Justa Singles / Smalov

funkey_monkey · 11-06-2015 10:01am

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

But you're making progress on the lifts, yeah?

Yip, it is good in that sense. Feel that i'm missing arm day though.

Alf Veedersane · 11-06-2015 10:40am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Yip, it is good in that sense. Feel that i'm missing arm day though.

What do you think isn't getting worked enough?

funkey_monkey · 15-06-2015 5:31pm

Calves and arms.

I need to check the videos for the bent over row. In order to lift the weights now, its more of a snatch rather than controlled ascent/decent.

Mellor · 16-06-2015 1:10am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Calves and arms.

I need to check the videos for the bent over row. In order to lift the weights now, its more of a snatch rather than controlled ascent/decent.

Your bent over row is like a snatch

Alf Veedersane · 16-06-2015 10:04am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Calves and arms.

Your arms get plenty of work. Do some curls at the end if you feel the need to.

Ditto calves but they're very hard to grow so it's not like you'lll end up with imbalanced legs by not doing isolation work for them.

funkey_monkey · 16-06-2015 12:02pm

Mellor wrote: »

Your bent over row is like a snatch

Probably wrong description, but it feels more of a jerk movement rather than a controlled steady raise and lower.

Blacktie. · 16-06-2015 12:55pm

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Probably wrong description, but it feels more of a jerk movement rather than a controlled steady raise and lower.

Ah I know this movement! I consider this my one after my last rep. As in you're not doing the movement anymore you're cheating reps. End the set when you notice this happening.

Alf Veedersane · 16-06-2015 12:56pm

And watch out for the wrist curling at the end of the rep...

Hanley · 16-06-2015 8:59pm

Been trialling a modified version of this....

Day 1 70% 15x1 every 30s
Day 2 70%+1-2.5kg 15x1 every 30s
Etc etc

3 training days per week only.

Once it gets to hard to pull every 30s your extend the rest out.

Once you're up near max levels, you start to drop the sets (so maybe 5-8 singles per workout only)

Out of the guys and girls who've trialled it so far;

2 pulled 15x1 above their max, and saw approx a 15% PR

1's pulled 15x1 above his max and is STILL going

1's pulled 8x1 @ 97% of his max and still looks strong, which is cool considering he's a 2.2x bodyweight puller.

Everyone else is stil going strong around 85-90%.

Mellor · 17-06-2015 12:44am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Probably wrong description, but it feels more of a jerk movement rather than a controlled steady raise and lower.

I think I know what you mean.
(Snatch and Jerk are names of two specific lifts, which was a bit confusing)

You are using you legs, I found that my legs were moving too above 90%. Simply because I'd tensing my whole body for heavy triple/doubles and being in a bent over position I'd have a small bit of hip extension.
I got around this by pre-tensing my hips. Really squeeze them and take out all the slack in your hips.

Hanley wrote: »

Been trialling a modified version of this....

Day 1 70% 15x1 every 30s
Day 2 70%+1-2.5kg 15x1 every 30s
Etc etc

3 training days per week only.

Once it gets to hard to pull every 30s your extend the rest out.

Once you're up near max levels, you start to drop the sets (so maybe 5-8 singles per workout only)

Out of the guys and girls who've trialled it so far;

2 pulled 15x1 above their max, and saw approx a 15% PR

1's pulled 15x1 above his max and is STILL going

1's pulled 8x1 @ 97% of his max and still looks strong, which is cool considering he's a 2.2x bodyweight puller.

Everyone else is stil going strong around 85-90%.

Interesting.
2.5kg every session, or do you drop it down to 1.25kg as you approach 95%+

Hanley · 17-06-2015 9:41am

Mellor wrote: »

Interesting.
2.5kg every session, or do you drop it down to 1.25kg as you approach 95%+

Depends how strong you are really... Stronger = 2.5kg per session.

Like I'd say you wanna add approx. 2% per sesh so if you're MAD strong, that could be 5kg.

Mellor · 17-06-2015 11:43am

Hanley wrote: »

Depends how strong you are really... Stronger = 2.5kg per session.

Like I'd say you wanna add approx. 2% per sesh so if you're MAD strong, that could be 5kg.

Good stuff.
2% is closer to 4kg than 2.5kg, so should probably target a steady 2.5kg.
I think I might give this a go later in the year. If I can keep it up for 8-10 I'll pull some nice numbers

funkey_monkey · 17-06-2015 5:51pm

Had 100kg on my back on Monday. It felt okay most of the way down, but didn't feel supported enough to aim for parallel intentionally. I think a few of the reps when to parallel though. I only done 5 x 3 though.

I'll try tonight to get some better depth and then try for 5x5 on Friday. Although I'm knackered at the minute due to lack of sleep - a bit stressed out at the minute.

Overhead press @ 55kg just was not for happening.

funkey_monkey · 17-06-2015 5:56pm

Hanley wrote: »

Been trialling a modified version of this....

Day 1 70% 15x1 every 30s
Day 2 70%+1-2.5kg 15x1 every 30s
Etc etc

Would you rest the bar between reps on the squat. 7 1/2 minutes is a long time to be loaded, although it would be a bit hectic to load/squat/reset every 30 seconds?

Mellor · 18-06-2015 2:52am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

Would you rest the bar between reps on the squat. 7 1/2 minutes is a long time to be loaded, although it would be a bit hectic to load/squat/reset every 30 seconds?

He's referring to deadlift.

funkey_monkey · 29-06-2015 10:28pm

Well, I've finished this routine as much as I can - just been made redundant and and bit stressed out causing sleep loss etc. This has given me a lack of energy in the gym.

Deadlift: 145kg (-5kg)
Squat: 100kg (+5kg)
Bench: 90kg (+0kg)
Press: 57.5kg (+2.5kg)
Row: 75kg (+15kg)

Weight: 68kg (+1kg)

I never felt that I was in control during this routine. The Amazing12 routine for me felt so much better for me. Very disappointed with the bench and deadlift. Row seems to have been affected by a poor starting baseline value moreso than actual progress. Press could have been 60kg on a better day, but it wasn't. For me squat is all about getting sued to the weight on my back - 100kg felt okay at times, but then I could feel my lower back. due to lack of sleep and energy that is as far as I've got with this.

Not sure where to go from here.

funkey_monkey · 07-07-2015 1:32pm

I've been reading into The Cube and 5/3/1. The blurb on them seems to point to them being powerlifting and strength oriented routinces respectively.

As I'm trying to build mass are these still applicable or should I opt for a variant of GVT such as 8x8. I don't want to switch back immediately to the Smalov routine I done initially. Dedicated BB routines seem to be very intensive in terms of exercises performed per session and I don't know if that will suit me as I seemed to progress better when my gym time decreased - which hints at overtraining (and/or f***ing about when there...).

I've made good progress in terms of mass recently and want to keep going.

Hanley · 07-07-2015 2:59pm

Why do a GVT "variant"? Why not just DO GVT as written?

Mellor · 08-07-2015 2:04am

Hanley wrote: »

Been trialling a modified version of this....
Day 1 70% 15x1 every 30s
Day 2 70%+1-2.5kg 15x1 every 30s
Etc etc

3 training days per week only...

Going to give this a go when I get back.

Just wondering about the rest of the sessions. Do you just treat the rest as a 3 day program?
Eg:
Day 1: Deadlift singles, Bench Press, accessory lifts
Day 2: Deadlift singles, Squat, accessory lifts
Day 3: Deadlift singles, Press, accessory lifts

Hanley · 08-07-2015 6:31am

Mellor wrote: »

Going to give this a go when I get back.

Just wondering about the rest of the sessions. Do you just treat the rest as a 3 day program?
Eg:
Day 1: Deadlift singles, Bench Press, accessory lifts
Day 2: Deadlift singles, Squat, accessory lifts
Day 3: Deadlift singles, Press, accessory lifts

They squat and bench 3x per week too.

One of my longer termers, @ 75kg went;

SQ: 135-150
B: 75-87.5
DL: 160-175

..over about 5/6 weeks following a plan where he squatted, benched and DL'd 3x per week, and followed the DL progresion above.

funkey_monkey · 08-07-2015 6:35pm

Hanley wrote: »

Why do a GVT "variant"? Why not just DO GVT as written?

The Gironda 8x8 program I seen was getting reviews as good as GVT.

funkey_monkey · 15-07-2015 5:44pm

Was thinking of the following 4 day GVT splits:

http://muscleandbrawn.com/complete-guide-german-volume-training/
which looks like:

Day 1 – Chest and Upper Back
Day 2 – Legs and Abs
Day 3 – Off
Day 4 – Shoulders and Lats
Day 5 – Biceps and Triceps
Day 6 – Off
Day 7 – Off

http://content.tigerfitness.com/massive-volume-training-4-day-split/
Which looks like:

Day 1 – Quads and Hamstrings
Day 2 – Chest and Triceps
Day 3 – Off
Day 4 – Back and Biceps
Day 5 – Shoulders, Traps and Calves
Day 6 – Off
Day 7 – Off

Convention/majority of routines seems to dictate:
Day 1: Chest and Back
Day 2: Legs and Abs
Day 3: off
Day 4: Arms and Shoulders
Day5: off

Howeve, this infers that the second week begins on Day6. This means weekend training which is sometimes not possible for me due to family issues. Are the 4 day splits okay, or should I attempt for the more conventional routine?

Thanks.

funkey_monkey · 23-07-2015 4:53pm

I’ve decided to try the Muscle & Brawn GVT Variation routine. Squats day killed me – specifically the leg curls which I performed as SLDL’s because our gym does not have a good leg curl machine. Backs of my legs have been agony with DOMS for 3 days now.

So, my initial weight on day 1 was 68.7kg. I’ve no method of determining BF% so I’ll just have to judge by sight as to what amount of weight gains are muscle as opposed to fat.

So far, my numbers have been:
Bench 52.5kg (58% 1RM)
Rows 40kg (~50% 1RM)
Squat 65kg (~60% 1RM)
SLDL 65kg ( ? )

Are these in the right ball park for what I’m doing?

Hanley · 24-07-2015 6:35am

What does your GVT hybrid say to use number wise?

Cos the real GVT program is relatively prescriptive.

funkey_monkey · 24-07-2015 1:39pm

Re-reading the article it states 60% of 1RM, although I took that to be talking about the standard routine but it could be inferred for the variation routine.

So, I'm not too far off where I should be. Last night was shoulders and Lats. Underestimated the weight for the lat pulldowns.

For seated shoulder press what is the optimum angle for the back of the seat? I was using a bench with back set to 60 degrees as anything more upright felt as if the bar was going too far out in front of me and being unstable. The gym does not have any low back seats. Some weblinks seem to suggest 85deg, but I remember tring this and it still felt wrong. I don't want to end up doing an incline press - so should I move to 85deg and try to get accustomed to it?

Alf Veedersane · 24-07-2015 2:35pm

The lower the angle, the more chest you bring into it so 85 sounds better if you want to work the shoulders more.

If you find it awkward with a bar then you could always try DBs

Mellor · 27-07-2015 4:10am

funkey_monkey wrote: »

For seated shoulder press what is the optimum angle for the back of the seat? I was using a bench with back set to 60 degrees as anything more upright felt as if the bar was going too far out in front of me and being unstable. The gym does not have any low back seats. Some weblinks seem to suggest 85deg, but I remember tring this and it still felt wrong. I don't want to end up doing an incline press - so should I move to 85deg and try to get accustomed to it?

Shoulder press should be as upright as possible, prob. 60 degrees is more like a (high) incline bench press.
The bar should be onlt slightly in front. Just enough to clear your head. Pull your head back as the bar passes.

My gym has this fixed shoulder press rack, I'll checked what the seat back angle is later.

Mellor · 27-07-2015 4:25am

Hanley wrote: »

Been trialling a modified version of this....

Day 1 70% 15x1 every 30s
Day 2 70%+1-2.5kg 15x1 every 30s
Etc etc

3 training days per week only.

Once it gets to hard to pull every 30s your extend the rest out.

Once you're up near max levels, you start to drop the sets (so maybe 5-8 singles per workout only)

Out of the guys and girls who've trialled it so far;

2 pulled 15x1 above their max, and saw approx a 15% PR

1's pulled 15x1 above his max and is STILL going

1's pulled 8x1 @ 97% of his max and still looks strong, which is cool considering he's a 2.2x bodyweight puller.

Everyone else is stil going strong around 85-90%.

...And I started this DL progression last week. Interested to see where it goes.
Starting at 70%, It'll be 8 weeks before I hit my max.

Mellor · 12-08-2015 7:13am

Mellor wrote: »

...And I started this DL progression last week. Interested to see where it goes.
Starting at 70%, It'll be 8 weeks before I hit my max.

In week 4 at the moment. 80-85%
Still plugging away with x 15 w/30s rest

Mellor · 21-08-2015 6:51am

Mellor wrote: »

In week 4 at the moment. 80-85%
Still plugging away with x 15 w/30s rest

About to hit 90% in the next session.
I increasedd the rest to 40s, and was maintaining 15x1, untill today.
Tore a chunk off my hand after 9 singles. Didn't want to continue and not be able to deadlift next week.

I taped over a callus that was giving me problems a while back, but I popped all the blood vessals in the finger, on two occasions.

Justa Singles / Smalov

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