[fennway4414]

Originally Posted by niagareven

I'm 5'5 =(

I'm 6'4. I'm assuming that could help when it comes to the stones right?

[niagareven]

Originally Posted by BlondeWarrior

So what.

You're strong as fuck.

Nice training this week, I don't know what's up with everyone's deads, but no one is happy with them this week LOL. Keep up the training. Want to come to Chicago area for Chicago's strongest in April? Should be a good contest. No spots left, but I'll be there cheering everyone on.

Thanks. I'm not complaining much about my deadlift as 435 is only like 85 percent of my max. I normally don't deadlift too often, but I figured I'd try keeping semi light deadlifts and deficit deadlifts almost every week for a while and see how that goes. I MAY max deadlift the week after viking fest. If I do I may go for 545 but we'll have to see how I feel.
Chicago will be a no go as it's very far and I already have at least 1 contest and one wekeend vacation planned around that time. If I do the other contest we were thinking of doing (in maine, so I'll need to get a hotel) I'll be pretty broke.


Fenn--yeah, being tall helps a TON on stones. 60" platforms for you wouldn't be bad, and most contests usually have 48-54" platforms anyway, so thats probably like belly button height for you..haha

[fennway4414]

Originally Posted by niagareven

Fenn--yeah, being tall helps a TON on stones. 60" platforms for you wouldn't be bad, and most contests usually have 48-54" platforms anyway, so thats probably like belly button height for you..haha

LOL...I hear stones are A LOT of technique. I'll need to read up if I ever come train with you guys.

[niagareven]

Yeah, they are a lot of technique, but don't worry, we can help you. Only thing is that we don't have any really light stones. The 260 is pretty easy though, especially since you have a good base of strength already. Our stones are supposedly 260, 310 and 340. I say supposedly, because the two bigger stones may be heavier than we think. My friend thinks they just feel harder because they are really dusty from not being used much and they also seem to be a bigger diameter than the 300 and 330 we are used to training with. I've broke the one that is supposed to be 340 off the floor a couple times, and I feel like my grip is on solid so the dust isn't the problem. I just feel like my other friend who made them may be a little off on the numbers. Who knows though.

[fennway4414]

Alright, sounds good man. I'm pumped up to try this stuff, I'm not going to lie lol.

[niagareven]

Tuesday 2/26

My mid/upper back has been bothering me the last few days, so first thing I did after the usual band traction/stretching and foam roller was do scap retractions. It helped a TON.

Then I did 8 - 10 sets of 3 on pull ups. I read in someone's log on marunde's site about how he was doing pull ups wrong and initiating them with his elbows rather than his back. It got me thinking, and apparently I was doing the same. I made sure I was starting with my back, and they felt soooo much more comfortable/easier.

Squats
135 x 10
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
305 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 1...super easy PR. It was easier than the previous set
405 x 0...buried it to make sure I went low enough, got maybe 6 inches out of the hole and I got stuck, fought for a few seconds and then dumped it forward. Oh well.

Front squats (no belt)
225 x 5
255 x 3
275 x 3
295 x 1
305 x 1
315 x 2...PR for no belt
275 x 5...I was hoping to hit 10 reps but I stopped it because the bar was rolling a lot
-Every set felt uncomfortable with how I had it racked except the 315 set because I moved my hands out a couple inches.
It's amazing how much more comfortable front squatting is for me and how much lower I can get.

Barbell rows
185 x 10
235 x 8
255 x 5
275 x 5...pretty sloppy and 45 degree angle
235 x 5


Didn't go as "easy" as I was planning.... but whatever. I shouldn't be too sore on thursday from this workout.

[BlondeWarrior]

You beast, nice work :-)

Do you see a chiropractor? If so, go get an adjustment. Don't hurt yourself, your training is looking too good to introduce an injury.

Also, do you take any pre-workout supplements? Just curious, since I've started experimenting with them and was curious what you were using.

[niagareven]

I don't see a chiro, but I've been thinking about looking into seeing either a chiro or an ART doctor. I've always had "problems" with my mid/upper back, probably from years of being basically obese and having terrible posture. It felt fine for a while, but since gaining some weight back, it's been bothering me again. At least a couple times an hour I have to twist my upper back because it stiffens up. It pops a few times and then feels better for a little bit.

As for as pre-workout supplements, maybe a couple months ago (I forget exactly how long...I have no concept of time) I started taking 5g of beta alanine a day. At first I felt like it wasn't doing anything for me, but normally when I got hard with working out, after like 3 weeks I start getting sluggish and feel overtrained, then I have a few shitty workouts and need to take a week off. I've been having good workouts basically every single time I go in the garage for a couple months, PLUS I've upped the volume a lot and I still feel fine. So maybe it is helping a lot.

Other than beta alanine, I take a caffeine tablet if I am feeling tired. I used to take glutamine and creatine, but I stopped. My post workout shake is 1 scoop of whey protein isolate and two scoops of waxy maize (which has a little bit of bcaa's and some l luecine premixed in) Sometimes I have that same shake pre-workout, if I havent eaten for 3+ hours, and don't have time to fit a meal in before I workout. I also take a multi vitamin, vitamin c and vitamin b12 usually with the meal before I workout, if that means anything.

Sorry for the long post. I tend to have a lot to say and I dunno if people even read the crap I write half the time.

[BlondeWarrior]

I always read your posts and appreciate the details

I went and got myself some no-xplode and that stuff is insane (lemon-lime flavor). I made sure not to drink it on an empty stomach. It made me really motivated and gave me the extra oomph to get through the workout. Way cool. I just have a regular protein that I take afterwards (Respect) I know that it's expensive but it's SUPER yummy. If it doesn't taste good, I won't drink it--the Respect one is the *only* one that I've found so far that mixes well with water and tastes good with water. At least IMO.

I also started a womans multi-vitamin pak that includes a multi-vitamin (With more B-vitamins than my last one), CLA 1000, a fatty acid tablet, a calcium tablet, and some energy enhancer with green tea extracts, blah blah blah So far, so good.

[niagareven]

Thursday 2/28

So I was wrong... my entire mid/upper back (especially mid) is sore as hell. My legs are a little sore, but not so bad.

Warm up

Strict press from the rack
95 x 8
135 x 5
155 x 3
165 x 2
175 x 1...PR
155 x 6...technically a PR

12" log - clean every rep
145 x 6 first 3 strict from lap
165 x 6 first 3 strict from lap
185 x 5 first 2 strict from lap
205 x 1
225 x 2...went for four but missed the first and 4th. The 2 reps and 2 misses took me about 60 seconds.
205 x 0.....WHAT!!?????????????? form was way off
205 x 4... 1 clean
185 x 6... 1 clean...wow
-The 225 set were the UGLIEST reps you will ever see. The cleans were terrible and felt like a ton becuase my back was sore and my leg drive was so bad. I had to muscle each rep up. It was technically a PR though since I never did 225 for clean and press each rep for more than a single.

Close grip bench
135 x 8
185 x 5
205 x 3
225 x 2
225 x 2
235 x 2

pull ups
2 sets of 5....back was too sore to do more


Maybe I will try to put my heavy pressing day on sundays rather than thursdays since I don't feel as beat up after events as I have been after squats? I dunno. I need to figure something out.