So it took me a really long time to find a trainer that had experience with strong athletes....(not new years wimps trying to hold a resolution)...but I have gotten started.

Three phases to the lifting...repeated a couple of times.  The goal a massive deadlift on my 40th b-day.  Shooting for 600 and he knows this...(have to remind myself..LOL).

Right now I feel like such a wimp.  He is breaking apart all my normal lifts and making me do them one legged or in stages.  IT HURTS.  In addition I have over 6 different core/ab exercises to hold/do inbetween lifts. (These are mostly because I have ignored abs for last..what...10 years?)

Phase three on each rotation will be an 80-90% phase and by the third one we are looking for some really big gains in the lift...hopefully.  He seems to be eager to get me to my goal...and he has been studying up on the throws as well to help me with the sport over all as well.

I have no experience going to this realm of lifting...so hopefully this sounds reasonable.  Let me know if you have concerns, because I am not sure what to ask at this point in time...just going forward and embracing the new pain.

In October I realized I needed more back strength as well as back muscle endurance. Started doing sets of 10 deadlifts from a rack just below the knees once a week. Todays workout 185 x 10, 225 x 10, 275 x 10, 315 x 10, 365 x 10, 405 x 5 & 225 x 10. Every week I add another rep to my max till I hit 10, then I add 50 pounds and add another rep every week.

I had forgotten how much I loved deadlifting.

Buffy,

What sounds so unreasonable about your goal?  The first time I pulled 600 from the floor it was a great feeling...I felt like I had really turned a corner, both as a lifter and as a human, because as The Mule stated, most people NEVER get there.  The weight you are shooting for is IMMOVABLE for almost EVERYONE you know now, ever have known, or will ever meet...that is a BIG TIME lift. 

My partner and I train deads consistently; when we met, he could not break 315 from the floor to save his life.  We broke it down, studied his form, range of motion, increased his flexibility, and worked on the "how's" and "why's" of the lift.  Two months later, he pulled it 5 times, in a row...looked like a fish in water.  Now he is staring 450 right int he face.  It can be done.

I will caution you though...as soon as you get it, and you will, you are going to want more.  This cycle of maxing and then chasing a new max NEVER stops.  So get ready for another hunt!

I have it on good authority that "only the strong deadlift..."  Keep that in mind.

Respectfully,

Duncan McCallum

Duncan McCallum wrote: Buffy, What sounds so unreasonable about your goal? Duncan McCallum

I may not have been clear, sorry, just hoping you all can tell me if something in the lifting that the trainer designs for me sounds unreasonable or unproductive.  So I'll probably throw a quick overview of each phase up here and see if anyone has thoughts/concerns about what the trainer is proposing for that phase.

Basically I am OCD and I want as much input on stuff as I can get...

Partial deadlifts from all rack heights...

Sumo style days and conventional deadlift days...

Good mornings...

Throw these things in there every once in awhile as part of your training and see what happens!

I just turned 40 and my #1 goal for my 40th year on Earth is to deadlift 500. I was moving great toward getting it before I turned 40 in Nov, doing 410 for reps in September, but stopped to focus entirely on throwing for the Nov games down here.  I would love to have 500 by summer and then have a goal of the BIG 600 like you Buffy.  That is a huge #.  Good luck.

If you can do 410 for reps, you can pull 500 easy...just dial it in and make your mind up.  No worries man!

Throw some video up!  Those are big milestones to remember!

Dave, how is your lifting going?

Wayne Hill wrote: If you've got average muscular endurance, you need to be able to do a 5 or 6 rep set at 410 to be able to pull 500.

SWEETNESS!  I know I can do that.

Duncan wrote: Dave, how is your lifting going?

Only finishing up the third week of four on phase 1.  Three phases...three times around before my b-day.  (If I remember correctly.)  Phase three is where we do the 80-90% lifts.  This week is the 70%'ers and I think I was pulling 330 for sets.

Heading back to doc in a week, need to follow up on the knee.  Not sure at this point what is ok pain and what is bad pain.  It's like little sharp pains once in a while.  No pain while lifting...but while sitting around with leg bent or twisted.

Hit the deads for the first time yesterday. Did partials from just below knees to get going and got 455.  Thought it wasn't a bad start. (When I say I got 410 for reps, I meant 3) Man, you do have to keep up with the lifting or it goes doesn't it? Thanks for the encouragement guys. I will definitely video the 500 attempt. I will probably get my whole family in the gym that day to pump me up.

I started doing Deads on the same day as squats. I did Zerchers after the partial deads. I have to say I felt great at the end of the workout--just powerful. At least in my gym, no one does this kind of lifting. I just had to stop and thank God for the opportunity to lift.  As you guys have said, not a lot of folks get the chance to feel like that.

Thanks again. Will rattle the pray chains for your knee Buffy.

Last night, 185X10, 225X10, 275X10, 315X10, 365X10, 405X10 & 225X10. Ready to move up tp 455!

KiltBill

This week was squats for power....(he has me alternating weeks deads/squats).

So  8*180, 8*200, 8* 225, 8*225 for full range of motion followed immediatly by bodyweight single leg lunges (frnt, side, back) 4each per leg

(That caused a burn by the last two sets)

Then Romanian Deads 4*6*190 (and some other ab and stretching stuff)

Finished with some single leg squats with 20lbs (Yeah, went from body weight to a whopping 10lbs per hand...and it frikken hurt  was humbling.)

This coming Sat is deads again with the last set being for 405.

Dems a lot of squats and deads....precious.

Keep going...!

GAH!  Frik single leg squats hurt...a lot!  (This is those things with the 10lb dumbbells.)  ((Actually what it really does is show you just how much you have favored one leg over the other!))

So those got me to point where I was icing down when I got home.

Deads 6*310, 6*350, 6*380, 6*405
Romainians 4*6*190

I can feel this one in my traps and back right now...but think the legs will be sore tomorrow...which is good.

Haven't lost weight this week...which is good...so must have gotten the diet up high enough finally.

KiltBill wrote: Last night, 185X10, 225X10, 275X10, 315X10, 365X10, 405X10 & 225X10. Ready to move up tp 455! KiltBill

Nice Bill! You are pulling some big numbers, I am jealous (I got 405 for 3 last week with another in the tank but stopped as this was the first time I did deads from the floor since last September..didn't want to go too hard first day back). I am doing rack deads in the morning from different heights. You doin all this in your garage...I mean fully equiped gym?

Ok....Phase 2 starting....

We have moved from sets of 12's to sets of 8's.  My light legs day is squats......who decided that was light?  (I think the progression is...75%, 80%, 85%, 85%)  The romanian deads are with dumbbells this time instead of barbell.

The heavy day is all deads this phase...instead of deads on week and squats the next.

I am definitely seeing a result in my legs.  (ooo....sexy)  But not sure if that is because now I am on a routine instead of my normal lift what I feel/want to...  The real proof should come at the end of next phase when I go for some real pulls.

(Follow up....SHEESH!!!  I wish I had a different trainer, but he is only one in town I can find that does this stuff.  Other trainers are all like...for out of shape people not power lifters.  This guy has been diasappeared/sick four or five times now when we've had appointments.  He says one thing...never follows up...and I show up and he's not there.  GHAR!!!  He may know his stuff...but if I can't learn it from him it does me crap.)

Call Kyle Speer at Sam Houston State University...he is the head strength and conditioning coach...

I think he squats a truck, and consumes the English with balls of fire from his eyes...

He has good advice.

Oh noes!  The Lurker! 

Forgot all about that Mike...

I will qualify my previous statement by saying that it takes me two throws to go 70+ in the LWFD, and seeing as how Speer only needs one...I cannot clown him.  Or beat him for that matter.  I don;t run anything on the field but my mouth...

Time to train harder!  Stay after it DL, Mountain Man, KiltBill, and Brandell...only the strong deadlift.  Really excited for you guys!!!

Respectfully,

Duncan  McCallum

Did rack deads from below the knees this am and moved up more. Last week I did 455 for 7 and felt great, this week went all in with 475 and got 3 good ones and a nice pose for a few seconds to feel it. I like it! Uncharted territory for me, so loving it. I made sure to drop the last one to make some noise for the non-lifters to hear.

My war grunt mid-rep on the first rep actually scared a trainer on the rack next to me. She jumped out of the way, he he.

I also tried something new for the core afterwards that went well yall might want to try. I got a thick rope, put two big carabiners on the end, hooked a 16 and then a 20 lb med ball (with handles) to it and did hammer winds in the gym. This is probably not new but I thought i was a genius.

Lift hard boys, thanks to Duncan again for all the advice and encouragement!

Yeah, that is a cool idea for hammer winds.  I have found that the local Golds has those weighted bars in the areobics room.  I have used those for swinging too.  They come in like five different weights too.

(OH, did I give away my secret...ok, never mind I don't do that.)

Yeah, thanks to Duncan for the pushing of all us slackers forward....and causing us much pain...

Pain is weakness leaving the body...it let's you know you're alive!

For what it is worth, I am VERY proud of each one of ya'll who is challenging yourself to be better.  It means a lot to me that you all are sacrificing to make yourselves better Highland Athletes.  Anyone on this board will tell you that nothing in this Game comes easy, there are no free passes, and that everyone who is anyone in this sport (which to me is everyone in a kilt!) has paid their dues in the gym, on the track, or in their life.  Sometimes when I go to the gym and am tired and unmotivated, I think back to threads and stories just like these and think "I wonder if Hadley/Sean Betz/Kerry Overfelt/Chad Gustin/Justin Kincheloe/Quint Melius/Mark Cannon/Scott Watts/Kate Mason is taking a day off?"  "Would Ed Cosner or Kevin Henderson or Myles Wetzel take a day off because they gave themselves an excuse?  Because it's too hard today?"

And don't thank me for encouraging you.  Per Merriam-Webster, encourage is "to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope."  No amount of keyboard jockey pep-talk from me gets you under the bar...your courage does.  I don't inspire you to go hard, you choose to.

As lame as it sounds, train as hard as you can, because the other guy is training harder just to kick your a$$.

Duncan

P.S. I'm the other guy

Mountain man wrote:

Did rack deads from below the knees this am and moved up more. Last week I did 455 for 7 and felt great, this week went all in with 475 and got 3 good ones and a nice pose for a few seconds to feel it. I like it! Uncharted territory for me, so loving it. I made sure to drop the last one to make some noise for the non-lifters to hear.

Way to go! I lift at a gym for the motivation, if I grunt & groan load enough some of the guys will cheer me on. It helps getting it over the top. Garage has been for core work only. Started something new this week at home, Caber Sprints. Sprint 50' with a caber then toss. Oh the pain! My goal is to leave the back judge in the dust.

This thread is great! I have to admit that I was "tired" this morning after lifting yesterday and slept in and told myself "I will go to the gym this afternoon" and not entirely believed myself. But after reading the following from Duncan:

Duncan McCallum wrote: Pain is weakness leaving the body...it let's you know you're alive! For what it is worth, I am VERY proud of each one of ya'll who is challenging yourself to be better.  It means a lot to me that you all are sacrificing to make yourselves better Highland Athletes.  Anyone on this board will tell you that nothing in this Game comes easy, there are no free passes, and that everyone who is anyone in this sport (which to me is everyone in a kilt!) has paid their dues in the gym, on the track, or in their life.  Sometimes when I go to the gym and am tired and unmotivated, I think back to threads and stories just like these and think "I wonder if Hadley/Sean Betz/Kerry Overfelt/Chad Gustin/Justin Kincheloe/Quint Melius/Mark Cannon/Scott Watts/Kate Mason is taking a day off?"  "Would Ed Cosner or Kevin Henderson or Myles Wetzel take a day off because they gave themselves an excuse?  Because it's too hard today?"

Now there is no way I am not going to the gym today! Just what the dr ordered for a case of the pansies. You guys are definitely motivating me to strive for more.  Thanks Bill for the post.

As far as this goes:

[/QUOTE=Duncan McCallum]

As lame as it sounds, train as hard as you can, because the other guy is training harder just to kick your a$$.

Duncan

P.S. I'm the other guy

[/QUOTE] 

--LOVE IT! Too funny (but true)

Today was 5 sets of 4 at 405.  I was rather amazed that I was able to complete the whole 5 sets.  Something must be getting better...what it was only a 1.5 years ago that 405 was a PR!!!

Question...when ya'll dead...do you let it bounce and catch it on way up...or do you wait till it settles and then pull it again?  I did both...the hit the floor and back up was good and quick...felt explosive...but the wait till it settles and pull again was more strength.

(There was other stuff in the work out too...and I asked out the cute chick I saw in there like a year ago...she married...)

I hate bouncing as I hate hell and all Montagues...it is hella bad for your back Dave.  When I do these, and this is just me, I lower the weight under control but NOT to the point of doing what might be construed as a NEGATIVE.  It touches the floor, and I am pulling back up. 

I will say that there are times, like when I rep 405 or something for speed, that one can make the case I bounce a little.  I try to avoid it.

She married me Dave. 

FWIW - I will make it a point not to bounce. For me it defeats the purpose. It's a DEAD lift not a BOUNCE lift or RDL.

Lift it, set it down, lift it again. Develope that starting strength. I make sure I set it down and roll it away and then back to me. That's all the momentum I allow myself if I'm deading, rack pulls are the same just without the roll( I have to strap up ). RDL's are a different story and serve a different purpose( stretch reflex right? ).

Duncan - if your going for speed are you actually setting it down or doing a deep RDL?

If you're going to put the time in & bust your ass why short yourself?

Of course it's equally likely I'm completely fking wrong. 

Joel,

I do them both; sometimes, I get on a box and do deep straights for speed, ALWAYS under control.  I will do rack pulls for speed as well, and practice shooting the hips through the lift...kind of a powerlifting type move (strong guys help me out here?!) but it helps.

I guess you are correct in the sense that they might be considered deep RDL's...never thought of it that way.  Of course, it is equally likely that I am completely fing rong as well!!

How are your lifts going Champ?  Getting speedy?

Duncan - that ascending - descending - jumping crap is kicking my ass. Haven't pulled heavy( for me ) in almost 2 weeks . Trying to be disciplined, but it's gnawing at me to pull.

Good part is I think my vert is know the same weighted as a year and a half ago @ BW . But I haven't tested.

How's the arm Brother?

Arm is good, rehabbing is such a pain in the a$$!  I have it on good authority that this slow-but-sure method will pay dividends, so I do what I can.  Bruise is completely gone, and slow stretches do not result in the same shooting pains as before.  Even started goofing around with some stones and a wee-wfd.

Ascending-Descending torture pain...that is an affirmative.  I have really backed off the heavy deads and squats recently; the most I am pulling now is 585 for 8-10, straights 315 for 10-15 off a box (not sure how tall) and fronts 225 to failure.

Jumping rope for fast feet, still dropping weight.  Trying to get to 285 for the season...

Too many salads...

Video of set 3 of 4.  The form is not best...that is what I think I will set as my goal in this phase...(well other than surviving it).  I want all five sets to be solid form.  That will best way for me to live through a 600lb pull no?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxtdCzj1dY - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxtdCzj1dY

Joel Sim wrote: "Lift it, set it down, lift it again. Develope that starting strength. I make sure I set it down and roll it away and then back to me. That's all the momentum I allow myself if I'm deading."

I wish I could roll like you or Benni in the videos Duncan recommended. Does anyone else have those damn hexagonal shaped plates at their gym? I hate those plates. They land funny sometimes and throw my starting position off.

Stong pulls Buffy! Keep it up!

DL BUFFy,

Excellent work.  Smooth and controlled.  Caught yourself thinking about having those shoes on huh?  Only one word of caution, and please, everyone else who reads this, help me out or shoot this down...

I STRONGLY recommend you do not perform your initial lift, what I call the "break" from the floor with a jerking motion seen between (.42 and .45 of the video).  I understand that you are developing a lot of power, but grabbing the bar, flexing the elbows, then jerking the weight up off the floor could have some terrible consequences.  I.e. bicep tendon damage.

Granted, this is a video of JJ, who is what happens when a bodybuilder and a powerlifter are drunk and lonely...watch his arms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j1-Jv2_HCI&feature=related - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j1-Jv2_HCI&feature=relat ed

Other than that, things look good!  If you keep this up, you can order an XL shirt for the Kansas City Games!

Very proud of your work Dave...keep going!

Respectfully,

Duncan McCallum

Myles - So the extra rep is a bonus, keeping the body under tension longer thus forcing it to grow right?

Dave - looking good!

Duncan - what's your opinion on the dot drills for agility?

Duncan McCallum wrote: I STRONGLY recommend you do not perform your initial lift, what I call the "break" from the floor with a jerking motion seen between (.42 and .45 of the video).  I understand that you are developing a lot of power, but grabbing the bar, flexing the elbows, then jerking the weight up off the floor could have some terrible consequences.  I.e. bicep tendon damage.

Dave, this point right here is what I really noticed when watching your vid. Not only does is potentially cause some issues with your arms, but you can almost see your back round as a result of the jerk. Try to break the floor and lift in a steady motion.

When I pull serious I use wrestling shoes.  I also wear shorts, with some baby powder on my legs.  Chalk the hands and don't get them mixed up.  If your going to do it, do it right.  You will look much cooler than barefootin.  When we bench or squat we start at the top and you go down and then rebound back up.  With deads you start at the bottom.  Much harder.  If you had to bench with it starting laying on your chest you would not do near as much.  So get rid of the straps.  Pull with a switch grip and put your dominant hand out.  Get it all togeather standing there in front of the bar.  Get your body right, your mind and all ready.  Take a big breath and go down and grab the bar quick and go.  Cut the jerk motion out and pull more smooth from on onset and then once you start to break it loose you never look back.  Going down there and wrapping and then thinking and then getting ready you loose all your tightness, no good.  The reps in the video appeared to be very easy, no nasty there.  You have much more in the tank if you can tap into your mental attack and realize you can do much more weight.  Get nasty, pick out someone in the gym you don't like, I have even gone back to pearl harbor and the Japanese attacking us to get upset about something.  Snort my ammonia, throw it down, raise the hair on the back of my neck upset about it.  Because realize, you have to live the next week with a lame effort and the bad feeling of a lame set, or you feel great about it all jacked as you pounded out a great set. 

Joel, yes, if I get a bonus rep from momentum, is that not better than no rep at all? 

Looks about like this fellas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-h3wRrUyfw - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-h3wRrUyfw

I understood "bouncing" to be the jerky movement we wanted to avoid. In Myles vid he looks very fast & smooth. Sorry for imposing my confusion.

After reading Myles post & seeing his vid I've got to pull tonight.

Load it up & get angry with it

Joel Sim wrote: Load it up & get angry with it

Ok...will do!

Thanks for the feedback Myles.  This phase is more of a technique and higher set phase.  Next one is the power phase where I go for the heavier weights.  It is crazy to me that at one time 405 kicked my butt...and here I can pull it multiple times in multiple sets.

As for going without straps...I know that right around 350-375lb my hands become the weak point.  I start to worry about them more and don't focus on just pulling strong.  (Yes, this is a weak point on my WOB too, so grip strength needs to improve, but not sure it will improve as fast as my legs will....??)  Maybe the chalk thing would be better as I have been doing without...will have to try that.

Oh...and these skinnny azz, blindly white, chicken legs will not be seen in shorts thank you very much.

Not to be that guy, but the guys in my gym would s Tiffany cufflinks if they saw you do that much weight once, let alone twice...scrawns.

Take a lesson all.

I was deadlifting at the Y at about 11:10 today when the lunch crowd came in. One of the guys MIKE is very large and well built. Someone yells out "Hey Bill when you going to get Mike to do those games you do?" My reply was "The only way Mikes gonna throw is if they have a Buffet set up to graze at in between throws".

None of these guys want to lift heavy or compete. But they are learning not to curl in the squat rack.

Bill Gray

Awesome lift Myles! Awesome, period.

I too like to get my mean-on when lifting. I used to take my kids to the gym on occassion and when they got a look at my lifting-face, they minded a lot more the rest of the week. Kind of like when Mel Gibson went psycho with the tomahawk in The Patriot and then looked at his kids after, all blood-soaked. I joked in the theater that the boys were not gonna mouth-off to dad that night. 

I was doing DB snatches today and you would have thought I was green and from Mars from the looks. I love it that "gym rats" don't get it, posers.

Myles wrote: "Last week I squatted and blood ran out my nose and all over my shirt on the third rep and I did another rep and it went all over the floor."  I love this amount of effort. Awe-inspiring.

--Robin

Silverback wrote: Pull with a switch grip and put your dominant hand out.

Myles, when you say dominant hand out, do you mean you reverse grip your dominant hand? I saw in the video you reverse gripped your right hand, does that mean you are right-handed? I have been reverse gripping with my weak hand out of general lack of knowledge.

Also, as an update on deads for this week: I took the week off from deads upon a recommendation from Coach Duncan.  I will hit a rack deads routine from hell next week. (thanks again Duncan for the help) 

So instead of deads, I spent a lot more time on squats and legs this week. It isn't earthshattering, but I increased my working sets on Zerchers to using 275 for a few sets of 3 reps. I was very happy! Those rope hammer swings are improving my form and ripping my core to shreads (very sore)--yall should give em a try.

Duncan runs nothing in the gym but his mouth.  Myles was strong before my parents were born...

You're almost there Mountain!  You are doing the pulling, but we are all pulling for you.

Get some.

Duncan

Wayne, I never have any trouble holding anything.  I have a solid grip and large hands.  So grip is not a factor with the switch.  In fact I have had 700 hang from my fingertips when I was not paying attention to that and it started to pop.  And I am not going to get hurt is the mind set, none of us ever are, right? 

Palmi has now gone from a 315 single to 435 triple in the dead since training with me.  Only a couple of months.  Getting his mind right.  I can't wait till Petur sees him.  He has also gained over 20 pounds of BW.  The kid has the genetics and is going to throw some stuff.  And I just love him, he is into it. 

Mountain Man wrote: When it comes to rack deads,

And...when you all do the partials...can you use that to get used to the 'idea' of a heavy weight?  (I think I saw that somewhere.)

In all my other lifting...I like attempting the heaviest things in a 'non' lift way just to see...to not be afraid of them (if that makes sense).  So you see those 150's sitting at end of the dumbbell rack...and most people are so afraid of that end of the rack.  I'll go over and attempt some shrugs or farmer walks with them...to get a feel for how the move or feel.  Then I know.

The idea is to do same with the 600lbs I am aiming at.  So this weekend when I am done with my reps...could I put the bar up on cross beams and load it up.  The pull would only be for an inch or two...but I'd get a feel for how it moved...how it felt standing there with that hanging from my arms.

Sound like a decent idea?  I'm up for it...may have to up the caffeine that day....:^)

Touch and go.  Some racks cause less bounce, I have found.  Springy bars bounce no matter what you do.  Once you put some serious plates on the bar, like you are this week, it is going to flex, and the safety bars will cause a bounce when you touch. 

In this case, the bounce is not that big a deal, as long as it is not tremendous, and most importantly, as long as it does not pull you out of your power position. 

I had to settle myself during my last lift, as you and I already talked about.  All I can really tell you is stay under control; you will know when you bounced the weight and when you lifted it.

Have GREAT CONFIDENCE Mountain...time to step up!

DL...yes, do partials.  They are good wampum.  That is how you learn what something heavy feels like...the overload stimulates your CNS and musculature and you will develop more strength at least through that ROM.

I remember reading somewhere on hear about needing to "grow the bone" or get the body/mind ready for the stress of heavy weights. Overload something or other.

Mark Valenti suggested doing rack pulls from different heights & Ryan Stewart expanded on that for me. The jist is to put the most energy towards full range movements then to use rack pulls or partial movements( not unlike the board presses/ box squats used for other lifts) to further stimulate growth.

Come to think of it isn't starting of blocks for a clean or snatch the same theory applied to the oly lifts?

Anyway, mentaly it was benefical for me to know that once I got XXXlbs to break the floor I was golden. I had already lifted more weight then that from that position. The hard part was just getting it off the ground. Make sense?

Whats more for me it's an incredible rush to stand up w/ 6 plates + change even if I only moved it from mid thigh.

It's been working for me atleast - albiet slowly.

Today did 225x120, 275x10, 315x10, 455x3, 405x5, 365x8 & 225x10

Wow this felt good.

KiltBill

225x120.......O.k...O.k...............you win

NICE LIFTING MY POWERFUL FRIEND

"Have GREAT CONFIDENCE Mountain...time to step up!"

Thanks for the motiviation Duncan, I will be stepping up on Wednesday morning for sure! The hell workout is coming, and I'm bringing the thunder.

Bill: "Today did 225x120, 275x10, 315x10, 455x3, 405x5, 365x8 & 225x10. Wow this felt good."

Way to go Bill! Duncan told me I was doing too many warm up reps but you are ridiculous...140 reps!? All joking aside, keep it up, I particularly liked the last sentence--it does feel good.

I SINCERELY hope Bill meant 12 reps.  Otherwise, he has officially become the King of Reps, and I will change my name to Bill's B****!

OOOOOOPS, mistype. 225 x 10.

Thanks guys for your support.

Bill

• 225 x 10 -- Light and easy, but concentrate on each rep.  No rushing.  I can't tell you how many people pull an oblique warming up for DL with an easy weight (I did).
  
• 315 x 5 -- Still getting the groove.
  
• 405 x 1 -- Possibly twice or three times:  depends on how each feels.  If it feels heavy, do it again.  This is about post-tetanic facilitation.  With each rep, imagine lifting the heavier weight, gauging how ready you are for that set.
  
• 455 x ?  -- You should be ready for this, so get a good set.  If you do your last rep and think it might have been your grip giving out that caused you to stop (which I think happens a lot), stand up, chalk up, and "continue" your set.
  

Thanks Myles and Wayne for your input. The reasoning behind my workout is I need back muscle endurance more than strength at this phase. I had done 225x10,275x10,315x10,365x10,405x10 but when I tried to get 1-3 with 455  had nothing left. I had done this several weeks and could not break 455 off the floor. So I put it right after the warmups. Next week will look like 275x10,315x10,365x10,455x? & 275x10                       

In June I will have rehabed my back enough to go back to a westside type workout of sets of 3 to a max single.

Because of this workout I am sleeping all night with no back pain, no nagging pain at work or when I go for 2 hours of throwing.

Bill

Myles,

Can you please share with the board how many reps constitute "all the way done?"  I mean no disrespect by my question...I think it would be great for all of us lesser mortals to get a benchmark from someone who truly pushes the envelope.  Mike, this means you too!  Hell, this means anybody/everybody!

Clearly, this post has gathered a lot of attention...I want these younger guys/new deader's to know what they are getting into!

Thank you in advance for the input Gentlemen.

Respectfully,

Duncan McCallum

10 reps in the dead is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to many.  That 3-5 sets worth of reps.   

"Done" is when you can't pull another one at max weight.  If you can, or you can even think about wanting to pull another set at a lower weight (wtf?), then you aren't "done" and you shoulda put more weight on the bar.

On true max days for me, be it a squat or deadlift, i don't even do any other exercises.  Not because i don't want to, but because i can't.  If you can pull a max dead, then turn around and do rows, chins, curls, etc...the same day, then you're missing something imo.  I put every single thing i have into the left, and then i leave cause there is nothing left, mentally or physically.  It's also why those days only come around a couple times a year. 

I think Wayne and C explained that pretty well.  Bill, clearly the reason you missed 455 is not that you did not have endurance, the reason you missed it is you did 50 reps prior to the attempt.  That was not a warm up, that was a burn out.  You shot your load early and had nothing left. 

I tend to grind week after week.  So if I got 3 last week with a poundage, then I expect to get 4 or 5 the next or do 3 with more weight.  This is progressive resistance.  If you don't progress then your doing something wrong.  That is why in the core movements, I don't believe in changing them every week(Baab).  I want measured and visible progress.  That does not mean I do the set Wayne and C explained every week.  I just progress.  But when you start getting near your peak.  You are going to have one of those unload the truck days.  When your minds eye turns inside.  When the world stops, you care less what is going on around you, total focus on attacking that bar.  If you can do 5, you do 5, not 4.  And in the dead you know when you got them all, the last rep is very clear to you.  There are not mysteries in the movement.  You should be shot at this point and ready for the truck ride.  The afterglow of a total effort is sweet, you have the satisfaction of knowing you gave it all. 

Ok...first lift of the week is squats...to help with overall strength as I move toward that DL goal.

So I one rant to get out of way....DAMN you Duncan!    Would you believe that post about..." 'cause i'm in the gym training to beat you" or whatever was playing in my head for two days as I thought about skipping the 'light' leg day in my routine.

It was also playing in my head as I went for the fourth set of squats when I knew I was already hurting from the thrid set.   Owie!!!!

Anyway...so light leg day was...
1 * 135 * 10 - Warmup and range of motion
1 * 225 * 5 - Warmup
4 * 300 * 6 - Lifting
That was followed up with lunges front and back wth 20lb dumbbells...pretty sure I was crying by last set of lunges.

(I think my trainer is sadistic...)

Deads this weekend....woo hoo!!!

Keep it up Dave...I'll see you in the A's at Kansas City, if not before.

By the way, tonight is deads for me.  Geez...going to be heavy and interesting.

Get some Dave!!!

Respectfully,

Duncan

Wayne Hill wrote: There's a very strong mental component to deadlifting.

Man, did I learn this one yesterday morning. To be honest in my (our) progress toward our respective DL goals, I had a minor setback yesterday. And, after a theapy session with Duncan, feel good enough to share now (intentionally sounding like a wuss).

Yesterday was my rack dead (from mid-shin) day after taking a week off from DL'ing. I was intending to do 8 sets of 3 reps with 450, and do so without warming up too much (reducing the # of reps). Well, felt really really strong through the warmup sets (405 felt like a warm up for the first time). I threw on 455 and went through set one well, great intensity and on my way to hades (could have done severl more). Took two minutes to rest and get psyched up again, approached the bar, wrapped up, got pissed, thought about how my lower back was alittle tight for a milisecond and boom...couldn't budge the bar. Mentally I had checked out after the first 455 set. I was pissed to say the least at myself and tried a few lower weights to no avail. I learned a lot about myself and DL'ing but it was humbling to say the least....just not my day.

Duncan, good luck tonight with the dead, grip it and rip it! Are you doing racks or fulls? If racks, can we expect perhaps something in the upper 700s??????

Tonight will probably be 5x5 or 6x3...high fives on the former, low/mid sixes on the latter.  From the floor.

I am stoked.  Should be good times.

I'll holler at you and let you know how it went.  No message means I am still underneath it.

Hey Mike ,Myles

For most of my training I'v done abbreviated stuff.Peary Rader type stuff.go in,get it done, enjoy your day,nothing over an hour.

One of my favorites

squats 1x15,pullover 1x15 ,dumbbell deadlifts 1x10 done with no rest.this is the warm -up set.

squats 1x15-315lbs,pullovers 1x12-125lbs,db deads 1x10-150lbs

rest 5 min (10 if i puked) then 2x6-10 press, 2x6-10 curls, ab work 

42 min from start to fin. 

yesterday I did 4x120 sled pulls 180lbs,6x50yrds sprints,walking lunges 2x20

then overhead throws with 45lb kettlebell 3x6,6x15 hammer winds

45 min......thank you both.... and all you guys for your training info

Take what works and leave the rest...God bless and happy training

Todd 

Don't encourage him Mike...

Gable, good work on the pulls!  That is awesome lifting guys...keep it up!  But not you, Incredible Seth.

Note to self...order ninjas to "visit" Gable, Seth, and Snake Eyes before their kungfu gets too strong...

Respectfully your Enemy,

Duncan

Myles, as per one of your posts I added one arm push presses into my workout. These are humbling, as one dumbell is lowered the other raises, it takes the legs completley out of the lift. Thanks.

Bill

Silverback wrote: Mountain, I think you found something there.  To do a great set, it takes so much mental.  How do you come back and do another one?  The answer is you really can't.  So either the first set is not so great so you can come back and do it again and again, or it is great and you can't duplicate it.  I think you should work on doing the one great one.  Then move to another movement and do something else great.  Then think about what you did and dwell on coming back the next week and doing more.  More weight, or more reps, not more sets.  Sounds to me like your on the path of power, keep on it.

Thanks for this Myles. In part of my thinking about what went wrong, I thought that perhaps one of my issues with the 8 sets to hell workout was that I had been training with the HIT method, and even the later version of Doggcrapp, for the last three years. I was thinking that my brain had adapted into where I have geared my head into one "all out" set and then done (as you said). Reading your post above, it sounded like you trained the same to some extent. I don't feel so bad now, will keep training the way I like--the one set to "nothing left." Man, the deadlift is mental.

Duncan is a beast, 8 workingsets of heavy weight. Wow. Having tried it, I am more than impressed.

Thanks again.

Duncan is no beast...

What one man can do, another can do.