Lol's New HST Log

Wed 19/08/09

Nothing too taxing today as I'm feeling pretty beaten up by the squats.

Pull-ups: 10 x bw; 12, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2, 1 (MR) x bw - all reps very strict from full-extension to chin well over bar.

Chins: 10, 10, 5 x bw

Pleasantly warm and breezy night so went for a reasonably brisk ~5 mile walk before bed.
 
Thu 20/08/09 a.m.

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 2: Workout 7

Mon:  4 x 9 x 70%+10kg
Tue:  5 x 7 x 75%+10kg
Thu: 7 x 5 x 80%+10kg
Fri:  10 x 3 x 85%+10kg

Shoulder dislocates and lunges for general warmup.

Low-bar Squat:
10 x 60kg
3 x 110kg
7 x 5 x 137.5kg (303lb) - RPE: 8, 8, 8, 8.5, 8.5, 8.5, 9

Pleased I got through these without having to drop any reps. I'm not GMing much at all although my lower back is feeling pretty sore these days so it is taking a lot of strain. I guess that's to be expected from low-bar squatting and the volume and frequency.

I took a longer rest between the last three sets as I could feel fatigue building up and I'm really having to be careful with my breathing so I don't strain too much. Thus, no obvious ammonia effect from that last set. Overall, I took just about 45 mins to complete all the sets. That might seem like a lot of rest but it went very quickly. I managed to do a pile of dishes and get a load of washing done in the same time so it wasn't dead time.  
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I'll do some hyper sit-ups tonight for a good quad stretch. Shoulder seems to be holding up so I'll get some bench in too.
 
Fri 21/08/09

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 2: Workout 8

Mon: 4 x 9 x 70%+10kg
Tue: 5 x 7 x 75%+10kg
Thu: 7 x 5 x 80%+10kg
Fri: 10 x 3 x 85%+10kg

Shoulder dislocates and lunges for general warmup.

Low-bar Squat:
10 x 60kg
3 x 110kg
10 x 3 x 145kg (320lb) - RPE: 8, 8, 8, 8.5, 8.5, 8.5, 9, 9, 9; ammonia aroma following the last three sets.

Well, I made it through the second week. That was hard and very draining, esp. after yesterday's session. I had to take more time between sets as I progressed so I could avoid GMing as much as possible. In the end it took me nearly 50 mins to complete all ten sets. I think I'm going to need a full hour for next week's 10 x 3 session.

Flat Bench: 10 x 60kg; 13, 5, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2 (MRs) x 80kg -  for the activation set, managed one extra rep than last time. Small but not totally insignificant progress. Two follow-up sets for 5 reps was an improvement too.

Alternate DB Curls: 16, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 (MRs) x 21kg (46lb) - just for fun. Right arm noticeably stronger than left so I stopped when my left arm could only manage the one rep.

Now I have to eat and eat and eat...
 
Mon 24/08/07

Had a very active weekend again. Lots of rowing, walking and prawning. Most efficacious in every way. Completely forgot to get some creatine though. Doh. Lower-back fatigue was very apparent whilst rowing and prawning!

So this is the start of the third week of the Smolov Base Mesocycle.

Bodyweight: 201lb (+2lb) - over 200lb again!

I'm probably going to have to arrange this week's workouts as follows, although I really think I could do with an extra day's rest before the 10 x 3.

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 3: Workout 9

Mon: 4 x 9 x 70%+15kg
Wed: 5 x 7 x 75%+15kg
Fri: 7 x 5 x 80%+15kg
Sat:  10 x 3 x 85%+15kg

Low-bar Squat: @ RPE
10 x 60kg
3 x 110kg
9 x 127.5kg (281lb) @8
9 x 127.5kg (281lb) @8
9 x 127.5kg (281lb) @9
9 x 127.5kg (281lb) @9

127.5kg is 80% of my 1RM as at the start of this cycle.

All sets were hard but I took a bit more rest between sets than last week so the RPE didn't go up appreciably. Total time for all sets was just over 25 mins, which didn't seem very long at all; 6 mins between the first two sets and more for the last two. I didn't hit the 'ammonia zone' on any sets this time but they were all still very draining. Thankfully, my lower back had recovered a little over the weekend and my form was good throughout.

Flat Bench: 10 x 60kg; 10, 5, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1 (MR) x 85kg (187lb)

Bar felt heavier than I hoped it would but it was 11lb heavier than the previous session which, I suppose, is not an insignificant jump. Activation set was close to failure. Total of 29 reps with good form throughout. Left AC joint didn't feel great and I got a few shoulder twinges lifting the weight off the pins but I was able to keep the bar level and stable for all reps. Good.

Had to stop there as it was late and I needed to get something to eat.
 
Wed 26/08/09

Tonight was a bit different. A friend asked me to check out the gym he'd just joined, so I went along as a guest.

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 3: Workout 10

Mon: 4 x 9 x 70%+15kg
Wed: 5 x 7 x 75%+15kg
Thu: 7 x 5 x 80%+15kg
Fri:  10 x 3 x 85%+15kg

Low-bar Squat:

Warmups
10 x 65kg
3 x 105kg

Work sets with RPE
7 x 142.5kg (314lb)** @ 8.5
7 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9
7 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9
7 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9
7 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 10

Last rep of last set was a truly nasty affair and a bit more 'GM'y than I would have liked so it got a 10.

142.5kg is 89% of my 1RM (as at the start of this cycle).

35 mins total time taken for work sets.

Seated Machine Rows:
10 x 70kg
5 x 77kg
5 x 84kg
5 x 91kg
5 x 98kg
3 x 5 x 105kg (231lb)

Never used this machine before so had no clue wher to start with it. Worked up to 105kg for work sets. Couldn't go any heavier than this as my war wound announced its presence. I managed three sets with 105kg via some careful breathing.


** This wasn't the weight I intended to use tonight. Here's why: On arrival at the gym the squat rack was free (surprise! - not). I noticed the bar seemed a little smaller than mine. I asked a member of staff and was told it weighed 8kg. Weird. OK.

I worked out my loads for tonight's session taking the 8kg bar into account. I wanted to get the bar loaded to 135kg but had to go with 135.5kg because of the odd bar weight. One-and-a-bit extra pounds. Fine.

I worked through my sets which were fairly brutal. After they were done I weighed the bar... 15kg, a standard woman's Oly bar! That meant I had been lifting 7kg more than I calculated for all tonight's sets!!

I was pretty amazed that I managed to get through all the sets. One thing that may have helped was that I was squatting on a rock-solid concrete floor. At home, the floor is suspended with some heavy ply over the top for the rack and weights to sit on. I definitely felt I had more drive out of the hole with the concrete floor than what I am used to. I could get through the turnaround more quickly and this must have helped. Form was pretty good for all reps except for the last one or two on the final few sets.

After I was done and showered, it became apparent that the quads in my right leg were a lot more sore than would normally be the case. The left leg seemed fine by comparison. I was unaware of any feeling of pain during my squat session so I'm pretty sure it's nothing much to worry about.

When I got home, I gave the sore leg a good tennis ball rolling session along with some stretching, which was unpleasant but seems to have helped. I'm hoping it will feel a lot better tomorrow.

I think the lesson to be learned from this little story is that it's better to weigh an unknown bar at the start of a session rather than at the end - and that gym staff may know only as much as a dead parrot.
 
Gym Mirrors

One other thing that I found particularly distracting during my squat session at the Globo gym was the full-length mirror placed right in front of the squat rack; it's very easy to rely on visual feedback provided by a mirror and allow it to override proprioception.

When I switched to training at home, a few years ago now, squatting without direct visual feedback did seem a little strange. Then I read Ripp's Starting Strength where he encourages the improvement and development of one's proprioceptive abilities. So, mirrors were out and, over time, I developed a pretty good sense of my squat form.

Even though I think squatting without mirrors is good, on occasion, it has to be a good idea to take some form of video or to get someone to point out any obvious defects in form that may be developing and being learnt (or both) and then attempt to correct them.

My right leg got very sore from last night's squat session performed in front of a mirror. Whether or not this was because I altered my form (given the extra visual queues), I don't know. It was a very hard session and it may have been down to just a single rep or two where I didn't get my balance quite right.

For me, there were very few good things about the gym: it was too hot, the music was naff, there were a gazillion folks endlessly low-intensity 'cardio-ing' themselves, and there were mirrors everywhere! So, I won't be going back there.

The good thing about the gym was that the squat rack wasn't being used.
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28/08/09

Musings before Smolov Base Mesocycle Workout 11

I have 7 sets of 5 to do tonight with 142.5kg - the same load I mistakenly used on Wednesday for 5 sets of 7 and which has left me with very sore quads.

I think that instead of doing the sets tonight and then a heavier 10 x 3 tomorrow, I'm going to delay the 10 x 3 until Monday. This is the hardest week of the Smolov base mesocycle and I, unfortunately, made it even harder than it should have been. So, I am going to listen to my body and delay the 10 x 3 a few days (unless I feel energised enough to tackle it on Saturday - unlikely).
 
<div>
(Lol @ Aug. 27 2009,5:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The good thing about the gym was that the squat rack wasn't being used.
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</div>
Most gyms I've been to never seem to have much of a line at the power rack -- unless some twinkie in spandex is doing his/her curls...
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And yeah about the mirrors -- my gym has one directly in front of the power rack. I try to make it a point not to look into it, but rather tend to focus on a point just below it.
 
I've been shutting my eyes lately for deads and squats while in the volume cycle of Korte's 3x3. I felt like the mirrors were distracting, but I didn't know why.
 
Fri 28/08/09

Here goes...

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 3: Workout 11

Mon: 4 x 9 x 70%+15kg
Wed: 5 x 7 x 75%+15kg
Fri: 7 x 5 x 80%+15kg
Sat: 10 x 3 x 85%+15kg

Low-bar Squat:
Warmups
10 x 60kg
3 x 110kg

Work sets + RPE
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 8
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 8.5
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 8.5
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9 - right vastus medialis feeling sore again.
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9 - ditto + hernia made itself known.
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9 - better set; rearranged inguinal packing and focussed more on breathing.
5 x 142.5kg (314lb) @ 9.5 - breathing out on the way up sucks big time, but I got all reps without much 'GM'iness (NB. MikeyNov speak).

142.5kg is 89% of my 1RM (as at the start of this cycle).

Job done. Absolutely chuffed to beans with that, especially considering I lifted too heavy on Wednesday. Also, I'm still not taking creatine, which should mean there's potential for a bit more improvement once I'm back on it.

40 mins for all sets with more rest as sets progressed.

I was a little worried that I was going to get a right quad problem but, thankfully, it held out to the end. Definitely not going to do the 10 x 3 tomorrow though. That would be asking for trouble. It'll have to wait till Monday.

Flat Bench: 10 x 60kg; 10, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1 (MRs) x 85kg (187lb)

Only managed same number of reps for the activation set as last time. Tried to keep rest to 20 secs between sets. Fewer additional reps. Left AC joint was doing its usual twinging. I'll hope for better on Monday.

Hyper Sit-ups: 20 x bw - much harder than usual. Squats have taken their toll.

Time to eat. Have a great bank-holiday weekend folks (if you're in the UK, at any rate).
 
Sat 29/08/09

Fancied doing a few bodyweight pull-ups with a bit of kipping as I haven't done these in ages.

Kipping Pull-ups: 10, 15, 20, 15, 15, 15, 10 for a total of 100

My kipping action is rubbish compared to what it was when I used to practice these regularly and I'd forgotten how hard these are on the joints. Great grip workout too.
 
Is that where you are swinging up like a gymnast to do the pullup? We were laughing a bit at some guy doing that...we called 'em &quot;swingups&quot;...
I spend my time trying to keep FROM swinging, especially with the db behind the knee!
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I'm chuffed that you get a bank-holiday weekend Lol. Hope things are going well for you. It would appear that they are based on the weights that you're lifting.

would you recommend creatine?
 
Mon 31/08/09

No squats today after all. Legs felt much better today but didn't get back home until late and did an 8 mile walk earlier in the day along a coast path: lots of steep climbs and descents, pretty fast pace.

Decided to do a brief, regular benching session (ie. not Myo-Reps):

Flat Bench: warmups then 3 x 6 x 90kg (198lb) @ 8.5

Each set had an RPE of ~8.5 so none were all-out efforts. I got a few left AC twinges but, to be honest, this is the best it's been in a long while. I'll stick with Myo-reps for a bit longer and do regular sets every three or four sessions with a bit more load.

Quad: Yeah, although my kipping is not up to gymnast standard. Kipping pull-ups are a great complement to strict pull-ups - power output is generally higher so they work well for a ballistic/speed workout. It's perfectly possible to kip with a load attached but it would be hard to use a db behind the knee. Better to use a belt and chain. My lats and arms were completely fried after Saturday's session.

Here's a good example of kipping by Konstantinovs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLl8rGhJvE

FF: With the build-up of fatigue, I didn't expect to make it through the Smolov Base Mesocycle without creatine; but, if I get tomorrow's session without dropping any reps, I'll have done it. Once I get back on creatine I'll report on any obvious benefits. I've always had good experiences with it in the past.
 
Tue 01/09/09

A few days later than expected...

Smolov Squat Base Mesocycle Week 4: Workout 12

Low-bar Squat: (No belt, no wraps, no creatine! ;) )

Warmups
Lunges and shoulder dislocates
10 x 70kg
3 x 105kg
1 x 130kg

Work sets with RPE (10 x 3 x 85%+15kg)
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 8.5
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 8
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 8.5
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 9
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 9
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 9
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 9.5
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 10
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 10
3 x 150kg (330lb) @ 10.5!!*

150kg is 94% of my 1RM (as at the start of this cycle).

Even the warmups felt hard so I knew I was going to be in for a tough time. (I'm evidently carrying a lot of leg fatigue.) The first six sets were all hard but when I hit the seventh set I knew I was going to be in trouble getting the final three.

Sets 8 and 9 were RPE 10s. No way could I have got another rep but only the last rep of each set was grindy.

*I was absolutely determined to make the last set; I had to really fight for each rep. None of them were really GMy, they just went up slowly. I have given the last set a 10.5 because the last rep nearly didn't go up. So for me, a 10.5 means a max effort set with a really grindy last rep. This is much more likely to apply to heavy-load/low-rep sets than higher-rep sets.

It took me 1 hour and 5 mins to get through all the work sets. The first few sets had 5 min rest intervals and then I had to start lengthening them. The last couple of sets were nearer to 10 mins apart!

=======================

So, I've completed the Smolov Base cycle. This last week of squatting has all been PRs for sets across. Today was one of the hardest sessions I have done for a long time, not in total work done but in intensity of effort. Working at what was almost 95% of my 1RM for 30 reps is very draining. Interestingly, I didn't get the quad strain sensation that I got last week during the 7s and 5s.

I now have the peaking stage to do at the end of this week where I test for a new 1RM to look forward to.

Couldn't face doing anything else tonight.
 
Wed 02/09/09

Everything is sore today!

After some furniture shifting and helping my lad through his workout I did a few things myself:

Flat Bench: 35, 3, 3, 3, 3 x 47.5kg - very light Myo-rep set approached as shoulder rehab.

Chins: 3 x 10 x bw - strict, full ROM. Harder than expected (still fatigued from the kips on Saturday) and hernia complained.

Lateral Raises: 3 x 15 x 11.5kg (25lb) - Last five reps of last set were a bit sloppy. I am very weak at these, having missed out on a lot of pressing this year. Left shoulder popped and clicked a bit but no pain.
 
<div>
(Lol @ Sep. 01 2009,6:47)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">So, I've completed the Smolov Base cycle.</div>
Good work! Really very impressive.

I wish I could give you a little star or something as a reward.

Now you've got the easy part out of the way...
 
Fri 04/09/09

Lunges and shoulder dislocates for warmups.

Low-bar Squat: (No belt, no wraps, etc.)
10 x 60kg
3 x 110kg
1 x 130kg
1 x 140kg
1 x 150kg
1 x 160kg
1 x 165kg (364) - pretty slow and grindy
0 x 170kg (375) - not a hope!

I might have stood a chance with 170kg if I had done fewer singles but I was nervous to really try hard (hernia padded but still vulnerable). Also, having to release some intra-thoracic/abdominal pressure for the drive out of the hole really doesn't help; with the load this high, I had to work hard to keep my back in extension without the extra pressure.

O-bar Press:
warmups
5 x 60kg
6 x 60kg
5 x 60kg
7 x 60kg (132)

These didn't feel great. Left arm let the side down. AC joint was the culprit. I am now much weaker at these than I would like to be.

Flat Bench:
10 x 60kg
3 x 80kg
6 x 90kg
6 x 90kg
6 x 90kg
7 x 90kg (198)

I did some high-rep sets of shrugs too with 110kg (242)


Anyway, not exactly pleased that I only managed a single squat with 165kg, but it'll have to do. Theoretically, I should have been able to get 170kg seeing that I managed 5 sets of 7 with 142.5kg. 165kg is still 15kg down on my best lift (but that was when I was a fair bit heavier and belted... and younger and less broken!). I don't suppose it helped that I felt like I was getting a cold this week: tight chested and sneezing a fair bit. I dosed myself up with Vit C and, for what it's worth, so far, so good. I decided not to stress myself anymore this week so I didn't try for a 170kg single on Saturday.

I probably won't try another heavy single and I don't think I'm going to bother with the second part of the Smolov squat routine. I think it's just too risky until my hernia is fixed. I'm pleased I got through the base mesocycle but not exactly ecstatic with the results. I've done just as well with lower volume and a regular HST squat routine in the past so I think I'll try another more HST type cycle next but I might stick with a slightly higher frequency - probably 4 x weekly - and adjust volume per session accordingly.

I have to see the surgeon again on Monday re my delayed hernia op; I want to discuss the mesh options available and try to ensure I get the best type for someone who wants to continue to lift heavy stuff and be very active.

My lad's just getting into free-running. Now that's something I would have found a whole lot of fun back in the day. I standing jumped onto a 40&quot; garden wall today without any practice and he couldn't do it. &quot;Yay&quot; for old timers who squat!  
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Mon 07/09/09

Definitely been suffering with a virus. Lymph nodes were slightly up today when I went for an oncology check-up. Still, body seems to be battling it quite well.

I also had a 2 1/2 hour root canal session today. Not fun. When my head finally came back to life I decided to do a short workout.

Flat Bench:
warmups
10 x 60kg
5 x 80kg
8 x 90kg (198) @ 9
5 x 100kg (220) @ 10
1 x 110kg (242)
1 x 110kg (242)

Actually managed to do 5 reps with more than 200lb! Half way to my old total.

Low-bar Squat: (No belt, no wraps, etc.)
10 x 60kg
5 x 110kg - as fast as possible.
10 x 140kg (308) @ 9 - matched my old PR.

EZ-bar Curls: 20 + 5, 3 , 3, 3, 2 (MR) x 41kg (90lb)

When I got under 140 for tonight's squats, it didn't really feel that heavy. I wondered if 10 reps might be on the cards, so I went for it. Got there with something left in the tank. Quite close to a max effort though.

Estimating my 1RM from that would put it at somewhere near 187kg (assuming a 10RM is about 75% of 1RM). I don't think I'd get that, but if I could get 182kg (401lb) I'd be chuffed to bits.

Seems my Smolov cycle worked a bit better than I thought, so, if I feel up to it, I might try for a new PR later this week.
 
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