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Leg training with the weighted deficit bulgarian split squat

Since I don't have much to write about training only with myo-reps yet. I thought I would share bits and pieces and some specific thoughts about certain aspects of my training. Weighted deficit bulgarian split squat First subject I would like to share is training legs with weighted deficit bulgarian split squats. My personal go to exercise has been pistol squats and its variations. But due to the existing circumstances I had to let go of them. You need to select your tools according to the task at hand and now weighted deficit bulgarian split squats work better. First few words about the setup and form. Rear foot support Use a footstool or something similar. The elevation should not be much higher than the length of your shin. If the elevation is too high you will not be able to reach the bottom part of the lift properly. But if you have the shins of a basketball player you could use your couch for rear foot elevation. Front foot elevation High weight plates are good. But I have a ...

Bodyweight strength training programs on Google Sheets - 2023 update user guide

New training sheets can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1krrVzNqZznP8m_92qt9dBi9ZDpJTX4R8?usp=share_link Right click the file you want and select "make a copy" to your own drive to enable editing. Don't click "Request share" it does not work since you are not supposed to edit the original source file. New features on 2023 update: • Rep max chart for all exercises. Ranging from 1RM up to 20RM. • Mobile optimized sheets for the planning page and the tracking charts. No need for larger screens when planning workouts or tracking progress. • Basic barbell, dumbbell and band exercises added to the library. You can basically do any weightlifting routine now with the standard library. Not just limited to bodyweight training. • Automatically calculate the estimated time for each workout in the planning page • Workaround for high frequency training. You can split the existing training days with a spacer. What else it includes: • Pre made bodyweigh...

Mobile view for Google Sheets and feature creep

As usual a minor update grows to be a bigger update. Since I’m updating the sheets I thought that with some small extra work I could make some great improvements to the user interface and features. Mobile view works with the dark theme also so you won't burn your eyes So I decided to make a full Mobile layout for the sheets that allows me to edit the programs easily on my phone. Also the planned 1RM tracker changed to be able to track 1RM, 3RM, 5RM, 8RM etc. which would be more useful information since most of us don’t ever test our 1RM weight. But something like a 3-8RM range would be useful for strength testing. Tracking from 1RM to 20RM available Don’t worry I will also include a “desktop” version of the sheets, but all the programs will probably be in the mobile version only. Desktop template users have to use “copy & paste values” for pre-made programs. Weekly total rep tracking also available if the exercise uses fixed resistance Now I’m doing some testing for the templat...

Planning updates for the Google Sheets training tool

I'm currently slowly trying out new features to be implemented in the new version of the training sheets. I plan to finish this work when I'm on my sick leave and recovering from the surgery. Some planned features: 1 rep max chart added. This 1RM chart takes into account the bodyweight + the weight you are using. So it works for most weighted bodyweight lifts (and back squat) It uses the Epley formula which uses 60% of 1RM for 20 reps and 50% of 1RM for 30 reps. So it has some accuracy for higher rep ranges. The chart has a drop down menu for bodyweight multiplier and it can suggest a value based on the exercise selected (0.95 for dips and pullups for example). 0 for weights only such as bench press or biceps curls. It gives the 1RM as a total load and 1RM for the load added. So it gives you the 1RM working weight. Basic barbell, dumbbell and resistance band exercises added If you have some weights or bands lying around the house there is no reason not to use them. Personally ...

Isometric training for muscle growth - Isometrics Part 1

If you would have asked me 6 months ago how interested I am about isometric training the answer would have been quite different. The truth is that I have never looked into isometric training before because dynamic movements are superior in building strength and muscle. But since I faced some shoulder issues and developed tendonitis on the long head of the bicep (caused by the nerve damage I have) I had to let go of some of the dynamic movements since they irritate the tendon quite a bit. In order to rehab my joints and tendons I got interested on how to maintain my current physique and strength level with isometric training. Doing a quick (or extensive) online search does not provide much tips on how to exactly use isometrics to gain muscle and strength. Most descriptions are quite vague and provide only minimal information. The basic instructions for isometric holds go like this without any further information: Do a hold for 30-60seconds. Rest and repeat. That's it. But I didn...

Bar push-up = barbell bench press?

Bar push-ups with an outdoor setup I've been doing a lot of bar push-ups lately. Standard, decline, high decline, incline, with narrow grip, with shoulder width grip etc. Here are few reasons to add it to your routine: Easier on the wrists. You can keep your wrists straight. Tactile feedback from the bar ensures proper depth on each repetition. Forearms can be perpendicular to the ground. On the standard pushup the elbows are pointing slightly backwards unless your wrists form a 90 degree angle which is not anatomically possible for almost anyone. You can lift the bar high enough to do full range of motion decline push-ups without your head getting in the way. I like to touch the upper chest with the bar when doing the decline push-up. Just like with the barbell incline bench press. For me it just feels more stable and I'm able to train hard. Mimics the barbell bench press quite well. My numbers on the barbell bench press and bar push-up seem to be quite close to each other. S...

Bodyweight vs weighted single leg training - What you need to know

Contents Introduction If you can’t or don't want to add load you need to add sets to your routine to make progress How many weekly sets are needed for higher rep training How to increase the number of sets in a training session to reach sufficient training stimulus Overall fatigue management within a workout Example bodyweight only leg workouts Other tips My thoughts Summary Introduction In most bodyweight routines it is common to recommend replacing bodyweight leg training with weight training. But most of us don't have a squat rack and a big weight set at home. Usually it is stated that back squatting is the only way to build sufficient leg strength and size. This is partially true since the single leg squats equals to about 95xBodyweight back squat. This means that even when you perform a set of 20 reps with this weight your 1 rep max (1RM) is only around 1.5x bodyweight. This level of strength is quite low and any decent back squatter will lift that weight for 10 reps or mo...

Free bodyweight strength training programs on Google Sheets - 3.0 Update

I still get frequent share request notifications to my inbox (people don't seem to understand that you need to save a copy of the sheets to gain full access to the functions and enable editing). So I thought I would share the updated (3.0 version) sheets with you all who want to have their training logs safely secured in Google Drive but still have some functionality similar to a training app. All the functionality is created with basic sheet functions and they do not require special permission to run on your Google Drive. Also it makes the sheets run faster compared to scripts that need to be run in the background. The sheets are ad free and don’t require any login information to use. It all started when my login information was leaked from the app I used. Also there had been few cases where my training history data was lost and there was no customer service that could do something about it. The cloud syncing in some apps is not a permanent solution or the app just saves a copy lo...