The Iron Edge

APF IL state meet.

2011-03-30T14:53:00.000-04:00

It has been since October 2007 since my last full meet. Since then (Sept 2009) I packed up my equipment out in Buffalo brought it to Indiana and put it in storage. So it was time to get back to competing. I wanted to make getting back in as easy as possible so I decided to weigh whatever my body wanted on meet day and just lift. Not even thinking about personal records just get good solid lifts on the board and go for a total. I felt that all in all I could possibly total 2000 if I put everything together. My strength was very close and if I did everything right meet day this could happen. Well Not everything went as planned but there were some glimmers of hope among the chalk and dust.

So Saturday I weighed in at 111.7 kg (246)

Sunday after driving 45 minutes to the meet site I warmed up for the squat and all went well and I felt pretty good. I have been working on my squat for for the last 3 months. I took a few steps backward knowing that it will help me to move forward faster in the future. I have a strong back and week hamstring and I squat that way. I lean forward rather than being upright and sitting into my hamstrings. This is still a work in progress and I know it is better than before I just need to display it.

So I opened at 717 in the squat knowing that on a bad day this is doable. Well On my first attempt it was not doable. I missed half way up. My form was good but no pop out of the hole. I was so afraid of missing on depth that I did not tighten my straps on my suit and so I missed. Now in a powerlifting meet missing your first squat is not a good sign....especially when you miss like that.

So 2nd attempt I take it again but with my straps cranked. It is good. I am in the meet so the pressure is off a bit. But it was much harder than it should have been as I went back to old habits an leaned forward rather than staying upright. But I am in the meet.

3rd attempt I go to 766. This is a bit off of the 800 I needed to get my 2k but I will build for my total. I sit it down there and my wife calls me up. It is good two to one. The squat was borderline but the judges called it good so why would I argue.

Time for a break and then on to normally my worst lift of the three. The bench has been my arch enemy since I started powerlifting. I have never put up a huge bench and not even close to cracking the top 100 in my weight class. By comparison I have hit 20th in the deadlift when I weighed 220.

So I open extremely light but heavy enough to touch easily. 445 came down easy and came up even easier. Again I am in the meet. My wife was shocked to see it come up so easy so we called for 473. Again nice and easy. It was a little out of the groove but still a much need improvement on past meets. So we called 501 and planned to hit what I wanted. Just like the first two it was easy and a pr bench in a full meet.

Now on to the deadlift, my ace in the hole. I am built to pull but have disappointed in the past dropping 700 more than a few times due to grip. Again a light opener at 617. It got way out in front but light enough to pull back in with no problem. If all went well I was going to take 685 for either a pr total of 1985 or 700 for a 2k total. Well the 2k was out the window so I will try for a pr total. To set that up I took 672. My setup was bad and loaded up my right side for some reason. I still pulled it and got 3 white lights. So what do I do at this point try to build upon my total that was sitting at 1939 or go for the pr total. Well I came for a pr total and I tried for it. I called 713 for my 3rd attempt. That was a eight pound deadlift pr and would give me a small meet total pr.

So on my 3rd attempt I made a mistake. I let my handlers talk me into using nose tork and I had not used any all day. Well it lit up my right nostril and right eye. It was hard to see out of that right eye even after I attempted to pull the deadlift. It was a mistake but I am not sure I would have even pulled the deadlift. I was set up poorly and the weight set to the right side.

Overall I was pleased with the meet but I left a few pounds on the platform. I am going to take a shot at redeeming myself in about 10 weeks. I have a few things I am going to try over the next 5 weeks then decide if I am gong to enter APF SR. nationals of skip it. I do have to give a huge thanks to my wife and Nick Detman for helping out a stranger.

Here is the video of my good bad and ugly lifts.

Training log up to meet

2011-03-30T13:52:00.000-04:00

The last month has been busy as I was getting ready for my meet, I let my gym membership run out and started to train more at my wife's place.

So Here is what I did up until the meet.

2/16

Sled drag
behind the knees 90 3x50 yards
rear fly 45 3x50 yards

Roller hyper 225 4x8
leg curls on hyper 90 3x10
situps on ghr 3x10

2/17

reverse band purple
185x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
335x3
365x1
385x1
405 3x1

pin press 1 inch
315x5
365x5
405x5
455x5
495x5

A1 sled drag Y+T 3x50 yards
A2 rolling db ext 45 4x8

B1 barbell rows 185 4x12
B2 band pullaparts 4x20

curls

2/20

Drove an hour to get to a monolift. Band tension was a little lower due to a smaller base but it has been over 2 years since I have done circa max and 2 yars since I used a mono so I will just go with it.

16 inch box with blue and green band

briefs
135x2
185x2
225x2
275x1
add suit bottoms no belt
315x1
add belt
365x1
405x1
455x1
495x1

roller hyper 4 plates 3x8

Over all I was happy wth my squatting but was having issues unracking the bar and hunching rather than arching into it. You can tell on 495. It was a 40# jump but felt like it was 100#s. I have one or two more sessions in the mono before the meet so I can iron these things out.

Video of week 1 circa max

2/22

Sunday
speed bench with mini
135 3x3
155 9x3

Knee was giving me fits and could not get comfortable on the bench.

bradfords
95 3x20

pushdowns 3x10
elbow out db rows 35 3x15
neutral grip pull ups 5x3

2/25

Tuesday
Don't remember everything I did.

Long strap hypers
6 plates 3x10
7 plates 3x10

sled drag behind knees
3 x 50 yards

pulldown abs with stagger stance purple band
3x15

I know there was more to it but I really can't remember

Thursday
floor press

308x1
330x1
352x1
308x4 (mats were slipping out from under me)

tates 50 6x8

bb rows 185 3x12

2/28 (posted on another log so I don't have all the dates correct)

Saturday
Knee has been swollen the whole last week and I am not sure if it was from the squatting last Saturday or the benching on Sunday but it was pretty swollen all week. But I decided to squat as this is circa max.

Got up early as I had a 1 hour window to use a monolift about an hour away. I was 55 minutes into my drive and less than a mile away fromt he gym and my car starts to misfire and almost dies. I totally bonked and reverted back to my old squat style and was leaning much more that last week. Not sure if it was the knee or just me just doing things wrong.

circa max squat
Blue and green band
16 inch box and worked up to 365 3x2

At that point the owner had to leave so I drove to the garage to have my car worked on.

Sunday
Speed bench + mini
135 5x3, 155 7x3

bradfords
95 x16
135 x20,20,16

pushdowns
3x10

curls

Monday
goodmornings
225 2x5

long strap hypers
8 plates 4x8

ghr 2x8 (bothering knee)

sled drag behind the knees
2 plates x 50 yards
2.5 plates 3x30 yards

side bends 70 5x10

back raises x15 x12

3/3

Thursday

Bench
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x2
315x1

3 board 365x1

add shirt
405 x3

445 2x1
455 x1

Felt more comfortable in the shirt today. Bench is coming back and I will need every pound to keep my total from being real bad. I am hoping at the next meet I am back to where I was before I moved.

4 board
315x5
365x5
405x1

neutral grip pulldowns
160 4x8

rotator bar face pulls
3x20

3/7

I felt terrible and my knee was bothering me some. My good briefs we in the other car so I put on sold old briefs that are used up and about 2 sizes too big.

box squat 275 3x2

speed deadlift 315 3x1, 365 3x1

Almost wish I would have not even squatted but I cant change that now.

short strap hypers 6 plates 3x10
pulldown abs 3x10
single leg rdls 70 # dumbells 3x8 each leg.

Sunday
speed bench
185 3x5
205 3x5

tricep death (2,3,4) boards
225, 275 3 reps each board
315 2 reps on 2 boards as the wife switched too early. Then did 3 reps on 3 and on 4 boards.

single arm cable rows 4x8
rear fly 15 3x15
dips 4x10
db curls

3/8

Monday
Pulled my opener. I will pull in my briefs as I feel much more comfortable and get into a better position.

Since the plates are in kilos i only know the last 3 weights
533
573
617

roller hypers
4 plates 4x10

leg curls on hyper 88 4x8

band pull aparts 2x50

abs against ghr with green band 3x12

3/14

Not much going on the last week. Been trying to rest up as I have a cold now and hope for all signs of it to be gone by the weekend. As far as training goes there has been nothing to write about and I have not felt like doing anything. I will update after the meet this weekend.

Meet prep, training log and videos

2011-02-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

I have not posted in about a month as my meet prep has started to ramp up. I am about a month out right now so only a few weeks left before I am back on the platform. It has been a long time but I think I am ready and by the end of the year could be into uncharted water.

I got some help adjusting my squat form and it will pay off in the future. You may notice I am much more upright and using more hips and hamstrings. My bench is still behind from my injury but is coming along and I will be above 90% at this meet. After the meet I am going to get some help for my deadlift and see if I can get it moving.

Wednesday 1/12

Started to floor press but the shoulder was screaming so I stopped at 225.
Can't remember what exactly I did.
rolling db ext 50 5x8
pulldowns 5x12

Friday 1/14

speed squat went with loser briefs
ssb 275 9x2, 315x2
speed deadlift conventional 315 2x1, 365, 2x1, 405 2x1, 455 2x1. 495 2x1

pull throughs 6x12 3 sets bent over and 3 squatting. Keep rest less than 30 seconds between sets
side bends 65 3x12

Sunday 1/16

speed bench with mini
135 5x3, 155 4x3

5 board with mini
225x5, 275x5, 315x3, 335x3

low cable rows 5x12
face pulls w/ purple band 5x20
db curls 3x12

Monday 1/17

starting to get sick and the last 2 nights slept 11 and 10 hours. Skipping main exercises and will do mostly assistance work this week.

ghr x40, 35, 25
single leg hypers 90 3x12
neutral grip pullups x5, 4, 4, 3
band pull aparts 3x15

I think I did something else but I really can't remember.

Wednesday 1/19

db bench with purple band behind back 70 4x12
db ext on floor 40 6x12
lat pulldowns 5x10
side raises 15 2x12
rear flys 15 3x15
cable curls 3x12

Friday 1/21

Did a bunch of kettlebell swings

Monday 1/24

cambered bar goodmornings (bar=45)
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
365x3
405x3
455x3
495x1

squatting pul thrus
150 3x12

short strap hypers
270 3x10

side bends 105 3x8

rotator bar pulldowns
120, 140, 160 x12

Wednesday 1/26

reverse band bench with purple
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x3
335x3
365x1
385x1
405x1

db ext on floor
45 5x10

wide grip pull ups
5x3

band face pulls 5x25

Pulled something in my neck and it kills to turn my head. I could really do without this right now.

Friday 1/28

speed squat
275+ blue band 6x2

speed deadlift
mini band 315 3x1, 365 4x1

long strap hypers 365 4x10

Sunday 1/30

speed bench
185 3x5, 205x5, 225x5
chinups 4x5
dips 5x8
db powercleans 17.5 3x20
cable curls 2x12

Monday 1/31

sumo deadlift with 4 chain
225
315
365
405
add suit
455
495
545
585 - pulled something in my mid back at lockout. Might be lat or rhomboid. Shut it down there.

Short strap hypers
180, 270 3x10

green band leg curls 3x12

leg raises 2x25

Thursday 2/3

bench
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x2
add 3 board
315x3
365x2
405xmiss - should have had this but lost my tightness. Opted to stop rather then take it again.

db bench with purple band behind back
70 2x8

face pulls for a song
abs on dip machine for a song

pushdowns 5x12
rope curls 5x10

Friday 2/4

Friday
speed squat with blue band
275 x2
315 5x2
365 x1
405 x1
455 x1

Over all I was happy with my squat today. 365 felt perfect and 405 felt alright. I got a little forward with 455 but I will take it.

side bends 105 4x8
blue band goodmorning 3x12
green band pull throughs 2x12

speed bench Sunday 2/6
205 5x5

5 board
275 x8
315 x8
365 x8

db powercleans 20 3x15

chin ups x5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 4
curls 3x12

Monday 2/7

stiff leg sumo deadlift
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
365x3
405x3
455x3
495x3
545x1

roller hyper
180 3x10

ghr
3x10

situps on ghr with 10 behind head
2x10

Wednesday 2/9

Bench
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x1

add shirt
365x3
405x3 pretty close to touching
435x2 touched on 2nd rep but pushed straight up rather than back.

This was satisfactory for today. First time in this shirt in 18 months and 2nd time in a shirt in the same time.

4 board
275x5
315x5
365x5

rolling db ext 50 4x8
db rows 110 4x8
face pulls for a song.

Friday 2/11
BW 247

squat
135x5
225x3
275x3
315x1
365x1
add briefs
405 2x1
455x1
add suit straps down
495x3
545x1
straps up
585x2
635x1

Felt a little inconsistent today with my setup but felt ok. Stance felt too narrow at times. I need to get throughthis meet and will be able to work on it with a little more patience.

arch back goodmornings
185 3x8

Long strap hypers
4 plates x8
6 plates x8
8 plates 4x8

pulldown abs 3x2

Sunday 2/13
90 minute nap
speed bench 205 6x5

pushdowns 3x15
db powercleans 20 3x15
battling ropes x200
db curls 2x12

Training log

2011-01-11T16:45:00.001-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy but now that the holidays are done I am back on schedule. My next meet will be March 19-20th at the APF IL state meet. My meet prep has started but I have shortened it down and will lift in whatever weight class I might be in that morning.

1/3/2011

Monday
Free squat
225×3
275×3
add briefs
315×3
365×3
405×2
add suit bottoms
455×1
straps up
495×1
545 3×1
pull throughs 150 5×12
fat man rows 3×10
leg raises 3×12

1/5/2011

ME bench
60kg x5
80kg x5
100kg x3
120kg x3
140kg x1
add 3 board
140kg x5
150kg x3
160kg x1
170kg x1
140kg x3
bb rows elbows out 60kg 3×10
elbows in 100kg 3×12
cable tri extensions 5×12
ext rotator 3×15

1/7/2011

Had windows put in yesterday so I had to make due at alternate site.
box squat worked up in doubles to 140kg and shut it down
stiff leg deadlift
140kg x5
160 x5
180 x3
200 x3
220 x3
235kg x3
ghr raised 10 inches and purple band x10, 10, 6 (4 bodyweight), 5 (5 bodyweight)
sidebends on assisted pullup machine 3×12

1/9/2011

Did speed bench for the first time in a while so I kept it lighter this week
135+mini 9×3
5 board with mini 225×5, 315×5, 335×3
low cable rows 3×12
back to back with
purple band face pulls 3×15
cable curls 3×10

1/10/2011

ssb goodmornings
135, 185, 225×5, 275×3, 315×3, 365×3 Form started breking down a bit. Felt it was best to stop there. see video above
hypers
short strap 230×8, 270 3×8
long strap hypers 320×8, 360 3×8
pulldown abs 130 2×10, 140 2×10
green band leg curls 4×10

TWIT - This week in training Dec 17- Dec 20 2010

2010-12-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

Friday
Speed squat with green band
225 x2
275 2×2
315 x2
365 x1
405 x1
455 x1

I narrowed my stance a bit like I was told and felt off a bit. Still having a hard time keeping lats tight through the whole squat. I am going to try and move the bar up some and open my stance a little.

Here is a video of the squatting and some goodmornings from Monday.

Saturday
bench 225 6×3
neutral grip pullups 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4
dips 5×12
Y+T 15 3×20
curls ?

Monday - deload week
Dec 20
GHR 5x10 (raised 8 inches)
back to back with sled drag with strap between legs 90# 5x50 yards

Long strap hypers 270 x8, 360 2x8. I might have done 3 at 360 but can't remember.
back to back with sled dragging holding straps behind the knees 90 3x50 yards

trx ab fall outs 2x8
and plank x2

TWIT This week in training Dec 13- Dec 15 2010

2010-12-15T17:44:00.000-05:00

Monday Dec 13

Max effort lower

Suspended good mornings with straight bar. Sorry about the weights being in kilo’s. The wifes place only has bumper plates. Used a wide stance

60kgx5, 80kgx5, 100kgx5, 120kgx5, 140kgx3, 160kgx1, 180kgx1, close stance 140×3

I tried to be super strict on these and not rock into them. Still not sure what way is better for max effort.

ghr raised 8 inches 4×10, 2×5

pull throughs 4×12

pulldown abs with green band – feet staggered 4×20

neck harness 35 2×12

Wed Dec 15 2010

Max effort bench

Camber bar bench to 2 board
135 2×5
185 2×5
225 x 3
add 2 board
275 x 1
295 x 1 slow off the board but no pain. Still about 10-12% down from my best but thins are moving along

Oh press
135×5 - a little pain
145×5 - less pain
155×5 - almost none
185×3 - wow that was hard

db rows 110 4×12
lying tates 60 5×12
db powercleans 15 3 x 12
ez bar curls ?
lying ext rotator 10 2×12

TWIT - This week in training

2010-12-12T21:27:00.000-05:00

Monday
Max effort lower

Sumo deadlift while standing on 100# plates
135, 225, 315×3, 365, 405, 455, 495×1, 545xmiss, 515×1, 405×5

The video for this workout is down below.

short strap hypers 270 4×10
green band good mornings 4×12
pulldown abs with feet staggered 120 5×16
neck harness 35 2×12

Wednesday
Max effort upper

bodyweight 238
Shoulder is getting better but still not 100%.
bench on low decline 135 2×5, 185 2×5, 225 2×3, 275 2×1, 315 3×1

Each single got better and left some in the tank
oh press 135 3×8
db rows 105 4×12
lying tates 50 5×12
db powercleans 15 4×15
curls with ex bar
Weak off my chest and feel like I can’t get my lats tight.

Friday
Speed lower

bw 240
Speed squat with green band and straight bar.
295 4×2
335 3×2
Having problems keeping my lats tight since I hurt my shoulder. I find thast on my 2nd rep especially that I get lazy and cannot keep them tight. I will pst a video tomorrow.

Speed deadlift with 3 chain and bands
315 6×1
365 4×1
Short strap hypers
180 4×12
green band leg curls
3 or 4 x20
decline situps
65 4×12

Sunday
Rep upper

275 2x3

neutral grip pullups 3x6, 3x5
dips 4x12
y+t 15 3x20
barbell curls ?

Training log with video

2010-12-06T14:44:00.000-05:00

Friday Dec 3

Speed squat with green band 275 3x2, 315 3x2

speed deadlift sumo
with monster mini 315 2x1,
add 2 set of chain 315 6x1
conventional 315 w/ monster mini 2x1

Green band leg curls x50
short strap hypers 180 3x12
decline situps 50 4x10

Sunday Dec 5

Bench 225 2x5
neutral grip pull ups 5x5
dips 3x8
y + t 4x12 each way
barbell curls - till pumped

My shoulder held up pretty good this week and I have little pain pressing. I still have some pain right after a set of squats but I hope with time it goes away.

Training log

2010-12-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

The last 7 months have been busy. My training has been lacking so I have not been posting. I hurt my shoulder, my knee swelled and I took some time off. We moved my wife was promoted to director at her job and I am trying to find my groove again.

Monday Nov 29th 2010

Squat 135, 185, 225, 275, 315x1, 365x1

add briefs 405x3, 455x3, 495x1

add reverse green bands, 545x3, 585x3, 635x1, 675x1

First real heavy weight I have used with the straight bar in a long time. My shoulder has not let me comfortably squat with it for a while. I will use this same exercise as a tester in 6 weeks.

Green band good mornings 4x12
short strap hypers 180x12, 270 3x10
pulldown abs with split stance 120 3x16

Wednesday Dec 1st 2010

Bench 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1
add 4 board 315x3, 365x3, 3, 4

My should held up over night and no pain so this is good. Time to start building and get my raw bench back up.

oh press 135 2x8
db power cleans 15 3x12
db rows 105x8, 130x8, 105x12
lying tates 50 3x8
curls with ez curl bar 70 4x12

Training log update

2010-05-01T22:27:00.002-04:00

It is time to get ready for a meet. I have picked out a meet in September and everything is planned out. Getting my bench shirt fixed it the last piece of the puzzle.

Squat seems to be ok right now. Not where I would like it but I will take it.
Deadlift is being built right now so it should pick up over the next three months.
Bench still lags and I am less than motivated but it will get better.

I have switched my 5/3/1 supplimental work to deadlifts while standing on two inch blocks and 4 board for my bench. I think this will address my specific issues and bring up those lifts.

4/8
Metal Milita reverse band green deload about 160#s at chest but all gone at the top.
225x3, 275x3, 315, 365, 405, 435x1, 465xmiss

oh press 135x3, 155x3, 175x3
chuck v pulldowns 140 5x12
tates 60 4x8
preacher curls 80? 3x10
shrugs 225 3x12

4/10
Speed squat ssb+green band and foam box
315 5x2, 365 2x2, 405x1

rdls 275 2x6
manual leg curls 3x6
pulldown abs 160 4x8

4/13
Free squat
225x3, 295x3, 335x1, 385x1, 425x1

add briefs 485x1, 535x1 585x1
add suit bottoms 625x1, 675x1,
straps up 715x1

Walking out weights suck!

front squat 205x5, 225x3, 275x1
single leg hypers 140 2x10, double leg 230 2x10
single leg band leg curls purple 3x10
decline situps 3x8

4/16

Tuesday

floor press with 2 set of chain
135, 185, 225x3, 275x1, 295x1, 315xmiss
oh press 135x5, 155x3, 185x2
chuck v pulldowns 140 ?x10
tates ??
curls I did a few

4/26
Sunday
illegal wide bench 110kg x10
incline bb extensions I think the bar was a training bar but I will count as 20kg. 80kg 4x8
db powercleans 15 3x20
curls 3x10
pullups 5x5

Here the videos from this bit of training.

Training log update

2010-04-08T18:24:00.004-04:00

My training has picked up the last 2 weeks. My schedule is close to normal so training has been pretty good. I will say the last few months have not been good to my bench. I am close to setting records but my lockout strength has really suffered and I need to really bring it up if I expect to bench anything good.

Work on
bench - triceps/lockout
squat/deadlift - hips/hamstrings

I will give you the video first then you can see the specific workouts below.

3/28
Illegal wide bench worked up to 120 kg x 8

jm press 60kg 2x8, 70kgx8
band pushdowns 3x10
db rows 70 3x12

curls 3x10
band pull aparts 3x12
jump rope x200

3/29
Deadlift while standing on 2 inch blocks
445, 495, 535, 585, 605x1

front squat 185x5, 205x5, 225x5
single leg hypers 90 3x10

green band leg curls 3x10
decline situps 25 3x8

3/31
Had to push training forward one day due to other stuff going on this week. Should have just done some rep stuff but I decided to do 4 board anyway. I was still sore and everything felt heavy. I still hit 90% of my best so I will take it.

225x3, 275x1 add 4 board 315, 365x1, 385x1, 405x1, 425x1, 455 miss

oh press 125x5, 145x5, 165x5
chuck V pulldowns 140 2x10, 160 4x10o
preacher curls 5 5x10
neck harness 2x12

Tates 55/60 x 10, 10, 10, 8, 8
-Thought I had 2 55's but I had one 55 and one 60. I did not notice until I was done with 3 sets. So I just switched hands and did 2 more sets.

4/2
Speed squat ssb + green band on foam pad 275 6x2, 315 2x2

rdl 225 4x6
manual leg curl 2x6
pulldown abs 4x8

prowler 90# 10x30 yards

4/6
good mornings with straight bar.
225, 275, 315, 365, 405x3, 435x2 could have done another but my mid back did not feel right.

front squat 185x3, 225x3, 245x2
hypers single leg - 2x10 90, double 180 2x10
green band leg curls 3x12
decline situps 3x8

prowler 10x30 yards 90#s

4/7
Metal Militia reverse band green deload about 160#s at chest but all gone at the top.
225x3, 275x3, 315, 365, 405, 435x1, 465xmiss

oh press 135x3, 155x3, 175x3
chuck v pulldowns 140 5x12
tates 60 4x8
preacher curls 80? 3x10
shrugs 225 3x12

Update and Training log

2010-03-26T10:19:00.003-04:00

The last four weeks have been very busy with our move and selling of our old house. My garage gym has been reduced down to a 10x10 storage unit. It was sad to see everything put up and know that it will sit there without getting used for at least a year.

I do want to thank a friend I met only a few months ago on twitter. Strongman Bob came up from Cleveland to help me load my equipment onto the u-haul and I could not have done it without him. Check out his blog http://thethinkingstrongman.blogspot.com He has been using the Reactive training method with his training and is making great progress. A big thanks to him for his help.

As far as my training goes I had a few hiccups over the 4 weeks but I think I am settling in at the new gym and am ready to start planning for a meet soon.

Here are a few videos the training cycle.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping.

Review of BulletProof Knees

2010-02-22T21:26:00.006-05:00

If you are pushing your body to its limits it is going to break down at some time or another. For some it is their back, some their shoulder and in my case it was my right knee. I have arthritis in that knee, most likely from being rolled on twice playing college footbball. I have been having some sort of pain and swelling over the last 18 months. I asked for help on Twitter. @RobTrainSystems replied and offered me a copy of his product Bulletproof Knees.

When I got the manual and dvd in the mail I was supprised at how much information was included. Mike covers everything you need to know. What exercises you need to do and which ones to avoid. He go into depth about what areas you need to stretch or foam roll to reduce your pain and he clearly states that mobility work is very important. And I agree. Now in my opinion Mike did not go into too much depth in the manual. I understand Mike already put out Magnificent Mobility and it covers everything you need to know for a great dynamic warm-up.

Overall this is a great product and has helped me reduce most of the pain I have. Now with that being said the pain only stays away as long as I do what is outlined in the book. Consistency is key. As soon as I skip my mobility, soft tissue and stretching I am reminded with pain. This manual will give you the tools but you still have to do the work and be consistent.

The manual comes with a dvd. To be honest I have not watched all of it. I gave the manual to my dad in hopes he would read it and it would open his eyes to what he needs to do. I am still waiting for him to finish.

The manual is pricy. But to go through the day without any pain is priceless. How much is doing what you love worth to you?

If you have knee pain or work with someone who has knee pain should own Bulletproof Knees. If you don't have Magnificent Mobility get it as well. They both will have a huge impact on how you feel.

Check out all of Mike's other products at http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/products/

I'm back

2010-01-27T09:26:00.007-05:00

Well the last few months have been a challenge. In September my wife accepted a job at a Parisi Speed school franchise. So we moved back to her home town in Indiana. We moved across four states and now it's four months later. Everything has been turned upside down and training has been crazy for both of us. If you read Julia's log on www.EliteFTS.com she has not posted as much as in the past few months since the move. She has less time on the computer at work and less down time to answer questions and post in her log. She is still training but following the two day a week template for 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler.

I found a gym that allows chalk has some powerlifters and even plays OK music. But It is closing any day. It has been month to month and I am not sure it will be open when I get there each morning. I have also been using 5/3/1 but this cycle will be my last as I prepare to get back to some meets. I think the further advanced you are the long you have to run 5/3/1 before you start breaking into new territory. I have used these five months to fix some knee problems. I was lucky enough to get a copy of Bulletproof Knees by Mike Robertson and it has help me more than I can explain. But I will write more on that later.

I hope to bring you new information and make this a great 2010.

5/3/1

2009-09-02T08:28:00.000-04:00

(Post by Julia)

If you haven't been checking out my training log over at EliteFTS, shame on you! As mentioned yesterday, we've got a big move ahead of us. So in the midst of my busy schedule, training by myself on some days, and trying to put back on some muscle, I've decided that something simple is going to be the best for me right now.

If you haven't checked out Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 book, you're missing out. While it's nothing mind-blowing or innovative, it outlines a great way to build up some raw strength and put on some muscle. If you don't want to have to think (which, sometimes, let's be honest, it's nice not to think) then this is for you.

So far, it's been going well. Having 2 kids in less than 2 years, training has been a bit sporadic. My bench strength has remained relatively the same, but my lower body work suffered. So, I'm interested to see how this will help build my raw strength and add some muscle back on to my quads, hamstrings and glutes.

Also, if you missed the EliteFTS twitter chat we had last week... whew! You missed out. Several of the EFS team members answered questions (Live) from readers. If you want to read back on some of that chat, you can go to Twitter.com. In the search box enter #EliteFTS. The post will read backwards, but we talked about some great things. So be sure to check it out. And if you did miss it, then you missed out on a chance for some free EFS t-shirts.

Stay tuned because we'll be having another one sometime in the near future.

Inside Out & Magnificient Mobility

2009-09-01T09:21:00.002-04:00

We've been very busy over here at the Iron Edge. We'll be moving in 2 weeks, so needless to say, we've got alot to do. In the meantime, Mike Robertson (a friend of mine from college) is having a huge sale on some of his products that he created with Eric Cressey and Bill Hartman. They have a new product coming out soon, so they are discounting their Magnificent Mobility and Inside Out stuff. If you haven't seen any of these products yet, check them out. Well, worth it!

Go to Mike's product page and enter FALL09 in the checkout code box and you'll get 30% off!

The Rotater: Review

2009-08-14T14:14:00.003-04:00

Shoulder injuries are common in any sport. Whether it's powerlifting, baseball, football... you name it.

Enter: The Rotater

The Rotater's creator is Scott Kay. After several motorcycle racing accidents and three shoulder surgeries, Scott came up with this.

This device can be used for stretching (both internally and externally) and even strengthening. By attaching the strong arm kit, you can also perform internal and external strengthening exercises.

I've been using it for the past week and I love the strengthening part of it. I use it as a warm-up on my upper body days. Personally, I've never had tight shoulders, but I can definitely see how this can stretch and alleviate some of those tight spots.

This is a great tool to be used in conjunction with your physical therapy program. It allows you, the patient, to stretch at home and strengthen when you need to. Check out the Rotater's blog for more info on shoulder rehab and performance. You can also follow him on Twitter @TheRotater.

Be Strong,

Julia

The Tao of B - A Short Book review

2009-08-06T08:06:00.004-04:00

I will start by saying you should have this book in your library. Glen " Power B" Buechlein is a great story teller and enjoys his fair share of hard work. I would generally consider Power B a bench press specialist but he offers much more than that. His wit and humor makes this a very easy read and also provides a number of different ways to torture your body into submission.

Here are a few things he covers.

* Bench Press technique

* Max Effort Training

* Repetition work (some really different ideas on this one!)

* Triceps/Lockout work (Triceps Death, Beekers, Triceps Death variations, etc.)

* 10 week training program for the bench press

* Insane training for the back

* Strongman training

* Conditioning work that you have never thought of or seen

* Odd lift training

* Bench Press challenges

* Kettlebell challenges

My training partners and I have put into practice a few ideas from this book and they will be staples in our program for a long time to come. If you enjoy pushing yourself physically and mentally through workouts, or need some different ideas for training, it's a great book. This is for sale at Elitefts.com in e-book version or hardcopy.

If you are not sold yet here are a few other articles by Power B to get you started. Some of the articles are also in the book so you will get an idea of what you are getting.

The Voyeur

Keepers and Thowbacks

The Glass is Half Full

Just Do It

Digit Ratios and a Predisposition to Strength

Pop goes the Weasel

Beserker Workouts

Wanted

If you do pick up the book or have read it before, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Julia's Bench Meet

2009-08-03T13:31:00.001-04:00

Julia competed in a bench meet this past weekend.

Opened with 215.
Took 240 on a second- missed.
Took 240 again on a third and got it.

Update

2009-07-24T10:59:00.003-04:00

We were gone on vacation for a bit, hence, the lack of posting.

Julia has a bench meet coming up August 1st. Her first meet since April of '08. 6 months post-pregnancy too!

Matt is training for a full meet in October. Training is going well for him and he's been experimenting with some different things.

Interview with Julia at The Training Talk

2009-07-07T13:25:00.002-04:00

Julia recently did an interview with Rick Hochfeld over at The Training Talk. Take a moment to head over there and check it out.

Coaching Cues: Squeeze the Bar

2009-07-06T12:37:00.004-04:00

Some of the things I see in the weight room amaze me. Especially this one - when bench pressing, the athlete's fingers will actually begin to open up as they press the bar. What? Yeah, I don't get it either, but it happens. Little do they realize that by actually squeezing the bar harder it will help them lift more.

Make sure the athlete has a good grip on the bar. By that, I mean that the bar should be set in the palm of the hand, closer to the wrist, not up by the knuckles or fingers. If the bar is up by the knuckles, then it bends the wrist back. Also, try instructing the athlete to use a closed grip, not a thumb-less grip. Some of us more advanced lifters can get away with using a thumb-less grip. Heck sometimes I switch back and forth. But for my athletes, I make it a point to have them keep their thumbs around the bar. This forces them to squeeze the bar. As the weight gets heavier and you can see that they are starting to struggle, instruct them to squeeze the bar. Hearing that cue mid-lift will help them to realize that they might be loosening their grip.

So, SQUEEZE THE BAR. Try this cue and let me know how it works for you or your athletes.

Mobility Madness

2009-06-30T12:00:00.005-04:00

Prior to having 2 kids, I was very diligent with my mobility work, doing it before every workout and having minimal problems. Since having kids, my mobility work has been pushed to the side. My workouts are sporadic and sometimes cut short, so I find myself skipping the mobility part. Bad on my end.

A good friend of mine, Mike Roberston, has a series of awesome products that feature mobility and how the lack of mobility is a serious problem to athletes, powerlifters and recreational lifters alike.

I've just recently made it a point to get back into the swing of doing it on a regular basis and I can honestly already start to feel a difference. I'm nowhere near where I was before, but it's getting better. My routine includes many of the exercises featured here in Mike and Eric Cressey's DVD Magnificent Mobility.

If you haven't seen it before, I highly suggest you check it out. If you aren't sure what kind of warm-ups you should be doing prior to or post workout, then, yes, you need to check it out. If you are sitting there saying, Ehh, I don't need that, then yes, you too, need to check it out. You won't regret it. Mobility, especially for athletes, is such an overlooked part of training, but it's so important and can really reduce the amount of injuries they have. It really is important. Do not leave this portion of your athletes' training out!

Training log

2009-06-24T10:44:00.003-04:00

Here are my last two workouts. It is tim eot buckle down and start prepping for a meet in October.

Monday

Pin one deadlift - conventional stance 135, 245, 335, 385, 425, 475, 515, 565, 605, 635x1, 675xmiss

seated goodmornings with ssb 185 2x8, 225x8

pull thrus 110 2x10, 120x10, 130x10 140x10

ghr with plate against chest 3x10

abs against ghr

ankle dragging 24kg 5x200 ft

Wednesday

Speed bench with El gordo 185 5x5
tricep death (with elgordo) 2, 3, 4 boards

set 1 - 225 5 reps each board with 3 second hold at lockout
set 2 - same as set 1
set 3 - 255 1 rep on each board with 10 second hold between each rep

chest supported rows 90# 4x10

prowler suicides 1 plate each handle 3 trips total each one getting longer than the last.

I would like to die now. Thanks.

Catching up on training

2009-06-19T09:55:00.002-04:00

Wow the last few weeks have been very busy. We had to cut the last deload week short as we are planning around peoples vacations and one training partners new job duties out of town.

So here is what we did the last few weeks.

For speed squats we used a straight bar and blue bands. You can see what I did on weeks two and three in the videos below. Week one (no video) I used 315 for a couple sets and 365 for a couple sets.

Speed bench
We used monster minis for 5x5 and then did dumbell overhead pressing.

Max effort squats

The first two weeks were ssb to the hassock (12 inch soft box) and arch back goodmornings. The third week I was out of town and did some stiff leg deadlifts but nothing crazy.

Max effort bench

We hit fat bar three board press and floor press with chain.

Cutting the deload short by 2 days really made things much harder. It left me very un-motivated and I did not update any of my training logs.

I will be back on track starting next week.

Coaching Cues: Chest Up/Out

2009-06-18T10:38:00.005-04:00

Many exercises that we use on a daily basis involve some type of position where your chest should be out and shoulders should be somewhat retracted. Over the years, I've heard people use various cues when squatting, saying things like "head up", "head back" or "drive your head back in the bar". While those are great cues for more advanced lifters who might have a good sense of body awareness, I find those cues can be very vague to some athletes or newbies to lifting. Especially if they are visual learners, which I find many athletes are. Putting them in the right position can really make a big difference in how they fix their technique.

Let me explain.

Most of the athletes we come across are new to lifting. And even if they have some lifting experience, they just think about "moving the weight" rather than being in the right position. I've found that certain cues can really help an athlete understand their position and learn to feel when it's wrong and when it's right.

Here are a few exercises that I use the words "Chest Up" or "Stick your chest out" for, and why I think it's helped.

SQUAT
When squatting, if you just say "head up", the athlete may look up towards the ceiling. And while that may naturally stick their chest out too, it doesn't necessarily put their upper back in the right position. If you say "chest out" or "chest up", the athlete can feel and see their chest sticking out, which also locks in their upper back, keeping them from hunching forward while squatting.

RDL
This is another exercise that can be tricky to learn. Many athletes lack the body awareness to pivot at the hips in this exercise. They either want to bend at the waist (causing a rounded back) or bend at the knees (resulting in a squat). And as they weight increases, it can easily pull an athlete's shoulders forward. That's why I use the cue "stick your chest out" or "chest out". Again, the athlete can see and feel their shoulders being locked into place. And while it doesn't automatically lock in their lumbar spine, it will make a big difference. If I see an athlete started to round out their lower back, I can usually use this cue and it will correct that.

Bench Press
Yes, even the bench press can benefit from this coaching cue. When an athlete lies on the bench very flat-backed, they have lost the ability to use their lats. When you coach them to have a big chest or "stick their chest out", that helps them retact the shoulder blades and automatically lifts their chest up, resulting in a shorter distance to move the bar. (A big benefit that can add major pounds to one's bench press!)

Deadlifting
This is especially good for sumo deadlifters, but conventional pullers can use this as well. When pulling sumo, many times the hips rise too soon, resulting in a stiff-legged deadlift. If you cue the athlete to have their "chest up/out", this can help lock in their upper and lower back and in turn, keep their hips closer to the bar. Keeping your hips close to the bar is crucial for sumo deadlifting.

So, there you have it. Sometimes you have to change a few words or try new cues to get an athlete to really understand what the correct position is. For me, this cue is one that is repeated often in my weight room.

Matt's training log

2009-05-22T19:38:00.003-04:00

Catching up over the last two weeks

Sunday May 11th

Suspended ssb goodmornings 135 185, 225, 275, 315, 365, 385x1
ssb front squats 135, 225x5
ghr and blue band 4x8

afternoon
short strap hypers 140x12, 230 3x12
blast strap t's 2x12

Wednesday May 13th

speed bench 1 set ofchain, 205 5x5
incline 205x10, 225x10
incline db extenstions 50x8, 60 5x8
bb front raise 75 4x12
pulldowns 4x12
upright rows 95 3x12

Friday May 15th

speed squat cambered bar 455 6x2

pin one deadlift against quad mini bands 495 3x3
single leg rdls 80 3x12 each leg
poor man back attack green band 3x12
sled drag behind the knees 2 plates 5x200ft, backard drag 5x200 ft

Sunday May 17th

Cambered bar 2 board press, 135 185, 225, 275, 315, 345, 355x1
pin 21 lockouts comp grip 315, 405, 495, 545, 585x5
db rows 125 2x10
db curls 2x12
db powercleans 20 2x12

Monday May 18th

reverse blue band deadlift conventional stance
245, 335, 425, 515, 605, 655, 695x1, 745xmiss

round back goodmornings 135, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5

short strap hypers 230 2x12
ghr w/ blue band 4x8

afternoon workout
indian club swings 50 x 3 different ways.
short strap hypers 230 2x12
leg raises against mini bands 3x15
purple band pushdowns 1x50

Wednesday May 20th

speed bench 1 chain 185 5x5
close grip incline 215x8, 235x8
incline rolling dumbell ext 60 5x8
pulldowns 4x10
barbell front raise 75 4x10

prowl-low the leader 3 trips. I wanted to die after this.

Friday May 22nd

Camber bar box squat with 3 set of chain 135, 225, 315, 365, 405, 455, 495, 525x2, 545x1

pin one deadlift against quad mini 315, 365, 405, 455, 495, 545, 585xmiss, 585x1

poor man back attack green band 3x12
single leg rdl 100 3x8
pulldown abs staggered stance 4x20
belt dragging 3 plates x 200 ft 4 plates 4x200 ft

Make your own indian clubs for under $10

2009-05-22T12:24:00.004-04:00

I have been wanting to try out some Indian clubs for a while but can see shelling out $60 for a one or two pound pair. Then what if I need a heavier pair? Those can run over $100. Well I found a cheap way to make a three pound pair and will try making a heavier pair in a few days.

Here is what you will need.

a drill
a funnel
some duct tape
safety goggles
some rags
2 small wiffle ball bats ($1.50 each)
1 can of great stuff or expanding foam ($4)
a couple pounds of sand or whatever you want to use for weight ($4 for 50#s)

and that is it.

1. Take you bats a drill a hole in the handle.

2. Tape the funnel to the bat so sand does not spill everywhere.

3. Fill the bat with as much or as little sand as you want. I stopped filling before the sand go to the handle. This gave me plenty of room to fill the handle and then some with foam.

4. Fill the handle with the expanding foam. Try to get the foam as deep into the head of the bat as possible. The foam is very sticky and it be difficult to get into the head of the bat. In my case the foam shot out of the top and did make a little of a mess. So be careful and wear goggles. You really don't want this stuff on your skin or in your eyes. It is under pressure and will explode out of the top if filled too much.

5. Let it set over night. Cut off any foam that expanded out of the hole. My foam did not get all the way to the sand but is close enough that it will not be a problem.

6. Swing away. I would consider putting tape around the bat to prevent it from breaking since it was only $1.50.

These two turned out great and if they break they did not cost very much. A couple minutes of swinging will hit your upper back like crazy. Give it a try and tell me how it goes.

Here are a few videos of different things to do with the clubs.

http://indianclubs.com/patmiletich.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7GM3tnQ-ys

There are a lot of videos out there and a ton of different options. Good luck.

Mommy Monday Thursday

2009-05-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

Yes, I realize it's Thursday, but I wanted to get another Mommy Monday post up here.

I've already covered the first and second trimesters, so if you missed those, be sure to check them out.

THIRD TRIMESTER

If you've made it this far and you're still working out, KUDOS! It's tough to stick it out for the entire pregnancy as fatigue (and your growing belly) can get in the way (pun intended). I look at the third trimester as mainly a maintenance phase. At this point, the baby has developed all major organs and now just needs to grow! So providing it with lots of GOOD nutrition and rest is key.

Unless you are a veteran powerlifter, I would cut back any max effort lifting in exchange for some repetition work. Keep all your pressing movements in the standing or sitting position or inclined (try to avoid laying flat on your back). Most of my upper body movements consisted of various incline presses, shoulder presses and pullups.

Lower body exercises can get tricky since the baby is significantly bigger. Plus, the ligaments in the pelvis begin to loosen so caution needs to be taken when squatting and lunging. I still did box squats throughout my third trimester, but I did lower the intensity. Most of my other lower body exercises consisted of step-ups, glute ham raises, bird dogs and other prehab/rehab exercises. I will advise caution when doing lower body exercises.... because the baby already puts some stress on the lower back, only do what is comfortable for you.

Stay tuned for a post on Postnatal exercises and how to get your pre-baby body back!

More of JB's Lean Eating

2009-05-21T10:12:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to pass along another video clip of JB's Lean Eating Program.

http://precisionnutrition.com/cmd.php?pageid=483188&u=20k

$10 grand just for looking good

2009-05-18T11:50:00.004-04:00

When Dr. John Berardi dropped me an line the other day, telling me all about his new program, I thought he had gone crazy.

Now, don't get me wrong. I respect Dr Berardi. He helped me with my pregnancy nutrition (juicing to be exact... my first trimester was laden with nausea from chicken and vegetables). However, when I watched this video he sent over, and learned that he's giving away $20,000 of his own money, he definitely got my attention.

Check out this blog post for yourself.

http://precisionnutrition.com/cmd.php?pageid=483188&u=20k

To qualify for the 10 grand, you have to participate in the Lean Eating program. You get 6 months of world class coaching, the type of coaching you can't find anywhere. And, during these 6 months, if you achieve the best body transformation, you'll win 10K.

I've heard Dr. Berardi speak in person. The guy is amazing. He is so ~~freakin'~~ smart and knowledgable when it comes to this stuff, so to have 6 months of nutrition coaching... shoot, good deal!

Worst case scenario, you come out with the best body of your life. Best case scenario, you come out with the best body of your life, and 10 GRAND. So, I highly encourage you to check out this post below. In it, Dr Berardi shares with you two critical components for body transformation success. And then he tells you exactly how one man and one woman are going to swoop in and claim $10 G's of his own money.

http://precisionnutrition.com/cmd.php?pageid=483188&u=20k

Now, this message is time sensitive. It will not self destruct, but spots are limited in this program. And LOTS of people want in. So, if you're interested in finding out exactly how to eat to get in the best shape of your life, click the link below. 10 grand may be waiting for you on the other side.

http://precisionnutrition.com/cmd.php?pageid=483188&u=20k

Good luck,

Julia

Matts training log.

2009-05-11T17:11:00.002-04:00

Well we are back at it after our meet. I now have a new weak point for my bench and deadlift and I will be addressing those over the next few months. Here are the last few workout.

Monday May 5th

straight bar box squat 135, 245, 335, 425, 515, 565, 605x1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ0lMfFytOE

rdls 185 4x6
ghr and green band 3x8

afternoon
short strap hypers 190 2x15
split squats 2x8
leg raises against mini 2x12
belt dragging 3 plates 8x200 ft.

Wednesday May 7th

Speed bench 205 + 1 chain 5x5
incline bench 195x10, 205x10

incline db extensions 50x8, 60 4x8
upright rows 75 4x12

bb front raises 75 4x12
pulldowns 4x12

Prowler plate and quarter on each handle 6x100ft (3 upper, 3 lower)

Then did some purple band curls later that afternoon

Friday May 9th

Speed squat cambered bar 365 with 3 set of chain. 8x2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFxHj4VAuG8

pin one pulls against quad mini 3 x 3
single leg rdl 60 x 10, 80 2 x 10
poor man back attack green band 4 x 8
pulldown abs 4 x 15

sled drag betwen legs 2 plates 6 x 200ft
backward 3 plates 4 x 200ft

Sunday May 11

3 board 135, 185, 225, 275, 315, 365, 395 x 1, 415 x miss, 355 x 5
overhead press 185 2 x 5
db rows 125 4 x 10
green band pushdowns 5 x 12
db powercleans 20 5 x 12
db curls 3 x 12

Tainted Supplements?

2009-05-06T14:24:00.004-04:00

As a collegiate strength coach, part of my job is to guide our athletes nutritionally. And just like the recreational lifter and powerlifter, these athletes are looking for something to help them in their strength gains, mass gains, or recovery process. Therefore, they turn to the ever-growing supplement company to give them what they are looking for.

As a college strength coach, it is also my "job" to inform the athletes that any supplement they take is not regulated by the FDA and may possibly contain illegal substances resulting in a positive drug test.

So when I received an email from John Berardi of Precision Nutrition about tainted supplements, I was very interested. Because after all, I've always heard that supplements could be tainted, but never really knew how often that happened. And since supplements in athletics is something I deal with, I wanting to see what he had to say.

You can check out the article here.

(Note to reader: I am not here to discuss anabolic steroids or supplements and whether they are right or wrong. I am not here to discuss which supplements are good or bad. I am simply offering this bit of information for you to take what you want from it. As a strength coach, I feel that we need to keep our eyes open so that our athletes are successful.)

Matt's training log

2009-05-01T15:32:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks have been a deload into a push pull meet. I did not hit any records but I was very close and it showed that I brought up my weak points like I wanted but I did neglect other parts leving me without a new personal best. Check out my meet video below.

Since we have been pushing the prowler, pulling the sled and doing some assistance work. We will atart a new cycle on Monday. Congrats to my training partners who both broke their personal bests on the bench and deadlift.

Julia's Squatting Video

2009-05-01T14:37:00.005-04:00

You can watch my box squatting from today here.

To Tuck or Not to Tuck...

2009-04-28T09:56:00.004-04:00

... that is the question. Years ago, it seemed all the popular "rage" to really tuck your elbows hard when benching. It took the stress off the shoulders and placed it on the triceps. Over the years, I've seen everything from what looks like a close grip bench (elbows touching sides) to elbows out, bodybuilder type bench. So what's right and what's wrong?

First, it depends on the width of your grip. Closer grip will obviously have elbows tucked more. But the problem is when people go to a competition grip (wide- outside power rings) and still tuck their elbows too much. This will lead to you getting "handcuffed", which basically means your body is not in the correct mechanical position and makes it impossible to push. (I've been guilty of this several times myself). You can even get handcuffed if you're using a bench shirt. We were taught to bring the bar low and really tuck. If you do this, chances are the bar will drift right back into the rack.

Second, as I just mentioned, it depends on if you are benching raw or with a shirt. Raw benchers most likely will not have to tuck as much. Shirted benchers will tuck a little more to get the bar in the groove of the shirt, but like I said above, don't over do it.

So, when you put these two things together, you should be able to figure out how much to tuck. Raw bench with a close grip - sure, you can get away with tucking your elbows alot. But as soon as you move out wider, your elbows have to follow. Remember, your elbows and wrists need to stay in line with each other. If your hands go back first, the bar will fall on your face.

Happy Benching!

Mommy Monday

2009-04-20T08:02:00.003-04:00

SECOND TRIMESTER

During the second trimester is where you'll probably need to start making some changes. Keep a closer eye on your heart rate during cardio, staying under 150 bpm (although I think most websites and doctors will say 140). But if you are already in decent shape and have been training for awhile, you should be ok. Just listen to your body. Anytime your heart rate gets too high, you are pulling the oxygen away from the baby to your working heart and muscles, so that's why you don't want your heart rate too high.

As for lifting, most lifting exercises can stay the same. Again, if you've been lifting, your body should be prepared to continue. Tone down the max effort stuff and start working with submax weights, 3-5 RM's. You can continue to do most of your accessory work, except for anything lying on your stomach (reverse hypers, for example). During this phase, I added in more single leg work (lunges, step-ups, etc) and some circuit type training one day a week. Remember to keep an eye on your heart rate though.

It was also during this time (towards the end of this trimester- after 24 weeks) that I limited my abdominal work. I did some light crunches, but nothing that put too much stress on the abs.

If you are new to training, start slow and only do what your body is accustomed to doing. Pregnancy is not the time to start something different. If you are experiencing any pain, please contact your doctor.

Training log update and live streaming workout

2009-04-09T13:40:00.002-04:00

Speed bench with 3 chain 185 7x3, 225 x1 to test my speed

tricep death (3,4,5 boards) 3 reps each board 225x1, 275x1

chest supported y+t 25 3x12 each direction
back to back with
prisoner pulldowns 4x12

tates to a carpet 50x10, 60 3x10 + purple band
hammer curls
side bends

April 11th I will be traveling down to train with Smitty from the Diesel Crew and Joe Hashey from Synergy Athletics. Watch our heavy lower body workout at 11:30 eastern time. Watch it live here http://www.ustream.tv/channel/diesel-strength

Training log update.

2009-04-06T14:51:00.005-04:00

Things are coming around for the meet on the 25th.

Sunday 4/5/09
bench 135, 185, 225, 275, 315x2, 335x2, 355x1, 375xmiss
add shirt 405 2 boardx1, 455 1 boardx1, 495xtouch with head raise x1

rotator bar pulldowns 5x12
rotator bar face pulls 4x15
pushdowns 5x8

Monday 4/6/09
Speed squat with ssb 335 7x2
Speed deadlift 505 7x2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Mz1JDESHo

Roller reverse hypers 140 x10, 190 4x10

Afternoon session
green band pull thrus 5x12 with 15 seconds between sets

situps on ghr 25 4x10

sled drag 2 plates with straps held behind knees 2x200ft

backward drag 3 plates 2x200ft

Training log update

2009-04-03T13:49:00.002-04:00

March 23rd
Getting ready for a push/pull meet so we went with a one week circa max.

Circa max (blue and green bands)
135, 225, 315x2, 365x1, add suit straps down, 405 3x2, 455x1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyfMjlyg39g

pin pulls hole 1 against quad mini 245, 335, 425, 515, 605x1, 675xmiss

afternoon
sled drag 3 plates 12x100ft

circuit 2 x
ghrx12
short strap hypers 330 x10
green band judo pulldown abs x10 each side

3/25 Wednesday

Wed
Speed bench high/low method 185 and 2 minis per side 4x3,
take off 1 mini per side 185 4x3

db bench 100x12, 12, 21 (rep record)
tates with a mini band 50 4x12
pull ups x4, 4, 3, 3, 3
dumbell curls 5x8
face puls 3x12

3/27 Friday
Ssb goodmornings 135, 185, 225, 275, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 455x1
camber bar zerchers from floor
135, 225x5 add chains, 225, 275 2x5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ckz5jWvds

sled dragging 3 plates 5x200 ft
pulldown abs 5x8

Walk with baby harness of death x 1 mile.

Sunday 3/29

Sunday
reverse blue band bench 155, 225, 275, 315, 365, 405, 455x1, 515xmiss
fat bar 6 board, 225, 315, 405x8, 455x6
bradfords 165 3x8
t bar rows with fat DD handle 3x12
elbow out rows 3x12

Monday 3/30
Speed squat ssb 365 8x2
speed deadlift 545 6x1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrgZI1Y4Ctw

short strap hypers 230 4x12
GHR 6x10
judo pulldown abs 3x12

Wednesday 4/1
speed bench with mini band 185 8x3
4 inch camber bar bench 225 2 board x8, 1 board x8,
chest, 1 board and 2 board 4 reps on each

pullups x4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3
tates with a mini band 50 5x10
piston face pulls 2 purple bands 3x15
curls

Friday 4/3
rackable camber bar 14 inch box squat with medium stance
135, 225, 275x2, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1, 455x1, 485x1

stiff leg sumo deadlift 225, 315, 365 3x5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reQvKn2kvMQ

ghr green band 4x10
pulldown abs 4x10

Mommy Monday

2009-03-30T14:54:00.004-04:00

First of all, I hope Matt doesn't kill me for having a post title "Mommy Monday." I know, you thought this was a training blog. Well, you're right. On Mondays, I will feature a post about prenatal training, post-partum training and everything in between. (OK, maybe not everything, but you get my point.)

I get alot of questions asking about what women should do while their pregnant. Some have training backgrounds, some don't. And while I will say upfront, that each woman is different and each pregnancy is different, I hope these posts will give some guidelines on what can and shouldn't be done.

FIRST TRIMESTER

Most women don't even know they are pregnant until they are at least 6 weeks along, if not farther. Most of your training can remain the same during the first trimester. You probably won't be showing yet so the size of your stomach shouldn't be an issue. The only thing that may really hinder you is the FATIGUE. If you're anything like me, I wanted to sleep all day. So my motivation to train was miniscule.

I continued to squat, bench, and deadlift heavy and my speed work remained the same intensity as well. Of course, I would recommend you go with whatever you are comfortable with. If you don't feel comfortable doing a true max effort lift, then I would recommend doing sub-max for reps (3-5). Keep all your accessory work the same as well. Continue with your training as much as you can. It's during the second trimester that you'll need to make some adjustments. (Stay tuned for that next week.)

As for your nutrition, make sure you are taking prenatal vitamins and I would also recommend a GOOD fish oil. Eat well and add a couple hundred extra calories a day. It's not as much as it seems - maybe an extra shake or a couple pieces of fruit. Especially if you have morning sickness and are throwing up. If that's the case - lots of liquids and anything you can hold down!

Good luck and until next week....

Training log update

2009-03-21T17:40:00.004-04:00

The last few weeks have been pretty busy and crazy for me so I apologize for not keeping up on my log. To catch you up I had a visit to Westside barbell the weekend of the Arnold where I pulled 585 off pin two against quad monster mini bands using a conventional stance. We did two weeks of a blue band and then deloaded thinking we were going to do circa max.

We changed the meet that we are doing so we are scrapping circa max since we are not squatting at this meet, but wil still push up our speed work. So here are the last few workouts.

3/6
Friday at Westside

Pin 2 rack pulls against quad monster minis. Conventional stance
135, 225, 315, 365, 405, 455, 495, 545, 585x1 started to loose my grip at the top
605xmiss

reverse hyper with extra traction. 3x8
hyper with weight behind feet 3x8
glute hams 2x8

afternoon
gravity crunch, more glute hams, kettlebell swings working up to 40kg 2x12

3/11

Deload upper

db bench 40, 60, 80, 100 2x12
face pulls green band 2x12
tates 40 and mini 5x12
prowler walk 2 plates each side 2x 50 steps

afternoon
curls
pulldown abs
pull ups

3/13

Max effort lower deload week

hamstring goodmornings 135 2x8
poor man back attack 4x12
side bends 80 4x12
sled drags 3 plates 10x100ft

3/15

Max upper deload
Illegal wide bench 135, 185, 225, 275x6
bradford press 135 4x8
Fat DD t bar rows 3 plates 3x12
Rolling dumbell extensions on the floor 40 2x8, 50 3x8

3/16

Wife went back to work today after materninty leave so I had to cut my morning workout short.

SSB with purple band over plates. 365 5x2
deadlift with plates 1/2 inch lower than feet 245, 335, 435, 475, 525, 565, 615x1 First time deadlifting in this suit and not bad. Still a little beat up from last couple of weeks.

pull thrus 4x8 130-150 and some added tension with a mini band.

Afternoon

Done in a circuit 3 times

reverse hypers short strap 330 3x12
overhead keg lunges 3x6 each leg
judo throw pulldown abs with green band 3x8 each side

belt dragging 3 plates and a quater 10x100ft

3/18

Speed bench 185 and mini band 9x3

db press 80x12, 100x12, 12, 20 ties a rep record for 3 sets. If I would have know I would have done one more.

pull ups x5, 4, 4, 3 all different grips

tates with mini band behind back. 45x12, 50 x12, 12, 12, 10

piston face pulls - purple band each hand 3x15

bb curls 70 3x12

Afternoon
shoulder traction
external rotators 3x15
pushdowns 2x12
foam roller situps 2x12 8kg kettlebell each hand

3/20

Deadlift standing on 2 inch plaform
135, 225, 275, 315, 365, 405, 455, 495, 545, 595, 615x1

Video of pulls and good mornings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6blEpN6wBY

camber bar goodmornings 225x8, 315x8, 405x6

green band leg curls single leg 3x12

pull down abs 3x12

3/21

3 board bench with 3 chain per side. 135, 185, 225, 275, 295, 315, 335x1

far bar 6 board 275, 315, 365x8, 405x6

bradford press 95, 135, 155 2x8

t bar rows with fat DD handle 135 4x12

dumbell extensions on floor 50 5x10

That should bring you up to speed. If you have any questions about my training send me a message. Thanks.

Speed Work or Rep Work?

2009-03-18T13:45:00.006-04:00

We (myself and the other Q&A people on Elite Fitness) get lots of questions asked about speed work and rep work. It seems speed work became very popular about 8-10 years ago and now, you hear alot of people say they don't do it anymore. Why? What are they doing instead? And how do you know if you should be doing it or not?

Let me first say that alot of it is dependant on your level of experience and strength. Most beginners, whether you are a powerlifter or an athlete, will benefit from rep work. Rep work is great for building muscle and working on the technical aspect of the lifts. And rep work doesn't necessarily mean you are doing sets of 10 or 20. Repetition work can be sets of 5 at a certain weight.

Speed work will be more beneficial for the intermediate to advanced lifter (powerlifters and athletes alike). Speed work is typically done in sets of singles for deadlift, doubles for squats and triple or even fives for speed bench. Sets can be anywhere between 5-12 sets. Chains and bands can be added as well to accomodate resistance.

So, what does this mean for you? Maybe you are an intermediate powerlifter but you're still not sure if speed work is right for you. In my opinion, speed work is great leading up to a competition. Personally, I didn't do speed work for a few months (due to being at the end of my pregnancy, then post-baby). During that time frame, I did rep work. I replaced my speed bench with overhead pressing. At the time, I had no need to do speed work.

Now that I am back in competitive mode, I have noticed that my speed strength is slow. I've put on a bench shirt a few times and have noticed that I just don't have the speed I used to. Even with my raw work. So, it's back to speed work for awhile. If you're not competitive, you can switch between speed work and repetition work, doing 3 weeks of each.

Training log update

2009-02-27T18:20:00.005-05:00

2/25/09 Speed bench

Speed bench 2 chain 185 6x3
Pin press while laying on floor 225, 315, 405, 455, 495x5
incline JM press 185 2x6
dumbell overhead press 50 2x15
fat man rows against mini band 4x8
hammer curls 4x8

2/27/09 Max effort lower

Free squat 145, 195 add briefs, 255, 345, 395, 435, add suit straps down, 545, 635x2, 685 2x2

Here is the video of todays squatting.

rackable camber bar goodmornings 135, 225, 315, 405x6, 315x8
poor man back attack 2x12
superset with short strap hypers 140 2x20

Afternoon session
16kg kettlebell front squats with heels elevated 2x8
side bends 80 4x10

Article: Interview w/ Julia on EFS

2009-02-27T10:53:00.002-05:00

You can check out a new interview with Julia that is now up on Elite Fitness Systems. Julia spoke with The Angry Coach the other day about training philosophies, the success of the football program at the University and how to break into the Strength field. You can check out the article here.

Training log - 2/23/09

2009-02-24T12:18:00.003-05:00

Last week was a deload week so there is not much to tell about that week other than I got sick and I am still fighting off a cold. No pressing,squatting or deadlifting last week so I got to recover pretty well.

Monday 2/23/09

Morning
speed squat with a blue band 315 5x2

ultra wide deadlifts worked up to 495 2x5

Glute ham raises (elevated 16 inches) x10, 10, add med ball for contrast x10, 9

Here is a video of the morning workout.

Afternoon workout

long strap reverse hypers 330 3x12

leg raises against mini bands 3x12

face pulls with rotator bar 3x12

Training log update

2009-02-21T08:25:00.002-05:00

My last two max effort workouts were gear work. I put on a borrowed squat suit and worked up to 665 for a double. I need more hamstring work and more ab work before my meet in 8 weeks.

Max effort bench went a little better but I can't quite get over the hump and double more than 515. My left arm stays tucked and I handcuff myself before I get the bar to lockout. Having gained weight since I got the shirt has made touching much harder but I have already taken off five pounds and will take off another five before I have to cut weight before the meet.

This week has been a deload week so it has been pretty low key. All assistance work and I have upped my cardio frequency to four days a week for 20-30 minutes.

The Last three months

We just finished up with a three month cycle and as always there are good and bad things to take from it all. I know I need to keep pushinf my raw strength to get more out of my bench press shirt. We got away from exercises like illegal wide benching and camber bar benching and my raw bench press has stayed the same.

My squat seems to be going well other than my gear work. I have a new squat suit on the way so I will be able to better gauge where I am at with my competition squat.

My deadlift is also in a good place right now. Since I have added in direct quad work the start of my deadlift has gotten better. I hit a big pr against bands and that is a good indicater for me.

As a whole the last cycle was a bit much with all of the band work and gear work. But if all goes well at the meet we may do something like this again. Back to the drawing board.

2009-02-12T17:28:00.003-05:00

2/11/09 Training Log

Speed bench
monster mini band 185 6x3 on foam pad

Tricep death 2, 3, 4, 5
2 reps on 2-4 board and 4 rep on the 5 board
225, 245 x 2 sets

shrugs 225 3x12

rotator bar pulldowns 180 3x12

curl with ez bar 70 3x12

face pulls 3x12

Plate pinch 25# plates 3x10 seconds each hand. Much better this time.

Afternoon session
arm bars 8kg kettlebell 3 on each arm
rack walks with miniband around wrists
Then had my wife stretch my hamstrings.

Training log 2/8/09-2/9/093

2009-02-09T16:29:00.005-05:00

2/8/09 max effort bench

Metal Militia reverse band (blue)

225, 275, 315, 365, 405, 455, 505x1 (pr)

I flared my elbows to early. The set up may have something to do with this but I still got it.

Here is a video of the reverse bands. Also a training partner hitting a huge attempt at 635.

Floor press with 2 chain on each side
135, 185, 225x5, 275x2 (shouder was not happy after the reverse band)

dumbell rows 120 4x8
face pulls 110 2x12
skull crushers with ez curl bar 120 4x10
blast strap y+t 2x8 each direction
db curls 3 sets I wont tell the weight because it is that embarrasing.

2/9/09 speed squat

Speed squat with green band and 2 chain
315x2, 365x1, add suit on top of briefs 405 2x2, 455x2, 495x2

speed deadlift barweight 405x1, 455x1, 505 3x1

Video of the squatting and deadlifting

reverse hypers short strap outside of plates 240 4x12

kettlebell front squat
standing on decline.
8kg 3x12 as far down as I could go.

afternoon
ghr 3x8
ab wheel 3x8
green band arch back good mornings 3x12

Training log 2/6/09

2009-02-08T09:39:00.003-05:00

Max effort lower

Deadlift against double mini bands.

Things were heavy from the start and it was expected with the heavier work we were pushing on speed days.

135, 185, 225, 275 315, 365, 405, 455, 495, 545x1, 585xmiss

I broke my record on this exercise a month ago and I am wondering if I can only deadlift 2 out of 3 waves. The other option is to up the deadlift reps the first month to 5. This will be decided after the meet.

Short strap hypers 290 3x12
ball leg curls 3x12
pulldown abs 3x12

Saturday extra workout
airdyne 30 min.
bodyweight lunges 2x15 each leg
foam roller calves and hamstrings.

Training log 2/4/09

2009-02-05T08:49:00.002-05:00

Speed bench with monster mini off foam board. 185 6x3

modified tricep death (boards 3, 4, 5 with monser mini)
275 x 2 on each board
275 x2 on 3 board,x 2 on 4 board, x6 on 5 board

Here is a video of todays tri death.

Finished up with a circuit
barbell shrugs in front 315 2x15, behind 225 2x15
curls with ez curl bar 95 3x8
rotator bar pulldowns 180 5x10
plate pinch 25# plates 3 sets each hand.

Training log 2/1/09 and 2/2/09

2009-02-02T18:01:00.004-05:00

Sunday 2/1/09 Max effort bench.

Bench with monster mini band
135, 185, 225, 275x1 add 3 board, 295x1, 325xmiss

I was out of my groove on the last one and seemed to beat up my shouders quite a bit. Benching against monster mini twice in 1 week is too much.

overhead press with el gordo (counted as 45 lbs)
95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 185x2 was off balance from the start so I quit after 2

face pulls 110 3x12
Dumbell rows 125 3x8
blast strap Y and T 3x8
skull crushers with ez bar 120 5x10
band curls 4x20

Monday 2/2/09 dynamic squat
Morning workout
Green band and 2 chain 315x2, 345 5x2 add canvas suit over briefs + 1 mat 365x1, 405x1

Here is a video of everything except the 405x1. The camera battery died.

Speed deadlift against double monster mini band with canvas suit on over briefs
315x1, 345 5x1, 395x1

Reverse hypers short strap outside the plates 240 3x12

Afternoon
circuit 3x
24 kg kettlebell swings against a purple band. x10
blue band round back good mornings x12
ab wheel x8

Foam roller, stick and stretch
calves, hamstrings, quads, it bands

1/30/2009

2009-01-30T13:44:00.003-05:00

This month is all singles for max effort work. We have done triples and doubles with this same exercise one and two months ago. This is an all time record for me. So things are working so far. My bodyweight was up to 260 last week. Now that our baby is born we are not eating as muh junk. I will try and take off 5-10 pounds before my next meet. I would like to compete at 242.

SSB box squat 13 inch box with foam on top.
Here is the video my squatting today.

365, 405, 455, 495, 515x1 miss with 535

arch back good mornings
135, 225, 405, 495x6

short strap (outside of plates) reverse hypers
295 3x12

stability ball leg curls
3x12

barbell lunges
135 2x8 each leg.

Later today
ab wheel, band leg curls

1/28/09 Training log

2009-01-28T13:44:00.002-05:00

Speed bench with monster mini band 185 6x3

Ass boards or a version of tricep death (2,3,4 boards with band still on)
225 x 2 reps on each board
255 x 2 reps each board
275 x 2 reps each board

Next three done as a circuit
rotator bar pulldowns 170 3x12
barbell shrugs 275 3x15
curls with ez bar 70 3x12

This evening will be band pushdowns, band pull aparts and leg raises.

Training 1/27/07

2009-01-27T18:36:00.002-05:00

This is the first week of this training cycle and I am preparing for a meet that is about 12 weeks out. I will write a review of the last few months of training later to get you up to speed.

Morning workout

Speed squat green band and 2 chain. 315 6x2
speed pulls against monster mini 315 5x1
short strap hypers 9strap outside of plates) 240 3x10
pulldown abs 3x10

Video of squats and deadlifts.

afternoon
24kg kettlebell swings against purple band 3x12
green band round back gms 3x12

Thoughts
I am pushing with my feet first instead of my head. That is why you see my hips come up first in a number of my squats. We just finished using the rackable camber bar so that may have something to do with it. I am also working on lowering my box height. I took out one rubber mat for this three weeks and will remove another for the next three. I need to push up my ab and hamstring work more. I have upped my quad work which has helped my deadift so that will continue.

Squat Depth

2008-12-23T10:52:00.005-05:00

I hear lots of people always asking, "How high/low should my box squat box be?", or "If I'm free squatting, how deep should I squat?"

First of all, you need to be aware of what is legal depth for the federation you lift in (if you compete). If you don't compete, know that a "good" squat is parallel, meaning top of the thigh at the hip is even with the top of the knee. For the athletes I work with, I'm not a huge stickler for squat depth. If someone is obviously too high, then we correct it. But we're not judging a powerlifting meet, so if their box height is a 1/2 inch high, I'm not going to go berserk over it. After all, athletes are athletes, not powerlifters. So my main concern is squat technique and getting them stronger.

Having said that, your training should be based around that squat height. Sometimes squatting lower, sometimes higher. The majority of our max effort training consists of using a box that is lower than or at parallel. However, we will do some "overload" type training that would allow us to use a heavier weight be anywhere from 1-4 inches above parallel.

If you are using dynamic squats, you should always be at parallel or one inch below. Keep this consistant.

Holiday Tips Manual

2008-12-10T15:11:00.002-05:00

Check it out. Dave Tate and the rest of us Q&A'ers on EliteFTS.com have all contributed to help put together this Holiday Tips Manual. For a minimum donation of $10, pick one up. ALL proceeds go Make-A-Wish. This could be a great gift for someone that is sorta new to the whole working-out thing.

Contributers include:

Dave Tate—Founder of Elite Fitness Systems; renowned speaker and author and professional powerlifter
Mike Hanley—President of Hanley Strength Systems, LLC and Owner of The Training Studio in Morganville, NJ
Jim Wendler—Senior Editor and Sales Manager of Elite Fitness Systems
The Thinker—Parts Unknown, but a student of Soviet and Eastern Bloc training methodologies.
Alwyn Cosgrove—International Tae Kwon-Do champion; Renown personal trainer, writer and motivational, personal training and business speaker
Zach Even-Esh—Personal trainer and operator of Underground Strength Coach
Jim “Smitty” Smith—Strength Coach with the Diesel Crew
CJ Murphy—Owner and Head Instructor at Total Performance Sports
Shelby Starnes—Nutritionist at Troponin Nutrition
The Angry Coach—When someone is this angry, you learn not to ask
Brian Schwab—No. 1 ranked powerlifter at 148 pounds; WPO Lightweight Champion
Marc Bartley—Owner of Total Gym in South Carolina; One of the premier powerlifters at 275 pounds
Chad Aichs—WPO competitor in the super heavyweight division; Holds AWPC records in all three lifts and the WPO three-lift bench press record
Julia Ladewski—Sports performance coach and No. 1 ranked female powerlifter at 132 pounds Matt Kroczaleski—One of the top powerlifters in the world at 220 pounds; 2006 WPO World Champion Scott Yard—Top bench press and world record setting powerlifting competitor
Chris Clark—Super heavyweight division competitive powerlifter
Justin Harris—Owner of Tropinin Nutrition and the reigning Jr. USA Super Heavyweight Bodybuilding Champion.
Jeremy Frey—Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the collegiate level; champion powerlifter
Scott Cartwright—Competitive powerlifter who has achieved Elite status in both the 275- and 308-pound weight classes
AJ Roberts—Director of Personal Training and Youth Fitness at a health club in Owensboro, Ky.; Ranked among the top powerlifters in the world in two weight classes.
Jason Ferruggia—Renowned strength and conditioning specialist in the New York/New Jersey area; has trained more than 700 athletes from over 90 different NCAA, NFL, NHL and MLB organizations
Rob Pilger—Known for producing winners and champions in several sports; people seeking fat loss and lean muscular gains have enjoyed much success with his methods
Mike Szudarek—Elite-level powerlifter in the 220-pound weight class; serves on the advisory board for the American Powerlifting Federation.

Get your copy here!!

We've been MIA...

2008-11-04T11:47:00.003-05:00

Julia here... Sorry for the lack of posting lately... things have been crazy. With a bathroom remodeling project finally finished and trying to get the house in order for the baby (due in January), we're back.

Just a few things I've been thinking of lately that I thought I'd share.

1. Why don't I use my kettlebells more often? That's right... they sit all lonely in the corner. I don't know if I just forget about using them or what. But there are SO many things you can do with them. And I love using them with my athletes. It's easier to teach than an Olympic lift and really teaches them how to use their hips explosively. Cleans, swings and snatches are a staple, but I also like to use them for single arm presses, tricep extensions and even overhead lunges.

2. Why don't I do my hip mobility more often? I used to do it religiously... before every workout and sometimes even on my off days. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I fell off the wagon and since then, my hips ache more, my back hurts more and my hamstrings are always tight. I admit it... I've been lazy. But don't underestimate how important this can be.

3. How much is life really going to change with 2 kids? I've heard the transition from 1 to 2 kids isn't bad... it's the 2 to 3 kids transition that's tough. Let's hope that's the case. My daughter will be 20 months when the baby is born, so I'm hoping that she adjusts quickly (as opposed to an older kid who has been an only child for 3 or 4 years). Either way, life will be hectic as it already is. Good thing I have a garage gym to escape to....

Now, GO VOTE!

Deadlifting tips

2008-09-15T17:33:00.006-04:00

If you pull conventional.

If you are weak off the floor turn your toes out for more leg drive but a harder lockout.
Push your knees out to the side.
Line in the bar with the top of your quads before you pull.
Know what eyelets line up under the bar so you can be consistent.
Drive your heels thru the floor.
Pull the tension out of the bar.
Pull back not up when locking out the weight.
Use your weight as a counter balance.
Let your upper back round some.
Use your belly to push off your legs
It should be hard to get to the bar if you have enough air in your belly.
It is okay to start with your head down.

If you pull Sumo.

Squat the weight up.
It will be slow off the floor keep pulling.
If you tend to lose your balance turn your feet forward some.
Push your knees out.
Start with you head up.
Keep your torso upright.
Pull back.

Other things to try or think about

Deadlift off mats
Go heavier for speed pulls (60-70%).
Low box squats work great.
Deadlift against bands will make you work.
Close stance box squats will build the start of your conventional pull.
Ultra wide deadlifts will build the start of your sumo pull.

Deloading

2008-08-11T09:38:00.005-04:00

Next week starts our deload week and it is usually needed by time we get to the end of our third week. We deload every fourth week but in the past I have taken a deload week as I felt it was needed. With a planned deload I feel we can plan our training better and get more out of the same training. When I did not plan for the deload I ended up randomly deloading and miss an important workout that I needed.
For our deload weeks we always cut out the CNS work but keep the muscular work high. We also use these weeks to work on our conditioning, rehab injuries and do some things we might not usually do for powerlifting training. We also have rep contests like kettlebell snatches, 100 glute ham raises in as few sets as possible, Power b jack me ups and other fun stuff.
If you do not use a deload in your own training or with your athletes I highly recommend it. If you are unsure what to do start by cutting your volume to 50% of your normal workload. If you need to get away from your traditional stuff try getting outside for a playground workout or just pull the sled. We find that we are ready to get back to lifting at the end of the deload. As long as your work load is lowered you should be fine. If you are looking for more information about deloading you can check out the links below.

Eric Cressey - The Art of the Deload

Jim Wendler - Deload to Reload

Eric Cressey - The Prehab Deload

playground workouts

2008-08-05T21:00:00.002-04:00

I ran into a video of these guys on http://www.straighttothebar.com/. These guys are truly amazing.

Get past this guy talking for some great action.

Home gym helper

2008-07-22T09:07:00.006-04:00

If you have a home gym like me or a small training studio you might be on a budget and can't get everything you want right away. Here are some items you can pick up at your local hardware store or make with lumber. I live near a big chain hardware store and most of this stuff can be made pretty cheap and will last a long time.

Platform

My main platform is eight foot by eight foot. I have some anti-stress rubber mats on the floor underneath to keep the wood dry. The mats I am using have holes in them so when it does rain and gets into the garage it can dry quickly. These are $20 for a 3x3 mat. After that was done I added 2 layers of plywood. One layer runs vertical and the other horizontal. Lastly I have carpet on top that is about $.45 a square foot. This is usually replaced every year.

Box squat box

I did not make this but as you can see its pretty simple. A bunch of 2x6's alternating directions each layer. Then a square of plywood on the top and bottom. This is nice and study but it is a pain to move.

Multi-purpose platform

This little platform started out as a place for our shorter lifters to put their feet when using the lat pulldown but we found other uses as well. We now use two as a platform for handing off when benching and we also use them to elevate our glute-ham-raise. These were made with scraps we had left and are one of the most useful items.

Bench boards

If you are looking for a bigger bench press then board pressing should be in your recipe. We use a 1/2 board all the way up to a 5 board. Pretty simple to make and again very cheap. If you do not want a lot of boards lying around make a one, two, three and stack them if you want a four or five board. Make sure you use 2x6's and not 2x4's they are easier to control and easier to keep in the middle of the bar.

Most of this stuff is pretty simple but can save you some money in the long run.

Computer problems

2008-07-15T19:06:00.001-04:00

If you have noticed I have not posted in a while. Our computer had some problems and needed to be fixed. I am now back online but have lost all of my favorites. If you you are like me you are always looking for new information or something that might help you with a workout in the future. Well in trying to locate all of the sites I used to visit I fugured I would pass them along to you as well.

elitefts.com
dieselcrew.com
westside-barbell.com
dragondoor.com
crossfit.com
http://www.jasonferruggia.com/
http://www.defrancostraining.com/
http://yesstraining.blogspot.com/
http://www.tacticalathlete.com/index.htm
http://www.averagetoelite.com/
http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/
http://www.straighttothebar.com/
http://www.mikemahler.com/

I am still building my list but this is a good start.

Kettlebell snatch and variations

2008-06-25T08:51:00.003-04:00

Pregnancy Training

2008-06-16T09:36:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was Fathers Day and I hope everyone had a great day. In January I will be blessed with another child. So today is about basic training for pregnant females. Most of the items listed below are guidelines from doctors and for the general population. My wife is able to get away with more due to her past training. Make sure any female who is going to workout while pregnant follow all her doctors orders.

Training

Keep your heart rate under 140 bpm.

The doc says no squats. (Julia still does them but lowers the intensity quite a bit). This is due to the softening of connective tissue to prepare for delivery.

Lying on the back to do exercise is also a no-no. Certain positions can restict blood flow to the fetus. Do more incline and overhead pressing or dumbell press on a stability ball.

As far as exercise goes there is not much to avoid. Listening to your body is key. Julia actually improved her bench press and within three months of delivery was setting personal bests.

Nutrition

For this Julia consulted with John Berardi. He had alot of good information and I think it made all the difference. Julia gained only 22 pounds and after giving birth, was actually down about six pounds from where she started. I think most women are fooling themselves when they get pregnant and think it's a free pass to eat whatever they want. This makes it much harder after delivery and also sets up the baby for problems in the future.

No caffine

No artificial sweetners

15 servings of fruits and vegetable (10 veggies and 5 fruits). John said this would be difficult, so get a juicer. Making juice each day with fruit that is close to going bad and alot of greens made it much easier for her to get all the recommended servings everyday.

Avoid processed food. This was a little tougher for Julia. For about six weeks she could not stand the smell or sight of meat. Finding things to eat during this time is a little difficult but soon passes.

A pregnant woman only needs an extra 250 calories a day. Not much - just a snickers.

A woman who is breast feeding will need almost 500 more calories a day.

A fetus will drain away DHA and ARA from the mother. A premium fish oil will help the mother to not feel so tired and drained.

There you have it. The nutrition is much the same as you might recommend to a normal person trying to lose weight but with a few more calories. The training is the same with less intensity and a few positions to avoid.

Rolling up a frying pan by a woman!

2008-06-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

pulled post

2008-06-11T10:58:00.002-04:00

It was brought to my attention that my last post forwarding so called cancer research from John Hopkins was a hoax. I have since pulled the post and apologize to everyone for my lack or research in the matter. I will not let it happen again in the future. I apologize once again.

Making adjustments to max effort training

2008-05-27T09:52:00.007-04:00

For those who do not know me most of my training is Westside based. I was fortunate enough to get to visit Westside Barbell when I first started powerlifting. I continued to visit every month and at one point I was there for six weekends in a row. I followed the basic template and did a max effort single every week. Now about seven years later I have made a few changes to my training.

I have found that I would do a certain lift and not come back to it for a long time. Then if I did not get a record, I would be disappointed and question my training. I found it hard to gauge if I was doing the right things week in and week out to make my lifts improve other than testing in my powerlifting gear. My bench for instance has always been a week point. With very long arms, I must do the right things or it suffers severly. I have tried doing the same exercise two or three weeks in a row but some exercises I could do for three weeks and some I could only do one before I stalled.

So this is how I set up my training over the last 12 weeks. This will look pretty vanilla but you should be able to get the idea. There are also a few things you will need to know.

I have been lifting weights for 17 years so I now feel a deload week should/needs to be added in to stay healthy and keep my mind/body fresh.

I do two main exercises. Thefirst exercise listed was done with the prescribed reps and the second exercise was done for sets of 3-5 for a couple of hard sets.

The first three weeks all max effort exercises were triples. Some exercises were done for singles if it was hard to do reps (like rack pulls).

Every fourth week we did a dumbbell press for three sets to failure on dynamic day and an exercise we do not normally do for a hard set of six on max effort day.

The second cycle doubles were done and the third cycle all singles.

This got me a raw bench pr (I do not normally train for a raw bench increase).

Here is how it would look.

Week

1 - triples (floor press, cambered bar bench)

2 - triples (3 board, suspended lockout)

3 - triples (reverse green bench, 4 board)

4 - rep work, max 6 Illegal wide bench, goodmornings sets of 12, sled work

5 - doubles (same exercise as week 1)

6 - doubles (same exercsie as week 2)

7 - doubles (same exercise as week 3)

8 - same as week 4 - try to beat rep record

9 - singles (same exercise as week 1)

10 - singles (same exercise as week 2)

11 - singles (same exercise as week 3)

12 - new deload exercise

We kept the same assistance exercises for each 4 week cycle. Starting during the deload week.

On the other two days speed work was done and heavy supplemental exercises done second.

My upperbody work went very well and my lower went as well as possible while trying to deal with a knee problem. I am starting a new 12 week cycle and will see how this continues to evolve.

Kettlebell coaching

2008-05-22T10:54:00.003-04:00

Here is a link some videos of Jeff Martone talking about kettlebell swings, Turkish getups and some kettlebell juggling. He has some good coaching points and breaks down each into small easy to digest chunks.

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

Russian Lion Power Course

2008-05-19T08:09:00.005-04:00

If you haven't heard Zach Even Esh has come out with a new year long course. Yes a year long. Not eight weeks and then you are left with nothing but every workout for a whole year. I am not going to go into too much about detail about The Russian Lion Power Course you can check it out for yourself.

I am really excited about his interrogation of Richard Sorin. If you don't know who he is look around your gym for some Sorinex equipment. Yep, its the same guy. Here is also a youtube video of him talking about the mind and the cool down.

Like I said I am excited about Zach's new product and I hope you are as well. Check it out.

Live strong day

2008-05-13T14:02:00.004-04:00

I think almost every person has a relative or friend that has/had cancer. Today is Live strong day. There are a number of events going on nation wide today. To learn more about Lance Armstrongs foundation visit the website www.livestrong.org.

My wife was able to contribute to Lift Strong a project created by Alwyn Cosgrove. He had cancer not once but twice! He fought and won both times. Now he is giving back. I get nothing from this but the satisfaction of trying to give back myself. This is a collection of over 800 pages of fitness information donated by some of the top fitness professionals around. Alwyn includes his personal emails and notes of his battles with cancer and much much more. Its only $25. Don't go out to eat this week and buy the cd instead. Here is the link again in case you missed it www.liftstrong.com. All Proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

2008-05-03T10:52:00.002-04:00

This is a maximal effort!

45 things to do with a weight vest

2008-04-24T13:09:00.007-04:00

This is pretty straight forward. Here is a list of things you can do while wearing a weight vest. I do not recommend do any of these the day before a heavy lower body workout.

Go for a walk.

Play tag with your kids.

Do your whole workout with it on.

Clean your house. You gotta do it anyway, might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Drag the sled

Push or pull the prowler

Farmers walk

Walking lunges

Box jumps

Chin ups

Push your car

Safety squat bar squats (pull it down in front so it sits up higher. Go light for higher reps)

dips

Blast strap push-ups

Kettlebell work

Tire flips

Backward med ball throws

Anything on the ramp

Keg Carries

Sandbag shouldering

Bear crawl

Atlas stones

Fat man rows

Calf Glute Hams

Back raises

Tornado ball

Hit a heavy bag

Hit a speed bag

Sledgehammer swings

Running stadium steps

Hang for time

Barbell complex

Turkish get ups

Burpees

Plank

Side Plank

Ab wheel

Cut your grass

Wash your car

Play basketball

Ride your bike

Rollerblade

Ab work

Shovel snow

Jumping jacks

There you have it. If you have any others you would like to add let me know.

Eating good on $30 a week!

2008-04-10T09:01:00.005-04:00

With the economy slowing down and gas prices going up, that mean things are going to get more expensive. Everyone needs to eat, and you can eat good for $30 a week. Most people spend $30 a week at restaurants or at the bar. Plan well and eating healthy is not as expensive as you think.

I usually shop at several different stores during the week depending on what I need and what is on sale. If you do your homework and budget well, you will be able to accomplish this and not feel as pinched when you leave the store. Here are a couple of things to help you make this work.

Plan your attack. Look at the sale papers and make your list.

Go to a farmers market. You will get fresher produce for a lower price because it is local (less travel = less gas) and you are supporting your local economy.

Get creative. You will be limited on what you can buy on $30 a week but with some creativity in the kitchen, you can come up with some different recipes.

This list is assuming you have some spices and other items but these will cover all if not the majority or your daily calories.

This list is for the month.

Item - # needed - cost/per - store where purchased

frozen vegetables - 20 bags - $1 each - local chain grocer

apples - 2 bags - $8 each - Sams Club (10# each)

quick oats - 1 can - $1.50 - Aldi

Whey Protein - 1 bag - $31 - Sams Club (6# bag)

Boneless/skinless Chicken breast - 10 lb - $1.99/LB - Local chain grocer

Eggs - 4 dz - $1.50/dz - Sams Club

Peanuts - 2 cans - $2.50/each - Local grocer

Pasta - 1 box - $1.00 - Local grocer

Pasta sauce - 2 cans - $1.00/each - Local grocer

Potatoes - 1 bag - $2.50 - Local grocer

Jif peanut butter - 1 jar - $3.00 - Local grocer

Cheese - 1 block - $1.79 - Aldi

Ground beef 90% lean - 3 # - #2.25/lb - Sams Club

Rice - 1 pound - $.50-$.75 per pound - local grocer

Now before you email me to tell me what is not in there and what should be taken out. My point is that eating better is not as expensive as you think. People make excuses all the time about how eating healthy is expensive. That is because what they are buying is not healthy. Yes a good steak is expensive but so is shelling out $2.50 a box for crackers that is going to do nothing but make you fatter.

As you can see this is a very simple list and some items could be interchanged. My point of this was to prove that you do not have to spend an arm and a leg to eat good food. Now for the final breakdown. The total cost was $117.97 so you have $2.03 for what ever you want.

These are the daily averages.

Calories 1756

Protein 149 g (33%)

Carbs 153 g (28.5 g fiber) (34%)

Fat 63 g (32%)

It is that simple. Save some money and eat good.

Welcome

2008-04-09T21:02:00.000-04:00

Welcome to The Iron Edge!

This blog will be dedicated to lifting, sports training and everything in between. Check the blog daily for tips, pictures, videos and training info.

You can also visit www.LadewskiStrength.com for other articles, products and a monthly email newsletter.