50lbs in 3 weeks
As of recently Mike and I just finsihed a turrible squat cycle. This squat cycle was not easy by any means but it was a necessary step in reaching our goals. At the end of the first 3 weeks Mike added 50lbs to his back squat and I added 30lbs to my back squat. The volume and intensity of each squat session is very high which left me dead tired at the conclusion of each session. I mean tired, like crawl into a hole and past out tired.The squat sessions for me were as huge of a mental battle as a physical battle. Most of the time I was by myself squatting and I had some really weird mental battles underneath that bar. Many times I had to talk myself out of stopping.
There's a really interesting phenomenon that happen during this cycle that I was kinda aware of from the start. I knew that even though Mike and I started at the same 1RM weight in the end Mike would have an easier go at the weight and would probably add more weight to his max because he's the bigger lifter. In theory it shouldn't matter we both started at the same weight and completed the same weight for each set of squats during the 3 weeks. But in the end Mike's max far exceeded mine.
It became very clear to me after the first week watching Mike squat that he was moving the weight much more quickly and easily then I was. I watched Mike move the weight of a set of nine up and down with relative ease while on that same exact set I was pausing and taking a breath after 5 reps then another breath after 3 reps and finishing with a single. Needless to say I learned a lot about fighting through sets that seemed impossible at the beginning.
There's a really interesting phenomenon that happen during this cycle that I was kinda aware of from the start. I knew that even though Mike and I started at the same 1RM weight in the end Mike would have an easier go at the weight and would probably add more weight to his max because he's the bigger lifter. In theory it shouldn't matter we both started at the same weight and completed the same weight for each set of squats during the 3 weeks. But in the end Mike's max far exceeded mine.
It became very clear to me after the first week watching Mike squat that he was moving the weight much more quickly and easily then I was. I watched Mike move the weight of a set of nine up and down with relative ease while on that same exact set I was pausing and taking a breath after 5 reps then another breath after 3 reps and finishing with a single. Needless to say I learned a lot about fighting through sets that seemed impossible at the beginning.
Here's our third week's numbers:
Monday 4 x 9 @ 80% of 1RM
Wednesday 7 x 5 @ 85% 1RM
Friday 5 x 7 @ 90% 1RM
Saturday 10 x 3 @ 95% 1RM
Now this first 3 week base mesocylce we just went through is just a pre-cousor to the real squat cycle. Yeah that's right that was just the beginning. Anyone who has a clue about squatting should look at those numbers and say you're kidding, right? You want me to squat how much for how many reps? That is one of the keys to the cycle, we were lifting weights that seemed impossible at the start. To often our brains get in the way of our body. We mentally think our way out something that physically we could do. Just go brain dead.
Now let me add this, if you under take something like this cycle you cannot do much else but sqaut. You will be very tired and you need to fully recover before your next squatting session. Any exercise you do after squatting will be diminished because of the fatigue of your squatting sessions. Avoid deadlifting when using this cycle for squats. The deadlifts use many of the same muscles as the squat. You can work on upper body exercises after your squat sessions but expect to be tired.
Now this might seem crazy to some, to just work on one exercise for weeks. But this is the only way to make large gains in a short amount of time. Also improving your squat numbers will give you a bigger clean number, OHS weight, deadlift, snatch and vertical. Life is much easier with stronger legs. Also one cool thing happen during the first 3 weeks that was unexpected. My abs looked/stayed the same as they did before I started the cycle without doing any ab work. This shows the extensive use of your core during squatting.
Now here's some lessons learned:
1- Be prepared for your pants to no longer fit. Easter mass is awkward when you constantly picking wedges out of your ass with pants that are skin tight around your thighs. I turned my dress pants into skinny jeans.
2- Keep you legs warm, some squatting sessions lasted 45min. Wear long pants or knee sleeves to keep joints warm. Think about your joints like taffy. Cold taffy breaks, warm taffy bends.
"the man = Klokov"
3-Eat a lot. A tough lifting sessions can be made easier by consuming excess calories. And yes these extra calories should be made mostly of some sort of carb. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes and rice worked the best for me but if all else fails and good carbs aren't available shove whatever you can in your gullet.
4- Wear a weight belt if have to. I was never a big fan of belts until I went through this cycle. The last week is very heavy and my back was starting to get sore from all the weight. I put on the weight belt and instantly the weight became easier. Wearing the belt was a safety net for me not a reliance. It gave me some reassurance that my back was safe.
This last picture reminded me, my next entry I will talk about the high bar and low bar back squat and which is better for what.
4-12-13
5 x 1 - Medium to Heavy but good, no misses
2 Hang Snatch + OHS
5 x 3
Hang Snatch Pull @ 75% of 1RM
Now let me add this, if you under take something like this cycle you cannot do much else but sqaut. You will be very tired and you need to fully recover before your next squatting session. Any exercise you do after squatting will be diminished because of the fatigue of your squatting sessions. Avoid deadlifting when using this cycle for squats. The deadlifts use many of the same muscles as the squat. You can work on upper body exercises after your squat sessions but expect to be tired.
Now this might seem crazy to some, to just work on one exercise for weeks. But this is the only way to make large gains in a short amount of time. Also improving your squat numbers will give you a bigger clean number, OHS weight, deadlift, snatch and vertical. Life is much easier with stronger legs. Also one cool thing happen during the first 3 weeks that was unexpected. My abs looked/stayed the same as they did before I started the cycle without doing any ab work. This shows the extensive use of your core during squatting.
Now here's some lessons learned:
1- Be prepared for your pants to no longer fit. Easter mass is awkward when you constantly picking wedges out of your ass with pants that are skin tight around your thighs. I turned my dress pants into skinny jeans.
2- Keep you legs warm, some squatting sessions lasted 45min. Wear long pants or knee sleeves to keep joints warm. Think about your joints like taffy. Cold taffy breaks, warm taffy bends.
3-Eat a lot. A tough lifting sessions can be made easier by consuming excess calories. And yes these extra calories should be made mostly of some sort of carb. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes and rice worked the best for me but if all else fails and good carbs aren't available shove whatever you can in your gullet.
4- Wear a weight belt if have to. I was never a big fan of belts until I went through this cycle. The last week is very heavy and my back was starting to get sore from all the weight. I put on the weight belt and instantly the weight became easier. Wearing the belt was a safety net for me not a reliance. It gave me some reassurance that my back was safe.
This last picture reminded me, my next entry I will talk about the high bar and low bar back squat and which is better for what.
4-12-13
5 x 1 - Medium to Heavy but good, no misses
2 Hang Snatch + OHS
5 x 3
Hang Snatch Pull @ 75% of 1RM
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