DirtyRed Attempts Legitimacy

[DirtyRed]

yeah yeah yeah week long update shut up.

On Saturday, I hit a nice 285 lbs C&J, again, just to get one good heavy rep. I tried 295 lbs three times, cleaned it really nice three times, and JUST couldn't get the jerk three times. Great for the shoulders, I tell you. I might do better than 285 lbs if I stopped trying to jump up 10 lbs. I'm feeling good about 295 lbs next time though. Because I am DirtyRed and I don't learn lessons. Could probably do the dips a bit heavier next time.

Intensity Week 1: Saturday 2-24-2018
Clean&Jerk: 285 lbs single, 295 PHAYLE
Push Press: 220 lbs 5x3
Deadlift: 505 lbs 3x1
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 3x8
Weighted Dips: 3x5 45 lbs

Back to volume week, fucking hell. I tell you, Trump needs to do something about the fucking Persians going around the gym, leaving their weights on EVERY POSSIBLE CONTRAPTION. Also, a guy I regularly see in there who does some powerlifting apparently got bored. He took the aerobic step platform things, stacked it as high as he could (MAYBE 4 feet off the ground), so that he could lay on it with a barbell in the gap between the supports of the thing, in order to do the world's strictest barbell row. Of all the absurd shit I've seen people scheme up in the gym, this is, by a wide margin, the least idiotic.

Also, I am getting a lot better at hang snatches. Shows what doing them for the first time ever can accomplish.

Volume Week 2: 2-26-2018
Snatch: 190 lbs 6x2
Hang Snatch: 155 lbs 5x2
Squats: 425 lbs 5x8
Barbell Rows: 4x8 185 lbs

I started doing these volume C&Js quite a bit heavier than last time, because it's about the only jerk practice I can really get and that won't MEAN much more than fuck all if it isn't at least heavy enough to make me do it kind of right. And I can clean 275 lbs easily enough that I have no worries about that impacting recovery or causing nagging aches. I also added 10 lbs to deadlifts, because I am DirtyRed and I don't learn lessons. Those were remarkably hard.

Volume Week 2: 2-27-2018
C&J: 275 lbs 10x1
Standing Press: 145 lbs 4x8
Deadlifts: 425 lbs 3x5
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 3x10

[Sean Herbison]

so that he could lay on it with a barbell in the gap between the supports of the thing, in order to do the world's strictest barbell row.

Seal row?

[DirtyRed]

Seal row?

Yes. Except more functional because he used the doofus aerobic equipment, thereby teaching them a lesson about doing stupid shit with USEFUL equipment.

Thursday's workout kind of sucked. None of the actual stuff I did was too hard or uncomfortable, all things considered, but I got to the gym later than usual, and then somehow I got sucked into an hour long deadlift symposium on how to STOP SHOOTING YOUR HIPS UP immediately at the start of the pull. So that's why I was in the gym until freaking midnight.

Bench press went loads better than last week though. The perks of doing it for three weeks, compared to not doing it for four months, I suppose. Will definitely increase weight next time.

Volume Week 2: Thursday 3-1-2018
Snatches: 205 lbs 5x1
Paused Squats: 475 lbs 5x3
Bench Press: 225 lbs 2x8
Chin Ups: 3x10

Saturday was the first sunny, quasi-warm day of the year as far as I can remember. Which meant that every chump ass sucker was out enjoying the splendor of nature with their loved ones and all that lame shit, so I got to lift in peace for once. Relatively speaking, anyway, there was still one dweeb half squatting LMAO1PLATE. There's always some dweeb half squatting LMAO1PLATE.

Also, I'm trying out a new thing called A Fucking Load of Volume on Volume Week. So I did MORE squats, in a sort of pyramid set scheme, without anything TOO assbustingly difficult. Just a load of reps to build more volume, and one rep over 90% because that needs to be done every so often.

Volume Week 2: 3-3-2018
Clean&Jerk: 280 lbs 5x1
Push Press: 225 lbs 5x3
Deadlift: 455 lbs 3x3
Squats: 405x8 455x5 495x3 545x1 405x8

[DirtyRed]

Good to be in Kind of Light week again. Mixed up the speed squats a wee bit. On account of indications that the highest power displayed on something like this is at about 50% of one's max, and given that if I squat 50% of my max as hard as I can, I am capable of launching the bar off my back, I used some bands to increase resistance as I came up, and hold the damn bar down on my back. My gym is a weird mix of the dumbest, unliftingest, Planet Fatness level nonsense and actual lifting equipment. They certainly felt faster, at any rate. Completely not sure what actual effect this will have on training power, to whatever extent power can be directly trained with powerful shit.

Speed Week 2: Monday 3-5-2018
Snatch: 4x2 190 lbs
Power Snatch: 175 lbs 4x2 <-Can probably try 180 lbs next time.
Speed Squats: 285 lbs with the bands they say are 50 lbs of resistance 3x8
Dips: 5x10
Curls: 85 lbs 4x10

Tuesday was off to a poor start. I shot a few threes on the half court in the back of the gym while warming up because boredom. I somehow managed to pull either my bicep or some forearm muscle at the elbow. Which is too bad, because I was just about to drive up to Cleveland and put LeBron back in his place, but now I'll probably be resting whatever stupid thing I did to myself until I can find another excuse to never go to Cleveland.

While it lightly ached the entire time, it didn't actually inhibit anything during the workout. Also, I did some mild deadlifts because I should probably deadlift twice a week in general for the volume. And more sit ups, because with the constant and dizzying work on my lower back, my abs probably need more to keep up and keep my fucking pelvis SORT OF in line. The best programming!

Speed Week 2: Tuesday 3-6-2018
Clean&Jerks: 275 lbs 7x1
Power Cleans: 245 lbs 4x2 <-Can probably also increase the weight with these.
Speed Bench: 170 lbs 3x8
Deadlifts: 405 lbs 3x5
Barbell Rows: 225 lbs 3x5
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 3x8

[DirtyRed]

I originally INTENDED to not wait all week to update. I like to think I'm more reliable than that.

Stop snickering.

I forgot to mention that I eased into overhead squats some on Monday, doing 3 sets of 3 with LMAO1PLAYT. I am really, REALLY bad at getting it into the overhead position off of my back. As long as I'm struggling with babbyweight I can easily power snatch, like a jackass, I'm just going to power snatch and do the overhead squats from there.

I also figured to do one kind of heavy snatch before the power snatches, because it seems like a handy idea to not go six days without one remotely challenging snatch (shut up).

Speed Week 2: Thursday 3-8-2018
Snatch: 205x1
Power Snatch: 175 lbs 6x2 <-Probably good to go to 180 lbs
Front Squat: 285 lbs 3x5
Squat: 405x8 455x5 495x3 405x8
Chin Ups: 3x10
Roman Chair Sit ups: 3x10

Did the same "one kinda heavy rep" deal with Clean and Jerks on Saturday. And did overhead squats and 155 lbs better than I did 135 lbs. That was a rather quick adjustment.

Speed Week 2: Saturday 3-10-2018
Clean and Jerk: 280x1
Power Cleans: 250 lbs 5x3 <-These really don't need to be any heavier in the near future
Push press: 225 lbs 5x3
Deadlifts: 1x5 445 lbs
Overhead Squats: 155 lbs 3x3

And onto Intensity Week. Goddamnit.

Intensity Week 2: 3-12-2018
Snatch: 205 lbs 10x1
Squat: 475 lbs 5x5
Barbell Row: 225 lbs 5x5

[DirtyRed]

Frantically logging this before I get THREE workouts behind.

Clean and jerks on Tuesday were quite a bit crisper than the snatches on Monday. Push presses were a struggle. Possibly because of all the jerking (haha, shut up) I was doing beforehand. I also did some moderate curls and sit ups, because I should probably do those things at least once a week for them to serve a useful purpose.

Intensity Week 2: Tuesday 3-13-2018
Clean and Jerk: 280 lbs 10x1
Push Press: 220 lbs 5x5
Deadlifts: 445 lbs 1x5
Roman Chair Sit ups: 3x10
Barbell Curls: 95 lbs 3x8

There was good and bad on Thursday.

Good: Snatched the fuck out of 215 lbs. Might have had a shot at 220 lbs if I didn't get distracting yapping with someone about gym equipment for 15 minutes after the 215 lbs.


I guess overhead squatting twice in my entire life helped my ability to hold a heavy ass weight overhead in a squat position. Would would have thought?

Bad: Pulled the fuck out of something squatting. On the third single, walking the bar with no goddamn center knurling, the weight KIND OF shifted, and a lat or erector or something else on the right side of my spine, in the lower thoracic area didn't like it. It wasn't enough to make me stop, and it only kind of felt funny, it didn't really HURT, for the rest of the day. Then I slept for 9 hours. That makes EVERYTHING hurt more. It was never especially PAINFUL going about business on Friday, but it was a constant goddamn limitation on movement (particularly the "Contort My Ass To Get Out Of The Civic" variety) until I took 4 Advil. While it's feeling less stiff and achy as I type this, it is still obviously not 100%. I'm going to take four more Advil and see how the Saturday workout goes. As I climb up in weights throughout the warmup, if it doesn't reach the point of a sharp pain that prevents me from actually PULLING the shit out of Clean and Jerks, I'll at least give 285 lbs a go. If it holds up for that, I should be able to do 295 lbs.

Intensity Week 2: Thursday 3-15-2018
Snatch: 215 lbs PR (bodyweight PR anyway, I had done it before a couple years ago at 230 lbs)
Squat: 555 lbs 5x1
Weighted Chin Ups: 25 lbs added 3x5
Bench press: 265 lbs 3x3 <-This can definitely go up in weight. Probably ten lbs.

[DirtyRed]

The previously mentioned back ache was much abated on Saturday, and clean and jerks went very well. Got 295 lbs so well I thought I'd try for 300. Which I got on the second try. I MIGHT make a note to take it a bit easier at the end of intensity week with some of the non-PR stuff though. I was unusually, barely-able-to-stay-awake tired after I got home, and even felt that way Sunday night. AND my deltoids ached like hell, probably from the push presses on top of the three attempts at C&Js heavier than I had done in a long time. Though THAT had mostly abated by Monday's workout.



Things WOULD be looking pretty good for dat dem dere 2playt snatch and 3playt C&J in about six weeks, if it weren't for the WKU alumni rugby match being tentatively scheduled for April 7th. Which would be the next Heavy Ass Clean and Jerk day. Heavy Ass Clean And Jerks will probably just be done on Friday (surely I'll be in tiptop shape for rugby the next day), which might make it difficult to show any progress the day after some heavy ass squats (though maybe I just do a couple fewer work weight squats that day). Also, once volume week is done, I'm going to start doing some of what could very charitably be called "running" in order to be able to play maybe ten whole minutes before resembling a beached whale. It won't be anything too crazy, just a couple weeks worth of periodic, middling conditioning to be a LITTLE bit less pathetic in the event the match actually takes place.

Intensity Week 2: Saturday, 3-17-2018
Clean and Jerk: 295 lbs single, 300 lbs single
Push Press: 230 lbs 5x3
Deadlifts: 515 lbs 3x1
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 10 lbs added 3x8
Weighted Dips: 50 lbs added 3x5

While I was still feeling a bit worn out, Monday's workout went smoothly. Also, I was wearing a rugby t-shirt and got interrupted by a guy who wanted me to explain how a ruck worked to him and by the time I managed to do it I forgot if I was on the third or fourth set of squats. So I MIGHT have done six sets of squats. Which will only add to my swoleness, surely.

Volume Week 3: Monday, 3-19-2018
Snatch: 195 lbs 6x2
Squats: 430 lbs 5x8
Barbell Row: 195 lbs 4x8
Curlz: 85 lbs 3x10 <-I could likely add another 5 lbs to these sets of ten

It might be useful to keep in mind that the volume week weights aren't supposed to be crushingly difficult. The end of intensity week, followed by the first two days of volume week, including rather ambitions C&J weights, is exhausting. To the point of light quadriceps spams/cramps sitting around at home afterwards, and a general feeling of complete exhaustion. And I was noticeably struggling to "own" the weight on clean and jerks, due to losing speed and tightness as they went. A nice rest day and a lot of food (been at 219 for at least two weeks, despite wanting to gain a bit of weight) has me feeling much fresher, but either I'm going to need to include a second Speed/"Recovery Surplus" week and stick it in between Intensity and Volume weeks, or I'm going to have to take the weight increases on volume week a bit easier.

Volume Week 3: Tuesday 3-20-2018
C&J: 285 lbs 10x1 <-These do not need to increase next time. And only partly because there's a non-zero chance I'll be in traction come then.
Standing Press: 155 lbs 4x8 <-Also do not need increasing
Deadlifts: 425 lbs 3x5 <-Contrary to the past two paragraphs of whining, these could go up 5 lbs
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 10 lbs added 3x10

[DirtyRed]

Was feeling much fresher Thursday. Could definitely keep increasing dat bench press weight.

Volume Week 3: Thursday 3-22-2018
Snatches: 205 lbs 5x1
Paused Squats: 480 lbs 5x3
Bench Press: 235 lbs 3x8
Chin ups: 3x10

Was kind of torn between 290 and 295 lbs for the clean and jerks on Saturday. Went with 290 because I wasn't feeling 100% super wired at the time. That was probably a good decision, one of two of them at 290 lbs were a bit shaky, and I don't want to fail reps on volume week like a jabroni. Deadlifts felt stronk.

Volume Week 3: 3-24-2018
Clean&Jerk: 290 lbs 5x1
Push Press: 225 lbs 5x3
Deadlift: 465 lbs 3x3
Squats: 405x8 455x5 495x3 555x1 405x8

Also, I did this "cardio" nonsense on Sunday. I take solace knowing that I could not possibly have been in worse shape with respect to stamina and endurance. A couple weeks of this and maybe I'll be in my usual game shape of "play hard for 5 minutes then spend the rest of the match gasping for air while waddling from scrum to scrum," in the event the alumni match is actually happening.

Cardio Bullshit: 3-25-2018
Lap Around Track: 4x1
Sprint 20y jog 20y: 2x1
S40y J20y: 2x1
S60y: 2x1
"Gasser" (20 and back twice): 2x1
60y and back: 2x1

There were Van Winkleian levels of rest between some of these "sets."

Also, I don't know if it's minor allergies or a minor cold, but I have the sniffles again. This won't impact weightlifting unless it gets considerably worse, but it just might mean I can't do cardio for the rest of my life.

[DirtyRed]

My legs being lightly sore on Monday from the "running" on Sunday was expected. My upper back also being sore was not. I guess the arm flailing that accompanies "sprinting" caused it. Which also caused a bit of difficulty in loosening up enough to catch a fucking snatch overhead worth a shit. Once I finally did shake it off, everything went swimmingly.

Light Week 3: Monday 3-26-2018
Snatches: 200 lbs 4x2
Power Snatches: 180 lbs 4x2 (Good weight to stay at for the time being)
Speed Squats: 295 lbs with the usual bands 3x8 (Good weight to stay at, but might do another set or two in the future)
Dips: 5x10
Curls: 90 lbs 4x10

If you've been paying close attention, and apparently I haven't, you'll notice I forgot about overhead squats on Monday. I did them on Tuesday, making that workout long as fuck.

There was also some mentally unbalanced idiot taking barbells to and from the scale towards the front of the gym to weigh them, due to (ultimately accurate) suspicions that one weighed less than 44-45 lbs. Hint: It was me.

There was also a Persian fellow squatting LMAO3PLAET "handless," which I filed directly under "Impressive But Silly." He then proceeded to leave exactly one plate on either side of everything he used, which I filed directly under "Reasons to Nuke Iran."

I also managed to do something to irritate my right knee while power cleaning. In what was CLEARLY the most aggressive, powerful clean I did that night, there was a kind of mild but still really sharp pain right on top of my knee cap, which bugged me enough during the remaining cleans (the second one of that set and then two more in the last set) almost enough to make me stop. Partially because it's a lot harder to EXPLODE through minor pain than it is to slowly push through it, and fucking up my speed was really unpowering these power cleans. I THINK I just managed to contract my quadriceps so hard towards the top of the pull that I strained the patella tendon lightly. Once power cleans were done, it didn't bother me doing anything else. I'll see how it feels doing Thursday's (today's, shut up) workout.

Light Week 3: Tuesday 3-27-2018
Clean and Jerks: 285 lbs 5x1
Power Cleans: 250 lbs 4x2
Speed Bench Press: 175 lbs 3x8
Deadlifts: 405 lbs 3x5
Overhead Squats: 155 lbs 3x3 (Can definitely increase weight)
Barbell Rows: 225 lbs 3x5
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 10 lbs added 3x10

I continued to "run" on Wednesday. It was largely the same workout as on Sunday, except I wasn't nearly as winded the entire time, I didn't take nearly as much time in between runs, and everything seemed to be moving a touch faster. Though I cut the sprints a little short as my left leg started to complain. Some pain (deep ache) was in the hip flexor area, and there was also mild discomfort right below the knee. I don't know what the hell the problem with the knee is, and it has given me no bother since then, but I'm pretty sure I just lightly pulled a muscle taking off for one of the sprints or something, hence the upper quad ache. Not sure why, I SHOULD have been fairly adequately warmed up from the jogging that preceded sprints.

We'll see how all THIS responds to me ignoring it and continuing to train. I hope to get SOME running in before work tomorrow.

[DirtyRed]

Thursday largely went smoothly. Though there was a very slight ache in my right knee on front squats, and the heavier sets of regular squats. This is something that might recover entirely after the rugby match on Saturday, when I stop running like an athlete and go back to just lifting weights and sleeping.

Speed Week 3: Thursday 3-29-2018
Snatch: 205 lbs
Power Snatch: 180 lbs 6x2
Front Squats: 290 lbs 3x5
Squats: 405x8 455x5 495x3 405x8
Chin Ups: 3x10
Roman Chair Sit Ups: 10 lbs added 3x10

The weather was crappy on Friday, so I went to the gym to ride a bike for five minutes and then push a sled back and forth until I got bored. PROGRAMMING!!1!

The cardio MIGHT be taking a slight toll on my immediate ability to explode up heavy weights. The clean and jerk and power cleans, while done, were not done terribly well. I could also have just been "off" that one day. It's hard to tell.

Speed Week 3: Saturday 3-31-2018
Clean and Jerk: 290 lbs
Power Cleans: 250 lbs 5x3
Push Press: 225 lbs 5x3
Deadlifts: 450 lbs 1x5
Overhead Squat: 165 lbs 3x3 (Probably keep it here for next time, considering it'll be two weeks)
Curls: 90 lbs 3x10

I TRIED to run more on Sunday, but the weather chased me off again after running a couple laps, and the gym was closed because apparently a rabbit rose from the dead to usurp God. Or something. The point is, no religious significance is going to postpone the heat death of the universe, keep the fucking gym open while we can.