DT,

What kind of bar do you use at home? I'm considering picking up some Rogue Full Colors and a new bar (prolly the Rogue Bar?) and shoes. Retail therapy for a recent break up. :/ Thoughts on all?

Also, is the platform necessary? I lift in my garage which has smooth concrete. Am I gonna **** **** up by not getting a platform?

Thanks man and keep up the impressive work!!!

Platform saves the equipment as well as the concrete plus it will dampen some of the noise. Hell, you don't even need to build a full platform, you can get by just fine with a couple of 6X4X3/4 mats from a tractor supply store for approx $40 each.

Thanks.

I guess you got a bar already. I think we used a couple of Rogue bars at my old gym and they were fine, I think you'll be happy. I would have recommended the Burg + Rip bar, since it's one of the ones I have now and I like it.

The platform is necessary imo, but like dtemp says you could get by with just some rubber as a 2nd best option.

5/4/11

Chiro:
ART + Graston on my R arm that has been bothering me most recently (best described as a "shin splint" like feeling along R forearm with any loading). I have a nice bruise on the area that was painful and the arm overall feels much better. I will test it out tonight if I have time. I guess the jury is still out, but seems like so far so good with the new chiro... he didn't BS me so far at least and he knew what Westside Barbell was and claims to also work with a couple of PLs (I was wearing my westside hoodie at the time).

Thanks again cha for the ART + Graston rec. It was a PITA to find someone who did both, so I hope this is the guy works out long term.

nice, I'm glad its feeling better. Hopefully this guy is good. Graston usually hurts and leaves a big mark that goes away after 2-3 days. Its more of a "break the tissue down & slow heal" type of thing, while ART gives immediate relief & usually doesnt leave marks.

Great suggestion guys. I'd tried finding matting with very little success, but your guidance convinced me to keep looking and DTemp - you were right on the money. I finally found a couple for $38.50 ea. Gonna pick em up this week.

Thank you for the help guys!!!

Nice squat DT!

I think I need to get some knee high socks.

Thanks.

5.10.2011
I took off a week to let my forearm heal and because I was overall very worn down and tired. Still rolled on foam roller, but didn't really do anything else (some longer walks and short hikes, I guess.)

Squat
184x5x5
Tough. Saw stars on rep 5 of 3rd set. Would have set off the lunk alarm on rep 4 and 5 of 4th set. 5th rep of 5th set was the definition of a grinder, but I got it and most importantly maintained good back extension. Near the end of what I can do on this cycle.

Press (5/3/1 cycle 2 week 1)
58x5
66x5
75x5+ 6 reps, not supposed to be to max but I doubt I had a 7th. I was so tired and my abs were so fatigued. The good news is that my right forearm feels great.

What kind of BF meter you using? Calipers?

Also - what is your DROM warmup comprised of?

I just use one of those crappy handheld impedance meters for BF. Yes, it's not very accurate, but I find it precise over time when using it at the same time.

Warmups:
Usually various things from this post I made, nothing too crazy:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/85...s#post25890282

- Shoulder dislocates with a pvc pipe, moving grip slightly narrower as you make more pass throughs
- same thing but wrapping pvc around body in both directions
- windmills with arms
- dynamic stretching of arms across body with thumbs up and thumbs down
- pushup variations: spiderman, one where you walk out to a pushup and walk back, etc.
- bear crawl
- crab walk

For lower body usually something like:
- 10-15 ea leg swinging straight leg in front of body
- 10-15 ea leg rotate leg about hip full rom
- sometimes swing straight leg back in addition to forward
- With wide stance and erect torso, go to bottom of squat over ea foot and move back and forth
- spend time in bottom of squat
- lots of air squats (ok, not crossfit levels of lots. Maybe 50 or something.)
- the thing where oly lifters put the bar on the knees in bottom squat position to stretch ankles (I don't know if this does anything, but it feels good)

Also I'll add some Kstar stuff from time to time if something's particularly tight.

I'm sure I'm leaving some stuff out. Usually my warmup is about 10 minutes. I'm pretty much a minimalist warmup dude.

Finding a relevant-seeming mobilitywod post the night of a hard workout and sacking up and doing it pays big dividends the next morning imo.

Awesome - thanks for posting that DT. I used to do some more lower body warm up stuff similar to you, but (as dumb as it sounds) don't really do it if I'm not working out at home (meaning on my super hectic Cal Strength days). I basically just foam roll my IT bands and do 10 reps of everything with the bar only and get after it.

I need to get a bit more diligent about it.

Snatch
90
95
100
105xFx2 (forward, not finishing pull imo)
105
110
116xF
116 PR (Video linked)
120xFx2

Front Squat
150x2x3
Felt heavy, upper back was feeling relatively weak on these. I would have liked to do more sets, but I felt a sharp pain in my left knee so I stopped. Nothing serious.

Press
62x3
71x3
80x3+ (4)

nice!

yeah buddy

lol, vn

Nice

yea. buddy.

ty

5.18.2011
KB
Getups
Swings
Presses

Short swings metcon

Clean and Jerk
doubles to 110
125
135
145x1x2 (PR clean both times, F jerk both, but close) I need to work on my jerk form around 135 most likely. Missing those jerk blocks.

Clean
150xFx2
150x1 PR
I really fight for it here and get the 8kg PR. Felt good to stand up with this.

Front Squat
up to 170
180xF, just tired. I think I'll normally have this.

Trying the smolov base cycle... ?

Squat
151x9x4
Very difficult. Half is that this is hard as ****, half is that I didn't eat enough today.

Press
66x5
75x3
84x1+: 2, had 1(+?) in the tank but I almost blacked out

hbbs Smolov base cycle week 1 day 2/4
162x7x5
Easier than monday, it's true that your body lies to you. All day I thought I was ****ed for these, but they weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. Granted, I thought they would be ****ing death march horrible.

KBs
swings
3 sets of 20 or so (with 24 or 32, can't recall)
snatches
a few ea hand

5.27.2011

Squat
173x5x7
hard

High Bar Back Squat (HBBS) Smolov base mesocycle week 1 day 4/4

Squat
184x3x10
Felt better than yesterday. A couple of grinders, but good bar speed for the most part. Happy to be finished with week one and I feel like I'm adapting to the volume ok so far.

30 consecutive pushups
Core was tired, chest was not