PR FRIDAY

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I’m not at home, so here is a quick post. Post your PR’s and training updates to comments. Also ask questions for next week’s Q&A.

 

Justin asked me to post a “good pic or video” to today’s post, so here you go:

First up is a video from the weightlifters at Northern Michigan University during their prep for the American Open. NMU is a US Olympic Education Center.

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Next, we have a video taken by 70’s Big member Tbone of a few notable lifts at the American Open:

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And finally, a friendly reminder from 70’s big member Paul Sousa to not bite the horses

hey look, I finally figured out how to embed stuff. Enjoy your weekend – smithb9

112 thoughts on “PR FRIDAY”

  1. Convinced my dad that he needs to start lifting. He turned 55 this week and has been complaining about his body hurting, losing weight without really trying to, etc. I weigh more than he does for the first time in my life, but he’s about to become a swollcat.

    Got him doing a 5×5 twice a week (stronglifts)

    A (monday/tuesday) :
    squat
    bench
    pendlay row

    B (thursday/friday)
    squat
    press
    deadlift (1×5)

    really excited to watch his progress. Hopefully his back will start feeling a whole lot better just like mine did once I started lifting!

  2. Speaking of hoisting heavy loads, i think i may have a hernia. Two sore lumps appeared yesterday on my left groin area, one a couple inches above the other. Nothing seems to bother it besides actually touching them. Sound like a hernia? What kind of recovery could i be looking at? Seeing the doc today.

    Yes, i posted this again because i am mind fucked by the potential of being laid up. Any advice on prevention, coping, and recovering from hernias? What are reasonable expectations?

    • Coincidentally my wife had hernia repair surgery two weeks ago today. Essentially you need to go see a doctor, who will probably direct you to get an ultrasound test. If the ultrasound detects a hernia, you’ll go visit a surgeon for final confirmation. For the first few days she couldn’t really move around at all without pain. By Thursday she was able to start walking around a little more, and she went back to work on Monday. It’s still pretty tender/painful for her today, but she hasn’t taken any pain meds since last week. The surgeon said she should be able to start running in two more weeks and can start lifting weights again, slowly at first, beginning in late January. So basically it’s a 2-3 month layoff.

      Don’t wait to get checked out. Hers was very small, but some hernias can kink the intestines, which can cause potentially severe problems as you can imagine.

      • This seems a little on the longer side of what I’ve heard for recovery times. I’m sure it varies with the type/size of hernia, as well as patient age and type of procedure used to repair the hernia. I’ve heard of people going to the laproscopic outpatient clinic on a Friday and being back to work on Monday. YMMV.

        • She elected to not go with laproscopic because she only had one small hernia. The trauma to the area would have been more severe if she had gone with laproscopic. It can be a little different for boys and girls. She had the inigual ligament removed since it’s vestigial in females, but I don’t think that made a difference in recovery time. She also had a small section of nerve removed becuase the nerve had been frayed a little bit by the torn muscle and apparently people can get phanton pain if the nerve isn’t removed. She went back for surgery at 9am and I took her home at noon. It’s very minor as surgery goes, but because of the location movement can be painful afterwards.

          The hardest part for me was not being allowed to say anything funny or make any jokes that are so bad they make her laugh. I found myself sitting there with her thinking of funny things to say and then having to hold it in. That kind of thing drives me crazy.

    • Agree with Maslow’s comments about getting things checked out. Treatment recommendations and recovery times certainly depend on type and severity of the hernia.

      My experience:

      Similar “symptoms” to what you describe only 1 lump, not 2. Dr. basically told me I could keep training with the hernia but would eventually need surgury to get it fixed as it’s not going to get better on its own. (he also strongly recommended a trip to the ER if things changed dramatically) So I scheduled surgury at a convenient time in my off season.

      Recovery involved 3 weeks of not lifting anything more than 10 pounds and living in fear of sneezing.

      After those three weeks, I was cleared to do whatever I wanted intcluding lifting heavy.

      Yes, any type of surgury is a big deal. In the grand scheme of things, this was not as bad as I had envisioned. (other than the parts involving a large and varied group of people inspecting my crotch)

  3. No PRs this week but I have a (70s) big day planned for tomorrow: a few friends and I are lifting compound lifts in the morning and then dumbells for a good pump in the afternoon, followed by a trip to Fogo de Chao. We plan to weigh ourselves before and after. If you don’t know what Fogo de Chao is you should.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/14egw9/iam_alfred_morris_running_back_for_the_washington/ Redskins running back Alfred Morris did an AMA and I didn’t know about it until after the fact. A few weeks back an announcer stated on the air that Morris can squat 645 lbs (he’s 5’10 220). I’ve been dying to verify that ever since. Someone asked him how much he squats but he didn’t respond. The mystery remains.

  5. This week starts the second month of TM for me. Also, I just got an inzer 13mm 2 prong forever belt this week. I wish I had gone for the thinner belt becuase this thing is stiff as fuck, and I can’t quite make it to the 4th hole and the 3rd is a bit loose for DL. Still, 100 times better than the little leather fashion belts the gym has, or the velcro belt I busted out of on my 4th squat rep last week.

    This morning I set a squat rep PR with 290 x 5.
    Decided to go for a heavy pull with my new belt got 365 easy.
    Tried to get a bench PR with 285 but I missed the 5th rep. I didn’t have a spotter and I think that freaked me out so I racked it on the lowest peg once it turned into a grinder.

    Justin, for Q & A with the holidays upon us I would like to hear about your thoughts on alcohol and training. I’ve read alcohol procludes protein synthisis. Have you done any research on this? How badly are we fucking ourselves with that cocktail (or 5) after work?

  6. PRs:
    Skawt: 280# x 3 (Increjibly hard, bout to deload)
    Bench Press: 167# x 3
    Deadlift: 315# (so hard, it was basically 5 singles)
    BW: I’m flirting with 170#

    It’s been 3 years now since I started lifting. I started with StrongLifts 5×5, which even at the time I could tell was 94% “influenced” by Starting Strength, but I was a cheap bastard and just took the free program (note: that’s not necessarily a bad thing; when I quit dicking around a year ago, I bought SS:BBT3, since I knew that was the real source). Did I mention that I weighed 130 lbs @ 5’9″ ? My manorexia was strong.
    I’ve run through a few LP cycles in the last year, and put about 70 lbs on my squat, very happy about that. 70’s Big helped with that. How did I stumble on this funky little corner of teh internetz? By searching “swollertrophy” of course, what a stupid question.

    TL;DR I’m a FUCKING MASTODON now!! Come at me bro !!

      • Like SS with a little ADD thrown in. I keep cutting back on reps to get the weight to keep going up. I need to deload and make another run sticking to 3×5. The last few weeks, it’s been:

        Mon/Fri: Sq 2×5, BP 3×3, PC 3×3/Rows 3×5
        Wed: OH Press 3×5, DL 1×5

        The power cleans are fairly new to me, I joined a gym in Sept that has bumpers. I think they need to get moved to their own day, because the squat and bench leave me no energy to clean anything over about 40-50 kg.

        Overall, I’m very happy with my gainz over the fall. I intend to switch to 5/3/1 only after several more LP runs. I’m 36, and it seems like my body needs a little time to realize that it’s stronger. But make no mistake, my body is ready.

        • It looks like your layout is similar to the Greyskull template, without the rep maxes. You might want to add in going for rep maxes on your last work set and see if that helps you. And make judicious use of resets.

    • My numbers are a little lower than yours, but it crossed my mind that someone with a 285 lb squat, that can increase 10 lbs per month, can get to 405 in a year (u ‘mirin that math?). Sounds reasonable, right?

      • Reasonable? Yes. However, 10 lbs per month isn’t a easy as it sounds. Life often gets in the way. I will say that on March 1st my squat PR was 260×5, and now its 340×5 and I spent a LOT of time on general debauchery including but not limited to eating way too little, pulling my hamstring, and tweaking the fuck out of my back. It’s definitely do-able, but you still have to fight for every pound.

      • In my experience, once you get to around 365 x5 or so youre pretty close to 405. It has taken a considerable amount of time to do so and it only happened after I switched to TM. Keep in mind that most dudes dont have the capacity to continually at weight without backing off a little bit every once in a while. Just take your time and youll get there, no need to rush.

      • I’ve kinda assumed that some voodoo happens in the mid 300’s, given how many guys here are in the range. If I get all the way to 405 by this time next year, great. If could at least get to the mid 300’s, I’d still be all smiles. I’m interested to see how 2013 goes, because I’ve never started a year before with specific goals about getting stronger. And by specific goals, I mean gettin’ YOKED!

  9. DL’d 260 x 6. About six weeks ago I attempted this weight, got only 4 reps and tweaked my back badly. Reset everything and have really put an effort into mobility and prehab – foam roll and stretch 2x/day now. 5’9″ male, 34lbs from adulthood.

  10. Been working through planning my 2013 training. I was going to do one more 5/3/1 cycle before year end, then kick off with a LP to start 2013. Then I figured hell, why not start the LP now? I’m eating like crazy for the holidays anyway.

    Resets to:
    Squat: 205 – switched to low bar squats, will take a few sessions to get used to them
    Bench: 140 – shoulder has been sore from a bad position a couple weeks ago
    Deadlift: 300
    Press: 100

    We’ll see how far it goes.

    Bonus: bought 50 lbs of grass fed beef from a local farmer. And it is good.

    Work PR: got jumped by some auditors all up in my business. Turned it around, used their momentum against them. A desk jockey street fight, if you will. A couple of them might get fired for incompetence. I received much praise from superiors.

    • I guess I do have a question too:

      I’ve been having a slight tingling sensation in my upper left calf, right below the back of the knee, for a few weeks now. Stretching, foam rolling, and rest haven’t affected it at all. It is not bothersome, only noticable. Anyone had anything like this? Is it nerve damage, or maybe my calves are simply too jakked?

      Thoughts out there?

  12. Finally some prs to post. Competed in my first strongman competion last night so thats a life pr and since i workout in my basement with just a barbell, super serial dont have a bench or rack just a bar and some plates, it was my first time pressing a log deadlifting an axle and flipping a tractor tire i racked up some automatic prs. Log press at 150lbs for 8 reps, 2″ axle deadlifting at 295lbs for 16 reps, and flipped a tractor tire 5 times in a minute i think it was 450. I cant wait for the next one.

  14. In the late 1800s my great grandfather Lincoln Wood got his left arm badly mangled by a crazy fucking horse. The horse bit into his bicep area, picked him up and shook the shit out of him like a dog would do to kill a snake. The local doctor mabe a house call and decided to amputate…on the kitchen table. Here’s a picture of that magnificent bastard:
    http://i.imgur.com/pRfSh.jpg

  17. Two PRs:
    215# clean & jerk
    245# front squat

    I also signed up for a local CrossFit competition in mid-January, so I will likely put my strength goals on hold to focus on conditioning, skills, and nutrition.

  18. Hit a squat PR of 340x1x1. Stuck on OHP so factoring in more volume this next week, hitting 250 g of protein/day and weight dips to assist. I’m really wanting to hit BW OHP in the next 4 weeks, 15 lbs to go…

  20. 1st time posting but have been following since the begining. thanks for what you do.
    PRs 420 for a 5rm on the squat and 185 for 10 on the bench

    I have a friend that was a college basketball player and has had multiple knee injuries and surgeries he only has 10% meniscus in his left knee. He is untrained and wants to start lifting. Is squatting out of the picture for him? or should he start out very light and slow? the reason i asked is i thought i read something about needing a meniscus to squat

  23. No lifting PRs, but I did develop gout in my ankle last night which I consider to be my red badge of courage for meat consumption.I should have known it was coming when my portillos double cheese didn’t have me salivating yesterday.
    Latest work:
    Squat (deload) 275x5x3
    Press 155x5x3
    Bench 215x5x3
    Deadlift 345×5

  25. front squat pr 253 lb for 5 reps
    power clean pr 220 lb
    snatched 175 and clean & jerked 240, both pr’s
    Ate my first 24 oz steak, a pr by 2 oz. Hit a 1 lb bodyweight pr that night at 204

  27. No lifting since I just PCS’d to Charleston AFB and the gym is gay and I don’t want to do Crossfit. Anybody near Charleston that knows of a good gym?

  28. Squats: 395# x 5
    Press: 165# x 3

    Height, 6’2″, weight, somewhere between 240 and 250. Haven’t weighed myself in at least 2 months. 405# x 5 in 4 weeks. So close I can taste it.

  29. Coming to the end of week 3 of the Smolov base mesocycle. At 44 years of age, recovery has begun to be an issue this week. Still, managed 350x5x7 today, and doing 370x3x10 tomorrow. Looking forward to next week: rest and then test my 1RM before moving into the switching cycle.

  30. Narrowly missed a new 5RM on back squat today. Failed on the last repetition at 345. I’ll get it next week.

    Had a Wilderness PR with friends last weekend. We hiked a 30-mile loop on the Appalachian Trail and branch trails and introduced a friend to backpacking in the process. (He did fine.) I had a very rough Monday lifting, which may explain the lack of a PR this week. I did, however, start snatching again and re-learned why one wears long socks on Olympic lifts.

  31. PR for competing at the American Open.

    Warm ups felt great.

    Snatch:
    60
    62
    And then there were about 5 of us taking 65 as an attempt, and I was last because it was my third attempt. So, I went back and hit 64 in the warm up area, which was still a strong power snatch.
    65 miss – The pull felt great. I was forward on the catch and never my left arm back enough. Not sure exactly, but my other snatches were easy enough that this miss was irritating. Still, I will take 2/3 at my first national meet. Opening at 60 was definitely the right call.

    Clean and jerk:
    78
    80 – Bar misload. I called for 81. When I got on the platform, I realized that 80 was loaded but Nick was my platform coach and had actually talked to the table, so I wasn’t sure if for some reason he had called for 80 and not 81. Also, there was no way in hell I was going to fuck around and step off the platform to tell them and ruin my rhythm. Not at my first big meet. So, I hit that easy, and they realized the misload after. I chose to keep 80 instead of taking another attempt at 81.
    83

    Originally, I had been planning for 78, 81 and then if 81 felt awesome, I was considering hitting 84 in the warm up area and going to 86 for a PR attempt. But, my cleans felt odd. They look okay on video. Super easy. But, my left knee has been bugging me and they felt non-normal, and after the misload fucked with me a bit, I knew 83 was the better decision because I had it easy.

    Came home and hit a 110 kg squat on Tuesday, which was a PR for a high bar squat, and then I hit 111 kg today.

    http://youtu.be/Z2hjKN_KzrM

  33. I had my final architecture review on wednesday, so I missed tuesday’s light workout, but still hit yesterday’s intensity day lifts. I’ll be hitting a PR next week on squat and tying one on press.

    Question: If I want to get my low back stronger for deadlifting, should I try deficit pulling? I’m really weak off the floor, and it’s definitely not my hamstrings.

  38. Surgery recovery is ok. I’m about 10 weeks out now, fucking hips take forever to recover lol. I pressed my bodyweight (165) for 4 this week and hang cleaned 225.

  40. Deadlift 425×5

    I’ve also lost 20 lbs in the last 4 months, and I am stronger in all of my lifts except the squat. Not a big deal, but feels good.

  41. 350×3 back squat. Last PR was a 345 with wraps single a few months ago so I am finally stronger than I was before I hurt my back playing fucking ultimate frisbee with my division.

  42. 405 x1 DL for the PR! This was my goal for Christmas, but it looks like Christmas came early this year…

    I was gonna do a heavy triple, then wait until Christmas for the 405 attempt, but I felt good, so I went for it after a laughably easy double @ 365.

    405 felt actually easy too! I got through it so fast (was expecting a grind) that in my lockout, I didn’t know what to do…so I kinda just stood there holding it, surprised.

    I credit heavy HBBS and front sqts for strengthening my back, and glute ham raises for the extra Hammy juice.

    Now I’m hungry as a wolf, and every night’s the full moon! AWWWOOOOO!

  43. PRs
    dead 415 x3
    sqt 370 x2
    bench 255 x3

    Justin – I am a recent visitor to your site and all things mobility related. I am realizing that my right shoulder lacks considerable mobility compared to my left (possibly lingering from AC joint tear several years ago). Will it make it worse to focus on that shoulder only or should I always work equal time on each side?

  44. Solid week of training:
    315 3×5 squat (BOOM. Glad I hit this by the end of the year. Felt a little nauseous at the end of the third set but that’s probably due to eating and sleeping a little bit less/working more than I’m used to)
    200×3 bench (I suck at benching but it’s nice to hit this arbitrary point)
    185×1 power clean (haven’t power cleaned in literally a month and back then I was having trouble with ~155, I actually could have gotten 190 I think)
    225 2×1 front squat (never FSed before today, decided to give it a shot and wow it’s a really fucking fun lift! Left some weight on the bar too)

    I’ve got a wrist problem that keeps me from pressing, which really sucks because I love pressing a lot. On the eccentric part of the lift, I get a nasty snapping sensation in my left wrist that goes down into my forearm. Thinking it might be a tendon problem – anyone have any experience with an injury like this?

  46. PRs (kg):

    Press 55×10
    Bench 105×6
    Squat 125×5
    DL 157.5×5
    Chins +20×6

    125 squats were painful this week: even though I had eaten three hours prior to training, I was getting the worst burps from the Chinese food I ate. The first set only got me on the last rep, the second set got me on the last two reps, but the third set featured a burp on every rep. It would start at the bottom of the squat, gouge its way up my esophagus as I stood up, but would not come out due to the bar being on my back. Not the most pleasurable way to squat :(

  47. First lifting PR in many a month;

    Found an olympic lifting club and had my first training session today. Hopefully will compete in the new year at some point.

    Snatch: 20kg
    C & J: 20kg

    BRB being out-lifted by teenage girls who are half my age and a third my weight.

  48. No bench or squat PR’s, but my Pendlay Rows are up to 192.5 for 3 sets of 5. Always nice to be advancing on at least one front.

    Also, I’ve been doing the 5k prep program from FIT. It’s really well thought out.

    To those who haven’t bought FIT I encourage you to do so. The chapter on endurance alone is more than worth the price. The explanations you’ll find of how the body adapts to conditioning is superior to anything you’ll find online.

  49. Started a new bench program. My 2nd day consists of close grip, various push ups, dips, Presses, Dicks Presses, and bent over flies. I missed every single one. Not a good start, so I had to doctor the numbers. Dropped everything either 5 percent or 15 pounds. No big deal.

    Dips 5×5 with 90 pounds attached. I guess it’s a PR, as my shoulder is actually holding up and I haven’t done dips in ages. The theory of “Stronger is healthier” holds together here.

    I’m definitely going to visit this Fogo place when I return.

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