On vacation....Forced Deload...

On vacation...See You all in the New Year

Keep It Dark, Keep It Heavy

12/13/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press

Sub-Maximal Effort Bench Press
Bench Press 185x5, 225,3, 255x2, 295x1, 325x1, 355x1, 385x1, 325x4x3
Monster Mini & Mini Band Triceps Extensions 3x10
EDT Style
Ano Rows 130x10x5
KB Front Swing 43x10x5

Not too bad for having the flu. I worked up to what was my previous PR on the bench press (Pre shoulder Injury). That was good, thoug breathing through one nostril is not!!! After that quick work up, I dropped it to 325 to get some speed/volume work in, good stuff.

The Monster Mini and Mini Tricep extensions killed my triceps, if there were any chicks around they would have surely been impressed with the guns!!! The EDT killed me as well, however, after performing these my congestion completely drained and loogies were flying around the basement, Flemmy!!

Sorry, I think I got Some On Your Monitor...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

12/10 Dynamic Effort Squat

Dynamic Effort Squat
Speed Squat w/Average Bands 205x2, 225x2, 235x2, 205x2, 225x2, 235x2, 205x2, 225x2, 235x2
(Get it? I waved the Weight, har, har...)
Speed Pulls 405x12x1
Kb Swingthroughs and ab pulldowns....

Did something different to break up the boredom and I waved the weights on speed squats, pretty cool doing it this way. Kind of made the movement a bit more exciting.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Last Couple Workouts.....

12/05/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press
Speed Bench w/Chains 205x3, 225x3, 235x3, 205x3, 225x3, 235x3,205x3, 225x3, 235x3
4 Board Press w/Chains 315x5, 365x5, 385x5, 405x2x5
Ano Rows 130x4x12
KB Front Swing 33x4x12

Waved the weights on the speed work, I actually enjoyed this. Speed was awesome on all reps. The 4 board surprised me, I figure with the chain weight I was hitting 475 at the top. The chains were totally off the ground and swinging everywhere. Talk about having to work at stabilizing the bar, jeez....pretty happy with this one though.....

12/07/07 Max Effort Squat
High box Squat 265x5, 315x3, 375x2, 425x2, 475x2, 505x2, 525x2, 550x2
KB Swingthroughs 73x4x12

Whoa, I doubled 550, I never thought I would see the day that I could take 550 to parallel, Raw, and stand back up. Words cant describe how great this felt. Enough about that, I was exhausted aftert the squatting and pussed out by just doing Kettlebell swings for accessory.

12/09/07 Floor Press
Floor Press 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 305x4x3
DB Lying Tricep Extensions 55x5x6
DB Rows & DB Overhead Press Complex...didnt keep track

I hate the Floor Press , I hate the Floor Press , I hate the Floor Press I hate the Floor Press !!! Everything felt heavy, I was cold, did not feel a PR in me, so I just hit some volume, and did I mention I hate the Floor Press?

Keep it Dark, Keep it

Heavy!!!

Dynamic Effort Squat

Dynamic Effort Squat w/Average Bands 235x4x2, 255x4x2
Speed Block Pulls (Mid-Shin) 405x4x2, 455x4x2
Monster Mini Leg Curls 3x12
Ab Pulldown 10x3x15

Dynamic Effort Squat w/Average Bands was quite fast, hence the moving up to 255. Next week will be 255 for all sets. BTW, these were full range regular squats with a medium stance (my normal stance).

Speed Block Pulls are essentially rack pulls from mid shin (about 3-4 inches below the knee-cap, yes I am short). The 405 sets were explosive, so I moved up to 455 with the same speed, so I wont complain too much. These were kind of a last second throw in, I wanted to see what my speed with weight over 400 felt like, I didnt take note of it last week when I pulled, so I picked this partial movement as an indicator. Remember Kiddies, Powerlifting is all about measuring your indicators to stay on course....Man, I am a boob.

Not sure how many of you are football fans, but the Patriots absolutely sucked ass last night, and still pulled it off. Those bastards need to regroup, refocus, and get back on the ass kicking course they were on. Man I was pissed last night, too bad I dont lift at midnight, Im sure I would have PR'd something.

Thats all from my neck of the powerlifting woods, and my apologies for duffin it on the Q&A, my time has been a bit limited due to my other online ventures. In the new year I will most likely start it back up and maybe change the format a bit around here. Until then, untuck the boys and lift something heavy!!!

I guess this thing would warrant an Ass To Grass Squat, what do you think?


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Max Effort Bench Press

Floor Press 165x5, 205x3, 235x2, 275x2, 305x2, 315x2, 325x2, 335x2
Lying DB Triceps Extensions 55x4x6
Super Sets
DB Lying CSR 55x6x5
DB Shoulder Press 55x6x5

Holy Mackeral it was cold in the basement. Stupid me is in the middle of a Floor Press cycle. Its bad enough I hate floor presses, nuch less perform them off a cold slab. Talk about not being warmed up? Jeez, I think my subconscious is at work secretly sabotaging my efforts...

Anyway, everything felt heavy again. I think alot of this is just psychological. Before every set I am talking to myself saying how much I hate this movement, yadda yadda...why not just do regular bench with feet up (its the same range of motion for me as the bar touches my chest when the triceps hit the ground). Then part of me says to untuck the boys and just lift the friggin weight...I mean really, why do I hate floor pressing so much?

305 felt like a ton, so I went up to 315. No groove at all, felt like a total mess, so why not go to 325? this one was actually kind of nice, so up to 335...a bit slow, but once it started moving from the bottom I was fine. Guess I cant really complain, I never train this movement yet doubled my previously recorded PR. So Chris, quit your bitching.

Cant wait, even though the weather is crap the Patriots play tonight, albeit hopefully better than last week!! so on that note:

Go Patriots!!!


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Max Effort Squat

High Box Squat 265x5, 315x3, 375x2, 425x2, 475x2, 505x2x2
Deadlifts 315x3, 405x3, 455x3, 505x3

Skimped on the accessory work tonight and will hit it tomorrow. This session killed me for some reason, the flu has left me with no endurance. But who said Powerlifting was an endurance sport?

Anyway, last week I hit an easy 525 on the High Box Squat and figured this week I would smoke that. Well, at the last second I decided I wanted to get some heavier pulling in too, so I decided to beat last weeks High Box Squat poundage with volume and hit the deads with a bit of volume too...

The 505 High Box Squat Doubles were fast & controlled, I figure this weight to represent the 90% of my 1RM. (Estimated 550-560 1 RM). So sticking to Prilipens chart worked well for this night. Next week will result in either a 1RM or a 2RM, I will Decide then. Currently I have been going with Doubles and Triples with the belief the added volume will develop my strength quicker, seems to be working and until the results say otherwise I will continue on this path. Plus I find doubles and Triples a bit more challenging than Singles...who knows, just got to experiment right?

For the deads I chose to do a simple work up to what I estimate to be 80% of my 1 rm. My last recorded Deadlift 1 rm was at 570 a few months ago, I figure I am beyond that by now and should really test it some time soon. But regardless, the deadlifts were nice, strong and fast considering I was pre-exhausted from the squatting. After these I figured I had performed enough work and opted to push the accessory work out til tomorrow.

Thats all from me, have a great weekend everyone!

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Dynamic Effort Bench Press

11/29/2007
Dynamic Effort Bench Press w/Chains 205x4, 215,5x3
4 Board Press w/Chains 315x5, 365x4x5
Ano Row 120x4x10
KB Single Arm Swing 33x4x8

Speed was great tonight, my 5 year son even said so. He was hanging out with me working out and judging speed. Of course everything I did he said was fast, so I dont really know what to believe. Performing Dynamic Effort Bench Press with the chains set up as I have them is quite brutal. I have them set up so they are fully suspended off the ground at the top, you really have to fight the bar to keep it in the groove. I find this helps when controlling heavier weight.

4 Board Press w/chains were nice and fast as well. Will up the weight next week on these as 365 was a touch too light. Ano rows and KB Single Arm Swing rounded out the night, these also had Jakob giggling like a school girl to watch his big strong daddy swinging around a weight like a wee little boy. All in all, it was kind of fun having the little crumbsnatcher down there and him pretend working out, made the task at hand much more bearable.

Tune in next time for ME Squat where I hope to beat my previous performance of 525x2 on the parallel box RAW baby!!!

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Powerlifting

Had a bit of an Ab Tear and have been busy, so sorry for the lack of updates here at Powerlifting Etc. But here's the last couple of workouts....


11/24/2007 Max Effort Squat
High Box Squat (Parallel) 235x5, 285x3, 335x2, 385x2, 405x2, 455x2, 500x2 (This may have been a PR), 525x2PR
KB Swingthroughs 73x4x12
Leg Curls 75x3x12
Crunches...

525 for a double was a nice PR considering the Ab muscle tear... The funny thing is I am pretty sure I had alot more in the tank. But with the ab twinging, I held back.....

11/25/2007 Max Effort Bench Press
Floor Press 165x5, 205x3, 235x2, 265x2, 305x2, 315x3x2
Laying DB Tricep Extensions 50x4x6
DB CSR 30x12, 40x10, 50x10, 60x10
DB Shoulder Press 60x3x12

Floor presses sucked ass, my body was/is fighting the flu and I felt weak as hell. Hopefully next week goes better...nuff said....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy

Max Effort Bench Press

11/12/2007
Max Bench Press
2 Board Press 190x5, 225x3, 290x2, 315x1, 345x3, 385x3, 405x1, 425x1PR, 435x1PR, 405x3
Super-Setted
Justin Harris Rows 4x8
Monster Mini Tricep Extensions 4x8
DB Over-Head Press 4x8

Tonight was a bit of a surprise. Not sure if I am overtrained or what, but I have had no motivation to train. But, that being said, I hit 2 Personal Records tonight. Perhaps the powerlifting gods are looking down on me...So, considering last week for some reason I struggled to hit 415 for a 5lb PR (Previous week I tripled 405 easy), I am quite happy with tonights results.

My original plan was to just beat last week on volume, figuring I was going to suck it up, but after the 385 triple flew, I thought I ought to go to 405 and check the speed at least. 405 Flew, so I called 425, again straight to lockout with no glitches. 435 flew too, I probably could have gone up a bit more, Im figuring 10-15 lbs maybe, but since I wasnt positive, I ended on a high note. Dropped to 405 for a quick triple and moved on to accessory work.

All in all I was proud of myself for pushing through, it almost seems as though I lift better alone. I think I still struggle with having someone stand over me for lift offs, but alas, that is something should probably get used to. Anyway, wont complain too much, I gotz me a de-load week coming up....Woo-hoo...

Powerlifting Etc Q&A

Eric from Washington asks...

I see you train without gear but have competed in gear before. Do you have a preference? Why? And what to you think about the multiply stuff?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hey Eric,

Actually its all part of my master plan I have for myself. I plan on developing a good base strength then move into some more aggressive single ply gear while maintaining and pushing up my RAW strength. For myself, I want to be strong in and out of gear, and with that will come alot of hard work and unfortunately alot of time. Now, as far as multiply goes, someday I will probably use it, but for now I just dont think personally I am ready for any of that, perhaps when my RAW Squat hits 600, my RAW Deadlift hits the 650-700 range, and my RAW bench press hits the 450-500 range. But thats gonna take time.

So anyway, for now its pretty much Train RAW, occasionally throw on the brief bottoms to overload a bit, and lather, rinse, repeat. My day will come, but for now, i'll just relegate myself to the shadows of my basement.

Not sure I did, but I hope I answered that alright. Take Care.

I heard the dude on the left gets 300 pounds out of that suit...



Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Max Effort Squat

11/10/2007
Max Effort Squat
SSB High Box 235x5, 285x3, 335x2, 385x2, 425x2, 445x3x2
Deadlift 315x2, 405x2, 455x2, 505x2x2

Felt like doody on this day, everything felt uber-heavy!!! I had originally planned on hitting 500 on Safety Squat Bar High Box as a PR, but I just wasnt into it this week, so I decided to beat last week's poundages with volume, which still sucked as by the way.

Deadlifts were especially brutal on me, the doody feeling coupled with being pre-exhausted from the squatting made these excruciating slow, I mean no pop at all off the ground. But in hindsight, a year ago I would have said you were crazy to think I could pull 505 for 2 doubles after squatting, so all in all life aint so bad.

Last Couple Workouts.....

Dynamic Effort Squat 11/05/07
Speed Squat w/Chains 290x4x2, 315x4x2
Speed Deadlift 405x10x1
GHR 3x10
Wood Choppers 3x15

Speed on both the Squat & Deadlifts were pretty darn good. 30 second rests were incoporated which definitely make you work to maintain speed. Please note these percentages are in the 60% range for Dynamic Effort, this is part of my experiment to see if this range suits me better than the 50% training I performed for so long, after a couple of more cycles I will make my decision. So far, so good though....

Dynamic Effort Bench Press 11/07/07
Speed Bench Press 235x9x3
Pin Press 315x6, 335x2x6
Lat Pull Down 130x3x8
Shoulder Complex w/Chains 3x8

Speed was amazing today, I actually had to check after the first couple of sets to make sure the weight was correct, it was. 235 felt more like 185, lets hope this phenomena carries over to Max Effort Squats!!!

Sorry for the short post, really been busy around here lately. Someday Powerlifting will be my full time time, but for now, I must juggle...Got a few emails regarding the Powerlifting Etc Q&A and whether or not I am still doing it. I will still answer questions and post them here, its just this past week has been a busy one, so keep them coming and I will try my best to keep up. BTW, just so you all know, for the most part I answer all questions via email, and generally post only the relevant ones here. So if you got one, dont be shy...Thats all for today.

Its All A Juggle Act...



Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

11/05/07 ME Bench Press....Ho-Hum....

2 Board Press 205x5, 245x3, 285x2, 325x2, 365x2, 405x2, 415x1PR, 380x2, 380x4
Bunch of silly crap for triceps, upper back and shoulders...

Well, to say I was not motivated today would be an understatement. I did NOT want to lift, and it showed. Considering I hit 405x3 last week with relative ease, and struggled with a double this week, I knew I was in trouble.

Rather than get down becuase I wouldnt be able to hit a massive PR, I decided to hit a 5 pound PR and then get some volume in. Total volume put me at 9 reps at or above 90%, good to go. Although, after dropping to 380, the reps were fast as all hell, the last set was supposed to be only a double, but for some reason 4 reps popped out of me...oh well.

The rest was just an exercise in absurdity. I wanted to quit after benching, but decided to do a bunch of high rep, low intensity bodybuilding crap...Tricep pushdowns, Monster Mini Laying Face Pulls, Dumbbell Overhead Press. At I least I worked right?

Powerlifting Etc Q&A

Norman from KY asks:

"How do you decide what exercises to do for bench day? How long should I do them for?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Norman,

Exercise selection will be based on what you have available. I dont really plan out what I'm going to do for Max Effort Bench Press. I will generally pick a movement as I am geting my gym clothes on. But I will generally go with a partial range movement such as 2 Board Press, 3 Board Press, Floor Press and then maybe throw in a slight variant of those ala bands, chains, or both.

From there I will perform this movement for three weeks straight, deload, and move on to another movement. In the past I experimented with 2 week cycles, 1 week cycles, and even 4 week cycles. But for me, 3 week cycles work best, experiment and figure out what works for you. Consistency is key. As with anything in life, or powerlifting, in order to succeed you must be consistent in your efforts so as to achieve your goals. Dont try to throw in as many variations as you can for the sake of it, test each out and record your results. Overtime you will find what works for you.

Thats all folks, did I fail to mention The Patriots Rule?

This is Too Funny!!!


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

11/02/07 Max Effort Squat, Now Scram Flu...

SSB High Box 235x5, 285x3, 335x2, 385x1, 425x2, 465x2, 475x2
SSB Chain Suspended GM's 255x4x6

Supersetted

GHR w/Avg Band 3x8

Wood Choppers 3x8

Thanks to my Ding-Dong boss the whole office is sick. But luckily it wasnt the suspected Strep Throat!!! Anyway, I decided to take advantage of a phenomena of the body whereby your CNS is under duress & trying to overcompensate for the sickness. This condition often times results in stronger than normal attempts, today may have been one of those times...

Safety Squat Bar High Box Squats (High being Parallel, Low being 1-2 inches below) were, slow, sludgy, but stubbornly strong...I really tested my mettle today, and I feel I won. 425 about popped my head off, this congestion has got to go!!!. So I figured if I am going to fail, then I am going to fail on a PR at 465 for 2. Didnt happen there, so onto to 475 for a double, got it, Done. Now granted, I almost passed out, dont really remember racking it, and may have pee'd myself a little bit, but I got it none the less.

The rest was a blur, my head wasnt really into it, though I remember it being abnormally hard...It was kind of like a vision quest I might suppose. That vision being me a sweaty lump of turd at the end...how's that for a vision?

Now would be the normal time to answer a question, but alas, my groggy brain requires a bit of nap time to recover. I feel like hammered poo. Thanks for stopping by, and remember...

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/31/07 Dynamic Bench Press Day - Happy Halloween

Dynamic Effort Bench Press 225x5x3, 235x4x3
Overhead Pin Press (Eye Level) 185x4x6
Seated Rope Pull Down 130x2x8 (Rope Broke)
Lat Pull Down 130x2x8
Monster Mini Extensions

Speed was nice, next week all reps will be perfromed with 235. Overhead Pin Presses sucked ass, that static start shit at the bottom absolutely sucks!!! Oh well, 1 more week of them...

Seated Rope Pull Downs got cut short as the bottom plug ripped of on one side, mid-rep no less. So I finished out with regular old pulldowns, kinda pisses me off, I havent really had that rope accessory that long...oh well. Onto Questions...

Annonymous (Actually I am being too lazy to go see who it was) asks:

"What kind of tempo do you use on Dynamic Effort Bench Press day? Is it a pause on the chest then explode or is it kind of a bouncing motion I have seen in several videos?"

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Personally I swap it up. Some days I will go all reps ballistically, where as other I will go with a full pause on the bottm and concentrate on explosion off the chest. I think this is more of a personal choice and that both approaches work fine. Please Note I also vary my grip, this seems to help keep all variants of the lift in the same ball park speed wise, Or at least it seems to be for me thus far...Below is a sample of my DE Work:

Assuming a 9 Sets of 3 Reps DE Bench Scheme (varying Grips):

Set 1 - Paused Method (Narrow Grip)
Set 2 - Paused Method (Medium Grip)
Set 3 - Paused Method (Competition Grip)
Set 4 - Ballistic Method (Narrow Grip)
Set 5 - Ballistic Method (Medium Grip)
Set 6 - Ballistic Method (Competition Grip)
Set 7 - Paused Method (Narrow Grip)
Set 8 - Paused Method (Medium Grip)
Set 9 - Paused Method (Competition Grip)

Bottom Line, this is something you will have to incorporate & measure. If after time you see results, keep it, if not, continue tweaking until you find the right mix...Success in life as well as Powerlifting requires experimentation and honest assesment of the results to optimize progess. If you try to incorporate something for a few weeks, but dont keep track of any results, how do you know it worked or not?

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/28/07 ME Bench - PR

2 Board Press 205x5, 245x3, 285x2, 325x1, 365x3, 385x2, 405x3PR
3 Boards + a Yoga Mat Press 405x4x5
Justin Harris Rows 120x3x8
Monster Mini Flyes/Pullover Complex 3x30

405 turned out to be a PR in the 3 rep range. Felt pretty good on it, with it being the first week of this movement I stopped and left some in the tank. Hopefully its a sign of good things to come.

3 Boards + A Yoga Mat Press was different. My triceps were kiling me by the end. I chose to do this because I didnt feel like the 4 Board Press or the generic 3 Board Press. I saw the yoga mat sitting there looking pathetic and this popped into my head. Well, it was good enough to stay in the rotation for 2 more weeks.

Justin Harris Rows killed as per usual, I recommmend anyone out there that wants to add some falre to your lats to perform these, simply brutal. The monster mini complex sucked ass too, but it had my shoulders burning so I wont complain....Da, da-da daaa....Q&A Times folks...

Andrew from NY asks:

"I notice you keep short rest periods between your sets on speed day, what kind of rest periods do you use on Max Effort day?"

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Andrew,

On Max Effort Days, I always use the following sequence when warming up

50%x5
60%x3
70%x2
80%x1
90%x1-3
95%x1-3
100%x1-3

I will go with a 1 minute rest until I hit the 90% or above weights, at that point I go with a 2-3 minute rest between. Just enough to recharge and hit it again, but not too long that I lose focus of what I am trying to accomplish. I time these with a stop watch as well. I find by doing it in this fashion, it keeps my workouts fast and efficient.

Hope this answers your question, thanks for asking.

Now I would like to say that the Boston Red Sox Rule!!! & lets not forget those New England Patriots, they aren too shabby either...

Keep it dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/26/07 - Max Effort Squat

SSB High Box Squat 235x5, 285x3, 335x2, 380x1, 430x1, 455x2x2
SSB Suspended Good Mornings 245x4x6
GHR's (Home Made) 4x6
Monster Min Wood Choppers 4x12

Had an alright day. My ab strain seems to have resurfaced, had a real hard time keeping arched. I did it, but not without discomfort. I had originally planned on hitting 475-500 today but recognized the fact I just didnt "Have It" on this day. Enter the Volume...455x2x2 coupled with the single at 430 accounted for 5 lifts at/or above 90%....good stuff for a bad day of powerlifting...

Next up was the Safety Squat Bar Good Morning" suspended from chains. Now good mornings are bad enough with a straight bar, but done with the SSB, ugh. First off, getting under the friggin thing is misery, then you have to get started while having the bar try to choke you out, reminded me of training old school MMA with my buddies, I absolutely hate the feeling of being choked!!!

Glute Ham Raise was the poor boy rigged up version. I basically took average bands, choked them on top of the cage, set a barbell low to anchor my feet, and did them off my bench. One of these days I will put together an eBook of all the crazy contraptions I have come up with to mimic these high ticket items (or even a cheesy video might suffice)....Anyway, these suckers killed my posterior chain, eveything was cramping, good times, good times....

Gather round, its Powerlifting Etc Q&A Time Kiddies...

Dave from MA asks:

What advice do you have for a lifter when their Deadlift is higher than their Squat by alot?

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Knock Knock....Who is it?

Its me Dave.

Who? (Looking at the talking picture of Jesus)

Sorry, crappy reference to an old Cheech & Chong Movie, man I used to love that shit. Back to reality. Dave, I think you are in the same boat as 90% of the lifters out there. However this question depends heavily on a couple of things.

Is the lifter using gear and still lagging in the Squat? If so, Practice the gear, Strengthen the core, and dont skimp on the accessory work.

Or, is the lifter a RAW lifter. In which case, I think it is totally normal for the Squat to lag the Deadlift, I havent seen too many people where this isnt the case. But that doesnt mean you have to settle for it either. Keep hammering away at it, put in the effort, and eventually your squat should come up. Not saying it will pass the deadlift, but to at least within 50-60 lbs.

Lastly, what is the disparity between the lifts? If your talking 100-200 pounds then my advice would be to just plain Squat!!! All too many times I have people ask similar questions, and when asked what their squatting schedule looks like, I kinda get to doe in headlights look..."Like once a month if I can squeeze it in...", or sometimes after deadlifting if Im not too tired...." etc.....Bottom Line, if this is the case, then get under the bar, sit down, then stand up....lather, rinse, & Repeat with heavy weights....I hate putting in the effort just as much as the next guy, but its a necessary evil in the sport of Powerlifting, unless you plan on being a bench or deadlift specialist that is. But thats a whole other rant I will save for a rainy day, wait a minute, it is raining out....uh oh. Just Kidding.

Now, this is a tough question to answer, and Im sure this is not the end all, be all answer some people look for. There could be a myriad of issues with the lifter ranging from bad back, one leg shorter than the other, or maybe they are like Cotton, Hank Hills father on King of the Hill, where they chopped out his shins and re-attached his feet to his knees....you follow? That being said, I hope this helped to answer your question, if not, shoot me another email and I will give you a more personalized answer.

If You Are This Man, You Are Excused From Squatting


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/22/07 Dynamic Effort Squat & Deadlift

DE Squat w/Chains (No Box) 290x8x2
Speed Pulls 365x12x1
Supersetted
Monster Mini Leg Curls 4x12
Ab Pull Downs 100x4x12

Well, motivation was an issue for this session, I didnt have it!!! So, to punish myself for not being into it, I limited rest between all movements to 30 seconds. This ensured I got my workout done faster, and got me back to the couch quicker.

I opted to go with Dynamic Effort Squats w/Chains but no box, for this mini cycle. I figure this will work the form and keep me honest. Speed was good, the tweaked knee from hiking doesnt seem to be bothering me...so, all is well.

Speed Deads went well, everything was fast and the speed felt dialed in. On some of the reps it felt like I could have snatched the weight over head (though I highly doubt I could have, but it felt like it...). Luckily, the unmotivated feeling left me by this point, though I stuck to the 30 seconds rules I set...My lungs were hoping I wouldnt...

The rest was what it was, accessory crap done to simply support the main lift, nothing more. Though my hamstrings felt like a guitar string wound too tight, ugh....thats it, time for Q&A:

Iz from Ohio asks:

Have you ever thought of using deadlifts as your main exercise on Dynamic Effort Day?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Iz,

I had thought about using Deadlifts as my main movement years ago before I learned the effects on the Central Nervous System. Im not sure how long you have been lifting, or your experience in powerlifting, but I think you would find you might get a bit run down deadlifting that much. I know for myself that would be the case, especially where I try to throw in a fairly heavy Deadlift variation on Max Effort Day.

Now depending on your experience level, you may be able to get away with it. If you stick to the 50%-60% range, yet only have a max Deadlift of 300, you could probably get by with Deadlifting everyweek in this fashion, the intensity of this day is dependant on your 1 rm.

The higher the 1rm is the higher your Dynamic Effort day percentages are gonna be. I know for myself, performing traditional 8x2 at 50%-%60 would eventually wear on me, assuming I would still be performing Speed Squatting and hitting a variation on Max Effort Day...

I guess what I am trying to say is experiment. Try it, and if it works, keep it. conversely, if you start suffering symptoms of overtraining, then back off....Good Questions though, thanks.

Well all, thats it from my neck of the woods.....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Deload Bench & A Question....

Bench Press 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 305x3, 325x2, 345x2, 365x2
CG Foam Press for Reps 225x3 Sets of Dunno, Stopped when tired.....
One Arm Seated Rows 50x3 Sets of Dunno, Stopped when tired.....

Saturday
Climbed Mt Uncanoonuc and lifted, threw, and handled rocks for around 20 minutes straight, killed the shoulders....

That was the end of my deload. My bench was just a simple work up, nothing too stressful, which is good. I dont ever remember doubling 365 as not being stressful, guess I'm Making progress. Now, onto Q&A.....

Isaac from PA Asks:

"What do you do on Deload Weeks? How do you choose your exercises?"

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Isaac, my deload workouts vary and are realy picked at the last second. I just make sure not to go too heavy or get too crazy with the volume, whether it be squat, deadlift, or bench. I like to take these weeks as time to experiment with other lifts, training styles, or conditioning activities. Below is a more traditional deload program I used to do and recommend to anyone:

ME Bench Day Deload - Accessory work only, no main movement. Hit the Triceps, Upper Back, and Shulders then call it a day.
ME Squat Day Deload - Accessory work only, no main movement. Hit the Lower back, Hamstrings, and Abs
DE Bench Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days
DE Squat Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days

or even this....


ME Bench Day Deload - Main Movement Only, Work up to around 70%, Then get some volume in with Doubles or Triples, use this day to work form on the actual lift, Practice with your gear if you like, No Accessory work.
ME Squat Day Deload - Main Movement Only, Work up to around 70%, Then get some volume in with Doubles or Triples, use this day to work form on the actual lift, Practice with your gear if you like, No Accessory work.
DE Bench Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days
DE Squat Day Deload - Do your normal workout. I wave Dynamic Effort Day independant of ME Days

These are just recommendations and not set in stone, I know of people that will not even go to the gym for deload weeks, so go figure. At the end of the day you need to sit back and find what works for you, Experiment!!! My deloads are bit on the eccentric side by including mountain climbing, rock throwing, complexes and experiments. But its what keeps me sane and motivated for powerlifting. So I suggest you experiment a bit, find what works for you, and get stronger. Hope this helped.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy

10/17/07 Deload Squat

Regular Old Squat 135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3, 435x3
Monster Mini Leg Extsions
Elevated Lunge Jumps 4x6
Ab Wheel 2x20

Tonight was deload squat. Its always nice to have these, you can take it easy, nothing intense, thenmess around with other crap. Highly recommended for anyone in the powerlifting world.

Squats were done in the Dyanimc Effort vein, with the SE percentages. Emaphasis was put on speed during and between sets. Actually turned out to be wuite a little workout.

Monster Mini Leg Extensions was an experiment, not very good, will try to figure something out with these. The Elevated Lunge Jumps on the other hand, ugh. I hate lunges to begin with, this jst solidifies it. Lunges Suck, of any variety...

Thats about it for that, Question Time kiddies, gather around:

Melinda from Texas asks:

Do you prefer wide stance or close stance squatting? Why?

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Melinda,

I personally use a medium stance, I tried wide stance squatting, but where I dont use aggressive gear I found my hips took the brunt, and didnt like it. Narrow stance just plain felt weird, so I settled on the medium stance. Just outside shoulder width, maybe a bit more. With the single ply gear I currently use, and it aint flashy, I seem to get decent support, hit depth easy, and have no hip pain. So there you have it.

I personally think squat style is subject to the person. If you are comfortable with an ultra wide stance, knock your socks off, olympic stance, go for it....Medium stance, well then your just looking up to me as a super hero and I like that (Just Kidding). Powerlifting styles and methds are very subjective, what works for some does nt for others, and vice versa, experiment. Go with what feels right and allows you to push the most weight.

This is me on vacation....


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/15/07 ME Bench Press

3 Board Press 205x5, 255x3, 305x2, 340x1, 385x3, 405x3, 425x2x3
Supersetted
D-Handle Chain Extensions +20lbs 4x6
Seated Rows 195x4x6

Lifted alone tonight and had a quick one (like 35 minutes), but got some good volume in. Wasnt feeling it too much, me thinks the 11 Sams Octoberfest and poor sleeping had something to do with that. But hey, the Patriots won, so all is well in the world of powerlifting. Back to the workout...

3 Boards Felt alright, my set up was shaky, but apparently good enough to get by. You see, in the colder months my basement gets pretty cold, which then make the bench and rubber flooring a little on the slick side. So when I perfrom any sort of reps with heavy weight, I tend to slide up the bench, which flattens out my already piss poor arch. Such is life.

I figure if I can get strong under these conditions, then I should be fine in the real world. Plus it makes me feel like Conan the Barbarian when he is stuck outside on the Wheel of Pain in the winter, or even in 300 when that poor sucker is buck naked in the mountains, freezin the oblongs off and has to kill the wolf for food and clothing...yeah, that is gay, but I bet 99% of you reading this get that imagery.

Okay Q&A Time Folks,

Kenneth from LA (not Los Angeles) asks:

"How do I get Strong?"

Powerlifting Etc answers:

Alright, at first I thought this was a joke. I figured my buddy Rick was playing a joke on me, but I checked out the IP and originating location and it turned out to be legit, so here goes.

I remember when I first started lifting all those years ago I thought the secret to getting big & strong was to be found in muscle & fitness or flex magazine, then I though it was in some bottles at GNC, then I finally discovered the secret after finding conjugated periodization, referred by my friend Rick as the "Switcheroo Method".

The secret wasnt necessarily the method iteslf, but the approach I applied to the method. I found that the simple formula listed below, with minor tweaks and modifications along the way are what will increase your strength and muscle.

1. Eat
2. Lift Heavy Shit
3. Eat
4. Rest
5. Lift Lighter Shit w/Force Usually reserved for Heavy Shit.
6. Eat
7. Rest
8. Lather, Rinse & Repeat over the next couple of years....

and after time incorporate 9. Evaluate progress, keep what works, discard that which does not.

Simple really, but patience is required, hell if I can do it anybody can do it as I am not the most patient man walking this world. In case you were wondering, the "Switcheroo Method" is really just the Westside take on conjugate periodization, try it sometime for a month or two and I bet you'll love it.

Thats it from my neck of the powerlifting universe, thanks for the questions, I am truly overwhelmed by the number of questions I have received thus far, keep them coming...

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/11/07 Max Effort Squat/Deadlift

Low Box Squat w/ Champion Suit Bottoms 275x5, 330x3, 385x2, 440x1, 505x3, 525x1.5 Mental Miss, 525x2x3
Band Assisted Deadlift 455x3, 505x3, 525x3, 570x3

Just two movements this night, but man, I am beat. The powerlifting would be proud. Despite sore knees (gonna cut down on all this hiking), and a severe miss at 525 initially, I smoked 525 for 2 sets of 3 to blow away my volume from the previous two weeks. The miss was a result of my losing concentration due to outside interference. But, I recuperated, came back and hit what I intended to do so I was happy.

Band Assisted Deadlift was a new movement to me. Out of sheer laziness I have never really thrown these in. Troy wanted to give them as he used to do these with Greg Panora up in Bangor Me back in the day, and Greg aint no slouch!! Worked up to 570 for a triple, it is quite evident I must invest in more weight If I plan to continue down this path....Man, was I beat after those.

Well folks, its Q&A Time here at Powerlifting Etc so here goes.

Brent from Iowa asks...

Q: What would you recommend for a Max Effort Squat routine? I dont have any specialty bars & only have access to high & low boxes.



Powerlifting Etc Answers...

A: Hey Brent, no problem, I was once in that predicament so I feel your pain. Check out a 2 month Cycle you can easily perform below:

Wk 1: High Box
Wk 2: High Box
Wk 3: High Box
Wk 4: Deload with Submaximal Free Squats (70% of RAW Max)
Wk 5: Low Box
Wk 6: Low Box
Wk 7: Low Box
Wk 8: Deload with Submaximal Free Squats (70% of RAW Max)

A couple of cool, cheap ways to get in more variety would be to get either a Manta Ray, or the Sting Ray. Though I would recommend the Manta Ray first, seems to translate to the regular squat better. When I first started putting together my home gym, the Manta Ray was one of the first accessories I bought to get variation. Add this to the above and you can easily have a basic 16 week cycle. Hope this helps....Until next time...

My Mind During the Miss...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/10/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press

Speed Bench w/Monster Mini's & Chains 135x4x3, 145x5x3
Band Assisted CG Floor Press 315x8,8,6
Pendalay Rows 255x4x7
Chain Complex 3x10

Speed was spot on tonight, tonight was the last workout with Monster Mini's & Chains together. I definitely got faster from week one, that first week was brutal!!! Next wave of Dynamic Effort Bench Press will consist of Straight Weight for 3 weeks in a 55%, 55%-60%, & 65%. Cant wait.

Band Assist Close Grip Floor Press had the triceps burning, they were bad enough after the speed work, but absolutely painful now. will probably leave these in for one more week as well as the rows and chain complex.

Okay folks, a new feature here at Powerlifting Etc, a bit of Q & A to answer subscribers questions. The questions of the day will be related to the type of day it is. So for instance, Max Effort Bench Press Day will have a Max Effort Bench Press Day related question. And as always, your identity is protected and information is safe here at Powerlifting Etc....

Erick from Michigan asks:

Do you really think Speed Work is necessary to get strong?

Powerlifting Etc Answers:

Hello Erick,

Here's my experience with Dynamic Effort Bench, I think for the development of strength it helps. DE training teaches the body to fire correctly when under a load, its also a great time to practice your form. I think where the confusion sets in is the percentages used. I know of many people that base the traitional 50%-60% percentage off a shirt max. This, I believe, is where the approach goes south for most beginners and intermediates.

Base your Dynamic Effort percentages off the 1 rm max for the movement you are doing. So for example, if you are doing DE Squat Low Box Squats RAW, then base your percentage off the RAW Low Box 1 RM. This may hit the ego a bit ut sometimes you gotta check the ego at the door. Follow this simple bit of advice and you'll do fine.

One final note, keep the percentages within the %50-%60 percent range, towards the higher end for beginners. Remember, this is not Max Effort Day!!! Possible wave below:

Week 1: 50%x8-10x2
Week 2: 55%x8-10x2
Week 3: 60%x8-10x2

Well, thats about it, hope you found something of use here and thanks for your question. For anyone else oute there that has a question, shoot me an email at powerliftingetc@yahoo.com, if you dont want your question public, just say so and I will reply offline.

Now, Good day to you!!!

10/07/07 ME Bench

3 Board Press 210x5, 255x3, 300x2, 340x1, 385x1, 405x3, 425x3, 435x3, 445x1, 460xMISS
Chain Extensions +15lbs 4x8
Seated Rows 190x4x10
Double Mini Band Pul Aparts 3x12

At the time I wasnt happy with myself, but typing it in now I feel a bit better about my 3 Board work, hindsight is 20/20 in everything you do, including powerlifting. You see, my original plan was to just work up to 425 and hit a bunch of triples, but apparently my ADD kicked in and I changed course for a PR on the 3 Board Press. Now bear in mind, if Im feeling my oats on a certain day, I will got for it, but today wasnt the case and I went for it anyway, and failed. But, to put a positive on things, I did learn that I should stick to my plan, it was there for a reason and should have been followed....

So, the 3 Board Press was good and strong on all lifts except the 460, I was not even close to being focused. I controlled the weight down perfectly, kept tightness, good speed....but then the fit hit the shan....Upon reversal I just lost all tightness, misfired with the leg drive, dipped to the right for some reason (my whole body and not just the bar)...just a powerlifting train wreck all around. But, liek I said, lessons learned in no certain order:

- stick to your plan (if its a sound one of course)
- Dont lift heavy ass weight unless you are totally focused and into it
- dont get discouraged when you miss a weight, analyze it and beat it next time

So thats basically it, not gonna go into the finer points of the accesory work other than it got done and thats it. Oh yeah, did I fail to mention the Patriots rule? Cuz they do....Look out Dallas, theres a storm coming.....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/05/07 ME Squat

Low Box Squat w/Suit Bottoms 275x5, 335x3, 385x2, 440x1, 505x2, 525x2, 555x2x2
Low Box Seated Good Mornings 225x8, 250x8, 275x8
Supersetted

KB Swing Throughs 63x3x10

Ab Wheel 3x10

Wasnt feeling it today, but figured I would beat last week on volume, even if its only 20lbs. The flu or something is going around, I only got the hot flashes/headache portion of it, no muddles from the bum bum, thank god. There's no room for the hershey squirts in powerlifting

I will say one thing, everything over 500 felt uber-light, was a bit unsettled when the warm ups without the bottoms on felt heavy, slow, and ugly. Even still, my form felt like doo-doo, just couldnt seem to stay as tight as I would have liked....oh well, theres always next time.

Seated Good Mornings absolutely killed me, lower back was sore as hell all day today. I guess thats a good thing though. Will keep this movement in the mix for 2 more weeks, forgot how good it was.

Due to my shitty-ness, I just super-setted the last two exercises to get done and rest. Nothing really intense, just accessory....

Thanks for stopping by, Got Max Effort Bench Press coming up next, hopefully it will go better than last week. Seems its just one thing after the other around this joint, oh well....just keep lifting I guess, it comes with the territory known as POWERLIFTING.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Need to Build Muscle?

I know, this aint my normal powerlifting related entry. But it is however related to powerlifting in that you need muscle to move weight right? Its almost a prerequisite if you will.

Well, I stumbled upon this cool eBook by Jason Ferrugia. Many of you know him through T-Nation and the Elitefts Q & A. Now this dude nows how to train people, and he nows how to pack muscle on peeps. His eBook Muscle Gaining Secrets is just what folks in need of muscle need.

I will place a link in the side bar where you can buy it as well as this link here:

>>> Click Me to Preview <<<

So if you are in need of muscle, check it out. Tune back in tomorrow for your normal station where I will recap todays Max Effort Squat Session.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

10/03/07 Dynamic Effort Bench Press

Speed Bench w/Monster Minis & chains 135x4x3, 140x4x3
Close Grip Band Assisted Floor Press 315x8,6,6
Pendalay Row 255x5x5
Chain Shoulder Complex 4x7

Speed Bench went much better this week as opposed to last. Last week this movement felt a bit on the slow side and really awkward. This week, the awkwardness was still there due to the totally deloaded chains swinging around, but the speed was much better. If you really want to spice up your speed work, try them with totally suspended chains for that swinging feeling. Simply brutal....

The rest was ho-hum, Pendalays kicked my arse again as did the band assisted floor presses. My triceps were pumped beyond belief after the speed work followed by Close Grip Band Assisted Floor Press....Not much else to say....take care....

10/01/07 DE Squat & Deadlift

Speed Squats 285x4x2, 315x4x2
Speed Pulls 365x12x1
Monster Mini Alternating Leg Curls 3x15
Monster Mini Wood Chop/Ab Pull Down Complex (Lost track of Sets/Reps, but alot)

Tonight was good, speed was dead nutz on. I think I actually got faster on the 315 for some reason. Speed powerlifting? in Are You Crazy Man?

Todays approach was the first half of the speed work performed with 55% of my 1RM 525 in the RAW Squat, and the second portion represented 60% of my max. Next week to end the cycle I will do all sets at 60%. So to recap:

Wk 1 - 8x2 @ 55%
Wk 2 - 4x2 @ 55%, 4x2 @ 60%
Wk 3 - 8x2 @ 60%
Wk 4 - 8x2 @ 55%
Wk 5 - 4x2 @ 55%, 4x2 @ 60%
Wk 6 - 8x2 @ 60%

My previous speed work always rotated around 50%-55%, So I am hoping with the added intensity (poundage), will translate into a bigger squat. Will repeat this cycle over the next couple of months in a wave type form and see what the results are. Stay tuned for experiment results.

BTW, My goal is to ncrease my RAW Strength which in the past has translated to Gear increase, I lift in single ply at the moment, not for any particular reason other than at this strength level I am being a cheap screw. Once I get stronger, hit elite in single ply I may move up to the better gear, who knows, who cares...It's all powerlifting!

Speed Pulls were nice, I took 30 second rests between pulls. Walked away from the bar, regained composure, then attacked the bar again, and again, and again...I was quite winded by the end of it, but the speed held up. 365 represented 60% of my projected max of 600, why 60% percent you ask? No good reason other than I read somewhere its good to do speed pulls at 60%, and it seems to work for me.

Monster mini work kills me for some reason, I didnt realize I performed these puppies last week with regular minis. So I was a bit surprised when I hit the 10 rep mark on my way to 15, the hamstrings were on fire, and those wood chop/pulldown complexs were no walk in the park either. Good Stuff, need bands? Go here...

I was Fast, But Not This Fast...


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy...

09/30/07 ME Bench

3 Board Press 225x5, 275x3,315x2, 365x1, 405x1, 435x1, 445xMiss, 425x4x1
Overhead Tricep Extensions 4x10
Seated Rows 165x4x10

Well, This work out sucked, I ended up lifting at 11:30 in the morning, and I am NOT a morning person!!! Guess its a good thing in a way, keeps me from drinking the devils water on saturday, Alcohol has no place in powerlifting!!! Any of you out there that knows me should be laughing, hell the general reader of this blog knows I likes me beers!!!

Anyway, this aint about boozin, its about powerlifting, back to the story. everything felt good up to the 445 miss, for some reason I have been having issues with sliding up the bench when perform any type of rep work on bench. My first rep is perfect, then I will either flatten out, or slide up the bench, thus flattening out, if anybody got suggestions, let em rip.

So, I decided to drop the weight to around 90% of my last PR on this movement and hit singles to get the volume in. My shoulder was on fire, hence the lack of direct shoulder work today. Will throw in some high rep therapeutic shit tonight while watching football.

The Overhead Chain Extensions hurt pretty bad and had my triceps pumped. I ended up strapping 10 lb plates on them to increase the weight to around 55 lbs per side. Brutal....These were supersetted with the seated rows, felt like a true bodybuilder by the end of it, now, if I only would have done some curls for the girls....

Thats about it from here, thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend. Though the Patriots arnt playing today, it should still be a good day for football, enjoy!!

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/27/07 Max Effort Squat

Low Box Squat w/Suit Bottoms 275x5, 335x3, 385x2, 440x1, 505x2, 525x2, 550x2x2
KB Swing Throughs 83x4x8
Ab Wheel 4x10

Tonight was off a bit, first thing, I had to lift late. The old lady had to work so I couldnt lift until the crumbsnatchers were fast asleep. Then to boot, the humidity level in my basement was unreal, I was winded in just the warm-ups....jeez!! Oh well, I checked the Hoo-Hoo, wiped the sand out of it, and moved on...

550 got smoked, was contemplating moving up, but I was pretty wiped by the end. By the way for those new readers out there, my low box is set about 1-2 inches below parallel, and my "super suit" is none other than a piece of crap Inzer champion suit, single ply. Thats right, pure powerlifting power baby!!!

Kettlebell Swing Throughs sucked ass too, I was a sweaty mess, wanted to quit, and kept thinking I heard my daughter crying, I honestly dont know how I got by when I only had one kid and trained at night, this sucks!!!

Finished up with the all mighty Ab Wheel, the most underrated piece of powerlifting training equipment invented. And no, I didnt stutter, you heard me right Chuckie, the Ab Wheel. Go ahead and laugh, but give this sucker a try and call me in the morning.

All in all I am happy with tonight, I dont normally train in gear, but I figured I probably ought to start throwing some of that in there. Heavier poundages handled are always good in powerlifting. Tomorrow, I figure I will throw in some extra accessory crap for slagging off after the main movement, oh well, Good Night for now....

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/26/07 Dynamic Effort Bench

Speed Bench w/Monster Mini's & Chains 135x9x3
Band Assisted Close Grip Floor Press 315x4x6
Pendalay Rows 205x6, 225x6, 255x6, 275x6
Chain Shoulder Complex (See Below) 4x6

First and foremost, speed bench with monster mini's and chains absolutely killed me. Again, I set the chains for a full deload until just at the bottom, this causes the stabilization of the bar to be quite brutal, couple this with doubled up monster minis pulling back at you and its a recipe for pain. Every muscle in my shoulder region seemed to be activated as well as the lats (underestimated this aspet greatly). I would recommend this variety to anybody that wants to add a different spin to their speed day, just shoot me an email if you need further clarification.

Next up, Band Assisted Floor Presses, UGH!!! I was already beat by the Speed work but apparently decided this was not enough. The Band Assisted Floor Press movement definitely hit the pre-exhausted triceps, hence the low bar weight. This was followed by a true favorite of mine, the Pendalay row, these absolutely kill my upper back, good stuff.

Alright, this Chain Shoulder Complex is something I made up with my Ghetto version of chains. I basically attach D-Handles to the chains, perform a reverse grip hammer curl, straight to an Over Head Press, from there, I Lower the Chains to the side only to restart the movement. This is done in one fluid, yet controlled movement and will have your traps, shoulders and delts burning by the end.

Side Note:

As you can see, my journey in powerlifting, and more specifically lifting alone most of the time, has resulted in the need to be creative. Having ADD makes it extremely hard to stick to traditional movements all the time. All these variations help to keep my scattered mind in the game, hopefully this serves the purpose of inspiring you folks to do the same, make it fun and it no longer seems like a chore.

Creativity is King


Keep it Dark, Keep It Heavy!!!

09/24/07 Dynamic Effort Squat

Speed Squats 285x8x2
Block Pulls (Mid-Shin) 405x3, 455x3, 505x3x3
Mini Band Seated Leg Curls (Alternating) 3x15
Monster Mini Woodchop/Ab Pull Down Complex 3x20

Performed Speed Squats, no box, with 55% of my assumed RAW squat of 525. the speed was fast, so fast that on the 3rd set I came up so fast I actually fell forward, luckily nothing got hurt. Next week I will go with 60% and check the speed. Powerlifting base on percentages? Are you on crack? Nope, but judging from some of the emails I have received, I think some folks get the percentages screwed up. So, it was requested that I post the percentages and what they are based off of.

For instance, todays percentage is based off my estimated RAW squat of 525, I recently smoked 505 RAW for 1 (on a deload week) and estimate I have 20-30lbs in the tank. So this cycle will have me going 55% on week 1, 60% on week 2 (speed permitting), and finally end on 65% in the third week. This is based off a new theory I am trying, essentially by choosing higher percentages as opposed to the more traditional 50% range, I will get more volume, move heavier weight, and develop speed with heavier weight. End result should be a higher squat...

Time will tell, because if there is one thing I have learned in powerlifting it is this, you must test, test ,test. Keep what works and trash what doesnt.

This means you must test over a period of time, trying a movement for 1 or 2 weeks then trying to make a determination of its effect on your training is not gonna get you to where you need to be. Use larger blocks of training, keep notes, then decide. Okay, hope this answers any questions guys and girls. BTW, I am a Drug Free Lifter and train RAW unless otherwise noted, for this reason I feel it necessary to adhere to prilipins chart.

Block Pulls are always a treat, not!!! I have these set at the worst possible postion for myself, but I believe it will bear fruit over time. The mid shin level is where I will breakdown in the lift, so that is where I start. To me success in Powerlifting boils down to this: Pick a weakness and hit it. This work was done with an eye for the speed, though the percentages are a bit high. I was sure make every rep fast, explosive, and with total resets. The lower back was pumped needless to say.

Well, thats about it, the band work was not very exciting, but necessary. My advice to anyone if you are doing leg curls with bands, try the in an alternating fashion next time. This proved to hit the hamstrings much harder for me. Like I said, test it and decide for yourself.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Powerlifting

Not really...., with it being a deload, I did another mountain climb. When I got the top I pressed a bunch of rocks, threw them from over head, and mimicked the strongman stones on a ledge. Quite a brutal workout looking back on it, primitive, but brutal. Take care and have a good weekend, for tomorrow the Patriots whoop up on the Buffalo Bills.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

Blog Rush Comes to Powerlifting Etc

This post isnt exactly powerlifting but it will apply to all you bloggers that stop by. What is the single most important item a blogger needs to make a little scratch with their blog? TRAFFIC!!!

Well, Blog Rush does just that. Its a virtual traffic share, check out this link --> Blog Rush <-- to start attracting more readers to your powerlifting site. Even if your site is not related to powerlifting this FREE Plugin will increase your traffic immensely. One of my other niche blogs traffic went up around 21% in just a few short days, now imagine if you have some adsense ads on your site, people start clicking and the next thing you know you may have a car payment taken care of.

Dont take my word for it, try it out yourself, again...click this link and check out the video tutorial, then make your decision.

==>> Blog Rush <==

Get Some!!!

P.S. I dont normally make reference to this part of my life, but if anyone out there wants tips, advice, or insight on any aspects of Internet Marketing, shoot me an email, I would be more than glad to help.

P.S.S Now, Back to your normal programming, Powerlifting Etc, my journey to totalling elite in the sport of Powerlifting

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/20/07 Deload Squat

Box Jumps
Romanian Deadlifts
Ab Wheel
Bunch of Ab/Oblique work w/Monster Minis (woodchops, pulldowns, etc...)

With it being a Deload week, this wasnt exactly an exciting work out. Though I feel it necessary to post these for anybody new to powerlifting, hell, even folks that have been around powerlifting awhile might benefit. I have met some folks that thought a deload was a total layoff the weights type deal, which it can be, just not for me. So I guess, in some ways this may help others think differently about the Deload.

09/19/07 Deload Bench

Bench Press 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 305x3, 325x8
Power Clean & Press from Blocks 185x5x3
Lat Pulldowns and Monster Mini Triceps

Not too bad of a night for a deload, shoulder is still flaky, but the strength seems to be coming back. I think the 325x8 is a PR of sorts, I dont generally do much rep work on bench...Either way, I'll take it.

Power Clean & Press aint exactly a powerlifting movement, but I like to take deloads to get these in there. These were started at knee level, so the clean was pretty friggin hard, no momentum. The press was easier than anticipated, I am a total alug when it comes to overhead pressing. Hence my affinity for powerlifting. Time to scram for now, got to go watch the crumbsnatchers and relax on the couch.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy....

Pirates Day?

I know this aint powerlifting topic, but I felt it was important to let my inner pirate out today. You see, today is international talk like a pirate day, so I have been doing all things pirate, a powerlifting pirate if you will.

I found a quiz site that will spit out your pirate name after answering a few quick question, it can be found here. Here is what I got...

My pirate name is:

Iron Harry Vane

Description:

A pirate's life isn't easy; it takes a tough person. That's okay with you, though, since you a tough person. You tend to blend into the background occaisionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!

Deload Week woo-Hoo.....

This week at Powerlifting Etc is a deload week. I am quite sure I am in need of this as well, especially with the extra mountain climbing I've been getting in. Not the most conducive activity for powerlifting, but it is alot of fun.

Alright folks, I know this aint powerlifting, but I watched the 2005 World Strongest Man, and was quite inspired by this fellow. Its really too bad he passed. Enjoy the video...

Powerlifting? Strongman? Either way is all about strength.


Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy...

09/17/2007 ME Squat

High Box Squat w/Average Bands 240x5 285x3, 335x2, 385x1, 435x1, 475x1, 505x1-PR Established
Deadlifts w/Mini's 135x3, 225x3, 315x2x3
Monter Mini Leg Curls 3x15
Spread Eagle Sit-Ups 3x12

Well, I was quite happy with today. Was a bit unsure going into this session what I would get. I climbed the local mountain on Fri and Sat, Friday was a fairly easy hike, Saturday was a bit more brutal as the incline was around 70 degrees most of the way, and it was raining, tweaked my right knee o n a slippery ass rock, but I'll survive. To boot, I got lost twice in the woods, so total time going up was around 1.5 hours. Thank god for my Rambo-like senses, otherwise I would have been screwed. See ma, watching Rambo all those times actually did help me out in my later life....Enough about hiking, this is a powerlifting blog right?

Again, uncertainty set in around 335, wasnt sure if my quads and knee would hold up. Totally pre-exhausted form the previous days endeavors. Slapped on the belt at 385 and things started to feel a bit better, 435 flew, 475....smoked....505 ugh!!! This sucker came off the box fast, but the brakes got thrown on about 3 inches out of the hole, gotta love bands. I fought through this sucker, racked it, and decided to call it. The volume was down from the previous two weeks, but the body was beat up and I felt it necessary to stop here. Next week is a deload so I should benefit from this immensely.

Deadlifts against mini bands were brutal as all hell. With my set-up they are basically doubled over and provide around 200+lbs at the top, you wanna talk about resistance, jeez. All reps are performed with a total reset, Stand up, regrip, and pull. I find it much harder this way, in time I guess we'll see if it pays dividends. Powerlifting is about finding that which makes you stronger, so I cant be too far off the mark, at least the mindset is there, but will the body follow? Stay tuned...

Not much else to report, other than the Patriots rule!!! They beat up on the San Diego Chargers in good fashion, its definitely shaping up to be a championship year for sure.

A Tribute to a True American Hero...




Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/13/07 ME Bench Press

(Warm Up) Full Range Bench Press w/Chains 135x8, 185x5
2 Board Press w/Chains 225x5, 275x3,295x3, 315x3, 325x2, 335x2, 345x2, 365xMiss, 335x2
Barbell Extensions w/Chains 95x5, 75x2x10
Lat Pull Down Variations (Read Below)

Frigged my shoulder again today playing with my son, but at least I was having fun right? We were whipping pilows across the living room at each other, and being the big bully I am, I was trying to hit him hard enough to knock him over, well I paid the price...oh well, life goes on right?

so, an hour later Troy showed up for some 2 Board Pressing with Chains. Remember the chains are fully off the ground at the top portion of the lift, so aint your garden variety chain work, this shit kills the stabilizing muscles and makes it hard on the bar control.

Everything felt like doody, but some good did come out of it, I think I figured out my issue with the loft off. After having been unracking the weight by myself for so long, having a lift off is foreign to me, we figured out Troy was lifting too much which caused my set-up to go in the crapper. Problem solved.

Anyway, alot of strain went on tonight, I wanted to go heavier, but it just wasnt in the cards tonight. No biggie, beat the prior week on volume anyhow, there's more than one way to skin a cat!

Barbell Extensions were done differently than in the past, I had the chains rigged up so they are totally loaded until just before you hit your skull, this hit the stabilizers very nicely, and was the cause for my over zealousness with my opening weight. Before 95 would have been no problem for 10-12, but in this fashion, three more weeks of this fun motion woo-hoo.

We ended the night with a ton of experimentation on the lat pull down. We incorporated ropes, d-handles, bars etc. All were being pulled to the belly and seemed to activate the muscles used in the lowering of the bar in the bench press. Godd stuff, found a variation that hits the upper lats right were the triceps will be against them. Three more weeks of this, cant wait to see the results.

Thats it folks....

Public Service Announcement: Beware!!! This guy is a Juicer!!!

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/13/07 DE Squat

SSB Dynamic Effort Squats 295x8x2
Dynamic Effor High Pulls 205x8x2
Ab Pull downs 110x3x12

Crunched for time on this day, had a Real Estate Investors meeting to get to...Next up was ME Bench

09/10/07 DE Bench Press

Speed Bench 235x9x3
4 Board Press 415x6, 425x6, 435x6, 445x6
Pendalay Rows 225x4x8
Kettlebell Side Swings 33x3x10

Felt pretty good tonight, was contemplating working up in the bench press but held back, today is about speed not PR's. Again I performed all reps with a slow descent and an explosive reversal at the bottom. Speed was consistant through out all reps, good shit man. Rest periods were held to 25 seconds, needless to say I was a sweaty mess by the end of it. Hows that for an image? (Dedicated to all the powerlifting groupies out there, but please no fan mail from any powerlifting bears, I dont press that way).

4 Board Presses were quite brutal as I was a bit winded from the speed work. Although 415 flew like nobodies business, by the time I got to 445 I was gassed and ready for the shepards pie I smelled cooking upstairs. Love that shit!! Not sure if I will let the 4 boards stay for another week or move on to another lockout movement, this was the third week....guess I got some decisions to make.

Pendalay rows were done a bit differently. I elevated myself so the range of motion was larger. This made the movement much harder, added like 6 inches to the stroke I think. The worst part was the breathing, I felt out of breathe the whole way through, granted I was moving at a pretty good clip so I cant complain too much. Powerlifting aint exactly a sprint you know....

I ended on Kettlebell side swings. I had forgone the complex and just performed the side swing, this seems to hit the bum shoulder much better. BTW, I could have been arrested for carrying illegal traps when I was done. Those things were pumped up beyond belief. My wife even commented on them, now thats cool!!

Well all, thanks for stopping by and please take a moment to remember those who perished on this day years ago...



Take Care All, Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!

09/10/07 ME Squat - NFL Opening Day

High Box Squats w/Average Bands 135x3, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x2, 405x2, 435x3x2
Romanian Deadlifts 275x10, 295x10, 315x10
Monster Mini Leg Curls 3x15,15,12
Spread Eagle Sit-Ups 3x12, 10,10

Wanna talk about unmotivated? I spent the day on the couch (or on the floor wrestling with my son) watch football. My Patriots whooped up on the Jets in good fashion, and Randy Moss proved he is not washed up as all the media insinuated. But all this lazing around made it tough to switch gears for a heavy day of powerlifting. So I slugged down some coffee and summoned the powerlifting gods to give me the strength to move on, at least the caffeine answered...

Everything felt heavy and slow, hell the 135 gave me issues if I remember right. Last week I doubled 455 and probably c ould have this week, but I would have been done after that. So I decided to work up to 435 and hit it for three doubles and beat last weeks work in volume. As I said, nothing felt good, my form felt off, the weight felt heavy, and speed was nowhere to be found. Oh well, no where to go but up right? Next week should get better, plus my legs were still sore from a hella-hike up a mountain I did on friday, I suspect this played a role in my "feeling weak" situation.

The Romanian Deadlift is one of those lost gems of powerlifting. You do them, and say "these are great!" But, you just never seem to get back to them. Yet, when you finally do get back to them you are all chuffed again. Does that make sense? Anyway, lower back was pumped up, I remember this happening last year during football season, I lay around all day, no load on the spine then go down and beat the hell out of it. Probablyl not the best thing in the world but what can you do?

Rounded out the workout with Monster Mini Leg Curls and Spread Eagle Sit-Ups, two movements that simply bore the hell of me but need to be done. These are like poor Shemp from the 3 stooges, Shemp never got the credit he was due. Because without this extra work, big squats would not be in my future.

Football Season has begun, my prediction? Patriots vs Seahawks in the Superbowl.

Keep it Dark, Keep it Heavy!!!