_tim's Log

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(colby2152 @ Feb. 29 2008,09:45)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">It may take years for us Tim, at least that's what Rippletoe claims is a common occurrence with the lift.
...

My problem is the catch to front squat movement. How deep do you squat? Do you just bend your knees. Do you widen your stance after the jump? Sometimes, my knees are bent and the bar is just pulled and snapped up to the top.</div>
I agree, colby. Though it seems like a very natural movement, the clean is mechanically very demanding. I'm sure it will take a very long time to perfect.

When I was doing hang cleans, I was doing almost a full front squat after the catch. That's how I was taught to do them, and it felt very natural. With power cleans, I'm not catching the bar cleanly enough to do the front squat. I'm doing perhaps a 1/2 rep after the catch, most of the time slightly off-balance. I do tend to widen my stance after the catch, something my original coach told me was quite normal, but that I should work to maintain the same stance from start to finish. I actually plan on doing a couple more weeks of power cleans on my own, then schedule another session with the coach so I can make sure I'm not establishing bad habits that could become problematic.
 
Keeping the elbows up and moving to the front squat from the catch is the tough part for me also. Quite awkward, practice, practice, practice.
 
Week 3
Push @ 90%, Day 1

Standing Press: WU: 95 x 10; 110 x 8
10 x 3 @ 125 - I did push presses in set 9 for rep 3, and reps 1 and 3 for set 10. I honestly think this was a load I've never even come close to hitting a 10 x 3 with. So - regardless of the push presses, I feel great about the sets.

Bench Press: WU: 135 x 10; 165 x 8
4 x 6 @ 185 - I had to cluster set 3 5-1, and I used spotter assistance on the last rep of the 4th set. I stalled at about mid-rep. I actually then rested and did a single just to do it and complete the set.

Squats: WU: 135 x 8
2 x 12 @ 205 - I had a rather large break between sets; I saw a buddy I hadn't seen in a while and got to talking. Still, these sets were very, very tough.

Good one today.
 
Week 3
Pull @ 90% Day 1

I voted yesterday - hence the break in schedule.

BB Rev Grip Row: WU: 115 x 10; 145 x 8
10 x 3 @ 175 - Pretty easy, if I'm being honest. If the 95% or 100% loads are too light, I'll revise up for the heavy-heavies (105+%)

Mixed Grip Chin: WU: BW x 8; BW+5 x 6
4 x 6 @ BW+12.5 The last two sets were clustered 4-1-1 and 4-2 respectively. I didn't like my from on the last rep of the last set, so I did one more rep very slowly both up and down - and included a static hold at mid-rep on the way down. I noticed a huge improvement from the last time I did these - on my first two sets I was coming up to my sternum, which is something I try to do anytime I do chins.

Sumo Deads: 12 x 2 @ 195 - WAY TOO LIGHT. I know I'm taking it kinda easy this cycle, but the deadlift loads are laughable. Other than continuing to refine form, these sets have little benefit.
 
Push @ 90% Day 2

Squats: WU: 135 x 10; 205 x 8; 225 x 6
10 x 3 @ 255 - The later sets became challenging. Something tells me I'm in for some DOMS this weekend. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! There is nothing in this world like leg DOMS - the pain of walking, sitting, breathing. Oh heck yeah.

Standing Press: WU: 95 x 10; 105 x 6
1 x 6 @ 115; 2 x 6 @ 105 - Let me explain. I'm not sure whether my delts are still fatigued from Monday's work, or whether the 115 was just too heavy for this part of the cycle. The sets were very heavily clustered - the 115 was 4-1-1, then the 105 sets were both 3-1-1-1. I'm treating my second warmup set as a work set in the grand scheme to get my 4 x 6. I'll revise my 6 numbers for the rest of the cycle.

Bench Press: 12 x 2 @ 165 - Pretty easy.
 
Pull @ 90% Day 2

Power Cleans: WU: 95 x 5; 105 x 4
10 x 3 @ 125 - Well, my form was all over the place, but I got through 'em.

BB Rev Grip Row: WU: 135 x 10; 145 x 8
1 x 6 @ 165, 3 x 6 @ 155 - My form was breaking down by rep 4 on my first set. So, I dropped the weight and got through the rest of the sets with good form at 155.

Chins: WU: BW x 5
2 x 12 @ BW+7.5 - First set was clustered 10-2, then 6-2-2-1-1 for the second.

Good week - on to 95%

My post workout bodyweight was 195.
 
<div>
(_tim @ Mar. 07 2008,11:03)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Power Cleans: WU: 95 x 5; 105 x 4
10 x 3 @ 125 - Well, my form was all over the place, but I got through 'em.</div>
I did em last night, and I am still uncomfortable with form. Do you widen the stance of your legs from the snap of your feet to the front squat motion?
 
Hey colby - Yes, I definitely do widen my stance during the catch. I hope that I can make progress with the lift with this frequency, but something tells me I should be doing more.
 
Week 4
Push @ 95% Day 1

Bench Press: WU: 135 x 10; 185 x 8
10 x 3 @ 215 - I'm not going to say these were easy, but they definitely weren't hard.

Squats: WU: 135 x 10; 205 x 3; 225 x 3
4 x 6 @ 245 - I finally wised up to something I read in Bryan's FAQ's about warmup sets. I feel like I had more energy for my work sets by reducing the intensity of the warmup. I know this scheme isn't 100% what Bryan suggests, but it's closer. The work sets went well.

Standing Press: 12 x 2 @ 105 - The clusters: 10-2, 5-2-2-2-1

I then did some Tabata work - 2 intervals of front squats that just hurt my wrists like no tomorrow, then two more intervals of squats that a trainer once called &quot;hole squats&quot;. Basically, the rep range is from an ATG stance up to parallel. Yeah, that worked. I used 95 pounds for both sets of intervals. I've been neglecting all forms of cardio these days, so I'm going to try the Tabata thing a couple times a week.

Good first workout in 95% land.
 
I totally forgot to give an update on my back. I found out on Friday that I have a partially dislocated rib right at the spot of my back pulls. Apparently, over time, muscle tissue has grown all around the rib - bear in mind this happened over 8 years ago - and with the right conditions, that rib slips and aggravates the whole of the musculature around it.

I go today to a DO/Chiropractor that I was referred to by my physical therapist. Supposedly, this person can do in one motion what PT's take months to accomplish with electrical stimulation. We shall see...
 
that sucks tim, do you feel the rib is something something that's been hampering your progress? I mean it sounds like it would be...
 
You know, FF, I'm not sure. I've made very nice strength gains over the past couple years, but who knows. Maybe I could have done more? Dunno. It'll be interesting to see what happens today, and what affect it'll have on my training.

Because I've pushed my deadlift 1 RM to over 400 pounds, I tend to think that perhaps it hasn't been that much of a factor. Then again, my bench number hasn't exactly jumped the way I thought it should, but I doubt I could pinpoint the cause of that between simple genetic restrictions and this rib thing.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about this appointment today, but if it fixes me, I suppose it will all be worth it. Heck - if it truly does fix me and the doc tells me as much, I think an appropriate celebration would be another power/volume routine after the end of this cycle....... This time, with a proper application of &quot;volume&quot; principles. I kinda miffed that last time.
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(_tim @ Mar. 10 2008,13:55)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Because I've pushed my deadlift 1 RM to over 400 pounds, I tend to think that perhaps it hasn't been that much of a factor.
...
Heck - if it truly does fix me and the doc tells me as much, I think an appropriate celebration would be another power/volume routine after the end of this cycle....</div>
Yup, if you've been lifting 400 with a bum rib, think how you'll do when you've been fixed...!

(To be fair, I used a very similar line to get my cat to go to the Vet without a fight...
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(_tim @ Mar. 10 2008,12:56)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Supposedly, this person can do in one motion what PT's take months to accomplish with electrical stimulation.  We shall see...</div>
That would be nice...but the injury sounds more like something that you would need surgery to fix? How can they detach the muscle from the rib?
 
Well soflsun, it appears that this will be something of an ongoing process. In fact, they cannot correct this with one motion because the musculature around the area is too dense (thank you, chins). I start what I think will be a several week process this Friday to loosen the muscles in the area enough for the guy to pop it back in. I've been told that I SHOULD NOT stop my cycle, as my training apparently keeps everything in check from an injury perspective. So, I suppose time will tell what actually becomes of this whole thing.

On to the workout for today...

Pull @ 95% Day 1

The gym was DEAD today. The few folks who were there were much more interested in talking than training. I hate that.

SA Pulldown: WU: 80 x 10; 100 x 4; 120 x 3
10 x 3 @ 140 - Very doable. I'm inching closer to my goal...

Sumo Deads: WU: 135 x 10; 205 x 6; 235 x 5
4 x 6 @ 255 - Light for the lift, but still NO STRAPS. I tried yet again to &quot;sort&quot; (for my European pals) the hook grip without success. I'm going to post a question out on Stengthmilll for Coach Rippetoe. My thumb constantly squirts out of the grip. I've tried changing the grip every way I know how - in fact I even took a printed diagram with me, replicated the grip, and was only able to get 4 reps in before my thumb squirmed out of the grip.

BB Rev Grip Row: 12 x 2 @ 145 - Second set was clustered 9-3.

Then - Tabata for about 3 minutes with Hang Cleans. My grip by the end was completely shot. I used 95 pounds.
 
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(_tim @ Mar. 11 2008,15:30)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">4 x 6 @ 255 - Light for the lift, but still NO STRAPS.  I tried yet again to &quot;sort&quot; (for my European pals) the hook grip without success.  I'm going to post a question out on Stengthmilll for Coach Rippetoe.  My thumb constantly squirts out of the grip.  I've tried changing the grip every way I know how - in fact I even took a printed diagram with me, replicated the grip, and was only able to get 4 reps in before my thumb squirmed out of the grip.</div>
Tim, are you using chalk? If not, that's why. You can also try taping your thumbs to see if that helps. With chalk I think my thumbs would actually pull out of their sockets before they would pop out from under my finger grip!
 
I wish I could, Lol! Our gym doesn't allow chalk use. I'll try the taping thing - that makes sense! Thanks!
 
Tim, glad to see you can still hit the iron. Hopefully your treatment will work and allow you to see even more strength gains in the months to come. Good luck man!
 
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