100-days of squats: challenge and experiments

[Kit_L]

Day 17

5 x 25

5 x 35

5 x 45

5 x 55

4 x 55

Enough for today. 

[Kit_L]

Day 18, light day

10 x 25

5 x 35

(5 x 45) x 5

Excellent form; legs are getting stronger. Today, no bounce, strict front squats only.

[Kit_L]

Day 19, singles

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

4 x 40

3 x 50

2 x 55

2 x 60

8 x 50 immediately after unloading bar. Strict form, no bounce.

[Kit_L]

I realise that to most people here, these are pathetic weights (I am thinking about you, @SwissDanny) but I am starting again, and essentially relearning movements I had years ago. My PB for the FS is 125Kg—but that was 15 years ago. It's an interesting little journey, at least for me!

 

 

[Nathan]

1 hour ago, Kit_L said:

these are pathetic weights

As you know, it's all relative, my friend. You're front squatting a Nathan(+) repeatedly, so I will feel confident about passing out when I'm with you  It's a respectable volume, as well, and working up in such a fashion is probably conditioning secondary tissues in a way that would not occur otherwise. Looking forward to see where the journey takes both of us!

[[DW]]

Should take buck ass naked photos of the glutes and thighs and do a time-lapse of the morphological changes over the 100 days. 

[SwissDanny]

LOL... my FS max is nowhere near 125kg at a similar relative age. FS are virtuous but nasty things; nowhere to hide...

Gotsa get back in the gym myself after a c4 month focus on the running then a months break with exercise being carrying my golf clubs around the course.

I do know a respected CF trainer, also masters age, who experimented by building to a daily 1RM max backsquat , at well over 2x BW I think, I will try and find out what the duration and outcome was...

[Cam Ogle]

14 hours ago, Kit_L said:

I realise that to most people here, these are pathetic weights (I am thinking about you, @SwissDanny) but I am starting again, and essentially relearning movements I had years ago. My PB for the FS is 125Kg—but that was 15 years ago. It's an interesting little journey, at least for me!

This is a really interesting experiment. I did Dan John's 40 day workout a few years back (originally from Pavel I believe) and front squatted every day never going over 10 reps total. I most often did 2x5@70. I had never front squatted more than 100 for a single prior to that and after the 40 days were up I front squatted a decent 120 without too much stress in flat shoes. I think your term of "pathetic weights" is a great way of saying to keep it in the easy range which can have some surprising results. 

[Kit_L]

Day 20, light 

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

5 x 40

(5 x 50) x 2

Even walking around, legs felt a heavy today. I am hoping this means growth!

21 hours ago, Nathan said:

working up in such a fashion is probably conditioning secondary tissues in a way that would not occur otherwise

This is my hope, and excuse! 

Now for the aside of the century: I may have found a boat; it's in Queensland. To inspect it, I have to be up at 04:30, and on the road 05:30, and not get home until after 22:00. Might only be bodyweight squats that day! 

@Cam Ogle: that's a remarkable improvement in a very short period of time. What kind of break between the end of the 40 and the PB?

@[DW]: great thought there, but will never happen!

@SwissDanny: please do see if you can dig that up CF guy's logs; definitely interested myself.

Very interestingly to me, still no DOMS. Could recovery be over-rated, assuming you are not training to failure??? Let's see!

[Nathan]

3 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Now for the aside of the century: I may have found a boat; it's in Queensland. To inspect it, I have to be up at 04:30, and on the road 05:30, and not get home until after 22:00. Might only be bodyweight squats that day! 

Is this the one that returned to the market? I think that one was in Sydney, though, so I am guessing not. Did you and Olivia go see that one? No good?

[Kit_L]

@Nathan: no. That one did sell; I will link to the one we will inspect by email.

[Cam Ogle]

3 hours ago, Kit_L said:

@Cam Ogle: that's a remarkable improvement in a very short period of time. What kind of break between the end of the 40 and the PB?

@Kit_L I was near but not quite at the end of the 40 days. I remember the fatigue quite acutely but never followed this program up with anything beneficial and I cannot for the life of me remember why. The program has you doing 5 lifts for sub max sets with no more than 10 reps total per day. For full disclosure I was doing deadlifts, overhead press, chins, front squats and curls. Interesting article from Anthony Mychal who used a similar method (with much better results) to deadlift 550 pounds. 

https://anthonymychal.com/how-i-deadlifted-550-pounds/

[Kit_L]

Day 21, 3 x 9, so auspicious for me!

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

5 x 40

5 x 50

3 x 60. Could have done five, but I am following my own "easy" protocol. When 60 drifts up to 5 reps, then I will add 5Kg for a single. I can feel that holding perfect form is the limitation to the weights going up, so am going to do this slowly.

[Kit_L]

Day 22; up at 04:00...

10 by bodyweight squats

Bought boat in Queensland

slept at 01:00

[Kit_L]

Day 23, shoulders sore from accumulated load FS, so back squats (BS) today

10 x empty bar

10 x 30

5 x 40

(5 x 50) x 2

55 x 5

My lower back is not excited about these; the FS is better for me. Nonetheless, will persevere for a little while and do some shoulder rehab, with the Yuri band mobility sequence.

[Nathan]

48 minutes ago, Kit_L said:

Bought boat in Queensland

Exciting! Just one last thing to take care of:

49 minutes ago, Kit_L said:

Yuri band mobility sequence

Really an excellent tool. I've dropped this from my warm-up due to not having a good place to secure my bands, but I should probably try a bit harder to figure something out!

[Kit_L]

Day 24, feeling tired

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

5 x 40

5 x 50

2 x 60

1 x 65

2 x 60

So, even feeling tired more volume at the heavy end, plus a single on the heaviest weight so far. Perception is a mother &^%( er.

[Kit_L]

Day 25, up v. early for Marine Rescue duty

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

10 x 40; that's all for today. Good form, and still no DOMS... might be something to the daily training thing...

[SwissDanny]

10 minutes ago, Kit_L said:

and still no DOMS... might be something to the daily training thing...

Definitely; when I was doing CF pretty much daily we "masters" used to joke about not having more than a day off, or risk seizing up... 

[Kit_L]

Day 26 

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

5 x 40

3 x 50

(1 x 60) x 5

5 x 50

[Kit_L]

Day 27; not planning any of the workouts now (in terms of light or heavy); just going with the feelings.

10 x empty bar

5 x 30

5 x 40

3 x 50

(5 x 55) x 3

I seem to be capable of significantly more work just below my maximum. Soon I will not need the 2.5s!

[nick_kuchedav]

 

On 10/15/2018 at 6:36 PM, Kit_L said:

I realise that to most people here, these are pathetic weights (I am thinking about you, @SwissDanny) but I am starting again, and essentially relearning movements I had years ago. My PB for the FS is 125Kg—but that was 15 years ago. It's an interesting little journey, at least for me!

1

this reminds me of a story I heared from Greg Everet. A olympic weightlifter with 1RM squat around 120kg started training with an old school kind a coach. The coach didn't like his squatting techinique and for the next 6 months! he made him squat only with empty bar!

And after that the guy went up to 200kg squat very fast (I think he put a PR even in his first workout).

I believe in (and use) the moral of this story. And I'm pretty sure you will be a beast after these 100 days, Sensei.

[Kit_L]

Day 28; I had to dive on a boat yesterday, and getting back out of the water was very difficult; more on that later, perhaps. So, today, felt sore and tired.

5 x empty bar

5 x 30

3 x 40

3 x 50

2 x 60 (felt heavy)

30" x 70 for what our friend @Emmet Louis calls "stability holds; we have been talking about my lower back's reaction to squatting—I feel I have more strength in the legs, but it's my back that's limiting me. His suggestion was to do a couple of sets of these a few times a week and see what happens.

30" x 80

5 x 50, and while good form, these felt heavy. This perception is what I am going with.

@nick_kuchedav: thanks for your support—means a lot. And I am certain of the underlying truth of your story. I used to know (in the very old days) a middleweight Oly lifter named Michael Chang. He spent most of his time with the empty bar (cleans, snatches) and only loaded up 3–4 months out from a competition. He held the Australian record at one point, I believe, too.

Form is the priority. I noticed with Emmet's stability holds I really had to list my chest and that most definitely activated deep stabilisers.

I am considering getting a belt, too; I used to have one.

[SwissDanny]

13 minutes ago, Kit_L said:

Day 28; I had to dive on a boat yesterday, and getting back out of the water was very difficult; more on that later, perhaps. So, today, felt sore and tired.

30" x 70 for what our friend @Emmet Louis calls "stability holds; we have been talking about my lower back's reaction to squatting—I feel I have more strength in the legs, but it's my back that's limiting me. His suggestion was to do a couple of sets of these a few times a week and see what happens.

I am considering getting a belt, too; I used to have one.

Guessing  "stability holds" are un-racking a 100%+ load and keeping everything tight. Great things for sure! Also before going heavy to wake up and "trick" the CNS into thinking the load is light(er).

Belt. Although I have a good one, I find I only use it occasionally to help cue a really good valsalva brace. That said (touch wood) have never had lower back issues. I guess my point would be: OK, but know what role it's going to play.

 

[Kit_L]

Day 29, light

10 x empty bar

(5 x 40) x 5

10 x 40 just because it all felt so light.

Very easy day today, and this is to give the shoulders a bit of a rest. Form perfect (even if I say so myself!). Felt truly balanced in all phases. 

@SwissDanny: yes, that is what @Emmet Louis means. And I do want to do these on 'heavy' days, for just the reason you mention—wake that lazy CNS up! And yes, using a belt for proprioception, for the most part.