G5.0 vs. Gravity: The Neurotic Ramblings of a Man on a Mission

[Guinness5.0]

Those situps will do nothing but help your squats and help you get that 600 DL....after about a month, you'll wonder why and how you ever lifted without included them.

How would you approach this if you were me? For all intents and purposes, I have not EVER focused on abs, so it's likely that they are holding me back (as much as I hate to admit it). Would you keep the reps hgih (20-ish) or maybe drop 'em down into the tennish range and use more weight? Or perhaps should I alternate the two schemes?

Now that my sticking point on deads is right at that 'transition' spot b/t leg drive and lockout, I'm thinking that some heavy ab work may be just what the doctor ordered.

 

[BiggT]

I would do 4 sets twice a week....once you can do 4 sets of 25, add weight.....once you can do 4 sets of 25, with a 45lb plate, do them three times a week......John Inzer (800lb Dler) used to do them with a 100lb plate.....but generally, if you can do more than 25, you need more weight. 4 sets of 25 with a 45lb plate 3 times a week should be sufficient, but again, if they become a weakness, add more weight or more sets or more days.

Honestly, man, I used to think ab work was gay (and it is for the most part like crunches and gimmicks etc etc)....but after a month or two of these I could have kicked myself in the ass for neglecting them ever.

 

[Illuminati]

How would you approach this if you were me? For all intents and purposes, I have not EVER focused on abs, so it's likely that they are holding me back (as much as I hate to admit it). Would you keep the reps hgih (20-ish) or maybe drop 'em down into the tennish range and use more weight? Or perhaps should I alternate the two schemes?

Now that my sticking point on deads is right at that 'transition' spot b/t leg drive and lockout, I'm thinking that some heavy ab work may be just what the doctor ordered.

i missed where you were talking about the ab workout...but as far as for strength and helping the Squat/Bench/DL....Louie Simmons has always recommended heavy weight ab work, in the lower rep range

 

[xblitz44x]

Like you, guinness, I've also been neglecting abs until last week. I've been doing 5x5 with weighted decline situps. I guess I should probably consider doing some higher rep work. If you find something that works for you please post it. Friggin abs.

 

[Tweakle]

I'm rotating 2 heavy ab exercises - decline situps with a DB on my chest, with a plate behind my head and on the 3rd day cable crunches for higher reps.. seems to be helping a little

 

[Guinness5.0]

Just got back from Cali. I couldn't sleep at all, and the airlines lost my luggage. Good to be home

Week 8
MONDAY
Phase 2 -- Custom DF program
Week 3 of 4-week volume phase

Missed last friday's workout, as well as this friday's

Oly Squat
warmups, 385x5, x4, aborted

-Well I missed it. Under the circumstances, I'm not sure what to think. I arrived in Cali on Sunday afternoon, having gotten no sleep at all Saturday night. My flight was at 4am Sunday so I just stayed up all night. I was groggy all day but I went to the gym anyway. Maybe I would've gotten 'em all if I were fresh and maybe not. I'll try for 385 again this monday and if it's easy I'll add weight each set.


Incline BB Press
warmups, 255x5x3

-Got a bit of a touch spot in the very last rep, but I'm counting it - I would've fought it up had there ben no intervention.

BB Rows
255x5x3

-Harder than it should have been - I was planning on going for 275x5x3. I was doing power cleans as my pull/row on mondays, but the gym I was using only had those octagon plates which make PC'ing miserable.

Week 8
WEDNESDAY
Phase 2 -- Custom DF program
Week 3 of 4-week volume phase

Another day that got screwed up due to the gym....

Deads
worked up to a set of 5 w/ 405, then a single w/ 475

-There was nothing I could do box squats on - the benches were much higher here than the gyms I've been to lately. So I figured that some moderately heavy deads would be a good fit. I'm not sure that I've gotten much stronger on these since 500 went down, but it's hard to say without pulling all-out.

Bench press
worked up to a set of 5 w/ 295 and a triple w/ 315

-I intended to do dips here, but the only place to do 'em was in the 'machine' area, which was upstairs from the weight/DBs. The triple was disappointingly difficult. I was hoping that I was still good for a set of 5 on these. It seems that my cCGBP has reverted back to the stronger of my flat bench movements.

Then I left. I was meeting some of the people from training for dinner, and I haven't gone so far as to become completely anti-social over the gym

I missed friday's workout, which sucks but hey, how many times do you get a free trip to Cali with meal allowances? I had the best sushi I've ever eaten, hung out with some cool people, saw more fake boobs and beautiful women in one place than ever before, and saw Lamborghinis, several Bentleys, Ferraris, etc. So it was a good trip and I didn't completely slack in the gym either. I'll call it a win

Oh yeah - the gym I was at was a 24Hour, and I didn't pay for it either time - I entered, bought a drink, and walked right in. I had called previously and asked about buying a week pass, but they said all I could do was pay $15 each time. No, thanks After the shitty things I've read about that place I figured that they were lucky to ge the drink purchase out of me.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Welcome back G5.0. Sounds like a good time in CA. I hope your oly shoes weren't in your luggage

Pretty hard to lift heavy after flying cross-country. I'm sure once you get adjusted back you'll be lifting back to normal.

 

[majutsu]

yeah, travel blows.
just back from holiday me-self
need to lift today. in the same boat as you brother. my kingdom for some hutzpah.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Nice to have you back, dude. Will you be making any adjustments to your loading schedule on account of the missed workouts?

Pretty hard to lift heavy after flying cross-country.

I hate traveling. I'll most likely go insane being away from my diet/weights when I have to wander around the country to visit and then move to attend grad/law schools. My plan to maintain some semblance of sanity will be treating it as strategic deconditioning in preparation for an HST run. Yes, I'm anal.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Try eating nothing but Vietnamese food on Sunday i.e, nothing. Then spending 4hrs at Dulles airport sitting around and eating a Subway sub, then flying cross-country to Seattle. Got in at 1am Monday, worked all day, then tried to lift afterwards.

On the bright side, I felt a lot better after working out.