PR Friday, 15 Feb 2013

How was your Valentine’s Day? Did you eat several pounds of medium-rare steak? If not, get off the computer and fire up the grill. If so, please continue. I had a T-Bone and a Strip, and they were both bloody and delicious, thanks for asking.

Monday was the conclusion of Bert and Marijke’s story about her introduction to lifting and her first powerlifting meet. Here’s Part 1, and here’s Part 2. I hope you gals send me more articles about your experiences. The whole community is behind you.

Speaking of behinds, everyone’s second-favorite Jacob wrote up a great little article about posterior training, with the follow-up coming next week. Hopefully you read it thoroughly, or at least scrolled past the picture of Ariel’s back and saw some of the other stuff. I dunno, I didn’t look. I do know that our own Glenn Pendlay made a couple appearances, and hey, he’s a pretty cool guy, right?

yo yo yo

Yeah, boyeeeeeee.

Had a couple people submit questions:

Karen asks:  I am a female crossfitter (2/yrs) who is not getting enough lifting in the classes and finding them quite unsatisfying for a few different reasons. I am not dumb enough to think I can oly lift on my own but am considering taking the bench press to the globo gym (gym options are limited in my small town). So question for all:  Are you all annoyed when/if a stranger asks for a spot?  Any tips?

Karen, three things:

1. Talk to your coach first. Tell them you want to get stronger. Always give your coach a heads-up when you’re not happy, and allow them the chance to fix the situation. If he/she doesn’t pay you attention, or refuses to allow you to bench for some asinine reason, send them to me and then go ahead and send your ass to another gym.

2. At a globo, good spots are rare. Know that ahead of time. But you can try. Find someone that looks remotely like they know what they’re doing, and just ask if they mind spotting you. Hint: No bro minds giving a lady a spot. But it’s up to you to define your expectations. A sample conversation would go something like this: “Hi, random fella. I’m going to ask you for a spot not because your neon green shirt and shoes match, but because you’re one of the few people in here that squats, presses, and deadlifts and/or has a sweet beard. Can I get a spot on bench? I’m going for 5 reps. I’d like a little help on the liftoff (on the count of 3) and will ask you to take it IF AND ONLY IF I FAIL THE REP (emphasize this part, make eye contact, and realize that they’ll STILL screw it up half the time). Please don’t touch it unless I mention it. If I ask, grab the bar and rack it. I do not want a bro-spot.” Wink if you’re down with that, or if the beard is that legit.

3. Always put three things in a list. And never say “Oly lifting” near Pendlay in person. Trust me.

JayGreenShirt asks:  I have been wondering how to program in order to maintain strength on certain lifts. I’ll give you my own example as a basis for this question. I will likely (hopefully) pull 500 within the next month. I do not care to take my deadlift higher than that at this time and would like to shift my focus to bringing up other lifts. That said, I want to be able to maintain the 500 lbs. deadlifting strength. I would like to know your thoughts on what I would do with my deadlift given this situation.

 

Congrats on getting close to the ol’ 500 mark. I’m not sure why you’re not re-gearing and getting ready for 600, but to each their own. I think that in order to maintain strength in a movement, you need to maintain your relevant musculature, and maintain your efficiency at the movement (i.e., practice). The deadlift, of all the lifts, is the easiest in these regards. Once you have your form down, you really only need to pull about every 7-10 days to improve strength, and every 10-14 days should be OK for maintaining it (I am speaking in terms of novice to intermediate pullers, obviously). So pull at least 2-3 times a month, do a max effort set, and push those pulls hard. Something in the range of 405×10, 425×7, 455×4-5, etc. outta do it. You could use the 5/3/1 percentages, or just wait for my ebook to come out on the KISS deadlift program. Whatever you decide, don’t completely neglect your pulls just for the sake of pushing your other lifts, and you’ll be fine.

 

Last week, I promised some really cool vintage stuff. I didn’t get to it this week, but here’s a preview, because it’s totally in the pipeline. You might have heard of Doug Young, right? Well, I’m going to share some information from this book:
And do you recognize this picture? YUP!
I got my dirty paws on a copy of this rare and expensive book (published in 1978, when, oh, dudes were 70sBig), and chances are, you can’t. So I’ll share with you some really great stories from it and some of the history, including awesome stuff from the Texas Athletic Club (predecessor to where I train and coach, Hyde Park Gym in Austin). By the time we are done, I fully expect all of you to be pressuring Terry Todd to re-publish it.

 

Luckily, if you’re on the hunt for ol’ Dr. Terry, he’s going to be at the Arnold, along with a large portion of the 70sbig crew. I don’t personally know the man, but I do know he’s in charge of the Arnold Strongman event, which is just one of the hundreds of things you can see at the Arnold. In the next couple weeks, we’re really going to dive into a preview, some coverage, and then some recaps of one of the coolest sports festivals in the world.

 

Finally, I’ll be interviewing Ryan Carillo this weekend. He’s a 21 year-old powerlifter and already practically the definition of 70sBig at 6’5″ and 300lbs. Ryan is raising money to go to IPF Bench Press Worlds in Lithuania, and I think we’re going to be able to help him out a bit. If we’re lucky, he’ll give us some tips on increasing our bench, too. Or at least, not eat us.
Post your PRs for the week. Have a great weekend. Get big.

 

106 thoughts on “PR Friday, 15 Feb 2013

  1. PR. One month wheat free!! Trying to lose this last bit of stubborn stuff around the belly while pushing my numbers.

    Getting back into the deadlift game since pulling 500 long ago. Now going beltless to appease my floating ribs. Also trying DL with 5/3/1 so getting used to the increased volume before my workset. 370×6 today, feels low but not upset with it.

  2. No PR’s this week, as I’ve been tapering for my first PL meet which is tomorrow. I’m super pumped.

    Been water loading all week, going to deplete today. I actually lost a couple pounds just by drinking so much frickin water- font know what that’s about.

    • If you previously haven’t been drinking adequate amounts of fluid, you were probably retaining water as a result. By increasing fluid levels to normal amounts for your body, people will typically drop a pound or three because they’ve stopped retaining as much fluid since there’s now a constant supply.

    • Regarding the lost weight: I usually follow Justin’s protocol of half my bodyweight in pounds in ounces (100 oz). I wondered if all that extra water just kept all the poo moving down the chute. Also, I DID eat less this week. I guess just less overall gut content.

      Time to go to bread. Up at 0500 to drive to the meet.

  3. Still pushing on with LP, thinking it might be time to start moving towards TM now on at least some of the lifts. I’m missing the thrill of having a heavy day and pushing bigger numbers…. patience my child.

    Squat: 3 x 5 @ 290
    DL: 1 x 3 @ 405, 2 x 1 @ 450/472.5
    Bench: 3 x 5 @ 241.5

    (This week also added in 5 x 10 KB swing with 90# after squatting. Nearly killed me. My posterior chain was destroyed.)

  4. I’m back to more upper body work while I try to get my left knee back to normal. So, I am getting in some rep PRs.

    Bench PR – 3 x 127.5 lbs
    Press PR – 3 x 102.5 lbs

    I have been doing some squats from the pins, jerking from the boxes and power snatching. Not too much excitement.

    I’ve also been deadlifting, but I realized I cannot pull fives more than once a week at this point. So, my Saturday set was okay, but I only hit four on Wednesday. Shit felt heavy. I went back and hit the fifth rep after a minute just for spite. I haven’t done deads for more than doubles in a long time, so at least I get rep PRs.

    Deadlift PRs – 5 x 118 kg, 4 + 1 x 121 kg

    I hit 80 kg for a double jerk, which is probably a PR since I rarely jerk from the boxes.

  5. Working on an LP, basically SS except for trying to program around my travel schedule for work, which is ideally every-other week, but occasionally bunches up into months where I’m only at home for a few days. Started SS back in October, got most of a month in at that time, and then was not home for more than 3-4 days at a time in Nov, and Dec started out with more travel and ended with the flu. Got going again mid-January, and have gotten in a month with only 1 week’s interruption (but traveling again next week.

    Back in Oct I was coming off of the most sedentary stretch in my life, and hadn’t lifted in any real way for probably 14-15 years. Things had deteriorated to the point where I felt weak just in day to day activities. Resolved to rectify that, set up a gym in my basement. First day I SQ 3×5 at 115, and honestly did not have more in the tank – even quaking knees on the third set. 3×5 Press 75, 3×5 BP 110, 1×5 DL 155 were the rest of my starting points. October brought things up to 205/92.5/130/225 – Squat was approaching getting challenging again, PR had gotten to the point of microloading, BP was close to that, DL was just too easy and honestly not giving me much work increasing only 15 pounds every workout while pushing squat by 10 pounds twice as often.

    Been pushing the DL harder (obviously not sustainable, but with an off week next week I’ll scale it back to something more normal now that it’s caught up) the past month, 3x a week, 10 pound increments each workout to keep it established above my squat. Haven’t done my Friday work yet, but so far this week has been 265/100/140/330. SQ/PR/BP/DL. PR/BP cruising along better than they were in October, and always lagged my lower-body progress back when I lifted in HS (which is why having to gut through 115 pound squats absolutely scared the *shit* out of me when starting out. Talk about an “I’m getting feeble” wakeup call).

    For better or worse, LP is set to morph into a bit of an intermediate hybrid due to weeks off. Any advice on what’s realistic to optimize training when alternating weeks of barbell ability are the norm? Hotel gyms are probably better suited for upper body stuff plus conditioning, given the amount of weight available, so I’m thinking that’s the best place to focus. If nothing else, this should help keep the press and bench progressing which I’ve never done too great at previously.

    Advice for programming around what ends up being a ton of travel interruptions (roughly every other week, maybe 80-100 nights away from home over the course of the year, while maximizing novice and intermediate gains is greatly appreciated. The more weight I’m putting on the bar, the further I get from being able to replicate that in a gym.

    With basically 6 weeks of progress (not including the week I took to build back up after the 2 month layoff), I’m feeling pretty good about going from 3×5 115/155 to 265/330 on squats and deads. Press and bench I feel OK on, and am making better progress than when I lifted previously, but obviously still something I’m not developing as quickly.

    • Where are you traveling? Get a national or regional membership at a gym they have where you go. Then use it. I train at an la fitness and they’re darn near everywhere. Could provably get you a $35/month membership for national access.

      • Traveling mostly domestically, so a gym membership would be a potential possibility, but I don’t think can work. Primarily in “flyover country” and a mixture of larger cities and smaller college towns. A substantial portion of areas that at most would have one chain gym, and not always the same one. The couple of chains I checked were actually missing entire states. Also, to be honest scheduling can get pretty insane – I’m rarely in the same place 2 days in a row, and at times working or traveling 12-16 hours out of the day, which is unfortunately not conductive to quality training.

        If I was travelling to one place for the whole week and setting up camp, a gym membership could work pretty well, I think. Unfortunately I’m on the move quite a bit more than that, and frequently in out of the way places.

        • I travel a lot for work, and it’s usually to the middle of nowhere. With that said, I’ve found most gyms will have a drop in rate. It never hurts to ask (just show up at the front desk, never call) and you’ll be surprised sometimes at the low or high price of a one or two day drop in. Yes it sucks, but you still get to train. Google maps is your friend, motel front desk clerks are not. :)

          • most crossfit gyms also allow a drop in. Also while not as good as getting under a bar, throwing in some bw workouts using intervals can be a good way to atleast get some conditioning in.

            • I’m thinking pretty much along those lines. There’s plenty of room for improvement on the conditioning side to focus on. On travel I’m generally on a poor enough schedule where I’m not getting enough sleep plus ample opportunity to eat like crap, and probably should work to resolve those first.

              Finished my week tonight, 275 3×5 squat, 145 3×5 bench, and got a bit reckless and went back to a 15 pound jump for 345 1×5 dead Grip has been starting to factor in over the past week or so, but added chalk for the first time midweek which has helped a lot.

  6. High bar squatted 375, which is a hb pr. Have low bar’d 405.
    Snatched 190. 5#pr. Not bad since You’re good. 2pm on 23rd. I’ve only snatched maybe a dozen times ever… Finally bought bumper plates for the gym.

    Will not be firing up the grill today… It’s a Friday during Lent, you heathen.

    Oh, and rep pr 225 front squat for 12. And deadlift 225 for 25. Because sometimes I just wanna do something dumb.

      • Well mine is vanilla straight from The Texas Method Advanced (its not an advanced template though)

        My split is…

        Mon – Volume Bench (3-5×5), Slingshot 3×3 (ascending), shoulder work
        Tuesday – Volume Squats (3×5), RDLs, Pullups and Rows
        Wednesday – Off
        Thursday – Intensity Bench (3-5rm), Slingshot Volume (3×8-10), arm work
        Friday – Intensity Squats 3-5rm, Deadlift Intensity (1×3+ reps), + lowback/glute work

        Very simple. I dont emphasize the overhead press at all right now because I am close to a meet so I do bodbuilder stuff for my shoulders. I also run intensity for both squat and dead on the same day because of last minute kinda meet prep / being agressive!

        I highly recommend if You only buy one ebook get TM2: Advanced. the 4 day split TM is the fucking best split EVER, IMO. Very versatile and easy to modify based on your needs / experience level.

        • Hmm that looks like an interesting split. I’m doing 4 days a week of TM something like this:
          Monday: Volume squats and volume bench
          Tuesday: power cleans and accessory work for whatever weakness i need to work on.
          Wednesday Active recovery
          Friday: Intensity squat, bench and deadlift.

          I like how your split breaks it up a bit more. I don’t like having 3 diffferent lifts on intensity day because by the time I get to deadlift I’m shot. I’ll give your split a try after my meet in March.

  7. So after the month long frequency experiment I took a couple of days off and then put together a 3 lift total on tuesday.
    Squat: 355
    Bench: 225
    Deadlift: 455

    Happy with those numbers. I had more in my legs, but my support musculature isn’t there yet for squats. Bench ties my highest bench in a year with a little more in the tank. Deadlifts were fine, but my vasculature isn’t used to pulling heavy anymore. Biggest issue was the high pressure feeling in my carotids. That’ll go away with some higher % work.

    Doing a 1RM on press tonight, then plugging everything in and starting a 531 run next week. Other than adding back squats on deadlift day to maintain technique, doing it nice and simple. I’d love to run a TM, but I don’t have the time to devote to keeping everything dialed in during the next exam block.

    Also, had pizza for the first time in 3 months last night. I found that it wasn’t that great, and going back to my meat/potatoes per day reccomendations from Paleo for Lifters.

    I want to take a second and comment on Justin’s Paleo book. Buy it. Read it. Unless you’re sitting in an optimal recovery scenario, have sub 12% bf, and have never had issues with eating bad food, this book will help you. The best part about it is that it takes all of the emotional crap that gets shoved into nutrition and removes it, explaining exactly what you need to do to get your body into a state of awesome.

    Alright, I’ll get off my soapbox and back into the gym. Update coming this evening.

  8. I’m in strength maintenance mode for lower body, as the spring soccer season starts back up. I’m still getting stronger on the upper body lifts, and I’ll see what I can do next week, the 5/3/1+ week.

    Also, that pic of Pendizzle is the straight shit. Please tell me someone has awared him ??

  9. Front Squat PR 210lbs, 215 is there just have to not let my mind get in the way. I detest front squats, but have been working on them so they are slowly growing on me.

    Bench Press 195lbs. Not a PR, but consider it a “maintenance PR”. I haven’t been training this lift at all these past few months as I am training for the CrossFit open.

    And gararge gym PR, we now have an Airdyne and it is disgusting.

    @Karen, Generally I have found people are pretty good when you ask them to spot you. And he is right about having to state your expectations about how you want to be “spotted”. I have had some great spots and some terrible ones. I’ve had a guy leave his hand under the bar so with each rep he touched my boobs……and that was one of the great ones ;-)

  10. On track to easily blow past my previous squat PR of 3×5@290# on Monday. Nothing really of note this week.

    Question: I was wondering if we could get an article on basic programming for military (on and off-season differences and a sample weekly template). Obviously, programming would have to vary depending on what their PT tests and selection look like for their branch of the military and also where they will be deployed to (Afghanistan would obviously require rucking). But just some basic template or programming ideas. I’m not in the military myself, but I have a number of friends who are and, to be honest, all of them train pretty stupidly. I’m talking lifting, crossfit wods, running, and rucking…like every day. Or they just do bodybuilding-type stuff and running/rucking. They often just drive their dicks into the ground because they’re tough, but their progress obviously isn’t that great. It would be nice to have a resource to direct them to that applies to them directly.

  11. No real lifting PRs for me but
    – I got a used GHR for my home gym
    – I might actually register this weekend for my first in april. sorta on the fence about it since I’m not very good

      • Sign up!!! You don’t have to ‘be good’ to do it, since that phrase is relative anyway. You’re doing it for the experience, and to challenge yourself. Plus, you’ll meet great people, get inspired, and possibly (very likely) surprise yourself. And it will direct the focus and install a renewed vigor to your training.

        I say do it.

  12. For those who do reverse hypers on a GHR (the louie simmons style reverse hyper) and want an easy way to add weight to that and have CHAINZ

    clip the chains tightly around both ankles and BAM instant ghetto LOUIESIMMONS reverse hyper. Feels good on the old low back too after dethlftz

  13. Squatted 505 for 3 quick singles, then hit a volume PR later in the week by squatting 455 for 12 doubles. Gettin’ stronger litte-by-little.

    Also ordered a LHS shirt – FASHION PR.

  14. RB Squatted 5×6 at 495. I sadly had to put on a belt for the last set. After 16 weeks of squatting without a belt, I think I’m going to keep it this way (unless I’m working over 90%).

    Benched 335 for 15 singles. This was my final session at the gym and since my new programming kicks in next week, I just figured I’d keep it at a weight that I have to work at, but can move pretty well.

    Came back to America. Yeah.

  15. Broke through the 300lb mental block on the squat and hit 305 for 3×5 fairly easily.
    Pressed 150×4

    Question for early morning lifters after reading Paleo for Lifters – I can only get into the gym in the early AM (6AM), and a meal beforehand is out of the question if I want to get quality sleep. I’m older (mid-30s) and on the high side of the “lean trainee” category, trending towards getting fat. To lean back out a bit, I plan on hitting some quality carbs post-workout, keeping them between 100-150g/day more in the early part of the day, but should I also plan on getting some good quality carbs the night before I lift, as Justin recommended quite a ways back (before Paleo for Lifters)? Am I overthinking it, or is the plan different for early AM lifters?

  16. My programming has been pretty inconsistent the last few months but I hit a 315×5 deadlift PR this week. Pretty proud of that.

    I’ve been considering looking at a meet just for the hell of it, though I’m not sure what the requirements are and I know my numbers aren’t good at all.

    5’10 200lbs

    Deadlift 315×5
    OHP 110×5
    Bench 145×5 (shoulder injury seems to prevent me from going much higher without pain)
    Squat 205×5

    Is it worth competing? Would I even qualify?

  17. Thanks for answering my question, Jacob. Do you ever listen to The Sword? They are a band from Austin and happen to be my go to for training music. Also from Austin, Explosions In the Sky, the greatest band on Earth!

  18. ” I’d like a little help on the liftoff (on the count of 3) and will ask you to take it IF AND ONLY IF I FAIL THE REP (emphasize this part, make eye contact, and realize that they’ll STILL screw it up half the time). Please don’t touch it unless I mention it. ”

    LOVE IT. how many times have I had someone reach down and pull the bar off me as I’m (slowly) moving it up? Its my rep not yours…give me a second here.

    Front Squat PR @ 235# today, that’s all folks.

  19. Long time since I’ve updated
    Snatch: 174
    C and j: 213
    I had a beltless PR of 285 on high bar.
    A short term goal is to have a body weight snatch (185) by the end of the month

  20. Feel good PR
    After weeks of squatting with hip pain and then weeks of seeing a chiro after finding out I had one internally rotated hip and one externally rotated hip, I can squat without hip pain!

  21. Managed to hit 3 new PRs on a shortened TM week (lifted volume Monday, intensity Thursday)

    Squat 345×3
    Bench 215×3 paused first rep
    Deadlift 365×3

    Orlando Barbell meet next Saturday!

    Hoping to set some nice PRs this weekend spearfishing in the Keys. BOOM

  22. Future PR, will Push Press 185# for 3 from the Clean tonight. It’s a given. I’m already in kabuki-face mode at my desk, Kelly in the cubicle next door has been avoiding eye contact all morning, and at least four chickens have died to feed me today.

    All my lifts are PR’s every session though, because I’m not particularly strong yet, and I feel that’s how it should be at this stage if you’re not bullshitting your time in the gym.

  23. Finally after about year I’m making PRs again. Some are bodyweight PRs some are REP PRs and a couple all time PRs.

    Yesterday I hit an All time Squat PR at 325lbs
    A couple weeks ago I took my previous 1RM DL of 325lbs and turned it into a 5RM
    On tuesday I hit a BW Bench PR at 230lbs (240 is my all time PR).
    Last month I took 225lb squat for 21 reps.

    All low numbers really but considering I had a year of dealing with a shitty back, I’m happy to be on the up-slope once again.

  24. Had a really good week. I’m female, if that matters:
    PR bench press 100# X 5
    deadlift 225 lb (not a PR, but haven’t pulled that in a year and a half)
    PR OHP 70# for a double
    squat 155# for a triple (failed 175 twice – bummer)

    Looking forward to deloading next week. Oh, and getting a steak tonight!

  25. Squat: 300 x 5 x 3
    Bench: 195 x 5 x 3 PR
    Deadlift: 400 x 5 PR
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGaBIv5QUTM

    Pretty darn excited to have all my worksets cross the 100’s thresholds within a few days of each other.

    I tried switching tuna into my diet at lunch to see if I could keep protein high and cut a few fat calories. By gods, tuna is awful, even when seasoned. Any of you big eaters have a way to make tuna palatable, other than our colleague a few comments up who spears them and eats them while they are still thrashing?

  26. Hit a few PRs today, which was a nice surprise since they were a bit unscheduled and certainly unexpected.

    Back Squat 305 for 6 reps
    Deadlifted 345 for 4 reps
    and Cleaned 150 for 8 reps (hook-grip PR, also)!

  27. Been lurking for a while. Appreciate all the info you have here. Just started lifting heavy on a regular basis in Oct 2011. Have added 95# to the squat, 85 to dead, and 20 to the press since then.

    225# @ 5’11”
    Squat: 455 PR
    Press: 215 PR
    Dead: 485 tied PR
    Bench: 325 PR

  28. Press 170×6, Bench 275×4 at 170 BW. I have been working on lower body lifts and am still getting back to old PRs since the hip surgery. I missed a triple with 435 on deads earlir today and Im a bit bummed about that. I want 500 by June.

  29. The only PR to report this week is an Ego PR. For some reason I thought I could have a 9 day vacation/layoff, eat crappy, and still come back and pick up training where it left off. My ID for squats was supposed to be 350×5, I only managed 1 rep. I guess next time I’ll check my ego at the door and start back up light, even after only a little over a week off.

  30. Cursing PR: blew out a ujoint in my jeep, accidentally left the lights on so when I got back with a trailer to bring it home not enough battery to run the winch to get it on the trailer. FML

  31. A bunch of friends and myself did a mock powerlifting competition this weekend. Short shorts, tank tops and big lifts. We may be small/weak/scrawny compared to some people on here but slowly working on it. Enjoy the legs.

  32. Im down 12 pounds from my heaviest all time of 235 right before christmas. All lifts are up and energy is great. I actually started doing cardio and eating clean for the new year.

    I havent had a beer in over 2 weeks. Liquor consumption, however, is at an all time high!

  33. Justin, I’ve decided to go paleo after reading Paleo For Lifters. How should I approach this particular situation? I’ve been prescribed allergy immunotherapy to reduce my allergies – the procedure involves increasingly stronger doses of allergens injected into my arms once to several times per week. The goal is to become immune to them after 6-8 months, with upkeep maintained for 2-5 years. I’m wondering how to mitigate this obvious source of increasing systemic inflammation and how to time it with respect to training.

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