Smolov Jr Bench Personal Best!

Tonight at PTC Perth my 3 week Smolov Jr Bench program concluded. I blogged previously about the lessons learned during this program but at the end of the day efficacy is judged on raw numbers.

Lots of bodies in tonight at PTC so I tried to stay focused, preserving my energy for the bar. Easy warm ups, a couple of sets of 6 working up in weight and down in reps. I'm working relatively fast but feeling strong and confident. Three weeks ago I was aiming for a 3kg PB and reps in week two suggested I was on track. I hit a single 6% lower than my current 1RM and then load the bar with a 5kg PB.

Under the bar now remember the cues, roll shoulders under, set my bridge, lock the body and grip the bar. Big breath lift off and lower to the chest...then bang damn thing goes up like a warm up..PB!

Feeling confident now, load the bar with a 10kg PB, rest and get set. Steel in the hands, feel the traps pushing into the padding. Soft lift off and the bar starts down, touch the chest pause and drive. Bar speed is good slows at the mid point then the triceps do their job and lock it out strongly. A 10kg PB, damn you Smolov you didn't let me down.

Now I am cocky and have nothing to lose. Five more kilograms are loaded and now I am under a 15kg PB, Despite the urgings and watchful eyes of big Mike, Dan and Aaron I lose it just below the mid point but felt enough of it to know its mine in the next cycle.

Three weeks of the Smolov Jr and a solid 10kg PB locked in. Shifting to benching 4 days a week was challenging particularly after the much lower frequency of the Wendler template that I normally run. In fact the change up in frequency made all of the difference, it really hypes your CNS and lets you groove technique. Then there is the increased volume which certainly allows for a nice strength compensation. 

Negatives... none to speak of though my rotator cuff tweaked slightly on my second to last session. Regardless I will have no hesitation programming a Smolov Jr mini cycle in the next 6 months to give the bench another kick.

Stay Strong

Thomo

Latest Black Ops Pre Workout Peri Nutrition

Now I shall apologise for the long winded title. I wanted to put the words black ops and peri nutrition in the title to fuck with the T-nation forum members who gobble up that bullshit about startling game changing supplements.

Once upon a time I took pre-workout powders, primarily because I wanted to see if they worked and was interested if there would be a discernible intra workout impact particularly on the back of a 12 hour day. Bottom line my view is they are redundant!

Invariably each concoction has some combination of the following:

1. Anti-oxidants vitamin E, ALA etc well already take E so dont require an additional dose
2. Endurance factors: Beta-alanine, Citrulline Malate, now last time I looked I'm a strength athlete and getting through 45 mins should require additional supplementation. Generally Beta-alanine helps endurance for higher reps and though studies show some efficacy I work most of my hard sets in the 1-5 range
3. Cognitive enhancement: Some form of caffeine derivative. Funny I remember when No-explode first hit the market in ready to drink form and all those knuckle heads where shotgunning the whole bottle followed shortly after by shitting on the toilet and then lack of sleep 5 hours later! 

Well happy to say my workout nutrition, note I don't use the fancy 'peri' term as it shits me (say pre and post!) consists of black coffee 40 mins out, protein during workout (maybe whey, often milk) with some carbs and that's it. 

Guess what it doesn't cost me the ridiculous prices spotty teenagers pay at the local GNC and seems to do the trick!

Don't be fooled by the Niacin flush and Beta Alanine tingle, spend your money on the equivalent 10 kgs of quality beef premium mince for the month it will contribute much more to mass and strength!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Things I've Learned about Smolov Jr

Technically I am in my last week of Smolov Jr bench and thought it would be useful to share a few observations after running the program. A quick recap:  I have run the standard Smolov Jr template and have been benching 4 days a week. In terms of additional exercises I have limited myself to either face pulls, chins or band rows.

Key observations:

1. Do not bullshit your 1RM on which the program is based. Make sure it is based on your current best 1RM, not your 1RM from 6 months ago that you haven't got close to or your estimated 1RM from your best 10 rep set or the 1RM you think you could make if...etc. If you get this wrong you will tap out far too early.
2. Keep the calories up: if you are not used to the volume and frequency then you need to ensure you are getting plenty of calories to compensate
3. Rest between sets: Your goal is to get those set and rep targets so rest sufficiently between sets to keep cranking out the sets especially on day four when you 
4. Work on recovery between sessions: Benching 4 days a week can be hard for us mere mortals so ensure you are doing plenty of recovery and pre-hab. In the case of bench make sure you are getting in regular rotator cuff work.

So the big question is has it worked? For me definitely  I am in week 3 which is technically my final week (though I might push it 1 more week with reduced volume) and in my final session this week I am pushing 10 sets of 3 at a weight that is only 3 kgs lighter than my previous 1RM. So clearly I am confident of getting minimum 5kg 1RM test next week.

I think to much of the success of the Smolov is because I run Wendler 5/3/1 so the greater volume and frequency is a great change up from the Wendler minimal reps. So if you are looking to blow past a bench 1RM I recommend giving Smolov Jr a shot. Just run it for the 3 weeks!

Stay Strong
Thomo!

Best Anabolic Supplement...Sleep!

Over the last few weeks I have been reviewing my training journal. I do this at the end of each cycle to sense check progress and lock in any improvements I need to consider for my next cycle. For each set I complete I always note how hard it was in relatively terms. This was a tip I picked up from Damon Hayhow  who emphasised the importance of being able to compare effort from set to set and session to session.

As a natural lifter (clearly you ain't going to mistake me for geared any time soon!) my indicators will change  from session to session. Some days the iron just keeps going up and in others it fees like someone has slipped an extra couple of plates on the bar. Regardless a long term view shows poundages and PB's going up and body fat coming down. Though I am sure training at PTC Perth surrounded by old school powerlifting adds kg's to my lifts!

 Interestingly when I took a closer look at the individual sessions where I was below par one clear factor stood out...lack of sleep.  In every single occasion I had recorded a particular poor nights sleep either restless and woke tired or went to bed very late due to family or work commitments. There is so much literature that supports the restorative and anabolic effects of sustained good sleeping patterns.

It's easy to focus on so many other elements of training but don't forget the obvious and easiest anabolic element: a good nights sleep!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Powerlifting Roids - Get Strong First

One of the dumbest things I see is young guys going very very far down the anabolic path.

Before I continue lets get the obligatory steroid stance out of the way before every jacked lifter in the country posts a comment! I 'don't have a problem with roids, in fact I agree with many legitimate uses of steroids. For HIV positive men to assist with health, no problem. For burns victims to reduce catabolic effects of their injuries, no problems. For men who clinically have declining testosterone manifesting itself in negative ways such as depression, pre-diabetes etc, no problem. Hell if I get to fifty and my natural testosterone plummets I will be the first one dropping my pants for a clinical and legal therapeutic dose. Notice what I said....a dose the restores me to a positive hormonal balance. No ridiculous over the top supra-physiological doses that take me off the chart into side effects!

I have said this many times but you have to, have to, have to push your genetic boundaries first. Remember with gear there is only ever 1 'first cycle' and you can never go back.

The implication of this is that your body is a test tube and if you haven't figured how to tweak and cajole every ounce out of it naturally then quite simply your fucked if you jump to the gear to compensate. Because once you do the only lever to pull is the more is better approach!

At the previous gym I trained at there were several highly visible examples of train wrecks waiting to happen. One particularly was interesting and as I watched him slide into using it was interesting to see that he really had no plan. His lifts obviously went up and the water weight kicked in as well along with the obligatory zits on the shoulders. However what was painfully obvious is that he had no formal dose plan, still trained session to session with no sense of load, percentages or effort. No eventually at some point his supply will dry up or he will have to come off. He hasn't got the first clue about post cycle therapy and once he is off the drop in body weight and poundage lifted is seriously going to fuck with his mind and he won't have a clue how to address it.

Similarly I witnessed a young guy recently who, while he pushed some pretty decent competition weights was taking fair whack of gear. In fact against others around him he was so obviously on the gear that it was funny.

As I reflect on this post I think I am most offended by the use of roids when it is a short cut. Honestly fuck you if you can't put the time in first. Training is hard work and requires you to think about what you are doing to drive outcomes long term. If you cant focus on that before hitting the gear then you shouldn't be in this game.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Geared versus Raw Lifting Screw ups

Ever notice that people sometimes adopt methods that are completely wrong for their goals! In the past I have noticed a lot of natural and non geared lifters fucking around with techniques that are focused on geared lifting.

The primary one is people doing lots and lots of box squats. Now I am no Dave Tate or Louie Simmons but for the average guy looking to get big and strong  AND who doesn't use a squat suit the box squat is overrated. Sure it loads the posterior chain and keeps the lower leg upright but unless you replicate that form in your actual squat then whats the point. Again if you have a naturally narrower stance squat then I fail to see how your box squatting transfers other for deadlift hip drive (which is a different reason to be doing them).

Similarly guys that bench raw and start screwing around focusing on lock out techniques. Now that's fine if you actually have a lockout problem but I guarantee if you watch their work sets invariably they are getting stapled to the bench off the chest not in the last quarter of the movement.

Often the average guy is ignorant of the changes in the strength curve that occur when shifting from raw to geared lifting.

Bottom line: think about the technique and whether it has utility for your training before you include it in your next cycle.

Stay Strong
Thomo

PTC Perth Push Pull Competition

PTC Perth hosted their edition of the overall PTC push pull comp. Good turnout and some great lifting. Well done to Paul, Dan and Aaron at PTC Perth for putting on a great event as always!

The cross tables are below:

Bench

Deadlift

Conditioning Work for Powerlifting

Why is it that people like to continually complicate shit? Maybe it's because I am a management consultant I have a predisposition for finding the simplest solution to get the job done. It's just that I find people's obsession with conditioning work exhausts me!

Why do conditioning, for health and to ensure sufficient endurance for our primary goal which is to lift heavy shit off the ground! So why is it so many people have to create these 'funniest home video'  like obstacle courses with 8 different exercises just to get in 20 mins of conditioning.

I'm not a huge fan of conditioning perhaps its because as a lad my sport was running and cycling so the idea of conditioning work brings back lots of oxygen debt training memories. However these days I keep it simple, I find a hill I run up the hill many times in 20 mins and then I fall down! People it shouldn't be any harder than that. Now if you want to do your lovely rope work because MMA stars do rope work then so be it but do you really need 8 different exercises.

In fact in the spirit of keeping it simple read up on Dan John's Tabata protocol. This 4 min hell protocol involves:

Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds

Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds


Work for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds


and repeat 5 more times

After much experimenting the venerable Dan John suggests the front squat is the best exercise for this followed closely by the goblet squat. Note the weight you will need to use will be minuscule but that will be a godsend by the time you collapse after the near 4 mins of agony.

The old favourites of prowler or farmers walks also works well but at the end of the day why are you doing these things? If it is for conditioning then you don't need to go to failure with a ridiculously heavy weight.

As with all things remember the conditioning work is an adjunct to your lifting not the other way around so programme it with this in mind!

Keep the variety for the Chinese buffet post training!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Weight training 101 - Stick to the Plan!

The more I train the more I am convinced that may lifters struggle with progress because of a propensity to over complicate things. This partially stems from our inherent impatience for progress, even more so in a generation that is predicated on instant gratification.

I often quote Wendler  ' There are no 8 week plans, rather yearlong goals and decade long plans'. For me that is the perfect mindset for programming lifting. If this premise holds true then you just need to knuckle down and bang out the reps year in and year out. There is no magic formula, pill or approach just some common sense.

Unfortunately many lifters, particularly those in their twenties change their routines, approach, diet etc more often than their underwear, never sticking with an approach long enough to derive the benefits. The problem is the aforementioned expectation of progress. Often the routine they are on will deliver growth, size and strength but likely in the medium to long term. However these guys want the PB or the 10kg of mass in the first 8 weeks and when it doesn't materialise off they go again on a new routine coupled most likely with the next latest and greatest supplement!

I think having the balls (sorry ladies) to hunker down and focus on long term gains is the old school way. Knowing that you have to lift over years is quite empowering and puts into context all of the short term 'noise' that distracts others from making progress.

Interestingly having a longer term view makes dealing with injury somewhat easier. So often lifters start climbing the walls when they can't train or even though they screwed their back in training they just have to try and pull a max deadlift 1 week later?! By realising that lifting is a lifetime endeavour then a month out for surgery or active rest is nothing if it means you can keep doing this for decades after.

Just remember..stop fucking around with your program. Stick to something simple, train, eat rest and REPEAT!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Powerlifting Motivation Video 2

Below is another of my favourite motivational videos. Though its the Olympic lifting crew at MDUSA the first 1;40 minutes is my favourite gym footage. The music is haunting and low key and the guys and gals are in warm up mode. However it resonates heavily with my view of training as a workman like activity. Just another day at the office where you are doing the things that will pay off in years to come.

That shit epitomizes my view of training and also aligns with the Wendler view that training is about 5 year and decade long goals. Shorter views just force people into shorts cuts with gear and injuries.

Also have a look at Jon North at the 1:25 mark, his approach to a lift is perfect. Quite contemplation morphing into intensity and then explosion. He doesnt need any bullshit wrap music and smacks on the back of the head. Just go out their and fucking lift!.

Don't forget the PTC Perth push pull comp is on tomorrow so if you aren't competing then get down and watch the crew lift, their should be a few GPC records fall!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Bench Press Tips - Have a big gut and short arms!

It's week two of my Smolov Jr bench cycle and things are ticking along nicely. Today was the final session of week two and I hit 10 sets for 3 reps at a weight only 8kg lighter than my previous 1RM bench. Suffice to say I am confident I will blow my 1RM away at the end of this cycle in two weeks.

Benching this frequently has got me thinking about the mechanics of the lift and I can't help reflect on what a huge role genetics plays in this sport. Have a look at our massive friend in the picture above. He has just about touched bottom given both the shortness of his arms and the huge barrel chest. If you remove the size of his chest he is effectively doing a quarter press the lucky bastard.

For an average guy like me my arms are probably a good 2 inches longer proportionately and my chest is about 8 inches lower!! So effectively I have to push my weight through an additional 8+ inches. Lets not forget he has approximately 900 pounds in this picture so it evens up somewhat!

Regardless this minor injury constraining my squat and dead-lift is at least going to reap rewards in a PB Bench.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Ass to Grass Back Squat

So given my injury I am 2 sessions into my 4 week smolov jr bench specialisation and by all accounts feels pretty damn good. After so long on a particular regime it certainly shocks the body to move to a 4 day a week bench routine.

Just a brief post today but perusing MDUSA tonight for some motivational videos and found James from MDUSA hitting 220kg squat at 78kg followed  by Jess with a PR at 127kg...damn bringing the BOOM!


Stay strong

Thomo

Old School Bodybuilding - Arnold versus Ronnie

I have been watching bodybuilding since 1983 when  an aesthetic Samir Bannout took out the Mr Olympia. Back then I had only just started to watch powerlifting so it was bodybuilding that captured my attention.

Looking back now I am conscious that we have gotten much bigger and stronger but a hell of a lot uglier in the Bodybuilding world. Primarily this is due to the ridiculous doses of roids and GH that everyone from a pro to amateurs are taking.

However you don't realise how much has been lost until you put the champions of yesterday next to today's mass monsters. It's only then that you can see just how great yesterday's champions looked. Importantly for the average guy like me you always felt that the champions look was achievable, the clean flowing lines and size didn't feel unattainable  Fast forward to today and the ridiculous size and vascularity just seems otherworldly let alone far from healthy.

Check out my favourite pic below. Now I am a huge fan of Ronnie and like most was in awe of his mass and work ethic. However side by side with Arnold I know I much prefer the Terminator's look and elegant lines.

Stay Strong
Thomo!

Powerlifting Injuries...Shit Happens

Well yesterday's session confirmed I am injured and need to lay off heavy legs for 4 weeks! I caught up with  my good physio buddy today and confirmed it is a strained adductor on my left side. Likely not a tear and pretty minor but one of those annoying niggley injuries that after a week it feels great then suddenly you feel it go when you move a certain way.

I trained at PTC Perth yesterday: deadlift day cycle 1 and a modest 130kg on the bar for 5. The weight went up ok given every week 1 for me after de-load feels shit. However I couldn't shake the tweak when I was either tight ready to pull or at full extension driving the hips under. Worse to come cambered bar squats with an empty bar felt worse so I knew it was time to draw a line under this cycle. I am not disappointed though as I PB'ed Bench, Deadlift and Military 2 weeks ago.

Prognosis is couple of weeks and I should be ready to go but I am going to give it 4 weeks off heavy squat and deadlifts. I want to be fresh for a run at states and nationals next year so caution is the way to go.

I tend to think a lifter's response to injury defines them even more so than when they are in the hole with a PB on their back. My mate Damon Hayhow is a classic in this regard. Tore his achilles this year and not too many weeks later was squatting 3 plates in a moon boot to build up his leg.

Similarly I am seeking the opportunity in this scenario. Thanks to my crappy genetics and long arms my bench is far and away my worst lift so for the next 4 weeks I am going to rock a Smolov Junior template with plenty of upper back work to push a Bench PB. Net result should be healed adductor, fresh legs and 5-10kg bench PB.

Oh and if anyone wants first class Physio with practitioners who don't over-service and aim to get you back on the platform quick then check out Sean or Kim at Floreat Physiotherapy (have a Como practice too!)

Stay Strong
Thomo

PTC Perth - Get a Dexa Scan

I am sure most of you will know that the easiest way to annoy me is to go on about your training but not actually measure progress. It annoys me professionally given my background as an analyst ( I rely on evidence) and secondly it's dumb. Given the amount of time spent  in the gym if you are not monitoring markers of progress you are simply flying blind.

At PTC Perth we like to be a little more committed to training and therefore have an option for all of our members to perform Dexa scans to measure body composition changes and understand actual phsyiological impacts of training. Now the powerlifter in you will say..well if the numbers on the bar are going up then  its all good. However if you take a longer more sensible view training should also be about positive physical changes otherwise you can end up looking like a chunky super-heavy weight before you can say pass the bacon!

So what are DexaDexa scans? Dual  Energy  X‐ray  Absorptiometry  (DEXA)  is  the most  accurate  measure  of  body  composition  available  (muscle  and  fat  percentages  for whole  body,  trunk,  arms  and  legs). This provides a perfect method to track decreasing body fat or increasing muscle mass.  As a bonus it also measures your bone density. Why is measuring bone density body composition important? Well for most of us it wont be necessary but as you age bones  demineralise  and  this  can  lead  to  reduced  bone  density  and  in  some cases,  osteoporosis  and  the  mortality  rate  is  markedly  increased  after  an  osteoporotic fracture.


So how does it work. Well to get the great PTC rate you have to obviously be a member of PTC Perth. You head off to the testing centre and see the fantastic team at ECU Joondalup. The procedure goes like this: Each  scan  takes  between  5‐10  minutes  and involves  lying  supine  with  the  legs  positioned  to allow  reproducible  and  accurate  results.  The scanner  is  painless  and  uses  very  low  level radiation (less than a flight to the East coast).  An accredited  Exercise  Physiologists  will  be  able  to answer any questions at the time of the scan.

In my experience it is simple straight forward and I get one performed every 5 months to track my body composition changes.

If you want more details e-mail me, leave a comment or see Paul,Dan or myself in the gym.

Stay Strong Thomo

Powerlifting Motivation - Video No 1

I love when Saturday rolls around. The long hours of the week are left behind  I get to spend time with my daughter and my training session is unhurried and civilized. Like most of you my training is weeknights after work with a typical training day going something like this:

Alarm clock 4:55am, shower, shit, breakfast, get on the train with the great unwashed and at the office by 6:15. Spend the day at clients, meetings analysis all the usual management consultant fun. Then jam into the evening train at 6:30 to get back and spend time my daughter  before she goes to bed.

Guzzle some protein, foam roll and band work at home, kiss the wife in the car and at PTC Perth by 7:30 (if all goes well). By the time warm up, workout and quick chats with the lads its 9:00pm. In the car home by 9:15 and at 9:40 eating dinner. By 10 cleaning shit up and packing meals for the next day. Head hits the pillow at 10:30-11:00pm and start all over again!

I am sure many of you will have a similar schedule therefore I absolutely love when Saturday training comes around. I can take my time getting into the training zone, its warm outside so the juices flow more easily, the gym is much less busy. It's just a nice change of pace for the week and often why I love when deadlift rolls around on this day!

So I can hear you now..yes Thomo we are playing a violin of sad music for you but whats your fucking point!!

Well it doesn't take much to motivate me, I am lifting because I love it but from time to time I need a little external Boom to get me in the zone. Over the next few posts I want to share some of my favourite motivational videos.

Here is one of my favorites from EliteFTS

Stay Strong
Thomo