Ssdd's Log: Step by step walk the thousand-mile road

[ssdd]

5/20/11 Max Effort Lower. No time for assistance today
Low bar Squat: 45x5x2, 75x5, 105x5,135x5, 165x5, 185x5, 200x5, 210x3


camera was on the floor looking up, I think I hit depth on most reps although there were some high ones on the earlier sets which I also have recorded. I'll upload the 200x5 set some time later. This was my first low bar session like ever, and these are PR's btw

 

[ssdd]

Monday 5/23/11 ME Upper
BB Incline Bench: 45x10, 45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 145x5, 160x3
DB Incline Bench: 50x22, 50x16
A. BB BOR: 135x10, 135x8x2 need to drop weight, use stricter form
B. DB rear delt fly: 15x15, 15x13x2
DB Shrugs: 75x15x2, 75x10
Incline DB Curl: 20x12, 20x10x2

 

[ssdd]

Tuesday 5/24 DE Lower
Vertical Jumps: 3jumps x 8 sets
Barbell Reverse lunge front foot elevated: 60x10x3
RDL: 165x10x3
BB Full contact twist: 10lbsx10x3, left and right is 1 rep.

the weights for this workout weren't too challenging but I figure if I add 10lbs every week it will become challenging pretty quickly.

 

[ssdd]

5/26 RE Upper
DB Incline Press: 55x8, 60x14, 60x13, 60x12x2
A. Pull Up: +10lbsx10x2, 0x10
B. FacePulls: 55x15x3
DB Lateral Raises: 20lbx10, 15lbx12x3
BB Shrug: 150x15x3
Rope Pushdowns: 30x20, 30x16, 20x15

Exceptionally grinding workout today, slept very little last night.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[toonie]

Didn't watch your deadlift videos (at work), but are you using chalk?

What you think may be a grip issue could just be a slippage issue.

 

[ssdd]

Didn't watch your deadlift videos (at work), but are you using chalk?

What you think may be a grip issue could just be a slippage issue.

Yeah I was using chalk, thr bars at that gym are slightly fatter, smoother, and shinier than any olympic sized bar I've encountered before. Im not even sure they weigh 45lbs. My POS bar at home weighs 50lbs and the ones at the gym are fatter. I just record everything as if the bar is 45lbs.

Time to warm up and squat
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[ssdd]

5/27 ME Lower
Wow another grinding shitty day in the gym. More trouble sleeping last night + having to share the rack this morning and rushing + shitty music + not enough food yesterday.





Squat: 45x5, 45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 135x5, 175x5, 195x5, 210x5 (sort of/ugliness)
DB Walking Lunges: 40sx10x3
45* Hyperextensions: 0x12, 0x15x2
Abdominal Circuit: 10 Sprinter Sit ups, 10 V-Ups, 10 Hip Ups, 15 Russian twists w/10lb plate x2

Tail tucking a lot on the warm up sets = losing confidence on the heavier sets. Planning to do more asian squats and stretching in the coming days/weeks

 

[toonie]

I think you're giving yourself less credit than you deserve.

Slight tail tuck on the lighter sets yes, but not huge. If you're concerned, really exaggerate pushing your hips back as you sit back. It should feel very tight in your lower back. I recommend giving this article a read and trying out the drills. Staying Erect by Greg Everett - Catalyst Athletics Free Articles

I think your upper back tightness is good. You're keep your weight on your heels (with the exception of that one bad squat). I can't tell about your knee paths, but I'd guess they're good. I don't really think you lost as much tightness in your 210 set as you think. It looked like a tough set but still pretty good. Slight GM but nothing pronounced. Just concentrate on keeping your chest up to prevent GM.

I think your bad first squat was because you almost rushed it and tried to stay too upright. Push your hips back and pull yourself into the hole.

How often do you squat a week and what is the rep schemes like?

 

[ssdd]

Squat just once a week on WS4SB3. "work up to a max set of 3-5reps" each ME lower day, adding weight each week. Once you stall you're suppposed to switch lifts to something else like DL or box squats and make gains on that, then switch back when that lift stalls and make gains on the old lift. Typically expect to make gains for 4 weeks before switching. Its conjugate periodization. Theres more unilateral assistance and higher rep work than 5x5 programs.
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[ssdd]

5/30 monday ME upper
BB Incline bench: 45x10, 45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 145x3, 160x5
DB incline bench: 60sx15, 55sx15 (meant to start w/55s)
A. BOR: 125x10x3
B. DB rear delt fly: 15x15x3
DB Shrugs: 75x15x3
Incline DB curls: 25sx10x2, 25sx6, 20sx5
Seated cable row: 100x10x3 wanted more rowing volume
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[ssdd]

5/31 DE Lower
Vertical Jumps: 3jumps x8
Reverse lunge off a step: 70x10x3
RDL: 175x10x3
BB Full contact twist: 10lbx12x3

 

[ssdd]

6/2 thurs RE Upper
DB incline bench: 60sx14x2, 60x13, 60x12
A. Pull ups: +10x10x2, 10x9
B. Face Pulls: 55x15x3
DB Lateral raises: 20x10x3, 15x12
C. BB shrugs: 155x15x3
D. Rope push downs: 30x20, 30x15, 25x15

Cant seem to make reps ever on my last set of pull ups. No improvement in DB bench. Might have to switch the exercises on this day

 

[ssdd]

Friday 6/3 ME Lower
Squat: 45x5, 75x5, 105x5, 135x5, 165x3, 195x3, 215x5 (PR)
DB Walking lunge: 45sx10x3 (20 steps=10reps)
45* Hypers: 0x15x3
Ab circuit: 10 sprinters, 10 V ups, 10 toe touches, 10 hip ups x3

 

[JauntyAngle]

Friday 6/3 ME Lower
Squat: 45x5, 75x5, 105x5, 135x5, 165x3, 195x3, 215x5 (PR)
DB Walking lunge: 45sx10x3 (20 steps=10reps)
45* Hypers: 0x15x3
Ab circuit: 10 sprinters, 10 V ups, 10 toe touches, 10 hip ups x3

Are you doing Westside for Skinny Bastards? I haven't seen anyone log that- if so, I will have to follow.

I am not very good at critiquing squat videos, or indeed any other form videos, but I took a look anyway. It looked to me that you were *just* hitting parallel- I tried to pause it at the bottom, and when it did, it looks like your hip crease is exactly parallel with the top of your knee, which I think makes it parallel. But I feel like you could and should go lower.

I say this about most of the squat form checks I watch, but it looks to me like you could be using more hip drive. Especially the last one, it looks to me like you're just getting up by extending your legs, using your quads. I think you can push your hips forward more.

But really, if you want a proper critique, post in the main forum. I suck.

 

[ssdd]

Yes I am doing WS4SB3, I was a little eratic with missing/moving training days and going on vaca for the first 5 weeks, but have it right on schedule now for the past 3 weeks.
I agree about depth and I'm working on it- I tend to tail tuck if I go any deeper than whats in the video. I wasnt thinking about hip drive on that set either, I will have to keep that cue in mind next session. I think I was more successful in keeping my chest up and sitting back this time, which is what I was concentrating on today. I will try to do some sets of squats with just the bar everyday next week to work on depth and hip drive.

 

[DrBdan]

Those squats look good. You should probably go a bit deeper but if you can't go deeper without getting tail tuck then those are the perfect depth for now.

 

[ssdd]

Sick as a dog today some kind of crazy cold has snuck up on me starting friday with a sore throat, that went away and turned to coughing and chest congestion, and now head congestion, sneezing
and nauseousness. I will probably go to the gym tonight anyway I was looking forward to 165x5 on incline bench. I've had incline DB bench as my second move on ME Upper for the last 8 weeks so Ill switch that to flat DB bench today too.

 

[ssdd]

6/6 ME Upper
BB Incline Bench: 45x10, 45x5, 75x5, 105x5, 135x5, 150x3, 165x5
DB flat bench: 60x15x2
A. BOR: 45x10, 130x10x3
B. DB rear delt fly 15x15x3
DB shrugs: 80x12x3
Incline DB curl: 25x11x2, 25x9

Final rep of incline was a real slow grinder almost failed it, final rep of db bench was a fight too.

 

[ssdd]

Tues 6/7 DE Lower
Vertical jumps: 3jumpsx8, this time squatting all the way down then jumping
BB reverse lunge off step: 80x10x3
RDL: 185x10x3
Full contact twist: 12.5x10x3

 

[ssdd]

This isn't a training note but a note to self on the program. This program is a little complicated so I wanted to write down what I did and what I need to do

After reading more into conjugated periodization, the original WS4SB article, and the WS4SB3 pdf, I think I initially held onto bench too long as my ME upper lift- 6 weeks. Looking back, I made my last progress on bench on week 4 and recorded no improvement on week 5 and 6. ME main lifts should switch every 1-3 weeks in real conjugated periodization, but since Im not doing singles in Defranco's program, 3 weeks should be appropriate.
I did incline bench as my ME Upper lift for the past 3 weeks going from 160x3 to 165x5, so monday that will switch to close grip bench. For ME Lower I just did 3 weeks of free squats going from 200x5 to 215x5, so this friday I will switch to box squat for 3 weeks, then go back to deadlift for 2-3 weeks before returning to free squat.
My rep upper day was a little off too, rep upper should be 2 weeks of 3 sets to failure on one lift, 2 weeks of 3 sets to failure on another, and 2 weeks of 4 sets of 12-15 reps on a third lift. Tomorrow (thursday) I will switch my 4x12 incline DB bench to 3xfailure on band pushups if I can get the bands set up right.