Reply With QuoteInteresting alternatives...
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Definitely still feeling some of Friday's heavy squats and deadlifts today. Which will lead into my programming thoughts below in the notes.
Squat
415x5x4
Notes: I had planned to start alternating weeks between a 3x5 and 5x5 here, but I've been feeling so good I decided to do 4x5 today. The basic plan is to add 5lbs but drop the volume to 3x5, then do the same weight for 5x5 the following week. The goal is to maintain volume at a high enough intensity to continue to drive Intensity Day, but not burn out on volume and get overtrained and stuck. I'll do 415x5x5 next week, and then 420x5x3. Considering how much weight I'm using relative to my maxes, I think it will work because it'll give me some volume adaptation, and the 5x5s are now heavy enough that they should also last more than just one week.
But, we'll see. I discussed it briefly with Andy when I was in Houston a couple weeks ago and he thinks it's worth a shot. I like it as an alternative to the one heaviest set of 5, then 4x5 at 5-10% less, because it really gives you a big break every other week. But, it might not work. We'll find out.
Power Cleans
95x3 - from jumping position, 95x3 - below kneecap, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 190x3, 205x3, 220x3, 205x3
Notes: So, my power cleans continue to be exceptionally unimpressive. Whether this is because I'm too fatigued when I do them, the less than hard floor, or my own technical shortcomings, or a combination of all three (most likely) - it's long past the point that they're doing anything for my deadlift. Which brings me to my next programming experiment.
I'm going to try Deadlifting every alternate Tuesday or Friday, instead of on a weekly schedule. So I'll end up deadlifting 3x/month. The big upside is obviously I get more recovery between deadlift sessions, but continue to do the lift more often than on an alternating weekly schedule as I did when I last ran the TM healthy last year.
The downsides are several. One is that I don't get a consistent exposure for deadlifts; sometimes it's after intensity squatting and sometimes it's after volume squatting, and if I'm trying to linearly progress the DL, that could change things. In the same vein, my squatting sessions will also be unevenly exposed to DL fatigue. Sometimes volume day will be right after a Friday deadlift, like today was. And sometimes VD and DL will be on the same day, with ID squatting only 3 days later. That will no doubt be rough.
The rotation will be DL, Power Clean, Clean Pull; basically an H/L/M pulling schedule over the 10-11 day cycle. I should be able to clean pull into the mid 300s right off the bat, which, done fast enough, should provide some training effect carry over to the DL. Plus I'll get yoked. The power cleans are just to maintain the movement because it's cool and athletic and they're light enough that they won't impede recovery.
I'm going to give it a try, in combination with the squat volume adjustments and see what happens. I can always switch things around easily enough if this doesn't end up working well. But my goal here is to prolong a regular schedule of weekly linear gains in all the lifts (and every 10-11 days in the DL), without burning out and needing a long de-load and ramp back up period.
C2 Erg
20/1:40 x 9 (2 warm-ups, 7 all out)
Paces: 1:56.2, 1:42.0, 1:28.4, 1:24.0, 1:24.0, 1:22.6, 1:22.6, 1:21.9, 1:21.9
Notes: Maybe this is also fatigue here and explains why the power cleans were so lame as well. I just couldn't explode here and get fast. No strokes were below 1:20. Lame.
Last edited by Michael Wolf; 03-11-2014 at 03:39 PM.
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Interesting alternatives...
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I'd be interested to know why you've gone for Clean Pulls over a slow DL variant? I'm facing a similar issue with my shitty power clean (c180lbs x 3 vs 450lb DL x 5) and was planning on doing SLDLs to add pulling volume but if the combined expertise of Comrade Wolf and Andy B think otherwise I'm keen to listen.Originally Posted by Michael Wolf
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Just to be clear, I spoke (briefly) with Andy about the squat volume variation, but not the deadlift/pulling stuff. IIRC, he hadn't tried something like that volume variant before, but thought it was a good enough idea to try. I know others (I think based on Lascek's recommendations) have done 3x5 for volume, so it's borrowing some ideas from here and there along with logic and my own experience TM-ing last year, and giving it a try.
For the pulling, I prefer to do the slower-but-heavier type pulls as back-offs rather than a different day in the pulling cycle. Andy talked about this in his Vlog. For me, I want to stay fresh for my big pulling days. Doing these type of pulls the next pulling day after my DL, I'm not recovered yet and this would dig the recovery hole deeper; doing them the following pulling day would be too close to the actual heavy DL day, so I wouldn't be fresh for my heavy DL set(s). So I do them as back-offs, right now typically switching between deficit pulls and halting DLs.
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Got it - thank you. Makes sense. I'm actually planning to switch my SLDLs from VD to ID back-offs once my ID deads get heavy but will think about keeping a light / fast pull on VD when I do that.
Starting Strength Coach
The weekend will indeed be awesome, but...Since we are just going to assume all these rumors are true, HOLY SHITBALLS this is going to be an awesome weekend!
Previously I might have thought the confluence of so much awesomeness in one place at one time would be, well...
But if the only competent DPT in the country says so, then perhaps that word doesn't mean what I think it means.
Member
Ya, I do like the idea of keeping a light pull on the alternate day. I know my PCs haven't helped drive my DL up for a long time already though, but there are other options besides PCs.
Member
Skipped bench today to see if my shoulder will feel better after doing so. I had to talk myself out of benching several times, but I did it. I also decided to pull tomorrow. Going to do one more on the weekly schedule before switching to the alternating Tuesday/Friday pulling schedule. After climbing back from such a long setback, I'm itching to pull 545x5, which will be a cool plate milestone. Once I do that tomorrow, I'll settle into the new schedule. I booked an hour and a half massage for Saturday evening when I'm done coaching; I am really looking forward to having my erectors mashed.
Today:
Press
200x5x3, 160x10
Notes: Pretty solid all around. A bit slower than I wanted, but not bad. Quads cramped at the end of the 160x10 set. Also did 3/5 reps in the 2.0 style. The longer I do it, the more I find myself getting out of it compared to the stretch reflex.
Chins
11,11,11,11
Notes: I think this is a volume PR, certainly for any time in recent memory.
Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Row
180/side (4x45) x 10 x 2
Notes: Happy I could still get 2x10 after all the chins.
Finished with a couple sets of tricep work and even a set of lateral raises. For dem caps, yo.
Member
Another good day at ze training times. Miss Sarah a lot though, I got spoiled by having good eyes and a loud voice to help me through my sets. In just a couple months, I forgot how hard coaching myself by feel is, vice getting coached by someone who knows the model. Dammit. Still had a solid day though.
Squat
475x3x2
Notes: Not quite as well executed as last week's reps, but pretty decent, and they were pretty fast. Overall happy with today's squatting.
Deadlift
545x5
Halting DL
435x5x2 - beltless but couldn't DOH
Notes: I have wanted this plate milestone for A LONG time. Finally got it today. Definitely a noticeable slow-down from 525 and 535, but got all the reps and none were a shit-show. Also, my hook held for all 5 reps this week, which I was happy about. I had to re-set it before the last one, but it held and I didn't have to switch to a mixed grip for the last rep.
Pre-pull barking included for your viewing pleasure:
C2 Erg Intervals
30s Row / 90s rest x 8
Paces: 1:50, 1:42, 1:35, 1:33, 1:33, 1:34, 1:32, 1:28
Ran out of gas on the last one, was trying to row harder. Just didn't have anything left.
Then, chipotle for the first time in a while. I've been budgeting more and not going to chipotle, but felt today's milestone pull was an appropriate occasion for celebration. So many gainzzzzzzzzzzzz.
✓ Member
Woohoo! Squats were really fast.
That last pull looked a little harder, but as a set it's moving really well. Good job, Wolf. =)
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