Progress is found in many ways. If you are not finding it daily, you are missing out on the most reward experience in your gym practice. More brave people join this tribe every day, a pack of dedicated individuals who are willing to question their belief systems and lead themselves.
I shall go first.
- Sunday (14 Feb) I set a new PR in the barbell squat for intensity and reps. Tonight (17 Feb) I tripled my volume with the same weight in half the time. BIG ASS PR.
- I set a new best with my strongman log for reps and density,
- Added 14 reps to my 10 minute single arm press test with 32kg.
- PR for weight and reps in the Axle bar curl
- PR for Dips weight and volume (well, PR for the last 8 years)
- Visibly leaner this week. Diet, sleep, and alcohol consumption all terrible this week. I am still dropping BF and energy levels are outstanding.
- Best of all there has been no soreness, no fatigue
Now, i eagerly await your progress. Please post your updates from this weeks workouts here on this thread.
{ 73 comments }
Adam,Tested tonight and ended up doing single bell press.32kg 25reps per arm.PR for me in reps.I had just started doing ladders with it a couple of weeks ago and had only gotten 15 reps per arm.Then I did cliffhanger pullups 20 reps per side at 195# BW.I love this program.Thanks.
Let’s see….
Monday: huge BUP volume and density PR.
Tonight:
Pinch Lever Curl PR in intensity, volume, and density. (since 1 week ago, last time I did the movement)
Dip PR in intensity, volume, and density. (since 1 week ago, last time I did the movement)
DL, I can’t call it a PR but I moved a huge amount of weight at a much higher intensity for a high volume without feeling like I was working hard at all.
Tomorrow, just for fun I might set a PR in lifting my 30lb blob.
More importantly, my persistent shoulder pain is still missing from the equation.
I posted some of these on another thread … oops.
Tuesday. I hit 9 PRs today …
Rep increase at 3 different intensities of the deadlift
Rep increase at 4 different intensities of the bench press
Reps per time increase of Inverted Rows
Reps per time of snatches
Wednesday. I hit 6 PRs today …
Rep increase at 4 different intensities of the deadlift (including my old ‘1 rep max’ … didn’t try for new max)
Reps per time increase of KB pushups (elbows tight to the body)
Reps per time increase of Clean & Jerks
*And finally starting to feel a little more comfortable with ‘tactical’ pullups.
Thursday. I hit two PRs today …
Rep per time increase of swings.
Rep increase of weighted pullups.
Kira, I am looking forward to your continued progress!
Friday. I hit seven PRs today …
Rep increase at 3 different intensities of bench press (low intensities)
Rep increase at 3 different intensities of squat (moderate intensities)
Rep per time increase of pullups.
Monday. I hit four PRs today …
Rep increase at 4 different intensities of squat (including a five rep increase 5kg below my 1 rep max … I will have a new 1 rep max shortly)
Tuesday. I hit two PRs today …
Rep per time increase of sledge slams.
Distance per time increase of farmer’s walk.
(And finally got the DVD today too … sweet).
Wednesday. I hit two PRs today …
Rep increase at Bench press (125kg).
Rep increase at Squat (160kg).
On monday I have been doing 20rep squats with increasing weight each week, this monday I tested well on the movement and instead of 20reps I did a total of 38reps with the same weight and best of all was that every rep was crisp and I didn´t get the usual soreness and stiff legs on tuesday….
This fenomena goes for all my practice since starting to use the feedback testing…. awesome!!!
Feel really at ease with my training now as I don´t have guess what will work and what will not…
A big thank you Adam, Frankie and Josh for bringing this out here for us to use!
Fredrik/Sweden
20 reps to 38 reps? Holy Smokes! Great job Fredrik!
Should be noted I did it in several sets instead of doing one set with 20 and being done and sore the next day, I did short crisp sets and waited for ROM to return and stopped when it didn´t within 2mins… resulting in 38reps instead of the prescribed 20… volume PR for sure and a huge improvment in movement the following days…
Good job!
I had a huge volume PR on vomiting Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Tons of PRs this week, despite crazy amount of stress, wedding planning, dissertation work, long travel back, etc
All 2 inch thick axle PRs, but I won’t count them since I just got the Swager Strength axle and this are all new movements.
Reverse band bench PR of 20 lbs on 1RM (last tested 1RM on 11/3)
Pause bench PR for reps (despite taking 8 days off on vacation)
Squat volume PR at over 10,000 lbs (time to work more squats)
Rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
Mike T, when did you get back in town? I will see you next week!! I get in on Wednesday, plan on being at Champs, drinking a soda or whatever with me and DDN and Brad.
huge deadlift pr this week pulled 500 after 6 months of not doing deadlifts
barbell strict press pr volume added 15 reps in less time
gripper pr this week tested them and just kept shutting them #2 , and then tetting 235, tetting 250, almost played with new # 3, from grip rip
dips and pullups tested well on tuesday volume pr
stacked press pr in volume this week more reps less time , more weight than i have ever moved.
With me right now i am testing movements and if the range of motion increases in a positive way i am looking to best myself until rom does not return. really like were i am at and were i am heading good stuff.
Mike– awesome pull! How is your shoulder feeling this week?
I emailed you and article, please review it and send me your feedback. I believe it will answer your questions from this weekend.
10 consecutive bottoms up presses with the 32 on my right side this morning. then I broke out in chills, realized I’m still not feeling 100%, went home. But that’s a 7-rep increase. There was a day when I wondered if I’d ever be able to do a single with the 32.
Dude. Get a PR in sleep. Go get better. NOW!
BUP 48kg- population YOU sooner than later
PR yesterday in reps for 32kg assisted press. Other PR’s in movements I’ve not trained. I’m actually a bit sore so I’m taking a day or two off. I pushed it hard the last five or six days because I’ve felt great and tested great, but it caught up with me. I also tried a couple of new movements and probably did too much of them. Even when you keep testing positive, you might have to call it quits before you overdo it. Not even close to being “bad sore.” I could defanitely train, but I think I will only gain by not training today. I’m using my head and listening to my body!
Joseph, testing can fix a lot, but there still must be attention to how we are feeling as we are working. Something may test well, but feel bad/hard. In these cases i will back off my weight and speed of the reps. I will address this in future articles
Military press PR: 70 lb dumbell. Barbell clean and jerk ease/form PR – it felt really, really good, if that counts for anything.
Exercise form and execution is absolutely a mark of progress. What would you rather do- Lift hard and look shitty or lift smooth and look good?
5850lbs moved on Sumo Deadlifts… Terminated workout early, I feel really good. I will post some real prs after I workout for a bit and get back into a groove
Do not down play your PRs, we are not here to impress, we are here to get better. Get back in the groove and tear some shit up!
Is this thread for PR’s ONLY if you’re expermenting
with Biofeedback?
I absolutely PR in many different ways EVERY workout without
biofeedback theory. My question would be, what’s the advantage?
Remember, you asked others to question everything. This is what I do.
I not only question belief systems but I TEST them. When I’m done with
my research on biofeedback I will share what I found. Speaking only
for myself.
Joe, I am eager to find out your results. We welcome all people, weather you choose to train this way or not. You know you are always welcome here
Adam- That will be a very useful article! I always jump into things full bore and this method is no exception. I did an insane amount of work these last five or six workouts (in a row) and didn’t really stop and think about it until I hit a “wall.” I put that in quotation marks because I really am not that sore/fatigued. Nothing at all like the walls I used to hit after pushing too hard. No guesswork here. This feels to me like an experiment in strategic overtraining. I suspect a couple of days off will result in my nailing my short term pressing goal. I also think I’ll nail the SSST soon- even though I’m not focusing on that at all! Can’t explain it but it is what it is. I’ll keep ya posted. Looking forward to your articles!
Tonight
PRs on Log bar press (weight/volume) two hand pinch – Big ass 235 lift (all time best pull so far) and lifted 240 about 4 inches. threw my clubs and core mace around. Outstanding evening, and thats after squatting and one arm pressing yesterday! CRUSH IT!
Killed it tonight. pr in double kb press with the 53′s 20 min work zone for 77 reps. Last workout i did 53′s for 40 min for 55 reps. The last workout my rom wouldn’t return so i had to stretch it out to 40 min.
bent over rows with straight bar, first time i did this for time. 190 pounds for 20 min for 88reps.
swager strengh fat bar curls, 10 min work zone, 42 reps
total pounds moved 28,032 this is the most yet for me, not alot but without pain so this is huge for me, i am feeling better every week. I feel like someone handed me a cheat sheet in english class with this stuff. Having a good time.
Good work Frank. Those curls with just the bar are enough for a while, aren’t they? I tried putting 15 lbs on last week and laughed at myself when it just fell out of my hands.
josh, man u aren’t kidding that bar is a beast. Just weighed in tonight, 226 up from 220 at the grip and rip. Hope you guys have room for me up heavy weight division, cause i will be there. Those shakes are great.
Good job Frank. I thought I’d be getting sick of them, but nope.
February 18:
32kg Long Cycle – Volume up. More reps/more sets.
Last week I made a PR in one-hand pinch lift with my FBBC adjustable pinch grip block (3 inches in diameter at the time), 17 pounds and 45 pounds in finger lifting with both pinkies.
After the GNR, I started to do a little GTG at work during my breaks. Mostly it has been push-ups off the waist high counter in the conference room or Z health foot and ankle drills. When I started the push-ups, I could make it down and only about half way up. (so about ¾ of a push-up)
Today, I did three solid push-ups; good tempo reps. Well, still from the counter but I’m happy with my progress.
about 3 weeks ago Adam approached me with a challenge at the gym. Goblet squat one of each of his bells in the gym five times. Ended up being 14 different bell sizes. from right to left, 1kg, 8kg, 12kg, 16kg, 20kg, 24kg, 28kg, 32kg, 36kg, 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 50kg, 56kg. The first time i did this work out, i started with the heavy bells first, it took me 13 minutes and 30 seconds which equates to 150kg a minute. Tonight i did the same work out starting with the light bells and set a PR of 11 minutes flat. It works out to be a total of 2085kg. Which equates to 189.5kg a minute. i was literally moving weight the entire time, every minute feature reps, no real down time
Jakes goblet squat chain= kick in the pants. I will bet most of you have not tried to squat a larger bell in that position…I think goblet squats with a 48kg bell are worse than Zercher squats with 275lbs…Jake is crushing it. He also hit some outstanding numbers in his double press and BB deadlift.
I havent done pistols in over 2 months and tonight I hit a 80 lb. Pistol PR. Privious best was 65lb. The best part is I felt like crap all day and finally dragged my ass to the gym at 9:00 PM. I wanted to do front squats, but they didnt test well and neither did back squats. I started with a few sets of just BW pistols and I kept increasing weight and testing. I was about 8 sets in and I hit 50lbs pretty easy. I said what the hell and grabbed (2) 40lb. DB and hit it on both legs.
That’s officially when the What the Hell factor hit me. Our bodies can do some pretty amazing things when we listen to what its telling us. Gym Movement is the real deal!
2/19/10:
after rolling:
Chinups (BW) – Volume, Reps ahoy!
Dips (BW) – Density
210 KB Snatches w/ 20 KG
Yusuf, are you keeping track of your time during the snatches? Density is typically the first place we see improvement
Hit PR’s in the trapbar deadlift with weight. Shattered previous PR’s with a 35 lb block weight. And then hit a PR in density of kettlebell snatches.
Logan, outstanding work! Thanks for dropping in and posting. How is life in Sunny California?
Not so sunny right now. Got about a week straight of rain. Great weather for moving.
Logan where are you moving to?
Still in Santa Cruz area in a town called Felton. Just a new house up in the mountains.
2/20/10:
Barbell DLs: Volume / Density. (Broke 40kg in 59:45. Best before was 28kg in 90.)
Barbell Standing Military Press: well considering I never really touched it, off to a good start with volume / density.
Time for pizza
20 Feb 10
PRs tonight in Barbell Squat- Intensity, and reps per set, PRs in Axle Curl reps per set and volume.
Kettlebell clean and press 36kg x 15 singles per arm.PR for me in reps.Previously 3 to 4 reps per arm after light night of pressing.Ukrainian Deadlift 3×20 36kg PR.The heaviest bell I have now is the 36kg.Must hurry and order 40,44,and 48.
Yesterday I set PR’s for two hand pinch and weaver stick at a grip competition held by David Horne. Two hand pinch was 59.1kg, up from 53.9kg 3 weeks ago and only one session training it in-between
Today I have set a PR for deadlifts, a total of 3000kg shifted in 15mins, up from a total of 2190kg set 6th February (time unknown but most likely longer as I blasted the reps out today)
That deadlift total is going to sky rocket though because deadlifts are now my primary goal and that double bodyweight deadlift goal will be demolished!
Kris you moved your Euro pinch up 6kg in three weeks? Awesome, awesome, awesome numbers!!
Double body weight will come and go quickly- keep it up
5.2kg on euro pinch in 3 weeks, I was well chuffed, I got 61.7kg a few inches off the ground so that’s definitely on the cards. Next event I will attend is in April, I’m hoping to push for 65kg+, the grip events are good fun to attend, met some awesome guys, hoping next year I will start challenging some of the lower ranks, give them a run for their money
Max deadlift was 115kg last time I went for it, I tried for 120kg a few weeks ago but it didn’t lock out. Currently weighing in about 74kg so about 30kg to go
Just going to stick with upping the volume and density and wait for another day where I get that feeling that a 1RM is on the cards.
Good work Kris.
Thanks Josh!
Adam, for pinch I found David’s thumbscrew add on for grippers/vulcan is really good, doesn’t test well all that often for me but really helps with pinch I’ve found. It certainly saves the cutting into the thumb web part of the hand that regular pinching causes!
Kris that is a huge improvement, was the cop at Davids house? How is he and Liz and the little one doing?
Yeah one was held at Davids place and another at Steve Gardeners gym. David and Liz are good, and the little one
David and Steve are running smaller events before the British Championship, trying to get more people interested in grip, and it seems to be working.
Also, Liz is phenomenally strong, I’ve never met a woman that could lift like she does! She’s easily beating my numbers, and some other guys that have been training plenty longer than me. Hat off to her she trains hard!
Big Ass PRs tonight
Squat- intensity, reps per set
Double Overhand Axle deadlift (2″ thick) 395 like nothing, 405 for two singles- all time best pull on axle
Strongman log, absolute PR on weight, and number of 95% intensity reps
Mace swings-full load swings 10/10X5
All in all, bad ass evening workout
pr in kb one arm row tonight.two weeks ago i did 53 kb for 55 reps per arm for 32 min. 5830 total pounds moved. Tonight i used the 61.7 for 64 reps per arm in 20 min. total pounds moved 7897. I did one arm mp, but i think i might of choosen the wrong exercise, because my range of motion really wasn’t returning, so i stopped. I have been using my neck harness form iron mind and i got to say i recommend that to anyone who works on the computer or tends to look down alot at work. It alway tests well, and i believe thats one of the reasons my neck is feeling better.
I had two PRs in distance this morning
I managed to Bear Crawl the full length of Brad’s gym. (half a lap)
Also did 4 laps with double 14kgs in a waiter’s walk.
With how I feel at 3pm, I will have big manly traps very shortly. :: smiles ::
crazy workout tonight. I started the workout feeling like it wasn’t going to be a good one. I never thought it would be my best ever. Kb floor press 70′s for 95 reps in 20 min. Last workout i used the 70′s for 90 reps in 35 min. Bent over straight bar row, 225 for 58 reps, in 20 min. Last workout 190 for 88 reps. Kb sumo deads 97′s for 134 reps in 20 min. Last workout 97′s for 108 reps in 35 reps. Total pounds moved 52,441. My best before tonight was 28,032. My recovery is getting faster, and tonights workout wasn’t that hard.
That is some huge progress Frank!
PR tonight– BUP volume, nothing else was going well…but very decent net volume in under 11 minutes
3 PRs tonight.Double Presses 24kg and 28kg 5 Ladders of 1,2,3.Reps and weight PR.Double press 32kg and 28kg 6 singles,weight PR.Ukrainian Deadlift 44kg 3×20.Weight PR.Previous best 36kg 3×20 on 2.20.10.
Thursday. I hit five PRs today …
Rep increase at 2 different intensities of squat (mid intensities)
Rep per time increase of KB pushups
Rep per time increase of KB swings
Rep per time increase of KB bent press
tonights workout i did kb squats. todnights workout was with the 44′s i did 112 reps for total pounds moved 9856 in 20 min. My previous was with the 53′s for 52 reps for total pounds moved 5512, in 25 min. The 44′s tested better for this workout. I just got my 2 and 1 inch v bar yesterday. So i did 2 inch v bar lifts, i hit 203 with my right and left hand. First time for this so we will have to wait until next, to see improvement. I use to watch adam’s videos using the v bars, and i would always say why does he do that, well tonight i found out, its pretty fun. Thanks adam. Used my 5 pound clubs tonight for head casts. Its not heavy at all but i will say since starting the biofeedback, my shoulders have never felt smoother. I use to do them and my chest and shoulders would just feel tight, not tonight. I am talking things slow and listening to my body. I was talking to adam on the phone and he said something that just clicked last week. Don’t rush to lift the heavist weights possible, because if you listen to your body it will just happen. My body weight was 227.6 tonight and last week it was 226 and i seem to be getting leaner. It feels good to feel better and put on muscle at the same time. I the past i could put the weight on but man did i pay for it with pain. 23o in a couple of weeks.
2 PRs tonight.Rows 32kg 10 sets of 5.Volume PR.Farmers Walk 32kg and 36kg 300 feet x3.Distance PR.Before I did the same weights 600 feet but only went 150 feet then took a quick breather,tonight 300 feet each set.
Friday. I hit four PRs today …
Rep increase at 2 different intensities of squat (low intensities)
Rep increase at 2 different intensities of deadlift (high intensities)
Keep in mind the stress on the thumb webbing is part of the event, so it makes sense to train in a way to condition the skin in that particular area. by slightly rotating the thumb you can take some stress off the webbing. Play with hand positioning and you find the position i am talking about
Awesome stuff Kira!
Hey did you do Joshs twitter and FB icons for his page? I need some custom ones done…
Thanks
Re: Twitter & FB icons … It wasn’t me. I should probably get some icons myself.
Cheers.