WSB: watch my Weights Skyrocket, Bitches!

[Guinness5.0]

How long before the 5 plate squat, do you think?

I guess it all depends on how I react to coming off the sauce. I could see it going one of three ways really:
-Regressing in strength for a bit, then SLOWLY ramping back up
-plateauing hard for a while
-making slow but steady progress due to focusing on a different rep range, speed work, and improved technique.

I predict the last scenario - I don't expect it to rocket up weekly, but I don't think my form change (staying back on my heels and using my hips/hams appropriately instead of rocking forward on to the balls of my feet in the hole) was anything short of significant. Plus, after both of my previous cycles I hung on to my strength pretty well w/out really knowing what I was doing and without making strength priority #1.

BW-

I really don't have a good reference point for 1rm, which kinda sucks. Best I can compare to is a belted/wrapped triple w/ 405 back in summer. That was right when my back started to get aggravated - probably from heavy weight and rounding my back at the bottom.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 1 -- WEDNESDAY -- ME Bench

Bench press
warmups
Triples: 275, 315
Singles: 345, 365, 375(PR)
225x21

-I couldn't decide what to do for ME bench, so I just benched . It's odd - it seems my sticking point has moved up to the middle/upper portion of the ROM, which is good b/c there are lots of options to address this: rack lockouts, chains, bancs, etc. I know the backoff set was stupid but I just couldn't help it. I stopped short of failure b/c I didn't have a spotter. I just stripped the plates after 375 and went at it, so I think I coulda done like 25 had I rested.

Incline DB press
85'sx10
100'sx10

-last rep w/ hundos was brutal

One-arm DB rows
warmups
120x6x4

-Still room to work with here - prob. could have done 130 or so but I gotta leave some room for ramping on my accessory stuff. I'm using these instead of BB rows b/c I think my back is getting all it can handle w/ the GMs and such.

JM presses
135x8x4

-Not sure I did 'em right as I haven't reviewed any vids of these in a while. They were pretty easy.

Front Squats
warmups
275x3x4

-I though these would be a good movement since I really don't have any quad-dominant movements lined up - I sure don't want a strength to become a weakness Plus these kick my core's ass (that makes NO sense whatsoever).

Prehab: GMs w/ 135 for a couple sets of 12

A good workout. My last shot was Sunday but I doubt my test levels have tanked just yet, but I feel a little less 'fiery'. Could be mental. I'm not sure I like the movement choices 100% - the inclines seem pretty worthless but I just kinda went to the gym w/out a set-in-stone plan. Also, I may have overdone it on the workload by a little.

 

[RipStone]

You, my friend, are one strong MFer! Damn impressive numbers. But, yea, as you said the workload seemed kinda high on this day. One day of too much work aint gonna kill ya though.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Monstrous bench G5.0, nice work.

Also, you planning on using any boards, bands or chains?

 

[nelmsjer]

Holy crap. Is your bench raw? Your front squat is nothing to sneeze at, either!!

 

[blut wump]

Careful with a WSB layout with respect to overtraining. Going four days a week for compound-exercise workouts can drive you to overtraining very quickly and seems to do it in a more insidious fashion than the volume grind of the 5x5-style workout.

Some days you just have to get in and put your effort into the main one or two exercises and go home or blast through your accessory work at half power. This is going to count doubly so as your test levels fall away.

I like DB rows and was doing them at the back end of last year. They feel like a cross between a free-weight and a machine exercise, though, with the stability gained from resting on a bench.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Jim - probably gonna get some bands for speed days and do rack lockouts for ME

Nelms - up it's raw. Hte only epuipment I use is straps for deads. Didn't need 'em for db rows today, which was a surprise

BW - yeah I think this woulda been a good workout w/out the inclines and possibly only two sets of DB rows.. The front squats were intentionally fairly light and low volume. I'll be very in tune to how I feel - it's nice having some DF experience as I have a decent idea of when fatigue is hitting. On the other hand, I tend to think that the low workload inherent in the ME stuff is probably less fatiguing than it appears. With all the various recent sessions where I've done singles I feel fresh as a daisy afterward. We'll see how long that lasts though...

 

[Introspective]

375 Pounds - 170 Kilo Bench - Nice.
275 Pounds - 125 Kilo Front Squat - Nice.
How come your doing WSB and not 5x5 ?

 

[majutsu]

Very nice, my brother. Welcome to the darkside. May Louie be with you!

I'm in week 5 of a 6 week mesocycle. It's one of those things where it all clicks like it never has. Just a few tips: 1)Speed work is not a race. I've found it most rewarding to think of it as "oiling the machine". Just try it; don't ask. 2)Make sure to rotate those MEs. Every 2 weeks is beautiful. Dig in week1 and then beat it week two. And week 3 where you want to quit and cry never comes. 3)I never use wraps, belts etc. Louie recommends NOT working out equipped with box squats etc. You have to pull out a bench shirt once a month to keep your skills if you compete, but otherwise you avoid equipment in your routine workouts. That's what you're supposed to do.

Good luck. You should be on target for the 600 lb squat and 405lb bench we illuminatus have planned for you May 21 (3 months after your b-day). Get cracking, boy.

 

[Guinness5.0]

You should be on target for the 600 lb squat and 405lb bench we illuminatus have planned for you May 21 (3 months after your b-day). Get cracking, boy.

I'd friggin' LOVE to hit 600 this year but damn - that's 135 pounds more!

And you said not to ask, but I'm confused by your comment about DE work. Are yo saying that you disagree with the short rest intervals generally suggested for it? I thought the idea was to work up to the heaviest weight you can while still rocketing the bar up under control. I was under the impression that the last couple sets should be pretty rough, but that bar speed shouldn't be compromised. Sound about right (I'm sure I'm missing your point - just wanted to share what I perceive as the way DE stuff is done)?