Maybe the Flash could curve a bullet, lol. Or superman perhaps

The clusters should be the toughest week, probably. It's funny because the "peak" having singles is probably easier in my experience and that kind of demonstrates the difference between a "peak" and what many people view it as. Although the singles in themselves are of course a very productive tool.

LOL @ superman and flash!

Regarding clusters, they destroyed me thoroughly. Some of the stuff EC has laid out in the book you've made me do many times before so not all of it is new. The only "new" thing for me exercise-wise is front squat variations :)

I my isshinryu and ju jitsu sensei used to always say "Perfect practice makes perfect" ... thought that was fitting here.

i despise angelina. ick. i just can't dig a chick who looks like a fence post...and xylophone ribs.

and good on ya for the clusters..when i read through that...i was like.....well maybe in a couple years i can do maximum strength :)

Let me back track a bit here. I'm not saying that EVERY rep has to be a gut buster, but I do strongly believe that you have to expect them from time to time.

Let me frame this by saying I am a competing amateur strongman. Not the worlds strongest man, and fortunately not the weakest strongman :) In this frame of reference I deal with a couple different things.
1) lifts that require maximum effort, regardless of form, a good lift is a good lift. There are no red and white lights.
2) lifts that require maximum reps in a set time. Again, as someone may have already touched on here, more reps generally equals crap form. But here I am in a sport that basically requires good decision making about jsut how sloppy form can get before it is too much risk. Honestly, I have found personally that when I get to that "too much" point that the weight just isn't going anywhere. If I can pull 500 and the next jump is 550 (this is typical in deadlift type events) 550 just won't budge. It won't break the ground it won't anything. No real risk of injury there. Same thing with something like a log press. As I get tired, or as the weight gets to be too much, it simply won't leave my shoulders... or not enough to matter :)

That all being said, I test where I am about once a month in each crucial area. It is important to know where the edge is in order to walk it. While this might be an unnecessary risk for someone like a bodybuilder...and I use the term loosely, I have found that while I'm always nursing a little ache here and a little twinge there, that I'm generally pretty healthy. I did NOT experience this while powerlifting or bodybuilding. I could get into why I think that was, or is... but maybe later.

Again, I would never suggest ten or twenty rep sets with miserable form. However, if the last rep is a bit of a wobbler... so be it. I wouldn't go beating myself up over it.

I am also against inneficiency and weak points. However, I know first hand that when someone drops a big stone at your feet and tells you to pick it up, your body plays to its strengths and "form" is kind of intuitive at that point.

Oh, I've had several injuries that have taken a good year or so to bounce back from... but I do bounce back. I take necessary precautions, I have been lifting for a good 16+ years, so I'm pretty comfortable with my own limitations, and I have a pretty keen sense of when I'm about to do something stupid... even if I ignore my gut feeling and follow thorugh on it anyway :D

Nobody should train stupid. But gyms full of people never testing their limits are not going to really be gyms full of people making any progress. There has to be a fine balance. I have my testing days, and then I have form/speed/repetition days.

I will concur that anything in the 70-80% range is excellent for building strength... but at some point you have to be working with a higher 80% than the week before. The only way you get there is by limit testing of some sort. In limit testing you are going to get some slop in form.

Sorry to hijack your journal, Anuj. And sorry to come off as some meat headed "train through the pain" idiot. There is a lot more consideration given to my injuries than all of that.

Angelina IS horrible, give me Jennifer Anniston anyday, man I saw a pic in a mag today of Jen in this Gstring bikini, Damn I still cant stop thinking of it :biglaugh:

Brad Pitt is a twat.

Anuj, i love ECs book.I been doing what I can of the warmups a mobility stuff its truly wonderful. :)

Andrew, I reacted only to what you said in your posts. I did not react to what I thought I knew about your or didn't know, or to what I thought your "qualifications" were. I don't really need a resume...it will not stop me from reacting honestly to specific things you say.

You are saying two different things. You implied that reps with bad form "force adapatation". THAT was what I reacted to. Nobody is arguging that there will not be tought and wobbly reps. But anuj's goal is to add to his 1RM's for his primary movements in this program.

Anuj is NOT at the point where it is safe to say that he can "intuit" correct form when it comes to something like volume oriented deadlift sessions. And there is a big difference between all those things you are saying that you are willing to do in a comp and what we are saying here. Maybe you have a willingness to take chances that he doesn't NEED to take. Try not to make your goals universal. I never said all these things about every rep being perfect. I only reacted to the specific comments you made about form and adaptation. Just because someone believes that injuries can be avoided doesn't mean they are saying not to "lay it on the line". But I understand that that was not your intention.

As far as the rest of it about the body playing to strengths...that's true. But I've already spoken about that and, quite frankly, I've put too much personal work into nursing Anuj back to strong shoulders and back, etc..I know what it's like for him when he gets injured and I can't just let cavelier comments about form and injuries go. I'm not trying to come off as combative and I don't disagree with everything you said, I'm only looking to protect Anuj from what I know his tendencies to be.

This is not a program based on linear progression. It is set up in phases, and testing is built in. The idea is to use the max weigth one can with good form. And the later phases are 85%+ and then 90% plus range. But I'm not sure what the above has to do with what I said since loading is a built in asumption, so I'll leave it at. that.

no shit. I do not intend to take unnecessary chances. i agree with you completely, E.

MAXIMUM STRENGTH by Eric Cressey

Beginning Thoughts:

So...I went swing dancing with my girl last night....and I am so damn sore today!

Workout:

Started off with cluster sets on the Incline Barbell Bench Press supersetted with Pull-ups. I used 155 lbs on the IBBBP and my bodyweight on the PU. Got in all 40 reps and it killed me. This is so damn difficult its not funny. I cheated a lot on the Incline Presses. I think next time I am going to take only 135 lbs.

Moved on from that to Flat Dumbbell Bench Press and Head Supported Rows. Followed that with some Backhand chops and Zottman Curls. I'm beat.

Overall Impression:

Very tiring workout....I hope everyone is having a good week :)