Soul Splint Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 ^ Thanks much! I feel fairly confident, but I'm still super nervy. Wish me luck, guys. I'm gonna need it. Best of luck! Remind yourself that you're well-prepared for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 ^ Thanks a bunch! Yeah, I've only been working on this stuff for like 10 years. I oughtta be ok. It's just one thing to say it, and another to do it, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Two new PRs on 5-rep maxes yesterday, bros. I got 240 for 5 on squats (ass to grass, of course), and 300 for 5 on deadlifts. Nothing astounding, but I used to be built like an anorexic flamingo, so I'm pretty happy about it. I'm hoping these were totally unrelated to me getting my first-ever migraine about half an hour later. Definitely brought me down from my lifting/PR high in a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Two new PRs on 5-rep maxes yesterday, bros. I got 240 for 5 on squats (ass to grass, of course), and 300 for 5 on deadlifts. Nothing astounding, but I used to be built like an anorexic flamingo, so I'm pretty happy about it.I'm hoping these were totally unrelated to me getting my first-ever migraine about half an hour later. Definitely brought me down from my lifting/PR high in a hurry. Hey! Nice lifts, man! Especially those squats, that's good stuff for ass to grass. By that you mean more than 90 degrees, right? For perspective, how much do you weigh right now? You may have that down somewhere in this thread, but I'm too lazy to look lol. Sad to say, but they may have been related to your migraine. Did you have good breathing and hydration? Who knows, maybe it was just bad timing. Nonetheless, nice work, guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 ^ Thanks. I hover around 190 usually, but I'm at about 195 right now and making a strong push to break 200 by early next year. I'm also 6'3, which isn't very helpful when it comes to lifting. What makes me think my migraine was not related to lifting was that every single variable I can think of up to my lifting session was exactly as it usually is during a workday. Lifted while fasted, same hydration, amount of sleep, preworkout, normal work routine, etc. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Very nice lifts then, bro! I know it can be hard for you tall skinny guys to bulk up, so good job on that one too. Also, the way you describe it, it does sound like the migraine was unrelated. Bummer that had to happen after being pumped up like that. :/ Going easy this week has been really weird for me. I've been more or less going ham for a while now, so taking a week basically off is bizarre. Yesterday I did three sets of bench, three sets of squats, and like 10 or 15 minutes on the bag, and then like an hour and some of martial arts, but that was the first time I'd worked out since Friday last. I didn't know what to do with myself almost on the days before. Frankly, I meant to work out a little bit more earlier in the week, but it just didn't happen. Meh, it should be fine, but I hope my lifts don't suffer next week. I'm glad I'm on my 3's next week. Besides my de-load week, it's probably the easiest in 5/3/1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Decided to get off my ass and do my old routine. I'm probably gonna throw out the jumping lunges and replace it with something less taxing on my knees. I discovered that while I can do my pushups very easily now, I've reverted to being pretty out of shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Don't worry, you'll get back in shape soon. Your body will re-adapt. Found some old 'before' pics when I had only been working out for about a month and weighed at least 20 lbs more than I do now. I looked like dogshit, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Dude my legs are STILL sore and I've been walking slowly everywhere I go. I feel really old haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thin Crust Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Dude my legs are STILL sore and I've been walking slowly everywhere I go. I feel really old haha. I'm looking at your profile and I don't see your walking routine. What do you do and how much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I meant it as I walk slowly BECAUSE of my routine (burpees, body-weight squats, jumping lunges, hand-release push ups). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Hey everyone, thanks for the advice prior to my test of this past Saturday! After almost seven grueling hours of all kinds of stuff (kicks, forms, self defense, etc.,) I passed and was awarded my second degree black belt! I screwed up my right hand punching a brick the wrong way twice, and my hamstrings have been a little tight over the last several days, but overall I'm pretty ok, and did alright on test day. I took Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday off, but got back into the gym last night to pretty good effect. Did my 3's on bench, ending at 3x195. Usually I would do other arm stuff, but my arms were still a little tired from the test, so I worked the bags instead for about 20 minutes before finishing up with Fight Gone Bad. I'm excited now, though, because I feel like I can safely vary my routine without worrying about under-performing on an upcoming event. So guys, what are your suggestions for some good stuff to do? My top priority is practical strength. That is, I want to be in good shape for a fight should it occur. Usually burst strength is what you need for this, from what I've read. I've cut down to hovering around 170 lbs, but wouldn't mind cutting just a little more, as muscular endurance is one of my focuses. Finally, this coming year I plan to get my personal trainer certification and start pursuing this as a career. Any thoughts or advice on this or what to do now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 So guys, what are your suggestions for some good stuff to do? My top priority is practical strength. That is, I want to be in good shape for a fight should it occur. Usually burst strength is what you need for this, from what I've read. I've cut down to hovering around 170 lbs, but wouldn't mind cutting just a little more, as muscular endurance is one of my focuses. Finally, this coming year I plan to get my personal trainer certification and start pursuing this as a career. Any thoughts or advice on this or what to do now? Awesomesauce, congrats on the belt! When it comes to practical or 'functional' strength, compound exercises are king. And since you also described a desire for 'burst strength,' I'd start training heavily in exercises that provide the most explosive power, especially Olympic lifts. If you're not familiar with them, look into exercises such as cleans, power cleans, clean and jerk, etc. HOWEVER, these exercises require very good form, and you'll likely want to find someone who can help instruct you. On top of the Oly lifts, I would start training in low rep ranges on other compound movements such as squats and their variations (front squats FTW!), deadlifts and their variations, pullups, bench press, overhead press, etc. Avoid isolation work (curls, crunches, tricep extensions, etc.), and focus on the compound movements. Isos are great for tweaking aesthetics and addressing certain possible weak points to gain strength on a compound lift, but for what you're describing, they'll mostly be a waste of time and energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argle Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I'm becoming more and more convinced I need a stretching routine, a lot more than strength training. I wake up in the morning and I'm all stiff and stuff. And my joints. Bleh. I may dial back the strength work to focus on stretching and flexibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 ^Yeah, I was just talking about this last night at the gym, actually. None of us stretch like we ought to. Have you done yoga? It's good stuff. I recommend it for everyone, ever. It, Tai Chi, and Pilates I think can help anybody regardless of their level of fitness or fitness goals. Also, stretch after you work out, or at least warm up. Stretching cold basically just becomes a warm up, rather than working on flexibility. Awesomesauce, congrats on the belt! Thanks a bunch! When it comes to practical or 'functional' strength, compound exercises are king. And since you also described a desire for 'burst strength,' I'd start training heavily in exercises that provide the most explosive power, especially Olympic lifts. If you're not familiar with them, look into exercises such as cleans, power cleans, clean and jerk, etc. HOWEVER, these exercises require very good form, and you'll likely want to find someone who can help instruct you. Yeah, I've been thinking maybe doing some cleans/jerks. I was terrible at power clean back in high school, but I'm stronger/less goofy now than I was then. We shall see. On top of the Oly lifts, I would start training in low rep ranges on other compound movements such as squats and their variations (front squats FTW!), deadlifts and their variations, pullups, bench press, overhead press, etc. Avoid isolation work (curls, crunches, tricep extensions, etc.), and focus on the compound movements. Isos are great for tweaking aesthetics and addressing certain possible weak points to gain strength on a compound lift, but for what you're describing, they'll mostly be a waste of time and energy. Yeah, for the last several months I've been doing 5/3/1 on bench and squat, which if you're unfamiliar is 3 warm-up sets of 5 or fewer reps, and then 3 working sets of 5 reps the first week, 3 working sets of 3 reps the second week, and then a set of 5, set of 3, set of 1+ the third week before ending the month with a de-load. After my benches I've been doing some other upper body stuff like shrugs and lateral raises, and I've been doing tons of pull-ups in the last several months (though I need to install the pull-up bar in my new place, been slacking on that one.) My squats I still feel like need lots of work (I'm not really happy with my max or my form, though both are improving,) so I don't plan on quitting those, but I'm not sure where I wanna go with my other stuff. Thanks for your advice, though, for sure! I'm thinking power cleans are gonna have to happen. Gonna work the old school power 3 like in high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Gonna work the old school power 3 like in high school. Yep, I am indeed familiar with 5/3/1. Good program. Sounds like you're on the right track to build some serious power behind those registered weapons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Yep, I am indeed familiar with 5/3/1. Good program. Sounds like you're on the right track to build some serious power behind those registered weapons. Cool. Glad you approve. Also, that's my favorite urban legend maybe ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share Posted December 20, 2014 5/3/1 is awesome for building straight up strength, i'd also recommend it if that is your goal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 5/3/1 is awesome for building straight up strength, i'd also recommend it if that is your goal Thanks for the endorsement, it's been good thus far for sure. It's a mountain, but I've been climbing it for a minute now. With the other stuff I've been doing and occasional weeks where I got poor nutrition (these things happen when you're a dad,) there was like a month or two where I was cutting weight and had to drop my lifts and/or keep them level. It gets pretty tough. I'm about to add in power clean, though I wonder at this point on if I should go with power clean, or go with another good Oly lift like clean and jerk. Also, I started doing the supplemental lifts on my lifting days this past week. Oh man, cable pulls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Double post like a boss! Sorry guys. So I got squished on my squat max yesterday. I was supposed to 5x190, 3x215, and 1x240. I got my 5 and my 3 pretty well, but I think I set the sidebars too high on the power rack for my 1 rep max. Went down, hit the bars, and couldn't get back up. I don't know what possessed me to put the bars that high, as I normally get down pretty low and complete my lift just fine. Meh. Anyways, I dropped the weight down to 235 and put the bars back where they normally were and managed to get it done okay. But man, I am not satisfied at all with my squat. At 175 and doing as much kicking as I do, I feel like I should be able to push a lot more weight. What do you guys recommend? Like I said, I've also started doing the supplementary lifts to make it an actual leg day now, so I've added in leg curls and quad presses, but anything otherwise, other than just to quit whining and do more squats? Which, I'll admit, I should totally do. Also, here's one for you guys. Can you overtrain your abs? That is, since rest is fundamental for gaining strength in other muscle groups, is it okay that I tend to do some, if not a lot, of ab work every day I work out, even when that is during consecutive days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 The key to getting stronger at squats is, IMO, to just do more squats Stuff like curls and leg presses aren't bad but squats are a major compound movement, and getting better requires doing them more. You might consider doing more sets, maybe? For example when I squat I always do 4 sets, sometimes 5. I start with a very light set like 50-100 pounds x 10 just to get a feel for it and get my form right. Then I do 1 plate x10, 2 plates x8, and 2+25 or 2+35. On the smith machine I have gone up to 3 plates + 35 though I think the smith really works against by back injury. I'd be curious to see your form... I'm far from an expert but my squat is my best lift by far so I might have some thoughts at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealFolkBlues Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 The key to getting stronger at squats is, IMO, to just do more squats Stuff like curls and leg presses aren't bad but squats are a major compound movement, and getting better requires doing them more. You might consider doing more sets, maybe? For example when I squat I always do 4 sets, sometimes 5. I start with a very light set like 50-100 pounds x 10 just to get a feel for it and get my form right. Then I do 1 plate x10, 2 plates x8, and 2+25 or 2+35. On the smith machine I have gone up to 3 plates + 35 though I think the smith really works against by back injury. I'd be curious to see your form... I'm far from an expert but my squat is my best lift by far so I might have some thoughts at least. I'm doing 5/3/1 right now, which means I'm always doing 6 sets, 3 (serious) warmup and 3 working, with the reps on the working sets (and the weight of course) varying depending on which week of a four week cycle I'm on. It's a good program. My form is ok, I think. It's definitely not going to get me confused for an Olympian, but I haven't hurt myself yet lol. Maybe we should compare notes at MAGFest? Wouldn't that be ironic, a lifting group formed from game music nerds at a con? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I am 100% down for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 I am also planning on working out at mag as well in some capacity, pretty sure Deia will be too. This is a good plan, I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Splint Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Aw man, I'm gonna miss the group workout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.