Does my bum look big in this squat rack?

Hanley

About 2 mins in to this vid; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hk9z1YVcE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Frosstraining.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F13%2Fthe-55-year-old-commando%2F&feature=player_embedded

Would be a great way to train for your windshield wipers I'd say!

bigstar

there russian twists arent they? its fairly tough so start light, well i find it tough anyway, you can start with no weight too.

itsallaboutheL

are windshield wipers the same as the floor wipers i do of occassion??

bigstar

Lookee Here!

kevpants wrote: »

Fri 24/04/09 Lower body assistance experiment day

Barbel lunges:
52.5kg
x20 (10 per leg)
x26
x26

GHR's (Grandad hamstring raises)

Set up with Smith machine and a flat bench. Couldn't do 1!!! Had to recruit a seat to lower down onto and then kinda do a pushup back up while also pulling with my hamstrings, hence the Grandad replacing Glute in GHR's!

Did 2 sets of 10 with the seat helping.

Rev Hypers +10kg
x15
x10
x10
x10

Hanging leg raises.
15 mins of faffing about learning to do them. My goal is to be able to not only do them but to be able to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSVR7YmzmRM

If I can do them at 100kg+ bodyweight I figure that alone will add 15 - 20 kg to my squat.

Ab Pulldowns:
stack x20
x11

Side Bends:
37.5kg dumbell
x 20 Left and right
x15 left and right

Writing this 2 days after this workout I have to say I seme to have unearthed a few gems here. The side bends have my obliques in bits and I've ab DOMS from the leg raises. The lunges have my glutes in bits and my hammies are at me too!

At least I've a few new staple assistance moves but I'm so sore I might have to out off my squatting until Tuesday!

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

About 2 mins in to this vid; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hk9z1YVcE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Frosstraining.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F03%2F13%2Fthe-55-year-old-commando%2F&feature=player_embedded

Would be a great way to train for your windshield wipers I'd say!

Ahhhh indeed. God they look tough...

kevpants

Wed 06/05/09 C3 W3

Military Press

75% 62.5kg x 5
85% 72.5kg x 3
95% 80kg x 3 (smacked myself in the chin with the bar on the 4th!)

Military Press Creepers:
32.5kg
Got to 5th rep in the 10th set (I think, I may have actually done 11 sets! We'll see next week if the 10th set goes easy)

Kroc Rows:
25kg
L x 30
R x 30
L x 20
R x 20

Scap Pulldowns:
75kg
x 20
x 18
x 15

TF Machine Curls
45kg
x 14
x 6
x 4

Rev Machine Curl:
20kg
x10
x9
x9

kevpants

Fri 08/05/09 C4 W1

Squat: (new max 185kg)

75% 137.5kg x 5
80% 147.5kg x 5
85% 157.5kg x 9 (5kg PR)

Squat Creepers: 72.5kg
Did 6 reps in the 10th set



20 mins of sitting and panting


Hanging Leg Raises:
x6
x5
x2

Russian Twists:
Lots, with different weights/plates/DB's. These are nice. Seemed to rehab my lower back too.


Delighted with the squatting. The "5" day is a total bastardo but 152.5 x 9 was what I got last cycle so the squatting is still on an upward curve which is pretty much all I really care about, ever.

Squat creepers are siiiiiiick. I got Hanley to video them to see how bad my form breaks down as they progress but I was too busy feeling ill and forgot to look at it. I'm so putting them forward for the records thread. They'll sort the wheat from the chaff!

kevpants

Mon 11/05/09 C4 W1

Bench: (New max 132.5kg)

75% 100kg x 5
80% 105kg x 5
85% 112.5kg x 8 (2.5kg PR)

DB Bench:
37.5kg
x13
x7
(Long break talking sh1t)
x10

Lucy Press:
90kg
x10
x7
x6

Face Pulls:
67.5kg
x20
x18
x16
x14

Happy with the progress on the bench. Loads of speed and stength off my chest as usual and my lockout just tired after the 8 reps.

cardio,shoot me

kevpants wrote: »

Wed 06/05/09 C3 W3
Military Press
(smacked myself in the chin with the bar on the 4th!)

haha i hit myself in the nose on my last workout! I was nearly sure id broken it :P

Hanley

Looks like ya had a good day on the bench in the end so!!

I meant to ask ya, how do you gauge your assistance work? Like I know with a lot of stuff you take shortish breaks so you don't always get the same number of reps on each set, the drop off seems to be quite severe at times. How do you decide whether you're improving?? Total reps? Reps in the first set...? Does it matter at all?

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

I meant to ask ya, how do you gauge your assistance work? Like I know with a lot of stuff you take shortish breaks so you don't always get the same number of reps on each set, the drop off seems to be quite severe at times. How do you decide whether you're improving?? Total reps? Reps in the first set...? Does it matter at all?

It's usually the reps in the first set I go by. If it goes up over the weeks I know I'm getting stronger. I don't bother waiting to fully recover on the assistance stuff I just do enough to exhaust whatever muscle I'm targeting. I suppose I'm just trying to get the muscle to respond so you could equally let yourself recover and go for 3 sets of equal reps. TBH I don't know which way is better!

itsallaboutheL

kevpants wrote: »

It's usually the reps in the first set I go by. If it goes up over the weeks I know I'm getting stronger. I don't bother waiting to fully recover on the assistance stuff I just do enough to exhaust whatever muscle I'm targeting. I suppose I'm just trying to get the muscle to respond so you could equally let yourself recover and go for 3 sets of equal reps. TBH I don't know which way is better!

+1
its something i've been wondering about..... i think the balls to the wall approach on the first set, more reps each week, and then what ever happens after happens seems to be working.

kevpants

Wed 13/05/09 C4 W1

Deadlift: (220 new max)

(Sumo style)
75% 165kg x 5
80% 175kg x 5
85% 187.5kg x 7

Assisted GHR's:
3 sets of 10

Hanging Leg Raise:
x6
x6
x5
x3

Russian Twists:
Highest decline 10kg plate
x8
x8
x8
x8

Very pleased with how the sumos went. First time ever trying them and I managed to get 7 reps on the "5" day. I don't think I would have gotten that conventional tonight. The feeling of the hips & glutes doing all the work is great. My lower back was very happy. I'm gonna embark on some exercises to try and correct my form with them, lighter sumos standing on plates sounds like a plan bar ensuring I get good leg drive.

As I write this there is fire in my trousers..... my horse liniment arrived. It's good stuff, heats up as you do and had my lower back really warm by the end of my warm up, just what I needed.

Here is a vid of the sumos. I think I'm stiff legging them and my form is off so critique like mofo's, I'm not sure of who around here has ever done them but all feedback is welcomed. Viewer discretion is advised.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT603yLKo9Y

Oh and I got ANOTHER hole closed on my belt, the slack kept getting caught when I was pulling! I think my abs are starting to peek through too. I'm hot.

brianthebard

Nice one, good to hear they were good for your back. If you can make the switch from conventional to sumo and can use the same weight straight away then there can't be too much wrong with it right? You already know you're stiff legging it a bit, once your hips stop rising so fast there'll probably be a great improvement. Perhaps the pull from the upper back could start earlier iykwim, but that's probably just another symptom of the stiff leg effect. Just curious do you feel you need to lock out the lift so hard? Just wondering whether that's going to hurt your lower back a bit after a while? Obviously you pull way way more than me so feel free to disregard all this....

eta; should you be a bit more upright to begin with? I think the last rep was closest to what I have in mind, but then the hips went up so you lost teh uprightness (I know I'm not making much sense, sorry)

kevpants

No you are making sense. I think I need to be able to get more flexible in the old hips to get down and almost squat the weight up. The reason the lockout is so hard is because it's so much easier to lock out this way! I was exerting the same force as when I pull conventional and I was nearly falling backwards it came up so quick! I should definitely be more upright but once again I need to be flexible enough to get my hips closer to the bar. I think I need to concentrate on leaning back more with the initial "off the ground" movement.

A lot of work to be done but I think it'll be worth it.

Hanley

Your back felt better doing them??? Weird.... from rep 4 on it was like a wide stance SLDL, seriously, pause the vid as the bar leaves the floor and look at your hips on those reps But hey, if it works it works!!!

Assistance wise the best things to do imo are;
-extra with sumos (put a thick metal collar on the bar BEFORE putting plates on, and then go toes to plate)
-sumo w/15kg plates (as opposed to standing on plates - personal exp in TF is that they tend to slide)
-wide stance pull thrus

The first one is assumin gyou're going toes to plates already? If you're not, start there for assistance work, but start light cos it'll knacker your hips if ya don't. The key with sumo assistance work when you're starting is to be really conservative, and really cautious cos you can kill your hips so easily.

Are you using your conventional max for the working weights? Might be an idea to drop it back slightly and concentrate on keeping your hips down at the start.

Also, don't be surprised if near max weights take FOREVER to get off the floor. In my exp it's almost impossible to grind out a sumo. It either goes or doesn't!!

Here's a vid from aaaaages ago of the super wide pulls (do em withotu a belt too, it'll help with your abs and make normal sumo's a breeze. Think I got to 185 x6's eventually with them and then pulled 220x2-3 normally, so there's good carryover)

Super wides;
160 x5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-zx-ei-jiw
185 x6 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRp0NltBTt0

They really teach you to keep your hips down.

brianthebard

There's another article on t-nation about lower back pain today, seems hip mobility is a big part of it. I was also curious where your feet were? I had mine just outside the rings on the bar yesterday. It was only slightly wider than my normal squatting position, I think there should be a good carry over?
I know I can go wider but I seem to have tight groin muscles and would need to loosen them up before I can really benefit from putting the feet out wider, even though its totally possible to get them out to the plates. I think you should definitely work on the hips before you set up wider, just my opinion.

Also, I know this looks pretty ghey, but plie squats might be a good accessory lift, that will also help your form for the sumo. I've seen it mentioned in a few articles before. I can't really find any good videos of it (by good I mean non ghey) but at least this girl is nice to look at...(even if she sounds weird)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0BaiHuvNQ

First squat in this vid.

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

Your back felt better doing them??? Weird.... from rep 4 on it was like a wide stance SLDL, seriously, pause the vid as the bar leaves the floor and look at your hips on those reps But hey, if it works it works!!!

I know! My back felt perfect after them, my arch never waivered an inch. I knew 100% doing them that I was stiff-legging them, I just need to learn the technique. I feel strong doing them though.

I'm not going toes right to plates, there's about an inch to spare. Just to protect my piggies while I'm learning.

brianthebard wrote: »

I think you should definitely work on the hips before you set up wider, just my opinion.

Yeah my hips have never been asked to do this crap before so I know I have to work on them.

brianthebard wrote: »

Also, I know this looks pretty ghey, but plie squats might be a good accessory lift, that will also help your form for the sumo. I've seen it mentioned in a few articles before. I can't really find any good videos of it (by good I mean non ghey) but at least this girl is nice to look at...(even if she sounds weird)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0BaiHuvNQ

First squat in this vid.

She lost me at "booty" :pac:

These are similar to a warmup Orla in Sportsmed gave me except instead of holding the dumbell I do a kind of Kettle bell swing with it.

Hanley

I believe the following is in order;

cardio,shoot me

happy birthday kev(unless hanley is random trolling). you better be hittin the gym, its a new trend i started

kevpants

Fri 15/05/09 C4 W1

Military Press:

75% 65 x 5
80% 70 x 5
85% 75 x 6 (these are getting tough!)

Military Creepers:
32.5kg
Did 5 in the 10th set.

Kroc Rows:
25kg
left: x32 x22
right: x32 x22

Dips:
x20
x11
x7

Machine curls:
10kg
x50
x25

kevpants

Mon 18/05/09 C4 W2

Squat:

80% 147.5kg x 3
85% 157.5kg x 3
90% 165kg x 6

Barbell Hypers:
20kg
x12
x8
x9
x8

Hanging Leg Raises:
x7
x5
x3

Squats weren't great. First time in the Do-Wins and I was sinking waaaay too deep. The bar was travelling about 3 inches further than it used to. t's gonna take a while to adjust to them after squatting in cons for so long.

kevpants

Wed 20/05/09 C4 W2

Bench:

80% 105g x 3
85% 112.5kg x 3
90% 120kg x 5

Lucy Press:
90kg
x15
x10
x10

Chins:
x10
x5
x4
x2
x2

Face Pulls:
75kg
x18
x16
x14
x12
x12

Really messy set on the bench but 120 x 5 is fine.

kevpants

Friday 22/05/09 C4 W2

Deadlift:

(Sumo)

80% 175kg x 3
85% 187.5kg x 3
90% 197.5kg x 5

Defecit Sumo's:
110kg (all 15's)
x8
x8
x8
x8

Hanging Leg Raises:
x6
x3
x2
x2

Russian Twists:
10kg plate
x10
x8
x6
x6

Sumo's still feel great. I think my hips were lifting the weight off the floor a lot more this time.

Malteaser!

Kev, this just finished loading - I hope you don't mind me posting it here!!

Below is an example of some quality study/work avoidance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QipSqziV5cM

Kev's first taste of box jumping, turns out he's actually quite good at it!!



Your push ups are also finished loading if you wanna rob em off my page to use for the comp : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZZcIncOQw

kevpants

Malteaser! wrote: »

Kev, this just finished loading - I hope you don't mind me posting it here!!

Below is an example of some quality study/work avoidance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QipSqziV5cM

Kev's first taste of box jumping, turns out he's actually quite good at it!!



Your push ups are also finished loading if you wanna rob em off my page to use for the comp : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ZZcIncOQw

Man those one legged ones are hilarious. I spent so much time on one leg just looking at the steps.

Hanley

God there's so much hilarity in there!!

My look of dismay at you making 7 and a bit....
Your straight leg jump into the 8...
Kicking the 8....
The one leg box jumping.....

God, funny times!!

kevpants

The video is incomplete without keyboard cat playing me off at the end.

BossArky

Great jumping. I lol'd (a lot)!

Looks kinda dangerous though. NEarly smashed your head a few times. You should fold an ab crunch mat in half and prop it up against the wall in case you do hop off it.

Hanley

Check this out for a bad ass ab rollout;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iskj6iwWTU

And this is just funny;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwv0wi-Sybo