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Thread: Stuffed Superdud: Bumpy road to respectable lifting

  1. #1031
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Quote Originally Posted by MBasic View Post
    -Start with bar OUT PAST THE TOES (past the shoes?)
    -Strength isn't important
    -Shoulders BEHIND bar at the start
    -(about three or four other things)
    I've yet to find this 'guy', or his teachings/writings.
    I admit that's an extreme, and I personally don't know who would teach any of these... except for #2. I've actually met a few coaches who actively discouraged their lifters from doing heavy pulls (even clean/snatch pulls and high pulls) or squat variants besides front squats, claiming that being 'stronger than necessary' 'interfered with the movement pattern.' As you can imagine, they were not successful coaches .

  2. #1032
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    Quote Originally Posted by MBasic View Post
    BUT I believe the bar should be over roughly the ball of the foot, and this is what is described in most Russian literature as far as I know (Roman, etc).
    The midfoot thing as described in SSBBT3 is fucking with alot lifters.
    This is where we disagree. about 3" to 4" or where the bar should start. Seem petty or anal but its a big deal.

    ....

    Re: Russians, IDK about what you said there . . . Alot of those guys start with their hips real low; sort dynamic start; with the bar forward at the start no doubt . . . .not SS model.
    I meet everyone halfway: I set up with low hips and the bar over the balls of my feet, but then I'll put my hands on the bar and pull it backwards until it is midfoot as I set my back and raise my hips. I stop here for a second before the lift though, so not what you would call a dynamic start, but sort of, ish??

    Quote Originally Posted by CJ Gotcher View Post
    I've actually met a few coaches who actively discouraged their lifters from doing heavy pulls (even clean/snatch pulls and high pulls) or squat variants besides front squats, claiming that being 'stronger than necessary' 'interfered with the movement pattern.' As you can imagine, they were not successful coaches .
    That's the problem when anyone can watch YT, go to an Attitude Nation seminar, and immediately start "coaching." The two Soviet coaches at my gym have been marinading in the system all their lives, and it wasn't until nearly the twenty-year mark, when both were more or less done with serious lifting, before either before even thought to try coaching. That said, I did ask them about the role of heavy back squats and pulls, and the consensus was that there's a place for them, but only in the earliest block of a training cycle, or if technique is way ahead of strength; otherwise, a lifter's limited supply of recovery points is better spent practicing the actual movements. Has nothing to do with "interfering with the movement pattern" though because that'd be retarded.

  3. #1033
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    I didn't train on Friday because CG and I had to catch up on The Americans and then PTFO early to prepare for Saturday.

    Saturday, CG put together an informal going-away party for me where a few of us drove down to San Diego (UGH it was last-minute and I forgot to check with Lt. Gotcher if he was around) to eat at Phil's BBQ, tour the USS Midway, and stumble through the Gaslamp Quarter. Altogether one helluva day, starting with a assload of meat followed by all the goodness of American naval aviation, and a stop at a Stone Brewery tasting stop where I finally got to try this year's imperial stout. Highly recommend all of the above for anyone touristing in SD. The Midway itself took a bit of a bittersweet turn when CG saw the enlisted berthing and went, "Yeesh can you imagine living on this thing?," to which I replied, "Actually yes." The TLDR is, in college I was planning on being a SWO(N) but put it off (and seriously pissed off a senior chief in the process) to go to graduate school immediately after graduation, a decision that may not have been the correct one. In grad school I tried to get back in but was only given subs, something I wouldn't mind if I were 19 again, but it wasn't carriers and didn't outweigh the chance to keep on doing biomedical R&D, so I eventually told the recruiter sorry and got this new gig with DoD...and that was the end of a dream deferred. Hopefully it's still a good outlet for my (perhaps misguided) sense of patriotism, but sorta lacks the flair, eh? Oh well, life is what happens when we're busy making other plans, right? Here's hoping shit pays off this next leg of the way, is what I am trying to say, I guess.

    Sunday was a wash because I was hung over and Jack and I spent the day welding a gate with our amateur skills and his set of crappy tools. Did we both pick up obnoxious sunburns from the TIG welder? Yes. Lame!

    Monday I failed again because I had to work late and was exhausted by the time we got off.

    Which brings us to today. I did:

    Snatch:
    40kgx3x2
    50x3x2
    60x3x2
    70x3
    A few sloppy misses here and there from lack of concentration (no coach) but the weight itself feels light during the pull, i.e. perhaps the leg strength is finally back.

    Clean pulls:
    90x5
    110x4
    130x4
    150x3

    Deadlift:
    170x1
    175x5

    Back is roasted, and my left erector is a bit tight. Probably gonna have to work harder on it, before it turns into a time bomb. It just occurred to me that I have never missed a single DL in my life, but today felt pretty heavy, and last time I was in this territory, I was already on TM. Might need to transition over soon, before I lose my perfect record.

    Minor cool bit: CG tagged along and brought a friend, hoping I could get them both squatting. Turns out there was no time for that, but CG did load up a bar with 50kg and to my surprise remembered all her cues and easily pulled it for a single. IIRC, her best back when she did that half-assed LP in 2014 while bouncing back from chemo was something like 45kg x3? In any case, she expressed interest in doing a slow LP...just as I am about to leave town. Perfect.


    Just saw that Tommy Kono died. Huge loss to the WL community, and to the world, really. I can only imagine what #s he could have put up using today's training methods, but it says a lot when modern lifters who have surpassed him on stage still agree that he was probably the best there ever was, and reigned for nearly fifteen years in a sport where guys are world champions at age 18 and gone by 21. Straight up they-don't-make-them-like-they-used-to kind of thing. Here's a....uh....tbt?? Of a seminar he gave several years ago at the Arnold talking weightlifting technique. This is what happens when a humble master who has spent over six decades at the highest level of the sport talks.



    Fun fact: it was through this series of videos that I learned that nearly all big-dick internet coaches, be they CF or USAW affiliated, really just need to shut the fuck up and go get the real coaches a drink.

  4. #1034
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    Back was surprisingly okay given yesterday's efforts. I was hungry all day though.

    Training:
    Power clean + snatch press 1+5
    50kg x1
    60x1
    70x1x2

    Press (cleaned):
    50x5
    60x5
    70x3
    75x3,3
    Ugh no way around it. Fun part's over; time for TM.

    Life:
    Nothing exciting is happening except that this is my last week being Jack's internal project manager (I was the technical writer until they realized the were understaffed at everything) before bouncing. I was terrible at it, but if nothing else, the past few months really gave me an appreciation for all the #2 men of the world. I'm not talking about useless guys like VPOTUS, either, but the XOs, COOs, and first mates of the world, the guys who do the dirty work of turning the fearless leader's crazy visions into actionable items and eventually results, all while preventing leadership and staff from killing each other. My current favorite? The sleazebag Wags on Billions (played the meek Gale guy from Breaking Bad).

  5. #1035
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    I was comically sore on Thursday, so that ended with me...I don't remember what happened on Thursday, actually. On Friday, I briefly entertained the notion of training but then CG announced a last-minute barbecue and you'd be an idiot to miss that, which brings us to today.

    Squat:
    135x10
    225x5
    315x3
    365x1
    375x5x3 Another volume PR...do volume PR's count?

    I knew it was going to be a good day when there was no noticeable difference between air squats and 135. 375 was mostly easy; was probably good for 385. However, my right (good) knee has been showing bits of tendonitis here and there so I took it easy. The second set got tricky halfway through when the unclamped weights started sliding a bit, but I got it. Had to work in with a bunch of college-age PL fucksticks who set the barbell up the wrong way, facing away away from the wall "to prepare for competition," which provided for an interesting experience. Their alpha was pound-for-pound not weak, but he weighed about 120lbs, so while his squat triples at 290lbs were nearly 2.5x BW, at the end of the day still 290 is still 290. Sorry bosscat; ants are strong for their weight and billions die needlessly every day.

    I am really sore and tired. Time to go read up on Game of Thrones, I guess. Yes, I have to pre-game before each episode. It's better that way, trust me.

  6. #1036
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    Almost forgot that I trained today, as I was in and out in about twenty minutes.

    Press:
    Volume-ish day
    45lb x10
    95x5
    115x5
    135x5
    145x5
    150x5x2
    155x5

    Very easy. Could probably have dialed it up to a straight 155x5x5? We'll see next week, I guess.

    Game of Thrones: SPOILER...ish:
    How 'bout THEM apples, eh? Ramsey is quietly turning into my favorite character, mostly because of his complete psychopathic devotion to his cause. Sheeesh imagine the possibilities if this guy were a cancer biologist or a nuclear physicist or something... Ehh but then he might just give us all cancer or something, iono.

    Fashion (non)Sense:
    Did anyone else get in on the Allen Edmonds anniversary sale? The options were kinda lame but they did knock a hundred bucks off the Fifth Street:


    ^HAVE MERCY

    The unique thing about the Fifth Streets is that they feature closed laces and an upper half that is mostly separate from the lower half (though they are not a "true" balmoral because hte upper does reach the sole), both of which step up their formality. These were what guys wore with their suits and ties back when commute meant dealing with horses and muddy unpaved roads, and "shoes" were reserved for evening chillaxation. For some reason, AE was the only non-custom maker I could find who did such a design; every other boot on the market features more casual open lacing, below:



    See the difference? (For more info go back to that chart I linked a few weeks back) The AE Dalton pictured above is the darling of the #menswear bullshit, but I'm too ugly and self-aware for Pinterest/Instagram and mostly just care about the history anyway, so I've been waiting for a deal on the Fifth Street.

    Welp it finally came, and I made my way down to their local store. Ended up standing outside for over an hour sweating bullets about the prospect of dropping three Benjamins on shoes ("Ugh this is gonna mean two more weeks of ramen and protein powder...."), while the manager stared at me from his podium. Finally got my shit together, marched in, and yelled at him, "I would like a pair of your Fifth Streets, brown, 10E!" He gave me a bemused smile and went, "Ooooooh we don't carry that in-store. Give me a second, let me order it up for you. So I stood there with my blue balls, still clutching my wallet in a trembling hand, while he filled out a paper form and kicked me out with, "Okay we'll call you in three days!" Most anticlimactic moment ever. Anyway they came the other day and and are awesome; totally suit-worthy up to level of formality second only to a traditional black oxford, but the brown ones can be dressed all the way down to jeans too. They're made on the same mold as the AE staples (Park Ave, Strand, etc) so just get them in the same size and you're golden. I'll post pics later when I have them on.

    For now, remember how I have more or less my entire wardrobe in my office? Below is a shot of nearly every non-gym shirt I own:


    One of the IT guys, a pompous Latin-lover type who shows up every day in gaudy neon silk shirts, black leather pants, and studded boots (don't get me wrong, we're totally work-BFFs), took a look and went, "Heh. Know what this says? 'Here is a man who will work hard when asked to do so while making sure to avoid many any waves in your organization. Also, he's great at taking copious notes." Kinda had a point. My sister was like, "LOL YOU REALLY LIKE PASTEL!....Fucking pussy..."

  7. #1037
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    Quote Originally Posted by mgilchrest View Post
    Yeah, those are "Hai guys and gals, I'm nice and friendly here in the office! Let's get some Tai food for lunch?"

    I wouldn't do neon silk, but some solid bold color shirts might be useful. Or at least some different patterns.

    Now you made me go look at the Century 21 website. If you can find your size (lol no for me usually), they have great deals.

    Here are some interesting shirts:

    Blue Esquire Dress Shirt - Century 21

    Navy & White Paisley Tailored Slim Fit Dress Shirt - Century 21

    Navy & Pink Stripe Trim Fit Dress Shirt - Century 21

    Tailored Fit Sacco Blue Stripe Dress Shirt - Century 21

    Purple Large Check Dress Shirt - Century 21

    https://www.c21stores.com/products/p...702d551a000131

    https://www.c21stores.com/products/e...702d551a000131

    https://www.c21stores.com/products/d...702d551a000131

    Now, I'm thinking if they ever make the mistake of putting me in line management, I'm going to have to make the drive to NYC and look for some nice shirts. Luckily I just do presentations to other middle aged nerds and can do them in sneakers and jeans.
    I kinda feel like I want to be in a suit when I go to the city for work. Feels right.

    Granted I work in pajamas 90% of the time. Though now new company does a lot of video chats. WTF do i wear to those at 9am on a Wednesday. Fuck.


    SSD; speaking of shoe porn. Picked up a pair of these for my cosplay this weekend:
    http://smile.amazon.com/FRYE-Mens-Ha...+harness+boots

    Or maybe it was just the first comment that also influenced the purchase.

  8. #1038
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    Ahaha Gilchrest how long did it take you to compile that list for me? You guys are totally right though, for two reasons. 1. I don't have the keenest eye for pattern/color matching, and these friendly colors and low-key patterns are much easier to mix and and match with pants and jackets, and 2. I had to buy new dress shirts after my neck grew by over an inch since stepping up the Olympic lifts and TM'ing my squats/deads, and I had to start with the basics. Then I just got lazy with the rest, until now, I guess. What's Century 21, btw? The inventory looks similar to Macy's... (Wait this isn't some sort of #startinglength Rhode Island based bear-to-cub supplier, is it?)

    I'm actually digging a lot of the ones on your list, but they're not in my size. Gives me ideas for what to look for though. Is this one of those things where you start mailing me things you want me to wear? Because that shit is real, and CG's closet is full of dresses sent to her by someone from a class she TA'ed, a weirdo engineer who went to college at age 60... I'm just asking if this is what that is, btw; I am by no means protesting this plan that you may or may not be proposing.

    Anyhoo, now that you've got me shopping, I actually get most of my shirts from Charles Tyrwhitt. Check them out if you haven't done so already. They have a dizzying assortment of patterns, and and you can order in your actual sleeve length instead of some nebulous 34/35 type thing. Most importantly though is that their extra slim fit happens to match my shoulder:stomach:wiast #s perfectly, so a custom fit for $30 apiece? Brilliant. Here's the link to the $30 promotion and a reddit-compiled FAQ of sorts, if you're curious.

    Hooray shirts...

    Time to go see if they have their versions of the stripier options you linked.


    Idlehands
    Video chats are a confusing situation between a serious in-person meeting and a phone call. Can you just wear the suit jacket on top of a polo shirt or something? Or, if you have an extra $80 lying around, get a cheapo cotton blazer that can accomplish the same thing, only its casualness matches a bit more closely with a polo shirt. (Suit jackets, with their fancier cloth, tend to clash a bit in my eyes when you don't wear them with the matching pants and a dress shirt, but that might just be me.) When you go out though, wear your suit, man! Remember, it's never what you're wearing; it's how confidently/honestly you do it. Which btw is why I will never even try to pull off those boots you got. What's your costume? Are you going to be able to wear that in real life after the cosplaying is done? I miiight someday be tempted into getting a pair of jodhdur boots if they it for cheap, but this thing is on a whole different level. Interestingly, this is the one bit of menswear in which Jack isn't a total rube (he usually rides a motorcycle to work), and can school my sorry car-drivng ass. Unfortunately, he doesn't really like his boots and instead wears God-awful square toed shoes, circa 2001, whenever he's on the bike, to more easily operate the gearlever. You can lead a horse to water but you can't get rid of the Kenneth Coles, I guess.

  9. #1039
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    Jodhur look good. i got a bunch of fancy shoes the same way I got my shirts, and I can pull them off. I assume?

    Polo today and video chat made my chest look ridiculous. I figure at home I can skip the blazer, just cause suns out gunz out? Might be good to have one though. I want more clothes.

    Costume is Brock Samson from Venture brothers.

  10. #1040
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by mgilchrest View Post
    I ain't buying you shit, though. I did point you in the direction of cheap supply. That's about as altruistic I'll be. :-)
    Well. Guess I'll be taking my sugarcub business elsewhere.


    Quote Originally Posted by idlehands View Post
    i got a bunch of fancy shoes the same way I got my shirts, and I can pull them off. I assume?
    Dammit. Lucky bastard. And hey, whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're right, right?

    Quote Originally Posted by idlehands View Post
    I figure at home I can skip the blazer, just cause suns out gunz out? Might be good to have one though.
    Oh a nice blue sportscoat is great, and now I feel sort of naked when I don't have one one. For most people, it really builds them up into a more ideal male physique. Since you're already a jacked lifter it's not as big a game changer, but it does tie everything together nicely. Also, the sportscoat will separate you from the boys' uniform at every middle school dance. That and you're not popping uncontrollable boners, right? You can get nice cheapo ones at Banana Republic, J.Crew Factory or, (and yea, soooouuuper surprising) JCPenney. Cotton/linen, so it doesn't look as sexy but feels good in hot weather. For a really nice one, you can drop several hundred bucks at a time, or you can do what I did and be patient on ebay; that place is always flooded with barely-used menswear going for dirt cheap, so you just need to be patient and wait for what you want to surface at a low price.

    Quote Originally Posted by idlehands View Post
    I want more clothes.
    Careful; it's as slippery slope that not even the Dainite soles on those new Allen Edmonds you'll find yourself owning next month will be able to save you.

    Quote Originally Posted by idlehands View Post
    Costume is Brock Samson from Venture brothers.
    Send pics plz.

    Quote Originally Posted by King of the Jews View Post
    Grand entrance
    Holy ballstroke. Chant "K-O-T-J...K-O-T-J...K-O-T-J...." into a mirror at night and nothing happens, but jerk off once (okay thrice) at work while the miniskirted receptionist was taping up her blistered toes and pouting at her new Louboutins*, and our Lord and Savior cums right on schedule. Log PR!

    Ahem:
    Snatch:
    20kg xbillions
    40x3
    50x3x2
    60x3
    70x2
    80x1x2

    All easy. Cut it off here though due to time, and switched to:

    Snatch pulls:
    100x5
    110x5
    130x3
    140x2

    Snatch deadlift:
    155x5

    Right on the heels of my giving them a few hundred bucks for those Fifth Streets, Allen-Edmonds announced today a clearance sale that includes their saddle shoe, which I had been lusting after for a year but thought had been discontinued and not due to return till late this year for a scary $395. Now it suddenly exists and shows up on sale?


    For when you want to tell everyone that you you have the biggest, smartest, strongest, funniest dick in the room. CG: "Well, sure, either that or your some Urkel asshole wearing golf shoes."

    Gonna give them a call tomorrow make sure it's not a mistake. Hope it is, because if not, well...shit, that's going to be way more blowjobs than I was prepared to give this month. Goddammit AE, here, just take my PIN# and the title to my firstborn son.

    *Tarantino is intrigued. And God bless Christian Louboutin & Friends. CG: "Guys are so weird. So this is what happens to men who aren't distracted by vagina; these flaming gay guys look at women, get confused, and.....and start trolling us while taking our money! FUCK ALL GUYS!"

    EDIT: Heh that's an obnoxiously big picture. Oh well.

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