HB Squats

150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1 - this was a bit grindy, definate down day today so no back off work

Bench
110 x6
130 x3
150 x1
160 x1
130 x10

All i had time for today
 
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Daily max today with HB still up at 205 despite being the 5th day straight of daily maxes, feeling really fatigued and coming off a late shift last night. Feel like there could be a big squat coming soon. Been working as a delivery driver for sainsburys while im furloughed.

HB Squat
150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
205 x1
165 x3x2

DE Deadlifts +bands
170 x2x8 (30-60 sec rest between sets)

FU Bench
110 x5
130 x2
140 x1
145 x1
120 x6x3

 
After a long work shift pretty happy with todays training, all be it ve3y minimalist

HB Squats
150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
205 x1
210 x1 (PR, 5 plates isnt far away now I domt think. Considering historically my HB squat has been 20-30kg less than my LB, im pretty happy with this)
170 x3x2

Deadlifts
190 x1
230 x1
250 x1
260 x1 - wasnt the prettiest of lifts technically, but moved about the same speed as 250 last week, and considering the lack of deadlifting last few months i'll take it
190 x4x2

 
Didn’t see any glaring issues on the 260. Pretty sure you had 270 if you wanted a mini-grind.
The bar got away from me a touch. Looking at the video it looks ok, just didnt feel 'efficient' if you know what I mean. Also i was in a rush, so was only 90 seconds after the 250

Yeah i think 270 was there, rated the 260 at 8.5-9
 
The bar got away from me a touch. Looking at the video it looks ok, just didnt feel 'efficient' if you know what I mean. Also i was in a rush, so was only 90 seconds after the 250

Yeah i think 270 was there, rated the 260 at 8.5-9

Your chest might have been an inch in front of where it would have had to be if this was your max, but otherwise looks pretty reasonable.

That 210 HB was not your max for sure, nice work on the PB!
 
Your chest might have been an inch in front of where it would have had to be if this was your max, but otherwise looks pretty reasonable.

That 210 HB was not your max for sure, nice work on the PB!

Thanks dude!

Yeah i reckon 220 wpuld go HB, just have to be slightly conservative without spotters/safeties lol
 
Another HB PR today - 215kg. While im loving this progress, it makes me wonder.... have I been wasting the last 2-3 years 'following a program?'

I think perhaps the way forward for me is to lift heavy singles, lift them often and sprinkle in accesories and leave it at that rather than overly complicate things

Anyway... todays session...

Squats
150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
210 x1
215 x1 (PR)
160 x3x3

Bench
110 x5
130 x3
150 x1
160 x1
165 x1
135 x4x3

Rows
90 for 30 total reps clustered

 
Another HB PR today - 215kg. While im loving this progress, it makes me wonder.... have I been wasting the last 2-3 years 'following a program?'

I think perhaps the way forward for me is to lift heavy singles, lift them often and sprinkle in accesories and leave it at that rather than overly complicate things

Anyway... todays session...

Squats
150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
210 x1
215 x1 (PR)
160 x3x3

Bench
110 x5
130 x3
150 x1
160 x1
165 x1
135 x4x3

Rows
90 for 30 total reps clustered


'Probably', I think.

I remember Lyle McDonald writing his epic 'Why the US sucks at Weightlifting' series a decade back (ish), and part of his commentary was that, drugs aside, the Chinese do heavy performance lifts, and then body-build everything else. That sounds a lot like semi-conjugate exercise selection and concurrent periodisation to me.

Nevertrainlegs on IG does this. Bulgarian frequency crossed with conjugate exercise selection, and accessories that are easily recovered. He's in the 400kg D/L club, 300 squat club and naturally has a poverty bench (because nobody is that fortunate), as a natural lifter (albeit with 20 years of sports base).

I've come around to genuinely believing that you have to lift heavy at your chosen sport (meaning whatever is being tested), and do it often but not to neglect muscle building, so get the volume work in.

Most elite PL'ers programming tends to resemble this;

Heavy single (relative to the 'block')
Back off work 2-4 sets of 2-4 reps
Accessories 2-3 exercises of 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Well that's fine, except the one thing we endlessly see in western lifters (non-enhanced) is injuries, which in my opinion probably relate to the back-off sets off. Strength work being done at near-'hypertrophy' intensities. The one (only?) Schoenfeld study we know is useful says 3x10 = 10x3 when 'work done' is equated, so why not do the 3x10 for the volume. It's faster and safer. The back-off work basically functions as a neural-learning. I'd rather have the lifter do extra ramp-up reps for that purpose.

And there's something to be said for the shared strongman-conjugate mindset of just getting really strong at a lot of different lifts, rather than being purely 'big 3' focused.

215 high bar from today vs 215 low bar from exactly 1 year ago

https://photos.app.goo.gl/B5EF8EpAKWU3HmtG6

Pretty sure you have a 227.5 HB grinder in there before your gyms open back up. You just embarrassed your lift from a year ago :p
 
'Probably', I think.

I remember Lyle McDonald writing his epic 'Why the US sucks at Weightlifting' series a decade back (ish), and part of his commentary was that, drugs aside, the Chinese do heavy performance lifts, and then body-build everything else. That sounds a lot like semi-conjugate exercise selection and concurrent periodisation to me.

Nevertrainlegs on IG does this. Bulgarian frequency crossed with conjugate exercise selection, and accessories that are easily recovered. He's in the 400kg D/L club, 300 squat club and naturally has a poverty bench (because nobody is that fortunate), as a natural lifter (albeit with 20 years of sports base).

I've come around to genuinely believing that you have to lift heavy at your chosen sport (meaning whatever is being tested), and do it often but not to neglect muscle building, so get the volume work in.

Most elite PL'ers programming tends to resemble this;

Heavy single (relative to the 'block')
Back off work 2-4 sets of 2-4 reps
Accessories 2-3 exercises of 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps

Well that's fine, except the one thing we endlessly see in western lifters (non-enhanced) is injuries, which in my opinion probably relate to the back-off sets off. Strength work being done at near-'hypertrophy' intensities. The one (only?) Schoenfeld study we know is useful says 3x10 = 10x3 when 'work done' is equated, so why not do the 3x10 for the volume. It's faster and safer. The back-off work basically functions as a neural-learning. I'd rather have the lifter do extra ramp-up reps for that purpose.

And there's something to be said for the shared strongman-conjugate mindset of just getting really strong at a lot of different lifts, rather than being purely 'big 3' focused.



Pretty sure you have a 227.5 HB grinder in there before your gyms open back up. You just embarrassed your lift from a year ago :p

Yeah, you're probably right. Also one of my clients making the best progress is Ewa. 60kg body weight, now squatting 130, benching 70 and deadlifting 150

I have her on a daily max approach, with different variations and minimal volume, then a lot of bodybuilding accesories.

She comes from a body building background and loves those accesories, plus she also just wanted to max out everyday anyway, so by adding the differing variations to undulate stress through the week, and a lot of BBing accesories her progress has sky rocketed

When we first started she was on a very RTS looking program but had plateaued so we thought we would give this approach a try and so far its working!
 
Thought id try low bar squats again today.. but still back/lat/serratus pain/camp as the weighta get heavier. I know i should stick with high bar for now but i just dont learn lol

On the plus side my daily max of 215 is actually on 5 kg off my sleeved low bar PR... which sadly i set in 2018... thats depressing, although granted have done a lot more wrapped squatting since then

LBBS
150 x2
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
210 x1
215 x1
Loose wraps 230 x1

OHP
70 x8x3

Then a some shoulder accesories, lat raises, bent over lateral raises

 
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Yeah, you're probably right. Also one of my clients making the best progress is Ewa. 60kg body weight, now squatting 130, benching 70 and deadlifting 150

I have her on a daily max approach, with different variations and minimal volume, then a lot of bodybuilding accesories.

She comes from a body building background and loves those accesories, plus she also just wanted to max out everyday anyway, so by adding the differing variations to undulate stress through the week, and a lot of BBing accesories her progress has sky rocketed

When we first started she was on a very RTS looking program but had plateaued so we thought we would give this approach a try and so far its working!

I’m pretty sure Ewa has worlds-competitor tattooed in her future :D

Thought id try low bar squats again today.. but still back/lat/serratus pain/camp as the weighta get heavier. I know i should stick with high bar for now but i just dont learn lol

On the plus side my daily max of 215 is actually on 5 kg off my sleeved low bar PR... which sadly i set in 2018... thats depressing, although granted have done a lot more wrapped squatting since then

LBBS
150 x2
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
210 x1
215 x1
Loose wraps 230 x1

OHP
70 x8x3

Then a some shoulder accesories, lat raises, bent over lateral raises


Max Aita and Chad Wesley Smith had this theory on a podcast that LBBS is basically something you do for meets and meet prep only. I don’t buy much into the JTS stuff, but it did match with my own experiences. High bar just does more for hypertrophy and anything resembling higher frequencies, although low bar is probably easier to teach to a novice, granted.
 
I’m pretty sure Ewa has worlds-competitor tattooed in her future :D



Max Aita and Chad Wesley Smith had this theory on a podcast that LBBS is basically something you do for meets and meet prep only. I don’t buy much into the JTS stuff, but it did match with my own experiences. High bar just does more for hypertrophy and anything resembling higher frequencies, although low bar is probably easier to teach to a novice, granted.

I think low bar just beats you up pretty quick! Elbows, shoulders, back etc...

Im going to play around with bar position, grip width etc... to see if i can find a middle ground somehwere. Might even try high bar with wraps and see how that works out! In theory with wraps helping a lot of knee extension, if you can stay more upright then you'll get more out of the wraps.... in theory

Yeah, Ewa definatley has a lot of potential in her! I dont think she is far off 400kg total now!
 
I think low bar just beats you up pretty quick! Elbows, shoulders, back etc...

Im going to play around with bar position, grip width etc... to see if i can find a middle ground somehwere. Might even try high bar with wraps and see how that works out! In theory with wraps helping a lot of knee extension, if you can stay more upright then you'll get more out of the wraps.... in theory

Yeah, Ewa definatley has a lot of potential in her! I dont think she is far off 400kg total now!

I wouldn't bother playing with wraps while you're continuing to smash out this streak. Let it be a variation when this one runs dry.
 
Also, my other thoughts are that most trainees are not proficient enough in using RPE mid-set to use it at heavy enough loads that would induce the necessary training response for sustained growth. Who the hell can gauge a set of squats for 4 or 6 reps @8, with a load of 180kg+, in the moment?

The variable input from imperfect psychological mastery of self is just too great for me.

Use % ranges, go to failure or a rep short on your accessories, 8-12, 10-15 or 15-20 depending on the movement and get it done in half the time.
 
Another day another hugh bar PR. Although i moved the bar placement down a cm or 2 from being on my traps for the top singles, actually felt quite good.

Squats
150 x3
170 x1
190 x1
200 x1
210 x1
217.5 x1 (PR)
162.5 x3x3

Bench
110 x5
130 x3
150 x1
160 x1
150 x3
125 x3x3

Inverse pull ups 2 x amrap
Push ups 2 x amrap

Bench i might start mixing up the variations, feels a bit stale. But then again im using a wooden garden bench to bench off, so cant really expect too much

 
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