11/30/11

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 6

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 210x5, 240x5, 270x1, 300x5, 300x5, 300x5, 300x5, 300x5, 320x1, 340x1, 360x1

Bench Leg Raises x 100

Monday, November 28, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 5

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 210x5, 240x5, 265x5, 280x9, 280x9, 290x9, 290x9

Rhino Squats/Deadlift (I just had to try these and they are amazing!)
SSB x 110 + Bar x 135 x 5

1000m Row - 3:45

Saturday, November 26, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 4

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 210x3, 240x3, 280x3, 297.5x1, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3, 315x3

Thursday, November 24, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 3

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 210x5, 260x5, 295x5, 295x5, 295x5, 295x5, 295x5, 295x5, 295x5

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 2

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 210x5, 240x3, 280x7, 280x7, 280x7, 280x7, 280x7

Russian Twist - 25x10x2

Overhead Press
45x12, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x7, 175x1


Monday, November 21, 2011 - SSB Smolov Day 1

Ryan and I decided to kick off a cycle of Smolov using the Safety Squat Bar. I'm working off of a 370 1RM. I have a 39o with it but since it's the SSB and Smolov I dumped 20 pounds of the max for programming.

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 230x5, 260x9, 260x9, 260x9, 260x9

Medball Situps x 50

Bench Leg Raise x 40

KB Rows x 10


Saturday, November 19, 2011 - Turkey Trot

I went to the Turkey Trot competition to support the two method teams. What a blast and a great showing by method.



Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - Farmers Carries

SSB Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5, 250x9, 280x9

Farmers Carries
115 Per Hand x 1 down and back
115 Per Hand x 1 down and back
205 Per Hand x 1 down and back
205 Per Hand x 1 down and back
225 Per Hand x 1 down and back
225 Per Hand x down
225 Per Hand x back
225 Per Hand x down
225 Per Hand x back

Axle Overhead Press
25x10, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 145x5, 165x3, 175x2,

Axle Overhead Press Volume
115x10, 115x9, 115x5



11/13/11

Vincent Dizenzo Overhead Press

This is just sick...

Friday, November 11, 2011 - Safety Squat Bar Squats

What a night at the gym. I have never maxed SSB Squats so I decided to do it. NOT the smartest thing but I have never once said I was smart. I worked up to an easy 390 and decided to go for 430. Stupid I know but still I was feeling pretty strong. So that crushed me forward just as the SSB is supposed to do. I dumped 20 pounds off it it and thought I would try that. What does it do? It starts to dump me forward so I try and push backwards and I end up taking a step back and falling backwards dumping 410 pounds on the ground. Not even remotely smart. I'm so glad there wasn't a bunch of people in there as someone could have really gotten hurt. Well, now I know I have a goal to work towards with the SSB, bury 410 and then 430. Looking forward to putting in the work to destroy those numbers.

So then I did volume and speed after that. Not at all the smartest workout but it was fun and I wanted to get under the bar after falling. No way was I going to sit back and not squat after that.

After that Ryan had me do Rowing Annie with him. I must say I really appreciate the motivation especially when it comes to something I wouldn't normally do.

Overall a strange but great night of training. Too bad there wasn't a 6:30 class, I didn't want to leave.

SSB Squats
70x10, 160x5, 210x5, 250x3, 300x3, 340x1, 370x1, 390x1 (PR), 430 x F, 410 x F

SSB Squats Volume
210x9, 210x9, 210x9, 210x9

SSB Speed
210x3, 210x3, 210x3, 210x3, 210x3

Rowing Annie
15:53
Row - 500 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100
Abmat Situps - 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10

11/11/11

Safety Squat Bar

Below is a little info I pulled from T-Nation and a Blood and Chalk interview with Jim Wendler. Very cool stuff. The whole article can be seen HERE.

T NATION: Jim, any thoughts on the safety squat bar?

JW: Of all the different specialty bars on the market, this is the one I recommend most. The safety bar develops great brute strength. It's a phenomenal way to build your lower back, legs, and upper back. The key is to not get too fancy with it.

The two exercises I recommend are simple, the good morning and the squat. When squatting with the safety squat bar, the weight is cambered out in front of you, causing you to feel like it's dumping you forward. This forces you to use your entire back to keep it steady. Yes, it can look ugly when you muscle it up out of the hole, but no one gets points in the weight room for looking pretty, Planet Fitness notwithstanding.

Not only will squatting with this bar help your squat but it will help your deadlift in every way, from the legs to lower and upper back. Because of the camber of the bar, it's like doing a front squat without the fear of losing the bar forward. Front squats are a great assistance exercise for the deadlift. Think of the safety squat bar as front squatting without having to think about form.

Also, the bar is very easy on your shoulders. You don't have to externally rotate your shoulders when using it so it's a great way to add volume to your squat training without the shoulder discomfort.

As for the good morning, it's probably the best assistance exercise for your deadlift as few exercises do a better job at training the lower back and hamstrings. The safety squat bar is ideal for good mornings as it also works the hell out of the upper back, an added component you don't get with the straight bar. The only issue people have is that the pad can sometimes be uncomfortable at the bottom of the lift. But really, if this is your major problem, let's just say you may need another type of pad to help another, more pressing problem.

If you're using the 5/3/1 program, here's a simple way to use this bar in your training.

On squat days, your second exercise would be safety bar good mornings. On deadlift days, use the safety bar as nature intended, for squatting.

You can use the 5/3/1 set/rep program for these assistance lifts or do the very challenging Boring But Big sets/reps. I'm currently writing assistance lift sets/reps programming for the "big" assistance lifts (safety bar squats, good mornings, leg presses, straight leg deads), but it needs to be fine-tuned and polished before I release it.

The final point is, if you have access to the bar, use it. If you can afford it, get one. Your lifts will thank you.

Below if Fred Hatfield the inventor of the Safety Squat Bar and first man to squat over a grand.

Wednesday, November 09, 2011 - Bench Press

Bench Press
45x12, 135x10, 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 225x3, 245x6, 275x1, 280x1

Floor Press
135x10, 185x10, 205x7, 205x7, 205x7, 205x6, 205x5, 205x4

Blue Band Tri Pullover
12, 12, 12, 12, 12

Blue Band Face Pulls
25, 25, 25, 25

Monday, November 07, 2011 - SSB Squats

What an absolute blast at the gym tonight. Messed with the Safety Squat Bar and chains with Nate and Ryan.

Safety Squat Bar Squats
Bar x 10, 160x5
210+1 chain x 3
210+2 chains x 3
210+3 chains x 3
210+4 chains x 3
260+4 chains x 3
260+3+1 chains x 3
260+4+1 chains x 3
260+4+2 chains x 3
270+4+2 chains x 1
300+4+2 chains x 1 (ugly)
300+4+2 chains x 1 (better)
300+4+2 chains x 1 (good) 500 pounds at the top.

Abmat Situps - 100

Sunday, November 06, 2011 - Overhead Press

Overhead Press
45x12, 75x5, 95x5, 105x3, 135x3, 155x3, 185x2, 200xF

Overhead Press with Chains
160+4 chains x 3
160+6 chains x 2
160+8 chains x F
160x6

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 - Bench Press

Bench Press
45x12, 135x5, 135x5, 155x5, 185x3, 205x3, 235x8, 255x1, 275x1

Volume Bench Press
155x10, 155x10, 155x10, 155x10, 155x10

Deadhang Chins
8, 6, 5, 4

Abmat Situps - 100

Box Jump - 37" (PR)

11/2/11

Tuesday, November 01, 2011 - Front Squats

What a fun night at the gym. All of the guys working on their training and having fun.

Front Squat
45x10, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 255x1, 315x1 (PR), 335xF

Front Squat Volume
225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5

Box Jumps
30"x5, 32"x5, 34"x5, 36"x5, 36"x5, 36"x5

Abmat Situps x 100

Jump Rope x 5 min.