Tangodown's 2015 Log

I doubt squat gains were neural, frankly.

Candito himself does a low-bar, FWIW.

I would advocate front squats or just more squatting, ala 5-6 days a week squatting.
 
Candito actually flip-flopped around on which way to squat in training. I think he's always squatted low bar in competition but there were large swaths of time where he squatted high bar outside of meets.

Low bar does allow most to move more - though my low bar squat has always been done with a very narrow stance which is another reason why I switched over to high bar for the time being.

4-5 days a week fits my schedule better, but like I said, I'd prefer a more periodized approach.
 
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Everytime he's done high-bar, he goes to back to low-bar. HBBS is basically just a glorified assistance exercise for him. Whichever works for you, go for it. But he's definitely a low-bar squatter, even if he has trouble admitting it as a former/nearly athlete.

His program is decent, just not great for powerlifting IMO.
 
Well some type of DUP can also be an alternative, though I don't really know how to program it. Will need to research more.
 
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I don't see a reason to fear failing a rep when squatting outside a power rack because there's no real need to do that rep other than for ego massage. Just add a further set.
 
If I'm trying to grind out some doubles at 90%, or if I lose my balance and rock forward (which has happened before), then there can be an issue. Secondly, Candito has AMRAP and work sets right up near rep max territory towards the end of the 6 weeks.

I'm usually a pretty good judge at determining if the next rep will be @ failure, but there's always bad days.
 
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Bought some Casein, so now gonna drop calories down to 2000 from 2400. Still hoping I can finish this cut by sometime in June despite the snag.
 
5'8", 169.5lb (-.5lb)

HBBS (NEW, 5 minutes b/w):
260lb x 3, x 3, x 3

So this is almost matched with my LBBS...

Deficit Deadlift:
315lb x 5

I'd have more if I did this pre-squat but pretty happy here. Will try to move up 5lb from now on.


Bench (3 minutes b/w):
paused 210lb, paused 185lb x 5, t&g 185lb x 5

Very hard single so went down to 185lb for today. I might take a couple of sessions for purposes of deloading and then decrease heavy bench days to twice a week. Anyway, I'm curious what my t&g 5RM is now seeing as I hit 4x2 210lb last session. I'd suspect higher than before but we'll see.

Machine Row (1.5 minutes b/w):
205lb x 4, x 3, x 2 (PR + 5lb)

Elliptical: 10 minutes @ 100% resistance, ~200 cals burned
 
I would crank out 2-3 sets of the deficits. It's the best assistance exercise for deadlift IMO. Doing it just once per week is going to make a world of difference to conventional, and the hamstring/glute attention will certainly carry over to your sumo, IMO.
 
Noted. I'll take that into account when I finish cutting. I feel like I'm doing a decent enough job maintaining strength right now.

How's this look, DUP-wise? Days can be rearranged, and don't know what to do with day 4.

Day 1

Sumo Deadlift: singles/doubles to 4-6 reps (90%), doubles/triples to 6-12 reps (85%)

Paused Bench: singles/doubles to 4-6 reps (90%), doubles/triples to 6-12 reps (5RM)

HBBS: doubles/triples to 12-15 reps (5RM)

Weighted Pullups: doubles/triples to 12-15 reps (5RM)


Day 2

Sumo Deadlift: 2-3x5 @ 75%

HBBS: 2-3x6 @ 75%

Paused Bench: 3x6 @ 75%

Chest Flies: 2x8 @ 10RM

Front Squat: 2x6 @ 75%

Machine Rows: 3x6@ 75%


Day 3

Deficits: 3-4x3 (85%)

Paused Bench: 3-4x3 (85%)

HBBS: 3-4x3 (85%)

Weighted Pullups: 4-5x3 @ 85%


Day 4 (AMRAP possibly?)

??? Sumo Deadlifts/Deficits

??? Paused Bench

??? Chest Flies (no amrap obviously)

??? Front squats

??? Machine Rows
 
Day 2 and 3 seem backwards, I would swap them.

Day 4? GPP/more weakness work

Front Squats are pretty important for sumo IMO, there's just so much more quad involvement.
Chins/Rows
Shrugs
Maybe some OHP


Remember that 'AMRAP' is just the 2015 way of saying 'to failure', and failure does not have a causation effect upon improving strength or hypertrophy. The only thing 'failure' is linked to is fibre activation, and lifting at 80-85% will make that happen, as will a properly executed myo-rep protocol.
 
Okay, day 4 would consist of machine rows, front squats, deficits, maybe spoto press for off-the-chest strength. Would OHP and shrugs still be beneficial if done only once a week?

Load on day 4? Anything else you'd change with the above?
 
I wouldn't do deficits on day 4.

OHP and Shrugs will still be valuable. Still have to break the bar from the floor and lockout the bench.
 
Okay, so machine rows, front squat (or paused HBBS or LBBS), spoto press, OHP, Shrugs. Would some sort of quad-centric unilateral leg press be out of the question too? Unfortunately my gym modified the machine recently to decrease its ROM at the start of the motion, but I think it's still useable.

Load?

I assume progression would be handled similarly to before. If I'm meeting my reps no problem and getting all triples when doubles or triples are prescribed or doubles when singles and doubles are prescribed on Day 1, I can move the load up. Day 2 is a light day so obviously that's a dependent variable (moves up when progression is felt on the heavier days). Day 3, if I'm hitting the top-end amount of sets and things are feeling good, I can move load up at least on that day or maybe turn them into quadruples. Day 4, don't know yet...

Aim for 6-8 weeks of progress, deload for a couple of sessions, test 1RM, deload if need be, repeat, SD when feeling like fried turds.
 
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Okay, modified some stuff across the board and added what I think would be acceptable loads for Day 4.

Day 1 (Heavy)
Sumo Deadlift: singles/doubles to 4-6 reps (90%), doubles/triples to 6-12 reps (85%)

Paused Bench: singles/doubles to 6-10 reps (90%), triples/quads to 9-12 reps (85%)

HBBS: singles/doubles to 4-6 reps (90%), doubles/triples to 6-9 reps reps (5RM)

Weighted Pullups: doubles/triples to 12-15 reps (5RM)

Day 2 (Moderate)
Deficits: 3-4x3 (85%)

Paused Bench: 3-4x3 (85%)

HBBS: 3-4x3 (85%)

Machine Rows: 4-5x3 (85%)

Day 3 (Light)
Sumo Deadlift: 3x6 (75%)

T&G Bench: 3x7 (75%)

HBBS: 3x6 (75%)

Chest Flies: 2x8 (10RM)

Weighted Pullups: 3x7 (75%)


Day 4 (Accessory)
Spoto Press: 3x5 @ 8RM

Chest Flies: 2x8 @ 10RM

Paused HBBS: 3x5 @ 8RM

OHP: 2x5 @ 8RM

Machine Rows 3x5 @ 8RM

Shrugs 2x5 @ 8RM
 
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Day 2 should have the same exercises, but they should be addressing either explosive strength, weaknesses in the lift or lagging body parts.

Roughly speaking:

Day 1 - heavy - highest load

Day 2 - light - lowest load, moderate volume at that lower load

Day 3 - medium - most volume

Day 4 - active recovery/speed/active recovery



I also think HBBS are not very good at advancing your HBBS or LBS. You will detrain that squat reflex, IMO.
 
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