August 31, 2006

11 responses to Iron Night Owl

1. Mike Says:
   September 1st, 2006 at 12:05 am

   Knees bowing in is a sign of weakness in the quads. Leg presses will help this a lot as well as improve your deadlift off the floor. I remember Dan Kovacs talking about it on a powerlifter video. 2x20 with as heavy weight as possible. Worked real well for my training partner a year ago. Also, as I am a novice at sumo deadlifts I’m looking for any and all input about my form. Here is a link to tonights workout:http://media.putfile.com/575x4-deadlift

2. Stinn Says:
   September 1st, 2006 at 3:20 am

   The only thing I can think about when watching that video…you are one nutty guy…I love the squeek.
   Well the other thing I could think about was that I love you walking out of a monolith…er monolift. That’s awesome.

3. Kris Says:
   September 1st, 2006 at 10:49 pm

   Mike, thanks for pointing that out. Did a quick google on it and found Dr. Squat saying the same thing:

   Because of weak quads, many lifters inadvertently turn their knees inward during the ascent, placing great stress on the medial ligaments of the knee.

   That my quads are weak is no news to me, but that the knees tell that tale definitively is. Or perhaps, to take a Mike Johnston perspective on it, the problem is that my hams and glutes are just so strong that I essentially have a muscle imbalance… after all, my GHR PR for reps stands at 31. Without going into the whole paradigm issue again, the BIG question in my mind now is whether to start pounding that weakness with accessory work OR to just continue embracing the “only doing competition lifts is the best way to strengthen the muscles needed in those lifts” line of thought by doing Korte. The same question is also related to the bench where I clearly have a lockout issue now that I’ve started to flare the elbows out. Right now, I’m leaning towards a bout of Korte, followed by relentess weakness pounding before going into the virtual meet preparation with another cycle of the Russian Routine, but I would be happy to hear any suggestions in this regard.

   Took a look at the video, nice pulling Mike!! Now, I’m not the best guy to advise on this, but it seems to me that the weight is heavily out in front of you and that trying to get the knees in further to the sides would help set the weight more directly below you. You also initiate all reps with a rounded back, makes my lower back cringe. Now, I know that this technique is beneficial for some, but I’d definitively try to arch more and try to sit down a bit more upright.

   Stinn, it takes one to know one. Seriously, I take that as a compliment. You can never be sure what you’re downloading when you hit a video link over here, hehe.

4. Mike Says:
   September 2nd, 2006 at 1:18 am

   Thanks Kris. Sumo is very new to me but it really does save my aching lower back a ton! As far as your training, properly address your weak point but continue to practice the core lift. If lockout is your weakness I suggest a heavy dose of barbell throatcrushers for 4x6 with 45 seconds rest or decline press. Your goal for decline would be 20 pounds over your bench max focusing on pushing with the arms. Try 1-2x5 after your benching for decline. For your squat, do close stance high bar pause squats for 1-2x5 after your heavy squatting.

5. Scott Says:
   September 4th, 2006 at 9:39 am

   Stinn’s right - watching someone walking out from a monolift is always amusing
   Nice work on the PRs.

6. Kris Says:
   September 4th, 2006 at 2:21 pm

   Monolifts are really for people who lift in crowds, personally I don’t like the idea of having my sole spotter (and usually the only other person in the gym) tangled up with the lever when I take a forward dump with max weights… Also, since the virtual meet calls for walkouts no matter what equipment you lift on, I might just as well continue practicing that. Speaking of which, during last year’s WPC/WPO meets here in Helsinki, there were a few lifters who also insisted on walking out of the monolift, sometimes leading to the unaware spotters rushing in for a catch.

7. Stinn Says:
   September 6th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

   If you do the Korte then just make one of your days a close stance squat, that will hammer your quads, I know it did for me.

8. Kris Says:
   September 7th, 2006 at 12:15 am

   Stinn, that’s a great idea, thanks. After weighing my options over the last few days, I have tentatively settled for a 16-week program ripped out of a 2002 issue of Pure Power. Am putting the finishing touches on a calculator for it, am eager to see what thoughts the program evokes in you people.

9. Doug Schmid Says:
   September 7th, 2006 at 1:40 pm

   Hi Kris,
   Sounds like you are moving along nicely. Good job. My lifting is on hold for now as I broke my ankle a week ago. It is very hard mentally but I am lucky in that I did not need surgery or pins and brackets. As a side note, I did this while carrying a large rock as part of my usual GPP. It was wet out and I slipped and turned my ankle. I came down on it, 80 lbs. of rock plus my bodyweight, and heard it snap like a pencil. I think that fact that I had built up some muscle and tendon strength helped because I’m told that surgery is pretty typical with this type of fracture. A word of caution to everyone, be careful at all times. I have about 8-10 weeks for healing and who knows how long before I can start moving heavy iron again. I would give anything to get “under the bar” today but I will have to be patient.

10. Kris Says:
    September 7th, 2006 at 7:37 pm

    Doug, I feel with you and hope your recovery process goes well. Not being able to get under the bar is a gruesome punishment for any dedicated lifter, not to mention having to limp around in crutches… Injuries have a way of giving us some perspective on how fortunate we are, but oh how quickly those lessons are forgotten. Hopefully you will be able to work on your bench and upper body once the acute phase is over. I will try to remember your words of caution, I have a stone wall project coming up in a couple of weeks that will involve pretty heavy stones. Get well!

11. Doug Schmid Says:
    September 7th, 2006 at 9:15 pm

    Kris,
    Thanks for the kind words. I am going to work in some upper body when it feels right. In the meantime, I will be logging in regulary and living vicariously through your lifting exploits so keep up the good progress!

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