9 month Summary- Questions for Robert

Here are my results from the past 9 months (compete in the 105 kg- 231 lb class)

Previous
Squat 530
Bench 375
Deadlift 585

After 8.5 months of Sheiko Templates
Squat (hit 535 in skills evaluation)- at Raw nationals last week went conservative and did 479/507/518 (all white lights)
Bench went 3 for 3 at meet and hit 397 (all time PR!)
Deadlift- hit 605 in skills evaluation this summer (missed 601 at raw nationals)- went 555/579/fail 601 at nationals


Here is what my training looked like since January

January-February - New Sheiko 4 day CMS program
March-April- Robert Frederick- New Sheiko 4 day CMS program-hypertrophy emphasis
May- New Sheiko 4 day CMS Comp Cycle
June-early July- Fedorenko prep cycle (5 weeks)
Mid July-late August- CMS Prep Phase 2 (older version) (6 weeks)
September- mid October- Sergey Mor comp cycle (5 weeks)

Going forward I could use some advice from Robert Frederick. I am thrilled with how the bench improved but not so much the squat. The deadlift tends to be less predictable for me no matter what program I do and I know my form definitely got better doing the Sheiko programs and my max ultimately went up (even if I left some kilos on the platform at the meet)

As far as the squat goes I didn't feel too fresh when it came to the Mondays and Fridays when it came time to squat. Many times I felt sore or achy from the heavy deadlift off plates or previous deadlift session. I chose the CMS Prep Phase 2 over the summer because I noticed it high very high squat volume and lots of bottom up assistance squats.

I have to say I didn't feel that confident on the squat above 90% the last few months. On the bench Sheiko throws in pin press, board press, and chains which give you the 90% stimulus without having to always spend a lot of time in the actual competition bench above 90%. In addition, the high volume and pyramids cause all weights to feel light on the bench for me. On the deadlift the deadlifts off plates, deadlifts with chains, deficit deadlifts, give the 90% stimulus as well. However with the squat I feel like I did so much work in the 80-85% range but felt less confident when I had to go above 90% on skills evaluation day.

Robert what do you recommend I do next? My weaknesses are off the floor on the deadlift and right after I come out of the bottom portion of the squat (slightly above parallel) Is there a way to tweak one of the CMS templates to include more sets above 90% on the squat? I can send you videos of my lifts if that helps. I really want to improve my squat and deadlift to try to place top 10 at the next raw nationals.

When you deadlift do you let the bar down quickly or with a soft touch? When I switched from a hard landing to a super soft landing I noticed my strength in that region improved even on the way up.

For squats and 90% stuff, do you ever use bands or chains? Sheiko doesn't add them in but has said before that it's due to equipment limitations on his end, not that there is anything wrong with the exercises. Something else you could try is over-warm sets. For example you could start your warm up and go all the way to a single at 90%. Then back down and do your normal work sets. You can sprinkle those in on the days you feel like it without interrupting the overall programming in any serious way.

I push heavier triples and doubles every so often during my training depending on how I'm feeling during that session. Just think of it in terms of the RPE system. Did 2x85% feel easy? Add 5kg. Did that feel easy? Add 5kg. +10kg felt less easy but repeatable? Perform the rest of the sets with +10kg. Or if it felt harder than you were comfortable with then drop the weight back to the prescribed weight.

You don't need to do this every session for every lift and probably shouldn't, but this way you become a lot more comfortable under those heavier squats by the time you get to skills tests and comps.

When you deadlift do you let the bar down quickly or with a soft touch? When I switched from a hard landing to a super soft landing I noticed my strength in that region improved even on the way up.

Have a baby. You get really good at soft eccentrics after that... or your wife tears your head off.

Quote from: Robert Frederick on October 30, 2015, 05:02:03 PM

When you deadlift do you let the bar down quickly or with a soft touch? When I switched from a hard landing to a super soft landing I noticed my strength in that region improved even on the way up.

Have a baby. You get really good at soft eccentrics after that... or your wife tears your head off.

Hahaha yeah I bet.  8)

I push heavier triples and doubles every so often during my training depending on how I'm feeling during that session. Just think of it in terms of the RPE system. Did 2x85% feel easy? Add 5kg. Did that feel easy? Add 5kg. +10kg felt less easy but repeatable? Perform the rest of the sets with +10kg. Or if it felt harder than you were comfortable with then drop the weight back to the prescribed weight.

You don't need to do this every session for every lift and probably shouldn't, but this way you become a lot more comfortable under those heavier squats by the time you get to skills tests and comps.

Awesome to hear someone else is doing this! This is actually what I do too, since some days the RPE feels very low. Particularly on Block Pulls. Although lately its been higher (volume is building up), so I'm just sticking to the program.

I find this is easier to do with overloading type movements like Board Press or Block Deadlift.

Thanks so much for the input! Robert, I do tend to normally go down fast on my descent on deadlifts. I've done some slower descent work when doing touch and go reps but will start to focus on going down slow on all my sets going forward.

As far as using the chains on squats,how would you recommend doing it? I have access to chains but I'm wondering as far as the sets/reps go how to utilize them. 5x3x80 is a popular scheme on Sheiko's programs. Would you recommend putting on 80% plus the chains (mine weigh 20 lbs each) for the 5x3? That will make it around 5 x 3 x 90 at the top, so maybe lighten the load to around 75% and then add the chains?

I will start doing those over-warm sets as well!

I push heavier triples and doubles every so often during my training depending on how I'm feeling during that session. Just think of it in terms of the RPE system. Did 2x85% feel easy? Add 5kg. Did that feel easy? Add 5kg. +10kg felt less easy but repeatable? Perform the rest of the sets with +10kg. Or if it felt harder than you were comfortable with then drop the weight back to the prescribed weight.

You don't need to do this every session for every lift and probably shouldn't, but this way you become a lot more comfortable under those heavier squats by the time you get to skills tests and comps.

Thanks Bench. I've done this here and there- more so on bench, but have tried to be conservative with it on squats and dead since they take me longer to recover. Will start to implement this on days when I feel good during the program.

If you haven't used chains for these exercises before I'd start at 75%, at least initially. I set my chains up so that the full weight is applied at the top and all the weight is off at the bottom of the range of motion. So if you use 75% on the squat it is exactly that at the bottom. Doing it this way I find that if I go up to 85% and try that with and without chains, it actually feels easier with chains. I attribute this to the priming effect of the way the bar feels at the top and during the initial descent. I am psychologically prepared for ~95% but it's actually not that much and "feels" easier. It's a cool little mind trick.

If you haven't used chains for these exercises before I'd start at 75%, at least initially. I set my chains up so that the full weight is applied at the top and all the weight is off at the bottom of the range of motion. So if you use 75% on the squat it is exactly that at the bottom. Doing it this way I find that if I go up to 85% and try that with and without chains, it actually feels easier with chains. I attribute this to the priming effect of the way the bar feels at the top and during the initial descent. I am psychologically prepared for ~95% but it's actually not that much and "feels" easier. It's a cool little mind trick.

Thanks for the insight! I have squatted with chains before but it's been a while since Sheiko didn't have them listed. Did chains last week at 5x4x75 instead of 5x4x80. This week I will try to increase the weight a little and shoot for 5x4x78-80. Yea going down feels like you can go a little faster with the chains on.

So the way you set up your chains is so that no links at all are touching the ground when you first unrack the weight? The way mine are set up there are probably 2 links touching. Just want to make sure i have your explanation right.

No, I actually leave a the chains touching as you do but I wanted to emphasize that they aren't touching in a significant way. I don't like it when the chains can sway back and forth at the top. But I don't want half the weight resting on the floor either.

No, I actually leave a the chains touching as you do but I wanted to emphasize that they aren't touching in a significant way. I don't like it when the chains can sway back and forth at the top. But I don't want half the weight resting on the floor either.

Ok cool thanks for sharing. Is 1 day with no chains and 1 day with chains practical for the programming? So for instance, squat without chains on the Monday and then squat with chains on Friday. Curious to hear your thoughts.

I like the way chains feel. I almost want to do them all the time. But then I get used to them and the lift without chains starts to feel foreign. So I do a bit less chain work and things balance out. Boris said before if one rep is done that is special in some way then two normal reps should be done to balance things out. That sounded pretty good to me so I use that as my guide now. Maybe you could do a double squat session on Monday with the chains used for the second session. That way you would have roughly 2:1 between Monday and Friday.

I like the way chains feel. I almost want to do them all the time. But then I get used to them and the lift without chains starts to feel foreign. So I do a bit less chain work and things balance out. Boris said before if one rep is done that is special in some way then two normal reps should be done to balance things out. That sounded pretty good to me so I use that as my guide now. Maybe you could do a double squat session on Monday with the chains used for the second session. That way you would have roughly 2:1 between Monday and Friday.

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing Sheiko's idea on that 2:1 ratio guideline. Seems logical. Work on the main lift that you compete in most of the time, but do exercises to help your weaknesses some of the time too. Will let you know how it goes with the chains.