The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope

[matty_mcfly]

Hold on so are you doing cube or 531 or something else? And I like the resolve you have going right now. Make it last.

[El Exorcisto]

I'm doing 531. I can't train specifically for the contest in August outside of doing some carry work and I need to focus on the shit that will make me stronger, not better at specific lifts.

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[matty_mcfly]

Are the sessions that much shorter with 531? I know that was one of the reasons why I went to it after SL5x5 but I don't really remember how fast I was banging them out?

And besides deadlifts where you kill me, I'm happy to see that all of our other PRs are a lot more similar than I thought...fuck we need to get stronger

[El Exorcisto]

I shouldn't have a problem getting in and out in 30-45 minutes. The problem with Cube was max effort days taking over a half hour just for the main movement. I also had setup and breakdown between movements which takes time. Plate loaded DBs are great but they're a pain to keep loading and unloading. I think I have things set up to keep that to a minimum.

[matty_mcfly]

Shit you have a smaller time frame than I do. 4 days on, 3 days off?

[El Exorcisto]

Monday squat, Tuesday bench, Thursday deadlift, Friday press, Saturday events.

 

My old schedule had me working 16s every other weekend and from 1p-11p on Mondays and Tuesdays. I could get plenty of sleep, train, and get to work on my weekdays and take my weekends off. The new gig is 11a-11p 2 days a week and 7a-7p every other weekend. Training after work isn't an option on my weekdays and spending an hour and a half necessitates getting up too damn early. So here I am.

[El Exorcisto]

5s squat

Squat: 5s @ 165, 225; 10@235

Good morning: 10@135, 2x10@155

Roll-out: 3x12

 

I could have ground out another couple reps on the squat but I was pretty gassed already. It's only 70 in my gym but the humidity made it feel like 90.It's definitely time to buy a fan. I haven't done good mornings in WAY too long. My low back is pretty sore and my legs were shaking on the last reps of every set. I was going to do snatch SLDLs for hamstring work but my wife said GMs were a better pick. She's learning.

[El Exorcisto]

5s bench

Bench press: 5s @ 130, 140; 12@150 - rep PR

Slingshot dips: 10s +25, +35, +45

   superset with

Bar chins: 10,8,8 - total rep PR

Straight bar curls: 10 @ 45, 65, 65

 

So there's a long overdue rep PR on the bench. I threw on the Slingshot for dips to keep from doing any long term damage to my shoulder and found out I was going WAY deeper than I needed to be going. I don't know how much the Slingshot helped vs just giving me a depth gauge to keep my shoulders happy. I almost missed lockout on my last rep so I'll shoot for 10s across at +45 next week. My best chins have been 10,8,7 so I got an added rep on them too. Curls because curls, bro.

[El Exorcisto]

5s deadlift

Sumo deadlift: 5s @ 245, 260; 12 @ 275 - rep PR but who cares? It's bitch weight.

High box squat: 8x2 @ 245

Roll-out: 3x12

 

The last time I spent a lot of time pulling sumo my conventional deadlift went ape shit. It was a snap decision to do it tonight and I'm going to run with it for the duration. I wasn't expecting 12 reps after how heavy the feeder sets felt. The last rep was getting ugly so I called it there but I could have ground out another, maybe two.

 

High box squats are back in. They were faster than I thought they would be. I'll be putting a pair of nickels on weekly until they slow down to more than 30 seconds spent in the rack.

 

I'm cutting my roll-outs a little higher after reading some of jdanger's ab work post. I was going deep enough to put my quads on the floor but I lost tension in my abs and took it up in my QLs. It doesn't sound like that's optimal so I'll focus on making roll-outs all about my abs. 

[El Exorcisto]

Bonus brain gains:

 

 

 

The stance breakdown was ripped from an Instagram post by eric_tsa. I couldn't get it to embed with IG's code. If the OP finds this and wants it pulled just shoot me a PM.

 

BTW matty, Ed Coan's gym is in Chicago. It's called Quads Gym. 

[matty_mcfly]

Yeah I've recently gone back to sumo for the time being. Pulling 3 times a week, my lower back needed a break.

That's actually the one video I didn't watch from that Ed Coan/ST/Mark Bell series.

And shit, really? Remember that guy Kidney Bean that use to be around here more often? He was visiting from the UK and we hit up Quads. It was multiple levels (I think) and I only saw one, but I had mixed feelings about it.

[El Exorcisto]

5s press

Strict press: 5@85,95; 12@100

Incline bench: 10@95, 2x10@115

Kroc row: 5@60,110; 15@110

EZ bar curl: 3x12@65

Nothing special

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[Rooks]

Loved all the ST / Ed Coan videos.  Specially loved in the squat video how he talked about opening the Taint.  As humorous as it sounds, it did actually feel better as it seemed to release some tension in the knees that you get from just the cue "push the knees out".  Good shit as always EE. 

[matty_mcfly]

Loved all the ST / Ed Coan videos. Specially loved in the squat video how he talked about opening the Taint. As humorous as it sounds, it did actually feel better as it seemed to release some tension in the knees that you get from just the cue "push the knees out". Good shit as always EE.

Lol I tried and maybe I was over thinking it, but the squat session that followed after was awful.

[matty_mcfly]

Happy Father's Day

[El Exorcisto]

You too, bro.

[El Exorcisto]

3s squat

Squat: 3s @ 225, 235; 7@250

Good morning: 10@155, 2x10 @ 175

HLR, ankles to bar: 10

Ball-ups on rings with slow negative: 2x5

 

I felt stiff and shitty when I hit the gym, having just crawled out of bed 10 minutes earlier. The top set felt great but I was hoping for eight or nine. I belted for my good mornings and they felt a lot smoother with less low back soreness.

 

Since my abs are really weak I'm doubting that roll-outs are doing everything I need them to. HLRs on the bar were alright but my shoulders didn't like them. I went over to the rings and did some ball-ups and slowed the negative way down as I rolled back out. Fuck me running, my abs are crushed.

[El Exorcisto]

3s bench

Bench press: 3s @ 140, 150; 10@160

Dips: 3x10 +25

Superset with

Bar chins: 10,8,7

Barbell curl: 3x10@65

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[matty_mcfly]

Lol yeah these weights are baby weight if you are hitting 10 reps

[El Exorcisto]

3s Deadlift

Sumo deadlift: 3s @ 260, 275; 8 @ 290

High box squat: 8x2 @ 255

Roll-out: 3x12

 

There wasn't anything remarkable about tonight. Damn near everything is going to be a rep PR on the deadlift since I haven't pulled sumo in forever. I kept to the usual 30 seconds in the rack on box squats so the bar gets another pair of nickels next week.

[matty_mcfly]

Does your lockout on sumo feel as smooth and natural as it does with conventional?

[El Exorcisto]

Sumo is such a different beast than pulling conventional. It's really a two part lift compared to conventional. From the floor to the knees is all knee extension while keeping a consistent back angle then it's all about hip extension to lockout. I honestly hate pulling sumo but the last time I spent time with it my deadlift went up a lot. Who knows if it'll repeat this time around but I doubt it'll make me weaker.

[matty_mcfly]

Okay good. I was noticing that this morning and I thought my form was just fucked. I still prefer sumo, but it always feels a bit off when I've been doing conventional for awhile.

And it's always good to pull one to help out the other.

[El Exorcisto]

3s Press

Strict press: 3s @ 95,100; 10 @ 105

Incline bench: 3x10 @ 115

Kroc row: 5s @ 110,120; 15@120

EZ-bar curl: 3x10 @ 70

 

I could have ground out another rep or two at 105 but for some reason I stopped at 10. I'm not exactly sure why. Incline bench was a lot stronger than last week so the bar's getting a pair of nickels next week. I almost blacked out from hypoxia on my last set of Kroc rows but I muscled through it. Hitting the second arm right after the first is nasty but I hit 15 so I'll add another 10 pounds to the dumbbell next week.

 

I've been keeping up with some friends from the old job and the new guy is a fucking disaster. Like "holy fuck, he's literally going to kill a patient" disaster. The new job is alright but I'm not feeling it like the old gig. I got a coincidental text from my boss yesterday morning asking if I can pick up a shift. I'm picking it up on Monday because greedy, and have a feeling my boss is going to try pitching me coming back. I'm entertaining the idea but those bitches are gonna have to make some shit right if it's going to happen and I'm not inclined to deal with the one's bullshit cheaply either. I guess I'll find out on Monday.

 

On a brighter note I'm spending tomorrow night away from the house and away from the kid for the first weekend away since Lift for Autism. Time to get shithouse drunk, blow some money at the blackjack tables, and keep the people in the room next door up all night. 

[El Exorcisto]

It's not just five pounds.

 

It sounds like I'm not the only one that decided to back off the weight and start back on base building instead of just chasing my tail hoping for a PR.