CHAT TRANSCRIPT 08.16.2005
Bobcat
Hey, Marty. I'm entered in the SLP BP & DL contests Sat. Aug. 27. I'm also entered in the AAU Push-Pull Oct. 15. (I sent in my checks, so like the pig at a barbecue, I'm committed.) But as you may remember, I love squats. I could enter Oct. 8, raw squat only in Springfield, OH, 3 hrs. away, courtesy of NASA. Just had the idea; haven't thought it through yet. Is the idea:
1. Interesting to consider as a live option?
2. Likely to be too much?
3. Total lunacy; evidence of too much hot sauce-induced brain damage?
4. Something else not covered above?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:57:34:
Total hot-sauce-induced-lunacy SO LET'S DO IT ALL! The hell with 'caution' and 'being sensible' and 'acting your age' - the hell with all that - let's get fired up for the FALL CAMPAIGN!
fireman1
Marty:
second question.
power cleans - what muscle groups do they primarily train? (seems like it's almost everything)
I've never done them before and thought I'd add them into my work-out in a few weeks. Where do they fit in a three day split: back/biceps, bench/triceps, legs/shoulders?
also, any suggested sets/reps/weight to start?
thanks
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:50:24:
try this - on back day begin with light power cleans...add weight on each set - when PC technique begins to break down, begin doing high pulls (PC without wrist snap-over) when high pull technique begins breaking down, commence deadlifts....killer! 5-reps for all three
fireman1
On Friday this week I will complete a cycle that began with the final work set as 60% of 1RM with 8-12 sets. Each week I added 5% until I'm finally doing 85% of 1RM for 4-6 reps.
Saturday I'm leaving for a week of vacation where I'll rest, recreate, heal and grow. When I return I plan to attempt several PR's. Here's what I'm going after:
Deadlift: 345lbs. (up from 330)
Bench Pres: 190 (up from 180)
Military Press: 142 (up from 135)
Squat: can't squat yet due to injury.
I was hoping you could give me some suggestions as to what weight and reps to use to get to each of these PRs. I will be attempting each of these PRs on different days.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:52:37:
1. dead - 135x10, 185x5, 225x3, 265x1, 295x1, 315x1 345x1
2. bench - 45x20, 95x5, 135x3, 165x1, 190x1
3. press - 45x20, 65x3, 95x1, 125x1, 145x1
El Dangeroso
Not Yet, maybe this week. I avoid the Strip as much as possible. I'm a real local now, the luster of the strip has completely worn off.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:44:28:
That irish bar in NY/NY would be a great place to take the boss...seriously good irish food....
fireman1
Marty:
posted two questions for you before the chat began - did you get them?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:38:18:
uh - how would I know? don't mean to be obtuse but I don't look at these things until I fire it up at 11:55
El Dangeroso
The Carnegie has the Same prices as New York, $12 for the reg. pastrami, $17 for the Double Meat
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:34:36:
have you had it?
ms_irreverent
OK, I will do that and let you know how it's progressing (or not).
Next question. I think my shoulder shrug capability is about to outstrip my hands' ability to hold the dumbbells, if that makes any sense. How do I strengthen my hands? (They've always been fairly weak.)
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:34:36:
actually you are doing one of the great grip strengthening exercises ever devised - the dumbbell shrug - by struggling to hang onto those bells as they uncurl your fingers you are building your grip in a way that would be hard to top...my suggestion? keep shrugging and struggling to hand onto them until they literally fall out of your hands...just let them fall onto the floor...
JimmyV
Ah, Bloom is probably right. You like the end on C&P? I'd heard rumor that the epilogue was a tack-on job, quickly fabricated to generate some extra loot to settle a gambling debt. Fun story, even if it's hogwash.
The firing line story is great. He recycles it in a few different places (The Idiot?).
I got turned onto the Russians by Vassily Aksyonov -- a great novelist in his own right. He'd give these great, passionate lectures, call a break, go outside, chainsmoke, and look like a total hardass.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:27:52:
The police commisoner in C&P was one of the great characters in all of lit...the second ending story is true...he literally had to move from house to house every few weels to avoid debtor prison and everytime he got paid he'd blow it at that russian card game - the name escapes me...
Jeff S
To my knowledge, they won't be working out as a team, in-season.
Positions are wide receiver and defensive end, although I think a move to tight end is possible.
Games will be either Mondays or Tuesdays so I was thinking maybe a Wednesday/Saturday workout schedule, unless he is too beat up.
I was thinking squats, deads, power clean, bench or press, abs, row or pulldown. But 2x per week or one day upper and one day lower oriented?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:35:00:
I would go for saturday morning - I think that rather than all this ambitious stuff - heavy squats, power cleans, deadlifts might be a little tough on a kid that's likely beat up - how about benches, pulldowns, leg extensions, leg curls, curls, pushdowns and calf raises - all we want to do is 'maintain' - let's not try to 'get stronger' in season - rather hang onto what he's built...
ms_irreverent
Susan here, with a follow-up. I did single-arm shoulder presses this morning. It was interesting. At 10 pounds, I could do 5x5 on each side, but the final set was hard. The right arm, which is the one that is the problem, I was able to keep in line only by actually turning my head to watch it. The left side stays where it should, but surprisingly, that final set was no easier. Thoughts?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:19:05:
Hey Lady - well - it sounds like the shoulder ain't hurting and final sets are supposed to be harder then the previous ones - n'est pas? so it sounds like this prescription is working - am I correct? if I am correct let's hold the course for the next few weeks - try and push the reps up and let's see which arm forges ahead...
Jeff S
Hi, Marty. My son is in freshman football, 5'11 and 155 pounds. I don't think his team is going to do any in-season lifting. I'd like to see him do a limited in-season program.
I'm thinking maybe two days per week, 20 or so sets, mainly compound movements. Goal being 50% hypertrophy and 50% strength improvement.
Trying to decide between two full body workouts and one day upper body focus and one day lower body.
What are your thoughts? Any suggested program?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:05:42:
1. aren't they going to do this as a team?
2. it depends his position
3. if he is really beat up let it slide and you push him over the catabolic edge
pro and college teams w.o. in season but they have distinct workouts depending on position - they also feed them lots and tailor the day's practice to incorp the whole deal....sorry to be vague but so much depends on his situation and position
Tom
Following from your blog on you and Ed Coan: how big does a 5'10" guy have to get before he can be a truly great powerlifter? Or, put another way, what weight class do 5'10" guys typically end up in? 242? 275? 308?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 11:58:46:
Honestly - in this day and age most of the superheavys are 5-10 - kirk is the prototypical 275er and he's maybe 5-7...BTW - all the top bodybuilders are 5-8 to 5-10, coleman, dorian, cutler...very few strength or BB are over 6-foot because of the sheer bodyweight they have to carry - the strongman guys are much taller for two reasons - the cardio element promoters have injected into the events (TV wants events that last appoximately 30-60 seconds) and the placing of weights on high surfaces - like placing 300-pound round balls on 5-foot platforms....lifting in the drug-free feds make the plight of the tall guy slightly less daunting...not much - there really is no substitute for bodyweight per inch of height...
JimmyV
Just wanted to clarify something from last week -- you recommended 1x15, following on the heels of the 3x3s. Should 1x10 be the prescription for deads?
Great blurb today. Hope part II has some Russians on it (sports related or not). I'm re-reading Brothers Karamazov right now, and I really think he bests Tolstoy as a novelist.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:09:17:
Honestly when I go above 10's I jettison deadlifts and go to prone-hypers, strict rows, high rep chins and pulldowns...that way when I swing back into deads they are fresh and exciting....
Harold Bloom once said about D - great beginnings, incredible middle sections, disappointing endings...I far prefer Crime & Punishment - get away from thinking better or worse - different - D is the prince of darkness - read his short story, 'the gambler' (go grandma! go! double down!)
D was once hauled off to jail for treason. sentenced to death with nine others for attending a dissident 'reading' - the nine were taken out for execution by firing squad - they were grouped into threes and the 1st three were lined up...ready, aim, fire! - blanks - the czar had commuted their sentences but the czar wanted to teach them a 'lesson' - of the 1st three, one went mad on the spot and stayed that way the rest of his life, the second guy's hair turned white and the 3rd guy pissed himself - D was in the second group - got 5-years in siberia - he was an epilectic, an uncontrollable gambler, had bad choices in women and was born under a bad sign...
El Dangeroso
I can't believe you left out the wrestling chapter in your descripition of the SuperAthletes book. That is one of the seminal documents of the sport. As for your earlier question, the Mirage casino has no less than a Carnegie Deli inside it's vast expanses.
You should fly out this weekend, we'll get a double pastrami on rye and go see Leslie West's Mountain on Saturday.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:22:18:
How come its the year 2005 and we don't have that star trek transporter - 'beam me to vegas scotty' - we're more like the Jeffersons than the Jettsons...
pass my regards onto leslie and give me a full report - I also want an exploratory mission to the 'faux deli' - I imagine on the strip that'll be a $15 sandwich - did anyone see chef tony bourdian last night in Viet Nam? Knocking the shots of moonshine back with the weird commie commisar? the staff dance was something I might start using up here at the mountain compound...maybe we'll use iron bars instead of wooden sticks...
Keith
Marty,
I recently strained/dinged my knee and the recovery is coming along fine. However, I am going to back-off doing pretty much anything heavy or high impact on my feet, ie, squats, cleans, etc. until I get this knee healed and strong again. In the interim, I thought it would be a good idea to use this "downtime" to work on some weak areas and I thought I would focus on chin-ups or pull-ups during this time since I have not done them in many, many years and I pretty much stink at them when I have tried doing them.
Any quick thoughts or tips to work this movement. style of grip? sets, reps,)
I know Pavel T. has some stuff on this as well and I plan on checking that out.
Thanks
Keith
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:39:29:
how about under-grip chins to the front with a narrow grip? This is the power pull position for me - also - braced rows with various grips are great - don't forget underhand (Yates' favorite) - are you using straps? I love to use straps on chins, pulldowns, rows, etc, so I can rep out and then let the weight stretch the hell out of me as I hang there or sit there, getting this incredible lat stretch for 10-15 seconds - then I squeeze out another rep or two or three or four...killer!
fireman1
Marty:
I've never done power-cleans and I'm interested in adding them to my work-out. Can you tell me the primary muscles power-cleans train? (seems like they hit almost everything). And where would they fit in a split where I train day 1 back/biceps, day 3 chest/triceps, day 5 shoulders and legs.
thanks
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 12:45:37:
HEY! Here it is!
Power cleans are the best! tricky technical and potentially dangerous so make haste slowly - we do them 'dead hand clean style' - ie, after the 1st rep do not set the bar back down on the platform rather lower to right above the knees then snap erect - muscles hit: erectors, lower lats, traps, rhomboids, teres, rear delts - 5-rep sets rule...the back is arched and tight and the bar travels STRAIGHT UP the torso - not swinging forward - pull it high as hell and leap down and slightly forward - these are not upright rows with a wrist snap over - rather a dynamic upward pull with little is any elbow bend...
fireman1
Marty:
Friday this week will be the end of a six week cycle for me. The cycle started by doing 8-12 reps at 60% of 1RM and each week I've added 5% until now I'm doing at least 4-6 reps at 85% of 1RM.
Saturday, I'm leaving for vacation for a week. During that time I'll rest, recreate, recover/heal and grow.
When I get back it's my intent to go after a couple of PR's and I was hoping you could give me a hand in setting up the weight and reps to build up to my 1RM PR's. Here's what I plan to hit:
Deadlift: 345lbs. (5% over previous pr of 330)
Bench press: 190lbs (5% over previous pr of 180)
Military Press: 142lbs. (5% over previous pr of 135)
No plans to hit all of these in one day. Just one PR per day. If you could help me out with the weight/reps/sets for each of these lifts I'd appreciate it.
thanks.
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 13:00:28:
got it!
Rockville
Marty, how did you realize that powerlifting and physical transformation was your calling?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 13:01:08:
Well its easy when your born in a small powerlifting village...
Flex you power
Hey Marty,
So I was lifting with a buddy of mine who is pretty serious about it and I noticed between sets he was flexing in the mirror, so I of course made a little fun of him. He said that flexin in between is actually better for your workout- the increased blood flow help flush toxing and bring in more fuel, and it's a little more work for the muscle. The end result, he said, is larger, more defined muscles.
I had always assumed you wanted to rest your muscle as much as possible between sets.
Do you have any insight as to whether there's any legitimacy to what he's saying?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 13:01:57:
what can I say? is he a narsistic loser who needs continual reinforcement of his blow-fish like ego? who's to say?
Washington
Hi Marty,
I'm coming off a pretty long lean-out, culminating in a 180 mile bike ride in early Sept. I'm switching to bulk up after that, but not until October b/c my schedule in Sept involves a lot of travel. Since I won't have much regular access to a gym during Sept, I'm wondering if you can help me with some exercises that don't require weights that I can do for those 3-4 weeks.
I got push-ups for chest, crunches for abs, chins/pull-ups for back, and jumpies and calf raises for legs, but I got nothing for arms and shoulders.
What say ye?
Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 11:51:08:
I be here now....
1. triceps? narrow grip pushups - real narrow - thumbs and forefingers touch...biceps? Chins - Delts: upside down presses with feet on the wall - maybe laterals with a pair of light chairs....
Marty Gallagher
Hello, and welcome to this week's chat! You may submit questions ahead of time, and I'll answer them when the chat starts at noon. Marty Gallagher replies on 08-16-2005 at 13:04:22:
LOOKS LIKE I GOT TO EVERYONE - SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!
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