Chris Anderson's Training Log V3.0: RUM or bust

Yesterday-

5/23-

Squat power

SSB squat
4x5@225

Hanging leg raises- 3x15
Unilateral leg press- lots of reps for hamstring rehab

Notes: first time actually squatting for about two weeks. Hamstring felt fine at bottom but a bit of pain occurred at the top. So, I'm continuing my PT and depth progression. I will aim to do a full squat once a week. Different stances didn't change how it felt for the hamstring much. I am optimistic about this.

5/24-

Shirted bench work

Three board- 325x3
Three-two-two board- 350x3
Two board- 350x3
Two-one-one board- 375x3
One board- 2x3@375

No boards, just going as low as possible-
2x2@375
2x1@405
425x1

Notes: soooo close to touching. I can get it to about a half board. Now it's just a balancing act between adding more weight to be able to touch, and keeping the weights light enough so I can handle it. I have no problems keeping 405+ under control right now. Playing with the shirt and seeing what adjustments I can make to make it easier to touch while still keeping the groove the same will take some practice.

I'm hoping to get everything compiled into one video tomorrow and get it uploaded. Yay.

5/26-

Squat strength

SSB squat-
70x10
120x8
160x5
210x5
250x3
300x3
2x3@320

Deadlift-
15x1@405, 45 seconds rest

Standing band abz- 3x20

Notes: Lifted in cargo shorts today, TY based Carter. Squats felt better than they did on Friday; the bottom of the movement has zero pain, although the top still has a bit of discomfort. The feeling is what I had during the last few weeks of my meet prep last time (when I squatted 2x4@430, 440x5 and 475x2), so I know I can work through it. I am officially back to squatting, although I am keeping it conservative here.

I am absolutely loving this new style of deadlift training. I get through my reps (warmups included) in about 20 minutes, which is ridiculously fast for me. I can stay aggressive throughout everything and my setup is definitely improving from having so many first reps in the session. Bar speed feels much better and I'll likely get much stronger off the floor.

I started doing cluster singles with Andy G's deadlift training this cycle and he responded really well to it--it'll be interesting to see what sort of results you see with this.

Yeah, I ran into him on Thursday and he said the same thing. I think it will be very beneficial for me--as I've said, I really haven't changed my deadlift training at all for a long time. A new stimulus should help a lot, and I think this is just what I need--I get a ton of first reps, helping improve my setup and strength off the floor. The short rest periods keep me very aggressive and I want to attack the bar on every rep. I get more chances to make small changes to my technique and see how they impact my bar speed and positioning.

Case in point, I need to be a lot more patient with my setup and get lower and tighter. Surprise surprise, I've been listening to Chris Duffin's deadlift stuff and it helps a lot. Even when I really focus on getting my hips low, they're still fairly high, leaving me with decent leverage.

Also, my grip has been feeling really good, too, even though my hands continue to get torn up. Doing all singles with short rest periods means I really can't use straps, so my hand strength should fly up.

yesss get real tight and real low now chris im srs
also im so glad your hand strength will fly up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBXA1GIJaoA

Chris Anderson Fan Boy 2 wrote:

yesss get real tight and real low now chris im srs
also im so glad your hand strength will fly up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBXA1GIJaoA

hello

Chris Anderson Fan Boy 2 wrote:

yesss get real tight and real low now chris im srs
also im so glad your hand strength will fly up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBXA1GIJaoA

hey man thanks that means a lot, let me know how your progress comes along. good to see you back on the forums, i was worried you wouldn't come back after deleting your account

5/27-

Bench press
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x3
215x3
250x3
slingshot on
285x3
315x3
2x3@335
335x5

Bicep machine- 4x25
Band pull aparts- 5x20
Lying hamstring curls w/band- a lot

Notes: Decent day. 335x5 calculates to be almost exactly the same as 355x3. Lying hamstring curls were just for a bunch of reps to get some blood into the muscle to keep that tendon healthy. I will be doing something like that every day for da pump. Right elbow got a bit sore so I need to watch out for that and not let it get worse.

5/28-

Sled drag
Jump rope
Lying leg curlz

Squat-
55x1
145x5
195x5
235x5
235x5
285x5
285x5
315x5
315x5

Pullups- some
Hanging leg raises- some
GHR- a bunch

Notes: Decent day. First time straight bar squatting for a while--it went about as expected. Top of the squat is still the only part hurting. I just gotta keep letting that tendon heal and do a bunch of volume for my hamstrings. Reps were just fine; I was dipping down a little bit on my left side to start out but I corrected it easily.

My right elbow was pretty achy in this session--I'm getting back on my rehab that I did for my left elbow to get it back on track. So, lots of icing, some ibuprofen, high-rep bicep work, and a few movements with bands. It's not detracting from my training yet, but I know better than to let it get bad. I was going to deadlift and bench tomorrow, but I want to go after 350 next week, so I'm going to just deadlift tomorrow to give the elbow some rest.

I'm going to attempt to touch in the shirt again on Friday and then I won't bench again until next Wednesday, in all likelihood. After that, I will be in Kansas for three weeks for AT. If I get to lift at all, awesome, but I am certainly not expecting it.

I'm pricing out bulk supplements and for the same price as 120 servings of C4 (on sale) I can make about 500 servings of a home-mixed PWO with the same main ingredients, without the filler crap. I could use gatorade powder as a flavoring.

Chris Anderson wrote:

I'm pricing out bulk supplements and for the same price as 120 servings of C4 (on sale) I can make about 500 servings of a home-mixed PWO with the same main ingredients, without the filler crap. I could use gatorade powder as a flavoring.

[Interest Intensifies]

Chris Anderson Fan Boy 2 wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBXA1GIJaoA

"Stupid midget."

Well, fuck you too, "Chris Anderson Fan Boy 2."

5/29-

Sled drag
Jump rope
Good mornings w/band
KB swings w/band

Deadlift-
3x1@135
3x1@225
3x1@315
385x1
435x1
8x1@475

SSB squat-
a bunch, dunno the weight, something like 225

Notes: fairly quick session once things got going. My right (under hand) pinky is getting all torn up and it affected my grip for the last few singles; I ended up switching my grip up just to avoid fucking it up more. That was the first time I'd put my left hand as the under hand for a work set in, like, five years. It felt weird and definitely messed me up a bit, but I didn't feel like the pinky was going to fall off, so it was alright.

Squats tomorrow, which will be my third day squatting in a row. Just keeping things by feel and hoping for a good day. I will try to straight bar squat again, but I might use the SSB instead. The SSB is a bit easier on the hamstring, and I can use about the same weight that I do with a straight bar right now. We will see how I feel.

5/30-

Squat power

Prowler push
Jump rope
Lying leg curlz

SSB squat-
65x5
115x5
155x5
225x5
245x5
265x2
285x2
305x2
325x2
2x2@325
1x6@335

SSB good mornings-
3x10@115

Pullups- 5x8, various grips

Ab wheel- 5x10

Notes: Not a bad squat day at all. My mechanics are really improving with the SSB and I'm learning how to avoid the pain at the top I've been having. 335x6 calculates out to around 400, which I would be ecstatic to hit with a SSB. I don't think I've lost much strength at all, it's just a matter of avoiding those little tweaks that take away from my capabilities. I've never even had this much weight on my back with a SSB before, so to hit a good set with it is awesome.

I'll likely alternate with SSB and straight bar moving forward, as this is working out really well for me.

6/2-

Lying leg curls
Box jumps

Squat-
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
belt on
275x3
315x3
3x3@350

Notes: That was pretty much it for today. Warmups felt absolutely fantastic. 350 is the heaviest weight I've had on my back since rehab started. The hamstring feels better each session. There was, as usual, a bit of discomfort at the top, but not as much as before and it keeps getting better, and handling heavier loads is getting easier. If the next session feels as good, I may throw on the wraps for a heavy session before AT. I got really lethargic and was feeling really out of it after squats though, so deadlifting didn't really happen.

The real problem now is my right elbow. It is getting achy as hell, just like the left one did before. I think I will take tomorrow off in order to get some rest for a shot at 352 Tuesday or Wednesday. After that, I'm completely letting it rest until after AT.

For the rest of this week, I want to bench once (352 attempt), squat once or twice (possibly in wraps), and deadlift once.

6/2-

Safety bar squat-
55x8
105x8
145x8
195x8
235x5
5x5@285

Yoke press-
185x14

Overhead yoke walk-
185lb x 35ft x 3

Yoke walk-
185x50ft
275x50ft
365x50ft
455x25ft
545x25ft
600x25ft


Superset-
Tire flips- a bunch
Sledge work- a bunch

Notes: Had a bit of a fun day today. I was scheduled to bench, but I will be going after a PR on Wednesday so I just did some squats and strongman stuff. Squatting just keeps getting better- I've squatted five times in the last six days and each session leads to my hamstring feeling better. Hoping to get some heavy work in on Friday, possibly with wraps.

Plan for this week-

Tuesday- rest
Wednesday- bench 352
Thursday- deadlift 485 for singles
Friday- squat 375+, possibly use wraps
Saturday- drive five hours in a humvee to Kansas and not lift for three weeks

New article:

http://strengtharmory.com/cueing-the-powerlifts-part-i/

6/3-

Biking, 45 minute, dunno about distance


This was refreshing. I got to spend some time outside and see a few parts of Iowa City that I didn't know were there (or that I could bike to). I will be doing this more often. I've been letting my weight climb up higher than I should and I realized that it's likely because I'm not walking around campus going to classes any more. Biking 2-3 times a week should fix that.

6/4-

Bench-
45x5
95x5
135x3
wrist wraps on
185x3
belt on
225x2
255x1
285x1
315x1
352x1- TnG, PR

Pullups- 4x10, medium width neutral grip

Notes: Oh hello there, 17lb PR with a weight that pinned me the last time I tried it.

I hope my biggest supporter (fan boy) thinks this is good enough. Maybe one day I'll be almost as strong as him. I'm always trying to please the people, ya know.

Quick summary of my plan for the UPA meet before I get ready to go in for work today:

Cliffs:
I get back the 28th
I am planning for six bench sessions between then and the meet
100% reps to be paused
Cutting to 181

Rough order of sessions:
1- by feel, medium intensity/volune
2- by feel, slightly higher intensity, similar volume
3- high intensity, lots of volume, very high overall exertion and overreaching
4- recovery session, by feel, low intensity/volume
5- very high intensity, very low volume
6- super low intensity, medium volume

I will also taper my squats and deadlifts accordingly, mostly by feel. I will take 4-5 days off before the meet while I cut.

Rough planned attempts:
314-352-363

Primary goal: competition 350+
Secondary goal- 363+ (2xBW)
Tertiary goals- 369-380+ (top 50, RUM bench only respectively)

I will simply go for broke on the third attempt. After this meet, I'm all in for going after a RUM qualifying total.

I like those goals--you should be capable come July.

Found out a couple guys from a company that came with our brigade brought a TRX system with them. Should be able to get a workout in now and then and prevent some detraining.

Also, I should be getting back the 26th. I may be able to get in an extra bench session, which would be fantastic.