Archives For front squat

I came across this at a dollar store the other day:

Fake Sriracha

It's a FAAAKE!!1!

It's a FAAAKE!

Actually, it's just a different brand piggybacking on the popularity of Sriracha hot sauce. The real Sriracha hot sauce has a green cap and a rooster as the logo, and it should look like this:

Sriracha

This bottle should last a few more weeks. I need to stock up soon.

Anyway, onto the PRs:

PR's This Past Week

Only managed 2:

Paused Front Squat: 370 lb x 1 (No Belt 1RM)

+30 lb PR and matches my no belt front squat 1RM, and paused FS 1RM!

Wasn't sure if I could get this because my previous warm up set (330 lb) felt hard, but decided to go for it anyway, because...why not?

Overhead Press: 200 lb x 8 (8RM)

Previous best with 200 lb was 7. Cleaned (more like 'dirtied') off the floor, and had a hook grip throughout the set.

OHP 200 lb x 10...you will be mine. Followed by bodyweight OHP x 10. All in good time.

Other Training

Switch Kicks and Right & Left Roundhouse Kicks

My goal is to destroy this heavy bag with my bare shins.

My next goal would be to find a near indestructible Kevlar punching bag for cheap.

Stuff You Should Read

  1. Look To Those Who Struggle To Find Strength by Paul Carter
  2. Does Research Support The Use Of Foam Rolling? By Chris Beardsley
  3. Paleo Has Jumped The Shark by James Fell
  4. Picking The Squat That's Right For You By Greg Nuckols

Neck Training

Using the Ironmind neck harness and low pulley attachment.

Neck Extension (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 60 lb: 20
  • 100 lb: 10,10,10,10,10
  • 70 lb: 12

Neck Flexion (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 60 lb: 20
  • 100 lb: 10,10,10,10,10
  • 70 lb: 12

Neck Side Flexion (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 50 lb: 20
  • 70 lb: 10,10,10,10,10

Front Squat

Paused, no belt.

  • 45 lb: 10
  • 140 lb: 5
  • 230 lb: 3
  • 280 lb: 1
  • 330 lb: 3 * PR!
    • Paused, no belt 3RM

Clean & Press

  • 45 lb: 10
  • 140 lb: 3
  • 190 lb: 2

Overhead Press

  • 230 lb: 4 * PR!
    • 4 rep max! Wasn't sure if I could get this because I couldn't complete 3 reps with 230 lb in the past few weeks.

Barbell Curl

  • 45 lb: 20,20,20

Neck Training

Using the Ironmind neck harness and low pulley attachment.

Neck Extension (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 60 lb: 20
  • 100 lb: 10,10,10,10
  • 70 lb: 10

Neck Flexion (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 60 lb: 20
  • 100 lb: 18,10,10,10
    • Mind wandered first set. I was wondering why it was getting difficult and taking so long. Only wanted to do 10.
  • 70 lb: 10

Neck Side Flexion (Harness)

  • 30 lb: 20
  • 50 lb: 20
  • 70 lb: 10,10,10,10

Front Squat

Hips felt weird and it was a bit painful so I changed back into my narrower, hams-to-calves knee cracking stance.

Paused during warm up and work sets.

  • 45 lb: 10
  • 140 lb: 5
  • 230 lb: 3
  • 280 lb: 1
  • 330 lb: 1
  • 350 lb: * PR!
    • No belt front squat 1RM
  • 370 lb: 1 * PR!
    • No belt front squat 1RM by +20 lb from previous set!
    • Once I broke through the sticking point, the bar felt like it flew up. Nice.
  • 300 lb: 3,3,3,3,3
    • +2.5 lb from Sunday.

Clean & Press

  • 45 lb: 10
  • 140 lb: 5
    • Should have been 3.
  • 190 lb: 2

Overhead Press

  • 230 lb: 2
  • 200 lb: 7 * PR!
    • Wanted 8. I think this is the most number of reps I did with 200 lb.
    • Previous best was 6 according to my Youtube videos.
    • Gotta start tracking 7 rep maxes.

Barbell Curl

  • 100 lb: 8
  • 45 lb: 20,25

I got a PR for the most number of PRs set in a week at 9!

Previous best was 6 PRs in a week.

PRs This Past Week

Bench Press: 300 lb x 7 (Reverse Grip)

Wanted 8 reps for an 8 rep max, but after bench pressing 320 lb for 5 sets of 3 reps, then 300 lb for 5 reps, 7 reps was all I could muster. I guess this is a 7 rep max!

Front Squat: 340 lb x 1 (Paused + No Belt PR)

It was easy, but I just wanted to fill in the empty box in my PR table.

Front Squat: 330 lb x 5 (5RM)

Testing out a wider stance for front squats. Can't get as much depth as my previously narrower stance, but I'm feeling more bounce out of my adductors, so it's easier coming up from the bottom.

This could lead to more PRs.

Squat: 440 lb x 8 (8 rep max)

Decided to try squatting 440x8 after watching Natalya Kuzmina (member of the Kazakhstan powerlifting team who competes at 84 Kg) squat 200 Kg (about 440 lb) for 8 reps.

So I guess I'm strong as a girl now.

Also, the opening theme from Conan The Barbarian (1982 version with Arnold) gets me PUMPED.

Bench Press: 335 lb x 5 (Reverse Grip)

+5 lb 5 rep max

Theme song from Conan the Destroyer gets me pumped, but not as pumped as Conan the Barbarian (1982).

REGULAR GRIP Bench Press: 350 lb x 1 (1 rep max by 10 lb!)

350 lb regular grip seems puny compared to my 395 lb reverse grip 1RM lol

Had to wear neoprene pads because I'm not used to the bar pressure on my palms yet :/

Front Squat: 405 lb x 1 (1RM)

LMAO4PLATE milestone, and +5 lb PR with no knee wraps.

Wore the Three Wolf Moon shirt though.

Pretty sure I would have missed this rep without harnessing it's mystical, performance enhancing powers.)

Deadlift: 500 lb x 1 (No Belt, Hook Grip)

1 rep max with no belt. Time to start tracking no belt deadlift PRs.

Tip: Track a variety of different exercises and variations of the same exercise through many rep ranges, that way there's more opportunities to hit PRs all the time and post something on 70's Big every PR Friday.

Deadlift: 500 lb x 5 (5RM with straps and +40 lb PR!)

Missed at 550 lb THREE times (first two times used hook grip, third time used straps, but gassed out).

This pissed me off so I went for a 5 rep max with 500. Had to re-adjust the straps mid set because it wasn't tight enough.

Other Stuff

Roundhouse Kicks

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."

- Bruce Lee

Dammit I did it wrong...I practiced TWO kicks.

This is going to double my workload now :/

I think my kicks are coming along.

Stuff You Should Read

  1. Pillars Of The Squat by Daniel Green
  2. The Valsalva & Stroke by Jonathon M Sullivan MD, PhD, SSC, FACEP

Friday the 13th training session.

Michael Scott

Heavy Bag

Trying to keep my upper body, especially arms, as relaxed as possible.

  • Punches: 3 minutes
  • Punches: 3 minutes
  • Punches: 3 minutes

Front Squat

Trying out a wider stance.

  • 45 lb: 10
  • 140 lb: 5
  • 230 lb: 3
  • 280 lb: 1
  • 330 lb: 1
  • 370 lb: 1
  • 405 lb: 1 * PR!
    • +5 lb 1RM
  • 230 lb: 5
    • No belt.

Deadlift

Hook grip.

  • 140 lb: 5
  • 230 lb: 5
  • 320 lb: 3
  • 410 lb: 1
  • 460 lb: 1
  • 500 lb: 1 * PR!
    • No belt PR
  • 550 lb: X,X,X
    • Thumbs couldn't take it for the first two tries. Tried straps, for the third attempt...no go. DAMMIT.
  • 500 lb: 5 * PR!
    • Straps + hook grip
    • 5 rep max