The TL;DR of this post can be summed up in this vid (if you just want the good stuff, skip to 3:10)
As of this writing, we have raised $3,922. The goal is $5,000. I’m not above wearing a speedo to raise some doll hairs, but only if we eclipse the 5k mark. Here is what a few of us are doing. If anybody else wants to get in on the donation festivities, put it in the comments. Here are the top raisers in the team. I’ll remind you that the best raiser not named Jacob will win cash and prizes.
Justin’s Money Raising
I will be doing one clean and jerk for ever $50 raised starting from the amount when I announced it ($2,700) till the end of the month. So far I have 24 reps to do. I originally said I was going to do 300 lbs, but that may have to change if it gets around 50 reps. I’ll probably do as many as I can at 300 and go from there. I’m not doing them in a row, but instead spacing them out. I’ll probably stream the event as well as record stuff because I’ll be doing it at a local CrossFit. Also, if we reach $5,000 I’ll do it in a speedo. Find the 70’s Big team here.
Jacob’s Money Raising
Jacob is going to do a max set of squats at 315. He’ll take pledges for “amount of doll hairs per rep” prior to the set, and when he finishes, the pledging donators will pay their pledge x reps. All of Jacob’s efforts are dedicated to his friend Mike Gardner who died of brain cancer. Rest in peace, Mike. Donate to Jacob here.
Paul’s Money Raising
Paul said that if he eclipsed $300, then he would watch a Twilight marathon. Jesus Christ. I would never agree to that. I’d rather do a 12 mile ruck in the middle of summer. He’s going to record his thoughts and I’ll put them on the site after.
Paul is also going to do a max rep set of whatever value he raises. Right now he’s at 310, so he’ll add $5 and do 315 for reps if he doesn’t raise anything. If it gets over $440, he’ll attempt a new PR as 440 is his current best. Donate to Paul here.
Stroup’s Money Raising
Stroup is doing a squat-a-thon type thing where you can purchase a squat rep with $2 donation. He will also shout whatever obscenity or phrase you want at the top of the rep if you clarify with your donation. He’s up to 12 reps. Donate to Stroup here.
If we don’t raise $5,000, then you’ll have to see Jacob, Stroup, and Paul in a speedo. I didn’t ask them, and Paul said, “I am far too hairy to don a speedo in public. It would look like I was smuggling Snoop Doggs afro in my shorts.” If we raise 5k doll hairs, then they are off the hook for this.
Bill’s Money raising
Bill Clark is a martial artist and breaks things with his hands. If you donate 10 to $20, he’ll break a brick with your name on it. If you donate $21 or more, he’ll break a coconut with your name on it (he’ll be breaking them with his hands). He’ll video them and upload them to YouTube and I will post them on the site. Donate to Bill here.
Every doll hair counts, even if it’s just a few. Thanks for your donations.
I’m so pissed off about the “occupy” movement that I can barely think right now, so let me see if I can get this going. 70’s Big is all about training hard and kicking ass. Everyone is trying to get better whether it is improving their squat, getting more muscular, being a better weightlifter, or even using strength to support their job or hobbies. No matter where you are on the continuum of strength, you’re one of us if you a) train hard, b) want to learn, and c) have a sense of humor. You won’t be chastised for being weak because we’ve all been there, and it’s more about the process of making progress that’s important.
In the end, we realize that the capabilities we have are a direct result of the intensive effort we’ve put into it. We are strong or weak because we have done things that make us strong or weak. Our successes and failures are dependent on our commitment and devotion to get better. This is what bonds us, and it’s a lesson that fucking hippies everywhere need to learn.
Chris deadlifting 625×3 (go to :42 for start of set)
I’ve only worked directly with a few pregnant women and don’t consider myself to have a lot of experience dealing with this. However, I got an e-mail inquiry from Sarah, wife of Joe (hey Joe), on how best to train through a pregnancy. The interesting part about Sarah’s situation is that she only recently started working out by doing push-ups, pull-ups, and body weight squats. Right as she was about to transition into lifting barbells with Joe in the gym, they found out she was pregnant.
Before we get into Sarah’s specifics, let’s discuss some points about training during a pregnancy.
Training can and should still occur while pregnant.
There’s no question that good training with quality nutrition improves health. There’s also no question that there’s a baby growing inside of a pregnant woman — I’m pretty sure this is the case. There’s also no question that the health of the woman is going to have an effect on the health of the baby. Thus we can conclude that since “good training and quality nutrition” improve health, it will be provide an optimal set of characteristics for the baby to develop in.
Hard, intense training isn’t necessary.
We’re talking about health as opposed to optimal performance. The mother doesn’t have to train like she’s getting ready for a meet or a Spartan race. She shouldn’t be trying to PR her squat or jumping around excessively when 8 months pregnant. Even if she did want to maintain optimal performance, we know that the female body experiences a steady state of flux. The hormonal response to training will be jumbled up with the natural hormonal changes that occur to create an environment for the baby to grow. In other words, let’s let the system prepare for the baby instead of trying to have an optimal increase in performance.
By using this logic, we can agree that training should occur, but it doesn’t need to be excessive or “super intense” so that we don’t disrupt the biological preparation for the baby. Furthermore, we don’t want to physically bother a developing baby. We don’t want to significantly increase the intra-abdominal or thoracic pressure, and we don’t want to jostle him around in the womb by jumping around like a spaz. We don’t have to “baby” the baby, but we don’t want to give him the equivalent of elbow dropping him or putting him in the sleeper (NOBODY GETS OUT OF THE SLEEPER).
Don't do this to your baby
Lifting weights is still okay.
Yet, as the last section showed, it doesn’t need to be super intensive. I would have a pregnant gal do squats, presses, RDLs, and chin-ups (or whatever assisted equivalent like pull-downs, ring rows, etc.). I’d probably split it into two days and not really worry about the weight increasing. I’d also include conditioning, but the term “conditioning” is relative to the person. If they are un-adapated to anything, then fast walking can act as conditioning. I’d probably prefer to schedule walking, rowing, and stationary cycling for the bulk of conditioning later on in the pregnancy while the earlier stages would still use barbells, implements, and calisthenics. The main theme will be to not do too much, especially in the second half of the pregnancy.
The training should change over the course of the pregnancy.
Here is a snippet of an e-mail that I wrote to someone about half a year ago when they asked about training while pregnant:
On a given workout you probably shouldn’t deplete yourself to the extent that you can…meaning don’t do conditioning till you’re lying on the ground and don’t squat 1RMs and don’t try and get a 20RM with your previous 10RM — keep it all under control so you’re not putting a huge systemic stress on the body. This means that you should leave each training session refreshed. Keep the volume of lifting and conditioning low, and keep an eye on the intensity so that it doesn’t get too out of hand (maybe keep it below 85%?).
Training while pregnant should exist to maintain, or slightly improve the health of the mommy, not the performance. Leaving the gym refreshed and rejuvenated is better than leaving wiped out. Why? Because we don’t want to require a major systemic recovery because the system should be preserved for developing the baby and staving off illness. The mother shouldn’t be in a weakened state because her immune system is now treating her plus the baby. Most people — male or female — don’t understand that the “system” is essentially the same thing as the “immune system”. If the system is depressed, then it’s defenses are lowered and more susceptible to sickness. If you’re constantly sick (or a sniveling Expert Shoveler), then look to see if your training is depressing the system.
Three words: eat right.
A mother’s body should be ready. Along with exercise, she should eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet. At this point, a newly pregnant mother will have read as much as she can about eating when pregnant, now combine that with the quality nutrition information we know about nowadays. Things like eating nutrient dense foods, avoiding processed foods, not eating frivolous carbohydrates, and sticking to quality meat, fats, fruits, and vegetables. It’s okay to give into the weird cravings every now and then, but don’t splurge regularly. Just because it says “pregNANCY” doesn’t mean you should act like a Nancy.
If there was ever a time to take care of your health, this is it.
My mother took her health very seriously when pregnant. Despite her efforts of eating healthy and avoiding anything “bad”, she contracted cytomegalovirus (CMV), a mono-like virus that can have congenital birth defects. This virus is the reason that my older brother is mentally handicapped (yet he is much better off than the majority of kids that are handicapped by CMV). My point is that even when everything is going right, weird things can still happen. Do everything in your power to optimally prepare your body’s health prior to and during the pregnancy so your little babe can be a healthy little butter ball.
Sarah’s situation is no different. She can certainly start learning how to use barbells despite the recent news that she is pregnant. However, she and Joe don’t need to worry about putting weight on the bar every session, and instead should just get quality muscle contractions with some medium conditioning. It’s a perfect opportunity to work on the technique of all of the lifts without the pressure of having to increase the weight on the bar.
To all of you mothers out there: train well, eat healthy, only splurge occasionally, and your baby will pop out with a mustache to make Burt Reynolds jealous.
If you are a mother who has experience training while pregnant, share your thoughts in the comments.
Happy PR Friday to you, sir. Or madame. Whatever. Post your PRs and training updates to the comments. Last week I asked what your least favorite lift was, and it seems that most of you hate front squats.
What is your biggest muscular weakness?
@ JUSTIN
i already fixed grip width thanks to you and my press shot up after being stalled @ 165 3×5 for a couple months so THANK YOU! yes i always have to remind myself to get under the bar.
This wasn’t really a question, but I just thought I’d point out how a proper grip on the press makes it mechanically efficient and properly utilizes the musculature of the triceps and shoulders.
I have stupid-long femurs and a short torso. Conventional DL feels the strongest, but I have to pull around my knees which is definitely not ideal (and makes any set longer than 1 rep a mess). I’ve pulled sumo for ~1 year as (obviously) sumo reduces the impact of femur length.
I still just don’t feel right pulling sumo. Could I theoretically make up for less-than-ideal anthropometry by having very good hip mobility (ie, a large amount of external rotation to get my knees out of the way)? Or would the amount of external rotation required be too hard on the hips?
You won’t need to “pull around your knees” in a mechanically sound starting position that is followed by “pushing the floor away”. Methinks your butt is too low and stance potentially wide (see Q&A-4 for stance info). If you were able to get your knees out a bit with your shoulders slightly in front of the bar (putting your scapulae over the bar), then push the floor away, then you won’t have this “KNEES KNEES KNEES” business. Long femurs usually means long arms, so you could get by with a grip that is a finger width or so outside of the inside rings (the rings where the knurling starts in the center of the bar). The wider grip would allow your knees to shove out a bit more.
Keep in mind your musculature won’t currently be adapted to lift heavy weight well with the conventional technique if you’ve been doing sumo. In fact, I’d wager you have a hamstring weakness. But, like I said in the reply to your comment, send a video and I can say things definitively.
A question for Justin: a quick wikipeida WR comparison between the classes shows that the heavier the class the lower the total kg:class kg ratio. For example – the 56kg class shows a total that is 5.44 times the lifters body weight, but the 105kg class is 4.15. Why does this happen? Is it because the lower weight classes are shorter and don’t have to move the weight as far?
Dear echo,
There is not a direct correlation with body weight and strength among a population of lifters. There still is a correlation, but it isn’t linear. As with any physical attribute, there are diminishing returns. It’s just what happens. For example, my Facebook friend Klokov went 196/232 for a 428 total. If it were possible to replicate the 5.44xBW total of the 56kg class, that would mean about a 570 total. If his snatch were 84% of his clean and jerk (like in the WWC a few days ago), that would result in him snatching 260 and clean and jerking 310 to make a 570 total. Numerically we can see that this isn’t possible given that 260 is near the clean and jerk WR.
In any case, how many times the BW a lifter can lift is irrelevant since absolute weight is what matters. And even when it does — like in the Sinclair formula — larger amounts of musculature matter since Akkaev and Klokov (105kg lifters) placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Sinclair formula for the WWC.
Paul Sousa, Movember team member (and will be watching Twilight to raise money for Movember…), asks on the Facebook page:
Justin, for someone training 2 days per week who wants to try and linearly progress on press and bench, would going to 5×5 sets across be helpful? Just wondering if the bump in volume would offset the reduced frequency.
Paul has decreased his training frequency cause he’s about to be a daddy. I’m not a huge fan of using 5x5s in general, but especially when that lift is only done once a week. The 5×5 inherently uses a low percentage of the 1RM, and creeping it up over time would primarily get someone adapted to lower percentage, high volume lifting. Instead, I’d suggest using one week of an ascending 3×5 and a second week of an ascending 3×3. The bench and press, especially the press, respond well to encountering some heavier weights. In fact, this is the strategy I’ve used for at least 8 months, and I’ve PR’d at 350 on the bench and 240 on the press (with 250 in reach, methinks, but I’m currently focusing on the push-press).
Ascending sets will let you hit a higher weight on the third set, yet it should be done systematically. I suggest using 10 pound jumps as it will allow for more weight on the third compared to only increasing by 5 pounds (15 would be too large, especially on press). If you have a weak press, 10 pounds would be a greater percentage of your lift, so you could always use 7 or 5 pound jumps. I also like 10 pound jumps on the ascending 3×3.
The good thing about this set up is that every 5 or 7 weeks you could always single on up. It’s a way to test the 1RM (if you want), but it also provides an extremely high percentage stress that usually resonates well when going back to the regular press sets. I never systematically used singles; whenever I got into PR territory with the top triple or set of five, I would try a single. Earlier this year I was only hitting around 215 for a triple, and then I used it for a set of five before attempting the 240 press (previous PR was 230). I typically pressed Monday, benched Wednesday, and use weighted dips on Friday (after sn/cj, or something like that).
I write more about this method in the Texas Method: Part 2 e-book that is almost done (I finished writing the last chapter yesterday), so be on the lookout for that.
EVERYONE asks:
What silly things are all of you doing to raise money for Movember?
Dear EVERYONE,
Several of us will be doing something to raise money and reach our goal of $5,000. I will be doing one clean and jerk for every $50 raised (starting with the total on Wednesday morning) at the end of the month, Stroup is going to be deadlifting or something fucking stupid, Cloud is going to be abiding, and Paul Sousa is gonna be watching Twilight (I would never agree to that shit). I really don’t know the specifics despite the fact that Stroup, Cloud, Brent, Briskin, and I chatted for two hours the other night. Tomorrow I’ll put up a post clarifying what we’ll be doing so you know where your donation money is going.
Mark Motherfucking Marotta asks via telepathy:
I’ve been thinking about using snatch grip for my DE Deadlifts for the increased R.O.M. Is this stupid, smart or are you indifferent?
Dear the Mark,
I know that you are a powerlifter, so the first thing that comes to mind is, “How will these benefit you more than regular speed deadlifts?” You’ll use less weight with abnormal mechanics. The good thing with how I would normally program someone with intermediate deadlifting programming is that they pull a full ROM deadlift 3 times a month (with the other week being rack pulls, most likely) and that’s accomplished with speed pulling — more on this in Texas Method Part 2 e-book.
If you are keen to try it, then let me know how it goes. If I were coaching you I’d have you work with regular speed pulls, emphasizing the fast lockout (after the knees) as it’s more applicable. I’d consider snatch grip stuff worthy of a try for a powerlifter later in their advancement, if at all. This doesn’t mean they won’t be beneficial, but after my analysis, I’d rather you use conventional style.
All right, that’s good for today. I’ll see you guys on the field.
I’m in a hurry today, so this will be quick. Lately there has been more “dicking around” posts because I’ve been juggling various projects. If you e-mailed be about a consultation, I’ll get to you soon, but these projects won’t get done if I keep pushing them back. In the mean time, let’s watch some random vids:
My friend Jake from Chicago sent me this Kazmaier video. I have no idea what the context is, but I know it’s part of a film/documentary called “Tom Magee: Man of Iron”. This is the only part that Kazmaier is in. He seems kind of like a dickhead in this, but he obviously doesn’t act like that anymore. It’s still funny.
Here’s a vid from Robbie that is just…just…perfect.
