Stallion's Fitness Journal

[I-tallionStallion]

FRIDAY -

Okay...so this personal trainer came in today and came up to me saying i was squatting really wrong. Now I've had a huge powerlifting dude watch me and say I squatted good not too long ago. But this trainer kept saying i was putting my knees to infront of my feet. I wasn't sure if this was okay or not to do. I thought maybe he was overexaggerating to make it seem like I needed a trainer. Afterall that is how he makes money.

When I asked him if he knew who Mark Rippetoe was...he didn't have a clue. When I asked him if he knew what WSB is..he had no idea. When I asked him how he would squat deep, he didn't seem to have any idea how. He kept telling me to go parallel because it was better for the knees :crackup: ... He told me that he played rugby and this was the way they taught them and its the correct way. But I wanted to get a couple of your guys opinion instead of his, cause I don't think my form is that bad...but if you could spot something I could fix I'd be happy to know. As I felt I was doing things correctly

Here is me doing about 200 lbs I believe (he watched me do this and highly critized it) Squat Video Form Check - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7f-pZiAHzs

---------------

Squat 1x3 - 325 lbs PR - I can't believe I'm squatting this...it was hard but I got all of them.

Leg Press 1x15 - 395 PR - ...BRUTAL

BB Row - 5x3 - 190 lbs PR 195 lbs here i come

Reverse Hyper Extentions - 3x8 - heh...felt good

 

[HandyAndy]

Livin on the edge I see, no safety bars and what not

 

[EFFORT]

FRIDAY -

Okay...so this personal trainer came in today and came up to me saying i was squatting really wrong. Now I've had a huge powerlifting dude watch me and say I squatted good not too long ago. But this trainer kept saying i was putting my knees to infront of my feet. I wasn't sure if this was okay or not to do. I thought maybe he was overexaggerating to make it seem like I needed a trainer. Afterall that is how he makes money.

When I asked him if he knew who Mark Rippetoe was...he didn't have a clue. When I asked him if he knew what WSB is..he had no idea. When I asked him how he would squat deep, he didn't seem to have any idea how. He kept telling me to go parallel because it was better for the knees :crackup: ... He told me that he played rugby and this was the way they taught them and its the correct way. But I wanted to get a couple of your guys opinion instead of his, cause I don't think my form is that bad...but if you could spot something I could fix I'd be happy to know. As I felt I was doing things correctly

Here is me doing about 200 lbs I believe (he watched me do this and highly critized it) Squat Video Form Check - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7f-pZiAHzs

---------------

Squat 1x3 - 325 lbs PR - I can't believe I'm squatting this...it was hard but I got all of them.

Leg Press 1x15 - 395 PR - ...BRUTAL

BB Row - 5x3 - 190 lbs PR 195 lbs here i come

Reverse Hyper Extentions - 3x8 - heh...felt good

Its clear that the personal trainer doesn't know what he's talking about. The form looks good to me. It also means a lot when the powerlifter says you squat good after watching you in person.

It's also good to run questions like the ones you asked by people like that. Him not knowing about Mark or WSB is pretty sad imo. Also using something he learned in rugby as a dictating belief of how to squat is really shakey.

 

[Drum&Bass]

Your form is good. How do your knees feel when you finish ?? how do your quads feel ?? That is the only true answer to know whether your form is solid or not.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Thanks very much Drum and EFFORT. I suspected this trainer was uninformed on deep squatting.

Everything always feels fine when I squat Drum&Bass. I would say it's solid for me.

Strangely enough, when i tried to keep my knees behind my feet when going deep (as the trainer told me) I had a pull in my right calve. I feel it slightly every once in awhile while I've walked today. But I won't have to squat for awhile so I'm not too worried about making it worse. ARGH

 

[Quagmire911]

All I can say is that it isn't bad. Don't know enough about the lift to say much.

The bar looks like it stays in the middle of your foot the whole time which is the biggest thing. The only thing I could maybe say to try, is too look at a spot 5-6 feet (I believe) infront of you. Rippetoe does it to increase hip drive.

Here are some videos you could look at (click on powerlifts):

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html#Power

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Video#Mark_Rippetoe:_Fixing_the_Squat:_Hip_Drive

 

[yungahdubz]

Nice one on the PR's

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Thanks Yungahdubz...you know i love PR's

Thanks quag...wow. I think I was doing what that kid did in your second link....i do it somewhat It should help my lift more when i go to the gym. Thanks

Okay today was Monday...heh and a good day of course


Spread Eagle Situps 3x8 - 130 lbs PR
- will def hit 135 lbs next week

DB Press (paused at bottom 1 second) 2x5 - 80 lbs PR I thought 80s wouldn't be possible, but i felt really good today. I hit all the reps and pauses. A little shaky on the first set, but second set was much easier strangely

WG Bench 3x10 (light) - PR 110 lbs - Needs to be a slightly higher weight next time. 10 lbs more than last time and it wasn't much harder.

Standing Military Press - 3x5 - 130 lbs PR Fvck yeah...the only problem was on my second set and i didn't get a rep up more than halfway cause of bad form..but i didn't give up and got it on the second attempt followed by the last. 45s for next time for sure!!

I am really loving whats going on with my numbers...I just keep getting stronger without compensating form. I have two weeks left of westside, I'm not sure what EFFORT has in store for me but I'm pretty excited. Kudos to my trainer haha

 

[Quagmire911]

That is a nice press, especially being at the end.

How did you warm up for the DB press? Maybe the first set got your nervous system going?

Changed things a bit myself today, trying to bring the shoulders up to par and get them to stop clicking!

Congrats on the lifts, keep it up buddy.

 

[Quagmire911]

See when you do the spread eagle situps, are you keeping your back locked and not letting it bend?

Question above too, incase you missed it .

 

[I-tallionStallion]

For db press I did

20 lbs x5
35 lbs x4
50 lbs x3
65 lbs x1

yes...i am keeping my back straight as possible. But it could be better I imagine.

I've finally hit a weight where it's very hard to keep it straight. In the beginning I had a lot of trouble with it

I'll pay extra close attention next time. Maybe even a video.

 

[ProDJ26]

Glad to see the progress...

lmao at that personal trainer you came across

 

[Quagmire911]

Good to hear you are keeping it straight!

Keep it up!

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Good to hear you are keeping it straight!

Keep it up!

naturally


Wednesday - Bit of a rough day as I was at NY to see a broadway show with my grandma and sis, had to subsitute my beef veggie rice with a mcdonalds Angus sandwich. Didn't have any choice...but atleast I'm getting all my meals today. Got home late, worked out late. Felt pretty tired in the gym, but it didn't skew my results too much

SLDL- 2x6 - 290 lbs PR I just got chalk the other day, so this felt a lot more comfortable doing.

Low Pull Through 3x8- 170 lbs PR

Lat Pulldown 5x3 - 165 lbs PR - A lot easier, but the next weight jump is at 165 lbs and it's still pretty hard. Next time I'll do this

Barbell Shrugs 3x10 - 200 lbs PR - yep this was heavy for me, good stuff

$hit i just want to mention that this week hasn't been so good with walking...idk why but I'm having trouble getting up so I'm going to bed earlier now. I did so well for 2-3 months, the last couple weeks I've only done it 3-4 days each week instead of 5 or 6. I'll work better on that...anyways...til next time

 

[Quagmire911]

naturally


Wednesday - Bit of a rough day as I was at NY to see a broadway show with my grandma and sis, had to subsitute my beef veggie rice with a mcdonalds Angus sandwich. Didn't have any choice...but atleast I'm getting all my meals today. Got home late, worked out late. Felt pretty tired in the gym, but it didn't skew my results too much

SLDL- 2x6 - 290 lbs PR I just got chalk the other day, so this felt a lot more comfortable doing.

Low Pull Through 3x8- 170 lbs PR

Lat Pulldown 5x3 - 165 lbs PR - A lot easier, but the next weight jump is at 165 lbs and it's still pretty hard. Next time I'll do this

Barbell Shrugs 3x10 - 200 lbs PR - yep this was heavy for me, good stuff

$hit i just want to mention that this week hasn't been so good with walking...idk why but I'm having trouble getting up so I'm going to bed earlier now. I did so well for 2-3 months, the last couple weeks I've only done it 3-4 days each week instead of 5 or 6. I'll work better on that...anyways...til next time

Chalk for the win!

I am thinking I must have been doing pullthroughs wrongly. I was doing 242lbs 3x10 supposedly. Hmmm, maybe the pulley isn't working right. Although it could be that it was 110lbs 3x10 which would be odd as everything is usually in kg's here. I will have to check. Either way I can't do them anymore :cuss:

Btw, just ordered Infinite Intensity from rosstraining.com, looks very interesting. I am also planning on getting Starting Strength 2nd edition soon.

And don't worry about that cardio, I barely do any Although I have this new plan of cycling the cardio so as not to get bored, maybe think about that? Sandbag/sled/kettlebells/dumbbells/sledgehammer/tyre flipping/light squat-deads/bodyweight moves/etc, there is tons of s*** to do!

Anyway, keep up the good work!

PS-If you ever get the chance, you have to try ab rollouts.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Why can't you do pull throughs anymore? The hardest part of the exercise is not flying backwards haha.

Two good books, let me know how they are...especially the Ross training one.

Well I love the backpacking, I wish i had some huge tires to flip, that looks like a lot of fun. At some point I will start doing other stuff,nt so much boredom as it's lazyness.

 

[Fuglydude]

Good work as always man. Its a pleasure reading your WO journal.

Did you hit the 440 lbs on the deadlift yet? I'd take 3-4 days off before your next 1 RM attempt on DLs. The most I've ever pulled was 440, but I'm pretty sure that bar is a little bit lighter than the standard 45 lb bar...it just feels lighter.

With the kind of progress you've made and your size I expect to see a quarter ton (500 lb) deadlift soon. Based on your squat numbers I think you can probably hit 350 lbs on a good day. Do you squat bare foot for you 1 RMs?

Again, I'm gonna suggest hang/power cleans and plyometric work. I think you'll really like the "controlled explosion" style of lifting that comes with the olympic lifts.

I'm leaner now at around 165 for stagette season...u better watch out once I'm back to bulking muahahahha...

Keep it up man...good luck!

 

[Quagmire911]

The reason I can't do pullthroughs is because I am maxed out on the machine. And the pins are too shi**y to add weight to, I did try.
I will let you know about infinite intensity. I was going to get never gymless but this one contains both weights and bodyweight moves. I will get the other one down the line probably.

I am really beginning to open up and look at other avenues of training. There is more than one way to get strong (and big). Right now I am looking at muscle imbalances. As you know my left shoulder is weaker than my right, and barbell training only exaserbates the problem. So in the long run switching to dumbbells for say 6-8 weeks to balance things and then moving back, would be more favourable.

I am going to test my leg strength somehow. Probably pistols will do the job. I know that my right side can do more dumbbell rows than my left as well.

Good luck tommorow!

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Thanks Fugly! I'm glad you enjoy reading. No I haven't hit 440 lbs yet...but tell you what I'll go for 445 lbs to outdo you lmao I really hope you are right about my progress, I do the best I can do and I hope I inspire others to work hard, other guys on here inspire me so much.

I do not think I can hit 350 lbs yet on my squat, and just between you and me when i do I'm gonna be scared haha but that only makes me stronger.

I've recently been doing my squats in socks actually, helps me feel more grounded, more one with the metal...like part of a machine. Ok maybe that's too deep of a description but heck that's how i feel.

I gotta see what EFFORT says, he's training me. But those lifts you named are things I will definitely get into, I'm very interested heh...no worries there.

Crap your bulking...$hit, I'm going to have to work harder

Quag - Thats a good reason not too do pullthroughs haha. Cool, keep me updated on the book as you go along and do the workouts. Looking into other forms is what makes exercising so awesome. There are so many ways to get strong and keep it interesting. Pushing your body to the limit and beyond is what this all is about. I'm sure you'll figure out how to fix your problem, keep it up bud. Thanks again

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Friday - Wow...its dead on the forum tonight Good that means all you guys are out Djing chicks haha

Incline Bench 2x5 - 175 lbs PR 'P' FVKCIN 'R'....2 months ago, I could only get 2-3 reps of this...I can't wait to hit 200 lbs on this. I was so afraid to do it too, cause last time I did this, it was a joke on how horrible I struggled. I just struggled on the 2 last reps of the second set...but not dramatically. Next time i do this...180 WILL BE MINE MUHAHHAAHAA........sorry a little excited

Flat DB Bench 1x8 - 75 lbs PR
2x8 - 70 lbs - Yeah i didn't have enough to do 2 more sets here....i wish i did. Next time I'll have it for sure.

Reverse Grip Flat BB Bench - PR 3x10 -125 lbs
Tough...probably should have done 130 lbs though

Lat Raises - light weight 2x20 - 12 lbs PR Doing this for 20 reps is just painful

Next week is my last week before vacation. I had to cut training short by a week unfortunetly. I've decided not to do max week. I feel if i wait a little longer the gains will be more dramatic...and thats what I'm looking for. So I'll finish with what I have left to do. I'll be doing squats and rows on monday, and on thursday eagles, DB press paused, and Incline dumbbell flys. Unless there is some dramatic reason why it would be more important to do max week, i'm not bothering. If you guys have input let me know...later