The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope

[matty_mcfly]

Yea, I don't think I trust myself enough to deviate too far from what's laid out.  I like going into the gym with a strict plan in place that I have to follow.  Though the agility and conditioning work is likely taking a back seat due to the lack of space and time. 

[El Exorcisto]

ME squat

Axle walk-throughs: 4 "laps" @ 490, 5 static holds for 10+seconds @ 490

High-bar squat: widowmaker @ 190 - rep PR

 

I had a chance to weld up an axle attachment last week but I blew it. I did axle walk-throughs in my rack up to 490 to get a feel for the weight, the pick, and what a few steps feel like. Then I just held the weight on my back until it felt like my eyes were going to blow out of my face. I got a warm-up set of 5 @ 135 on the squat and got a violent lat cramp. I almost called off the day but I had time so I went in and rolled it out enough to breathe again. I put 5 pounds on last cycle's widowmaker and my lat was trashed again so I called it a day. My abs and low back are hurting from the yoke practice so I doubt more direct work would have much effect anyway.

 

A 470lb yoke still scares the shit out of me... I won't zero it but it's really going to suck.

[El Exorcisto]

RE press

Strict axle: 15@40, 12@60, 10@80, 8@100, 5@110, 3@120

   superset with

Ring chins: 5x5

Dips: 3x10 @ bw

   superset with

Bar chins: 3x5

Reverse ring flyes: 3x10

Barbell curl: 20,20,15 @ 45

   superset with

Band pushdown: 3x30 with EliteFTS monster mini

 

I didn't break any PR but I'm sure my strict press has gone up. These all felt solid and locked in. I had another couple reps in me at 120 but I had a lot more work to do, and missing reps right now would be a very bad thing. I've got a lot of momentum going. My lats are still crampy from yesterday but it didn't seem to affect my workout.

 

I'm really liking dips as a press assistance movement. When I'm done with them they seem to be hitting the same places that the strict press does along with my chest. I'm definitely feeling more carry over from them than I did doing close-grip bench with the slingshot.

[matty_mcfly]

So, I fucked with box squats for the first time yesterday.  Actually really liked them.  But why do they have such carry over to deadlifts.

 

Currently a tad too lazy to Google it lol

[matty_mcfly]

Nevermind, stopped being a lazy fuck and did some reading 

[El Exorcisto]

Just make sure that after you relax your hip flexors on the box that you don't re-engage them when you come off. Drive your knees out and come off the box with your ass instead. When you feel it you'll see how the box squat is really a totally different movement than a free squat.

[El Exorcisto]

DE deadlift

Conventional deadlift: 10x1 @ 245 against EliteFTS short monster minis

High box squat: 8x2 @ 245

Sandbag over 50" bar: 1x2 @ 120, 2x2 @ 160

Snatch grip SLDL: 10@135, 2x8 @ 185

Roll-out: 3x12

 

Deadlifts and box squats felt awesome today. I was fast and clean, everything just fell into place.

 

Then it was time to drag out the sandbag and all the good feels went out the window. I've always hated loading. Stones make me feel like a badass but I generally just hate the lift. The double at 120 felt alright but the two doubles at 160 were fucking awful. I played hell getting a good grip and the load was slow and awkward. I'm glad I'm getting them back into my training now instead of a week out like I originally planned.

 

After those I did some rounded-as-fuck snatch SLDLs. Since I'm weaker on the pick than the load, it seems that round back pulling is a weak point of mine. I need to remedy that problem. Kalle Beck recommends deficit SLDLs or hypers for low back and these are hitting where I need hit a lot better. Then I did some roll-outs with my gut hitting the floor about 90% of my reps.

[El Exorcisto]

My ass feels like I got caught smuggling blow into Singapore. FFS...

[matty_mcfly]

Just from the conventional pulls and box squats?

[El Exorcisto]

I think from the box squats, sandbag, and SLDLs, but mainly the SLDLs. I've done everything else together before but never felt like I got caned.

[matty_mcfly]

I think I may be looking to "donate" a few sandbags to my gym sometime this summer. I really enjoyed playing with them the two times I was at that gym where the comp was.

Looking for to the box squats if they beat you up this bad.

[El Exorcisto]

If you feel them in your quads at all then you're doing them wrong. I did them wrong for two years til I finally trained with someone who knew what they were doing.

[El Exorcisto]

Assistance day

Incline bench: 15@45, 12@95, 10@115, 8@135, 5@145

  superset with

Barbell row: 15@45, 12@135, 10@155, 8@175, 5@185

Axle jerk (DE): 5x2@110, 3x2@120

Circuit:

3-way raise: 3x10

Incline curl: 15,15,11

Band pushdown: 3x30

 

My main incline and barbell row ate dick today. I was just slow and not in the mood and it showed. I was going to do a pyramid of strict axle but decided to try some DE pressing. Doing weekly DE box squats has had great effect on my squat and 18" deadlift so it only makes sense that more DE work on the press would carry over. Those felt awesome and got me woken up finally, just in time to do a bunch of fluff pump work. I dropped barbell rows for inclines and hammers since my elbow is still a little cranky and these should help out.

[El Exorcisto]

DE squat

Parallel box squat: 8x2 @ 235

High bar squat: 2x10 @ 195

Snatch grip SLDL: 10 @ 135, 185, 205

Roll-out: 3x12

 

I put a pair of nickels on my DE weight and it felt good after the first double. I think I'll add 10 pounds every cycle until I really feel the bar speed slowing down. High bar squats felt great. Snatch SLDLs are taking the place of GHRs and good mornings as hamstring work. They just hit everything all at once harder than I can do with the usual suspects.

 

This is my last cycle before my contest. I have a really good feeling about how my training is coming together and provided I don't hurt myself on the next two squat days, I think I'll surprise myself with how I do.

[El Exorcisto]

FFS, I hate my wifi. Double post.

[El Exorcisto]

ME press

Axle C&P: single @ 160, missed 170

Continental: 2x3 @ 110

Circuit

Dips: 3x12

Bar chins: 3x6

Reverse ring flyes: 3x12

Hammer curl: 25,20,20 @ 20

   superset with

Band pushdowns: 3x30

 

I haven't cleaned my axle from the floor since I was trying to get my log up to snuff. I would have had the press at 170, maybe even 180 but the clean got away from me and almost knocked me over. I'm gonna have a rockin bruise on my sternum later. My DE work on assistance day is going to be from the floor instead of the rack and continentalled instead of power cleaned. I neglected it through this whole training cycle and it'll probably come back to bite me.

[matty_mcfly]

Check out my log tomorrow. Did some box squats and would love your opinion on the vids

[El Exorcisto]

RE deadlift

Axle deadlift: 15@130, 12@220, 10@270, 8@290, 5@310

High box squat: 8x2 @ 245

 

I don't understand why pulling an axle is so much harder than a barbell but it had no business being this rough today. After deadlifts I was torched and after box squats I was just a puddle on the floor. I don't even have ab work left in me.

 

I got that video for you, matty. It's uploading and encoding now. I'll get it posted up when it's done.

[El Exorcisto]

They're not as clean as they could be but I was fried.

[El Exorcisto]

Assistance day

Incline bench: 15@45, 12@95, 10@115, 8@135, 5@155

Axle C&P: 8x2 @ 130

Reverse ring flyes: 3x12

Circuit

3-way raise: 3x12 @ 15

Incline curl: 3x15 @ 15

Band pushdown: 3x30 with EliteFTS monster mini

 

Incline bench went as usual, meaning shitty and awkward. I hate incline and I've always sucked majorly at it. Yep, it definitely needs to replace flat bench on assistance day.

 

All my axle work was continentalled. I'm getting a pretty good feel for it now but I don't have a day programmed for max effort press before the contest. I'll just hope that doing it for speed work will have enough carry over. The presses felt great and were getting really fast at the end. I'm dropping rows on assistance day in favor of the axle cleans. After deadlifting on Thursdays my lats are already usually pretty toasted and I don't know what direct carry over I get from them to events besides pulling.

 

Assistance work is improving. I'm going to keep my 3-way and incline curl weight at 15 until I can hit 20 for sets across but I'm bumping my pushdowns up to a light band next week.

[matty_mcfly]

 

I don't understand why pulling an axle is so much harder than a barbell but it had no business being this rough today. After deadlifts I was torched and after box squats I was just a puddle on the floor. I don't even have ab work left in me.

 

 

Yea I don't know either, but this week was the first time in awhile that I trained deads with just the barbell.  It was nice.

[El Exorcisto]

ME squat

Low bar squat: singles @ 275, 295, 315, 335, 345, 355 - All time PR!1!

High bar, 5-count pause squat: 5x2 @ 185

Snatch SLDL: 10 @ 135, 185, 205

Roll-out: 3x10

 

I didn't plan on breaking a squat PR today. With the contest so close the risk of hurting myself was too high so I was gonna hit 335 and call it good with 10 pounds over my high bar PR last cycle. 335 flew like speed work. 345 slowed down a little but I think that was all perception since it was really only an RPE of like 7. I put another pair of nickels on the bar and sunk it, slowed on the rise a little and my knees caved just a bit but it was a solid 3 whites according to my wife. It was RPE of 8, maybe. If I was out to really stretch my legs and took 5 minutes between attempts I am sure I had 370 or more in me. Wow... Such fucking awesome.

 

My gut was in knots when I woke up this morning and it still was feeling off after the ME work so a widowmaker wasn't happening. I decided on some really deep pause squats and they felt good. SLDLs are still feeling great. I didn't have sets of 12 left in the tank for roll-outs.

 

I'm fucking stoked.

[El Exorcisto]

RE press

Strict axle: 15@45, 12@75, 10@95, 8@110, 5@120

Dips: 3x10

   superset with

Bar chins: 6,6,7

Reverse ring flyes: 3x12

Hammer curl: 30,25,25 @ 20

   superset with

Band pushdown: 3x30 with EliteFTS light band

 

Such pump. Many swole.

[matty_mcfly]

PRs just keep falling in this thread, but dude, seriously, don't snap your shit up this close to the comp.

[El Exorcisto]

I'm feeling fucking invincible right now. I've never felt this good. I think I had a fucked up pelvis for the better share of a decade and I finally got everything working that was supposed to. Today's strict press was a whole pile of rep PRs too.