Beached Whale Chronicles

[Sentinel]

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 15 - Week 3
Squat Day​

Beginning Thoughts:

I cannot believe the weekend is almost over. It literally flew by. Come next week I am going to be cramming for finals...Fucking terrible.​

​

So, I had to skip yesterday's planned Press Day so I merged the two workouts together today.​

Workout:

Front Squats:​

255 lbs x 2 reps​

275 lbs x 2 reps x 3 sets​

315 lbs x Choke​

So...I did my 3 sets with 275 which much better control than last time (I'm pretty pleased with that) but when I took the 315, I just couldn't do it. The bar was up against my throat and it literally choked me. I just stood with the bar for like 15 seconds, got extremely light headed and dizzy, saw some sparks and thought I was about to faint and I racked the weight immediately because I started learning backward. This has never happened to me before. Really miserable feeling. I am just waiting to break the 315 barrier lol....Only a matter of time, though. I am sure of it. ​

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Dumbbell Rows:​

125 lbs x 3 reps x 3 sets​

125 lbs x 6 reps <<-- used straps​

I saw 125 lbs DB's and I just had to jump on this. Hahah...​

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High Cable Rows:​

160 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets​

190 lbs x 5 reps​

175 lbs x 8 reps​

I used this new bar which I've never come across before and I wanted to experiment it with it for a bit. It was awesome. ​

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Farmers Walks:​

105 lbs x 1 trip x 6 sets​

I was toasted after this. I got 2 clips of this in my video.​

Videos:

Front Squats, Dumbbell Rows and Farmers Walks:​

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Overall Impression:

My next workout will be on Monday night (unless something unexpected turns up). I need to focus more on diet.​

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I hope y'all had a happy thanksgiving. Good luck for the new week, everyone and thanks for reading! ​

 

[Hypocrisy86]

good work there Sentinel. farmers walk is tough to do when gym is crowded, looks like your lucky there! lol

 

[Sentinel]

good work there Sentinel. farmers walk is tough to do when gym is crowded, looks like your lucky there! lol

Thanks. I didn't need to be lucky. Hardly anybody was at the gym on a Saturday night

 

[Xiva]

"Given the relativity of the % of my 1RM?"

Well it's acceptable, but you said your form didn't break a tiny bit, and that's not correct. You loose your tightness in your lower back and your ass is abit to high, so you crane the weight up.

I know my kilo's aren't even close to yours, but my coach told me that i should just take it easy, kilo's will come - Form > Weight. To many people loose their form in the battle of higher kilo's which ind the end will lead to an injury.

 

[Xiva]

But i know the feeling of just wanted to push your self that extra bit, i did it my self yesteday in SG rackpulls and because i had a bad form i have some pain in my lower back today (That's the reason i took SG rackpulls out - My form was bad, and in normal rackpulls my form is fine. The different is minimal so )

 

[Sentinel]

I don't care if you are not as strong as me. I'd take your opinion if its valid. Your weights have nothing to do with that lol....I hate that mentality that some people have of discarding someone's opinion just cause they aren't as strong.

Ok, let me go over this with you again, ok? I accept that you are correct in saying my form cracked up a bit.

Now follow me:
1.) Once you get strong (and strong is relative, I know), your form on the heavier sets (and heavy here means anything more than 90% of your max) will not be the same as your sets with 80%.
2.) Your form is allowed to crack up a bit but it has to have a range. It is not possible to have the EXACT same form for each and every single rep of each and every single set you ever do in your life. BUT, there has to be a tiny range within which you remain - like guidelines.
3.) The Deadlift is NOT a Squat. It is a pull from the floor. The bar has to be behind the shoulders, ass is between the knees and the head. Thats all. This is a range. Within this there are many intricacies in which many of us differ. But, the overall rule is that your ass has to be higher than your knees or else you are basically doing a squat off the floor. Your head and shoulders have to be above your ass for mechanical leverage. Thats it.
4.) On all my sets, my ass may have been a bit too high compared to my sets with 80-90% of my 1RM but they are still within the guideline of my ass being between the level of my shoulders/head and my knees.
5.) I watched the entire video twice right now. On none of the sets does my ass rise too fast and my legs lockout first. Infact, the 455 which was a grinder shows my upper back rounding. My lower back is stretched as far as the range of rounding you can possible have before you begin to hitch the bar - and for a second it looks like I am about to hitch but because of the consilidation cycles I have been running, I don't. I crank it up with zero hitch.

I agree with your coach: form is crucial. That is why I didn't increase from 455. I knew 455 was the most I could do while being in that range of error allowed in form (I went over this before).

In no way is 455 or 415 a cue on how to Deadlift, but all those sets had good form given the weight. The form may not have been the best but it did not give way to any hitching, rounding of the lower back or anything of the sort. I struggled, the weight may have gotten stuck at one point BUT I did not compromise my form - I was within the guidelines of:
1.) Shoulders ahead of bar
2.) Ass above level of knees and lower and level of shoulders/head
3.) Pull off the floor instead of squatting it off the floor
4.) Hips and knees lockout at the same time.
5.) No hitching

 

[Xiva]

I understand

 

[Sentinel]

^^^ Cool, bro.

If you ever have questions as to why I am doing something or so and so....just ask. And don't think that I'll discard your opinion because you're not as strong as me (yet). If I don't count your opinion its because I know better and I am very very open to criticism and advice. And you seem to know much more than most people so I will automatically tend to listen to you.

 

[Xiva]

Yep and ofc i'll keep asking questions, that's the only way to learn

And ofc reading is also an important part of learning.

 

[Sentinel]

Great! We're on the same page in that case

 

[Sentinel]

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 15 - Week 3
Pistol Squat Day​

Beginning Thoughts:

I was not supposed to workout yesterday because I usually take 2 days off before Deadlifts. But, I decided to go in because this November has been terrible for me in terms of training frequency. I've been skipping my workouts like none other. So I figure with all the down time I can handle a wee bit more frequency for one week.​

Workout:

Pistol Squats:​

6 + 6 + 9 = 21 reps​

I really tried to focus on keeping my leg suspended (the leg I am not squatting on, ofcourse). ​

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Pull-ups:​

BW + 20 lbs x 3 reps​

BW + 30 lbs x 3 reps​

BW + 40 lbs x 3 reps​

BW + 30 lbs x 3 reps​

BW + 20 lbs x 3 reps​

Total Reps = 15​

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Weird Ab Exercise:​

BW x 4 reps x 3 sets​

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Side Plank Rows:​

22.5 lbs x 30 seconds​

27.5 lbs x 30 seconds​

32.5 lbs x 30 seconds​

Videos:

Pistol Squats, Pull-ups, Weird Ab Exercise and Side Plank Rows:​

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Overall Impression:

I hope everyone's having a good week so far. Thanks for reading!​

 

[jonathan]

ah nice, pistol squats are fun but difficult

 

[Sentinel]

ah nice, pistol squats are fun but difficult

It took me quite a few months to get the form down. I used a box at first, then elevated heel, then different levels of heel elevation and then I finally was able to get them down flat-footed.

 

[Sentinel]

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 15 - Week 4
Deadlift Day​

Beginning Thoughts:

I have had a very relaxing week. Next week exams begin and all hell will boil over.​

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It's also bitterly cold here in San Antonio. It's been in the low 40s all week and I hate this weather. One of the reasons why I chose Trinity University was so I could enjoy the warm weather.​

Workout:

Deadlifts:​

415 lbs x 1 rep (91%)​

435 lbs x 1 rep (96%)​

455 lbs x 1 rep (100%)​

455 lbs x 1 rep (100%)​

425 lbs x 1 rep (93%)​

I got 1 more rep than last week with 455 and I think my form improved as well. I am looking forward to next week when I am supposed to do 9 singles again. ​

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Weird Ab Exercise:​

BW x 5 reps x 3 sets​

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Ab Roller:​

BW x 10 reps x 3 sets​

Videos:

Deadlifts and Core Training:​

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Overall Impression:

I hope everyone's having a good week! Thanks for reading.​

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The weather forecast says tomorrow is gonna be snow day. *shiver*​

 

[jonathan]

nice deadlifts

in stead of snow it is pouring down here

 

[Sentinel]

Thanks, Jonathan I hope you're keeping dry!

 

[Xiva]

Hey champ!

Deadlifts looks alot better than last time. May i ask how come you do deadlifts that way and not go for ME?

Build up to 1 heavy, if you did that i'm sure you could pull 460-465, for 1 set.

And i just noticed something, have a look at your 4th set and see that guy doing goodmornings (If you can call it that) - HORIBLE FORM!

 

[Sentinel]

What I am doing right now is not ME training. This is The Singles Scene. What I am trying to do here is to work up to a relative 1 rep max, and then take that as my base weight and proceed to hit 90% of that for a whole bunch of singles.

So, this is how I've built my strength. What I am about to write next may appear boring but you asked me a question and I am doing the best I can to answer it:

At the beginning of summer, my Deadlift max was 425 but it wasn't something I could hit week in and week out. I could barely even hit it to begin with. The only weight I could hit properly week in and week out was 405. SO, here's what I did:

May:
I did some Deficit Deadlifts and worked with 365-405.

June:
I did heavy banded Deadlifts with red and blue bands.

August:
This was a more planned month. The weight for this month was 385 lbs. Thats a bit over 90% of my max - at the time. So here's what happened:
Week 1 = 10 sets of 1 rep with 385 lbs
Week 2 = 8 sets of 2 reps with 385 lbs
Week 3 = 7 sets of 3 reps with 385 lbs
Week 4 = 2 sets of 4 reps with 385 lbs
So over these 4 weeks I took 90% of my max and converted it into a weight I could do 7 sets of 3 reps (totally 21 reps). If you want to learn how to do this, you can read up on: Consolidating Strength

September:
I spent 4 weeks basically working with 385 lbs. I took what I could do for 2 sets of 4 reps and worked on it week after week and progressed by either adding reps or sets or both till I managed to hit 385 for 3 sets of 6 reps.

October:
This month was spent working on Poliquin's 1-6 Principle. What you do is, you do something for 1 rep, then take 5 lbs off and do 5 reps. Then add 5 lbs to the first weight and do 1 rep. Then, take 5 lbs off that recent weight and hit 5 reps again. To make better sense, this is one of my workouts:
415 lbs x 1 rep
405 lbs x 5 reps
420 lbs x 1 rep
410 lbs x 5 reps
425 lbs x 1 rep
415 lbs x 5 reps
This is 1 workout of mine.

November:
I spent this month doing Quality Volume Training. What you do is you choose a weight you can do for 3 reps. It should be hard, but not that difficult. Then, you slowly add weight to that and keep the reps between 1 and 3. It's a gradual progression within a workout. This is one such workout:
415 lbs x 3 reps
425 lbs x 2 reps
435 lbs x 2 reps
445 lbs x 1 rep
455 lbs x 1 rep

And now December is spent working on 455 and weights around that.

So, you can see how I took 425 and made that into 455. This stuff may appear to be too complicated but it's not. I've used Quality Volume Training, Poliquin's 1-6 Principle, etc many many times before. So if these terms appear alien to you it's only temporary. Once you do this repeatedly, it grows on you.

I hope this answered your question, bro.

 

[Sentinel]

Fall 2009 Training
Mesocycle 15 - Week 4
Press Day​

Beginning Thoughts:

This is yesterday's workout.​

Workout:

Crazy Plate Bench Press:​

185 lbs x 3 reps x 2 sets​

205 lbs x 2 reps​

210 lbs x 1 rep​

215 lbs x 1 rep​

185 lbs x 5 reps​

My friend Paul managed to hit 300 on this. We had the 25 lbs plate suspended from the Blue bands.​

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Dumbbell Rows:​

120 lbs x 4 reps x 2 sets​

120 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets​

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High Cable Rows:​

160 lbs x 10 reps x 3 sets​

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Banded Shrugs:​

Blue x 15 reps x 3 sets​

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Cable Wood Chops:​

32.5 lbs x 12 reps​

37.5 lbs x 12 reps​

42.5 lbs x 12 reps​

Videos:

Crazy Plate Bench Press:​

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My boy Paul hitting 300x1:​

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Overall Impression:

Gonna take today off and then hit Squats on Sunday and Pistols and Monday.. Exams start from next week so I need to put my nose to the grindstone now.​

 

[Xiva]

Looks good. Why are you doing "Crazy Plate Bench Press"

I guess it's because it put alot of focus at stabilitation muscles, am i correct?