So I didn't want to grind on anything and 5's would have required some grinding. Especially the last couple sets. I've been pushing hard on everything for awhile and know it's time to be carefull so I settled on sets of 3's and would decide on how many total during the workout.
I've been really focused on accelerating all my presses of late, much in the same fashion as my speed bench work in my WSB incarnation.Even with the heaviest of my loads I try to move them from point A to point B in the fastest way possible,with the shortest line possible. Literally from 10-10 with nothing interving; blowing through any possible sticking point.
WSB incorporates an absolute strength day where you try to push maximum weights as quickly as possible as well until you miss. I don't think I need or want this much tension these days, nor be as close to a true max.
I think that the last reps of a group of low rep heavy sets will suffice for that stimulation as if you push as quickly as possible on each rep( anyone say Hardstyle?) after a specific number of sets bell speed will slow down.
A definite sign you are close to the end of the workout and have had all the workload you can handle for that day.It's a motor pattern as well. Get used to moving weight fast , light or heavy and when it's heavy your brain will try to move it the same way.
Strong lifters don't try to move heavy weights slowly; heavy weights move slowly because they are heavy for you even though you are trying to move them as fast as possible. Of course, without ever breaking form or loosing root, your foundation.
As Pavel says, when 'experts' miss a lift they do it never altering form. Eccentric strength is way stronger than concentric strength and even if you can't get the lift up you have plenty of strength to control it down. If you don't panic.
It is so cool to see how well this training is working not only for me but for my Queen and her presses. She's been getting long cycle AND short cycle Pr's virtually every week and did more strict press with the 16kg with both arms than she ever has before. And you can see it in her shoulders and arms as well.
Tracy has only been doing strict military presses since last February when she trained for her RKC Re Cert in San Jose. Prior to that she did only push presses. Her base is growing and she will be pressing the 20 kg in no time. She also pushes each rep as strongly as possible and can really hold her position when it comes time to grind out the last rep. Strong to the core.It's a skill and it can be practiced.
6am -7am stretchout.Focus on overhead stretches and opening up the tight left pec and forearm.
8:30 am Short cycle clean and press
one arm swing warmup
16kg x5/5/5/5 x2
cleans warmup
16 kg x 5/5 x2
Presses
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x3/3
24 kgx2/2
28kg x3/3x8 sets
48 reps ( just shy of pr of 50 reps, perfect)
Strong! and my shoulder and biceps held up well as I really focused on packing the shoulder with the lat on each and every set and each part of the press. I could have done fives with no loss in speed for at least 4 sets but this was a good protocol as well. I go you go with Tracy, rests were short.
The wider the base, the higher the peak and we are really getting a great press foundation built. The 28 kg does indeed feel like the 24 kg did just a few months ago.
Two hand Shield Casts
10 lbs x 10/10
15 lb x8/8
20 lbs x8/8
25 lbs x 8/8
35 lbs x5/5 x 2!!!!
Ah, these were fun and the best part was the Cruiser bell didn't feel that heavy at all. This was definitely the right bell size for me to get. I'm ready for it.
Bodyblade laterals
alternate sets of 10 each arm for 6 total sets each side. I could really feel this activating the supraspinatus and medial head of the deltoid and helping the stabilize the shoulder even more.
Amosov Squats
30 reps
It's definitely time to add in some squatting motion for reps, even if they are supported.Want to work up to 100 continuous reps each workout as a finisher before going to loading the pattern with weights again. I will squat again, even better than before. I can see that now.
My knee is tracking the best it has in ages and all the weird tension and pain I've been having in the lateral hamstring, popliteus and soleus for years has disappeared! Very exciting> I feel like I might actually NOT need to have my knee replaced after all.
datsit:))
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14 comments:
I really like doing strict presses. I'm still struggling with the 20kg though. One day I get it just fine on the left (my strong side) and occasionally on the right. For whatever reason now, I can't even do the left side. I was only doing like 2 reps on the L and a rare 1 on the R. Thought I'd be able to build on that but it's just been a "no-go" for whatever reason.
I just keep working the 16kg-which has been no problem for me on either side for quite some time. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
diana
sounds like you need a much bigger base with the 16 kg,especially on the left side. You should be able to do a variety of reps and tempo's with it before you max out on the 20 kg.
what set/rep schemes do you do with the 16?
I would build up the volume with a variety of set/ rep combinations and really work on using the lat on each and every rep to get it started as well as practice moving the bell as fast as you can with perfect form.
also, when you fail with the 20kg what fails? the initial start, the middle, you lose your core stability? what? when one misses a lift it's always a muscle or a technique that fails, not the lift itself.
I've been doing ladders with the presses up to 5 max reps per side. Or I do sets of 5/5 for whatever feels good that day.
What fails with the 20kg is that the clean goes well and I get a nice big breath in to brace to core, then I get the bell up just a smidge. It just won't go-it feels like I'm lifting 100lbs. Yet, when I use a push press-it goes up! Gotta work those lats.....
Hi Rif,
nice workout and great press strength!
You handle the bruiser very well and this tool looks like a "babarians" weapon ;-)
Enjoy the "Amosov" squat's :-) :-)
Take care!
Sorry,you handle the "cruiser" very well....I see you already train with the bruiser :-)
bruce
thanks and you are right on both accounts,lol. thanks also for the amasov squat idea.
diana
send me some video of a 20 kg press attempt as well as a 16 kg set of 3 or so.
Mark,
I'll get a video out in a few days.
Thanks in advance!
So what exactly made your knees track properly lately? Amosov squats? I am just asking because I am suffering from a maltracking patella, grinding noises and pain located laterally below my right kneecap for around 5 years now... and lately my other knee started to show comparable symptoms.
Being only 29 years old I would love to be able to deadlift heavy again - or maybe even be able to sprint without considerable pain.
Any suggestions?
All the best from Berlin, Germany
Daniel
daniel
my left knee is a mess and has been for many years. I had a gymnastics accident that dislocated the knee in 1974, almost no rehab and then went back into gymnastics training, then marathons,cycling, bodybuildiing and powerlifting.
it was the powerlifting that really did it in and it's been horrific the last 10-15 years only bending 90 degrees on a good day and missing 10 degree of extension.
so with this limited ROM I had horrendous muscle tension in the hamstrings. poplieus, soleus, etc.
What finally made the difference along with a disciplined regime of stretching and foam roller work was finally figuring out a way to walk right!
since my gait was so dysfunctional it created even more pain and more dyfunctional gait. By " thinking" a specific way I finally remembered how to walk right( for me at least) and lots of the tension subsided.
still have to stretch and maintain lower tone to keep the pain away but it's a big big difference.
the amasov squat are in my routine now to slowly build up the strength again in my squat pattern; I've used them as a stretch forever.
for you I would suggest making sure your tissue is healthy( i.e full non restricted ROM, IT bands soft and hip flexors and rectus femoris of normal length and tone).
liberal use of the foam roller as well.
Tim Ferris has a great section in the four hour body about excellent stretches for the leg and hips.
Rif
thank you so much for your detailed response! I am really apreciating that!
Problems for me started around 5 years ago when I did my first couple of PTP deadlift cycles plus some occasional pick-up Basketball games and pistols - and really worsened when I started sitting for longer periods of the day due to work.
For me sitting for longer periods of time seems to really worsen everything. And being a PhD student with a lot of deadlines and therefore deskwork doesn't seem to help in avioding that.
Gait and stance seem to be huge problems for me as well, as my toes are always pointing out some degrees whenever I walk or stand, especially on my right side (which is the one that is bothering me for five years now). Will have to work on "thinking" to point the toes straight ahead during walking and standing, but I actually think there's some muscle tightness somewhere in my hip or upper leg musculature that is turning my whole leg outwards.
I will try and work on everything you suggested, but have some last questions regarding your suggestions: How often and when should I stretch and foam roll? The more the better? And should I further try and strenghten my legs and hips and especially my almost non-existent VMO? And if so, should I include a squat pattern (Light Back-Squats, which I avioded for quite a long time and reintroduced to my training only recently, actually seem to "help" on some days and make matters worse on others, while they seem to blow up my VMO more than all the single leg stuff I tried before)?
I am sorry to bother you with all this, but finding somebody who knows a great deal about training AND knee problems seems to be impossible around here...
All the best
Daniel
daniel
no problem, I have a lot of empathy for people with knee problems:))
Sitting is terrible for everything in the body and the knee is no exception. Keeping the knee flexed for long periods of time really shortens the hamstrings,hip flexors and calf muscles as well.
If one sits with the toes turned out( as most do) it also tightens the popliteus as well and this mess up knee rotation even more.
Sitting also tightens the deep hip rotators and can really cause the external rotation of the leg you are referring to.
The amosov squats done as a squat pattern stretch really open these up as sitting is basically a "half squat" pattern and the hip rotators get stuck.
Imagine keeping your arm bent at 90 degrees all day, how tight would your biceps be?
I also sit on a sofball to open up these deep rotators and this works very well too.same for using a golf ball to open up the plantar fascia of the foot too.
stretching the gastroc AND soleus is vital to keep the foot pointing forward as well as ankle mobility drills. Brett has a great article on ankle mobility drills here
http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/609/
good luck!
RIF
thank you so much for all your fantastic input! I will implement your recommendations thoroughly in my daily routine and report back!
Greetings to PA
Daniel
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