I got tired of constant bloody/scabbed shins from DL & Oly. I like Soulman's idea. I also found some high socks at Sports Authority (think they were v-ball) for < $10/pair. Had for over a month and no scrapes.

Although your equipment is your equipment (no one to share with)....so if blood stained bars are your thing, go for it.

i wear sweatpants.

G4S - yeah, I've done a bit of that before, but this new bar is like a cheese grater, and the knurling comes closer to the middle of the bar than my old one, so a narrower stance wont do anything. I dont mind a little blood, but I think this is going to get ugly if I dont do something. I love the knurling on this bar for the grip it gives you, but its not made to slide against anything.

lol miles....

SM - The knee sleeve idea - yeah, maybe, but two problems - I like having them on my knees, both for the warmth and to keep my knees from getting scraped. Also, they're going to wind up getting shredded after using them for that purpose.

droppy - I might go with just cheaper long socks like that if the DL socks posted below wear out too fast.

colin - yeah, I do that sometimes, and they're going to get shredded by this bar if I DL in them.

I did some internet searching last night. These might be ok: http://www.christiansfitnessfactory....ead-Lift-Socks

I read some suggestions on other forums. One that seemed reasonable was to use knee wraps around the calves. Another suggested cardboard inside long socks.

1/2

trap bar DL
170*10

KB swings
44*30

standing cable rows
105*30

trap bar DL
170*5, 260*5, 350*5*2, 420*4, 470*1, 500*1, 550*1, 600 fail.

Got it maybe a little more off the ground than last week, but got stuck. Time to move on and do something else. I'm trying to decide if I want to focus on a squat program, a bench program or a conventional DL program next.

If I go with the DLs, I apparently have a sticking point. See vids:

550x1, ~5 minutes prior to 600 attempt - ez
600 1-2-2011
600 12-26-2010
585x1 12-19-2010

Should I add heavy rack pulls to my program ? Any other suggestions?

speed DLs
345*3*2

blast strap pushups
12, 12

flye EQI
15*45

lat EQI
15*45

if off the floor is a problem, halting DLs seem to make more sense. Rip just posted a vid about them on SS.

I'm getting it off the floor, then it stops 3 - 6" up. I'll check that out anyways though, thanks.

edit - can you post a link Colin?

The halting DL is a pull up to above your knee.

http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...lting_deadlift

there's links on that page to tutorials on the rack pull and explosive shrugs. Rip advocates building your DL with alternating rack pulls and halting DLs every other week and doing shrugs in there somewhere (I think weekly on a different day than your heavy pull).

thanks!

I just watched the halting DL vid - I think this might be exactly what I need - thanks Colin. I'll alternate these with rack pulls for a little while.

As far as what weight to use - did he say for his guy to do 8 @ 405 because he's doing sets of 5*405 of regular DLs? Are you aware of any forum discussion about the right amount of weight to use relative to your DL?

my understanding is you use weights heavier than whatever your DL sets are. He talks about it in the rack pull vids, but not much in the halting DL vid (which is a little disappointing). I haven't seen anything on the forums. I don't read them much.

I'll watch the rack pull vid next.

Maybe he did say the guy was doing 405*5, so he does 405*8 with the halting DLs, and something about higher reps or 5 reps being ok.

1/4
I'm going to start posting times on this log since I already write them down, and some people might be interested.

soft tissue stuff - I dont keep track of the time I spend doing that, but its usually roughly an hour. Most of you younger guys can probably get done with a good routine in 10 - 15 minutes that would be as effective for you, but because of my age and the fact that I was inactive for several years, my muscles are all stuck together still. Spending an hour prior to working out gets them all loose and they function a lot better.

mobility warmups - start time 6:10
weights - start time 6:39, finish time after MB slams - 8:36

squat
55*10, 145*8, 195*5, 235*5, 285,3, 325*3, 365*3 (PR for 3 reps), 345*3

squat 365*3

RDL
145*10, 235*5, 285*5, 325*5, 375*5

DB step ups
65(2 dumbells, each 65 lbs)*5, 75*5, 80*5

KB swings
12 swings then 60 sec on treadmill at 2.2 mph per set
62*3, 70*3, 80*2

lat EQI
15*60

flye EQI
15*60

Tonight I felt my mid back/lower trap muscles more than ever while doing the EQIs - especially the lat ones. I can see why these are good for you shoulders. They make the muscles near the bottom of your shoulder blades stronger and more stable.

MB slams
1 set = 15 slams and 30 seconds on treadmill
8 sets

bit of knee cave on the squats it seems. not major but you could tighten it up.

I think you're right. I should post more squat vids because I think my form is sloppier on that those any of my other lifts.

i still think you need to set up with heels more in line with the bar. it's especially apparent on your last attempt at 600. it breaks off the floor and instantly swings backwards. at that point you're finished. that's the "logical" problem with using trap bar deadlifts to increase deadlifts imo. everyone would deadlift more if they could have the bar further back. not only that, but the high handles even further limit training in what's often the hardest part of the lift.

yeah, that last attempt at 600 the bar was definitely too far forward at the start of the lift. good point.

I messed around with moving the bar back farther (in line with the back of the heel) with a lot of warmups, but too far back didnt work well either. I think it needs to be almost back to the heels, but not quite all the way back.

I might be done with max trap bar lifts for now anyways. I think my next run is going to be with the straight bar, and use the trap bar for accessory lifts.

I agree with KC, but that didn't look like a heavy weight for you. Looking forward to a new PR for your triple soooon.

I like that halting DL stuff.

yeah, I'm trying to put together a DL program that works for me now. Rip suggested that power cleans are one of the lifts that should be added, but I wont be doing those any time soon, if ever.

I'm considering something like halting DL, power shrugs, cheat curls, pullups/chins one workout and switching the halting DLs with rack pulls the next while keeping the other lifts. I'm trying to decide if its a good idea to add something like speed DLs to that.

One issue that could become a problem if I do cheat curls and pullups/chins frequently and in the same workout is my forearms/elbows kind of flare up if I work them too hard. I have deep muscle adhesions in my forearms and lower triceps that my chiro has been working on, but those, (along with the ones in my calves), have been stubborn about going away.

I thought the new DL program over, read some stuff by Rip, Louie Simmons and other people who are strong. The consensus of a lot of these people is that once you get to a certain point, the best way to improve DLs is by doing other stuff. I think I'm not quite to that point yet. I think I will be after doing what's described below.

I decided what I'm going to do next is a different version of the Coan/Phillipi program.

Previously, I did trap bar DLs as the primary, max exercise and convention speed DLs as the accessory exercise.

This time, I'll be switching those two around, and I'm going to try the TB speeds from the lower handles. Because my arms are farther out than in conventional DLs, this should be a bit like pulling from a feet elevated position - maybe like a 2" box or so.

For the lighter accessory lifts, I'll be doing RDLs, DB rows, chins or pullups, and good mornings, so that's a bit different than suggested, and different than last time too.

When I get to doing the shrugs, I'll be doing those with a straight bar, similar to the way Rip shows in his vids rather than just trying to muscle up the weight with a trap bar.

I think the variations will be good.

I think I might try doing halting DLs and rack pulls, as well as some other stuff, after I'm finished with this program, but this is the direction I want to go for now.

Anyone have opinions on any of this?

This is another approach that might be helpful:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/frequent_pulling.htm

Thanks for the link - I just skimmed it and it looks interesting. I'll read that over more thoroughly and decide what to do with it after tonight. fwiw, I decided to buy that trap bar after reading some stuff by Eric.

Everything feels good & fresh right now, so I'm going to test my 1RM conventional DL tonight and take things from there. I'm guessing ~525.

1/6

miserable failure despite setting a PR.

First of all, I dont think I like this warmup routine before attempting a heavy max. I found it somewhere, and it seemed like a good idea, but I think I'm in not very good cardio shape and this is sapping my energy just a little too much.

trap bar DL (low handles) 170*10
KB swings 44*30
standing cable rows 105*30
trap bar dl (low handles) 170*5

DL
235*5*2, 325*3*2, 375*2, 415*1 (all that was double overhand grip)

From there on, I went to a mixed grip and it felt awkward, but the grip felt strong.

465*1 (PR, and it was quite easy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysNBgu4Ss9A

505*fail, 505-sumo style lolfail, 505 fail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L0M0nv0Qpo

This is extremely disappointing as I figured 505 would go up easy. I actually got it off the floor easy, then it got stuck near my knees. Based on that and the 600 tbdl fails, its pretty clear I have a significant sticking point.

If I decide to go forward with that modified Coan/Phillipi program, I will need to re-calculate and adjust my goal downward. I think my 1RM is probably 495 now, so I'll use that number as a starting point if I do that program. 600 with a conventional bar seems like a hell of a long ways away right now.

speed DLs with a trap bar, low handles
350*3*2

if you deadlift once a week for a month or two (maybe 2x5 every week, nothing heavier than around 435), you'd get 505 easily. no need for anything complicated. you just need practice doing the lift you want to improve. the 505 came up all lopsided. that kind of stuff is bound to happen when you only ever do the lift in the 60-70% range imo.

I definitely need to practice the lift.