Smarter

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Chalk floats softly through the air. The thumping of your heart is all you hear, all you feel. You step to the bar and place your hands on it, feeling the cold knurling on callused hands. The whirling hurricane of emotion settles into the eye of the storm, the peaceful moment when you have to make a decision to begin.

*****

If you’ve found yourself on the receiving end of an ass kicking by gravity, I can feel your disappointment, irritation, and likely rage. Missing reps is common among lifting, yet dealing with them is not. Powerlifters can go months without missing a single rep to experience the ultimate let down on a third attempt. Weightlifters who push themselves will miss in each workout, but it doesn’t make it any easier. After the initial moments of rage quiet down, remember that each missed rep is a learning opportunity.

The process of getting stronger is dependent on how you react to failure, and failure will be prevalent. In order to get stronger, you have to get smarter, and you get smarter by analyzing what went wrong, how to fix it, and doing it better next time. This may require a hard look at aspects of recovery (food, sleep, etc.), the program (levels of volume intensity throughout the week and over time), and the technique (inefficiencies in movement and bar path). The possibility may exist that you didn’t have any business attempting that weight, but you won’t know until you try. There’s always a reason for failure, but it’s up to you (and the coach) to figure out why. Otherwise you won’t get smarter about getting stronger.

Happy PR Friday (post PR’s to comments)



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Squatland Yard Podcast — I was the guest
We talk about Doug Young, Under Armour, and whether or not normal guys should do power cleans.

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38 thoughts on “Smarter”

  1. PRs:
    Squat: 390×1
    Bench: 280×1

    And I even took video of this.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBerDXgxH2Y

    Tomorrow I will try powerlifting for the first time at the USAPL Richmond Open. Thanks so much, Justin for your advice this week and in the past. And thanks to the guys in the chat a couple weeks back as well. This blog is a source of inspiration. I probably never would have considered powerlifting without reading this stuff every day. I trained hard and will do my best tomorrow.

  4. I got a pull-up this week. It wasn’t pretty and I had to kip the hell out of it but for 7 months pregnant and an additional 25 lbs. BW I’m calling it a PR.

  6. PR’d Squat for the first time in a long time, but did it twice this week w/270lb X5X3 and 275X5X3

    Also PR’s chins with 5.

    Submitting myself for the strength villain transformation challenge. Should be fun to see the changes over the next 12 weeks.

  7. Squat: 410 x 1 x 5
    Bench: 280 x 1 x 3
    Deadlift: 460 x 1 x 5

    For those that were in the chat after Justin left this past Tuesday: I found out the day before the tutorial that Calculus Girl was spoken for. By a pansy-ass, pencil necked, bird chested twerp, at that.

  8. BW: 182
    Snatch: 185
    Clean & Jerk: 220
    Squat: 365×5 — I’ve hit heavier sets of 5, but they never felt this easy so I still consider this a PR of sorts

    Justin / Any other knowledgeable Weightlifters-

    I’ve heard that a 1xBW Snatch and a 1.5xBW Clean and Jerk are good initial milestones to aim for when learning the lifts. Any thoughts on this?

  10. Weight PR. I was a soft and sloppy 193# about 5 years ago – dead a ton of conditioning and diet work and got down to 157# in mid 2008. i swtiched to powerlifting in early 2010, and I’ve been steadily putting on weight since September 2010 when I competed at the USAPL Virginia State Championship @ 165 (I actually weighed in at 164.5# at that meet). I decided I needed to be careful with the move up to 181#, since I am 40 years old and only 5’7″, and I already have a few issues with cholesterol and BP. Got to 179.8# Tuesday. I’m looking forward to putting on about 6 more pounds, and staying there for a while, then trimming back to 181# for the USAPL Raw Nationals in Scranton, PA this August. No idea about training PRs because I just started Wendler 5/3/1 programming 2 weeks ago.

    Don’t worry about gaining weight just to gain weight at this point in your life. Make sure it’s quality lean body mass.

    –Justin

  11. @Justin – thanks for all your help when you visited Ft. Benning a few weeks ago. Had a big PR Friday…

    BS 315×1 (lifetime PR)
    Press 135×5 (post-Ranger PR)
    DL 355×3 (post-Ranger PR)

    Nothing to write home about but feeling great about the progress just six weeks out from winter Ranger School. Time to go eat…

    He means six weeks after Ranger School. Glad to hear, Dave. Stay in touch.

    –Justin

  12. @Nasty Nate
    Here are USAW’s qual totals:
    http://assets.teamusa.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/33576/NatMeets.xls

    You’ll see that a 2.5xBW total can get you to junior nationals or collegiate nationals in most weight classes. But the Senior nationals requires a 3.5xBW total to qualify in most classes.

    They’re ok milestones, a 1.5xbw CJ is alot harder than the bw snatch.
    CJ and Snatch are naturally about about 30kg apart. I suppose your goal after these should be power snatching bodyweight and power cleaning 1.5x bw.
    Here’s Kilgore’s strength standards:
    http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

  16. DL PR 1RM: 555

    During the TSC. It was a great scene.
    Got it to my knees and this jacked black bodybuilder wearing a do-rag, Zubaz pants, and a dirty white wife-beater tank top started yelling “Pull it, pull it” and I finished it off.

    After I dropped the barbell he jumped me on the platform and gave me a huge high-five. He was loving it. My new friend at the gym.

    Wish I had a video of that. He was more excited than I was.

    The pull felt great though. Last PR was 505×3, first attempt 505, second 525, then said fuck it and made the jump to 555.

    On the road to 600.

    That story was awesome. I thought you were just making shit up at first (about what he was wearing).

    –Justin

  17. Sorta PR: Bench 245×9. I’ve done this before but had to take a little time off. Good to come right back to where I was before.

    StillGrowing: That’s why you speak up early on, you would either spend the whole semester not worrying about it or stealing her away.

    Maslow: You should update this thread once you get done tomorrow.

  22. Also squat 5×5 335 PR
    Texas Method still going strong at about 12 weeks into it. My gains are still every week. I am starting to be on the verge of a much needed major deload week. I’m 1rm the press tomorrow. Last time I 1rm the press I hit #205.

  23. Justin, I wish I was making this shit up.

    I took the rest of the week off (my deload on 5/3/1 and some work travel) so can’t wait to get back in on Monday and see this cat. He was live.

  24. Justin, since you posted a pic of Klokov, i thought i would go one step further and post a vid of Klokov on dancing with stars.

    http://youtu.be/MbClOecUO_M

    Notice how he finishes his dance by Overhead pressing the girl. Very 70’s Big.

    Also, Justin as a side note, as i didn’t get to post on the equiptment post…

    …But what do you think of Rip’s shoes for o-lifting?

    It is between Rip’s shoes, nike romaleos, or asics weightlifting shoes.

    Also, how come you are no longer o-lifting?

    I’ve never heard anyone making a case for the Nike shoes. Asics makes weightlifting shoes? And I don’t know anyone that oly lifts with the Rip shoes. Check out Risto, Pendlay, and the Rogue stuff. I’m not O-lifting cause there isn’t anywhere I can do it, even though I own my own bar and plates.

    –Justin

  25. Its tough to stay up to date with no internet at the house and as a result I didn’t even know Justin came to fort benning. When was that?

  26. Tested my OH Press 1RM this week, hadn’t done that in a bit. +15lbs up to 165. Failed 170, press is a bitch.

    No other news to report. Good luck tomorrow Maslow, definitely post results when you can.

  27. Press 172x5x3
    Dips 60x5x4
    Deadlift- hell I can’t remember and don’t have my notebook with me at work here. But it’s 5# more then last week for 5 reps
    Squat 345×5

  29. 2 PRs today

    1) First post after lurking for over a year

    2)Clothing PR, blew my shorts wide open on my last set of squats, from the package all the way to the waistband in the back. The banana hammock kept everything together, and I finished out my set. Got some laughs, the seam blowing out was pretty loud and got some attention in the immediate area.

  30. Justin, great article. I like how you describe the moments before the lift. Articles about focus and visualization (or any psychological aspect of the sport) are interesting.

    I participated in my first OL meet last Saturday and I bombed my second and third attempt (both 65kg) at the snatch at weights well below my known highest single. Coaches and I figured out what went wrong and I moved right through it. It wasn’t at all unpleasant or frustrating. Afterwards, I thought about how it was just part of the process. Everyone needs to fail to learn. At my first PL meet, I made all attempts. This time…you won some you lose some!

    I focused more on the clean and jerk warm up routine and made all attempts and set a PR at 95kg. I won first place in the men’s masters. It was a huge confidence boost. It was a great experience, not only because I won but because I failed, which revealed some training and warm up issues I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

  31. Several PRs this week.

    Squat 435 3×5 PR
    Bench 300 3×5 PR
    Deadlift 455×8 PR (don’t ask why 8)
    Press 185 3×5 not a PR, yet.
    Dips w/45lbs 3×10 PR
    Power Snatch 185 PR
    Power Clean & Jerk 270 PR

    Have been working on the Olympic lifts alot the past couple weeks. Finally have to flexibility to complete the full lifts, but am still not used to getting under the bar. Something just seems off about getting under a snatch when you’re holding about 200lbs and I’m too wired for power cleans to squat underneath it.

    Signed up for a USAW Level 1 Cert next month. Hope to learn alot and get all my kinks worked out then.

  32. Squat 172,5 kg (~380 lbs) x5

    I had planned to get three reps, but I was feeling reckless, so I went for five. My new Inzer belt seems to help while squatting, but with presses and deadlifts it stills feels weird and gets me out of position.

  33. PRs:
    3x5x190lb sqt
    1x5x185lb dl
    3x5x175lb bn
    3x5x100lb ohp
    3×5 dips+15lb
    3×5 chins+15lb
    bw=180

    Also got in 2 prowler sessions for a little conditioning, which was enjoyable despite the surprise resurgence of 30 degree Minnesota weather (FU weather).

    Stepped up my eating a bit last week and the additional food seems to have helped with injury prevention. I might not have been getting enough food in the past month and I think it was leading to hurt-ness.

    Enjoyed the Squatland Yard podcast and I’m looking forward to new 70sbig pods.

    x156

  34. “I’ve never heard anyone making a case for the Nike shoes. Asics makes weightlifting shoes? And I don’t know anyone that oly lifts with the Rip shoes. Check out Risto, Pendlay, and the Rogue stuff. I’m not O-lifting cause there isn’t anywhere I can do it, even though I own my own bar and plates.

    –Justin”

    Here is a pic of the asics shoes:

    http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0_mall/imoto-sports/cabinet/asics1/tow727.jpg

    Kakhiasvili and other greeks wore these. A few poles, chinese and koreans do too.

    Interestingly, even when Dimas was sponsored by Adidas, his adidas shoes were modified, so that there was an asics sole, but an adidas upper. So I guess Dimas liked his asics.

    An odd quirk is that it has no tarsal strap.
    It is made of suede, and has a split sole like a dress shoe, which makes them lighter, a flexiable forefoot for jerks and easily to service.

    How much are they? My first intuition is to say I wouldn’t like the sole, but apparently the sole was preferred by all those international lifters (probably because of the greater pliability when jerking). They look expensive (like Nacho Libre’s pants).

    –Justin

  35. Squatted 275 x 3 x 3 and Benched 225 x 3 x 3 today. Pulled 355 x 5 on Thursday to tie a PR (but with better form). BW is in the 183-184 range when I wake up.

    I have 2.5 weeks left before I turn 18. I REALLY want to make a push for a 1k total while I’m still a minor. It sounds very difficult, but I think I have a shot. I’ll probably need a 320 Squat (sounds like a huge increase, but my Squat has been held back by a trap injury), 250 Bench, and 430 Deadlift (a 1RM equation says I’m already at 415, though I’m skeptical and think it’s probably more like 4 plates ATM).

    Hopefully, I’ll get to attempt it. Testing may make it difficult. Will definitely make sure to eat WELL during this time, though I’m pretty sure my sleep schedule is going to be pretty rough…

    Oh, and also set some Chinup PRs. 187 x 12 and 191 x 11 (on separate days).

  37. whats a good sub for push-ups?/

    Given by your history of being funny and/or comical trolling, I can’t accept this question as real.

    –Justin

  38. “How much are they? My first intuition is to say I wouldn’t like the sole, but apparently the sole was preferred by all those international lifters (probably because of the greater pliability when jerking). They look expensive (like Nacho Libre’s pants).

    –Justin”

    Yes they are expensive, firstly because they are almost exclusively available to japan only.

    This means the strong Yen and shipping makes them about as expensive as the most expensive adidas and nikes.

    Unlike the nikes and adidas they are designed to last and are servicable, with many lifters wearing the same pair in sucessive olympics and world championships.
    They are also wider fit than nike and adidas.

    Justin do you know of any weightlifting shoes that are very servicable and will last a lifetime?

    Rip has a pair of Safe USA shoes that he has had since the 80’s.
    To get those made now it would cost $400.

    I think it’s hard to say that you can buy anything that will last a lifetime. I used a Texas Power bar at Rip’s for 1.5 year that was probably older than me, but it could take any dingleberry to rack pull heavy and bend it, rendering it unusable for regular lifting (thus not lasting a lifetime). I don’t know about shoes. That’s a tall order.

    –Justin

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