Traps and Tricks and Such

dartstothesea · 19-02-2011 8:17pm

Haven't tested my DL in months, no. Never tested Bench or OH Press before either. Sure, I'd like to see where I'm at on those. I'm thinking though (and I may be wrong) that I'll get more adaptation out of any given 5x5 day on them lifts though so just happy to keep plugging away that way I guess.

Warm up

Squat
5 x warm up sets

162.5kg x 5
162.5kg x 5
162.5kg x 5
162.5kg x 5
162.5kg x 5

I didn't have a mirror but I don't think I needed it and made damn sure to get all the way down on every rep. Ryan nearby actually volunteered me the info that they were good reps so that's a bit of nice reassurance too.

Apparently VIS was the lad in the rack next to me squatting 180-odd KG for like 7 sets. Fair play.

Dips
5
4

Gym closed then.

I feel like if I could just sort out whatever is plaguing my right quad and knee, I'd have nothing holding me back from more and more gains on squat. I don't think I ever even get back pump anymore and my other leg has no trouble. Zero tendinitis in the last couple weeks too. Resting between sets it's always a case of just trying to let the ache in that ****ing right knee subside.

dartstothesea · 23-02-2011 12:04am

Bench
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5

Curls
15kg DBs
3 x 10

Pendlay Row
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 5

Ab stuff

Treadmill incline intervals ~9mins, 1.2km

Gym closed

Oh lawd, just realised I completely forgot dips. Will get some pushups in here at home before bed I guess.

dartstothesea · 25-02-2011 1:23pm

Ugh, ne'er made it to gym, had to travel home for workin' polling station today.

Oh, and I've been on a <30g carb significant calorie defecit since Tuesday. The bodyfat situation had gotten kind of gross. I had been just eating whatever I felt like and making sure I got enough kcals and grams of protein on top.

Did some 0kg squats at home to stop me going mental.
0kg x 40
0kg x 40
0kg x 40

Definitely ATG on these anyway, haha.

Hope I haven't lost much strength or anything so far. Still making sure to get 1g per lb protein anyway.

dartstothesea · 26-02-2011 8:59pm

Warm up

OH Press

65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 6

Much to my surprise I didn't feel any weaker on these, 4 days into the no-carb cal defecit. Hopefully being slightly less strict than the last cut is really letting me keep muscle.
We'll really find out though when it comes to squatting. Probably tomorrow.

Deadlift
2 x warm up sets

180kg x 5 - with a power belt
180kg x 1 - no belt, just to check out if it felt really different. I still dunno though.

So yeah I picked up my belt and tried it today. Don't know if I had it in exactly the right place but think I had the tightness right. Pinching those ****ing skinfolds on every rep is not fun. Just another reason to diet/cut.
I don't know if it really felt like easier or anything. Maybe it will for bigger weights. That feeling of head 'bout to pop with air pressure is a million times easier to get with the belt on, hah.

Chins
4
2 (one was a pull up which took it out of me :S)
1
1
1

Calf ext stuff

Super inclined intervals on treadmill at slow pace

Gym closed.

dartstothesea · 28-02-2011 11:23pm

Warm up

Squat
4/5 warm up sets

160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5

Happy to still be able for 160. Been eating ~2000 kcals/day, felt like I lost too much strength the last time I did that.

Right knee. Ugh. Someone tell me who to get have a look at what's causin' this.

dartstothesea · 04-03-2011 2:42pm

Yesterday.

BENCH
87.5kg x 5 x 5

Pendlay
67.5kg x 5 x 5

Bent over row
5 x 2

Dips
5
3
2

Ab stuff

Treadmill inclined intervals
10 mins, forget what distance. Serious inclines used though.

I noticed when warming up that I'm plenty more flexible now. I don't know if it's the diet or decreased muscle due to the diet or what. I haven't lost LOADS of strength I don't think so it seems like a good little trade for extra flexibility. Maybe it's just cause I'm squatting less often now. Oh and maybe it could be less fat.

the drifter · 04-03-2011 3:18pm

how...in the name of the swole gods....did you increase your flexability with a diet...

dartstothesea · 04-03-2011 10:39pm

Haha, well I really don't know why it happened but I do really notice a difference. I just assumed the diet had something to do with it.

I was even pretty comfortably able to narrow my grip tonight, squatting. The swole gods work in mysterious ways. Although they've surely forsook me now with all my cal defecit BS. Gonna appease them with an almighty, reverent refeed real soon.

Warm up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0_jmR8HeY

Squat
warm up x 4

Belt:
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5

Chins
5
3
2
1

Calf Ext stuff

About 2 seconds on a cross trainer thing.

dartstothesea · 07-03-2011 11:26pm

Warm up

OH Press

65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 5
65kg x 4

God I can't wait to go back to eating surplus so I can finally stop dicking around with 65kg. It's been forever. I could change up the reps/sets though I guess. But I've clung blindly to 5x5 this long...

Deadlift

2 x warm up

180kg x 5

Really dislike using the belt. I had a crack at another 2 reps afterward without it and yeah maybe it helps a little but the reps were ugly with it all the same.

Chins (again)
5
3
1

SHRUGZ

10 Mins on cross trainer at Lvl 20. In bits. 215kcals. I think I'm not even supposed to do "intense" cardio on a low carb cal defecit but fυck spending more than 10 minutes doing cardio like.

Pancake tuesday tomorrow should be another fun day of dieting.

dartstothesea · 09-03-2011 11:46pm

Still on the defecit. Gonna see how long term I can make the low carb thing, try make a habit.

Warm up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFLa_6AbYwY

Squat
4 x warm up

Belt:
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5

Knee still acting horrible. Belt felt much more comfy today. I think this is because my midsection is shrinking and that notch I'm using gets more lax. The flexibility continues to magically improve.

dartstothesea · 12-03-2011 5:42pm

Still on the defecit. Haven't kept it quite as low carb as I'd like but usually <50g and definitely always <100g. It's working. Slightly less strong at this point (a good 2.5kg down on most/all lifts now I'd say) but the decrease in bodyfat, to me, is nice and visible.

Warm up

Bench
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
90kg x 4 + just failed on the last rep. Totally lost my arch. Boo.

Pendlay
65 x 5
Too easy so went to:
70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 5

Chins
3 $:\$ first time I tried these right after the rows. Not the best time.

Calf Ext stuff

Cross trainer: 8 mins, 230 kcals

_JOE_ · 12-03-2011 7:15pm

What's your diet like on your cut? EDIT: Sorry forgot the new rule re diets...I shall ask you in Raw sometime next week...

Good work on still making gains whilst dieting...

dartstothesea · 12-03-2011 10:15pm

Ah I'm definitely not making gains but strength loss seems to have been pretty minimal alright. PM'd anyway, I presume that's allowed!

dartstothesea · 17-03-2011 4:47am

Warm up

Squat
5 warm up sets

160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5
160kg x 5

Used belt for the last 2 sets.

Knee felt grand today. I was pretty drunk on caffeine and these sets didn't feel too hard other than feeling nearly aerobic and leaving me fairly gaspin'. Weird.

OH Press
60kg x 5
60kg x 5
60kg x 4
60kg x 4

What. I don't know. I think I just ran right out steam and needed to eat some ****. Mad hunger.

Chins
5
3

Rushed now

Calf ext stuff

Left

Still got this defecit and diet. Wonder what I weigh now.

dartstothesea · 22-03-2011 12:44pm

Been on sort of a holiday down the country since Thursday. Let's just say I didn't eat enough, like I knew I should've.
Knowing another bit of strength was probably let slip is so off-putting $:\$

Posting for later just to say I'm going to get some squats in tonight so I have to go do it.

dartstothesea · 18-06-2011 7:28pm

I stopped updating this for a reason but since then have found myself not bothered remembering/recording what I do in the way of training, which is probably bad. Need dat perspective on things.

I’ve been barely maintainin’, for the last 2 months or more. I let exams and work and other stuff make training take a back seat, even though I really need not have, in retrospect. Going to start training more and eating more like a mother****er again. I started a Coan-Phillipi 10-week deadlift program 3 weeks ago and today I started a 3 week Smolov Squat “meso-cycle”.
Thanks for Ciaran in Raw for recommending both of these to me. Even if he did later tell me I probably won’t be able for both at the same time :pac:

TODAY - 18th June ‘11

Squat (Smolov; Week 1, Day 1)
130kg x 9
130kg x 9
130kg x 9
130kg x 9

Bench (5 x 5)
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5

Chins
5 BW
4 BW
3 BW

Cross trainer (“level 8” for whatever meaning that has)
~11 mins
1.6km

dartstothesea · 21-06-2011 2:25pm

Grappling training last night. Disgusting conditioning segment to it yet again. Calisthenic stuff is not my friend. Yet.

Going in tonight for either week 1 day 2 of Smolov or week 4 of Coan Phillipi. I may try doing both. And some overhead presses and some kind of row or as many chins as possible.

Hanley · 21-06-2011 2:38pm

dartstothesea wrote: »

Grappling training last night. Disgusting conditioning segment to it yet again. Calisthenic stuff is not my friend. Yet.

Going in tonight for either week 1 day 2 of Smolov or week 4 of Coan Phillipi. I may try doing both. And some overhead presses and some kind of row or as many chins as possible.

You don't train in Kokoro do you?!

dartstothesea · 21-06-2011 4:13pm

Since just lately, yep.

Hanley · 21-06-2011 4:23pm

dartstothesea wrote: »

Since just lately, yep.

Some man to be attempting Smolov, Coan and the conditioning work in there so....

Either very brave, or very very stupid

I heard about the conditioning session last night and that's how it clicked!

dartstothesea · 21-06-2011 5:24pm

Haha, well I'm only in there 2 nights a week for the rookie classes so hopefully I'll survive for now. I'm failing miserably at the majority of the actual reps involved in the conditioning sessions right now anyway.

I presume I should start getting a calorie surplus going but I had this notion that my conditioning would benefit from a defecit (obviously while doing condition training) so had been doing it like that the last few weeks...

dartstothesea · 21-06-2011 9:49pm

Warm up

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

Squat (Smolov Week 1, Day 2)

137.5kg x 7
137.5kg x 7
137.5kg x 7
137.5kg x 7
137.5kg x 7

Pretty much needed the belt for these. Last 2 sets were a bit better than the first few. Ugly grip and upper back form. Legs fine though.

Lower back pump subsided after a bit but I decided not try the Coan stuff tonight, even if I'd gotten through it fine I still would've felt like a huge idiot for doing it.
Gonna go for that tomorrow morning instead.

DB curls / Gunslingz (strictly to help my elbows survive swolov. Oh, smolov)
15kg DBs x 10
15kg DBs x 10
15kg DBs x 10

OH Press
55kg (I know...) x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5
55kg x 5

Cross / elliptical trainer thing
1.5k
9 minutes or something
No idea what resistance level 'cause that part of it is broken. Probably just '1' though.

I have a feeling that bit of cardio at the end of tonight's workout was a silly idea.

dartstothesea · 25-06-2011 7:28pm

Just some Coan stuff today. Played football for 2 hours afterward.

(Managed to get sick and not even go gym for the last few days. Sheit craic.)

Deadlift
197.5 x 2

165 x 3
165 x 3
165 x 3
165 x 3
165 x 3

Some Stiff leg DLs and Bent over Rows with something pretty light. Oh and lat pulldown. I really need to start properly doing the assistance stuff, I realise now. Having had it spelled out for me!

dartstothesea · 26-06-2011 5:42pm

^^Oh I hope no-one thinks I think the stuff in that last video I posted is ****ing cool or anything. It was just the only one I found that worked that had that song as the audio.
Anyway.

Forgot my beloved caffeine today. Ugh.

Squat (Smolov Week 1, Day 3)

147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5
147.5kg x 5

Died. My lower back and legs weren't exactly 100% I guess from the last day or two anyway ('specially since I haven't yet really sorted out that calorie surplus I was talking about), but the disgusting part of these sets was my inability to grip the bar and keep my shoulders in place. On all but like two of the sets I lost my bar position and had to finish the set with my shoulders/upper back all bent forward to keep the bar on me. Even had to re-rack it on a lower hook for one of the sets 'cause I couldn't help but stay insanely hunched forward with it.
Got a bit of chalk for the last set and it was actually a good bit better. Think I should probably get wrist wraps as well.

Oh, belt for all those... $:\$

Bench

82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 4
80kg x 4

Ah jesus.

Some 'cep curlz with 12.5kg DBs
3 x 10

dartstothesea · 28-06-2011 11:18am

10 x 3 day this morning.

Warm up

Squat (Smolov Week 1, Day 4)

Warm up sets x 5

157.5kg x 3
157.5kg x 3

So, this is far as I got, mainly due to my elbows slowly exploding from the 2nd warm up set onwards. (I had to leave for work too but prob would've slowly kept going only for the elbow thing).
Tendinitis, I guess. It had flared up a little bit the last day but I was too bothered about other crap and ignored it. I could barely unload the 2.5kg plates off the bar today. Elbows utterly done for.
Dunno how I'm gonna try squatting again in the next couple of days, it looks like game over, here, far as Smolov goes...

Everything else felt great today. Back and legs hadn't a hint of a bother on them. I don't think doing Coan and other conditioning stuff concurrently was even a problem, just my upper body isn't near strong enough to keep up.

Like, I can barely bench above 100kg really and my OH press, don't even know what my 1RM is but haven't with 5x5 even gone above 60kg lately. I bicep curl 15kg DBs at most once or twice a month. With numbers like that should I even expect my shoulders and arms to be okay with a program that ultimately sees me max squatting ~200kg+?

Maybe I need a bench/OH Press/brocep program.

If people do have advice on combating the tendinitis and continuing with Smolov though, I'll definitely do that.

(Sorry, when I say "elbows" here I really mean the inside of the joint like where the bicep goes into the forearm.)

COH · 28-06-2011 1:46pm

dartstothesea wrote: »

Maybe I need a bench/OH Press/brocep program.

I'd recommend just getting a pair of testicles instead

dartstothesea · 28-06-2011 2:38pm

Haha, I knew I'd come off like a huge wuss in that post, but, I wanted to keep going. It just got so couldn't even grip anything. I dunno, is it okay to just keep going through that sort of **** or would I do damage to my elbows?

d'Oracle · 28-06-2011 2:45pm

dartstothesea wrote: »

Haha, I knew I'd come off like a huge wuss in that post, but, I wanted to keep going. It just got so couldn't even grip anything. I dunno, is it okay to just keep going through that sort of **** or would I do damage to my elbows?

That's his answer to everything.

Have you tried widening your grip?
Shoulder mobility exercises?
Physio? Massage?

Its not going to get better by itself, just worse and more painful.
And its probably due to tightness in your shoulders if its happening from squats.

dartstothesea · 28-06-2011 2:57pm

I had already widened my grip, hands are fully outside the rings now. Going wider seems weird but if that's supposed to help I'll def try it.

I already spend loads of time stretching and warming up my shoulders but there's always the chance I'm just not doing the right things, I suppose.

I think I actually have fairly flexible shoulders as it it but I guess this tendinitis crap implies otherwise and how would I really know anyway.

I heard anti-inflammatory drugs can help me so I'll try that before next time anyway.

dartstothesea · 28-06-2011 3:03pm

So are you saying I'm on entirely the wrong track in thinking I just need to be stronger in the arms/shoulders area? It's actually a question of flexibilty?

Traps and Tricks and Such

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