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Training Log (Public) Surovetsky (Push/Pull)

04/16/24

Warmup

Power - Jump onto 42 in’ box x 3 x 3 sets

Snatch Grip DL - work up to 315 lbs x 5

Ab wheel x 5 x 3 sets

Single Arm KB Press - 53 lbs x 5,5,15 R/L

Wasn’t sure if I’d deadlift today. Originally, today’s Pull workout was going to be weighted chins but smth whispered deadlift. The weights were flying so I decided to set a lifetime PR on the snatch grip: no straps/no belt. Felt awesome.

I realized earlier last week a revelation that I always seem to forget…I HATE BEING BIG!!!

I had gained substantial weight in the past months, a lot of which, was muscle. This no doubt helped my pressing strength more than anything. However, I felt heavy meaning slow, sluggish, immobile, constantly tired and bloated. My belly was popping a little…

The weight gain made me feel a little aged and I was constantly “eating my way through my sticking point.” To be honest, I felt crappy at the end, despite the pressing progress. This may have also been from overdoing it.

With summer approaching, however. This desire to be lean resurfaces like the thoughts of a great white shark ruining my beach getaway. I miss being shredded so I’m moderating my diet, allowing myself to accept mediocre bench press strength in exchange, though I have a suspicion…that desire will in due time resurface again ROFL
 
Philippe Geoffrion said:
With summer approaching, however. This desire to be lean resurfaces like the thoughts of a great white shark ruining my beach getaway. I miss being shredded so I’m moderating my diet, allowing myself to accept mediocre bench press strength in exchange, though I have a suspicion…that desire will in due time resurface again ROFL
Click to expand...
Even at my advanced age, this desire haunts me every year...and every year I sabotage it because, psychologically, I'm compelled to maintain my strength. So I'm trying to embrace my muscular "dad bod". But I support you @Philippe Geoffrion! Good luck!
 
T_M said:
Even at my advanced age, this desire haunts me every year...and every year I sabotage it because, psychologically, I'm compelled to maintain my strength. So I'm trying to embrace my muscular "dad bod". But I support you @Philippe Geoffrion! Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thank you sir. I may accept the dad bod…when I’m actually a dad! ROFL

The extra mass helps…but for me, it’s mostly with pressing. However, Everything else seems to improve when I lose extra fluff
 
04/17/24

Warmup

Upper back work/shrugs

A1) Bench Press w/ pause
Work up to 205 lbs x 5

B1) KBell High pull
2 x 24 kgs KB x 15 x 2 sets

C1) BW Squats
1 set of 50

Well, to my satisfaction, my bench strength has remained despite eating much less the past week, soreness in my pecs and a truly crummy night of sleep.

I opted for a technique change. A few to be precise. I’ve always unracked the bar with my hips down, basically in pressing position. After observing many powerlifter using the methods of dropping their hips after unracking the bar, I gave it a shot. Oddly, my flutes barely moved…watching the video, it was almost as if I could’ve pressed with a slight decline/bridge. This may be because of the fat pad being thicker and thus higher than a standard bench.

I also decided I’d give the “soft pause” technique a try. And it didn’t disappoint. I felt very solid and my last best bench set was 205 for 8 in the touch and go style but today I paused. The reps felt smoother with the pausing and it felt like I had another in the tank.

So happy, happy, happy with that. I’ve changed my diet a lot, eating lite during the day and following my workout, eating a large meal. Before bed, it’s oatmeal and a banana with chamomile tea. Breakfast and lunch are oats with yogurt, berries and black coffee. Lunch is sardines w/olive oil, toast and some pistachios to crunch on throughout work. For dinner, I’ll eat a mixture of salad with lots of veggies and a carb (rice,potatoes) and a protein. For the protein, I’m leaning more toward fish and poultry instead of pork or beef, though I’ll have the latter two once or twice a week.

Another small victory was after my workout when I was stretching, I hung in a tucked front lever position for maybe 30 seconds. Five months ago, I couldn’t do a pull-up, or even pull myself into a tuck lever because of some funky shoulder issue that plagued me. No problems today! Feelin good…knock on wood.

Longest deadlift set ever (felt unbalanced from left to right and realized I wasn’t even gripping the bar symmetrically. The reason I don’t lock out is because I feel my grip is going to slip out at the top.)


Bench Press pauses from today
 
04/22/24

Warmup

Squat - Bar x 3, 135 x 2, 225 x 2, 275 lbs x 1
315 lbs x 3

Standing Cable Rows - 20,15,15

Push-ups (Diamond, feet elevated) - 20, 15,15

Tied my best ever set w/ 315 for a triple on low bar squats. Wasn’t half bad. Took it easy on everything else.

Did a couple workouts over the weekend I didn’t log, most notably a dip set of five w/ 90 lbs.

Squat maybe a wink high. I blame the camera angle and my enormous Vastus lateralis. For what it’s worth, I’ve never been reslighted for depth. I’m counting it IDC!!!

 
04/24/24

Warmup, KB Snatches

A1) Bench Press (Cambered , Feet up, Paused)

Bar x 5, 105 lbs x 5, 145 x 5, 165 x 5, 185 x 5
195 x 3 x 2 sets

B1) Seal Rows - 95 lbs x 10 x 3 sets

C1) BSS - 20 lbs per hand x 10 x 3 sets per leg

D1) One Arm Farmer Walk - 100 lbs x 3 per arm

Felt like doing a bench variation where the weight had to be lighter soooo: extend the ROM, take away leg drive, move the grip in and pause.

Took it easy on assistance and performed the exercises more like practice than rep marathons.

Farmer’s walks felt good today. Therapeutic even.

 
Manual Labor

5 rounds

A1) Chins -
BW x 8, 25 lbs. x 5,5,5,5

A2) Duffalo Bar Bench (Feet up, paused)
105 lbs x 5, 145 x 5, 165 x 5,5,5

A3)Double KB Clean + DBL KB FS
2 x 20 kgs x (1+1) x 3 (3 rounds)
(1 + 2) x 2, (1 + 5) x 1

Walking for 30 minutes.

Did a workman’s style session today. One circuit, 3 strength exercises, performed 5 times (including warmup). Took about a minute between workouts.

A blend of strength/conditioning. Loads about 70-80 %. The KB SETS are formatted as

(KB Cleans + FS) x total micro sets.

I like the Duffalo Bar presses for volume…maybe more than for heavy work.
 
Did a few “off the books” sessions, namely paused squats for 2 sets of five w/ 225 lbs and paused Larsen presses with 185 lbs for 2 by five. Monday made the ill-suited decision to deadlift and worked up to 150 kgs for a triple before deciding I shan’t go higher. Deads felt less than stellar. Not bad, just….off. It’s been the same old song and dance there.

I’ve been leaning toward simplifying programming a bit for a while (I.e. my attention spans length). I want to include more speed work, give the spine some space and consolidate my heavy lower work into one exercise- the Zercher squat.

The chop wood, carry water program looks good to me for a time.

Q + D

Bench
Zercher (From floor)
Pull-up (tactical)

Carries/Abs

I’ll keep doing the bench variation without legs and arch w/pauses. Zercher’s, I’ve found, are the most transferable to the widest variety of things, lifting and non lifting related. Instead of the rack, I’ll do it from the floor to cover more bases. Pullups to keep my relative strength high.
 
05/01/24

Warmup

Q + D
{OAS 20 kg x 5,5 L/5,5, R, P.U x 10} x 2

Larsen Press (Paused/Comp grip)
205 lbs x 3 x 3 sets

Zercher Cycle
185 lbs x 3 x 2 sets

Pullups
25 lbs x 3 x 2 sets

{Waiter Walk (20 kgs) 1R/1L, Ab wheel} x 2

First day with Q + D warmup. 20 kgs May have been heavier than I anticipated for one arm swings, especially started with a dead stop swing, which is a tad tricky. I think I got the rest periods right.

I’ll admit - was a tad winded before benching. I always put energy in power work and wonder if some is wasted. Push-ups felt fine, however. Gotta remember to fully lock out instead of just ‘bouncing’ off the bottom.

Pressing strength is trending in the right direction and I have no complaints there. I’d say the sets were around RPE 8 ish.

Zerchers, on lighter days, are done with hands apart as it emphasizes the upper back and abs more and allows me to squat deeper. Heavier days, I’ll used the connected hands. Even so 185 feels like a lot when you’re focusing on creating mass contraction, which was also the sim with pull-ups.

Larsen Press


Zercher Cycle
 
Moving On..

I took a minor hiatus from the barbell for a few days (2) to reset my body, mind, spirit. I’ve been busy. Just not with keeping up with my log and my recent discoveries.

It’s been a transitional period of sorts; I’m acclimating to life’s curveballs and the sordid realization of what aging brings along with it. However, the slow process of shedding the cocoon of youth and valuable realizations has alleviated some of the uneasiness that approaching forty has stirred inside me.

One of the painful truths that struck me recently as that the vigor I once possessed of waiting all day to lift and kicking in the gym door like a rodeo bull released from the gate is gone. Prolonged squat sets of 20 + reps and Deadlift AMRAPs until I bleed from the eyes followed by hours of accessories are just no longer in the cards. And the thought of that hurt. My joints have been barking for a long time. Reluctantly, I’ve slowly begun yielding to their demands. However, with old doors closing, new ones emerge. And maybe after the period of decay where yesterdays glory years evaporate, something better awaits.

The new door
The last weekend, I spent at the gym, along with the subsequent week, trying to solve my dilemma. I played around with kettlebells and bodyweight for a few days along with a host of “strength stretching” exercises. I was pleased to find my front lever, planche positions were relatively close to where they were at my peak.

I did a litany of random exercises but in a very yin modality. I’d realized that for a long time, I felt that if I wasn’t driving myself into the ground while training, I wasn’t accomplishing anything. But then after those two light days I realized…training can actually give you energy and make your feel better physically while for the past several months, I’ve achieved the opposite effect. So I needed a reset. I needed a new goal.

I’d realized I blamed certain exercises for certain injuries that I’d recently accrued. In reality, I should’ve blamed myself for not listening to my body, making necessary adjustments, or preparing my joints properly. After a few days of “strength stretching”, I’d considered doing a stretch of time sans barbell. This would’ve been with the intention of returning back to it stronger. However, I’d hadn’t achieved anything yet! Luckily, an impromptu bench session reminded me that this lift was moving along nicely. Why interrupt it for some minor hip and knee issues?

I’ve had major beef with deadlifts the past few months. Namely because they

a) haven’t budged
b) seemed to take more than they gave

I did a sumo session on Thursday and to my dismay, they felt completely foreign. While I didn’t get hurt and the weight moved fine, I knew they felt like a bad first date with a Tinder match - things just weren’t clicking. Frustrated, a returned home wondering if I’d let the day slip away with another crappy deadlift day, which I’d grown wary of long ago. I realized, all these days started the same way - I’d go in, do very little warmup and jump to three plates, despite two and a quarter feeling like crap, then at three plates, do a few singles getting tired, annoyed that they don’t feel right until canning the session and sitting around the gym confounded for twenty minutes before deciding there was nothing else worth doing.

It disgusted me.

However, at home, something clicked and I had a practice barbell with 190 lbs. I decided to practice. And went back to the gym…


Minimalist training, maximal focus.

That night I pulled 120 kgs in the conventional deadlift for 5 x 5 in what finally felt like “the groove.” I was treating the deadlift like practice instead of a mental warfare game with myself. I’ve been pussyfooting around deadlifts for a long time. If it wasn’t a PR, or heavy, it was a waste of time. I’d ignored accumulating a solid amount of reps at submaximal weights and everytime id approach the deadlift with a heavy weight, my mind would be chanting “you’re gonna regret this….” Often, it was right.

I decided then that I was going to “practice” the deadlift proper. I’d had times where I didn’t deadlift for weeks or months and come back and hit a pr from doing other training. That wasn’t gonna happen this time. I needed to reset and engrain a solid technique and approach to deadlift. So I’ve decided to narrow my focus to bench pressing and deadlifting.

The Cycle I avoided
It’s always been hard for me to follow powerlifting cycle. It’s like, if I’m not PRing regularly, I have no confidence, no gauge for progress. This isn’t how it has to be. Only now am I accepting that sun maximal volume may be just what I need: a good amount of practice, some hypertrophy, and a lighter load. Then I recalled the Surovetsky cycle.

F6BFD3E6-1758-4C0D-A8F6-39CE7D82456F.png

I’d realized I’d already performed a a couple bench press workouts with the exact beginning percentages and reps as the S cycle and one 5 x 5 of deadlifts with that percentage. I decided I’d run a concurrent cycle for both bench and deadlift. I performed a few sessions already.

For the bench press, I decided to stick to the main moves I’ve been using: the Larsen press (intensity day) and the feet up Duffalo bar press (volume days). I’d already done an intensity day last week, doing 4 paused sets of singles with 215 lbs (88.5 % estimated max) each set with a longer pause.

Here is one example


And the volume (5 x 5)



The volume day is set to end the cycle at 190 lbs x 2 x 2 before maxing out on the final workout. I’ve already performed 195 x 3 x 2 sets so this is perhaps too easy. However, the point is to do a large volume of medium intensity anyways. The plan is to screw a lot of volume, perfect the pause, and become stronger in the bottom position. As Louie says “it’s more important that it raises your classic lift.”

For the deadlift, here was one



Surovetsky calls for touch and go on the volume days however, Pavel admonishes that this is preferable for sumo pullers as conventional lifters have a harder time reaching proper start position on descent. I found this to be true and puzzled this conundrum during warmup sets until I found my rep performance method.

As seen in the video, instead of touch and go, I did controlled negatives and without disconnect my upper body from the bar, reset my hips and went for the next rep. I think this’ll work just fine.

Also, I took a very thorough approach to setting up, not rushing in, making sure everything was aligned. I tried various grips, various foot positions but this one along with the over/under grip felt the most natural. I will stick with it through the cycle.

Accesory/ Extra work

I’ve decided for most of the cycle, to do namely only kettlebell work as opposed to traditional powerlifting/bodybuilding work, relying mostly on my two barbell lifts to achieve most of the strength results. However, my stretching and bw days earlier in the week, made me recall their value in a program and how I’d always wished to integrate them into barbell training. In the past week, after Miam work I’d done very easy cooldown work and kettlebell and mobility work on off days. A list of approved exercises are

Swings (all types)
Goblet Squats
DB KB FS
Single Leg RdL
Renegade Lunges
Kb snatches

Halos
TGU
Arm Bar
Pullovers

All ab work/ single leg work

Hanging

Band work

A lot of these exercises have had what Dan John has called a “tonic” effect on my body. On my volume deadlift day, all I did was a few easy walking lunges, light single leg deadlifts and side bends. On bench volume day, did pullovers and front lever tucks. The latter helps decompress the back and connect the abs to arms.

Of course, I might throw some other things in there, more so on the intensity days after the main lifts. Since I won’t be barbell squatting, I’ll do more light squats such as KB FS, or in the water well squats.

Thus far I’ve done 2 bench workouts and one deadlift volume day. Thus, my planned cycle will be as follows

Day 1 Deadlift (intensity)
Day 2 Bench (intensity)
Day 3 (light work)
Day 4 Deadlift (volume)
Day 5 Bench (volume)
Day 6 Light
Day 7 (Off)

Light days are optional but preferred and should never take away from the main lift days. This is my plan for the next eight weeks. I hope to pull 200 kgs by the end.
 
Last edited:
Philippe Geoffrion said:
I’d realized that for a long time, I felt that if I wasn’t driving myself into the ground while training, I wasn’t accomplishing anything. But then after those two light days I realized…training can actually give you energy and make your feel better physically while for the past several months, I’ve achieved the opposite effect. So I needed a reset. I needed a new goal.
Click to expand...
That was exactly my mindset in my 20s + 30s - go hard or go home. My body sort of forced me out of that mindset in my 40s... but I actually realized, just this weekend in fact, that I still have another mental issue to get around; I've been trying to force progress to happen at a predictable rate. Lift this much more on this this date, run this much faster on this date, and so on. And that's where I've gotten myself hurt. As I'm creeping up on 50, I'm thinking it's time to accept that progress will happen on it's own timeline.
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
That was exactly my mindset in my 20s + 30s - go hard or go home. My body sort of forced me out of that mindset in my 40s... but I actually realized, just this weekend in fact, that I still have another mental issue to get around; I've been trying to force progress to happen at a predictable rate. Lift this much more on this this date, run this much faster on this date, and so on. And that's where I've gotten myself hurt. As I'm creeping up on 50, I'm thinking it's time to accept that progress will happen on it's own timeline.
Click to expand...

I feel you, Hulkster. I think another mindset of youth is “get as quickly as possible”. Yet as I’m age I’m beginning to accept, and even enjoy, the mindset of “it’ll come in time”. In fact, enjoying the process is beginning to change from elusive axiom to habit.
 
05/13/24

Deadlift - 70 kgs x 3, 120 x 3, 135 x 3
150 x 1 x 3 sets

DB KB FS - 2 x 24 kgs x 5 x 3 sets
OAS - 20 kgs x 20R/L x 2 sets

Renegade Rows - 2 x 24 kgs x 3R/3L x 2 sets
L- sit leg raises, hanging

Did a few mobility/ stability movements in between deadlift warmup sets. Every session will open w/ 2 reds as
- serves as a “ testing” warmup
- claims a platform for me before the swarm of powerlifters arrive.

I’ll pull a triple or so then do some mobility/movement stuff for 5 ish movements before the next set. Stretched the recommended percentage for the heavy warmups, as 81 %, 85 and 88 would’ve made for odd poundage’s so 120 was my 81 even though it’s a few kilos off.

Heavy singles felt good. I’m getting my groove back. I wonder if my hips are too low or my knees too forward but the weight feels smooth. The first single was shocking because it felt lighter than I anticipated. This is bueno.

Light accessories followed, each done for its own reasons. Light squats are making my knees feel reinforced yet make a good core/upper back work, swings as well for the hips. Renegade rows are an oldie I dusted off but I like the ab/lat/oblique synergy of this movement. I think they’ll help with locking in my torso on the pull.

One thing from Pavel’s article “Break up with your strength tool of choice” was the effect of Kbell work on the upper back. I’m hoping this area will fill in without rows, although I’ll do some light band work. (Renegade rows are more hollow position/lats than scapular retraction, almost mimicking what a round back deadlift might do). It’s be nice for my mid/traps to fill out, for both bench and deadlifting. For what it’s worth, last week’s 5 x 5 was felt mostly in this region.

I’d like to include more single leg work, perhaps in the warmups or on off days.

Set 1
 
05/14/24

Bench (Feet up, cambered bar) - 95 lbs x 5
155 x 5 x 5 sets

Kettlebell walks et al.

Dips - 45 lbs x 6 x 2 sets
KB High Pulls - 20 kgs x 10R/L x 2 sets

Band work, lower body mobility.

Notes:
The temperature has really ratcheted up in Sacramento. By the time I reached the gym, I was pot roast.
Bench Groove was clunky today. I’ve narrowed it down to several factors:
1) Lack of extensive warmup
2) Recent weight reduction
3) Some lat/back fatigue.
4) accidental rack height error
I admittedly didn’t do much before my main bench sets aside from two warmup sets. The bar felt a little heavier than I anticipated. I wanted to retain my energy as I entered the smoldering, black rubber padded gym.
I’ve been on a minor cut. (I wanted to get lean). I was sitting at 175 lbs immediately prior to lifting. This is a 10 lbs reduction from about 4 weeks ago. Also, I’ve gotten lean. However, bench stability has suffered a tad.
I, the walking contradiction, clearly said in my blog a few weeks back, that I’d take being light and lean over benching heavy. Let’s re-edit that. I’d rather be LEAN and bench HEAVY ie…let’s gain some mass now. Cleanly, and mostly muscle is preferred.
Upping the calories a tad, namely with productive foods, should help me build muscle AND have higher energy/recovery. Being lean while building muscle is easier than trying to build muscle and get lean simultaneously. I’ve achieved the former and now I can add some clay to the statue.
While building some “general mass” is the goal, I’d still like to fill out my upper back. I included band work today and it’s honestly the best way for me to “feel” the exact muscles I’m targeting. While this works in junction with compound movements, it’ll also allow extra “harmless volume” and hopefully stimulate my upper back to be more active in all movements.
On my bench sets, I noticed a slight forward dip in my shoulders at the bottom which caused some premature flaring. Later sets I found a better groove. Both losing weight and lack of warmup are part of this. If my upper body shrunk a tad, my back arch is lower and I have a longer ROM to press through.
The sets look easier than they felt. The last set shows elbows staying under the bar better but the last reps go back to flaring. My lats were also tight, I found, could be from any of the exercises on DL day. Renegade rows are standing in the corner looking guilty.
Wanted to do some assistance after, concluding that I could, in fact, use some more upper body mass. Inc press with dumbbells felt awful. I canned them. I don’t want to fo more barbell work but namely, want to take the shoulders through a fuller ROM pressing in a non restrictive, and perhaps, balancing movement. Dips felt good, so I stick with them. They’ve served me well in adding muscle to my chest, shoulders and arms.

I decided on KB high pulls for the upper back. It falls in between a OAS and snatch.

Contemplating the training schedule. I made an error plotting my schedule by putting the intensity days back to back. Today was the volume day. I wonder if putting bench first in the week would be better as my bench will affect my deadlift less than vise versa. Either way, my upper back/lats are gonna really need to work hard to stick to the program. Something to consider.

Second Set (elbows a tad behind bar, touch point slightly off, lats/upper back not fully engaged)

Last Set
(A bit better. Elbows more tucked, under bar, forearms more vertical. A little elbow flare apparent in later reps)
 
05/16/24

Deadlift - 70 kgs x 3, 100 kgs x 3
122.5 kgs x 5 x 5

BSS x 8 x 3 sets

KB STLDL - x 5 x 3 sets
OA Farmers Carry - 100 lbs x 3L/3R

Russian hockey deadlift, prowler strides

NOTES:
The 5 x 5 is grueling again. Only nudging the weight on the volume day week to week as the % of Surovetsky make for inconvenient weight changes if adhered to strictly. When the reps start descending, I’ll make 5 kg jumps instead.
I had to switch grips because whatever side is underhand seems to be doing the brunt of the work. Did some single leg DLs with kettlebells between sets. My grip needs to go a little wider on my left side when I supinate there, as you see I need to adjust on 2nd video. But I feel it’ll be better to alternate more as I’ve had trouble with two much mixed grip pulling on one side ie my strong right supinated set up. I think I’ll do the first three sets with the left underhand to even out back loading.
A LOT of unilateral work. Noted I actually didn’t need any weight on BSS and just practiced getting a solid, stable and balanced accumulation of reps. May stick with no load. Okay ve pushed accessories to hard before and viewing them almost as a “cooldown” or meditation seems therapeutic. The Carries also help. I have to lean pretty far over to the opposite side when doing one arm Carries. The hips, obliques, lats and grip all get some work.
I’ve felt getting the lats more into my pull would be helpful.
1st Set

2nd set
 
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