Man Boobs of Steel

[bracewater]

bracewater
I definitely recommend incorporating them. It's a big part of Westside. I have been neglecting them as an ME lift until recently.

I work at Dulles for Independence Air, formerly Atlantic Coast Airlines. I'm a bag slinger myself. Who did you work for?

lol I used to work for ACA also, although that was back when it was still united express. I used to work mainly on fingers 1/3 and 2/4 and we would play foot ball on the AOA inbetween banks of flights I got tired of having to take a shuttle back and forth and go through the security it took an hour before i even started work, and an hour just to get back to my car. thats why i quit

 

[CowPimp]

rock4832
It doesn't really have anything to do with recovery. I like the routine because of health reasons. It is intense cardiovascular training completed in a short amount of time. On top of that, it should help with explosive power, speed, and muscular endurance. Really, I just like the conditioning effects of a routine like this. I used to do plain jane cardio or HIIT cardio more frequently. However, I just started to get bored with traditional cardio. This is an excellent change of pace. I highly recommend it.

Randy
Have a nice couple days off. Everyone deserves some rest now and again.

P-funk
I don't quite use his range of motion either. The main goal for me is to transmute the training effect to my squat, so pushing heavier weights at the expense of the very bottom portion of the range of motion works better for me. I bend over a lot further than when I squat, but I don't get my torso parallel to the ground. Don't get me wrong, I use a good range of motion, just not quite to the level of that guy.

GoalGetter
Did you happen to watch the video on ExRx? That guy has absolutely terrible form on good mornings. Straight-leg deadlifts are equally poor. I used to think that's how they worked too. Don't get me wrong though, your lower back is still going to be sore, but your hips and gluts are going to take a lot of the brunt too.

BulkMeUp
Take your time. Trust me though, you won't regret it if you implement this lift into your routine at some point.

I see no point in doing a slow controlled motion on deadlifts. It seems to me like that increases the possibility of slipping "out of form." On top of that, I almost always try to move the weight as fast as possible during the concentric phase of the lift. This will help you increase you speed, power, and rate of force generation.

DeadBolt
Yeah, I'll probably have to take out loans at some point too. I'm in the same situation; I currently go to community college, where I will be until I'm 30. Then, I will go to a university until I'm 40. I would like to be taking one or two classes the rest of my life to be honest. Learning is good.

How did you determine a lot of gyms around you accept that certification? Did you just call around and ask? I was reading a little about the ISSA and ACE, which seem to be my two top contenders at the moment, and the ISSA looks more information rich.

 

[P-funk]

P-funk
I don't quite use his range of motion either. The main goal for me is to transmute the training effect to my squat, so pushing heavier weights at the expense of the very bottom portion of the range of motion works better for me. I bend over a lot further than when I squat, but I don't get my torso parallel to the ground. Don't get me wrong, I use a good range of motion, just not quite to the level of that guy.

yes, i can do them well with a shorter range of motion. But, I am always into the fullest ROM I can get so I try and go for the ROM that he is using and I can't get it becuase my hips are a wreck. Next marco cycle I will throw them in and just try and work my way down to paralel with the floor. I still fell it big time!!

 

[BulkMeUp]

BulkMeUp What type of DL's are you doing....sounds like you did Stiff Leg DL's on leg day. They will def hit the hammies more then lower back but if your do conventional or sumo deads properly your lower back will get hit. Try those on a back day and there is no better feeling then knowing you pulled that awsome amount of weight heh. Such a rush..

Yep. I am doing SLDL's on leg day more for a leg exercise. I wasnt too sure about DL's as have been told i have the potential for lower back problems. I dont have any probs presently and dont want to create one. But i have decided to give DL's a try, but mainly as a leg exercise for now. I hope i am right in my thinking.

Good AM's are an awsome lift man...I have added them to my routine for now b/c I can't dead but once I start deads again they will still be in my routine. I think they are an awsome exercise to help with every day life and real world strength..

I guess i will incorporate them when i rework my routine on my next wo cycle.

As for form the lifting portion should be with effort not making it a slow movements. Just bring the bar up but don't jerk it around causing injury....just get tight, grip the barm, and drive the weight up. If done in a controlled manner there should be no jerking just straight pulling. And on the decent don't drop the weight but don't shoot for a negative either...a controlled drop is what works best for me.

Yep. Tahts how i did it. This was the first time ever that i did DL's, so i did it in a controlled manner, but a bit slow. Basically to understand the feel of the exercise and to get my form right. After a few sessions i will 'speed up' the motion but in a controlled manner, as you suggested. Thanks for the tips.

 

[BulkMeUp]

BulkMeUp
Take your time. Trust me though, you won't regret it if you implement this lift into your routine at some point..

I think i will include it when i rework my routine for the next cycle.

I see no point in doing a slow controlled motion on deadlifts. It seems to me like that increases the possibility of slipping "out of form." On top of that, I almost always try to move the weight as fast as possible during the concentric phase of the lift. This will help you increase you speed, power, and rate of force generation.
.

Ok, I will speed it up up once i get confident that i am doing it correctly with good form. Since this was my first time ever doing DL's, i did it a bit slow. But i shall speed it up after a few sessions.

 

[bracewater]

Yep. I am doing SLDL's on leg day more for a leg exercise. I wasnt too sure about DL's as have been told i have the potential for lower back problems. I dont have any probs presently and dont want to create one. But i have decided to give DL's a try, but mainly as a leg exercise for now. I hope i am right in my thinking.

yeah deads can be good for legs too. Have you thought about doing conventional deadlifts for more leg workout. If you do conventional deads you are using more leg than just SLDLs

just food for thought

 

[BulkMeUp]

yeah deads can be good for legs too. Have you thought about doing conventional deadlifts for more leg workout. If you do conventional deads you are using more leg than just SLDLs

just food for thought

No i didnt consider any other kind of DL work. I just went with Cow's suggestion for SLDL's for DL's for now. My leg work is: LegPresses/Squats/SLDL's/Calves(standing and seated)

 

[Randy]

.Randy
Have a nice couple days off. Everyone deserves some rest now and again.

MOOOOOO to you too... Thanks cow

 

[GoalGetter]

GoalGetter

Did you happen to watch the video on ExRx? That guy has absolutely terrible form on good mornings. Straight-leg deadlifts are equally poor. I used to think that's how they worked too. Don't get me wrong though, your lower back is still going to be sore, but your hips and gluts are going to take a lot of the brunt too.

Hahhahaha, i just watched it this morning.

As for my lb being sore... hell it was hurting like after 3 or 4 reps, the kind of pain you are NOT supposed to get in the middle of an exercise. So I always felt like i was gonna hurt myself and I'd stop and think, "There's gotta be something wrong here... what the hell am i doing wrong."

Well i'm glad i wasn't alone in this... thanks!

 

[CowPimp]

yeah deads can be good for legs too. Have you thought about doing conventional deadlifts for more leg workout. If you do conventional deads you are using more leg than just SLDLs

just food for thought

Actually, I consider deadlifts more of a back exercise. Once you get the bar off the floor a few inches, it is really your erector spinae doing the most work.

 

[CowPimp]

Hahhahaha, i just watched it this morning.

As for my lb being sore... hell it was hurting like after 3 or 4 reps, the kind of pain you are NOT supposed to get in the middle of an exercise. So I always felt like i was gonna hurt myself and I'd stop and think, "There's gotta be something wrong here... what the hell am i doing wrong."

Well i'm glad i wasn't alone in this... thanks!

Ah, that sounds like pain, not soreness. Distinguishing the two is very important.

 

[CowPimp]

Bench Press ME:

Bench Press
125 x 3
145 x 3
165 x 3
185 x 3
205 x 1
225 x 1
255 x Spot

CG Bench Press
195 x 5
195 x 5
195 x 4

DB Tate Press
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10

Military Press
125 x 5
125 x 5
125 x 5

Yates Rows
205 x 7
205 x 7
205 x 7

Chaptain's Chair - Straight Legs
0 x 30

Workout was good today, but I'm really pissed I didn't hit that weight on the bench press. My form felt a tiny bit off, but not enough that it should have really impacted my lift all that much. This time I got stuck about where I do lockouts, so my triceps are definitely my weakest link again. I altered my training accordingly.

My accessory work was pretty good at least. I tried to add another rep onto my CGs, but I couldn't quite get it on the last set. Next time I will. As well, I'm really happy with the military press. I finally hit 5s. Once I hit 6 or 7 reps at this weight I will increase the weight. Tate press went up, but last week was the first time ever doing them, so I expected as much. Rows were bitchin'. I'm increasing the weight again next time I do Yates rows. I finished my workout really fast, so I threw in some captain's chairs for the Hell of it.

Well, I didn't reach a new bench press weight, so now I have to do something to my training. I'm going to try something different with my speed training. I'm going to do 8 sets progressively working from 40-70% of my 1RM for 2-3 repetitions. I will add ~5% on each subsequent set, except I will do 55% twice. I figure this will benefit my force-velocity curve more throughout.

As well, I'm going to do some lockouts next session. I was going to do them today, but I felt like I wanted to be closer to 100% when doing them. I'll try 245 for 3x3 or something like that. I figure lockouts would be perfect, because the bar stopped almost exactly from lockout level.

 

[bracewater]

Actually, I consider deadlifts more of a back exercise. Once you get the bar off the floor a few inches, it is really your erector spinae doing the most work.

I consider deads a back exersize as well, but in answering BulkMeUp (his statement was that he uses deads as a leg excersize) so in keeping with that I explained that conventional deads use more legs than SLDL


don't worry about not getting the 255lbs. It'll come

 

[CowPimp]

I consider deads a back exersize as well, but in answering BulkMeUp (his statement was that he uses deads as a leg excersize) so in keeping with that I explained that conventional deads use more legs than SLDL

I'm not so sure about that. I think that is up to debate.

don't worry about not getting the 255lbs. It'll come

Thanks. I know it will, but I hate missing lifts. Oh well, maybe I'll hit it after I get my triceps up to speed.

 

[bracewater]

I'm not so sure about that. I think that is up to debate.

everything is debatable

, but if you keep your legs straight it incorporates mostly the hamstrings, and if you are doing conventional deads you are also using the quads when you stand up to lock out the shoulders

the overall excersize in itself is a back movement in my book, I'm just saying you need quad movement when standing up

 

[CowPimp]

everything is debatable

, but if you keep your legs straight it incorporates mostly the hamstrings, and if you are doing conventional deads you are also using the quads when you stand up to lock out the shoulders

the overall excersize in itself is a back movement in my book, I'm just saying you need quad movement when standing up

If you do a significant amount of quad movement, then you are deadlifting wrong. It should be your posterior chain doing the work, not your quads. It's hip extension you're shooting for in the deadlift, not knee extension. If you want knee extension, then olympic squats are better.

 

[CowPimp]

Wednesday, December 8th

Meal1
4 egg whites, 1 egg, 1 cup flax cereal, 1 cup 2% milk, 1 cup apple juice, multivitamin/mineral, vitamin C

Meal2 - PWO
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey

Meal3
trioplex bar

Meal4
glass 2% milk, scoop whey, big-ass salmon cake

Meal5
salmon sub (salmon, asparagus, cibata bread, sauce), 2 samoas

Meal6
2 TBS PB, 1 cup 2% cottage cheese

Mmm, salmon...

 

[bracewater]

the overall excersize in itself is a back movement in my book, I'm just saying you need quad movement when standing up

read this part.

Yep. I am doing SLDL's on leg day more for a leg exercise.

this is where the whole statement started from, I just think you are misunderstanding my posts. I agree with you that deadlifts are a back exersize. What I am saying is that you use more legs in a conventional deadlift rather than a SLDL


and Salmon done right is the best meal I could ask for

 

[DeadBolt]

read this part.

this is where the whole statement started from, I just think you are misunderstanding my posts. I agree with you that deadlifts are a back exersize. What I am saying is that you use more legs in a conventional deadlift rather than a SLDL


and Salmon done right is the best meal I could ask for

I have to disagree though...conv deads hit the back more then the legs and sldl's hit the hammies more then anything. If you are stating conv deads hit the quads harder yes but there are two portions to the leg heh. Each exercise does their own thing and I wouldn't recomend you doing conv deads for quads...thats just another form of a squat with form like that.

Cow I actually checked out all the local gyms around my that you need cert to be a trainer and wen't online to look up the requirments. They pretty much all accept ISSA and ACE but ISSA just sounds more suited towards me and much richer in the information content.

 

[bracewater]

If you are stating conv deads hit the quads harder yes but there are two portions to the leg heh.

yes this is what I am saying, when I used the phrase "uses more legs" I meant you use both hams and quads, rather than mostly hams. It comes out in my mind easier than in typing.


ya see some time I studda, and peeps can't undastan me

 

[DeadBolt]

yes this is what I am saying, when I used the phrase "uses more legs" I meant you use both hams and quads, rather than mostly hams. It comes out in my mind easier than in typing.


ya see some time I studda, and peeps can't undastan me

I figured thats what ya ment...don't worry thats why we are here to give ya a slap behind the head....s-s-s-s-SPIT IT OUT!

 

[CowPimp]

bracewater
Thanks for clarifying that. Oh, and yes, salmon owns.

DeadBolt
I'm definitely leaning towards the ISSA due to it's broader range of content as well.

 

[BulkMeUp]

everything is debatable

, but if you keep your legs straight it incorporates mostly the hamstrings, and if you are doing conventional deads you are also using the quads when you stand up to lock out the shoulders

the overall excersize in itself is a back movement in my book, I'm just saying you need quad movement when standing up

If you do a significant amount of quad movement, then you are deadlifting wrong. It should be your posterior chain doing the work, not your quads. It's hip extension you're shooting for in the deadlift, not knee extension. If you want knee extension, then olympic squats are better.

So from what i understand, i should primarly feel SLDL's in my hams and hips rather than quads. In addition i should feel it in my lower back as well. right?

Sorry for causing a cuffufle, but DL's are new to me.

 

[CowPimp]

So from what i understand, i should primarly feel SLDL's in my hams and hips rather than quads. In addition i should feel it in my lower back as well. right?

Sorry for causing a cuffufle, but DL's are new to me.

Correct. Quads don't do much more than act as a stabilizer during any form of the deadlift, if done properly.

 

[CowPimp]

Squat/Deadlift DE:

Warm-up
5 minutes stationary bike

Box Squats
150 x 2
160 x 2
175 x 2
190 x 2
190 x 2
205 x 2
220 x 2
235 x 2

Sumo Deadlifts
325 x 4
325 x 4
325 x 4

Hyperextensions
90 x 10
90 x 10
90 x 10

Captain's Chair - Straight Legs
10 x 12
10 x 12
10 x 12

Cool-down
Lower body & core stretching

Bizzare workout today. I felt pretty good, but my attempt at doing something different with DE day was a failure. Basically, I started at 50% of my 1RM, and I worked my way up to 80%. That was stupid. By the last two sets, some fatigue started to set in. I wasn't moving the bar very fast. In fact, the last set was fairly taxing. I also reduced my rest. The only rest was changing the weights. I'm going to give it one more chance on bench press day, and maybe we'll see how it goes. Most likely I'm going to nix it.

My workout took went a little slow today, although I'm not entirely sure why. I had to stop short of the hack squats I was planning on doing, but no biggie there. Weights looked good all around. Hyperextensions were sloppy the last two reps because I started slipping back in the machine. I think I'm going to simply match the weight and reps next time, but hopefully maintain a cleaner form until the very end. As well, I think I'm going to start taking hyper extensions to higher repetitions. 90 pounds is sort of hard to hold to my chest while doing that. I'm going to take the captain's chair to higher repetitions too; the lever arm distance is so great that another 5 pounds would make a huge difference.

I'm leaning toward getting back to the complete basics of Westside. I sort of started winging it with the routine, but I don't think that's necessary yet. I'm far from an advanced power lifter. I will probably see the greatest gains sticking to the basics. That is, DE day will wave over 4 weeks from 50-60% of my 1RM on bench pess, and 60-70% over 4 weeks with the squat/deadlift. As well, I'm going to start incorporating good mornings more frequently as my ME lift (70% of ME lifts are supposed to be good mornings) and lockout type exercises as my ME lift for the bench press. Also, hyperextensions will be used every squat/DL workout (They suggest reverse hypers, but these will do in their place with the equipment I have access to).

 

[DeadBolt]

Awsome w/o cow...your lookin good.

Yea sometimes the basics are where the gains are at...keep truckin my man!

 

[PreMier]

Agreed awesome workout.

Looking over earlier entries, you have improved greatly.

 

[Randy]

Mooooo

 

[CowPimp]

Thursday, December 9th

Meal1
4 egg whites, 1 egg, 1/2 cup flax cereal, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 cup apple juice, 20G brewer's yeast, multivitamin/mineral, vitamin C, vitamin E

Meal2
trioplex bar

Meal3
2 slices WW bread, 2 TBS PB, 2 scoops egg protein, cucumber

Meal4 - PWO
1 cup oats, 2 scoops whey

Meal5
can tuna, 2oz chicken breast, 2 TBS safflower mayo, 1 1/2 WW pita, celery

Meal6
quizno's chicken sub (chicken, honey musted sauce, veggies, bacon, cibata)

Meal7
1 turkey sausage, tomato sauce, tin sardines, 6oz brown rice, cucumber

Snack
1 scoop whey, glass 2% milk

Meal8
1 cup 2% cottage cheese, 2 TBS PB

Some good fun cheating today. I bet I got in a good 5K calories. That chicken sub was huge, and I devoured it all. My dad made some turkey sausage in some bitchin' tomato sauce that was all kinds of spiced up. I guess that meal wasn't too terrible, but I don't really care either way. When I cheat, I cheat. Tomorrow I return to normal eaiting behaviors.

 

[CowPimp]

DeadBolt
Thanks. Truckin' is what I do best.

PreMier
I'm very pleased with my progress on this routine, especially considering my near-constant bodyweight. Thanks.

Randy
M00T!