*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Looking for some advice again guys. People who do speed weeks. What sort of rep and set ranges are you working with and roughly 1RM%?

I have been trying speed work this week. Doing two to three sets of 20 reps at around 50-60% 1RM. Does that sound right?

I was hoping to try a really heavy week next week, but I think I have a chest infection. Really struggling this week.
 
I thought it was you Pigeon Killer that had mentioned it before.

I have replaced deadlift's with powerclean's. Perhaps I should do deadlifts as well. I have been doing too many reps then!
 
I'm sure one of the more knowledgeable posters will be able to explain the science behind speed work better than I ever could but as far as I understand it you keep the weight lighter and the rep range smaller to maintain the same speed for each rep which helps to promote explosive power and help you lift quicker on heavy days.
 
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icecold said:
Snippity snip
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Remember to get your feet in the next squit video.

Keeping to my overly strict ways of doing things:
  • Remember to use your quads!
  • Be mindful of back bend on DL (mainly second to last rep)
  • As you mentioned legs start too early but, it almost look like you are beginning to do it on some of the other reps

I know it's from a deficit but you know how I do things :)
 
Gym tonight was great in that for the first quarter of an hour there was just me in the weights room and even when other people came in it topped out at five people including me. For some reason the cardio room was jam packed though - suits me fine if they don't come near the weights. :D

Aside from that the training is going ok, I'm still slowly building up to get back to where I was before using Stronglifts 5x5 as a base but each jump in weight I'm working at for at least a week. It's possibly not the most efficient way of doing things but I'd rather work up slowly than risk stuffing up my back again.
 
Glad you're getting back into it Dan :) Slowly but surely. :)

As for speed work, it's more about explosive power and getting form right during explosive movements. I usually go for about 65% myself.
 
semi-pro waster said:
Gym tonight was great in that for the first quarter of an hour there was just me in the weights room and even when other people came in it topped out at five people including me. For some reason the cardio room was jam packed though - suits me fine if they don't come near the weights. :D
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Thats why i'm now gyming at 2pm not 5, had the whole gym almost to myself 3 times in a row
 
ice - just out of interest, how come you still use a belt on light weights? Old injury prevention or weakness? Or just the way you train? Just curious :)
 
milgo said:
Looking for some advice again guys. People who do speed weeks. What sort of rep and set ranges are you working with and roughly 1RM%?

I have been trying speed work this week. Doing two to three sets of 20 reps at around 50-60% 1RM. Does that sound right?

I was hoping to try a really heavy week next week, but I think I have a chest infection. Really struggling this week.
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Pigeon_Killer said:
45-65%, 8x1 for deadlifts, 8x2 for squats and 8x3 for bench press. Minutes or two rest between sets.
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^This pretty much.

You don't want to go anywhere near failure, so reps stay low. Sets are more subjective, but as far as reps go I'd do exactly what PK said. 8x1 deads with the least rest, obviously.
Djdom56 said:
Remember to get your feet in the next squit video.

Keeping to my overly strict ways of doing things:
  • Remember to use your quads!
  • Be mindful of back bend on DL (mainly second to last rep)
  • As you mentioned legs start too early but, it almost look like you are beginning to do it on some of the other reps

I know it's from a deficit but you know how I do things :)
Click to expand...
Feet were behaving reasonably well, it's a product of sorting out my ankle in between sets. Even from that angle you can see there isn't any knee wobble.

Quadness is noted, but isn't that bad here, jerk :D The other faults are just a matter of fatigue, hip rise in particular is the first thing to go and stays gone if I'm rushing. Really hard to nail it with the slight deficit compared to our last session at Iffley, but I figure getting it perfect with bad equipment will pay off later.
Freefaller said:
ice - just out of interest, how come you still use a belt on light weights? Old injury prevention or weakness? Or just the way you train? Just curious :)
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Two reasons. Firstly, I normally belt up at 140kg, and secondly I've changed my form/setup dramatically so I want to re-learn with a belt as I'll be using it when maxing out and in competition anyway. I've gone beltless on squats up to 170kgx10, but it's better for my current goals to do it this way :)
 
It's something to do with lifting how you would lift in a comp? Becoming one with the belt :p
 
Coolio - I've never used one properly when training, so I didn't appreciate the fact that you had changed training styles/form. I also forgot you did proper PL comps where you use them! How much does it change form using one?
 
Not a huge amount, it's principally about the intra-abdominal pressure difference. It's enough to make a difference though. After this training cycle I plan on at least squatting beltless for a short while.

Actually, it's basically like LiE says, it's the Zen concept of Beltness.
 
icecold said:
^This pretty much.

You don't want to go anywhere near failure, so reps stay low. Sets are more subjective, but as far as reps go I'd do exactly what PK said. 8x1 deads with the least rest, obviously.

Feet were behaving reasonably well, it's a product of sorting out my ankle in between sets. Even from that angle you can see there isn't any knee wobble.

Quadness is noted, but isn't that bad here, jerk :D The other faults are just a matter of fatigue, hip rise in particular is the first thing to go and stays gone if I'm rushing. Really hard to nail it with the slight deficit compared to our last session at Iffley, but I figure getting it perfect with bad equipment will pay off later.

Two reasons. Firstly, I normally belt up at 140kg, and secondly I've changed my form/setup dramatically so I want to re-learn with a belt as I'll be using it when maxing out and in competition anyway. I've gone beltless on squats up to 170kgx10, but it's better for my current goals to do it this way :)
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Yeah I realise that most of the things I mentioned wouldn't be a problem fresh and with good equipment. I meant to add that your knees were a lot more stable and the movement looked a lot more fluid and powerful :).

RE belts I find that they don't so much change my form but it is just something that you have to become accustomed to using. I remember the last time I used mine it was after a long while of not and it was on 10 rep deficit deadlift, being out of breath with a belt on isn't fun :).
 
Today I had a cardio and "odd lifts" day. Also known as, skipping (manly), zercher squats, and turkish get ups with kettlebells and then a barbell.

Turns out I can't skip, something to work at. My ankle fatigued quickly, but I think it will help in the long run.
 
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