Haha, welcome aboard brotha. Here's a question. Since the CAGE is around the corner and since ya had lifts in it before, wuts the vibe like liftin there? What can the few fellas expect?
Haha, welcome aboard brotha. Here's a question. Since the CAGE is around the corner and since ya had lifts in it before, wuts the vibe like liftin there? What can the few fellas expect?
Intensity is the best word...nonstop stuff going on, seminars, demos, everything. Most people stay there the whole weekend so they don't miss anything...
Intensity is the best word...nonstop stuff going on, seminars, demos, everything. Most people stay there the whole weekend so they don't miss anything...
Yup... The show is a madhouse. I talk to a lot of fellas about stoppin by the CAGE, and they always say they want to but that it's so crowded, they have a hard time even gettin close sometimes.
Yup... The show is a madhouse. I talk to a lot of fellas about stoppin by the CAGE, and they always say they want to but that it's so crowded, they have a hard time even gettin close sometimes.
On my dvd, it has a clip of me doing what I think was 635 and Nick Winters spotting me, but the camera pans around and you can see nothing but people stacked on top of each other trying to watch...crazy
Well before it was usually not too different, I eat clean as a rule, 10 plus eggs and grits for breakfast, about 5 chicken breasts and 4 potatoes throughout the day, red meat twice, etc. Occassional cheat meal but lately I've had to diet as I'm slowly but surely gaining weight. This last show, I decided to not do the 242 and just go for the 715 and now it's actually going to be similar but twice the carbs...load that shit up because I'm not close to 275...sitting around 262 so plently of room. We'll see how it goes.
Well before it was usually not too different, I eat clean as a rule, 10 plus eggs and grits for breakfast, about 5 chicken breasts and 4 potatoes throughout the day, red meat twice, etc. Occassional cheat meal but lately I've had to diet as I'm slowly but surely gaining weight. This last show, I decided to not do the 242 and just go for the 715 and now it's actually going to be similar but twice the carbs...load that shit up because I'm not close to 275...sitting around 262 so plently of room. We'll see how it goes.
Hey Jeremy,
congratz on the baby and thanks for being so cool as to answer questions!
I've read a couple examples of your typical workout template but nothing that specific so forgive me if you've mentioned this elsewhere. I have a question for you regarding intensity. I'm basically trying to be a bber/pler hybrid like yourself. How important do you feel intensity (% of 1RM) is for strength gain at your advanced level?
In your experience does something like a 5x5 to 3x3 periodization scheme still work well (for you)..ending up in that 85-90% range at the end of the cycle? Or do you feel that hitting 90% and above on a weekly basis is necessary to gain strength as some westside proponents advocate?
I am just coming back to a split routine with lots of repetition volume work with around a 400lb max bench and still struggling over whether a linear cycle starting at say 75% with 5x5 or similar and building up - with lots of higher rep assistance - is as effective and going Max Effort all the time. Not to imply I'm anywhere near your level or ever will be but I'm definitely at the point where a 10lb bench increase is a big deal.
Thanks for your insight, Jay ;)
Last edited by jaymax; 02-01-13 at 3:10 pm.
Reason: typo
Hey Jeremy,
congratz on the baby and thanks for being so cool as to answer questions!
I've read a couple examples of your typical workout template but nothing that specific so forgive me if you've mentioned this elsewhere. I have a question for you regarding intensity. I'm basically trying to be a bber/pler hybrid like yourself. How important do you feel intensity (% of 1RM) is for strength gain at your advanced level?
In your experience does something like a 5x5 to 3x3 periodization scheme still work well (for you)..ending up in that 85-90% range at the end of the cycle? Or do you feel that hitting 90% and above on a weekly basis is necessary to gain strength as some westside proponents advocate?
I am just coming back to a split routine with lots of repetition volume work with around a 400lb max bench and still struggling over whether a linear cycle starting at say 75% with 5x5 or similar and building up - with lots of higher rep assistance - is as effective and going Max Effort all the time. Not to imply I'm anywhere near your level or ever will be but I'm definitely at the point where a 10lb bench increase is a big deal.
Thanks for your insight, Jay ;)
Thanks man, I appreciate it.
It is still important to keep everything in there, and actually this week I'm set to do a few triples. Granted they're a little lighter than normal because I'm trying to make sure I have a good over-exaggerated start pause, pause each at the bottom and the top, so it will in theory still be as hard, just not as heavy as previously done. I'm not sure that hitting 90% of your max is necessary weekly, but at least often. I have a deload week every fourth week of training and it's a buildup going into those so I'm, at least for a week, not at 90% and it ends up being way more volume.
I honestly don't think that going 100% max weekly is good. It is very hard on the body and after time will catch up to you. I will say it's good, but in moderation. The big thing is an evaluation. I was great at singles, and at the 15-20 rep range. However, my triples and stuff were lagging. Once I caught that up, I feel more balanced and have been making weekly gains. Obviously, the constants, sleep, diet, etc need to be in check but other than that, a good variety with balance in the workout will promote the most strength gains in my opinion.
I guess to sum up, and I'm not sure if I've answered your question or not, and if I haven't, hit me back anytime, but I'd say going 100% is good...occassionally, but the low rep work, doubles, triples, etc will promote the most strength carry over.
J-Ho,
thanks that answered my question pretty well. I've been sold on the idea of high-frequency for a while now am moving back to a more typical bodybuilding split. Now I'm working with 3-5 heavy sets followed by lots of higher rep assistance volume (not dissimilar to a sample workout you laid out in an interview).
I've just been torn on whether to stick to a linear-style cycle like Ed Coan, etc or more frequently going heavier. Thanks for your input, it does help. I think I'll go with a 3-week wave cycle of varied reps and intensity for a while and see how it goes.
J-Ho,
thanks that answered my question pretty well. I've been sold on the idea of high-frequency for a while now am moving back to a more typical bodybuilding split. Now I'm working with 3-5 heavy sets followed by lots of higher rep assistance volume (not dissimilar to a sample workout you laid out in an interview).
I've just been torn on whether to stick to a linear-style cycle like Ed Coan, etc or more frequently going heavier. Thanks for your input, it does help. I think I'll go with a 3-week wave cycle of varied reps and intensity for a while and see how it goes.
Thanks, Jay.
Thnx for postin ur question, JM.... There's a wealth of knowledge here on the FORVM from fellas like Hoornstra, but someones gotta tap it. Glad ya are.
Thnx for postin ur question, JM.... There's a wealth of knowledge here on the FORVM from fellas like Hoornstra, but someones gotta tap it. Glad ya are.
You said it. It's a great privelage to be able to benefit from it...especially in times like this where great guys like J-Ho answer questions in forums sponsored by great companies.
Has your hand position on the bar stayed the same as you have progressively increased weight over the years, or have you moved them outwards to increase stability?
Has your hand position on the bar stayed the same as you have progressively increased weight over the years, or have you moved them outwards to increase stability?
They've pretty much stayed where I started in high school, thumb lengh away from the inside knarl line, about an inch or so inside the ring with my pinky. I'm a close bench, stronger triceps but I feel more balanced and steady there.
Thanks for the reply. I'm more of a close grip bencher myself too, (although I'm not shifting half the weight you do!) I've never had a problem with balance really, but had an elbow give out a couple of weeks back at the bottom of a press. I'll just put it down to a bad day at the office.
Thanks for the reply. I'm more of a close grip bencher myself too, (although I'm not shifting half the weight you do!) I've never had a problem with balance really, but had an elbow give out a couple of weeks back at the bottom of a press. I'll just put it down to a bad day at the office.
Yeah that happens, sounds like that's all it was. If it keeps happening, however, I'd rethink it
Hey Jeremy, I'll take advantage of your wisdom and drill you a little.
I'm preping for a PL meet in Nov and need to get my lagging bench up.
I'm using a modified 5/3/1 program in that the last set of each exercise, bench, squat, whatever, I do the reps to failure instead of the prescribed 5/3/1. It seems to really help build strength but besides regular bench and the accesory work, what other kinds of bench work can I do to help add weight?
There's probably a million but what is one of your favorite techniques I can add in to help bring it up?
Best Meet Totals @ 181
Squat 424.39
Dead 473.99
Bench 319.67
"I want to think deeply and be enraged and laugh uncontrollably and cry sincerely and love fully. I lust to feel life with all of my being, not to merely survive it, escaping out the other end unscathed only to find death waiting for me like a chauffeured black sedan, the reaper holding my name card. Fuck that. I want to be moved." G Diesel, DOAM #215