Strength Training for Singles 2014: Eight-Week Workout Cycle II

Yeah that's a good plan first page for all the weeks.
Your set-up looks great I should have suspected that kind of organization from you. I really like your landmine I think I am gonna bring one of those back home with me later this year. Good idea to store your weights on the rack. I ordered a squat rack that had the side attachments but then they sent me a power cage instead and I was tired of waiting. Thats why I just stack them against the wall. I really would have liked that setup though.

So does that hot tub work? I had one back when I lived up in the hills in CO, I loved that thing. Best $10k investment ever.

I do a narrow stance and high bar position. I have tried the low bar and wider stance and it just feels so awkward for me. I get the exagerrated good morning motion when I do it and severe knee caving. I think I have a longer torso and shorter legs which is why the upright squat suits me better. I can squat deep comfortably which I think makes me a better candidate for the olympic style squat.

Brett Contreas posted about knee caving over the weekend and I think I might do the goblet squat thing as he recommends and see if that helps.

"Having trouble keeping the knees out during squats? Don't look to special exercises such as lateral band walks to fix it. Instead, perform daily goblet squats with proper form, making sure the knees track properly and don't cave inward. This particular issue has more to do with motor programming than muscle strengthening, so it's important to get in ample quality repetitions throughout the week until the pattern is ingrained. Perfect practice makes perfect."
Sounds good.

Thanks, as you know, it took a lot of messing around to achieve that organization. But it was worth it. My workouts really flow well these days. It's funny, I only spent $30 for the power rack with the high and low pulleys, but then I spent a fair amount of time and money upgrading it. Might be the same price as a proper power rack cage now, but I like the way my rack fits into my limited space. Eventually I'll probably put the chinup bar and crossover cables back on the top.

I could probably do without all the dumbbells, but since I can't sell them for what they're worth, it made sense to get a more vertical rack to save space. Plus my wife and kids might eventually start using them. And then I finally figured out a way to keep the landmine bar permanently loaded. I like having it there ready to use. As I think I've mentioned, for me a good finishing routine is Hyperextensions, Russian Twists and Loaded Carries. Lately I've been messing around too much trying different stuff out during the main body of the workout, so I haven't been doing those finishers, but it's my intention to get to them fairly regularly. I'd also like to do kicks with the heavy bag at least once a week, now that my knee seems to be OK.

You could probably DIY some plate holders for your rack at the hardware store. Mine are just carriage bolts for the smaller plates, and then for the larger rubber grip plates, half-inch or 3/4" pipe going through the rack with 1" adapters for the plates. You'll need plumbing wrenches to get them good and tight though.

The hot tub is nice, but too hot for the kids. I should lower the temp, but then the effect is lost for me, but it's fun to have the whole family in there, especially in the winter. I often find it easier just to stretch out though. It would probably be best to have something much smaller so that I could have a little more room for the weights stuff.

Well, I'm not going to tell you how to squat, but I felt a lot of instability in my squats for the first several months of doing them. It took me a long time to get it right, but now I feel really stable. I think Bret is write about doing higher frequency to develop the skill. That's why I recently put the squats first thing in the workout. I could see making squats more of a 20-rep lift instead of a 10-rep lift, but there's always the problem of them interfering too much with the running. And it's just as important to me to run well as it is to lift well. In fact, I think right now I'm a bit more focused on the running again. Sunday I was able run a bit faster after two days off, and it felt great. Maybe I should go back to the EOD routine for a while. Plus it's snowing today, so it's going to be hard to motivate to run in the snow tomorrow morning. Might wait till afternoon. So the daily 5K is there, but maybe I should view it as just another variation, something I can switch to once in a while.

Rippetoe agrees with Bret, insofar as he says keeping the knees properly lined up is the only crucial variable in the squat. Everything else--stance, bar position, toe angle--can vary according to one's body type and goals. I like the low bar squat because, in theory at least, it will allow me to develop the greatest overall strength, but I doubt it really matters.
 
---------------Week 6: Cycle 2---------------
14.11.09-11.15

Sunday
early PM
3.5 mi, Franklin-Marshall Bridge circuit. After two days off, felt great to be running again. May have to switch to a 3-4 times per week schedule for a little variety.

Monday
PM
Lifting

Squat: 3 x 3 x 200
OH Press: 2 x 5 x90
1-DB Row: 2 x 5 x 90
B Press: 2 x 5 x 200
N Pulldown: 2 x 5 x 150
Deadlift: 2 x 5 x 270

Had to shovel and put on snow tires. Luckily Mommy picked up the kids early so I still had time for a quick workout before dinner. Did everything fairly light, although I added 20 pounds to my squat, but ended up doing 3 x 3 instead of 2 x 5, I didn't feel confident enough to get in the last two reps. I felt a little buckling in the right knee. I tried bringing in the stance a bit, but that made me a little unstable and I almost fell forward on the last rep as I wasn't concentrating. I felt strong enough to do more weight, and I think my depth was pretty good, but I'll stay at this weight for a while I think until full confidence has returned. The knee felt great on the deadlift though. This morning (Tuesday), minimal soreness, so that's nice--should be good for a good run later.

Tuesday
AM
Running
I don't know why, but I blew off the run.

Wednesday
AM
Running
Blew off the run again

PM
Lifting
Cable Row: 2 x 10 x 150
Squat: 3 x 5 x 180
OH Press: 5 x 115, 5 x 120, 4 x 120
Cable Row: 5/5/8 x 200
Bench Press: 2 x 5 x 200
Neutral Pulldown: 2 x 5 x 170, 2 x 5 x 190
Deadlift: 2 x 5 x 270
Russian Twist: 2 x 5 x 100

Pretty good workout. The squat felt really solid. I went back to a thumbless grip, and was able to squeeze my hands closer on the last set to the width of the Rogue bar, so that helped convince me to get it when it becomes available in a few weeks. Just narrowing the grip three inches really helped scrunch up my traps and delts and create a good shelf for the low bar position. My stance was just shoulder width, but I didn't feel any inward movement on the knee, and I felt pretty smooth coming out of the hole. So I guess I'll keep it at this relatively light weight of 180 until everything feels automatic and easy, then begin increasing weight in 10-pound increments, as Abide as said he would do.

More and more, I really like the five-rep scheme and the simple protocol of adding weight when it starts to feel easy. A very easy regulator. I'll continue to do three sets of five for the Squats, OH Press, and Rows as I continue to bring those up.

The OH Press has progressed already. 115 felt a little light, so I bumped it up to 120, but missed the last rep of the third set. I could've tried it, but I kinda knew it wasn't going up, at least not with good form.

The Cable Rows also felt a little easier than last time, and I ended up doing eight reps on the last set. I called T-Grip and they said the five-foot bar should be ready in 10 days. I can hardly wait to do some neutral-grip barbell rows.

The Bench felt really solid, and almost no complaints from my left shoulder. I'll keep it at 200 while everything else seems to be progressing, then test a single again in a month or two.

The pulldowns also felt easier, so I bumped it up to 190. So I'm approaching my lean bodyweight. I'll guess it at 210, so when I can do five reps at 210, I'll start doing neutral grip pullups.

The deadlift I kept relatively light at 270, but it's still a challenge to maintain my grip for five reps. Probably be another week or so before I regain my grip strength.

Finished with Russian Twists, they also felt easier than the last time I did them a month or two ago, so they has been some real gains in the meantime.

Thursday
Felt like running in the morning, but thought I might have a chance to run barefoot if I waited until the afternoon, then I got caught up in work, and didn't run at all.

Friday
PM
Lifting
Cable Row: 10/10 x 150
Squat: 5/5 x 180
1-DB Row: 5/5 x 100
OH Press: 5/3/2 x 120
N Pulldown: 3/3/3 x 200
Deadlift: 3/3/2 x 300

Took time to weigh my 14", 16", and 18" dumbbell handles, so that ate into the workout time a bit. The 18" with starlock collars is 4.77lbs, the 16" with starlock collars is 4.91lbs, and the 14" with starlock collars is 3.84 lbs. So basically 5, 5, and 4 pounds. I reduced the weight on the 18" to 120 total, the 16" to 100 even, and then with the two 14" I have a 90(89)-pound dumbbell and an 80(79)-pound dumbbell. 100 pounds feels pretty good for a strict bentover row, and 120 for the cheating bentover rows. I can use the 90-pound dumbbell for easy days or maybe higher reps. Not sure what to do with the 80-pound dumbbell.

Squat continues to feel really solid, so next week I'll increase by 5 or 10 pounds.

I officially bumped up the OH Press weight to 120, but hadn't recovered completely from Wednesday's workout, so it took me two sets to finish the last five reps.

I also bumped up the pulldowns, to 200, but found out that was no longer my quintuple weight, so I did triples. Next time I'll take it back down to 190 for five reps.

I did deadlifts at 300 for the second time since the strain, but on the third set I felt a little something in the lower hammie before the third rep, so I shut it down. I'll probably go back down to 290 for five reps next week on my heavy deadlift day.

I skipped the bench press as I was short on time.

Overall, solid workout. I'm settling into a good rhythm with the six main lifts. I switched the OH Press and Row around, cuz the rows, together with the squats, are good for priming everything. It's also nice now because everthing follows a push-pull alternation, if we count the squat as a push.

Push: Squat
Pull: Row
Push: OH Press
Pull: Pulldown
Push: B Press
Pull: Deadlift
 
Sounds good.Thanks, as you know, it took a lot of messing around to achieve that organization. But it was worth it. My workouts really flow well these days. It's funny, I only spent $30 for the power rack with the high and low pulleys, but then I spent a fair amount of time and money upgrading it. Might be the same price as a proper power rack cage now, but I like the way my rack fits into my limited space. Eventually I'll probably put the chinup bar and crossover cables back on the top.

I could probably do without all the dumbbells, but since I can't sell them for what they're worth, it made sense to get a more vertical rack to save space. Plus my wife and kids might eventually start using them. And then I finally figured out a way to keep the landmine bar permanently loaded. I like having it there ready to use. As I think I've mentioned, for me a good finishing routine is Hyperextensions, Russian Twists and Loaded Carries. Lately I've been messing around too much trying different stuff out during the main body of the workout, so I haven't been doing those finishers, but it's my intention to get to them fairly regularly. I'd also like to do kicks with the heavy bag at least once a week, now that my knee seems to be OK.

You could probably DIY some plate holders for your rack at the hardware store. Mine are just carriage bolts for the smaller plates, and then for the larger rubber grip plates, half-inch or 3/4" pipe going through the rack with 1" adapters for the plates. You'll need plumbing wrenches to get them good and tight though.

I wouldn't mine doing that finishing routine, maybe I could do some SLDL in place of the hypers. I think I'll use a lndmine for twists, presses and rows mostly so it should be worth the $65.

Yeah the carriage bolt thing would probably work but then I would have to figure out how to not interfere with the hooks and spotting arm. Idk maybe I'll just buy a tree, since I don't even have a drill or drill bits anymore. It would likely save me some money oddly enough.

Well, I'm not going to tell you how to squat, but I felt a lot of instability in my squats for the first several months of doing them. It took me a long time to get it right, but now I feel really stable. I think Bret is write about doing higher frequency to develop the skill. That's why I recently put the squats first thing in the workout. I could see making squats more of a 20-rep lift instead of a 10-rep lift, but there's always the problem of them interfering too much with the running. And it's just as important to me to run well as it is to lift well. In fact, I think right now I'm a bit more focused on the running again. Sunday I was able run a bit faster after two days off, and it felt great. Maybe I should go back to the EOD routine for a while. Plus it's snowing today, so it's going to be hard to motivate to run in the snow tomorrow morning. Might wait till afternoon. So the daily 5K is there, but maybe I should view it as just another variation, something I can switch to once in a while.

Rippetoe agrees with Bret, insofar as he says keeping the knees properly lined up is the only crucial variable in the squat. Everything else--stance, bar position, toe angle--can vary according to one's body type and goals. I like the low bar squat because, in theory at least, it will allow me to develop the greatest overall strength, but I doubt it really matters.

So I watched this squat and I decided to try to use his stance, but a lot less weight.


It felt pretty good, but significantly weaker. I think maybe my focus on the squat should be to force the posterior chain to work and limit the quad dependence like in a more upright squat. It's weird to focus on pushing your butt back and sitting down like you do on an upright squat. It felt ok on the knees and there was very little inward movement.
So I think I'll do 20 goblets for a warmup and then 2 x 5 for back squats and just move up 5 kilos a week starting with 80kgs.
 
I wouldn't mine doing that finishing routine, maybe I could do some SLDL in place of the hypers. I think I'll use a lndmine for twists, presses and rows mostly so it should be worth the $65.

Yeah the carriage bolt thing would probably work but then I would have to figure out how to not interfere with the hooks and spotting arm. Idk maybe I'll just buy a tree, since I don't even have a drill or drill bits anymore. It would likely save me some money oddly enough.

Yah, it sucks when you're abroad and all the little conveniences you've accumulated are no longer accessible. Still, there's a certain enjoyment to living really simply and uncluttered. I had to drill into the sides of my rack and very low to prevent any interference with my bench press. Having the small plates on the backside seems to work fine.

So I watched this squat and I decided to try to use his stance, but a lot less weight.

It felt pretty good, but significantly weaker. I think maybe my focus on the squat should be to force the posterior chain to work and limit the quad dependence like in a more upright squat. It's weird to focus on pushing your butt back and sitting down like you do on an upright squat. It felt ok on the knees and there was very little inward movement.
So I think I'll do 20 goblets for a warmup and then 2 x 5 for back squats and just move up 5 kilos a week starting with 80kgs.
I think maybe with a wider stance it's easier to get the knees to align and track properly with the toes? For me, once I got a good low-bar position, I don't really have to think about my trunk or butt. The verticality of the bar aka gravity seems to dictate all that. My only real concern right now is making sure there's no "non-linear loading" (twisting) on the knees, as Rippetoe puts it. It's funny, I think I had all this pretty much down before the knee strain, but for the last few weeks it's felt like I'm beginning all over again, just that the learning process is accelerated.

I'm glad you're still committing to the back squat. We have to view this as a longterm project, but so many top guys say it's "the king of lifts," "No. 1 mass-builder," etc., I think it's important to get it down.

If we want more quad development, there's always the front squat, but I wonder if that would interfere with running a lot more?

Skimming through this article just now, reinforced the need to takes things slow and not push too much, just let the gains come: http://www.t-nation.com/training/10-rules-of-the-insanely-strong
As we've already noted, an easy workout, like the one I had yesterday afternoon, can be very valuable. I think it's always better to do an easy workout than to miss it, even though many meatheads say there's no point in coming in and 'deloading.'
 
It seems to me that there is less required conscious effort to keep the knees out with a little wider stance. I need to test it with some heavier weights though to see for sure. There is also less pop from the rebound when squatting wide tha could be why it felt heavier.

I got the mountain biking for the quads, wish I could ride more frequently. I'm not sure how much it interferes or just doesnt add any benefit? I would assume stronger quads would be beneficial for climbing hills though.

That article was a decent reminder to slow things down a bit. I did like my easy workout today but I think I might need to learn how to temper it a bit so they don't affect the more important ones during the week.

I have a "hilly" trail marathon planned this weekend so my weekly mileage should be close to 40 miles. It's kind of mentally invigorating keeping the runs to a minimum. I am even having difficulty doing my ever other week long run on the weekend. I might just blow that one off and go mountain biking as much as I can to prepare for this one http://www.sport-events.be/en/bemc/
I guess I'll judge it after this weekend to see if the 1 weekly run is long enough.
 
It seems to me that there is less required conscious effort to keep the knees out with a little wider stance. I need to test it with some heavier weights though to see for sure. There is also less pop from the rebound when squatting wide tha could be why it felt heavier.

I got the mountain biking for the quads, wish I could ride more frequently. I'm not sure how much it interferes or just doesnt add any benefit? I would assume stronger quads would be beneficial for climbing hills though.

That article was a decent reminder to slow things down a bit. I did like my easy workout today but I think I might need to learn how to temper it a bit so they don't affect the more important ones during the week.

I have a "hilly" trail marathon planned this weekend so my weekly mileage should be close to 40 miles. It's kind of mentally invigorating keeping the runs to a minimum. I am even having difficulty doing my ever other week long run on the weekend. I might just blow that one off and go mountain biking as much as I can to prepare for this one http://www.sport-events.be/en/bemc/
I guess I'll judge it after this weekend to see if the 1 weekly run is long enough.
Yah, that's what I was trying to say--with a wider stance there's very little tendency to buckle inwards, and the toe angle becomes automatic too. I'm still messing with how wide to go though.

When I say interference I mean that running the day after doing heavy squats, I'm a little slow getting going, and some times the legs feel heavy for the whole run, but most times, after a mile or so, I stop noticing it, and anyway, I haven't both squatted and run consistently for any real length of time, so hopefully it's just something that will take time to mesh.

Yah, right now, with the full body workouts 3x per week, it's a matter of finding the right mix of heavy to light with the higher frequency training. I'm trying to install some kind of logic or scheme, but I seem to end up just going by feel most times. Like yesterday, the idea was to do the squat, OH Press, and 1-DB Rows heavy, but I was pushed for time and feeling tired, so I only ended up doing the squats a bit heavier, and didn't do the bench press light. So I dunno. Same with running, today I had no urge to run right away, but I'm really looking forward to running at the end of the afternoon down by the river and seeing everything after the first snowfall of the season. And Sunday's run felt pretty good after two days off. The only real reason I try to adopt specific schemes is to stay consistent, not because the logic of one is necessarily better than another. Like full-body lifting versus splits, or ED vs. EOD running.

Right now, I just want to get my Squat, OH Press, and Rows up, regain my Deadlift, and also get my running pace up. If I can do that over the winter, I'll feel pretty good once spring arrives.

For some reason, the idea of a BW OH Press is stirring my imagination lately.

Good luck on the race! Maybe you should just race every weekend and forgo training. Didn't you post an article or talk about someone recently who does it that way?

P.S., The Mountain Bike video didn't work for some reason.
Tuesday 11/11/14
Curls 3 x 8 x 30kgs
Curls for the girls?
First time I've seen you do them.
 
Curls for the girls?
First time I've seen you do them.

in his defense, he did say something about a "bodybuilding" type workout. and if he can do a pile of pullups with 10kg hanging off of him, i'm guessing he could curl more than 30kg (come on, even *i* can curl more than that and there aren't any girls lining up to feast their eyes on my biceps). so it seems more like a "let's keep it fun and fool around" workout. :) which are, of course, possibly the most important workouts because they are, by definition, fun. but, i think we all already knew that. so let me pivot to piling on: c'mon man! curl some serious weight! and we want to see pictures! (not really, but it seemed like the right kind of pseudo-taunt to throw out there...)

in other news, the cold weather is finally arriving, so i can actually get started on some "winter" style runs.
 
in his defense, he did say something about a "bodybuilding" type workout. and if he can do a pile of pullups with 10kg hanging off of him, i'm guessing he could curl more than 30kg (come on, even *i* can curl more than that and there aren't any girls lining up to feast their eyes on my biceps). so it seems more like a "let's keep it fun and fool around" workout. :) which are, of course, possibly the most important workouts because they are, by definition, fun. but, i think we all already knew that. so let me pivot to piling on: c'mon man! curl some serious weight! and we want to see pictures! (not really, but it seemed like the right kind of pseudo-taunt to throw out there...)

in other news, the cold weather is finally arriving, so i can actually get started on some "winter" style runs.
Yah, I think Abide knows I was just giving him crap. It's true though, now that I'm taking my rows and pulldowns seriously, I can't see any reason for doing curls, although I used to do them fairly frequently, back before I realized the difference between a strength workout (focus on movements and prime movers) and a bodybuilder workout (focus on body parts and hypertrophy). Thank god I no longer feel obligated to do lateral raises in any case.
 
Yeah I needed to work on the guns a bit. I sometimes miss the antagonist muscle plans, it was kind of fun supersetting the press and curls.

I also forgot how big of a stabilization piece there is in standing curls, so a little carry over benefit. It's defintely not necessary since the pull ups, rows and carries work your biceps pretty well already.
 
Yeah I needed to work on the guns a bit. I sometimes miss the antagonist muscle plans, it was kind of fun supersetting the press and curls.

I also forgot how big of a stabilization piece there is in standing curls, so a little carry over benefit. It's defintely not necessary since the pull ups, rows and carries work your biceps pretty well already.
Yah, I would sometimes like to do cheating curls, with 110 pounds and yanking the thing up. It's good for working the upper back and stability in the trunk. Kind of like doing too-heavy 130-pound 1-DB Rows to bring in the trunk and a bit of a rotational movement. Monday I did the 1-DB Rows with just 90 pounds and stricter form and that was good too.

I've been feeling a touch of tendonitis in where the bicep attaches in the elbow, so no curls for me for a while, seems like they're getting all the work they can handle with the rows and pulldowns.

Blew off my run today and yesterday. I'm letting the snow wussify me. Looking forward to my Squats and OH Presses later today . . .

The 13mm belt was just redelivered . . . crap.

I wouldn't mine doing that finishing routine, maybe I could do some SLDL in place of the hypers..
I forgot to mention that I used to do hypers by fastening my legs to the flat bench with a belt. A bit of a hassle, but it works.

Yeah the carriage bolt thing would probably work but then I would have to figure out how to not interfere with the hooks and spotting arm. Idk maybe I'll just buy a tree, since I don't even have a drill or drill bits anymore. It would likely save me some money oddly enough.
The big advantage of having the plates on the rack though, is that it's really easy to load and unload both sides of the bar now. Helps maintain flow a bit.
 
apparently, bumping up the weight on the press after a week without a bar may not have been the brightest idea. it seems to call upon the upper abdominal muscles to keep you from falling over. especially when pushing something near my limit. for some reason, if i overstress those muscles, my tummy (the inside, not necessarily the muscles themselves) doesn't feel great the next day and i quit eating and just feel like laying around. so that is today. i have had this happen about twice before in my life when doing things like overdoing it on the dunks when i found a low basketball hoop (and could pretty much rule out eating something bad, but it feels really similar). the next day wasn't so great. but hey, tomorrow will be better and i can get back to running and lifting.
 
apparently, bumping up the weight on the press after a week without a bar may not have been the brightest idea. it seems to call upon the upper abdominal muscles to keep you from falling over. especially when pushing something near my limit. for some reason, if i overstress those muscles, my tummy (the inside, not necessarily the muscles themselves) doesn't feel great the next day and i quit eating and just feel like laying around. so that is today. i have had this happen about twice before in my life when doing things like overdoing it on the dunks when i found a low basketball hoop (and could pretty much rule out eating something bad, but it feels really similar). the next day wasn't so great. but hey, tomorrow will be better and i can get back to running and lifting.
Yah, it's like they say, if you're doing all the basic lifts, you don't need to do abdominals, because you're already working them a lot.

tuesday: ~4mi at 36F (gotta catch up to bare lee)
Should be easy for you. With our recent freezing snowfall, I'm out for a while now, and my mileage is much lower anyway. I may switch to afternoon running though, so that will help. If I stick to the mornings, I might have to go 4-5 months running in Sockwas. I don't know if I could take the lack of soleful stimulation that long.

Felt like doing a BB split. Tested out 170kg on the DL yesterday and missed, dropped to 165kg and it went up pretty easy. I think I might have overstated my max before at 165kgs, it was probably 160kgs on the bar. 2 months and 15kgs to go.
Think you'll make it? Seems pretty ambitious.

I won't be doing any heavy DLs for at least another month I think.

Hmnn, 165, that's my old max. I guess I would've had a chance at the contest afterall if I hadn't gotten the strain. Oh well.
 
Think you'll make it? Seems pretty ambitious.
I won't be doing any heavy DLs for at least another month I think.
Hmnn, 165, that's my old max. I guess I would've had a chance at the contest afterall if I hadn't gotten the strain. Oh well.


I have no idea but I hope so. When I am back in Chitown next month I'm hoping to get together with an old lifting buddy to get a little motivation. But you shouldn't give up or you could end up with some of my Westvleteren XII's. I'm picking up two cases next week.

I tried 170 and it didn't move, but when I bumped down to 165 it went up pretty easy. The translation still gives me issues and even though I work in Kg's I still conceptually think 1 lb = 1 kg. And a 5 kg jump is 11lbs. So...
165kgs = 364lbs
170kgs = 375lbs
175kgs = 386lbs
180kgs = 397lbs
35lbs I am not sure I can make that big of jump? I'm dropping weight to right now oddly enough, I need to add some protein shakes in.
 
I have no idea but I hope so. When I am back in Chitown next month I'm hoping to get together with an old lifting buddy to get a little motivation. But you shouldn't give up or you could end up with some of my Westvleteren XII's. I'm picking up two cases next week.

I tried 170 and it didn't move, but when I bumped down to 165 it went up pretty easy. The translation still gives me issues and even though I work in Kg's I still conceptually think 1 lb = 1 kg. And a 5 kg jump is 11lbs. So...
165kgs = 364lbs
170kgs = 375lbs
175kgs = 386lbs
180kgs = 397lbs
35lbs I am not sure I can make that big of jump? I'm dropping weight to right now oddly enough, I need to add some protein shakes in.
Yeah, not sure what my approach to the deadlift should be now. The strain at the end of the last cycle is still kind of a mystery to me. Was it overtraining? Or lack of massage/stretching? I guess I'll keep at the 2 x 5 scheme and slowly increase weight. But five reps is hard on the grip. Maybe triples instead? In either case, when, according to the percentages, I'm close to 380 1RM, I may test it again, but maybe a bit lower, like 370? I think I'll try to stick to training maxes and avoid true maxes. Maybe once every two weeks or so I could do doubles. But I'm still aiming for 400 DL, for reps, at some point in the future, no doubt, just trying to proceed cautiously. So keep losing weight, I need the handicap and extra time and would enjoy the beer. Too bad I'm no longer in Chicago, it would be good to spill a few with you.

My upper body strength seems to be taking off right now, so that's cool. My OH Press and Pulldowns have shown great improvement this cycle (see bottom of my cycle log, where I've started tracking cycle gains). And I feel really good about the squats now too, and I think I'll be happy to build those up very slowly, always trying to maintain impeccable form. No more sudden jumps--maybe just 5lbs at a time?--and probably always five reps. I dunno, but it feels like squats are more higher rep compared to deadlifts. If this proves true over time, it would be the only pushing lift I prefer higher reps to its pulling counterpart.

I'm starting to think all the stuff about losing muscle mass as we age is BS. Just like flexibility, it's more of a 'use it or lose it' proposition than anything inevitable.

Here's an interesting article I read over yesterday's lunch, has to do with my recent recognition of how lifts "carryover," the 2:3:4:5 ratios for press, bench, squat, and deadlift, the 2:1 ratio of rows to bench reps, and the general wisdom of our six lifts protocol. Poliquin wraps it all up with the term "structural balance.":
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...nce_bodybuilding/achieving_structural_balance
http://www.poliquingroup.com/portals/0/pdf/StructuralStoryHiRes.pdf

I've been putting my weakest lifts first, and it's really helping getting them up. I may have to try to do the dumbbell rotator exercise Poliquin recommends. According to his formula, I should be able to do 20-25 pounds.

I'm also thinking about doing light behind-the-head overhead presses, to increase shoulder mobility and strengthen/tighten my scapulae. I've really been impressed with how the back squats with Rippetoe's recommended grip are helping my shoulder mobility, so maybe another exercise that forces me to yank the scapula back and together could be helpful:
http://functionaltrainingcoach.com/how-overhead-presses-can-prevent-shoulder-injuries/

Here's a chart I use for converting weights:
 

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Nice video.

Several weeks ago, I changed my overhead press from having the dumbbells forward of the body (as in mimicking a landmine press) to directly over the shoulders. I found that I was leaning back too much, as the weight increased, due to the center of gravity. I supposed that in a real landmine press, that doesn't happen, since the weight is anchored.
 
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Nice video.

Several weeks ago, I changed my overhead press from having the dumbbells forward of the body (as in mimicking a landmine press) to directly over the shoulders. I found that I was leaning back too much, as the weight increased, due to the center of gravity. I supposed that in a real landmine press, that doesn't happen, since the weight is anchored.
I've been doing the barbell overhead press like that comic guy whose video was linked to an article you posted on the overhead press.


It feels better with the elbows closer in, although I haven't decided yet if there's any real advantage to using a thumbless grip, as he recommends. Doing them seated without any back support really works my mid-back too.

Have you ever tried the Arnold press?
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBArnoldPress.html

Might be a good dumbbell variation for you.

I think perhaps a subcategory of assistance lifts could be "therapeutic lifts." I might include overhead squats, external rotator exercises, behind-the-head overhead presses, and face pulls here. Unlike other assistance lifts, which help strengthen the supportive muscles involved in the main lifts, or work slightly different ROMS or angles, therapeutic lifts are used to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries.
 
good lord, people! (and that is actually a prayer for assistance from almighty god, not your garden variety swearing.) i just got back from the mall. my daughter says she never wants to go there again. apparently, it takes two security guards, an unmarked car, and two squad cars to watch over a barefoot guy who is just trying to get back to his car with his kids on the other side of the mall after getting booted from the food court. alas, i didn't get into enough trouble as a kid, so i still don't know how to deal with the police. at least my heart rate didn't get up this time.

and, at least in this town, there seems to be a clear "competence and courtesy" difference between the real cops and the rent-a-security-guards. so that was kinda, sorta, mildly refreshing.

but seriously, just think of all the merchandise that got stolen while they were trying to deal with me! the modus operandi is clear: you send one accomplice in barefoot. everyone watches them. meanwhile, the other 98 evildoers rob the place blind....

and while i'm ranting and raving, let me repeat the meme: the easiest way for a "power up" hegemonic upper-middle class, educated, straight, white, christian male to get a taste of what the other 99.9999% have to deal with 27 hours a day, 8 days a week is to just send them out barefoot and see how they fare....

perhaps, a workout later today will feel good...
 
The press is still a bit tweaky on my shoulders, when I point my elbows out to the sides. So, I have them at about a 45' angle. Still, that's an improvement in ROM over when I had them in front.

Going heavier, I've been feeling some pressure in my low back, so I might try the seated press next time.
 
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The press is still a bit tweaky on my shoulders, when I point my elbows out to the sides. So, I have them at about a 45' angle. Still, that's an improvement in ROM over when I had them in front.

Going heavier, I've been feeling some pressure in my low back, so I might try the seated press next time.
The Arnold Press is kinda neat because it follows a pretty good ROM and has you rotating the wrists as well. Kind of like a vertical hook punch.

Are you doing enough rows and deadlifts? Make sure you have a strong back. The presses need a solid platform.
and while i'm ranting and raving, let me repeat the meme: the easiest way for a "power up" hegemonic upper-middle class, educated, straight, white, christian male to get a taste of what the other 99.9999% have to deal with 27 hours a day, 8 days a week is to just send them out barefoot and see how they fare....

Haha, know what you mean Broad Arrow. Now some of the clerks at the local mom and pop store treat me with suspicion, like I'm going to shoplift something or break some eggs.
 
How much rows and deads are enough?

Hmm, I'm 175lbs and pressing 100lbs. Maybe it's supposed to feel hard for someone who's only been at it steadily for a few months?

It's not a bad pressure. It's just an unusual sensation, that I don't encounter regularly in my routine activities.

I recall one time in college, I let a girl (165+ lbs?) sit up on my shoulders for a while. I was completely out of shape then, and it took some days for my back to recover!