Gary III: The Comeback

[Carlos Daniel]

Same thing for deadlifts. People do rack pulls (a.k.a partial deadlifts) all the time on the premise that it improves the deadlift. I know Mike Bridges does/did heavy partial squats regularly. Mariusz Pudzianowski does leg curls and leg extensions. I think the beef against half-squats is from the disdain we feel from the people almost all of us have seen in commercial gyms who only do half squats, but claim that they're squatting.

I think, at least around here, that half squat is frowned up because it has some injury potential if done with enough weight to be challenging and the fact that there's no landmark that defines the bottom of a half squat (this is the "serious" reason). The disdain (frowning up is different than disdain) is for the reason you mentioned: they half squat, quarter squat and go around saying they're squatting.

[LeonidasfromSparta]

It's weird about the effusion. Squatting causes some, but sleeves and wraps really help minimize that by absorbing the shock at the very bottom of the lift. It's walking, standing for long periods or roughhousing that really traumatize the knee. The right knee used to react the same way, but now it's as stable as can be. I continue to hope that the left will eventually stabilize too.

Gary, I'm curious, for your knees have you ever tried joint support supplements, like a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin?

[Gary Gibson]

I think, at least around here, that half squat is frowned up because it has some injury potential if done with enough weight to be challenging and the fact that there's no landmark that defines the bottom of a half squat (this is the "serious" reason). The disdain (frowning up is different than disdain) is for the reason you mentioned: they half squat, quarter squat and go around saying they're squatting.

Half squats are easy enough to figure out. I set the pins so that I'm an inch or two above parallel (full squats are an inch or two below). It varies with the gym and the power rack available. Real PL gyms will have racks with plenty of gradations for fine tuning. Heavy half squats from this area will have your quads and glutes screaming. Hamstrings are left out, but the intensity is turned up on the quads and glutes. I find this more effective for the quads and glutes than front squatting. This is also a matter of individual anthropometry. With my spine-to-femur length ratio, I get more quad/glute benefit from half squats than I do from front squats. Those with better squat leverages (able to stay more upright in the squat) probably won't benefit from the half squatting as much as I do and could just use the front squat for the same purpose.

I confess that I do feel like an idiot when I half squat in public, especially when I lift in a non-PL gym, because I'm at heart a squat purist. It's vanity and pride that has me hoping the other gym-goers see me full squatting over three plates before they see me half or quarter squatting. Still, I'm not going to let dogma get in the way of doing what works for me. That's what has me using heavy PL wraps on days my knees need something more than knee sleeves. Hell, I even do the occasional light, high rep leg extensions on days I deadlift but don't squat. And I even do barbell curls to help with both my bench (the biceps proximal function is to adduct the humerus) and chins. Those who think wraps are "cheating" or that leg extensions and curls aren't "functional" or hard core can go pound sand.

Gary, I'm curious, for your knees have you ever tried joint support supplements, like a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin?

I tried those in the past and now that I'm in the middle of my 30's, I may need to try that shit again.

2011-11-17
Tuck Jumps ~ x 5 x 3
Pogo Hops ~ x 15 x 2
Standing Vertical w/ 2 bands x 3 x 3, w/ no bands x 3 x 3 to 25"

Hamstring pain was mild to begin with and almost gone today. Doesn't happen at all with upright torso squatting or vertical jumps. Jumped tonight mostly not to feel so old and creaky. Things generally fine after some warming up. I know power and speed improvements can lag strength improvements, but I'm about as strong as I've ever been on the high bar squat but only jumping 25-26", a full two inches below my best range of 27-28". I'm hoping to jump 30" when I can high bar squat 405 without belt or wraps. Definitely squatting in a couple of days and going for 385 with loose wraps (equivalent of 365 in knee sleeves), but not sure about deadlifting with this hammy tweak (even though the pain is almost entirely gone). Using the wraps for occasional overlimit stimulation.

[Carlos Daniel]

Hey, you're preaching to the choir. I've been doing a lot of curls and see no problem doing leg extensions and curls for certain specific purposes. I do think it's dumb for someone to do them heavy and as their main exercise, but you're not doing that so it's cool. And what's wrong with having biceps anyways? I wrap heavy for anything above 300 too.

[Gary Gibson]

2011-11-19
Back Squat, high bar, no belt
(knee sleeves)
45 x 10 x 2
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2
315 x 1
345 x 1
315 x 1

Bench Press
55 x 10
105 x 6
145 x 5
195 x 2
225 x 1

A bit of a setback today, but I suppose it's for the best. Shared a bottle of wine last night. Only a couple of hours of sleep and saw my travel companion off at the airport after we missed her original flight. Ran around a lot today, drank a bunch of beer and then split another bottle of wine and smoked a bunch of cigarettes with another friend who came back home today. Took a short nap, woke up very slightly hungover.

When I got to the gym I found that right knee had new sharp pain. Left knee felt tight at bottom of squat with just the bar. Wore knee sleeves the entire session and they really helped. Worked up to 315 and tweaked hamstring felt okay. Felt a hint of pain with 345. Wrapped up and walked out 375, but realized I had no chance of getting out of the hole with it and would likely pull the semi-healed hammie trying. So I just put it back. Happy to get within 10 lbs of last week's best despite the alcohol and lack of sleep. Did one rep with 315 and realized I had no hope of getting any volume so moved on to bench.

Last time I failed to get past the previous week's best, I ended up getting 20 lbs more the next week. So I hope I'll hit 365 next Saturday. Got to keep reminding myself that even if I only get 10 lbs/month, I'll be around a 500-lb high bar squat by Jan 2013.

225 felt heavy on bench. Before I could get to volume sets, gym lights started getting turned off and I had to leave. Good thing I suppose. Kept me from considering deadlifts. So today was a very mild day with minimal volume. Put up good singles with near my recent best weights.

Went ice skating for the first time in Central Park a couple days ago. Only fell on my ass twice and made it around the rink about a dozen times. I could feel the left knee coming unglued due to the lateral motion. Drew 30 cc full of rice bodies the next morning. Knee feeling much better now.

[Gary Gibson]

2011-11-22
Standing Vertical Jump
- multiple warm ups to ~26"
- x 4 x 2 w/ 2 light bands (potentiation)
- x 4 x 2 to ~27"

Dunk Practice
- standing, one-handed grab on 9'10" rim x 3; standing dunk on 9'10" rim w/ tennis ball x 3, w/ child's soccer ball x 3
- running, two-legged grab on 9'10" rim x 3; running dunk w/ soccer ball x miss, miss, miss, x 1, miss, miss

Sprints
- short sprints x 2

Drained 45 cc from the left knee last night. Another night hanging out at bars and playing video games. I expect that there will be a lot more to drain tomorrow with all the jumping and hard landing I did today.

Right hamstring feeling great, but I felt a hint of pain on my second short sprint. Just a hint. I slowed down immediately. Easing back into sprinting. Hamstring wasn't that damaged to begin, but don't want to make things bad. Really hoping it will be up to snuff when I attempt 365 or more with the high bar squat on Saturday or Sunday (may be Sunday to get that extra day of healing). Hamstring was good for a 345 squat three days ago when it was in a lot more pain.

[Gary Gibson]

Later. Realized gym may be closed or have reduced hours on Thursday and Friday plus I may be too busy to get to the gym after tonight. So I went and did Thursday's session tonight.

Close Grip Overhead Squat from c&pp 45 x 5, 95 x 5, 115 x 3, 135 x 2, 145 x 1, 155 x 1
Power Snatch (between CGOS sets) 95 x 3, 115 x 2, 135 x 1, 145 x 1

Press out of Rack
x 1, x 2, x 3
x 1, x 2, x 3
x 1, x 2, x 3
x 1 , x 1 (missed 2)
(total = 20)

Chin w/ 45 lbs
x 1, x 2, x 3
x 1, x 2, x 3
x 1, x 2
x 1
(total = 16)

That push press with 155 to CGOHS position was embarrassingly slow and hard. I can't jerk for shit. I think I'll power snatch more often. The 145 felt snappy, but I knew I'd be missing with even another 2 lbs. +1 lb/week = 200 lb power snatch by 2013. Got press ladders target and did a couple more for good measure. Got close to chin ladders target with the weight. I think I'm good for all three ladders by next chin session (two weeks).

A word about organization for now...

Day 1: Squat + assistance or light squat + DL, Bench
Day 2: Jump, sprint, play and/or weightlifting variants
Day 3: Overhead squat, press, Chin/Pull up

A word about hopes for around 36th b-day:
405 beltless/wrapless high bar squat...
495 beltless conventional deadlift...
near bodyweight press and snatch (90%)...
dunk a soccer ball on regulation 10' rim...
strict curl over 100 lbs...
pull up with 10 lbs for 15 reps...

Before I'm 40 I hope to high bar squat 2.5 x bodyweight, dunk a basketball from standing, conventional deadlift triple bodyweight, power snatch and press 1.25 x bodyweight.

[Gary Gibson]

36th birthday approaching in a few weeks. I wish what I learned in the last three years -- starting with what I learned from Rip -- I had learned when I was a teenager. I've since adjusted my means (high bar squats, no belts, sprinting and jumping training), but I recently read an article on progression from Rip that made a lot more sense after a couple years of personal experience.

I just thought hard about what it is I'm trying to accomplish. I want strong, powerful legs. I want those legs to be useful in the real world as exhibited by running fast and jumping high. I'm far too old to become skillful at a given sport, but I want raw power and speed. This means as big a squat as I can manage plus training leaps and sprints. I also want to compete in powerlifting so I need a big deadlift and a decent bench. While I don't want to compete as a weightlifter, I do think a heavy snatch is just about the coolest looking thing one can do with a barbell (plus the snatch is kinder to my anthropometry because it lets me get the bar much closer to my hips at the start of the second pull than the clean does).

I weigh 180 lbs right now, but too much GOMAD has me carrying about 10 lbs of fat that I really don't need. I can be a lot stronger at 180, maybe 100 lbs stronger on the squat and deadlift alone. I think I can top out at a low fat 185-190. Here's what I'd like to be doing at <190...

SQ 500 (high bar, no belt or wraps), 600 (low bar with belt)
BP 365 (touch and go), 345 (paused)
DL 600 (conventional, no belt), 700 (sumo with belt)

Press 225
Chin + bodyweight

Power snatch 250, full snatch 275
Standing Vertical 40"
Sprint 40 yds 4.8 seconds

What I realized just a couple weeks ago was that small gains over time will add up to all these goals. I can Olympic squat ~360 right now. Just 10 lbs/month would get me to 500 lbs in less than 18 months. I can probably still get more than 20 lbs/month right now. Even when gains inevitably slow to just 5 lbs/month, I could hit 500 lbs with around a year of consistent work and with a little patience. Same goes for all my lifting goals.

My raggedy, rusty power snatch tonight was 145. Just 5 lbs/month -- 1.25 lbs/week -- would get me to 250 in 18 months (assuming consistent work on the squat; the snatch, vertical and sprint improvements are all assuming increasing squat ability). That same rate of progress on my mortal enemy the bench would have me benching in the mid-350's in 18 months as well. That glacial rate of progress would also have me chinning with bodyweight added in 18 months, too. Even if these numbers are optimistic and it takes me twice as long, 36 months isn't forever. It's not even that long to wait.

I don't have the biochemistry, the hormonal milieu to make the gains I could have at 18. But I'm starting to have some of the necessary wisdom to appreciate how long gains take to make and to understand that adding the tiny plates every couple of weeks will get me to my goals sooner than I realize.

Oh, and I really should have been drinking a lot more water all along.

[Gary Gibson]

The Comeback is just about done. Stalled at 350 +/- 5, just a few pounds shy of my best ever squat. Vertical is back near its peak too. Back to My Muscular Buttocks.