First off, we’re in a heatwave up here, and it’s ridiculous. It’s so humid out I sweat standing still. The gym I train at is in the basement of a church, w/ no AC, so it’s a sweat box w/ 15 powerlifters in it. The cement floor was wet b/c we had a crazy storm come through yesterday, tornado and everything, and the basement flooded, plus the humidity was condensing on the cold cement. All in all it was a recipe for disaster, my gear took forever to get on b/c it was so damp. I did what any T-Nation guy, or girl (gotta be pc, and besides half of them would beat the crap outta me anyway) would do, I went for a PR.
Sumo Deads:
add metal viking briefs
225x1x2sets
315x1x2sets
405x1
add belt
465xmiss - couldn’t get in a good position so switched to my inzer t-rex w/ the straps up nice and tight
405x1
465x1 - easy
495x1
525x1 - PR! grinder, but it came up!
455x3 - rep PR, coulda done another, but I almost puked in my mouth, should have just done it, whatever
Pendlay Rows, dead stop each rep:
225x7x2sets
245x7x2sets
D-Handle Pulldowns:
195x12x3sets
Band Pullaparts:
dbled-minix8x3sets
Sweat so much tonight I think I lost 10lbs. Went through 2 shirts and a pair of undies, but a good workout.
2board press:
add inzer super phenom, all reps touched
315x3
405x2
455x1
495x1
525x1 - 25lb PR, bench feels great, like the new groove I’m using, finally getting some good pop out of the shirt, but still think I’m gonna have to order a new one a little smaller in the chest.
3-4-5press:
all reps done to a 3board, then 4board, then5board, no rest btwn sets, add 110lbs of chain total
3board - 275x3
4board - 275x2
5board - 275x4
5board - 225x5
Squats:
all sets done w/ choked blue bands (about 200lbs at top, 100 at bottom)
add viking briefs
145x3
235x3
325x2
add t-rex straps down no wraps
415x1
straps up
505x1 - parallel
add knee wraps
555x1 - parallel, smoked
595x1 - 1.5"above, misgrooved in the beginning, but this is way heavier then I’ve been used to so I’m psyched, and the top end is the whole point so not too worried about depth here, came up strong
Skipped pause squats, psoas has been bugging me lately so lay up a week
Speed Bench:
dbl mini’s
215x3x6sets alt grips - this was heavy and a little slower then I wanted, will restart cycle next week but hopefully moving weights much faster
Squats:
all sets done w/ choked blue bands (about 200lbs at top, 100 at bottom)
add viking briefs
145x3
235x3
325x2
add t-rex straps down no wraps
415x1
straps up
505x1 - parallel
add knee wraps
555x1 - parallel, smoked
595x1 - 1.5"above, misgrooved in the beginning, but this is way heavier then I’ve been used to so I’m psyched, and the top end is the whole point so not too worried about depth here, came up strong
Skipped pause squats, psoas has been bugging me lately so lay up a week
595+ a set of blues is bad ass. Assuming you don’t have any stability issues that the bands are compensating for, I would guess you have 760 or 771 straight-weight squat in the bank.
Thanks Pinto, I haven’t had any stability issues squatting, and I don’t want to get overzealous at this meet, but I definitely agree that those numbers are definitely doable. We’ll see what happens. We were actually supposed to squat with green bands, but we lost one somehow and just ended up using blues, but it was a big confidence booster that’s for sure. I had a video of the 555 I’ll post, angle sucks and makes it look a mile high but whatever, thanks again!
Sumo Deads:
add inzer t-rex straps up
225x1x2sets
315x1
add belt
405x1
455x1
485x2 - PR - will be my opener, second rep was a grinder!!!
405x1x5sets - speed pulls, 1min rest btwn sets, blacked out on my second rep and had to catch myself on the weight tree, haha! Gotta love pulling…
Pendlay Rows:
225x8
225x10
225x16
Neutral Grip Pulldowns: made into a fat bar with a pair of wrist wraps around the handle, forearms were so swollen it hurt!
180x10x4sets
Trying to keep my weight down, been cycling my carbs, with today being my lowest carb day of the week and decided to throw in some GPP today, got a sled in a week and a half ago and use it with all my clients but not myself. I tell them all the time that I won’t make them do anything I wouldn’t do myself so I decided to do some dragging…
2plates - 200ft forwardsx2
- 200ft backwardsx2
3plates - 200ft forwardsx2
- 200ft bacwardsx1
4plates - 200ft forwardsx4
2plates (strap around shoulders to force abs to work more)
- 200ft forwardsx4 (very slow deliberate steps)
bike - 5mins, med intensity (legs were filled with so much blood they hurt and were cramping)
Pulldown Abs:
60x10
75x10
90x6
Hyperextensions:
bwx10x2sets
FRIED! That was a lot harder than I expected…I like it! Gonna slowly add in more GPP over the next few months, feels good.
add inzer super phenom
315x3
405x1
455x1
475x1x3sets - all less than 1" from touching, think I’ll open with 485, or 475 without the shirt all jacked up…
Flat Tate Presses:
40x10
45x10x3sets
this week I backed off the shirt a little bit, just some volume singles, feel really strong, the high 400’s are starting to feel easy, definitely want a 500+ bench at my next meet. We’ll see…
Squats:
add metal viking briefs
255x1
345x1
add t-rex straps down no wraps, belt
435x1
straps up
525x1
625x1 - parallel
add knee wraps
670x2 - PR, first one a little high, second about 1/2in, groove was funny both times, forgot to breathe into my belt like a moron, but came up really fast.
Supposed to deload this week, but after a weekend filled with stupid crap happening I needed to vent…
Not supposed to pull today but I pulled raw/beltless
Sumo Deads:
raw beltless
135x5
225x3
315x3
405x1 - easy
455xmiss - would have been a 20lb PR but I almost blacked out, whatever, low carbs, no sleep, excuses are like assholes, everybody’s got one…
add inzer super phenom
315x3
405x1
455x1
475x1x3sets - all less than 1" from touching, think I’ll open with 485, or 475 without the shirt all jacked up…
Flat Tate Presses:
40x10
45x10x3sets
this week I backed off the shirt a little bit, just some volume singles, feel really strong, the high 400’s are starting to feel easy, definitely want a 500+ bench at my next meet. We’ll see…
God Bless.[/quote]
How has the super phenom worked for you? I used a plain old two ply phenom with a scooped super neck last fall- loved that shirt. I went to the super thinking it would be just like the other phenom but with more stopping power and support. However, it is a totally different shirt. The groove is way different. It actually provides LESS pop and support when I jack it down and touch weights real low. it seems it works best worn kind of high using a pec-benching approach where I keep my elbows flared almost all the way down. I think it’s a great shirt- but it’s making me unlearn much of what I have learned about shirted benching over the last two or three years.
[quote]Pinto wrote:
scubasteve2105 wrote:
ME Bench:
add inzer super phenom
315x3
405x1
455x1
475x1x3sets - all less than 1" from touching, think I’ll open with 485, or 475 without the shirt all jacked up…
Flat Tate Presses:
40x10
45x10x3sets
this week I backed off the shirt a little bit, just some volume singles, feel really strong, the high 400’s are starting to feel easy, definitely want a 500+ bench at my next meet. We’ll see…
God Bless.
How has the super phenom worked for you? I used a plain old two ply phenom with a scooped super neck last fall- loved that shirt. I went to the super thinking it would be just like the other phenom but with more stopping power and support. However, it is a totally different shirt. The groove is way different. It actually provides LESS pop and support when I jack it down and touch weights real low. it seems it works best worn kind of high using a pec-benching approach where I keep my elbows flared almost all the way down. I think it’s a great shirt- but it’s making me unlearn much of what I have learned about shirted benching over the last two or three years.
[/quote]
I like the shirt a lot pinto, but you’re right there isn’t much support with the collar low. I have a scooped neck, but I don’t move the shoulders down at all, slight jack on the tricep, and I bring the collar down about 3".
As far as the groove, I start with my elbows way out, almost like a bodybuilder bench to get some stretch through the chest plate, then once I feel the tension in the shirt I slide the bar into the bubble by bringing my elbows in, it’s almost more of a lateral movement at that point and you get a lot of tension in the lats if you do it right. Then it’s a normal shove with the hips and flare the elbows out bench groove pressing up.
It’s still touching my belly, but maybe an inch closer than if I was benching in a denim. A few of our guys have tried this and found some success with it in the shirt. I’ve noticed that it works best with guys that have good arches so they don’t have to roll a lot. If you’re a roll bencher I wouldn’t recommend it. I’ll try and get some vid next week so you can see what I mean.
Nice easy workout for my deload this week. 275 felt really easy, was gonna do a single with 315 but no spotter, oh well. Tomorrow I’m not sure if I’m going to squat or not, but we’ll see, maybe I’ll do some sled pulling instead.
Video of my squats, 545+blue bandx1 and 670x2, the camera angles aren’t great so I’m sure I’ll get flack about depth, but they were deep. I was told the squat with bands was parallel and the second rep of the double was no more than an inch above. Steve T Full gear squats - YouTube
Raw Squats, beltless:
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x3 - felt a little pop, think it was my adductor longus, not a sharp pain, but I still feel it a little. Foam Roller and dynamic warmups/mobilization here I come.
315x1 - probably shouldn’t have done it, felt weird with the adductor pain but really easy anyway, oh well
Forward sled Dragging:
all sets done for 200ft, alt btwn standing tall and taking long strides and shorter faster sprinting…
2platesx2
3platesx2
3plates+25x2
3plates+50x2
only took enough time to rest btwn sets as it took my partner to go up and back
Nice easy workout for my deload this week. 275 felt really easy, was gonna do a single with 315 but no spotter, oh well. Tomorrow I’m not sure if I’m going to squat or not, but we’ll see, maybe I’ll do some sled pulling instead.
Video of my squats, 545+blue bandx1 and 670x2, the camera angles aren’t great so I’m sure I’ll get flack about depth, but they were deep. I was told the squat with bands was parallel and the second rep of the double was no more than an inch above. Steve T Full gear squats - YouTube
God Bless.[/quote]
Great reversal strength on the squats. First angle is horrible for determining depth, and the second isn’t much better so I wouldn’t worry about it and just listen to what your training partners tell you. Screw the haters (assuming they’re out there).
Looks like the T-Rex is pretty stout. What briefs do you wear underneath?
Great reversal strength on the squats. First angle is horrible for determining depth, and the second isn’t much better so I wouldn’t worry about it and just listen to what your training partners tell you. Screw the haters (assuming they’re out there).
Looks like the T-Rex is pretty stout. What briefs do you wear underneath?[/quote]
Thanks novaeer.
Briefs are metal vikings, feel like these give me good stopping power, not too much pop, but the t-rex gives me a lot of pop out of the hole. That t-rex is pretty loose too, could go in at least a 1/2" tighter on each side just to make snug, but I just make sure the straps are fairly tight.
Briefs are metal vikings, feel like these give me good stopping power, not too much pop, but the t-rex gives me a lot of pop out of the hole. That t-rex is pretty loose too, could go in at least a 1/2" tighter on each side just to make snug, but I just make sure the straps are fairly tight.
[/quote]
I use Viking briefs as well. Best fit of any brief I’ve tried. In the past I paired them with a loose Pro Squatter, but have since bought an Ace suit. No briefs with that suit yet, and I think I can already outsquat what I was getting with the Pro/Viking combo.
I use Viking briefs as well. Best fit of any brief I’ve tried. In the past I paired them with a loose Pro Squatter, but have since bought an Ace suit. No briefs with that suit yet, and I think I can already outsquat what I was getting with the Pro/Viking combo.[/quote]
A couple of our guys have used the ace and it’s pretty nasty as a stand alone w/ no briefs if it’s tight. I was thinking about that combo with the pro squatter but if I’m gonna spend the money I may as well get the ace, from what I’ve seen though all the ace stuff has to be tight or you get no support from it, but when it’s tight it’s insane. T-Rex has been working real well though so I’m just gonna stick with that for now. I use it to pull sumo too, have you tried to pull in the ace at all???