Cal's Training Journal

[ghettostudmuffin]

Cool vids man.

On your deads I would personally take a big breath at the top of each rep, set the bar down, set your form and then pull. Maybe you already are, but I can't tell from the video. Had a powerlifter teach me it and it really helps to force more air into the abdomen and you feel tighter because of it.

Good job. Keep posting the vids. That would be awesome to see you transform into a 200lbs lifter or whatever weight going from an initial 160lbs as well as seeing the weights used climb up.

 

[super_rice]

thanks bros.

yes i've had some trouble with the whole "staying tight".

in fact, i can't "push my stomach out" to be tight, it feels completely the opposite and unstable. what i do is take in a bit of a breath, draw in my stomach and keep my whole midsection tight, then while holding everything, inhale and push more air into my belly. this gets the job done, but it isn't really "pushing your belly out."

if i stop to reset like that doing deads, isn't that just like doing singles?

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Not really. I'm just saying take a deep breath at the top, set the weight down without letting go of the bar, sit back and then pull. It would literally take you maybe a second more per rep.

As for the inhaling technique, I'm not entirely sure I do it 100% correct, but what I do is take a BIG breath into my diaphragm area, then bend down, setup and as I push the ground with my feet at the initial pull my stomache seems to automatically tighten up even though it's distended from air. I creates a wider base and pressurises your spine I believe. It really helps to take a big breath down into your diaphragm/stomache when doing squats or benches for that matter.

 

[coolcolj]

Vids look good, pretty good form all round, especially on the olys squats. You don't see too many people who can stay upright like that with feet pretty much straight ahead and with a fairly narrow stance - no oly shoes too - I can't do that

Must rock to be able to train at home? I wish I could myself sometimes!

 

[super_rice]

i'm going to read more on using the midsection, i'm not sure i've got it down right.

oh hell yeah, friends and girlfriends that are highschoolers like myself are great, but not having them around as training partners is ever greater!

CCJ you're lucky to have a gym with bumpers mang.

i got those airwalk skater shoes a week ago, and began to do oly stuff in those, as they are the flatted thing i could find. i started squatting in a pair of 20 dollar pair of tennis shoes.

it helps to have the flexibility of a once 135 pound volleyball player

 

[super_rice]

for those wondering what the hell it is that i am doing, it's madcow2's modified version of bill starr's 5x5. i believe also that it was modified by a bro named Johnsmith on meso forums. who or where this guy is i have no clue.

link
#1: the big post on meso. a lot of good stuff, but the 5x5 details are a bit vague, at least it was for me
#2: madcow2's modifications to the program, which i am following. this program has so far delivered most things it said it would (i'm only half way done). only thing is i'm worried about getting too much hypertropy without the strength to come with it! try it for yourself, don't modify it either.

1) http://forum.mesomorphosis.com/showthread.php?t=12
2) http://www.fortifiediron.net/invision/index.php?showtopic=3989&st=0&p=69541&#entry69541

 

[coolcolj]

bumpers are cool, but crappy bent bars are not!

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I wouldn't be worried about too much hypertrophy bro! HAHA! A bigger muscle has the potential to be an even stronger muscle.

You might run it threw a couple times like madcow2 suggests, then try 3 weeks of 5,4,3,2,1 to 90% of your 1 rep max and try to go up 2.5-5lbs each week, then on the 4th week go for a 1rm max on the squat monday, bench wednesday and deadlift friday, then take it easy for a week and then hit the 5x5 again?

Keep up the lifting man. Who knows you could be the next Tommy Kono.

 

[Madcow2]

for those wondering what the hell it is that i am doing, it's madcow2's modified version of bill starr's 5x5. i believe also that it was modified by a bro named Johnsmith on meso forums. who or where this guy is i have no clue.

link
#1: the big post on meso. a lot of good stuff, but the 5x5 details are a bit vague, at least it was for me
#2: madcow2's modifications to the program, which i am following. this program has so far delivered most things it said it would (i'm only half way done). only thing is i'm worried about getting too much hypertropy without the strength to come with it! try it for yourself, don't modify it either.

Let's just say it's JohnSmith182's, who is one of the best strength coaches in the country, version of the classic Bill Starr (one of the greatest strength coaches ever) 5x5 workout. I'd be honored to shine either of their shoes. My deloading program differs slightly and requires judgement on the part of the trainee as to evaluate their requirements for rest whereas the 2 day deloading protocol does not (and that's probably a good thing for people new to this type of training).

I simply promote the program because it does a few things very well:
1) Consistently results in an incredible amount of hypertrophy (great for BBers, not always okay for a weight class restricted athlete)
2) Makes a lifter very strong from top to bottom (great for athletics)
3) Is a very easy to illustrate model of dual factor theory which after decades of being universally accepted by the whole world as vastly superior to single factor supercompensation style workouts for training non-novice lifters might finally make its way into BBing, a group of people who seem to be at the cutting edge of all things on the response side of the equation (diet and drugs) yet lag the world by decades on the stimulus side (training).

 

[super_rice]

yeah, i might regret this in the future, but right now with my numbers so low i'd rather have a little bit more strength and a little less hypertrophy.

CCJ: i lift with a 50 dollar bar that does not spin freely at the sleeves and gets a bow with ~275 beat that!