Weight Lifting techniques and tips

Still waiting on progress pics.....
How do you feel / is the weight loss going at this stage?
You should be nearly at the point where you want to be.

 

it's always you vs you.
Not versus some genetic freak.

You are very tall, so you are in a natural disposition to pick up heavy stuff. Simple leverage.

Would you say you have trouble locking out of pulling from the hole?
If it's locking out you could switch to partial deadlifts where you pull from about mid shin height to place more focus on your back versus hips.

If it's the initial pull, it's more hip work you should focus on.

 

I tend to think he might need more volume? 3 x 12 followed up with 3 sets reverse hypers. Do that once a week. The 2nd week, go up 5lbs for 11 reps. The 3rd week, use that same weight (+5), but do 12 reps. Repeat this pattern until you plateau, then go up weight to 10 reps. I really think deadlifts require significant volume to master the nuances of the form. I bet he could do 300+ for 6-8 reps in a years time.

 

Could very well be. The deadlift is a very technical lift.So practice will make perfect.
You also should ask yourself why you want to do deadlifts.
Do you want to strengthen your spinal muscles or perhaps because its an exercise you simply want to master.
Both are fine reasons, but they can help you push into a certain direction.
If the bottom top part is your weakest area, you could try for a number of weeks Rack Pulls aka partial deadlifts.
Or indeed simply decrease the weight and focus on form.

 

Indeed.

That's why we aim for PR's when weight training and not a WR.

 

For biceps you could consider drag curls as they are easier on your wrists.
I would realy reconsider dropping tose partial holds of the resting arm. Plenty of videos on why that is a not optimal way of training arms. Your get too much junk volume.
If you want to have a similar style pump, I would strongly consider Myo-reps for your biceps:
Curl 15-25 reps. Put the bar down and rest 5-10 seonds. You should be able to get 4-5 reps. Repeat another 4 times (5-10 seconds rest and 4-5 reps).
Similar pump buty you don't get any prefatigue so all reps are actual working sets and volume.

For triceps:
Triceps pushdowns with dual ropes are very nice; do these bent over behind your body.
Triceps extension ; do these with the rope in front of your buody.
Tricep seated extension
Diamond/ close grip pushups

Kickbacks realy have a much too short tension trajectory. You hardly flex and thus use them. You'll see les and less people do them for obvious reasons.
Pull overs are more upper back oriented but use a bit of tricep involvement as well.

 

There is some very neat research on Myo-reps. If you google it, you will find a link towards the Norwegian trainer that more or less created and molded it.
The 15-20 reps for just 1 set isn’t basically that much high volume work as it’s just pre fatigue work. The actual growth happens in the sets afterwards. With one doing very low sets but you completely do all reps close to failure.
Meaning the ‘ junk’ volume just happens on the first set and I would debate anymore that 15-20 reps for biceps/triceps isn’t really high volume.

TUT is an important growth factor indeed, just like you mentioned. However there is also TUT and junk volume combined. One could simply flex a 1 pound dumbell and hold it for an hour. Incredible TUT, but no growth stimulus as it’s all junk volume.
There are a ton of videos explaining why holding and flexing unilateral dumbells don’t do so much…..
But heck if you feel like it’s a great finisher and works for you, who am I to say “ don’t do them”!
All I’m saying research doesn’t favor it, but in the greater picture we’re probably talking about minor differences here.

Yes, I know kickbacks need to be squeezed. However the muscle load drops very, very fast once you move past a few inches of that squeeze/tension position.
Gravity takes over and decreases the load of these.
Again, if you feel these work for you and you don’t feel a strain, keep on doing them.
All I’m saying from a bio-mechanical standpoint there are beter alternatives.

When I’m chatting with current top trainers no one does them anymore……

 

The elite lifters at Westside Barbell do a lot of reverse hypers, especially after legs and most several times per week to offset the spinal strain from heavy deadlifting/squats.
Perhaps incorporating the (reverse) hypers is the missing link for your deadlifts.

 

That’s pretty d@mn strong on dips! Respect
Got to love that ‘ functional’ body weight strength.
It carries more over into the real world.

 

About to start peak week on Monday. Down 22lbs since January 6th. I’m absolutely miserable, irritable and have no energy. Tonight, I’m cheating slightly to get some additional calories and have some semblance of a life. Don’t care. I’m lean enough. If you have a family, they will unfortunately suffer with you. That’s just the way it is. It definitely takes a toll.

Increased water consumption to two gallons a day which will continue through the week. Will also start slowly cutting sodium and adding in carbs. Purchased some herbal diuretics and a glucose disposal agent for later in the week (all legal). What a journey. Going to finish strong though. FWIW, I will be turning 47 less than a month from the contest. As @Skidkid has indicated, it’s never too late to get into shape!

 

Keep going at it Scott, finishline is in sight.
You can perfectly fine use a Glucose disposal agent, I use a natural one each and every day before any meals with carbs.
I trust your coach has a plan on how to deal with the water loss/management.
It’s a bit tricky to time; especially for the first time.
A general protocol is to increase water and sodium up to 2 weeks before the show.
Lats 2 days you eliminate both completely and you’ll pee out whatever water you have left as your body is accustomed to the high water intake.
But again, I’m sure your coach has you set up.

Once the show is over, try (TRY) to not eat everything in sight for the upcoming days as you’ll gain fat at a alarming rate, but try (try!) to slowy increase calories.

 

Excellent strength and form on the barbell close grip curl. kudos

 

Today was the day. I started this journey about 1.5 years ago and it didn’t even cross my mind to compete until about 6 or so months ago. And even then I was doing it more as a personal challenge/bucket list thing just to see if I could do it. Going in to this competition, a “win” for me was simply showing up in contest shape and hopefully not finishing dead last. Well………1.5 years of consistent training and eating along with 13 weeks of contest prep/suffering……..I got second place in the Men’s Physique 40+ category (one away from a pro card!!!) and third place in the Men’s Physique Debut category where I had to compete against some much younger people! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have done this well! The pics below were taken during the Debut class. I’m the tall guy in the red shorts. I’m either the oldest or second oldest guy in those pics, just a few weeks shy of turning 47 (guy in gray shorts to my left is someone I also beat in 40+, not sure how old he is).
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Congrats Scott!

Well done sir.

But I can't be the only one thinking this, but who is the guy with the red hair? Went a bit too far on his cut ...
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Lol. Guess he was just having a good time!