Moving Heavy Stuff

[TripleSixHoppia]

Still running my forever program. It's been great with southern KY getting blasted with ice, the gym losing heat, and having virtual school with the kid. I just run the workouts in order and not worry about the day of the week or how many workouts in a week I've hit.

Yesterday was bench 5+. I ended up hitting 230 (105kg) for a set of 7, probably could have squeaked out a rep or two more, but I had no spotters to take it to true failure.

 

[Skittle34]

Why 5x5? Volume seems excessive compared to say 5x3 where you can focus on heavier weight.

Mainly for technique and reps at the moment. I haven't done proper cleans since grad school in 2019 and had access to a varsity weight room. As I get more comfortable, I'll play around with volume and heavier weight.

 

[Stakem]

On today’s episode of buying more weights that were totally unnecessary……

I happened across a marketplace post for a YMCA that was upgrading their weightroom. They were getting rid of all their old, beat up iron plates to replace with calibrated Rogues. YMCA’s in our area were notorious for being outfitted by York Barbell back in the day. Sure enough, I was able to rescue 2 pairs of old York 45’s and a pair of 25’s.

The irony here is that the Yorks they sold me were from the milled era- meaning York at that time (60’s-80’s) really cared about their variance/weight tolerance and the plates were casted heavier than labeled got tossed on a machine and the backs got milled down to make them accurate. Kinda like the “calibrated” plates of today as York wanted to be very particular about their plates being accurate so they could be used in lifting competitions.

I was contemplating doing some restoration work on them to strip the red paint off and then oil them up to make them all new looking again but I think I like the way they look as-is. These things have history and im not gonna wash that away. They are gonna be my daily drivers now.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

On today’s episode of buying more weights that were totally unnecessary……

I happened across a marketplace post for a YMCA that was upgrading their weightroom. They were getting rid of all their old, beat up iron plates to replace with calibrated Rogues. YMCA’s in our area were notorious for being outfitted by York Barbell back in the day. Sure enough, I was able to rescue 2 pairs of old York 45’s and a pair of 25’s.

The irony here is that the Yorks they sold me were from the milled era- meaning York at that time (60’s-80’s) really cared about their variance/weight tolerance and the plates were casted heavier than labeled got tossed on a machine and the backs got milled down to make them accurate. Kinda like the “calibrated” plates of today as York wanted to be very particular about their plates being accurate so they could be used in lifting competitions.

I was contemplating doing some restoration work on them to strip the red paint off and then oil them up to make them all new looking again but I think I like the way they look as-is. These things have history and im not gonna wash that away. They are gonna be my daily drivers now.

They look sick as is. You can alway refinish at a later time.

 

[Stakem]

Old issues rearing their ugly head again…

Doesnt matter anymore if I squat lowbar or highbar, when I start to go heavy, it agitates my left shoulder so bad that my entire arm goes numb rendering me absolutely worthless for then trying to bench.

Gonna try to work around it for the next 8 weeks of this prep as the weights get even heavier.

After this meet, when I transition to weight loss, I think it will be a good time to also focus on mobility. It absolutely sucks that right now my squat is grooving better than it ever has in my life and my fucking bottleneck in being able to go heavier is my god damn shoulder.

Todays highlight was high bar squat singles with 365 and 385 straight weight and all my chains. So… the unracks were about as sketchy as you could imagine with 455 and 475 at the top and swinging as I stepped them out. Once settled though, it was a lock and pretty easy clean reps. Another reminder of how I really need to use all my chains more frequently for that oh shit feeling at unrack and then cakewalk as it settles and I take it down as it deloads.

 

[Stakem]

Lifted today with the beast of a youngster whos doing the competition with me.

Did some slingshot bench which I think is the last programmed heavy single of this prep as we drop down to doubles and triples working on variations leading to meet day.

I wanted to smoke something over 365 but the way my shoulder was feeling, I didnt know if even 365 would happen. 315 felt like garbage in my hands. 340 felt bad. Went up to 365 and it moved well but got pinching and tingling in my shoulder. Talked to my buddy and he convinced me to listen to myself. He said if you have doubt, dont do it but if you think you can pull it off as your last heavy single of the prep, go for it for the confidence boost and use the rest of the weeks of training lower percentages to heal while hitting weak/sticking points.

Damnit if I didnt load 380 and hit it better than 365 and 340. It felt awesome in my hands and didnt hurt the shoulder any more than it was already agitated.

The slingshot helps press off the chest and gives less help as you go through the range of motion. For me, it gives what id say is a good +20lb pop more than what I can do raw. I think im sitting pretty to hit a competition bench, deadlift and total PR this meet.

Dont want to get cocky and jinx myself but its soon time to get into coasting mode and just go through the motions staying injury free until meet day.

 

[Stakem]

Lifted today with the beast of a youngster whos doing the competition with me.

It has become a thing now where we lift together at least once a week. I cannot express how different and awesome it is to lift with someone else. The whole vibe/atmosphere is amazing. He gives me cues and criticism that have made big positive changes in a very short time.

Last meet prep I struggled with a 340 floor press single. I got it today for a triple.

The last several weeks ive been struggling with spotto pressing over 225 for 5 or more reps without getting terrible shoulder pain from the slowing and reversal without touching my chest. Today… something as stupid as him telling me to bring my grip in some and concentrate more on my breathing allowed me to work up to 275x8 completely free of shoulder agitation.

Barring any setbacks, if I continue to feel this good I am going to have to rethink my plans/intentions for immediately after this meet. Maybe rather than going full recovery/diet for summer, I continue to build to try and hit that lifetime goal of 405 bench?

Lots can happen in 7 weeks, we will reevaluate then.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

It has become a thing now where we lift together at least once a week. I cannot express how different and awesome it is to lift with someone else. The whole vibe/atmosphere is amazing. He gives me cues and criticism that have made big positive changes in a very short time.

Last meet prep I struggled with a 340 floor press single. I got it today for a triple.

The last several weeks ive been struggling with spotto pressing over 225 for 5 or more reps without getting terrible shoulder pain from the slowing and reversal without touching my chest. Today… something as stupid as him telling me to bring my grip in some and concentrate more on my breathing allowed me to work up to 275x8 completely free of shoulder agitation.

Barring any setbacks, if I continue to feel this good I am going to have to rethink my plans/intentions for immediately after this meet. Maybe rather than going full recovery/diet for summer, I continue to build to try and hit that lifetime goal of 405 bench?

Lots can happen in 7 weeks, we will reevaluate then.

I did that snatch only plan last year which led to an all time PR. I would highly recommend something like that. Just take 8-12 weeks and only focus on the bench to get to that goal. There is nothing that will rejuvenate your love for lifting than hitting an all time PR, especially at our age.

 

[mooselang]

I’m sure I could ask google this, but you are all stronger and more handsome than some AI bot.

I was thinking about switching to the hex bar for deadlifts. Any pros/cons to this? Sounds stupid, but I don’t like the way the bar goes down my legs and my shins when I do conventional deadlift. I think/feel like I’m doing it ok. But just don’t like it! The hex bar looks like it may be better for dudes like me with mediocre mobility.

On another note, I got up to 295 3x8 on the squat this morning, and also am knocking on the door of being sub-200 lbs again. Really want to get to 315 3x8.

I’ll hang up n’ listen.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

I’m sure I could ask google this, but you are all stronger and more handsome than some AI bot.

I was thinking about switching to the hex bar for deadlifts. Any pros/cons to this? Sounds stupid, but I don’t like the way the bar goes down my legs and my shins when I do conventional deadlift. I think/feel like I’m doing it ok. But just don’t like it! The hex bar looks like it may be better for dudes like me with mediocre mobility.

On another note, I got up to 295 3x8 on the squat this morning, and also am knocking on the door of being sub-200 lbs again. Really want to get to 315 3x8.

I’ll hang up n’ listen.

If you aren’t a powerlifter then there is no real difference. The hex bar is more of a squat pattern than a pull pattern so you may want to do more back work. Other than that, there isn’t any reason to not swap them out.

 

[Stakem]

I’m sure I could ask google this, but you are all stronger and more handsome than some AI bot.

I was thinking about switching to the hex bar for deadlifts. Any pros/cons to this? Sounds stupid, but I don’t like the way the bar goes down my legs and my shins when I do conventional deadlift. I think/feel like I’m doing it ok. But just don’t like it! The hex bar looks like it may be better for dudes like me with mediocre mobility.

On another note, I got up to 295 3x8 on the squat this morning, and also am knocking on the door of being sub-200 lbs again. Really want to get to 315 3x8.

I’ll hang up n’ listen.

I compete in powerlifting where a standard barbell must be used so that is what I gravitate towards 90% of the time.

Having said that, variation is the spice of life and I own a trap bar and I use it a couple times per year just to give my body a different feel and break from shin scraping.

Whats important here long term is that you are doing something you enjoy as you will return to it rather than hate and avoid it. I think trap bar deadlifts are fun. But, I also consider trap bar deadlifts to be closer in feel to a hack squat with weight in your hands rather than a deadlift (if that makes any sense at all?) I personally feel like my positioning with a trap bar is so much better and stronger than a barbell regardless of whether or not the handles are low or higher.

I like using high handles to put me in an even better/advantageous position and yoink weight off the ground that I cannot even budge with a barbell infront of me. It definitely is a confidence boost and can target some muscles you otherwise dont hit hard. For example, super maximal hex bar deadlifts kick the shit out of my spinal erectors and even lats/traps in a way conventional deads never have.

 

[Stakem]

I did that snatch only plan last year which led to an all time PR. I would highly recommend something like that. Just take 8-12 weeks and only focus on the bench to get to that goal. There is nothing that will rejuvenate your love for lifting than hitting an all time PR, especially at our age.

Man… testify! I search for PRs in the most random
places because true lifetime PRs in the big 3 have come grinding to a hault/rarity when trying to make all 3 better let alone doing so when trying not to gain weight.

Candito has a bench PR program ive looked at and ive even considered Sorinex’s Benchuary program as something different but that works all 3 big lifts into it and I know pouring my soul/true effort into deads and squatting for sure takes a toll on my CNS and will to even be able to push hard on bench.

I think a dedicated bench program and increases my frequency, upper back work and tricep press power is exactly what I need to break through this plateau ive had around 365 for the last X years.

 

[Leftofthedial]

Got a DEXA scan this week and unfortunately it seems my 8-month lean bulk was unsuccessful. Went from 184.5 lbs and 14.5 % bodyfat last June and this week was 190 lbs and 16.4 % bodyfat. Only a pound gained of lean mass and that could have easily been entirely water weight. For a little background, the goal of my training is to jump higher, and while the main focus is lower body, I still lift upper body 2-3 times a week. My main takeaways from my recent DEXA are that making gains with jump training isn’t always reflected in overall increases in muscle mass, and looking on the positive side, I still have plenty of fat to lose. Losing fat should be an easy box to tick to jump higher off 1-foot!

So looking ahead I’m starting my diet immediately for a competition in June. Given my height (a hair under 6’3”), I’m going to have to get skinny AF to reach 13% bodyfat which is a lot more ideal for jumping off 1-foot. All while maintaining or hopefully increasing strength in the weight room. Wish me luck fellas.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

Got a DEXA scan this week and unfortunately it seems my 8-month lean bulk was unsuccessful. Went from 184.5 lbs and 14.5 % bodyfat last June and this week was 190 lbs and 16.4 % bodyfat. Only a pound gained of lean mass and that could have easily been entirely water weight. For a little background, the goal of my training is to jump higher, and while the main focus is lower body, I still lift upper body 2-3 times a week. My main takeaways from my recent DEXA are that making gains with jump training isn’t always reflected in overall increases in muscle mass, and looking on the positive side, I still have plenty of fat to lose. Losing fat should be an easy box to tick to jump higher off 1-foot!

So looking ahead I’m starting my diet immediately for a competition in June. Given my height (a hair under 6’3”), I’m going to have to get skinny AF to reach 13% bodyfat which is a lot more ideal for jumping off 1-foot. All while maintaining or hopefully increasing strength in the weight room. Wish me luck fellas.

It might be best to structure your training in blocks, like 4-8 weeks of leg strength where you try to gain a little bit of muscle mass, then you would want to taper the volume and intensity down and focus on singles/doubles/triples moving a bar as fast as you can as you lean back out.

If you have the ability to power clean off blocks, that will really help with the power output. If you want a great resource, look up Garage Strength videos on youtube. Their coach Dane Miller works with top level athletes in all disciplines.

 

[shadowane]

I hurt my knee in soccer so haven't been squatting but, man, I really should teach myself how to do a Clean & Press. Right now I just do upright rows, but it's just missing out on a lot of motion to work with my other lifts. It's just hard to teach myself something like this with a worry about getting hurt.

 

[TripleSixHoppia]

I hurt my knee in soccer so haven't been squatting but, man, I really should teach myself how to do a Clean & Press. Right now I just do upright rows, but it's just missing out on a lot of motion to work with my other lifts. It's just hard to teach myself something like this with a worry about getting hurt.

I would highly suggest doing them with the weights on a 3-8 inch tall block or pad. The movement gets way less technical when you remove the floor to knee element and you will get 90% of the results.

 

[Leftofthedial]

It might be best to structure your training in blocks, like 4-8 weeks of leg strength where you try to gain a little bit of muscle mass, then you would want to taper the volume and intensity down and focus on singles/doubles/triples moving a bar as fast as you can as you lean back out.

If you have the ability to power clean off blocks, that will really help with the power output. If you want a great resource, look up Garage Strength videos on youtube. Their coach Dane Miller works with top level athletes in all disciplines.

Thanks! Yeah I believe my coach will have me doing a hypertrophy focused cycle for ~4 weeks starting Monday, so hopefully the muscle mass goes up a bit. Moving the bar fast after building the base will be super helpful, and something I certainly need to improve (recently got a VBT device which confirmed it’s lacking), good advice!

I have those red Titan drop pads (maybe like 8” high), that I’ve used as “blocks” for cleans in the past and it seems to work pretty well, plus when I drop the weight onto them it doesn’t wake up my kids who are right by the garage where I lift ha. Definitely will want to incorporate that for sure, thanks.

Garage Strength is great! A couple months ago he hosted the THP guys on the YouTube channel. Was like a 2-hour video but all really good stuff. The THP training philosophy has been huge for me.

 

[Skittle34]

So, I have had some really great lifting moments recently. Mainly it's been hitting 60kg cleans for sets and today I was able to put 3 of 5 last reps overhead. Also had a small breakthrough with body positioning in the start. I always let my shoulders/ upper body hang over the bar like I'd be setting up for a DL, which was killing my lower back. I shifted my hips in a little bit and kept my chest proud this morning and it just clicked with the movement. Big things coming for olllll Skittles

 

[Stakem]

Payment and registration submitted for meet on 4/12. We are ~5 weeks away so things are getting real.

Im registered in the “classic” division which means naked knees- no wraps, not even sleeves can be used, only a belt and wrist wraps.

Goal is to set as many competition PRs as I can and come out with a total as close to 1400 lbs as possible. It has always been my plan to keep one-upping myself and this time its beat all my numbers from my first competition 3 years ago where I weighed 30lbs heavier and wore knee wraps to squat.

Im currently slightly overweight for the 242 class but im not worried about it, im gonna introduce more movement and less calories and do a slight water cut if necessary as we get closer to comp day.

Will figure out all my meet day openers/attempts in the next 3 weeks to see if any state record breaking moments are on the table other than besting my own deadlift record that has stood for a year now.

 

[Stakem]

Day 1, week 1 of 3 weeks of peaking. The weights are going up to prime the CNS and tapering the volume down.

Heavy squat triples was the main focus today. I am stuck in a weird predicament where I know my lowbar squat is stronger than highbar but lowbar taxes and compromises my bench. So I gotta pick one or the other and just ride it out.