Wooden Platform, Iron Men!

[dlocas7]

Monday November 6th

Floor Press (close grip, start from bottom off wooden blocks)
130 lbs x 6
160 x 2 x 3 reps
180 x 1
200 x 6 x 5 reps

Barbell Row
150 x 5
200 x 3
230 x 1
255 x 6 x 3 reps

Axle two-hand Deadlift
200 lbs x 3
240 x 1
270 x 5 x 2 reps

[dlocas7]

Wednesday November 8th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders x 2 x 5 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
74's x 8 sets x 3 reps -- Well within my limits. The focus is on acceleration and coordination. 24 total reps at more than 75% is still a significant workload. I'm ready to bring the weights up by 2½ pounds each hand. This is a program meant to increase strength over the long haul. Bear in mind that if I tried to go up by 2½ lbs/hand every week, this would be asking for an increase of 125 lbs per hand over the course of a year, a grossly impossible expectation. Gaining 10-15 lbs per dumbbell in this lift over 6-12 months would make me ecstatic (and able to do the pair of 104's)!

Deadlift, conventional
280 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 1
380 lbs x 4 sets x 3 reps --- Focus on good technique and force/acceleration! Could do 10+ reps at that load, but lower back fatigue can get very sneaky. I'll see what I can do Saturday. Here again, I'll add 10 lbs before the end of this month and maybe another 10 lbs next month. My blue Irondmind straps are very reliable!

Speaking of grip... Using dumbbells is surprisingly tiring for my fingers, even with only 74 lbs per hand, and this makes for light grip work. A pair of 74's is more taxing than a 160-lb barbell, especially for grip. This is one of the reasons strong men from a century ago were such grip monsters.

[dlocas7]

Saturday November 11th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders, 2 x 5 reps
64's 2 x 3 reps
74's 8 x 3 reps -- Elbows feel rock-solid. I thought of maybe pushing it to 10 sets, but I felt some comfortable fatigue after 8 sets and called it a night. My elbows are feeling fine for the first time in eons.

The 74 pounders are starting to feel very easy with a lot of reps to spare. My practice poundage is going north to 76½ per hand next week. Essential to refrain from adding too much weight. That program is meant to add strength over the longer haul through volume accumulation using low reps. Going to limit weights will cause me to go stale. It is quite fascinating that using a bit less weight will often allow a lifter to actually get stronger. I never responded well to high weight and low volume.

Two-Hand Deadlift with 2-inch Axle (squeeze that bar!)
200 lbs x 3
240 x 1
270 x 7 x 2 reps
270 x 6 reps (PR) -- My thumbs are the weaker link, as I expected. I'm perfectly ready to handle 275 next week.

I still felt sore in my lower back, so I did only deadlifts with a thick bar where I finished with a max reps set to see where I give in first = the axle was beginning to slip from my thumbs, so anything that strengthens my thumbs such as pinch lifting will make a good assistance exercise and using a pair of 45's for two-hand pinching is low fatigue and doable after heavy deadlifts.

The program I'm following now is inspired from the one used by Doug Hepburn in the lead-up to the 1954 Commonwealth Games. It's geared for three sessions a week with no more than twice a week for same lift; high sets and low reps for only two lifts per session, plus perhaps a third lift that will be grip work. Training this way, I can put tremendous nervous energy into each lift.

One-Hand Pinch-lift with a pair of 35's...



Pressing a pair of 142-lb dumbbells... He did this for fun as he never regularly trained with dumbbells. He nearly always pressed with a barbell.

[DCR]

Speaking of grip... Using dumbbells is surprisingly tiring for my fingers, even with only 74 lbs per hand, and this makes for light grip work. A pair of 74's is more taxing than a 160-lb barbell, especially for grip. This is one of the reasons strong men from a century ago were such grip monsters.

I recall that someone - perhaps Wendler - was insistent on recommending Kroc rows for grip work. On the occasions when I heeded that advice, the results were swift.

[dlocas7]

I recall that someone - perhaps Wendler - was insistent on recommending Kroc rows for grip work. On the occasions when I heeded that advice, the results were swift.

I did dumbbell holds at some point, and it does build some tremendous grip power. Pretty much any holding event will built up general grip power up to a certain level. Peak grip performance is highly specific, although I've seen more carryover from thick bar to regular barbell than the opposite. Adam Glass, a world-elite grip specialist, says that pinch lifting will get you far when done in addition to barbells, if that's the only thing you can do, as it greatly strengthens the thumbs while barbell and dumbbell holds primarily work the other fingers. Pinch lifting involves very little weight, so it's a logical choice if I want to do some grip work at the end of a heavy deadlift session.

I was using anything between 124 and 144 lb dumbbells when I did those DB holds (usually for 20-30 seconds, several "sets") at the end of training sessions, and I'm very much surprised, pleasantly so, to find that dumbbells as light as 74 pounders still produce some effect simply from holding and cleaning them; the dumbbell clean involves a very forceful acceleration that will peak the tension on fingers as the bells get heaved from the waist to shoulders. I guess the effect I'm noticing comes from the cumulative forces over eight sets done this way.

You have to be careful with finger tendons. Today I feel fatigue in my fingers and it may develop into an inflammation flare-up if I'm not careful with my barbell rows, so I'll probably do all my sets using straps to prevent inflammation. The other lift is the floor press, which is the most relaxing lift one can do for the grip... although I do grip the barbell really hard on each rep! Our hands get quite a beat-up over a week's training!

[dlocas7]

Monday November 13th

Floor Press (close grip, start from bottom off blocks)
130 lbs 2 x 5 reps
170 lbs 2 x 3 reps
200 lbs 7 x 5 reps -- Feels a bit rusty after a full week without greasing that groove; I'll do this lift twice a week.

Barbell Row
150 x 5
200 x 3
230 x 1
255 x 6 x 3 reps -- Feels rusty after a full week without greasing that groove; I'll do this lift twice a week.

Two-hand Pinch Lift (squeeze the plates!)
2 x 45-lb plate, York "Deep Dish" 2 x 5 reps

[dlocas7]

(Didn't train as planned on Wednesday due to cold)

Saturday November 18th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, standing overhead)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ lbs each h. x 8 x 3 reps -- Good dumbbell speed. Let's see if I can make those weights feel easier.

Deadlift, conventional
280 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3
380 lbs x 5 x 3 reps -- I want to do 10 sets per week over two sessions. I'll adjust the weight according to my fatigue level.

Floor Press (close grip, start from bottom off blocks)
128 lbs x 6
158 lbs x 5
183 lbs x 3
205 lbs x 3 x 5 reps --- Good bar acceleration. This session is to avoid coming in on Monday after a whole week without practicing the movement. I just do a modest amount of volume. The practice weight was increased by 5 pounds and total number of sets for this week is at 8 so I'm doing 5 x 5 on Monday.

[dlocas7]

Monday November 20th

Floor Press (close grip, start from bottom off blocks)
128 lbs x 4 x 3 reps
158 lbs x 5
183 x 3
205 x 5 x 5 reps -- This workload looks like a sweet spot; it's well within my limits, yet heavy enough to drive behind-the-scene improvement.

Barbell Row
148 x 5
200 x 3
229 x 3
244 x 3
259 x 3 x 4 reps -- I was supposed to do triples, but it felt easier than I had thought, which led me to do sets of 4 instead. I seem to respond well to this lift. Fatigue comes quick over several work sets, quicker than with pressing I'd say. This workload looks like another sweet spot for me.

Two-Hand Axle Deadlift (2 inch bar)
200 lbs x 3
240 x 1
275 x 6 x 2 reps --- I felt a bit rusty after going nine days without doing this lift. A workload of around 5 sets every 4-5 days seems to be the sweet spot. This weight was well within my limit, but I squeeze that bar as hard as I can on every rep, and this gets taxing in a hurry. My recovery ability is improving.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday, November 22nd

Dumbbell Clean& Press (parallel grip, standing)
54 pounders, 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ pounders x 8 x 3 reps

Deadlift Time! Conventional...
280 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
350 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
380 lbs x 3 x 4 reps --- I'm erring on the side of caution with volume. My recovery ability is slowly coming back.

Barbell Row --- I did less of those on Monday and it helped with recovery. Now I'm back for more "drive that bar into your belly!"
148 lbs x 5
200 lbs x 3
229 lbs x 3
244 lbs x 3
259 lbs x 4 x 3 reps

That date has always been a sort of memorial day for President Kennedy. I remember being with my then-girlfriend back on Nov. 22, 1993. We were talking about what had happened 30 years before while listening to this... Special Angel by Connie Francis...
I told my special girl I could easily picture some youth about my age, listening to this while driving somewhere in Vermont and listening this song, and then the program suddenly gets interrupted for the terrible announcement...

[dlocas7]

Saturday November 25th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders, 5 x 5 reps --- Had inflammation in left elbow after Wed., so I took it (very) easy tonight.

Deadlift, conventional
280 lbs 2 x 3 reps
350 lbs 2 x 3 reps
350 lbs 2 x 6 reps --- Another lighter session to increase work capacity and coordination. Super easy.

Two-Hand Axle (2") Deadlift
200 lbs x 3
240 x 1
270 x 1
300 x 1
310 x 1
300 x 1
300 x hold for 14 sec. --- At last, I checked my paper log and found where my PR is on that lift. My strongest ever was in Oct. 2018. I did 340 lbs held for 8 seconds. I was doing a deadlift hold twice a week and increased the top weight by 10 lbs whenever I did 10 sec. or better. That PR happened after a period where I did the One-Hand Axle DL and did a PR at 185 lbs x 1 (right hand / 175 left hand).

[dlocas7]

Monday November 27th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (standing, parallel grip)
54 pounders, 3 sets x 5 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ pounders x 2 x 3 reps
86½ pounders x 10 x 2 reps --- I felt strong tonight. I had planned to do only 5 doubles, but I kept doing my doubles with power to spare, so I kept going and that session became a tribute to John Davis. I experienced a short boost on sets 7 and 8. I'll now see how my elbows are doing 1-2 days after. Very important: I work by the clock when I do such heavy straight sets, meaning I'll do one set at 7:00 then the next one at 7:05, 7:10, etc. Otherwise fatigue becomes too high too soon.

Barbell Row
150 lbs x 5
200 lbs x 3
230 lbs x 3
250 lbs x 3
270 lbs x 6 x 2 reps --- I knew I could handle that weight with ease for doubles. This is a great way to enhance the nervous system and help in driving progress. I'm not necessarily going to find 270 easier next time, but I will eventually. The mistake would be to jump to 280 and try to hang out with that weight. I want to progress while avoiding staleness. I must remain humble and visualize John Davis or Yuri Vlasov telling me not to go up in weight too soon and focus on what I'm doing (with weights I can dominate).

Listening to doo-wop was awesome at the end of that heavier session. Made me feel like I was training in some Philly or Brooklyn gym. This one is from the Five Satins, the same group that sang "In The Still Of The Night" (1956) which we all heard in the movie "Dirty Dancing". Oh Happy Day was the A-side of a single released in early 1957...



And this is the legend himself, who stood 5 ft 8½ in. and weighed around 220 with a best lifetime strict press of 375 lbs (in the gym ca 1954) and a competition best strict press of 350 lbs (1955). John Davis was the first lifter to ever clean & jerk 401 in competition (1951), and the first to snatch over 300 in competition (1941) and the second one to get a three-lift total in excess of 1,000 lbs (in 1942, only weeks after Steve Stanko, before he was drafted and sent to Pacific).

[DCR]

And this is the legend himself, who stood 5 ft 8½ in. and weighed around 220 with a best lifetime strict press of 375 lbs

That is completely absurd and inspiring.

[dlocas7]

That is completely absurd and inspiring.

He was one of the few pre-war champions who made a successful comeback. Legand has it that he strict pressed 170 lbs the very first time he tried it. He won his first world championships in the 181 lb category in 1938 at the age of 17. This is him around that age...

[dlocas7]

Wednesday November 29th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ lbs x 8 x 3 reps -- These bells felt easier than last week. I'm in much better shape than a few months ago.

Deadlift, conventional
230 lbs x 3
280 lbs x 3 -- Lower back needs some more rest.

Barbell Row
150 lbs x 5
200 lbs x 2 x 3 reps

Two-Hand Axle Deadlift (2-inch bar)
200 lbs x 3 reps
250 lbs x hold for 10 sec.
310 lbs x hold for 10 sec.
290 lbs x hold for 12 sec. (overcrush)

[dlocas7]

Saturday December 2nd

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 6 x 5 reps --- This is still work at the 56% mark. If I try to keep working at 75-85 lbs every session, my elbows will go on strike. I'm more or less following a heavy-medium-light pattern to keep my fatigue levels under control. The weights are still being pushed as hard as I can.

Deadlift, conventional
230 lbs x 5
320 x 3
350 x 3
450 x 3 -- Heaviest deadlift reps set in several months. This is a good weight for me to practice heavier pulling. This will probably be my opener on test day.
410 x 6 x 3 reps --- The barbell tends to float a bit forward without brushing my legs, indicating I'm starting the pull with the bar too far out in front of me. This may explain why the weights felt harder; I was probably moving the bar more like a clean deadlift. I need to practice proper deadlift technique with the bar brushing my shins on the way up.

Now, more than 24 hours after that deadlift session, I'm a lot less sore than I was two weeks ago after handling 380 lbs over 4 triples. My current program is doing a very good job in improving my ability to recover between sessions.

Two-Hand Axle Deadlift (2-inch bar)
200 lbs x 3 reps
250 lbs x hold for 10 sec.
320 lbs x hold for 6 sec. -- first time doing this weight in five years
290 lbs x hold for 12 sec. (overcrush)

Clean pulls... done by Yuri Vlasov in 1961 when his world record was around 205 kilos. At 1:15 he does a set of 2 clean pulls with 250 kg...



Unfortunately, all the sharp sets he did at 150, 180, 200, 220, etc., on his way up to 250 are lost to history. The set of 5 high-bar squats he does at the very end of this gem is performed using 270 kilos.

[dlocas7]

Monday December 4th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ lbs x 2 x 1 rep
86½ lbs x 1 x 1
91½ lbs x 2 x 1 --- the second single was the strongest; this was only 5 lbs per hand less than my PR.
86½ lbs x 3 x 2 --- fatigue is very high; I'm grinding the 2nd reps.
66½ lbs x 3 x 3 --- finishing the session by going way down in weight.

Deadlift, conventional (technique practice)
230 lbs x 5 x 1 rep
280 lbs x 4 x 1
350 lbs x 1 x 1 --- Just one single to gauge my fatigue level two days after doing 450 lbs x 3 and 410 lbs for 6 x 3 reps. As expected, 350 felt a bit slower than usual. This is perfectly normal. I'll probably do triples at 390 Wednesday. To be quite honest, the training effect will be roughly the same than using 410, with the possibility of doing more total lifts.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday December 6th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 2 x 3 reps
76½ lbs x 2 x 3 reps
86½ lbs x 8 x 2 reps --- Another tribute to John Davis. I was taking 5 min. between sets. Each second rep was paused in order to create more similarity with a 1 RM. Very happy with this session. I know I can use the 91½ pounders for singles, but I have only used the 86½ pounders in one session last week, and I'm able to do 8-10 doubles with that lower weight, so it's 5 pounds less per hand, but twice as many lifts. If I had been using the 86's for a longer while, then yes, the heavier singles would be useful.

My elbows are much better now that I've discontinued the floor pressing. They tend to flare up when I'm doing lots of heavy sets closer to failure, and heavier sets in absolute weight. This is why dumbbell overheight pressing is a lot more forgiving than floor pressing. Right now I'm in my three days of rest between Wednesday and Saturday, and I'm going into a de-load week where the priority will be to recover while remaining in top shape.

On test day, my opener will be a pair of 89's, then most likely the 94's for a second attempt. My lifetime PR is 96½ per hand.

Deadlift, conventional
280 lbs 2 x 3 reps
350 lbs x 3
390 lbs x 5 x 3 reps -- This session was just adding to what I've done four days before. There was no top set and I've worked with 20 lbs less than Sat. Very happy to see that my recovery is better now.

My lower back has accumulated a lot of fatigue. Next week, I'm just doing technique practice with low weights and very low volume. On test day, my deadlift opener will be 450 lbs and I'll see what I can do after that. Lifetime PR is 554 lbs.

Two-Hand Axle (2") Deadlift
200 lbs x 3 reps
250 lbs x 10 sec. hold
310 lbs x 12 sec. hold -- This and what I've done Saturday at 320 lbs are PR's in that lift since 2018. Lifetime PR is 340 lbs x 8 sec.
290 lbs x 2 x 6 sec. hold, overcrush!

Saturday will be my last Axle DL session, and I'll probably do a few singles at 300 with a 2-second overcrush on each lift, until I feel fatigued. This will be my last grip session before test day. I know from experience that a full week of recovery usually means I'll be at 100%. I know my three attempts for that lift... 290, 320 and 330 (maybe more if 320 feels like a piece of cake). Test day will be Saturday Dec. 16th. I'll have one viewer... My ring-necked parakeet!

[dlocas7]

Saturday December 9th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 4 x 3 reps
64's x 5 x 3 reps
74's x 3 reps
84's x 1
89's x 1 --- This is a much easier session overall, but I'm still practicing heavy singles. Very important to know how those weights will feel on me, during the clean and just before initiating the press. Rep work and heavy singles are very different!
94's x 1 --- And that's a PR for 2022 and 2023! The lift was slow, but it wasn't an absolute grinder.

Double-Overhand 2-inch Axle Deadlift
200 lbs x 3
250 lbs x 2
280 lbs x 1 -- hold overcrush for 2 sec.
300 lbs x 5 x 1 rep -- hold overcrush for 2 sec. Fatigue really kicked in by the 5th single.

Pinch Two-Hand Lift
2 x 45-lbs plates, York Standard (legacy) x 1 hold for 25 seconds.

My camera is now out of commission, but I just found the footage of my 2018 PR of 340 lbs in the Axle Double-Overhand Deadlift. So here it is...

[DCR]

94's x 1 --- And that's a PR for 2022 and 2023! The lift was slow, but it wasn't an absolute grinder.

Awesome! I’ll presume that your parakeet squawked in approval.

[dlocas7]

Sunday December 10th

Dumbbell Clean & Press (parallel grip, strict overhead)
54 pounders x 8 x 3 reps --- Very light session meant to further coordination and circulate blood. I get some small benefits from the higher frequency, without the usual drawbacks.