Lol's New HST Log
- Thread starter Lol
- Start date
Thanks, Tim. It was a great show. I'm a bit of a prog' rock head, so the bands I travel to see are unknown and go unheard by the majority of the population. Still, I love it. Sanguine Hum were worth every motorway-mile.
As a bonus, Steve Wilson, of Porcupine Tree fame, came along to enjoy the band too. Ex-XTC guitarist, Dave Gregory, was also there, playing a set with Tin Spirits. (His other current band, Big Big Train, are knocking out some fine English-flavoured prog and I hope to catch them some time soon.)Arrived home at 5 am. and finally got to bed at 7 am. Not a great start to the day and consequently I didn't get around to training, so that's two days off. I shall be grateful.
Re squat form: oh yeah, I hear you and thanks for your thoughts, guys. It's very much a work-in-progress.
I definitely have tight hips. I am working on them like crazy! If you like, try this test: sit cross-legged on the floor, then try to drop your knees down towards the floor. Easy or hard? If you put the soles of your feet together and pull your feet in towards you as far as possible, holding your toes, while maintaining an erect torso, how far down can you drop your knees now? Mine are a good 16" up from the ground and that's after working on my hip flexibility for quite a while. I have a mate who has no difficulty dropping his knees down to the floor. He does no flexibility training at all! Genetics, eh? :-/
I have heard of the term "Scottish hip." Not sure if that's what I have? What it means for me is that it's really uncomfortable squatting with a stance that is even a little wider than shoulder-width. Because I find it so hard to drop down between my legs into a deep high-bar squat, a get my hips to come forward, I tend to end up having to lean a bit more forward coming out of the hole. As well as my hip tightness, I have ankle tightness too along with my knee-caving syndrome.
Not having fixed these issues has lead to my getting niggling right-knee discomfort that rears its ugly head every time I squat with any load around ~5RM, front or back squat. My right ankle is tighter than my left so that may be the primary cause; but it may be the fact my right leg knee tends to cave more than my left if I'm not careful.
I'm going to have to do some more form experiments. Having watched loads of different people squatting, it's very apparent that there are many variations in form that no doubt are brought about through variations in anthropometry and joint alignment/mobility. Eg:
Jon North squats with a narrow stance and seems to keep his form looking pretty good and with good depth. He has way better ankle flexibility than me so that must be part of my problem.
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Sun 09/06/13
Squats, squats, squats!
Decided to spend some time on form using pauses to figure out a stable deep squat position.
High-bar Back Squat
W-U: 5P x 50kg, 5P x 70kg, 3P x 100kg
3 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5P x 110kg - took breath in hole (sounds weird; you know what I mean!)
5P x 110kg - held breath in hole; definitely more stable
5P x 110kg - took vid
3P x 120kg (265) - just to see how I fared with a few more pounds on the bar
Belted for sets 100kg and over; knee sleeves; wrist wraps.
That was actually a very worthwhile session. I think I figured a few things out.
It seems I have a tendency to want to use a lot of hip drive coming up out of the hole. It's much easier for me to use my back to lift the load once my legs are almost extended. Of course, this is taking a lot of the work away from my quads which is not exactly what I want to do. I guess it's a consequence of lots of low-bar squatting over the past few years.
My lower back is plenty strong enough to GM these loads. However, my goal isn't to lift the load as easily as possible, it's to get as much carry-over effect as possible to the O-lifts. So, I have to try to break the habit if I can. This will probably mean a fair amount of squatting with these lighter loads until the new movement pattern is drilled into my tiny mind.
Here's the vid of that paused set with 110kg:
Please excuse the groaning! I forgot to turn the music up!
On the fourth rep you can see things slowed down a bit coming out of the hole when I made a conscious effort to bring my hips forward. The fifth rep is a bit smoother again.
Squats, squats, squats!
Decided to spend some time on form using pauses to figure out a stable deep squat position.
High-bar Back Squat
W-U: 5P x 50kg, 5P x 70kg, 3P x 100kg
3 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5 x 110kg
5P x 110kg - took breath in hole (sounds weird; you know what I mean!)
5P x 110kg - held breath in hole; definitely more stable
5P x 110kg - took vid
3P x 120kg (265) - just to see how I fared with a few more pounds on the bar
Belted for sets 100kg and over; knee sleeves; wrist wraps.
That was actually a very worthwhile session. I think I figured a few things out.
It seems I have a tendency to want to use a lot of hip drive coming up out of the hole. It's much easier for me to use my back to lift the load once my legs are almost extended. Of course, this is taking a lot of the work away from my quads which is not exactly what I want to do. I guess it's a consequence of lots of low-bar squatting over the past few years.
My lower back is plenty strong enough to GM these loads. However, my goal isn't to lift the load as easily as possible, it's to get as much carry-over effect as possible to the O-lifts. So, I have to try to break the habit if I can. This will probably mean a fair amount of squatting with these lighter loads until the new movement pattern is drilled into my tiny mind.
Here's the vid of that paused set with 110kg:
Please excuse the groaning! I forgot to turn the music up!
On the fourth rep you can see things slowed down a bit coming out of the hole when I made a conscious effort to bring my hips forward. The fifth rep is a bit smoother again.
Last edited by a moderator:
10/06/13
Legs tired after yesterday's squat session but not much soreness. Spent a good 30 minutes before training, stretching and sitting in deep squat and working on my right ankle mobility.
General Warmup
Nekid bar snatches
Shoulder dislocates
Air squats
Snatch off High Blocks
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
Too late to go any heavier just in case I had to dump bar. Left shoulder and right forearm were both a bit tweaky in any case.
Dips
W-U: 25 x BW
15 x BW+15kg (33lb)
15 x BW+15kg (33lb)
10+3,3,2 x BW+15kg (33lb) - myo-rep set
I was careful not to aggravate left shoulder. Not sure why it was tweaky tonight. Probably something I did yesterday when squatting.
Parallel-grip Chins
W-U:10 x BW
5 x BW+15kg
5 x BW+15kg
6 x BW+15kg - immediately followed by...
3+2N x BW
Used a very close grip tonight as it felt kinder on my right forearm. This seemed to make the movement more difficult. Big lat stretch in the bottom position.
Attempted some pistols (one-legged squats with unweighted leg extended to front). Because my right ankle is less mobile (in dorsiflexion), pistols are much more difficult with my right leg than my left; it's much more difficult for me to keep my weight over the middle of my right foot than it is my left as I sink down into the hole. My heel wants to lift up on my right foot but stays perfectly grounded when I switch to my left; if I try to keep it down I have a tendency to lose my balance and tip backwards.
Another work in progress...
Legs tired after yesterday's squat session but not much soreness. Spent a good 30 minutes before training, stretching and sitting in deep squat and working on my right ankle mobility.
General Warmup
Nekid bar snatches
Shoulder dislocates
Air squats
Snatch off High Blocks
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
Too late to go any heavier just in case I had to dump bar. Left shoulder and right forearm were both a bit tweaky in any case.
Dips
W-U: 25 x BW
15 x BW+15kg (33lb)
15 x BW+15kg (33lb)
10+3,3,2 x BW+15kg (33lb) - myo-rep set
I was careful not to aggravate left shoulder. Not sure why it was tweaky tonight. Probably something I did yesterday when squatting.
Parallel-grip Chins
W-U:10 x BW
5 x BW+15kg
5 x BW+15kg
6 x BW+15kg - immediately followed by...
3+2N x BW
Used a very close grip tonight as it felt kinder on my right forearm. This seemed to make the movement more difficult. Big lat stretch in the bottom position.
Attempted some pistols (one-legged squats with unweighted leg extended to front). Because my right ankle is less mobile (in dorsiflexion), pistols are much more difficult with my right leg than my left; it's much more difficult for me to keep my weight over the middle of my right foot than it is my left as I sink down into the hole. My heel wants to lift up on my right foot but stays perfectly grounded when I switch to my left; if I try to keep it down I have a tendency to lose my balance and tip backwards.
Another work in progress...
12/06/13
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Air squats
Nekid bar snatches
Snatch off High Blocks
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 50kg - straps from here
5 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
4 x 65kg
2 x 65kg + 2xFF
2 x 65kg + 2xFF + 2xFB!
Haha. That was fun. My best snatching to date. I actually managed six reps with 65kg for that last set; and even though I dumped the bar four times, I got the bar up plenty high enough each time. Getting a better catapult effect off my hips. Still not consistent enough yet but I'm heading in the right direction (I think). Thankfully, my bar seemed to cope ok.
Clean & Jerk
1 x 65kg; 2 jerks
1 x 70kg; 2 jerks
1 x 70kg; 2 jerks
1 x 80kg; 2 jerks
1 x 85kg (187lb); 2 jerks
1 x 85kg (187lb); 3 jerks - added another two jerks!
1 x 90kg (198lb); 2 jerks
1 x 95kg (209lb); 2 jerks PR
1 x 95kg (209lb)
1 x 100kg (220lb) - not a great catch; right hand was a little off the bar; recovered and made the jerk.
1 x 105kg (231lb) - jerk FF - tired legs standing up; no explosive power left for the jerk.
Should have stuck the 105kg but never mind. Pleased I made a double jerk PR with 95kg, just shy of 210lb.
Notes
Feeling a bit beaten up after that little lot but it was a good session. Tweaked my right knee on that last rep with 105kg. Seems ok now so I think I got away with it. Quite a bit of soreness in my thumbs and hands in general are sore all over most of the time.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Air squats
Nekid bar snatches
Snatch off High Blocks
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 50kg - straps from here
5 x 60kg
3 x 60kg
4 x 65kg
2 x 65kg + 2xFF
2 x 65kg + 2xFF + 2xFB!
Haha. That was fun. My best snatching to date. I actually managed six reps with 65kg for that last set; and even though I dumped the bar four times, I got the bar up plenty high enough each time. Getting a better catapult effect off my hips. Still not consistent enough yet but I'm heading in the right direction (I think). Thankfully, my bar seemed to cope ok.
Clean & Jerk
1 x 65kg; 2 jerks
1 x 70kg; 2 jerks
1 x 70kg; 2 jerks
1 x 80kg; 2 jerks
1 x 85kg (187lb); 2 jerks
1 x 85kg (187lb); 3 jerks - added another two jerks!
1 x 90kg (198lb); 2 jerks
1 x 95kg (209lb); 2 jerks PR
1 x 95kg (209lb)
1 x 100kg (220lb) - not a great catch; right hand was a little off the bar; recovered and made the jerk.
1 x 105kg (231lb) - jerk FF - tired legs standing up; no explosive power left for the jerk.
Should have stuck the 105kg but never mind. Pleased I made a double jerk PR with 95kg, just shy of 210lb.
Notes
Feeling a bit beaten up after that little lot but it was a good session. Tweaked my right knee on that last rep with 105kg. Seems ok now so I think I got away with it. Quite a bit of soreness in my thumbs and hands in general are sore all over most of the time.
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_tim
Well-Known Member
Finally catching up on log reading... The many person squat vid was fun - and very educational in terms of stance and execution. Your vid was great in terms of overall form; straight line up out of the paused position, and that is no easy feat. It's interesting to me that squatting wider for you is uncomfortable; if I squat close to shoulder-width, my hips are in pain.
Regardless of that - your work of late is great, Lol. Many, many congrats on the PR in C&J!!!!
Regardless of that - your work of late is great, Lol. Many, many congrats on the PR in C&J!!!!
Thu 13/06/13
Cheers, Tim. Yup, hips are tight as a, hmmm. Anyway, I'm working on it! We all have differences in our skeletal makeup. I believe that studies have been done on this. I know Mikey has a hip weirdness issue on one side. My tightness may be nothing more than connective/soft tissue related. It's very frustrating but, hey, it gives me something to focus on instead of the wall in front!
Pushed for time tonight...
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Overhead squats
Lunges
Front Squats
W-U: 10 x 40kg, 5P x 60kg, 5P x 80kg
5P x 100kg (220lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb)
Belted for work sets; knee sleeves; wrist wraps. Long'ish' pauses ~ 3 sec.
Better than last session. I'm keeping my feet almost facing straight ahead now. Having watched a number of Kelly Starett's Mobility WOD vids and experimented a fair amount, it makes sense to me that more torque can be generated with this stance and with hips externally rotated. Keeps everything feeling nice and tight in the hole. Right knee got a bit tweaky on one rep where I didn't focus on pushing it out enough.
High-bar Back Squat
15 x 100kg (220lb) - as a metabolic set; as deep as possible; long paused last rep; horrid.
Dips
15 x BW
15 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
10 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
10+2 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
Amazing burn and stretch from the pauses.
Parallel-grip Chins
5 x BW+20kg (44lb) - held top position for a count of 10 on final rep.
Didn't think I needed to warm up as pouring with sweat so knocked out one quick set of chins.
Notes
Don't think I'll be able to hit the weights for a few days so may have to do some conditioning stuff instead. It's all good for me. Have a great weekend everyone!
Cheers, Tim. Yup, hips are tight as a, hmmm. Anyway, I'm working on it! We all have differences in our skeletal makeup. I believe that studies have been done on this. I know Mikey has a hip weirdness issue on one side. My tightness may be nothing more than connective/soft tissue related. It's very frustrating but, hey, it gives me something to focus on instead of the wall in front!
Pushed for time tonight...
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Overhead squats
Lunges
Front Squats
W-U: 10 x 40kg, 5P x 60kg, 5P x 80kg
5P x 100kg (220lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb)
Belted for work sets; knee sleeves; wrist wraps. Long'ish' pauses ~ 3 sec.
Better than last session. I'm keeping my feet almost facing straight ahead now. Having watched a number of Kelly Starett's Mobility WOD vids and experimented a fair amount, it makes sense to me that more torque can be generated with this stance and with hips externally rotated. Keeps everything feeling nice and tight in the hole. Right knee got a bit tweaky on one rep where I didn't focus on pushing it out enough.
High-bar Back Squat
15 x 100kg (220lb) - as a metabolic set; as deep as possible; long paused last rep; horrid.
Dips
15 x BW
15 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
10 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
10+2 x BW+20kg (44lb) - pause in hole after final rep
Amazing burn and stretch from the pauses.
Parallel-grip Chins
5 x BW+20kg (44lb) - held top position for a count of 10 on final rep.
Didn't think I needed to warm up as pouring with sweat so knocked out one quick set of chins.
Notes
Don't think I'll be able to hit the weights for a few days so may have to do some conditioning stuff instead. It's all good for me. Have a great weekend everyone!
I might have missed this, but as obvious as it is, what cues are you using in the squat?
I've recorded several zillion sets over the past few years, and one thing I found slightly surprising is that the mental cues we use in a lift can actually have a pretty substantial effect on what the form looks like from set to set.
I've recorded several zillion sets over the past few years, and one thing I found slightly surprising is that the mental cues we use in a lift can actually have a pretty substantial effect on what the form looks like from set to set.
I agree about the mental cues. I'm still experimenting.
I've been focussing on not letting my knees cave too much coming out of the hole and trying not to shoot my hips at the same time. For cues I'm thinking "(externally) rotate hips" instead of the more usual "knees out" and instead of "chest up" (or "elbows up" in the case of front squats), I'm thinking "hips forward" as I drive up out of the hole. I'm doing this, mistakenly or not, because I think that most of my squat form issues are related to my "tight" hip joints.
Wed 26/06/13
Well, that short break turned into a proper SD. I didn't lift a weight for 11 days, apart from a few pull-ups.
As my schedule has taken me away from base for some time almost every month this year I'm thinking of doing short monthly cycles. That way i might actually make a bit of progress. I'm also going to throw in a few different exercises because they will only be trained for a month. If I like them, I'll keep them; if not, I'll try something else. I'll mix in some HST progression training with some O-lifting and see how I get on.
I found I had a bit of a right shoulder issue following on from my last snatch session where I had to dump the bar a few times behind me. I think I must have tweaked it more than I thought. It's still not fully recovered but I'm going to press on and see how it goes. My right knee seems good to go.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Lunges
Air squats
Nekid bar presses
Snatch (from floor)
5 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 55kg
3 x 55kg
Knee sleeves. Straps after first couple of sets.
Having not done these for almost two weeks I was pleased that the movement didn't feel completely alien.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 60kg
10 x 80kg (176lb)
10 x 80kg (176lb)
Banged these out quite quickly which made me feel a little queasy. My fitness is way down.
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
15 x BW
15 x BW+15kg (33lb) - all reps to top position
12 x BW+15kg (33lb) - gradually dropping
This is my new exercise this month. What I'm doing here is a pulling up to the top position and then only lowering to the strongest part of the ROM (upper-arms parallel to floor) and then raising back up again. For the final set, I start out the same way but when I can't raise up to the top position anymore I keep going with partial-ROM movements until I can't lift myself up much at all. I'm going to try progressing the load by around 5kg each session.
Got a great forearm and biceps pump as well as a toasted back and fried abs.
Notes
It felt good to lift something again.
My current bw is about 189lb. I think I'm carrying a bit more fat than I was.
Well, that short break turned into a proper SD. I didn't lift a weight for 11 days, apart from a few pull-ups.
As my schedule has taken me away from base for some time almost every month this year I'm thinking of doing short monthly cycles. That way i might actually make a bit of progress. I'm also going to throw in a few different exercises because they will only be trained for a month. If I like them, I'll keep them; if not, I'll try something else. I'll mix in some HST progression training with some O-lifting and see how I get on.
I found I had a bit of a right shoulder issue following on from my last snatch session where I had to dump the bar a few times behind me. I think I must have tweaked it more than I thought. It's still not fully recovered but I'm going to press on and see how it goes. My right knee seems good to go.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Lunges
Air squats
Nekid bar presses
Snatch (from floor)
5 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 55kg
3 x 55kg
Knee sleeves. Straps after first couple of sets.
Having not done these for almost two weeks I was pleased that the movement didn't feel completely alien.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 60kg
10 x 80kg (176lb)
10 x 80kg (176lb)
Banged these out quite quickly which made me feel a little queasy. My fitness is way down.
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
15 x BW
15 x BW+15kg (33lb) - all reps to top position
12 x BW+15kg (33lb) - gradually dropping
This is my new exercise this month. What I'm doing here is a pulling up to the top position and then only lowering to the strongest part of the ROM (upper-arms parallel to floor) and then raising back up again. For the final set, I start out the same way but when I can't raise up to the top position anymore I keep going with partial-ROM movements until I can't lift myself up much at all. I'm going to try progressing the load by around 5kg each session.
Got a great forearm and biceps pump as well as a toasted back and fried abs.
Notes
It felt good to lift something again.
My current bw is about 189lb. I think I'm carrying a bit more fat than I was.
_tim
Well-Known Member
I love doing your "Partial-ROM Chins" - they are an incredible way of throwing in a constant tension aspect to chins, and show just how compound the pull really is. And - the monthly organization of your lifting seems like a great idea; I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress.
Great to see a log update - welcome back, Lol!
Great to see a log update - welcome back, Lol!
Thu 27/06/13
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Lunges
Deadlift
W-U: 8 x 50kg, 8 x 90kg, 5 x 110kg
5 x 130kg (286lb)
5 x 135kg (297lb)
5 x 140kg (308lb)
1 x 180kg (397lb)
Hook grip throughout.
Haven't done any deads since 27th April. I really didn't fancy doing 15 rep sets so stopped at 5 reps. Really focussing on good form throughout. The last rep with 180kg was for fun. It was a tough rep so I know my strength is down, but not too bad for not having lifted many heavy things this year. I definitely need to deadlift more than once every 2 months!
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
15 x BW
12 x BW+20kg (44lb) - all reps from 90º to top position
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
These babies are caning my abs! They were harder than expected, most likely because they followed on from deads.
Dips
10 x BW
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
Strict form. Brief pause in hole and at lockout for each rep.
Did a few toes-to-bar to finish up.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Lunges
Deadlift
W-U: 8 x 50kg, 8 x 90kg, 5 x 110kg
5 x 130kg (286lb)
5 x 135kg (297lb)
5 x 140kg (308lb)
1 x 180kg (397lb)
Hook grip throughout.
Haven't done any deads since 27th April. I really didn't fancy doing 15 rep sets so stopped at 5 reps. Really focussing on good form throughout. The last rep with 180kg was for fun. It was a tough rep so I know my strength is down, but not too bad for not having lifted many heavy things this year. I definitely need to deadlift more than once every 2 months!
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
15 x BW
12 x BW+20kg (44lb) - all reps from 90º to top position
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
These babies are caning my abs! They were harder than expected, most likely because they followed on from deads.
Dips
10 x BW
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
10 x BW+20kg (44lb)
Strict form. Brief pause in hole and at lockout for each rep.
Did a few toes-to-bar to finish up.
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Sat 29/06/13
Left shoulder has been a little tweaky for the last two days, so decided not to do any overhead pressing or O-lifting tonight.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Air Squats
Front Squats
W-U: 10 x 60kg, 10 x 70kg
5P x 80kg (176lb)
5P x 90kg (198lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb) - belted
5P x 100kg (220lb) - belted
All reps as deep as possible. Around 3 second pauses in hole.
Parallel-grip Chins
10 x BW
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
12 x BW+22.5kg (50lb) - all reps from 90º to top position
10 x BW+22.5kg (50lb)
15 x BW
Threw in a few full-ROM reps too. Both weighted sets were tough to complete. Pretty intense. Great abs workout too.
Push-ups
40
Speedy reps
Left shoulder has been a little tweaky for the last two days, so decided not to do any overhead pressing or O-lifting tonight.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
Air Squats
Front Squats
W-U: 10 x 60kg, 10 x 70kg
5P x 80kg (176lb)
5P x 90kg (198lb)
5P x 100kg (220lb) - belted
5P x 100kg (220lb) - belted
All reps as deep as possible. Around 3 second pauses in hole.
Parallel-grip Chins
10 x BW
Partial-ROM Parallel-grip Chins
12 x BW+22.5kg (50lb) - all reps from 90º to top position
10 x BW+22.5kg (50lb)
15 x BW
Threw in a few full-ROM reps too. Both weighted sets were tough to complete. Pretty intense. Great abs workout too.
Push-ups
40
Speedy reps
Mon 1/07/13
Pushed for time on Mon night so decided to do a squat session focussing on improving my form.
Airs squats for warmups then...
High-bar Back Squat (all reps paused ~3-4 secs)
5 x 60kg (132lb)
5 x 70kg (154lb)
5 x 80kg (176lb)
5 x 90kg (198lb)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
No belt; knee sleeves.
Notes
Today my wheels are nicely sore all over. The loads are lighter but I'm definitely benefitting from the increased depth.
It wasn't until the sets with 100kg that I could really feel myself being forced into a deeper squat position. Got a really good stretch in my hips, hams and adductors. Right knee didn't complain at all. Quads were fried standing up from the last paused-rep of the final set.
Here's a vid of a masterful squatter, Ivan Chakarov. This is the kind of form I'd love to develop—although my heaviest triple will be somewhat lighter than Chakarov's almost-triple-bodyweight triple! You can still see that his knees are adducting a little when driving up out of the hole, so perhaps I will never be able to stop doing this entirely once I'm lifting at my 5RM and above loads.
Pushed for time on Mon night so decided to do a squat session focussing on improving my form.
Airs squats for warmups then...
High-bar Back Squat (all reps paused ~3-4 secs)
5 x 60kg (132lb)
5 x 70kg (154lb)
5 x 80kg (176lb)
5 x 90kg (198lb)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
No belt; knee sleeves.
Notes
Today my wheels are nicely sore all over. The loads are lighter but I'm definitely benefitting from the increased depth.
It wasn't until the sets with 100kg that I could really feel myself being forced into a deeper squat position. Got a really good stretch in my hips, hams and adductors. Right knee didn't complain at all. Quads were fried standing up from the last paused-rep of the final set.
Here's a vid of a masterful squatter, Ivan Chakarov. This is the kind of form I'd love to develop—although my heaviest triple will be somewhat lighter than Chakarov's almost-triple-bodyweight triple! You can still see that his knees are adducting a little when driving up out of the hole, so perhaps I will never be able to stop doing this entirely once I'm lifting at my 5RM and above loads.
Last edited by a moderator:
_tim
Well-Known Member
It is so nice to see a completely elite lifter squatting raw in the no-no-no sense. Man, does that ever motivate me to stay the course. Thanks, Lol!
I'm so glad to read that a more full squat had no negative effects for you. In so many different ways, form-concentrated sets are among my favorite simply due to the fact that the focus is on doing reps correctly every time, in minute detail. There is something very, very powerful in doing that as a lifter.
I'm so glad to read that a more full squat had no negative effects for you. In so many different ways, form-concentrated sets are among my favorite simply due to the fact that the focus is on doing reps correctly every time, in minute detail. There is something very, very powerful in doing that as a lifter.
Wed 3/07/13
Hey Tim, glad you enjoyed that vid. A triple, triple-bw squat is a bit special, however it's performed, but when you see a guy such as Chakarov pull it out of the bag with such flexibility and efficiency, and without piles of gear to help him out, it's nothing short of remarkable. I'll settle for a triple with double-bodyweight.
Thought I would risk a little snatching tonight and see how my shoulder fared.
General Warmup
Air squats
Lunges
OHS's
Chins
Nekid bar snatches
Snatch (from floor)
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 50kg - straps from here
2 x 55kg - FB third rep
Hurt left shoulder a bit on the third rep with 55kg, where I had to dump the bar behind. Should have released straps sooner. Lesson learned... I hope. Could feel it tightening up inside, so I immediately had a go at massaging it with a tennis ball. Decided to stop snatching there for tonight and see whether it was ok for other stuff.
Clean & Jerk
1 x 55kg - 5 jerks
1 x 60kg - 5 jerks
1 x 70kg - 3 jerks
1 x 80kg - Shankle Complex
1 x 85kg - Shankle Complex
A Shankle Complex is tough: you are holding the load in your hands and off the ground the whole time, while throwing it around. That's a lot of stress on your body. It's good fun too. Think my PR is 85kg for a Shankle Complex. 85kg felt relatively straightforward tonight so I'll be able to beat that soon. I would have had a go with 90kg, but it was too late to dump the bar.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 70kg, 5 x 80kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
10 x 90kg - decided to push this set a little harder.
No belt; knee sleeves. All final reps paused for 3-4 seconds, except for final set where I was just too tired.
Dips
25 x BW
25 x BW
Mixed these in between sets of front squats
Handstand Against Wall
60 seconds
Notes
Hurting my left shoulder tonight was something I could do without. The good news is that it didn't hurt doing jerks. It was a little sore doing dips but ok doing the handstand. It's sore at the rear of the coracoid process so there's some localised inflammation there. Hoping that rest and massage will sort it out.
Tonight's squat session was to get some volume in with the goal of pushing my ankle dorsiflexion a little further. My right ankle flexibility is not as good as my left. It is throbbing a bit now, though not in a painful way. It's just letting me know that I've stretched some stuff in there.
I'm finding I am better able to keep my knees out now. My right knee hasn't started complaining yet which is a good sign. Of course, this might be because I haven't reached 5RM territory yet? I won't really know until I get there.
Hey Tim, glad you enjoyed that vid. A triple, triple-bw squat is a bit special, however it's performed, but when you see a guy such as Chakarov pull it out of the bag with such flexibility and efficiency, and without piles of gear to help him out, it's nothing short of remarkable. I'll settle for a triple with double-bodyweight.
Thought I would risk a little snatching tonight and see how my shoulder fared.
General Warmup
Air squats
Lunges
OHS's
Chins
Nekid bar snatches
Snatch (from floor)
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 50kg - straps from here
2 x 55kg - FB third rep
Hurt left shoulder a bit on the third rep with 55kg, where I had to dump the bar behind. Should have released straps sooner. Lesson learned... I hope. Could feel it tightening up inside, so I immediately had a go at massaging it with a tennis ball. Decided to stop snatching there for tonight and see whether it was ok for other stuff.
Clean & Jerk
1 x 55kg - 5 jerks
1 x 60kg - 5 jerks
1 x 70kg - 3 jerks
1 x 80kg - Shankle Complex
1 x 85kg - Shankle Complex
A Shankle Complex is tough: you are holding the load in your hands and off the ground the whole time, while throwing it around. That's a lot of stress on your body. It's good fun too. Think my PR is 85kg for a Shankle Complex. 85kg felt relatively straightforward tonight so I'll be able to beat that soon. I would have had a go with 90kg, but it was too late to dump the bar.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 70kg, 5 x 80kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 90kg
10 x 90kg - decided to push this set a little harder.
No belt; knee sleeves. All final reps paused for 3-4 seconds, except for final set where I was just too tired.
Dips
25 x BW
25 x BW
Mixed these in between sets of front squats
Handstand Against Wall
60 seconds
Notes
Hurting my left shoulder tonight was something I could do without. The good news is that it didn't hurt doing jerks. It was a little sore doing dips but ok doing the handstand. It's sore at the rear of the coracoid process so there's some localised inflammation there. Hoping that rest and massage will sort it out.
Tonight's squat session was to get some volume in with the goal of pushing my ankle dorsiflexion a little further. My right ankle flexibility is not as good as my left. It is throbbing a bit now, though not in a painful way. It's just letting me know that I've stretched some stuff in there.
I'm finding I am better able to keep my knees out now. My right knee hasn't started complaining yet which is a good sign. Of course, this might be because I haven't reached 5RM territory yet? I won't really know until I get there.
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Thu 4/07/13
Finished late tonight; too late for any O-lifting. Quite tired already so decided to do a little back work and call it quits.
Inspired by Alex:
Single-arm BB Rows
W-U: 10 x 20kg, 10 x 30kg, 10 x 40kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg - grip becoming an issue
10 x 50kg - straps
15 x 50kg - straps
Set-up: O-bar; 25kg plate used as anchor at opposite end; full-size 10kg O-plates added one at a time; weight recorded is weight added to bar.
Notes
I performed this movement by straddling the bar, gripping the bar next to the bearing and hauling it up until the plate hit my lower chest. Not sure if that's the best way to do them? It felt solid. Each rep was Pendlay style so they all started from the floor. Grip started to fail on the third set with 50kg so I strapped up. It made such a difference wearing straps that I thought I ought to do some more reps. Last set was fairly brutal.
No idea what I'm actually lifting in terms of accurate loading but as long as I load the bar consistently I'll know whether I'm making progress. I ought to see how lifting 2 x 25kg plates compares with lifting 5 x 10kg. 2 x 25kg might feel a fair bit lighter due to the load being closer to my lifting hand.
This exercise gets the thumbs up. I'll definitely do it again. My back is really tired now.
Finished late tonight; too late for any O-lifting. Quite tired already so decided to do a little back work and call it quits.
Inspired by Alex:
Single-arm BB Rows
W-U: 10 x 20kg, 10 x 30kg, 10 x 40kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg - grip becoming an issue
10 x 50kg - straps
15 x 50kg - straps
Set-up: O-bar; 25kg plate used as anchor at opposite end; full-size 10kg O-plates added one at a time; weight recorded is weight added to bar.
Notes
I performed this movement by straddling the bar, gripping the bar next to the bearing and hauling it up until the plate hit my lower chest. Not sure if that's the best way to do them? It felt solid. Each rep was Pendlay style so they all started from the floor. Grip started to fail on the third set with 50kg so I strapped up. It made such a difference wearing straps that I thought I ought to do some more reps. Last set was fairly brutal.
No idea what I'm actually lifting in terms of accurate loading but as long as I load the bar consistently I'll know whether I'm making progress. I ought to see how lifting 2 x 25kg plates compares with lifting 5 x 10kg. 2 x 25kg might feel a fair bit lighter due to the load being closer to my lifting hand.
This exercise gets the thumbs up. I'll definitely do it again. My back is really tired now.
Sat 6/07/13
It's been a busy week. I have finished late most nights and although I finished a little earlier tonight it wasn't early enough for a heavy C&J session as planned. So instead I decided to do snatches from the high-hang as I don't need to dump the bar unless I fail the lift. Hadn't had many calories during the day, so a large mug of coffee with honey was in order to fire me up a bit. It definitely helped this old man out.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
OHS's
Nekid bar muscle snatches and OHS's
Snatch (from high-hang)
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 45kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 55kg
4 x 60kg PR - failed fifth rep to front (previous PR with 60kg was a triple)
5 x 60kg PR
No belt; no straps; knee sleeves. All first reps from floor. Pause in hole for final rep of each set.
My left shoulder still felt sore doing dislocates so didn't want to risk straps tonight in case I had to dump the bar behind again.
Funny how five reps seems like a lot for this movement. It's so ballistic that fatigue can quickly mess with your form if you're not careful. The final couple of reps tend to have to be more efficient (technique wise) in order to get under the bar, as power output drops off.
Very pleased I made a PR tonight, especially in view of my <100% left shoulder and the fact that I haven't done a lot of snatch practice recently.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 70kg, 5 x 90kg
5 x 100kg (220lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec
5 x 100kg (220lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec
5 x 102.5kg (226lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec @ RPE 9?
Knee sleeves; belted for work sets.
Still working on form. Finally connecting with my adductors. I can really feel them working when driving up out of the hole. It was tough standing up after the pause at the end of the final set.
Notes
Form improvements in both snatch and front squat technique. Both patellar tendons are a bit sore but my usual right knee pain is none existent. The patellar tendon soreness probably points to my knees going too far out in front so I'll have to watch that and keep driving my knees out as far as possible. I may invest in a resistance band soon and use that when squatting to help me keep my knees out and my adductors lengthened.
It's been a busy week. I have finished late most nights and although I finished a little earlier tonight it wasn't early enough for a heavy C&J session as planned. So instead I decided to do snatches from the high-hang as I don't need to dump the bar unless I fail the lift. Hadn't had many calories during the day, so a large mug of coffee with honey was in order to fire me up a bit. It definitely helped this old man out.
General Warmup
Shoulder dislocates
OHS's
Nekid bar muscle snatches and OHS's
Snatch (from high-hang)
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
5 x 45kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 55kg
4 x 60kg PR - failed fifth rep to front (previous PR with 60kg was a triple)
5 x 60kg PR
No belt; no straps; knee sleeves. All first reps from floor. Pause in hole for final rep of each set.
My left shoulder still felt sore doing dislocates so didn't want to risk straps tonight in case I had to dump the bar behind again.
Funny how five reps seems like a lot for this movement. It's so ballistic that fatigue can quickly mess with your form if you're not careful. The final couple of reps tend to have to be more efficient (technique wise) in order to get under the bar, as power output drops off.
Very pleased I made a PR tonight, especially in view of my <100% left shoulder and the fact that I haven't done a lot of snatch practice recently.
Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 70kg, 5 x 90kg
5 x 100kg (220lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec
5 x 100kg (220lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec
5 x 102.5kg (226lb) - last rep paused 2-3 sec @ RPE 9?
Knee sleeves; belted for work sets.
Still working on form. Finally connecting with my adductors. I can really feel them working when driving up out of the hole. It was tough standing up after the pause at the end of the final set.
Notes
Form improvements in both snatch and front squat technique. Both patellar tendons are a bit sore but my usual right knee pain is none existent. The patellar tendon soreness probably points to my knees going too far out in front so I'll have to watch that and keep driving my knees out as far as possible. I may invest in a resistance band soon and use that when squatting to help me keep my knees out and my adductors lengthened.
Sun 7/07/13
Didn't do a proper w/o on Sunday but ended up doing some single-arm bb row experiments again.
This time I used smaller 5kg iron plates for greater ROM. I worked up to sets with 60kg
Single-arm BB Rows
W-U: 10 x 20kg, 10 x 30kg, 10 x 40kg
10 x 50kg
5 x 55kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
Thought I'd move up to 60kg. Entire back got a great workout from this. It'll be interesting to see how well any benefits from doing these carry-over to other movements.
Here's a pic of the loaded end of the bar:
Didn't do a proper w/o on Sunday but ended up doing some single-arm bb row experiments again.
This time I used smaller 5kg iron plates for greater ROM. I worked up to sets with 60kg
Single-arm BB Rows
W-U: 10 x 20kg, 10 x 30kg, 10 x 40kg
10 x 50kg
5 x 55kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
5 x 60kg - straps
Thought I'd move up to 60kg. Entire back got a great workout from this. It'll be interesting to see how well any benefits from doing these carry-over to other movements.
Here's a pic of the loaded end of the bar:
Mon 8/07/13
General Warmup
Air squats
Nekid bar Side bends
Nekid bar Side twists
Shoulder dislocates
Nekid bar muscle snatches
Nekid bar OHS
*New exercise*
OHS - clean-width grip
1 x 20kg
1 x 30kg
1 x 40kg
1 x 50kg
1 x 55kg
1 x 60kg PR
Both hands inside the smooth rings on the bar. This is sort of a wide-ish clean-grip really.
Snatch - from floor
Worked up to a set of 5 x 55kg PR
C&J
Some light form practice with 70kg
Hoping to get time to hit these hard tomorrow.
Notes
It wasn't really that long ago that any form of overhead squat seemed like an impossibility. My shoulders were like cast iron. Tons of dislocates have helped that situation to change.
I do overhead squats when I warm up and when I'm snatching, but these are all with a snatch-width grip. Clean-grip is a completely different kettle of fish. Once I tried with the nekid bar and got it, I was keen to try pushing the load up a bit. 30kg was ok too, so I just kept going. I only stopped at 60kg because it was too late to dump the bar if I messed up. I'll keep working on these. They are much kinder on the wrists than snatch-width OHS's.
Re snatches: I still need to get lower under the bar. I'm catching the bar above parallel, in a power snatch position. It doesn't feel like I am, but I took a vid and it's really obvious that I could catch the bar much lower. It has to be a fear thing. If I can crack this, I know it won't be long before I'll be launching and catching some heavier loads.
General Warmup
Air squats
Nekid bar Side bends
Nekid bar Side twists
Shoulder dislocates
Nekid bar muscle snatches
Nekid bar OHS
*New exercise*
OHS - clean-width grip
1 x 20kg
1 x 30kg
1 x 40kg
1 x 50kg
1 x 55kg
1 x 60kg PR
Both hands inside the smooth rings on the bar. This is sort of a wide-ish clean-grip really.
Snatch - from floor
Worked up to a set of 5 x 55kg PR
C&J
Some light form practice with 70kg
Hoping to get time to hit these hard tomorrow.
Notes
It wasn't really that long ago that any form of overhead squat seemed like an impossibility. My shoulders were like cast iron. Tons of dislocates have helped that situation to change.
I do overhead squats when I warm up and when I'm snatching, but these are all with a snatch-width grip. Clean-grip is a completely different kettle of fish. Once I tried with the nekid bar and got it, I was keen to try pushing the load up a bit. 30kg was ok too, so I just kept going. I only stopped at 60kg because it was too late to dump the bar if I messed up. I'll keep working on these. They are much kinder on the wrists than snatch-width OHS's.
Re snatches: I still need to get lower under the bar. I'm catching the bar above parallel, in a power snatch position. It doesn't feel like I am, but I took a vid and it's really obvious that I could catch the bar much lower. It has to be a fear thing. If I can crack this, I know it won't be long before I'll be launching and catching some heavier loads.
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