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

Yeah I'd go with 16 or close to the width of the smooth section of the barbell. I'll measure mine tonight because I think the width on that rack is perfect.
 
Let me focus on the squat for a little while, I think I would need at least a 315lb squat and a 400lb deadlift to make it work. Idk it should be doable, maybe if I drop some cash for the diaphragmatic breathing class from Sandler it will help?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sid
Yeah I'd go with 16 or close to the width of the smooth section of the barbell. I'll measure mine tonight because I think the width on that rack is perfect.
Good point. The smooth section of my Rogue shorty bar is 17.4", and I place my hands about an inch to either side of that for the OH Press and Deadlift, so 19 inches. If there's space, I'll drill three or four holes spaced apart the distance of the bolt holes of the neutral grip handle's plates, so I can adjust the width between something like 16 inches and something like 19 and maybe 23 inches? it will be good to know know what your measurements are.
Let me focus on the squat for a little while, I think I would need at least a 315lb squat and a 400lb deadlift to make it work. Idk it should be doable, maybe if I drop some cash for the diaphragmatic breathing class from Sandler it will help?
Yah, I was thinking 280-320-400, give or take 5-10 pounds on a given lift. Both of us have better benches than deadlifts or squats, so the 3:4:5 ratio will be a little distorted.

If you can't afford Michael Sandler, or find his brand of shameless self-promotion a little hard to stomach, pun intended, maybe Adam Sandler can make you laugh enough to develop the same capacity. I haven't seen one of his movies though, so I don't know if that will work.
 
Not enough wall space to mount the chinup bar?
Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately, not anymore. I used to hang the whole chinup bar assembly on an overhang by the door sliders/guides, but now that's my jacket and gear area.
01.jpg
The garage is part of the house, directly under the main bedroom. It's not a spacious garage like you see in newer-built homes, or even more traditional ones.

And, in any case, that space doesn't offer any advantages over mounting the neutral grip handles on the power rack, and has the disadvantage of less forward leg space, which is needed when doing pullups from a kneeling position. If the power rack idea doesn't work out, I'll probably rig something up outside, under the second-story veranda/porch. It would be nice to have my legs extend.

Now I'm wondering exactly what the deflection rate for one of my 41" bands is. I can do 3-5 pulldown reps at 200, and the resistance bands don't stretch that much, so if the blue band's resistance range is 25-80, is it reasonable to assume that, at a bodyweight of 250, the band is supporting about 50-60 pounds at the bottom of the pullup, so my 3-5 rep assisted pullup represents about 190 unassisted pounds?
 
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Equipment
Rippetoe said:
Shoes are the only piece of personal equipment that you really need to own.
This shoe claim sounds important and seems worth investigating.


HEEL LIFT
Some websites indicate that having weightlifting shoes with a heel lift can be helpful.

Research shows that different areas of the foot and legs are stressed differentially based on footwear.
http://www.mrsupplement.com.au/latest-research-what-is-the-best-footwear-for-squats

The data does not indicate that one size fits all, but apparently, a heel lift might be useful for some.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22201687
Wearing WL shoes seems to be beneficial in reducing the overall trunk lean, because this position is believed to reduce the amount of shear stress in the lower back area. Back squat with WL shoes also increased foot segment angle and possibly contributes to greater muscle excitation in knee extensors. Weightlifting shoes did not help reach thigh segment closer to horizontal as compared with the running shoe condition. It is recommended that WL shoes be used by those who are prone to displaying a forward trunk lean and who aim to increase knee extensor activation.
Rippetoe acknowledges that a heel lift is a matter of personal preference.
Rippetoe said:
Powerlifting squat shoes have relatively flat soles, and Olympic weightlifting shoes have a little lift in the heel that makes it easier to get the knees forward just in front of the toes. Your choice will depend on your squatting style and your flexibility.

COMPRESSIBILITY AND METATARSAL STRAPS
Most websites indicate that weightlifting shoes are important due to decreased heel compressibility and metatarsal straps to secure the shoes. Going barefoot negates those shoe advantages.


SAFETY
http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=7330
Rippetoe said:
Training barefoot is not allowed in my gym. I don't need your DNA all over the room if you stub your toe or drop a plate. ... The problem with this is that I have already talked about this, and you guys need to read up before you ask me about things I've already dealt with at length before.
This is reminiscent of typical shoe police admonitions, “glass is everywhere!”, “it’s the health code!”, “bacteria!”


RATIONALE
So, the rationale goes from “shoes are the only piece of personal equipment that you really need to own”, to ‘shoes might be helpful’, and ultimately ends up at ‘shoe police!’.


INDIVIDUALS
From a scientific standpoint, common practice is little better than no data. Athletes can be a superstitious bunch. http://www.factmonster.com/spot/superstitions1.html

Expert opinion (without the support of data) is only slightly better.

Even data only provides a starting point. What is most important is what works for the individual.

Interestingly, even in a small study, individuals preferred “barefoot”! :D
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25331484
Participants were also asked to subjectively rate which footwear they preferred when performing their squat lifts; this was examined a chi-squared test. ... The chi-squared test was significant and showed that participants preferred to squat barefoot. This study supports anecdotal evidence of athletes who prefer to train barefoot or in barefoot-inspired footwear although no biomechanical evidence was found to support this notion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bare Lee
i guess one flippant comment has sent us on a day-long obsession with pullups. :) it sounds like once the children are asleep, you need to slowly pile weights onto your stretchy bands and plot the force-vs-distance relationship.
Ha, yep, funny how that works. But it was productive, so I can write off the time as a business expense. Oh, I think you asked about the door pullup bar--it's at my office. This last summer I was going to try a greasing the groove experiment like you are now, but then I started getting into higher intensity lifting, and decided to give my body proper time to recover in between attacks.

BTW, Looks like my neutral grip pullup handles will be spaced almost exactly the same width as the smooth center of my bar--17.4 inches--just as Abide recommended. I'll be heading to Menards later to get the right sized bolts.
INDIVIDUALS
From a scientific standpoint, common practice is little better than no data. Athletes can be a superstitious bunch. http://www.factmonster.com/spot/superstitions1.html

Expert opinion (without the support of data) is only slightly better.

Even data only provides a starting point. What is most important is what works for the individual.

Interestingly, even in a small study, individuals preferred “barefoot”! :D
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25331484
Right, I go with the pros/elite simply because the stakes are high for them, and they're the best we got. Most of those studies are basically garbage--unconfirmed, unreplicated, little or no consensus, mainly dealing with a small sample size of relatively untrained individuals over a short period of time, conducted by 'sports' scientists and ex-jock PT-types using dubious methodologies. If you have the patience to sift through that stuff, more power to you. I'd rather read through the opinions of 4-5 top trainers and then figure out which version of their truth works best for me. Did you know that studies have proven that running is bad for you?: http://www.runnersworld.com/health/will-running-too-much-kill-you?page=single

I like how you caught Rippetoe backpedaling on the shoe issue though. Maybe we can start a barefoot revolution in the weightlifting world. Let's start trolling their forums!

Anyway, for the record, I'm not a Rippetoe devotee by any means. What I like about him is, aside from shoddie phobias and possibly a few other foibles, he usually takes the time to give you his reasons for adopting one technique or preference over another. A well-argued position, even if one disagrees with it, is much more valuable than mere assertion, even if one agrees with the latter (in which case it's simply reinforcing our preconceptions). With a well-argued position, one is exposed to the underlying logic(s) at issue, so it's easier to compare different views and draw one's own conclusions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sid
It's 14.5" from center on my squat rack. A little narrower than my the distance on my bar.
Thanks. I rigged up the neutral grip pullup handles yesterday, and the width ended up being pretty much exactly 17.5" and that felt good when I tried a few assisted pullups. Unfortunately, the ends of the handles are about 1/4" too low, and the garage door hits them when retracting. So today I'll drill holes on the other side of the power rack up towards the top of the post. I don't want to drill new holes above the existing, centered ones, because there'd only be a quarter to three eighths of an inch of space between them. No biggie, but somehow it felt better to have my head bop up on the left side of the pulley beam.

BTW, the medium-light-heavy rhythm of last week felt pretty good, so I think I'll try it again this week. But it might make more sense to offset the big lifts so that I'm not doing everything heavy, light, or medium on the same day.

So, just as happened in Cycle II, I'm already messing with the plan in the first week or two, but I think varying intensities, while still getting in the higher frequencies, might be a good tweak.
 
Yeah I think our methods are a bit different but the concept is similar in keeping things at a lower intensity overall.
My lifts today felt very easy compared to last week so I am going to keep following this plan for a bit. That must be what the easy is. Trying to find a gym where I will be staying at in the states, I really don't want to go to LA fitness...
Hopefully we will get some snow and I can get a pull harness and take the boys sledding and get some weighted hill repeats in. I did buy a landmine to take back home with me. I think initially I might just do Russian twists with it as part of my warmup.
 
Yeah I think our methods are a bit different but the concept is similar in keeping things at a lower intensity overall.
My lifts today felt very easy compared to last week so I am going to keep following this plan for a bit. That must be what the easy is. Trying to find a gym where I will be staying at in the states, I really don't want to go to LA fitness...
Hopefully we will get some snow and I can get a pull harness and take the boys sledding and get some weighted hill repeats in. I did buy a landmine to take back home with me. I think initially I might just do Russian twists with it as part of my warmup.
Yah, if feels good to be doing triples again, just doing quintuples gets a little stale and I think the neural-muscular stimulation is a little different. But I don't really have any inclination to do singles, outside of periodically testing my 1RM, and even then, I don't feel any real urge for the time being. More than the physical effort, I think I dislike the mental effort required. It's really great just to daydream in between sets, without having to psych myself up for the next one. Still, after Friday's intense workout, I got a really great, post-workout buzz the next day.

Is Chicago your hometown? How long do you plan on working abroad? The baby must be about finishing up the first six months of life outside the womb, right? Things start getting easier, if I recall correctly . . .

We're in for a couple of weeks of milder weather, after an unusually harsh November, so hopefully I'll be able to get a half dozen more barefoot runs. Can't let Broad Arrow get too far ahead in the Winter Challenge. But I'm realizing people a little to the south of us in Illinois and Ohio are perfectly placed for optimal qualifying temps. Oh well, at least I don't live in Winterpeg!
 
OK, I was reading a bit in Rippetoe's "Practical Programing for Strength Training" while stretching out, and it looks like last week's workout schedule of Medium-Light-Heavy bears a close resemblance to "The Texas Method" weekly protocol:

P. 113: "High volume at moderate intensity is used at the first of the week, a light workout is done in the middle for maintenance of motor pathways, and then a high intensity workout at low volume ends the week."

P. 114: "This simple program is probably the most productive routine in existence for lifters at this level" [intermediate].

So, adapted to the six lifts protocol, with your idea of varying triples and quintuples, maybe something like: Mon 3x5 @ 80%1RM; Wed 2x5 @ 75%1RM + assistance; Fri 3/3/4 @ 90%1RM. When the triples on Friday go up, then you add weight to Monday and Wednesday. Or maybe use a percentage formula like you and the Texas Method use:

Monday = 3x5 @90% of previous Friday's 3x3RM;
Wednesday = 2x5 @90% of previous Monday's 3x5.

This gives me about the same numbers either way, except in the latter case, Monday and Wednesday lower by 10 pounds, which could be about right, given the intensity of Friday. What I really like about the idea is that it gives me percentages based on weekly 3RM performance, not on a 1RM PR I did months ago, or some imagined 1RM PR I should be able to attain based on my current triples and quintuples. Does that make sense?

And I think there's something to varying intensity and volume a bit at the intermediate level. It's like a weekly mesocycle with each day representing a microcycle. I don't feel like it needs to be much more complicated, but maybe 2x5 at the same intensity every workout is too simplistic once a lifter or at least a lift has progressed past the novice level?
 
We're in for a couple of weeks of milder weather, after an unusually harsh November, so hopefully I'll be able to get a half dozen more barefoot runs. Can't let Broad Arrow get too far ahead in the Winter Challenge. But I'm realizing people a little to the south of us in Illinois and Ohio are perfectly placed for optimal qualifying temps. Oh well, at least I don't live in Winterpeg!

you should be ok for a little while. i have this thing i'm calling a "dead spot" on the bottom of my feet. it's not really dead, but the skin seems to be qualitatively different [weird fungal infection? :) skin layers separating? ]. it is kinda below the #2 toe and a little toward the big toe; i think it is where the flesh gets smashed together when you step (i start on the outside) so it gets stressed more. plus it may have some vague association with the "morton's toe" kind of thing that i haven't figured out at all. anyways, during the summer, it is no problem, but at the start of winter, the skin starts to soften up and that spot in particular ends up getting worn through. then, it starts getting healed up and sealed up and i get excited and go running. yeah, not so wise: then i'm leaving little drops of blood on the floor and have to walk all funny. then a day or two later, i repeat my stupidity. thus, i am trying to force myself to be a good little boy and let it completely heal up. at least this year only the right foot seems heavily affected while the left foot has a hint of softness but has maintained its integrity.

for the moment, i am left issuing empty threats: oh yeah, once my skin heals up, it's on!
 
you should be ok for a little while. i have this thing i'm calling a "dead spot" on the bottom of my feet. it's not really dead, but the skin seems to be qualitatively different [weird fungal infection? :) skin layers separating? ]. it is kinda below the #2 toe and a little toward the big toe; i think it is where the flesh gets smashed together when you step (i start on the outside) so it gets stressed more. plus it may have some vague association with the "morton's toe" kind of thing that i haven't figured out at all. anyways, during the summer, it is no problem, but at the start of winter, the skin starts to soften up and that spot in particular ends up getting worn through. then, it starts getting healed up and sealed up and i get excited and go running. yeah, not so wise: then i'm leaving little drops of blood on the floor and have to walk all funny. then a day or two later, i repeat my stupidity. thus, i am trying to force myself to be a good little boy and let it completely heal up. at least this year only the right foot seems heavily affected while the left foot has a hint of softness but has maintained its integrity.

for the moment, i am left issuing empty threats: oh yeah, once my skin heals up, it's on!
Problem with guys like you is that you can eat up a whole week of my mileage on one balmy day.

In fact, though, I'm enjoying the fact that I'm out of the Winter Challenge running this year. It's kind of a relief. My only real concern is to run bare enough to maintain some semblance of plantar callus, so this forecast thaw is most welcome. It had been about a month without any skin-to-ground contact. I was even able to run-commute barefoot this morning, despite the wet surfaces, as it was right around freezing and the sidewalks and streets were mostly clear of snow.

Good luck figuring out the zombie zone. The spot I think you're referring to is also where my callus is thickest, and there were times during my first year or two of barefoot running that it kinda grew too much and irritated me, so hopefully it's just a case of adaptation in your case as well.
 
in other news, my wife got sick of my making fun of the workout class she goes to, so she decided i needed to put up, shut up, or else be able to make fun of her more effectively. so last night, we all went to the "gym" and i did the BodyPump (tm) class with her. my brief assessment is that it would never work for me: i'm *way* to tall.

for the uninitiated like myself, "BodyPump" is a semi-aerobic workout group fitness class (yes! germanic multi-nouns!) mostly based on barbell exercises which lasts for an hour. the movements are typically grouped in body-part style set to some sort of modern musical selection ("ok guys, we have a tricep track next").

the problem for me is that they are trying to pack it a pretty high number of repetitions. so the timing has to be pretty fast. fine: i have been known to go running, so this isn't the crux of the matter yet. but, the timing is based on, maybe, a 1/2 or 3/4 range of motion for a typical-to-small person. so when they would do, say, overhead presses, i'm trying to whip this, admittedly light (think 25lbs) bar up and down through like a 6-foot round trip while cutesy-tootsies around me are going through, say a 4-foot lap. i was perennially behind. i don't think i could have kept up even if i were using a pool noodle.

on top of this super-high repetitions and fast pace, they would mix together exercises which you would normally think would require vastly different loads. for example, (if my memory serves me adequately) in the middle of doing a bunch of shoulder presses, you would stop and do some half-range deadlifts (i.e., starting standing up, but bending over slightly until your hands reach knee height). ok, so a shoulder press is the like the weakest motion available in the universe of barbell-only-large-motions which is getting paired with the easiest half of a deadlift range which is the absolute strongest motion the body is capable of. i think fundamentally, the point of that was to make you feel like you were still doing something while you are really taking a rest between sets. :)

the marketing people (and the fearless leader jumping around on stage), naturally want you to think it is "hard" and you're getting your money's worth. my opinion is that it is sorta like when people say one ultramarathon is harder than another. as long as it is possible to accomplish, it isn't "hard" in and of itself. what makes it hard are the cutoff times. if you are allowed to employ bare lee's "run, walk, eat, go to the symphony, sleep, shower, eat, go to work, run, eat, go to menard's, sleep, run" strategy, you can cover almost any distance, just the cutoff time had better be about 4 months. :) but, even a climate controlled track with massages and warm food and cold drinks freely available can be made hard by saying you have to run 3:30 miles the whole way. you know, pharaoh oppressing the israelites: "more bricks! less straw!"

i guess i got tired and perhaps got a little of the "pump" part because something was interfering with something else during the triceps extension part and it seemed like they really pound on your shoulders (or maybe i knew better how many bricks and how little straw was required for that motion) and they put in a bazillion squat-like exercises. but after we got home, i ended up doing my full normal workout even with the 5-pound bump for the new week. i figured if i miss a few repetitions, so be it. in the event, i completed everything except for the faux-bench where i had to drop back to my original load after one set.

so anyways, i think i'll still end up making a little bit of fun of her, but will still try to lure her back home and into a more weighted emphasis since my primary paranoia for her is osteoporosis (and moving those 5lb weights just ain't gonna send the memo to the bones). anyways, whatever floats her boat because if momma ain't happy, nobody ain't happy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bare Lee
if you are allowed to employ bare lee's "run, walk, eat, go to the symphony, sleep, shower, eat, go to work, run, eat, go to menard's, sleep, run" strategy, you can cover almost any distance, just the cutoff time had better be about 4 months. :)
Hey, stop making fun. I think my PR for the hundo is under three weeks.
so anyways, i think i'll still end up making a little bit of fun of her, but will still try to lure her back home and into a more weighted emphasis since my primary paranoia for her is osteoporosis (and moving those 5lb weights just ain't gonna send the memo to the bones). anyways, whatever floats her boat because if momma ain't happy, nobody ain't happy.
Could be a gateway to real free weight workouts, or just an excuse to do partial squats at low weight. In any case, I agree, I think my wife would look cute doing that stuff as well.
Looks like a cardio class with weights, so one can pretend to do a strength workout.
It must be frustrating to be a real strength and conditioning trainer and constantly have to disabuse potential clients about the stuff they've seen on TV infomercials. I guess the rule is never trust a trainer with a headset.
 
Yeah I am from the Chicago-land area, which is a great place to be from. I still call Colorado home though and hope to get back there eventually. I could settle back in AZ too, its definitely a cool state. Not sure about the length over here, we are enjoying it immensely so I have no reason to head back for a while. Little man is doing great, he's actually a very easy one thank goodness, which makes life much more enjoyable. Thanks for asking! And how about your family? Getting ready to hibernate for the winter?

I took the garbage out barefoot this morning, cold wet weather makes it quite unenjoyable. I give you guys credit for having the patience for winter barefoot runs.

Yeah I haven't read about the texas method too much. But SS and the texas method seem similar to what we are doing with some additions to fill the weaknesses of those two programs. On another note I think I really was able to dial in my squat stance today, the trick was not pointing my toes out and keeping the width a little narrower. There was a lot of pop out of the whole so I think I am going to keep working this style.

Trying to firm up some race plans for the next few months... I need to find a 50 miler somewhere in the Ardennes.