Does my bum look big in this squat rack?

Pavel66 wrote: »

Congrats on the DL PR

The ME stuff seems to be working well for you. I noticed you are taking a couple of days between sessions - maybe this is the key?

Yeah I thrive on rest. Amazing how quick I feel myself getting burned out. It's not about how many session you can do after all, just the effect you get from them. Max Effort stuff is a nice way of getting the work in and knowing you've done enough so you can rest easy on the recovery days. Just do 3 lifts at 90%+ and I know I've done enough for another week.

VIS VIRES wrote: »

Nice lifting Kev, lots of PR's:)

Where did you get the bands? I'm thinking about getting some for deadlifting...

Liftinglarge.com. It's their own brand called Kilo.

Always had a good experience with liftinglarge and these seem to be good quality.

Just got the beginner package. You can always double up if you need more tension.

Hanley wrote: »

Floating rib... what a stupid part of your body. The amount of pain that's caused me over the years. Hell it still hurts when I wear a belt.

Still gotta come visit for some training... Still in the shed?

Still in the shed. You should see my training partner. Biggest spider in Ireland. At first I thought it was some kind of badger.

Get down to the shed. Just give me a shout. That offers open to anyone. The shed does not discriminate so long as you rspect the shed.

Pavel66 wrote: »

That rib thing sounds nasty :eek:

As I said before that ME stuff seems to really work for you. Well done on the PRs

I am a fan of pull throughs myself, never tried them with bands - how do they compare?

Bands make pull-thrus harder at the top end so it kinda simulates a difficult lockout. Also they're the only way I can do pull thru's!

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

You're running full smolov!!

No choilov. I refuse to run any prolov with the word "junior" in it. So that's my stolov.

I also enjolov puttng extra "ov's" in sentenlovs.

5/10/10

Heavy squat

140 x 2
160 x 2
180 x 2
*belt on *
200x1
220 x 1
210 x 1

RDL's + bluebands
60kg
3 sets of 10

Hip work

---

9/10/10

Light squat

170kg 3 sets of 5

Squat mornings 60kg

5 sets of 8

Cabin Boys (row+clean )
5 rows+1clean = 1 rep
60kg
x4
x3
x2

---

11/10/10

Heavy bench

Dead bench
110 x 1
120 x 1
130 x 1
140 x 1
130 x 1

Tricep pushdosn against red band

Pullup selection

20 Burpess

Conditioning being thrown in just for health reasons. Every session ends with something that makes me breath hard.

---

14/10/10

Heavy squat

160 x 2
180 x 1
*belt on*
200 x 1
212 x 1
225 x 1
215 x 1

RDL's
60kg + red bands
5 sets of 8

---

Light squat

175
3 sets of 5

RDL's
80kg + red bands
5 sets of 8

Hip work

conditioning:
Plate drags

---

20/10/10

Heavy bench

Dead Bench
110 x 1
120 x 1
130 x 1
142.5 x 1 Slooooow

DB floor press
15kg dbs + blue band
x15
x13
x9
x7

Tri pushdowns x red band
x15
x10
x8
x8

BB rows
100kg
x9
x6
x5
x4

Weighted ng chins +10kg
x4
x3
x3
x3

Conditioning:
Burpee box jumps
x14
die
x12
poo

---

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

How'd you find the dead bench?

Nice. Really slow to move off the safety bars but once it starts to move it should make it the whole way up. 142.5kg must have taken 10 seconds from start to finish. Gotta be good for your bench taking all the momentum out of it.

BossArky wrote: »

You look huge in the still from that vid. What's the bodyweight?

108kg I think. I'm staying under 110kg hopefully. I think I got bigger around the upper body in general after Smolov bench.

19/10/10

Heavy Squat

Squat

140 x 3
160 x 2
180 x 2
*belt*
205 x 1
227.5 232.5 1 Accidental 5kg PR. Put the 5's on instead of 2.5's!
220 x 1
210 x 1

Rack pulls - red band assisted (beltless)
220kg
3 sets of 5

Hip work

Friggin stoked about the squat PR. Only realised when I was unloading the bar. In fact I changed the plates on one side and only when I was changing the other side did I notice the 5 on there. I'm 99% sure I had a 5 on the other side too (I retraced my steps and stared at the plates adding them up for about 15 minutes). If I had different plates on both sides it was a worst case 230kg.

I'd like to thanks cows everywhere for my success...



1lb of beef, cheese, tomatoes - George Foreman grill

Boris is interested.

I love being used as a frame of reference

I think the terminology is what's causing arguments re volume vs intensity but that it is pretty important in understanding what benefit you're getting if you do 20 rep squats as an example.

20 rep squats increased my max strength = false
20 rep squats improved the size of my ass & helped me cope with "time under tension" which in turn meant I could lift a bigger 1rm = TRUE

Time for one of my trademark obscure references.

Dieting makes my car go faster = FALSE
I dieted and lost 5 stone and now my car carries less weight when I'm in it and has a higher top speed = TRUE

It's not just in the case of 20 rep squats though. All accessory work has an indirect affect on your 1rm. It might go up but your band pullaparts didn't increase your max bench strength directly.

It's important to understand I suppose because you should know what the actual effect of everything you do is.

And shit like that.

Light bench

90kg close grip bench
x8
x7
x5

Red band tricep pushdowns
x15
x9
x7
x5
x5

20kg plate raise
x10
x10
x10

Blue band pullaparts
x9
x6
x5

Conditioning:
Burpee ng chins
x16

Box jumps (no pause on the floor)
x26

Just a recovery session to help me recover

---

30/10/10
Heavy Deadlift

Sumo:
100x3
140x2
160x2
180x1
*belt*
200x1
220x1
230xmiss
180x8

LOL. 220 flew but 230 was glued to the floor. That's the way sumos just are. Nice hip and posterior fatigue afterwards so all the right things firing which is all I wanted

Concrete Block defecit conv deadlifts (beltless)
100kg x 5
140x3
180x1
200x1
210x1

Plank +10kg on bum
x5 rest pause sets

Really enjoyed this. Sumos feel great as do the defecits. The weight is not huge but the strain on my posterior chain bits is substantial and that's all I want to achieve right now. Deadlifting normal ROM at high weights would just wreck me I think so I think deadlift variations are my future.

---

1/11/10
Heavy bench

Incline lockouts (11th pin)
100x2
110x1
120x1
130x1
135x1
130xmiss eeuurgh
100x9

Oly bar curl x 30 (pre-fatiguing arms)

Weighted ng chins +10kg
x3,x3,x2,x2,x2,x2,x2,x1

Red band rows/pulldown thingies
x17
x12
x12
x10
x10

Thursday 11/11/10

Light squat

170 x 7
170 x 7
170 x 7

Hard as hell..

Single leg deadlifts 10kg db's
Alternating legs x 20
Left x 18
Right x 18

Plank + 15kg plate
5sets rest pause

---

Mon 15/11/10

Glycogen-free heavy squat

220kg x 1
220kg x 1
220kg x 1

3rd single was the best, don't think I was warm enough. I was good for more but I'm not pushing it too much for now. Going heavy but not close to PR level, that'd be foolish.

Single leg deadlifts 17.5kg db's
L: x 15, x12, x10
R: x 15, x12, x10

Plank +15kg
5 sets rest pause

So I haven't eaten carbs since last friday lunchtime. Well and truly in ketosis at this stage (sub 30g of carbs a day by my count). How does it feel? Alright actually.

I've lost 6lbs in 4 days and more on the way, all water due to glycogen depletion or whatever but my belly and double chin have shriveled nicely. Felt weird for the first 3 or so days as predicted, not hungry or weak as such. The best way to describe it is like when you wake after sleeping for 14 hours or something and your body is just a bit groggy. Energy levels were back up though today on day 4 (I did the above heavy squat session on day 3, the worst day energy wise).

I haven't had hunger pangs at all either, I used to be RAVENOUS every 2 hours up to last week. Feels good. I think I need to include A LOT more low GI stuff when I get back to a normal diet.

I'm doing this now because the timing is good, I'll be doing it for 3-4 weeks and seeing where my fat levels are, re-introduce carbs over Xmas and then jump back into strength stuff for the new year. Plan is to manage my fat gain better than in the past. Just an all round healthier approach than when I was starting out.

Training wise I'm just going to keep hammering away, if I can still manage a 220kg squat in a month or so that will serve me well for re-introducing carbs and filling my muscles back up. I don't really want to do much cardio, I think I'll do more after the ketosis. Whatever powers of recovery I'll have I want them channeled into stength.

Should be interesting to see how a ketogenic state affects a bloated powerlifter, I'm a bit shocked at how bloated I was actually!

Hanley wrote: »

220kg x2?

Eat sh!t and die.

You mean "Eat salad and improve your body composition"

Thank you. I will.

I need a montage. Here's a synopsis of what I've been doing since my last update and how I'm approaching things.

25/11 - Bench - Red Band Assisted benches up to 155kg x 1 + a few drop sets for heavy doubles. Tried foam roller bench for reps with 100kg. Big lat involvement.

27/11 - Pulls - Conv off blocks up to 230kg x 1. It s a 4 inch defecit so this is v.good bearing in mind I was deep in diet country. Rack pulls off lowest pin up to 240 x 1 and missed 260.

*Got the man-flu/ebola virus - 7 days off*

7/12 - Rack pulls from 3rd pin. Worked up to 270 x 1 and missed 280. Pulled 250 x 4 as a drop set. did 10 sumo speed pulls with 120kg for my bum.

Random Dec day - Bench Test - Hit 140 x 1. Delighted, this was on the last dayof my diet. Lost a stone and only 5kg off my bench.

*Came up with new programming for post diet - 3 day split. Squat every day.
Day 1: Squat 3 x 5 + Rest pause shoulders and arms
Day 2: Heavy squat (single or double) + Rest pause chest and back width
Day 3: Speed or 20 rep squat + Deadlift variation

Thats about it.

12/12- Day 1 180kg 3x5 (beltless) + shoulder press, biceps and triceps

13/12 - Day 2 Worked up to 225kgx1 + wide grip incline bench w/o lockout and BB rows

17/12 - Day 3 20 reps attempt - 150kg x 17 (bar slipped off thermal top...freezing shed) + rack pulls, 3rd pin - 260 x 3, 250x5

*2 weeks off for vomiting bug and Xmas*

1/1 Day 4 180 3x5 beltless again +shoulders, arms and triceps

3/1 Day 5 Heavy squat - 227.5 x 1 + incline wide unlocked benches, Rows and some side raises.

6/1 Day 6 Paused speed squat vs red bands - 140kg 5x5. Rack pulls from 3rd pin worked up to 260x6... that's a massive PR. I don't know how I did that. It's from just above the kneecap that 3rd pin by the way.

So that's me up to date. I'll be more in depth starting with tomorrows session. As you can see sickness and hols rather stunted the ned of my year which is a good reflection of the entire year. This year I just need to keep some continuity, I made progress last year but I'm not fulfilling my potential as far as I'm concerned. Squatting 3 times a week is part of my attempt to shake free of my mediocrity. Feels good so far.

Weighing in at 101kg. There was no real post diet fat gain, the vomiting bug made sure of that. Hoping for some post diet muscle rebound this month. Hence the rest pause work in addition to all the squatting.

I've thought about possibly taking up a throwing sport in addition to the powerlifting. Anyone know if there's much of that going on in these parts? With the IDFPA going to the dogs and the fact that I really only compete once a year anyway I think it might be fun to add it in.

brianthebard wrote: »

Oh well then it should be handy enough, congrats kev you have a new sport.

Balls I was hoping to just talk about it on the Internet for a few months then give out about the lack of facilities.

Bruce7 wrote: »

http://www.galwaycityharriers.com/

2010 All-Ireland shot champion is a member.

The guy who came second in the shot and won the discus is in Clonliffe Harriers, who train in Santry

Cheers!

Did abit of research this morning. Clonliffe Harriers would appear to be the best option for me clubwise, being based in a great facility that's 10 mins from my house and all.

Apparently there's a place on Richmond Road that sell 7.26kg (full size) shots as well. My ludicrously long garden could be in for a pummeling, be interesting to see what I could fling it straight off with no technique.

There's an irish throwers club as well, they're on facebook. Seems to be slightly more focused on highland games style throwing events but it looks interesting. They're having a highland games one day event/clinic in July which sounds like fun. For some reason it's just the shot putt that tickles my fancy. Might have to try an pick one up and see if I get the bug.