Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

I love Fridays at the gym. Nobody there except a handful of regulars.

Things went pretty much like clockwork.

warm up: 2 min w/ the weighted hoop

squat: bar x 5 135x5 3@185x5

leg press(high and wide): 400x12 600x10 600x10

standing leg curl: 60x12 60x12 50x12

DB shoulder press: 15x12 20x12 20x10

DB lateral raise: 15x12 15x12 10x12

DB rear delt raise: 3@20x12

20 min hill interval on the elliptical then some stretching

I probably should have done some RDL's but I didn't think about it until later.

The journey of a 1000 lbs begins with a single rep.

deadlift: 135x5 5@ 185x5
asst. pullups: 3@ -70x5
cable row: 80x6 100x6 120x6 120x5
rev grip cable pulldown: 80x8 70x8 70x8
DB curl: 20x10 25x10 25x5 25x10
DB shrugs: 3@ 35x10

30 min on the elliptical and then a few min to stretch.

I had a crazy forearms 'pump' after doing the deadlifts and it didn't go away until about 10 min into the cardio. I like how it feels but it was hard to hang on to the dumbbells by the time I got to the shrugs.
As a side note...I really need to get back to writing down what I eat.

First of all, thanks much,Yukon,for you comment.

"Is it fair to say you are looking to lean up first, while preparing a solid base of strength, before progressing to a meet preperation cycle?"

Yes, you hit the nail on the head,that's exactly what I want to do.

I spend some time at a popular bodybuilding site and much of the advice I get about that is to stick with higher reps until I get my body fat % where I want it. That could take a while. ...but there also seems to be some disagreement about what would be the best way to go about it.
I know there are plenty of people in the same boat who want to train for a meet but need to lose some fat as well. Also I believe that diet is a more important part of that, which ever way training goes.
...and just for the record, I have read the ZigZag Diet article and threads that I could find related to it.

The workout went great today. I got 2 sets of 3 at my previous bench max, so I’m really happy about that after it being stuck for like 2 months.

warm up: medicine ball figure 8's (6,10 lbs)

bench: 135×6 135×6 155×3 155×3 (last 2 sets were heavy for me and moved slow but I'm happy with it)

seated calf raise: 70×10 95×10 95×10

fly machine: 3@ 120×10

DB incline press: 30×10 35×9 35×8

DB ‘darts’: 25×10 25×7 25×4

triceps pushdown w/ rope:90×10 110×8 110×7

cable curls: 3@ 70×10

RDL’s: 95×10 115×10 115×10

DB lunges 12 10 10

decline crunch: 10 5 5

20 min step mill/hill intervals

I proceeded cautiously because that what ever it is still hurts but it’s a lot better than it was. I got a couple good pops near the SC joint while trying to stretch it today. It’s trying to loosen up.

squats: 45×8 95×8 135×6 185×6 (I wanted to do more but it didn’t feel good to have my arms back holding the bar)
lunges: 3 sets of around 15?

lying leg curls: 80×10 90×10 90×8

leg extension: 3@ 150×10

DB lateral raises: 3@ 15×10

DB front raises: 3@ 15×10

DB rear delt raises: 3@ 15×10

DB bicep curls: 3@ 20×10

triceps cable pulldown w/ rope: 3@ 110×10

20 min on the elliptical

3 sets of sit ups 20 15 12 ?
2 sets oblique twist? 20 15

I really should work on my core more.

Yesterday I did mostly ab stuff(trainer guided and brutal) on the decline bench w/ one of the medicine balls…I didn’t pay attention to which one. Probably the 10 lb one. Finished up with 3 sets of RDL’s 135×10 and 10 min on the bike thing(not the evil spin bike) and 10 min on the elliptical.
Today was mostly back and biceps. I’ve been bad about not writing things down this week. Not like me at all.

deadlifts: 135×5 205×4 205×3 225×3 225×3 225×3 (except for the new blisters,those all felt good. Got to get some chalk)

cable rows: 80×12 90×12 90×8

I did several sets of bicep curls I can’t remember what exactly though

back extensions w/25 : 20 20 15

and a pathetic 10 min of cardio on the step mill.

As a side note…the neck/chest/clavicular area(I think the lower part of the scalenes,behind the clavicle, lower part of sternocleidomastoid where it attaches to the clavicle and the upper part of the pec) thing is doing better. It’s still tight and it’s pretty uncomfortable to stretch but it doesn’t seem to be interfering with training much.
Looking forward to doing some squats on Friday.

I spent a lot of time standing around today. Feeling tired and lost. I got some stuff done though.

3 sets bench..not as heavy as I would have liked.

alt DB bicep curls: 3@ 25×10

bench 3 more sets

wander around a bit

4 sets of 5 on the flat bench machine

home

3:30 went to the chiropractor

last time I went things were feeling mostly okay and he only had to adjust my neck and my shoulder…

Today I needed a bit more (I felt like I needed it too) he adjusted my shoulder,my neck…both ways, pelvis both sides, L4 & L5 and about 4 places in my upper back. It’s no wonder I felt like crap.

I can identify, I lose count of which set i am on all the time, and have started using chip plates like an abacus to keep track.....any reps over 5 are really anyone's guess, cause I lose track there too.

warm up: 2 min weighted hoop, 5 min elliptical, and a few figure 8’s with the 10 lb medicine ball to warm up the shoulders a bit.

bench: 45×10 95×10 135×5 135×5 135×5

Those felt good. I was working w/o a spotter today but I remembered to raise the spotter bar things on the bench just in case.

squats: 45×10 135×5 205×5 205×5

That last set was really dang hard.

I really need to wait a lot longer between sets. At least long enough for one song on the radio to finish, geez. Maybe start carrying around an egg timer or something…lol. I’m so impatient.

bench overloads(110%): 3 @ 180( I had a spot on that last one)

triceps pushdowns w/ rope: 90×12 100×10 100×8

None of that looks like much but I’m feeling pretty fried.
I will likely add more assistance stuff next time.
I also realized 3/4 into my workout that I was way behind on water intake and I forgot to eat the protein 1/2 of my breakfast and that I forgot my meds again.
Looking forward to Wednesday.
Doing okay for the most part with the food thing.

Thanks!

I had a hard time getting motivated today. I’ve been fighting some soreness in my lower back despite lots of stretching, rolling, ice pack and valerian. It was still a little sore this morning but it felt good once I was into my sets.

Really tired today. I slept in until 9 but still didn’t want to get up but I didn’t have a choice.The kids were awake. The husband is supposed to be back home tonight after being gone all week. I’m gonna try to get as much sleep as possible this weekend.

1 whole can RedBull before leaving the house.

warm up: weighted hoop

squats: 45×10 135×5 135×5 205×5 205×5 205×5 (Good thing it was just 5 reps and not 8. I would have needed the trash can at 7.)

bench: 45×10 95×5 135×5 135×5 (easy)

squat overload 110%=270 : 225×1 275×1 275×1 275×1 (did not squat with this…only un rack, stand with it for a few seconds and re rack)

add/abd machine

adduction: 85×20 85×20 85×8

abduction: 85×20 85×20 85×10

standing calf raise: 50×15 50×12 50×12

elliptical: 18 min ( I was shooting for 30 min but I was soooo thirsty, signs up saying "don’t drink the water", vending machine out of order and too many drink commercials…I just couldn’t take it any more!)

warm up 5 min on the elliptical and some figure 8’s to warm up the shoulders

bench: 45×12 95×5 140×5 155×5 155×5 (that last rep was hard) 140×5

I had a nice long rest between sets. Probably around 5 min.

bench overload/static hold stuff : 185×1 195×1 195×1

rope tri pushdown: 90×12 90×12 90×9

Finally…on to squats.

squats: 2@ 195×5

OH tri ext w/ rope: 90×12 100×10 90×8

hip adductor machine: 85×20 85×20 85×5

hip abductor machine: 3@ 85×15

hip adductor machine again: 2@ 85×15

hip abductor machine again:2@ 85×15

No cardio yet

I’ve been having some issues with not looking forward to squats, which is really not like me at all. If I had to choose(God forbid) between squats and ____ or _____, I’d probably say "Ask me again when I’m done with my squats."

I’ve been thinking about it and I think its not really not looking forward to squats as much as that long wait between sets(2-5 min seems like an eternity.)…more of a slight social anxiety thing. I’ll get over it.

It was really busy in the gym today. I had to wait for everything. I really don’t think that the power rack is the place to do bent over rows(especially if you only have 5 and 2.5 lb weights on the bar), although it was good to see someone doing them. I do mine behind the decline bench. Hardly anyone uses it. (it’s wobbly) That’s where I do my deadlifts too.

Okay.

warm up: elliptical 5 min

still waiting
standing calf press: 50×15 50×12 50×10

hyper ext.: BW x12

still waiting………..

weighted hoop: 3 min

finally !(at least I’m good and warm now)
squats: 45×5 135×5 135×5 4@ 205×5

stretch,wander around and talk to people, waiting for the bench…
bench: 45×5 95×5 135×5 135×5

squat overload/static hold: Did not squat these just unrack and hold for a few seconds

(110%) 275×1 (120%) 295×1 295×1
wander around some more then on to some heavy singles.

squat some more (extra credit): 225×2 245×1 255×1(PR) 265×1(PR) 275×1(PR)

I though I was gonna get buried by that last one but I got it. It went up slow. Those are starting to get a little tough on the wrists.
Happy about the PR but dang, now I have to adjust my 85% again.

Not doing abs after all that.

hip add/abd machine:

hip add: 100×12 100×12 100×8

hip abd: 100×12 100×12 100×12

hip add(again) 100×10 100×5

I can hear it now."Why are you doing those?"

I think it’s a big part of my pelvis rotation problem.Yes, I still have some issues with it from time to time. It’s getting better.

No cardio yet.

Yesterday, I worked briefly with the trainer. She was in the mood to test my max on the big 3. Fortunately I was (mostly) able to replicate what I had done with my squat and deadlift. I got 175 on the bench,295 on my deadlift, only went for 265 instead of 275 with the squat. I actually had to make 2 attempts to get 265. The first one, when I went down I banged the bar on the safety bars that were apparently just slightly too high (and the extra weight pushing me down just a little more). I lost my concentration and had to sit it down. I got the next one though, after moving the bars down a little. I learned 2 things from that. 1. that I depend a lot (maybe too much) on what happens at the bottom of the lift to be able to get it back up. 2. that I can 'bail out' okay if I have to. Then after that I did 25 min on the treadmill/intervals and 15 min on the step mill/intervals.

Today...

warm up: elliptical 3 min, DB lat raise 8x12, DB rear delt raise 8x10, DB GP 8x10, Db front raise 8x10, fig 8's 5x5

bench: 45x5 95x5 135x15 5@ 150x5

squat rack was busy and I refuse to do them in the Smith machine so I went on to...

bench overload/static hold: (110%) 195x1 (117%) 205x1 205x1

Those went well.

Squats felt a tad sloppy(and hard) today. I did something a little different. I tend to rely too much on the mirror. Changed it to face the other direction. (I just figured out how to do this like yesterday...duh. I can be dense on occasion.)

squats: 45x5 135x5 225x5 225x5

Then it was time to destroy the triceps. It's been a while. I think I'm gonna start doing an extra set on my left side on some things. It's noticeably not as developed as the right side. Particularly the part that nearest the body. I think it's just from the habitual uneven use. Most likely how I push myself up from the floor. I've got issues with one of my legs being stronger because of that too.

I also did some lat pull downs and some much needed shoulder stuff and some DB bicep curls.

Workout goal:
squat 85%(234 lbs) 5/5
bench 80% (140) 2/5
squat overload/static hold 120%(330) 3/1

warm up: elliptical 4 min, 2 min weighted hoop

I did my bench stuff first 'cause someone was using the rack.

bench: 45x10 95x5 140x5 140x5 (easy)

squat: 45x10 135x5 205x5 (used a belt for working sets) 5@ 240x5

*after my third working set my form started to suffer a bit (and I felt it in my knees ) because I didn't wait long enough between sets. Fixed the form and my knees felt just fine.
* 5 sets of 5 at 85% is really damn hard.

squat overload/static hold : (110%=302) 195x1 (120%=330) 325x1 325x1

30 min elliptical

workout goal:
bench 85%(150) 6/5
squat 80%(220) 2/5
bench overload/static hold 120%(220)

warmup: 5 min elliptical

bench: 45x10 95x5 135x5 6@ 150x5 (last rep was really hard)
All of it felt a little sloppy. I don't know what my problem was today.

squat: 45x10 135x6 225x5 (just imagine I did one more set of those. nope, didn't happen.) I walked away from the rack to talk with my workout partners and someone took it away from me. I really didn't mind though. I didn't want to warm up again so I kinda blew off that last set of squats. Lower back still not fully recovered from last week.

bench O/SH: 205x1 220x1 220x1 (bodybuilder #2 spotted for me on that last one. Good thing too. I didn't wait long enough to do that last one and I had a little trouble putting it back)
Rested a little and workout partner #2 came back and I took a shot at a couple bench singles.
180x1(PR) 185x .5 (fail)

Sat around a bit and then did some other stuff.

DB press flat: 25x10 30x5 40x5 40x5
fly machine: 90x10 110x5 3@ 120x5
cable rope pulldown: 90x10 90x8 90x5
lying DB tri ext: 20x10 20x5 20x4 20x5 20x4
DB floor press: 20x10 20x10
No cardio.

as a side note:
The foam roller (1/2 pool toy)is breaking down pretty fast so I started working on one made from a piece of PVC pipe. I cut it this morning but I still need to cover it with something so it doesn’t slide. I’m thinking spray adhesive and a piece of an old yoga mat, just enough to cover it once. I’m not sure I want to mess with the spray adhesive though. Maybe I’ll just use some duct tape.

I attempted to do my squat workout yesterday evening. Why? Because I wasn't looking forward to doing it on Friday. Not one of my better ideas. Worst workout since I first started working out seriously in May '09. It wasn't a total waste of time but I didn't get anywhere near what I intended to accomplish.

workout goal:

squats 85%(235) 6/5

bench 80%(140)2/5

squat O/SH 120% (330) 3/1

Ha ha...not even close.

warm up: 5 min elliptical

squats: 45x? 7 or 10 I wasn't paying attention

135x5 185x5 205x4 235x3 235x4 235x3

Pathetic... I'll get it on Monday. I think I should lower the weight for the working sets to maybe 215 or 225. That's about where the forward lean problem starts to show up in about the 4th rep.

No bench...nothing else. I ran out of time because I only paid for 1 hr of day care.

Today I just took it sort of easy...

warm up: elliptical 5 min

lying leg curls: 80x5 90x5 90x5

RDL's: 135x10 135x8 135x6

lying leg curls(again): 70x10 70x8 70x6

leg press(high and wide): 400x8 400x10 3@ 600x10

add/abd machine

add:3@ 100x10

abd: 3@ 100x10

add(again): 100x10 100x5

DB lateral raise: 3@15x10

DB shoulder press: 20x10 3@ 15x10

single leg squats: BW x 8 , then left side only BWx8

DB rear delt raise: 3@ 12x10

20 min step mill w/intervals

Gonna get adjusted this afternoon.

I wasn't paying attention to what I was supposed to be doing. I was supposed to be doing bench 90% 2/3...but I was looking at last week's stuff and did bench 85% 6/5.

warm up: elliptical 3 min

bench: 45x10 95x5 135x5 155x5 155x4(almost got stuck) 155x6(more about this one later)

155x5 155x5 155x5

squat: 45x5 135x5 2@ 225x5(with belt)

bench O/SH : (110% ) 195x1 (117%) 205x1 205x1

Okay...bench,third working set...someone other than the regular workout partners offered to spot...and I didn't make myself clear about what I expected. He kept his hands on the bar the whole time. I prefer to have someone just stand and watch. I think he was helping or else I couldn't have done 6. Anyway, not really complaining...it was just different from what I'm used to.

3 min on the elliptical...
Someone was busy in the rack. They were actually training and not doing curls or some weird stuff.So I didn't mind. It was a girl training for a Special Olympics powerlifting meet. I introduced myself and wished her good luck or whatever.
I didn't like how her coach was coaching her. I think I would have done several things differently.

Anyway on to the workout...

DB bench press: 30x6 35x10 45x6 50x5 55x5

squats: 45x10 135x6 185x5 225x3 2@245x3 265x1 285xfail

squat O/SH: 110% 305x1
118% 325x1 325x1

and then I HAD to go back and try 285 again.

squat: 285x1 Finally, a new squat PR! It was a little ugly though.

I'm starting to feel pretty beat up. I think I need to take a break from heavy for the rest of the week.

Okay, so, I've decided to "abort mission" on my previous plan due to my inability to recover between workouts...I really wanted to finish it. I still have 6 weeks of it left. Ah, well, live and learn I guess.
I'm still having some hip flexor tendinitis-like pain.On both sides. Most of the time it's just a dull ache until I try to get to just above parallel(on the way down) in the squat. Then it gets pretty uncomfortable. But it doesn't hurt to push back up and ironically the pelvis rotation thing that I see the chiropractor for hasn't been bothering me...weird.
So, my plan is to go through an extended 'light phase' focusing on stretching and mobility... and form and technique. Unless someone tells me that what I'm doing is stupid or counter productive or both. Hopefully I've learned some things from the last six weeks.

I think as far as workouts go. I'm gonna do Monday/squat, Wednesday/bench, Friday/deadlift. I might try to do bench stuff twice a week. I don't know.

As for stretching the hip stuff I'm trying this...
Scroll down about 2/3 down the page of...
http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html

I've already been doing some work with the pvc roller but I had to add another layer of yoga mat. It was just a wee bit too firm for the hip flexors and lower back and ITB. Now the foam layer is about 5/8" thick.

On to today's workout...

Did the stretching stuff before I left the house. Maybe do it in the gym next time. I felt like I needed to stretch again after 20 min in the car.

warm up: 5 min elliptical , then hip flexor stretch

I probably shouldn't have done any squats today but I had to try it. I had a hard time getting to parallel but it didn't feel as bad as I thought it would. I was really trying to focus on keeping the form good.

squats: 2 sets of 45x12, 3 sets of 135x8

glute bridge: BWx8 hold for 20 sec
hip thrust: BWx8 w 2 sec hold, 2 sets 40x8 w/ 2 sec hold
RDL's: 3 sets 135x8
walking lunges:4 sets BWx8 ( I still hate lunges)
hyper ext.: 3 sets BW(arms crossed at chest)x15

It doesn't look like much but I was feeling pretty beat into the dirt afterward.
I'll be really disappointed if my glutes and hamstrings aren't sore.
Looking forward to Wednesday.

Other notes...

Last night I watched a video(youtube) of a woman do(all raw)
540 squat, 402 bench press, 556 deadlift
Insane...

Oh,btw...survived the visit from my SIL.

warm up: 5 min elliptical

WG lat pulldown: 80x10 90x10 90x10

cable row: 100x10 100x8 90x8

WG lat pulldown: 90x10 90x8

DB bicep curl: 20x8 20x8 20x6

BB curls w/ light bar: 3 sets 30x10
*no, I did NOT do them in the rack...

BO BB rows/light bar : 30x15 40x10 40x10
* those were all way too light

25 mins on the elliptical :/
the first 8 min was entertaining but I'm not gonna say why...

also, as an afterthought...I'm thinking the time on the elliptical was a bad idea.

15 min stretch/mobility stuff
5 min therapy time with the weighted hoop...kept it low on the hips so it could hit my TFL's

I wonder what happened to the workout partners. I didn't see them around on Monday either. Weird for them both to be gone. Especially since one of them works there. I usually do my own thing anyway but I kinda miss the company.

warm up(wait...wasn't it all just a warm up?):
5 min on the elliptical, hip flexor stretch stuff, SI joint thing...
glute bridges

RDL's: 135x10 155x10 155x9 (trouble with grip)
*those made me want to put more weight on the bar and just do deadlifts.

hyper ext.: BW x20 x15 x15

cable kickback: 3 sets 60x10

shoulder dislocates: 10?

DB shoulder press: 20x8 25x8 25x8

DB rear delt raise: 3 sets 20x8

DB lateral raise: 20x8 20x8 15x6

10 min on the elliptical...then I remembered that I wasn't gonna do that...

leg press: 3 sets of 400x10

DA-8

Other notes...
After getting adjusted on Friday things still didn't feel quite right but I figured i was just sore because my chiropractor had to push pretty hard to adjust that left hip. Sore and tight on both Saturday and Sunday...but I found (by accident) something that helped...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGbkpGiLS1c

Quote: RDL's: 135x10 155x10 155x9 (trouble with grip)
*those made me want to put more weight on the bar and just do deadlifts.

Use straps. It's not a grip exercise. You'll struggle to keep the form strict if you're working on keeping hold of the bar.

Keep your form REALLY strict.

You might enjoy these with lower reps - but don't put the weight on the bar too quickly.

Form is the key with these - put 'JV Askem Romanian Deadlifts' into google for an excellent breakdown of the movement.

Nick

warm up: elliptical 4 min, med ball fig. 8's for the shoulders

bench: 45x 12 95x5 135x5 3@155x5 165x4 95x15

DB press: 40x6 50x6

single rev. grip tri cable pulldown : 40x6 60x6 60x6

BO overhead tri ext w/ rope: 110x6 120x4 110x6

reverse crunch: 3@ BWx12

decline oblique twist: BW+DB10 x 7,8,8 (those were hard)

19 min on the dread mill w/ about 3 intervals but most was steady, light to moderate.

I was really happy about the 165x4. I've never done reps with it before...but I put it in the calculator thing and it estimated the max to be 180 which is my most recent max so that's really not a surprise I guess.
My arch still sucks but I'm getting better at keeping the elbows in.
Legs still sore from Monday.
-----------------------------------------------
I just looked up what % 165 of 180.....91.66%.
Hmm, I should probably not be working at 90% just yet.

Started the day feeling fatigued. No reason. Maybe missing my coffee. Maybe not enough carbs at breakfast.(srs)
Felt much better after I got into squats.
Everything felt really hard today even though the weights weren't heavy.
Trying to use the glutes more in squats. Apparently all this time I haven't been. :/

5 min on the treadmill

5/8 of D-A8

1 set of single leg squats: BWx8

squats w/ a 4 count pause at the bottom: 45x8 95x8

squats w/ a wider stance than I usually use...
3@135x5
set 4 rep 2 I nearly fell on my a** but I caught my balance again. How, I don't know.
Start over...
2 more sets of 135x8 and 1 of 95x8 (was going for 12 but didn't make it)

I did my best to keep the form good on all the squats.

DB shoulder press: 20x8 25x8 25x6

Got distracted...

Went home.