[Progress] Just accomplished a long-time powerlifting goal and calisthenics goal (405lb squat and Straddle FL row) @ 6'2" 205lbs

von20207777

New member
Hey everyone, just wanted to share a major accomplishment I had last night. I hit a 405lb squat and got my first straddle front lever row in the same workout. Here's an instagram video of both (squat is the first video, row is the second):
Both could have been slightly cleaner, but I'm satisfied with the ROM and form on both given they were pretty maximal effort attempts.

I'll answer any questions about my training (~4 years, ~2.5 years bodyweight), but here's the general gist of the past few months.

I ran a DUP style program for about 7 months or so where I primarily worked on weighted chins, weighted dips, planche, and front lever. I got them up to 160lbs, 180lbs, a 19s tuck, and a 5s straddle respectively. I'm in a really rough semester of school now so I've switched to a slightly higher frequency because I can workout most days just for not as much time.

Currently my training is a bent-arm/straight-arm split. I've been focusing my bent-arm days on bench, FL rows, rope climbs, and handstand push-ups/dips and I try and hit 3 sets of 8-12 reps (a couple rope climbs for that) without failing on light days, and 4 sets of 3-6 reps on heavy days without failing (keeping away from failure has been huge in seeing progress, submaximal training has been key for me).

My straight-arm days have been focused on iron cross, planche, front-lever, and parallette handstands/presses. Light days I just try and get in 6-10s holds that are very manageable to become more comfortable in the position. On heavy days I try and do 3-4 sets of a dynamic straight arm exercise like spotted cross press, front-lever/back-lever pulls, and L-sit press to planche. I also do some conditioning for rings usually on heavy straight arm days like muscle-ups, dips, chins, RTO support, and skin-the-cat (so it's more of a 4-day light/heavy split if you want to be specific).

For legs training I just do a squat and deadlift session twice a week. One session will be heavy squat and a dead variation, the other will be a heavy dead and a squat variation. I haven't focused on either enough, but given that I'm about 18 weeks out from a powerlifting meet, that's going to change.

I'm also training for Head-To-Toe and middle splits as well now, so these next few months will be interesting in balancing that flexibility work with heavy legs training. I'm not worried though, the one thing I've learned about myself is that as long as I stay out of the max effort/failure range, I'll be fine.

feel free to ask any questions, sorry about the messy text schpeel
 
@fromgenesistorevelation Thanks Antranik :D. Methodical progression has worked for 4 years, I'm surely not stopping now. And YES!!! It's such a refresher from 3 days a week full-body! I get to workout and have fun 4 days a week and I get to practice all the variations that I've wanted to because they each have a day that's good for them :).
 
@green520 Bent arm and straight arm. Bent arm is for Push-ups, dips, rows, chins, HSPU, etc. Straight arm is for levers, planche, cross, press handstand, and the straight arm dynamic variations (FL Pulls for example) of them :).
 
@von20207777 Ah. Thank you! So you do one day where you work purely on bent-arm and another where you work purely on straight arm? How would this work for a beginner capable of fewer skills?
 
@green520 So it is more of an intermediate split, exactly. I usually do two days on, one off, two on, weekend off. For me it goes, light straight arm day, heavy bent arm, rest, heavy straight arm, light bent arm and it has worked great.

As a beginner you should definitely follow a full body routine 3 days a week. It’s much more optimal when you have less experience.
 
@von20207777 This an awesome and inspiring post thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing a bit of your routine and thought process. I love post like these. You got yourself a follow!

I'm really interested in how you plan on incooperating flexibility work into your routine? Are they short sessions everyday after strength work or dedicated longer sessions later on in the day?
 
@sjam So usually I do a bit of flexibility work, light stretching into ranges I’m confident with every workout day (between 4 and 5 days a week). Then I’ll usually do a heavy session using contract relax followed by long passive holds twice a week. Currently I’m doing head to toe everyday.

So 2 heavy sessions, 4 light (or whenever I feel like moving around and stretching a bit), and head to toe everyday.

Thanks man, really appreciate it!
 
@von20207777 Nice squat dude! I'm a taller man myself at 6'3", do you have any tips on how you think differently about your movements as a tall person? Or anything special you had to do to improve because of your size?
 
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