derrick's training log

[Manganese]

Just realized you don't do deadlifts often. Is it a matter of inconvenience or do you just feel the movement doesn't contribute as much toward your goals as you'd like?

 

[derrickgyn]

Just realized you don't do deadlifts often. Is it a matter of inconvenience or do you just feel the movement doesn't contribute as much toward your goals as you'd like?

If my deadlift form was as good as my squatting form I would definitely do them

I have a history of lumbar spine issues, so I tend to take a very conservative approach toward train that involves lower back stabilization. It's funny because I can squat quite a lot with good form, but when it comes to the deadlift I can't maintain a neutral lumbar no matter how I try. I probably have a very, very tight group of lumbar extensors because the last time I deadlifted (Apr 13) I actually pulled my lower back twice in 3 weeks. Thankfully it was a muscle strain, not a spine injury. The issue of having a back round during tough sets (and training should pretty much always be inherently difficult), which it almost certainly will, shifts the risk:reward significantly.

That being said, I might start deadlifting again. Setting my sights on SPO 15. From 2013 to now I have massively improved my squatting form (along with the weights moved) so I'm hoping that there's some transfer to the deadlift.

In terms of hypertrophy, I did not notice much growth from deadlifting (I only dropped deadlifts in 2013; started in 2010), though the soreness is really quite refreshing and pretty shiok. For back development I lean towards a very high workload, something I can't do if I'm completely wrecked by 8x3 deadlifts.

 

[derrickgyn]

13/02/14
Incline bench press
80kg*6 85kg*6 90kg*6 95kg*6 100kg*5
Overhead press
60kg*6 62.5kg*6 65kg*8 67.5kg*5
Wide grip upright row
20kg*15/15/15/15+12.5kg*20 laterals+band lateral*20
Chest supported rear delt flye
12.5kg*20/18/18/15+band pullapart*23
Ez bar cable extension
18.75kg*20 21.25kg*20 23.75kg*20 26.25kg*13+10a
1 arm db laterals (alt, no rest)
10kg*20/20/20

Huge PR on the pressing. Finally a breakthrough. OHPs were a PR too for 67.5*8. 2pps for 5 yeaaaaa babehhh

 

[Manganese]

Sounds like I have the precise same issue with squats that you have with deadlifts. Would be curious to see how much you could pull.

When you say you started in 2010, do you mean just deadlifts? Or did you mean you started lifting altogether then?

 

[Beastosterone]

Insane ohp. Is it the high rep n volume or the low rep training contribute more to ur current ohp stat?

 

[derrickgyn]

Sounds like I have the precise same issue with squats that you have with deadlifts. Would be curious to see how much you could pull.

When you say you started in 2010, do you mean just deadlifts? Or did you mean you started lifting altogether then?

Both. I've always done deadlifts because every beginner's program had them, and virtually everyone recommended them as a "mass building" exercise. I pulled 170 in Apr 13 at a bw of 73, squatting 130*1. My deadlift is way stronger than my squat, it has always been that way. I'm quite confident of a 200, but i'll take it slow and work on my form.

You get buttwink issues on the squat? Generally, experimenting with high bar/ low bar, wide stance/medium stance/close stance, sitting back/sitting down, oly shoes/chucks, you should end up with a particular combination that feels natural, that allows you to hit good depth as well.

 

[derrickgyn]

Insane ohp. Is it the high rep n volume or the low rep training contribute more to ur current ohp stat?

Actually i'm very conservative in terms of pressing exercises. Only 4 work sets/exercise, with 2 compounds. So that's 8 sets/workout, 16 sets a week. A full spectrum of pressing, i.e. Flat, low incline, incline, overhead, with barbells and dumbbells, is needed to ensure even development. I would only do decline for triceps; but i don't because i think the short ROM makes it a lame exercise. Might as well do dips.

Focus on lower reps for incline and flat, i.e. 4-6 reps. For ohp my sweet spot is 6-8 reps. Overhead presses are difficult to load in the lower rep ranges because it places a lot of strain on the trunk stabilizers which tend to be able to endure more reps than more weight.

 

[derrickgyn]

14/02/14
Weighted neutral grip chinup
10kg*8 15kg*8 20kg*6+4 BW 20kg*6+Negative
Suitcase row+tbar row
15kg*12+10/12+10/12+10/12+10
Wide grip pulldown
79kg*3+70kg*5 (+block) 61kg+block*9/10
Close neutral grip pulldown
52kg*8/8/10
Seated alt db curl
12.5kg*10/10/10
Incline cable curl
8.75kg*11/11/11
Incline bench db curl
9kg*12/12/9

 

[liftstrong]

How do you progress on the weights for compound lifts since youre on such high frequency? Go by feel? Or you set planned reps and intensity before every workout

 

[derrickgyn]

How do you progress on the weights for compound lifts since youre on such high frequency? Go by feel? Or you set planned reps and intensity before every workout

Add weight every session unless i miss reps. So if todays workout wasn't very good, i will use the same weight and reattempt at the next session. If the next session still shows no progress or is regressing, i will either change exercises or deload, depending on how i'm feeling.

 

[derrickgyn]

15/02/14
Back squat
140kg*6/6/6/6/6

2nd and 3rd set were pretty good. 5th set was grindddddd. Only squatting. PM session deads coming up.

 

[derrickgyn]

15/02/14 PM
Deadlift
140kg*3 160kg*2 180kg*1 200kg*1 (PR)

Deadlifted just too see how much it improved. Added 30kg to my DL without ever deadlifting, probably more as i still had gas in the tank (210 probably would be my max). Weight went up..technique..as shitty as ever. LOL

 

[Beastosterone]

U cant train ur grip strength with squat. R u using strap?

 

[CallmeZen]

Saw your insta w Jokerk and Co, maybe frostbyte also, strong deadlift. When you say your technique is shitty, which part? Apart from the slight rounding, couldn't see any obvious one.

 

[derrickgyn]

U cant train ur grip strength with squat. R u using strap?

Mixed grip. My upper body got stronger too.

 

[derrickgyn]

Saw your insta w Jokerk and Co, maybe frostbyte also, strong deadlift. When you say your technique is shitty, which part? Apart from the slight rounding, couldn't see any obvious one.

Hah it took me awhile to realize who you were! My set up is terrible if you looked at it from the side view. I pull with my hips pretty high and even at the starting position there is noticeable rounding. It's odd because i feel pretty "tight" though.

 

[derrickgyn]

 

[Manganese]

Your form looks great from the front man. Nice swearing at the weight at the end too, glad I'm not the only one who does that

 

[CallmeZen]

Hah it took me awhile to realize who you were! My set up is terrible if you looked at it from the side view. I pull with my hips pretty high and even at the starting position there is noticeable rounding. It's odd because i feel pretty "tight" though.

Hahaha. Anyway some questions for you, hope you don't mind. Is the rounding due to a inflexibility ot just poor technique that could be fixed. I tend to pull with a lower hip position, and can notice some rounding on the upper back, so was wondering what's the issue.

 

[derrickgyn]

Hahaha. Anyway some questions for you, hope you don't mind. Is the rounding due to a inflexibility ot just poor technique that could be fixed. I tend to pull with a lower hip position, and can notice some rounding on the upper back, so was wondering what's the issue.

Actually, pulling with the lower back straight and upper back rounded is ok, though it is intended for more advanced lifters who want to shorten the ROM.

For myself, I actually think it is an issue of limb length. I can imagine that for me to pull with a lower hip position I would need to be further away from the bar, but if that was the case I would be pulling towards me than straight off the ground. I would probably experiment more in the next few weeks just to see if I have to make do pulling with some rounding, or whether I can fix it.