SCI's log

I get some better recovery using Glutamine. And some say it's not supposed to be for that, but I do. The ZMA helps the sleep if you can stand the weird dreams.
 
It is not all that different, max-stim is just more cumbersome. I like doing low-rep sets as fatigue doesn't accumulate much and there is no need to re-rack after every rep. Max-stim did teach me though that fatigue-management (low reps, rest between sets) is very effective.
 
<u>Olympic squats- ramped up to 205x5
</u>My form sucked on these last week, so I did medium stance deep squats with my back perfectly upright the whole time (like an olympic lifter), My quads and hams were doing all the work instead of my back, and I was VERY weak on these! Worked up to only 205x5, didn't want to go any heavier and go back to old, bad form habits. My thighs are much weaker than I thought.
I will continue to do olympic style squats as they suit my bodytype much better than wide-stance power squats, although I need to check my ego before doing these with much less weight!

Bench- ramped up to 185x5, 205x2
my form is getting much better and my shoulder pain is all gone.

<u>Widegrip pulldowns -120 for 3x5, immediately after with no rest did:
Chins for 5 reps and one super-slow negative</u>....my biceps and lats will be sore tomorrow.

Deadlifts-ramped up to 315x3
A big deadlift is a major goal, and I have learned that frequent pulling is more favorable for me than once/week.

Cable-roller with a 25 plate.

Dips-15 reps till near failure.
need to add weight next time.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I will continue to do olympic style squats as they suit my bodytype much better than wide-stance power squats, although I need to check my ego before doing these with much less weight!</div>

I agree with you Sci. I had to lower my RM's for squats to let good form take over.
 
My conditioning is amazing lately (since korte's stuff maybe?) I lifted fairly heavy for well over an hour yesterday and almost no soreness today. I feel like I could do almost daily 2 hour sessions of heavy lifitng, my conditioning is so high lately. (btw, this is a GOOD thing as I don't want to decondition, remember I am doing SST, NOT HST, and conditioning is GOOD when it comes to strength training.
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Mar. 19 2007,20:45)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><u>Olympic squats- ramped up to 205x5
</u>My form sucked on these last week, so I did medium stance deep squats with my back perfectly upright the whole time (like an olympic lifter), My quads and hams were doing all the work instead of my back, and I was VERY weak on these! Worked up to only 205x5, didn't want to go any heavier and go back to old, bad form habits. My thighs are much weaker than I thought.
I will continue to do olympic style squats as they suit my bodytype much better than wide-stance power squats, although I need to check my ego before doing these with much less weight!</div>
Nice workout, Carl. I hear ya on Oly style ATG squats. I had been doing a few sets of more or less half squats with maybe 260, when I became convinced to do ATG. I believe this was right around when I started Max-Stim and wound up dropping to the low 100s for 20 Max-Stim style ATG squats. I'd guess that my 5RM with good form would have been around 130. About six months later my squats have gone from pathetic to merely embarrassing: my best for 3x5 is now 185. But if you get to where you can do a decent weight with Olympic style squats it means something. Mine are only now about even with my Pendlay rows and well behind what I can incline press--slow progress, but I'll get there.

Incidentally, my deadlift is also way above my ATG squats. I got up to 300x5 and 315x3 when doing 5x5. I probably could have done somewhat more, but was concerned that I was DLing with almost a flat back and backed off heavy DLs for a while. Anyway, keep up the good work.
 
I'm swallowing hard and doing the same thing. I'll be a lightweight for a while in order to rejuvenate and train the hips, and gain strength in new directions. It makes me sick though, having injured my back a little some years ago doing 430. I would have thought I'd still have that much strength from the lever squats I do.

Nope.
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<u>Standing press- ramped up to 140 x1- PR!
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</u>
Deadlift (conv.) 225x5, 315x1

I just deadlifted monday and last thursday hit a PR, I knew strength would be crap on this with so little recovery, but I wanted to try conventional instead of sumo-form.  315 came up conventional...couldn't even budge it sumo-style...I am definitely switching to conventional from now on.  I will pull another PR next week this way.  
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Chins- BWx10

Dips- (BW+20)x10

Bench- ramped up to 205x1, 225xbombed.
Should of just tried for 210, but got greedy.
...getting much better, no shoulder pain at all.
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Cable-roller- 1x27.5- PR

Shoulder horn- 17.5 dumbells 3x10- PR
-I attribute my lack of shoulder pain benching almost exclusively to my new strength on rotator cuff work!
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I've been doing the rotator cuff prevention work for about 3 weeks now....the jury is out on long term benefits, but I can say that my shoulders have not been stiff or impeded doing bench the last two weeks, so it must be doing something. I think it may take months to realize the full results, especially if the problem is severe.

Another trick I used awhile ago when my cuffs were really bad was this exercise with a broom handle, where you basically lift it from the front of your body to the back (like a windmill movement), and slowly decrease the width of the grip. Maybe quad has the link somewhere in his bag of tricks, as I'm probably doing a poor job explaining it
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Nice work on the deads, btw
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This strength training stuff has me growing (5x5 type routines are legendary for hypertrophy). My appetite has been ravenous lately, tonight ate so much it almost came back up! I should break the 200 barrier soon, (never been more than 200 lb.s and it will be monumental for me!)
biggrin.gif
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Mar. 21 2007,18:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><u>Standing press- ramped up to 140 x1- PR!
cool.gif

</u>
Deadlift (conv.) 225x5, 315x1

I just deadlifted monday and last thursday hit a PR, I knew strength would be crap on this with so little recovery, but I wanted to try conventional instead of sumo-form. 315 came up conventional...couldn't even budge it sumo-style...I am definitely switching to conventional from now on. I will pull another PR next week this way.
cool.gif
</div>
When your back is a lot stronger than your legs, as is the case with me and, I think with you, I think you'll pull more with conventional. Sumo tends to need more leg strength. I'm trying it because with my proportions I have a hard time keeping a back angle of at least 30 degrees from horizontal when pulling conventional. Sumo is an even better exercise for glutes and hams than conventional, so it's not a bad change of pace even if you pull less that way.
 
<div>
(Slapshotz @ Mar. 21 2007,21:46)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Another trick I used awhile ago when my cuffs were really bad was this exercise with a broom handle, where you basically lift it from the front of your body to the back (like a windmill movement), and slowly decrease the width of the grip. Maybe quad has the link somewhere in his bag of tricks, as I'm probably doing a poor job explaining it
blush.gif
</div>
Here is one link. Dante seems to have popularized it, and people seem to think that he invented it. However, I was taught that stretch in high school by some Olmpic lifters, in the 1970s.
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Mar. 21 2007,23:05)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">This strength training stuff has me growing (5x5 type routines are legendary for hypertrophy).  My appetite has been ravenous lately, tonight ate so much it almost came back up!  I should break the 200 barrier soon, (never been more than 200 lb.s and it will be monumental for me!)
biggrin.gif
</div>
good job

are you doing the advanced or intermediate routine?
 
I'd forgotten that Dante had recommended 50 reps, back when Steve and us were doing DC training. (that didn't work so well)
A broomstick would be way too short for a guy at 5'11&quot; with rotator problems. A 1&quot; piece of PVC pipe will cost around $2, or an old closet rod will work.
If you read the threads, you see that all kinds of guys posted with rotator problems. I think we walk around with them unknowingly until impingement happens and the pain tells you. Hearing of the success rate with these, I'll be adding them to my rotator work. I want my bench back!
 
forgot one thing in yesterday's log...

after ramping up to 205x1 on bench, I dropped down to 135 lb.s and did 17 reps till failure....just for fun. I thought it was pretty cool, since I have been doing max-stim and low rep strength stuff for so long, my strength endurance sucks....or so I thought. 17 reps on bench with 135 is a decent accomplishment at my current size and strength levels.
 
<u>Olympic squats
</u>135x5
155x5
175x5
195x5
215x3...PR squatting olympic style.

Olympic squats work the quadriceps as much as front squats it seems, and much moreso than wide-stance powersquats or half-squats...I am finally convinced that the 'olympic' style squat with back upright, chest out, ass-to-grass are the best.
I can't use as much weight, but my form is great and my back feels much better.

<u>Chins
</u>BW for 1x10

<u>Dips
</u>BW+35 for 1x5

<u>Cable-roller
</u>27.5x1
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Here is one link. Dante seems to have popularized it, and people seem to think that he invented it. However, I was taught that stretch in high school by some Olmpic lifters, in the 1970s.</div>

thanks lifting n tx, I knew someone would have the link.

I've been to the ortho now twice for shoulder impigement, and both times I think the cause was overuse...but I don't have the best genetics in the world, either. I do know that when I did the broomhandle work, the problem did improve, but it wasn't until I lowered volume that the pain went away (for now....d'oh!)
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">after ramping up to 205x1 on bench, I dropped down to 135 lb.s and did 17 reps till failure....just for fun. I thought it was pretty cool, since I have been doing max-stim and low rep strength stuff for so long, my strength endurance sucks....or so I thought. 17 reps on bench with 135 is a decent accomplishment at my current size and strength levels.</div>

That's a little trick I use, too. Sometimes I'll just blow one set out for reps, just to get a pump. It's a nice change of pace. One of the few nice people I ever knew at bb.com said that it's always good to do a set of 15-20 reps after your sets with low rep work, but I've gotten away from it, myself.
 
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