The Inevitable Return of the Great White Dope

[Rooks]

Rooks, if you want to incorporate other things into your programming, just be sure that they will actually have carry over to the things that matter to you. A year ago I was doing all kinds of rings shit because I finally hung them. It was fun for a couple weeks but it didn't do a thing for me except turn my face purple. Now I use them for chins to mix things up along with the bar. Building a couple farmer's handles and going for a walk will help build conditioning and work capacity along with grip, core, lats, and traps. Whipping together an axle to deadlift will completely change your pull. Picking up a sandbag and putting it over a bar in your rack can't do anything but awesome things for your back, abs, and glutes. Maybe you'll even get a taste for it and decide to hang up your spandex onesie and come play with us. Picking up rocks is fucking fun.

 

I'd love it and definitely would give it a shot in the not too distance future.  I'd like to do 2 PL meets this year, March time frame and August again.  With the hope being a 560kg total in March and we'll see where in August.  But after that, not sure where I'll go.  But I hear you on the Farmer's Walk and Axles and shit.  I want to get it together and I have the skills, I'm just too damn lazy.  

[El Exorcisto]

Dedicate a training day to getting the welder and porta-band out and just get it over and done with. Building some implements will do more for your gains than spending that one day training.

[El Exorcisto]

Assistance day

Incline bench: 12@95, 10@115, 8@135, 5@145, 3@150

5 minutes of chins: 32

3-board press: 5s @ 135, 185, 195, 200, 205

EZ-bar curls: 3x10 @ 65

   superset with

3-way raise: 3x10 @ 15

 

Nothing great, nothing bad. My shoulders and arms feel like they're about to explode. Life is good.

[El Exorcisto]

RE deadlift

Conventional deadlift: 12@225, 10@275, 8@315, 3@365

Atlas stone load to 51" platform: 5x3 @ 110

Hanging knee raise: 15,12,10

 

I wanted to top the pyramid at 4 plates but I can't stand up to a lot of volume on the conventional pull. My set at 315 felt great. I put my belt on, strapped in, and got into position for 365... and the bar wouldn't move. What the fuck? I tried again, and it was bolted to the floor. I felt like I couldn't pull. I tossed the belt and hit it for a triple but they weren't pretty. I think something got fucked up with me being down to strap in for so long and not being able to get my air while standing. Some time I'll pull conventional for ME without straps and see where I'm at.

 

The stone felt awesome today. Loads were all one motion and getting really fast. I'm getting it grooved enough to feel the breakdown of the movement and get the stone positioned right for a good pop at the top. I want to master my 110 before I move up so I don't pick up any bad habits.

[El Exorcisto]

RE press

Strict press: 12@75, 10@90, 8@105, 5@115, 3@125

 

Bench press: 10@115, 10@135, 8@155, 5@165, 3@175

   superset with

Pendlay row: 5@135, 4x5 @ 145

 

Barbell curl: 27,12,8 @ 45, rest-pause

 

Doing 3-way raises has changed how my strict press feels. I always used to feel them mainly in my triceps but today I had a pretty sickening shoulder pump by my second set. I was a little shaky by the end but I wasn't even close to missing a rep.

 

I was going to stick to 3x10 on bench after strict pressing. My shoulders were trashed and I wasn't feeling it. I hit my 10 at 135 and figured that it was what my second pyramid set would be, so fuck it. I hit the same pyramid as the last one but it was a little stronger despite being trashed.

 

I subbed in Pendlay rows because I think they might have some direct carry over to stones. I'll stick with them for a while and see how they feel.

[El Exorcisto]

ME squat

Barbell squat up to a single at 315

SSB good morning: 10s @ 155, 175, 185

Roll-out: 3x15

 

It was a high gravity day. Oh well.

[El Exorcisto]

Bro day

Incline bench: 12@100, 10@120, 8@135, 5@145, 3@155

5 minutes of chin-ups: 34

5 minutes of dips: 40

3-way raise: 3x10 @ 15

Hammer curl: 3x15 @ 20

 

I bumped my weight up on a few of my incline sets and they felt pretty good. A couple last reps were shaky but nowhere near failing. I'm getting a better connection with my pecs and shoulders and it seems to be paying off for me. I'm no bodybuilder but I can't help but think that all their spouting about focussing on the contraction and not about the movement makes sense sometimes.

 

I got two more chin-ups this week over last and could have had a few more if I hadn't been greedy and hit failure twice.

 

I'm going with dips as my supplemental for bro day as long as my joints don't end up hating me. I'm not feeling three-boards or reverse band bench enough where I need them to keep them around. I think my shoulders are more of my limiter on presses than my triceps and dips hit everything that matters. I got greedy on dips, too, and ended up hitting total failure three times.

 

I focussed on the squeeze with my raises and curls too and realized I had been cheating on rear flyes and somewhat on front raises. I have a weird asymmetry in my hammer curl movement that I just spotted in my reflection in the window. I got rid of it and they felt a lot different. I was doing a weird thing with my left trap that's difficult to describe.

 

Everything north of my abs is wrecked and swole as fuck. I've never had a chest or shoulder pump like this.

[matty_mcfly]

How goes the training sir?

 

We haven't shot the shit in a bit

[El Exorcisto]

Speed press

Viper press: 8x2 @ 135

 

Bench press: 12@120, 10@135, 8@160, 5@170, 3@180

   superset with

Pendlay row: 2x5 @ 155, 3x5 @ 165

 

Barbell curl: 30,12,8 @ 45

 

I want to viper press in my medley in April so I need to get comfy with it. Mastell did a great video on the movement for EliteFTS which did a lot to explain some of the nuance that I didn't pick up on by just watching Poundstone and Hall. My speed was so much better when I could keep the log tight to my chest coming out of the lap. I think my viper press needs more work than my axle so next speed press day is going to be dedicated to it, too. I'll worry about cleaning up my continental as I get closer.

 

I put weight on all but one set of my bench and everything felt pretty good if a bit unstable. Rows and curls were uneventful.

 

I haven't trained in a little over a week. I'm getting why Wendler, Thigpen, and DeFranco all include the fourth week deload in their programs. I wasn't feeling especially beat up or tired but due to my daughter's birthday and Christmas, training wasn't happening in a meaningful way. I came back stronger after a week of eating like shit, sleeping even worse, and an overtime shift. Life's good, bro. How are things in Chicago?

[El Exorcisto]

RE squat

SSB squat: 12@145, 10@185, 8@225, 5@255, 3@275

SSB good morning: 10s @ 155, 175, 185

Roll-out: 3x15

 

I hate volume squat day more than almost anything. I always have and always will. I got pretty ambitious with my bump up from a month ago but I hit it pretty well. A few reps felt awful and I was getting the shakes again when I was racking the bar. Good mornings felt really great.

 

I want to do a max effort good morning during this mesocycle but I'm not sure if I should do it as a deadlift or squat. Thoughts?

[Rooks]

Isn't a "Good Morning Deadlift" just a Romanian Deadlift?  Always thought a Good Morning meant bar in Squat position.

[El Exorcisto]

Bro day:

Incline bench: 12@105, 10@120, 8@135, 5@150, 3@155

5 minutes of chins: 35

5 minutes of dips: 37

3-way raise: 3x10 @ 15

Hammer curl: 12,12,10 @ 25

 

So much pump...

 

Rooks, I meant should I do it on a ME deadlift or squat day.

[Rooks]

Ahh....  That makes more sense.  I'd say Squat day.  ME Deadlift wastes me.  Squat I feel like I at least have something left in the tank.

[matty_mcfly]

Well I would program it based on what you are using the good mornings to help build.

Like when I do box squats I usually do them with deadlifts as they are programmed to build my pull.

And bro days are the best.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[El Exorcisto]

I'm going to do them on my ME squat day. I don't get much out of ME squatting the way I do from pulling since I don't squat at a contest. Squat days are really just a periodized deadlift assistance day.

 

Tomorrow is ME deadlift day and I'm hoping for big things.

[matty_mcfly]

Well fuck you too. Though your thought process makes a lot of sense.

Can't wait until I do a PL meet so I can get back to axle dead and pressing shit over my head

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[El Exorcisto]

I care about the squat the same as I care about my bench. I want to see them both go up because they will both make me stronger at everything but trying to make them go up specifically isn't going to move me towards being a better strongman.

[El Exorcisto]

Morning weigh-in: 179.4

ME deadlift

Conventional deadlift: singles at 365, 405, 425, 435

Atlas stone load: 8x2 @ 110

Hanging knee raise: 3x15

 

Here we see why I shouldn't fuck with programming that has proven that it works. I put a whopping 5 pounds on my deadlift since last April with shitty programming and just put 15 pounds on it in 6 weeks out of nowhere. 425 was a 5 pound PR and it didn't feel too terrible. I put a pair of nickels on the bar and it was a grinder, complete with seizure quality shakes. Whatever I'm doing seems to be working. I'll stick to alternating 18" deadlift and conventional for my max effort work since I like them both but I don't want to get hung up on one movement too often.

 

I lost my grip on the pick on one of my stone loads but otherwise they were fast and perfect. I think one more week at 110 should have me grooved well enough to move up to the 160. I never made it out to the other house for my heavier stones and of course we have snow now. I have a week of vacation at the end of January. Hopefully I can get over and at least get my 200.

[El Exorcisto]

Morning weigh-in: 180.4 - start of the cut

ME press

Strict barbell press: singles at 135, 145, 155

 

Bench press: 12@120, 10@140, 8@160, 5@180, 3@190 - unintentional

   superset with

Pendlay row: 5@155, 5@165, 3x5 @ 175

 

Barbell curl: 31,12,8 @ 45 rest-pause

 

I haven't ,axed on the strict press in a long time and wanted to know where I sit. 155 was a crazy grind so I called it there for a 5 pound PR. I've always found the strict press to be a shitty indicator lift for anything else but strict pressing is the most badass form of pressing so it must be done.

 

I planned on hitting the same pyramid as last week on bench but between a shitty memory and an inability to do simple bro-math I ended up doing more weight than I had planned. I could have sworn I did 140 for my 10 set last week but my log says otherwise. Then I loaded a pair of dimes instead of nickels after my 8 set. I realized my error when I went to load up to 180 for my triple and saw that I had already loaded it to 180 for my last set... *sigh* I guess I'll do 190 since 180 felt like bitch weight... Tonight was a good night.

[El Exorcisto]

Morning weigh-in: 178.4

DE squat

Pause squat: 8x2 @ 225

SSB good morning: 10s @ 155, 175, 185

Roll-out: 3x15

 

I haven't done pause squats in a long time and I'm remembering how much I hate them. Doing them DE style made them especially shitty. I'm getting really happy with my hip mobility. I used to have a problem keeping external rotation when I sank a high bar squat all the way to the bottom. Everything else was pretty uneventful.

[El Exorcisto]

Morning weigh-in: 177.6

Bro day

Incline bench: 12@105, 10@125, 7@140, 5@150, 3@155

5 minute chins: 30

5 minute dips: 33

 

I was depleted and tired as shit this morning and it showed. Oh well, priorities.

[El Exorcisto]

Lots of overtime and shitty recovery led to a week off from the gym...

 

Morning weigh-in: 174.3

ME press

Viper press to a single at 155

 

Bench press: 12@120, 10@135, 8@155, 5@175, 3@190

  superset with

Pendlay row: 5@195, 4x5@175

 

Barbell curl: 25,12,10 @ 45

[El Exorcisto]

RE Squat

Front squat pyramid: 115-185

SSB good morning: 10@175, 2x10 @ 185

Roll-out: 3x15

 

Front squats suck. Volume squats suck. Volume front squats suck a fat sweaty dick. That is all.

[Rooks]

RE Squat

Front squat pyramid: 115-185

SSB good morning: 10@175, 2x10 @ 185

Roll-out: 3x15

 

Front squats suck. Volume squats suck. Volume front squats suck a fat sweaty dick. That is all.

 

Preach it!

[matty_mcfly]

You have an Inzer Forever Belt correct?