Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Four on calls done. 75 hours worked. Jackson out!
Pullups - four sets - supersetted with abs
Tricep pushdowns (one arm, light weight, many many reps) - supersetted with abs.
And done. It appears to be around about 8,000 degrees outside which is making me very sad - hospitals in the UK haven't yet discovered the thermostat and are the same temperature (which is roughly two thirds the surface of the sun) at all times of the year. I'm not built for this.
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
Haha :-) My weakness in squats is falling forward on the way up because my abs cave in - upper back strength and abs will make squat good!
When you tighten your abs, do you pull them in or push your belly out? Make sure you take in a big breath and push your gut out, watch what happens to your chest and back... your chest comes up and your back stay straight. This will help you develop the upper ab strength as well.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Originally Posted by Bruiser
When you tighten your abs, do you pull them in or push your belly out? Make sure you take in a big breath and push your gut out, watch what happens to your chest and back... your chest comes up and your back stay straight. This will help you develop the upper ab strength as well.
Absolutely - couldn't agree more with what you have just said. Especially without a belt, I really have to make a conscious decision to do this and have only just learnt to do it better. I also tend to lose it after a few reps so that's something I will work on (even if it means more sets with fewer reps to keep the form).
However, this made my heavy singles in my 'meet' feel so good.....
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
Absolutely - couldn't agree more with what you have just said. Especially without a belt, I really have to make a conscious decision to do this and have only just learnt to do it better. I also tend to lose it after a few reps so that's something I will work on (even if it means more sets with fewer reps to keep the form).
However, this made my heavy singles in my 'meet' feel so good.....
Fuck reps! Some of the best advice I got at the JTS Seminar was from Ernie Sr. I asked him about this exactly, and he said, "Forget reps. We're powerlifters. We don't do a set of 10, we do 10 sets of 1". So don't even try to hold it for 3 reps, stop and rebreathe after each one.
I have found recently that higher reps have helped me in my squat. Sam Byrd wrote an awesome article about it here... http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/...squatting-big/
...which I have been messing about with for the past few weeks, staying beltless and working at around 60-70% of my 1 reps max. When I decide to go for a single, I'll only use a belt for about 80% and above, (same with my deads). I feel the higher reps have really built up my core strength and with the belt also have that 'push your gut on to the belt' extra support when I really want/ need it.
I know you're running the Cube, but it is still worth a look.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Haha - I agree with BOTH schools of thought. I need to practice heavy singles - the set up and the tightness being the keys. However, I also need to rep it up a bit to build my leg strength. Not using any belts / wraps means I just gotta keep practicing and slugging away!
CYCLE 3!!!!!
Squat (max)
Warmed up
Squats with 5 chins between each and every set
66 / 66 / 110 * 5
155 / 180 / 200 / 225 / 242 for doubles
265 / 265 / 265 / 275 / 276 for doubles
Front squats to a box
155 for 3 sets of 10 - 12
Seated good mornings (trying these out for some extra lower back training - back raises are tricky for me to do with my limited equipment but these hit hte spot!)
155 / 180 / 200 / 200 / 200 for sets of 10 -15
And out. Aruond 100 chins were done within this workout. Getting it done!!!!
-------------
Bench (rep)
Warmed up
Paused Bench (10 reverse flies holding 10k plates were done between each and every set - I will not have weak points!)
66 / 110 / 155 * 10
200 * 12 / 210 * 10 / 225 * 8
Close grip
155 * 20 - 6 - 3 (rest pause) - banged out 20 with hardly a break and felt awesome then decided I didn't want to wait and go again so just kept going!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Bodybuilding day - this will mainly focus on shoulders as my supersetting exploits will hopefully cover back and arms etc during the week! And so...in heat that was causing small children to spontaneously combust....
Single db OHP
22lb * 10 / 33 * 10 / 44 * 10 / 55 * 10 / 66 * 8 each arm
44 * 10 each arm then 5 secs then 10 reps again.
Laterals
33lb four sets of 12
Reverse flies
55lb for 3 sets of 10
And abs. Out.
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Bench day - max
Paused bench supersetted with 10k reverse flies
Warm up
66 * 10 / 110 * 8 / 155 * 5
180 * 3 / 200 * 2
220 / 228 / 232 / 237 / 242 for doubles (100 to 110k in 2.5k jumps)
Floor press
200 for 5 * 5
Reverse curls (thumbless grip)
75lb for four sets of 10-12
And out. Pleased with the benching.......especially with a competition pause int here. My second rep tends to get a little out of groove and head more towards the face. Something to work on. Deadllifts on Tuesday - have a little test planned :-)
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
Good work. I've started pausing all my presses now. Not that I'm planning on competing or anything, but my sticking point was always the chest to tricep transition. I have found paused benching has definitely helped my focus and given me more of a pump in my chest.
I've seen judges do 2 second pauses for some guys in the S.E. division. Pretty sadistic really!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
That is harsh. I don't know how long mine have been but they feel like an eternity! :-D But as they say, make practice harder than the game and it'll all be fine on the day! In November last year, 110k was my PR paused bench. Now its a fairly straight forward double after a lot of sets.....progress is great!!
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
So I set myself a challenge for deadlift day - its some time away from a potential 'meet' week and testing yourself (and occasionally failing) is the only way to progress.
The challenge - 400lb for 10 dead stop reps. My goal for a long time was 400lb full stop on the deadlift. And my 'meet' max is around 470.
Warmed up (sweating like a sex pest in a girl's school. Humid as hell!)
110 for three sets of many
155 * 5
200 / 242 / 286 / 330 / 375 for singles
400 for 7 (reset between each and add more chalk due to the sweat factor!)
Target missed. However, at least 4 more than i have managed before......:-)
330 * 10 touch and go - 2 sets
Squats (ATG)
180 for 4 sets of 10
Abs - many
Back raises - 50
And out. Overall - happy. Missed by goal but that just leaves room for improvement, right? And a big PR was set anyway!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Training in ManCave 3.0 (previously a bedroom and a front room!)
Posts
3,548
Have had a little bit of free time and looked back on my numbers from my old log.
Progress has been slow. My weight has remained about 96-98k throughout and my job and other things will always take priority. However....progress is progress and whilst my weight has remained stable, I have competed and bettered myself several times now. Onwards and upwards.
By years end, I want my 500lb deadlift, a 300lb bench and a better squat (naming no numbers!) These are all within my reach.
My journey to a 1000 total from a beginner....achieved!
So I set myself a challenge for deadlift day - its some time away from a potential 'meet' week and testing yourself (and occasionally failing) is the only way to progress.
The challenge - 400lb for 10 dead stop reps. My goal for a long time was 400lb full stop on the deadlift. And my 'meet' max is around 470.
Warmed up (sweating like a sex pest in a girl's school. Humid as hell!)
110 for three sets of many
155 * 5
200 / 242 / 286 / 330 / 375 for singles
400 for 7 (reset between each and add more chalk due to the sweat factor!)
Target missed. However, at least 4 more than i have managed before......:-)
330 * 10 touch and go - 2 sets
Squats (ATG)
180 for 4 sets of 10
Abs - many
Back raises - 50
And out. Overall - happy. Missed by goal but that just leaves room for improvement, right? And a big PR was set anyway!
That's damn good work! I can't DL reps for shit! I can pull heavy singles all day, but I suck at reps. 400 for 7 is awesome. My best single is 455 and I've got 475 in me, but have only pulled 405x4!