Ok man, I just touch the box lightly, as soon as I feel it I reverse the weight.  Also, is the depth at a 12" box ok?  I can just that depth to the closest pin.

Ok man, so for the one day I am going an inch above parallel, I am assuming that would be for the ramped 5's day?

Week 15 results

Workout 1
Hang snatch - 3,2,1, 3,2,1 95 pounds, 100 pounds, 105 pounds, 110 pounds, 115 pounds, 155 pounds -hang shrug
Full squat- 225x3, 225x3 270x3, 270x2, miss, 270 x2
RDL - 2x6, 1x5 330 pounds
Standing calf raise (bounce) - 2x15, 275 pounds

Workout 2
Ramped 5's - 190,195,200,205,210,210 (6 sets of 5)
1-2 jump squat, 4x3 - 85 pounds
Reverse hypers - 3x8
Standing calf raise (pause) - 2x15, 335 pounds

Notes:  Substituted pin squats for 12" full box squat, not really used to it.  Also, added standing press on my two other workout days (not listed)

 

There is tons of things you can do that will allow you to still pr, either from volume, load, or speed, one of them being doing an extra set when you dont beat your previous pr, after resting about 15 seconds, and get one or two more reps. You can change the movements too, but I would not change them drastically.  Use a high pin squat, half squat level that allows you to use about 50lbs more on your squat, then use full squats the next workout. thats a start right there, no way you CANT pr or progress doing that. 


See, this is thing, did you also look at how much those journals VERTICAL JUMP had increased? If you asked me for a workout to INCREASE YOUR SQUAT, I would have you doing a high frequency squat program  (not percentage bullshit), and taking the other work that is aimed at increasing your jump out to allow more recovery FOR SQUATTING.  Smolov is ok for some people, it is trash for others, there are much better options for high frequency squatting if youre main goal is increasing your squat though. 

Plateaus happen, the more advanced you get athletically, the more they will  happen and the longer it will take to make gains, but you cant wait to LET gains happen for an extended period, you have to smash your previous numbers somehow, and MAKE shit happen.  In all those articles, read the rest pause stuff, read the myo reps stuff, etc... there are TONS of options that would allow you to still be progressing, you just have to make sure you either a.) beat the previous number of reps in the same number of sets, b.)beat the previous load "weight", c.) beat the previous number of reps by adding a rest pause or myo rep style set at the end.  Youre at a more advanced training stage now, gains are going to be slower regardless, but you have to MAKE them happen, those techniques that I listed are some easy options to get you moving forward if you want to use them. 

Yea, the more advanced you get in your training, the more things like that become a factor, and techniques like these, complexes, cluster sets, etc., become crucial to your progress.  Thats also the reason many people never progress once they get to a certain level of advancement, and either quit or spin their wheels.

]quote]Yes, I know you were giving me a program to improve my vertical, I just thought that the squat kind of went along with it.  I guess I just had been progressing so well initially that I didn't need to try anything new as of yet, but I think I am going to start using these methods now that I hit a wall.[/quote]

yea, also remember that after your initial gains have happened, they wont be so linear. Sometimes you will have to work for a month to get a pr, then gain 30 lbs on your squat the next week, it rarely ever is an even distribution past the beginner stages of training. 


of course....


failure as in, you go to a rep that you can no longer accelerate but is still do able, yes.  failure as in you fall back down to the rack, no.

a "weight you can accelerate" doesnt refer to a certain mph or speed that the weight can be lifted at, it means a weight that allows you to gain any amount of speed as you lift the weight throughout the rom.  Basically it means a weight that you DONT STICK with. 


If you are already 9.5-10.5 % you already can see your abdominals very well.  If you had someone certified on calipers test it or did under water weighing, then its probably legit, if you used any other method, its probably not. And yes, that diet is awesome for athletes, you just have to keep the protein and fats high enough for your activity levels.


Jump maximally (dunk, try to dunk, etc.), 2-3 times a week, 15-30 jumps to drop off, thats plenty right now, and its much more intense than most the low level reactive work that many call "plyos" right now.  You dont need to do depth jumps or drops atm. 


Rest pause is never ineffective, you can always progress, thats one of the best things about it, you have 3 sets to beat a rep total, either by number of reps, or weight.  If you cant, add a myo rep style set at the end (15 sec rest after last rep of 3rd set, do 1-2 more reps)


that should be fine, I wont know until closer to that day what we have going so remind me a few days before.

Week 17 results

Workout 1
Jump snatch - work up to 135
Full squat- 225x3, rest-pause at 260 singles x 10 sets
RDL -3x6 320 pounds,
Standing calf raise (bounce) - 2x15, 275 pounds

Workout 2
Inch above parallel squat, sets of 5 - 275, 290, 300, 300, 300, 300, 300
1-2 jump squat, 4x3 - 85 pounds
Reverse hypers - 3x8
Standing calf raise (pause) - 2x15, 350 pounds

Notes - You won't believe this but I finally got to 135 on the jump snatch.  I was hyped about this week's workout for the first time in like a month and think it's really going to help with LanceSTS in my corner.  Also, I started the low carb diet.  Goodbye bananas, goodbye milk, crepes, sushi, potato chips, hash browns, mashed potatoes, and most everything else I love.  I did get George Stella's cookbook which has a lot of great low carb recipes and will keep me from not starving.



Questions -

1.  On the rest-pause I just started at 260 and took 15 deeps breaths.  Should I move up to 265 and try 15 deep breaths in between sets?  I watched a stopwatch and saw it took 33-42 seconds for 15 deep breaths.  I could get the weight without very much difficulty. 

2.  On upper body days I am doing standing press, pull-ups, dips, core, and obviously my jumping.  Would doing anything else help me?  I used to do a lot of upper body stuff, like I was repping 205 on the bench, which is not great, but at 180 it was not too bad for me.  I found that all the upper body stuff just wore me out though, I just want to jump higher I don't really care about anything else, but I don't want to short change myself if I can somehow jump higher through upper body stuff.

3.  Should I only rest-pause on one exercise per workout?  I read that in your article that this might be more effective.