Q&A – 30

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PR Friday

Post your mudda crunkin’ training PR’s, PB’s, and DD’s to the comments. Add in ‘yo training updates too, son.

Weekly Challenge

Last week’s challenge was to “add in a day or two of conditioning after your training session(s)”. Anybody do this? How’d you feel? Not something that’ll interfere with training, eh? Think it’ll help with regular daily activities or fun?

Next Week’s Challenge: Eat vegetables in at least one meal every day.
Not very 70’s Big? Where’s the burgers and ice cream? I’m not afraid to say that I want to set an example for everyone. Honestly? Honestly? HONESTLY? I want you banging your wife at 80 years old after you do a powerlifting meet. That’s what I want. If you eat like someone who doesn’t do the “purge” part, then we aren’t accomplishing anything. This is an EXTREMELY simplified way to say this, but: a cleaner, higher quality diet is going to reduce your overall systemic inflammation and allow you to recover better. That means better progress. That means your wee wee in the hole hole when you’re a FOG. Cha-CHING! Do eet.

Weekly Recap

On Monday I wore cool sunglasses and gave weak-backed ladies and guys something to do at the end of training. On Tuesday I released the BIG KAHUNA, the biggest even of everyone’s lives, the ravishing, the outstanding, The Texas Method: Advanced book that will remove three inches from your shorts and turn your skin eight shades darker upon purchase. No lie. Wednesday I got to drive all day, but Chris is a champion and Nolan is competing at IPF Raw Worlds. Thursday I pointed out that a 300 pound squat for a guy is unimpressive. Every man can squat 405; it might take more effort for some than others, but it’s doable. I promise.

Oh happy day!



I’m travelling to Washington DC to get kicked in the balls at the GoRuck Challenge starting at 9PM. It was probably an excellent idea to travel and then do it. I told the fine folks at GoRuck that I was going to do a post on training for the GoRuck. I’m still gonna do this, but I figured a post of the aftermath would be more sufficient given that I’ll know what I did or did not do correctly. I’m sure the event will teach me a lot, but at the very least clarify the stressors that are similar to the first day in most military SOF selection courses. How do you prepare for a kick in the balls? You can’t; you just smile when it happens.

I thought it was really funny to see former infantry guys say, “Why the fuck would I want to do that? I had to do that for 4/6/8 years in the Army/Marines.” I get it, and they’re right. But something like this is a test of mettle for someone who hasn’t done it. It’s also apparently good at team building. At the very least, it’ll allow someone to learn or remind themselves what their limits are (instead of doing a 25 minute workout and feeling empowered). Should be fun. Interesting? I’ll let ya guys know.

Q&A

ashreim asks:

One question about squats – I am pretty sure the answer to this question is no, but I would like to ask it anyway.

Would it be worthwhile/okay to do a session of Front Squat and a session of Back Squat (low bar) for your 2 squat days a week or should we just do the back squat and if you want to train quads do HBBS? For example I would be doing… 275X5X3 for BS and 205X5X3 for FS or something this week.

The reason the shift to FS/BS would be to increase my power clean (which is probably only at 225 from technique mostly). I’ve read that it is tough to clean what you can’t front squat and my FS is only at 255 1RM.

Dear ashreim,

Your proposal wouldn’t be a terrible set up, but I’m not sure how well it would work. It would depend on your ability to seamlessly switch between the different styles of squatting. For example, I can high bar and low bar efficiently, but for many people the distinction is awkward and difficult. Your anthropometry may or may not suit this set up, but it your musculature balance (or lack thereof) would have a greater effect on this. Does a person have long femurs, a short back, and no hamstrings? Then using vertical styles of squatting won’t be as productive. Does the same type of lifter not have developed quads? Then vertical styles of squatting may be good to focus on his anterior thigh to build up his low bar.

Then again, if you’re still capable of making progress on each squat session, you may be blunting it by front squatting instead of back squatting. You guys may notice that these questions ALWAYS depend on the individual and their specific circumstances, AKA their current state of adaptation.

As for your power clean, that wouldn’t be relevant to front squatting since a power clean isn’t squatted. If you meant your clean, then low bar squatting will NOT be helpful for your clean recovery (which is a front squat). Delineate your goals and act accordingly. If your goals were more Oly focused, then stop low barring.

At the end of the day, just make sure you squat.

ChadTheMeatBeast asks:

Justin, can you explain more about how to intelligently transition from linear progression in the press to what you mentioned in your “Pressing a Dead Horse” article?

For example, “The first thing to play around with in programming is to use some heavier weight, but not to abandon old rep schemes. One example is that I have developed an ascending 3×3 and 3×5 rep scheme that alternates every week on the press and bench with great success.”

If someone was pressing 150 x 5 x 3 when they exhausted linear gains, what would you recommend they do next?

Dear ChadTheMeatBeast,

This is a good question, but it’s so god damn individualized it’s hard to help. There are a lot of factors that go into pressing strength. Upper back strength is a hyooge factor. Triceps. Technique. If you’re internally rotating, then you haven’t been distributing the force through your anterior shoulder and triceps very well. It also depends on the context of the program. For example, if your goal was to compete in powerlifting, then you would bench twice a week and probably only press once. As you see, it’s not easy to give a “one thing fits all” method for this question. I’m a strength and conditioning programmer, not a “do this regardless of your situation and follow it exactly or I’ll ridicule you” coach.

Without knowing ANYTHING else, I’d just have you do ascending doubles in your next workout. What can you double up to? Anything cool happen? Or did you not leap much higher than the 150? How good or bad your mechanics have been will probably dictate this. The following week I’d have you do an ascending 3×5. The following week I’d probably base an ascending 3×3 off of the “double up” workout. See, the “double up” workout just gave me a gauge of what you can do and it hopefully made you not want to kill yourself because of a weak press. It gives you a higher intensity to experience, and that typically acts as a stressor that’ll push the volume stuff. This is an example of how I’d shift you into doing an ascending 3×5 one week, an ascending 3×3 the next week. This method is mentioned in The Texas Method: Advanced, but it can be dropped in other programs as well (people who have bought the book will notice that most of the concepts I talk about can be pulled and dropped in other programs or templates — this is how I operate).

Kyle S. asks,

I have a coaching question for the Q&A OR just in general. I’m coaching a new trainee in a modified version of the SSLP (rows & RDLs instead of power cleans) and I’m having trouble getting his form down in the squat. He lacks the shoulder mobility to low bar, so I’m having him high bar for now. The trainee is a male, 33, about 5’8″ and 300 lbs and definitely overweight (bf ~44%) He does not have lifting shoes yet, just Chucks (I’ll keep working on that – I would buy them for him myself if could afford it). He’s having issues with getting to depth and I can’t figure out where to put his feet and how wide to point them. I’d like to keep his feet narrower and forward, but he lacks mobility for this and can’t get to depth because of his gut and also his heels coming off the ground. I had him widen his stance and point his toes out, but then I witnessed a navicular drop, even though I was cuing knees out. And again, I still couldn’t get him to parallel. I know a lot of the form issues are related to his mobility and shape (and lack of proper shoes), but while we work on those what are some things I can focus on? I will try to get some video of him squatting over the weekend if I can. All help is greatly appreciated.

I should note that we started squatting with the empty bar just to keep his progression on the safe side. He’s less worried about rapid gains than just getting stronger and healthier.

Additionally. he said he was having pain in his shoulders, upper back and chest during the squat, even with a comfortably wide grip on the bar with elbows back and wrists in a good position. My guess was that this is partly mobility related but also due to a lack of musculature in the upper back and shoulders to support the bar. Sorry, that’s not a question – uh, am I correct in this?

Dear Kyle,

First, I want to point out that I accepted this in the Q&A cause Kyle regularly posts on the site, participates in the goofy challenges, and I know he is. I go out of my way to help out a “cool guy I met on the internet”.

You mentioned you would like to have his squat stance more narrow with toes forward; remember that this will only be the case when the person has sufficient mobility. Read these articles again (first and second). I’m sure you’ll remember that the stance and toe angle will be dependent on the mobility, so you’re fine with what you’re doing. Don’t worry about the navicular drop. We more so want to worry about his high body fat percentage instead of his foot placement. We also want to worry about his body fat more than his squat depth. Sure, we want him to squat to depth, but 40+ body fat percentage is a big issue (zing!).

I’ll point out that I’ve never had anyone not be able to achieve squat depth on day one. There are some coaching things you could do to get that to happen, but they are to involved to type about. If he only has the bar on his back, he may need a bit of weight to actually push him down into the bottom of the squat. It’ll be like an active stretch. He needs to get his knees out like a mofo, though, especially cause his gullet is going to impinge his hip (the femur will come into contact if he’s not externally rotated). He undoubtedly has shitty hip external rotation, so work on some basic mobility stuff daily (it’ll help his back, which undoubtedly has issues).

If his shoulders are getting wrecked, then just have him high bar. He’s probably so tight that it’ll look the same anyway, and you could probably coach it as the low bar. He’ll probably fatigue pretty quickly, so just make note of this on later sets (if relevant). While the lifting shoes would help, they aren’t dire right now. Remember, we have a guy who hasn’t done anything. Let’s get him doing stuff before we worry about these finer details.

Have him squat regularly. Have him do a general warm-up preferably on a rower, but walking on a treadmill or on a stationary cycle will work. Have him do basic mobility stuff. Have him hit the presses and assistance exercises. Throw in some conditioning. Remember, conditioning is relevant to the individual. In FIT I give very specific progressions for someone exactly like him. It takes them from “off the couch”, has them use very simple walking progressions, and introduces them to other methods. I’d probably throw one of these sessions after the lifting portion. The whole workout could probably be done in an hour given that he’s not going to be squatting a lot of weight.

Be very encouraging. I’m proud that you, Kyle, are helping him. I’m proud that he has made the choice to train with you. Teach him that he isn’t merely working out. He has specific goals: to get stronger and lose body fat. He is now training to do that, and it is an admirable thing. If he ever falters, whether in his confidence or he doesn’t show up, then let me know. I’m willing to personally call him and chat with him about everything for a few minutes. I’m good at what I do, and I know it can help him. I’m just letting you know that I’m willing to help that much. Message me if you think it’ll help as a preventative measure (before the quit builds up).

To everyone else, we had a good laugh the other day about not babying people that aren’t willing to make the decision to change. Yet, when they do, and they show they are willing and ready to change, then it’s our duty (as members of this community) to encourage people along their way. We should do it with the skinny guy who is squatting 210 in the comments or the fat guy who is 44% body fat. We’re all on the quest, we’re just at different paths. A reader once offered to let me stay at his house, and said, “70’s Big takes care of their own.” I believe that, and you should to.

81 thoughts on “Q&A – 30”

  1. Justin,
    Good onya for cheerin the mighty mighty Blues during the week. Impressive.

    Todays PR: Overhead Press- 5x70kgs

    I’ve buggered up my knee and have subsequently been told to stop any leg work till MRI results come in at the very least. Consequently i wandered around the gym today like a lost child after doing my OHP working sets and some chins. Ideas on what i can do while i’m down and out?

  3. Until recently I started eating vegetables everyday. I was stuffing my face full as it was and couldn’t bear the thought of adding more stuff that needed to get in my stomach. But now that I made an effort, it isn’t that bad. I just chose the vegetable I liked the most, broccoli. And it happens to be a pretty healthy food. Some entertaining info: http://www.ergo-log.com/broccolidiet.html

  4. I Haven’t posted in a bit, but here are my latest PRs:

    Bench 120kgx3
    Squat 165kgx3
    Dead 195kgx3

    I’m switching from TM to a Starr setup for my squat. The extra sub-max volume will hopefully help with some form issues and push my squat up eventually. 1 week in and the groove is feeling better than ever, so that’s a good sign I think.

    It just depends on what you were doing in the TM set up. There are many ways to tweak it. “Starr set up” is kind of vague too. Do you mean HVY-MED-LT or something?

    –Justin

  5. Tomorrow’s PR objective:pressing 52.5kg for five.Skinny by the moment but progressing.
    Good luck @ goruck challenge Justin,it looks great.
    I habe just received “FIT” at my home,I liked very much the Warren Ellis quote

  7. Competed in my first Oly Meet last Sunday.

    102kg Snatch
    118kg C+J
    220kg Total

    All PR’s, First place, junior 105.
    Went 6/6, good day.

  9. I set a “Fran” PR last night. Y’all mad? Y’all hatin’?

    Well that’s fair, but let me say this. The last time I did it was on 3/22/11 in 5:47. Since then, I’ve done an LP, 6 week Oly lifting strength cycle, another month of dedicated strength work to get my 405# squat, and now I’m doing CrossFit Football (which is just an LP with conditioning). Last night I did it in 4:09.

    Strength matters.

    Ha, this was funny. Well done.

    –Justin

  10. my go-to for vegetables are brussel sprouts. Now, before you guys are all like “blehhh brussel sprouts suck bro” hear me out.

    you take the sprouts, cut the bottoms off, then cut them in half. you can also dice up a potato and mix with the sprouts. Add some salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil and toss together in a bowl. MEANWHILE get your cast iron skillet and start cooking some BACON. cut the bacon up into small pieces so you can mix it in with the sprouts. then add the sprouts and taters to the bacon and bacon fat in the skillet, and put it in the oven at 450 for 20-40min until the sprouts are browning on top.

    this is real good. goes well with steak and ale.

  11. PR’d both my Front Squat (350) and Back Squat (405, finally) in the last week.

    Doing the #OccupyStrength event put on by CF Football tomorrow in Baltimore so I’ll be looking to up the back squat to 410 or 415.

  12. @sdanleyjr nice job, Shel. I don’t even think I would want to attempt kipping pullups right now.

    PR’d my clean last night – 85kg. A 200 lb. clean will be mine by July!
    Also started jerking again after rehabbing a shoulder injury, so that was a win.

    I pushed the prowler around with 90 pounds on it Wednesday and, holy hell, am I deconditioned. Weightlifting does that to you, I suppose, but I’m going to keep doing some conditioning.

    I’m a fan of broccoli and kale, but I’ve been on a jicama kick lately. It gives everything some crunch.

    I don’t even know what jicama is.

    –Justin

  15. Squat: 270×3. Slowly creepin’ up.

    Pullups: 9 – most since my 130lb high school years.

    Weekly Challenge: I did try some conditioning – I ran some 400m intervals one day and did some light jogging the other. Not “powerlifting” conditioning per se, but it felt good to get outside.

  16. PR this week squat 1x5at 330lb and barbell row 5×3 at 195lb.

    my go to veggies are just the frozen or fresh mix of a vegetable medley. For some reason I can eat anything in there if it’s mixed.

  18. I got two training sessions in this week. One day I did front squats (210#, 3×5 PR) and the other I did low bar 330 3×3. I’m going to go back to a traditional intermediate/advanced program, hopefully next week. Having to work late and go to evening events for work has been disrupting my training schedule a lot recently.

    This week Woman began TM. She was starting to exhaust gains after 6 months of LP and she wants to have several days a week dedicated to conditioning/aerobic plyometrics jumping around/spinning classes only. She is also cutting calories (high protein, lowish carb).

    So I’m having her do a program like this:
    Monday: TM volume day
    Tuesday: off/mobility
    Wednesday: aerobics
    Thursday: aerobics
    Friday: TM Intensity Saturday/Sunday: aerobics or off, depending on other activitys

    I don’t think the aerobics will interfere with her lifting, but I think she needs a solid off day the day after volume day. Does this look good?

    Enjoy the Goruck challenge. Don’t make the pain face. I wish I could have joined. Anyone else goign to Beer, Bourbon, BBQ tomorrow? http://www.beerandbourbon.com/national-harbor/show-info

  19. Did the conditioning challenge, but I’m working back into my normal routine after a week and a half off on vacation. I’m mostly doing hill sprints as recommended on 5/3/1. I’ve also moved back to a more calorie restricted diet after unfucking a few things. Wife is going to try a cycle of 5/3/1 as well but I think she might do better on an SS template. We’ll see.

    Kyle, good on you for helping your friend and thank you Justin for giving your thoughts on that topic. What you are doing is literally the best possible thing you could do for him because it is the most effective solution for the problem at hand. I started lifting at around the same body fat percentage around two years ago. It’s tough to get into the correct positions on the mobility work, let alone the actual lifts when there’s that much stuff in the way, but it’s not insurmountable. If your buddy needs encouragement just let me know.

  21. PRs this week:

    -squat 230# x5 (not even a 5rm)
    -150# x5 power jerk
    -135# x5 barbell row
    -135# bench with a pause* (*I can bench 145# without a pause, but prepping for a PL meet so this pleased me. Yes, I know my bench is weak, but gotta start somewhere. Starting to fix that by doing those band pulls)

    …also got under an 85kg clean but couldn’t drive it up out of the hole. Trying again tomorrow.

  25. Have fun at the GRC. I did it last year and had a great time; only problem was my friggen feet were destroyed the last hour or two. Bad shoes I blame.

    Honestly strength will be very important. I did a strongman 2 weeks before the GRC, so my training for that in addition to some conditioning and time under the ruck should do. I think we covered 22-24 miles in 12-13 hrs so its not a marathon. But lots of carries, sprints, more carries, and assorted bullshit.

    The guys that run it are class acts and plain awesome. Have fun.

    Only training PR’s this week was press, 170x7x4. Starting to low bar squat again, we’ll see how that goes.

  26. Hurt my back on the 2nd. Decided to take it easy until it healed so I didn’t set foot in the gym until Wednesday. Squatted 3×5 225lb and it felt heavier than 225lb should ever feel (I did a brutally hard 3×5 265lb shortly before hurting my back). Welp. I’ll try to work up to 300lb and them I’ll stop my LP. I feel like I’m eeking out the last gains I can squeeze from SS but on the other hand I feel I’m progressing so slowly and stalling so often with such light weights I do start to wonder if there is something wrong with me.

    Deadlifts are the only lift I don’t completely stink at: I’ll attemp 350lbx5 today.

  28. I completed the conditioning challenge. I did a complex of db press w/40lbs, bb row w/135 and back squat w/135 (2 rounds of 5 reps each)

    Then on intensity day, I did 2 rounds of 150lb tire flip; each round being about 50 feet.

  30. The humidity and hot is so high I don’t even dare to think of conditioning.. Next’s week challenge is ezpz.

    Kind of form PR today:
    Dead 155(kg)x5. I’m low-balling in deads because I want to strengthen my lower back and had a problem in the past keeping my back straight in 4-5th rep.

  31. No PRs this week. At two weeks of army fun with no gym access. Did do a bunch of pushups, pullups, flutterkicks, etc.

    Have fun with the Go Ruck.

  34. Had a mediocre performance at NASA nationals. Squatted 523, and had 562 turned down for depth twice (judges were strict bastards). Benched 275 and deadlifted 490. It’s fine.

    Today I squatted 475 for a double without wraps. That’s a PR.

  36. RE the GoRuck: If you are not already an expert on blister first aid, read up on it and bring some duct tape.

    This very morning, LB squatted 295 lbs for a 15# PR vice what I squatted just 2 weeks ago. I did 285, and it felt kind of easy, and I thought the bar would look really nice with a couple of 35s instead of all that change. Bam! That much closer to 405.

  37. Took 2nd in my weight class last week at a NAS strongman show, it was alright.

    Been getting that C2 Rower sprints money 2x a week and saw big payoff in the moving events at the meet.

    Finally saw Black Dynamite – I think that is a PR.

  38. No PRs in awhile. Just started back on a linear progression workout for a bit. I’ve been oly lifting primarily for the last 6 months and snatched 230 and clean and jerked 285.

    Today’s workout: Squat 325x5x3, bench 135x5x3, Dead 405×5 easy, Chins 10, 8, 7. Man do I suck at bench press.

  40. I’ve been working with my dog to get him comfortable with running next to me on my bike. I ride with him at least once a day now and we do sprints on the flats and up hills. It’s not a dedicated contitioning effort, but my legs burn and I get pretty winded, so I’ll take it. I eat 3-4 servings of farmer’s market veggies every day, so next week’s challenge is in the bag. No PR’s this week, most likely due to not enough food and sleep.

  41. After 3 weeks of not lifting, I worked up to an ugly 5-rep set with 335 on the deadlift. Better than I expected though.

    Been taking your advice from the Q&A several weeks back, so the veggie challenge should be cake.

  42. Coaching PR- sent Justin an email w some questions, he sent me back some very specific answers and plan of attack. Very cool, and very helpful, thanks Justin.
    Working my way back from both shoulder and hip problems, so no PRs, but I did that thing where you crank the treadmill up to full incline and sprint for 30 secs on and 30 off. I made it to 7 intervals before I thought I was going to suffocate in my own phlegm.
    Thanks again for taking the time to help me, Justin!!!

    No problem.

    –Justin

  43. Sort of found a groove in my training recently.
    Deadlift 405×3. It was little messy, but eh. Maxed out on bench and I nailed 260 with good bar speed then 275 had a rough sticking point and my gordon spotter touched it. Couldn’t count it a a legit rep.

  45. I am on vacation this week, so I decided to give my shoulder a rest and do some serious front squat volume.

    Front squat PRs:
    3 x 185 lbs at Anytime Fitness, and then…
    4 x 185 lbs at CrossFit Integrity
    1 x 215 lbs at Anytime Fitness

    I hate declaring PRs at other gyms. I did weigh the bar at Anytime Fitness, and it weighed just under 44 lbs. Since, CF Integrity has Pendlay Elite plates and my lifts there were spot on with what I have been doing at Anytime Fitness, I am not going to doubt shit too much.

    It will all become clear on Monday when I am back at my own gym. I’m either full of shit or not…

  46. Had a perfectly accidental PR today. Messing around with shoulder presses I cranked out 7x185lbs and didnt even realize at the time that was 25lbs than my previous PR. Was even cleaning the weight where I usually lift out of the rack.

  47. squat 315×1
    press 135×1
    bench 235×1
    pull 355×1

    i’m pretty satisfied considering this is all done while on deployment on a Navy ship that is constantly rocking.. can’t wait to get back and figure out my real max’s. 1 more week!!

  49. Used to eat broccoli all day long, but I’ve been lazy about it lately. My shits have been significantly less pleasant.

    Today’s PR’s:
    Bench – 225 x 1
    Deadlift – 385 for 5 easy singles (last time I tried this, my back was fucked and I only got one)

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