I <3 Squat

[f-rider]

So I decided to start a training log with an audience, because otherwise I'm too lazy to keep one.

Some background information:

23y/o, male, 92kg/204lb bodyweight, current bf% unknown (but somewhere within 10-20%), 176cm/5'9" tall. I do powerlifting as a hobby, lift according to IPF rules with IPF-approved gear. Best lifts: 205kg/452lb squat (2008 Canadian Nationals), 120kg/265lb bench (gym, prep for Canadian Nationals), 202.5kg/446lb deadlift (Canadian Nationals, sumo, belt-only) in the 90kg/198lb class.

Started 3-lifting in February of last year, bodyweight 72kg/158lb, before that just did squats starting from October 2006, before that didn't go to the gym.

Current goals:

Short-term:
87kg/192lb bodyweight by May 15th. I have a bet with my brother. So far down to 92.5kg from a high of 95.9kg on April 16th.

Long-term:
Sept. 13 USPF powerlifting meet at Muscle Beach in Venice (incidentally, if anyone in West LA wants to train with me, send a PM - I'm putting together a team for the meet, we will have cool t-shirts and even cooler totals). 600lb squat, 335 bench, 600 deadlift in the 198lb class. Optimistic? Maybe. I was planning on a 500 squat and 500 dl for Canadian Nationals, but had to lift with a sprained wrist (which didn't impact my deadlift - a certain "wardrobe malfunction" did - no, there was no nudity involved - my advice is to not use deadlift slippers when doing sumo, it turns out they slip pretty badly when you have socks on).

I hope to accomplish these goals by attacking my two main weaknesses - lower back and bench. My current limiting factor in the squat is how much my lower back can withstand. To address that issue, besides working on strengthening the LB, I am also switching back to a narrow (shoulder-width) stance, which lets me keep my back more upright. Strengthening the LB will also allow me to use a deadlift suit, since every one I've tried (besides the Inzer HC squat suit, which doesn't give any pop) messes with getting my back set up, which prevents me from locking out. Basically, my lower back is a huge impediment to my legs.

The story with bench is much simpler. I just need to do it more and get my raw bench up to an acceptable number for my bodyweight.

[f-rider]

Here are the first three workouts of my new program:

Sun 4/20
DL 5x3 375 no belt
BP 5x3 175
Rack pulls 4x2 455
BP 4x4 165
GM 5x5 225

Tues 4/22
DL 6x2 385 no belt
BP 5x3 185
DL 5x3 365 up to knees
BP 4x4 165
Rows

Thurs 4/24
BP 6x2 195
SQ 5x3 335 b+w
BP 4x4 165
SQ 4x4 315 b+w
GM 5x5 225
Rows

I've ommitted the warm-ups, they are basically sets of 1, 2, 3 plates going for 8-10, 4-6, 3 reps, respectively, for both the squat and DL, and 135x6, 165x3 for the triples for bench.

The basic layout is Tues - DL, Thurs - Squats, Sun - Squats (the first week didn't work out this way because I thought I'd do DL tueday, then changed my mind). You may notice it's similar to a "Sheiko base" program in that it has three days with two squats, one deadlift, and bench every day. The difference is the doubling up of the bench and squat, and the percentages, both of which are from Sergey Ivanov's programs.

The basic program layout for the day is the main exercise consisting of 5 sets of 3RM weight, then same for bench, then more of the main exercise, then more bench, and finally some assistance work.

I will switch up the secondary deadlift exercise from rack pulls to pulls to the knee (first 2 pulled up over the knee and paused, 3rd rep pulled up over the knee, paused, then pulled to lock-out) every week.

I haven't squatted without at least the squat suit bottoms on for the last 3 months, and now I've decided to squat belt and wraps (b+w) with a narrow stance, and a high bar placement with my hands out until my wrist heals up completely, so I'm going conservative on the weight. I'll try a 6x2 of 355 tonight and if that feels strong, I'll make that the target of my triples. In comparison, my working weight with squat suit bottoms for 5x3 is 385.

I should add in hyperextensions and Roman-chair abs to the assistance work, but those 3 workouts have all been around 3 hours long already. Once my wrist heals up I'll add weighted dips; those seem to have really helped my bench progress before the injury.

[ryuage]

welcome to journal land, looking forward to seeing your progress

[deeder]

I don't know how you can bench press after squatting or deadlifting. My back gets so jacked there's no way I could arch properly on the bench.

That's some pretty heavy work so soon after nationals! Is this a program you've worked on with Boyd? Or mostly your own crazy stuff?

[Ruffian]

Nice seeing you again!!!

I would say id follow you but Im not often on WBB anymore... I just float occasionally.

And that IS a weird program!

[f-rider]

4/27:
BP 5x3 185
Sq 6x2 355 b+w
Incline BP 4x4 125
Sq 4x4 325 b+w
GM 5x5 225
Rotator cuff pre-hab 4x10
Dips 4x8 bodyweight

Squat doubles felt ok but not fantastic enough to try triples, however the 325 for sets of 4 went great, so I'm bumping up the working weight for triples to 345 on my next squat workout.

Bench didn't go so well. Tried 195 but that definitely wouldn't go for 3, so I loaded the bar down to 185. On the 3rd reps of the 3rd and 4th set, had to push my right elbow in a bit to keep the weight moving up, which put some extra strain on my shoulder. That was a bit alarming, so decided to play it safe and do incline instead of regular bench for the second BP of the day (which is what you'd normally do on a "Sheiko base" program), and add in rotator cuff exercises to the assistance. Sure enough there was an unusual clicking in my right shoulder.

I am in a bit of a rush to get my working weight for bench up to what it was before the wrist injury (205 for triples), which, given what happened today, I realized is a mistake. At the time I was bulking to fill out the 198, and now I'm cutting, which would explain the lower rate of progress, and also makes me more prone to injury. I'll continue doing what I did today - replace one of the 4x4 benches in the week with a bench assistance exercise (incline bench, shoulder press, or dumbell flyes), which would bring me down to benching 5 times a week, and keep the weight for triples steady at 185.

The good news of the day is my right wrist is almost back to normal. So normal that I decided to try dips, but my shoulders were too sore from the incline BP so I just ended up doing bodyweight. I also moved my grip in for the squats - middle finger on the middle ring of the Ivanko bar. Bar still sits high, but my elbows started getting loaded (they're hurting now). When doing the squat doubles, I had a little trouble keeping my knees out on the way up (or as way out there as they are when I'm coming down, and they're way out there), so for the 4s I decided to try pointing my toes out more, which brought my heels closer together. That did the trick.

Now I have to acknowledge that the idea for narrowing my stance came from a conversation with Aaron Ziffle at Nationals, who has the craziest squatting technique I've ever seen (hopefully someone will put videos on youtube, because I'm sure it will be the craziest technique you'll ever see, too), and now that my stance is so narrow and my toes pointing out so much, I think it's starting to resemble his (although still crappy in comparison), so to give credit where credit is due, I will start calling these "Ziffle squats" from now on. I'd like to see if I can make this work in a squat suit.

----

Now about the program itself, it's basically my adaptation of the program Victor Furazhkin had me on when I trained with him (from start of February to start of April). That program was Monday - squats, Tuesday - DL triples off of 4" board at 65%, Wednesday - DL triples and rack pulls, Friday - squats, Saturday - DL triples. Due to various social happenings (which, yes, I prioritized over training...) I only did two or three of the Saturday workouts, but DLing 3 times a week was still not that bad. That program was a cut-down version of his program from when he was competing, designed by Sergey Ivanov. Before he left, Victor told me to double up the squats, which is fine by me since I like squatting. I don't like the deadlift so much, so that went since I wanted to cut workouts to 3 a week. I'll re-introduce pulls off of a board when I start having trouble with starting speed, which I doubt will be soon. Doubling up the bench on every workout was my own initiative while preparing for Nationals, since bench was going really fantastically well for me, and it only got better.

It's dead simple, the progress is easily quantifiable (if you feel strong, do 6x2, if that feels strong, try a triple, if that feels strong, make it your new 5x3 working weight, rinse, repeat), the weight is enough that you address important things like walkout and set-up for the DL that you don't get to work on with higher reps, but still safe, and most important of all I really like doing it. I'm not ever going back to doing DL for 10s, ever.

----

Ok, I'll try to keep the posts shorter from now on.

[deeder]

Don't start squatting like Ziffle!!!

The way he squats works for him for three reasons:
- He's so damn short
- He's got ridiculously flexible hips + hammies
- He's crazy

I don't know what he gets out of a suit but my guess is not very much. You just can't build up the same tightness in the hips when you squat uber-narrow like that. Look at all the biggest squatters.. No one squats anywhere near that narrow.

That looks like a really intense program you are following. I feel like a wimp reading this log knowing that I'm doing 3 sets of knee wrap work next week that will practically kill me haha

[f-rider]

Don't start squatting like Ziffle!!!

The way he squats works for him for three reasons:
- He's so damn short
- He's got ridiculously flexible hips + hammies
- He's crazy

I don't know what he gets out of a suit but my guess is not very much. You just can't build up the same tightness in the hips when you squat uber-narrow like that. Look at all the biggest squatters.. No one squats anywhere near that narrow.

Don't worry, I'm not going that narrow. The thing that Aaron made me realize is that I was doing pretty well squatting narrow (just barely shoulder width) with my knees way out and toes pointing forward, way back when. That's actually the reason why Boyd had me buy a v-squatter instead of a regular-stance suit; he thought it would just help me push the knees out. The trouble was it pushed my knees out so much that it also ended up tipping my shoes on the outer edge of their sole. So I actually started squatting wide just because of the suit. I don't like the way my hips feel when I squat wide without a suit, and like I mentioned it is easier to keep upright when squatting narrow. I also used to squat like that with flat-soled shoes (in fact, the ones I still use for deadlifting), so hamstring flexibility isn't a problem. As a matter of fact, I may try going back to squatting in those instead of my weightlifting shoes just to see what happens.

That looks like a really intense program you are following. I feel like a wimp reading this log knowing that I'm doing 3 sets of knee wrap work next week that will practically kill me haha

You get used to it. The 16s, that I don't think you get used to, unless you are the mythical Kenny Fougere. In 3 weeks I plan to switch one of the squat days to 12s (because I'm a wimp) to prep my wrist for going back to narrow-grip, low-bar squats.

[deeder]

Alright, shoulder width stance squatting like Ziffle I like. I don't know if you saw me squat... But my stance is a little wider than shoulder width, feet pointed out and I push my knees out as hard as I can the whole time. So I guess we're just taking the good things from Aaron.

You get used to it. The 16s, that I don't think you get used to, unless you are the mythical Kenny Fougere. In 3 weeks I plan to switch one of the squat days to 12s (because I'm a wimp) to prep my wrist for going back to narrow-grip, low-bar squats.

So your last workout you did 10 sets in knee wraps right? There's no freaking way I could ever get used to that. I don't think there's even anyway I could survive a workout like that!

[Reko]

At the time I was bulking to fill out the 198, and now I'm cutting, which would explain the lower rate of progress,

Dude, don't even think like that. Cutting doesn't make you weaker. Your strength is all in the mind. Just stay positive.

[f-rider]

4/29:
DL 5x3 385
BP 5x3 185
Rack pulls 4x2 455
BP 4x4 175
Rows 5x6
Dips 3x10
Rotator cuff pre-hab 3x10

Rack pulls were really fast, time to add weight there. I watched some videos of Wade Hooper benching (can't link because my post count is still too low - search for them on YouTube, Hooper has an account there and posts his training videos), and noticed that he points his toes out so much that his feet are almost on the same line. Decided to try that tonight - HUGE difference. Much stronger, more consistent leg drive, easier to keep glutes tense (which keeps the butt planted on the bench), way better arch. Misloaded to 175 instead of 165 for the second bench, but decided to stick with it and play around with the new technique - it was mostly touch-and-go, still don't feel as strong.

Dude, don't even think like that. Cutting doesn't make you weaker. Your strength is all in the mind. Just stay positive.

It doesn't make me weaker, but it does make me stop expecting to put 10lb on my working sets every two weeks. But it does make me look better.

[JWick]

i really apologize for asking a question in here but u guys seem to be very into the squatting routine and know a lot about it. i have squatted for years but am curious on a good set/rep count. which seemed to be the most effective for you?

[deeder]

Nice deadlift day!

[f-rider]

5/1:
BP 5x3 185
Sq 5x3 345 b+w
BP 4x4 175
Sq 4x4 325 b+w
GM 5x225, 5x225, 4x245, 3x255, 3x255
Rows 3x7
RC pre-hab 3x10
Hyperextensions 4x8 90
Abs 4x6

After reading about the Westside way(s) of doing good mornings, decided to go up and play around with triples. Next workout I'll probably do 5x4 of 245. Did hyperextensions with a 90 pound ez-curl bar in the crook of the elbows (don't like having a bar on my back for HEs because it slides around too much). Roman chair sit-ups with a 25lb plate behind my head for abs. Goal for the assistance work was to hit my lower back.

Weighed myself after workout: 203lb/92.0kg. It looks like I'll lose the bet. On the other hand the cut seems to be working - I'm noticing much better definition, and this workout I moved down a hole in my belt (third smallest on a medium-size single-prong Inzer - I've never managed to get it on that tight before). The problem is that I just substituted all carb-rich foods (grains, pasta, bread) in non-post-workout meals with more meat and vegetables; since I don't keep a food log my guess is I'm consuming the same (if not more) amount of calories. A contributing factor was that 95.9kg weight was creatine-free (I cut it out a week before Nationals to help me make weight), and now I'm chugging that stuff like it is going out of style.

i really apologize for asking a question in here but u guys seem to be very into the squatting routine and know a lot about it. i have squatted for years but am curious on a good set/rep count. which seemed to be the most effective for you?

Haha, don't worry, that's what this place is for. I like doing sets of 3 for reasons described in a previous post. It also seems to be the most effective for building 1RM strength, however it is not easy and there is increased chance of injury because you're always handling large weight (I wouldn't have sprained my wrist if I was squatting with a weight I could do for 8s...). 16s are awesome for building endurance, explosiveness, and leg size (my thighs ballooned after my first cycle of 16s). 6-8 rep range is good for warming up and working on technique (correcting form, changing stance, etc.), but not much else IMO. But the key is tons and tons of volume. I've never heard of anyone squatting big who also doesn't squat a lot.

Follow mine and deeder's journals to find out more. We're both doing proven squat programs, and deeder is a really good squatter who has made a ton of progress since he started competing in the 165. There will be a ton more progress yet to come.

[deeder]

Follow mine and deeder's journals to find out more. We're both doing proven squat programs, and deeder is a really good squatter who has made a ton of progress since he started competing in the 165. There will be a ton more progress yet to come.

Haha thanks for the props man!

I still can't believe the amount of work you do in one session! 9 sets in wraps! That would have killed me! I did 5 sets of 5 and my knees felt like they were falling apart.

Have you decided if you'll be doing Westerns? It sounds like there will be lots of people lifting and I think they are trying to book the venue that nationals will be held at next year (I can't remember the name of it )

[Reko]

I like doing sets of 1-3 for form with lighter weight and hitting heavy singles for my max work. I also find boxsquatting below parallel (by an inch or two max) superioir in terms of gains compared to anything else. But, that is jsut me, I would try out some different programs every month or so and see how the gains come along. Find out what works for you.

If I am squatting to a low box and want to hit 550, I'll do a progression of something like this:
I start out wearing my briefs since they stretch quite a bit and anre't anything fierce like metal's. They are just frantz that were hand me downs that just happen to fit... loosely.
Bar 2 sets, 8-10 reps
135 x6
245 x 5 (we need to use hundreds thanks to Ben :P)
335 x3-5 depending on how I feel.
445 x2-3 (add belt here... there's those hundreds again)
Then around 500 with belt and wraps. for a single
Go for a max single with belt and wraps.

That is what works for me, and deeder and f-rider do 3's im guessing from their posts, and that is what workds for them. Just experiment, but give it time to show results. Once you find out what works for you, you will be blowing PRs out of the water.

[Reko]

Forgot to address the form sets...
with fewer reps in the form part, it gives me practice unracking/walking out the weight and working on the set up. I think a lot of lifters overlook that part. Then, you can simulate what you will do in a meet, unrack/walkout, squat, rerack. Plus, my first rep is usually my best so thats the one I want my body to remember.

[f-rider]

5/4:
BP 5x3 185
Sq 5x3 345 b+w
Pin press 4x2 215
Sq 4x4 325 b+w
GM 5x4 245
RC pre-hab 3x10
Cable pushdown 5x5 60
Hyperextensions 4x5 90
Abductor 3x6
Abs 3x8

Decided to hit triceps today. I think I solved the mystery of my sore shoulders - the wide grip squatting seems to be responsible. I didn't notice this before since I hadn't benched after the wrist sprain. I'll try to work my grip narrow again during the next squat workout.

Still don't know if I'm doing Westerns. Will report when I make a decision.

[f-rider]

5/6:
DL 5x3 385
BP 6x2 205
DL to knees 5x3 365
BP 4x4 175
Cable pushdowns 3x6 65
Standing cable crunch 3x6 85
Abductors 4x6 130
Cable pullthrough 4x8 145
Abs 4x5
Roman chair 3x5

My lack of ab work the past few months is starting to catch up, so I've decided to hit them (the abs) with a vengeance. I wish the cable stack was bigger, 145 is the most I get for pullthroughs.

[deeder]

Solid session Vlad!

Do you feel that the 6 sets of 2 that you do for bench press are very light? It seems to me that to be able to do that then 4 sets of 4 with only 30lbs less you must be keeping a lot in the tank.

[f-rider]

Solid session Vlad!

Thank you!

Do you feel that the 6 sets of 2 that you do for bench press are very light? It seems to me that to be able to do that then 4 sets of 4 with only 30lbs less you must be keeping a lot in the tank.

Haha, no way. The weight difference may be 30lb, but percentage-wise 205 would be 90% and 175 would be 75% of 230, which is probably around where my raw max is right now. It feels to me like I need to work my triceps more.

PS - I put in an order for the APT Convict knee wraps yesterday, they should get here in time for next Sunday's squat session. There's a special offer in the current issue of Powerlifting USA (which the AtLarge guys were nice enough to send me a copy of with my last order, thanks!) where APT will throw in a free pair of 12" wrist wraps and take 15% off the order (I got myself a pair of 12" Convict Pros, should be perfect for training). If you're looking to get yourself a pair of Convicts, it might make sense to use the offer and get it shipped from APT in the States instead of buying from Kain; I'll PM you the details if you're interested.

[deeder]

Haha actually I got a copy of that magazine too! I need to hold off on purchases for a little while... I get my first paycheck from my summer job on thursday but I'm still pretty broke from nationals.

I don't know what I want to try as far as knee wraps anyway... I'd like something similar to what I'm currently using. Lots of stopping power, some rebound, but not overly stiff.

[deeder]

Oh, and have I mentioned lately how much I despise windows??

EVERYTHING at my work place is windows. Everything. It's horrible.

[f-rider]

5/9:
BP 1x3 195, 3x3 205
Sq 5x3 345 b+w
Pin press 4x2 225
Sq 4x4 335 b+w
GM 5x4 245
Dips 4x5 40
Cable pulldowns 4x6 70
Hyperextensions 3x6 90
Rows 3x6
Abs 3x6

Decided to try narrowing my grip to normal position (ring finger on inner ring of Ivanko bar) today. Took a while to stretch my shoulders out, but HOLY WALKOUT BATMAN! I've forgotten how much narrow grip rocked. Time to add more weight . Still don't have the bar as low as I used to, but once everything gets stretched out it should be back to normal. My right wrist (the one I sprained) did start hurting afterwards, but it's at a manageable level. My suspicion about wider grip putting strain on the shoulders was correct - they felt much better after squatting today than they had before.

One thing I noticed is that since I have to set the rack lower and bend my knees to get under the bar, the knee wraps seem to lose a lot of their stopping power. Before it used to be ridiculously painful to fight them for the last few inches on the first rep, now they let me drop down into the hole.

Bench today was touch-and-go, but felt so strong I decided to jump all the way to 205 for triples. Failed on last rep of last set.

I don't know what I want to try as far as knee wraps anyway... I'd like something similar to what I'm currently using. Lots of stopping power, some rebound, but not overly stiff.

Z-wraps?

[f-rider]

5/11:
BP 5x3 195
Sq 5x3 355 b+w
Pin press 6x2 225
Sq 4x4 335 b+w
GM 5x5 245
Dips 3x5 45
Rows 3x6
Hypers 3x6 90
Abductors 3x8
Abs 3x10

Decided to do extra sets for pin presses and add an extra rep to GMs. Need to raise weight on both.