Tonights Skill Evaluation:

First I want to say that I blew through this workout like a tornado. I think there are big things going to happen in three weeks.

Squats: 150/3 180/3 210/2 240/2 270/1 285/1

Bench: 180/3 220/3 255/2 290/2 320/1 345/1

Deads: 215/3 255/2 295/2 340/2 380/1 405/1

Worked up to 95% on all of the lifts and lifted each like it was paper. Okay, that's an exaggeration...but it was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. 405 felt a little heavy but that's kind of expected after doing all the other stuff up to 95% already. It was by no means a grind. I could've pulled out 5 reps with it. Also worth mentioning, the past couple weeks, I have been walking around with this perpetual lower back pump...but after the deload it subsided. I think the major reason for today feeling so easy is that I let my lower back recoup fully. Next two weeks will not exceed 80% and then the test day. I'm feeling lucky!

-- Edited by winflex on Monday 30th of March 2009 09:50:13 PM

Since I had the house to myself, I was going to train yesterday (a day early) but I got lazy and chose to enjoy the solitary-ness. So I trained today:

SQ: 150/3 180/3 3 210/3 240/2 2 2 2
BP: 180/3 220/3 255/3 290/3 3 3 3 3
flies
SQ:165/4 195/3 3 225/3 3 3 3
Nice and easy workout. This peaking part is almost boring because there is no challenge...but I know its all part of the plan. In order display the gained "fitness" on the event day, the fatigue must have been mostly recuperated from....I'm am definitely feeling recuperated. Even some of my little training aches are starting to go away (like my left forearm "splint"). 7 more training days on this program.

Thinking ahead...
1. Going to do a linear progression per training day (squatting every time I train) on the squats after this.
2. Going to do weekly or monthly periodization on the bench and deadlift.
3. Going to learn how to powerclean properly and incorporate that into my training.
4. Will bring back pullups and chins back into the program...maybe.
5. Going to keep the following assistances: Good morning and dips
6. Going to trash the following assistances: lunges and flies; And replace them with: overhead work.

So the individualized plan will look like this:
Main lifts:
Squat - (increasing each training day)
Bench - (periodized per week or month)
A pull of some sort (DL, PC, chin or pullup) - (periodized per week or month)
Assistance:
GM's
Dips or overhead work

Yeah, I've heard of it. I think it would be a good plan for someone of your advanced level (squatting over 2 times their body weight). Its probably a little too advanced for me right now...so that's why I'm going to take a break from the Russian programs and go to the basic "add 5lbs per workout" plan for squats. That will probably give the best return on investment...until I can squat 2 times my bodyweight. Lets see how far I am from that in 3 weeks.

Training
BP: 180/3 220/3 255/3 290/3 3 3 3 3
Squat: 150/3 180/3 3 210/3 3 240/3 3 3 3 3 3
BP: 180/4 220/4 255/4 4 4 4
Flies
Goodmornings

Finished up week 10. Second to last week starts Saturday. Saturday percentages peak out at 85%/80%. Monday is 80%/75%. Wednesday is 75%. Then Week 12 is only two days up to 70% with very low volume. Then test day.

So, today's workout, my glutes,hams, traps, rear delts and lats were sore coming into it. I guess 5 sets of 3 with 80% of your DL at the end of your workout will do that to you. I dealt with it to do 6 sets of 3 with 80% of my squat. Really not that bad. I could feel it stretch the hams out and actually it felt better afterwards...but the traps , rear delts, and lats are tight from keeping that upper back rigid. The next two days rest should help.

Another thing I noticed is that as my volume goes down, my weight does too. I was 188 this morning...and after a rest day. Usually the weight goes up on a rest day...not down. What the heck! Well, its a strength/power program. I'll worry about the weight when I go do hypertrophy. As long as I get stronger, I will be happy.

BP: 180/3 220/3 255/3 3 290/2 2 2 2 2
flies
DL: 215/3 255/3 3 295/3 320/2 2 2 2 2
Goodmornings

Another quick one on the books. Recovering nicely.

Test date is Thursday April 23rd. Shooting for the following ranges:

Squat: 330-350
Bench: 370-385
DL: 455-475

For a total somewhere between 1155-1210...which move me up from a class 3 lifter to a border line class 2 lifter according to the following chart.

Good stuff.

And you answered my question about this being Raw or not.
thanks.

Three sessions in one day:
Session #1
Bench: 180/3 220/3 3 255/2 2 275/1 1 1 1
Deads: 215/3 255/2 2 295/2 2 2 2
Ran out of time...had to get to Cornerstone

Session #2 @ cornerstone
Dips
Chins
Got there a tiny bit early before posing class.

Session#3 @ cornerstone
Posing Class

Had to run after class real quick b/c me and fam were going out.

Test day happened and was successful but I was somewhat disappointed with my performance but had a lot of good things to pull from it. SQ went up (but only 5lbs). Bench went up (again only 5 lbs). DL went up (15 lbs). So a total of 25 more pounds to make my current total: 1115--still a class 3 lifter..which is why I am disappointed.

I asked myself, why did this happen? I was so confident. The reason that I came up with is based on something the designer of the program told me: "It depends on how accurately the lifter chooses his starting weights."

For the SQ, what you will see in the video analysis of my last max squat and my current max squat will clearly show that I have dramatically increased my squat although the poundage increase was only 5 lbs. It all goes back to form. My last max squat was based on a parallel squat; however, I trained for a deep in the bucket squat so 5lbs is a lot considering a fuller range of motion.

For the BP, I think I'm pretty much at the limit where I'm pretty advanced on this movement and it is going to take a lot of time to get to that coveted 405 so I have to be patient.

For the DL, I think it went the most because the DL tends to be like that for most people. It is a simple movement which can be trained and quickly improved. I definitely see me hitting 500 this year for sure. Especially since I increased it by 15lbs in 12 weeks. I'm definitely the happiest with the DL.

So onto the videos and picture analyses.
(continued)

Squat Part2: Today's Ridiculously Improved Performance (TRIP)

-- Edited by winflex on Thursday 23rd of April 2009 09:03:13 PM

Deadlift Part 1: Flashback to 405

Sometime at the end of last year I pulled my first 405 DL. Looking back at it the form was less than optimal. My hips shoot up before my shoulders. My arms aren't taut, and there is a yank at the beginning of the pull instead of a squeeze. My stance is too wide, and my head is not in a neutral position. If you don't remember, here it is:

Thinking about it...I should have been more conservative with my jump on the squat. I should have went for 310 after 305, then 315, and then if successful, 320. 320 was a big jump percentage-wise. Next time...next time...

Joe, I would have too but I was following the progression in the program...but next time....next time

haha....

Well today was the first scheduled off training day from the powerlifts before i start my next cycle. I scheduled a session down in Philly at Crossfit Renaissance to learn how to do kipping pullups and how to relearn powercleans. It was a fun and very instructional session. Looking forward to learning the Overhead Squat, full clean, and snatch in the future (probably after I complete my next Sheiko cycle).

So, I figured out how to incorporate the PC and kipping pullup into my Sheiko cycle. PC will be alternated with Goodmornings as assistances to the deadlift/squat. I will use the kipping pullup as part of my warm up for each session. Also, I will replace or alternate dips with standing overhead pressing so that I do not neglect any overhead work this time around.

I know I said I would do my own programming but I like what the Sheiko cycle did for me and this time I have a more accurate version of my maxes; so, now I can more accurately choose weights/sets/reps for the cycle.

Excited for the second cycle. (Things get better the more you do them.)