Thursday, August 09, 2007

Training today - 8/9/07

Sumo DL - 405 x 5,5,5,5,5
Bench - 315 x 1+, 1

Sumo DL actually felt very good and I will post tomorrow or Saturday on my plan for the last 9 weeks leading into the AAU Worlds meet in Orlando.

Answers to Rick' questions on not "warming up":

Rick had some great questions that I felt we could pull out into a post for everyone and to continue the discussion.

Rick laid out his warm up or build up for his squats - which is 13 sets into it before his working weights. Now I know Rick a bit and know that he is coming back into PL after some injuries and time off and he is strong as hell - hitting 700+ in the squat and 600+ in the DL. Rick knows what he is doing for himself.

"do 1000 pound squatters perform more of a build up" -
Well here is Ed Coan's build up for his squat workout with a working weight of 850+ (From COAN - The Man, The Myth, The Method by Marty Gallagher)
135 x 10
255 x 8
455 x 5
550 x 3
655 x 3
745 x 1
805 x 1
top set of 850 x 5

So we see some pretty big jumps - average of over 100# jumps between weights. No mention of what gear Ed was using but he progressed in his gear over his 12-16 week cycles so it may be similar to Rick's progression.

In the end it is all in what you have trained yourself to do - I have trained myself to take some pretty big jumps in weight on my way up to my work sets - But everyone has to do what is right for them. But less time under stress (even very low %1rm) is less stress on the joints and system.

"isn't there just more wear and tear - pain - stiffness - from more years in PL - does handling these kinds of weights wear you down over time" (I am paraphrasing so if I am incorrect let me know)

Pushing to the limits in any activity is not usually considered a good "health plan" - As Rif says - If you push for your limits - you will find them!
So yes - over the years and constantly grinding out maximal lift after maximal lift will take a toll on the body. Endurance cycling and running is well known for causing all sorts of injuries and medical problems as well.

However - I think a good program of Joint Mobility (Z-health), Foam roller and other Soft tissue techniques (massage, NMT, ART, etc...), recovery techniques (yoga, legs up wall pose and inversions especially, breathing, contrast bath/showers and proper nutrition) AND the biggest one - Not Pushing through and into PAIN - taking a step back instead of pushing through is the better course.

That last one may get me kicked "out of the PL club house" - but there it is! Training through injury pain is not wise but almost everyone does it.
I have been injured (back surgery anyone) and don't want it again - so I respect my limits and my body.

These health and recovery techniques will add years to a training career and help to prevent or mitigate the "inevitable" issues of being a competitive athlete.

At least this is where I stand on the subject now as a 36 year old lifter and someone who wants to accomplish my goals in powerlifting and then move on to other pursuits.

8 comments:

Mark Reifkind said...

there is no way to really lift heavy weights(2-3 x bodyweight) without learning how to take big jumps.and it must be learned. you just cant get to 500, 600 or 700 pounds(not to mention more) without big jumps)once you are warm, physically, its all psychological.
great post brett.

Rick & The Family! said...

Brett-

Good to see you training sumos! I will hit them for 8 weeks straight before switching back over to conventional pulls for the last 8.

From what I know about Coan, most of his training was/is done raw. I think it is easier to make big jumps raw because you dont have to 'feel the gear' so to speak. For example, as I said before, your grove might be slightly different, so if you do 500 raw, then put your briefs on and jump to 600, you might end up dumping it because you will get thrown out of your groove. Many times I have jumped from 515 to 655 and face planted, only to come back in the same workout and hit 750. Check ou my youtube vids for a nice crash with 655! LOL!

When I do a raw squat workout, I typically go up 90 pounds a jump. 135, 225, 315, 405, 495, and so on. I might actually try to do that in gear as well, but with other training partners, I usually just jump in when I can.

As far as deads go, I jump 90 pounds or more each set till I get to my work sets.

I agree 100%, pushing through pain is a bad idea, but you know as well as I do Brett that I will continue to do it until I have a cane or a walker...

-Rick

Royce said...

Awesome post, although my top end is lower than yours I like bigger jumps too. Start small and make sure there is no pain, go bigger and get the joints ready then go heavy!

Jim Ryan said...

Lots of wisdom here.

To which I would add; don't forget the body recovers and heals! Working really hard but within or nearly within (some overtraining is valuable sometimes) your limits and getting quality rest, maintenance (Z, rollers, adjustments, etc.) and nutrition makes the body stronger. It should not 'wear it out'.

'Wearing it out' comes from abuse, misuse and improper care and feeding (of the mind as well as the body.

In pushing limits (which has its time and place), injuries cannot totally be avoided, and that does need to be factored in, but hey that's life!

IMO that thinking mentioned about 'wearing out over time' assumes the 'you are a battery' paradigm. It doesn't have to be that way. But that doesn't mean it's easy either.

Healthy aging, a big topic in and of itself and which differs greatly from 'normal' - meaning typical, not good - aging can allow for growth and development as you mature. Obviously, hormone levels shift, hence we have masters class events.

Brett Jones said...

Rif,
Thanks - it really is an art to getting to the heavy weights.

Rick,
Sumos are good - we will see how they go over the next few weeks - 9 weeks to go to AAU meet.
Gear changes things for sure.
I'll autograph your walker if you will autograph mine...

Royce - thanks - it is all in what you train yourself for.

Aikibudo - yes the "aging well" discussion is a long one and I like the "battery" approach comment.

Unknown said...

I'm just glad I sold my squat rack and bench to make room for all my kettlebells. Sometimes I miss lifting heavy, but my body doesn't. I was never as smart and methodical as you are though.

Brett Jones said...

Tim,
KBs are an the way to go and I will be returning to them heavily after the AAU meet in October. For now I am focused on my raw elite goal.

BTW - you might be surprised what you could do after you spend a while on the KBs - in the squat etc...

Unknown said...

Brett, You're probably right. Kettlebells continue to amaze me in the area of physical benefits. Even when I did lift super heavy, i know i wasn't as all-around-strong and healthy as i am now.

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