Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
overhead press'n- i got the bright idea today to see if it was possible to overhead press using the Titan Ram and/or Slingshot. so i warmed up to my BW on overhead press and then threw on the Titan Ram first. It took a little getting used to but after a couple sets it was very comfortable and gave a good bit of pop off the chest. I found that pushing it up to the armpits and being sure to arch hard and taking a fairly narrow grip was much more comfortable. As for the slingshot, because of how it's designed, it didn't transfer well to overhead pressing for me. it sticks out in line with your arms until the bar gets close to the chest and then lays down. this made it hard to press and the bar drifted away from you. the Titan lays tight against the chest the whole time much like a real bench shirt and was much more natural. I'll be sticking with it. I hit an easy 275, then 295 and 315 for 4 with it. i got one hell of a shoulder pump and tricep pump from it. I"m calling them "Meat presses" since i've never seen anyone do them before.
overhead pressing
0x10
95x10
135x10
185x6
225x6
titan ram
255x6
slingshot
255x4-felt very awkward though
titan ram
275x4
295x4
315x4
pullups
palms out, wide grip, dead hang
BW x 12
neutral grip, wide grip, dead hang
BW x 12
Palms out, wide grip, dead hang
BW x 10
neutral grip, narrow grip, dead hang
BW x 8
dumbell rows- fat grip, thumbless
100's x 20 x 2
circuit
rope pull downs - giant set of preacher reverse dumbell curl right into hammer curl and finish with regular curl (each set is 20 reps and thumbless) - weighted incline situps, seated calf raise, and incline dumbell curls
Join date: Jul 2007
Location: Prince Edward Island, CAN
Posts: 1144
maraudermeat wrote:
squats- first time doing full ROM squats since the injury. I kept it light but went for really high reps to make it harder.
cambered bar squats-paused at bottom
0x10
135x10
225x20x3
leg press- close stance, not locked out
4plates x 20
6plates x 20
strip set
8plates x 10,6plates x 20, 4plates x 30, 2plates x 40
seated calf raise- very slow negative and long pause at bottom
some x 20 x 3
how did the squats feel for the first time after the injury? im also dealing with an injury, something in my lower back after doing reverse band squats for the first time ever. so very frustarting, hope you're back killing it soon!
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
GrindOverMatter wrote:
maraudermeat wrote:
squats- first time doing full ROM squats since the injury. I kept it light but went for really high reps to make it harder.
cambered bar squats-paused at bottom
0x10
135x10
225x20x3
leg press- close stance, not locked out
4plates x 20
6plates x 20
strip set
8plates x 10,6plates x 20, 4plates x 30, 2plates x 40
seated calf raise- very slow negative and long pause at bottom
some x 20 x 3
how did the squats feel for the first time after the injury? im also dealing with an injury, something in my lower back after doing reverse band squats for the first time ever. so very frustarting, hope you're back killing it soon!
they felt good. a little tight in the outer IT bands at the bottom but i kept rolling the shit out of them in between sets. i'll be sure to build back slowly.
i hope you get past your injury quickly...they suck.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
squats- we started out using the cambered bar and had planned to work up to a 3x3 with something around 405. unfortunately i started to feel a tone of pressure on my outer knees where the IT bands attach. I rolled the shit out of them and stretched...didn't help. switched to front squats with a front squat harness we have at the gym. i've never used one and it felt okay but ended up ditching it for my last sets because it was pressing against my diaphram and making it hard to breath. front squats felt very comfortable with no pressure on the IT bands at all. I think i'm going to stick with front squats as my squat movement until i'm recovered.
cambered bar squat
0x10
135x10
225x10
275x4-felt strain in the outside of my knees
front squat-paused
225x20-with harness
225x20x2- no harness
leg press
4plates x 20
6plates x 20
8plates x 20, drop to 6plates x 30, drop to 4plates x 40, finished wiht 2plates x 50
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
bench'n- three weeks until my next meet. today was the last day of the floor press cycle. we have two more weeks of training and will prep for the meet. i feel good about it. hit my goal of a 585 titan bench. bodyweight is 245 so i'm right on track for 242 by meet time.
floor press against chains
135 + 110lbs of chain x 10
225 x 110lbs x 6
315 + 110lbs x 1
385 + 110lbs x 1
445 + 110lbs x nada..lost over my face but i have plenty of strength for it.
titan ram
315x1
405x1
495x1
545x1
585x1- this was the first time this training partner has spotted me with some heavy weight and he got a little anxious but he didn't help.
full ROM bench- paused
315x1
405x1
455x1
475x1- very easy
Join date: Aug 2010
Location: District of Columbia, USA
Posts: 4864
Random question meat: I don't think I've seen you talk anywhere about dips, and you never mention doing them. What's your opinion on them (bodyweight and/or weighted)?
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
overhead pressing- used the titan again for some "Meat" presses. went really well. it definitely overloads the top end. we also tried out some clean and presses with the log. i've never done these before and i'm sure my form is horrible but i'll stick with them. they are a total body movement and i felt them everywhere.
Thanks for posting that vid, incredible. I commented on it a few days ago but apparently it didnt go through. Have you ever run Smolov jr? I am still weak, esp in comparison (140-145kg bench), but am giving Smolov jr a go for bench. Any thoughts/advice?
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
americaninsweden wrote:
Thanks for posting that vid, incredible. I commented on it a few days ago but apparently it didnt go through. Have you ever run Smolov jr? I am still weak, esp in comparison (140-145kg bench), but am giving Smolov jr a go for bench. Any thoughts/advice?
the only program i've ever run was 5/3/1. for me, i do better with supramaximal work. i've never done well training using submaximal weight.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
scj119 wrote:
Random question meat: I don't think I've seen you talk anywhere about dips, and you never mention doing them. What's your opinion on them (bodyweight and/or weighted)?
Good training shit in here as always.
i actually do dips all the time. lately i've stuck to BW dips for high reps but i've done them very heavy as well. here's a vid of some heavy dips.
Join date: Aug 2010
Location: Washington, USA
Posts: 331
Well that's splendid - i've been getting my bloat on and creeping up on the 242s (weighing ~235-236 at the moment) and lo and behold Meat-ski is dieting down using his super secret and complicated nutritional secrets to that same weight class. It will be epic if we are in the same meet - 315 vs 500+ bench in the same weight class.
I...hate you...so very very much!!!
Seriously - awesome lifting and looks like that leg rehab is going nicely - how the eff do you dead more than I with torn IT bands?
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
mlekava000 wrote:
Well that's splendid - i've been getting my bloat on and creeping up on the 242s (weighing ~235-236 at the moment) and lo and behold Meat-ski is dieting down using his super secret and complicated nutritional secrets to that same weight class. It will be epic if we are in the same meet - 315 vs 500+ bench in the same weight class.
I...hate you...so very very much!!!
Seriously - awesome lifting and looks like that leg rehab is going nicely - how the eff do you dead more than I with torn IT bands?
Good luck big guy in all future endeavours
thanks for the kind words. the IT bands are healing...slowly but surely. we are squatting tomorrow. i plan to hit some moderately heavy weight on the front squat.
it would be awesome to compete in the same meet with you my friend.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
Just got back from reffing the SPF meet at Brute Strength gym in virginia meet. we had a few of our guys competing as well. it was a great meet. They do an awesome job of running meets down there. they have it down to a science. It runs very smoothly. saw some great gear and raw lifting.
now it's time to plan my own SPF meet for this summer.
Join date: May 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 6524
if anyone's interested...here's the meet i reffed today- the SPF Brute Strength gym meet. it was streamed live to powerliftingwatch.com. i'm the side judge to the far right in the grey hoodie and skull cap.
