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I tried to test some maxes today, but I think I'm going to start the front squats and the high pulls off light to work on technique. Front Squats - I did 135 for 15 and it was really easy load-wise but I could barely breath after the seventh rep. I can't manage the clean grip either, I had to do the crossed arm crap, so obviously I'm going to have to work on flexibility. I used to be able to use a clean grip no problem, but I can't keep my elbows even close to high enough now. Wtf.
 
So sticking with 135 for my 15 RM for both front squats and high pulls. Other 15 RMs:
CGBP 205
Flat Bench 225
Shrug 255
Bentover Row 205

I didn't push that hard on my 15 RMs so these numbers are kind of conservative but I am scared to push too hard when working out alone. So that's my reason... for being lazy. Also my cardio must suck or something because 15s wipe me out on all those lifts, so I am admittedly taking it easy during the 15s.
I haven't tested 5s or 10s yet, I was planning to do so yesterday and today, but I came down with someone kind of stomach ailment... So waiting for that to clear up first. I could just project maxes using my 15RMs, but I want to test them this time. Except for front squats and high pulls, I will use 135x15 to estimate my 10s and 5s for those lifts. I will also be doing 1-2 sets through all rep ranges for everything except front squats and high pulls, which I will be doing 2 sets during 15s, 3 sets during 10s and 5 sets during 5s in order to hopefully master technique.
 
Sweet! A real HST log. I am still making "noob" ( muscle memory actually) gains right now, but as soon as I stall out, I will be following HST too. I like the idea of actually testing the maxes instead of using a calculator. following your log is inspiring me to get my own good old HST log going soon.
 
Nice loads for 15s. Front squats for high-reps often suck, particularly if your upper back isn't strong enough to stay locked in position; but at 135lb for your 15RM I can't see that being a problem for you. :)
 
Totentanz,

Just started looking through your training log and noticed your dinner with the kids comment. I thought you might appreciate this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzB0BDstCI0
I prefer having breakfast with my wife and our three teen aged kids, but any meal time will do. And, because I am doing a ketogenic diet, they have less competition for Mom's homemade desserts. Win win for everyone! Ms. David's comments about meat are the typical meat and fat phobic vegetarian drivel which reminds me of another link.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/lipid-hypothesis/the-vegetarian-myth/
I hope you enjoy.

Cheers
 
I was almost embarrassed the last time I went because I was shrugging 405 while a guy came up next to be with 20 lb DBs and was doing shrugs as well.
Hi, Totentanz, how do you keep your form at such loads? Do you use a regular BB (pronated or mixed grip) or palms-facing-each-other grip? Do you simply shrug upwards, or more like up a slope backwards? Do you squeeze your traps and pause at the top of the movement? Thanks.
 
405 doesn't really feel that heavy to me on shrugs, I have no trouble using proper form. I use double over hand grip without straps with a regular barbell. I don't bother using DB grips, the heaviest DBs are too light for shrugs. And yes, I go up fast, down slow, etc etc, all that.
 
@HST_Rihad - just do the shrugs. You can't micromanage an exercise movement and further, shrugs are one of the those movements (somewhat similar to calf raises) where, once you get heavy, it's difficult to have 'bad form' without it being glaringly apparent.
 
405 doesn't really feel that heavy to me on shrugs, I have no trouble using proper form. I use double over hand grip without straps with a regular barbell. I don't bother using DB grips, the heaviest DBs are too light for shrugs. And yes, I go up fast, down slow, etc etc, all that.
Some people may find trapbars useful, which allows for "DB grip" and is as heavy as BB can go.

@HST_Rihad - just do the shrugs. You can't micromanage an exercise movement and further, shrugs are one of the those movements (somewhat similar to calf raises) where, once you get heavy, it's difficult to have 'bad form' without it being glaringly apparent.

Thanks. I do find lifting the barbell "diagonally" up and back while squeezing the traps harder to do than simply up, which I use as a way of cheating at heavier loads. Apparently those two planes of motion emphasize different parts of traps at different degrees, as is the case with chin-ups vs. pull-ups, etc.
 
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Yeah I don't like trap bars for shrugs. I don't like trap bars at all. They are harder to load and they don't fit in the power rack. I prefer shrugs with a BB so I can maintain my grip strength. I do switch to a mixed grip when doing higher reps on shrugs since I can't maintain endurance with double overhand grip for more than 8 reps or so when using loads greater than 400 lbs.
 
Thanks. I do find lifting the barbell "diagonally" up and back while squeezing the traps harder to do than simply up, which I use as a way of cheating at heavier loads. Apparently those two planes of motion emphasize different parts of traps at different degrees, as is the case with chin-ups vs. pull-ups, etc.

Personally, I don't like to do any kind of shoulder rotation once I'm holding a heavy bar—my shoulders don't like it—and I don't think that squeezing your traps is going to make any quantifiable difference once the loads get up there. I can get a massive upper-trap pump from literally just pulsing a heavy bar for a couple of sets of 15-20 reps. If I was doing shrugs, I would add loaded pulses at the end of a set of 5s to bring on a burn and save myself the bother of a lighter metabolic set. Great for extra TUT too.
 
Do a search on the forum for pulsing and pulse stretches.

That video probably gives an accurate visual for the concept but after about the 5th rep or so, he's doing actual full range reps there (or v.close to it).
 
Here is my case for why traditional bulking and cutting works, instead of "lean bulking" or trying to bulk with minimal fat gain. Prior to finally doing a proper bulk, I was an "ectomorph" and a "hard gainer" who thought I was stuck as a skinny dude for the rest of my life. But then I started eating. Most of the guys I know who tried to minimize fat gain over the years are sitting in the 170 - 190 range and look less lean than I do in the 200 lb picture, and I am not that lean in that picture.
I can talk about this all day, but to some folks, words mean nothing. So here are some visual proofs of what I have been saying. This is what a hard gainer can do when he finally starts eating like a person would who is the size he wants to be.



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140 lbs - This is where I started out before I realized you have to eat to gain muscle, not just lift.

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to this:

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200 lbs

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to this:

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~235 ish

Obviously I'm not all that lean in the last two pictures, but I'm not massively fat, so clearly bulking until I was a fat hog then cutting down to a decent bodyfat percentage didn't do anything bad to my body. To be fair, I do have stretch marks on my shoulder/pec are and on my quads, but that's not from getting fat. Obviously none of these pictures are of my legs so you can't see the change there, and my legs grew very easily, so you could have see an even more dramatic change there, but I wasn't big on getting pictures of my scrawny white legs back then, so nope.

Clearly this is just my own anecdotal experience but to some people, anecdotes are apparently more important than facts. So here you go.
 

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Like I said, the Hulk is your baby brother.


Also, to once again echo you ... fat ppl don't get fat from under eating ... size takes food.
 
The transformation from the 140 Totentanz to the 200lb Totentanz and then to the 235lb Totentanz is immense! :cool:

I got my lad to read this the other day:

eating_through_the_sticking_points

I'll get him to check your log too. Very inspirational. Cheers.
 
I probably have some other pictures from between 140 and 200, I can try digging them up tonight if I remember. I have some where you can see how fat I got, I think those are kind of fun to compare with.

This has been a disappointing year for me with regards to progress, I don't think I've worked hard enough in the gym. Obviously gains will be harder since I'm almost maxed out, but I haven't made significant strength increases all year either.
To be fair, I have had to move twice, I just moved again a couple weeks ago since the house I was living in was sold. Go figure. The brother in law lived there for three years with the house on the market, I move in and it sells four months later. I'm also starting a new job on the 31st. The new job should be less stressful and mentally taxing, and result in more free time, so I'm hoping I'm not feeling so drained when I get home each day and can get my motivation back. I'm starting this new year with a new place to live, a new job and I'm having another baby in three weeks or so, so it should be a very exciting time. Not sure how much the baby will let me work out at first, but we will see. I'm going in to this new year optimistic.
 
On that note, genetic limit, I'm throwing it out there that I don't think you're quite at the limit yet. The only factor against you may be age, but that's still not really an issue yet. I think we often sell ourselves a bit short on genetic limits, not by a lot but it definitely happens. Partially as a psychological mechanism to delay/put off disappointment from returns that haven't met expectations.
 
Glad to hear I'm not the only one with a crazy life! I will be greeting a new baby next week (2nd child). The closer she gets, the more I realize how little time I will actually have for the gym!

I will be probably have to do an ultra-abbreviated "simplify" routine, but those have always worked for me. Something like dips/chins/squat. Pretty much covers everything. Good luck with your new life, and maybe you can fit an abbreviated workout in here or there.
 
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