My Training Journal

[ExtraMile]

Been thinking about my plans for the future and this is what Im thinking right now.

When all is good with my back Im going to keep doing what Im doing now (aslong as it is working) until I find a competition to do where I am in a position where I know I will do well (chasing the full meet bench record) During this time I will try to get as big and strong as possible, but it would be kind of gay to have to enter above the 220 weight class...

Anyway once I have competed again and Im satisfied I will probably be weighing around 210-220 on an empty stomach and be big and bloated with even more stretch marks (getting new ones lately) at this point I will probably decide to put powerlifting and competing on hold for a while, and try to cut some weight down. Nothing drastic just try to drop down to something like 12-15% bodyfat. This will do two things. Firstly hopefully next time I compete I would be light enough to be in the 198's and secondly it will just give me a better look. While cutting my plan is to keep lifting heavy, just not singles, doubles, triples like I have been. I will probably train with some more volume, ever since I joined here I have always had at the back of my mind 'well yeah this strength and size is great but I still look fat' and Iv gotta change that sometime or other. Like I said it wont be anything drastic, Im hoping joe d will overlook my diet and give me help with that.

This may all change, Im just kind of thinking out loud...

 

[ExtraMile]

I understand all of that, they are just questions that you need to be asking yourself all the time. BBlazer is a friend of mine and we talk on the phone several times a week, internationally. He has made me programs before and I've just flat out had to tell him "I can't follow this, because my mind isn't sold on it" and apologized. And he TOTALLY accepted it. He isn't here for a while because he is on vacation cross-country.

In only my opinion, IF you are going for an ALL OUT PR, I'd wear the belt. That is when you decide that you are going for it all, no matter what, it can't hurt. I still do all my warm-ups with no belt (unless I'm using it to hold my suit up so it doesn't fall off me). I'd also train your abs hard, hard enough so that they are strong enough to handle a PR deadlift, 2-3x a week. But that is what works for me.

Every gym session I set up everything, asking myself, what is going to get me to a 370kg deadlift at the end of the month, and 372.5 next month? I have to have stronger abs, lower back, hamstrings, and butt! So...all my accessories are all about hammering those areas in a way that will make my deadlift go up.

But that is what is working for me...

well I figured never using a belt would give me some good ab work each session anyway, my first squat day on this program I had a wierd sort of ab soreness, it wasnt the usual after Iv done leg raises and weighted situps, it wasnt the rectus abdominis it was deep and only hurt when I did things like sneeze. My guess is it was from stabilising in the squats and it was the transverse abdonimis.

There is never a deadlift session (unless I was injured) where I wouldnt be going for a new PR, does this mean I should wear a belt every time?

When I get a video, then hopefully I can see where my weakness is in the deadlift and work on it...

 

[Tblock1]

well I figured never using a belt would give me some good ab work each session anyway, my first squat day on this program I had a wierd sort of ab soreness, it wasnt the usual after Iv done leg raises and weighted situps, it wasnt the rectus abdominis it was deep and only hurt when I did things like sneeze. My guess is it was from stabilising in the squats and it was the transverse abdonimis.

There is never a deadlift session (unless I was injured) where I wouldnt be going for a new PR, does this mean I should wear a belt every time?

When I get a video, then hopefully I can see where my weakness is in the deadlift and work on it...

I was getting really worried that the belt was helping me a ton on deadlifting and without it I wouldn't be able to lift shit but it was the complete opposite...yes the belt lets you get away with some bad form but I didn't wear it last time and pulled an easy pr, as a matter of fact I just looked at andalite's videos and just tried to follow what he does because my ass was too high and I was basically sldl'ing it. Anyway my back didn't round and it was way easier cause I had my legs involved. Point being: I see no reason why you shouldn't wear a belt on max attempts or on any max set em. Good luck, and get a video for bblazer, I sent him mine and I just followed what he said and it helped my form a ton.

 

[b fold the truth]

well I figured never using a belt would give me some good ab work each session anyway, my first squat day on this program I had a wierd sort of ab soreness, it wasnt the usual after Iv done leg raises and weighted situps, it wasnt the rectus abdominis it was deep and only hurt when I did things like sneeze. My guess is it was from stabilising in the squats and it was the transverse abdonimis.

There is never a deadlift session (unless I was injured) where I wouldnt be going for a new PR, does this mean I should wear a belt every time?

When I get a video, then hopefully I can see where my weakness is in the deadlift and work on it...

Just want to make sure you know a few things:
All this is just my opinion...not fact.
I never wore a belt on deads unless it was a competition or till after I'd pulled 341kgs raw.

When I first started 5/3/1 my entire core would get sore every workout for MONTHS AND MONTHS on my squat day. A lot of this was that I was losing my arch and having to re-arch with a heavy weight on my body.

Wear a belt, or don't, really doesn't matter as long as you do it the same every time and are getting stronger safely. I have started wearing one because I KNOW that I'm training for contest conditions and I'd never NOT wear a belt on an all out contest settings. Same with my suit (even though my suit is huge on me).

Thinking that your abs are getting enough work just by doing the core lifts is FALSE. Ask ANY heavy squatter and they will all tell you that they have to do heavy ab work and often. I talked to Scott Cartwright yesterday and he says that he does full ROM sit ups with a 45kg dbell on his chest...because to squat heavy he has to train his abs to be strong. Same with Matt Kroczaleski.

 

[ExtraMile]

Just want to make sure you know a few things:
All this is just my opinion...not fact.
I never wore a belt on deads unless it was a competition or till after I'd pulled 341kgs raw.

When I first started 5/3/1 my entire core would get sore every workout for MONTHS AND MONTHS on my squat day. A lot of this was that I was losing my arch and having to re-arch with a heavy weight on my body.

Wear a belt, or don't, really doesn't matter as long as you do it the same every time and are getting stronger safely. I have started wearing one because I KNOW that I'm training for contest conditions and I'd never NOT wear a belt on an all out contest settings. Same with my suit (even though my suit is huge on me).

Thinking that your abs are getting enough work just by doing the core lifts is FALSE. Ask ANY heavy squatter and they will all tell you that they have to do heavy ab work and often. I talked to Scott Cartwright yesterday and he says that he does full ROM sit ups with a 45kg dbell on his chest...because to squat heavy he has to train his abs to be strong. Same with Matt Kroczaleski.

Hmm that is a good point, I guess it would be like having a poor grip strength on deadlifts and thinking just deadlifting more would strengthen it. Your grip strength may get stronger but it will always be hard to grip your deadlifts because your grip strength would only get stronger at the same rate as your deadlift pulling strength. Is that correct?

Like I said bblazer doesnt want me to change the program at all. So I cant really add in more ab work right now, but when/if I change my training Ill go back to working abs more often. How many times per week would you suggest?

----------------------------------------

Today - Just went to the gym to do some active recovery type stuff, lots of bodyweight hyper extensions, cardio, stretching etc

Back is feeling a little better each day.

 

[b fold the truth]

I do abs when they aren't sore.

If it helps, next week I can give you a call as long as you don't make fun of my American accent...lol

 

[ExtraMile]

I do abs when they aren't sore.

If it helps, next week I can give you a call as long as you don't make fun of my American accent...lol

you could, but its expensive and we can just talk on here in pm's. What do you need to talk to me about?

Your accent sounds differant to a typical american accent on your video's lol

 

[b fold the truth]

you could, but its expensive and we can just talk on here in pm's. What do you need to talk to me about?

Your accent sounds differant to a typical american accent on your video's lol

Just anything I can do to help. Sometimes it is much easier for me to explain things over the phone than with the computer. A lot of people say I sound like a cocky butt hole on the computer where they never get to hear my laugh when I'm typing or smiling when I'm typing. And I almost always have my son with me so most times I'm reading and typing from my mobile phone or my mini notebook (neither are easy for me to type on).

Phone rates and wine are the only cheap things we have in Cyprus man. I'm sticking my hand out to offer. Heck...I'll help ANYONE who really needs it and thinks a phone call would help.

I also try to hide my real accent till I'm around like people. If I talked with my "southern Accent"...nobody in Cyprus would understand a word I said except for my wife...lol

 

[ExtraMile]

Just anything I can do to help. Sometimes it is much easier for me to explain things over the phone than with the computer. A lot of people say I sound like a cocky butt hole on the computer where they never get to hear my laugh when I'm typing or smiling when I'm typing. And I almost always have my son with me so most times I'm reading and typing from my mobile phone or my mini notebook (neither are easy for me to type on).

Phone rates and wine are the only cheap things we have in Cyprus man. I'm sticking my hand out to offer. Heck...I'll help ANYONE who really needs it and thinks a phone call would help.

I also try to hide my real accent till I'm around like people. If I talked with my "southern Accent"...nobody in Cyprus would understand a word I said except for my wife...lol

Not cocky, confident maybe but who wouldnt be with 800+ box squat and deads in the high 700s?!

Thats a very kind offer, thanks. And well my main concern right now is getting my back healed, then fixing what has injured it. Im sure its a combination of bad deadlift form and one arm rows. Iv never enjoyed 1 arm rows and this is twice Iv had a small tweak and they have turned it into a full blown injury.

but once I can pull heavy again, Ill take a video, and also one of my squats and whatever is wrong with them we can sort out over the phone if you think it will be easiest...

 

[bblazer]

OK, I'm back.

EM, the reason I was so insistant on you not changing anything, was because you were going in a new direction - STRENGTH. I wanted/needed you to to a very simple program for 6 weeks without deviation. This would accomplish 3 things.

1) Begin to give you a good base to work
2) Have you concentrante on just the big strength movements
3) Have any problems you have show themselves

IMHO, you have never really started. You have been going to the gym and working out for a while, but not in a concentrated way. A lot of that is expected because off your age and you are experimenting. That's absolutely fine. But now was time for you to focus, and "wax on, wax off."

I also wanted to test and help you develop your mental toughness. That is why I pushed and was hard on you.

We will get you there, but now we need to tweak a few things. Give me some time to dig out from being gone and get into it.

Two more things:

1) If you ever talk to b fold in his native tongue, it will sound more foreign to you than any Welsh or Lowland Scot you have ever talked to
2) Before we do anything, get a real power belt. Leather and 10-13 mm thick.

B-