Perrin Aybara's Journey to an Elite Powerlifting Total

[Perrin Aybara]

Not saying it is but, don't let my stated observations get you down. I'm just always thinking of ways to improve tomorrow and sometimes I neglect to outwardly recognize and enjoy the accomplishments of today. Meaning - you're doing an awesome job and you're a strong mofo - I just want to do what I can to try to help make you even better!

On that last note, I do think there's room for improvement in your squat set up and execution. I see a weak link in the chain and although internet vids make it difficult to gather all the info needed, I'm pretty sure you need to get that bar lower to take advantage of the way you squat.

I didn't take it as a negative at all and I appreciate the input, brother. I'm looking to take it to the next level in the following months before this next meet and every little thing helps.

I'm working on a training plan I'd love to have your input on as well. I don't know when I'll have it done, so I'll let you know if you don't mind. I'm going to go ahead and start running what I've got done next week and work on the rest when I can.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Also, went to the gym with my fiancee today. Didn't actually lift, but did a bunch of stretches and mobility work and also light cardio. Weight was 217lbs.

 

[insertnamehere]

@Perrin Aybara my friend uses a band to do shoulder dislocations. As he gets warmed up and more flexible, he moves his hands closer together and continues doing them, repeating this process until satisfied. He does this before a squat and bench session but also at home. At home, he also uses a pvc pipe (broom stick will work too) after he loosens up with the band, repeating the same method with the pipe as he does with the band.

Another area he said prevented him from getting lowbar was his lats. Using the same band as above, he ties the band to a squat rack, holds on with one hand, turns away from the tie point so his arm is across his chest (right arm across chest and to left side of body), and pushes his body away form tie point, as this pulls his arm away from his body, stretching his lat. Hope thats clear. Will probably take some experimenting.

Finally, he said the full body stretching helps too, especially the hips and hamstrings.

 

[Masters Power]

I'm feeling good about it, even after the misses. I'm a little bummed about those as it's been a year or so since I've bombed lifts like that. The last time was a few months after my first meet and I'd been running The Texas Method for a few months and went for 455/335/565 and missed the bench and dead. I'm really feeling it in my upper back and right shoulder now that a little time has passed, too.

Editing for the videos? Just standard Android editing and Vidtrim to combine them and take the audio out since the local radio station was on. The bandana is a real bandana, I took it with me to the gym for that reason.

Lol. I thought how the fuck did he get that bandana perfectly edited over his face. Shit I think that would cost me a few pounds as it would be something different from normal.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

@Perrin Aybara my friend uses a band to do shoulder dislocations. As he gets warmed up and more flexible, he moves his hands closer together and continues doing them, repeating this process until satisfied. He does this before a squat and bench session but also at home. At home, he also uses a pvc pipe (broom stick will work too) after he loosens up with the band, repeating the same method with the pipe as he does with the band.

Another area he said prevented him from getting lowbar was his lats. Using the same band as above, he ties the band to a squat rack, holds on with one hand, turns away from the tie point so his arm is across his chest (right arm across chest and to left side of body), and pushes his body away form tie point, as this pulls his arm away from his body, stretching his lat. Hope thats clear. Will probably take some experimenting.

Finally, he said the full body stretching helps too, especially the hips and hamstrings.

I'm going to try this stuff out. During the week I'll be at work right before I go to the gym, but I'm usually alone and I can find a broom handle or something I can stretch out with. Thanks for checking into it for me.

Lol. I thought how the fuck did he get that bandana perfectly edited over his face. Shit I think that would cost me a few pounds as it would be something different from normal.

Nah, I'm not that talented at video editing unfortunately. Maybe it was the bandana, I'd like to blame something. Honestly I think I'd have had it on a good day, that just wasn't it or at least wasn't after the grinder squat and the miss. Feeling pretty beat up today.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Got some pre cycle bloods drawn this morning. Hopefully all is well to start this next cycle. Around three weeks till that begins. Upped the gh to 3iu the other day. Feeling good overall. My shoulder still hurts from the weekend, but it feels better every day. I'll begin my new routine this evening, but I'll be skipping bench until Thursday.

I think I'm going to go ahead and increase cardio the next couple weeks to get a little leaner before I start. Kinda thinking of starting one week early, but I don't know yet. My fiancee commented that I'm getting back to the shape from when we met except 50lbs heavier.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I just did the squats and deadlifts and called it a day. I'm going to let the shoulder rest until Thursday.

Weight was 218lbs

On another note I doubt I go through with the morning cardio. I fasted for the bloods this morning and I haven't felt right all day even though I got in all my calories after. It was without a doubt the longest I'd went without food in many years and I'm good on all that. I've been making good progress without it so far, so I'm going to continue with that and see where I end up in the next few weeks.

I think I already mentioned I was going to slowly add calories back in and try not to get too fat this go round. Right now the start date is looking like the 23rd or 30th.

 

[theprodgicalson]

i always like to use cardio as a last option available in terms of fat loss. get your diet adn macros squared away and go from there. Cut calories till you stall then add in cardio. especially in strength sports, cardio is catabolic, point blank. that being said, from all the studies ive read, short stints of cardio are better than longer durations.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

i always like to use cardio as a last option available in terms of fat loss. get your diet adn macros squared away and go from there. Cut calories till you stall then add in cardio. especially in strength sports, cardio is catabolic, point blank. that being said, from all the studies ive read, short stints of cardio are better than longer durations.

Right now I just do twenty minutes on the bicycle after each session mostly for the cardiovascular benefits. I feel better overall when I'm doing it regularly. I'm starting this next cycle in a few weeks anyway, so I'm pretty much where I'm going to be. Turning my bike ride home from the gym into a series of sprints might be a better way to go about it.

I'm between 217-219 most of the time now. The plan is to slowly start adding calories back in here soon. I'm at ~3750 currently, I'll go back to 4000-4250 to start out with and go from there.

 

[theprodgicalson]

Right now I just do twenty minutes on the bicycle after each session mostly for the cardiovascular benefits. I feel better overall when I'm doing it regularly. I'm starting this next cycle in a few weeks anyway, so I'm pretty much where I'm going to be. Turning my bike ride home from the gym into a series of sprints might be a better way to go about it.

I'm between 217-219 most of the time now. The plan is to slowly start adding calories back in here soon. I'm at ~3750 currently, I'll go back to 4000-4250 to start out with and go from there.

I just re read my post..

Hope it didn't come across brash. I know you've been tracking macros and all of that. Was just offering up advice from studies I've read. That being said, I'm adding in cardio currently in this offseason in hopes to come in with more conditioning. I realized when I get back into my off season, more hypertrophic work, I'm out of shape. Although I don't look it by any means, sets of 10s on squats has me feeling some type of way. Usually on the floor catching my breath.

I'm going to he adding in tire flips since my gym has 6 various sized tires in the parking lot. They just got a prowler so I'm going to do that also. I'd also like to do car pulls to but I'm gonna need someone else with me fit that for sure.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I just re read my post..

Hope it didn't come across brash. I know you've been tracking macros and all of that. Was just offering up advice from studies I've read. That being said, I'm adding in cardio currently in this offseason in hopes to come in with more conditioning. I realized when I get back into my off season, more hypertrophic work, I'm out of shape. Although I don't look it by any means, sets of 10s on squats has me feeling some type of way. Usually on the floor catching my breath.

I'm going to he adding in tire flips since my gym has 6 various sized tires in the parking lot. They just got a prowler so I'm going to do that also. I'd also like to do car pulls to but I'm gonna need someone else with me fit that for sure.

No, you're good and I know what you mean. I hate feeling out of shape. Reminds me of my smoking and drugs days when I'd get light headed just standing up sometimes. I plan on keeping cardio in some form a part of my training all the time except a week out from meets.

I've thought about adding some strongman stuff like that in as well. I've read a little about The Cube Method and it has you doing that. There's some guys at my gym that do all that stuff, it'd just be a schedule thing doing it with them because they bring all their own stuff and do it outside the gym. I don't know how often we'd be there at the same time.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I'm wondering if a heavy farmer's walk or those suitcase things they use would have some carryover to heavy squats with wraps through added core stability.

 

[Eman]

I'm wondering if a heavy farmer's walk or those suitcase things they use would have some carryover to heavy squats with wraps through added core stability.

Westside program delves into using farmers walks for conditioning. Sled work is a lot more talked about though, he talks about how to adjust the weight and intensity and the whole nine. I'd really like to try doing some of that myself but my gym doesn't have one currently. Box jumps are another exercise that he offered as an idea.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Westside program delves into using farmers walks for conditioning. Sled work is a lot more talked about though, he talks about how to adjust the weight and intensity and the whole nine. I'd really like to try doing some of that myself but my gym doesn't have one currently. Box jumps are another exercise that he offered as an idea.

Yeah, it would be good conditioning for sure. I'm just kind of thinking outside the box (maybe thinking too much) for core work. It seems to me no amount of crunches or typical ab exercises can come close to what a 500-600+ squat/deadlift requires of your core. For one they act to brace your torso rather than a crunching motion and also the weight is much more than your typical ab exercise ever has you doing. I'm wondering if things like very heavy weighted planks or farmer's walks for short times or distances are more specific to what's needed.

Those guys at my gym that do strongman have pretty much all that stuff they bring to the gym with them. They pull a truck out in the parking lot, too. They ask me all the time to get in with them, I just never have because it doesn't fit into my program. I think I'm going to find out their schedule and try to fit some in while I'm still pretty far out from my meet.

 

[ruckin]

Fuck crunches and stuff like that. I personally love heavy weighted planks... Well by love I mean I think they work great for building core strength that actually carries over to other athletic things, such as squats and deads in this case. They're just miserable to do ha

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Fuck crunches and stuff like that. I personally love heavy weighted planks... Well by love I mean I think they work great for building core strength that actually carries over to other athletic things, such as squats and deads in this case. They're just miserable to do ha

I know one minute with 80lbs on my back feels like an eternity, especially the last fifteen seconds. Seems like farmer's walks would allow more weight and you'd be standing up. I've never really done any before.

 

[ruckin]

I know one minute with 80lbs on my back feels like an eternity, especially the last fifteen seconds. Seems like farmer's walks would allow more weight and you'd be standing up. I've never really done any before.

Yeah farmers walks are probably awesome for that too, I've just never done them. Now that I think about it, maybe I should look into adding them in sometimes. They'd probably translate very well to my sport.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Yeah farmers walks are probably awesome for that too, I've just never done them. Now that I think about it, maybe I should look into adding them in sometimes. They'd probably translate very well to my sport.

Yeah, I bet the sled pushes and yoke carries and all that would translate well.

How are your workouts going these days?

 

[ruckin]

Yeah, I bet the sled pushes and yoke carries and all that would translate well.

How are your workouts going these days?

Pretty good actually, thanks for asking. Since I've stopped updating my log I've gotten 315x8 on bench and 425x5 on squat, both in the same workout actually which I was very happy about.

 

[theprodgicalson]

No, you're good and I know what you mean. I hate feeling out of shape. Reminds me of my smoking and drugs days when I'd get light headed just standing up sometimes. I plan on keeping cardio in some form a part of my training all the time except a week out from meets.

I've thought about adding some strongman stuff like that in as well. I've read a little about The Cube Method and it has you doing that. There's some guys at my gym that do all that stuff, it'd just be a schedule thing doing it with them because they bring all their own stuff and do it outside the gym. I don't know how often we'd be there at the same time.

i remember reading something by Lilly that said, "eat like a bodybuilder, program like a powerlifter, and train like a strongman"

i think farmers carrys would have a MUCH greater carry over than sit ups. that and beltless work. you can do farmers carries with a hex bar if your gym has one.