Yeah been there a couple of times. People in Lolifornia looked like Norwegians, other states not so much.

Also, dieting is a breeze if you're educated, smart and you've worked hard in the gym. Even if you're in Minneapolis

Yeah, I was joking, I saw your epic TR you recently posted about a trip you made a few years ago.

Ehh, plenty of fatties in CA, just not as much so in the metro areas (like anywhere else). But yeah, I do agree dieting is easy and simple. But still.....even easier to just be a fatty.

10/4 log

So I was traveling the last several days and also had a stupid cough which my g/f has had for a couple of weeks and a sore throat which my coworker had last week. Anyway, I'm not sure if I was sick or not but I do know that I didn't do anything resembling exercise until yesterday. I wasn't necessarily going to be able to do big compound lifts anyway (my parents' gym doesn't have racks ldo) so meh.

Squats
45x5x2
80x5
120x3
160x2
205x3x5

No video as my g/f had to work late. I definitely got 5 reps on all 3 sets but there was signficant knee cave (my knees go in at the bottom then go back out as I come up - I'm definitely always trying to keep them out) and my lower back is sorish (not super sore) today so I assume I was "good morning" it somewhat as well and pitching forward a bit on some reps.

So I'm going to go out on a limb and guess my depth wasn't perfect on all reps too.

I'm still not really sure how to force myself into better form on work sets. On bench and press it seems good form = heavier weights and I can't move up without better technique. But on squats and DL, it seems bad form = heavier weights and I revert to poor technique when the going gets super tough.

OHP
45x5x2
50x5
60x3
75x2
92.5x5x3

After my first set I was very discouraged and sat for like 4 minutes thinking about how I was never going to ever increase my OHP. But then I got really pissed off and was able to get two more sets. I think on my second set I locked out on one foot as I was off balance, lol. Anyway, my form for the 3rd set wasn't perfect but prolly better than the rest.

I think one issue I've had on OHP is that the weights at Cha's house are lighter than my gym and so I keep setting PRs at his place, then struggle mightily at my gym, stalling, before going down a weight and completing it and then moving up. Maybe my WIM is just way better at Cha's, or maybe there is a couple lbs difference and in OHP it means I end up trying to take too big of jumps.

Pullups (chest up more than "normal" to use my lats)
BWx4
BWx4
BWx3

Chinups
BWx4
BWx3

Stop worrying about depth imo. Read this: http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/squat/
Great squat article. Here are two quotes from it:
I don’t care how deep you squat, as there are so many things that play into squat depth

You should squat as deep as you need help you achieve your goals, and without putting you at risk of injury.


How do you know the weights at your gym are heavier - did you weigh them? I know most of mine are pretty accurate and I have more plates that are 46 or 47 lbs than 44 lbs. I know the weight of my bar + the collars is 55, and I'd bet some significant $$ that its more precise than anything at the Y (or a vast majority of all commercial gyms).

I just saw you post that squat article in your thread, will be good lunch-time reading imo, .

I haven't weighed them but from my struggles with OHP it's what I'm guessing. I guess the other way I could say this is "the weights at my gym seem to be heavier than at Cha's house." I'm not trying to imply yours are that imprecise, I of course trust them more than the weights at my gym.

I also mentioned the possibility that I just have more WIM at your house. But it seems I complete weights at your house, then go to my gym, fail the next weight 3 times, then really struggle with the weight I did at your house. And every time I do OHP at your place I seem to have a really good session.

Afaik it's pretty standard for plates at commercial gyms to not be the correct weight and pretty variable.

My weights were pretty cheap, and I expected them to be off by more than they were when I weighed them.

I kind of think the difference could be the bar - the better grip with my bar will allow you to do more weight. I am guessing the bar at your gym is pretty cheap and more difficult to get a good grip on than my bar. I noticed a drastic difference when I benched with a very bad slippery bar at a hotel gym once - it was hard to do less weight then I did at home because of the bad bar. If your gym's bars are typical of most commercial gyms, it wont be as bad as that hotel bar, but it wont be as good as mine.

In that case I should just chalk up for every lift I do. Although then maybe someone will tell me chalk isn't allowed, ldo.

10/6 log

DL day baby!!!!!!! This is week 2 of the 10 week routine Cha59 recommended to me.

SMR
Mobility

DLs
145x5x2
195x3x2
2258x2
250x2

250x1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6JzMsxXKZo

I did the extra 250 single as a form check b/c my g/f said my back wasn't gravy on the double. So, form check plz, kthx.

Speed DLs (90 secs rest in between, tbh, there aren't so much different than regular DLs imo, )

200x3x8

I may have done 9 sets, but most likely 8, lol. Here are my 6th? set and my 8th set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEYsLBfc6nI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeWLBnY24Q8


Circuit x3:
RDL - 105x8x3
DB Row - 50x8x3 (really tried to focus on my lats)
Chins - BWx3, BWx4, BWx4 assisted 40lbs, BWx5 (the reason for the weird reps is some I was doing at an angle to really try to use my lats, maybe too much)
GMs - 65x8, 70x8x2

I may have done 4 total sets of GMs or RDLs - I got off count somehow on my circuit and am just not sure. Probably 4 RDL sets and 3 GM sets.

My g/f:

Squat
45x5x2
45x4
60x3
80x2
100x5x3

Time to move up again imo.

Bench
24x5x3
45x3
60x2
67.5x5x3

BAM!

DL
45x5x2
65x3
95x2
115x5

Time to move up imo.

They arent bad, but your low back isnt exactly tight as a rock. Dont let it round any more than it is in those.

What did you set as your current 1RM and your target?

Exactly what I was thinking. Not sure if that's a problem in week 2 or if all the extra concentration I'm doing on glute rolling & lat strengthening will make a big difference in my back tightening WIM.

270 & 310. But then I manually changed the last day to 315 b/c, I mean, 3 plates!

10/8 log

SMR
Mobility

LBBS
45x5x2
80x5
120x3
160x2
205x5
205x4
205x4
205x1 (fail)

I think my form on my two failed sets was way better than on my completed set and my completed sets last time I tried 205. I didn't tape my last session but I wrote down that my knees were all over the place (like they were for my first set).

I'm still good morning the F out of my work sets. Reallllly struggling to keep my back straighter. I think my chest is up/lats tight/back tight, but I bend over and then am screwed. Could there be an issue with me leaning backwards too much and needing to lean over to keep the bar over my mid-foot?

Bench
45x5x2
80x5
110x3
145x2
162.5x4
162.5x2
155x2
145x5

Meh. I'm weaker than I was last time on bench. I had a lot of balance issues on my work sets. My warmups felt really good though. Weird. I think I wasn't keeping the bar going up and down in a straight line. I may need to re-pick a place on my chest to touch and try to touch it every time. I know it's "supposed" to be the nipples or just below, but when I do that Cha says my arms are out too much and it's hard on my shoulders, so I go way below that so I can keep my arms at an angle instead of perpendicular to my body.

Any thoughts on bench? Rest to 160 then move up by 1.25lbs instead of 2.5? (unfortunately I can only go 1.25, 2.5, 5 as I don't have 6 .625lbs washers, ).

My g/f did

SMR
Mobility

Squats
45x5x3
60x3
80x2
105x5x3 (WR) - this is technically intermediate (given Rippetoe's chart and conversion from 1RM to 5RM). She is a beast imo. Her form was better than mine too. I guess those who can't....coach their g/f's .

OHP
18x5x3
24x3
34x2
41.5x5x3

She got them all. Definitely her weakest "form" of all the major lifts but part of that imo has to do with her needing to use a bar that is MUCH thicker around than a real barbell b/c our gym suxxors.

Anyway, she hadn't OHP in a while so didn't move up, but I think she's ready for next time.

Squat feedback welcome.

Also, will taping my bench allow you guys to give me good feedback? If so, what angle is it best to record from?

And lastly, a few people I know have been complaining about the quality of my shins (my chiro has even noticed and mentioned it a few times). I am now using shin sleeves and assumed it'd be better, but if anything, my shins are as bad/worse. Is this normal on DLs?

bruises around the knee like that are pretty good indicators something is wrong. shin scrapes are standard though.

Not enough iron in your diet maybe?

Listen to your gf - keep your knees out!

Congrats to gf on the WR!

Do bruises around knee indicate that I'm bending my knees too soon when lowering the bar on DLs? Wouldn't that be obvious in my videos?

Hmmm, I am pretty sure I've always gotten a lot of bruises easily. No matter what my diet has been. I've never noticed a change any time I've drastically changed my diet (which has happened several times in my life since I noticed I bruise easily).

I do have some discoloration to begin with on my knees from a couple of somewhat recent years of playing bball on carpet (eh, don't ask) and never learning not to dive for the ball.

I maybe could try some iron. Would getting it from a supplement of some sort in some amount tell me anything?

She says "thanks, that's so nice!"

I'd talk to a doctor before using iron supplements. I think there are some good reasons not to supplement iron, but I dont remember what they are.

10/9 log

First basketball game of the season! We won last weekend while I was out of town. We only had 5 guys at the game and it seemed the other team wasn't that great anyway.

This game we had 8 guys so I didn't play all that much. And we started off very sluggish, ending up down 9 at halftime. We battled back to send it into OT and then lost by 1 in OT.

I hustled. I played good D, I don't think too many baskets were made on my side of the floor when I was out there. But, I also got ridiculously winded a couple of times. I took two layup/short type shots, got fouled on both imo - softly, but on my shooting arm - and finished with zero points. Maybe I need a better primer in spacing or need more consistent shots b/c I always feel the game moves suuuper fast when I get the ball in this rec league, and don't feel that way in pickup and on defense.

I also got mugged on some rebounds away from the ball and one time I got up with a guy who was walking over me, which I was hoping would be a foul on him but I guess it just means I need to calm down lol.

Anyway, I really need to play more aggressively and physically. It seemed whenever I got near the ball I'd freeze up and get really tentative, not make strong plays, and only get rebounds and such via my position.

I got my hand on several offensive rebounds but had a hard time getting them (and even poked one away from my teammate accidentally). Ugh, gotta get some imo.

Anyway, any tips on being confident in your game if your game involves setting screens, getting the ball in your hands only a few times a game, and never getting in a flow?

Kinda like the poker advice: "I like to think of every decision point in every hand as the chance to make the perfect play", you have to accept that even the small things in the game have to be done correctly as many times out of 100 as you can, with ultimate intensity (even if your screen isnt used, even if the shot goes in, did you set it well, did you hit the boards with good timing in the right position?). Then you can build confidence that your doing the right things, without the results necessarily dictating success or not.

Not sure how to put it into practice though!

Yeah, I approach basketball like this, which may actually be some of my problem. I end up thinking too much and not in the moment enough. But I definitely try to maximize every decision I make on the court. I try to set good screens but have no feel with my current teammates when or how to set them. It's easier in pick-up tbh b/c most people stand around and I'm the only one setting screens. For our games we all *should* be trying to screen off the ball so that kind of means we just keep screening for each other haphazardly. There's no good understanding of what kind of shot we're trying to create.

This seems to only bother me, lol. I think part of it is b/c I approach the game so analytically. When I actually touch the ball I have no plan for scoring, b/c I'm always surprised I get the ball. Even when I know I'm wide open on a fast break. I think I'm prepared but I have no plan. Also, once you catch the ball or have the ball near the rim, it's much less about a plan and more about feel. Of course I shoot, that's the plan. But you can't plan in advance if you're going to for sure pump fake, try to shoot super quick, gather yourself and go up more slowly, take a dribble to get to the other side of the hoop or get closer.

It's those moments where I have a really hard time. In 1vs1 and 3vs3 I still have time to process everything and analyze the situation. In 5vs5 I have to react immediately when I have the ball, I can't hesitate to figure out what I'm going to do.

*sigh* - see, I'm still analyzing too much, lol.

I'll be going to play pickup basketball (for pay, so I assume it's fairly competitive) tonight and hopefully can be more comfortable playing with a bunch of different/new ppl. It should help me with my reactive/feel skills.

Hmmm, I def am not doing much deep analysis when I am playing. I am def thinking, though. I think when I am in the zone the best, my thought process is pretty basic, and basically is just in 'exploit' mode. I'm sure you do something similar. Find weaknesses, exploit. On both sides of the floor.

Largely I think that I save all my deep analytics for post game and practice and warms ups and watching. That way it all falls into place instinctually in the game. At least that's what I hope for.

Like I've realized: I need to basically stop trying to take the ball all the way on fast breaks unless its going to be uncontested. I get a lot of steals but I lose control when the point keeps up with me and easily steals it or makes me throw it away. Now I just steal and hold it.

I also know where I am good at shooting, so i don't have to think about it if I'm not in that area.

Anyway, I'm sure you know all that stuff. I def think the deep analysis is really good, but should be saved for post game stuff.

Just because I know the deep analytics should be saved for post game doesn't mean I don't freeze up on the court. Part of it may simply be due to playing on a real team with standings and stuff. Maybe I'm just nervous for no important reason?

I have spots on the floor I'm more comfortable at but that doesn't mean I always go to them on the court unless I think about it for some reason. The thinking I do helps me to not make mistakes and make smart plays, but I do think I have trouble flowing when I get the ball. Maybe it simply is not getting enough reps 5vs5. I only have the ~15-20 games from last year as my recent sample of 5vs5. Most of my "learning" basketball was playing 3vs3 intramural in college I guess.

You're like 6'1", right? Seems like we have somewhat of a similar build, so maybe I can have an opinion that might actually be useful lol.

What's your grip width like on bench wrt to the smooth spots in the knurling? I know that my arms tend to drift more towards perpendicular, but my grip is decently wide normally (index fingers just ouside the knurling) and I can usually keep the bar in the groove unless I am pushing out that last rep in my last set. Maybe post a video?

I'm 6' (a short 6' tbh). But yeah, kind of 6'1" lol.

Hmmm, my grip is to have the outside of my hand flush with the smooth break in the knurling (I feel it with the outer edge of my pinkies to get a consistent grip). The bar at my gym has a big smooth spot in the middle, then knurling, then a very slight break, then more knurling if I remember correctly. I guess all bars are pretty similar. I feel at Cha's house I don't have much trouble finding where to put my hands so I assume the breaks in the knurling are similar (his bars have MUCH grippier knurling though).

Where would "index fingers just outside the knurling" mean? Does that mean your index fingers are just outside the smooth break in the knurling? If so that means my grip is a bit narrower. But I doubt it's super narrow, my g/f probably would have mentioned it "looks weird".

I guess I can also bring a tape measure or something and figure out precisely how far apart I'm putting my hands.