th set to follow.
*add slingshot*
105kg - 1x3
115kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x1 ... handy enough. Didn't die or anything. Could really feel where slingshot ran out and I/tri's had to kick in. The video looks like two different clips edited together when you see the change in speed. Lol.
---
Achievement unlocked: 120kg Slingshot Bench. #YOLO
0 -
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Monday July 7th: Squat
Squat
60kg - 1x6
*belt*
90kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x2
125kg - 1x1
140kg - 3x5 ... PR. Good. Failed final rep on 3rd set... but pretty proud of these Squats.
---
Wow, those Squats were intense.
First set was fine.
Second set was the most intense set I've ever done. After 4th rep I couldn't breathe and felt like I had nothing left. Took a few seconds and got the 5th rep.
Third set was done after about 15-20 mins break to recover. Was in bits but wanted to get on with it. Failed on final rep. Got spotters in and mentally I think that may have caused me to quit earlier than if I didn't have them there. Looking at the vid I had it half up and then seemed to give up.
Was really in bits after that Squatting^^. Pretty happy though. 140kg 3x5 is a nice milestone.
0 -
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Friday July 11th: Deadlift
Sumo Deadlift (with belt)
160kg - 2x2 ... slow but got'em. Video'd both sets. Looked fine but slightly tweaked back on 2nd set. Sore on lower left over the past few days since deadlifting.
---
Got a comment on youtube about the above being decent deads. Probably were, just felt slow. The next week of deload will speed them up for comp.
0 -
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Monday July 14th: Squat
Squat
147.5kg - 2x2 ... PR. Cycle concludes successfully as planned 5kg up on training cycle before last comp
---
Entire training cycle concludes successfully. Excellent! Now time for a deload before my elbows explode. Squats were slow but got them.
0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Saturday July 19th: Strength Club Classic - Powerlifting Competition update:
Copied from my facebook update:
Had an absolute shocker. Weighed in 1.75kg over (84.75kg vs 83kg on home scales) & seemed to leave my legs at home. Got just openers on Squat & Deadlift. Too aggressive on 2nd attempts going for 2.5kg PRs. First time I've actually felt embarrassed of lifts.
Back to the drawing board, ...or Ouija board... or surfboard.... or something. Silver lining was 5kg Bench PR.
Full results:
Squat 147/157x/157x
Bench 100/105x/107...5kg PR
Deadlift 165/175x/175x
... for a 420kg total which is 10kg down on comp 3 months ago. Training numbers had suggested ~450.
Jesus
Not sure what went wrong on Squat and Deadlifts. Training numbers suggest I should be much stronger. Was frozen in the warm ups for Squats so that could perhaps we a minor reason. Just had my lifting suit, plus my formal wear for chief ref duties in the next group. Hence missed out on having a tracksuit or something warm to put on between warm up sets. Felt fine though apart from being cold. Crap warm up area and crap racks to warm up with, couldn't wedge under for Squats and felt tenative/loose.
Squat warms up went 60x5, 90x3, 110x2, 130x1. Felt alright. Opened on 147.5kg which felt tough enough, but similar to the 147.5kg 2x2 I did in training I assumed I had a lot more left in reserve, hence the jump up 10kg to 157.5kg on 2nd attempt which stapled me twice. Had absolutely no fight in legs. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. *facepalm*
Bench was easy. 5 cycles of Smolov Jr finally paying dividends. Warm ups went 20x5, 60x5, 80x3, 90x1... all paused. Opened on 100kg which felt like nothing. Thought spotters had caught it and helped it up - it felt so light. Watched video after and spotters weren't near it. Went to 105kg on second, but failed on technicality - not waiting for judges start command. Pressed it easy. Went for 107.5kg on third as I knew it would be easy. Could have managed 110kg perhaps. Not of the 100/105 or 107 were grinders.
Deadlift felt fine in warm ups. Did 60x5, 100x3, 130x2, 150x1. Opened on 165kg which felt heavy... but again.. like 160kg 2x2 in training I assumed it was a slow rep and I had more power in reserve. Went for 175kg on second. Got it off the ground (which is the toughest part of sumo deadlift) so was suprised that it just stopped moving around mid shin). Same on third attempt - got it off the ground but died a couple of inches later. Weird.
Overall - pretty embarrassing competing in the 93kgs and having hopeless numbers compared to the other 93kgs. If I had actually made weight I would have medalled in the 83kg category. Home scales was almost 2kg out versus gym scales. I had actually visited the venue the night before the comp, with my home scales for comparison purposes... but they weren't yet there.
Hindsight is 20/20... did a few stupid things during the end of my waterloading. Was coming down in weight fine until Friday morning. Decided that I would carb up slighty at lunch on Friday... had a small portion of chips. Stupid. Caused me to retain some of the 4 litres of water I drank after lunch. Similarly I quit waterloading at 2:30pm.. but had pasta and mince around 7pm. Was basing this on past experience where I've come in too light... so wanted a bit of food in my system. Won't be doing that again.
Funny to think that I put 5kg on my bench in 3 months since last comp, but still had my worst ever comp relatively speaking due to Squat and Deadlift going backwards by 7.5kg each.
Thinking about doing something different training-wise for Squat and Deadlift going forwards. I've dedicated 2 full days of training per week (from 4) to bench progress and it has worked. Now maybe I'll go hard on Squat on the other 2 days and bring it up ... e.g. Smolov Squat base cycle again and again. Will stick to current Bench plan as it is working.
Will post some videos once I sort through them/get them from various people.
Here's the shocking performance:
0 -
-
-
-
Whats the story with running all these smolov cycles at half pace?
I'm just curious as the premise of smolovs success is to over reach with huge volume condensed into a short space of time. Seems to me you miss out out on the super compensation aspect of the whole thing by splitting things up so much. In my experience and with guys I've coached for pure strength if you are going to squat 2x per week for 6 weeks instead of 4x per week for 3 you might be better off manipulating the %s if you are allowing twice the recovery period.
If you ain't doing smolov as written then you ain't doing smolov at all...
Just my 2c
Thoughts?0 -
Whats the story with running all these smolov cycles at half pace?
I'm just curious as the premise of smolovs success is to over reach with huge volume condensed into a short space of time. Seems to me you miss out out on the super compensation aspect of the whole thing by splitting things up so much. In my experience and with guys I've coached for pure strength if you are going to squat 2x per week for 6 weeks instead of 4x per week for 3 you might be better off manipulating the %s if you are allowing twice the recovery period.
If you ain't doing smolov as written then you ain't doing smolov at all...
Just my 2c
Thoughts?
that and the fact they work so well because of the all out assault due to the insane rapid increase in volume. do that long enough and your body stops adapting.0 -
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Whats the story with running all these smolov cycles at half pace?
I'm just curious as the premise of smolovs success is to over reach with huge volume condensed into a short space of time. Seems to me you miss out out on the super compensation aspect of the whole thing by splitting things up so much. In my experience and with guys I've coached for pure strength if you are going to squat 2x per week for 6 weeks instead of 4x per week for 3 you might be better off manipulating the %s if you are allowing twice the recovery period.
If you ain't doing smolov as written then you ain't doing smolov at all...
Just my 2c
Thoughts?
Totally agree that its not Smolov if done at half pace. Just easier to type Smolov half pace for my own records, than "made up program using Smolov %s but ran at half pace due to fear of killing myself" each time. I'm not trying to sell anyone else on it or pretend I'm extra hardcore ... but I would urge anyone to consider it consider bench progress is often painfully slow going:)
Proof is in the pudding. Added 7.5kg to my bench in the last ~8 months since I started the half pace Smolov Jr. This was after hovering around 100kg for 3 years. I want the same kind of increases (+more) on my Squat & Deadlift, hence using it on Squat now.
A number of my training buddies from different training groups (some in Melbourne, some in Perth... who don't know each other / train together) used this approach and had significant gains.
One 83kg guy I used to train with in Melbourne in 2011 went from benching same as me then (100kg) three years ago, to now comp benching 130kg with this approach. This was when I started paying attention first of all, since I had previously been using the same standard linear periodization program as him (building up the weight over 3x10s, 3x8s, 3x6s, 3x5s, 2x2... etc).
A number of other guys I know in Perth also train this way. These guys are going 200(knee sleeves)/130/230 and 240(wrapped)/140/245 at 86-88kgs. Not earth shattering numbers, but decent enough to pay attention to how they have been training and try to steal a trick from their book.
The volume at half pace is at least 50% above what I would be doing on my usual liner periodization Squat. I'm also very risk adverse when it comes to back health (having been unable to Squat/Deadlift for close to 2 years due to injury in late 2011-13) and thus don't wanna jump into a 4 day a week Smolov if I can get more long term, if slower, progress by just doing the rep scheme & %s at half pace.
Thanks for the feedback 0 -
-
Advertisement
-
-
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Saturday July 26th:
Sumo Deadlift (no belt :cool:, hook grip :eek:)
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x5
120kg - 8x4 ... hook grip for the first 6 sets... then was in so much thumb pain that had to change to double overhand for last 2 sets. Weight was fine. Make a video of sets 4 & 8 which I'll post later.
Thumbs were in agony after 6 sets of sumo, so reverted to double overhand for last couple of sets. I'm experimenting with hook grip and double overhand because I think mixed grip is putting too much strain on lower left back when breaking the ground. Grip may be slightly uneven on mixed.
Did all the sumo deads beltless. Was suprised how easy they felt without belt. To be honest I didn't feel any weaker. I guess it shows the lack of back involvement in my sumo, which is good. i.e. no strain.
Make a video of sets 4 & 8 which I'll post later.
Check out my expression after the hook grip set.
0 -
-
-
-
Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,493 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 8912
Friday August 1st: Squat - Smolov Cycle 1 Day 4
Squat
115kg - 10x3 ... first time squatting in oly lifting shoes. Deepest Squats ever. Felt heavier than 115kg though due to the extra depth.
---
Yeah, so I'm sold on oly lifting shoes. Couldn't believe the difference in depth when I watched the videos. Swtiched to high bar with thumbs around bar from 4th set onwards. Oly shoes allowed me to stay way more upright, which means I don't have to have the bar so low.
Squatting in the oly shoes for the first time must have opened up another good few inches in the bottom end. This felt odd getting down there, so had to fight to get out of there each time, then rest of rep is handy.
Mirin' my depth, bro?
0 -
-
-
Advertisement
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvHIQpAw7wQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01PsO3MVPBA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T86exxXFApk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkCQA_fkydg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP9hXlg3H6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s8nHuuRKDA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2W1vywgOPI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k6FJclCkgc
Advertisement