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

Chris Anderson wrote:

omg guise i just found a new vein in my armmmmm




so jack3d

Das it mane

Chris Anderson wrote:

omg guise i just found a new vein in my armmmmm




so jack3d

post pics

I'm not nearly that egotistical. Well, maybe I'm close.

1/6-

Deadlift- 1x5@390

LBSS- some

Notes: Was supposed to do two work sets but everything was slow and my back didn't like it. I'm not deadlifting and squatting the rest of this week--I need my back to feel good enough to do sit-ups in the case I have a PT test this weekend (might be too cold again, but I gotta be ready). The extra rest just might be enough to get me back to normal, but I'm not doing anything until I feel 100% again. I'm officially pulling out of the February meet (I haven't entered anyway). If I compete, it will be in March or May.

1/8-

Press-
100x5
120x3
140x2
150x1
160x12

Incline bench, all paused-
3x3@215

Farmer's walks- 85's by ~80", x3

Zercher squats- 3x3@185

Notes: 160x12 is a PR. Incline bench felt okay--I haven't done it in a while but the reps felt decent enough. I then played around with a bunch of different lower body stuff: trap bar deadlifts, block pulls, front squats, different shoes, etc. Nothing felt good for my back. I decided that I should do some total-body movements if I can't directly train my squat or deadlift, so that's where the farmer's walks came in; I think I will do them 2x/week because I suck at them and they are badass.

By this point, I had been in the gym for about two hours, so I said fuck it and tried out Zercher squats. I CAN DO THESE WITHOUT MY BACK HURTING. OMGOMGOMGOMG. So, that will be my go-to lower body movement until my back is 100%. I tweaked the technique a little bit as I went through my warm ups and found that two things really help: 1. having my arms a little wider, as this gives more stability and keeps the bar closer to my chest, keeping me more upright and my back straighter and 2. using my weightlifting shoes, for the similar reasons.

I might post the 160x12 video but it is potato quality so I doubt it.


/deardiary

1/9-

Bench, all paused-
2x5@230
245x2
260x2
4x2@275

Wider grip bench, touch and go-
2x10@185

Wide grip pull ups- a lot
GHR- a lot

Notes: The first double at 275 was actually a failed triple--I ended up having a pretty bad setup and my wrists bent back a lot and I failed halfway up. The next three doubles were a lot better, in terms of both technique and speed. I probably could have had a triple on any one of them, but meh. Finished with some volume and GHRs.

If I can't directly train my squat and deadlift, I have to do some sort of lower body/total body work everyday in order to keep it from detraining too much. I think some accessory work every day plus Zercher squats as often as I can will accomplish this.

The back is getting better every day; another week of intelligent training and it miiiiight be ready. I want to be 100% coming back into training and I will probably start the cycle over for those two lifts when I do--I have my sights set on the March NASA meet as of right now.

Do the SPF March meet. You won't have to squat deep enough to hurt your back.

I'm actually considering going unwrapped for the NASA meet, and if I'm going to be that natty, I need to stay away from SPF.

1/13-

Bench-
6x5@205, all paused
225x3
250x9, touch and go

Weighted pullups- some, various grips
Face pulls- a lot
Dips- a lot, bodyweight

Notes: My bench is flying up right now. My back is also feeling as though there was never any problem. I am hoping to squat on the 16th--I'm going to do some Zercher squats tomorrow. Video of 250x9 to come.

1/14-

Safety bar squat-
3x5@275
2x3@315

Squat-
5x3@315

Shrugz- a bunch
Row machine thing- some

Notes: Back feels as close to 100% as it could get. No pain or discomfort. I will try some.moderstely heavy (around 405 or so) wrapped sets later this week to evaluate from there. Provided I can deadlift just fine on Sunday, I think I will be able to enter the UPA meet.

Really good to hear--hopefully things continue to go well for you.

RIP 181 training partner but hello UPA compadre!!!

1/15-

Press-
6x5@145
2x2@175
4x1@185
2x1@195

BTNPP-
5x1@155
3x1@165
3x1@175

Shoulder press machine thing- some
Cable rows- a lot
Dips- a bunch

Notes: I don't have my computer with me and I don't remember the exact weight I was supposed to use for my work sets, but I know it was aroaround 145. I'm starting to get better technique on the BTNPP--I'm actually getting something out of the push and if I can keep getting better I should be able to use more weight than that of an overgrown 4th grader.

Back feels good--the day after training was when a lot of the pain used to come, so I'm glad to finally be past the problems, I think. Moderate wrapped squatting should happen tomorrow if I feel as good as I have. I want to see how heavy weights feel. I may also try doing some sort of deadlift variation to test how that feels.

No lifting the past couple of days because I ended up working 2-10 and 3-11. I will be going in today for a combined bench/squat session. I will likely do some sort of deadlift variation as well. I'm planning on doing wrapped doubles at 405 to gauge my squat.


If I can squat/deadlift at full speed this next week, I'm planning on entering the UPA meet. That will give me a little over three weeks of prep. I think I will continue to do my Juggernaut/peaking cycle combo for bench, as it has been working very well and I see no reason to change what is working--the timing will also work out great for the UPA meet.

As for my squat, I think I will do both a wrapped and unwrapped day next week. After that, I will either go into something like Smolov Jr. or one of the other squat cycles I have in the Dropbox, or continue the wrapped/unwrapped combo in a short peaking cycle fashion right up until the meet. I will deadlift once a week, just trying to work up to something heavy each week, again in a peaking cycle fashion.

My squat strength was doing just fine before I hurt my back, and my deadlift was climbing as well. I don't think my strength will have dropped off that much, so as long as I'm healthy, I should be able to prep for the meet just fine.

1/18-

Bench- 2x5@240

Squat-
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
345x2
2x2@365
Wraps on
2x2@405
435x1

Notes: these reps were not the fastest they could have been, but they looked better on video than they felt. My back is feeling pretty good now the day after, and I am planning on deadlifting on Tuesday. If that goes wrll, I will enter the meet and begin my meet prep.

Also, I found an app to track bar speed and bar path. Its called BarSense and is available for Android. It is free. I don't know if it's available for iPhones.

I haven't been able to get BarSense to consistently work. Running your videos through Tracker or Kinovea is a better bet.

I dunno those apps :/

Probably because they're computer software.

Well that helps me zero, then.

i just looked on my iphone and it is called UberSense not BarSense

Intradest.


Also, I just found out that the CRWC is actually open today. Is anybody benching?

Chris Anderson wrote:

Intradest.


Also, I just found out that the CRWC is actually open today. Is anybody benching?

I believe Keosawa has his smolov jr bench today. Janis, poage, and i benched yesterday. Daveman also has a bench day coming up soon

Oooooh.

1/20-

Deadlift-
415x2
435x1
2x1@450
2x3@315
2x3@365

Notes: Back felt very good today until the second single at 450, and now it is worse. I was able to lower the weight back down to 315 and 365 for painless triples, though. So, I'm pulling out of the UPA meet (again). My strength just isn't there and I need to be smart about this. I can squat and deadlift with light weights without pain, so that is what I will do. Squatting will be done for rep work at 275 and below, and deadlift will be CAT at 365 and below. I will continue benching as normal. I am going to emphasize cutting out carbs in my diet (I already have a headstart on that, although last week wasn't very good) and do some more mobility work.