Weights, cardio and stuff log

Jester said:
Depends on how long I took to get there, although like most people, it's upper body lifts that are most affected by weight loss. You tend to gain bar-strength as you lose weight, i.e. the load being moved is greater but it's less on your body and more on the bar.
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Not necessarily, a guy from another board who lifted 285kg at BW 108kg in the gym, could later lift 250kg at a contest @BW 90, but due to the double movement in the middle his lift wasn't counted. From his own words he was technically ready for 260. If it all went the way you're saying weight categories would be useless.

285kg:
250kg (failed technically):
 
No, just reflecting that many people tend to gain strength on the bar for lower-body dominant//exclusive lifts on a cut.
 
No, just reflecting that many people tend to gain strength on the bar for lower-body dominant//exclusive lifts on a cut.
 
Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 4 - 120kg (warm ups); 3 - 150kg, 3 - 170kg, 3 - 180kg, 3,3 - 200kg, 3 - 205kg.

Bench; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 80kg, 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 1 - 120kg, 1,1,1 - 132.5kg, 1,1,1,1 - 135kg, 1,1 - 137.5kg.

Second session;

Lying supported rows; 3 - 65kg, 3 - 105kg (warm ups); 3,3 - 125kg, 3,3 - 135kg, 3,3 - 140kg.

Good mornings; 5 - 65kg (warm ups); 5 - 80kg, 5 - 90kg, 5 - 100kg, 5 -105kg, 5 - 110kg.
 
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If you ask me, you do much more warmup work than you think:
Jester said:
Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 4 - 120kg, 3 - 150kg, 3 - 170kg, 3 - 180kg (warm ups); 3,3 - 200kg, 3 - 205kg.

Bench; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 80kg, 4 - 100kg, 1 - 120kg, 1,1,1 - 132.5kg (warm ups); 1,1,1,1 - 135kg, 1,1 - 137.5kg.

Second session;

Lying supported rows; 3 - 65kg, 3 - 105kg, 3,3 - 125kg, 3,3 - 135kg (warm ups); 3,3 - 140kg.

Good mornings; 5 - 65kg, 5 - 80kg, 5 - 90kg, 5 - 100kg (warm ups); 5 -105kg, 5 - 110kg.
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I never really liked workouts done in this ladder fashion for the big portion of subjectively wasted work. It's like extra high intensity warm-up sets done for no apparent reason.
 
Depends on how you value the lead-up sets, what the minimum effective volume per bout/session is etc. , minimum effective load etc. The end result works for me, however. The difference between 135 and 140 on the rows is less than 5%, for example. 125/140 is 89% (ala 125 is 11% reduction only). Bench difference is smaller still. Maximum load is not necessary for hypertrophy, minimum effective load is what matters. I haven't seen a powerlifting-building routine that involves short-cutted warm ups. In addition, it's quite difficult to code your muscle patterns if you don't actually do the desired repetitions necessary. Not sure I can pump out 20 reps at 135kg on the bench.

Further, if you want to jump straight into a 200kg deficit deadlift, be my guest, but really, "no apparent reason" is a very poor choice of words

All that matters for me in the end is what works and what doesn't. My training over the past year has resulted in me ripping some shirts across my shoulders, needing new pants to accommodate my thighs and better definition than I've ever had without intentional cutting.

There's a beast of a guy at my gym who bench 160 something, max deads at 300 and regularly works up to 280kg for reps and HBBS's around 190kg for 6-7 reps. Each of his sessions have him pyramiding up to his top load, and he done one set only. He's shorter than me, but he wouldn't be able to fit into a pair of my pants - his thighs are tree trunks. I'm 6'1/185cm, he's about 170-172cm and thick as oak. Arms are probably the only regular body part he has. One top-load set each session, per exercise. That's it. It takes very little volume to build muscle, load is where it's at. The body's natural response to heavier weights is to build muscle, and code better. Everyone goes looking for shortcuts, when really the easiest way is to do the simplest and most scientifically supported thing we know - progress the fucking load.



If you don't understand or agree with why it has worked for me, I really have no issues with that. In any case, continue the discussion elsewhere (start a thread comparing programming in HST, SST or General forums).



Squats; 5 - 60kg, 5 - 80kg, 5 - 100kg (warm ups); 3 - 120kg, 3 - 130kg, 3 - 135kg, 3 - 140kg, 2 - 145kg, 1 - 150kg, 1 - 155kg. 5 - 100kg. 120 and down is ATG, above 120 is just slightly below parallel. I probably shouldn't have bumped the weights so quickly after first 140kg triple. Or at least gotten another triple at it. However, after 4 days off that gave me a lot of lower back discomfort (being office and car-bound) I was fairly happy with it. I think I'm about 90% or so recovered. Not squatting with a belt yet. Thinking of doing box-squats directly afterwards as I'm PC dominant and quads are my weak point.

BTN; 5 - 60kg (warm ups); 4- 85kg, 3,3 - 90kg.

Will do some planks tonight, as anterior core muscles are probably the other 'weak' point, strength wise.
 
Jester said:
Further, if you want to jump straight into a 200kg deficit deadlift, be my guest, but really, "no apparent reason" is a very poor choice of words
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Of course not. I just think you're overdoing it with the warming up sets leading to the heavest sets. You'd agree with me that you don't really care about the sets leading up to the heaviest ones, so why do more reps than necessary to warm-up and build up strength in them? Here's what to me looks like a less taxing approach:

Jester said:
Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 4 - 120kg, 3 - 150kg, 2 - 170kg, 1 - 180kg, 1 - 200kg, 3,3 - 205kg.

Bench; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 80kg, 3 - 100kg, 1 - 120kg, 1 - 132.5kg, 1 - 135kg, 1,1,1,1 - 137.5kg.

Second session;

Lying supported rows; 3 - 65kg, 2 - 105kg, 1 - 125kg, 1 - 135kg, 3,3,3 - 140kg.

Good mornings; 5 - 65kg, 3 - 80kg, 2 - 90kg, 1 - 100kg, 1 -105kg, 5,5 - 110kg.
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See how warm-up reps decreased to what may be enough for building up to the max load, and leaves more in the tank for you to do more max work.
All that matters for me in the end is what works and what doesn't.
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This is true. In the end if you yourself like it the way you're doing it, and it works, no one can beat that.

I do agree with you that load progression is very important, not only submaximal progression as outlined by HST, but reaching new strength levels too.
 
Previously for deadlifts I was arguably underdoing it. It takes a certain number of reps through threshold warm ups to get everything activated optimally and safely IMO. I think it's probably accurate that I've come close to learning that the hard way at times.

Re: Bench - 132.5kg isn't particularly a warm up, rather that 135 and 137.5 are me being able to do more on the day. My tested max is 142.5 (about a month ago), so on any given day being able to hit 96% of that is not a sure thing.

I am tempted to do singles for warm ups through a greater # of loads though, and add in an extra work set. Will give this a shot later today.
 
Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 3 - 120kg, 1 - 150kg, 1 - 160kg, 1 - 170kg, 1 - 180kg (warm ups); 3,3,2,2 - 205kg. Bitchin'

Bench; 5 - 80kg, 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 1 - 120kg, 1 - 132.5kg, 2,2,2,2,2 - 135kg.


Second session;

Good mornings; 5 - 60kg, 5 - 80kg, 5 - 90kg (warm ups); 5 - 100kg, 5,5 - 110kg, 5,5 - 120kg

Lying supported rows; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 3,3,3,3 - 140kg
 
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Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 5 - 120kg, 1 - 150kg, 1 - 160kg, 1 - 170kg, 1 - 180kg (warm ups); 3,3 - 205kg, 2 - 210kg, 2 - 215kg. Form varied across a few of the reps, mainly pertaining to starting hip height. I got about 4 inches into another 215kg attempt but decided that lower back was tired so dropped it - apparently I'm learning.

Lying supported rows; 3 - 60kg, 3 - 90kg (warm ups); 3 - 120kg, 3,3 - 140kg, 5,5 - 120kg.

Second session;

Good mornings; 5 - 60kg, 3 - 80kg, 3 - 90kg, 3 - 100kg, 3 110kg (warm ups); 5,5 - 120kg, 5,5 - 130kg.

Bench; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 80kg, 2 - 100kg (warm ups); 1 - 120kg, 2,2 - 135kg, 2,2 - 137.5kg PR, 2 - 140kg PR
 
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Squats; 5 - 60kg, 4 - 80kg, 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 3 - 120kg, 3 - 130kg, 3 - 135kg, 3,3,3,3 - 140kg. Felt really good today. Focusing on hitting parallel (legitimate parallel) as opposed to as low-as-possible.

OHP strict; 5 - 60kg (warm ups); 3,3,3 - 80kg.

WG pulldown; 5 - 50kg, 5 - 75kg (warm ups); 5,5,5,5 - 100kg. Working this back in, tenderness issue on underarm/triceps region seem to have dissipated, and will use WG as I find it stretches bicep least of all. Probably work up to 5RM range and then sit there, for 15-20 reps total. Rows are going to remain the primary compound directly for the back. I may progress to chins, but there's mechanical aspects to the pulldown that I want to use right now.
 
Congrats on your bench PRs.
I've been adding in some rows again recently. They are such a great exercise for back strength and I have neglected them for too long. Thanks for the inspiration.
 
Bench has been really easy (but boring, so I've slacked on it here and there) to bring up. Just do heavy singles.

I'll probably be using 140 for all work reps in 2-3 weeks, assuming I don't get bored and play around w/pause too much.
 
Yesterday:

Deads; 5 - 70kg, 3 - 120kg, 1 - 170kg, 1 - 190kg (warm ups); 1 - 200kg, 1 - 210kg, 1 - 220kg, 1,1 - 225kg, 230kg - FAIL. Should have incremented more gradually.

Deficit deads; 3 - 200kg, 1 - 105kg, 2 - 210kg, 2 - 215kg.

Bench; 5 - 80kg, 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 1 - 120kg, 2,2 - 135kg, 2,2 - 137.5kg. Running out of time here.

WG pulldowns; 5 - 75kg (warm ups); 5,5,5,5 - 105kg. Going to switch these with rows in terms of weekly planning, and see if rows a) are much easier without deads first and b) whether doing them the day before deads has a negative effect on deads. If not, then will probably keep this spread. I like having the vertical pulling after deads - stretching everything out etc.
 
Squats; 5 - 60kg, 3 - 80kg, 3 - 100kg (warm ups); 3 - 120kg, 3 - 130kg, 3 - 140kg, 1 - 145kg, 1,1 - 150kg. Wanted to do more but was pressed for time.

Lying supported rows; 3 - 105kg, 3 - 125kg (warm ups); 3 - 145kg, 3,3,3,3 - 135kg. Slow eccentrics on the 135, felt pretty good, sometimes using the lower back but it's not a straining mechanical position with the torso and thighs supported, feet pressured against the wall. Not sure how I feel about swapping positions w/vertical pulling or not.
 
That deadlift is improving nicely. Strong as. Good effort with the benching also. Great progress. Keep lifting hard.

You using straps for those deads? I'm struggling already with grip strength and nowhere near that weight.
 
No straps. Just keeping lifting. Also, the bar should be in fingers and not the palm.

My achieved-max is 245. I'm fairly confident I can hit a 255 or so once my lower back is completely back to normal (it's about 90% right now). I prefer to pull using a deficit nowadays, to be blunt. It's more natural for me and the height we deadlift from is completely arbitrary anyway. Having said that, I'm comtemplating a competition near the end of the year, maybe, so I certainly need to maintain general form.
 
Deficit deads; 5 - 70kg, 3 - 120kg, 1 - 170kg, 1 - 180kg, 1 - 190kg (warm ups); 1 - 200kg, 1,1 - 205kg, 1,1,1 - 210kg, 1,1,1 - 215kg, 1,1 - 220kg. Great bar speed today. Might aim at 240 next week on the deficit.

Deads; 5 - 200kg. Work set to finish it off.

WG pulls; 5 - 75kg (warm ups); 5,5,5,5 - 105kg. Thinking I may well like these here. Deads didn't seem affected by rows on the 2-4-6 days.

Second session;

Good mornings; 3 - 90kg, 3 - 100kg, 3 - 110kg (warm ups); 3 - 120kg, 5 - 130kg, 5,5 - 135kg.

Bench; 4 - 100kg (warm ups); 1 - 120kg, 1 - 130kg, 2,2 - 125kg, Pause; 3,3 - 120kg. Had to share the bench and I arrived second, so bar height was a good 3-4 inches lower, meaning expending too much on lift-off, so didn't push it and just did some pause. Think those will become 125kg now.
 
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