Chris Anderson's training log V. 2.0-- Tom Kallas is a dead man

5/21-

Bench RE

Press-
45x5
95x5
135x5
160x3
wrist wraps on
185x2
belt on
205x1
225x1- 10lb PR, first two plate press

Close grip paused bench-
45x5
add chains (~35 at top, ~20 at bottom)
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
235x5
185x12

Pullups-
2x8 BW
4x8 +25lb
in between bench rest periods

Band tricep extension with softball grips-
4x20

Notes: I pressed 200x5 really easily last week, so I decided I wanted to come in and get the monkey off my back that was a 2 plate press. Mission accomplished. I then got to work on some paused close grip bench with chains. I did touch-and-go sets of 8 with 225 a couple weeks ago with the same grip, so lowering the reps + pausing probably ended up being about the same difficulty. I just moved up until I felt like the reps were slowing down a bit too much. Then I moved my grip out to just narrower than competition grip for the rep out, and again just went until the reps slowed down.

My pullup numbers are flying through the roof--whenever my lats get stronger, my bench goes up. Sets of 8 with +25 is usually close to a rep max, but I had no problem with it today.


Plan for the rest of the week:

Tuesday- "leg day", lots of single leg stuff, whatever feels good and gets some quad and ham work in

Wednesday- usually my day off, but I want to come in and hit some bench for somewhere in the 300-315 range for a single or double as my last session before the unsanctioned meet.

Thursday/friday- combination of two out of the three:
Deadlift RE day (lighter than normal, probably deficit pulls in the 60-70% range)
Leg day again
rest

Saturday- off

Sunday- go bench 350

After that it will be back to normal.

You've broken the natty overhead barrier of two plates.

Don't tell He Who Must Not Be Named.

the bench phail wasn't that bad, expected lulzier

For my first roll of shame for like 6 years, I handled it pretty well, I suppose.

5/13-

"leg day"

Jump rope- a lot
Sled dragging- a fuck ton
Lunges- a bunch

Yoke walk, ~50ft-
empty (185) x1
275x1
365x1
455x2

Yoke squat and 10 count hold-
3x5@545

Leg extensions- 5x10

Notes: Just some general low body work because I'm still not squatting. I'm planning on waiting until after my follow-up with the PT to squat. I believe I could squat again right now without too much issue, but I want to be completely sure. I have zero reason to try to push things when injured right now.

5/14-

Bench HE

Bench-
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x3
215x3
250x2
280x2
305x2

Pullups- 3x10

Yoke press-
empty w/j-hooks (~190lb) x9

Jump rope- a lot
PT stuff

Notes: Worked up to my bench opener for a double then did some other stuff. I got challenged to overhead press the yoke for six reps and so I did nine. The last rep, I actually catch the chalk bowl on it and lift that up too. It wasn't 100% locked but fuck it, there was a goddam chalk bowl on it.

PT is coming along nicely. I'm getting better at some of the single leg stuff and I'm feeling some new usage of the glute/upper hamstring, so I know it's finally getting worked closer to how it should be. I'm doing a lot of jump rope, particularly single-leg stuff, to build up ankle strength and there is some definite soreness in the ankle so I know some of that tissue is finally getting busted up. The hamstring tendon is feeling better every day and I just need to stay patient. I want this to completely go away before I squat again--I'm going to be very conservative for a while.

I was pretty light today, 190lb during training, which means I'm waking up a couple pounds below that, as I ate a meal and drank a bunch of water right before training.

With all my recent success in pressing, I figured I would take a quick look at my bench press history, just to give it some context. I feel like a lot of new members see me benching these weights like it's something I've always been good at, when the truth is that I've had to fight tooth and nail for every pound for years, and things are just now starting to click.

2010:
October: 242lb bench in a NASA power sports meet while in HS @ 220
Note: only made opener, missed last two attempts due to commands

2011:
March: 248lb, power sports plus squat @ 198, first 400lb deadlift
July: 264lb, first real meet @ 198, first 1200lb total, first 400lb squat, first 500lb deadlift
October: 242lb @ 198, first 450lb squat

Note: Lots of missed attempts, but not due to commands. Was hitting 270-275 close grip during this time, missed 275 on at least four different attempts with normal grip.

2012:
March: 238 @ 198
July: 253 @ 198
October: 287 @ 198, first 1300lb total, first 475lb squat, first 550lb deadlift

Note: went 5/9 in both march and july, went 10/10 in october. Finally moved my grip in after the March meet.

2013:
January: 300 @ ~200, gym lift, first ever 300lb bench
January-June: no lifting because learning how to freedom
November: 303 @ 181, first meet at 181, first 300lb competition bench

Note: hit 300 and 303 with narrowest grip allowed, i.e. index finger to the inside edge of the knurling.

2014:
February: began Swolov after back injury prevented worthwhile squat/deadlift training
February: 315 @ ~195lb BW, end of Swolov base mesocycle, missed 325
April: 330 @ 181

Note: Smolov works but don't fuck yourself up with it.

Now: 280x9 TnG, 305x2 paused. Overhead work with 200x5, 225x1, 190x9 (yoke press). Chance at 350 @ ~190lb this weekend.


EDIT: Doing this and reading it all was actually really informative and gave me a chance at a lot of self-reflection about my training and life in general. It's very interesting how I can look at my lifting and compare it with what was going on in my life at that point. I think I'll do a similar comparison with my squat and deadlift later. I'll likely end up putting this in some sort of graph form as well to have some sort of visual representation, along with notes on what I was doing with my training, diet, and other stuff at the time.

Chris Anderson wrote:

2011:
March: 248lb, power sports plus squat @ 198, first 400lb deadlift
July: 264lb, first real meet @ 198, first 1200lb total, first 400lb squat, first 500lb deadlift

If I'm reading this right, your deadlift went up 100 pounds in 4 months? TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.


Also, I'm pretty identical to March 2011 Chris. I'm going to mimic your every gain.

I love this stuff. Speaking from my own experience, it took me a lot longer to get from 300 to 400 on squat than it did to get from 400 to 500. Sometimes you just have to get stronger to start making fast progress. In my opinion, your bench is a success story for the belief that a lot of lifters' "limits" can just be solved with better training.

I remember you were dealing with an elbow issue before your last meet. But from your recent pressing success it appears that that has worked itself out, no?

SSchwartsenator wrote:

Chris Anderson wrote:

2011:
March: 248lb, power sports plus squat @ 198, first 400lb deadlift
July: 264lb, first real meet @ 198, first 1200lb total, first 400lb squat, first 500lb deadlift

If I'm reading this right, your deadlift went up 100 pounds in 4 months? TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.


Also, I'm pretty identical to March 2011 Chris. I'm going to mimic your every gain.

Not quite. March 2011 was actually a 441 deadlift (incidentally, my first 200kg deadlift). I didn't really hit my limit deadlift in a meet until the first time I pulled 551.

I honestly hope you don't mimic my bench gainz, as it was a long and painful journey.

Keosawa wrote:

I love this stuff. Speaking from my own experience, it took me a lot longer to get from 300 to 400 on squat than it did to get from 400 to 500. Sometimes you just have to get stronger to start making fast progress. In my opinion, your bench is a success story for the belief that a lot of lifters' "limits" can just be solved with better training.

I had just hit a dead zone in my progress for a long time. I didn't really have an identity with my training, I did a lot of different stuff that just wasn't for me. Things have just started clicking in the last 6 months and I feel like I'm finally realizing my potential.

Andy Awad wrote:

I remember you were dealing with an elbow issue before your last meet.  But from your recent pressing success it appears that that has worked itself out, no?

I've dealt with elbow issues on a few separate occasions. I think it had a lot to do with my super narrow grip as well as all the overhead volume I was doing. I was benching three times a week and doing overhead work at least twice a week at my peak. Now, I've settled my frequency into a comfortable range and I play things by ear a lot more often. Widening my grip has done wonders as well. At first it bothered my shoulder a bit, but now I've gotten more used to the movement and I know how to take the pressure off the joint.



Serious time, does anybody know how to make this into a more visual kind of thing? I want to be able to look at how all my numbers have evolved over time and what I've done differently for training and technique. I'm thinking of excel, but I don't really know how to put charts and graphs and stuff in that.

Fuck it, here's my squat analysis:

2010-ish: 385x5 and 375x7 unwrapped while doing 5/3/1. Probably about 205 at this point. They were probably also pretty high.

2011:
March: 391 @ 198, unwrapped
July: 445 @ 198, unwrapped
October: 456 @ 198, wrapped

Note: 445 remains my unwrapped 1RM, actually. I could probably beat that now (once healthy, of course) but I have very little interest in maxing out my unwrapped squat. I used a very wide stance at this point.

2012:
March: 473 @ 198, NASA Teenage American record (at the time), missed 484
July: 435 @ 198, only hit my opener
October: 479 @ 198, went 4/4 here, broke my record on a 4th attempt

Note: One bad meet, everything was good otherwise. This was a big year for my squat. Slightly narrower stance, right about where my stance is now.

2013:
January: 405x7, 500 in the gym, first 500lb squat, ~200lb BW
January-June: no lifting because freedom isn't free
August: 380x3 unwrapped after a few weeks of getting back into things (~420 estimated 1RM)
September: began squatting in weightlifting shoes as accessory work
October: 405x8, full time in w/l shoes after this
October: 425x7
November: 479 @ 181, technically a PR, missed 501
December: injured back

Note: My squat came back fairly well after basic.


2014:

March: 440x5
April: 475x2
April: 518 @ 181, massive PR
March: hamstring tendon re-aggravated

Note: I've had much more consistent success with my squat. I've always had a better handle on what works for me with technique and training for the squat. Apart from a couple setbacks with injuries, I've made pretty much constant progress--there was only ever one meet in which I didn't PR my squat. Once my hamstring is 100%, I'll be right back at it. 550 will fall by the end of the year.



Deadlift analysis will probably come tomorrow.

Chris Anderson wrote:

Serious time, does anybody know how to make this into a more visual kind of thing? I want to be able to look at how all my numbers have evolved over time and what I've done differently for training and technique. I'm thinking of excel, but I don't really know how to put charts and graphs and stuff in that.

I couldn't help myself here

omfg this is amazing

He is the true Web Master. I will go change my vote.

So, looking at this graph, I can really separate the training into a handful of distinct areas.


Stage 1: 5/3/1, 2009- Summer 2011
This worked really well for just about everything. It had me working hard with a solid progression scheme early on. I would not be where I am today without the good strength base I got from this. Jim Wendler is very much responsible for getting me into powerlifting. I did a variety of assistance templates, from BBB to rest-pause, but mostly stuck with stuff like the triumvirate, doing a couple extra things each day.

Stage 2: Westside Fall 2011-Summer 2012
This worked well enough for my squat and deadlift, but did fuck all for my bench. I just didn't have enough volume and I had no clue what I was doing with this kind of training. I used lift variations that weren't that great for me and I didn't "get it."

Stage 3: linear periodization Summer 2012-January 2013 (right before BCT)
This was where I took some big steps in my training. I started pausing all my bench work, upped the frequency a bit, and just flat-out worked harder than I had before. I used an Ed Coan peaking cycle leading up to my 1311 total @ 198, and then a Russian block periodization program to get me to my best gym lifts (500/300/575). This is also the stage where I hurt my hamstring tendon, which set me back a bit, but I was healthy enough to hit 500 and 575 after a couple weeks off.

THE DEAD ZONE: January-June 2013
BCT & AIT. No lifting whatsoever except for a couple of sessions in the gym at Fort Gordon to see where I was at. I remember being able to do sets of 5 with 315. Lots of running and pushups and situps during this time. I lost about 15lb. No hamstring tendon issues during this time.

Stage 4: Summer 2013-present
After taking a little time to transition back into things, I start out with the Juggernaut method for my meet prep. It works well, giving me a 1300lb total @ 181, a huge Wilks PR, my first 300lb bench, and I narrowly miss a 501 squat and 551 deadlift. My deadlift was the slowest to return to full strength, with bench and squat coming back quickly. My weight and aesthetics really improved from August-November and I finally start looking like I even lift. A back injury at the end of the fall semester ends my second Juggernaut cycle prematurely and forces me to focus on my bench.

Substage 4A: February 2014-present
Swolov pushes my bench to new heights, and I do my first hand-written programming for the first time since my Westside days, now with more intelligents. I'm back to linear periodization, with some block periodization influence. After I get my back healthy, my squat flies up (especially after getting new wraps) and my deadlift finally gets back to where it should be. I'm getting leaner and leaner and upper abz are pretty consistently visible. Bench continues to climb, especially with the amount of work my triceps get with shirt work. Overhead press surpasses 225 after training it twice in three months. Leaving the presidency reduces stress, likely contributing to strength gainz. Deadlift is very strong when rested, but hamstring issues prevent quality squat training. Getting healthy is a priority, but I'm very optimistic that my strength will rebound and climb very quickly once I recover. Primary goal: >1510lb total @ 181, invitation to RUM, compete in gear within the next year, start receiving steroid accusations on social media.

Video from the meet today. Cliffs:

2/3, 4lb PR with 335, missed 350 off the chest.
Weighed in at lol i dunno, because they didn't even have me take my clothes off to weigh in and didn't have anybody watching the scale. The scale was out in the open near the main lifting area. I would guess I was a little over 190, maybe 193-194, as I had already eaten and drank a bunch of water.
Warmups kind of sucked due to trying to find plates, and using a shitty bench and bar. Whatev.
335 moved a lot faster than my 331 back in April.

Biggest thing that pissed me off about this meet: the event was at a crossfit gym that had the wrong address on their website, Facebook page, and Facebook event page, and I ended up getting there an hour later than I should have been. Also, fucking crossfitters kept on dumping the bar behind their back when they missed a squat. I am damn glad that I wasn't a spotter.

350 will just have to come another day. I wasn't completely in it and there were a multitude of things that just went wrong for me that day. 350 is a weight that I need to have the right day to hit, and today just wasn't that day. I'll get it, sooner rather than later. Blee' dat.

5/18-

Strongman stuff

Sled drag
Jump rope

Farmer walk-
2x 125lb each hand x 50ft
3x 175lb each hand x 50ft

Yoke walk-
1x 185lb x 50ft
1x 275lb x 50ft
1x 365lb x 50ft
2x 455lb x 50ft

Yoke + farmer walk
1x 185lb yoke + 35lb farmer each hand x 50ft

Yoke + farmer walk + sled drag
1x 185lb yoke + 35lb farmer each hand x 25ft

Yoke w/chains + farmer walk + sled drag + calf raise
1x 185lb yoke + 30lb chains + 35lb farmer each hand x 25ft x 3 calf raise reps

Notes: Just some fun today. I think I will dub my yoke/farmer/sled drag thing the Strongman Abomination.

5/19-

Bench hypertrophy

Paused close Fat Gripz bench-
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
2x5@205
2x5@215
2x5@225

Weighted pullups-
5x5 @+25, various grips

Overhead tricep extensions with softball grips- 5x20

Bicep machine- 3x10

Notes: Will do a writeup of my new plans moving forward when I get home.

5/20-

Squat hypertrophy

Sled drag
Jump rope

Yoke squats-
sets of 5, alternating between 185lb and 275lb, dropping depth down after every other set

Farmer walk holds-
up to ~270lb each hand for time

Goblet squats- 3x10
KB swings- 3x10

PT

Notes: also did some other stuff like a few tire flips, static barbell hold with 405 for time. Yoke squats were a bit bothersome for the hamstring at first but I brought my stance in to put more emphasis on the quadz and it helped a lot. Once I start squatting again (hopefully Friday) I will do a lot of narrow stance stuff at first, probably high bar as well. The safety squat bar will be used a lot as well. I might even finally work on my wrist flexibility and do some front squats (probably not).