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Thread: Behind On Deads, But "Need" Chins

  1. #1
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    Default Behind On Deads, But "Need" Chins

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    So what if my deads are way behind such that I need to be doing them 1-2x alt. with PC's, but I want the extra upper body volume from chins to carry over to my BP and PR? Won't the entire world fall apart if I include 20 or so chins at the end of my workout while still making 10 pound jumps on DL?

  2. #2
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    Some context on where exactly you are in your LP would help, as well as starting and current weights.

    But in my benevolence, I will answer despite your lazy lack of context, cause I feel bad for a guy who can't straighten out his arms (low blow?): just do a bunch of sub-maximal sets of chins while you're resting between the warm-up and work sets of your cleans and you'll be fine. Not a super-set; do the cleans, rest a bit, do the chins, rest as needed, do the next set of cleans. How many sets and reps you should do depends greatly on your max set of bodyweight chins, but start small with a few very submax sets, add a set each workout, and when you're doing a set between every warm-up and work set, start to add a rep to some of the sets, then a rep to all the sets. You'll probably actually be doing chins on a dedicated day before you even reach that point.

  3. #3
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    Hey hey hey, let's just let that fact about my arms die shall we?

    Squat: 340x5x3 (5# jumps, incorporating light day)
    BP: 217.5x5x3 (2.5# jumps)
    DL: 345x5x3 (10#)
    PR: 140x5x3 (2.5#)
    PC: 165x3x5 (5#)

    BW: 181
    Age: 23

    I've always been decent at chins (from all that P90X I used to do; maybe that fact can replace the arm fact). I can do about 20 bw, and the most I've done weight is 3x5 @ 55# added, but weighted chins don't help out my elbows very much that already tend to get aggravated by my squat.

    Let's see what else. I have a pitbull, my favorite color is black, and I play the drums. Is that enough context?

  4. #4
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    How do you take your steak? If it's not medium rare, you'll never be strong anyway so don't bother continuing your LP.

    But if you decide to continue with your fruitless, Sisyphean labor anyway...you should probably switch to one set of five deads with 5 on Monday (switch to 5lb jumps as soon as you even begin to suspect that it might be a good idea), cleans on Friday, and dedicated chins on Wednesday's light squat day. If you want to do more chins than that, you can still incorporate the above advice into your clean workouts.

    Once you need to incorporate the light squat day, your days of alternating linearly increasing PC with linearly increasing DL every workout are numbered anyway. In the absence of being there to actually see your workouts and make super personalized adjustments, I'd advise switching to once per week DLs slightly before you need to, rather than out of necessity when you hit the wall hard. What that usually looks like, especially with those making 10# jumps, is you hit the DLs solidly workout after workout, then out of nowhere you only make 1-2 reps of the next jump (occasionally don't even get one rep), and the same happens when you try it again the next time. You wonder where you went wrong but because you haven't seen this hundreds of time before, don't realize that you're already stuck in the ditch that you've been digging for a couple weeks at that point and will have to waste a few weeks climbing out. Preemptively avoiding the ditch is better.

  5. #5
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    Typo on the deadlift reps/sets. Doing 1 set of 5.

    Unfortunately not a typo on my bodyweight. I've come from about 150. I'm currently eating 4200 calories (I'm tracking). It's been all "healthy" foods (eggs, bacon, chicken, rice, potatoes, milk, etc.) and so it's been quite the struggle for my itty bitty stomach to take in. I made the decision literally today that I'm going to eat out a bit more and skip on being so clean for a while. Yesterday, I literally didn't even have an appetite all day long and just force fed myself all day.

    Here's a video of my most recent deadz just so you can scope out bar speed:
    trim B577D84E 31A8 42E7 9D73 50C04FA2F8F5 - YouTube

    The reason my DLs are behind is that I stopped doing them for a few months. I was squatting maybe 265 and DLing 315 when I stopped and fooled around with some other things (you can figure out what other things if you watch the video closely enough).

    Anyways, Id hate to switch DL once weekly if I can make make progress at my current rate.
    I suppose next workout or so, I'll at least make the 5# switch. And I'll throw in some chins in between clean sets.

  6. #6
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    Sorry for the delay - been on vacation and then the coaches' conference and not on here much.

    Yes, I recommend switching to once a week because that should allow you to add weight on your LP for a longer period of time. In the longer run, more volume and possibly more frequency will be needed to drive progress, but since your goal right now is to add 5 lbs (not ten!) to a set of five as quickly as possible, and the SRA cycle is still relatively straightforward and simple and not terribly confounded by daily fluctuations in ability, just do a set of five once per week on your light squat day, and make 5 lb jumps.

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    No problem. I've seen you in pictures from the Conference so that alibi is confirmed. I fail to recall seeing any vacay pics tho so I'm skeptical on that, and the recent release of GOT increased my skepticism further.

    In the meantime, I've done 1/2x a week increasing @5#s so I'm going for 370x5 tonight. Also I've gained a couple of pounds in the process, at around 183 now. I'm really itching for 405 and I fear that's the cause of my hesitancy to switching 1x/week. But alas, I'll do what needs to be done, by orders of the King. (So I've been watching it too, ok?)

  8. #8
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    Clearly you don't follow my instagram, Ser.

    You might be fine continuing to deadlift on alternating days. At current pace, 405 is about a month away. Do you think you can keep it up another month?

  9. #9
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    I believe so. The one thing I'm worried about is my grip bc neither of the gyms I'm a member of allow chalk. I think I can get away with sneaking it into one since no one is there late at night😈.

    365x5 - YouTube

    But here's how my bar speed was looking at 365. The last rep looked markedly slower than the rest but I don't remember it feeling very difficult.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dlk93 View Post
    I believe so.
    vizzini classic.jpg

    Sorry bro, but that was a trick question. As a Novice, you really have absolutely no idea, due to lack of context for knowing, whether you can keep it up for a month. Even if I were coaching you in person, seeing every rep, at best I'd have an educated guess about something that far away.

    The one thing I'm worried about is my grip bc neither of the gyms I'm a member of allow chalk. I think I can get away with sneaking it into one since no one is there late at night😈.
    This is going to complicate things even more, unless you do your sneaky late-night thing.

    But here's how my bar speed was looking at 365. The last rep looked markedly slower than the rest but I don't remember it feeling very difficult.
    Was this with or without chalk? If with, I'd definitely suggest switching to once a week (or else continue to alternate but alternate light DL with new PR DL - which is actually a slower rate of increase than just DLing once a week with a 5 lb jump). Getting to 405x5 on your LP is cool and all, but don't be stubbornly stupid to do it sooner.

    Also, step under the bar so it's closer to your shins - only an inch away - and do the rest of the set-up from there. You're starting with the bar forward of midfoot.

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