Blonde will make you STRONG

[EvilPie]

I'm starting to remember why I never used to do deadlifts. Jeez they're tough!! I always rest for as long as I need without putting a clock on it but with most of my sessions I manage to fit 16 sets in to just under 50 minutes including warm up and cool down. I've noticed on squat/DL day that I'm finishing much later than usual so I had a quick check between heavy DL sets and it's about 5 minutes!!

Anyway I had a great session this morning. Squats up to 120kg for 2 and DL 140kg for 2. I wasn't sure about trying the squats as I've only gone to 100kg before but they felt good and I made decent depth. Felt my knees buckle very slightly on the ascent but nothing too worrying. Think I'd be comfortable attempting 140kg with a competent spotter on standby.

Now that I'm getting in to these I'm getting impatient to see improvements which isn't really like me. Should be okay to stick at what I'm doing for the next two weeks prior to my holiday but I'll have to step off the gas a bit when I return and just do one heavy day per week. I'm keeping the protein and calories high to try to fuel the extra work but I couldn't handle it long term.

[iRaise]

My weight has fluctuated a lot over the last three years. Probably 70% of the time I was in control and I wanted the changes, then the other 30 was me realising how hard weight management/change in eating habits can be.

When I started it all off at uni I was 89kg. But an awful, awful shape. No performance, just basically beer and pizza. Then my first diet I went down to about 71kg I think it was, but an awful, awful shape. Basically skin and bone. But I had abs, so I (embarrassingly) spend most of my last year at uni pea cocking around.

Then the real journey began. I went on about a 8 month bulk, of eating everything. Dirty, clean, whatever. If I saw it I ate it. Since I had the beginner gains to come, I was getting stronger and stronger, as well as heavier and heavier every week. Ah, how easy it was back then. Pretty much a KG a week of mass, and never a week where I didn't make linear progress. Then I tried and failed what I would say is my first diet attempt. Going from 106 to around 90. With not a great deal of shape change. I didn't stick to the diet, and I just couldn't keep under my KCALs. Luckily, since I was only about 16/18 months in. I didn't lose too much strength. But the 106 there I looked like some weird lanky strongman. I was the fat part without the muscle mass. I wasn't even relatively that strong, as my BW was so high.

Onto the second bulk, I was more cautious with the dirty part. As mentally I found it really tough during the diet to not eat ice cream everyday. This is where the skittles came in and changed the game for me. I went from a snack of like 7/800KCALs to 160. Add that up over the week, and I am making massive changes.

So this time last year I stepped on the scales at 105, and started the diet that took me down to 80kg (well I started last Dec. and ended in the end of May). Obviously a little rebound and muscle growth since then.

I always knew I wanted to get very heavy, just to eek the most amount of beginner gains I could. I don't plan to get that heavy again, but never say never. Where I am right now I certainly don't need to. But I was really surprised that I was only 88. Considering that I haven't tracked food, I have relied purely on subconscious habit (and I am greedy) I am not sure how I am at where I am.
 

[iRaise]

I'm starting to remember why I never used to do deadlifts. Jeez they're tough!! I always rest for as long as I need without putting a clock on it but with most of my sessions I manage to fit 16 sets in to just under 50 minutes including warm up and cool down. I've noticed on squat/DL day that I'm finishing much later than usual so I had a quick check between heavy DL sets and it's about 5 minutes!!

Anyway I had a great session this morning. Squats up to 120kg for 2 and DL 140kg for 2. I wasn't sure about trying the squats as I've only gone to 100kg before but they felt good and I made decent depth. Felt my knees buckle very slightly on the ascent but nothing too worrying. Think I'd be comfortable attempting 140kg with a competent spotter on standby.

Now that I'm getting in to these I'm getting impatient to see improvements which isn't really like me. Should be okay to stick at what I'm doing for the next two weeks prior to my holiday but I'll have to step off the gas a bit when I return and just do one heavy day per week. I'm keeping the protein and calories high to try to fuel the extra work but I couldn't handle it long term.

Some solid progress there.

[iRaise]

Out of action currently on all legs and back work from a slight back strain from deadlifting last week.  Thought it was just soreness after workout but still here after the weekend.  Feels like a slight muscle tear in the right side of the mid to lower back.  Managed to do a full chest/bicep work out this morning without any pain during exercises but some pain actually getting into position on the benches for the lifts!  Going to physio tomorrow to get it checked out.  Fingers crossed.  Managed to bench 75kg flat bench today for 6 reps btw without really going flat out given my back. 

Matt raises a good point about lifestyle. If you spend a lot of the day seated, and don't focus on good quality movement, you are always at a higher risk to tweak something. Training round it is often a good idea though. Hopefully the physio can give you some mobility routines for you to do to help get some good movement patterns.

[iRaise]

Forgot to answer the squat and DL question.

This is kinda interesting, and does show the help of periodising your training, fight or flight mechanism, and a fuck ton of caffeine.

So when I was 105 I was getting 5's at 120kg (although I don't have a video I am 95% certain these were not good reps). My DL at that weight I think was around 180 for . I didn't try a 1rep max with either.

My best 1rep max with a DL is 200 at 82kg. Thank you caffeine. but my squat at that weight went down to 100 for 2 and they were pretty bad there.

Now I am much more confident in technique and movement with all of the movements, and now the strength is back on the increase too.

Biggest difference is OHP. when I was around 97 (on the way down from 105) I was getting at 70/72.5 and at 75. When I was doing them a few months ago I was getting shaken at 50.

[Steve Swift]

Hi Guys,

Can you help,

A couple of months ago i woke up in the early hrs with severe cramp in both calfs, this had never happened before and has never happened again since.

When i started the run leg of my triathalon within 300m of starting i felt the cramp coming in both calfs and thought i was going to have to pull out, luckily it cleared within a few minutes.

I did the parkrun this sunday and after 600m i could feel the twinge of the cramp coming on but only on my left leg, i hoped to run it off, after another 100m it was excruciating, i tried to continue but had to stop. I massaged it and hobbled on hoping it would clear but it never did.

Aftersome 36 hrs it is starting to wear of but is still painful. Please note i was fully warmed up for this race as i got there half an hr early to do just that.

The research i have done point to, over training, not guilty, poor warm up, not guilty, lack of hydration, guilty, salt/sodium  deficiency, guilty i guess.

Any ideas of how to tackle this ?

Cheers

Steve

Bumpity bump guys, all ideas?


Went for a 1k run on Monday  to test the calf it felt painful and tight but felt I needed to stretch it. Doubled the distance yesterday i.e to 2k and again I could still feel a little bit of tightness it was ok until about 1.5 km when I felt it start to come on again so I slowed right down and back to limping a bit today.

Any dead on supplements. rest advice?

Cheers

Steve

[zerofive]

Hi Guys,

Can you help,

A couple of months ago i woke up in the early hrs with severe cramp in both calfs, this had never happened before and has never happened again since.

When i started the run leg of my triathalon within 300m of starting i felt the cramp coming in both calfs and thought i was going to have to pull out, luckily it cleared within a few minutes.

I did the parkrun this sunday and after 600m i could feel the twinge of the cramp coming on but only on my left leg, i hoped to run it off, after another 100m it was excruciating, i tried to continue but had to stop. I massaged it and hobbled on hoping it would clear but it never did.

Aftersome 36 hrs it is starting to wear of but is still painful. Please note i was fully warmed up for this race as i got there half an hr early to do just that.

The research i have done point to, over training, not guilty, poor warm up, not guilty, lack of hydration, guilty, salt/sodium  deficiency, guilty i guess.

Any ideas of how to tackle this ?

Cheers

Steve

Bumpity bump guys, all ideas?


Went for a 1k run on Monday  to test the calf it felt painful and tight but felt I needed to stretch it. Doubled the distance yesterday i.e to 2k and again I could still feel a little bit of tightness it was ok until about 1.5 km when I felt it start to come on again so I slowed right down and back to limping a bit today.

Any dead on supplements. rest advice?

Cheers

Steve

Since you've tried the obvious approach, let me ask you a few things.

What's your range of movement in your ankle? Is there a dorsi/plantar imbalance? (Start with your foot at a right angle to your shin, point your toes as far away as possible and as far towards you as possible. Do you reach roughly the same angle with both movements?)

Do you have tight hip flexors? Try doing the front splits and see how far down you can get

Do you have tight hip adductors? Try doing the side splits and see how far down you can get

Do you ever get shin splints?

Do you use a foam roller?

It seems to me the problem is not in your calf, but the surrounding tissue. If you're joke tight in your ankles or hips, then you might be releiving that through your gastocnemius, hence the cramps.

[iRaise]

Hi Guys,

Can you help,

A couple of months ago i woke up in the early hrs with severe cramp in both calfs, this had never happened before and has never happened again since.

When i started the run leg of my triathalon within 300m of starting i felt the cramp coming in both calfs and thought i was going to have to pull out, luckily it cleared within a few minutes.

I did the parkrun this sunday and after 600m i could feel the twinge of the cramp coming on but only on my left leg, i hoped to run it off, after another 100m it was excruciating, i tried to continue but had to stop. I massaged it and hobbled on hoping it would clear but it never did.

Aftersome 36 hrs it is starting to wear of but is still painful. Please note i was fully warmed up for this race as i got there half an hr early to do just that.

The research i have done point to, over training, not guilty, poor warm up, not guilty, lack of hydration, guilty, salt/sodium  deficiency, guilty i guess.

Any ideas of how to tackle this ?

Cheers

Steve

Bumpity bump guys, all ideas?


Went for a 1k run on Monday  to test the calf it felt painful and tight but felt I needed to stretch it. Doubled the distance yesterday i.e to 2k and again I could still feel a little bit of tightness it was ok until about 1.5 km when I felt it start to come on again so I slowed right down and back to limping a bit today.

Any dead on supplements. rest advice?

Cheers

Steve

Nobody really know what causes cramps. Obviously salt levels and dehydration are the common answers. Always worth trying. General mobility will probably help too as your body can be used to being in those range of motions.

One thing I notice with nearly everyone that sees me, is that their version of X and mine is very different. So overtraining/warmed up/flexible/tired/fatigue/good diet are all liable to weak areas.

If you took 10 people to do a 30 min warm up they are all going to different things at different intensities. Always worth revisiting and trying to improve all areas. Even running stride will play a part if you aren't spreading out your weigh over as much of you as possible.

Runners do tend to get tight calves because of their strides.

[Steve Swift]

Thanks for the replies, lots to think about.

I am and always was the most inflexible person on the planet even at my fittest and in my 20'si  was no where near able to touching my toes and fair to say this has not improved with age.  I have kind of always ran this way, trg, racing, warm up, diet, fluids etc. and have ran Marathons and the like on this process and have never had this problem before. So was hoping for " rest for a week take X and B supplement and get back on it ", sort of advice    But as mentioned my research confirms the reason are not really know, hoped Blonde hero's would be able to out Google Google.

Will take your comments on board.

Cheers

Guys

[iRaise]

Thanks for the replies, lots to think about.

I am and always was the most inflexible person on the planet even at my fittest and in my 20'si  was no where near able to touching my toes and fair to say this has not improved with age.  I have kind of always ran this way, trg, racing, warm up, diet, fluids etc. and have ran Marathons and the like on this process and have never had this problem before. So was hoping for " rest for a week take X and B supplement and get back on it ", sort of advice    But as mentioned my research confirms the reason are not really know, hoped Blonde hero's would be able to out Google Google.

Will take your comments on board.

Cheers

Guys

Seldom do I agree with google, as normally it is just far to vague and general.

It is really hard to give specific advice through these means. I only ever get to see such a snap shot of your training/life. One thing you might want to think about, there are 4 supplements in the world that actually do something. Don't rely on supplements for anything. Nutrition, rest and good movement are the things you want to focus on.

Without sounding like a broken record, mindset really is the defining factor. How you approach and think about health and fitness will ultimately lead you into habits that get/keep you there. Having a mindset where supplements will sort you out, in my opinion, will at absolute best get you there (it won't keep you there) and at worst (probably most realistically too) have you chasing your tail for years.

From my snap shot of your life. You are doing a lot of training for someone who I expect not to move so well (please don't be offended by that, I class myself as someone who doesn't move well, and I spend a decent chunk of time trying). If someone isn't focused on moving well, the chances are they aren't focused on eat well (my definition of) so they are probably being hammered on two fronts.

I could be completely wrong, and you could be some movement jedi who eats like a boss.

[Steve Swift]

Thanks for the replies, lots to think about.

I am and always was the most inflexible person on the planet even at my fittest and in my 20'si  was no where near able to touching my toes and fair to say this has not improved with age.  I have kind of always ran this way, trg, racing, warm up, diet, fluids etc. and have ran Marathons and the like on this process and have never had this problem before. So was hoping for " rest for a week take X and B supplement and get back on it ", sort of advice   But as mentioned my research confirms the reason are not really know, hoped Blonde hero's would be able to out Google Google.

Will take your comments on board.

Cheers

Guys

Seldom do I agree with google, as normally it is just far to vague and general.

It is really hard to give specific advice through these means. I only ever get to see such a snap shot of your training/life. One thing you might want to think about, there are 4 supplements in the world that actually do something. Don't rely on supplements for anything. Nutrition, rest and good movement are the things you want to focus on.

Without sounding like a broken record, mindset really is the defining factor. How you approach and think about health and fitness will ultimately lead you into habits that get/keep you there. Having a mindset where supplements will sort you out, in my opinion, will at absolute best get you there (it won't keep you there) and at worst (probably most realistically too) have you chasing your tail for years.

From my snap shot of your life. You are doing a lot of training for someone who I expect not to move so well (please don't be offended by that, I class myself as someone who doesn't move well, and I spend a decent chunk of time trying). If someone isn't focused on moving well, the chances are they aren't focused on eat well (my definition of) so they are probably being hammered on two fronts.

I could be completely wrong, and you could be some movement jedi who eats like a boss.

Absolutely on the money, I eat total crap and have no mobility in any area. So you feel that some general mobility exercises  must be inserted into my regime as a matter of course.

Great post BTW and thank you much appreciated.

[Steve Swift]

Since you've tried the obvious approach, let me ask you a few things.

What's your range of movement in your ankle? Is there a dorsi/plantar imbalance? (Start with your foot at a right angle to your shin, point your toes as far away as possible and as far towards you as possible. Do you reach roughly the same angle with both movements?)   Wow,  I can barely flex my toes forward  but they will bend away a to about 160

Do you have tight hip flexors? Try doing the front splits and see how far down you can get Hard to measure but about half way, so not low at all

Do you have tight hip adductors? Try doing the side splits and see how far down you can get better at that but not by much

Do you ever get shin splints? No

Do you use a foam roller? Not sure what that is for?

It seems to me the problem is not in your calf, but the surrounding tissue. If you're joke tight in your ankles or hips, then you might be releiving that through your gastocnemius, hence the cramps.
[/quote]


Thank you very much for your reply.

Steve

[iRaise]

Thanks for the replies, lots to think about.

I am and always was the most inflexible person on the planet even at my fittest and in my 20'si  was no where near able to touching my toes and fair to say this has not improved with age.  I have kind of always ran this way, trg, racing, warm up, diet, fluids etc. and have ran Marathons and the like on this process and have never had this problem before. So was hoping for " rest for a week take X and B supplement and get back on it ", sort of advice   But as mentioned my research confirms the reason are not really know, hoped Blonde hero's would be able to out Google Google.

Will take your comments on board.

Cheers

Guys

Seldom do I agree with google, as normally it is just far to vague and general.

It is really hard to give specific advice through these means. I only ever get to see such a snap shot of your training/life. One thing you might want to think about, there are 4 supplements in the world that actually do something. Don't rely on supplements for anything. Nutrition, rest and good movement are the things you want to focus on.

Without sounding like a broken record, mindset really is the defining factor. How you approach and think about health and fitness will ultimately lead you into habits that get/keep you there. Having a mindset where supplements will sort you out, in my opinion, will at absolute best get you there (it won't keep you there) and at worst (probably most realistically too) have you chasing your tail for years.

From my snap shot of your life. You are doing a lot of training for someone who I expect not to move so well (please don't be offended by that, I class myself as someone who doesn't move well, and I spend a decent chunk of time trying). If someone isn't focused on moving well, the chances are they aren't focused on eat well (my definition of) so they are probably being hammered on two fronts.

I could be completely wrong, and you could be some movement jedi who eats like a boss.

Absolutely on the money, I eat total crap and have no mobility in any area. So you feel that some general mobility exercises  must be inserted into my regime as a matter of course.

Great post BTW and thank you much appreciated.

I put mobility at the top of my priorities at the minute. It has helped my other movements no end, and allows me to recover much quicker. Its a slow process though, just like all of health and fitness. Flick in 5-10 minutes before EVERY session and focus on good quality food. If you want to perform like an athlete, you need to behave like one. You will be fine, if you have the determination to train like you do, adding a few tweaks will be eaaaaasy. 

[iRaise]

Front squats today

4x4 92.5. Actually felt quite do able. Probably should have snuck another couple of KG on there, but I pushed up with the accessory work instead.

[EvilPie]

Strong stuff mate.

Been a steady week for me with skive days Wednesday and again today. Going to try for Saturday and Sunday to make up for it but no biggy if I don't.

Still pleased with my progress since I started the DL and squats and maybe the rest isn't the worst thing as they're bloody tough. Every video I watch of big lifters they only ever train DL once a week and many of them only go to their max every three weeks or so. Long slow process without doubt.