A Scrawny Lifter's Redemption Song

[Gary Gibson]

My long-standing knee problem collided with my Smolov greed and put me out of the running for this year's USAPL Raw Nationals. Here's where I try to put this knee thing to bed with proper rest and rehabilitation.

Next three weeks = Bench specialization in the form of Smolov Jr + NO lower body work.

Week four = rest and test for new bench max

Weeks five through seven = PTP bench (practice/peak) + SLDL

Week eight = rest and test for new bench max

After that = default routine:
Monday) Bench, pull up, kb press
Tuesday) Squat
Thursday) Press, weighted Chin up, DB bench
Friday) SLDL or Sumo DL alternating weeks.

In the interest of knee rehab, I'll be continuing to aspirate as much excess fluid as I can on my own and just doing isotonic holds and unweighted full ROM extensions. Even mere bodyweight squats have recently had the effect of irritating the synovium and producing many ml of excess fluid.

In a month lower body work will resume with stiff-leg stuff to condition the hamstrings without loading the knees through any ROM.

A month after that squats will resume with a "stretched out" Smolov (a traditional linear progression). I'm thinking three weeks each of 2 sets of 12, then 3 of 8, then 4 of 6, then 5x5. This will allow me to break the squat back in with higher rep stuff to get the blood flowing, the connective tissue healing and the muscles growing without too much loading. After I've built up some meat and coordination by specializing on sets of 12 down to sets of 5, I'll work a few weeks of triples, doubles and singles to refine my low rep strength. This will take me to the end of the year and to over 405.

Smolov Jr Bench starts tomorrow...

[Gary Gibson]

05/04/2009

BP 45x10, 95x6, 155x6x6
Pull-up x6x3

Smolov Jr BP begins. I was going to space this out to six weeks, but tonight was so easy that I think I'll just do the 4-day-a-week and get it done in three weeks with a week of rest and test.

Injury Report: Knee almost magically better tonight. Hasn't felt this trouble-free in many months. Draining has been so successful that my last half dozen attempts have been dry taps. Range of motion now 95% and with pressure I can get heel very, very close to the glute. Weakness at certain angles gone after just one night of those little rehab moves (weightless extension and tensing). No catching or soreness during walking. Using ibuprofen (600 or 800 mg 3 or 4 times/day), liniments and medium-sized neoprene sleeve.

Will avoid any heavy loading of the knee especially in ROM and just stick to rehab level work while I Smolov Jr Bench. Progression of lower body loading is planned thus:

Bench w/ no lower body work for 4 weeks (Smolov Jr, rest and test)
Bench w/ SLDL for 2-3 weeks (PTP)
Bench w/ CV DL for 2 weeks
Bench w/ Sumo DL and light/rehab SQ for 2 weeks
Bench w/ SQ

[Gary Gibson]

05/06/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 165x5x7
Pull Up +10x6x3

[Gary Gibson]

05/08/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 175x4x8
Pull Up +0x8,x8,x7

Injury Report: Drained a bit more after a lot of failed attempts. Got from infrapatellar lump and medial apprach very near kneecap. Hardly any effusion left at his point and I really have to try to get anything out. Pinching is diminishing upon full extension, but occasionally feels "squelchy" when I stand up quickly from a crouch. Discovered that I had absolutely no strength in the bottom range of flexion (because knee hasn't been able to go that far for months). Lying supine I lift my right leg straight up and perform knee extensions that way. Adding ankle weights and strength is rapidly returning. This glaring strength deficit would explain why I kept getting reinjured. It was impossible to cure while the effusion was present.

[Gary Gibson]

05/09/2009

Bench 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x3x10

Got incredibly smooth and easy at the seventh set.

Injury: Various attempts have resulted in mostly dry taps and one very minute drip from the inferior anterolateral lump. There has been no detectable refill. The synovial lining is probably as calm as it's going to get, though that medial plica is still a problem half the time.

I've done some bodyweight squats, but not to the all-out depth that seems to stress the knee....just two inches below USAPL legal. I don't think waiting two full months is called for this time. I'm thinking to finish this BP Smolov Jr plus the test, then just two weeks of BP PTP and SLDL. Return to squats in six weeks instead of eight.

Supine vertical leg extensions still revealing a lot of weakness, but the quad is overall much stronger than it was. Five more weeks ought to be plenty of time to get the quad back up to speed.

[Gary Gibson]

05/11/2009

BP 45x10, 95x6, 135x3, 165x6x6
SQ 45x10, 135x10x2
Pull Up x8, x8, x5

Bench felt positively easy. I've been loading up on beef and milk. Feel flush, full of pep.

Felt pressure on the swollen thing on the medial side of my knee during squats. Left leg muscles cramping and swelling while right side didn't seem to respond. Some pain directly above kneecap caused some instability.

God damn it to hell.

[Gary Gibson]

Another 40 or so ml out in the past couple of days. Symptoms decrease in proportion to amount of fluid drained. Last couple of times there were rice bodies clearly visible. About 15 ml with first two draws this week, but now only able to get less than 4 with each attempt.

Here's some info on traumatic synovitis: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1654240

This is from 1924, but those doctors seemed to have a good grasp of the situation. They all recommend draining of the knee to relieve symptoms and to promote recovery. One commented that extreme effusion tends to result in the atrophy of the quadriceps and special care must be taken to bring that muscle back up to par. This is all in line with my experience. The more I drain, the better the knee gets.

I suspect that I get recurrence because my knee just needs time to pull itself together now that all that fluid (and some of the fibrin) is gone. Even though it feels better because it isn't forcefully distended anymore, it hasn't "pulled itself together" structurally. Plus the quadriceps (and hamstrings and adductors) are atrophied.

Course of action: wait. Wait a couple of weeks and avoid loading, even stiff-legged work. In three weeks start the supine leg extensions (femur perpendicular to floor) again and the SLDL to get the quads and hams working again, but without squat-like loading. Progress to conventional deadlifts and then squats.

Mind, this was the initial plan, but I got greedy as soon as the knee started feeling better. Jumped to light squats two months ahead of schedule! This sort of behavior is why rehab fails. It's just hard for me to accept that I'm that hurt (even though the past 18 months should be proof enough to me that I am).

Smolov Jr Bench Week II, Day II tomorrow...

[Gary Gibson]

05/13/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 175x5x7
Chin Up x5, +45x5x2

Bench still feeling pretty easy. Keeping rests under 3 minutes. Form is perfect on third set and stays perfect till about sixth set.

Weighed 166-167.

Injury: Multiple drainings yesterday and last night. Medial lump yielded about 30 ml. Went deep below patella and got 7 bloody cc. Getting harder to find and bloodier when I do find it. Old bulges nearly gone this morning. Repeated tensing in full extension failed to produce any catching...but knee is feeling beat up from all the poking. Very sore around that medial condyle where I've gone in so many times. Hard to tell if it's from the poking or if there's fluid or pinching or what when I was walking to work this morning.

Three more weeks of no lower body work and nearly two months before I squat again. Going to keep up GOMAD (2500 kcal) on top of 1500 kcal/day in solids.

[K.Diesel]

Just curious - how did you learn to drain the knee yourself? Did a doc show you, or did you learn from a book/website? Also, if you didn't drain it so often, what would happen? Sorry if I missed the answer from a previous post.

It just blows me away that you're able to do it. I dread needles, and hope to never have to administer them to myself for a medical condition. But I have a type of awe/admiration for those tough guys/girls who do it every day.

[Gary Gibson]

Just curious - how did you learn to drain the knee yourself? Did a doc show you, or did you learn from a book/website? Also, if you didn't drain it so often, what would happen? Sorry if I missed the answer from a previous post.


Kaisheem,

A little of both. One doc did it for me a couple of times. I read hundreds of medical reports and instructions on arthrocentesis online and studied some knee anatomy. The biggest risks are infection and damaging delicate structures like nerves or cartilage. This effusion has been limiting me for so long that I decided it was worth the risks.

I've had the effusion for nearly two years at this point. If I don't drain it, it doesn't go away. This involves several possible complications. The synovial lining is probably thickened and fibrotic and preventing reabsorption. There could be loose bodies, ligament or meniscal damage that's inducing constant fluid production. I do seem to have a medial plica condition wherein a redundant bit of synovium got pinched once (during a box squat, I believe) and has since thickened and now keeps getting caught in the joint at extension. MRIs showed no derangements and arthroscopy would be the next step in order to get a better look in there and fix what can be fixed, but that's terribly expensive. Self-rehab and hope are much cheaper.

The knee only refills when I stress it out further. Large effusions tend to refill, but mine only does so when I ask too much of the knee. I'm hoping over time the knee's synovium will heal up enough to allow me to train again. Recently deep knee bends and excessive walking have caused a considerable amount of refill. I've read that it takes several weeks of healing and several aspirations to return the knee to near normal. Recurrences are still possible and there may be some damage underlying all this that will require arthroscopic intervention.

[Gary Gibson]

05/15/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 165x3, 185x4x8

BP was finally challenging and was all I had the energy for today. Got really hard after the fifth set.

Got under an empty bar and did a few sets of perfect paused squats while resting between bench sets. Knee was pretty happy with it, but I pinched the medial thingee on one forceful extension.

Nearly a week of GOMAD for ~4000 kcal/day. 165-166 lbs.

Injury Progress: Drained 15 cc three nights ago, 12 and 12 yesterday afternoon and evening. 12 again tonight. Minimal rice bodies (?). I was worried that there was refill today after that very light bit of bar squatting (just to practice form), but after the 12 draw tonight my knee is the most normal I can remember seeing it and it feels the best it has since I started keeping this journal. Even the usual distolateral bulge is finally shrinking. I think this constant draining is finally taking hold.

Able to do my supine leg extensions with 10 lbs and no stalling at the sticking point. Much improvement over last week. Extension and flexion feel smooth and fluid through entire ROM. This may not be the case tomorrow, but for right now it seems that the draining and rehab is making progress despite the occasional overreach and refill.

[Gary Gibson]

05/16/2009

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x3, 175x2, 195x3x10
SQ 45x10
Chin Up x5, +50x5x2

BP was hard pretty much throughout. Last rep of chins was a bit of a cheat; had to draw my knees up to finish it.

Injury Report: Spent all of the day running around to pick up 10 45's and attempted to move a piano onto a van. Knee refilled and that night I drew an easy 17 cc and there's more in there as I type this.

Edit: Right after I made this entry I went in and got another 17 ml of synovial fluid. Slightly bloody.

It's possible that I have some sort of synovitis, but this fluid does NOT spontaneously fill in; it seems to be directly related to the amount of stress I place on the knee. The three distinct cases of refilling followed obvious increases in the intensity or volume of activity:

1) Deep knee bends performed right after the last aspiration of the long-standing effusion

2) A three-mile walk

3) Moving several 45-lb plates and attempting to load a very heavy piano into a truck.

[Gary Gibson]

05/18/2009

BP 45x10, 95x5, 135x5, 170x6x6
Chin Up x4, +55x5x2

Nothing special about bench. Rushed a bit (lunch break) and was a little looser than I would have liked, but nothing terribly unusual to report. Chin was surprisingly strong. Drew knees up on last rep of second set, but first set with 55x5 was extremely strong.

Injury Report: Very exciting development. I don't want to speak too soon, but it seems as if my knee injury has finally turned the corner! Pain is virtually gone and refilling is at an absolute crawl after my last (very easy) 7 ml draw. The refill might have stopped entirely. What's exciting about this is that this is in spite of considerable use of the knee, the sort that usually induces effusion. As of this afternoon, I'm able to do normal activities with only the slightest hint that there was a problem. The effusion remains minimal and my range of motion remains at 95%. There is ZERO catching in the medial area upon forceful extension...though I'm sure that could come back if I'm not careful and the effusion starts to return.

I know I'm not ready for truly intense activity like running, jumping and heavy squatting, but it really feels like the touch-and-go period is coming to a close.

Update...
Another 12 cc this evening, slightly bloody...
Next day, early morning: another 7 cc, very bloody...

Still nearly full ROM. Biggest and most persistent distolateral lump seems to be shrinking, but effusion is still clearly present.

[Gary Gibson]

05/20/2009

BP 45x10. 95x5, 135x5, 180x5x7
Pull Up +25x5x2

Nothing special to report. Sets got easier with number four, hard with number six. Pull ups were strong.

Injury Report: Okay. Drained another 10-15 (I forget) last night. Knee felt so incredibly good, as if a boatload of healing had cemented. Did 3 sets of 10 with supine knee extensions (femur perpendicular to floor) with 10 lbs, 16 lbs and 20 lbs. Amazingly easy considering I could barely do these with no added weight a couple of weeks ago. Did sets of 5 deep, paused front squats with the 70lb kettlebell, too.

Today I ran around with only the barest hint of discomfort. Ran up and down stairs. Walked hard and fast to the gym. Felt like jumping. Last night I walked a couple of miles in Hampden to view the some Craig's List items. Even sprinted across the street to catch the light rail back to Mount Vernon. Felt great yesterday and today.

Tonight, however, I drew an easy 28 cc!!!!! The knee was looking a tad bit puffy...very obvious on the lateral side. No pain with insertion and the synovial fluid just poured into the container. No rice bodies, fairly transparent with maybe just a hint of bloodiness. No discomfort, however; the knee feels healed, yet clearly my casual use of it has resulted in effusion.

No catching/pinching in the joint with extension. None of the usual pain. Just refill with strenuous, continuous use. No mystery there; I walked plenty last night and scampered about like a healthy man today. I want to believe this is almost over, but so much fluid worries me...

Muscles of right leg clearly smaller and weaker. Able to do step up with right leg, but it's much harder compared to the left. Pistols are impossible. If the knee continues to effuse, the muscles will be inhibited and atrophy/lack of symmetrical growth will continue. I hope, of course, that the cavity will eventually stop overproducing the fluid.

[Gary Gibson]

05/22/2009

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x5, 190x4x8
Chin Up +0x5, +60x5

Bench getting hard, but only one more day to go. Got smoother on fourth set, but last rep of last two sets was pretty hard. A little extra rest before last set to make sure I would get the reps.

Chins were hard. Decided against a second set because I knew I wouldn't get five reps again. I think that completely fresh I could get five reps with 75 lbs.

I've been having some luck pressing the 70lb KB lately, but tonight was special. Got the 70 up with my left arm and using minimal leg push. Got it strict with the right arm. Both of these were after a clean of course.

Injury Report: Lots of developments.

I've been using the knee like crazy lately. Yesterday I picked up that old York rack and an armchair and moved them into my apartment. Walked the couple of miles on Falls Rd from Hampden back to Mount Vernon. I've graduated from rehab with supine leg extensions to practice with KB front squats as of yesterday. Tonight I did step ups on my new bench (I made it a point to try a couple with my other leg completely straight to provide no assistance--very hard to do this way with the right leg and I had too much lateral motion when I quickly tired; felt my medial ligament wobble). Also practiced lots of low-bar squats with broom.

Overall the leg feels incredibly solid. I still get that worrying ligament wobbling when the muscles fail and there is lateral motion. There is the infrequent pinching feeling if I lock out extension too hard and fast, but it's not quite the same as it was before. It's farther back and it feels more like an overworking or strain than an actual pinching. I do believe the actual pinching was due to something getting caught once the effusion was drained a bit and there was room for things to move around. This current sensation is much more rare and feels like the ghost of the initial injury from two years ago.

I did all of tonight's squat practice and step ups with knee sleeves on.

About three days ago I drained 30 cc of fluid from my knee. Last night I drained 15 and then later only a bit of bloody fluid. Tonight was more bloody fluid and only about 7 cc of it. This is after lots of knee use yesterday. This is a vast improvement; hardly any refill lately despite in the face of increased strength, decreased pain and much more use.

There seems to be a permanent osseous change to the bony prominence in the anteriomedial condyle (?) of my tibia. That's right where the inflamed medial plica (?) was sliding around for over a year. I'm no doctor and I may be misapplying these terms. I'm trying to say that whatever was swollen, palpable, pinching, clicking and snapping was sliding over the top, inner part of my big lower leg bone. Now there seems to be an extra bit of bone there that I'm sure wasn't there before.

Oh well. If my knee remains relatively free of new effusion over this long weekend, I will be one very happy trainee. If it swells back up with 30 cc, then I will be worried about needing surgery to correct this problem.

[Gary Gibson]

05/23/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 200x3x10
Chin Up +70x5*

Set up with hands a little too far right on set seven; rep was awful; reset. Sets 8 and 9 were the best. Glad this is over. Rest a week and test next Saturday.

Felt froggy afterward and tried a max set of five with 70 on chins. Last rep I had to draw my feet up which I consider a bit of a cheat.

Injury Report: Knee did not refill overnight. ROM and strength still there today. Still some pain in tendon above kneecap in bottommost position of flexion. Still some sliding and soreness around that bony prominence where I've been going in and draining from. Was able to do a very easy pistol with left leg, but couldn't get into bottom position with right leg. Step ups with right leg getting much more solid and stronger. (Left leg held straight)

Later...knee looking a tad soft and full and feeling a bit funny. Drained 18 cc. Pretty depressing that it refilled, but I have to take into account the amount of refill against the amount of use. That ratio keeps improving and maybe eventually the refill will stop or be negligible.

[Gary Gibson]

05/26/2009

Resting for the big bench press new max test on Saturday. Resting in general. I attempt a clean and press with the 70lb KB a couple times per day, but I never really strain. Usually get the right arm. Left still requires a little push assist from the lower body.

Injury Report: More developments

10 cc last night and an easy 20 tonight, but ROM remains at 100% active and almost 100% passive (still can't quite pull heel to glute). Swelling in infrapatellar region continues to diminish. It's hard to tell if the stuff I'm pulling out now is refill or the last of it.

I am using the knee very hard. Step ups to various heights with the right leg. Standing up from seated positions with the right leg alone. It hurts a bit, but it's getting easier. The muscles around the knee are clearly deflated compared to the left. I think it's time for actual squats to help fill in that missing mass. Unilateral work is waking the nerves up, but the mass won't come till I squat.

Weird new sensation. Rubbing the swelling over the medial lump produces tightness on the other side of the patella in the infrapatellar region. It's as if something has been deflated and is sliding around. This only happens when there is pressure on a specific point on the medial side. Otherwise the knee is working as smoothly as can be hoped. Just noticeably weak.

Couple hours later...another 15 cc. Maybe it is refilling. Contours of knee nearly totally normal again. Haven't seen refill like that first time where knee got as puffy and painful as it had been.

[Gary Gibson]

05/28/2009

God, this city sucks.

The apartment is getting pretty comfy, but no amount of domestic charm can make forget that I live in one of the worst urban failures on the east coast. Training--particularly squat training--used to help me forget that. It's hard not to notice I live in Baltimore when I can't block out the blight by focusing on upping my squat.

Knee looking almost exactly like other knee. All contours are back as the effusion is almost entirely drained. I got another 11 cc tonight, but I had to push deep and milk; pushed the very much reduced infrapatellar lateral bulge so that the fluid went toward the medial entry point. That strange bowing can still be felt when I flip the band of tissue over the medial bony prominence, but it doesn't happen with normal knee motion.

There appears to be no refill and all the stuff I'm getting out now seems to be the remnant. In fact, I'm starting to worry that I will be tapping fluid that's supposed to be there and bringing pressure below normal!

Have been doing plenty of practice squats with a broom handle in my new old York rack. (It's actually a lovely piece of furniture, too.) Wearing a little neoprene seems to keep the knee warm and happy. The slightest bit of pain sometimes on very forceful extensions to lockout, but nothing like I used to have. Next week I start squatting with the bar for 20 reps. Add 10 lbs/ per day every day. I may have to break up the 20 reps into two sets of 10 as I approach 135.

Tomorrow I do my warm up test for a new bench max. Saturday I go for a true max. Then two weeks of PTP-style daily practice while rehabbing and reintroducing the barbell squat to my life.

[Gary Gibson]

05/29/2009

It's the little victories...

BP 45x5, 95x3, 135x3, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 235x1/2, 230x1, 225x1
SQ 45x10
Chin Up +0x3, +45x1, +90x1, +115x1/4, +105x1/2

New personal best on BP! First time in my life I benched two wheels and more! I really think I could have gotten 235 if I'd rested a bit more, but I was so nervous and I didn't want to keep the PT I'd grabbed to spot waiting too long. 230 went up so easily. Today was just an easy test day and tomorrow I'll try to push a little harder and a little more carefully.

Ten squats with just the bar. No pinching or catching, but I'm still a little nervous and feel that even the slightest wiggle in form will result in a small disaster. I think further draining is the only thing that will reduce this likelihood.

[Gary Gibson]

05/30/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 225, 235, 245, (250)
SQ 45x20

Got up to 245 tonight! That's a total of 25 lbs on my best touch-and-go bench. Three weeks of training, one week of rest and two days of ramp up.

Almost can't believe I got 245. It actually didn't feel that hard and I was a little shocked that I missed 250 so utterly and quickly. I chalk it up to the fact that I'd just done two new personal bests. It had to end somewhere. I might have gotten it if I'd gone straight from 235 to 250, but that wasn't the case. Still, 25 lbs of improvement in a month is nothing to regret.

Now it's three weeks of 5x5x5: One set of five reps with five movements, five days per week. This should help me refine my strength on the bench a bit more and I may come out of this with at least 250 and possibly as much as 260. How exciting would that be?

Injury Report: Still a hint of catching/pinching on the medial side of the knee at the top of faster lockouts. Knee is looking about as normal as I suppose it can and all the other troubles I've had (quadriceps inhibition, popliteal cyst, hip snapping, even the catching) have diminished as I've continually drained the effusion. As of right now, even that lateral infrapatellar bulge is almost entirely gone; it had been the most persistent evidence of effusion since this concentrated effort on aspiration began. As I type this my right leg's passive range of flexion is significantly greater than my left's; first time I can remember this happening. Interesting to see if this holds for several days.

Came home and drained another 7 cc, but it was very hard to get and took a lot of doing. I really don't think there is much if any refilling going on. This is great news! I do believe, however, that too much trauma would reactivate what looks to be synovitis.

That strange guitar string sensation (ligamentum mucosum/infrapatellar plica?) is still happening when I rub the swollen nub over the medial bony prominence. I'd obviously rather it wasn't there, but it only happens when the tissue is flicked over the prominence and not during any other activity.

Only other problem is general weakness. The muscles on my right are clearly smaller than those on the left. Experience says that only squat training will address the mass difference. Unilateral work (box pistols, step ups) teaches the muscles to fire again, but they don't increase mass.

[K.Diesel]

05/28/2009

God, this city sucks.

The apartment is getting pretty comfy, but no amount of domestic charm can make forget that I live in one of the worst urban failures on the east coast. Training--particularly squat training--used to help me forget that. It's hard not to notice I live in Baltimore when I can't block out the blight by focusing on upping my squat.


Welcome to Charm City buddy!!! Sad part is, you live in a relatively decent part if I remember right (You work out at MAC downtown don't you?). If you ever want to take a ride, I'll take you on a tour of some "neighborhoods" neither of us live in. It'll be like "The Wire - Live". Trust me, you'll feel much better about your part of town. :D

By the way, big bench = exhilaration. Congratulations on those milestones! 250 right around the corner for you.

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks Kaisheem,

Back in New York, whenever I would tell anyone that I was moving to Baltimore for my dream job in publishing, the response was almost always "Haven't you seen 'The Wire'?!" Thing is I haven't had a TV for several years now. Good thing, too; I mightn't have taken the job if I'd seen the show!

B-more does have its charms and I actually rather like my neighborhood and the fact that I can continue to live my car-free lifestyle. I also understand that any big city is going to have its bad parts...but Baltimore is one of those places that seem to be mostly bad parts. I grew up in a not-so-nice part of Brooklyn, not too far from some very bad parts of Brooklyn and have hung out in some dodgy parts of the Bronx and I thought I could handle anything Baltimore threw at me. I have been corrected and humbled. And like you said, I live in a fairly nice part of Baltimore; don't think I could handle anything worse. When I lived and hung out in Manhattan, I was usually the most dangerous-looking dude on the street and I am not very dangerous-looking. My last neighborhood in New York was Sunnyside, Queens, where I would walk to the gym at 3 in the morning and feel absolutely zero fear. That is NOT the case here in Charm City.

Anyway, I imagine that all the pounds I gain on my bench are coming right off my squat. I have a plan to continue to rehab my knee and break back into the squat, but it's taking immense self-control to stick to it. I figure on very light high-rep work for the three weeks I practice heavy benches. I figure if I can reacquaint the knee with the stress of squatting that way, it won't complain and refill when I start training in earnest. Of course, if that effusion comes back in force, I will be very upset. Here's hoping.

The good thing about being derailed from the Nationals this year is that I was forced to deal with this old injury thoroughly. I drained the hell out of that effusion and am slowly coaxing my knee back to something resembling full strength. My right leg has been lagging behind horribly in development as my squat has increased. I was developing an extreme imbalance, my squat was being held back and I was setting myself up for injury. I've now done a lot of (sometimes extreme) stuff to correct that and in the end I hope this means that I'll go further and without injury.

Last thing: My two greatest bits of improvement have come from high-volume, high-frequency bouts (Smolov variations) followed by resting, testing and then refinement with daily practice. This plan added nearly 100 lbs to my squat and now 25 lbs to my bench with more to come. Just had to give a nod of thanks to Pavel T for sending me down that path. The thing is to rotate focus on the lifts and to understand that really big gains come at the cost of having to take it easy on that lift for a few of months. You can't gain 100 lbs on your squat twice a year (or get results as good as you did when you were weaker; the improvement curve flattens out).

[Gary Gibson]

05/31/2009

Just did broomstick squats today, 6 sets of 25 reps. Perfecting form. No sleeves. Here's what happened...

By the third set the knee felt completely solid and I was able to do box pistols with none of the usual discomfort. The knee extensors have been so detrained and slack that pistols from a seated position were often a little grinding. After gaining some tonus with regular ol' squatting box pistols were much smoother and felt stronger.

There was some complaining from the tendons toward the middle and rear of the knee, around the site of the initial sprain from a couple of years ago, but at least there was no catching of tissue in the joint (near as I could tell anyhow...).

The left quad felt a bit more of a pump, but I have to keep in mind just how small, deflated and detrained the right leg muscles are.

The sets were a bit excessive, but this was extremely light with just a broomstick to help reinforce proper form. I raw iced the knee for a couple of minutes afterward. My great hope is that there is no refill! I'm rather convinced that if I had done "teabag" squats (like front squats), the synovial lining would have been stressed and the effusion would definitely have come back as early as right now.

Tomorrow begins the Starr rehab in earnest as recommended on Rip's forum. Three sets of 25 w/ the bar with weight increases over ten days. I'm not supposed to be doing any heavy work during this, but my injury is old and this is more re-training as opposed to actual healing. Will stay away from heavy lower body work (no pulls), but will go ahead as planned with PTP-style bench practice to refine recent increase even further (the hope is for another 10 or 15 lbs over the next month: three weeks of one work set of five, one week of one work set of three with same weights as last week, then test).

By the beginning of July, I'd like to be benching (T&G) 255x1 and squatting 315x5 for at least one work set. Then I have to travel, but when I'm done I want to start working on squat volume with Pins to Pillars...plus GOMAD. Volume for mass and I hope to come out of that with 10 more lbs of muscle and a squat that will end up over 405 with a couple more weeks of daily practice.

If all is going well as September rolls around...if I'm weighing over 170, benching over 255 and squatting around 405, then I'll nourish hope of competing in the USAPL MD State as a 165-er. I'll have just enough time to get some gear and try to get at least a little acquainted with it. I may end up doing the State raw if I go at all, however. Would rather not. As I get closer to being a Masters lifter, I appreciate gear more and more.

Edit: Well, there goes that dream. According to the website (http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/page.asp?contentID=105)the meet limit has been reached for MD States.

No big deal. This means I don't have to scrounge up several hundred dollars for gear this year and I can stretch my training out to get ready for USAPL 2010 Raw Nationals (if they have them).

[Gary Gibson]

06/01/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x5 (Kinda hard?!)
SQ 45x25, 55x25, 65x25 (Got difficult!)

HAAAAAAAA-lellujah!
HAAAAAAAA-lellujah!

No refill.

Able to pull heel all the way to glute.

No catching at all during the 3 sets of 25 squats today (though the old sprain complained a bit).

Knee acting and feeling almost completely normal after two bouts of extreme volume with very light squats. Last night I even hopped a bit while chasing a moth in my bedroom (successfully caught and released into the wild) and did a couple of full squat broomstick snatches.

No refill. No catching and pinching.

My only complaint is that the left adductors and quads got quite a bit more pump from this morning's session. But there's literally nearly twice as much muscle in that leg along with an uninjured knee capsule and tendons. The right simply isn't up to doing its share of the load yet. I expect this to change over the course of the next few weeks.

[Gary Gibson]

06/02/2009

Big Ass Needles...

Got the longer 1.5" because the remnant is much deeper in the cavity. Looks like I accidentally ordered the 18-gauge instead of the 20. That thing is enormous. It's like the porn star of needles.

Went into the infrapatellar lump and struck oil. Slightly blood-tinged and 12 cc. Had to root around a bit to get it going past 6. This is definitely remnant and not refill. It's the remainder that's been sitting there out of reach of the 1" needles and the milking.

I really wish I'd ordered the 20-gauge 1.5". I am scared of the 18-gauge. They're more like rods than needles.

[Sami]

You crazy fucker. :D

[Gary Gibson]

I prefer "eccentric."

06/02/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 195x5
SQ 65x25, 75x25

That last bench rep was slow and hard. WTF? I thought I was a 245 bencher. Why is 195x5 so hard? Oh, well. Just keep practicing...but I'm having my doubts about getting to 225x5 by the end of this month. I may take the rest of this week off, though, and start over next Monday. If I'm burned out from hitting new PRs, this may be the best thing to do.

Haven't been eating anywhere near properly. Nearly lost it with those very light SQ for high reps today. Felt sick for a long time after the second set. I watched this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvgabJF8aXU) of John "Sarge" Allen squatting with his bodyweight on the bar for 98 reps. I think it's hilarious that I wanted to throw up after just 25 reps with half of my bodyweight.

I'm just going to do one more set of 25 tomorrow and then I'm dropping down to 15 reps and next week it will be just ten and after that just five.

[K.Diesel]

Edit: Well, there goes that dream. According to the website (http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/page.asp?contentID=105)the meet limit has been reached for MD States.

No big deal. This means I don't have to scrounge up several hundred dollars for gear this year and I can stretch my training out to get ready for USAPL 2010 Raw Nationals (if they have them).

You nearly scared me into depression. Check the top of the page buddy - that's the info page for the 2008 States. 2009 date hasn't even been set yet. Location is likely to be USNA again, as the Navy crew requested to host it again. Read that on the MD forum a few weeks ago, but don't feel like looking for the post. Trust me, it's there. Don't give up on the dream yet!

Also, if $ is a concern, here's a heads up: Matt Gary mentioned that 2010 Raw Nats are going to be in Denver. There's was bid to host it, don't know if it's been approved or not. Here's an interesting read on that and other USAPL national board issues (only 6 pages). http://www.usapowerlifting.com/ngb/2008/2008_NGB_Agenda.pdf

[Gary Gibson]

You nearly scared me into depression. Check the top of the page buddy - that's the info page for the 2008 States. 2009 date hasn't even been set yet. Location is likely to be USNA again, as the Navy crew requested to host it again. Read that on the MD forum a few weeks ago, but don't feel like looking for the post. Trust me, it's there. Don't give up on the dream yet!

Oy, egg on my face.

Sorry for the scare.

Happy happy that I may get to compete this year after all.

Thank you, Mr. Diesel!

I am hoping (maybe foolishly) to be awfully close to the raw 300/400/500 Bench-Squat-Dead ratio as a 165. DL shouldn't be a problem, but a 275 BP is probably the best I could hope for as a medium height 165. 405 raw SQ is vaguely in the realm of possibility. Knee seems to be holding up and not refilling! Can't wait to get back on those Russian squatting programs (stretched to twice per week as opposed to three and four times, though).

Not sure I can afford the gear in time to train it for the meet. This may come as a shock, but the publishing business isn't exactly the road to riches. It would be kind of cool to compete raw and maybe set a couple new SQ and DL records, but I would also like to be competitive in the actual meet.

[K.Diesel]

The way raw lifting is going these days (in USAPL), the raw lifters may be the actual meet. However, I get where you're coming from. If you have to pick, get a squat suit. You can use it for DL also, so 2 lifts for the price of 1. Ideally. you'd have a few pair of knee wraps, but until the Richmond meet, I only had 1 pair and made it through 2 meets without running up to the bar at the last minute. So if you're on a budget (like me), look for, in order:

1. 1 pair knee wraps
2. 1 pair wrist wraps (you may have these, since they're allowed in raw)
3. 1 squat suit
4. 1 bench shirt
5. 1 dl suit, more knee wraps

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks for the info!

I know that a DL suit is the last thing I need (literally!), but I am dying to try one of the new ones that could add up to 50 lbs to my sumo.

I know a lot of people argue that gear is ruining the sport, but I think gear makes the sport more interesting. It complicates training, turns it into a continual game of chess. Raw training can be amazingly simple and straightforward. Lots of volume with the basic lifts, then low volume but constant practice to refine strength. Repeat. Add gear and things start looking more like Westside with their various days and multi-lift repertoire. I do hope, however, that raw lifting finds a permanent place in the PL world. Both have their appeal.

Injury Update:

Knee was feeling a little weird today and I decided to take another stab (literally!) at a precautionary aspiration. Thing is I got those big ass 18-gauge monsters. I went in medially. First time with the 18-gauge. I felt like one of those women in one of those exploitative interracial porns. Felt like I was prying the joint open with a steel rod. Only got a little more than 1 cc for my efforts. Good news insofar as this indicates zero refill. Bad news insofar as I risked permanent injury to attack a problem that wasn't there.

With my wonky knee, wraps are looking better and better. I've been getting by with knee sleeves so far, but I am very worried about re-injury and may start using stronger preventative measures during limit weight.

[Gary Gibson]

06/03/2009

BP 45x8, 135x3, 185x1, 205x5
SQ 85x20, 95x20

Last rep BP was slow, but 205x5 felt better and smoother than 195x5 did yesterday. Amazing how strength fluctuates. May go up to 215 tomorrow or back down to 185. Will see how I feel. Best is usually Wednesday as Monday and Tuesday act as ramp ups; worst are Thursday and Friday as fatigue accumulates.

SQ felt very good, but that old injury takes a while to smooth over. Feels like slight straining on first couple of reps. I don't think there's any pinching/catching, however. Usually pinching happens randomly during the set. This is like cold, scarred tissue warming up instead. I could live with that.

Probably going to try an infrapatellar drain after I type this. ROM is still full and even that weird cross-capsule plica sensation isn't as sharp as it used to be (but it's still very present). There is clearly some extra fluid in the lateral infrapatellar sac, but it's just not nearly as bad as it used to be. Suprapatellar sac remains blissfully deflated.

[Gary Gibson]

06/04/2009

BP 45x5, 105x5, 135x3, 185x1, 215x5
SQ 45x5, 105x20, 115x20

Wow. Actually did 215x5! Didn't really think I could. Last rep was very, very slow after the sticking point. Still, this used to be my best 1RM (also touch and go) most days (though my former best ever touch and go was a very, very hard 220) and this was just at the beginning of last month!

A little weird feeling again in knee. Again, I don't think it's catching so much as sprain flaring up. Left leg still more active, but it's not as bad as it was at the beginning of the week. 125 and 135 for 15 or 20 tomorrow. Then it's on to Pins! 155x5x10 up to 265x5x10 over four weeks. Then put on a belt and start with 275x5 up to 315x5. At least that's the plan. A little bodybuilding in the legs followed by strength refinement.

[Gary Gibson]

06/05/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 205, 195x5
SQ 45x5, 125x15, 135x15, 185, 225, 275, 275

*Sigh*

Benches were okay. Thought about going for broke with 225x5, but the feel of 205 told me that I wasn't going to get that today. Backed off like I planned and did an easey 195x5.

Squats were disappointing for two reasons. Main thing is that the medial tissue just felt wrong. It would slide around no matter what I did. Worse if my form wasn't absolutely precise. There doesn't seem to have been any refilling (though I could swear the knee looks a little puffy). Nothing but dry taps no matter how deep I go lately. Worked up to 275 which didn't feel that bad. Felt better on the second try. Definitely going to wrap/sleeve the knee for heavier sets.

Undecided as to whether to go with Pins (10x5) or just a straight 5x5 or straight PTP 2x5.

Pins = most volume and therefore most mass, but I don't feel like effin around with 50-70% 1RM for two weeks.

5x5 is the best compromise and I could alternate sets across with escalating sets or pyramid sets. A little mass one day, a little strength practice on another.

PTP 2x5 would give me daily practice and probably allow me to maintain the best form.

Edit:

Maybe Bear. It's basically PTTP + Pins Volume and can look like 5x5. A couple of heavy sets and as many lighter ones for volume as I feel like...

185x5, 165x5, 145x5x10 up to whatever...

It occurs to me that that aching, shifting tissue in my knee might be so because I've done 300 squats this week. Could be I just need to give it a rest.

[Gary Gibson]

Bear is the most flexible template and the most inclusive: two heavy sets, as many lighter sets as one can handle for mass. I decided to pattern a Bear/PTP combo after the RSR. See if you can spot the pattern...


M-T-Th-F

225x5, 195x5, 165x5x3
225x5, 195x5
235x5, 205x5, 175x5x4
235x5, 205x5

245x5, 215x5, 185x5x5
245x5, 215x5
255x5, 225x5, 195x5x6
255x5, 225x5

265x5, 235x5, 205x5x7(3)
265x5, 235x5
275x5, 245x5, 215x5x8(4)
275x5, 245x5

285x5, 255x5, 225x5x9(5)
285x5, 255x5
295x5, 265x5, 235x5x10(6)
295x5, 265x5

M-T-W-Th-F (add belt)

315x5, 285x5
325x5, 295x5
335x5, 305x5
315x5, 285x5
325x5, 295x5

315x3, 285x3
325x3, 295x3
335x3, 305x3
Rest
Find new max, estimated 375x1

For four weeks, volume increases while it is alternated with practice. The numbers in parentheses indicate that I may find it to hard to increase volume linearly and may have to wave back. Bold indicates new bests in the peaking/practice phase.

Why not just do RSR? Because I need more practice and more volume. Plus I don't want to do any percentage-based programming right now since I'm very far below my max due to injury and lack of practice. With luck this will carry me past my old max by a few pounds before I have to leave for a week on business. When I return, I'll do RSR based on this new max.

RSR throughout August and September. The hope is to start October over 170 lbs and squatting over 400 lbs. Then a couple months practice with gear maybe for state comp.

[Gary Gibson]

06/06/2009

After more thought, I decided it may be wise to stretch out the preceding Bear/PTP wave into six weeks by doing M-W-F instead of M-T-Th-F. I'll try four sessions at first, but will go down to three if I find recovery to be an issue.

Passive ROM in injured knee has been excellent, but the infrapatellar area still bulges a bit. Also I discovered that Hindu-squatting (up on balls of feet, knees straight ahead) produces an uncomfortable pressure in that area. Sign of continued effusion. So I went in again today with the 18-gauge and was rewarded with 25 cc! It came out very slowly at first and required patience, maintenance of correct needle angle and gentle pressure. Slightly tinged with blood, but free of any floating bodies large enough to be visible to the naked eye. Knee now looking and feeling a lot like uninjured knee. There seems to have been very, very little refill and all this stuff seems to have been there for a long time.

Overall, I'm pleased with my progress. Despite a week of light but voluminous and frequent squatting, the knee didn't refill (much) and muscle tone and activation seem to be increasing.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x5, 115x4, 135x3, 185x1, 205x1, 215x5
SQ 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x1, 225x5, 195x5, 165x5x3

Shouldn?t have gone so heavy on BP today. A little nervous after third work rep and rep five was very slow. I was going to push toward 220x5 tomorrow, but will have to see how I feel.

SQ was fairly encouraging. Large and slightly loose Rehband knee sleeves on for entire SQ session. Medial ligament wiggled a bit on a couple of reps during warm up, but everything seemed to be moving well during the work sets. 225x5 was far from impossible, but it felt depressingly hard. I?ve been here before, however: coming back from a layoff or just starting over with a new cycle. The lower percentages always feel hard at first, but with perseverance they get easier and I get stronger.

Sets with 165 got easier as I went along and I had to force myself to stick to the plan and not try to do more this first day back.

Went home and raw iced knee before and after shower. Liniment and neoprene.

[Gary Gibson]

Seems that sticking large needles in several parts of one's knee can result in extreme, lingering pain.

I've been getting the occasional bloody draw, but just as many dry taps. Went into the infrapatellar region and through the patellar ligament in an attempt to get to the deep infrapatellar bursa which I assumed was causing the swelling on both sides of the ligament. Nothing for my efforts.

This morning I woke with such pain in the knee that I could barely put weight on the leg--a serious step backward. I iced and slathered liniment on a few times today and wore neoprene all day. As of this evening the knee feels better than ever and I'm confident I'll be able t squat lightly tomorrow as planned. The pain today was so great, however, that I had no desire to go to the gym at all to practice the bench.

[Gary Gibson]

06/10/2009

BP 45x5, 115x4, 135x3, 205x2, 220x4.5
SQ 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x5, 195x5/6
SLDL 225x5, 275x3, 295x5

Should not have done a double with 205. It wasn't hard, but I'm sure it cut into the one work set I did. Didn't bring that last rep quite to my chest; didn't get stretch reflex (and the 2 lbs of bounce from it hitting my sternum softly) and lost the last rep halfway. Would have been a touch-and-go record for me. Will get 'em next week. At least I'm not afraid of going over 215 for reps anymore.

SQ 225x5 felt much better than two days ago. 195x5 felt like nothing and I lost count; might have done six. INJURY REPORT: the medial plica (?) started to do a little sliding around with the "heavy" work set, but there was no pinching or straining. Otherwise the knee action felt smooth as silk. I've been icing during the day and night, as well as putting on some Absorbine Sr. (for horses!).

Didn't really want to do SLDL, but I knew at some point I had to reacquaint myself with pulls. 295x5 didn't feel that bad at all. Form stayed true and now a couple hours later my hams are screaming with exhaustion. Hook grip and didn't feel the weight at all. I will continue to do these on the days I don't do volume sets of squats: W-M-F-W-M-F...

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x6, 95x4, 135x3, 165x2, 195x5, 205x4, 215x1
SQ 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x5, 215x5, 185x5x4
Chin Up +0x3, +45x5x2

Little ambitious on the bench. Decided to switch to a 3/week 54321 format to match my SQ frequency. The plan going forward was to start all with all sets of 205 and slowly add from the single down and to wave progress. Today I really should have started with 185 instead of 195. No biggie.

Not much plica sliding on SQ, but the knee just felt weak and shaky. Whenever I actually tried to use my quads to complete the lockout from about halfway up (90 degree leg bend) there would be some trembling. INJURY REPORT: Last night I drew a total of about 40 cc from a suprapatellar approach. Very depressing. The fluid just keeps coming back. I am resolved just to keep draining it every few days and save up in hopes of some stem cell therapy.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x5, 95x5, 165x5, 175x4, 185x3, 195x2, 205x1
SQ 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x5, 215x5
SLDL 225x5, 275x3, 295x1, 315x5

BP's were very controlled and easy. Perfect starting place for 5-4-3-2-1. Thinking of going up to 185-225 Wednesday then back down to 175-215 Friday.

Knee felt pretty good but not perfect on squats. Definitely greater ability to contract quad with less pain. Not quite so solid on the heavy 245 set which felt much, much heavier than I would have preferred. 215x5 was perfect and at that point my confidene in the knee had grown so I was able to keep the right quad in the movement evenly.

SLDL was hard but not very. Felt like something was pulling a bit around where my traps attach near the top of my thoracic spine.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x5, 95x4, 175x5, 185x4, 195x3, 205x2, 215x1
SQ 45x5, 135x4, 185x3, 225x2, 255x5, 225x5, 195x5x6
Chin Up +0x3, +55x5x2

WOW! Bench was about as hard as expected (hard but not too hard), but SQUATS..?! They felt amazing. No catching or straining anywhere in the knee, only the barest hint of pain and 255 felt easier today than 245 did yesterday. I had so much pep after the heavy sets that I did an extra set on the volume sets. I was going to keep going till I hit at least eight sets, but I decided not to push the knee to whatever its new limit is.

Chins were also much easier than expected. That first set of five with 55 was like nothing. Second set a bit harder. Back off next chin session (Friday).

With this session I have officially bumped up the frequency to four bench and squat sessions/week. It will be 5-4-3-2-1 for benches and I will alternate volume and non-volume days for the squat. Just the heavy sets on M/Th and volume sets added on T/F. That?s two volume sessions/week which I think is much more appropriate.s

Later, at the Hall of Justice...

New smaller gauge materiel arrived today. Effusion has been very stable, but still some sloshing in the knee. Medial approach filled the 10cc up to the 10-mark twice. Knee feeling smooooooooth after that. Ice after training and after nighttime draw. Liniment and neoprene tonight.

With the effusion disappearing quadriceps are returning to normal function. Apparent increase in size already this week. ALA-GOMAD (At Least A Gallon Of Milk A Day) has me over 165 and feeling flush and strong. 400 mg ibuprofen every 3-4 hours. 255x5 didn't feel terribly heavy today and I imagine 265x5 may actually feel manageable on Friday.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x5, 135x5, 185x5, 195x4, 205x3, 215x2, 225x1
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245, 265x5, 235x5
SLDL 225x5, 275x3, 325x5

Gaining momentum.

SQ felt almost perfect on every rep. Knee pain below 3% its worst. Able to engage right knee extensors with only hint of discomfort here and there. Capsule seems to be healing. Drew 8 cc and milked out another 5 last night. Effusion fading. Icing twice after sessions now. Knee staying smallish despite heavy use. 265x5 was hard, but far from impossible; I think I may really blow past my old beltless best (275 for a hard 5). Volume tomorrow, then 275 heavy set on Monday. Try to finish next week with 285x5 beltless! Add belt after that and start at 295x5 which should be a bit of a back off. Push for 325 or 335x5 mid-July.

SLDL felt like death. Felt like traps were going to rip off their attachments on the last rep. Stalled on that rep too and getting through it was an act of will.

USAPL MD Annopolis meet Sep 19! Now I have a near-term goal to aim for and a chance to break the raw records I just set in SQ and DL. The total record, which I don't have, ought to go easy. Already have a Smolov planned for both bench and squat starting in August. Just twice per week each to allow recovery for both lifts. Newsletter set-rep scheme for bench. Higher initial rep scheme for squat. 415-425 and 255-265 (paused) for SQ and BP is the goal for Sep 19. Rest week and test followed by taper week and rest.

Weighing a hair over 165 I guess. Weighted 169 in Chucks, shorts and tee. Will likely have to carb-cut 5 lbs to fit into the 165.3 at the meet.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x8, 95x6, 135x5, 195x5, 215x3, 225x2, 235x1, 205x4
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245, 265x5, 235x5, 205x5x5
Chin x3, +60x5, +45x2

Just didn?t have any ATP left for the chins, but the first set felt nice and easy!

BP felt nice and hard. I was supposed to back off, but thought ?what the hell? and just went for the 195-235. I was clever as a round-eye, though, and put the 4-rep set after the heavy single: 5-3-2-1-4. I?m sure if I?d done it in the normal sequence, I would not have made it. Definitely wave down on Monday. Definitely.

SQ felt sort of heavy, but the knee performed admirably. Only gave the twingy tendon warning on two of the reps out of the entire session. I put up the mat-and-stepper combo to block my image in the mirror. Able to concentrate much better on form without the distraction of my reflection. Right leg still less involved than left, but it?s now willing to learn.

Effusion and pain remain minimal. This is unprecedented. I?ve never put the knee through so much and have it not refill. Yesterday I started applying 70% DMSO. Coincidence?! I don?t care how many people consider DMSO therapy quackery; every time I?ve used it, whatever was bothering me has quickly stopped. Don?t care if it?s psychosomatic, placebo effect or whatever. Effusion is staying away and pain is fading.

Second set of the volume part felt much better than the first. Could have done many more sets with the 205x5. Really feels like I?m getting stronger. Will I make it to 285x5 beltless?? The suspense is killing me!

Weighed 172 w/ Chucks, shorts, tee and neoprene knee sleeves. I?m guessing my naked weight was 167.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 235x1, 225x2, 215x3, 205x4, 195x5
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 255, 275x5, 245x5
SLDL 225x5, 275x3, 335x5

BP was uneventful. Reversed the order of the sets based on Jack's postings at DD. Four-set was hardest. Five felt relatively easy.

SQ was scary. Slight complaining from tendon on warm ups and I was just winded. Not properly nourished (used Sunday as a back-off from all that milk consumption). 275x5 went surprisingly well. There was just a hint of GMing on reps three and four, but I really smoothed it out for the last rep. Forced the right leg to take its share of the load. The right side's muscles are still smaller, however, and the left leg still feels it a bit more, though it is evening out. Last night I discovered that "hole" in my extension strength was still there. Vertical/supine leg extensions revealed that my right leg was shaky through the middle of the range. Did some ankle weighted extensions in that position and the trouble disappeared (briefly?). Looks like I have to keep up with this rehab stuff. Knee was a bit sore today and it made it hard to focus on getting the extensors to work, but it did get easier as the knee got warmer.

Experience has shown me that Monday is usually the worst day after a weekend lay-off. I'm hoping that by Thursday I'm pushing through to 295x5. I have decided only to use a belt very sparingly from now on and to train mostly without it. I believe it was Jack R who said something like: to get the most out of a belt, train mostly without a belt. I think the belt skewed my expectation of how many reps I can do with it. It adds to what I can do when I get over 90%, but I'm not sure it's as helpful with helping add sets and reps to what I can do with lower weight, i.e. it helps my 1, 2 and 3RM, maybe even my 5RM, but not my 10RM. Maybe.

SLDL was incredibly easy. Wasn't prepard for how easy it was. Really thought I'd have a painful grind to get all the reps, but I could have kept going. Back was a little tight coming off those squats, but that cleared up a lot with spinal decompressions.

[NYCGUY79]

Hi,

I really like the log, just when i thought this forum was getting a little dull in terms of content, no one really posts that frequently on general training, i decided to check out a few more training logs.

Good stuff...both in terms of workouts and the whole knee draining. It's makes for good reading.

two questions: How much do you weight...seems like 160-170 if i read some of the posts correctly. Also, do you use straps when doing SLDL? I was quite impressed that you do 295x5. I have trouble at times doing this for a full set of five and have been trying to increase grip strength without using straps.

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks for the kind word, NYCGuy.

I'm from NYC. Grew up in Brooklyn and bounced around the northern burbs, then all over Manhattan before settling in and then leaving Sunnyside, Queens. You a native? I'm actually an immigrant, but I landed in Brooklyn at age three and spent over a third of my life on the same block.

SLDL? This evening 335x5 went up surprisingly easily. I thought I'd hit the wall with 325x5 last week, but now I think I may get to at least 345x5 before this cycle is over.

I use the hook grip on all my work sets of pulls. Hard on the thumbs at first, but I've been using it for years now and it's automatic. I save the mixed grip for new max attempts.

Glad you like the log. I aim to be useful.

P.S. Yeah, 163-167. Breaking 170 is proving to be very, very hard.

[NYCGUY79]

Gary,

I came to NYC in 1991, have been here for a while. I need to try the hook grip for sure. Seems like that might help. Also, some chalk... as i currently do not use this either.

Pretty impressive in terms of the weight you can lift at you current weight. I have been doing a modified SS for about 15 weeks. I am pretty much at the same load as you on lifts, although i do conventional deads and max out at 315 because i cannot grip the bar for the full lift. However, I am 215 lbs. So got to get trimmer for sure.

Anywayz.. good lifting...and will follow ur log.

[Gary Gibson]

Drained 20 cc or so maybe three times in the last ten days. The fluid looked extremely tawny, more like Champagne Cola than Sunny Delight. No cloudiness, no macroscopic rice bodies, no blood. All medial draws with 20-gauge. All apparently non-inflammatory. The knee never looked particularly puffy either. I just did these aspirations as precautions more than any great need. The first time the knee felt much smoother, but lately it feels its usual "not quite stable" afterward.

My right leg muscle mass is so obviously deflated that it's almost funny. When I lie down supine and gaze down toward my outstretched legs, it's clear that the left quad is full and firm around the kneecap. The right kneecap is more visible because the right Vastus Medialis slopes down as it approaches the patella. Two entirely different contours. When I flex it doesn't look as bad, but a comparative squeeze of the two thighs reveals one is at least 25% larger.

Also, there's still a "hole" in the mid-range strength of leg extension. I have to fight this with supine, vertical weighted leg extensions. Squats do not seem to fix this, but they do reveal it. So those stupid little rehab moves do have a place.

Also! I think that Smolov is an awful lot to ask of my right leg right now. I'm looking at those x9x4 and x5x7 days--and thinking of grinding through ten sets of triples with very close to my 3RM--and I'm thinking maybe that just isn't such a good idea till next year when my right leg has had a chance to catch up in size and strength.

So I'm swinging back to RSR.

I was looking over my log and I realized that I am now in the third week of a heavy cycle. Prior to this I was doing all that rehab work with 45-135 lbs and none of that counts toward the cycle total.

So, considering what Jack Reape has repeatedly interpreted for us from Supertraining, I'm due for a backoff week. This is so cool because I can feel the need for it. I just did 275x5 and I'm hoping to push through to 285x5 tomorrow and then 295x5 on Friday. 275x5 was my old beltless max and to get that far beyond it (20 lbs!) would be awesome. Another thing: Mondays (or whichever day comes after two days off) always feels impossible, but the next session, heavier weights feel easier. This cycle, 245x5 felt like leaden death on Monday, but 255x5 felt much easier on Friday. So it's my hope that even though 275x5 was hard this last Monday, 285x5 will be possible tomorrow. (And note that I slid back down to 3 days/week.)

At this point I can expect gains from supercompensation one week from Saturday. So even if I don't bust through the 275x5 beltless barrier, I can count on being stronger than 275x5 come next Saturday after I back off next week with 60% of my highest intensity and volume (175x3 and "volume" sets of 155x3x3).

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 225, 245, 235
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 255, 335 walkout, 285x5*, 255, 225
...
Chin Up +0x3, +70x5, +0x5

Hoo boy, where to begin?

BP 245 was eerily easy...but 235 was not happening for a double. Aborted 1-2-3-4-5 so I could be fresh for SQ. Besides, I was so happy with the ease of 245 that I didn't want to ruin my bench high.

{Trumpet Sounds}

New 5RM! And boy o boy, was it ever a max attempt. Zero speed through the sticking point by third rep. I didn't extend the rest between sets into rest-pause because I wanted this to be a 5-rep attempt, not five singles. On the last rep my neck muscles down into my upper back were straining and burning and I came very close to a reversal of bar upward motion, but then I thought about all the weeks I'd put into recovery and aspiration and rehabbing that damned knee. No way in hell I wasn't setting a new 5RM tonight. I even forced my weaker right leg to stay in the action despite the lingering knee pain. (I was very happy with how aware I was of each area of my body during such a max effort; it pays to cover up that damned mirror!).

Bittersweet victory. I look at the right leg tonight and can't help but see that deflated vastum medialis. I think if my right leg were even 90% as strong as my left, I could squat 315 for five. And then there's the constant ache in that knee when I squat. Oh well, at least it's getting better and I can squat heavy again.

Nothing left after that max set. 255 didn't feel heavy on my back at all, but my legs said "nyet" when I pushed up out of the hole on the first rep and my entire body seemed to agree. Lowered it to 225 and got a perfect rep, but was just too drained to do a set. Heh. Very sure that 285 was my max. Will not be trying to shoot for 295 on Friday. Heck, may even start backoff week on Friday!

I'd planned to come back to benches after squats for the volume portion, but that wasn't happening either. Squats just took too much out of me.

Went home and then remembered that I hadn't done either upper or lower body pulls. But I got me a rack now! Did chin ups with 70. Had to keep knees bent in this short rack and I had to brace my feet against the plates to squeeze out rep five.

[K.Diesel]

Way to go on your 5RM! Especially considering that you achieved it with one leg/knee at less than 100%, that's pretty incredible. You should be in good shape by September to blow those state records away. Look out for Linroy though, he's making some noise too in 165 lbs.

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks Kaisheem,

Back off week started with the conclusion of this last session. I'm thinking 285 5RM = 325 1RM, though I'm hoping the supercompensation effect will find me at 335. That'd put me at 355-365 w/ a belt. I'm counting on a round of the Russian Squat Routine to nudge me up to 385 and maybe even 405 by Sept 19.

That is actually very exciting about Linroy. I searched him (http://marylandpowerlifting.com/search.asp?keyword=linroy) on MD USAPL and found that he'd been competing in the 181. What's he been up to in the 165? The only MD results are from 2008 and search results say he has the raw records across the board for that class...but Vince Johnson's name is on the actual MD raw records page (http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/recordsByGroup.asp?Gender=Men.&Raw=Yes&AgeClass=Open) between Gary Gibson and Kaisheem Muhammad with a bunch of almost unbelievable raw lifts. Do you know what gives? (Edit: Is this the 20-23 as opposed to the Open?)

Anyway, you know what they say: "The meet doesn't start till the bar hits the floor." Linroy's squat and bench as a 181 were a bit higher than my current abilities, but my deadlift is way out ahead...unless he's gotten a heap stronger in the lower weight class.:eek: It's nice to have some competition, though. I was just planning to show up, lift raw, break my own records in my weight class for squat and dl and set a new one for the total, but not really count on being competitive against the folks in gear. I do want to try gear for the States, but I just don't think I'm strong enough right now to warrant learning it. I'd wanted to shoot for BP/SQ/DL 300/400/500 as a 165 first (though 275/400/525 is looking more likely).

Edit:

Found it! (http://midatlanticpowerlifting.com/files/2009USAPLRichmondOpenWriteUp.pdf)

I will dominate DL. I'm putting these long arms and short back to use, dammit!
The race is ON in the SQ!
The pounds I get in the DL will come off the BP. Everybody and their grandmother benches more than I do...although I'm up 25 lbs from last month and am hoping another bout of Smolov Jr volume can add another 20 or so in August. This is so exciting! Nothing like a meet to focus one's training mind.

[Gary Gibson]

Okay, K.Diesel has informed me that I could have some competition for the squat record in the raw 75kg class. I want to do the end-of-year USAPL MD State in gear and after that I'll probably need to move up to the next weight class to keep improving. So this Sept meet may be my last chance to set all the raw 75kg records I want. So it's time to perfect the plan that will get my SQ over 400 and my bench closer to 300 so my total gets around 1200. I won't get the bench record, but the deadlift is almost a given while the squat and total are not assured.

This is a regular meet in which I'll be competing raw. I don't know who's going to show up in gear so I really can't count on winning. First place would be icing; the cake remains the raw records.

Week long business trip starting July 18. Return July 25. Then meet Sept 16.

Bench prescription:
Last time I did Smolov Jr was during the first three weeks of April. Enough time has passed and enough low volume training has been undertaken that I'm probably ready for another dose of the Smolov. I was going to back off of bench this coming week along with squat, but there's really no great need for that. I have EXACTLY three week between Saturday and my departure and three-week Smolov Jr will fit perfectly. 245 has gone up easily on BP and I can test 250 and 255 this Friday, then begin the Smolov Jr on Sunday so that I wrap it up on the eve of my departure. Use +10/+15 progression for lifts 250 and under:

175x6x6
185x5x7
200x4x8
210x3x10

185x6x6
195x5x7
210x4x8
220x3x10

190x6x6
200x5x7
215x4x8
225x3x10

Rest week will be during business trip and test will be Saturday after return. Goal is 275. Then till the meet practice pause bench constantly and try to get it as close to 275 as possible. Minimum 255 with possible 265. If I actually get stronger during the seven weeks till the meet, then I may actually pause bench 275. Maybe do M and Th while Smolov SQ on T and F. Maybe max effort and speed. Maybe. Idea is not to overdo it on bench so recovery can be devoted to Smolov SQ. This is just to practice and gently close the gap between new touch-and-go strength and pause strength.

Squat prescription:
SMOLOV.

Back off squats this week, find easy max next week and then 3-2-1-2-3 after the Smolov Jr Bench. Nothing too taxing as the next three weeks is devoted to Smolov Jr Bench.

Then upon the return from the trip...

Smolov drawn out to just two times/week. This should allow me to get through it and not overtrain this shaky knee. I'll be walking a fine line between rehab/strengthening and injury. Be training in private at this point. Plenty of immediate access to raw ice. I'll be using it. Effusion has stayed away despite days with seven sets of five and some very heavy sets of five, including a max set. I hope a total volume of 65 or 71 reps/week over two days won't kill me.

I haven't actually tested anything like a 1RM SQ in a long while (injury rehab). Ideally I 'd have over 335 sans belt next Saturday so I could confidently start with a nice, round 225 for the x9x4 day and finish with 315 for the +30x3x10 day. The idea is to train without the belt to get the most out of it when I test and then at the meet. The hope is to get a beltless 385 which should be 415 with a belt. 425? Please, Fate?

Deadlift prescription:
When my squat goes up, my deadlift follows not terribly far behind. Last time I added 70 lbs to my SQ via Smolov+peak, my deadlift automatically jumped 60 lbs.

No deadlifts allowed while on Smolov SQ (no presses either). Will pull for the first time in nearly two months on the day I test SQ. Won't have time to refine technique because I have to stop pulling immediately after that to taper for the meet which will be just a week away at that point.

I did a hard 2RM of 455 on sumo before my knee injury flared up. If the gods are kind, I will pull over 500 by virtue of the Smolov SQ improvements.

[Gary Gibson]

6/26/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 225, (255), 225, 245, (250)
Chin Up +0x3, +45, +90

Well, that sucked...but how can I be surprised? I did think 250 would go up and maybe it would have it I hadn't tried 255 first. 245 still felt incredibly smooth. Not easy, but amazingly fast for my 1RM. Maybe for whatever reason I'm just really "fast off the chest." I just don't understand how I can move 245 so quickly and then completely fail with 250. And I didn't bounce thta 245 AT ALL. It barely touched my chest. And I almost outright paused my second 225 so at least I'm confident I could get at least that much as a final attempt at a meet.

Sigh. And at least I wasn't dumb enough to do a damned thing with squats today. I've been concentrating on the "hole" in the extension strength with supine vertical leg extensions and step ups. The hole goes away after a few heavy reps, but it's back the next day!

Not the wisest move in the world, but I've been coasting on bench for weeks. I wouldn't even use the word "cycle" for what I've been doing on the bench. Maintenance is more like it. So I'm rationalizing that a Smolov is JUST FINE to squeeze in before I take that week complete layoff during my trip.

The SQ, however, does need a backoff week. I nearly killed myself on that max attempt 285x5 and I need to allow for recovery and supercompensation. 2/3 intensity and 2/3 volume this week. 185x5 tops. The week after that I can start feeling around with some sort of PTP 4x/week variation. Thinking 32123 with 20-lb jumps on the way up and 30-lb steps on the way down.

Complication:

I had a couple shots of Maker's Mark and a couple beers tonight. Walked a couple blocks toward downtown then ten blocks north for Indian before walking a couple blocks home. The effusion was back when I checked. Not as bad as before, but definitely putty in the proximolateral area. Drained from the medial approach; dry tap from the lump itself and then some syrupy and slightly bloody stuff from the infrapatellar distolateral lump. 20 cc from first draw, then about 10 or so from the other. The vast differences in the stuff that came out--plus the fact that the infrapatellar lump never decreases no matter how much I drain other areas--leads me to believe it's just not communicating with the rest of the joint.

Bummed that the effusion came back at all. I've been squatting heavy and doing all kind of rehab and it's been stable. I walk a bit more than usual and it starts to come back. I also wonder if alcohol has anything to do with it. Do I walk harder when I'm a little knackered?

Addendum 6/27:
It's possible that I induced trauma the night before when I did those vertical leg extensions. When I had the heavy weights on I allowed them to bring the knee to full flexion which is a position that required a bit more stretching of the capsule than usual. It's very possible that the effusion restarted as a result.

Those last 10 degrees of motion need to be reintroduced very gradually. No signs of refill today and I was very careful with the vertical leg extensions this time. Knee always sort of weak with first light reps, but by the end, I can accelerate 20 lbs of ankle weights through the midrange sticking point. Step ups are also getting more solid.

Will continue to try to draw that bloody syrup from the infrapatellar region.

[Gary Gibson]

6/28/2009

BP Smolov Day I: 45x10, 95x6, 135x5, 170x6x6
SQ 45xx5, 135x3, 185x5x3

I was unsure whether to start at 170 or 175. Played it safe and went with the former. I think I might have gone too light. Sets were incredibly easy to finish. Strict touch-and-go, no bounce ever. Easy to control the weight and last rep wasn't a struggle at all. But you gotta dance with the one you brung so I'm sticking with the paradigm based on a 170 start. 180 on Tuesday and so on.

SQ were disappointing. Same achy, sliding fibrous tissue in the medial area. That calmed down, but there is significant pain just above the kneecap where my wasted quad insertion continues to refuse to get bigger and stronger. Too disgusted to write anything more about this.

[K.Diesel]

Bummed that the effusion came back at all. I've been squatting heavy and doing all kind of rehab and it's been stable. I walk a bit more than usual and it starts to come back. I also wonder if alcohol has anything to do with it. Do I walk harder when I'm a little knackered?


Gary, this jumped out at me and I thought I'd share some of my experience with you. I have pain in my right knee pretty regularly now. The knee gets stiff/dull pain, and on occasion has a burning sensation. I can't sit in a movie theater, stadium seat, airplane, my own living room with my shin 90 degrees or less to my thigh. I have to stretch it out, and that only means it won't be as bad as if I keep it bent.

You've probably read about my heavy mailman GPP volume. I'm convinced that it's my job, not the heavy squats, etc. that are the primary cause. Reason: I took over my current route in November. Prior to that, I was working in a different station, where I first noticed knee pain while working a route with lots of hills in the Curtis Bay area. That was about 2 years before I got to my current route. Roughly 12-14 months before I got my current route, I moved from the hills to a scenario where I was delivering from my truck 3 2/3 days a week. I had one walking route which was considerably easier than my previous hilly route. The other 1/3 was the residential part of a mostly business route, and most of that was done with me standing in front of a clusterbox and filing it in. The whole time I was getting stronger and squatting heavier. However, the further away I got from all that walking, my knee pain gradually disappeared. When did I see the knee pain again? You guessed it, when I got to my new route, which is about 6.5-7 miles of urban hiking 5 days per week (concrete, stairs, carrying load, etc). Thursday, my doctor said my knees, particularly my right have some definite deterioration of cartilage. Nothing to do anything drastic about, but my patella has more movement than it should. She gave me some exercises to do to strengthen my quads' connection to the patella.

I reached an anecdotal conclusion: powerlifting probably contributes to it, but I've seen a direct relationship to my walking volume and degree of knee pain. I know your injury is different from mine. I'm just saying all this to say don't underestimate how much an increase in walking or other activites involving our knee in a low-moderate inmpact can regress the healing process in an already damaged joint. It may not have to be the miles I'm putting in, but if you normally walk 10 total blocks per day, for example, then you double or triple that volume out of the blue, it could spell bad news for your troubled knee. Just my 3 cents (too long to be 2 cents) and something to consider, so take it for what it's worth.

[Gary Gibson]

Mr. Diesel,

Thank you very much for relating that. I think you're right. In an old post in this thread I noted how both excessive flexion, heavy loading and just plain excessive walking have all very obviously been responsible for reactivating the effusion. I realized later that I'd let the knee come all the way under load during the previous night's rehab. Then I followed that with more walking than usual.

I've drained about 50 cc with approaches to both sides of the patellar ligament. These have historically been unyielding, but lately the fluid's been bursting out. Today's medial infrapatellar approach started flowing almost as soon as I broke the skin! Later, a lateral approach took a little more doing, but got 25 cc.

Now...

6/30/2009

Cue Genesis music...

Tonight, Tonight, ToniiiIIIiiight
Oh Ooooooh!!
Gonna make it right
Tonight, Tonight, ToniiiiiIIIIIght
Whoooooaa Ooooh!!

SQ 45x6, 135x3, 225, 275, 315, 335, (345), 315*

A new beltless SQ max. In fact, this was just shy of my old belted max. 335 went up smoothly. So smoothly in fact that against all sense I thought I'd have a shot with 345. I didn't and lost it at the midpoint and then it stapled me to the rack. I mostly just lost confidence and concentration and didn't attack the weight through the sticking point. That and I'm probably just not strong enough. My experience has been that after a week rest/backoff, it takes two days of ramp up to find a true new max. So I'll try again tomorrow if my body says it's ready.

Tonight's new 1RM is a bit tainted, however. Because of all the knee trouble, pain and recent repeated aspirations, I just wasn't feeling that confident with it so I doubled up on the neoprene. I pulled my large Rehbands over my medium ones on both knees (to keep them even). I'm sure this gave me another 5 lbs above what I would have gotten with just the one layer. So I didn't burst way past my "real, single-ply" 1RM...but I'm not going to let such trivial nonsense diminish my joy. I note it for fairness and posterity. I'm just happy that my knee performed so admirably and that I'm back to such strength levels after all the trouble I've had.

Just to satisfy my own craving, however, I took a rep with 315 with just the medium Rehbands and got it easily enough even though this was after a new max.

So yeah. I'm stronger.

Sleep schedule is all turned around. I didn't want to start my Day II of BP Smolov before it rolled over to midnight, so I'm headed back to the gym to get the bench numbers. Back in a couple of hours...

...Aaaaaand I'm back...

BP 45x5, 115x5, 135x3, 180x5x7
DL 225x2, 315, 365, 415, (445)
5 strict pull ups and then decompression hang for time

BP smooth as a baby's butt. I almost paused a couple of the reps just to increase the challenge. First set a wee bit hard, but it got easier thereafter. If I eat properly, I should make it to the end of this Smolov without any dramatics.

DL'd almost as much as my old conventional best last year. Not bad considering I haven't pulled conventional since then, haven't deadlifted in months, set a new personal best SQ a couple hours ago and have a lingering injury that requires frequent aspiration of the joint.

Hook grip till 415 when I mixed it in the usual fashion.

Couldn't sumo a thing. Started the 225 with sumo, but my adductors said "nyet!"

Tonight's performance on SQ and DL have made a few things very, very clear...

I need to practice my sumo form. I'm weak in that position again and it's going to take weeks of attention to get the groove back.

I need to use a program that will bring up both my squat and my pull. The only thing that's ever done that for sure was the Smolov: 50 lbs on the squat plus another 20 with a short peak; 60 lbs on the pull. I did that by Smoloving like my life depended on it and pulling relatively light with the Jesup slightly thick bar. This time around I'm stretching the Smolov out to 2x/week and this should give me some opportunity to groove the deadlift and condition the grip.

The goal is to get the beltless squat from 335 to 375 or 385. A couple days in the belt should get me over 400. In a perfect world that would get my sumo pull to over 500, maybe even around 520.

Tonight's SQ gives the following conservative (rounded down) squat paradigm:

4x9x: 225, 245, 255
5x7x: 240, 260, 270
7x5x: 260, 280, 290
10x3x: 275, 295, 305

I should be able to single with around 125% of the last weight I use for x3x10. That would bring me up to 375-385 which also lines up with a 40-50 lb increase.

Weighed 165.5 or so tonight. Still within easy reach of weight limit. Doubt I'll get over a wake-up weight of 168 and should be able to carb-deplete easily enough to come in under 165.3 if it becomes necessary.

[Gary Gibson]

7/02/2009

BP Smolov Day III: (45x7, 115x5, 135x3), 195x4x8
SQ (45x5, 135x3, 225x1), 245x3, 265x2, 285x1, 255x2, 225x3
Sumo DL (225x3), 315x3, 345x2, 365x1, 385x1, 405x1
Strict Pull Ups x6 plus spinal decompression hang for time

Bench starting to get a little hard. About three minutes rest between sets.

SQ wasn't hard, but right knee is just hurting too much from the strain on the way up. It is NOT the ligament, just a general ache. Probably the result of some extremely detrained, weak, deflated quads and attachments. I'm doubling up on the neoprene from now on--large over medium--because it really helps me get through the session. I can keep them on for hours and hours at a time so I'm guessing that the compression they provide is about the equivalent of light wrapping. A big plus is that the support is consistent each time because these are sleeves, not wraps which will be wrapped slightly differently each time.

I really concentrated on keeping the right leg in the movement. Managed to keep the bar very even on the two down sets.

Sumos were a success. Felt like my head was going to pop off on the heavier singles, but the form came back as I piled on the weight. I really shouldn't be going heavier than 405 which is 90% of my best double (455x2) set a few weeks back. It just felt really good to pull four wheels with good sumo form again. I was a little worried about the right knee, but it held up admirably.

I realized on the walk back to the office that I'd just benched my old 90% as today's 80%. That's the key to volume. Do a given percentage over 70% for enough reps in enough sessions and you eventually make it an even lower percentage; 80% becomes your new 70% and you're 10% stronger. That's the magic of Smolov.

Edit: Injury Report

Effusion still an issue. I've drained several times this week from various points and this morning I just got another easy 25 from a medial approach. The last 10 or so I had to extend the knee to close the joint space while I exerted pressure up on the plunger.

Not sure what to think. Is this from extra walking? Those squat attempts with only one layer of neoprene. The second layer really seems to help a lot. Wish to God this effusion would stop.

[Gary Gibson]

7/03/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 205x3x10
SQ 45x5x2, 135x3, 225, 255x3, 275x2, 295, 265x2, 235x3
Pull Up x8 plus hanging decompression

Well, had a little bit of wine last night at the montly company social. I was afraid it would affect performance today. At least it got me to sleep pretty early. Knocked me out till 2 am.

BP was really hard, just about from the start. Feeling that tightness in my armpits that usually indicates that I've been training too hard. I blame the heavy pulls for that. Set four was about where the groove really kicked in. Went downhill after set six, but set ten felt pretty strong even though fatigue made that last rep slow. Worst day yet overall. Actually looking forward to the 6x6 with lighter weight on Sunday.

"How Far We've Come" Moment: Last day of last Smolov was 10 of 3 with 5 lbs less.

SQ was hard, too. Kept right leg in movement, but that side really struggled on a couple of reps. 295 (88%) was slow. Good news is that there was barely any pain at all in the knee after the first work set. Doubling up on neoprene as a matter of course now. I keep the medium one on the right knee pretty much ALL THE TIME now. This helps protect the knee which seems to effuse at even slight trauma like walking more than five blocks at a time.

Stayed a little more upright today. Depth is definitely a few inches below parallel. No pulls today becaue I think my body really needs a break, but I also believe those pulls woke something up; they're like really heavy deadstart high box squats...with the bar in the hands.

Anyway, back down to 275 as the top set on Sunday. Maybe work up to 315 by next Friday and 325 by the Friday after that just before I have to travel.

Edit: Knee was feeling a little full after second nap today. Drained 25 cc quickly and easily; clear as crystal, however, with no sign of being inflammatory. Every couple of days now, the knee refills to the point where 25 cc pours out and the first 10 cc is at high pressure. Of course I'm subjecting the knee to greater stresses.

Today I did a few split (Bulgarian) squats at home in the rack. These are a lot like assisted pistols. First set I held on to the channels, but second set I let the right leg do all the work. I do see how these will help and I'm going to make them part of the continued rehab. And I'll just keep aspirating the joint as the need is perceived.

Hour later: went back into the knee. Good ol' medial approach got another 4 cc and then the distolateral got 8. That's a total of nearly 40 tonight and the knee is looking much different. I wish this would stop.

[Gary Gibson]

7/05/2009

BP 45x8, 95x5/6, 135x3, 180x9, 180x6x5
SQ 45x5x2, 135x5, 225x1, 235x3, 265x2, 295x0, 295x1, 255x2, 225x3

Sometimes you need abject failure to knock the snot out of your brain and get you thinking clearly.

BP's went great today, but I was very distracted by some serious personal problems. Forgot that BP protocol is 6x6, NOT 4x9! Realized after the 9th rep and the rerack that I was supposed to have stopped at 6. No big deal. It is nice to know that I could do 180 for as many as 12 reps now. A couple months ago, this was my absolute 5RM.

Let's contrast this with today's horrendous SQ experience.

Out of frustration with my injury, my rehab, my squat weakness and my life in general, I decided to show the Universe and all its denizens by foregoing the 275x1 planned for today and knocking down 295 without any fuss. Made 30-lb jumps on the 3 and 2 rep sets and then got my ass handed to me on 295. Set up for it again and got it, but with questionable depth. It might have passed in a meet, but it was NOT as deep as I usually take my work sets. My knee held up, but the general ache is still there and so is the pain right above the patella where my wasted quad insertions struggle mightily to do their part in finishing the last third of the rep.

So what's today's lesson?

My squat needs a healthy dose of volume and Smolov is the prescription. No more dicking around with 90% attempts and minimal volume at 70-89%. The key for successful Smoloving with the SQ/DL--I believe--is to accept deep down that you can't use your all-time best 1RM for the percentage calculations. There will be lots of volume to get through and in order to get through that sort of training...take the "training max" or about 90-92% of that best. Use the weight you could work up to for a smooth single on any given day, not the single you got after months of work and a perfect peak and an adrenal rush.

The real deal SQ Smolov will have to wait till after the trip, but for right now I'm taking 290 as my training max (humbling, but so it must be) and making my work sets stay between 205 and 225. I'm thinking something between 5x5, 6x6/9x4. Maybe 5 sets of 6 for 205 and 6 sets of 5 for 225. I may jump the weights a tiny bit in the last week before I leave, but Wisdom begs me to stay below 80% (235).

Edit:
Couldn't let the day end without making good on the SQ. Went back this evening and did a little over 60% for volume. Basically did 90% of both volume and intensity of a first day of Smolov. 70%x9x4 became 63%x8x4.

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x8x4

Pretty incredible pain above kneecap, but again I believe that's just due to the weakness of the quadriceps. So I pushed through it and it almost went away entirely by the last set. It is the kind of pain that makes me want to stop pushing with the right leg and I have to make that leg push even harder.

Drained 9 cc last night and another 9 tonight from the distolateral lump prior to the second squat session.

Tried sumos. Legs said "nyet!" after that squat volume. 225 felt heavy and awkward and the medial side of my knee fired off a loud warning.

[Gary Gibson]

7/07/2009

BP 45x5?, 95x5, 135x3, 190x5x7
SQ 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 205x6x5*

Whew. BP's started off feeling heavy, but felt lighter after second set. Last rep of last set was a little slow and tough, but not impossible. Still a good few reps from limit on each set (except that first set...it's almost always a doozy). Lats and lower back pretty fried by end of session, much more than pecs and even tris.

SQ was the usual bit of scary for the knee. Pretty painful in ligament on first couple of work sets, but that calmed down. Suprapatellar ache pronounced at times, but everything was feeling warm, smooth and oiled by last set. I messed up on the third set and re-racked after rep five. Immediately realized my error and walked back out to get a quick sixth rep.

Going a bit deeper lately than has been my custom, like a low bar Oly squat. Feeling it in my glutes and ham origins more.

I last squatted just over 24 hours ago. Really should let 36-48 hours lapse like the MWF indicates, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I thought I'd have to divide squat and bench sessions because of the volume, but it hasn't come to that yet. These next two weeks of squat are a 90% Smolov (90% intensity and volume) and not nearly as tough as the real thing. May have to divide the sessions when I stack Smolov SQ and BP. Today's SQ 205x5x6 has me confident that I'll be able to handle 205x9x4 on Smolov Day I in a few weeks.

I've been draining about 10 cc/day from the knee. Last draw was 17. I have a theory. Actually it's Big Nick T's theory (and he trained as a forensic physician/examiner before becoming a pharmacist and has had a similar problem); the effusion is acting as support in the place of weakened or damaged ligaments. So no matter how often I drain it, the synovial lining will just replace the fluid till the pressure in the cavity is enough to provide the stability the ligaments cannot. If that's the case then the effusion will clear itself up as the ligament gets stronger. The only way to make the ligament stronger is to continue training heavy squats. So there.

Half a gallon of whole milk, then I'm heading to the office to put together today's issue.

[Gary Gibson]

I think Nick was very right.

No matter how often I drain, the effusion returns to the same level. The knee gets slightly puffy, NOTHING like the enormous, taught effusion I had before the aspirations...but it does seem as if this slight effusion is acting as support for the knee in place of deranged ligaments. The knee feels as good as it has in months and there is full active range of motion. Still too much effusion to go for extreme flexion, but I have quadriceps activation again without any noticeable inhibition (doesn't mean there isn't any at all). My body seems to want this amount of effusion and I guess it has its reasons. I'll have to live with it until my ligaments regain whatever strength and integrity they can. If the effusion starts to impair quad function, I will drain as necessary.

Next session in about 20 hours...

[Felix]

Hey buddy. I finally joined the forum!

Good to hear about your embrace of the effusion. I have never actually heard that viewpoint before, kudos to Nick. Definitely makes a lot of sense. Do you 'pre-log'? Maybe write something down in your offline log for six months from now to run a then-and-now check of your knee; effusion vs. stability vs. strength.

Felix

[Gary Gibson]

Hey Felix,

There's a running Injury Report that goes back to my original log.

7/9/2009

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 205x4x8
SQ 45x5, 135x4, 185x2, 225x5x6

Whoo Doggie! Toughest BP session by far. I had my doubts about getting all four reps past the fourth set. Took about ten minutes between last two sets. Widened grip just a hair for last set and that made it a bit easier.

Good news on the SQ. The pain in the right knee was barely noticeable and keeping the right leg in the movement was a breeze tonight. Sets of five were deep and all reps were easy (some more than others). I really feel confident that I have the strength to start Smolov SQ w/ 205x9x4 and get all the way through it. That's another good thing about volume; it gets you used to being under a certain amount of weight. By set four, I barely noticed the bar on my back and the reps were smooth, fluid and almost effortless. I found myself going an inch deeper than normal just to make it more challenging. The very last rep of the last set was absurdly deep, too much so actually and I took all the arch out of my lower back and drove up using the right knee extensors.

Injury Report: Drew 12 cc out of the knee prior to the session. Came out all at once with little prodding. The difference tonight was that I didn't attempt to get out every drop; I just removed a bit. The plan now is the "adjust" the effusion levels, not eliminate them. My knee cleary needs a certain level; I'm just clearning out enough to make sure there is no quadriceps inhibition. My hope is that as the quad gets bigger and stronger and the ligament gets thicker, the effusion will go down mostly on its own.

[Gary Gibson]

7/10/2009

BP 45x6, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 215x3x10
SQ 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245x4x7

Didn't think I was going to make all those bench reps. The Smolov's most difficult days (for me) are the second half of weeks two and three. The first two days are strength-endurance and mass-building and the last day is very skewed toward absolute strength...almost GTG (neurosynaptic facilitation).

Sets got easier with set four. Last rep of set nine would have been redlighted at a meet because I reversed direction a bit just past the sticking point.

SQ was almost perfect. Reps were smooth, knee pain was minimal to nonexistent and the contribution from the right leg was all that I could want. All this practice/volume in the 70% range has paid off. The last set was absolutely perfect. I am extremely confident about starting a real Smolov in a couple of weeks at 205. I'm even thinking of starting at 225, but that will depend on how 265x4x7 feels in exactly one week.

Effusion is still noticeable but stable. Knee seems happy with it even if I would rather it not be there at all. ROM is satisfactory, though there is still tightness with extreme flexion.

Edit: Spoke too soon. Knee feeling funny in hours since. Drained another 30 or so cc and noticed plenty of bits of worn cartilage in the mix. Looks like the squats induce quite a bit of trauma. Don't know what to do about this or how to resolve it.

[NYCGUY79]

Gary,

I am looking to start my Smolov routine that you had mentioned to me for bench. I was going to use:
70%x6x6 (36 total reps)
75%x5x7 (35 total reps)
80%x4x8 (32 total reps)
85%x3x10 (30 total reps)

Currently my 1RM max on flat bench is 245. So I'll start at something like 170 lbs.

I noticed that you had indicated that the routine could be done on MWFSa or STThSa. Just in terms of my workouts I would rather do something like SWThSa. Would this be okay? In part, I plan on taking the lowest intensity day (Sunday) and doing something like 5X3 for Press and then on Wednesday doing DL for 5X3 also. SQ will remain at 5X5 on SWTh through out this. Currently doing 5X5 for all lifts and doing extra volume for SQ, BP and OHP.

Just wanted to check your thoughts. Lastly, looking ahead, I know after three weeks you indicated a week off before retesting BP max. Is this just from BP or all pressing or everything?

[Gary Gibson]

Gary,

I am looking to start my Smolov routine that you had mentioned to me for bench. I was going to use:
70%x6x6 (36 total reps)
75%x5x7 (35 total reps)
80%x4x8 (32 total reps)
85%x3x10 (30 total reps)

Currently my 1RM max on flat bench is 245. So I'll start at something like 170 lbs.

I noticed that you had indicated that the routine could be done on MWFSa or STThSa. Just in terms of my workouts I would rather do something like SWThSa. Would this be okay? In part, I plan on taking the lowest intensity day (Sunday) and doing something like 5X3 for Press and then on Wednesday doing DL for 5X3 also. SQ will remain at 5X5 on SWTh through out this. Currently doing 5X5 for all lifts and doing extra volume for SQ, BP and OHP.

Just wanted to check your thoughts. Lastly, looking ahead, I know after three weeks you indicated a week off before retesting BP max. Is this just from BP or all pressing or everything?

You're free to do as you will, but I don't think I've made this clear enough: Smolov is a specialization program and by definition that means that other progress will have to suffer. I've done one or two reps of KB press while on Smolov BP, but even THAT could be too much. A serious press program will likely derail your Smolov progress. This program is not easy and you should be saving your all your upper body strength in order to make it through. When you're done, you'll find that your press will be stronger once you get back in the groove.

Further if you're not willing to rearrange your routine around the prescribed BP schedule, then you really ought to consider stretching this out so you only bench on MTh or TF.

Lastly, don't just rely on what I say here. Google is your friend: "Smolov Squat Bench."

[Gary Gibson]

BP 45x8, 95x5, 135x3, 185x6x6
SQ 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225, 245, 265x2, 295, 315*, 245x5, 245x4

BP was uneventful. Amazingly smooth and easy from the start, but form started to go on set four. Last couple reps of set six were hard.

Experimented with SQ today. Thought of doing a Russian Squat Routine instead w/ 80% so tested how 265x2 felt. It was hard. Scrapped that and just tried to see if I could still do 315.

I got it, but it was hard and my knee buckled just a bit. The thickened medial plica felt like it took a blow and many hours later it still hurts and it's still compressed against the bones and rubbing against them when I articulated the joint.

I tried 225 for reps to see if a Smolov starting there would have been realistic. Felt like I had the energy to do at least one set of 9, but the pain in my knee was distracting. On the second set with 225, I stopped early because of the pain.

I really think this plica has to come out. The effusion didn't start till after I pinched it on that box squat two years ago and it's likely the source of all the irritation and fluid production. Thing is I've seen several "sports doctors" and orthos and none of them seem to think anything needs to be done. Considering doing it myself.

Right quad insertion still looking horribly deflated compared to left. I thought the volume I'd been doing would be enough to get the right quad growing again. I'm going to go with a full-on volume approach and hope it translates to strength later. The intensity is what got me in trouble this last time so I'm dialing that all the way down. Pins to Pillars is up for August: 10 sets of 5 starting with 50% and adding 10 lbs each session. Thrice weekly for four weeks.

Drained 10 cc right after the session as a precaution. Drained another 30 or so cc from the distolateral just now. 10 out easy, then another 10 dripped out as I emptied the container. 10 more in one last easy pull. Got about 4 from the medial approach near the plica. The knee was not looking or feeling particularly full, but I drained as a precaution

[Gary Gibson]

7/14/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 195x5x7
SQ 45x5x2, 135x5x10

Ran into "Big Nick" tonight. First time in a while. Caught up a bit. Good timing. Was able to tell him he was right about the effusion being my body's way of compensating for weakened ligaments. More on that in a bit...

Benches were fairly easy till the last couple of sets. Took very long rests between first three sets because I was catching up with Nick. I think the forced rest made it possible to get to the last sets without having to worry about failing. Nick also checked my arch for me and didn't bash my bench form! He said the bar path was fine. Good to hear because I've worked very hard on grooving that (though it wobbles on the a rep here and there in the last set or two of something like Smolov).

Knee is incredibly strong and stable. Slightly puffy in the suprapatellar area, but I've learned the hard way that that's what my body demands. Draining it will just leave me prone to injury. The draining was necessary back when the effusion was several times larger and causing loss of ROM. This level allowed me to squat very deeply and very comfortably. I was feeling horrible all yesterday because my knee was hurting so much and I was worried that I'd have to give up squatting and full competition. Now I'm actually thrilled that the effusion is there and helping me to train!

It was just 135 for the ten sets of five tonight. Very short rests, maybe 30 seconds on most sets. The patellar tendon started to act up around set six, but I persevered. Nick noted that the right quad did look very flat/deflated. With luck the low intensity, fixed/high volume of Pins to Pillars will work as rehab (repetition and blood flow with full ROM) and mass gain. This is actually the prelim to the actual PiP program which will start at 165 (about 50% of 1RM). Again, this is just what I need; volume, not too much weight, but it will build up to much more weight and with some practice a new 1RM. The idea is to start at 165x5x10 upon return from Vancouver and then do the four weeks of PiP volume before switching over to 2-3 weeks of daily practice (either one or two sets of five M-F ala PTP/5x5x5).

Nick noted that now that I had full ROM again, I really needed to do very full range knee work that really targeted the quads. I assured him that my low-bar squats were very, very deep in training and my stance was a hair narrower, too. I widen the stance and cut the depth an inch or two to just barely legal for limit attempts (by instinct).

No knee sleeves today!! The weight was too light to worry me. First squat session in a very long time without knee support. I'll add it when I feel it's necessary, but I'm hoping that a few light/high volume sessions without them will help the connective tissue.

I've been doing chins and pull ups and hangs at the end of these sessions, but forgetting to note them.

Chins are definitely hard after bench. The two moves clearly interfere with each other. Pull ups are much stronger after a heavy bench session. I believe this is because benches involve the biceps a LOT more than people realize. The biceps are a weak flexor/adductor of the humerus and assist the pecs in drawing the arms in front of the body. They also work very hard to stabilize the bar on the way down. My biceps are often fried after hard and heavy benching and they burn when I try to do some chin ups afterward. The pull ups don't involve the biceps nearly as much and I can crank out more pull ups than chins after something like Smolov BP.

Jack Reape (again!) has noted that chins interfere with his bench as he gets closer to a meet and he has to drop the chins a few weeks out. I believe he also found that pull ups aren't nearly as bothersome.

[Gary Gibson]

7/16/2009

BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 210x4x8
SQ 45x5x5, 135x3, 145x5x10

Rough couple of days.

BP predictably got smoother and felt easier at third set. I took extremely long rests tonight because this shit is getting heavy. This was just a couple pounds shy of my touch and go 1RM in February.

Horrible knee developments. I walked about a mile with a fairly heavy load last night and I woke up with my knee as full as it's ever been. I was so depressed to find it was capable of so much refill so quickly, but I was heartened by the fact that walking (admittedly under load) is what did it; not squatting. I easily drained over 40 cc (3 and 1/3 draws with a 12cc container and a whole bunch of dripping between removing and emptying).

Tonight I squatted the extremely light 145 for the PiP protocol without breaking a sweat. Rested a little longer than I should have: as much as 2 minutes between sets instead of the 30 seconds I did last night with 135. Just didn't feel like rushing. The knee held up very well and the right leg is really getting in on the act. Because of the tender knee I used a single layer of neoprene sleeves. The leg IS getting stronger adn the knee more stable, but the synovitis is chronic and easily aggravated. Still not sure what to do about this.

[Gary Gibson]

7/17/2009

BP 45x5, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 220x3x9, 220x2, 220x1

Ow.

Despite a 30-minute break after set 6, I still failed to get all three on set 10. I set back up and did a single just so I "got all the reps" though I don't think it mattered all that much. I got 99.8% of the overall reps and 97% of today's. I don't think it will derail all that other work I did. Plus this weight was my absolute 1RM three months ago and I just did a shitload of triples with it. I'm hoping to hit 265-270 when I test in a week and then work up to a paused 275 for the meet. I had dreams of doing another Smolov in August, but right now I just can't see that because...

...My squat and pull are broken. I know I've only deadlifted maybe two heavy reps in the last month, but I am still angry that my conventional pull is feeling heavy at 405 and my sumo 405 feels even harder. Of course, my squat is having a lot of trouble getting past 335. A few months ago I really thought I'd be at 400 (w/ belt) SQ and at least 500 DL by now.

Despite all the milk and food I'm still a hair under 164.

[K.Diesel]

Gary, what kind of shoes do you walk in? I'd started wearing knee braces on the job due to pain from working about 2 weeks ago. I got a new pair of shoes last weekend, and haven't worn them all week, with no knee pain. I've also started taking a new joint supplement, but despite it's claims to work within a week, I don't see it working on the 1st or 2nd day. I'm starting to think my knee probs are related to that old Air Jordan maxim "It's gotta be the shoes!" Maybe a change in footwear changes angles of foot/ankle/knee/shin/quad/pressure, etc and makes a difference? Not saying it'll heal your knee, but is it something you've thought about?

[Gary Gibson]

Nope, don't think any of it really matters. The knee just fills with fluid when I jump, run or walk too much. Been doing this for two years at this point. It refills over time no matter what I do and refills quickly with impact trauma.

7/18/2009

SQ 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 185x5x10

Jumped up to 185 tonight for the 10 of 5. Perfect reps, one layer of neoprene, very little discomfort. Drained easy 25 cc earlier. Knee function smooth tonight and right leg stayed involved.

Want to try to find gym for per diem use in Vancouver. Squat 195, 205 and 215 x5x10 while I'm there. Hate to break the momentum now. Sets were no more than a minute apart. Got all ten in the time it took to play 5 music videos (about 20 minutes).

[Gary Gibson]

7/19/2009

Smolov SQ Week 1, Day 1
SQ 45x10, 95x5, 135x3, 185, 215x9x4

Here I go again.

I'm going to try something completely outrageous: Rest BP this week and test Smolov results at end. Start SQ Smolov; Start another BP Smolov on Week 2 of SQ Smolov; rest SQ and test while finishing BP Smolov Week 3; Rest and test BP Smolov results and start Smolov DL while doing SQ PTP-style practice.

This looks really stupid, but it also looks so tempting on paper and I have all the weights, reps and sets written out. I'm assuming 20-25 lbs on my bench with each cycle and 40-50 lbs on my squat. The insane goal is to go to the Sep 19 meet as a 165 and lift 400/300/500 or more raw. The week before the meet is complete rest (Smolov rest week for BP and just plain taper for SQ/DL) so even if I've pushed too hard, I should have time to recover and still make a decent showing on Sep 19.

The volume prescription seems to have helped a ton for my right leg. I know I'd said I was going to stick with Pins Into Pillars, but I really want to mix in strength work. The volume and intensity of Pins ends up close to that of Smolov at the end, but Smolov has more of the strength component throughout that I need to come in stronger at the meet; Pins is more skewed toward mass...which I'd initially wanted for my lagging right let, but the leg feels so good now...I just NEED to conquer a Smolov to exorcise the demons of fear from this injury. Plus I also need to see my squat get over 400 or I'm going to cry.

The muscles are slowly catching up with the left and the knee is feeling less and less pain during the session. Sticking with one layer of neoprene, though I keep the second set on my shins at the ready. I've also been able to reduce my toe-out angle slightly so that I'm closer to 30 degrees instead of past 45. Not sure which muscles got stronger to allow for that.

215x9x4 was challenging but not impossible. I took a very long rest after the second set, but the entire session was over in about 40-45 minutes. The first set really didn't feel that bad, but the second set was hard which is why I doubled the rest time from the first. Right now it feels like I can make it to at least the second week.

Note on Belt Use: I'm going to start using the belt for sets over 275 from now on. I'm not going to divide non-belt cycles from belt cycles. The belt allows my legs to work nearer to my true SQ max. It just doesn't do much of anything below about 80% so I won't use it below 80%. 275 (from experience) is about where my torso strength starts to hinder what my legs can do.

Injury: the effusion is amazingly stable. I walked several blocks in that Baltimore Art thingee yesterday and there has been no refill during my sleep cycle. No sign of refill an hour after a fairly hard squat session. Hope this keeps up all week because I am not going to try to pack my materiel for the trip and won't be able to aspirate.

[Gary Gibson]

7/24/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 225, 245, (255), 225x3
SQ 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 275, 315, (335), 275

Smolov BP failure.

Today was the first test day after a week off. I'd really, really hoped that I could pull two of these Smolovs off back-to-back. I unracked 255 and just knew that I wasn't going to get it back up so I re-racked it after a couple of seconds. I suppose I should go on a low volume/high frequency routine now.

Squatted up to 315 w/ single layer of neoprene and no belt. Missed 335 badly. I'm sort of happy that I was able to get 315 after a week off, but my squat has been stalled for nearly a year. I'd meant to continue the Smolov up here in Vancouver, but the week's just been too busy. I'm thinking of starting it at 205x9x4 and finishing at 295x3x10...OR just starting a Pins to Pillars protocol again. I think my squat could still use volume and that it won't increase without an attempt to gain another 3-5 lbs.

Programming: PTP-style BP and PiP SQ for four weeks. Then PTP-style belt SQ, pause BP and sumo DL for three weeks till the meet.

I would start PiP SQ at ~70% instead of 50% and just ramp up for three weeks and back off for one before a test. This starts easy and with the same percentages as Smolov and winds up at about the same place w/ at least 275 for 10 sets of 5 (Smolov would be 295 for 10 sets of 3). If I can do 275x5x10, then I will be stronger and should be able to push up toward a beltless 350 and a belted 375-380.

[Gary Gibson]

7/26/2009

SQ 45x5, 135x3, 225x2, 275, belt, 315, 335, 315, no belt 225x5
BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 225, 245
DL 225x3, 315x2, 405, (425)

Solo mini meet today. Disappointing results.

SQ: 315 is fairly hard without a belt and manageable with one. 335 is impossible without a belt and still hard with one. I had to grind that 335 up with legs quivering and neck straining. I did another 315 to get my confidence back and then bailed out 345...which I just knew would bury me and which I reracked after a few seconds.

The good news is that my knee held up. Bad news is that my right side has learned to drop out of the movement and I have to fight hard to keep the bar dipping on the right at the bottom of the squat.

Lots of walking and running around with luggage yesterday. No refill today. Let's see how it looks tomorrow.

BP: Indeed, I've upped it 25 lbs since February, BUT I didn't gain an ounce of strength with the last Smolov application. 245 felt easier when I first got it over a month ago. It was hard when I did it a couple days ago and even harder today. Serious loss of form as I tried to get through the sticking point: elbows flaring, wrists rolling backward.

DL: Just horrible. 405 seems to be my new limit. I don't even know how to begin addressing that.

Plus I'm down about 3-5 lbs in body weight this week. This clearly is not good for strength. The stress of travel, the stress of going nearly 24 hours/day at the conference, the disruption in my eating routine: all these things conspired against me. I wanted to squat for volume during the week, but I just didn't have the energy after running around all over the hotel all day and then staying up all night to write the reporting and editorial.

So what to do?

Part of me really feels like throwing in the powerlifting towel, just try to maintain strength at these levels...but most me laughs at that idea.

My squat's been stuck for a year. My knee is mostly free of the effusion now (and I can free it when it does occasionally get trapped) and the muscles in that leg are contributing to the squat in a way they simply could not for the past two years. The squat strength must be there. I just don't know how to manifest it.

I'd been planning to attack the squat with more volume ala Pins. My right leg needs to get bigger. But it's hard to devote the needed attention to the deadlift while on a volume squat program. Bench I'm ready to relegate to low volume, medium intensity and high frequency (PTP) because that kind of switch up would probably do it a world of good.

So PTP-style BP is a definite. But do I do PiP SQ and no DL for a month, or PTP SQ and DL RSR?

Squatting for volume is very tempting because I need to gain weight again and I need my right leg to get bigger (left will get bigger, too, but right will likely grow even more to catch up). I'd jump right into it if my DL weren't so worrying. Leaning toward the four weeks of PiP SQ I promised myself and then a three weeks of 5x3x5 (One set of five perfect reps, three PL moves, five days per week).

[Gary Gibson]

7/27/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 165x5x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225x9x4

Fuck it. Smolov Squat.

Bench too easy to speak of.

First set of SQ wasn't hard, but third was scary. Took nearly 10 minutes till last set, but set four was the prettiest, most perfect set of 225 for 9 ever done...by a human.

Felt it a bit more in left leg and worked very hard on every rep to keep the right leg in the movement.

Hanging decompression after. Will do chin ups later.

[NYCGUY79]

Gary,

I've been doing the Smolov Jr routine for BP as we had discussed previously. I am currently starting the last week.

I noticed that you did not have recent success on yours in terms of increasing the weight on BP? Any thoughts as to what happened as i am pretty much doing the exact same routine in terms of weight.

Addionally, I was reading up on different programs on the net, particularly those based on total tonnage, and noticed a few of these programs resemable Smolov in terms of advocating high reps intially they doing lower reps and increasing sets. However, I noticed that total tonnage was increasing each week, and for the most part (though not always) each workout. Smolov on the other had does not have this happening, as total tonnage week over week is slightly negative and between workouts (eg. day 3 and day 4 for each week) is also slightly negative (about 2% in each case). Lastly, some programs had the added element of total time to complete worksets, and advocated that each week this should be decreasing for each day versus the previous week. Any thoughts on these differences?

On a different note, nice to see that the knee is holding up.

Thanks for the time.

[Gary Gibson]

The fault is my own. Smolov applications aren't meant to be done more than once or twice per year. I ran right back into one after only a month and I overdid it. My pressing muscles are clearly just worn down and fatigue masks ability. If I give my bench a little exposure to low volume and lower intensity, the gains may yet make themselves apparent.

This is your first Smolov and you'll probably make the expected progress.

Edit:
I take that back. I just looked at your log and see that you kept in the overhead press and triceps work. The Smolov is itself an overreaching program and just doing the main lift in the protocol should leave no room for progress anywhere else.

You may well still get 20 lbs on your bench, but if that doesn't happen, you cannot blame the program because you didn't follow the prescription.

[Gary Gibson]

7/29/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 185x4x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 240x7x5

Smolov SQ Day II.

Surprisingly easy and form was serendipitously good. Knee tracked properly with no grinding of collateral ligaments. No pain above patella. Oddly no strain from quads at all. Weight was never really challenging, but the sets were tiring and I took long rests. Almost 10 minutes between last two sets.

Bench got stupidly easy on third set.

Weighed 169 in just underpants. I'm sure my rapid weight gain (tons of breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin, McDonald's burgers, milk and chicken tikka) have helped me to be stronger under the squat bar and probably has helped my knee heal more: nutrients plus training stress. 225 is now feeling "not heavy" for the first time in my life. Again, my all-time high body weight probably has everything to do with that sensation.

[Gary Gibson]

7/31/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 205x3x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 260x5x7

Smolov SQ Day III

BP not terribly hard.

SQ a little disappointing. Started to get very bent over at fifth set. Sixth set was practically one of good mornings, so I strapped on the belt for the seventh. First three reps were then perfect, but last two were more like good mornings.

I?d said I wasn?t going to separate belt numbers from non-belt numbers; that I was just going to consider the belt max as the true one and use the belt at about 80-85%.

Today was 80% and after a few sets of that the midsection just can?t hold out. 260 is actually a little over 80% of my non-belt max of 315-320, just as 225 was a pound over my 75%. So I shouldn?t feel guilty about reaching for the belt. In fact, I believe I?ll be reaching for it for just about every set from here on. I may try a couple sets of the 245x9x4 day without the belt, but I?ve a feeling I?ll be needing it almost from the beginning.

I walked to the Inner Harbor and back today. Now I?ve squatted 80%x5x7 and then I stretched the quads, hams and addies. I?ve seen no or very little refill till now. If I don?t have much in a few hours, I will be truly amazed.

[Gary Gibson]

8/1/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245, 275x3x10

Smolov SQ Day IV

Did first two sets without belt, then added belt because I've learned the hard way that many sets will fatigue the abs and result in excessive lean as the session progresses. Belt allowed me to keep a proper torso inclination till the very end.

On Monday I'll do the first set of nine with no belt, then put it on for the rest. I'll likely follow suit for the rest of week II, but will use the belt for all sets in week III.

No real complaint from the knee today, BUT yesterday I wrapped up with stretches and pulled my right heel all the way to my right glute to stretch my right quads. I believe I tore something a bit and I had a bit of excessive refill in the synovial cavity. I only managed a 15 cc drain, but whatever was in there caused noticeable puffiness. Otherwise, lots of walking and heavy squatting don't seem to be inducing much refill. I believe the stretching was just too much too quickly.

Looking at my old thread. I started off my last aborted Smolov with the weights I will be using for week II this time. I'd based this on getting a barely legal single of 355 in the gym. Of course, I got injured at the end of the first week with 295x3. Didn't even make it to set three!

This time the effusion is under control and the muscles of the right leg are a tad more developed (they were downright wasted away back then). I'm starting with a base max of 330-335 and calculating the percentages from 320-325 just to have a little wiggle room and to make sure I complete the program.

[Gary Gibson]

8/3/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 185x5x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245x9x4

Smolov SQ Week II Day I

BP was easy. Only rested about 1 minute between sets.

First two sets of SQ were without belt. First set was so smooth and easy that I thought maybe I wouldn't need the belt at all this session. Torso angle got hard to hold halfway through second set so belt went on for last two.

Note: high-rep sets are hard. Form gets very hard to hold on multiple sets of high reps. I just couldn't stay tight all the way through. Depth was consistent throughout, but I felt like I was "roaming" a bit on the last set.

Oh well. Another "how far we've come moment": I know I've done 245x9x4 before (with belt on all sets), but I can't help but note how easy that first beltless set felt. Less than a year and a half ago, 245 was my shaky, barely legal 1RM and now it's more like my 15RM.

[Gary Gibson]

8/5/2009

BP 45x5, 135x5, 205x4x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 260x7x5

Smolov Week II, Day II

BP got a little difficult on that last set. My butt shifted on one of those reps and rep four was a bit of a strain.

SQ wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My upper body tightness ebbed away with each set and by the last one the bar slipped to the very bottom of my delts halfway through the set. My hip/knee extension stayed aces, though. Nice and even with good hip drive and no slide into a good morning. I didn't even attempt to do a set without the belt today.

Both last session and this one, someone came up to me to comment on how incredibly deep my squats were. Today I quipped, "the judges insist on it." Heh.

Two days ago I'd drained WAY too much fluid--about 30 cc--from my knee cavity and all day yesterday my knee was clicking and unstable. Today it feels much better and there's obviously been some refill. The MCL just isn't all there anymore and it needs a little fluid around it to do its job (think an empty fire hose versus one full of water).

[K.Diesel]

8/5/2009
Both last session and this one, someone came up to me to comment on how incredibly deep my squats were. Today I quipped, "the judges insist on it." Heh.

I get that sometimes, but sadly, have not been clever enough to think of that response. Great stuff.

But are you training in a gym again? I thought you got a squat rack for your house and were lifting at home. Sorry if I missed something in a previous post.

[Gary Gibson]

8/07/2009

BP 45x6, 135x3, 185, 225x3x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 280x5x7

Smolov Week II, Day III

BP sucked. Outright stall on third rep of first set. Other sets a little smoother, but incredibly hard. Bar drifted toward face on last rep of each set.

SQ weren't that bad. Bar did a bit of traveling on the back. Warm ups sucked awfully bad. Knee had been giving trouble. Too much walking last couple of days and I had to do a 30-cc drain. Tonight, the MCL was achy and clicking. But despite that and a painful warm up, the sets were smooth and the knee felt better as soon as I started the real work. Still feels good an hour later.

An awful lot of drinking and wasting of funds these last couple of days (Strip clubs are evil). I thought I would have shed a few pounds with the spotty nutrition, but I'm just a hair under 170 lbs tonight. If I could just stay between 169 and 172 for till September, I'll be in good stead to carb cut down to 165 for Sept 19.

Kaisheem, my membership runs out this month.

[Gary Gibson]

8/08/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 275, (belt) 295x3x10

Smolov Week II, Day IV

Wow. With only a couple of exceptions, every rep was just about perfect with even hip and knee extension and no form loss into a good morning. The warm ups were pretty comfortable and the single 275 without a belt felt great. In fact, most of the reps weren't all that hard. I honestly feel stronger and this weight didn't feel nearly as challenging as I thought it would. Wish the same could be said about my bench.

All work sets with belt. Didn't even bother trying to be a tough guy with an attempt at a set without the belt.

Last time I tried 295x3x10, I couldn't make it past the first set and hurt myself badly trying to do so. Both my knee and my lower back felt absolutely fine today. I did ten pull ups a decompression work. I weighed about 168.

I was going over my sumo progress back from when my squat was just starting to give me trouble again. I got 425x5 and ended up with 455x2 (which I remember well; that second rep was shaky and ugly). It is my great hope that I will be able to bring my sumo back up to those highs and beyond when I start on the Daily Fives PTP-style routine that will follow the Smolov test day.

[Gary Gibson]

8/10/2009

BP 45x6, 135x5, 195x5x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 255x9x4*

Smolov Week III, Day I

BP was only hard on the last set and the bar slowed on the very last rep.

The big news is the squat. First set was without belt and it flew by with ease. Perfect torso inclination, perfect coordination of hip and knee extension. The warm ups really didn't feel good at all, but that first work set was bliss. I think I could get 12 with 255 at this point. In fact, I had gas in the tank left on set four! Mind you, I had to psyche up for sets three and four both, but the sets themselves were entirely doable. Set three was the worst with the loosest form, but set four was as good as set one (though I had the belt on by then). Bar stayed mostly in place and often popped up when I locked out. I can scarcely believe I've managed this much weight for this many reps with this sort of relative ease. I was honestly worried that I wouldn't make it this far this cycle.

The effusion is right back at the level it seems to like and this time I'm leaving it alone. Every time I drain it so there's no puffiness, I experience instability, cracking and intermittent pain. My body has filled the cavity back up to the level where the fluid offers as much support and comfort as is needed to make up for the damaged MCL. I was in pain a couple days ago, but today with the effusion back to slightly puffy levels, I have pain-free full ROM and no discomfort during or after squats. Lesson: leave the effusion alone...at least until it obviously interferes with performance or comfort. Right now it's facilitating performance and providing comfort.

[Gary Gibson]

8/12/2009

BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 215x4x3
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 275x7x5*

Smolov Week III, Day II

BP wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be.

I jumped the weight 5 lbs to make it 275 instead of 270. Next session will be 295 and the last will be 315 which is 10 lbs over where I was supposed to end up. But I'm just feeling so strong lately. And I really want to get an whole bunch of reps with 315.

*BUT...on the very first set I only did five and re-racked because I just plain forgot that today was supposed to be seven. I quickly got back under the bar and did another two.

Form wasn't as consistent as I would have liked. Lots of fear today. Knee swelled horribly recently (all the walking and Smolov-ing, I guess, and I think I went down too far on one of the reps and tore something a bit) and I finally lost ROM a couple of nights ago. I drained over 40 cc and for the past two days it's been feeling great, but I'm nervous about overworking the knee and causing it to effuse so much again.

Got a "aren't you bent over too far" comment today. Normally I get "wow, what depth!" I think some people just really expect a back squat to be as upright as a front squat. I explained the low bar position and the fact that a powerlifting squat is supposed to have a lot in common with a good morning. (Louie Simmons called it a good morning that breaks parallel.) I thought most of my reps were with really good torso inclination, but I guess if you're expecting an upright torso, it looks awful.

[Gary Gibson]

8/14/2009

BP 45x8, 135x5, 185x3, 205, 225, 235x2x2
SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275, 295x5x7*

Smolov Week III, Day III

Argh. 225 BP felt so good and light that I went up to 235 against my better judgment. I should have gone to 230; I might have gotten the triple. As it is I got two sets of doubles. I didn't bother embarrassing myself with another set. The projected 1RM from 235x2 and 230x3 is only about 2 lbs apart, however, so it's not the end of the world. At least one solid set of 235x2 tells me I'm in good shape to finally get that 250 BP.

Argh. I did it again (which is funny because Brittany's "Oops...I did it again" was playing as I did it); I stopped two reps short on the opening work set. Same thing happened with opening set of sevens two days ago; I did five. Today I did three and when Dana the cameraman said "that was only three" I cursed and ducked back under for the last couple. So first set rest-pause.

Took long rests and recorded the first five sets. I am pretty close to horizontal throughout the first 60% of the lift, but it's not a good morning. And I look fine from the front. I will put the vids up as soon as Dana gets them to me from his camera.

The good news is that I really forced my right leg to kick in through all the sticking points. Right quad is what powered me through several handoffs to the top quarter of the squat.

All sets with belt. Drained knee of 15 cc and had full range going into session. Feeling a little full now and will probably have to drain again for tomorrow's session.

15 lb jump again tonight from last week. 5 lbs more than normally called for, but eff it. I'm feeling strong. Didn't get winded with such low reps, but it was tiring all the same. Knee held up really well and I managed not to buckle except for a couple reps here and there and even those really weren't too bad. All in all a very good session. Looking forward to 315 tomorrow. 10 of 3!

[Gary Gibson]

8/15/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275, 295, 315x3x10

Smolov Week III, Day IV, The End

Woooooooooooo!

Put the belt on just for the work sets. Warm ups all felt smooth and easy. Had knee sleeves off for bar-only set and that pinching feeling was still happening every now and then.

Didn't record this one, but I really felt I stayed more upright on these. I got a little bent over on a couple of reps here and there, but mostly I kept a nice torso angle and kept my quads in it at the top. I realize now that I've been downright scared to engage my right quads, but all fear vaporized today. I knew I had to be spot on with form if I was going to get through this uninjured.

Really felt like I could get at least five reps with this weight. Maybe as many as seven, but definitely five. I got a boost in energy and motivation at the eighth set and was amazed that I felt I could do more than triples this late in the session.

Weighed 176 in squat shoes. I guess my naked weight is about 170-172. I should be able to carb cut to 165 in time for the meet if I start a week out.

Week of rest now. Test next Friday and Saturday.

[Sami]

Sounds good! God I can't wait to get back to lifting. :(

[K.Diesel]

Looking forward to your test results. Are you already entered in the meet? What's your training plan going into the meet after you test the squat?

[Gary Gibson]

Just drew 25cc of bloody effusion from my right knee. Usually the effusion is clear and the color of beer. Tonight for the first time in many weeks it was very bloody and cloudy. Knee was and is feeling fine, but it was looking "full."

I'm doing daily practice for three weeks after the test. Week one is one set of five in each lift; week two is two of two and week three is three sets of singles.

Ate like a pig and drank like a fish tonight. Several bar stops and most of them included meaty meals. Weighing 175 on the bathroom scale tonight which is a personal record. Of course now is not a good time to be setting up camp in the next weight class.

[Gary Gibson]

8/17/2009

BP Bear 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x5, 165x5, 135x5x18
Chin Up x5x4 (failure on last rep)

185x5 was very, very easy. Sets w/ 135 were all easy, but a strange tingling/numbness started up in left forearm by middle of session. The way the bar sat in my hand was apparently aggravating something and it manifested as tingling as the volume accumulated.

Kaisheem, looks like I lied.

Did some soul-searching tonight and realized that nothing is more important than getting bigger and stronger. I'm not going to thwart my progress by cutting weight just to attempt records in a lighter class.

I'm 175 naked tonight, more than halfway into the 82.5 class. This is a rest week for squats, but I've decided to start a four-week BP Bear right now. After I test the SQ and DL on Friday and Saturday, I'll keep the SQ volume low (one work set of five) and do a DL RSR volume phase (6 sets of 2-6 reps w/ 80%).

Here's how it stacks (this assumes a SQ of ~385 and DL of ~450):

M BP 185x5, 165x5, 135x5x10-20
W BP 185x5, 165x5, 140x5x10-20
F BP 185x5, 165x5, 145x5x10-20 (Test SQ and DL first)

M BP 195x5, 175x5, 150x5x10-20, SQ 295x5, DL 365x2x6
W BP 195x5, 175x5, 155x5x10-20, SQ 315x5, DL 365x3x6
F BP 195x5, 175x5, 160x5x10-20, SQ 325x5, DL 365x2x6

M BP 205x5, 185x5, 165x5x10-20, SQ 315x5, DL 365x4x6
W BP 205x5, 185x5, 170x5x10-20, SQ 335x5, DL 365x2x6
F BP 205x5, 185x5, 175x5x10-20, SQ 345x5, DL 365x5x6

M BP 215x5, 195x5, 180x5x10-20, SQ 325x5, DL 365x2x6
W BP 215x5, 195x5, 185x5x10-20, SQ 355x5, DL 365x6x6

F Ramp up test BP, SQ, DL
Sa Gym max test BP, SQ, DL

M light BP, SQ
W light BP
Sa Meet

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 375

Wooooooo Hoooooooo....!!!!

-4R-aFkInRA

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275, (belt) 315, 345, 365, 375

Started setting PRs with 345. I failed to use the camera properly for 345 and 365 and it's a shame because those were very pretty squats. I went a little too much on my left side for 345, but the hip and knee extensions were so even.

BP is too shameful to speak of. 225 felt like lead today.

DL 225x5, 315x3, 365, 405, belt 435

Also a record for conventional. I started with the squat shoes on, but switched for the Chucks for the max attempt. Left adductor felt very distinctly..?

What to do now? I plan to do daily practice for SQ as of next week, but I don't know about bench and DL. Thinking of doing an RSR volume base 4x/week in order to push them to new heights. Will see how I feel after tomorrow's true test (385 SQ and 445 DL).

Weighed 168 today. Starting conscious attempt at gradual weight loss in time for meet. Cutting down on carbs. A roast beef salad from Subway with a half small HiC diluted by water. ~SQ 400 @ 165? Hells yeah!

[blowdpanis]

Awesome squat, Gary.

[Mucius]

Beautiful!
Close to 4 plates too. ;)

[Gary Gibson]

Awesome squat, Gary.

Thank you!


Beautiful!
Close to 4 plates too. ;)

Thanks again! But as I learned today, getting those four plates is going to require a lot more work...

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275, (belt) 315, 355, (385)
Paused BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 225, 235
DL 225x3, 315x2, 405, (belt) 445

Got completely buried with the SQ attempt w/ 385. The weights were feeling light today and 355 felt so smooth and easy; I was confident that 385 would go. But I only got up a couple inches before I went back down.

I was feeling a bit dejected as I prepped the area for the deadlift. I wasn't going to bench at all, but decided I needed the break from the really heavy stuff. Also decided to start pausing as of today just to see where I am in meet terms. Got 235 with a long pause. It was kind of tough. I may have another 5 lbs in me, so maybe I'll be good for 110 kg on meet day.

DL's were a pleasant surprise. Unlike the squat warm ups, these pulls felt a little hard. 405 had me shaking a bit. I put the extra 40 lbs on with a sense of heedlessness. I was just a little pissed at missing that squat. I had never pulled this much conventionally before and despite my anger and reckless addition, I spent several minutes with my eyes closed and slowly building up tension as I stood over the bar. When I had the lift perfectly rehearsed in my head, I took big air into my lungs and squeezed down to it. Belt on, alternating grip. I was a little surprised that it broke as easily as it did and that it kept accelerating. God bless these Smolov-enhanced glutes and hams. Lockout wasn't a problem, but my left hand started to open a bit at the top. I still managed to secure the weight and hold it for a few seconds and then return to the ground almost gently and in full control.

This 445 conventional DL is more than I pulled sumo-style for the state record. It's just 10 lbs shy of my best ever sumo double 455x2. That second rep was so ugly that I'm convinced my best single would not have exceeded 465. So this really says a lot for the Smolov SQ. In just two days of DL practice after a month of no pulling I pulled literally my best ever by quite a bit. Not as much as sumo, but the closeness of the two numbers underscores the point.

The effusion has not returned for over a week now (hallelujah), but that MCL is still an angry, squirrelly little ligament and it snaps all the time and moves around a bit under heavy loads. So today I kept my knee sleeves on and it made a huge difference in my ability to recruit my right knee extensors. The sleeves did not interfere with my pull. I've never been one to keep the bar against my shins after the initial extension.

I must note that today I pulled in my socks. Yesterday was in the Chucks so that may account for the extra 10 lbs. Pulling in my squat shoes really threw me off when I tried it and it looks like those deadlift slippers remain a good investment.

I was going to attack the DL and the BP with volume next, but since I realized that I could still compete in the 75 kg, that plan has undergone revision. It's back to daily practice of all three lifts ala PTP/5x5x5. One work set of each lift, 5 reps, every weekday. During the actual week of the meet, no pulls, one light squat session and two light bench sessions.

[Gary Gibson]

Rest Day Updates, Reflections and Meet Planning

Injury Report
First off: my knee stayed blissfully effusion free for an entire week for the first time in two years.

But I've recently squatted and deadlifted far more weight than ever several times thanks to Smolov...then I walked a couple miles to Baltimore's Little Italy and back the Friday evening after I set my new squat record...

So last night I noticed that the knee had a bit of the old puffiness, particularly in the proximolateral region. Now, the night before the walking I drew 4 cc out just as an oil check. But last night--the night after the walking--I drew out nearly 30! So clearly the walking was just a wee bit too much for the knee and the new record squatting and pulling probably didn't help.

Still overall, the knee is much more stable and the effusion just isn't even a quarter as problematic as it used to be. I don't know if I'll ever run hard or jump again, but I can still lift competitively. It'll have to do until medical science perfects stem cell treatments that I can afford.

The actual medial collateral ligament itself is still a problem. It's been crackin loudly like mad whenever there is any valgus stress during extension (like when I lie on my side). Any twist at all under load and during extension produces very load cracking, too. But there isn't much discomfort. The ligament also gets a little wobbly under heavy loads in both the squat and conventional deadlift. Sumo is possible, but I can just tell that it will give me more trouble than I want were I to train it regularly. A light layer of neoprene makes a ton of difference to the knee's stability. I honestly couldn't train without some sort of bracing at this point. I'm able to walk around without the brace, but under all circumstances, light compression feels better.

Even tall socks that brush the bottom of the joint help! I pulled on my DL tube socks the other night and was amazed that they had a bit of the same effect as my neoprene knee sleeves! It's obviously a matter of proprioceptive feedback and not any real compression in the case of the socks. Still amazing.

Meet Training: the Insanity of Another Smolov
You'd think I'd have learned my lesson when a second Smolov application a month later failed to reproduce the effects of the first in the bench. But here I am again thinking about running another Smolov right IMMEDIATELY after I just finished one. The twist is that this time I'm doing a slightly different movement...

I began the SQ Smolov immediately after the failed BP Smolov, but the two movements obviously have little in common in terms of muscles stressed.

Now, however, I'm thinking of doing a DL Smolov to follow up on my successful SQ Smolov run. Why? Because the injury has forced me to abandon sumo deadlifting and that means my competition pull will be in my weaker conventional style. Despite Smolov SQ giving me a 30-lb PR on conventional DL (without actually training the DL for weeks), I'm not satisfied. My conventional DL is now about equal with my best ever sumo DL (445 conventional versus 455 sumo double with an ugly second rep). That's something to me because my best sumo has usually been at least 20 lbs better than my conventional and as much as 50 lbs better when I really get the groove down.

So right now I'm thinking that if only I could sumo, I'd be doing it with at least 475 and maybe as much as 500. I'm about to do what will probably be my last competition as a 75 kg. This will be my last chance to establish a decent record in that weight class. I would have loved to be hovering around a 500-lb competition DL in time for it. And again I believe that were I still able to sumo, I would be.

So if I can't switch to sumo and get a quick 20-50 lb boost, what else can I do to up a lift in three weeks with one week of rest?

The answer, of course, is another Smolov.

I'd end up doing 405x3x10 which in my experience means 405 will be about 80-83% of my new 1RM or about a 7RM. That would put me pretty close to 500.

This all assumes I don't horribly overtrain. And since I just successfully completed a SQ Smolov, gain-erasing overtraining is a huge concern.

I'm going to go ahead and give it try for one week and pay very close attention to any signs that I should stop. My rest and nutrition aren't a problem at all. I sleep when I want and as much as I want (joys of being paid to write and having no life outside of writing and lifting) and I've gotten used to downing a gallon of whole milk daily in addition to normal eating that includes lots of mammal flesh. Excessive weight gain may be a problem, but my recent experience has me confident that a week of eating deli meat with no bread and replacing the gallon o' milk with a gallon of water (GOWAD) will help me stay 165 in time for weigh ins.

I will just be practicing the SQ and BP in the PTP style, one work set, waving the weight throughout the week, but only practicing the lifts three times per week. The Saturday Smolov session will be devoted to the ten sets of triples alone. The plan shapes up thus:

SQ---BP---DL
-----------------
295x5---185x5---315x6x6
315x5---195x5---335x5x7
275x5---175x5---335x4x8
-----------------375x3x10

315x5---195x5---335x6x6
335x5---205x5---355x5x7
295x5---185x5---375x4x8
-----------------395x3x10

325x5---200x5---345x6x6
345x5---210x5---365x5x7
305x5---190x5---385x4x8
-----------------405x3x10

The Back-Off week will be the week of the meet. Light SQ/BP session on Monday with no DL. Light BP session on Thursday, no SQ or DL. Meet on Saturday.

It would probably be best to take the rest of September off after all this.

If I fail to get through any of these planned sessions, I will take it as a hint and revert to a protocol of daily practice.

We begin tomorrow.

Edit: Something a Bit Saner...But Not By Much

After an entire day of thought, I decided to compromise and not chase gains that could destroy me. I still want a little bit of deadlift volume, however.

So I decided to cram an RSR/Deadlift into two weeks by doing a MTThF schedule based on the 80% for 6 sets of waved reps.

Squat and paused bench will be done first and will be a week of triples for 2 sets, then doubles for 3 sets and finally singles for 3 sets. It looks like this

MTThF: SQ/BP/DL
-------------------------
335x3x2....205x3x2....365x2x6
325x3x2....195x3x2....365x3x6
345x3x2....215x3x2....365x2x6
315x3x2....195x3x2....365x4x6

355x2x3....215x2x3....365x2x6
345x2x3....205x3x3....365x5x6
365x2x3....225x3x3....365x2x6
335x2x3....205x3x3....365x6x6

355x1x3....225x1x3....405, 445, 465?
375x1x3....235x1x3
355x1x3....225x1x3....405, 445, 475?
385x1x3....240x1x3

Rest Week:
M) light SQ, light BP
Th) light BP
Sa) Meet

Two weeks of some waved volume on the dead ala RSR with the last week consisting of two exploratory test days. Then 8 days of no pulling before the meet.

SQ and BP practice four times/week. Heavy triples, doubles and singles and I should be refining the strength so that I get slightly higher highs that won't actually by straining matches. Will adjust numbers accordingly so I'm not burning out. Notice the heavy SQ/BP days are on the days where DL volume gets dialed back to six doubles. The DL test days are on the easier singles days for SQ and BP in the final week.

[Gary Gibson]

8/24/2009

What a horrible, horrible mistake...

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275, belt 315, 335x3, 315x3
Paused BP 45x5, 135x3, 185, 205x3
DL 365x2x6

I'm so mad at myself. I really overestimated my capabilities on SQ and BP. 335x3 was horrible. This was truly a 3RM and the last rep got pretty bent over. This is just under 90% and I really don't know what I was thinking by trying to triple it. I had nothing left afterward and 315x3 nearly ended me. And I just did 315x3x10 with energy to spare a couple of weeks ago! MCL was snapping like crazy on just about every rep.

Apparently I'm experiencing the requisite drop in strength after a peak. So the plan is altered to make things easier. SQ will stay between 275 and 295 this week, or ~75% for triples. BP will stay between 175 and 195. I may go as high as 315x3 SQ and 205x3 BP again, but not this week. Just an easy work set of triples for a while. Got to give my SQ and BP time to regroup.

That works out well because the six set of doubles with 365 DL today were pretty brutal. They didn't push me to my limit, but I can say with confidence that I am nowhere near conditioned for 6x6 with this weight. If I can get that in two weeks, I will definitely be stronger.

So take it really easy on BP and SQ for the next two weeks while pushing the pedal on the deadlift. At this point, I just want to score at least 165 kg on the squat and 105 kg on the bench. If I can just get a little over my DL record with 205 kg, I'll be happy. My ambition has diminished after today's session. I just want to break my SQ and DL records and get the record for the total. No more dreams of totalling over 1100 right now.

[Gary Gibson]

8/25/2009

Man, I wish I weren't so dumb sometimes...

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 275x5
Paused BP 45x6, 135x3, 185x5
DL 225x2, 315, 365x3x6

OK. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I'm still learning and that means I'm going to be experimenting and making some wrong turns.

That 275x5 was done without a belt. So I started getting bent over on the fourth rep and the fifth rep was just ugly. I should have worn the belt for the work set. And I'm thinking I should have just tripled 275. These are supposed to be heavy but EASY. I'm not supposed to be straining and burning myself out.

So. Easy 54321 or 53214. 185x5, 225 for the four-set and 255, 275 and 295 for triples, doubles and singles respectively. Same sort of set up for the bench: 135, 155, 175, 185, 195. In both cases, I'll be putting up just 80% for a single. That's sounds about right for now.

BP form not dialed in at all. I feel like a goddamn fish flopping around on the bench lately.

DL was brutal, but just on the grip, not so much on the muscles. But the grip is a window to the CNS, so I'm really pushing my luck here. Hook grip used and thumbs really were angry about that by the last set. No belt, but kept knee sleeves on. Going to keep going, but next week I'm stretching this out to M, W, F, Sunday instead of the MT ThF I'm doing this week. I don't think I'll be seeking a max after that, just resting the pull completely 13 days from the meet. Such it must be with the deadlift, especially after that last session with 36 (!) reps with 80%.

And it looks like 80% will be my ceiling for these next two weeks. Just a single each time with SQ and BP, but with increasing RSR volume on the dead.

Edit: Down below 166 today... Ominous or promising?

[Mr.City]

Your log is inspiring as always, Gary.

[Gary Gibson]

Your log is inspiring as always, Gary.

Thanks much, Mr. C. And I love that avatar.

It's nice to think there are actually readers getting some use or entertainment out of this.

I posted my training plan on Dragon Door in hopes that Jack Reape would see it and get back to me. He did. http://kbforum.dragondoor.com/kettlebells-strength-conditioning-forum/137426-deload-maintenance-meet-prep-powerlifters.html


G,

First read this:

Peaking on Demand: A Strength Training and Powerlifting article from Dragon Door Publications

Second, a DL emphasis program is not optimal for a 3 lift PL meet. If your goal is to break the DL record then that may work, but 3 lift Pl is about maximizing your total, which is different form pushing one lift.

With your example i think you can get away with your plan to an extent. 85-88% would be better for singles in the squat, and i owuld feel free to work your bench a bit more as it is the squat work that hurts the DL and DL that hurts the BP. So BP a bit more within your comfort range volume wise. BP requires the most volume by far.

Three weeks of hard work then a two week taper is what i do in the peak/taper phase.

Good luck.

jmo

So I'm going to bump up the squat to 85-88% which is 315-330 for me. 2-3 singles there after a triple and double on the way up, maybe with 275 and 295. Looks like 32111.

I'm not sure about volume on the BP right now, but it doesn't feel like this lack of volume is working. It would be a little crazy, but I could do an RSR on the BP, too! I was going to work the bench hard a few days after I stopped deadlifting anyway. My initial plan--back when I'd planned to gain weight for this meet--was to do a Bear volume protocol for bench.

DL will continue as it is. It's starting to scare me a bit, but I'm actually looking forward to the pain. I've missed deadlifting so much. My back really got neglected during my SQ and BP focus.

[Gary Gibson]

8/27/2009

Gary's gettin' his groove back...

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, (belt) 275x3, 295x2, 325x1x3, 275x1
BP 45x5, 135x5, 185, 195x2x6
DL 225x3, 315x2, 365x2x6 (amazingly effortless)

Kept SQ at about 87% today on those singles. Slowed plenty at sticking point, but reps were far from tiring. Did 275 as a backoff to check my speed and was still slow as molasses through the sticking point. Not a huge deal, but I would like to be moving more quickly with these percentages. Didn't get bent over except on last single with 325 and even then it wasn't egregious.

Decided to use RSR for BP too! I'm starting slightly out of phase with the DL RSR so after I wrap that up next week, I'll still have a couple of sessions to go with the BP RSR in week three. Weight got easier with each set and I really had to force myself to rest between sets because it was so easy. Don't know if I'll be singing the same tune on the 6x6, however. I did my DL warm up between last two BP sets.

DL was amazingly easy. I mean, I was struggling a little bit on the first day with x2x6, but today I had to force myself to rest between sets. Lumbar region go a little bit tired on last two sets, but this really wasn't even close to challenging. My hook grip seems to have achieved good conditioning overnight. Confident about x4x6 tomorrow. Next week, however, I will be doing Su-Tu-Th-Sa, one full day of rest between DL sessions. Feeling good about getting to x6x6, but I doubt I could do it right now. I will rest the DL entirely for two full weeks prior to meet and I'm feeling confident that I will pleasantly surprise myself on my second and third attempts.

Weighing about 170 today. I ate quite a bit in my travels yesterday. Couple of McD's hamburgers, Beef Negamaki, various cuts of the swine and cheese, then a McDouble on the trip back to NY Penn. I'm sure I can get down to 165 within a day. It happens every now and then and I need to figure out what I do that makes it happen. But I want to keep training around 170 till the last rest week so I can train strong. Dehydrated, small and weak is no way to train.

Injury Report:
I walked back and forth to Baltimore Penn Station (twice!) and all over NYC and Sunnyside yesterday. Slept the entire way on both train rides. I was really worried that this would mean plenty of refill and plenty of opportunity for it to happen...

...But this morning, the knee was looking only the slightest bit puffy and I could only get 18 very clear cc out! This is a definite improvement! I've been squatting and pulling personal record weights, deadlifting for ungodly volume and pounding the pavement aplenty; normally this would mean ROM-limiting effusion and multiple draws over 30 cc. But not this time!

[Gary Gibson]

8/28/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x4/5, (belt on) 275x3, 295x2, 315x1, 335x1, 315x1, (belt off) 275x1
BP 45x6, 135x3, 185, 195x3x6
DL 225x2, 315, 365x4x6

Feeling very strong today. Squat warm ups all felt good. Kept a much higher back angle today. Still enough to allow for plenty of hip extension, but I didn't get bent over at all like I do when fatigued. Pushed up to 89% with 335, but was smart enough just to do it for one set. Average intensity with the singles was just 321 lbs or almost 85%. Stuck a bit at sticking point with 335, but nothing too worrying. Backed off with an easy beltless single with 275.

BP has been producing numbness down my left forearm since that little Bear session in the last back off week. I let my wrists roll back a millimeter today and the numbness went away. I think I might have been overcompensating the other way in an attempt to keep wrists straight. Hard to judge from on the bench. BP just doesn't wipe me out like SQ and DL so I have to force myself to rest long enough to ensure strength has returned for the next set.

DL! Still feeling good with 6 sets of 4. My muscles are more than capable; it's the grip that wants to call it quits, particularly my battered left thumb. Today on the very last rep, my index and middle fingers started to splay apart across my thumbs on both hands. I think the grip is getting conditioned, but each new high in volume is a new challenge. Forgot to take off Chucks on first two sets...so first two sets were an extended pull!

Weighed 170. My only intake today was a couple ounces of milk and the gourmet pizza pie with pork, which I'm consuming as I type this.

[Gary Gibson]

8/31/2009

My last squat and pull session till the meet

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x4, 275x3, (belt) 295x2, 335x1, 335x1, 315x1, (belt off) 275
BP 45x6, 135x3, 185x5x3
DL 225x2, 315x2, 365x2x2, x1

I haven't slept. And I've been pushing my luck with these volume deadlifts...coming off a freakin' Smolov no less.

Everything felt so heavy today. That second single with SQ 335 nearly buried me. I felt slow and weak by the third set with DL 365 and just didnt feel like continuing after one rep of the third set. That's not supposed to happen. But I just added 40 lbs to my squat and 30 lbs to my pull and this is what I get for trying to reach for another 20 lbs to the latter in just a month. I may actually see some gains from this bout of overreaching...but only if I give myself time to supercompensate. No more heavy squats or pulls till the meet. Now I really wish I had one of those kettlebells that I just sold so I could do some swings.

I may take two or three more light squat sessions every four or five days...or I may not. Right now I just want to rest and give my body a chance to pull itself back together. I'm getting slower and weaker right now in my lower body and that's not good. It would be a real shame to have hit 375 in the gym and not be able to hit 345 at the meet.

Maybe jump squats and barbell snatches. Speed, speed, speed just to deload and practice moving fluidly again.

Benches will probably continue for a little volume.

I said before that if I felt that I was running into the wall with this protocol, I would stop. So I'm stopping.

Weighed 170 in socks, knee sleeves, shorts and t. That's about 167 nekkid. I should be able to come in at 165 if I cut carbs and water load the last week.

[Gary Gibson]

Supplemental entry

I slept several hours today (my sleep schedule is floating around again) and went back to the gym to see how my sumo deadlift is doing.

Sumo 225x5, 315x4, 405x2, 445x1, (belt on) (475), (465)

The bar seemed welded to the floor on those failed attempts.

Here's the thing: I tested a new SQ max at 375 and the next day a new conventional DL max at 445. As of today my SQ ~88% or 335 felt like my max or very close to it while 80% DL put me down after a couple of doubles. I'd say that represents a 10% loss of strength. Distressing, but that also likely means that my sumo (which is sort of a cross between my squat and my conventional deadlift) is down 10% since it uses all the same muscle groups.

Well, if 445 were only 90% of my sumo, that would be fantastic! I know with near certainty that I couldn't pull 445 conventionally right now. I may even have trouble with 405 in that manner.

Right now I want to think that with a couple weeks of rest, my strength levels would rebound to SQ 375, DL 445 and perhaps sumo 475.

Yeah, that would be nice...

I'll probably do something really stupid like continue to pound that RSR protocol this week with sumo DL at 365. Yep, in fact I can say with great conviction that that will likely happen starting tomorrow.

Of course, using sumo means that I can back off of squats. Maybe pick them up again the week of the meet for a quick and easy session to reestablish the groove.

Not sure what this will mean for BP. Maybe I'll count today as a fluke and continue with the staggered RSR programming for that.

Oy. This is getting ugly.

On the plus side, my knee held up great on those heavy sumo pulls. This is a great improvement; just a few weeks ago, sumos caused worrying discomfort in that knee. Now they seem to be no worse than heavy squats, a little better even.

The knee looks fine and works as well as it has in months, but I did a precautionary aspiration tonight and got an easy 20 cc. Clear as crystal. No blood, no shredded up chunks of connective tissue. Muscles of the right leg still smaller, but I think I see some improvement, especially at the quad insertions which were so horribly wasted away under the old effusion.

[Gary Gibson]

9/1/2009

Second day of rest from the barbell. Thinking of resting again tomorrow, too. Hamstrings were singing yesterday. Not in pain, but sort of quivery and tired. Felt slow.

When I do go back, it will be for 65-70% done for doubles and speed. I will only deadlift twice more this week and then rest that lift till the meet.

The amazing news: I did numerous pistols with my right leg yesterday. They were mostly pain-free except at the bottom. I'm just amazed that I had the strength, considering how wasted the quad still is, especially above the patella. I just got frustrated with how weak I felt when going up stairs. I think the conventional deadlift volume had a lot to do with getting some quad strength back.

I did ding the capsule a bit and my MCL didn't seem too happy about those pistols either. Knee looked fine, but felt a little full. Drained 20 mostly clear cc last night. Only saw one tiny spec of material floating in there. It was a tiny bit cloudy, too. Could still read through it, but it wasn't crystal clear.

[Gary Gibson]

9/2/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, (sleeves on) 225x2x8
BP 45x6, 135x2, 165x2x8
DL 225x3, 275x1, 295x2x8

Feeling froggy again.

First day back since Sunday's burn out. 65% across the board today. Each rep was faster than the last. I only really slowed down on the last bench press set. Otherwise, speed increased till the fifth or sixth set and held.

Thank you, Jack Reape. (http://kbforum.dragondoor.com/kettlebells-strength-conditioning-forum/137537-dragged-down-together-equally.html)


Any over reaching or maximal training protocol taps very deeply into the bodies Recovery Ability (RA). After any training bloc or peaking period 10-15% dropoff is the norm.The best way to recover is to do speed work at around 65%. bar speed is what matters. It may take some reps. When i do speed work it takes me 3-5 sets to get it right. The rep should take under 1 second on the concentric and the way to do this is speed up the eccentric.if speed comes back at some weight until the speed slows notably. Some days you may just not get any speed so go home, eat and rest.

I kept the rests very short, about a minute or less. The only time I really slowed down was on that last bench set, but I thought it best not to keep going with the squat and deadlift. Eight sets seemed plenty.

I really dive bombed those squats (sped up the eccentric). But I kept really good form. Stayed tight and still managed to explode with those deadlifts, too.

On the low side of 65% with the squats...but I'm calculating from my current ability which is about 10% off my recent best. I was tempted to go straight to 315 on the deads today, but held off with just 295. Next time. I have one pull session left before I retire it for two weeks. I'll do the 315x2x8 then. I'll up the SQ to 245 next week.

Weighing about 170 naked lately. A little worried about making weight. Going to start cutting back carb calories next week Monday.

Edit: Did a little reading and decided to refine this further. Singles for deadlift at ~70%, doubles for squat at ~65% and triples for bench at around 60%...

Friday
SQ 245x2x8
BP 145x3x8
DL 315x1x8

Next week M-W-F
SQ 225-245-255 x2x8
BP 134-145-150 x3x8
NO DL

Meet Week
M) SQ up to 315x1, Paused BP up to 195
Th) Paused BP up to 195

Meet kg/lbs
SQ 150/330, 165/363 (new record), 170/373 or 175/385
BP 100/220, 105/231, 107.5/237.5 or 110/242
DL 185/407, 205/454 (new record), 215/473 or 225/495

[Gary Gibson]

9/4/2009

Midnight Run...

SQ 45x?, 135x5, 225x2x8
BP 45x5, 145x3x8
DL 225x3, 315x1x8

Started minutes after midnight to make this officially a Friday session.

SQ moved pretty quickly, but I didn't feel I really moved as quickly as I wanted.

BP was fast, but again I felt a little sluggish.

DL was crisp, but I didn't feel like I was popping.

I tried a couple power cleans just for the hell of it. Took me a couple tries to get 175 and that was far from textbook. I tried to walk 225 out for a negative front squat and discovered that neither my midsection nor my right knee were up to the task.

I know I can't expect to set new PRs in the power clean after a total of 16 sets of speed SQ and DL, but I still get the feeling that my power clean has moved up that much if at all from the days my SQ was 140 lbs less and my conventional DL was almost 100 lbs less. Interesting.

Glad I get to rest again for a few days. DL is over till meet time. I may only do two speed sessions next week instead of three.

[Gary Gibson]

9/6/2009

Still resting...

Went away for the weekend and I have no plans to get under a barbell until Tuesday. And then I will probably only do a BP/SQ speed session on Tuesday and Friday with half the volume I've been using (4 sets instead of 8).

I walked all over Charlottesville a couple nights ago and my knee seemed to be refilling and feeling generally icky...but today it seemed 95% normal I was able to leap and nearly touch the 10-foot mark in my bedroom archway! First time I've been able to jump in months!! I started out with some low hops to test out the knee and ended up getting almost as much air as I used to at my best. The ligament still feels a little wonky, but the overall knee integrity is returning. It seems that I'm still prone to refill, but I suspect that it is getting reabsorbed if given enough time and rest (and avoiding further refill!).

It looks like the avoidance of heavy training is allowing my speed to come back. It also looks like the volume of squatting has induced healing in my knee that is now manifesting even more with rest. After the hell I've gone through with this injury and effusion for the past two years, my current level of healing is cause for joy.

My left thigh is about 24.5" inches around just below the gluteal fold. The right is 24" which isn't much smaller, but the difference in visibly very clear, especially in the middle of the thigh; my left vastus lateralis bulges out while my right is conspicuously flat. But it is getting better. After all, my right thigh was down to only 22-23" a few months ago!

After this meet, I plan to do high volume SQ on Mondays and I hope this continues to put meat on the right thigh. Both thighs have been growing due to volume squatting, but the right has been growing much faster as my body seems to be seeking balance. I realize now that the muscles on the right simply weren't working through more than half the ROM because of the effusion (recall the complete absence of any strength in the bottom range after the initial massive aspiration).

Anyway, I'm already thinking of a way a) to get my still-pathetic bench going after this meet and b) how to work my squat suit practice in with volume raw squats. Here's what I got for now...

BP RSR and SQ volume/deload/strength rotation:

M) BP RSR, SQ x5x10 (75%, 85%, 90%, deload then +10 next cycle)
W) BP RSR, FSQ x3x3-5 (same percentages as SQ)
F) BP RSR, SQ w/suit for triples, doubles and singles, Sumo DL w/suit for doubles.

Subject to change as I get smarter.

[Gary Gibson]

9/08/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x3, 225, 245x2x5
BP 45x6, 135, 145x3x5
PC 135, 165, (185), (185)
FSQ 185x3, 205x2, 225x1

Got moving very quickly on last two sets of both SQ and BP.

Did PC again just as a test. I still can't rack 185!!!!!!

I did front squats to wrap it up just to see if my quad strength is indeed keeping up with my posterior chain strength. It is. I'm pretty sure I've never front squatted that much before. My form was impeccable with a very upright torso which is amazing with a relatively short back. Plus my knee held up really well. It felt like it was being stretched and stressed, but I was able to keep the right quad in the movement and I don't seem to have done any damage to the knee (which has not been refilling despite all the jumping and running around I've been testing it with).

So my FSQ is about 60% of my low bar. I imagine my high bar is somewhere between them, maybe about 75-80% of my low bar.

Even though I hate Oly as a training tool for anything besides Oly...I really wish I could clean a higher percentage of my best squats.

[coldfire]

9/08/2009
Even though I hate Oly as a training tool for anything besides Oly...I really wish I could clean a higher percentage of my best squats.

That's because deep inside you love them, like everybody else. :D

[Gary Gibson]

9/11/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, 245x2x5
BP 45x6, 135x2, 145x3x5

Coldfire, you have a point.

SQ fastest on 4th set and slowed a bit on 5th so I terminated there. BP fast on all sets.

See injury report for pertinent info and big news.

Weighed a wee bit under 165! I made it! Appetite is decreasing. I've only been eating two solid meals per day. Yesterday I only had one. I'll probably have three meals every two days for the next couple of weeks. I simply am not physically active if I'm not training in volume and I don't need many calories.

Speaking of the future: I'm planning to take a week off after the meet, but I'm not sure I really need to and I may not. It's precaution more than anything and perhaps a bit too much of it at that. Want to make sure the fatigue from the Smolov dissipates this time, but by the time the meet is here, I'll already have spent three weeks doing low intensity speed work at ~65% for low volume and frequency. I should be plenty recovered.

I'm still confused about what sort of training to do after the rest week. BP volume will surely be high and I'm leaning toward a Bear protocol, but SQ and DL will need some time in the Superior suit I plan to get. I was thinking of doing a SQ/DL Bear, alternating the movements on the days I do BP Bear. I'd do this for 4 or 5 weeks (depends when MD States will be) and then spending 2-3 weeks working the suit for the SQ and DL.

DL will be sumo (much more suited to volume than conventional is). My legs grew the most on sumos for volume a couple years ago. This would make a great compliment to volume squatting. I would also be re-grooving the sumo which I really need to do if I want to get the most out of a geared deadlift.

The idea behind all this volume is to reinforce it with GOMAD and get to the top of the 82.5 kg class by November.

Oh, and I've been Greasing The Groove with pull ups: 8 reps for 2 or 3 sets spread throughout the day. My abs feel it most of all.

Injury Report:

All of a sudden there's little to report...

Knee is strong, stable and there's barely a hint of the effusion in the distolateral portion. No refill even though I've been putting it through its paces with depth jumps. In fact, the knee has felt more intact since I started the shock training! I drained 8 cc, a couple nights ago, but didn't really need to. I just wanted to make sure the fluid was clear; it was.

All of a sudden I'm able to jump again and I'm jumping as high as I ever did before. The ceiling in my living room is just a centimeter shy of 10' and I can plant the top portion of my middle finger against it while wearing socks. My fully strectched, flat footed reach in socks is 7'10" so my vertical is a little over 25".

I'm also able to do a pistol or two here and there. It's a bit tight at the bottom and not as fluid or strong as the left side, but it's getting there.

I did the SQ warm up with knee sleeves down. There was some wiggling of the plica, but no pinching and catching. I put the sleeves on for the speed work sets.

The knee has its days. Sometimes it feels weak and not so stable, but it's clearly getting better.

[K.Diesel]

If I'm reading your post correctly, are you planning on spending just 2-3 weeks in the suit before the meet? Also, are you using wraps or sleeves?

The reason I ask is because I'd suggest you start 4-5 weeks out, at least, with the suit. Start 6+ out if you're using wraps. For most people, they both change your form, at least a bit. I'd add one piece of equipment per week, i.e. wraps, suits with no straps, wraps + suit - straps, add belt, add straps, or something like that. The other reason is because adding equipment means adding weight to the bar, and your working weight will exceed your raw max. CNS recovery is going to need time to adjust to it as you go.

Just a respectful suggestion. I may be getting one of those suits too, by the way. It's one of 3 I'm looking at (Inzer Hardcore and the Metal Squatter). If you need some help with it once it arrives, we can hook up for some training.

[Gary Gibson]

Oh, I know it's far from ideal. As the eminently quotable Jack Reape says, the days of just slapping on the gear two weeks out of the meet are over.

But this is a calculated compromise on my part. I would like to learn the gear by being in it every week of the cycle, but I also really want to get the raw volume in because I think my legs (especially my rehabbing right) need it. Too, volume training would get me to the top of the 82.5; I'm starting at the top of the 75 after cutting to compete in that class on Sept 19 and I need to continue my climb to the 90.

I toyed with the idea of doing a Texas Method-ish cycle with 5x5 SQ volume on Monday, 3x3 front squat on Wednesday and gear SQ and sumo DL on Friday and thereby work the gear every week till the meet.

So I want to get a lot bigger and get a lot more raw strength...but I also want to learn the gear in time for the state meet...

I wish I had a few more months!

My compromise was to go with the volume for a few weeks and keep the gear level to the minimum. I was going to use very basic gear that wouldn't add much to my lifts, that wouldn't have as steep a learning curve as stuff that would add 100 lbs+ to my bench or squat. That's why I was looking at the bottom line Inzer stuff and also thinking about buying those loose. I was thinking 10-30 lbs on my BP and maybe 80 lbs on my raw squat, not 100 and 200.

edit: And I'm moving from sleeves to wraps.

Here's the Volume approach...

MWF
BP Bear protocol
SQ/sumo DL alternated Bear protocol

Bear protocol: Xx5, (X-10%)x5, (X-20%)x5x as many sets as possible with good form.

Do this for 4 weeks to new 5RM and then get into gear last 3 weeks. Taper and compete.

Here's the Gear Practice approach...

M: BP Bear protocol, raw SQ 5x5
W: BP Bear protocol, FSQ 3x3
F: BP Bear protocol, gear SQ practice, gear sumo DL practice triples, doubles, singles.

What to do, what to do...

edit II: Going with the second one. Start w/ wraps for two weeks, then add suit bottom for two weeks, then add straps for two weeks. Belt goes on for all lifts over raw 80%.

I'm definitely going to use a suit for sumo, but I'm also going to try fairly loose wraps for sumo as well. If it throws off my form too much, I'll ditch it. I was able to pull PBs with knee sleeves and they didn't throw my form off too much in conventional or sumo...but I don't pull the bar against my shins either.

[K.Diesel]

Did Priscilla Ribic size your suit based on measurements, or did you just pick a size? I was on her site yesterday, and saw they have 2 ways of sizing. Plus, did you get competition, meet, or whatever the loose one is? The superior suit is what I'm leaning towards, due to cost. Plus they have a DL suit on clearance.

If I haven't grown out of the 90 kg class before you grow into it, I'm going to be very disappointed in myself.

Have you ever wrapped your knees before? If not, be prepared for anything from extreme discomfort to serious pain! But the reward of a much bigger total makes it all worthwhile. :) Fully suited, I'd expect around a 20% bump in the squat. Maybe more, maybe less depending on a few factors. That's just a baseline estimate.

Was it during our SSPT trip where I asked Matt about wraps and deads? From what I remember, the only thing you'd have to worry about is your knees locking out too fast relative to your back and hips.

I think your plan is a solid one. I think we'd all be feeling better about our meet preparation if we actually had an announced date and location for it! It's only mid-September.

[Gary Gibson]

9/13/2009

SQ 45x10, 135x5, 225x3, (knee sleeves) 315x1, (belt) 345x1, 375x1, 335x1

Woooooo hooooooooooooo!

Well, looks like backing off intensity and going for speed works.

First of all, the knee is incredible. I mean, it's like there was never anything wrong. No snapping ligament (though it still snaps every now and again), no sliding plica, no pain, no catching, no pinching. Just a joint like an oiled hinge. Looks like the volume and intensity (and constant draining) stimulated a healing response and the back off actually allowed the healing to take place.

Supercompensation took place, too! All those reps were FAST. I slowed a little on the 375 single, but it wasn't the gut-buster that it was the first time I tried it a few weeks ago on Smolov Test Day. I have another ten lbs at least in me! I was supposed to stay closer to 90% and not hit 100%, but I just had to know that 375 still felt okay. No panic response from my body, no great strain. Just smooth down and UP. I did list a bit to the left and my left quad got a little bit more of a stretch at the bottom. Not a huge deal. I didn't move lightning quick because this is near maximal load, but I really was surprised at how quickly it did move. Definitely got some explosive strength going on right now. Like I said, probably another 10 lbs in me, but I'm going to go for a conservative PR of just 5 lbs more at 172.5 kg for my third attempt.

Notice that the knee sleeves didn't go on till 315 and the belt didn't go on till 345. My knee is eff-load stronger and healthier. My abs and lumbars are, too. I can't believe I'm hitting 315 for a belt-less warm up! I keep thinking of my spring 2008 entry in my written journal: "I walked out 315 today to see how it feels; I can't believe people actually squat this much and more!"

Yes, Gary of April 2008; you are now one of those people.

Love,
Gary of September 2009

I'd like to write Gary of April 2009 as well. That poof fellow thought his knee would never be right again and that he'd never run or jump again. But today I squatted up to 225 without sleeves and felt fine (probably could have gone to 375 with naked knees, but safety first), then did a painless pistol with the right leg and then went to the downstairs court and jumped up and grabbed rim on a few times just for the hell of it.

I was going to do my last heavy-ish bench session today as well, but both benches were being used by a couple of tools (both older guys, one of whom always straddles the bench and does curls with the unloaded bar; he kind of reminds me of my grandfather, however, so I never disrespect him or ask him to move; just can't bring myself to do it). It'll keep till tomorrow.

I had my second donut breakfast for the weekend afterward. Smart, I know. I've gone down to 164 and change and am hovering at 166.5-167 as I type this. I'm confident that I'll make it to 165.3 on Saturday morning, but it's no more carbs after today and back to two meals per day: veggie and steak omelettes without toast for breakfast; cold cuts without bread for lunch and dinner. Will start to water load three days out from the meet.

So one BP session tomorrow and then ramp up SQ/BP Thursday and Friday (and staying below openers!!!).

This meet is simply to establish new records at 75kg so I'm not overly concerned about it. I don't have to win. I just have to make good lifts and I'll easily beat my old state records and add a raw total record to the list. I've already got my training beyond the meet laid out till November. It's gonna be bear volume on everything after all. MWF: Bear BP all three days and alternating Bear SQ and sumo DL each day. Eight weeks, back off every fourth week. Waved progression for each lift.

MD States could be either mid Nov or late Dec and there's just no way to know till they get around to announcing it. If it's early, I'll just count my second back off in the eight weeks as my taper and head into the meet without any gear practice and see what happens. If it's later, then I'll work the gear for (up to) a month after the volume.

[Gary Gibson]

9/14/2009

Paused BP 45x5, 135x3, 205, 225, 205, 205

Meh. Just can't get as excited over the bench as I do the squat and deadlift...because I SUCK at it. I'll get at least 20 lbs over my last meet bench, but still...my bench sucks. Looks like my DL will be double my paused bench yet again. I suspect I'll make it to a suitless, wrapless 500 SQ and 600 DL and still be raw benching less than 300 lbs.

225 felt pretty hard and I'm sure 235 is still my paused max. Looks like I'll be attempting 105 kg/ 231 lbs as my third attempt at the meet.

Curious thing: Driving my legs puts tension on the medial plica area of my knee where the plica is compressed against the condyle. Not terribly painful, but a little distracting.

I was doing a quad stretch this morning and somehow winged something in my lower left trap area. Teres major maybe? Not terribly painful either, but a little distracting, too.

Weighed 164 3/4 naked this morning! That's a very good sign. I need to be waking up under 165 all this week. Steak and veggie omelet for breakfast this morning (and I think this will happen most mornings from now on) and way too much coffee with sugar. No bread, though. I started upping water intake yesterday and will continue that till the afternoon before the meet.

Tuesday and Wednesday off, then warm up routine for BP/SQ Thursday and Friday. I'm going to warm up sumo and pull sumo on Saturday. This is a bit of a risk because my knee only just got better enough to do this after a mini-cycle of conventional. I simply don't know what I'm capable of with sumo. This is for the record, however, not for the win so I'm more concerned with taking a calculated risk for a much bigger DL than last time than I with getting a huge total (though I want the total record, too!). Honestly, however, I don't forsee a 205 kg sumo being a problem even without much sumo practice. I can do my opener 185 kg sumo in either style without any prep and that alone will get me the raw 75 kg total state record as long as I don't screw up the SQ and BP (and a stronger competitor doesn't show up and compete raw!).

[Mr.City]

What's the news, Gary?

[K.Diesel]

I know Mr. City isn't the only one who has been following Gary's log, and we've been wondering how he did at the meet last week. Here's a link to the meet results for the USAPL September Start-Up from 9/19/09, held at US Naval Academy.

http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/resultsFullView.asp?meetID=54512&type=3

[misspelledgeoff]

Here's the link to the State Record page of the same site. Kickass Gary!!


http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/recordsByGroup.asp?Gender=Men.&Raw=Yes&AgeClass=Open

[Felix]

Good results there, buddy!

How goes it?

Your silence either indicates a level of enlightenment and wisdom in training such as cannot be blogged, laziness, or bad things.

Jealously and concernedly, I hope it's just laziness.

Felix

[K.Diesel]

Felix, and everyone else:

As of my last e-mail communication w/Gary, he says he's done with message boards. He gave me an e-mail address that I can forward to anyone on the board who asks for it. Whoever's interested, just send me a PM.

[Mr.City]

That's a shame. I always enjoyed reading his log.

[Gary Gibson]

I got zealous about discussing things, then I just got sick of arguing points. I decided merely to blog without the sort of interaction one gets from a forum and let my results speak for themselves.

I am, however, trying to land a powerlifting blogging gig at www.HouseOfPain.com. We'll see how that goes.

For those interested, I just came off a Russian Squat Routine:

80%x2x6
80%x3x6
80%x2x6
80%x4x6
80%x2x6
80%x5x6
80%x2x6
80%x6x6

80%x2x6
85%x5x5
80%x2x6
90%x4x4
80%x2x6
95%x3x3
80%x2x6
100%x2x2
80%x2x6
105%x1

Normally this is M-W-F, but I just did it every other day. I also skipped that last down day of 80%x2x6 and just took an extra rest day before testing my max. I got the promised 5% increase. My 375 max went to 395 at the same bodyweight of 169. I missed 405 at the sticking point, but I think I could have gotten it had I went straight to it.

wDkARhiBCZU

It was really cool to do my old max for two doubles. Made me feel better than the new max, to tell the truth.

I'm jumping straight into a Smolov base phase so I can use Thanksgiving week and travel time to rest. Then I'll use the switching phase to rest up during the 20 days to the USAPL Maryland State meet where I'm sure to break my most recent squat, deadlift and total records as a raw 165-er by a lot.

Feduleyev Intensive phase follows to wrap up the full Smolov. A few weeks of mass training and gear practice and then the USAPL Navy Open in gear. I may set a squat record as a 181...maybe even a deadlift and total record.

I'll be detailing my journey over at my new blog. You can PM me for more information if you'd like.

Regards

[Gary Gibson]

Decided to keep logging. I like Rip and I'm happy that all the logs migrated to his Starting Strength site. I'll be happy to keep posting here.

The last week...

11/3/2009
BP 185x5, 165x5; SQ 275x9x4

11/5/2009
BP 195x5, 175x5; SQ 295x7x5

11/7/2009
BP 185x5, 165x5; SQ 315x5x7

11/8/2009
BP 195x5, 175x5; SQ 335x3x10

Won't bother posting warm ups anymore. For SQ it's usually 45x6, 135x3, 225x2 and then something on the way to the work set for a single: 275, 315, etc depending on the intended work weight.

I'm obviously back on Smolov again. Just got 20 lbs from RSR and with only two days rest I rolled into Smolov. It's been going well so far, though today was probably the toughest session yet. It got easier halfway through, but got hard again on the last couple of sets. On Day I, I didn't use a belt for the first work set and that was stupid. All high rep or high intensity sets or any combination (like Smolov work sets) get the belt.

Knee injury is behaving. No refilling for past few weeks!

Bench is obviously suffering because I've been devoting all my energy and recovery to rapid squat improvements. That's because the squat gives me more bang for my training buck; the deadlift carryover has consistently been 1 lb for every 2 lbs gained on the squat...and that's with zero actual deadlift training. Plus bench improvements would require a lot more bodyweight and right now I really want to compete another time or two as a 165 with a strong squat (and a weak bench).

My goal is to compete as a raw 75 kg lifter at the USAPL Maryland states on Dec 19. I want to set my third squat record as such with well over 400 lbs. That should give me a pull of over 500 and another total record. I may also hit a raw master level total.

The next meet for me is the Navy Open in late February. I want to do the Feduleyev peaking cycle after the state meet and maybe total elite level for the raw 75 kg class! I don't know if I'll be able to keep my bodyweight down that much that far out. If it proves too difficult, I'll just grow into the 82.5 kg class and maybe compete in gear and see if I can't take the state squat record. At this point I'd much rather get that raw elite 75 kg total. I'd probably beat the geared competition at the meet too.

[misspelledgeoff]

Hey Gary! Glad you are back logging here. A lot of us missed following your efforts.

I've been very interested in your use of Smolov and other Russian volume programs. Right now I'm still on a linear program for squats but I think I'm nearing the end.

When do you think it would be appropriate to try a Smolov program? Obviously after my linear progression stops. But would you try it right after the linear phase or would you try a 5/5 volume phase before hitting the Smolov?

[Gary Gibson]

Hey Gary! Glad you are back logging here. A lot of us missed following your efforts.

I've been very interested in your use of Smolov and other Russian volume programs. Right now I'm still on a linear program for squats but I think I'm nearing the end.

When do you think it would be appropriate to try a Smolov program? Obviously after my linear progression stops. But would you try it right after the linear phase or would you try a 5/5 volume phase before hitting the Smolov?

Thanks, Geoff. Good to be back. I hope to avoid getting into too many pointless internet arguments from now on.

Note: when I say "Smolov" I mean the four-week volume base phase and not the switching cycle or Feduleyev peaking phase.

Smolov can be applied at any time, but if linear progression is still working, then there's no point killing oneself with the Smolov protocol. I wish to god I could get 50 lbs in a couple months with linear progression the way novices can! As lifters advance they need to use both more weight and more volume. I wish it didn't have to be so, but five sets is really the bare minimum for me most days. (Though I do have high frequency, low volume "Power To The People" cycles when I put a lift on the back burner as I'm doing with BP right now.) Even on RSR the sets stay fixed at six during the first half, but the reps wave up and down from 2 to 3 to 2 to 4 to 2 to 5 to 2 to 6 to 2. The volume only drops as the intensity goes up in the second three-week block, but every other day is a wave down to the baseline 80% for 6 sets of 2 reps.

If you are lifting under 300 lbs, then the Smolov jumps of 20 and 10 lbs (or 10 and 5 kilos) need to be cut in half. If your max is 245, then your last session would be 85% + 15 lbs instead of +30 lbs...or 215 instead of 230 for 10 sets of triples. If you squat over 600, you may want to make bigger jumps of 30 and 15, but I've never read of anyone doing that.

I did my first Smolov back in spring of 2008 when I weighed 160-165 and could just barely squat 245. My best triple was 225. I started with 170x9x4 and finished with 210x3x10. After a week of rest I tested with a barely passable 295. I did simple daily practice with one set of fives and got 315 after three weeks. This was before I started using a belt.

My next successful Smolov was started in July of 2009. I took my max from 335 to 375. Note that this was with a belt so my squat strength really hadn't budged from a year ago when I did 315 without a belt (315 "naked" = 345 with a belt for me). Of course I had that huge, long-standing knee effusion that was inhibiting muscle development of my right thigh. I tried two failed Smolovs with that effusion and was forced to drain it repeatedly so I could rehab the knee with that Smolov that took me from 335 to 375.

I next cut four lbs for a meet and barely squatted 369.5 at 165. Then I embarked on a Russian Squat Routine and easily went from 375 to 395. This is far from ideal, but just days after my final day of the RSR, I went straight into this Smolov. And here are the results of Week II, Day I...

11/10/2009
BP 205x5, 185x5; SQ 295x9x4

Very happy to report that the BP with 205 felt light as a feather. I did have some trouble with stabilization, but that won't be fixed till I gain more weight. I would like to pause bench 242 in this next meet and then 251 in Feb which I'll need to have a shot at an elite 75 kg raw total.

Squats weren't that bad. I had to take very long rests and it took a bit of psyching up to overcome my overall weariness for the third set. Form stayed pretty good throughout though I got a little bent over on the last half of the last two sets. Overall, however, I'm thrilled with how well I'm addressing this by pushing with my traps when the going gets tough. I'm getting the hang of timing this so it happens pretty smoothly AFTER the bounce with the hips.

My sleep schedule went off the rails this week. I researched and composed for my project as I ate a cheesesteak around midnight. Then I trained. Now I've just consumed a half gallon of whole milk and will take a little nap as soon as I finish this sentence.

[coldfire]

Gary,

I don't know if you've seen this, but there is a slightly modified version of Smolov's base cycle (not Smolov jr.) which has a little less volume and claimed to work equally well.
http://www.performancemenu.com/forum/showpost.php?p=59970&postcount=6

As you can see, it is based on percentages instead of just adding 5kg (or 10lbs) a week, which might work better for someone who doesn't squat 200kg.

I've tried it twice, and it worked pretty well.

[misspelledgeoff]

Great stuff Gary. Thank you. Can you recommend any resources to figure out the details of the reps and sets in the program?

As for me, I'm trying to milk linear progression as long as I can. This week I'm switching to Advanced Novice programming where I'm adding weight two times per week instead of 5. Last night's work set was 300 but I'd really like to get 365 work sets before I'm done with linear programming.(this at a bw 80+ pounds more than you--yikes).

I am AMAZED that you are closing in on an elite total at 75kg. just awesome!

[Gary Gibson]

Great stuff Gary. Thank you. Can you recommend any resources to figure out the details of the reps and sets in the program? !

You could pick up the late Dr. Siff's "Supertraining" and slog through that. Or you could get "Beyond Bodybuilding" and read Pavel Tsatsouline's extremely lucid dissection of periodization as it was originally meant in the world of Eastern white people. I reviewed BB years ago on Dragon Door's testimonial page and I stand by what I said then; the chapter on periodization alone is worth the price of the book.

In short Smolov is an extremely condensed powerlifting cycle with "shock" amounts of volume and frequency. The total rep volume is mostly the same (36, 35, 35 and 30) and the arrangement of sets and reps shifts to reflect the increasing intensity (70%, 75%, 80% and 85%). Higher reps and lower sets with 70 and 75% (sets of 9 and 7 respectively) are outside of the usual strength/size zone of 4-6 reps, but those days are skewed toward muscle growth. The fact that Smolov is done by people who normally keep the reps under 5 makes the 9 and 7-rep days that much more effective because they're very different from business as usual. Lower reps and higher sets are skewed toward strength.

Smolov repeats the pattern with a fairly huge jump in week two and then a smaller jump in week three followed by a backoff. And guess what! Three weeks of escalating intensity and a backoff are standard operating procedure in a productive cycle. Jack Reape asserts this repeatedly in his discussion of the aforementioned "Supertraining." You can stretch this out to four or six weeks, especially if you distribute the load so you have built in easy days (hint: the Russian Squat Routine where every other training day waves down to the baseline 80%x2x6 through both the volume accumulation phase and the increasing intensity phase). But by and large, escalate in 3 and back off for 1 is a pretty reliable formula when using concentrated loading.

In "Beyond Bodybuilding" Pavel explains why concentrated loading works so well, but also that doing lighter days (medium-light-heavy or RSR protocol) makes you stronger faster than distributued loading without lighter days.

Hope this helps shed some light.

[misspelledgeoff]

thanks for the response Gary--a very lucid explanation. I'm going to scout around on Amazon to see what I can find by Siff and/or Pavel.

I would assume this type of periodization would work for other lifts too?

[Gary Gibson]

Gary,

I don't know if you've seen this, but there is a slightly modified version of Smolov's base cycle (not Smolov jr.) which has a little less volume and claimed to work equally well.
http://www.performancemenu.com/forum/showpost.php?p=59970&postcount=6

As you can see, it is based on percentages instead of just adding 5kg (or 10lbs) a week, which might work better for someone who doesn't squat 200kg.

I've tried it twice, and it worked pretty well.

I hadn't seen this. But I'm not a proponent of micromanaging the load (shh, don't tell Rip). The 20-lb jump in the first week is supposed to be around 5% of your max. This program was originally written up in kilos so the first jump is written as 10 kilos or 22 lbs. Point is that micro-managing the load is unimportant. Just toss on a couple of plates, enough to make it harder but not impossibly hard and then use half that again for week three: about 5% and then half that for the next jump. 20 and 10 (or 22 and 11 if you are in a country that's not this one) are fine for people starting Smolov with a three-wheel max. You COULD use 15 or 17.5 or 22.5, but it probably won't make a huge difference in terms of difficulty or results if your squat is strong enough to be using Smolov in the first place.

If you use Smolov with a squat for which a 20-lb jump is more like 10%, then just use a 10-lb jump and be done with it. Again, not much point in managing it down to 7.5 lbs or 12.5 or whatever. That's why I said if your squat is under 300, just use 10 and 5 and if your squat is 300 to about 600, then use 20 and 10. If your squat is over 600-1000, then 5% and 2.5% will look more like 40 and 20.

If your squat is relatively weak, you're going to need 2.5s to load the bar with the proper percentages and jumps. But once you're squatting over 3 wheels, then it's fine to round up and down and not have to worry about adding 2.5s. You'll be strong enough that such small discrepancies will simply not be worth considering.

I do like the slightly diminished volume and intensity of this modified version and it looks like some numbers I've played with myself when trying to continue in the spirit of Smolov in my non-Smolov cycles. Smolov is a condensed version of extremely effective intensity cycling (70 through 85 and then the same pattern with slightly more each week) and relatively constant volume. So I had the idea to break it up so you squat just twice per week and do a total of around 25 reps instead of 30-36: 3x9, 4x7, 5x5, 8x3 instead of 4x9, 5x7, 7x5, 10x3. Pretty close to the modified version, though my last day had two more sets. I actually like the idea of cutting it down to 6x3 better. Note: I've never put this plan into action and just stick with either Smolov, RSR or a four-day split of BP-SQ-BP-SQ/DL.


thanks for the response Gary--a very lucid explanation. I'm going to scout around on Amazon to see what I can find by Siff and/or Pavel.

I would assume this type of periodization would work for other lifts too?

Yes. But I would caution that higher reps work for the squat and not so well for deadlifts and benches. That's why the Junior version of the Smolov so popular for the bench and deadlift replaces the 4 sets of 9 with 6 of 6 and the 5 sets of 7 with 7 sets of 5 (the 5 of 7 day is also replaced with 8 of 4; 10 of 3 stays the same).

This is for the "slow" compound lifts. The "quick" compound lifts need lower reps and more frequency because form degrades very quickly on those and they are done as skill practice, not for size and strength. KBs are popular for high-rep quick lifts specifically because they take out a lot of the complexity of the barbell versions.

Isolation movements load the body very differently than compound movements. They're best done for rehab or to get blood into a specific muscle group and encourage capillarization and targeted hypertrophy. I hope nobody ever gets the notion to try a Smolov with leg extensions and leg curls.

[Gary Gibson]

11/12/2009
BP 215x5, 195x5; SQ 315x7x5

BP 215x5 was slow and rather hard on the fifth rep. I'm sure I would not have gotten a sixth. Still, bench is stronger than I thought it'd be. I really want to get 110/242 this meet and 115/253 the next. I need every pound to get the rankings I want in the 75 kg class each time.

SQ was as hard as one would expect, but doable. Sets got easier as I went along and last rep moved a lot faster than usual. I'm sure I'm stronger already. I'm also sure that I'll have a nice gain after the supercompensation from a week's rest. Upper back tightness is down to nothing by the third set. I am, however, managing to keep a decent angle despite the fatigue because I just drive my traps through the bar as soon as I sense the hips shooting up too fast. There's a brief moment of good morning action (hips rise a bit, then push with traps to compensate), but overall, these are good squats and I'm satisfied with them, especially considering the intensity+volume+fatigue factor inherent in Smolov.

Weighed the usual 175 in compressions shorts, gym shorts, knee sleeves and squat shoes. Means about 169-171 naked.

[Gary Gibson]

11/14/2009
BP 205x5, 185x5
SQ 335x5x7

205 BP wasn't that hard.

Smolov Week II, Day III wasn't that bad either. The first three sets were hard. The following sets really felt a lot easier.

Very happy with how I kept the back angle today. Rip's advice to focus on chest up/tight thoracic spine may make sense for lighter loads (~1.5x bodyweight), but once it start getting heavy and hard (over 2x bw for work sets or over 2.5x bw for one rep or just about any weight for sheer volume), then pushing the traps against the bar becomes vital for maintaining back angle. One should bounce off the hamstrings first, but immediately start pushing the traps against the bar. This takes a little timing.

Went drinking afterward. Had a few pints as I watched Ireland lose to France. Then I had a few pints after that. I'm worried that the imbibing will have an adverse effect on the lifting on tomorrow's 10 of 3 w/ 85%+20 lbs. Legs are killing me right now. Just plain tired, but I'm still looking forward to 355x3x10...in just 12 hours!

[Gary Gibson]

11/15/2009

SQ 355x3x10

Had to cut the session short because I had to catch a train. No time for bench today. And I also had to rush through the rests a bit. I was very happy with my performance under the conditions.

All the first reps of the sets were flawless. Second reps were fifty-fifty in terms of form. Thirds were usually better, but on the eighth set I did something that looked an awful lot like a good morning.

Still...This is more weight than I squatted at my first meet in February...and for ten triples. Next week I'll use as much weight as I squatted in my second meet just two months ago for those triples.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 225x3
SQ 315x9x4

Spent a few days in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Trained Sunday before I got on the train. Had an extra rest day because of the trip.

I warmed up BP and planned to attempt 220 for 5, but when I unracked it, it felt really light so I decided to see what I could do with 225. I got three. I would not have gotten a fourth. My strength in the BP is unchanged, maybe a little down. My squat, however...

Was supposed to add just ten pounds today...but I wanted an even three wheels on the bar so I went up 20 lbs to 315. Absolute heresy, but I was feeling strong. First set was mediocre, but the second set was really good. Kept an excellent back angle on every rep and got good hamstring attachment bounces. Got tilted on a rep here and there in the third and fourth set. Still: 315 for FOUR sets of NINE REPS! I can hardly believe I'm getting this. Just 18 months ago I could only dream of getting 315 for a single.

I'm hoping to finish with 375 for ten triples instead of 365. That really ought to put my squat up over 450 when I test it. Right now I'm dreaming of my new max attempts as 405, 445 and 465(!).

[misspelledgeoff]

nice work Gary! three wheels for 4 x 9...daaammmm!

[GianMilano]

Way to go dude. Your decision to go for 315 is a great example of how to absolutely fucking bring it. Nice.

[Gary Gibson]

nice work Gary! three wheels for 4 x 9...daaammmm!


Way to go dude. Your decision to go for 315 is a great example of how to absolutely fucking bring it. Nice.

Thanks!

I got a lot of active rest by hiking the hills and trails around Harpers Ferry. And I think I lost a couple of pounds. My (not terribly precise or accurate) home scale says 167 tonight and it usually tells me I'm 170-172.

In a perfect scenario, I'd be able to hit 205kg/451lbs at 165 on Dec 19. Except for the test on Dec 1 and the meet on Dec 19, I won't be touching a barbell for the entire month of December. Two weeks off before the meet to recuperate from RSR + Smolov back-to-back, then two weeks off after the meet to recover from that.

January to February will see me doing 5-6 weeks of RSR again with the aim of coming into the Navy Open with 220kg/484lbs at 165 in late February. If my deadlift stays 40 kilos ahead of my squat (as it usually does), then I have a shot at that raw elite total while in the 75 kg class! (But I'd have to pause bench 110kg/242lbs...and I'm having a hard time getting my bench numbers to budge. After I try to make marks in the 165 I can let my weight move to where it needs to be. That should go a long way in getting my bench to increase.)

[K.Diesel]

My wife told me today that I'm overtraining, and that can't be good. Maybe I should follow your lead and stay off the weights for 2 weeks before the meet. I'm probably too stubborn though... ;)

[Gary Gibson]

My wife told me today that I'm overtraining, and that can't be good. Maybe I should follow your lead and stay off the weights for 2 weeks before the meet. I'm probably too stubborn though... ;)

Heh. Well, I have no choice this time around. November is my last month at my globo gym and I don't want to buy a barbell till after I get my end of year bonus.

Did you get my email?

[K.Diesel]

Yes sir, I'm a lazy bastard is all. Sending you a PM now.

[Mr.City]

God, I love reading your log. It's so inspiring.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 215x4, 195x5
SQ 330x7x5

Mr. City, thank you very much.

Bench continues to stand still. I might have gotten a fifth rep with that 215, but I decided to save my energy for the squat. 215x4 not quite to failure means that my 1RM is very likely the same or a little bit less as it was months ago.

First set of squats just didn't feel deep enough. I'm sure all reps were legal, but they didn't feel quite as deep as I like to go. Second and third sets were hard, so before the fourth set I really psyched myself up. No yelling, but I was hollering inside my mind. The psyche helped me blow through some fatigue and the fifth set really didn't feel that bad. I believe that last set saw me maintain back angle the best.

Rest periods were at LEAST 15 minutes, sometimes a little over 20.

I jumped the weight just 15 lbs from last session to make up for the extra 10 lbs I did over the scheduled amount last time. So instead of 305, 325, 345, 365 in this last week, it will be 315, 330, 350, 370. I hate to use the 2.5-pounders for work sets in the squat (or deadlift), but I think it's called for in this situation.

Sigh...I'm sure my squat will be around 440 come test day...and I'm thrilled about that. But my bench needs attention. If I take off all of December except for the meet, then I could still squeeze in an every-other-day Russian Bench Routine starting on Jan 1. I would get a 5% increase--a whopping 10 lbs! I could then immediately roll over into another Smolov base phase for the squat and use the Navy Open meet as my test day. Maybe get a triple bodyweight raw squat: ~495 lbs as a 75 kilo/ 165 lb lifter. It may be a bit tricky to keep my bodyweight down, however, and doing so would mean that 10 lbs on my bench would be a gift from the powerlifting gods.

This is assumes absolute perfection and I should expect to fall a little short. I know what Smolov can get me if I get enough food and rest. But I also know that making weight takes pounds off the squat and bench press. Right now for example, I may get 440 at 170 lbs on test day, but that probably means no more than 435 at 165 on meet day.

Drained 30 cc a couple nights ago and another 30 cc tonight. Cloudy stuff, but no visible bits of tissue. A little bummed about that, but I've been both standing around drinking a lot AND doing Smolov volume and intensity. A little refill in the deranged right knee capsule is to be expected.

Speaking of drinking: I've been doing more than I should lately. I drank heavily and into the wee hours of the morning both last night and the night before that. I actually missed a squat session yesterday! I'm not too upset about it because I will still get the Smolov done just in time to travel for the holiday.

I've also smoked a half dozen cigarettes over the last couple of nights. I'm a social smoker who only smokes a bit after a lot of drinking. Even though it doesn't seem to affect my performance (this isn't an aerobic-intensive sport), I always feel very guilty. If any athletes should be allowed to smoke every now and then, however, it ought to be weightlifters and powerlifters.

[Gary Gibson]

11/23/2009
BP 215x5, 195x5
SQ 350x5x7

Another midnight run. Slept intermittently all day yesterday (Sunday) so I was feeling froggy into the wee hours of the morning. Took advantage of it and went to train in the very early a.m. yet again.

Got that 215x5 on the bench. Only the last rep was hard, but it wasn't impossibly hard. I may actually be a bit stronger on the bench, but not by much at all. Maybe 247.5, but probably not even 250. Not a humongous deal, but I would like to pause bench 242 lbs/110 kg in competition.

Squats were great. I recorded my third set on my video camera and was happy enough to see that I didn't get too bent over even when tired. I convinced that one MUST push traps into the bar when it starts to get heavy.

Long rests as usual. Around 15-20 minutes. This is the penultimate Smolov and it's no joke how much more weight I'm lifting. This weight with which I did 7 sets of 5 was more than I lifted in my first meet! And I might have done six by accident in the first set. I lost count because I was surprised at how good I was feeling as the set progressed. I did an extra one when I didn't know if I was on the fourth or fifth rep. Honestly I could have done at least one more, maybe two or three. This obviously isn't my 5RM (since I was able to repeat the feat a half dozen times). This looks good for a 445 1RM come test day. Maybe more.

Weighed 172 in just my neoprene compression shorts and a t-shirt. Getting to 165 shouldn't be a problem this time, but I worry about doing it next time after I up my squat again with another Smolov base phase.

[misspelledgeoff]

I drank heavily and into the wee hours of the morning both last night and the night before that.

drinkin helps your lifts. there's been studies and shit.

[JC400]

drinkin helps your lifts. there's been studies and shit.

Its the things you do after you have been drinking that do the damage;)

[Gary Gibson]

Good news and bad news...

BP 220x5, 200x5
SQ 370x3x4, x1

Good news is that I smoked 220 for 5 on the BP. Last rep was slower and I probably couldn't have gotten another rep, but this set was strong. I'm tempted to try for 225x5! My bench max has probably improved a little and is sitting between 250 and 255 right now. Didn't see any improvement coming any time soon, so this is a very pleasant surprise.

Bad news is that I didn't even make it halfway through the final day of the Smolov. So close..! I videoed each attempt and tried to correct myself as I went. First rep was okay, but third rep of first set got a little bent over. Pretty much the same on each set. Here's the last set (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytPT1Ezu6Zw)I was able to manage. All around my right elbow was hurting something fierce by then.

Sigh. There go my dreams of coming close to raw elite at 165! Those were lofty goals anyway. I need to weigh 198 at least at this height to be decent. I like to think that all that work wasn't in vain, however. I did manage to get 315x9x4 after all; as well as all the other stuff I did to indicate my squat is already stronger. I'll take the week off and test 405, 425 and 440. I don't see why I can't get at least 425.

My goals have shifted a little now. I'm not so hung up on staying at 165 beyond this meet. Since I'm so close to it, I'd like to compete as a 165 one more time and go for a 400+ SQ and 500+ DL. I think I could register that 110 kilo BP, too. But after that I want to focus on getting bigger: volume squats and benches. I could use a break from heavy squatting anyway. Pins for the squat and Bear for the bench. I may or may not dabble in gear in which case I'd do volume work M/T and then gear/heavy work Th/F.

Edit: I drained 40 cc of cloudy synovial fluid from my right knee this morning. That last session really took its toll. Time for a week of recuperation. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

[coldfire]

Gary, if the was the last workout of the cycle, I wouldn't worry too much about it. You probably did enough to overreach anyway.

[Gary Gibson]

Gary, if the was the last workout of the cycle, I wouldn't worry too much about it. You probably did enough to overreach anyway.

Thanks. Good observation.

The way Smolov shakes out is that on your very last day, you're doing 91-93% of your max...for TEN triples.

When you start, this weight is your 3RM. When you end, you're doing your 3RM for 3 ten times! It is clearly no longer your 3RM. Being able to do it ten times means it's about your 7RM...or at least it would be if you were rested and hadn't accumulate a boatload of fatigue by squatting so much so often for the past three weeks. That translates to roughly a 50-lb increase on your squat once you've let fatigue dissipate and allowed supercompensation to take place.

This time I was only able to do my old 3RM for four sets (plus one very exhausting single with that weight). That means that my old 3RM is now maybe my 5RM. The fact that I was able to do this weight for a few triples (not ten, but still a few) means it is NOT my 3RM anymore.

5RM roughly equals 86%. So my new max should be ~420. The plan is to test a little above my old 395 max with 405, then jump to 415 or 425 depending on how the 405 feels. I would like to think I could then go to 440...but that's probably not going to happen. If 370 were my new 7RM, then maybe. But that's not the case.

Anyway...

It's time I started focusing on getting to an appropriate bodyweight. So after the meet, I'll rest a week and half till January. After that I have about seven weeks till the Navy Open. I figure four weeks of high volume stuff for mass, then two weeks of practice to refine strength, a week off and compete.

Bench "Bear" in the mornings.
Squat "Pins" in the evenings.

Pins is exactly four weeks long. It's definitely a mass program with no loading above 75%. In fact it starts with 50%! Ten sets of five (standard myofibrillar hypertrophy focus), three times per week, linear progression with ~2.5% added each session (5 lbs for 1RM under 250, 10 lbs for 1RM 250-500, etc). Assuming a ~420-lbs squat, I'd start with 205x5x10; I'd finish with 315 for the ten sets of five. That's the sort of constant volume and increasing intensity that builds contractile tissue (not sarcoplasm).

Bear is high volume too, but it starts at a higher percentage. Progression can be stepped, waved or linear. I like waved best. Bear also starts with two strength sets before the lighter volume sets. All sets are five reps.

Alternatively, I could just run the Russian "Insert PL Lift Here" Routine again for both lifts. It's six weeks which would leave a week of tapering. The Russian Routine is great; steady intensity (80%) with volume rising in waves (increasing reps in sets of six with a wave down to doubles every other day). Then volume drops as intensity rises till the old max is done for two doubles. New max is predictably at least 5% higher. Simple...but this is NOT a way to train for mass. And I think I'm at a point where more mass would help a lot. And I would like to have a training weight in the mid-180s. So I'll probably go with Bear and Pins. We'll see how I feel when the time comes.

[Gary Gibson]

Sweet Mother McCree!

BP 225x5, 205x5

I have no idea where that came from.

Was the Smolov squat fatigue masking my upper body improvements? Did all that heavy squatting actually make my upper body stronger??

It's not just that I got 225x5; it's how light it felt. I went and weighed the bar afterward just to make sure I wasn't using an especially light one (44 lbs on the nearest scale but I'm sure the scale was a little off and that the bar was the standard 45 lbs).

The last rep slowed down, but I think I had another rep in me. I also think I'm good for 230 or 235 for the same reps!

This is piddly weight, but it's exciting to see that my bench is actually moving! This almost makes up for my failure to finish the last day of Smolov squats.

Yippee!

This puts my 1RM at ~260. A 245 paused BP doesn't seem out of the question. I'd like to be able to go for 110 kg/242 lbs as my second attempt at the meet; then 112.5/247.5 as my third. It may actually happen.

Of course, my sumo deadlift will probably still be more than twice my best touch and go bench...but that's just the way I'm built.

[K.Diesel]

At least one powerlifter in Baltimore has an improving bench press. :) Congratulations bro! Look forward to seeing you hit a big PR at the meet. 23 days to go!

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 135x3, 225x2, 315x1, (belt, sleeves) 365x1, 405x1, 425x0
DL sumo 315x2, 405x1, 455x1, 495x0

Weighing about 176 naked these days.

New Squat PR...but not nearly as much as I was hoping for. To be expected, however, since I did not come close to completing the last day of the Smolov.

I've been doing this protocol too much and these diminishing returns are to be expected.

Visiting family still so I was at a crappy Bally's in Orlando with an awful rack with holes about EIGHT INCHES apart. Either had to good morning the bar out of the rack or tip toe it out. Ridiculous.

Didn't bother testing bench. Just not in the mood after the poor showing on the new max.

"Naked" warm up with 315 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2VQOYlD9xQ)

Belt and sleeves warm up with 365 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRuXMlKTkMc)

New max with 405 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5vywXG_mPA)

What now? I've already sent in my entry for the USAPL Maryland States as a 181-er. I think trying to cut would result in a horrible loss of strength. And besides I like the way I look over 170 much better than how I looked under it.

I guess I just press on from here and keep gaining weight and getting stronger. Tempted a bit to see if I could squeeze into the 165 by Dec 19, but any records I set there will likely be quickly erased as raw attracts the truly strong. And again, I like being heavier.

No more Smolov or RSR. Volume work (Bear, Pins) after the meet. I may not compete at all next year. I want to get a lot bigger and stronger and don't want the expense of competition (entry, travel and eventually gear) right now.

[KONG]

I remember reading one of your posts where you wrote a letter to yourself from a year ago or so about your progress. Your progress and determination for progress is probably the most inspiring I've seen in a while. It is contagious. Do not stop posting. I can only imagine how much you will squat when you get to the top of that 181 class.

[Tor]

Hey Gary,

I agree with (was it Steve?) who said that you should complete your initial goals before moving on. Compete one last time at 165 then go up from there.

I don't think this would necessarily involve any real weight loss on your part. I used to lose 5 or 6 pounds in a single cardio workout... water weight. Many, many people have written about dehydration to make a certain weight class, and have cut quite a bit more than you are looking at in just a day or two. How much time do you have between weigh-in and competition?

Here's just one such link: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/18/how-to-cut-weight/

And it might be you haven't rested long enough to set a bigger PR...

Tor

[Gary Gibson]

At least one powerlifter in Baltimore has an improving bench press. :) Congratulations bro! Look forward to seeing you hit a big PR at the meet. 23 days to go!

Thanks! Let's see if that bench stays as high if I cut weight to make 165.


I remember reading one of your posts where you wrote a letter to yourself from a year ago or so about your progress. Your progress and determination for progress is probably the most inspiring I've seen in a while. It is contagious. Do not stop posting. I can only imagine how much you will squat when you get to the top of that 181 class.

Thank you very much.


Hey Gary,

I agree with (was it Steve?) who said that you should complete your initial goals before moving on. Compete one last time at 165 then go up from there.

I don't think this would necessarily involve any real weight loss on your part. I used to lose 5 or 6 pounds in a single cardio workout... water weight. Many, many people have written about dehydration to make a certain weight class, and have cut quite a bit more than you are looking at in just a day or two. How much time do you have between weigh-in and competition?

Here's just one such link: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/01/18/how-to-cut-weight/

And it might be you haven't rested long enough to set a bigger PR...

Tor

I've made weight by carb-cutting/water-loading before. I was just worried that 10 lbs would mean a serious performance drop. Looks like my real weight is only 171 or so, however, so I may be able to get to 165 without too much off my squat and bench.

[Webbie]

That 405 looked solid man. Don't you think the travel and new surroundings (sleeping different beds, food, etc) may have something to do with not hitting your goal?

I'm asking because my lifts on Monday were a huge struggle for me with all of the extra family logistics I had over the holiday. I actually think I ended up eating less than normal and definitley feel behind on sleep and add in about 9 hours of driving around.

[JLascek]

Yo Gary, when is your next meet (don't have time to search your log)?

I'm gonna really campaign for you to get 70's Big, because you'll be obnoxiously strong. You may even conquer a small village.

[K.Diesel]

JLascek, it's Dec. 19. Not that I'm Gary's admin asst., but I saw your post, and I'm in the same meet and figured I'd answer your ? since I was posting anyway.

Gary, I don't think it matters what you put on the entry form. If you decide before the meet that you want to compete as a 165, just show up at 165 or less. Look at it this way - if you show up weighing 182, you won't be in the 181's either. All that matters is what that scale says at 7am, 13 days from now.

You will lose some on your bench if you drop weight though. Squat not so much, but I've read this rule of thumb somewhere: expect to lose 3 lbs off your bench for every lb of BW lost after the 1st 3 lbs. I don't know if that is gospel, but I do know my bench, and that of everyone I've talked to about it suffers, at least temporarily, with weight loss.

Ditto that other post about your 405 vid. Probably didn't feel as easy as it looked, but that counts as smoking a lift man. I know it's not what you had planned, but damn - I'd take it!

I am disappointed in one thing - I heard Doug Myers was doing the meet, and was excited because both our state raw record holders at 165 are doing the meet (you in squat/dead/total, he's got the bench). But he's benching in a shirt and you're in the 181. I was hoping to see you two go heads up raw. Maybe at Navy or somewhere else next year (HINT: you should still compete sometime next year, IMO ;) PR's are more likely to come on a platform in front of an audience, IMO).

[Gary Gibson]

That 405 looked solid man. Don't you think the travel and new surroundings (sleeping different beds, food, etc) may have something to do with not hitting your goal?

I'm asking because my lifts on Monday were a huge struggle for me with all of the extra family logistics I had over the holiday. I actually think I ended up eating less than normal and definitley feel behind on sleep and add in about 9 hours of driving around.

I think you are right. Plus I chased RSR immediately with Smolov. That was just dumb, but I had my reasons for trying to squeeze in another cycle (ending gym membership, moving, etc meant that I'd have three weeks of down time, so I figured I'd overtrain a bit first since I'd have so much down time).


Yo Gary, when is your next meet (don't have time to search your log)?

I'm gonna really campaign for you to get 70's Big, because you'll be obnoxiously strong. You may even conquer a small village.

K got that one for me. I do indeed plan to attain warlord status should things go pear-shaped. I'll need to be 70's Big for that. No one's gonna care if I can squat 2.5 bodyweight if I don't weigh all that much.


JLascek, it's Dec. 19. Not that I'm Gary's admin asst., but I saw your post, and I'm in the same meet and figured I'd answer your ? since I was posting anyway.

Gary, I don't think it matters what you put on the entry form. If you decide before the meet that you want to compete as a 165, just show up at 165 or less. Look at it this way - if you show up weighing 182, you won't be in the 181's either. All that matters is what that scale says at 7am, 13 days from now.

You will lose some on your bench if you drop weight though. Squat not so much, but I've read this rule of thumb somewhere: expect to lose 3 lbs off your bench for every lb of BW lost after the 1st 3 lbs. I don't know if that is gospel, but I do know my bench, and that of everyone I've talked to about it suffers, at least temporarily, with weight loss.

Ditto that other post about your 405 vid. Probably didn't feel as easy as it looked, but that counts as smoking a lift man. I know it's not what you had planned, but damn - I'd take it!

I am disappointed in one thing - I heard Doug Myers was doing the meet, and was excited because both our state raw record holders at 165 are doing the meet (you in squat/dead/total, he's got the bench). But he's benching in a shirt and you're in the 181. I was hoping to see you two go heads up raw. Maybe at Navy or somewhere else next year (HINT: you should still compete sometime next year, IMO ;) PR's are more likely to come on a platform in front of an audience, IMO).

'Sup, dude?

I figured the only thing that would matter was what I weighed at weigh ins. I was just a little concerned with the reporting once the stuff on my entry was put in their computer. I've always had trouble getting my "raw" notation recognized for example.

That bench rule of thumb sounds about right to me. And thanks for the comment on the squat. It did feel pretty awful, but I nearly tore my adductors with 425 and that felt worse.

I may end up in the 165 after all. I'm a little under 170 as I type this. I've been traveling a lot to see family and for business and I'm fighting a cold so my appetite is down. Losing weight's been easy. I'm afraid I've been losing strength, too, but even if I can't squat 407 come meet time, I'm confident I'll get at least 396 at 165 which is 26 lbs more than last time. I may not get that 242 bench, but I should best my last effort at 165 by 5.5 lbs.

I will definitely smoke my old deadlift record. Only reason I didn't last time was because of poor weight selection: should have gone a little over my record on the second attempt instead of matching it, then should have gone just a little higher on the third to 463 instead of 474. This time I'm opening with a little more than my 440 state record. Hoping to finish really close to 500, but the deadlift test indicated that I'm not quite that strong.

[Gary Gibson]

Boy, I really suck at cleans.

In the spirit of the minimally successful Smolov base phase I just completed, I am indeed doing a "switching phase" for the two weeks after the test for the new max. This fit almost perfectly with the 18 days I had between the test and the meet.

I've been doing bounds and depth jumps every other day or so. Note that the few days following my last base phase session my knees were too swollen and tender to do any of this crap. I was a little worried and depressed about that for a while. But by the end of Thanksgiving weekend, the knees had largely returned to normal.

I have a 15-lb bar and small plates with holes that only fit this narrow bar (bought by accident a few months back) and I've finally been able to put them to use. I stacked a couple 45-pounders on either side of me to normalized the initial bar height and have been pulling cleans that way. My best has been an ugly 195. That's a little disturbing. I just (low bar) squat 405 a couple weeks ago. A sub-200 lb clean seems a bit off.

I suspect, however, that power cleans are like bench presses and correlate more highly with bodyweight than the squat whose strength powers them. I suspect I also suck at cleans.

After I found my max I started to focus on speed with lighter weight. I've been using 135 and throwing in the occasional press here and there.

Oh, and interestingly I tried a front squat with around 165 a few days ago. I hadn't squatted since the test day and my body seemed to resist the idea of descending with the weight, especially with no pins next to me to catch a missed attempt. I eventually coaxed myself into action and front squatted 175 from the power clean a few times. It was just interesting to feel so viscerally how the body can get unconditioned to a movement.

Lots going on with personal and work travel lately. Got a big move coming up and so my appetite has been down. Losing weight's been easy because I haven't been eating. Haven't really been training in a strict sense either. I'm just a little above 165 as of this morning. I've also started water loading and today I'll start the carb reduction as well.

I am not feeling all that confident about how I'll perform at this meet. Not even sure I'll make it into the 165! That would really stink: to lose so much weight and strength and still have to compete in the higher class. Just a week to go now. I really want to squat over 400 and pull 500 in the raw 75 kg. But you can't always get what you want, can you?

Edit:
A couple sets of triples with depth jumps
A couple sets of fours with squat jumps from parallel w/ 55 lbs.
A few sets of double clap push ups (got triple claps a couple of times)

[Jeff Horner]

Hi Gary,

I've noticed that you sumo-deadlift, based on one of your videos. So what's your stance like when you clean?

I'm 6'5" and after getting some mild tendonitis in my tensor fascia latae, I realise I need to switch to a much wider squat stance because the tendonitis may be due to my knees travelling too far forward. I'm also planning on switching to a sumo-deadlift stance. I feel I can make the transition just fine for both of these lifts, but I've been concerned about the clean with a sumo style stance.

Best,

Jeff
My log (http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=13631)

[Gary Gibson]

Hi Gary,

I've noticed that you sumo-deadlift, based on one of your videos. So what's your stance like when you clean?

I'm 6'5" and after getting some mild tendonitis in my tensor fascia latae, I realise I need to switch to a much wider squat stance because the tendonitis may be due to my knees travelling too far forward. I'm also planning on switching to a sumo-deadlift stance. I feel I can make the transition just fine for both of these lifts, but I've been concerned about the clean with a sumo style stance.

Best,

Jeff
My log (http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=13631)

Cleans and snatches are "jumping with a barbell and catching it"; you can't jump very well from a sumo stance. That's why nobody tries to clean or snatch from a sumo stance.

Check with the board for ways to rectify any problems you have with a normal stance in your pulls.

Edit: I hope that didn't come off as dismissive. I'm just not very good at recommending deadlift fixes.

[Gary Gibson]

My third meet is just five days away. I've been having a fun time playing in an empty sandbox as I set records in the raw 75 kg class. I've upped my (gym) total yet again and was hoping to use my new strength in the 75 kg one more time. But this latest strength gain was accompanied by what seems to be a permanent bump up to the next weight class.

I got as heavy as 176 lbs, but it turned out that five of those pounds were scatological. I've been hovering at 170 for a couple weeks and therefore thought I had a shot at getting down under 165. But calorie restriction, carb avoidance and water loading seem unable to get me below 167 upon waking. Looks like I'd have to lose some muscle and fat to make it. I'm not willing to do that at this early stage in my career.

I'm almost 5'10". 165-170 lbs at this height is obviously too skinny for anyone to take seriously as a strength sport competitor. The 90 kg or 100 kg classes make a lot more sense for me. Looks like my body is telling me it's time to move on. But now I'm a really light 82.5 kg competitor. I'm under 170 lbs dry, but will have to compete with men who weigh about 180. That's a huge difference. I'll likely gain well over 100 lbs in my squat alone by moving up those dozen pounds to the top of the weight class. Basically, it's bordering on pointless to bother competing till I fill out in this class. In fact, my main goal in this next meet was to blow away my existing state records in the 75 kg. I already paid my entry fee and I do love lifting in front of a crowd, so I'm still going, but this may be my last comp till I fill out some.

The USAPL Maryland raw record for a squat in the 82.5 kg is a monstrous 541 lbs. I have nearly 15 lbs to gain to get to the top of this class and in my experience every pound of bodyweight equals about 10 lbs on my squat (I went from a 245 squat at ~160 to a 405 squat at ~170).

[Jeff Horner]

Of course not, dude!

I took your advice and have done some cursory searches, but nothing yet except that "Taller lifter" thread.

Good luck in your meet.

[Cmanuel]

Good luck in your meet! Make sure to take videos and let us know how well you did!

[Cmanuel]

BTW i lift USAPL too, always good to see other unequipped USAPL lifters. stay strong.

[BigJavs]

glad to see you're posting again, Gary.

[Gary Gibson]

Good luck in your meet! Make sure to take videos and let us know how well you did!


glad to see you're posting again, Gary.

Thanks, Javs. Good to be back.

Cmanuel, the meet was postponed due to a snowstorm. K Diesel just posted on this and as with him for me this effectively means canceled. I was literally going to leave town immediately after the meet. Now my move is postponed for a few days, but even if the meet is rescheduled, I likely won't be anywhere near the state of Maryland (praise be!).

Looks like I'll be taking the entire month off after all. I canceled my globo gym membership effective Dec 1. I tested the squat and deadlift in a Bally's Dec 1, but other than some light front squats and power cleans done at home, I haven't touched a barbell. Certainly haven't squatted heavy. I was resting up and supercompensating (I hope) for the meet. The meet was going to be the only other time I lifted heavy this month. Now that's a non-issue.

I'd been just over the 165 weight limit for weeks! Tonight I'd resorted to running the hot water in my bathroom and huddling with my space heater while wearing a hooded sweatshirt. It actually worked and I got down to 165 even though I couldn't get a really good sweat going under those conditions. I was actually a bit relieved to find K Diesel's message about the meet. I canceled the rental car I was JUST about to go pick up and ran out to get something to eat because I'd been famished. (mmmmm...chicken tikka masala...mmmmmm)

I deliberately overreached because I knew my only heavy lifting in December would be the Smolov test and then the day of the meet. My body needed time to recover from all that volume squatting. This month without back squatting may be the best thing I could have done for the sake of recovery. I certainly feel better and more agile than I have in many, many months.

I was planning something along the lines of a ton of volume squats and deadlifts on Monday, then light front squats and presses Wednesday (and power cleans!) and then heavy squat, bench and deadlift gear practice on Friday. But this may change. May end up dropping the light day (and front squats and presses) and just doing Monday: Volume SQ, Tuesday: Volume Bench, Thursday: Heavy SQ, Friday: Heavy BP.

The USAPL Florida State Meet is scheduled for Feb 20, 2010. That gives me seven weeks from Jan 1. I would like to compete as a solid 82.5 kg class lifter, over 175 lbs and in good single-ply gear (Titan!).

When I say "volume" I really mean it. Around 10 sets of 5 reps with 70-90%. I'd like to start squats with 315x5x10 and add 10 lbs every week so I hit 365x5x10. I did 370x3x4 before I put up that 405x1, so 365x5x10 would obviously represent a significant but reasonable increase in size and strength. Should be good for 445+ in a belt and sleeves with that (which I'd really hoped I'd get as a 165er). I'm new to gear, but the hope here is to get 150 lbs with wraps and a Titan Super Centurion and squat 600 as an equipped 82.5 kg class lifter. I'm going to be on a semi-sabbatical and when I'm not training, I'll be working on that damned book and stuffing myself with whole milk, beef and veggies.

Same sort of deal with bench, but with smaller numbers. I'm good for about 255 right now. The goal is 275 at 175 or so and then over 315 with a Titan Fury.

If I don't keep the light day of front squats, presses and cleans, then I may just do these things as warm ups on my squat and bench days: light cleans and front squats on squat day, just really going for speed and mobility; presses on bench day, but definitely not so heavy that they interfere with the actual bench training. My focus is on the back squat and the bench press and these lifts are supposed to be driving things like front squats, cleans and presses. The idea is to get strong in SQ and BP and keep the other lifts practiced, but not grind out max attempts in those other lifts.

Still not sure how to program deadlifts, but they will probably be done weekly on the heavy squat day.

[Gary Gibson]

Snowed in and meet postponed. Got two weeks left before move with no gym access. Thought now would be a good time to test my Other lifts (front squat, power clean, press, chin up) and do a two-week program in the time I have left before the move to FL.

Front SQ: 245
Power Clean: 195
Press: 125 (much less than when I clean and press!)
Chin Up: +100

Front squat was very hard, but I believe my form was tighter than the last time I tried 245. That power clean was tested a few days ago and it was very ugly. The press was shockingly low; I got 140 or so the other day when I cleaned (and paused) it first. Could have done a teeny bit more on the chin, but completely failed with 115 attempt.

FS: 195x3x3
PC: 145x3x3
OP: 95x3x3
CU: +45x3x3

Presses were by far the easiest...but they will get hard very quickly. Elbow/forearm already acting up from chins. Hurt the area bad years ago by overworking weighted chins. Did cleans from a deficit with those smaller plates from the floor. Forgot to stack the 45's underneath.

Weighing 167 after a huge feed today. Still a little depleted from recent carb-reduction and sweat-out to make weight for the postponed meet.

[Gary Gibson]

Front SQ: 215x3x3
P Clean from a deficit: 155x3x2, x2
Press from the rack: 105x3x3, 115x3
Chin Up: +55x3x3

Front squat felt hard at first, but got really smooth on last set. Took long rests and did these very casually. Realized after first set that I'd made a 20-lb jump today when I'd meant to make a 10-lb jump to 205. No big deal. It all worked out.

Those cleans with the small plates are tough! (I have bigger plates, but their holes are too big for the 15-lb bar I have available and this doesn't work well with quick lifts). I couldn't get the third rep on the last set. And my rack was getting sloppy as of the second set. Which reminds me: explosive means triples or less!! I will change the programming to three sets of doubles as of next session.

Presses felt so much better tonight! I was feeling sharper and fresher than ever by the third set...so I tacked on a set with tomorrow's 10-lb jump! Good stuff. It got a little hard, but considering I'd just done 105x3x3, I had to say this still felt great.

Chins weren't hard, but I remember why I stopped focusing on these; the stress on the meaty part of the forearm just distal to the elbow joint is enormous. That old overuse injury in my left forearm/elbow area is already flaring up again. Not going crazy toward failure and fatigue is helping me to manage it.

I'm doing all this almost GTG style. Very long rests. The idea is to eliminate fatigue and just concentrate on frequency. I did the front squats and cleans earlier, rest a few hours and then hit the presses and chins. 10-20 minute rests between sets.

[K.Diesel]

Should be good for 445+ in a belt and sleeves with that (which I'd really hoped I'd get as a 165er). I'm new to gear, but the hope here is to get 150 lbs with wraps and a Titan Super Centurion and squat 600 as an equipped 82.5 kg class lifter.

Same sort of deal with bench, but with smaller numbers. I'm good for about 255 right now. The goal is 275 at 175 or so and then over 315 with a Titan Fury.

Here's a FWIW insert:

From my limited experience, plus the consensus of other lifters I've talked to, it seems the average bump for a single-ply lifter is 15-20% on your raw maxes. Some are known to get 25%+, but they are in the minority by far. On the deadlift, the boost is significantly lower, probably around 5-8% at best. Either way, I think you'll be able to plan your lifts more accurately if you think in terms of increased % of 1RM, not poundage at a flat rate.

Example: you squat 400 raw and another lifter squats 500 raw. Each of you puts on a Titan Centurion, fitted properly, and have your knees wrapped by the same person with the same wraps, brand new. If your estimate were true, you'd squat 550 an he'd squat 650. However, you're more likely to squat 480 and get 80 lbs. out of your gear, and he's more likely to squat 600 and get 100 lbs out of his.

[Gary Gibson]

Here's a FWIW insert:

From my limited experience, plus the consensus of other lifters I've talked to, it seems the average bump for a single-ply lifter is 15-20% on your raw maxes. Some are known to get 25%+, but they are in the minority by far. On the deadlift, the boost is significantly lower, probably around 5-8% at best. Either way, I think you'll be able to plan your lifts more accurately if you think in terms of increased % of 1RM, not poundage at a flat rate.

Example: you squat 400 raw and another lifter squats 500 raw. Each of you puts on a Titan Centurion, fitted properly, and have your knees wrapped by the same person with the same wraps, brand new. If your estimate were true, you'd squat 550 an he'd squat 650. However, you're more likely to squat 480 and get 80 lbs. out of your gear, and he's more likely to squat 600 and get 100 lbs out of his.

Awwwwwww maaaaaaaaan!

Thanks for the info. Even before I read this I decided that I don't really want to chase big gear numbers yet anyway. Eventually, but right now I just want to get one cycle and one meet in with the basic Inzer stuff. After the FL States (and those better not be postponed because of snow) I think my next meet will be USAPL Raw Nationals as an 82.5 kg class lifter in July 2010. After that I'll look into getting good in gear for the MD States at the end of 2010.

[K.Diesel]

After that I'll look into getting good in gear for the MD States at the end of 2010.

Don't forget about the American Open next December in Philly. I'm skipping States to do that one. Win your class, and you get a ticket to Men's Open Nationals, regardless of your total!

[Gary Gibson]

Don't forget about the American Open next December in Philly. I'm skipping States to do that one. Win your class, and you get a ticket to Men's Open Nationals, regardless of your total!

OOOooooo! Thanks for the reminder!

Now all I have to do is win my class.

Waitaminit...

Well, between me, you and a 50 million viewers: I was hoping to hit RSR in Feb-March for a quick 20-lb gain after my next cylce and meet; rest a couple weeks, then spend April-May-June doing the full Smolov-Feduleyev to get to a triple bodyweight squat at ~180 lbs in the 82.5 kg class for the Raw Nationals. It's a tall order, but I'm hoping a few months of non-Smolov stuff will have me ready to tackle it when the time comes.

I'd have several months to upgrade from my basic Inzer (which I'll be using in the Feduleyev Intensive Phase) to Titan. Then maybe I'd stand a chance of winning at the American Open.

And awaaaaay we go..!

[Cmanuel]

OOOooooo! Thanks for the reminder!

Now all I have to do is win my class.

Waitaminit...

Well, between me, you and a 50 million viewers: I was hoping to hit RSR in Feb-March for a quick 20-lb gain after my next cylce and meet; rest a couple weeks, then spend April-May-June doing the full Smolov-Feduleyev to get to a triple bodyweight squat at ~180 lbs in the 82.5 kg class for the Raw Nationals. It's a tall order, but I'm hoping a few months of non-Smolov stuff will have me ready to tackle it when the time comes.

I'd have several months to upgrade from my basic Inzer (which I'll be using in the Feduleyev Intensive Phase) to Titan. Then maybe I'd stand a chance of winning at the American Open.

And awaaaaay we go..!
So will I get to meet and compete with you in the 181s in the USAPL raw nationals in Denver in 2010? A triple bodyweight squat would be inssaaannneeee!!! Im really looking forward to that meet, my goal is a 600 DL at that meet.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but what made you decide to do the switch to geared lifting? I'm not bashing equipped lifters at all.... If I had a good group to work with that had experienced in equipment I would probably pick up some basic Inzer gear as well and try it out.
peace
-CM

[Gary Gibson]

So will I get to meet and compete with you in the 181s in the USAPL raw nationals in Denver in 2010? A triple bodyweight squat would be inssaaannneeee!!! Im really looking forward to that meet, my goal is a 600 DL at that meet.

Hope you don't mind me asking, but what made you decide to do the switch to geared lifting? I'm not bashing equipped lifters at all.... If I had a good group to work with that had experienced in equipment I would probably pick up some basic Inzer gear as well and try it out.
peace
-CM

I'm going to focus on "raw", but I'm going to do both. (There should soon be a rather lengthy treatment of the spectrum of gear and its place in general training in the articles section of this very site.)

A lot of the best extreme gear guys are doing the Raw Unity once a year and proving that they're the strongest guys in and out of gear. I think that's a huge step forward for the sport. I think lifters who prefer to compete raw ought to try competing in at least single-ply. It promotes understanding and will stop a lot of the internal bashing that divides powerlifting.

[Cmanuel]

I'm going to focus on "raw", but I'm going to do both. (There should soon be a rather lengthy treatment of the spectrum of gear and its place in general training in the articles section of this very site.)

A lot of the best extreme gear guys are doing the Raw Unity once a year and proving that they're the strongest guys in and out of gear. I think that's a huge step forward for the sport. I think lifters who prefer to compete raw ought to try competing in at least single-ply. It promotes understanding and will stop a lot of the internal bashing that divides powerlifting.

I agree with you here. I'm definitely going to try single ply lifting in inexpensive equipment one day, its just a matter of finding a good group of lifters to work with. I train alone currently so equipped lifting is not exactly a great idea.

Definitely looking forward to that article for sure. Keep training hard GG.

[Gary Gibson]

P Clean from a Deficit: 165x2x3, 175x2x3
Front Squat: 225x3x3
Press from Rack: 115x3x3
Weighted Chin: +65x3x3

Cleans felt so good and fast that I upped the weight and essentially restarted. Very last rep was slow with an ugly rack, however. Also, I recorded myself on one of the sets and realized how very far I had to bend because of these much smaller plates (about a 2" deficit).

Front squats felt like murder on the first set. Second was better. On third I brought in my stance and felt the strongest yet. Felt left (stronger) glute take over on very last rep. Squatted AFTER quick lift today: smart.

First press was all over the place. Thing I was just tired. Got tight after that.

Chins felt good till last rep when things got a little hard.

Rushing today. Got someplace to be. Less rest time than yesterday.

Resets tomorrow.

[Gary Gibson]

Gary's Log, Stardate xxxxx

Looks like my next meet will be the weekend of Feb 20. I'll be in Central Florida at that time and the USAPL down there is having their States Meet...but as far as I can tell they do not notate "raw." USAPL Maryland will probably be having the Annapolis Open. They do notate "raw"...but travel and accommodation to catch a 7 am start would be a real bear.

I was just going to use being in Florida as a reason to bulk and learn gear...but I'm floating just over 165 again these days at around 5'10" and I'm tempted to go for another 20 lbs on my raw squat at this weight. I keep trying to grow, but I really believe that--despite my relative leanness--I'm simply at the stage where I'm going to accrete permanent myofibrillar mass very, very slowly. So I wonder if I can't get a couple more cycles of the Russian Squat Routine in for another ~50 lbs as a 165-lb lifter.

Maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush to get to the 181. Maybe I have another few months of training at ~175 and competing at 165. Maybe I should just milk strength-focused RSR till the Raw Nationals and go there as a 165..? I was simply afraid of screwing up making weight, but I've proved to myself I can do it. I didn't get a chance to compete because of the postponement, but I certainly didn't feel much weaker...and my "other" lifts proved to be pretty strong still when I tested them instead on what was supposed to be meet day.

Don't know if I'll be competing in MD on Feb 20, but I can train as if I were. Six weeks of RSR fits perfectly. Whether I'm competing with a raw notation somewhere or not, I'd like to squat ~425 after making weight the morning of Feb 20. I'll have plenty of time in FL still after that to learn some basic gear while at Orlando Barbell. And then I still have plenty of time after that to get a couple of RSR or Smolov Jr. (much easier than the regular base phase) in before Raw Nationals.

...Or I could do the Smolov Jr. starting in Jan. The benefit of RSR is that it's only half as hard...but it only nets half the gain...BUT it has a built in peaking phase in the second half that builds to two doubles with the old max and ends with a new max. You get to see how you're doing the whole time. With Smolov it's a craphsoot; you HOPE you see a 40-50-lb gain at the end and you have only a vague idea of how you're doing or if you're going to finish it. RSR = smaller gain, but less risk; Smolov = twice the gain, but twice the risk of failure.

Will be thinking more about this...

[Gary Gibson]

P Clean: 155x2x4
F Squat: 205x3x2
Press from rack: 105x3x3
Weighted Chin: +75x3

Used stacked 45s to get cleans to regular height. Recorded first couple of sets and was horrified at how horizontal I STILL was, even when I thought I was being more upright. Last two sets were definitely more upright and I got good quad push off the floor.

I hate cleans.

I mean, I like watching Olympic lifters doing them right, but I hate them and hate that I feel I have to do them.

Left side plates were WAAAY out on the bar and caused huge imbalance on first set of front squats. I corrected this for the second set and they felt much better. Stopped at two sets today. Just not feeling it. Legs were working equally and quads were a-poppin', but this movement definitely does not work the lower body as hard as regular squats (though they're hard in a different "balance-y" way...like overhead squats).

Presses were a little tiring, but I suspect I was just tired. Really had it in me to go all out on the chins instead of waving back today, however. Had to discuss a fine point of the article with Rip (should be up soon after this) and kept it to one set. Probably couldn't have done more than one set anyway. 75x3 was really effin' heavy. Waving back tomorrow.

[Gary Gibson]

This Daily Stuff is Getting Old...but I did get a new PR...

P Clean worked up to 175x2x3
Front Squat 235x3 PR!
Press from rack 115x4

I was going to take a break today, but I got really restless. I'm doing the "daily practice" thing, but I'm also pushing really hard to set PRs in all four lifts before New Year.

I was really surprised at how horribly the cleans went. All the racks were ugly with the 175. I gave up trying t stay more upright and just yanked on the damned bar to get it flying.

I have a theory about cleans. They require some upper body mass and strength to rack properly. You'd think I'd be cleaning more with my squat and deadlift numbers, but I'm very light with low upper body strength compared to my lower body. Plus I suck at cleans. But I want to be better at them even though I don't think they make me particularly good at anything but cleans.

The front squat was an all out effort with me almost losing the bar (and scuffing my shoulders) on the last rep. But count it. New PR.

Presses afterward felt murderously heavy with a 115 single as a prep. Rested for almost 30 minutes and couldn't get 125 moving. Went to 115 and just repped out. Felt amazingly good at three, but then four was a grinder.

Overall very confused and angry about my lack of ability in cleans and presses.

[K.Diesel]

Maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush to get to the 181. Maybe I have another few months of training at ~175 and competing at 165. Maybe I should just milk strength-focused RSR till the Raw Nationals and go there as a 165..? I was simply afraid of screwing up making weight, but I've proved to myself I can do it. I didn't get a chance to compete because of the postponement, but I certainly didn't feel much weaker...and my "other" lifts proved to be pretty strong still when I tested them instead on what was supposed to be meet day.


Gary, here's something for you to consider about the weigh class/making weight issue, if you haven't already...



"Another consideration is understanding the difference between - when it's appropriate to lose the extra weight and when it's time to move up into the higher weight class. A good rule of thumb to use is if you're continually having to lose more than 5% of your weight class limit, it might be time to move up to the next weight class. For example, if a female lifter who is desirous of lifting in the 165-pound class is often having to lose more than 8 pounds (165 x .05 = 8), perhaps your body is telling you it's time to move up to the 181-pound class. Sometimes this is not necessarily the case as a lifter really just needs to clean up their nutritional plan and lose some excess body fat. The fact is, that over time, powerlifting makes us all bigger, thicker, and more muscular. It is extremely rare to see a lifter compete in the same weight class for their entire career. By the same token, maturing into a heavier weight category often takes time. As your body weight increases your leverages change. Increased body weight is usually favorable in both the squat and the bench press. However, the added weight often inhibits or slows progress in the deadlift. Leaner competitors that carry a low body fat percentage will find it more difficult to keep making weight. I used to train with an elite 114-pound lifter who was extremely lean. His body fat was so low that when he did cut weight for competition he lost muscle. This severely hampered his performance and he eventually moved up to the 123s where he is happier and stronger."


Excerpted from this article, which I highly recommend as a point of reference if you haven't read it already...

http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/page.asp?contentID=76

[Gary Gibson]

Gary, here's something for you to consider about the weigh class/making weight issue, if you haven't already...



Excerpted from this article, which I highly recommend as a point of reference if you haven't read it already...

http://www.marylandpowerlifting.com/page.asp?contentID=76

Kaisheem,

I practically have that article memorized! Ha ha! My body just keeps surprising me. As I type this I'm 166. When I train I load up on milk and beef and wind up around 176 and swear I'm going to stay there. Then I start to taper and without the volume I'm not as hungry and suddenly--as in within 10 days--I'm back down to 167.

Right now I'm figuring that I can train halfway into the next class, but still compete in the old. I got so much going on right now that I probably will NOT be competing before the Raw Nationals. So I'm just going to focus on getting my raw squat up another 100 lbs and see what I weigh then. It would be great to get to ~440SQ and be able to put that up in USAPL Maryland, however. I'd honestly rather do that in Annapolis than learn gear only to lose as a 181 in Florida. If I can arrange to travel back to Baltimore on business on the weekend of the meet, then I will.

Tonight's training:
Press from rack 125x3x3 PR?

I think that press tonight was a personal record. Looooooong rests between sets, like 20 minutes (I played a few songs on the piano between each of them). As usual, third set felt the best and easiest. I don't think I could have gotten a fourth rep, but I DO think I can triple with a little more weight, maybe 130. I also believe my press performance really suffered yesterday because holding position on that max triple front squat just killed my delt strength.

I messed around with the power clean again today and tried to address form issues. I got up to 175 and recorded 115(?) and 165 for review on the forums. 205 shut me down solidly. Here's what I posted about that:


What confuses me is the low correlation with my squat and deadlift, especially my squat. I work the low bar to distraction, but my high bar and front squat are both much higher than they've ever been thanks to all the low bar work (I test them at the end of every cycle or two). The lesson from WL seems to be that as long as your squats are going up (especially high bar and front squat), then your cleans and snatches will go up. But I may not understand this properly...

Now, my deadlift hasn't budged much in the last year because I don't train it. But still I nudged it up 35 lbs when I upped my squat 50 lbs with Smolov. I wonder if the clean isn't more correlated to the deadlift..? Maybe my lower back and top-range pulling strength just isn't there because I don't work the deadlift hard enough. When I try to accelerate 205, my glutes just give up and I get that relatively light bar barely any higher than I get my max 445 deadlift.

So maybe the leg strength is there, but the back strength no longer is? Funny that because my deadlift used to be 100+ lbs ahead of my squat!

I'm not especially "explosive" or athletic with a 25" vertical, but again I was thinking that upping my brute leg strength would mean a better clean. My next cycle begins Jan 3 and I plan to deadlift once per week again. Probably going to rotate in heavy chins, too. I'd like to make room for practicing cleans. I'd probably have to do them at least twice per week, but I'm afraid they'd detract from my volume squatting and benching. We'll see.

Weighing 166 today. Can't wait to start low bar back squatting and benching again! Thinking of a 3-Way RSR stretched out to 9 weeks. BP/SQ M and F, DL (conventional this time) W. The clean practice could go before squats so I'd get it in twice per week. Chins could follow SQ (great spinal decompression), but I'm going to be drained, especially after benches fatigue the triceps (which help with shoulder extension in the concentric portion of the chin up).

[Gary Gibson]

Can't believe I forgot to note last night's weighted chin ups...

Weighted Chin Up: +90x3 (Possible PR)

Here's the clip... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww-KW9f-CSI)

At the 11 sec mark, the results of the last few days' worth of power clean are obvious. My traps haven't looked like that in a long time.

Against my better judgement I tried some presses tonight. Lesson: the press involves the smallest amount of muscle out of the major compound movements; it doesn't recover as quickly either between sets or after sessions. I just got a rep and set PR with 125 last night. And yet tonight I tried my hand at 135 for a double. Initially I couldn't get it moving at all. Rested a bit and then used a bit of Olympic press torso push to get it started. Got two reps, then couldn't do it again at all.

Another thing about the press: very small increments of weight turn it from a doable three reps to something beyond 1RM. Remember: ~92% of 1RM is a 3RM. That means that 125x3 max set yields a 1RM of ~135x1! Ten pounds between 3RM and 1RM. I'm used to thinking in terms of the squat (which has captured most of my attention in the last 2 years) and there's more like 30+ lbs between a 3RM and a 1RM. So even though I know better, I always feel surprised when I get 125 for a triple then struggle with 135. I should be very happy I got that double w/ 135 at least once.

Anyway, I'm also not sure about taking the press from the rack. A press from the rack is a lot like a deadlift: no eccentric loading before the first rep. So the first rep is from a dead start and the hardest. The second press is preceded by the lowering of the first and that loads the muscles with tension that make the second concentric MUCH easier than the unloaded first. BUT part of what makes the squat and bench so productive is the eccentric loading nature of the movements and the stretch reflex this allows. I've tried dead start squats and paused benches; they don't get you strong as quickly as the normal versions of the movement, partly because eccentric loading and the stretch reflex allow for the use of more weight.

Of course, there are those who would argue that the movement should be made as hard as possible. I'm sure they think of preloading eccentrics and stretch reflexes as "cheating." Sigh. My experience tells me that eccentric preloads and stretch reflexes are the way the body works. They help you get stronger faster the same way compound movements do; because they align with how the evolution designed the neuromuscular system to work.

Anyway, I'm about to take Pavel Tsatsouline's advice on presses again; always precede them with a clean. This is a very effective way of loading the musculature much the way starting with arms at lockout the lowering (as in a bench press) would.

Almost done refining the next cycle. More on that later.

[Gary Gibson]

First, today's session:

Press 100x3x6
Deadlift 355x3x6

The presses were very easy, but I got a little tired toward the last two sets. Nothing at all compared to the deadlift. Oy! The first set was murder! First time I'd deadlifted anything (with real weight) since I tested after Smolov. First time I'd pulled conventional in a long time, too. Second set was far better. Then it got bad. Real bad. Used hook grip for first four sets, but nearly lost it all on the fourth set. Mix grip for last two saved me and I alternated which hand faced forward between the two sets.

Quads looking pretty fearsome right now.

And we're gonna' need a bigger boat. I mean to say that I will most definitely be adding straps to this little mix of deadlifts and volume. It would be insane not to.

Drinking a quarter gallon of milk in between the pound of beef I fried up with some onions.

And here is my plan for the next 8-9 weeks:

A) Bench Press RSR, Squat RSR, Weighted Chin RSR
B) Press RSR variant, Deadlift RSR variant
C) Bench Press RSR, Squat RSR, Weighted Chin RSR

Repeat.

A press/DL session sandwiched between two BP/SQ/chin sessions. This is based on the 9-week Russian Cycle to peak on three lifts (http://www.joeskopec.com/ruspeak.html). I've added presses on deadlift day and chins on BP/SQ day.

Also I've started with a press/DL day because I want to finish with these a little faster so I can get over a week's rest between the last DL session and this meet. (http://marylandpowerlifting.com/page.asp?contentID=147) That's right; I'm going to try to be back in Maryland in February to set more state records in the 75 kg class. Travel will be a real bear, but I have a fairly affordable plan in place involving a Southwest flight, rental from the airport and possible crash on a local friend's couch.

Anyway, I've canceled my gym membership and have been using the crappy little 15-lb spin collared bar I happen to have at home. This bar has actually allowed me to do quick pulls, front squats and presses at home. Today I did presses and deadlifts with it. It won't last long with the weight I use for deads, but it doesn't have to. I'll be going to a nearby gym for $10/day to do the BP/SQ sessions (I wouldn't trust this bar for back squats or benches; it's okay for deads because of the limit range close to the floor and presses for the limited weight).

So the plan till I leave on Friday is:

Press/ DL
Bench/ Squat/ Chin
Bench/Squat/Chin

I may get another Press/DL session in on Friday itself if I manage to wake up in time. I should arrive in Orlando early Saturday and will join Orlando Barbell either Sunday or Monday. Should have time to complete the cycle and rest a week before the Navy Open. Starting with the press/DL day means I will test a new DL max about two weeks before the meet, a new squat max a couple days after that and a new bench max a couple days after that. This should give each lift its appropriate taper time.

[Locutus]

I like this evil little new program of yours. I await the results.

Are you still planning on doing power cleans at the beginning of every workout?

[Gary Gibson]

I like this evil little new program of yours. I await the results.

Are you still planning on doing power cleans at the beginning of every workout?

Up in the air about the cleans. Probably. I may only do them on the SQ/BP and perhaps doing snatches prior to the deadlifts. I didn't do any quick pulls today because I was eager to see if my deadlift set up would work. I'm using that crap 15-lb bar at home and I was afraid it would bend with 340 lbs of plates. So far it's holding up. That reminds me...

In order to protect my apartments floors, I deadlifted inside the rack. The set up I used today created a 2" deficit which I failed to note in my previous entry. That surely made the 355 a lot harder on the grip (and everything else). Tonight I raised the pins one level (the holes in this rack are 4" apart center-to-center) and put stacked a couple of 45 plates in the center. This reduced the deficit to less than 1" and I will use this arrangement on my next deadlift day (Friday).

I'm also pulling in my PL squat shoes which makes the move harder for me by increasing the distance a bit (I don't get much from the extra initial quad involvement). I'm also not using a belt because I only find that necessary for deadlifts for 95% and over for safety. I will be ordering wrist straps, however, because I can tell right now that I will be needing them for the x5x6 and x6x6 w/ this weight.

[Locutus]

if you're doing the quick lifts first, why not mess with the order a bit?

e.g.

cl/bp/sq/chins

sn/press/deads

cl/bp/sq/chins

I've had mixed results with the quick lifts first (but excellent results when they are on their own day.. ala Justin's novice oly program), so tread carefully :)

[K.Diesel]

Should have time to complete the cycle and rest a week before the Navy Open. Starting with the press/DL day means I will test a new DL max about two weeks before the meet, a new squat max a couple days after that and a new bench max a couple days after that. This should give each lift its appropriate taper time.

Glad you're doing the Navy Open! I'm strongly considering taking the day off to attend as a spectator. If so, hope to see you there.

Question: Why would you test the lifts so close to the meet? Isn't the point of the meet itself to test maxes? I know we all train and plan for meets differently, but from my view, if I hit a 1RM on a squat, BP or DL in the 8 weeks before a meet, I made a mistake somewhere. Just curious to your rationale behind testing then competing.

[Gary Gibson]

Kaisheem, that's what the plan calls for...but it looks like I already have to alter the plan. I generally don't max deadlifts till the meet, even when the plan calls for it.

And Locutus, I put the cleans in front like you suggested, but I may throw those out entirely. After tonight's results I really have to rethink things...

Power Clean: 135 x3x3
Bench Press: 205 x2x6
Squat: 325 x2 (mistake), x3x3, x1
Weighted Chin: +55 x XXXX

Off to a bumpy start...

Left wrist hurt bad on first warm up with power clean, but it got better with each set. Cleans were decent, but not poppy enough. Wrist pain was a factor, plus I can't get that aggressive in a quick lift in my apartment on my parquet floors. Still mulling over whether I'll continue to train at home when I get back from FL.

Tried out the crappy little 15-lb bar and am amazed at how well it held up tonight.

First three sets of BP felt like murder, but things got better on the fourth set. Set up a bit more aggressively, tightly. Bar got stuck on second rep of fifth set. Got really tight again (and brought hands in a bit again, I think) and the sixth felt almost as good as the fourth had.

Squats were even worse. The plan called for six triples with 80%. I only did a double on the first set quite by accident. Things got really bad on the fourth set when I nearly got buried on the third rep. Completely stopped at the sticking point, but managed to push through. Only one slow rep on the fifth set and I was done. Very disappointed and didn't even feel like attempting chins at that point.

Have to reassess. It looks like this is already too much for me. I got a LOT weaker during this layoff than I'd realized. Sure I'm down nearly ten pounds of bodyweight, but I didn't realized I'd become so deconditioned. Based on the past couple of days, I'd say that my max squat is down from 405 to 365 and my deadlift from 445 to 405 (at least my clean ratio is closer to 45% than the 40% I'd assumed!)

I know I'll get adapted as I go through the cycle, but the RSR as written appears to be too much for me right now. Have to come up with something kinder and gentler. My other non-peaking plan was to do four weeks of mass stuff ala Pins-to-Pillars for the SQ and PTTP Bear for the BP. Pins starts off with just 50% of the last max for ten sets of five while bear is pretty flexible in terms of starting point and total number of sets. This would get me up to the next weight class, surely. I'd have to keep the deadlifts relatively light because ten sets of five in the squat three days per week aren't going to leave much energy for the deadlift. I could alternate deadlifts with chin ups after BP and SQ and just keep things at strength maintenance levels.

The OTHER plan was to do a Texas Method protocol: BP/SQ x5x5 on Monday; Press/Clean/Front Squat on Wednesday; Gear practice with SQ/BP/DL on Friday.

Not sure I could get a shirt in time and to be honest the simplicity of the Pins and Bear stuff really appeals to me. Will be mulling it over.

Ah. I've run into the hard reality of training (and life in general). You can't spread yourself too thin. Can't get things cooking on every lift at once. Also, you can't be your best all the time. ("Only mediocrities are always at their best.") I'm not the lifter I was a month ago and my training needs to reflect that.

Kaisheem, it looks like it may indeed be time to kiss the 165 class goodbye. I don't want to take another hit in strength like this one. I'm going to suck in the 181 for a while, but I may be decent enough to warrant a trip to Raw Nationals come July. Heh. Looks like I won't have to worry about records in the Maryland 165 raw anymore!

EDIT: Correction! A drop of 10-20% SHOULD BE EXPECTED AFTER A PEAK. I don't know what I was thinking. Actually what I was thinking was that I need to base the projected two doubles on the old max in order to exceed it on the single attempt. Not such a good idea after running a high volume+peaking program (the RSR) immediately followed by another high volume program. I didn't reap the full benefits of the Smolov and expecting not to suffer a huge strength drop (actually the estimated 10% isn't that bad at all) was silly. The relatively easy break in period of Pins to Pillars (starting at 50%! for volume which actually has a healing effect I think with all the blood flowing and low intensity) seems to be working out a lot better.

[Gary Gibson]

BP: 175x5, 155x5, 135x5x14*
SQ: 185x5x10
Chin: +0 x5x5

I'm papa. And my bag is brand new. I just got it.

Jumped right back into it with the Pins/Bear SQ/BP plan. I'm going to do it three times per week. Days one and three will wrap up with 5x5 weighted chins. Day two will be a deadlift variation (more on this later). Pretending that aborted start to RSR never happened.

Feeling righteous tonight! That asterisk by the bench indicates that I suddenly died on the last rep of the 14th volume set with 135. Felt great throughout, however, with form and tightness actually improving with each passing set. The failure was very sudden. No big deal.

Squats felt really good. I'm starting with half my estimated current max, not my max from last peak, but making 20-lb jumps for at least a week. I'll either end up at 315 or 335 x5x10. I hope. 185 of course felt very easy. I went way below parallel on all of these (even lost tightness on next to last rep of last set and went aaaall the way down, but popped right back up). Recorded myself to confirm this: back angle VERY easy to maintain when the weight is light. I was almost leg pressing because it was so easy to stay upright. I think I'll really start to die by next week, however, because of this volume. Praying for rapid adaptation.

Weight was really too light to warrant a belt. Really don't think it would have made a difference. Will add the belt for this volume work when I hit 70%+ (~275). Didn't use compression shorts either and probably won't for a while. Knee sleeves are always a must on work sets because of that wobbly right MCL as are shoes for proper work distribution between anterior and posterior musculature.

No extra weight on the chins tonight. Up to +25 for Friday, however, then wave down and back up repeatedly over the next four weeks. Hope to end on +55 for the 5x5. But we'll see. Tonight bodyweight only meant I was pulling so that bar touched just above the nipples.

Sipped milk between sets. Rest breaks were just as long as I needed to feel ready again. Usually 1-3 minutes. Had to force myself not to go too fast and burn out before I got the volume in.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 185x5, 165x5, 145x5x14
SQ 205x5x10*
Halting DL 305x5x

Another midnight run. Sleep cycle all jacked up (natural 25-hour days colliding with other stuff). Drank that pitcher and a half tonight along with a plate of baby back ribs and then a chicken parmigiana later. Sipped milk between sets and ended up drinking most of the gallon.

Bench felt good, but got that same feeling on the 14th set. This time I pushed through to get all five, but wrapped it up right there.

Squats were really tiring. Actually have me a little worried. I was dying by the 8th set tonight...and it's only 205! Right now I can't imagine doing this 10 of 5 with 315 or more. I just can't. But I'll keep plugging along till I hit the wall. Speaking of which: I completely lost all form on set 9, rep 4. This happened last time too, but then I was able to power it back up from the very bottom. This time I just lost it. Didn't count the set at all even though I got most of the reps. The last two sets felt pretty good after that.

Got to keep in mind that I did get fairly drunk just a few hours before and I've only had one sleep cycle since Monday (it's nearly 3 am Wednesday morning as I type this).

First time ever with halting deads. I was going to do sets across, but thought better of it. After all I just used up my legs and midsection on ten sets of squats.

Heh. When I went to take off my shoes, got a huge fatigue cramp in my left abdominals. Effin squats, man.

[Mr.City]

This program sounds awesome. I can't wait until I'm at this level. How many calories are you getting on your training days?

[Platus]

Hey Gary, I just picked up Greg Everett's book on Olympic Lifting (http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Weightlifting-Complete-Athletes-Coaches/dp/0980011116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262210694&sr=1-1). I think it is well worth the money if you are interested in improving your clean performance. I have already found some of the technical drills really helpful in improving my rack position and my execution of the second pull.

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks, Platus. I'll buy it...when the time is right. Getting bigger and stronger is going to take up most of my metabolic resources for the next few months. I have to take a run at the full Smolov in April to get ready for the Raw Nationals in July.

(Speaking of which, I think Pins to Pillars, followed by RSR, followed by Smolov+Feduleyev, and separated by 1-2 weeks of back off time is a great progression. Pins gets the volume, practice and size in starting with very light weight; RSR introduces intensity after the volume and preps for the much harder Smolov+Feduleyev.)

Mr. City, you seem to be getting plenty strong with the Texas Method right now if I recall correctly! This is a power bodybuilding program and can be done at any time. It's just a volume formula. Bear is the same thing with a couple of strength sets in front and with a more flexible progression (you could wave, step of just go linear) and more flexible set target. Pins is great for squats because you start light (heavier benches just aren't as draining or intimidating as heavier squats) and there is a definite set target (ten sets) and you need that sort of target upon which to focus when the squats start getting heavier.

I really don't know how many calories I'm getting. Like I said before, most days I just make sure to eat at least a pound of beef and the better part of a gallon of milk. I actually eat the most directly after a session and not so much the next the day. Today I had a Philly cheesesteak for breakfast, banana for second meal and then tonight I had a pitcher of Miller Lite with a big plate of lasagna. Then I wrapped that up with a half-price big burger. I then went to sleep for a few hours. Woke up and am finishing the last 1/4 gallon of milk in my fridge as I type this.

My thighs are clearly getting bigger already. It's only about a half inch increase in circumference and it's mostly probably just plain edema, but it is cool to see. I'm also up to just under 175 from my low of just under 165 a couple weeks ago.

For the record, I'll be making one more 20-lb jump for tomorrow's session and squat 225x5x10. After that it's going to be just the normal 10-lb jumps. So next week is 235, 245 and 255. And next week I may also introduce the belt just for consistency's sake. The belt changes the perceived and actual difficulty of the lift and shoving it in between 265 and 275 would make 275 feel like a 20-lb reset. Don't want that.

[Mr.City]

That reminds me that I need to get some beef. I'm still on SS though, Gary.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 195x5, 175x5, 155x5x15
SQ 225x5x10
Weighted Chin +25x5x5

BP 195x5 was very hard. Funny how 225x5 was a breeze a few weeks ago. The volume sets were a pleasant surprise and I got one more set than I did the previous two days and with the highest weight yet.

SQ was the real surprise. Not hard at all. Flew through the sets and kept good form; maintained back angle, though on fourth and fifth reps I would sometimes have to think about pushing the traps into the bar. Got really good depth ("low bar Olympic"). No belt yet. Thinking of doing 245 and then belting for 265.

Chins were on the hard side and I took long rests between sets.

Still doing 10x10 calf raises off the platform. No weight on day 1, then 10 lbs last time and 25 lbs this time.

[Gary Gibson]

Power Cleans 135 up to 185 (205)
BP 185x5, 165x5, 145x5x18!!
SQ 245x5x10
Weighted Chin Up +10x5x5

First day at Orlando Barbell. I already love the place. I had the PL room all to myself today (Sunday) and started off with their bumper plates (yay!) and some cleans on the platform space in front of the squat rack and behind the plain ol' bench press (there are a monolift and one of those fancy Elite benches next to each other against the wall).

Cleans felt much better with regulation stuff and I really thought I had a shot at 205. I racked 185 very cleanly once or twice, but absolutely failed to get under 205. Went really aggressive on one of those 185 and drove my heels hard into the platform on the extension. Best of the session.

Used these to practice (I just really want to be able to clean more) and to warm up.

Bench was uneventful except for the sheer volume I was able to accumulate: 18 volume sets! That's four more than the 14 that I barely got (and I did miss that very last rep) with this weight last week. I could have kept going, too, but might have had to rest a bit more. I was going along very briskly on these, 30 seconds between some sets and I often got several sets per song (good rock station down here).

Also moved along very briskly on squats. The last two reps of the last couple of sets were a little slow, but still very happy with the short rests and springiness of the reps. I was very concerned when 205 nearly wiped me out, but looks like adaptation is taking place. Putting the belt on next session and then doing 10-lb jumps thereafter.

It's become my habit to drink milk between sets and really guzzle it after the session. Got 3/4 gallon down before I left the gym today.

Orlando Barbell has the most incredible scale I've ever seen. Digital and seems very accurate. I removed pieces of clothing and checked after I removed each piece. Weighed 172 in my tighty whiteys and socks and with a gut full of milk.

(Also did two sets of 10 for calf raises before each set of chin ups. Used a 45-lb plate and got 10x10 this way.)

[JLascek]

Man, you weren't kidding about adding in the volume.

[Mr.City]

Jesus, 18 sets? Wow.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 195x5, 175x5, 155x5x15
SQ 255x5x10
Halting DL 315x5

In a bit of a rush tonight, so no cleans (I may get a barbell and bumpers now to do these daily as practice at home or wait till I get back to Baltimore.)

195x5 felt depressingly heavy. I hit a fairly easy 225x5 last cycle, but right now it's seeming so far away. I was hoping to get 16-18 sets with 155x5, but 15 will do. Grip loosened on last set and I called it a day for bench.

SQ were hard on the lungs, but I actually got all the reps in under an hour! Started session at 9:15 pm with 15 sets of benches and finished my last set of squats at 10:30 pm. 75 minutes and at least half of that was 15 sets of benches (rested under a minute for most of the bench sets and about 2-3 minutes for the squats). The protocol is really upping my conditioning very rapidly. Went very deep on these squats. Very Deep. Forgot to bring my belt so I just did a 10-lb jump. Will go up to 265 beltless and possibly to 275. We'll see. Very good back angle on all of these and I never had to drive traps into the bar. Depth, maintained tightness and only stalled on the fifth rep of the ninth set. Overall a very good squat session.

Haltings with 315 was actually very easy, but my back started getting sore as soon as I stopped squatting and I was just plain winded. Was going to do a couple more sets, but I really was in a rush. Thinking about doing 30 and 20-lb jumps for the last two sessions of haltings.

Will do calf raises tomorrow. Cycling back to no added weight.

Have been eating a lot, but I've also been evacuating a LOT. Weighed 176 on the exacto digital scale at the gym. Weighing about 174-176 on the old home scale. Eating well (mom's home cooking) and drinking lots of whole milk.

[Gary Gibson]

Power Cleans up to 185
BP 205x5, 185x5, 165x5x12
SQ 265x5x10 (or 11)
Rack DL 385x5 (from two inches below patella)
Chins and Calf Raises (see below)

So frustrated with the cleans still. Hit the first 185 beautifully, but nearly fell backward as I lost the second (was still tired). Caught third very low on my chest in an ugly rack. Sigh. Practice, practice, practice.

BP 205x5 felt depressingly hard. Oh well, backing down to 195x5 anyway next session (to hit 215x5 in six days). Volume sets with 165x5 felt hard initially, but things got easier as I went along.

SQ were almost a breeze. I started chatting with 1000-lb squatter Jo Jordan after my fifth set and ended up taking longer rests, but initially I was doing them with less than 90-second rests. I lost count and did what might have been my 11th set after a five-minute breather, just to be sure. Still haven't felt the need for a belt and now I want to see if I can get to 315 for the 10 of 5 without one. Would be very satisfying if I could because that would mean that 315 was now very light for me.

Did first rack pulls in a long while. Was going to start with 365 for today's set, but that felt sort of light. Went to 385 for the set of five and it felt good. Bar started a couple inches below my patella. Strict form, all hams, no hitching.

I was absolutely dead for chin ups. I gave it a go, but failed miserably on the second set. 45x5 on set one, then 45x3 for set two. Did ten sets of ten on the bodyweight-only calf raises before the chins, then a couple more sets between the two sets of chins.

Drank most of a gallon of whole milk during the session, but I'd only had a banana for breakfast. Weighed 177-178 at the gym. Got a hunger headache, took a nap, felt better, got a couple of Big Macs, then later on finished the gallon of milk. Weighed an all-time high of 180 on the house scale. I'm sure I'll be back down to 177-178 tomorrow. Still that's some solid new weight. Thighs and calves are very clearly bigger

[misspelledgeoff]

Gary, are you doing sets of 3 powercleans? Have you thought of going to singles?

[Gary Gibson]

Gary, are you doing sets of 3 powercleans? Have you thought of going to singles?

I am doing singles.

[Gary Gibson]

Power Cleans 135x1x2, 165x1x2, 185x1x2, 195x1x2, Power Snatch 135x1
BP 195x5, 175x5, 155x5x16
SQ 275x5x10
Halting DL 385x5
Chin +50x5

Wow. Cleans are finally starting to feel good. Did singles again, just two at each weight level. The first 195 really popped and was just plain beautiful. The second didn't pop quite as much and I caught it a little lower on the chest, but it was still legitimate. Felt froggy afterward and did a 135 power snatch for the hell of it. It went fairly easy considering I'd just done a bunch of cleans.

BP is still depressingly heavy on the initial heavy sets. I don't like how hard 195x5 is still feeling. Got the lighter volume sets in easily enough, but that pain in my left forearm came back. It's a form issue that messes with the nerves on that side. First time I'm getting it this cycle.

Tried the size 52 blast shirt with Jo's help. Brian also helped me get the damned thing on. It was just too painful and I couldn't even do 155 with it. Jo fished out his old size 60 EHPHD for me to try. Much easier to get on, but still very painful in the armpits. I couldn't even get 225 with it. I pointed out that I was just very tired and that drew a round of laughter. It was a little embarrassing to be struggling with 225 in an old closed-back shirt while eight monstrously strong guys were taking turns playing with 500-600 lbs in their open back advanced stuff. Humbling and exciting at the same time. One guy who didn't compete was repping well over 400 raw at a bodyweight of 220!

SQ were much better (love squats). First two sets were without the belt, but after that I knew it was time to belt up. Big difference. I'm very happy with my form on just about all my reps. Amazed at how well I held up to the very last sets. My lungs and overall conditioning were much more a limiting factor than my leg strength...but all this volume is improving the conditioning rapidly.

I was going to do just 365 for the set on halting DLs today, but I got a couple reps with that and decided to call it a warm up. Slapped on a couple more tens and chalked up and got a really good set of five with a hook grip. Back started to complain on the fourth rep and really nagged me on the fifth, but I'm sure I'm good for 405x5 in a few sessions. May just go to 415 after that.

Finished up with chins. Got the +50x5, but that last rep was ugly. Legs braced against the weight and a big strain. No volume on these anymore as I go heavier on the DL variations and burn out my back.

Didn't weigh tonight. Didn't do calf raises either, though I may do these soon. In fact, I may be dropping weighted chins as I approach the taper and peak.

[K.Diesel]

Tried the size 52 blast shirt with Jo's help. Brian also helped me get the damned thing on. It was just too painful and I couldn't even do 155 with it. Jo fished out his old size 60 EHPHD for me to try. Much easier to get on, but still very painful in the armpits. I couldn't even get 225 with it. I pointed out that I was just very tired and that drew a round of laughter. It was a little embarrassing to be struggling with 225 in an old closed-back shirt while eight monstrously strong guys were taking turns playing with 500-600 lbs in their open back advanced stuff. Humbling and exciting at the same time. One guy who didn't compete was repping well over 400 raw at a bodyweight of 220!

If you think that 52 was bad, just wait until you put on a shirt that fits. My HD Blast is a size 52. I think the Inzer material is stiff period - it's the same for the squat suits.

Curious about your lifting in it though: when you say you couldn't do 155, I take that to mean it wouldn't come anywhere near your chest - is that right? Also, the 225 - same thing, or did you get it to touch but couldn't lock it out? That's not an insult by the way: I know you can do 225 raw, and I'm tired trying to imagine doing half the sets you're currently benching. ;)

[Gary Gibson]

If you think that 52 was bad, just wait until you put on a shirt that fits. My HD Blast is a size 52. I think the Inzer material is stiff period - it's the same for the squat suits.

Curious about your lifting in it though: when you say you couldn't do 155, I take that to mean it wouldn't come anywhere near your chest - is that right? Also, the 225 - same thing, or did you get it to touch but couldn't lock it out? That's not an insult by the way: I know you can do 225 raw, and I'm tired trying to imagine doing half the sets you're currently benching. ;)

Zackly. The 155 was attempted in the 52 and was aborted out of sheer pain (felt like scimitar were being pushed slowly into my upper lats) and the 225 was in the 60 and aborted out of exhaustion. But as you've pointed out, I'd just done a total of 18 sets, so...yeah...

Don't know if this gear stuff is for me. I'm too soft and girly. I may bite the bullet and spring for that Rehband shirt which would probably give me the shoulder protection I'm looking for. For the same money I could get a stretchy back F6, however. Decisions, decisions...

[Cmanuel]

Why not cut the back out of the blast shirt?

[PMDL]

The F6 is a great shirt. I used a size 46 in my last meet, and I could get the thing on and off by myself in under a minute.*

* I don't really care to have a jacked-up shirt for record setting; I got that size just so I could hit some limit attempts w/o adding any shoulder fucked-ness. The stretchy back does make things a lot easier even with a tighter shirt.

[George Noble]

It sounds like you need to be more patient with getting weights to touch. Especially if you get an F6 which I'm pretty sure is quite a bit stronger than an HD Blast. Get boards and work the height down, then depending on how you feel either go for a touch or go back up and down again so you would get a touch after either about 4 or 7 weeks.

Then again my F6 was old and weak but it took a good 5 minutes to get the sleeves over my forearms.

[Gary Gibson]

Power Clean 135x1x2, 185x1x2, Power Snatch 135x1
BP 205x5, 185x5, 165x5x5
SQ 295x5x10
Rack Pull 415x5x1 from two inches below patella.

No pop at all today. Just none. Left wrist hurting and today it wouldn't stop. Missed 185 the first couple times I tried it. Barely got that snatch w/ 135. Crazy.

Bench was a mess too. I wonder if it's partly because I didn't drink the milk during the session. I knew I wasn't my best today so I cut the BP session in half so I'd have energy for the squats. I am very happy to report that 205x5 did not feel nearly as hard as it did the last time I tried it.

Not worried about the cut volume so much because Bear allows for a wide variety of volume. I've just been trying my best to keep increasing the volume at certain weights. I was bound not to get almost 20 sets every single session.

Squats were hard, but not impossible. I considered stopping at set five, but found it in myself to keep going. Knees were going forward at the bottom as I was getting tired, sloppy, not staying tight enough. Am finding that looking down is becoming very important again as I get tired. My head would automatically go down when the going got tough on the last reps of the last sets. Worked very, very hard and managed not to get bent over despite the looking down (Bryan was watching).

Notice that I jumped it 20 lbs for the SQ today. Heh. Planning another 20-lb jump to 315 next session, then 10-lb jumps to 325 and 335. Will be thrilled if I get x5x10 with those weights.

Got daring with the rack pulls today: a 30-lb jump. Not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I think I have another 20 lbs or so in me. Chalk was VERY important today. Used the hook grip, but my middle and index finger have a way of sliding across my thumb with very heavy weight. Chalk completely arrested that tendency. Brought my new wrist wraps and am happy that I didn't have to use them.

Notice no chins or calf raises. I believe I'm getting to the part of the cycle where heavy chins cut into bench progress (something Jack Reape has written about a few times). And I just didn't couldn't focus on calves, though I may do these after this posting for the usual x10x10.

NOTE: I am not worrying about gear at all right now. I may just get that Rehband neoprene shirt when I feel I need shoulder protection. I'm far from that point right now.

[Gary Gibson]

Power Clean 135x1x2, 165x1x2, 185x1x2, 195x1
BP 215x5, 195x5, 175x5x4 (x1)
SQ 308 (315) x5x5
Halting DL 415x1, x2

Cleans a little better today, but the rep with 195 was awful. Hit the lower pecs and I almost continental-ed it up to the rack position.

BP was a relief. 215x5 didn't feel as hard as I thought it would. Had to cut the volume short, however; this shit is getting heavy.

Pissed as hell about the squats. Got the 5x5 with it and decided to call it a night; no way I was getting 10 sets. Then I found out 20 minutes later that the chrome bar I was using was only 38 lbs. What. The. Fuck. Why is that off-weight bar floating around unmarked in a powerlifting gym? Damned light bar was always in the squat rack, too. I've used it at least once before. If I had trained with that junk up till the meet, I would have thought I was 5-10 lbs stronger on the squat and DL than I really was. I was also happy to have hit an "even" 315 for 5x5 today. Scratch that.

Also pissed with how heavy those halting DLs felt. Didn't keep extension on any of those reps with 415. I'm hoping I was just tired from the squats because ~400 should not be giving me so much trouble on any variations of the DL.

Sigh. Tonight was not a good night. At least my experiment with wearing four t-shirts worked; no pain across my raw back and shoulders.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 195x5, 175x5, 155x5
SQ 335x5x3

Kept it really short tonight. No quick lifts, no deadlifts. Just felt like making a sudden drop in volume. This should give me a chance to recover and wave back up to new 5RMs this week...I hope.

[Gary Gibson]

Back on Dec 28, 2009, at the beginning of this cycle, I tried an RSR based on my previous squat max of 405 @175 lbs. I started with 80% or 325, but I was detrained and down to 164 at the time and failed immediately.

Now I've spent three weeks building volume and mass with a Pins-Into-Pillars 10 sets of 5 prescription on SQ and Bear for BP. Up to 178-180 in the morning now and just managed 335x5x3 SQ and 215x5 BP without too much trouble. I was thinking about doing Daily Fives (basically PTP with only one set of fives each weekday) for the three weeks leading up to the 2/20/10 meet, but realized that I have just enough time to do a SQ RSR if I do alternating days instead of a strict MWF.

RSR gave me just over the promised 5% increase last time and it didn't kill me. It takes twice as long as a Smolov base phase and only gives half the gains, but it's much more likely to work; it's a much lower risk protocol and it allows other lifts to be trained with some intensity. I was going to double up with a BP RSR, but decided to do something more like PTP for both the BP and the DL: just a set or two of each after SQ. Further, the BP will wave much like the SQ, but the BP down day will be on the hard SQ day while the BP hard day will be on the SQ easy day; no deadlift at all on the hard SQ day (I know I won't feel like it).

Here are the projected numbers...

Date SQ----- BP--- DL---
____ _______ ____ _____
1/17 335x3x6 185x5 ---------
1/19 335x2x6 205x5 385x5 (conventional)
1/21 335x4x6 185x5 ---------
1/23 335x2x6 215x5 405x5 (conventional)
1/25 335x5x6 185x5 ---------
1/27 335x2x6 225x5 435x4 (sumo)
1/29 335x6x6 185x5 ---------
1/31 335x2x6 235x5 455x3 (sumo)
2/02 355x5x5 185x5 ---------
2/04 335x2x6 245x4 475x3 (sumo)
2/06 375x4x4 185x5 ---------
2/08 335x2x6 255x3 ---------
2/10 395x3x3 185x5 ---------
2/12 335x2x6 265x2 ---------
2/14 415x2x2 255x1 (paused BP)
2/16 335x2x6 265x1 (paused BP)
2/20 Meet

SQ 185/407 195/429 200/440
BP 105/231 115/253 120/264
DL 220/484 230/506 240/528

Things to note:

-Edit: Conventional DL for the first two DL sessions, then sumo for the last three. (Bigger jump from last conventional to first sumo with lower reps.) Deadlifts stop on 2/6, exactly two weeks out from the meet.

-The BP is all touch-and-go, except for the last two sessions. I've found that touch-and-go gets me stronger much, much better than paused BP and I have no problem pausing the BP in competition conditions even if I don't practice it leading up to the meet. Also my paused BP is consistently 10-15 lbs under my touch-and-go. So if I get 265x2x2 and project 275x1 touch-and-go, then I can expect to get 260-265 in the meet.

-The projected BP numbers may be fantasy and are subject to reduction! I've done 225x5 @175 before and hit a not-too-hard 215x5 a couple days ago @179...but I don't know if I can work up to 235x5 in the first half of the cycle and then add ten pounds for each drop in reps after that. In my experience 5-7 lb jumps are more realistic for my bench in these sorts of situations.

-The penultimate routine is in italics because I don't think I'll be doing it, or at least doing it as the protocol and pattern require. Full rest or maybe half that squat volume (three sets of two) and a light bench instead of a max touch-and-go BP test would be a much better idea. Edit: Eliminated the first x2x6 SQ day with both heavy BP and DL. This way I can put in an extra couple rest days before the meet and after that 100%x2x2 on the SQ.

I should be over 181 consistently by the end of this cycle, but still be able to wake up at under 181 for the weigh in. Beyond this I want to do a Drawn Out Smolov/Feduleyev (twice per week in base phase; twice one week, once in the other week in the intensive phase). This will allow me to train bench better and not beat me up so much. The base phase will take six weeks plus one rest and test week and the intensive phase will take eight weeks. This should take me right up to the door of the USAPL Raw Nationals in July. I'll probably be a few pounds into the 198 by then at around 185-190, but hope to be able to compete as a 181 and hit a mid-500's squat and 600+ dead.

That's the plan anyway.

[Cmanuel]

jesus, your title should be "the thinker", not "money" haha. You put a ridiculous amount of thought into your lifting, not that thats a bad thing.

Those are good projected numbers for your 2/20 meet. What are your current maxes? And sounds like i'm going to have some stiff competition in the 181s in July, eek.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 335x3x6
BP 185x5

No idea what my current maxes are since I haven't attempted one in many months now. Everything felt heavy today, however. So depressing that BP 185 didn't feel easy. Feels like I"m spinning my wheels and like my goals are pure fantasy.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 335x2x6
BP 205x5, 185x5
DL 405x5, conventional, hook grip w/chalk, in socks, no belt

Aaaaaaaah...much better!

SQ didn't exactly feel light, but they felt really good. Not hard at all. These were almost speed sets. And therein lies the effective ingredient of Dynamic Effort Days (in my opinion); waving down either volume or intensity or both is necessary for optimal progress. The first part of the RSR waves volume down every other day by returning to doubles. The second part waves down the intensity by returning to 80% (for the same sets of doubles). The baseline 80%x2x6 is the fixed point from which volume and the intensity increases (and to which it returns every other day).

Speaking of every other day: I obviously went back the very next day. I read in Pavel's Beyond Bodybuilding that one of the Russian scientists (I forget which and don't have the book here with me in Orlando) insisted that a M-T-Th-F template was best. So I'm training in "couplets" and using the second day as the down day for squats and up day for bench and dead. Obviously there's one day off after the first couplet, then two after the second. Feels good so far.

I'm beginning to suspect that milk has been the missing ingredient and why I've felt so weak this week. I'm sure I also needed a bit of a back-off, but the difference under the bar today after guzzling milk before and during the session, was just so marked. I was by yet another gym-goer, "Is that really milk? That would make me so sick during a workout." "I'm weaker without it," was my reply. It's like my can of spinach.

Anyway, SQ were really good and I'm finding that Rip was more correct than I. I'm concentrating on staying tight in the trunk and find that means I don't have to concentrate on pushing with traps. When things start to go south because the hamstrings fatigue and the hip angle deteriorates, that's when I have to think "traps into bar." Didn't have to do that today.

I'm also coming to agree with Rip about the reason the hips shoot up. I used to think--like many others do--that it was because the quads were too weak to stay in the movement...but now I'm more inclined to agree with Rip that it's because the hamstrings are too weak (or tired) to hold the back angle as the hip angle opens and thus don't allow the quads to contribute. When I hold the back angle, the quads are able to pitch in. They feel it, but they don't give out.

The "squat line" on my shoulders, however, did act up. I was wearing four plies of cotton (four t-shirts), but it did nothing to alleviate the pain this time around. The line had rubbed raw to the dermis in spots, but had been healing nicely. Pain again in the bench because of the squat line.

BP was okay. 205 wasn't hard, but I really wish it would feel easier at this point. Was at a loss as to how to proceed after the 205x5. Thought about doing a 5-4-3-2-1 variation (maybe 5-4-3-3), but decided to go with PTP's 2 sets of 5.

DL was the real and very pleasant surprise today. I warmed up with 365 and planned use 385 as a work set. The first pull with 385 was SO damned light, however, that I went up to 405. Absolutely smooth and easy. The last rep was a little hard, but I had at least one very good rep left, maybe two. First time I've ever deadlifted so much weight for so many reps in the conventional style. Still can't believe how easy it felt. 5RM = a little less than 90% of 1RM usually...and this was at least 20 lbs below a 5RM. I'd have to estimate my 1RM to be around 475 in the conventional style right now, which means around a 500-lb sumo (which makes sense because I just missed 474 at the top of a meet sumo pull after grinding out a 369-lb SQ back in September at 165 lbs; a 475 conventional deadlift and 500 sumo make sense with my current SQ @ 405 lbs).

Deadlifts have been problematic for me for the past few months and I'm thrilled to have the lift inching up again. Did these in my socks with a chalked-up hook grip, no belt. No bouncing, nice resets and pulls from complete stops.

Today's takeaway: Drink Your Milk. You will be stronger under the bar. Hell, drink your milk before, after and DURING your session (you may want to work up to this slowly).

[K.Diesel]

Today's takeaway: Drink Your Milk. You will be stronger under the bar. Hell, drink your milk before, after and DURING your session (you may want to work up to this slowly).

You're right about this helping you power through a session. I've been doing it lately, but it's usually not just milk. It's usually one of my 1 qt. drinks of milk + Ensure, milk + protein, or milk + banana + Carnation Instant Breakfast. Whether milk alone, or milk concoction, I find that the more of it I drink in the gym, the thirstier I get. So I have to drink water on top of that. Ever happen to you, or do I have other issues? :)

[blowdpanis]

I'm also coming to agree with Rip about the reason the hips shoot up. I used to think--like many others do--that it was because the quads were too weak to stay in the movement...but now I'm more inclined to agree with Rip that it's because the hamstrings are too weak (or tired) to hold the back angle as the hip angle opens and thus don't allow the quads to contribute. When I hold the back angle, the quads are able to pitch in. They feel it, but they don't give out.

Weird, I was just having this discussion with somebody today. I agree fully, and it happened during my last rep of my last set. On video, you can SEE my hamstrings relax, and this is immediately followed by a GMing of my 5th rep.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 335x4x6
BP 185x5

Well, it's the day after I got hit by that pick up truck (http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=14533)while I was walking down the street. (Landed on a lawn and suffered no broken bones, concussion or internal damage. Only damage seems to have been the abrasions on my calf and the ugly contusion on my hamstrings. Small bruise on my triceps and some pain in my left trap. Dazzit.)

The abrasions all over my calf made flexing and extending the knee joint very, very uncomfortable. I put some gauze all over the area tonight and taped it down. Moved up to my large Rehband knee sleeves. They didn't hug the tender skin quite as tight, and besides the mediums are now officially too small and tend to move down my leg after a few reps.

Tightened belt a little more than usual and found that it helped me maintain back angle even better. No degradation into good mornings. All reps pretty good, strong, fluid.

Weighed 182-183 in t-shirt, underpants and compression shorts tonight. Wow.

[K.Diesel]

Unbelievable man. This is the stuff that legends are made of. I'm going to save this story for when we're at the American Open to psych out some of your competitors in whatever weight class you're in, and tell them at check-in and the warm-up room:

"See that guy over there? That's Gary Gibson. He got hit by a truck earlier this year."

"Oh yeah? Was it bad?"

"Kind of. They had to tow the truck. He walked away. Couldn't sleep that night, not because he was in pain, but because he was pissed off at the driver. He was walking to the gym when it happened."

"Damn! How long did it take him to come back from that?"

"24 hours."

"No way!! So what did he do the next day?"

"Squats and bench press?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Seriously dude, that's what he did. Squatted 4x6 at 335."

"Shit, he went heavy the day after he got hit by a truck?"

"Nah chief, that was his light day."

If I tell that to one person, the story will get magnified as it gets passed from person to person. Everyone there will assume they're lifting for 2nd, and you can punch your ticket to Men's Open Nationals... unless you move up to 198, of course ;)

Seriously, that is ballsy man. Way to keep rolling without missing a beat!

[hbriem]

Hehe. I like the story. Great workout Gary.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 335x2x6
BP 215x5, 195x5
DL 425x3, hook grip then mixed, chalk, socks

Dammit.

I bought six gallons of milk tonight at Wal-Mart...and forgot to bring one of them with me to the gym.

Nutrition was subpar today as it was. I got halfway to the gym and realized I'd forgotten my milk. I really should have picked one up on the way. I'm convinced that the milk was the missing ingredient today (as it was in the past). I got tired after what should have been an easy day of squats. Felt the fatigue by the time I came to the bench press and again with the deadlift. BP 215x5 was very hard and I nearly missed that last rep. I did the first two DL 425 w/ hook grip then switched to mixed for the last rep. Got it off the ground on the fourth try and then completely failed. Bar also experiencing a lot of resistance against the thighs today for some reason. Last DL warm up was a 405 single and that might have been too close to the work set.

Anyway, I really believe the milk was the missing ling today. The SQ weren't hard, but they tuckered me out a bit. If I'd had had some protein and carbs ala whole milk, I think I would have been much fresher for the bench and DL. It's quit possible that I was just plain tired, but my records indicate that my sessions are much stronger when I include whole milk consumption between the sets. I'll be able to test this in a few days when I do another light SQ/heavy BP/heavy DL day.

@KDiesel: That story little dialog was high-larious. Good stuff! But I'm in the 198 as I type this, buddy! I'll probably compete in the 181 at this next meet, but I doubt I'll be able to stay this light till the American Open: I'm 180 in the am and 184-185 by evening these days.

[Mr.City]

I've been reviewing your squats videos, and I'm throughly convince that my torso has been too upright for low bar squats. Good luck milking the new benefits of milk.

[Gary Gibson]

I've been reviewing your squats videos, and I'm throughly convince that my torso has been too upright for low bar squats. Good luck milking the new benefits of milk.

I think I'm a bit more upright these days now that I've tightened the belt a bit. My first videos have some nearly atrocious good morning action. My max squats--the ones I'm most likely to record--have some hip shooting because form will break down a bit when shooting for maxes ("If it was pretty, it wasn't your max.").

I'll try to record some squats next week to show how I look now. The form I shoot for is that first rep in that really short clip with 315 in the middle of the Smolov.

[Mr.City]

Still, I experimented with a few body weight squats with a much more forward lean and immediately felt a tension in my hamstrings that I've been missing in my squats for a while now.

[hbriem]

As you're the resident Milkman, Gary, I have a story I just have to share.

Last night in the gym showers, I heard a conversation between two young men, maybe 19-20, who were weighing themselves. One of them said he was 58.7kg (129 lbs) and the other, only slightly bigger, was teasing him about it. "Just about the perfect weight for a model. Female that is." "Yeah, it would be cool to be maybe 80", said the thin one. "But some people are just born to be skinny and can't put on weight".

At this point I just had to butt in. "Excuse me", I said. "I was under 70 kilos until I was over 40" (a tiny exaggeration, I was usually around 73kg (160 lbs)).

They went all google-eyed (I'm 95kg (209 lbs) and not fat). "How did you do that?" "Squats and milk", I said. They laughed at that. "Squats and milk, sounds like a plan". When I left the locker room 15 minutes later they were still going "squats and milk" and high-fiving each other. I wonder if it will have any effect on them?

As a side-note I might add that what I've seen of their gym routine is the typical bench-and-curl routine with lots of spotter assistance.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 335x5x6
BP 185x5

Finished up just before midnight.

SQ were excellent. The last three reps of the fourth set had a little hip shooting and leaning, but all the other reps were tight with the maintenance of very good back angle. I'm absolutely ready for the x6x6 session in a few days.

BP were uneventful. Definitely going to start with BP tomorrow because doing 215x5 after back off squat last time was way too difficult. I need to be as fresh as possible to have a chance with 225x5.

Weighed 185!! Drank almost a half gallon during the session and barely felt any fatigue. The milk definitely makes a huge difference in that regard. It's nature's energy drink and protein shake. It works better and costs less than the artificial versions of both. I weighed 164 lbs last month and could squat 335 for maybe a single max set of five; now less than 30 days later I'm 20 lbs heavier--ten pounds more than my highest weight ever--and using 335 for multiple sets of five with relative ease.

[blowdpanis]

Jesus Christ, 185 already? I really have a lot of work to do :(

[ZKP]

Gary

So you've figured it out......weighing more makes you stronger! I welcome you to the world of Fat vs Strong.....Adding that extra gallon of milk or so every other day, you mean you ab's went away;)?....I added 50 lbs to my deadlift in 6 weeks once but I ended up looking like a fucking white Grimace from Mc D's...gross but strong. It took 6 months to look human again and keep the strength...This my friend becomes the balancing act.....

[Gary Gibson]

BP 225x5, 205x5, 185x5
DL 435x3, chalked mixed grip, in socks
SQ 335x2x6

Hit the BP fresh as planned by putting it first in the line up. 225x5 was still disturbingly hard. This puts me at about a 255 1RM and no stronger on BP than I was when I weighed 174 at the end of my last heavy BP cycle in November. Bench is always the laggard with me.

I really don't think I'll get much stronger on BP as I approach the meet. But I plan to devote March to the BP with a Smolov Jr application while putting the SQ/DL on the back burner with PTTP style programming. I hope to get my SQ well over 500 and my sumo DL over 600 by July. It would be nice to have my BP over 300 by then. Alas, it seems my destiny to always have my BP be half my sumo DL.

It was very stupid of me to put DL before SQ for the sake of hitting the DL fresh. DL should always go last. SQ were incredibly hard because of lumbar muscle fatigue. Ground through the reps, but they were so much harder than they should have been. Never again will I deadlift before SQ.

My best ever conventional deadlift was either 440 or 445, done a few months ago. So tonight's 435x3 means I came within 1 or 2% of tripling my old 1RM. That puts my new max somewhere around 470. This is significant because the most I've ever pulled was that 474 I did sumo style and failed to lock out at my last meet in September, 2009. So now my conventional is more than my (nearly) best ever sumo.

Also of note is that I'm not even halfway through this RSR cycle. I still have one more day of volume to go with SQ 335x6x6 before I start to taper to a single attempt with 435. So today's deadlift results do not reflect the leg strength I expect to have come meet time.

Weighing 185, but last night I got up to 188 after gorging on milk.

[K.Diesel]

Weighing 185, but last night I got up to 188 after gorging on milk.

Gotta change the title of your thread. You're not scrawny anymore. :)

[Gary Gibson]

Gotta change the title of your thread. You're not scrawny anymore. :)

Ha! I already sent a note to stef about starting a new thread because of this!

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 345x6x6
BP 185x5

Whew.

I think I'm still getting stronger from the last cycle. I was supposed to keep the intensity (weight used) the same for this last escalating volume session of the RSR, but I've been feeling froggy. Decided to up it to 345 for the x6x6. This way I can do 365x5x5, 385x4x4, 405x3x3, 425x2x2, 445x1. Note that the weight I plan to do for three triples is the most weight I've ever squat in my life. But that was when I was ten pounds lighter.

Still I know it seems ambitious. But today I proved that 345 is far below my 6RM...more like what I could do for 8 or 9, which yields a conservative 1RM above 440. I have a couple weeks to prove this.

The squats took an hour. That's about 10 minutes between sets. That was enough rest to guarantee I'd get all the reps in each set. I had at least one rep left in the tank after each set of six. Did a very good job of maintaining back angle on most reps. Upper glutes got very, very tired after each set and I had to "read a book while lying on my stomach" between sets to keep from cramping up.

Barely anything left for bench, but 185x5 wasn't too hard.

Weighing 182-188 these days. Should be able to make weight the morning of the meet, then GOMAD my way back up to 185 by the time I have to squat and 188 by the time I have to bench.

[Gary Gibson]

BP 235x1
SQ 345x2x6
DL 445x2, 455x2*, 465x2 PR sumo, chalk, hooked grip

I've been doing two days in a row so that the down volume day of SQ came immediately after the heavy volume day. But last heavy volume session I squatted 345x6x6 which is the most I've ever done for that kind of volume. I felt run down the next day and I was busy so I decided to take it off. Made all a' diff'rence inna' world.

SQ doubles with 345 were easy as pie. Left quad a little sore, however.

Before I go on, I really should talk about that bench single with 235...

BP felt awful on the warm ups. 225 felt heavy and I bounced it off my chest. I was supposed to do either three or four with 235, but the first was so ugly and so hard, I called it quits.

Anyway, SQ 345x2x6 really did feel like an easy day. Took a lot of rests between sets as I was talking to Sam. Good thing. Nice and rested for DL.

Hee hee. The most I've ever actually pulled was a hard 455 sumo style a few months back. A little while after that I pulled 445 conventional. Then I failed w/475 sumo at my last meet in September. Today I got 465 for a double after 445 and 455. So this is a new PR in reps and weight.

*Switched to mix grip for the middle set. Bar twisted and came down unevenly. Went back to hook for the heavier set and it felt much, much better.

My back was still a little tired from the volume squats and I deliberated for a while with Sam and Brett about how hard I should go at the pulls today. The decision was to switch over to sumo since a) I need to start practicing for the meet and b) sumo is a little easier on the erectors because it's a bit more upright.

Weighing ~185. Waking up over the 181.9 cut off for the 82.5 kg class most mornings. I may be competing as a 198! Actually haven't GOMADed today, but I may yet.

Anyway, after this meet, I want to do another assault on the Bench with a Smolov Jr. Worked great the first time I did it. I'm now convinced that I got those great BP results (25 lbs in one month--great for me) because I was doing rehab squats with 45-135 lbs. Can only really get either one lift going at a time.

[stronger]

Hey Gary, have you ever tried the Texas Method or another program in Practical Programming?

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 365x5x5
BP 185x5x5

What a day. 365x5x5 today. Brett was kind enough to record my first and last sets so I could note how much form degraded. I got to spot him on his bench sets with 405. The bench he was using was directly behind the platform and I told him to be careful not to get a shot of the bench in my set; it's just too humiliating to have bench loaded to 405 while I'm struggling not to dump 365 in the squat rack.

Here's the first set. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBvV5Q7jg9w)

I recorded the last set, too, but the fourth rep on that was such a good morning that I'm embarrassed to load it. Jo actually rushed in to spot me after that because it looked so bad and then the fifth and final rep went much better.

Despite the occasional good morning rep, I am mostly happy with today's x5x5. 365 was about my max 30 days ago when I was 164. Today's performance suggests a new 1RM in the mid-400's. 385x4x4 on the next heavy day and then 405x3x3 on the one after that! The great thing about the Russian Squat Routine is that it builds confidence along with strength with sensible jumps after you get the 6x6 volume with your old 80%.

Took very, very long rests between sets because I knew I'd have to in order to get them all in. The squats took a little over an hour to finish today. They took so much time in fact that I was feeling incredibly spry by the time I had to bench.

Now I've been giving the BP really short shrift lately due to squat fatigue, just a set or two after heavy squats and a set or two before back off squat sessions. I believe this is why my bench strength has been dropping like a rock. Today a 225 single felt like death. So I dropped the weight to 185 and did 5x5 with it. Felt great. I don't know how much BP strength I can recapture by meet time, but I'll continue to hit the bench with some volume alternated with some intensity (to answer stronger's question: I've never given TM a really fair shake and won't till after I hit the BP with one more Smolov Jr or RSR application after the meet; after that TM will fit very well with a half-frequency Smolov-Feduleyev for the SQ leading up the USAPL Raw Nationals).

[Cmanuel]

Godamn your squats are impressive. I recently did 365x4 for a single set and it nearly killed me. Why is it your bench is so off compared to squat? Did Smolov make your squats go to the moon and back or something? I'm not trying to be a dick, really.

See you in july. Looking forward to lifting with you

[Gary Gibson]

Godamn your squats are impressive. I recently did 365x4 for a single set and it nearly killed me. Why is it your bench is so off compared to squat? Did Smolov make your squats go to the moon and back or something? I'm not trying to be a dick, really.

See you in july. Looking forward to lifting with you

Bench is off for two reasons: a) I don't devote anywhere near the time and effort to BP that I do to SQ; b) my anthropometry is heavily skewed against the bench with very long arms, particularly in the distal region, and a very short back that can't arch as high as a longer one; this amounts to both a greater degree of bar travel than someone with shorter forearms and a bigger arch, and travel through some very unfavorable joint angles. (One wonders if I wouldn't be better off benching off of a board or two to mimic the anthropometry of a shorter armed/longer backed lifter, and then working on strength off the chest as competition day approached. In fact I may try this...)

Thanks for the compliment on my squats, but I in turn am a little startled by your deadlift strength. I've yet to pull 500 lbs. I will soon, but it will be with sumo; my conventional will be lagging by the usual ~25 lbs. I can't imagine pulling as much as you do at your bodyweight.

I've been thinking a lot about it and I'm convinced that I've come up with the perfect stack of SQ protocols to add hundreds of pounds to the SQ in just a couple of years. I'm using myself as an experiment. If I make it to ~540 SQ by the Raw Nationals, that will be a 300-lb increase in almost exactly two years. The trick, however, is getting the necessary volume on the bench to keep that going too and I'm still working on that.

Looks like I'll be squatting around 440 at this meet and I hope to do so in the 82.5 kilo class. A few months ago I thought I could get that 440 at 165 lbs! At 5'10", that would suggest a superhuman nervous system and tendon strength and I feel a little silly now for thinking I could do it. I struggled with 369 SQ at 165 lbs at my last meet (raw). Got up to 405 at 175 after that, but when I cut for the next meet (which was canceled) I found that I was again at a ~365 raw max at 165 lbs. Now at ~184 I've done that 365 for a x5x5.

My bench has not budged, however, and those 20 lbs of bodyweight have all been on my abs, glutes, hams, adductors, quadriceps and fat.

[Gary Gibson]

SQ 345x2x6
BP 195x5x5
DL 475x2, 485 chalk, hook grip, belt

Today I experimented with changes to the SS SQ I've been doing. Fixed gaze higher and angled head up as I went into the hole. This had a profound positive effect on my ability to maintain back angle.

Warm up/Form check w/ 225. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdYblY4IWgU)
Warm up/Form check w/ 315 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUxUgfjlVM0).
Warm up/Form Check w 335. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2l1tbORn-Y) Belt added, wrists remaining straight in hole.
First work set of six w light day 345x2. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnRO-9pO1VA)

Ta da!

BP w 195x5x5 wasn't hard, but my I was swaying in the breeze with some of those sets. Just can't stay tight enough. I may need additional upper body work like db rows. I really think I just need to gain about 10 on my upper body more than anything else.

Big DL personal best tonight. That double was with a weight that I failed to lock out at my last meet at 165 lbs. I had another rep in me, but decided to save it for an attempt with 485x2. 485 went up, but I was tired at that point and it just felt really hard. I think I'll get 485x2 next time. Want to get a single with 495 and 505 before the meet, then go for broke at the meet with something over 515.

Back feeling absolutely fine. No strain in the lower back at all when I can brace my abs against the belt.

Sumo DL Hook grip, belt. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1bISSy2-TM)

Form was all over the place on the first rep because I was just scared. Got a lot more solid with the second rep.

Weighing 183 in the morning. Not sure how accurate the home scale is and the digital one at the gym is busted. Cutting calories. Only drinking half GOMAD and that's usually during the session itself.

Also, I think I'll be shutting down this thread because I'm not really that scrawny anymore. I'll keep posting here till the meet and then decide if I want to start a new thread with a new title.

[PMDL]

No deadlift vids from the side!

That's rule #1 of the internets.

[PVC]

Gary, you look so...big. When you get over 200 lbs you'll be a monster.

[blowdpanis]

No deadlift vids from the side!

That's rule #1 of the internets.

Yes, it's maybe the most important rule of youtube exercise videos.

[blowdpanis]

Btw, I would agree your form is prettier looking straight ahead. I don't think it's impossible to separate the head position from GMing a weight or not, but it absolutely can make it more difficult to avoid that segmentation in form. If you're not weaker looking basically straight ahead, I say stick with that, it looks quite natural for you, and your hip drive is plenty evident.

[Cmanuel]

Gary, you look so...big. When you get over 200 lbs you'll be a monster.

He sure does, and its making me want to abandon my 600DL@181 mission in favor of bulking up to 225ish

[Gary Gibson]

Rack was tied up (with deadlifting?!). I had to wait for the better part of an hour. So I messed around with the following:

Snatch 135x1x3
Clean & Press 135, 145, 155, (165)
Clean 185 & Jerk (185)

The press was a real surprise. I don't think I've ever gotten above 135 in my life. I might have gotten 140 once, but I'm really not sure. Always struggled with 135. Tonight it went easy and I discovered a 20-lb personal best. I'm guessing this has to do with bodyweight increases as much as anything because I haven't trained the press in many months.

SQ 385x4x4
BP 185x5x5

This was the ugliest SQ session I've had in a while, but it is by far the most weight I've ever used in the squat for work sets. In fact, my heaviest SQ ever was just 20 lbs more than I used tonight. This is 20 lbs more than my max a month and a half ago.

SQ were really, really hard. Form wasn't consistent. Here are sets one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxyMBDpuAyc)and three (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOPcuXS9iN0). Weaker right leg caused some dipping to the right here and there, which is very visible as the third set progresses.

My very last rep was so ugly that I am ashamed. I think I cut it a little high and it there might have been some knee caving. Very much a good morning out of the bottom. Still 385x4x4 is done. Looks like I'm on my way to 405x3x3 and 425x2x2, then at least 200 kilos at the meet. Still won't be 2.5x bodyweight, but I'm so close to that I can smell it.

BP was a little hard because I was tuckered. But I managed the light day with 185x5x5 with very short rests.

Responses:
Thanks, PVC. My next post on 70sBig will detail how it feels not to be emaciated anymore.

Cmanuel, I am now a big proponent of getting as big and strong as possible before worrying about weight classes. Remember: I was trying to get a 440 SQ in the 75 kg!!! That was insanity and I was starting to spin my wheels. I wasn't going to get it and anyway it's much better to have a 600 SQ in the 90 kg than a 450 SQ in the 75 kg. I'm nearly 190 lbs tonight and I still feel insubstantial; Need another 40 lbs to feel solid.

PMDL, blowdpanis: I cringe to think what the YouTube intelligentsia would have to say about my bent over squats. Even other powerlifters in the geared up/monolift feds think my squats look awfully bent over; Bally's smith machiners and globo personal trainers probably have a bounty out on me.