The Ups and Downs of high-bar squatting

8/3/15 - Sunday (Saturday)

Had to keep the session short so just dynamic effort deadlifts with sumo deadlifts off blocks.

Dynamic-effort deadlifts

60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 3x1

Super fast and easy. Acted as a nice warmup for sumo deadlifts.

Sumo Deadlifts off Blocks 5"

107.5kg x 4x4
120kg(B) x 2 - Incredibly easy
135kg(B) x 2 - Sumo pb :D

107.5kg unbelted was a good choice as it just was not needed. Working set felt decent. I hope that it catches or even passes my conventional pulling as it has a lot less stress on my lower back.

Hanging Knee rises

BW x 4x12


Ugggh, heavy squats tomorrow.
 
It's the day I did it on and the day it was supposed to be on :P It's more for my sake for when I look back at what I've done and work out what I did on which days and why. For example, if I noticed that in a particular session I dropped volume or exercises it's easier to work out why.
 
9/3/15 - Monday

Decided to drop the squats to let the knee rest a bit. I also started Smolov Jr for bench but before hand I did lots and lots of warmup sets to get my form reviewed and fixed.

Bench

Bar x lots
40kg x 4x4 (No specific reason for that rep scheme)
50kg x 6x6

Pretty good, recorded all sets to analyse the bar path and the wrist/elbow positioning.


BOR (Pendlay)

40kg x 5
50kg x 3
60kg x 3
70kg x 1 - PB (but not the cleanest of forms)
50kg x 3x8

The last cluster felt more like cardio than anything.

Dips

BW x 4
BW x 4
BW x 4

Keeping the reps low on purpose to focus on keeping the shoulders pinned back. I'll just slowly add a rep or two every session.

Face Pulls

21kg x 4x12

Good old shoulder prehab stuff.

Kneeling cable crunches

50kg x 5x20

Like most core work, not feeling much atm but I probably will tomorrow.

Time to rest up and prepare for Wednesday. It'll be one hell of a session....
 
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Pendlay rows were the bane of my gym-existence. Love/hate relationship, loved the gains, hated every damn rep with a passion.

Do you rate facepulls quite highly then? I have been looking at some shoulder prehab stuff, but most of that was light high-rep, high ROM cable raises (lateral, front and rear delt flyes).
 
Cookeh said:
Pendlay rows were the bane of my gym-existence. Love/hate relationship, loved the gains, hated every damn rep with a passion.

Do you rate facepulls quite highly then? I have been looking at some shoulder prehab stuff, but most of that was light high-rep, high ROM cable raises (lateral, front and rear delt flyes).
Click to expand...

Face pulls are good for getting your upper back engaged which is why benching feels better after doing them.

They will not, however, save you from rotator cuff funnies: do your internal/external rotator work using a cable machine, with elbow pinned and out at 90 degrees from your body. Doing them willy nilly however is pointless: you have to make sure your shoulder position is perfect and the movement is flawless...

As a physio once told me: practise does not make perfect... Perfect practise makes perfect.

:)
 
12/3/15 - Wednesday

Decent session. Heavy session. Tired.

Squats

Bar x lots
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 3
100kg(B) x 2
107kg(B) x 5

If I could get to 115kg at this progression rate I'll be chuffed but it is feeling tougher every session. I know that is obvious but I know a deload is due sometime soon.

Bench

Bar x lots
40kg x 6
50kg x 2
55kg x 7x5

Good arch, good bar placement, good muscle engagement. Good.

Deadlifts (Sumo)

60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 3
115kg(B) x 1
130kg(B) x 1
140kg(B) x 1
115kg(B) x 6 - (Conventional)

Absolutely wrecked after that. Shame I didn't get more reps in the last set but after going for 140kg sumo for the first time ever I'm not too disappointed.


I appreciate the 140kg sumo isn't with optimal technique but this is the first time I've pulled sumo from the floor so it's to be expected.

Rather happy with that session. Hopefully more progression squats on Friday!
 
GSVBagpuss said:
Pretty tough of the CNS to be heavy squatting and DLing in one workout - nice stuff!
Click to expand...

Last super heavy session for a while. I'm going to deload on squats and work back up since I noticed from the video I was marginally high on each rep. Granted that's me trying to reverse the weight too quickly rather than the weight being too heavy but a deload and increasing volume will only be a good thing. I'll only go for 140kg again in 2 weeks so the next few weeks will go something like: light, heavy, deload, competition.
 
14/3/15 - Friday

Terrible session. Warm up and mobility felt good but working sets ons squats were horrific so I spent ages working on form. Just horrific. Considering running smolov at a sub max purely just for squat form reinforcement.

Squats

Bar x lots
40kg x 5
60kg x 3
80kg x 1
85kg x 5 - Not feeling right
85kg x 3
40kg x 3x3
60kg x 3
60kg x 2
80kg x 1,1
80kg x 3

Seems that my feet were a tad too wide for high bar. I had a training partner record some sets and my form just does not seem right but once the stance was adjusted I was told form was a lot better. I'll knock back the weight to where it feels comfortable and work up, again.

Some of the practise sets


Bench

Bar x lots
40kg x 5
50kg x 2
57.5kg x 8x4

Boom, nice and easy.

Lots of pec and shoulder mobility stuff.

Tomorrow is going to be hell with bench 10 x 3 followed with lots of deadlifts.
 
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Do you have the vids for it?

There isn't really an ideal foot width for high bar, but there is a foot width that is comfortable and then again one that is optimal. Freefaller - as an example - uses a MUCH wider stance than I do... yet we both high bar squat.
 
mrthingyx said:
Do you have the vids for it?

There isn't really an ideal foot width for high bar, but there is a foot width that is comfortable and then again one that is optimal. Freefaller - as an example - uses a MUCH wider stance than I do... yet we both high bar squat.
Click to expand...

I believe there are vids around, I'll get my mits on them and pop them up. I think it was made worse in my head because it didn't feel right due to my knees clicking and what not but apparently my form looked good according to others.
 
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14/3/15 - Saturday

Bench and deadlift.

Bench

Bar x lots
40kg x 4
50kg x 2
60kg x 10x3

Felt solid, which is pleasing since I was benching last night and only had around 6 hours sleep.

Sumo deadlifts

60kg x 5
80kg x 3
100kg x 1,1,1
107kg x 4x4
120kg(B) x 2
140kg(B) x 2! - Boom pb!

Pleased with the pb but annoyed that I had the prior warmup sets incorrect. Deload next week and then repeat the week after, so no harm done.

Dips

BW x 5
BW x 4
BW x 4

Easy enough. Really focusing on keeping the shoulders back and controlled.

Face Pulls

23kg x 4x12

Nice.

Kneeling cable crunches

55kg x 5x20

Starting to do something to the core.

Rather happy with that session, absolutely shattered though. Bench form has dramatically improved already and deadlifts are progressing nicely.
 
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