Just. Don't. Suck (Part 1)

Training Logs
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102

Updated 5.15.20
Thought I’d throw out my PRs and current goals.

PRs:
Squat-370 (6.25.18 Post 2170)
Front Squat-275
Deadlift-545 with deadlift bar (6.19.18 Post 2104)
Deadlift-505 with Rogue Echo 2 bar (5.15.20 Post 7953)
Power Clean-315 (8.24.16)
Bench-305 (6.13.18 Post 2064)
Overhead Press-170 (6.10.18)
Push Press-245

Long term goals:

Squat-405
Deadlift- 585 (get back to 500 by 12/31/19)
Bench-315
Overhead Press-200 (maybe 225 someday b/c I like even plates on the bar and it’d be a body weight press)

I’m not too keen on chasing a front squat number but perhaps 315 is out there if I hit my squat goal. (Nope, no front squatting after hip surgery in 2017)

Power Clean - for now, I just wish I could do power cleans. I’m still recovering from shoulder surgery. I’d like to do this regularly and get back to 300 lbs. Update 5.15.20 - did my first power cleans and been doing hang power cleans for about nine weeks. Time to start training these again.

I may throw in some push press and/or jerk numbers someday. Not sure if it’s too smart to chase strict overhead press numbers (maybe rep records instead of 1RM).

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103

4.25.17

Took it easy today. 30 minutes of shooting baskets plus a few dunks. It turns out that my dunks feel much harder and cooler than they actually are… That’s unfortunate.

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104

I’d block that shit. :wink: Honestly, I don’t know if I could dunk, let alone touch the rim, anymore. I haven’t stepped foot on a basketball court in a few years.

105

I got swatted a couple weeks ago by a guy 10 years younger than me… And taller and more athletic than me.

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106

Those are pretty solid to be honest. What is your standing reach - 8’3"?

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8’6" if I stretch with my right arm ( that shoulder is a bit loose). My best flat-footed vertical was 30 inches. That gets me to 11 feet. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten slower. My approach to the goal is slower and I don’t jump as well off one leg. I’m going to try to improve that once I heal up. I used to be able to do a couple tricks and it seems like I had more hang time 10 years ago.

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108

That’s why I enjoy baseball more. If I hit a bomb off an 18 year old, I win. Even if I don’t do anything worth repeating the other at-bats.

I had a best flat foot vertical at 32". Those were the days, I could do just about anything on the court. You’re making me want to play basketball again. Haha

109

Gotcha. My reach is more like 7’10" due to shoulder issues - and before knee injury, could touch 11’3" with a run - 10’10" standing and used to be able to do some good dunks. I think I could probably barely dunk now - but am inspired to get on the court and try again soon!

110

@bustedwheel @dchris

My goal is maintenance in terms of my vertical. I can squeeze a little more out of it but the older I get, the more impressive I become!

If I can throw down when I’m 40 and 50 then it will be impressive, even the basic dunks.

As far as getting stuffed while trying to dunk, I don’t mind. I still get to dunk over someone on occasion. It’s all part of the game. I figured I was about to get swatted on my approach but it would’ve been HUGE if he missed the timing…but he didn’t :laughing:

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111

@MarkKO It amazes (and confuses) me how some people can make a squat look easy no matter what the weight.

Here’s an example of someone who has to grind. I didn’t want to post this in your log b/c that’d be weird… Videos of me in your training log.

10.19.16 Front Squat 265

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Well, you do have a lot more distance to cover than I do - you might move the same proportion of your body as me, but that’s still a longer a longer distance. That’s got to play a part. I do grind periodically, it’s just that front squat for me is limited by my middle and upper back - which is (and will probably always be) a fair bit weaker than my legs and lower back. So, I don’t think I’ll ever front squat more than my legs can move up reasonably fast. I sort of grind front squats sometimes, but I think the sticking point is higher than in my squat too.

113

Your elbows drop considerably as well, putting you in a worse spot for coming up. Work your mobility harder and I’m sure your front squat will drive up better. Also, you could try dead stop ones as well, but if it isn’t a primary focus, I wouldn’t worry so much

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114

I’ve noticed that. Is that an issue at my shoulder or somewhere else?

115

Look at the video I put up in Markko’s log. It talks about fixing the front rack position. It could be your forearms, triceps, shoulders and back/lats.

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116

That’s good info and probably painful but I’ll give it a shot. I watched @MarkKO video again and he keeps his torso more upright. I feel like my torso goes forward like when I back squat and that’s why my elbows appear to drop.

I have no trouble getting into the rack position. I just need to figure out why I can’t maintain it. It’s killing my power cleans and is why I’m reducing weights until I figure it out.

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117

Do you think about breaking at the knees, or breaking at the hips when initiating your squat? That seems to drastically change my body angle at the bottom depending what I do.

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118

Hips just like back squats. Should it be the knees on front squats?

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Knees a tad more for front squats is what I do I think.

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120

More knees. You want to essentially imagine picking something up while holding something over head or on your shoulder. Like lets say you are carrying a shovel in one hand and a bag of soil on the opposite shoulder. You drop the shovel, and instead of bending, you squat down to grab the shovel. If you lean forward too much, you’ll drop the bag. Same with a fs. In my mind anyway.

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121

4.26.17

Think I’ll try to start throwing out my weight and some nutritional information just in case anyone gets curious.

Woke at 223.4 lbs. Up 1.4 from yesterday but I was 600 calories over due to getting into my daughter’s Easter candy.

Yesterday’s nutrition: 3658 calories, 274g carbs, 131g fat, 241g protein.

Today’s Training

Recumbent Bike–5 minute warm-up @ level 6. Covered 1.24 miles

Bench (Layers):
4x6 sec isometric presses w/ elbows just above 90 degrees

Work up to 2RM:
205x2
225x2
245x2
265x2
275x1—hit the damn low rack position with the bar. I had 2 in me.

Decided to work off of a 270 2RM which is where I landed last week.

Cluster sets w/ 90% 2RM (rack the weight after each rep, rest 10-12 seconds between reps):
245x5
245x5
245x5

Eccentrics w/ 70% 2RM (4-5 sec eccentric, accelerate the concentric):
185x6
185x6
186x6

Mid-range set (stop short of hitting the chest and short of lockout to keep constant tension. 3 seconds down and up on each rep):
135x10

Plate Loaded Squat Press (Double-leg top half reps):
450x30
450x30
450x30

–These made me feel like a tool. “Look at that guy doing half reps!” But it allows me to hit my quads without bugging my hip (I think).

Plate Loaded Squat Press (Single-leg, right leg only):
270x10
270x10
270x10

Lateral Dumbbell Raises (3 second eccentric):
10’sx10
10’sx10
10’sx10

CONDITIONING: This was fun!

Tabata (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off):
Round 1:
Alternate between the rower and burpees for 8 rounds (4 each, 3:50)

Rest about 2-3 minutes

Round 2:
Alternate between stationary bike @ level 10 and burpees for 8 rounds (4 each, 3:50)

I managed 7 burpees on every set for a total of 56 for the day . I don’t think I can go any faster on those without beating myself up. I might be able to squeeze out 8 in 20 seconds.

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