Keosawa's Powerlifting Log

Great pulls Keo!


I agree interesting choice of music :icon_lol:


Wow, 500x3 with a 4" deficit at your bodyweight, that's huge. Very impressive.

Well done KPK. Out of all the logs here yours makes me want to care about my training again the most. I mean, I still don't, but yours makes me want to the most :)

I do love me some deficit pulls.

Thanks guys! I was absolutely thrilled with 500x3; I would have never expected that. This gives me confidence that I can pull 562 in April and make a run at four times' bodyweight by the end of the year.
 
If the deficit is big enough, it's pretty much unavoidable. Round-back lifting is useful for more advanced lifters when used selectively; people have been pulling heavy deadlifts with rounded backs since Bob Peoples. Most people would benefit from having some rounded-back training in their program, and Bill Starr Mark Rippetoe even teach rounded-back goodmornings before they teach straight-back ones.

Good to know.

However, there is of course a difference between a rounded thoracic spine and a rounded lumbar region, and it looks like everything's rounded on me here. I can keep my lumbar spine neutral on a regular pull, but it sometimes gets wonky on big deficits. Mark Bell preaches pulling well below your max for deficit deadlifts, and I think this is a good idea--it's really not a max-attempt type lift, even though I've done heavy singles with it in the past.

Would Bell have you pull for reps ? I never really considered how to use this besides "Pull heavy".


Yup. A white belt in the pull-ups thread.
 
On the Supertraining videos I've seen, his guys pull for no less than three-rep sets on deficits. And, if they were to go lower in reps, it'd be because they were keeping reps in the tank.

Round-back deadlifting is an odd beast. Some people have long careers pulling that way, and others end up in a hospital bed. When I pulled these, even though my lumbar region was rounded, I felt like my thoracic spine was "bearing the brunt" of the lift, if that makes any sense.
 
Also, over time I've acquired disproportionately developed spinal erectors. I mean, my back looks rounded just because of them. You see this on a lot of conventional pullers with a round-back style.
 
Also, over time I've acquired disproportionately developed spinal erectors. I mean, my back looks rounded just because of them. You see this on a lot of conventional pullers with a round-back style.

Something like this ?

oleksandr_kutcher_2005.jpg
 
Came in here to see if there were anymore pics of shirtless dudes.

I was not disappointed.
 
That's a hell of a developed back--no, I can't match that. Here are my erectors, from the side:

RoundBack.jpg


I've been told before that I might suffer from kyphosis--my neck is hunched forward pretty prominently--and that probably exaggerates my curve somewhat. I'd probably be a chiropractor's worst nightmare, though I feel perfectly fine.
 
Is there any way to avoid the Kyphosis ? I have a similar back though, it's not as developed as yours.
 
That's a hell of a developed back--no, I can't match that. Here are my erectors, from the side:

RoundBack.jpg


I've been told before that I might suffer from kyphosis--my neck is hunched forward pretty prominently--and that probably exaggerates my curve somewhat. I'd probably be a chiropractor's worst nightmare, though I feel perfectly fine.

Forward head posture doesn't "exaggerate" the kyphotic curve; it is rather the exaggerated kyphotic curve that causes the forward head posture. If that photo is indicative of your normal/relaxed posture, then it also looks like a bit of rounded shoulders and humeral internal rotation going on. How is your overhead shoulder mobility and internal rotation ROM?

And why don't you just address that? You are obviously very dedicated to training, I'm sure if you focused on your posture it would eventually improve.
 
Forward head posture doesn't "exaggerate" the kyphotic curve; it is rather the exaggerated kyphotic curve that causes the forward head posture. If that photo is indicative of your normal/relaxed posture, then it also looks like a bit of rounded shoulders and humeral internal rotation going on. How is your overhead shoulder mobility and internal rotation ROM?

And why don't you just address that? You are obviously very dedicated to training, I'm sure if you focused on your posture it would eventually improve.

Could you give me some suggestions in how to address it? And if you can't, do you have any idea where I could go to seek more information? I'm not sure where to begin. The reason I haven't addressed it yet is because I didn't realize it was this severe until I saw this photo, like, ten minutes ago. and you're right, my shoulders are rounded forward; I didn't really realize it was this prominent before looking at said photo either. My posture is apparently quite bad.
 
Could you give me some suggestions in how to address it? And if you can't, do you have any idea where I could go to seek more information? I'm not sure where to begin. The reason I haven't addressed it yet is because I didn't realize it was this severe until I saw this photo, like, ten minutes ago. and you're right, my shoulders are rounded forward; I didn't really realize it was this prominent before looking at said photo either. My posture is apparently quite bad.

The first thing is to make a whole-body assessment for posture, ROM and muscular imbalances/inhibitions/compensation patterns. I doubt you'll have any major inhibitions or any major compensation patters, and from what I could see in your photos it doesn't look like you have an APT either (which often accompanies an exaggerated kyphotic curve), but those are things you should always assess because postural deviations and imbalances often run throughout the body and one affects the other, making it important to address all of them together. Tbh, I was surprised to see this big of a kyphotic curve on you since your lifting form is generally picture perfect.

The two articles commonly cited ("functional anatomy for badasses" and "neanderthal no more") are a good place to get a basic idea. The best product that I'm aware of that walks you though the complete static/dynamic assessment is "assess and correct" (it's a book + DVD), which you might be interested in investing in (or maybe obtaining through other routes). Or you could visit a competent professional to help you. If you are interested, I guess I could also help walk you through the basic parts of the assessment it if you needed some help or had any questions.

Addressing it depends on what exactly you are "diagnosed" with, but in your case, where, even if it turns out you do have some moderate postural deviations, you currently have no pathologies (i.e. you "feel perfectly fine"), it would likely simply involve some targeted extra assistance work and/or stretch work, and some every-day behavioral adjustments to help you maintain proper posture through the day.
 
Woah, so this curve is a bad thing? I always thought it was awesome I looked like a bison.
 
The first thing is to make a whole-body assessment for posture, ROM and muscular imbalances/inhibitions/compensation patterns. I doubt you'll have any major inhibitions or any major compensation patters, and from what I could see in your photos it doesn't look like you have an APT either (which often accompanies an exaggerated kyphotic curve), but those are things you should always assess because postural deviations and imbalances often run throughout the body and one affects the other, making it important to address all of them together. Tbh, I was surprised to see this big of a kyphotic curve on you since your lifting form is generally picture perfect.

The two articles commonly cited ("functional anatomy for badasses" and "neanderthal no more") are a good place to get a basic idea. The best product that I'm aware of that walks you though the complete static/dynamic assessment is "assess and correct" (it's a book + DVD), which you might be interested in investing in (or maybe obtaining through other routes). Or you could visit a competent professional to help you. If you are interested, I guess I could also help walk you through the basic parts of the assessment it if you needed some help or had any questions.

Addressing it depends on what exactly you are "diagnosed" with, but in your case, where, even if it turns out you do have some moderate postural deviations, you currently have no pathologies (i.e. you "feel perfectly fine"), it would likely simply involve some targeted extra assistance work and/or stretch work, and some every-day behavioral adjustments to help you maintain proper posture through the day.

This is extremely helpful, miaou. Thanks so much for this! Let's see if I can't find Assess and Correct on the cheap and self-diagnose.
 
Bench Press
Barx5 (wide)
Barx5 (close)
95x5 (wide)
95x5 (close)
135x10 (wide)
135x3 (close)
135x10 (wide)
135x3 (close)
185x3 (wide)
185x1 (close)
225x3 (close)
245x3 (wide)
240x3 (close)
260x3 (wide)
255x3 (close)
275x3 (wide)

Paused Presses, off a 2-board
225x5
255x5
255x5
255x5

Z-Press
Barx8
95x8
115x5
135x5

Incline Dumbbell Press
60x13
60x12
60x12

Compression Band Shoulder External Rotation Work, 5 mins

My bench press is still lousy. Lowering and pressing heavy weights is a real chore, which doesn't bode well for my paused max. It's getting better, but I'm less than a month away from April. Next week I'll test my paused max, and if I can at least hit 280, I'll be very happy. I might have to hope that a week's rest brings some meet magic for this bench of mine.
 
DE Box Squats (w/ 60 lbs.' of chains)
Barx3
Barx3
135x3
185x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
265x2
265x2
265x2
295x2
295x2
295x2

DE Deadlifts (w/ 60 lbs.' of chains)
(Starting sumo: )
135x3
135x3
225x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
(Switching to conventional: )
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2
275x2

Back Extensions
BWx15
+45x15
+90x15
+90x15
 
Awesome work as always Keo, I don't comment much but I always check your log, it serves as a good inspiration to beginners like myself, keep up the good lifting
 
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