ChrisLindsay9's Journal - "Lightweight Strong"

[ChrisLindsay9]

When you do the face pulls bring the center of the rope to eye level. Your hands should be pronated and above your head at that point. What you were doing was basically just a row.

I think I'm going to try these on a seated cable row in order to get that horizontal line. The pulley at my gym only allows for a handle to be positioned at the very top or very bottom.

Quick tip for that bench you are on. Rather than use the band for grip get some shelf liner. The rubbery mesh kind. Lay that down and you aren't going anywhere!

There was a post on this that I can't find, which linked to something like this ... if anyone remembers where, please let me know.

Edit: Found the link ... I'll order this Duck Brand Non-Adhesive Select Grip Easy Self Liner and see how it works for me.

 

[UncleAl]

Thanks for taking the time to post videos and notes, Chris. Between POB's comments and yours, I'm learning a lot.

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

THURSDAY (05/15/15)
(Pre-Peaking Week - Transitional Program*)

*Continuing my plan to use this week to try out new accessory/assistance exercises that will be in my new program; determination of proper weight/reps, practice form, and gauge overall intensity. This week is my programming. Next week it's PoB's programming.

Squat
140x15
160x15 (knee sleeves) *vid*
185x15 (knee sleeves) *vid*

Good Mornings
125x7
135x7 x4 sets (RPE 7)

KB Swings
35x15 x2 sets

DB Split Squats
12x10 x2 sets *vid*

Leg Curl Machine
45x75 (RPE 8-9)

Second session with low bar squatting. I think it's coming along pretty well, but I just need to find that sweet spot for my head angle. I've noticed that I seem to lose my "shelf" when I look too low or too high. When my head is facing down (like Richard Hawthorne's technique), I seem to get a lot of power out of the hole, but lose upper back tightness. When my head is facing up, my back stays tight but it pushes the barbell out of the shelf. Maybe with bigger lats/traps/rear delts that wouldn't be an issue?

So for now, I think a slight tilt of the head up, but where my eye level is still slightly below parallel to the floor might be the ideal location.

160x15
[video]https://youtu.be/DmKDWX1TKSE[/video]
185x15
[video]https://youtu.be/viuPA_8mDgs[/video]

I think my split squat form is improving in that I'm starting to feel less uncoordinated. Heh. I'll probably start with 15lb. DBs when my program calls for it. PoB gave me a tip of holding just one dumbbell, so I think I'll try that next week.
[video]https://youtu.be/PR05m468GLA[/video]

Thanks for taking the time to post videos and notes, Chris. Between POB's comments and yours, I'm learning a lot.

Thanks Al. Glad it can be of some benefit to you, and thanksfor checking in my journal and offering comments/support.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Looks like you need to keep working your shoulder mobility. In the hole when squatting your elbows come up and chest goes down. Focus on driving the elbows down. This will cause your back to arch and keep the chest up.

Same kinda thing on split squats. Don't round that upper back at the bottom.

Looking forward to next week!!

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

Looks like you need to keep working your shoulder mobility. In the hole when squatting your elbows come up and chest goes down. Focus on driving the elbows down. This will cause your back to arch and keep the chest up.

Yup, and it doesn't feel like I'm even close to being able to do this ... with the barbell positioned lower on my back. I'll put in some extra work on it both at the gym and during my recovery days though.

Looking forward to next week!!

Me too.

Especially my deadlift day!

242.5x15!!!

Four sets!!!



:261:

 

[PillarofBalance]

Well if low bar for whatever reason is really how you want to go we can slowly work on it. It requires more mobility at the bottom. So maybe start with high box squats and over the weeks work your way down. Since you are doing a dl only now is the time to do it.

Say yes and I will adjust the program to put those in it.

 

[Turbolag]

Nice squats man!

15 reps, that's painful to look at for squats man!

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

SUNDAY (05/17/15)
(Week 1/12 of PillarofBalance's Program)

Deadlift
242.5x15 x4 sets (55%)

Barbell Row
95x15 (RPE 6)
100x15 (RPE 7-8)

Back Extensions
BWx35 (Finisher)

Here are vids of the fourth sets of my deads and rows. The only thing to note is that the last few reps of my third and fourth sets, I switched from mixed grip to double overhand grip because the forearm in my mixed grip hand (supinated hand?) got really tight and it was getting hard to squeeze the barbell.

Deadlift
[video]https://youtu.be/hNY6uw-I828[/video]

Barbell Row
[video]https://youtu.be/9pc6DhCTrP8[/video]

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From last Friday's workout, I tried Facepulls with bands off a Smith Machine (so I can get a better angle) ... feel free to critique my form.
[video]https://youtu.be/ZAsMNrDb-Zs[/video]
[video]https://youtu.be/Gi4g4vmpTgg[/video]

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

Well if low bar for whatever reason is really how you want to go we can slowly work on it. It requires more mobility at the bottom. So maybe start with high box squats and over the weeks work your way down. Since you are doing a dl only now is the time to do it.

Since I got a lot of new things to learn and incorporate into this program, I'll hold off on low bar squats for this training cycle. I'll work on the low bar form at low weights (warmup weight) for now, just to get familiar with the technique, and pick it up again after my DL-only meet.

 

[UncleAl]

Nice work, Chris! How is your back after all those reps? Also, when is your meet and with what fed?

 

[Bullmuscle7]

Chris! I am very excited about this program!!!

I always follow you but I just think this is going to be fantastic!!

Yes!!!

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

Chris! I am very excited about this program!!!

Thanks Bull, I'm pretty excited as well. I really feel like I needed this. I think I'm good at programming, but I realized that I consciously or unconsciously bias my program to intensities and exercises that I know I can handle ... which takes a bit of the edge off. I needed someone to design a program for me that is different than I'm use to do doing, and force me to do new exercises that I'd otherwise never do.

And man on man, there's a week coming up in late June/early July, that is already giving me nightmares heh. Oh boy.

Nice work, Chris! How is your back after all those reps? Also, when is your meet and with what fed?

Thanks Al! Yeah, the back was pretty good actually. Maybe a smidge tighter than usual on Monday morning, but since I meet with a massage therapist for mobility/stretching work on Mondays, I had him treat it a bit .. and yesterday, I was pretty much back to normal.

My next meet is Saturday, August 8th. APF-AAPF federation. It's a push-pull, but I'm going to just do deadlift. I'm happy with my squat, and most recently, bench ... so I wanted to focus on my deadlift to get that progressing again. I'll probably do a full power in the same fed sometime in October.

<><><>

TUESDAY (05/19/15)
(Week 1/12 of PillarofBalance's Program)

Incline DB Press
40x15 (RPE 5)
45x15 (RPE 6) *vid*
50x15 x3 sets (RPE 7) *vid of last set*

Bodyweight Pull-Ups (AMRAP)
15 *vid*
14
12
11

SandBag Pick-Ups
45x15/15 reps per shoulder (Finisher)

[video]https://youtu.be/dp90vrO2py0[/video]

[video]https://youtu.be/3oFw_13e5OA[/video]