PR Friday, 22 March 2013

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It’s Friday! This week on the site Paul Sousa reviewed a new android app called deep squatter. On Tuesday we had SOF Olpainless reflect on his experiences with training while deployed, and then on Thursday Darth Tsypkin answered more of your questions

I googled “brent kim” and this is what I got.

Going forward, Mike Battaglino will be answering reader submitted questions on topics such as Powerlifting, Strongman, Military related training, declining spots, etc. in a video format. Questions can be submitted to mike@70sbig.com or posted in the comments on facebook. Mike answered a few questions already, posted on our facebook page this week:

Michael asks:  I’m a Marine and I love powerlifting (just competed in my first meet) but I need to temporarily focus on dropping my 3 mile run time for a PFT. What are your suggestions for strength maintenance while I start running long enough to do well on the fitness test? I’m planning on throwing together a mix of interval/tempo work and the occasional longer run (2-3 miles). Probably 3-4 days a week of running. I’m sure this is a pretty common scenario for the military folk.

Mike: I’m quite glad my PT test days are over. I would reccomend trying to maintain your current program the best that you can, and just keep the weights the same for 4-6 weeks. If you need to, drop some of the accessory lifts. You shouldn’t lose a tremendous amount of strength, and you can be back to adding weight 1-2 weeks after the test. 

I wouldn’t worry about moving the weights up for either your volume or intensity days. Perhaps for your bench and press you can move up slowly, but I would just worry about passing the test, and maintaining your current numbers.

Kyp asks:  I recently bought a yoke and it’s supposed to be arriving sometime this week so figure I would study up on it in the mean time. I was wondering if you would be able to share any knowledge/know of any particularly good sources or information regarding programming yoke walks for somebody trying to get 70’s big, and have a good base of general conditioning?

Mike: Kyp, I have read a quite a few pro strongman training logs, and everyone seems to program it a bit differently. I’ve only had my yoke for about six months, but I would recommend keeping it light for a little while. If you could manage to do it once a week, you would probably develop your technique pretty quickly, but keep it relatively light. Once it starts to get heavy, do it every other week. If you’re going into a contest where you’re going to use the yoke, consider programming speed/heavy days with it. I think the most important thing is to develop skill walking with it. Watch videos of pro strongman using it and experiment with what works for you (particularly hand placement).

LW Pro Strongman Andy Deck with a 1010lb yoke

As today is PR Friday, let us know how you are doing in the comments. What do you want to talk about? Add videos by just posting the youtube URL. Since it’s snowing here in Boston, crockpot recipes will be awarded extra internet points today, along with the admiration of your peers.

76 thoughts on “PR Friday, 22 March 2013”

  1. Squat PR:
    High bar 172.5kg (380ish) for a single.

    I’m finding it hard to make any progress whilst deployed. I’ve had to pretty much cut out deads completely.

      • No, we have two platforms, plus a heap of bumper plates.
        It’s a programming problem rather than an equipment problem. I’ve got armour on pretty much every day, both for training and actual jobs (which can come up at short notice).
        Between my other lifts, and MMA training daily, my back just can’t recover. DLs are just too much systemic stress, and too much localised stress in my erectors.

        As a substitute, I do RDLs and sometimes GMs. Even then I have to be careful with volume. My rig averages about 90lbs, so my back gets overloaded if I’m not careful.

  2. Back PR: About two weeks without walking cane-level pain. Fuck yeah! It’s a little depressing knowing how far I’ve fallen but at least I’m trending upward now.

  4. I am getting ready for a strongman contest in July, so I have lots of prep time. Got a car deadlift frame and managed 2 sets of 3 and 1 set of 4 with a 4000 lb car plus a couple of 45s near the handles. Also got 5 reps in the Axle Clean and Press in under a minute @ 230, 235 for 6 reps in the press and 3 sets of 5 squat lockouts at 840. Even started a new explosive drill. Pop-ups from the knees straight to a 24inch box jump, 3 sets of 5. Lets just say I am paying for those PR’s and new movements with a crampy/sore as hell back! Thankfully my wife is forcing me to not train next week during spring break (teacher, not a student).

  5. Don’t post that often, but I figured I should start.

    1. Started keeping a lifting journal this week. It’s going well.
    2. Switched off of CFFB and now doing a lot more Oly-lifts because I found a coach at a local Crossfit. Still backsquatting 2x a week.
    3. Testing out Backsquat Monday/Friday and front squat on Wednesday.
    4. Snatch – 60 kg.
    5. C+J – 85 kg

  6. No PRs today. But got my first PL meet tomorrow (with Stroup Doggy Dog). A lot riding against me such as an uncompetitive total, elbow tendonitis from a new job started this past week, and nerves. But I’m excited and just ready to finish the meet and know that I officially train for a reason now…not just to be some jelly dick gordon fuck moping around the YMCA.

    Let’s do this!

  9. A big week for me, which was much needed after feeling like I was starting to founder a bit…

    Squat: 365×4

    Bench: 220×5 and 235×1

    Deadlift: 405×2

    Still need to focus more on getting adequate sleep, but this is a big boost going into the weekend.

  11. Squat: 3×5 @ 320
    Press: 3×5 @ 140
    Dead: flat lining at 430

    Pressing 140 was a sticking point for me for a while. i could toss up 135 all day but couldnt finish sets at 140. I added extra press work and found some fractional plates. I manhandled my 140# work sets this week.

  12. Squat 440, Slingshot bench 375 with pause. Signed up for a meet in may where i hope to squat 460 and then have a USAPL meet in December that i am hoping to squat *gasp!!* 500 at. I would be ecstatic if this happened.

  13. 6′ 2″ 209lbs, 35 y/o
    I’ve been working on getting into shape for one final season of semi pro football (Split End). It’s been 3 years since my last game. We had a couple 3 hour practices this month and after 2 hours I’ve been dying. Since late February I’ve lost 10 lbs of chub, I’ve got another 10 or so to go before I’m at my old playing weight. I’m getting quicker, but my knees/feet ache, which tells me I’m still too heavy.

    Overhead Press: 155lbs x 1 (pr)
    Deadlift + RDL: 315lbs + MDUSA green band x 1+1
    Close Grip BP: 225 x 1
    12″ Box Squat: 290lbs x 1 (12″ box pr)

  17. Injury PR:

    Added a nasty back injury from deadlifting yesterday. I tore an s.i. joint ligament, or something. Also have a crunchy shoulder where the biceps inserts and a rotator cuff issue. Fuck me.

  18. Squat 340×5

    I’ve been doing a much better job of sitting back in my squats – I used to kind of fall forward and let my quads take over. Focusing on sitting back and bouncing off the hammies and bunz has been a good boost. Sure it helped my DL too.

    Rhetorical question: why doesn’t every girl and her mom squat at the gym? I’ve literally only ever seen one girl squat, and that was with a trainer who actually seems to know what he’s doing. They ALL want to tone their legs and bunz, and they think that the elliptical is the place to do that? LADIES, SQUAT YOUR (FIGURATIVE) DICKS OFF!

  19. @ 260 lb: 5 rep PR on deadlift @445 lb. 3 Rep and 5 rep PRs on the squat @ 405 & 395 respectively. 3& 5 rep PR on bench @277.5 & 270.

    I really need to drive my bench and press up more, failed to press 167.5×5 last night. I’ve got a friendly competition with a few friends coming over my place in May and I’m hoping to break 1300 for the first time with 445/315/545.

  20. Squat a relatively easy 385 x 4, benched 257.5 x 5 x 3, and pulled 405 x 5 last Saturday. All are PRs.

    It was my last hard day before my first meet this coming Sunday.

  21. Today:

    Squat: 217,5 kg (~ 480 lbs) x1x3 (PR)
    –> Only got 3 singles today – I missed the 4th and called it a day. Time for a reset. Maybe I´ll attempt 220 kg for a single next friday since this was originally my goal for this year, but then I´ll switch to one or two doubles on ID.

    Press: 73 kg (~ 161 lbs) x6 (PR)
    –> Pathetic, but going up, so actually no reason to complain.

    Deadlift: 227,5 kg (~ 502 lbs) x1 (PR)
    –> My first 500 lbs deadlift! Pretty happy about that since my deadlift is relatively weak compared to my squat but has improved steadily over the last couple of weeks.
    Video:

      • Thanks. Yeah, for some reason there are always people doing stupid shit in the background when I lift.
        But otherwise, I´m very pleased with my gym. I´m a trainer there and can pretty much do what I want, and the equipment is also okay (we have eleiko training bars and very solid power racks).

  22. First O-lifting meet on Tuesday, it’s an informal thing purely within my club for noobs. Should be good practice for a full meet in late April.

  23. HBBS 270#

    Good luck to ya’ll with PL bromeets this weekend. I’ll be doing 13.3 today which involves throwing a 14# ball 150 times and jumping and whatnot :/

  24. My SI joint issues are continuing to get better, and my confidence in my lifts are improving. I’m just happy to be back in the gym and moving some weight around.
    And, I’m officially on spring break! woot.

  25. No lift PRs, since I was taking it easy this week, but…

    coach PR

    Got a new coach (finally), drove an hour to VMI and lifted with him today, and he’s sent me a 6 week program and is going to handle me in my new 2 meets (at least… I think this is the beginning of a glorious thing).

    • VMI?
      Not to be a stalker or anything, but I think I was at the Tucson seminar with you last year. I went to school at VMI, if that’s what you’re referencing. I didn’t know anyone else knew that school existed.

        • Which coach? There were a few good ones there before I left in ’08. Coach Witten and jack Johnson are the two I remember. I actually grew up in Waynesboro which you probably saw on your way over the mountain. Unless you blinked. Good to hear you’ve found a coach. I’m sure new PRs are on the way.

  28. C&J 219 (lbs) for 2 singles after failing twice…

    Signed up for first weightlifting meet, Boulder Classic on May 18th. They required me to enter a team name, so I put 70s Big. Hope that’s cool. cya

  29. Catching the strep from my girlfriend on Monday put a damper on my lifting this week but still managed a decent week.
    5×3 @ 405 on squat pretty easily
    Hit 335 for a triple on bench and followed that with 5×3 at 315
    Right after benching I was able to get 200 for a triple on strict press which is a huge PR so I am excited about that.

  30. Another long time lurker first time poster. I’m getting PR’s at this point on regulated programming from Big Chris.

    Bench 270 x 2
    Squat 410 x 2

    5” 9.5″, 198, 40 freaking 7 and not close to done

  31. PRs on both the bench and the squat last week.
    Got 140kg in the squat, and finally hit 100kg on the bench, which has been a goal for me since I first started lifting

  33. Food PR: I went to an eat all ya can mongolian bbq for the first time and a small cow’s worth of beef. It was glorious, cheap, and really fawking good. Also, they do $9.99 all you can eat on Mondays. Dat PWO meal. I recommend it to every self respecting individual.

  34. Power snatched 135# and 150# today.
    First time snatching from the floor up. Speed was great. Working back into it off a knee injury (from work). Pretty stoked. 135# is the best PS so far and that was off blocks (from second pull).

    All in all, pretty excited.

  35. Frustrating week for training as I’m just getting over an illness and I’m leaving for a two week vacation next week. So I just did some conditioning and a couple unstructured/improvised lifting days. Tried to squat 300# for a single after hitting 295# last week, but didn’t get it. I also got a haircut, clipped my toenails, and read mopeilitywod.

    Will probably do some more easy lifting/conditioning this week, then get back to a linear progression after vacation.

  38. Finished 2 weeks of Poliquin inspired Super Accumulation training without dying.

    Squats or front squats every day, snatch grip deadlift off a block every second day, pullups every day. Program was murder.

    No PRs during the program but i’m resting up for a few days and then it should be on.

  39. I competed! PR’d my MEET squat and deadlift, total, and wilks score after dropping 40lbs of bodyweight over the past year or so. the USAPL Battle on the Border is an amazing meet if youre in the SC, NC, GA area you should make the trip next year. Amazing competition very well run by Jon Mouzon and Jenn Thompson.

  40. Apologies if this posts twice, I think the youtube links were preventing it from posting the first time.

    Had an awesome weekend. Competed in my first powerlifting meet and ended up going 9/9, PRing in all my lifts, and finishing 3rd in my weight class (198 raw) which was pretty cool.

    Squat:
    355
    385 – previous PR
    405 – This was a 20 lb PR. 4 plates!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJAJiJ-bK0o

    Bench:
    275
    290
    305 – previous PR was 295
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxFej3id3F8

    Deadlift
    405
    430 – previous PR was 425
    455 – second deadlift PR of the day
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naasNlD9q0U

    All in all, it was a great first meet experience. Hit some milestones, met some nice people, had fun.

  41. DL: 450 x 3

    Things I’d like to discuss: Finally found footage of Karwoski squatting 800 x 5 in just a belt, had been wanting to see that for awhile. Appears @ ~4:10:

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