The Syla5 Files

Steedie said:
You chop and change more than Delvis :p

I thought you were doing HST?
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But i plan my routines and focus them towards my goals, and i have seen progress with all of them, according to the goal at the time :D.

So far in the last 2 years i have done 6 different routines
GordyR's
Stronglifts
Wendler (felt it wasnt for me and i wasnt ready for it) 3 weeks on this so doesnt really count as sticking with it.
4 day 3x8 split
HST
Strength Full body 3 day split

An average of 4 months on each program was enough to see how it worked and track progress.

I am still relatively new in to my lifting lifespan, I suffered a bit from unknown goals, so have changed the routines to fit the goals at the time. I think i am settled on strength goals now, and so future routine changes will focus around this.
 
LiE said:
That path for the bar is normal. I push off the chest level with the nipples and it ends straight up and level with the top of my chest.
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As above I figured.

There are two paths for the bar to take from what I have read, as LiE describes or the 'J-curve' path, or straight up and down.

There is a video at the bottom showing what I mean: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/bench-press-technique.html
How accurate or correct that page is I don't know, but it has helped with my bench technique and I generally don't get many issues with my shoulder benching now.

Also, Steedie you stink, I've only done hypertrophy, a bit of 5x5 and most recently 5/3/1 :p ;)
 
I think that's where you're holding yourself back, yes you're making progress in each routine but that's because you're new to lifting as you said. You'd make progress if you did any routine at your stage

Just pick a routine and stick at it, you're not getting the most out of each routine you're doing as by the time your body is getting into the habit of a certain routine, you're stopping and starting something new.

If strength is your goal, spend a year working on strength, if size is your goal, spend a year on that. But pick one and stick at it. Ultimately what is your goal? Do you want to be doing what Scott and Matt are doing?
 
Steedie said:
I think that's where you're holding yourself back, yes you're making progress in each routine but that's because you're new to lifting as you said. You'd make progress if you did any routine at your stage

Just pick a routine and stick at it, you're not getting the most out of each routine you're doing as by the time your body is getting into the habit of a certain routine, you're stopping and starting something new.

If strength is your goal, spend a year working on strength, if size is your goal, spend a year on that. But pick one and stick at it. Ultimately what is your goal? Do you want to be doing what Scott and Matt are doing?
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Now that is interesting, many places I have seen advise to change the routine so that it doesnt become a habbit and so that your body doesnt adapt to become effiecent at doing the same thing and slowing down progress!

Also do you mean stick to the same routine, or stick to the same goal? I agree that sticking to the same goal is a wise option, but i havent come across anything before that says you should stick to the same routine for best results, infact the opposite to that seems to be more prevelant.

All my routines have always revolved around the big compounds and progressive loading over cycle periods.

My goals now, and for the forseable are strengh. Yes i would like to powerlift at some point, this is an aim and gives me something to work towards now.

p.s. check your gmail when you can :D - haha just got your response #timing
 
Sticking to the same routine for a prolonged period of time isn't bad, but yes I agree, you should change certain things to stop your body getting too used to things. But this only needs to be things like exercise order, swapping exercises in and out and rep ranges

This is why programs that get you doing different rep ranges each week, and different exercises are good. As you're meant to do them for a 9-12 months+, but you'll not once feel like it's getting stale. Y3T is a very good program for mass if you ever decide to go that way

So yeah, I meant either I guess :p stick to a goal or a routine for a year.
 
goals set in place at the start of this year, if i talk about changing it up to mass, KICK ME!!!

I plan to hit some respectable targets this year so i have to stay focused.
 
2nd set of 80kg bench. First time trying incorporating an arch, etching the bid back, it seems to much lower back involvement and not enough upper back.
 
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Benching looks ok to me, but yeah I'd say bit to much lower back arch not enough mid/upper. I tend to think of a girl poking her boobs out like a model on a runway, lol. Works.
 
Lack of progress, so checked out the vids ff posted in the form thread, and also I have always been concerned with how much I "J" the lift as I feel I am losing to much power there, and not engaging the whole chest. I think I am going to work on improving the lift line while slowly bring in the upper back arch/ shoulders in to bench drive, as it definitely felt more stable to push from.
 
Try not to over think it, it's a simple movement. The J movement is completely fine, think about how your arms have to move to create space. The start position will always be arms locked out directly up, which will see the bar higher up the chest. As you move down, in order to bring the bar to your chest your arms have to bring the bar further down the chest, to the nipple line.

I understand the arch, but I've never had a problem just pressing the weight with massive upper back tightness.
 
LiE said:
Try not to over think it, it's a simple movement. The J movement is completely fine, think about how your arms have to move to create space. The start position will always be arms locked out directly up, which will see the bar higher up the chest. As you move down, in order to bring the bar to your chest your arms have to bring the bar further down the chest, to the nipple line.

I understand the arch, but I've never had a problem just pressing the weight with massive upper back tightness.
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Cheers, i still want to try and involve more of my chest, as currently it doesnt feel like i am engaging the lower half of my chest in the mvoement, because my J swing is quite pronounced.

MoNkeE said:
He's trying to make a smaller ROM bro :p
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Not quite, although the arch does do that, the 2 main things i am trying to do is lift straigher (/nohomo) and involve more of my lower chest. It is quite likely that i can do without the arch and just lift straighter and this will do what i need :)
 
I figured benching completely flat on your back was a tad silly anyway :p

Just bear in mind flat bench doesn't hit the lower chest as much as other movements, are you imagining 'bending' the bar at all?
 
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If you want to target the lower chest (like them BBing phaggots xD) then decline bench press.

Delvis flat back doesn't mean completely flat, you just have a small arch in the lower back.
 
last day of deload week, went well, felt a little heavy but got rubbish sleep, so blaming that!

Deadlifts
bar x 15
50x10
70x5
100x3
115x6/6/6

Dips
bw x10
20x8/8/8

Standing cable rows
41x10/10/10

Goblet squat with pulse
12x10/10/10

DB standing shoulder press
16x10/10/10

Oblique twists
10x20/20

and done.

Cycle 3 starts next week, was going to give heavy triples a shot but, next week instead i am going to push ahead with cycle 3 instead. Hopefully it will look a little somehing like this:

Squat
3x6 115 (75%)
3x5 120 (80%)
4x4 125 (83%)
4x3 130 (86%)

Deadlift
3x6 125 (70%)
3x5 135 (80%)
4x4 145 (85%)
4x4 155 (90%)

Bench
3x6 82.5
3x5 85
4x4 87.5
4x3 90
 
Cycle 3 has started.

Daughter has been pretty sick all weekend and sleep has been elusive, especially last night, in bed and asleep around 10:30, woken at 1am and 3am, finally getting out of bed at 5:45am. I thought this morning was going to be brutal, i was wrong. Kids (and puppies Monkee ;))steal sleep gains.

Really pleased with squats this morning :D, knees not collapsing in like they used to and everything felt tight.

Squats
Band stretching/hip flossing/Ankle opening between warmup sets
Bar x15
40x8
60x3
80x3 - belted up from here
100x3
115x6/6
115x6 unbelted for the last set to make sure my core is getting that extra smashing and that i can keep tight without the belt.
unbelted last set, pleased :)

Inclined DB Bench SS with Flat DB Bench
22x10+10/10+10/10+10

Pull ups
BW x3
15x6/6/6

RDL's - Skipped these due to time, also for the last couple of weeks they have been aggrevating my lower back, i think they are to late in the routine and fatigue is stopping me staying tight, so going to move them to after squats

DB Rows (light, reps per arm)
22x12/12/12

Changing room shower and dressed PB 5 mins!! must get to the work car park for free parking :D
 
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