As we wind down another cycle and Derek looks to sport-specific rugby training, Scott found willing lifters to go for max lifts on Thanksgiving Day.
Tuesday, 11/24/09
Axle Push Press, w/2 mb: 65×5/105×5/135×3/160×3/160×3/175×3/. Bands were wrapped around the bar twice. Front Squat: 95×3/135/. Ok that’s all for the front squat. Apprehensive about doing any weighted squats, so instead, I did, Barbell Step-ups: 135×10, each leg/185×8/185×8/. Plyo Box Jumps, 24″. 3 x 7. Single Dumbell Rows: 75×8/90×8/90×8/90×6/. Front Plate Throw, 35#: 3 x 8. Standing Cable Crunches: 100×10/110×10/110×10/110×10/.
Just about everything I did was preceded by a tentative movement to calibrate for an injury. Front squats were eliminated.
Thursday, 11/26/09
Looks like a deadlift and bench press ME day.
Power Cleans: 113×5/113×5/133×3/. These were put in toget the CNS ready to deadlift. Deadlift ME: 245×5/295×5/325×3/345×3/385/415/440/462.5pr/475f/470f/. Gave it all @ 462, which is the only set I could count the weight of the collars! Bench Press ME: 135×3/165×3/185×3/205×3/250/260 pr/270 pr/275f/.
Saturday, 11/28/09
Saturday was a big-time sick day. Sometimes you finish big, other times not so.
*Update: Greg Everett of Catalyst Athletics and Performance Menu has more to this Crossfit nonsense. While you are at this linked article, why not go ahead and do the workout Everett put up.
Recently, Crossfit affiliate, Greyskull Elite had a scathing piece he wrote titled, Why I Resigned My Affiliation With Crossfit and was met with much discussion, debate and controversy. Things had barely subsided and now we learn that Robb Wolf, one of the Crossfit “old-timers” and all-around good guys got canned amid a considerable amount of acrimony.
Some of the thing at issue is what Crossfitters should eat. How ridiculous! They favor the Zone, Robb prefers Paleo. That longstanding issue about quality control is that there is no quality control. Buyer Beware.
All I can say is I am glad I left Crossfit years ago. I train to escape the drama, kool-aid and the egos not immerse myself in it.
I do look forward to what Robb does and you can find out at robbwolf.com.
As you have read here, there are few pieces of gym equipment I have any use for, save for a couple. One is the Glute Ham Developer, (GHD) and another, the Reverse Hyper Machine, (RHM).
Unilateral strength training involves the use of one limb at a time and for this dumbbells, kettlebells and bodyweight movements are the primary implements. I have found out that it is one thing to do a barbell lift but it is an entirely different proposition to do the same lift with dumbells. If you don’t train much with dumbells, expect to have your strength imbalances and weaknesses exposed as I have found out, much to my dismay. Glaring weaknesses. I would benefit greatly by doing an entire cycle of just doing unilateral training. Mixing in DB cleans, snatches, push presses, bench presses, in short, most of the things I do with a barbell. for good measure, adding in some plyometric and bodyweight exercises would increase the “fun factor”.
Back to heavy volume and a ME Tuesday which turned out to be a mixed bag; a personal best in the push press and a groin blow-out while working up to an Olympic squat pr.
Tuesday, 11/17/09
Push Press: 95×5/135×5/155×3/165×3/185/205 pr/225 pr/235 pr (need more leg drive leg drive). Back Squat: 135×5/185×5/235×3/275×2/285 f. (crashed the bar. My left side groin gave out and ended my run for a pr. damn!)
Chest-supported double Dumbbell Rows: 30×8/60×8/60×8/60×8. Bar Front Raise: 45×10/50×9/. Med Ball Sit-ups: 4×20. Legs close together. Could not do spread eagles, however.
Much has been written about the deadlift and yet there are some lingering myths about it like how bad it is for your back. Doing nothing but sitting poorly is much worse for your back than correctly performing the lift.
That said, anytime you are lifting a weight you need to know what you are doing and do it correctly. Jim “Smitty” Smith of Diesel Crew shows and tells how to deadlift the proper way.
Smitty does a great job a describing how to set up the lift and really set up to successfully pull maximum weights safely. Once you learn this, go out and confidently perform the King of Lifts!
This is the second day of the deloading week, so volume will be lower as will intensity.
Dumbbell Clean & Push Press: 60×12/80×8 in 1 min./80×8 in 1 min./. Drop Snatch: 45×6/65×3/85×3/95×3/105×3/. Dumbbell Lateral & Front Raises, x 15: 3×20# Dumbbell Windmills: big time flexibility issues, especially going to my right. Lat Pulldowns, x 10: 140×10/160×10/160×5/150×5/.
As an athlete, should you consider it an insult if someone says you are “quad-dominant”? Why? Because it implies the athletic muscles from your posterior side, the backside, are under-developed. Simplistically speaking, the front muscles; bi’s, tri’s, pecs & quads are known as “beach” muscles and while there is nothing wrong with developing them and looking good, the real athleticism comes from the developed posterior chain muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons of the hips, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, calves and down to the ankles.
Since, as Dan John says, “the body is one piece”, you need to work the entire body and not give short shrift to those muscles, ligaments and tendons “hanging out” behind you. Developing these muscles make you more athletic, stronger, faster and a less likely chance of injury. You can’t get any more functional than that, can you? The beauty of human movement is the synchrony of the hips, glutes and hamstrings firing off at just the right time.
As usual, the Green Bay Packers started well, made a pile of boneheaded penalties, had a sieve for an O-line that allowed defenders to sack our quarterback 6 times and then handed a win to a team that has been 0-11 since last season. What is a frustrated and exasperated fan to do?
I went out to the garage and did a bunch of barbell drop snatches and snatches and then finished with a couple sets of these:
2 sets with a 150# sandbag for about 170 feet. Listen to what was playing in the background.
