How much of a difference does chalk make?
I bought some a while back because I’m an incredibly sweaty individual but I’ve not used it yet because I can’t be bothered carrying it around the gym.
Hey man, quick queation for you since you seem to use the trap bar pretty regularely: Is it worth it? Most people say that it doens’t have much carryover to other deadlifts or squats. I am currently just working on technique on my conventional deadlifts and I need a way to push myself. So I thought about hitting conv. deadlifts for technique and then doing 5/3/1 trap bar deads.
I don’t know if I could give you an accurate percentage of grip increase. However, I seem to damage my hands much less with chalk; the bar moves much less in my hands.
I love trap bar pulls. I think it’s an awesome way to build the muscles required to squat and deadlift, and for me it’s a much more comfortable movement.
The carryover for me is mostly postural. I seem to be able to stay more upright and stable with my squats and deadlifts. But I don’t have a definite ratio for carryover or anything like that, sorry.
I really like the idea of a heavy 1-3 with your competitive deadlift stance, then doing volume work with a trap bar. My struggle is that I’m usually too lazy to strip one Bar completely and switch lol.
Also, pulling on a trap bar will probably prepare you well for frame carries, car deadlifts, or other similar movements in strongman competitions (although I can’t say for sure since I’m preparing for my first contest).
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Stayed up all night being a country boy and installing a lift on my pickup. Training will probably suffer a bit.
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Should be less of a problem for me since I am using like half the amount of plates. 
3/4 Upper and Event
Took a couple of days off with the pinching in my back.
Chin ups, supinated
Bwx5
+45×5
+70×5
+90×5
+115×6 PR
Switch to close neutral grip
+45×10
+45×10
+45×10
Dips, pause at bottom and top
+45×10
+90×10
+90×8
+90×8
+90×8
+90×8
+90×8
DB waiter walk SS/ unsupported DB row
Both arms row, both arms walk
120x100’/120x10
120x100’/120x10
120x100’/120x10
DB press, clean once
120x9 left arm
120x3,3,3 right arm
Cut back a bit today. Took an amazing hike up to a hotspring. One of the most grand and awe inspiring things I’ve seen in a long time
Also, I have this idea to make a full kitchen knife set. I saw these beautiful stones up around the hotspring, and I brought a few home. An 80 or so lbs pack made things a bit more interesting. Took a bit of a spill on some ice and chewed up my arm a bit. I will probably back off some of my planned sandbag carries over the next couple weeks, bummed about that.
Going to start logging my sleep again, and also adding my warmups. My movement quality is so much better with a better warmup, so I’m hoping that logging it motivates me to be more consistent.
3/7 Lower
Warm Up
5 rounds of:
Single arm straight arm pulldown×10
Ab wheel rollout×6
Single leg glute bridgex10 per leg
Toe touch 20 seconds moderate stretch, 10 seconds hard stretch
Trap bar deadlifts, low handles, flat shoes, reminder belt, straps, 60-75 seconds rest
80×3
170×3
260×3
350×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
440×3
10 rounds of:
10 Ab wheel rollouts
Handstands
Have progressed to being able to hold a bit on the handstands without a wall, in the 5-20 second range. Enjoying the progress.
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Haha nice! What truck do you drive? How big of a lift?
Ouch, just a bit eh?
I have a 2008 tacoma. Obligatory pickup boasting picture, and showing a before/after (top is after, snowy below is the before)
3 inch suspension lift. Anything over 3" in tacomas costs $1k+ and I probably wouldn’t be able to do it myself lol. Just wanted to be able to clear some larger tires to follow my bundies and their Crawlers.
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That is a sexy custom (?) bumper you have there. I like the Toyota trucks, buddy of mine had a Tundra for awhile and it was very reliable for the hell we put it through.
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Lol, I messed up the stock bumper on her first adventure on some sand dunes in the middle of the night. I hit a sand bar hard. About 3 feet to the right of where I hit (driver front corner) was a nice sloped incline. I was out with the jeeps, so I needed a big running start to follow. I went from 50 to zero in a heartbeat.
A body shop quoted me $600+ to fix the stock bumper. For that I bought this steel one which is so much better.
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3/9 Upper
Warm Up
3 rounds of:
20 horizontal pull aparts
20 vertical pull aparts
6 ab wheel rollouts
20 cable triceps push downs
Handstand hold
Push Press
Barx3
95x3
135x3
155x3
175x3
185x3
195x3
205x2, missed first attempt at the second very close to lockout, got it the second try and held it at the top for 30ish seconds
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
175x3
DB clean and press, clean each rep, done L/R
95x6
95x6
95x6
Plate front raise
25x100 RP
Since @littlesleeper showed interest in my pickup project and I went on a bit of an adventure yesterday:
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3/11 Full body
Push press
Barx5
95x5
115x3
135x3
155x1
175x1
185x1
205x1
Strict press
135x13
155xnope lol
Hang clean
Barx3
135x3
185x3
205x3
225x3 Probably rep PR
RDLS, straps, beltless
315x12
315x12
315x12
315x12
315x12
Posterior chain smoked
Conventonal deadlift, beltless, no chalk
525x3
Mostly done as a confidence booster. Competition event is 525 from 18" with straps and belt
Sandbag thoracic extensions
Grip work
Handstands
Nice Tacoma man! What’s next for it? What tyres are you running?
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Tires are a 285/70/r17 set of Goodyear wranglers I got for $50. Goal is to get me to summer as my discretionary pickup fund is low at the moment, but there was no way I could put on a lift and not bigger tires.
Wheel spacers lol. I went up two sizes in height and one in width, and I’m rubbing pretty bad when I turn sharply. Luckily they’re in the mail.
New tires and rims probably this summer will be the next upgrade. Then I’ll leave it alone for a bit and see what needs improving. Probably new shocks in front. Potentially a solid axle swap at some point if I’m feeling spunky.
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Wow. The DOMS hit like no other two days after the RDLs. Traps, rhomboids, lats, erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and even calves hurt. Struggled to get out of bed. Great last heavy session before the pre-comp deload.
Will be doing mostly bodyweight work this week, with occasional sandbag carries, trap bar carries, and circus presses to practice form and footwork.
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3/13 push deload
Handstands
Dips
+45×25
+90×10
Bw×20
Pushups
118 in 10 minutes
Incredibly anxious without training and with competition looming. Feel as if I’m overflowing with energy without a good vent.
Lol, I need more hobbies.