Matt Neilsen's Log - A Hitchhiker's Guide to Montana

[MattNeilsen]

I stole this gem from hector's log:

Could have grinded out another set of 5 of bench at 245. And I wanted to, because that 4th set would have made for a PR. But I didn't. There just wouldn't have been enough training utility in a 4th set at RPE 9.5. So, instead, I lowered the weight to 225 for easy sets of 5 (@RPE 7). Killing the ego is important. It's easier if you remember that nobody else in the gym cares about the weights you move. And almost nobody you talk to understands the difference between deadlifting 300lbs and deadlifting 600lbs. There is no judge to impress. There's just you.

That sums up one of the biggest lessons that I'm learning right now under the bar. There's a time and place for demonstration, but the bulk of the work should be in development. It reminds me of the adage that the fighter who performs best in the light of the ring is the one who trained the hardest in the shadows of anonymity. No one will care when I pull 600 off the floor, but I'll know the personal refinement I went through to get there. And it's that refinement of character - perseverance, humility, independence - that makes this journey fun.

[MattNeilsen]

4/8/18 - Sunday; W2, D1 (Hypertrophy)
BW: 213 lbs

Squat - 5 @ 60%, jagged sets at 70%: 3, 6, 4, 7, 4, 6, 3
205 x 5
240 x 3, 6, 4, 7, 4, 6, 3 (top set was @6-7)

Bench - 5 @ 60%, jagged sets at 70%: 3, 6, 4, 7, 4, 7, 4, 6
145 x 5
170 x 3, 6, 4, 7, 4, 7, 4, 6 (top set was @<6)

BB Row - 7 minute density block
175 x 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 = 31 reps

***Everything continues to move smooth and quick. I noticed last week that my shoulder was feeling better than it has in almost a year, but after Thursday's workout it seemed to flare up again. I'm going to take out chins and substitute it with rows for the next two weeks to see if it helps. I think the increased deadlift volume is part of the healing effect, but that's only a guess.

ETA: Thinking more about what's helping my shoulder: last week also had a higher volume press session, and surprisingly, the high-volume benching feels really good also. For some reason, my intuition is pointing at the deadlifts as the money-maker, however. We shall see.

[MattNeilsen]

4/9/18 - Monday; W2, D2 (Cardio/Aux.)
BW: 214 lbs

Press - 10 minute density block with last week’s weight
135 x 5, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2 = 28 reps

***Reps felt a little heavy today. I ended up doing this workout on the way to martial arts practice, so I got my cardio in through ~1.5 hours of footwork drills and sparring.

[MattNeilsen]

4/10/18 - Tuesday; W2, D3 (Power)
BW: 212 lbs

Squat - 3@60%, 2@70%, 2 singles @77.5%, 1@~82%, 1@90%, 1x2@80%
205 x 3
245 x 2
265 x 1
265 x 1
280 x 1
305 @7.5
275 x 2

Bench - 3@60%, 2@70%, 2 singles @77.5%, 1@~82%, 1@90%, 2x2@80%
145 x 3
170 x 2
185 x 1
185 x 1
197.5 x 1
215 @~7.5
195, 2 x 2

Deadlift - 5@~60%, 5@70%, 4x3@82.5%
275 x 5
315 x 5
370, 4 x 3 @6-7

***Bench form is coming along - the two concepts that are helping me are a) look at the same spot on the ceiling, and b) gently touch the same spot on the chest. Everything else tends to sort itself out.
***On deadlift, I noticed my hips were a little too high. Started with the bar a little further forward and everything clicked in much smoother.

[BenM]

Nice work Matt!

That cue to look at the ceiling has been helpful for me too. It's so tempting to watch the bar go up and down as you press it... almost mesmerising....

[heidikay]

Are you noticing that strength training interferes with martial arts or vice versa?

[MattNeilsen]

Nice work Matt!

That cue to look at the ceiling has been helpful for me too. It's so tempting to watch the bar go up and down as you press it... almost mesmerising....

There's a saying in the martial art I do, "If the drill isn't working, then there's probably something wrong with your footwork". I have to keep that principle in mind when lifting: if there's something wrong with my bar path, then there's probably a lack of focus in a particular step.

[MattNeilsen]

Are you noticing that strength training interferes with martial arts or vice versa?

That's funny, I was just referencing martial arts with Ben. Overall, I feel like both disciplines complement each other quite well. The martial art provides an inherent cardio element 2-3x a week that seems to help with recovery, and the strength training has definitely made me harder to move around. I practice a Filipino Martial Art called Pekiti Tirsia Kali, which is a blade-based system. A lot of my training is with a bolo (impact weapon/machete), knives, and empty hands, though I'm looking to incorporate more grappling in the future.

[heidikay]

Interesting. I wondered because I know many martial arts require a lot of flexibility and I feel like the lifting has made me more inflexible. I need to stretch.
I hope my husband doesn't see your post about the martial art you practice because I am sure he will want to try it because it involves knives. . .

[MattNeilsen]

Interesting. I wondered because I know many martial arts require a lot of flexibility and I feel like the lifting has made me more inflexible. I need to stretch.
I hope my husband doesn't see your post about the martial art you practice because I am sure he will want to try it because it involves knives. . .

I think a lot of it is going to come down to what you need out of your movement. PTK involves dynamic footwork, but we (at least my training group) spend comparatively little time on kicking, so hip/hamstring flexibility hasn't been an issue for me. We do, however, do a lot with shoulder flexibility, which I'll address below.

Another factor to think about is whether you've been actively working your sport while strength training. The first time I ran LP I was a good little soldier and didn't do any other activities. Since I was coming from a pretty active (mostly aerobic) background, my cardio and flexibility (not surprisingly) got much worse. When I restarted LP in January of this year, I made sure to scale back the training slightly to ensure I could maintain my "sports" practice. As a result, my cardio has stayed reasonably intact, my flexibility is sufficient for what I need, and I just feel a helluva lot better. My experience is n=1, of course, so take that for what it's worth. We can't improve everything simultaneously, but I think we can maintain (or slightly improve) more qualities than people think PROVIDED we look at our training through the lens of long-term development rather than short-term realization.

And you should absolutely tell your husband to look into PTK - there's nothing more fun than sparring with blades There are also few things more humbling, but that's a separate conversation...

[MattNeilsen]

4/12/18 - Thursday; W2, D4 (Strength)
BW: 211 lbs

Squat - 3x3@80%, then 3x2@80%
275, 3 x 3 @6-7
275, 3 x 2@6-7

Bench - 3@80%, TnG, rest, then 1@80% with comp pause, rest then 3@80%, TnG rest, then 1@80% with comp pause, rest then 3@80%, TnG rest, then 1@80% with comp pause, rest then 3@80%, TnG

195 x 3 TnG@<6
195 x 1 comp pause
195 x 3 TnG@<6
195 x 1 comp pause
195 x 3 TnG @<6
195 x 1 comp pause
195 x 3 TnG @~6

RDL - 3x8 (keep sets around @7-8)
245 x 8 @<6
275 x 8 @6
285 x 8 @6-6.5

***Squats felt a little heavier than usual today, though I felt like I was dragging overall. I noticed my weight seems to be dropping a tad - need to make sure I’m eating enough.
***RDL form is coming along - I could definitely increase the weight by 15-20 lbs next time. I used some straps to make sure my focus was purely on the posterior chain.

[MattNeilsen]

So it turns out when you do RDLs properly you get to learn that the lats insert on the humerus...DOMS is fun

Also, the hamstrings definitely have an insertion at the ischial tuberosity. Who said DOMS is a bad thing? It’s a great lesson in anatomy.

[hector]

How is balancing PTK with your lifting?

I want to take up a martial art again in July after hitting some lifting goals. Not looking forward to what a pain it was to balance lifting with martial arts training.

[MattNeilsen]

How is balancing PTK with your lifting?

I want to take up a martial art again in July after hitting some lifting goals. Not looking forward to what a pain it was to balance lifting with martial arts training.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt - I've only been training PTK for just under a year, and I don't want to Dunning-Kruger myself into thinking I know more than I do

It depends on the week. If we're doing a lot of sparring then I can feel it a bit in my recovery resources. Because my art is heavily weapons-based, there is a greater focus on upper body manipulation/endurance than you might in something like BJJ/MMA. For example, I'm not doing any dedicated grappling at the moment, which is probably a big gainzZz stealer for most people. For me, it's mostly staying mindful with my benching/pressing volume & intensity and managing it carefully.

I've also been careful to titrate my LP (and now Montana Method) in conjunction with MA practice, so my cardio has kept pace pretty satisfactorily.

What martial art were you doing before/what are you looking to get into?

[cb]

So it turns out when you do RDLs properly you get to learn that the lats insert on the humerus...DOMS is fun

Also, the hamstrings definitely have an insertion at the ischial tuberosity. Who said DOMS is a bad thing? It’s a great lesson in anatomy.

That's some decent weight on the RDLs.

I like that you are exactly a day ahead of me. Nice to get some warning of what's coming!

[MattNeilsen]

So it turns out when you do RDLs properly you get to learn that the lats insert on the humerus...DOMS is fun

Also, the hamstrings definitely have an insertion at the ischial tuberosity. Who said DOMS is a bad thing? It’s a great lesson in anatomy.

That's some decent weight on the RDLs.

I like that you are exactly a day ahead of me. Nice to get some warning of what's coming!

Thanks, Calvin - deadlift has always been my strongest lift. I should have added another ~15-20 lbs to yesterday's RDL, but I'm still feeling my way on them. I've gotta say, though, I'm a big fan - I love how they feel on the hamstrings.

ETA: Glad I can be a guinea pig for a fellow guinea pig

[hector]

What martial art were you doing before/what are you looking to get into?

IDK. I'd really like to get into Muay Thai. But at the ass end of my 30's, I'm not eager to start taking head trauma. So I'll most likely head back to BJJ.

[MattNeilsen]

4/15/18 - Sunday; W3, D1 (Hypertrophy)
BW: 214 lbs

Squat - 3x4@75%, then 4x3@75%
255, 3 x 4 @6-7
255, 4 x 3 @6-6.5

Bench - 3x4@75%, then 4x3@75%
180, 3 x 4 @<6
180, 4 x 3

BB Row - 7 minute density block
175 x 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 2, 2 = 34 reps

***Right knee was feeling a little sensitive (seems to happen when I'm not mindful of my knees coming out of the hole on squats)
***Bench continues to feel light and fast at prescribed %'s

[MattNeilsen]

What martial art were you doing before/what are you looking to get into?

IDK. I'd really like to get into Muay Thai. But at the ass end of my 30's, I'm not eager to start taking head trauma. So I'll most likely head back to BJJ.

I hear ya regarding the head damage. I feel like my understanding (however small it may be) of neuroscience/brain function makes me super hesitant to expose my dome to any type of concussive forces.

Maybe I should start a Martial Arts thread in the Off-Topic section and we can see what more people are doing alongside their strength training.

[BenM]

Glad it isn't just me feeling like the bench is light on H day. Feel like maybe I got the percentages wrong!