The Student Room Group

OMG not another Rippetoes blog!

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Original post by ibysaiyan
I like to read your monthly reviews
btw. what were the pr's ? :tongue:


210 deadlift and 78 press.
Original post by Smack
210 deadlift and 78 press.


Strong numbers! Good job
Original post by ibysaiyan
Strong numbers! Good job


Still pretty poor compared to what I should be doing for someone who has been training for such a length of time. I think I've been training for as long as - or even longer - than Nun and he is much stronger than me in everything.
Original post by Smack
Still pretty poor compared to what I should be doing for someone who has been training for such a length of time. I think I've been training for as long as - or even longer - than Nun and he is much stronger than me in everything.


It all takes time.. for some a little more longer.
What are his stats like ? :tongue: jw
Original post by ibysaiyan
It all takes time.. for some a little more longer.
What are his stats like ? :tongue: jw


He can overhead 110, bench 115, squat 200 and deadlift like 250.

The thing with me is that I haven't been nearly consistent enough. I've spent a lot of time over the years doing silly crap that doesn't work, and also regressing.
Original post by Smack
He can overhead 110, bench 115, squat 200 and deadlift like 250.

The thing with me is that I haven't been nearly consistent enough. I've spent a lot of time over the years doing silly crap that doesn't work, and also regressing.


Impressive numbers.. monstrous squat lol

What kind of stuff ?
Original post by ibysaiyan
Impressive numbers.. monstrous squat lol

What kind of stuff ?


Just stuff like hitting each lift once a week, low volume upper/lowers done thrice weekly, doing my own thing, etc.
I see...
Okay session tonight. Used deadlift slippers instead of Ironworks for squats and presses and everything felt so much more balance. No more being thrown forward on squats and pressing and knee seems to feel a bit better too. However stomach wasn't feeling that great at the start of the session.

Squats:

worked up to 160 x 1

Not difficult at all, but didn't want to push it in case the contents of my stomach were released.

Press:

50 x 5
60 x 5 - very difficult
70 x 1 - failed second

Okay so after a while of pressing using different methodologies I can make some conclusions:

1) Increasing my 1RM via high frequency singles does not transfer to my ability to rep whatsoever

2) Multiple sets of moderate reps transfers almost as good as the above to a 1RM.

3) Repeated heavy singles does not increase muscle mass

4) Therefore using some volume e.g. 5x5 is superior for the press than maxing out multiple times per week

Deadlift:

190 x 1
200 x 1
210 x f
210 x 1 -

210 was ugly but got it. Quite happy to have got my PB again, after squats.
Reply 929
I'm having some revelations atm with singles lol. I think going heavy is fun and has its place but I just love 3x5 and find myself returning to it all the time. I just know that squats and bench are going to break through plateau in next few weeks cos I'm going back to 3x5 with +2.5 every time.

The muscle mass thing is true aswell I think. Earlier this yr over a solid period of 3x5 on everything, I was slowly but surely looking bigger each month. Last couple of months I've been maxing all the time on most things and while I've gotten slightly stronger at singles, I've put on virtually no muscle and I don't think I'm burning as many calories, and I've got visually fatter lol. I think 3x5 will put more of dat dere muscle on me again.
It pains me slightly to say this, but I haven't really gotten any stronger in about a year - since I stopped Madcows. My deadlift has improved by about 25kg, but the day I chose to test my new 1RM after Madcows was a day that I wasn't feeling all that, and I also had a change of footwear which affected the mechanics of the lift too. So it wasn't a true 1RM.

So the obvious solution is to run Madcows again.

After punching my numbers - 1RMs - into the spreadsheet, the numbers it outputs are often hopelessly optimistic for my 5RMs. So I edited the formula to use Wendler's value of 0.0333 (suggested in his 5/3/1 ebook) as it gives more realistic 5RM values; however it gives very optimistic values for a 1RM based on a 5RM.

Before I can start the programme again, I need to start benching again so I can input an accurate bench value. I also need to find out my squat, deadlift and row 5RMs. Hopefully this doesn't take more than a few weeks.
Reply 931
I only get marginally stronger year by year. I've been training embarassingly long now. Some lifts just hardly move so I find myself trying to set PBs in different ways (sets, reps, etc). I think mostly I just need to eat moar though so I kind of know my problem already.

Maybe you're just at a stage where strength will come very slowly from now on, unless you make a jump in BW. It's like a big faux pas to say that on here where there's a big culture of "zomgz if you dont put 40kg on each of the big 3 yearly then you're doing it wrong" but shock surprise; everyone has natural limits where things slow down.

At least you're trying to work around it. Good luck.
Original post by Adidas90
I only get marginally stronger year by year. I've been training embarassingly long now. Some lifts just hardly move so I find myself trying to set PBs in different ways (sets, reps, etc). I think mostly I just need to eat moar though so I kind of know my problem already.

Maybe you're just at a stage where strength will come very slowly from now on, unless you make a jump in BW. It's like a big faux pas to say that on here where there's a big culture of "zomgz if you dont put 40kg on each of the big 3 yearly then you're doing it wrong" but shock surprise; everyone has natural limits where things slow down.

At least you're trying to work around it. Good luck.

The joys of having arrived at 'base strength.' :frown:
Original post by Adidas90
Maybe you're just at a stage where strength will come very slowly from now on


I don't think so. I know that my lack of strength gains are due to poor, unstructured training.
Quick and crappy session tonight.

Bench:

85 x 1
87 x 1
60 x 15

So the results of my experiment are that: solely overhead pressing will not increase my bench; in fact, my bench will decrease without constant training.

Singles felt heavy, but not quite 100%.

Last set was quite surprising - a rep PR, actually.

Pendlay row:

60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5

These were ultra strict - smooth off of the floor, accelerating it to my chest, then slow and controlled on the negative.

Press:

40 x 5
50 x 5

Meh. I'm never good at pressing after benching.
Okay session tonight.

Squats:

130 x 5
130 x 5
130 x 5

Difficult here was not the weight but that I haven't done a set of five, let alone sets of five across, in quite a while. Weight well below my estimated 5RM of 157 from a 177 1RM.

Bench press:

70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 5

Weight felt heavy and pecs were sore after Wednesday since it was the first time I've benched in a while, but wasn't too much trouble.

Deadlift:

170 x 5

Not too hard.

Chins:

bodyweight x 3/2/2/2/1

10 in total.

Stretched and went home.
Okay session this evening.

Squats:

133 x 5
133 x 5
133 x 5

Did these in my Ironworks tonight and form is definitely different: they force me to remain more upright, with knees coming further over toes thus using less posterior chain and more quads. I think from now on I will continue squatting in deadlift slippers as they allow me to lean much further forward and utilise more posterior chain.

Press:

50 x 5
50 x 5
50 x 5

Easy.

Pendlay row:

70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 5

Easy.

Dips:

bodyweight x 5/5/2

First sets were shaky because I've not dipped in a while but weren't too slow or difficult. Last set just abruptly cut off after two reps.
Reply 937
Smack would you mind posting your diet on here?
Original post by Torak
Smack would you mind posting your diet on here?


I don't follow a particular diet - I just eat what is available. I don't count calories or protein or anything.
Reply 939
Have you ever found managing engineering lectures alongside the gym a problem?
I have been debating the advantages/disadvantages of paying £90 more for peak membership rather than just going at the weekends and before 9oclock starts in the week.

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