Lexen Xtreme Training Tips

We’ll get back to updating the logs this weekend.  We had a number of guys compete in the Iron House this past weekend, results will be posted once available, and everyone else’s schedules were shuffled since our monolifts were used for the meet.

Next up we have a handful of lifters traveling to Chicago in June for the APF Senior Nationals, so they’ll be starting their heavy squat training, and likely some guys coming off the Iron House and doing the Lexen Summer Slam in July, so a few down weeks for them.

Squat

Groups were shuffled around this week as a few guys were deloading for the Iron House, and a few guys squatted on Friday this week.

Group 1: Vogelpohl, Strong, Roush
These guys went with the lightened method using monster mini-bands and added monster chains to the bar.  They took 5 work sets for doubles without a box, and Chuck added a box for a couple of heavy sets in the 900′s to finish.  With this setup, the bands tend to pull you forward, while the heavy chain weight swings hard if you aren’t under control, so it is important to remain tight and under control both at the top and bottom of the squat or you’ll get knocked off balance.

Group 2: Henry, Halter, Gretsky
Suspended chains for this group, with the chains set at parallel.  5 works sets of 2, I didn’t catch exactly what weights were used but I know they were supposed to stay somewhat moderate and not too heavy in order to work on form.

Group 3: Dague, Fleming, Tattoo Dave
These guys also used monster minis for the lightened method, but went with a box and straight weight for doubles.  Fleming finished with a strong double around 690, Dague somewhere in the same range

Group 4: Schwab, Gualtieri, Murph
These guys are a week out from the Iron House, so they put on their suits for a few very moderate singles.  Anthony and Murph worked up to 4 plates, Schwab finished with 6.  They all finished with some light accessory work, had some fun with knee wraps, and called it a day

Deadlift
Speed pulls against monster minis for most of the groups, stopping somewhere in the 3-4 plate range.  Chuck’s group went heavier to work on form, particularly lockout, with heavier weight and “strong” band tension at the top.  These guys are short though, so you can barely feel the bands at that height!

Reverse hypers, shrugs, back raises, and ab work for most everyone to finish up.

Bench

The floor press was the movement of the day, with Wenning and Panora going with chains, and Chewy’s group going with monster mini-bands looped around based of power rack.  Wenning worked up to 500 lbs bar weight with 200 lbs in chains, while Panora worked up to 425 bar weigh + 200 lbs in chains.  Chewy finished with 405 +  the bands.

Schwab and Dague did some moderate shirt work on the bench, as Schwab is a week out from the Iron House and needed to work out some kinks.  The kinks are not fully worked out, some meet day adjustments will be needed.

Triceps

For tricep work, the floor press groups did a few sets with their grips moved in and added some reps.  I believe Chewy’s group removed the bands too and did straight weight.

Most everyone finished up with various back and shoulder work, including pulldowns, face pulls, and db raises.

Group 1:
The guys competing in next week’s Ironhouse Classic worked up to a last warm-up set in the squats in their gear to work on form then shut it down. They finished with some light lower back assistance, abs and sled pulling. No deadlifting this week.

Group 2:
Us old guys did stability squats for doubles working up to 200 lbs + 330 lbs of hanging chains then a single with 240 lbs + the chains. The chains swing quite a bit so it’s tough tp keep from falling forward or backwards.

We then pulled conventional with the double choked minis for triples. Ltn Dan finished with 315 X 3 and I finished with 365 X 3

We then did some reverse hypers, sled pulling and ab work.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD6kXlI5fLI]

Today was chaotic with several different groups going. It was impossible for me to keep track of what everyone was doing and I’ll forget names and weights so my apologies to any members I forgot.

Group 1: Vogelpohl, Murphy, Roush.
This group did chain suspended squats with straight weight and hanging chains in full gear. Chuck did something ridiculous like 6 plates plus about 500 lbs in chains. Chuck and Roush then pulled sumo with the plates on top of 3 mats and a 3 inch platform with Chuck hitting over 800. Rouse I think made it to 650.

Group 2: Melissa Henry, Ltn Sansbury.
This group did reverse monster mini band squats. Henry worked up to 535 for a single in briefs and suit and Sansbury I think went over 700 in just briefs.

Group 3: Cody, Dave, Christian, Bobby, Carter, Pud.
This group did reverse mini band squats in full gear in preparation for the Iron House Classic in two weeks. This is their last heavy squat day. Cody and Christian worked up to 685. Not sure what Dave did. Carter went up to around 500. Pud did 545 raw. Not sure what Bobby did. This group then pulled with the plates on top of mats, with most in the group stopping at 495.

Group 4: Burke, McLovin, Bandy, Schwab, TPH, Reiser, New Guy.
Most of the lifters in this group also did their final reverse mini band workout in full gear in preparation for the Iron House. 64 year young Bandy made 575 and missed 615 at the top. Burke made 845. McLovin hit 755. Not sure what TPH, Reiser and New Guy did. Schwab made 815 straight weight but he looks very uncomfortable under the bar with some kind of shoulder issue. Burke then pulled off the mats and made a nice 675.

Group 5: Halter, Sengos.
We did straight bar low box squats + chains in briefs for doubles, working up to a moderate weight. Halter finished with 385 + 250 lbs chains and I finished with 335 + 250 lbs of chains for a few doubles. Halter then disappeared when the bar went on the floor and I did deficit sumo deadlifts for sets of 5, ending with a moderate 405 X 5. I think I accidentally stole Carter’s deadlift bar. I hope that dude isn’t mad because frankly he scares the shit out of me.

All groups ended with lower back assistance work, abs and some sled pulling.

Look at this, an actual log of our bench training.  The Thursday crew was a little larger than it has been, so we have some actual work to log for a change.

Bench

Group 1: Wenning, Panora, Meyers, Hauss
Lightened method with hanging blues today.  Wenning went so raw that he didn’t even bother with a t-shirt, hitting a big 725 PR, a 10 lb jump over his previous PR prior to the August Pro-Am.  Greg worked up to 800 lbs for 2 singles, breaking in a new shirt, I don’t recall if there were boards involved with both sets or not.  This far out from a meet, Matt likes to work on raw strength as he has his shirt pretty dialed-in, at least until he makes the jump to his poly shirt.

Group 2: Dague, Chewy, Jerry O, Strong, Christian
These guys found anything you could attach to a bar and benched with it, using an incline bench.  They had some plate weight, a monster chain per side, and a 25 lb plate suspended by monster mini per side.  With this higher ROM, this really worked the stabilizers, because the suspended plate and the monster chain really caused the bar to swing.

Group 3: Johnston, Schwab
These 2 did some shirt work to get ready for the Iron House.  Mike is still recovering from shoulder surgery, so isn’t able to grind much through his sticking point.  Schwab is struggling with bar path and coming back too far over face when pressing to lockout.  Couple more sessions for these 2 to get it figured out.

Assistance work
This varied by group.  For triceps, we had a group doing kettlebell skull crushers using bands as handles.  A group was doing skull crushers using the bamboo bar, and yet another group did close grip presses using a 4-board for reps of 10.  From there, it was standing face pulls, and some dumbbell rotator work.