200, 300, 400, 500 - A quest for greatness

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(mikeynov @ Jan. 01 2009,9:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Heavy Deadlifts, Light Squats

Deadlifts - loose belt on work set

Warmed all the way up to 370 for a set of 6.  Take that, 4.5 reps.

Was it a little messy/stiff-leg-y/roundback-y?  Sure, just as the good lord intended.  But this is a PR by a mile, and tops my original goal of 370 for 5 for the deadlift cycle, so good ****.</div>
Dag! That's a heckuva good set of deads!
 
Man, I am getting tired lately.  I just performed the first half of today's heavy squat workout, I'll do the rest later.

Heavy Squats

Squats - flat shoes + belt on work sets

Warmed up to 245 with a band and minus belt, then up to 270 for 3 sets of 5 with the belt.  I repeated the weight from last week (where I managed a VERY shaky 2 sets of 5 reps with 270), and while it felt a LITTLE easier, this was still ******* hard.

My tendencies at heavy weight, which should be obvious at this point, include:

* Hip shifting
* GM-ing the weight
* Sometimes losing (firm) extension in my back by the end of the set

These are not awesome tendencies, but it's also possible I'm being a bit hypercritical.  It still bothers me, though.

Anyways, 270 for 3 sets of 5 would represent an all time PR in terms of sets across, so that's good.

Bottom Half Leg Press

1 set of 4 plates + 25 lbs per side with a very pronounced pause at the bottom of each (more than usual).  Oooouch.

Then one more set of 15 where I did a momentary pause thing (i.e. dissipate the stretch reflex moreso than just sit in the bottom for like ~2 seconds a pop).  Still ouch, but easier.

Nautilus Nitro Abduction

Don't judge me.

90 x 15, 95 x 15, 110 x 15.

Calf Raises in Nautilus Nitro Leg Press + Seated Calf Raise

Leg Press - 305 x 8/15

Seated - 30 x 15/15
 
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(Lol @ Jan. 05 2009,7:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Great result on your deads and bench Mike. What grip are you using for deads?

Interesting what you say about looking ahead when squatting. I find I'm happier looking only four or five feet in front of me at the lowest point in the squat; at the top, my gaze is fixed a lot further away. So, it's like my eyes are following a line away from me on the floor as I raise out of the hole.

It's difficult to be absolutely definite about this because head orientation and eye rotation are independent (to a point), so changing the focus of gaze doesn't have to correspond to a change in head orientation. What I'm trying to do is to keep a neutral spine as much as possible rather than allow my head to rotate back in order to look up. For me, it just feels more natural and comfortable this way when doing a low-bar squat.</div>
I'm using an alternate grip on the deadlifts (with chalk, of course), I switch back and forth to try to get some semblance of symmetry.

And yah, you look pretty close to yourself.  I've tried experimenting a lot with this, and anything from somewhat down maybe ~6-10 feet in front of me towards straight ahead are probably similar-ish in strength.

However, I find it impossible to not sort of crane my neck back into the bar on heavy work sets (what Westside actually recommends you do), regardless of where my eyes are focused, i.e. truly keep a neutral cervical spine.  I notice a lot of people squat like this though...not sure what it means, if anything.
 
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(TunnelRat @ Jan. 05 2009,4:00)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(mikeynov @ Jan. 01 2009,9:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Heavy Deadlifts, Light Squats

Deadlifts - loose belt on work set

Warmed all the way up to 370 for a set of 6.  Take that, 4.5 reps.

Was it a little messy/stiff-leg-y/roundback-y?  Sure, just as the good lord intended.  But this is a PR by a mile, and tops my original goal of 370 for 5 for the deadlift cycle, so good ****.</div>
Dag! That's a heckuva good set of deads!</div>
Thank you, sir
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Another solid upper body day. I split it in half again, which I rather enjoy. Where possible, I think I'll do this in general.

Heavy Press, Rows

Press - oly shoes + belt on work sets

Warmed up to 137.5 for 3 sets of 5. In oly shoes, I think this might be an all time PR? Not sure.

Cable Rows

A set of 202.5 x 5, two more sets of 195 x 5.

Technically an all time PR, but it's cable rows so...whatever.

Bench

192.5 for 3 sets of 10. Another all time PR, wasn't that bad, either.

Pulldowns

3 sets of 150 for 5.

EZ Bar Curls (for the girls)

100 x 10.
 
Another pretty solid day.

Heavy Deadlifts, Light Squats

Deadlifts - flat shoes + work belt on work set

Warmed all the way up to 375 for a set of 5 in kind of a dynamic style, which now feels very natural to me. I have partially modeled my form after this dude:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpLSGSVfyk0&amp;feature=channel_page

Starting with my hips low(er) never felt &quot;right,&quot; but I have gotten a lot better about actually arching my back in the bottom position. I doubt I'm doing as good of a job as him, but deadlifts now feel more natural to me now that I realize arching my back is NOT synonymous with starting with low hips.

Also, 375 x 5 is an all time PR, and I definitely prefer this style to the non-dynamic style pulls I did last week.

Bottom Half Squats

I forgot how ******* hard these are. Sort of like the leg presses, I go all the way down, momentary pause in the hole, half way or ~2/3 up, momentary pause, back down, repeat until you hate life.

155 x 10, and then two more sets of 165 x 10.

Bottom Half Leg Press

5 plates + 20 lbs per side for two sets of 8 reps.

Calf Raises

Calf Raises in Nautilus Nitro Leg Press - 310 x 8/15

Seated Calf Raises - 35 x 15/15
 
I decided to take a video of me deadlifting, but just 135 lbs. Why only 135 lbs? I just deadlifted 375 x 5 earlier...

I wanted to see what my form looked like with this &quot;natural&quot; style of deadlift I've gravitated towards. Granted adding weight can cause perturbations, but generally, when my form is shitty, it's visible at even light weights. I now &quot;know&quot; the feeling of tightening my back position, and I do this even at heavy weights.

Anyways, this is the form I've gravitated towards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_Vh9OYYC0&amp;feature=channel_page
 
Great deads again Mike. Congrats on the PR. That must be around 2.25 x bw for 5 reps. Awesome stuff.  
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By 'dynamic style' are you referring to the prelim bar-holding, leg flexion immediately prior to lifting?

The guy in the jamspastic vid seems to use very little quad drive to break the bar off the floor but it may just be the camera angle; makes it look like a halfway house between a regular dead and a SLDL. (He's strong as heck though. I'd like to get there.)

Also, I still think you should do a vid of a few heavier reps just to be sure of consistency -  the bar path will 'wobble' less on the way up too.

I watched your bw+145 chin again too. You make it appear insanely easy!
 
My deadlift form is very similar to that of the jamspastic video guy (despite the weight difference). I try to do the regular deadlift form lowering more the hips and using quad drive (which should make the lift easier) but it feels so awkward that I naturally fall back to this mixed deadlift/SLDL form. Probably that is the reason that I feel DOMS on my lower and upper back but very little or no DOMS on my quads.
 
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(mikeynov @ Jan. 10 2009,10:32)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That exercise, that girl, that music - anyone else in love?  Heh.</div>
Yeah, they do exist but they are a very rare species. Damn shame.
 
<div>
(mikeynov @ Jan. 10 2009,5:32)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That exercise, that girl, that music - anyone else in love?  Heh.</div>
And she will be 40 this year. Awesome!

BTW ... Nice beard, Dude!
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I'm going to a Metallica concert tomorrow in Milwaukee and then staying overnight, so will not really have an opportunity to lift either tomorrow or Tuesday.  As such, I decided to consolidate my upper and lower heavy days into a single day, and resume my &quot;normal&quot; schedule on Wednesday/Thursday.

Incidentally, today was a great lifting day.  Starting this week I decided to also deload by cutting volume down slightly, at least on strength stuff.

Full Body for Metallica

Squats - flat shoes + loose belt on work sets

Squats felt stronger/more stable/less asymmetric than ever.  What seemed to help was really concentrating on a combination of sticking my butt out and keeping my chest up.  I think part of my sense of instability in a squat is coming from my inability to maintain spinal extension.

Anyways, worked up to 275 for 2 sets of 5.  This is as strong, stable, and easy as squats have ever felt in this style.  All time PR in terms of sets across.

Bench

Warmed up to 232.5 for 2 sets of 5, first reps paused.  These were an absolute bear, I thought I was going to miss my 5th rep on the first set as the bar JUST glanced off of one of the uprights at the bottom of my 5th rep, which threw my groove off.  I managed to recover and JUST squeak it out, though.

Going into the second set, I figured I'd probably just get 4, but managed the 5th again.  Not hitting the upright probably helped.

Hip Abduction (Life Fitness)

110 x ~16.

Chins

I was pretty zapped at this point.

Managed one set of me + 95 for a set of 5 (barely), then another of 4.5.  In terms of absolute weight (~265), the first set is an all time PR.
 
Hope you have a great show. I'm still gutted that I missed the Octavarium tour.
 
Thank you for the well wishes Lol, I had an excellent, drunken time in Milwaukee on Monday night.

Heavy Press, Rows

Press - oly shoes + belt on work sets

Warmed up to 140 for 2 sets of 5 reps. This is around an all time PR. I think my previous best in oly shoes at this weight was a set or two of 4 reps?

Cable Rows

202.5 for 2 sets of 5.

Bench

Warmed up to 195 for 3 sets of 10 reps, first reps paused. All time PR.

Lat Pulldowns (lat dominant stylez)

Warmed up to 155 for 3 sets of 10.
 
Deadlifts, Light Squats

Deads - flat shoes + loose belt on work set

Warmed all the way up to 380 x 5, which is another all time PR.  This did not feel quite as pretty as last week's, though, the 5th rep in particular felt a little ugly (stiff leg-y, a bit roundback-y).  Still, I brute strengthed it up.

Warmups, weirdly, felt really good, but my work set felt a little slow.  Then again, it's heavier than I've ever gone for a set of 5, so that might just be normal.

Bottom Squats + Leg Press + Abduction

Warmed up to 2 sets of 170 for 10 bottom half reps in squats with a band around the knees.

5 plates + 25 + 10 lbs per side for a set of 8 bottom half reps in leg press.

Nautilus Nitro Abduction - 125 x 10, 15

Calf Raises

Calf Raises in Nautilus Nitro Leg Press - 315 x 8/15

Calf Raises in Seated Calf Raise -  40 x 15/15

Abz

Two sets of 8 situps in a decline bench holding the barbell (45 lbs) directly over me the whole time (so the bottom it's in the locked out position of a decline bench, the top looks like the top of a shoulder press).  Harder than it sounds, but pretty cool exercise, felt it very strongly in my abs.
 
I wound up with another cold, and combined with the fact that I was pushing strength limits rather far, I'm going to make this week a deload week. I'll start updating my log again next week.
 
So, I turned my deload session into a strength test.  Because I feel good, and feel stupid going through the motions of losing strength for the sake of arbitrarily deloading.

Squats - flat shoes + loose belt on work set

Warmups felt very solid today.  My actual work set felt a little shaky for reasons unknown.

Still, I managed to get up to 275 for a somewhat sloppy set of 6.  It felt like my hamstrings were relaxing a little at the bottom for some reason. Last rep I lost extension a bit, but this wasn't the ugliest set I've ever had.  Nor was it the prettiest ever.  But still, this represents an all time PR.

Bench

Here I managed 205 for a set of 10, first rep paused.   I was actually surprised I did it, and double checked with my spotter that it was actually 205.  He gave me a nice compliment about my form being impeccable.

Chins

Wound up just going for a new 1 RM, and I managed me + 140 for a single.  With everything added (me + weights + dip belt), this would be within a couple of pounds of 315.  Sweet.
 
Least deload-y deload week ever :-x  Haha.

Deadlifts - loose belt on work set

Warmed all the way up to 385 for a set of 5.  All time PR.   Definitely less sloppy than last week, partially aided by not rushing reps, taking my sweet ******* time between every rep (even half stood up to regrip once during the set).

This actually begs the question - what is a &quot;set&quot; of deadlifts?  This was almost like a max-stim set. I'm guessing at least 15-20 seconds between reps 4 and 5.

Press - oly shoes (no belt)

Warmed up to 115 for a set of 10.  All time PR.

Seated Cable Rows

195 x 10.  All time PR (if one actually counts or cares about PR's in cable rows...)
 
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