If you are a proponent of the big compound lifts; power cleans, deadlifts, bench press, and squats you probably know of Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore and their well-known book, Starting Strength, Basic Barbell Training. I can’t think of a better how-to book to learn these lifts.
Have you ever used Wikipedia, the user-editable online encyclopedia? Then you have an idea about the Starting Strength Wiki. There is some great information here in this wiki so I invite you to take a look.
Here are a couple of classic Mark Rippetoe quotes you’ll enjoy.
“There are few things graven in stone, except that you have to squat or you’re a pussy.”
“Pierre, if you are eating 5500 calories a day, then I am a female kangaroo with a Sonic Drive-In franchise and a heroin habit.” (I have no idea what that means).
On steroids:
“There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy.”
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”
HPS x 5: 45/50/55/65/90
HPC x 5: 90/110/128/130/140
CLD x 5: 149/165/175/185/205
PP x 5: 90/110/120/130/140
FS x 5: 90/120/120/130/14o
OHS x 5: 45/65/95
BP: 95 x 10/135 x 8/155 x 8
From the AKC, (NOT the American Kennel Club), but the American Kettlebell Club, comes this video of a 66 year old, 200 lb man deadlifting 450 lbs, easily. I can’t even do that now at 52, so I have time to “beat that” by the time I hit 66!
I went light today, but it was enough to make me go take a nap afterwards, which I thoroughly enjoyed, thank you very much!
I warmed up with AbMat sit-ups, back extensions, push-ups, snatch drops, snatch lands, snatches and some overhead squats.
Going up a level, I did snatch grip deadlifts while standing on a plastic Step Reebok platform, (I knew they were good for something). Those lifts were 155×3/200×3/200×3.
I alternated between,
Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): 5×135x10. Bench Press: 95×10/135×10/155×5/175×5/195×5/205×5.
Some day, like my dogs, I too might be AKC registered. Seriously, that group has got hellacious ways to train with kettlebells.
Over the last couple of years, as I switched over from mostly endurance-style training with inline skating to the many varied Crossfit workouts, I have enjoyed trying a lot of different ways to train instead of locking myself into just skating, mountain biking or running as I had done in years past.
I now do bodyweight exercises, intervals, like Tabatas, a little running, multi-joint compound exercises, metcons, powerlifting, kettlebells and Olympic lifts and the supporting exercises to help master the technical nature of the the snatch and clean and jerk. While I won’t excel at any of them, just to be able to do all them with a level of competence and improvement is enough for me. As long as I can mix it up, I am happy. And while I still push myself, deep down I know I really don’t have to since what the hell am I training for beyond simple fitness. The PR’s and goals are great, but I am enjoying the journey and I definitely enjoy “sampling” all the great ways there are to train the body and the mind. Lately, it has been kettlebells and Olympic-style lifting.
For Christmas, Val got me a training video and workbook from US Olympic Weightlifting coach, Jim Schmitz. Since I don’t have a coach, this set is the next best thing to learning this style of lifting.
Tonight I pulled a routine from his workbook. Now I realize, I lifted a session that is meant to be done 3 times a week for a month before advancing to the next module and I won’t be adhering strictly to the routine because then the variety I have been enjoying in my training so much goes away. Of course, my progress in these lifts slows considerably, but that is ok.
It took a little longer than I thought to do because there was so much, but the weights were light and focus on proper form was more important.
After a few rounds of the Burgener warm-up, I went right into Schmitz’ routine for beginners & intermediates.
Hang Power Snatch, 5 x 5: 45/50/55/65/75.
Hang Power Cleans, 5 x 5: 75/90/100/110/130.
Clean Deadlift Shrugs: 130×5/145×5/155×3/185×3.
Push Press, 5 x 5: 90/100/115/125/135.
Front Squat, 5 x 5: 75/90/110/130/155.
Overhead Squats, 3 x 3: 45/90/110.
Bench Press: 135 x 10/135 x 8/135 x 6.
Hell of a lot of reps and a hell a lot of fun too. I’ll do something like this on Thursday with Jon Curry and make it heavy on the snatch related lifts.
Mike Covert loves to program his training sessions. He does his and Tori’s for days and weeks in advance. Mike also enjoys doing metcon workouts. He is one fit dude, so when he asks me to train with him during one of those metcons, I always have something else to do. Yesterday he showed me what he planned for today and asked me to train with him. This one was “reasonable”, so I accepted and it was a good moderate intensity session which is exactly what I was looking for. It was nice to simply “show up” and have the workout already planned.
We did bench presses, overhead presses and dumbbell jerks and after that we departed and he resumed his metabolic insanity by doing a Tabata using rings. (I think Mike, who is “celebrating” his 35th birthday today is addicted to extremely high heart rates)!
We started with Bench Presses:
135×5/175×3/175×3/190×2/190×2/205×2/215×1/215×1/235×1/250×1 (I think the 250 is a new 1RM).
On to Overhead Pressing:
4×5 @ 95#40# each arm. 3 x 6 with 8 Dan John-style press-ups on the last rep of each set. I did one set with mini-bands.
Next, was Dumbbell Jerks with .
My finisher was 2 x 100 meter Slosh Pipe Zercher Carries.
This was a nice change-up with a moderately strenuous effort. Happy birthday, Mike!
After taking up too much time chatting it up with a few of the regulars about the day’s Super Tuesday primary voting, I got down to the business of training and working up a good sweat. I did that and got the heart rate up, but it wasn’t totally exhausting and that was good.
I wanted to get some reps of light bench pressing in since I hardly ever do it and mix in some 24 kg kettlebell swings.
The benches were 5 reps at 135/155/155/155. In between and after, I did 5 sets of 20 kettlebell swings; both one and two-handed. That wasn’t too tough, but I was warmed up and ready for more.
Add in 5 sets of kettlebell snatcheswith the 24 kg at 10/20/20/10/10. Form started breaking down and the bell was slipping so that ended that.
For my finisher, I went to the slosh pipe and did 3 x 100 yards with a Zercher carry and another one overhead. That cinched it for me and ended a good and gradual increase of heart-pounding work.
The start of a new year means the NFL season is winding down and this weekend, sixteen teams play to advance in the playoffs. The Green Bay Packers are one of four teams that have a first round bye and will play the Seattle Seahawks in legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
I didn’t have a bye so I went to the gym and tried something new and something old I haven’t done in a long time…the bench press.
I did a few sets of the Burgener Warm-up and did a Dan John routine.
4 sets, 8 reps each of Power Snatch, Overhead Squat, Back Squat, Good Mornings, Rows and Deadlifts.
45/55/65/75.
It has been a long time since I have done bench presses and the last time I did, I re-injured my left shoulder. In doing 7 x 3, I would go no higher than my bodyweight for fairly obvious reasons.
135/155/175/185/205/185/185.
The Dan John routine was a smoker and I liked it for that reason. For the bench press, caution and moderation was a good call.
