Abused Bulldog: Just a grumpy SOB


I took two vacation day . Just to burn them up since they dont roll over to next year. Go figure that we are under a winter storm warning for are neck of the woods. With the possibility of over 8 inches of snow. With my luck they will cancel school and Ill be stuck home with my psychotic boys.

[quote]bulldog9899 wrote:

  1. Im going to start doing cleans as part of my deadlifting program again. Why not ?..

  2. The "Sling shot "came in today . The wife was very unhappy.( Hell she was pissed !!!)

Tried the “Sling shot” out by doing some push ups. Damn !!! Did 50 no problem felt next to no stress in my shoulders!!! I think Im in love !!![/quote]

Sling shot…hmmm. More potential toys for my gym.

I’m curious why your wife was so upset. I thought she was very supportive of your training and competing?

^^^ She is supportive. But she is a real tight ass with money. Even small amounts. Which there’s nothing wrong with that.


Not that it matters. But I think I’m going to put more emphasis on my assistance exercises. I don’t mean I’m going to add a bunch of exercises. What I mean is lately Ive been approaching them with a ho hum attitude. I find that I’m just going through the motions with not allot of effort on my part.

Sounds like you’ve got things moving on the right track now BD.

[quote]JoeGood wrote:
Sounds like you’ve got things moving on the right track now BD.[/quote]

We will see Joe. Like I stated above I’m kicking myself from getting away from doing cleans as part of my Dead program.

Below is part of a interview with a well known personality in the strength training field. Which was the reason why I put them in my program in the first place.

interview :

CR: In our last interview, you mentioned that you include the deadlift in the training routines of Olympic lifters. Youve also mentioned elsewhere that you would have powerlifters incorporate power cleans into their training routines. In practice, how would you suggest that the powerlifter implement power cleans into his routine?

MR: George Hechter is the best example I can give you. He pulled up in the mid-800s back when it wasnt fashionable to do so. He was the guy who showed me how to do this a long time ago. He would power clean all of his deadlift warm-ups. He would start off and power clean 135 lbs, 225 lbs, 315 lbs, and 405 lbs. He would high pull 495 lbs and then deadlift 585 lbs, 675 lbs, 765 lbs, and on up. All of his first work off the floor was explosive.
Louie has taught all of us the importance of the Westside methods in regards to power production off the floor. I really cant add anything to the discussion that he hasnt already told us. However, I will add that this is how George did it. Louie just has everyone deadlift fast. I feel you can pull faster off the floor if you know youre going to clean it. For example, the clean is extremely important because it convinces/forces you to move it fast enough to be able to get under it. If you intentionally high pull a bar, I promise you that it will not come off the floor as fast as it will if you are going to clean it. Even in the most experienced Olympic weightlifters, you will not high pull the bar with the same bar velocity that you will if you know that you have to get it on your shoulders. This is why cleaning is such a good way to incorporate explosion off the floor. In my opinion, it works better for this than the timed deadlift singles.
I think you can incorporate this concept the way George did it, or if you dont want to do that, you can have a power clean day. You can recover from pulling two times per week if you do it intelligently. Cleans aren at as difficult to recover from as deadlifts because they arent an absolute strength movement, and they dont get bone-on-bone like a deadlift. You dont miss a clean for the same reasons that you miss a deadlift, and as a result, the stress is different.
I would use triples and doubles. The heaviest weight you can clean will still come off the floor faster than your deadlift for a powerlifter. But interestingly, if you look at the velocity of the bar off the floor, there isnt a great deal of difference between a real heavy third attempt clean and jerk and a deadlift. There is some but not as much as you may think. This is also why I advocate the use of heavy deadlifts for Olympic lifters as I mentioned last time. That first pull off the ground looks pretty close to a deadlift to me. As I have stated, I ve always been of the opinion that if you can deadlift 600 lbs, then that 400-lb clean isnt going to feel terribly heavy off the floor.

Love this song one of my top 10 .


Before I forget ill be taking the "Sling shot " on its trial run Friday. Ill report the results.

[quote]bulldog9899 wrote:
I feel you can pull faster off the floor if you know youre going to clean it. For example, the clean is extremely important because it convinces/forces you to move it fast enough to be able to get under it. If you intentionally high pull a bar, I promise you that it will not come off the floor as fast as it will if you are going to clean it. Even in the most experienced Olympic weightlifters, you will not high pull the bar with the same bar velocity that you will if you know that you have to get it on your shoulders. This is why cleaning is such a good way to incorporate explosion off the floor.
[/quote]

Absolutely agree with this. I’ve just added snatches recently and you do definitely pull at a greater velocity than you would normally use deadlifting even if you were attempting to move it as fast as possible.

I’m very curious to hear about your slingshot antics. Can you take a vid? I’d really like to see it in use.

[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:

[quote]bulldog9899 wrote:
I feel you can pull faster off the floor if you know you’re going to clean it. For example, the clean is extremely important because it convinces/forces you to move it fast enough to be able to get under it. If you intentionally high pull a bar, I promise you that it will not come off the floor as fast as it will if you are going to clean it. Even in the most experienced Olympic weightlifters, you will not high pull the bar with the same bar velocity that you will if you know that you have to get it on your shoulders. This is why cleaning is such a good way to incorporate explosion off the floor.
[/quote]

Absolutely agree with this. I’ve just added snatches recently and you do definitely pull at a greater velocity than you would normally use deadlifting even if you were attempting to move it as fast as possible.
[/quote]

yeah Brett cant argue with you on that. Its funny how guys will swear by speed deads but avoid O lifts like the plague. That’s the thing about speed deads that bugs me is that unless someone is watching I cant be sure how fast im pulling them. While with cleans and snatches there no question regards to bar speed if I make the lift.

[quote]kpsnap wrote:
I’m very curious to hear about your slingshot antics. Can you take a vid? I’d really like to see it in use.[/quote]

I wouldnt be posting a video. But i will when I can arrange for my wife to video tape at the YMCA.

Can’t help but think that there’s a ratio of clean to deadlift weight to be in the beneficial zone. What I mean, doing cleans with real light weights may get you use to moving the weight a lot faster off the floor but I don’t think it’ll have much effect on heavy deads. Maybe a 2.5 to 1 ration, i.e. to do a 600# dead do 240# cleans? Just a thought.
Can never watch the crow without thinking how sad that both the Lee’s died so young.

[quote]hel320 wrote:
Can’t help but think that there’s a ratio of clean to deadlift weight to be in the beneficial zone. What I mean, doing cleans with real light weights may get you use to moving the weight a lot faster off the floor but I don’t think it’ll have much effect on heavy deads. Maybe a 2.5 to 1 ration, i.e. to do a 600# dead do 240# cleans? Just a thought.
Can never watch the crow without thinking how sad that both the Lee’s died so young. [/quote]

Lee’s death was a tragedy because it was nothing more the a stupid accident.

regarding the cleans. yeah, Ive wondered that one myself in regards to a clean to dead weight ratio . But in my view since the clean is so skilled based more so then the dead I feel that the ratio would very from person too person.( talking out of my ass) But like I said above I agree with the notion that doing cleans and snatches are a better option for developing explosive power then using speed deads.( I know I’m going to be hated on by Westside fans)


12/17/2010

warm up : few light Db movements

Bench : bar x 20
95 x 10
150 x 5
190 x5
225 x 3
285 x 5
320 x 3
360 x 1
At this point added Sling Shot:
360 x 1
380 x 1
405 x 1…I ll be damned , pretty sure I had at least one left in the tank

Flat DB Presse : 100 x 10 / 115 x 8 / 125 x 6

One arm DB rows : 100 x 10 / 3 x 10 x 125…grip with left hand felt weak

Tate presses : 4 x 10 x some weight

Arm curls : 3 x 10 x who cares.

Ill put it this way. With the 405 I felt maybe the same strain in my shoulders that I would with 315. So Ill give the product two paws up.


I would like to take time out and wish my Ex-wife a VERY happy Birthday.


Well im surprised. The Sling Shot did what I hoped it would. My shoulders are feeling pretty darn good considering all the heavy set I did yesterday. As it stands I plan on using it on a regular bases. How im thinking of running it is like this. Since im playing with the powerlifting version of 5/3/1 ill work raw on the working sets. Then on the weeks I add a few singles ill put on the Sling Shot.

Does the slingshot function kind of like a bench shirt? Is the carryover similar? That’s a big bench.

[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Does the slingshot function kind of like a bench shirt? Is the carryover similar? That’s a big bench.
[/quote]

Since Ive never used a bench shirt before I cant answer that. But here a clip of Mark Bell using it on a speed day.

I do know . From what Ive read a person can expect as much as 10 -15 % over there raw bench with the Sling Shot.

Like I stated above I could have done at least a double and maybe more with 405 on my last set.

But the thing that’s getting me all excited about it, is that my shoulders aren’t feeling beat up from my last bench session. Now the big question is whether or not using it as a training aid is going to get my bench moving in the right direction.


I know a few weeks ago I was venting about are youth football program. At the time I said I was done. Well tonight was voting for board members tonight . Two sorry Bastards had nominated me for Treasure a few weeks ago… I ll be damned if I won the position. So now I’m a " executive " board member. I am now 4th in the chain of command over a program with close to 250 kids. Oh boy ! I don’t know to be thankful or slap a few people. But lets just say that the whole fiasco from a few weeks ago bit a few people in the ass . Now it seems my wife is the front runner of being the vice president of the conference we play in. So instead of getting away from it where getting drawn even deeper ,go figure.