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5/3/1 - Back from the Dead(lift)

Tuesday Strength

A1) High Bar Squats - 130 kgs x? Sets x 3 reps
B1) Press - 53 kgs x 5,5, 10
B2) Chins - 26 kgs x 3,3, 6
C) HKR - 5 x 3 se

My squats are lagging. Too much hard leg work. This is okay, I need to make adjustments. My upper body strength is really strong right now so I don’t need to you with that. My sessions near 6 weekly and my legs just can’t ....hack it?

Right now my format has been,

Day 1 Heavy
Horizontal Press
Horizontal Pull
Hip Dom squat
Abs

Day 2 Rep
Vertical Pull
Very Press
Knee dominant legs
Abs

Day 3 DE
Horizontal (Sprint)
Horizontal press (Plyo pushup)
Horizontal lower (broad jump)(oly lift)
HorizontalRow (power row)
Abs

Theb movement patterns rotate. So my legs are just doing too much hard work. For now, I’ll continue the full body format but I think every other day for legs will be more intense with a recovery/prehab/mobility drill inserted for legs. Also, the second squat session will be a lighter, no barbell drill this may be single leg DL for hip, or hack/pistol squat for knees. We’ll see how this adjusts.
 
Hello @Philippe Geoffrion

Philippe Geoffrion said:
These are good points. I’m thinking of backing down leg training since I’m hitting them hard too often. I’m noticing my squat suffer and my legs are constantly sore in the hip flexors adductors region, most likely from sprinting and DE Day. I might look for some prehab moves to tag on, after subtracting three days of more intense leg work, to perform in their place. Maybe hacks
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I rarely get sore. Beyond the training per se, I think this is also due to a daily stretching routine.

The one I do contains:
- head nods
- "butterfly" with the arms (from front to back and from back to front)
- grabbing hands in the back (one arm over a shoulder, the other one from the bottom of the back)
- toe touch (with straight legs) from both standing and lying position
- squat (full ROM, butt almost on the ground, straight back)
- splits (front and looking for the 'pancake' and side)
--> here it is interesting to do a front split, then transitioning directly to a side split. This is good for hip mobility
- duck walk and lizzard crawl
- full back bridge
- twist hold (or 'bretzel' stretch) and wiper (with both shoulders on the ground)

I do it daily, after the training. It lasts only a few minutes. I have been doing it for years now. As "results":
- I can do head kicks without warming up (same with touching my toes)
- I am never sore or stiff
- It helps with posture and "movement flow".

I hope it can help a little,

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Wednesday OFF

Thursday Reps

A1) Pushups - 26 kgs x 12 x 4 sets
A2) One Arm Row - 26 kgs x 12R/12L x 4 sets
B) Walking Lunge- 2 x 25 R/25L
C) OH Carry - 26 kgs x 20m/R 20m/L x 2 sets

Hindu squats, Hindu pushups

No load for legs today. Just easy steps for blood flow and range of motion. Did Great Gama work following the reps. Felt great afterwards. I feel when these two moves are done correctly, they should be an effortless flow. Like Bruce said, “Be like water, my friend.”
 
Hello @Philippe Geoffrion

I even remember a Facebook post from Aleks Salkins in which he said that a set of high rep push ups (or squats, depending on what we want) is an excellent way to build endurance and muscle, at the end of a low rep session. He stated it is a good plateau buster as well

Strong work !

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
pet' said:
Hello @Philippe Geoffrion

I even remember a Facebook post from Aleks Salkins in which he said that a set of high rep push ups (or squats, depending on what we want) is an excellent way to build endurance and muscle, at the end of a low rep session. He stated it is a good plateau buster as well

Strong work !

Kind regards,

Pet'
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Hello @pet'

Yes I agree however I tend to separate the high rep work from the low rep, doing it but on a separate day. This way, I can focus on one quality per workout. But yes, the RE method is certainly important to my training.
 
Friday - Rest
Saturday- Power

3 Rounds of each
A1) Uphill sprint - 30 meters
A2) Power Snatch - 52 kgs x 3
B1) Vertical jump x 3
B2) Push Press - 78 kgs x 3
C1) Swing - 52 kgs x 5
C2) Sit-up - 26 kgs x 5

Trimming down the series to only 3 sets. I’ve taken more days off then usual and I’m feelin and looking a bit better. I’ll probably take two days off before a strength session, depending on how I feel.
 
Sunday/Monday OFF

Tuesday - Deload

Mobility warmup

3 Rounds
A1) BW Rows - 20,15,15
A2) Pushups (Diamond, feet up)15, 15,15
A3) RDL - 26 kgs x 20,15,15
A4) Side Lunge - 10 kgs x 12,12,12

Ive decided for this week to take a deload. I have not done this in months but it seems like a good time. It’s finals week in school and I feel a little banged up. My right knee and glute have nigglings that are hard to pinpoint. I hit knee dominant movements too hard in the past month while de-emphasizing PC work, because it’s always been stronger. But seeing my squat strength diminish has led me to conclude that backing off would be wise at this time.

The goal of the week will be to unload my spine a bit, focus on healing and recovery through mobility and low load exercises. These will be mostly pushups and variations, rows with bands, and bodyweight exercises for the legs. Even though this is easier work, the conditioning aspect is still challenging, especially since I’m not as fires up with possible or excitement during these workouts. I’ll hit neglected movement patterns mostly, and do a bunch of things I don’t normally enjoy doing. Should complement my finals week suitably. Alas, I hope it will rekindle my passion to hit the weights hard again, fresh and healed up by next week.
 
Wednesday

Warmup/mobility.

A1) BW Row (OH) - 20 x 4 sets
A2) Single Arm supine press - 26 kgs x 10 x 4
B) Single Leg RDL (elevated) - 52 kgs x 8 x 4 sets perleg
C) Single leg glute bridges - 10 x 3 sets per leg

Hindu Squats Hindu Pushups, Back Bridge

Stretching

I feel it’s best to avoid any direct knee work as it hurts to deep knee bend. I feel hammering my posterior chain for a week is quite nice. I’ll do squats, but box squats with a plate, light and very hip dominant. Any lunges will be reverse. My upper body feels great though and overall everything else is fine. But it’s be a good time for some lighter “bodybuilding” type work. Anything painful, will be avoided.
 
Thursday
Warmup, mobility, flow

A1) Leg Supported Chin-up - 20,15,15
A2) Feet elevated Pushup - 20,15,1
B) Box Squats - 26 kgs x 20,15,15

A nice little session. The chin-ups are done with the legs resting on opposing bars, which allows one to modify torso position a bit. You get a row/chin-up hybrid, which is nice since I want to get vertical pulls while relieving my shoulders a bit.

The feet elevated pushups have the feet raised very high today, about belly button height when standing at the bar I anchor my feet to.

Ny glutes and hamstrings have been roaring lately. The box squat gets me squatting again. The quads got a nice pump without my knee bagging me. Biceps were getting quite a workout after the chin-ups while holding plate in front during box squats.
 
Friday

Warmup/Mobility

3 sets apiece
A1) Single Arm Row - 26 kgs x 15
A2) Two arm press - 26 kgs vs band x 15
B1) OAS - 26 kg 10L/10R
B2) Airborne Lunge 10L/10R

Last day of pump week then three days off. Am pleased the airborn lunges caused no trouble and my left seems to match my right in control. Looking forward to getting back into the heavy weights...must ace a calculus exam first though!
 
Day 1

A1) Pullups - 26 kgs x 3 x 3
A2) OAP (band assist) 3 x 3
A3) Pistol Squat - 26 kgs x 3 x 3

First day back in a spell. Fell a bit unmotivated after finals week and the will to go train had diminished but today was the day. Assessed myself a little bit by doing various AOP on objects, weighted chins up to a heavy single and bw pistols to assess my level. Everything tested rather good and I felt motivated to do my session. May just do bodyweight for a while. It always provides a good transition back to the bar so I’ll reach a certain standard of strength again.

First chin up test to see where to start. Underhand grip with with 26 kgs x 3, then roughly 40 kgs shown below. 26 kgs underhand with 26 was too easy and with 40 too hard. I wanted to stick to a 3 x 3 scheme for day 1 (strength/tension day) so 26 kgs with overhand was my choice.
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May 14, 2021

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OAP seem to feel about where I left them which was nice. Opted for band assisted first though. I feel it much easier in my shoulder and I can manipulate the reps more ie slower negatives, constant tension and pauses to make them harder. They allow me to really be strict with form while allowing pressing strength to be trained. I’m more concerned with developing strength than making the reps easier.
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May 14, 2021

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Pistols are the obvious choice for developing leg strength with no barbell. My squat always suffers the most in barbell absence but my other lifts seem to welcome the break. I feel this is more neurological as the squat, to me, is the most complex of the barbell lifts. I feel the technique of barbell squats will need a receiving more so than my other lifts before transfer is realized, which is fine. Pistols felt fine though, surprising not bothersome to my prior knee woes. I actually am not sure if I’ve ever done so much volume with the 26 kgs. Alternating legs between reps allows a little rest for the working leg. Maybe my progression will be to complete all three reps in a row. I like how I feel every leg muscle contribute, the thighs, the glutes and the hamstring. Very bang for your buck.
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May 14, 2021

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Philippe Geoffrion said:
Pistols are the obvious choice for developing leg strength with no barbell. My squat always suffers the most in barbell absence but my other lifts seem to welcome the break. I feel this is more neurological as the squat, to me, is the most complex of the barbell lifts.
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I also think the loaded squat is much more of full-body movement than people give it credit for. No doubt pistols will give you strong legs, but putting your bodyweight (or more) on top of your spine and working to prevent it from crushing you is definitely another level.
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
I also think the loaded squat is much more of full-body movement than people give it credit for. No doubt pistols will give you strong legs, but putting your bodyweight (or more) on top of your spine and working to prevent it from crushing you is definitely another level.
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Most definitely Hulk. The spinal loading is nearly if not completely impossible to emulate sans weights...
 
Hello @WhatWouldHulkDo & @Philippe Geoffrion

I completely agree with both of you guys. But I think we still can find some comfort in "reverse engineering" the squat: leg strength + core strength + hip mobility. In a FB post, A. Salkins stated that most of the time, what prevent folks doing heavy squats is not leg strength, it's core strength.

Eventually, it all comes down to personal goals, but I guess that once one is able to do 6-8 pistols in a row, day in day out, one gets "acceptable" level of leg strength. On the top of it, a well rounded core routine (which can also be done with bodyweight) can secure the raw strength for a good back squat (assuming we previously drill the technique).

I am far from an experienced lifter and I do not have 'fitness guru', but in this case, I think Salkins is right. I do not have barbells but as far as calisthenics are concerned, do both leg and core strength training. It gives me enough strength to at least carry someone on my back and then squat).

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
pet' said:
Hello @WhatWouldHulkDo & @Philippe Geoffrion

I completely agree with both of you guys. But I think we still can find some comfort in "reverse engineering" the squat: leg strength + core strength + hip mobility. In a FB post, A. Salkins stated that most of the time, what prevent folks doing heavy squats is not leg strength, it's core strength.

Eventually, it all comes down to personal goals, but I guess that once one is able to do 6-8 pistols in a row, day in day out, one gets "acceptable" level of leg strength. On the top of it, a well rounded core routine (which can also be done with bodyweight) can secure the raw strength for a good back squat (assuming we previously drill the technique).

I am far from an experienced lifter and I do not have 'fitness guru', but in this case, I think Salkins is right. I do not have barbells but as far as calisthenics are concerned, do both leg and core strength training. It gives me enough strength to at least carry someone on my back and then squat).

Kind regards,

Pet'
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Very true @pet'. I do try to do everything possible to maintain the barbell strength but a lot of the strength that is “lost” is neural or technique based. The squat is just a technically demanding lifting with a weight on ones back especially with more deadlift favorable leverages.
 
Day 2 Repetition

50 reps total
A1) Bodyweight rows - 20,15,15
A2) Feet Elevated Pushups - 25,25
A33) BSS on plate - 20,15,15

Light high rep day. Took about ten minutes at Bercy Park before taking a bus to Lille for the weekend. Bodyweight rows are done on monkey bars, feet and hands same height. BSS stepping on plate for a little extra ROM and feet elevated to waist height for PU.

Day 3 OFF
Day 4- Heavy-ish
A1) FL tuck rows - 6,6,5,5
A2) Dips - 40 kgs x 6,5,4,4
B) Airborne Lunge - 30 kgs x 6,6,5,5

Goal is to get 4 sets of 6 with same weights over next few weeks. These were all pretty heavy feeling which is what I aim for.
 
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