renton, can you not just pull double overhand if mixed feels so unbalanced? it looked like your grip is fine with the DOH with the RDLs at a similar weight. what about chalk or adding in some grip work like BB suitcase holds or farmers walk?

The RDLs are strapped. I have tiny hands and probably couldn't DOH 225, but I haven't tried in a while. I'm not yet sure that mixed grip will even be a problem. We'll see after tomorrow.

What about hook grip?

Small hands, hard to get my fingers securely around my thumb. Still, I bought some athletic tape to bring back to Cambodia and I intend to give hook grip an honest try once I get settled.

I admire your dedication and desire to keep moving up in weight. But don't start using supportive/assistive gear for the sake of moving up in weight. Truly make sure you've reached your limit and not just because you stopped progressing temporarily.

I assume you're referring to the sleeves. I got them to try them out and to see if it makes my knee feel better, which it seems to. AFAIK people don't use them to lift heavier, do they?

Sunday, July 23, 2017 Training
Deadlift Variant, C5W3 TM143 5x5 @72.5%

1. Sumo Deadlift (lb):

135x4x3
185x3
205x2
230x5
230x5
230x5
230x5
230x7

2. Paused HBBS (lb):

180x5
180x6
180x6
180x6

2. Hanging Leg Raise:

21
21
21
21

3. DB Row (lb): 55x12x3
3. Leg Extensions (lb): 105x12x3

Training time: 2:01

***

It was a strong showing today. I'm getting the hang of sumos; each set was better than the last. I forgot to bring chalk and grip started slipping on the second set, so I strapped the sets after that one. Straps made them much easier, which kind of makes me want to use them more often. But idk, it seems like my grip is so weak that I should work it as much as I can. And for that matter, it might be worth programming something on squat day that taxes the grip more, so I get two grip overloads per week instead of just the one.

Squats were very easy, so much so that I wondered if the sleeves were giving me a little boost in the paused position. I added a rep to each set after the first, and that still left some in the tank. It will be exciting to progress a bit more aggressively on these going forward.

Week 67 Diet
Mass Phase Week 8



I made no effort to restrict calories during the last weekend with my family in the U.S. I'm heading back to Cambodia and normalcy today. I weighed myself a few times on poorly-calibrated scales at my gym and was around 134 fully clothed. I can't know for sure until I get back, but it looks like I didn't gain all that much weight during my trip.

If at Y weight you can do 3x8 without problems and your knees are fine, but at Y*1.2 your knees start to bother you and you can't complete the reps unless you wrap them...isn't that the same thing as being used to lift heavier?

It is both a "Yes and No" to your question. Yes because it can allow you to lift heavier long term because of the 'protection' it provides and No because it doesn't automatically boost the lift like a shirt or slingshot would (slow your fingers cha, in the simple context presented here I am not wrong). You ultimately still need the strength to move it in the first place.

I don't agree. My knees bother me in general. It's not like they only hurt past a certain threshold. I'm squatting relatively high volume, so the risk for injury is there, and sleeves may reduce that risk and make them feel better overall. My only concern is the hassle of putting them on. It's just another thing in a routine that has become a bit crowded as is.

if you go with sleeves, I recommend rehbands. SBDs are for hardo powerlifters who don't mind wasting 10 minutes putting them on and taking them off. Rehbands are a breeze to get on and off and do the job that sleeves are intended to do.

I often go from squat->bench and I bench in my squat shoes anyway so I just leave the sleeves on when that's the case.

The rehbands would have cost double. I probably should have still got them, but I'm stuck in Cambodia with the slingshot ones for now. They're quite tight and take a couple of minutes to put on. Taking them off just takes a second, though. I use this method.

Oh didn't see you bought some. Carry on then.

Friday, July 28, 2017 Training
Bench Variant, C5W4

1. Reverse-grip Bench (kg):

20x5x2
30x5
40x6
50x4f widened grip after this set
40x6 vid shows grip width
45x6
47.5x6
47.5x6
47.5x5 @8.5

2. Machine Seated Row (lb):

130x11
130x11
130x11
130x11
130x11

2. Arnold Press (lb):

35s x9
35s x9
35s x9
35s x8
35s x9

3. Machine Fly (lb): "140"x10x2, 140x8, 130x10
3. WG Lat Pulldown (lb): 115x8x2, 100x8x2

4. Cable Laterals (lb): 7.5x14x3
4. DB Concentration Curl (lb): 15x15x3
4. DB Wrist Curl (lb): 20x8, 15x15x2


Training time: 1:57

***

I'm starting Week 4 two days late, thanks to jet lag. It will simply cut into my planned deload week and I'll be back on schedule after that.

Reverse-grip bench is pretty interesting. I couldn't do it for very much weight but I felt absolutely no shoulder pain during these sets, nor any weakness on the left side. I made the mistake of using a too-close grip for the first ramping sets (pinkies slightly within rings), which resulted in a huge moment arm at the bottom, hence 50kg being super difficult all of a sudden. I brought the grip out to middle fingers on rings after that set and it went much better.

I'll ponder during deload week whether I want to make this my main bench for a cycle or two.

Saturday, July 29, 2017 Training
Squat Variant, C5W4 TM124 6x6 @75%

1. HBBS (kg):

20x10
40x5
60x5
70x3
82.5x2
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x6
92.5x9 [PR]

2. Romanian Deadlift (kg):

95x8
95x8
95x8
95x8

2. Cable Straight-Back Crunch (lb):

65x12
65x12
65x12
65x12

3. DB RFESS (lb): 20s x15x3
3. DB Curl (lb): 25x10x2, 25x11

Training time: 2:01

***

The way my squats have been going during this cycle, I figured I had a good squat day in me under the right conditions. I'm still jet-lagged, sleeping during the day and awake at night. This session was at 7AM, toward the end of my day, which is unideal since I normally train soon after waking up. That said, my knee felt really good today; no pain at all during static stretching and way more ROM than it is normally capable of.

I smoked the first five sets with pretty decent depth and form. I've been judicious with AMRAPs during this cycle, but one seemed appropriate this time. That set probably wasn't even an @8 in retrospect, even though the last rep felt like a total grinder in the moment. Pretty big gains here as I hit the same sets and reps 5 weeks ago with higher RPEs and longer rest intervals.

Week 68 Diet
Mass Phase Week 9



I lost 12 hours on the trip back to Asia, so all the averages take into account the missing half day. Macros were amusingly on point despite making almost no effort to plan my meals since I got home. Weigh-ins were about what I expected; only 4 pounds of weight gain in a month in a country where you get funny looks if you aren't mainlining maple syrup is about as good as one could hope for.

Monday, July 31, 2017 Training
Overhead Variant, C5W4 TM48 6x6 @75%

1. Press (kg):

10x10
20x6
27.5x4
32.5x2
36x6
36x6 @10
32.5x6
32.5x6
32.5x6
32.5x8 @8.5

2. Chin-ups (@61kg):

7.5kg x5
7.5kg x5 @9
5kg x5
5kg x5
5kg x5 @9.5

2. DB Flat Bench (lb):

40s x10
40s x10
40s x10
40s x10
40s x10

3. Machine Triceps Pushdown (lb): 55x12, 55x15x4
3. V-Handle Seated Row (lb): 80x15x5

4. DB Hammer Curl (lb): 25x10, 25x9x2, 25x8
4. Cable Face-pull (lb): 37.5x16x4
4. DB Reverse Wrist Curl (lb): 10x11x3, 10x8

Training time: 2:45*

***

I absolutely hate the press. There are no apparent gains comparing this cycle to the last. I have some programming changes for it that I'll put in my post-cycle write-up in a few days. This was otherwise a pretty grueling workout that I'm glad to put behind me.

* There was a lot of chatting with people I hadn't seen in a month, so probably only 2:15 of actual training and necessary rest.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017 Training
Deadlift Variant, C5W4 TM143 6x4 @75%

1. Sumo Deadlift (kg):

65x4x2
80x2
90x2
100x2
107.5x4
107.5x4
107.5x4
107.5x4
107.5x4 straps
107.5x4 straps

2. Paused HBBS (kg):

85x5
85x5
85x5
85x5

2. Hanging Leg Raise:

22
22
22

Training time: 1:55

***

Deadlifts were a mixed bag. A lot of good reps, some awkward ones, and the last set was a botch from the first rep. I'm not getting my hips tight enough before the pull, and I think the 2nd rep of the 4th set is the only one that I actually did that correctly.

Squats were very strong despite feeling like throwing up the whole time. Five kilos more than last time I did sets of 5, with longer pauses and lower RPEs as well. Probably I am getting a little help from the sleeves, but I think there are gains too.

I dropped the tier 3 **** because I felt awful and was running late for poker. I think I am not yet accustomed to training in sweltering heat.

Sweltering heat is gainstown but it does take getting used to.

Well, I was used to it for a year, then I went to a gym in the U.S. for a month that kept the thermostat at 60F and got used to that.

And your press didn't move. Shocker. Gotta be real hot or real cold.

Program Tweaks

- Moved overhead day to the first day, and changed it to a push press. I'm thinking I might have better overhead gains if I can hit it fresh after the two-day break. Switching to a variant makes sense given how long my press has been going so poorly, and push press makes sense as a variant since my sticking point seems to be at lockout.

- I'll still be strict pressing on bench day as my secondary lift. I'm going to start off with relatively light weights and then just try to exceed volume week to week and make slow gains like I have been on DB presses (which this will replace in the program).

- Reverse-grip bench as primary for a while, but it should be noted that I'm trying to focus on overhead since I can't really bench right now anyway. So only one day a week of barbell benching, with DB flat bench on the other upper day.

- Percentages on deadlift have been changed to more closely resemble a reasonable theoretical 1RM, and the TM adjusted to reflect this. Could I pull 140 for a single? Probably (obviously?) not. But maybe I could approach that if I trained singles for a while.

- Push press sets/reps/%ages are the same as deadlift. Just seems logical.

Training Maxes

Push Press: 48 (+0 from press TM)

This is very conservative, but I just want to learn how to do this right before putting a lot of weight on the bar.

HBBS: 129 (+5)

I'm feeling more confident than ever in my squat, so I'm going with a slightly larger increase than usual. This will have me squatting 100kg for 6x6 in two cycles instead of three (this cycle will be 96kg).

Reverse-grip Bench: 66 (initial)

The movement is new and awkward and I'll just make linear progress if it's there to make, but I'm going super conservative for now.

Sumo Deadlift: 140 (+6)

Probably the most ambitious increase, but I really feel like I have a lot of performance to gain just by tightening up my setup and getting more reps of practice in. 112.5 for 6x4 in Week 4 should be doable.

Bulks up on American diet and then goes home and starts crushing squats.


tellmemore.jpeg

Friday, August 4, 2017 Training
Overhead and Squat Variants, C5 Deload

1. Push Press (kg):

10x10 strict press
20x5 strict press
20x5x2
27.5x5

2. HBBS (kg):

60x5
75x5
80x5

3. Chin-ups (@60kg):

6
6
6

***

Looks like I can't push press. I chose to do them like Thrall does in this video. In other words, not from the clean rack position. This seemed like the best way to do them in order to have maximum carry over to the press.

Anyway, none of that matters now because I hurt my right shoulder during the 27.5 set. That's the opposite shoulder of the one that constantly gives me grief. So now both of my shoulders could be messed up. Considering it was the second push press set ever for me, I have no doubt that I was doing it wrong, but I think the pain was because I didn't have the mobility to hold the bar where it needed to be at the bottom: close to my body and supported by my torso, not wrists. Up until this point, I've been starting my press ROM significantly off the chest/shoulders, but that is not possible with a push press.

Anyway, I'm pretty annoyed with this new development. It even affected my squat, as the pain prevented me from getting tight enough under the bar, which made 80 feel way heavier on my back than it should have. I'm not yet sure how I want to respond to this programming-wise.

Hope the pains and ailments heal up soon. They just seem to keep on stacking up.