Truly the best part about the Gym Movement Protocol is you get better at getting better.
As I get more comfortable with my squatting, I have found I can do it often. Like every other day right now, and every back to back days.
On the 23rd I did a lot of griptopz lifting with the Half Penny and Stub, followed by some Europinching, and wrapped up with some higher weight squats. 375 for 2 doubles and 5 singles. The Safety Squat Bar changes the leverage to a high degree, I am interested to test my BB back squat this coming week for a new max. I believe I will be some where in the 415-425 range. I would like to be able to dunk 450 on the SSB and 525 with a BB by December.
Today I did SSB squats, 220 for 100 reps, 7 sets in 22:14. This is my fastest time yet for 100 reps, beating my last time with 220 by 3 minutes and 30 seconds. This was also the first time I have ever bagged 3 sets of 20 reps in one workout, and that was no joke hard. I was still pouring out a river of sweat after my last rep after 15 minutes from the last set.
So this week I am busting my butt building this E-Course. I also stacked up a ton of new content for the new Grip DVD. In a day or so I will release a 45 minute video which you will dig, and some new content for grip products.
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ATG,
I have not checked in for a while; have been out of state but still training hard.
I believe biofeedback testing has come to fruition for us both considering you do not test between sets anymore. I watched this most recent video and was pleasantly surprised to see that your pace matches my own. I have found that as my set/rep/rest scheme becomes more “in tune” with my workload tolerance the less I need to actually test the ROM. Rather it becomes a natural progression of movement where the goals and movements themselves cycle over time.
However, one must be patient in observing the fact that goals must change temporarily due to fluctuations in the nervous system.
Maybe I am beating a dead horse saying this here, but I believe Biofeedback is a fine system indeed!
It is good to see you skwating again, I hope you hit 500 very soon.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Dustin
Dustin are you are you certain you can gauge my entire program from one video of one exercise?
Remember there are several models of training in the Gym Movement Protocol. One of them is a distress training model.
As far as how much should you test- that is 100% a call to be made by you. You have already first experienced how much better you improve when you test many things, so you are educated and informed on possible outcomes of testing vs. Not testing.
Did you move or change jobs?
ATG,
I am certain that I CANNOT gauge your program from one video. That workout, however, reminded me very much of my own pace while skwating or doing deads. Last time we spoke I had been suffering tightness in the hip flexors that prevented me from squatting (about 18 months ago). Now, after using the GM protocol, I can squat again. It is with more moderate weight and usually for 5-7 reps, and only 1-2 times/week. But the important thing is that I can, without pain, perform a drill I truly enjoy. I still test to find the best movement for the day, but have gotten better at “feeling” when I am ready for the next set, or should add/subtract weight.
I moved to NC for work, but am moving back to MN in November/December (long story) and am pumped to visit your gym, possibly even compete once in a while.
Thanks
Dustin
I think you will do well in competition, what are your lifts at now?
Bodyweight 168 lbs.
DL 465
Axle DL 275
Bench 265
Oly style Skwat 245
BB MP 160
OAKBMP 88lbs.
KB Bent Press 110 lbs. (Stacked 53s)
Axle Side Press 110 lbs.
COC #2.5 for doubles
62 lb pull up
90 lb chin up
That’s a pretty good look at where I’m at right now.
This was not seen on the grip and rip DVDs I think.
very interesting as usual.
what do you think of isometrics?
Awesome work Adam! Looks like more evidence that volume, density and intensity works; even for hypertrophy!
Strength and increases in muscle size are not THAT far apart and are highly associated to each other. Unfortunately, drugs appear to push them further apart; which gives people the illusion that all these crazy special techniques need to be used all the time because “Joe Pro guy” does it and saw huge gains. Note, that does NOT mean it will happen to you, esp when you factor in outside stress and a host of other factors.
The drug free lifter I know who compete in bodybuilding are all very strong. I believe you stated a big jump in thigh circumference too, correct?
Rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
So I will expand on some conversations Mike and I have had
- This idea of “train to be big” OR “train to be strong” is highly flawed. The starting point of there being a way to get very strong without being bigger, or some how get bigger without being stronger is kinda horseshit.
There are people who are incredibly strong at specific things, who may not appear “big” but if you examine them from when they started they are still going to be bigger than when they started. IE if a 160 lbs man who has 20 lbs of body fat/140 lbs of lean mass with a max deadlift of 315 moves his dl up to 480 (triple BW) it is highly unlikely that same man who have the same measurements, same 20 lbs of fat, and same 140 lbs of lean mass. We would see a variety of changes to the persons general tissue system.
What is foolish is to say here is lifter A, and here is lifter B- Lifter A lifts X weight and yet lifter B lifts less but is bigger. That is not a useful comparison.
I would find it extremely improbable to learn someone increased their strength in terms of Intensity/ volume/ and density within a given movement over say a 6 week period and not find any measurable improvement in body composition.
The only people I find useful to examine for my own experimental starting points are drug free athletes. If you currently are subscribing to training information coming from drugged lifters you are probably getting a lot of rotten eggs in that basket.
Problems with the misinformation campaign in the fitness world – many of the people writing don’t even train themselves, many of the people writing are fucking liars, and of course a good chunk of them are drugging it up. We got fat guys calling themselves fat loss experts, we have guys with 110 lbs of lean mass calling themselves body building coaches, and we got people who never played a fucking sport in their entire life declaring themselves elite performance specialists. Personal trainers? most of them flipped a coin to decide if they would train people or bar tend.
Good numbers ! Nearly a triple body pull, on track for 2x bp. I think you would do really well.