electric's log

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Hey electric, when i get down to the heavy 5's i've been using a bench that i place inside a power rack and the pins set perfectly so i can just about touch my chest but if i had to put it down in an emergency i could. It gives me some piece of mind when benching. Even though i've never had to use it, i know it's there in case.
 
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(HstRiggins @ May 16 2008,1:06)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Hey electric, when i get down to the heavy 5's i've been using a bench that i place inside a power rack and the pins set perfectly so i can just about touch my chest but if i had to put it down in an emergency i could.  It gives me some piece of mind when benching.</div>
Yup, when you haven't got a spotter, use the power rack.
 
I personally would prefer the power rack if I had access to one. I already put the suggestion in my gym but I am not very confident they will comply. I'll look for other gyms around here that might have power racks. I miss it specially for the squats, that's why I'm going front squats cleaning the bb from the floor. For the bench I have to ask for a guy that works in the gym to spot for me, it is not a big deal.
 
Monday will be my last day of the 5s, and I am still not sure what to do next. Since I changed exercises mid-cycle I could just retest my maxes, take a week SD and start over. I could also keep pushing the 5s in a linear progression style until I can no longer increase weight. Other option is to try negatives.
If I were to do negatives what kind of rep/set scheme and frequency is recommended?
What do you guys suggest?
 
A few ideas:

Keep going with the 5s and increment on a weekly basis. If that gets to be too wearing try two heavy sessions a week and one lighter mid-week session with higher reps or...

Drop the reps to sets of 3 to preserve your CNS with your 5RM loads and above (so instead of 3 x 5 you could do 5 x 3 or even a bit more volume if you feel OK to do so).

If you like, push for a new 5RM once a week on one or two exercises.

Try negatives with dips and chins for the last week: a two to three second decent each rep under control is a good tempo.

Try some Max-Stim reps for deads (and/or any other exercises of your choice) with your 5RM load and above (try to get 15-20 reps with M-time &lt; 45 seconds).

Have fun but above all be safe; ensure that you don't sacrifice your form just to enable you to push the loads up.
 
Last day of the 5s. Body Weight at 74kg (163lbs). Big difference from Friday, not really sure why.
Routine B:
5 minutes 2&quot; incline 12 km/h (7.5mph) warmup.
Front Squat - 3x5 @ 65Kg (143lbs) - bar cleaned from floor at every set
Dips - 5, 4 @ BW+20Kg (44lbs) uh-oh
Pendlay Row - 0 @ 81kg, 3x5 @ 71Kg (157lbs)
Skull Crushers - 2x5 @ 33kg (73lbs)
Prone Incline DB Curl - 2x3 @ 40Kg (88lbs) *combined DB weight*

Front squats were tough! Cleaning the bar was hard and lowering it was even harder. I don't want to drop it on the floor. For the last set I asked for a spotter to help me lower it as I was already hammered.
Dips were a problem. I felt really tired even before starting them. The bigger added weight plus the higher BW plus the fatigue got me hard. And in the 4 rep of the 2 set I felt a uncomfortable tearing feeling in the sternum so I just stopped and called it quit.
Pendlay's also got a fatigue hit and since the calculated weight of 81kg would require too much cheating I just lowered it to 71kg for a better form. I also tried some fascial stretching after the bicep curls...

I've been feeling very tired for the last workouts. Since most other variables are in check (rest, food, stress) I have to blame it in CNS fatigue build-up. To be honest it is the first time ever I do 5s. I usually only lifted 8-12 reps. Joints are whining too. I am really thinking on SDing sooner. With this fatigue built up the negatives will probably be less then productive.
 
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(Lol @ May 18 2008,12:13)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Drop the reps to sets of 3 to preserve your CNS with your 5RM loads and above (so instead of 3 x 5 you could do 5 x 3 or even a bit more volume if you feel OK to do so).</div>
Lol, thanks for the tips. I have noticed I seem to be more tired every workout. I am eating right so maybe the CNS fatigue has already kicked in. Maybe I'm better off calling it quits for this cycle. I don't want to give up but I also don't want to overtrain so I am in kind of a crossroads here.
 
So I finally returned to the gym after one week off. I think it was a correct choice to take a little break. I restarted in the end of the 10s and will try some linear progression testing my 10RMs until there is no progression, then I'll resume the 5s. BW was 72.5Kg (160lbs).

3 1/2 minutes in the elliptical for warmup
Flat BB Bench Press - 10,9 @ 71 kg (157lbs)
Chin - 10,8 @ BW+6Kg (13lbs)
Deadlift - 10,5 @ 81kg (179lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curl - 10,6 @ 32kg (71lbs) *combined DB weight*
Triceps Cable Push-down - 10 @ 60kg (132lbs)

Weights didn't feel very heavy but I felt SO tired...
 
Skipped Friday's workout and got too lazy to go on Saturday. Shame on me.

4 minutes elliptical warmup.
Dips - 2x10 @ BW+10Kg (22lbs)
Front Squat - 2x10 @ 51Kg (112lbs) - bar cleaned from floor
Pendlay - 2x10 @ 61Kg (135lbs)
Skullcrusher - 2x10 @ 27Kg (60lbs)
Prone DB Curl - 2x10 @ 32Kg (71lbs) - combined DB weight
 
Another day, another lift.

3 minutes elliptical warmup.
Flat BB Bench Press - 10,7.5 @ 75Kg (165lbs)
Chin - 10, 8 @ BW+8Kg (18lbs)
Deadlift - 10, 9 @ 91Kg (201lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curl - 9 @ 36kg (79lbs) *combined db weight*

Grip strength is holding me back big time in the deadlift. I have to put some static holds in to help me progress. Changing the overhand grip to mixed grip helped me but I was still limited by grip on the second set. Other then that it was a good workout, basically those are all new 10RMs. For the DB curl I need to get the 10 reps with less cheating before I can call it a RM.
 
You are using chalk for your grip, right? Have you checked out the grip strength thread? There are quite a lot of useful tips therein. Yer tiz:

Grip Test
 
Lol... thanks for the reply. I'll check the thread carefully. And no, I am not using chalk. There is no chalk on my gym but, at least I think, that is not playing a big role as the bar isn't slipping I just can't keep my hands closed for long.
 
5 minutes cycling warmup.
Dips - 2x10 @ BW+12Kg (26lbs)
Front Squats - 2x10 @ 55Kg (121lbs) - BB cleaned from floor
Pendlay - 2x10 @ 65Kg (143lbs)
Skull - 2x10 @ 31Kg (68lbs)
Prone Incline DB Curl - 2x10 @ 36Kg (79lbs) - combined DB weight
Standing BB Shoulder Press - 1x10 @ 31Kg (68lbs)

Again these are all PBs for 10 reps, but that's because I am doing newbie's linear progression and will keep increasing the weight until I can no longer properly complete 10 reps. It's the first time I've done the Shoulder Press so I used a test weight. How is it different from the military press?
All weights feel like they can still be increased but the curl so will keep testing their maxes.
Tried Lol's grip test but at the end of the workout so it was a no-go this time.
 
Workout update. Body Weight at 74Kg (163lbs):
5 minutes light elliptical warmup
Chin up - 10, 9 @ BW+10Kg (22lbs)
BB Flat Bench warmup followed by DB Flat Bench - 2x10 @ 48Kg (106lbs) - combined DB weight
Deadlift - 10, 7 @ 101Kg (223lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curls - 8 @ 36Kg (79lbs) - combined DB weight
Upright Rows - 2x10 @ 32Kg (71lbs)

I am sure part of my soul is still stuck in that deadlift bar, phew. It is impressive the difference in using mixed grip instead of double overhand (which now I am only using for the warmup set). Still the second work set was limited by grip again. The Chins and DLs are new 10 rep PBs.
Collarbone is hurting and not getting better, back on ibuprofen and will stop dips and change BB Bench for DB Bench for the moment. Benching with the DBs feel so much heavier due to the stabilization necessary...
 
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(electric @ Jun. 09 2008,12:16)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Benching with the DBs feel so much heavier due to the stabilization necessary...</div>
Yup...!!
 
Skipped workout today, will probably go tomorrow.
While I'm at it, I've been having an annoying clavicle pain. It seems to have started when I was doing weighted dips, either because I am not used to this exercise or because I am using bad form. Now every time I do heavy bench press or dips it returns. It is not on the shoulder end of the clavicle but between the middle and the sternum. Anyone had this already? Any hints on what I might be doing wrong?
 
Workout Summary: Body Weight at 161lbs.

5 minutes elliptical warmup.
Front AGT Squat 10, 9 @ 61Kg (134lbs)
Pendlay Rows 2x10 @ 71kg (157lbs)
BB Bench Press - 2x10 @ 61Kg (134lbs) light due to clavicle pain and also testing a new form
OHP - 10 @ 41Kg (90lbs)
Prone Incline DB Curls - 2x10 @ 36kg (79lbs) - combined DB weight

Maybe it is time to stop the linear progression, squat, pendlay and OHP form was so and so. Bench is an exception because I backed down the weight due to clavicle pain. I can drop weight and start testing my 15RM or SD and begin a new cycle adding some weights to my previous RMs.
 
Is your pain at the sternoclavicular joint or along the clavicle itself?
 
Lol, I think most of it is in the joint with some discomfort extending along the clavicle to its middle. There is no pain/discomfort in the shoulder end.
 
I have to be honest, I have deviated from the HST path. I've been doing linear progression with the weights in the 10 rep range for a couple of weeks now. I'm thinking of keep doing something like this until later this month, then I'll SD and start a new HST cycle. I am still unsure what to do with this remaining weeks, if I should keep doing what I'm doing, if I should try to determine new maxes for the 5 range or fall back to the 15 rep range and maybe do some speed training.

Anyway, todays workout (BW @ 74.5kg - 164lbs):
BB Flat Bench - 2x10 @ 71Kg (157lbs)
Chin - 10, 7 @ BW+12kg (26.5lbs)
Deadlift - 7, 1, 2 @ 111kg (245lbs)
DB Flat Bench - 10 @ 44Kg (97lbs), 10 @ 24Kg (106lbs) - combined DB weight
Upright Rows - 2x10 @ 38Kg (84lbs)

The deadlift was heavy but during the set I felt a warm liquid inside my right ear and that made me lose my focus. I stopped to check if it was not blood but it was only sweat. Anyway I'll try 10 reps straight next time with the same weight.

Comments welcome.
 
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