Cycle #10 - 2x/week HST + "Caveman" Workout

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(colby2152 @ Jul. 06 2007,17:12)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">What are everybody's opinions on rack pulls for grip strength?</div>
I feel that they help your grip (and upper body) become accustomed to heavier loads, which will come in handy in the future with your deadlifts.

I'm not sure about the carry over into other things though. But... every time I push my rack pull to a new PR, the next week I am able to increase my deadlift by a similar amount. Also, every time I do heavy rack pulls, my grip muscles are all very sore for two-three days afterwards. That is probably a sign that it is working them hard.
 
Caveman Workout - 7/9/07 - end of 5 rep mesocycle

HIT Warmup:
Side Bends: 55 - 15, 65 - 10, 75 - 5

HST Workout:
Deadlifts: 120 - 15 (2 sets), 130 - 20
Pendlay Rows: 100 - 15 (3 sets)
Military Press: 60 - 5, 80 - 5

HIT Exhaustion:
Farmer's Walk (264 feet): 17's - full lap (two times)

Comments:
I am losing interest in my caveman WO due to lack of weight. Therefore, I have taken quad's advice and went for higher reps. Next time, I may follow him another step further and go for super high reps!

Once again, the farmer's walks put a lot of burn into my forearms!
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Tot, I am going down the path of the great rack pull! My forearms were sore all weekend from the pulls I did on Friday, and I only did 315 lbs! I can't even imagine the 500 lbs you're pulling!
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Then again, you're a much more seasoned lifter. Hopefully, someday I will have great #'s on all my lifts.
 
Workout - 7/11/07 - Pushing my 5 RM

HIT Warmup:
Side Bends: 50 - 15, 60 - 10, 70 - 5

HST Workout:
Deadlift: 135 - WU, 225 - 5, PR 280 - 5 (2 sets), 205 - 15
Pendlay Rows: 135 - 5 (2 sets)
Rack Pulls (5 second hold): 225 - 5, 315 - 5 (MS), PR 350 - 5 (MS), 350 - 3, 225 - 15
Bench Press: 135 - WU, PR 175 - 5 (2 sets), 135 - 15
Arnold Press: 45's - 5 (2 sets), 30's - 11
Chins: PR BW-50 - 5, BW-40 - 3

HIT Exhaustion:
Cuban Press: 35 - 15, 45 - 10, 55 - 5

Comments:
My workout was great albeit I am still working on my form at Pendlay Rows. I got new PR's in Deadlift, Rack Pull, Bench Press, and Chins. Most of my concentration this cycle has been on deadlift and bench press, and I think that will continue as my 5RM is not done for those exercises.

Maybe, just maybe, my specialization with Cuban Presses, Farmer's Walk, and now Rack Pulls is helping out?

I skipped the sprint training as I was worn out from the 65 minute WO.
 
This was the 8th gym I have tried out in the past 5 weeks. It wasn't that bad. They didn't have bumper plates, but they had some plastic coated ones that I used at the power rack. The rack was okay at best as it is meant exclusively for squats.

Grade: 57.3%, sits in 5th place
 
congrats on the PR!

Look at that caveman go! (everytime I read the title of your log, I'm reminded of that Beach Boy tune, Alley-Oop)
 
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(quadancer @ Jul. 11 2007,19:58)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Tot: what if your failure point is the floor? The racks help with that? I wouldn't think so, since it's out of the ROM.</div>
Unfortunately no. I haven't found a reliable way to improve the off-the-floor strength yet, aside from doing actual deadlifts. You can train the lower part of the deadlift, I just haven't bothered to read up on how yet.

Colby - nice PRs in deads and rack pulls.
 
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(quadancer @ Jul. 11 2007,19:58)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Tot: what if your failure point is the floor? The racks help with that? I wouldn't think so, since it's out of the ROM.</div>
I was thinking about this some more and I don't see why you can't just set the safety bars at the same spot you do a rack pull - at about knee level - but leave the bar on the floor. Then pull up to the safety bars. Do that for reps, and it should improve your off-the-floor strength, I would think.
Or, try deadlifting off of a platform of some sort, so that you are actually starting out lower than the floor would normally be.

I might try that out and see how it works. Since my rack pull PR is currently like 150 lbs more than my actual deadlift PR, I think that is probably my weak point in the lift currently. We'll see how that works.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I was thinking about this some more and I don't see why you can't just set the safety bars at the same spot you do a rack pull - at about knee level - but leave the bar on the floor. Then pull up to the safety bars. Do that for reps, and it should improve your off-the-floor strength, I would think.
Or, try deadlifting off of a platform of some sort, so that you are actually starting out lower than the floor would normally be.</div>

That's the same as doing partial rep deadlifts.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">congrats on the PR!</div>

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Colby - nice PRs in deads and rack pulls.</div>

Thanks FF and Tot! I'm pushing those PR's in my next few WO's. After that I'll increase the weight and drop a rep each WO until my SD at the end of the month.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Or, try deadlifting off of a platform of some sort, so that you are actually starting out lower than the floor would normally be.</div>

Box deads have definitely worked for a buddy of mine at the gym. He stands on about an 8 inch high wooden box, and does them off of it. He has to use much lighter weight but said it really helped getting the weight off the ground on his normal DL's.
 
That does sound like it would work. I'm liking that T-nation article on the four second reps too that Bull posted, especially for bench.
 
Tonight, I did a quick caveman WO (iso's, deads, farmer's walk) that really isn't worth noting.

It got stopped short because a family friend came in. The man, who I highly respect, gave his advice about the deadlift. He said that I would blow my back out lifting like that, and I would pay the price later in life. I, of course, thought that was hogwash. I feel that deadlifts, like any other weight lifting exercise, help my joints and muscles. Since I started deadlifts over a year ago, my sciatica pain has all but vanished. It only reappears during a long SD.

What are everyone's opinions on this subject? I know there are personal case studies around this forum of guys that have been lifting for years. Most everyone I know or heard of has had no adverse effects, and they have a healthier mind and body from lifting.
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As I said, it worried me because of how much I respect the man.

FYI, he lifted when he was a lineman in college, but quit soon after he was done with football.
 
Bad form on deadlifts could definitely mess up your back, I would think.

Good form on deadlifts strengthens the back and makes it more stable. For an extreme example, look at Benni Magnusson. Broke his back and now he's deadlifting 900 some pounds.
 
There ya go.

I feel like the squats and deads strengthen the back, help it to align and carry itself, but when you stop doing them your pains can return due to weakness, or so it seems when I've not worked out for a bit, and from anecdotal stories...and maybe your friend's back got messed up that way, not from the deads themselves.
 
Workout - 7/11/07 - Pushing my 5 RM

HIT Warmup:
Side Bends: 60 - 15, 70 - 10, 80 - 5

HST Workout:
Deadlift: 135 - WU, 225 - 5, PR 295 - 2, 1
Pendlay Rows: 135 - 5, 155 - 5
Rack Pulls (5 second hold): 225 - 5, 315 - 4 (MS)
Bench Press: 135 - WU, PR 180 - 5

Comments:
I think my strength was down since I wasn't in the zone - still bothered by those comments yesterday. I probably should turn down the frequency of my deadlifts too, but at least I got a new PB in Bench Press!
 
congrats on your bench Colby.

deads have strengthened my lower back. but I've seen people &quot;throw their backs out&quot; and get hurt bad in normal everyday life...just pulling cable or stepping off a curb.

I can't see that performing a deadlift with good form in a controlled environment as being a bad thing.

Maybe your friend has seen some competitive people hurt themselves by attempting heavy weights with little practice?
 
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