IsoMax 6x6: Week 5 Log

4/20
1-rep Max Retest

MM Pike

While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.

4/21
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

My right hip flexor or adductor - not sure which - was sore but I got through the Master Mobility Horse Stance superset. I didn't feel as much of a stretch in the pecs when I practiced the Low Bridge. Upon review of the instructions I realized I should have started with my heels of the floor. Anyway, to get a better stretch out of the pecs, I'll try pushing my head higher off the floor. Looks like the hips need to be pushed higher off the floor as well, so the load is not all on the arms.

4/22
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 174.6
Overhead Press 87
Drag Curl 144.8

MM Pike

4/23
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

I was able to stretch my left pec more without irritating my left shoulder. I was also able to stretch my right pec further compared to 4/21.

4/24
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat ??? - IsoMax reported 14.8, which is a glitch that occasionally happens
Overhead Press 87.8
Drag Curl 160.2

MM Pike

IsoMax 6x6: Week 5 1-Rep Max Retest

My Zercher Squat performance has gone up considerably these last 2 weeks so I decided to retest my 1-rep maxes again:

• Zercher Squat - 170.53 up from 141. I've settled into a position that I like so the gains are more from strength increase, than from finding a better position. New target load = 120.
• Overhead Press - 86.867, up from 85.27. Modest gain despite the change to the new technique. New target load = 61.
• Drag Curl - 157.4 up from 153.4. Modest gain but I'll take it. New target load = 110.

IsoMax 6x6: Week 4

4/13
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 169.4
Overhead Press 92
Drag Curl 159.4

MM Pike

While I'm in week 4 of 6x6, I'm also in week 3 of Strength Side's Master Mobility program. This week introduced the Jefferson Curl. I'd tried this exercise before with empty hands and a bag of soup cans. Thus, while there has been online debate over the safety of this exercise, I was confident the risk to my lower back was low, as long as I trained with light weight. For the first set, I used an 8kg kettlebell. For the next set I switched to a 12kg KB. I decided to use the 12kg for Jefferson curls going forward. The 12kg is heavy enough to pull my body into a decent stretch, but not so heavy as to cause my body to tighten up.

4/14
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

This was the first time I tried the Low Bridge. I was able to get my head off the floor, but I struggled to coordinate pushing my knees away from my hands. I could not hold the position with head off the floor for the prescribed number of seconds.

4/15
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 161.4
Overhead Press 88.8
Drag Curl 158.2

MM Pike

4/16
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

2nd session practicing Low Bridge. The problem on 4/14 was I was using my upper body to lift my head off the floor, and also push my body up and away from my hands. This time I focused on using the glutes and legs to pull my body away from my hands, and only use my upper body to lift my head off the floor, then try to straighten the arms while keeping the head off the floor. With more of the load on my lower body, I was able to hold the position for the prescribed number of seconds. I felt a pretty good stretch on my pecs. This was also my 2nd session practicing Butcher's Block. This time I used my FeetUp headstand trainer, which is a little lower than my keyboard bench at the lowest setting. The lower height made it easier to not have a lower back arch. The instructions say to use a stick to ensure the hands are at a wider width apart the elbows. I found that I shouldn't let hands be too far apart, or else my left shoulder will feel irritated. I thought about continuing to do the side plank micro workout on Thursdays, followed by a Master Mobility session, but then decided to focus entirely on mobility.

4/17
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 144.6
Overhead Press 85.4
Drag Curl 157.6

MM Pike

My Overhead Press performance has been higher with the new technique. Zercher Squat performance jumped quite a bit. Drag Curl performance leveled off compared to last week but was still consistently higher than the last tested 1-rep max of 154 lbs. Thus, I plan to retest my 1-rep maxes this coming Monday.

Changed my IsoMax overhead pressing technique

To perform the Overhead Press on the IsoMax bar, I was doing the following:

1. Squat slightly so I can get my chest under the bar.
2. Pull the shoulder back then pull the elbows down.
3. Begin applying the zip-up technique, starting from the feet and working up the body.
4. As the zip-up is applied, I start feeling force connected from my feet to my hands. This is influenced by previous practice of the jin skill, though folks the six-harmonies space would call what I'm doing "muscle-jin". In this case though I'm not training for 6H martial arts. Rather I'm using muscle-jin to create whole-body tension between the bar and my feet. The resultant force eventually get high enough to make the IsoMax bar start beeping.
5. When the bar starts beeping, start pressing the bar upwards with the chest, arms, and shoulders.

At the point that the bar starts beeping, my body position is close to what it would be if I were pressing double kettlebells The low back and legs are straight. The upper back is not straight because the chest is pulled forward and up and the scapulae are retracted and pulled down.

So the change to my IsoMax pressing technique is this: In Step 5 above, when the bar starts beeping, I think of increasing the pressure of the feet against the IsoMax footplate, by tucking in the tailbone more, squeezing the glutes harder, and unbending the upper back.

On the first day I tried the new technique, my max force on the last rep was 92 lbs. which was a jump of about 15 lbs. of force compared to the old technique

IsoMax 6x6: Week 3 after 1-Rep Max Test Day

4/7
MM Pike MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

I did the MM Pike superset on 4/6, then realized I did't do the superset properly. I had assumed that Master Mobility Week 2 would be exactly like Week 1. When I took another look at the Week 2 instructions, I realized I didn't do the correct number of reps per exercise. So I did the superset again on 4/7, along with the other supersets from Master Mobility.

4/8
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 129
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 162.6

Tested my straddle sitting on the floor, and for a good number of puzzle mat tiles to sit on in straddle, as reported in this post. Then I did the MM Pike superset. I didn't do the superset before the straddle sit test session, because I wanted to make sure I can straddle sit at a height that allows my back and both legs to be straight, without any extra effort or extra warmup.

4/9
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

4/10
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 165
Overhead Press 77.6
Drag Curl 157.6

MM Horse Stance

I can finally sit on the floor in straddle with my legs straight!

A few months ago I tried sitting in straddle for 1 min., about 2-3 times a week, as inspired by this video:



I did it as part of my cooldown routine after strength/hypertrophy training. I kept it up for a few weeks, then changed my cooldown to focus more core work.

I just could not get my legs straight because of my perennially tight hamstrings. The adductors might have been tight as well. Ryan does say in the video that bent knees is fine, as well as leaning your torso back with arm support.

During the 4/7 mobility session, I noticed I was able to spread my legs wider than I did last week, during practice of the straddle side bend from the Pike superset. I was following the instruction to sit on an elevated surface so I could sit in straddle with straight legs and straight low back. For elevation I was using a stack of almost all my puzzle mat tiles.

So today I thought I'd test my straddle sitting. I was able to straighten both legs! My low back was curved, though I found I could straighten it by contracting the abs with medium effort. I'm only in the middle of the 2nd week of Strength Side's Master Mobility program, so I'm impressed with the flexibility gain after just a short time.

For the straddle side bend exercise, I still want to sit at a height that allows my back to stay straight, when upright, without additional effort from the abs. This exercise is done with a weight held in the hands to help deepen the stretch. Even though I do use a light weight as recommended, I still don't want to take any chances with the low back. So, tried straddle sitting on 5 stacked mat tiles, and still felt I had to consciously straighten my low back. I then tried 8 stacked tiles and found that was a good height for me - with legs and back all being straight without extra effort. This new height is still quite a bit lower than before. So at this new, lower, height I should be able to stretch my hamstrings more than before.

I'm using a 4kg plate for my straddle side bend practice. To reduce shoulder fatigue, I don't force my arms to be straight, and hold the weight above and slightly behind my head, so that the load goes more to the back than the shoulders. I only try to straighten my arms when it's time to hold the stretch for the prescribed number of seconds.

IsoMax 6x6: Week 3 1-Rep Max Retest

One of the underlying concepts of the 6x6 program is training with a target load of 70% of 1-rep max force. Setting the IsoMax to this target load ensures the trainee is applying at least 70% 1RM force to get the bar to start beeping. The trainee is advised to retest 1-rep maxes for the chosen exercises every 2-4 weeks. So, based on recent performances in the Zercher Squat and Drag Curl in excess of the originally tested 1-rep maxes, I decided to retest today. These are the new 1-rep maxes, with new target loads generally rounded up to the nearest whole number from the calculated 70% values:

• Zercher Squat - 140.67, up from 101.4. The 40lb jump is a reflection increased comfort and confidence in the position. New target load = 99.
• Overhead Press - 85.27, up from 83.9. Modest gain but I'll take it. New target load = 60.
• Drag Curl - 153.4 up from 124.67. My force output in this exercise is as high as it is because I use the back-to-hands spiraling technique taught in this video. This technique recruits just about all the upper back muscles as well as the lats and abs. The My CNS seems to find more muscle groups to recruit on my highest performing days.

IsoMax 6x6: Week 2

This was the first week incorporating the Master Mobility program from Strength Side into my weekly routine. Master Mobility focuses on the Pike, Horse Stance, and Bridge; and thus programs exercises to improve performance in each of those 3 positions. Great performance requires great flexibility, so working towards getting better and better at those positions should result in improved flexibility. Scheduling options are flexible - you can get all of Week 1 done in one session, which would take about an hour, or spread your practice of the Pike, Horse Stance, and Bridge routines over the course of the week. I chose to do the latter.

3/30
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 133.6
Overhead Press 72.8
Drag Curl 158

MM Pike

My performance on Monday tends to be lower than the rest of the week.

3/31
MM Horse Stance
MM Bridge

4/1
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 144.4
Overhead Press 90.4
Drag Curl 162.6

MM Pike

Gratifying to see improved performance compared to Monday. I leaned too far backwards on one of my Zercher Squat reps, and fell on my butt. I typically shift my weight back to my heels to avoid rounding my back, then I try to stand up. The thumb side of my right forearm was still flaring up on some reps of overhead press. However with a closer grip, I managed to press with more force. It was surprising to see the jump from 72.8 to 90.4.
4/2
Side Plank Micro Workout:

T-Plank 12 reps
Suspension Side Plank Hip Dips - 4 sets of 8
Suspension Side Plank Hold - 5 breaths/side

MM Horse Stance

This time I raised the suspension foot straps to just under knee height. The exercise felt a little harder at the new height so i just went for 8-pre sets.

4/3
Last-rep max force (lbs):

Zercher Squat 133.2
Overhead Press 78.8
Drag Curl 153.8

MM Bridge

My Zercher Squat performance has consistently exceeded my tested 1-rep max of 101.4 lbs. This is probably because when I tested my 1-rep max, I had no previous experience with IsoMax training at a low Zercher Squat position. After several sessions, I found I could tuck in my tailbone and apply force - by trying to stand up - with more confidence that my low back will be fine. My Drag Curl performance has consistently exceeded my 1-rep max of 125 lbs. So next Monday, I'll retest my 1-rep maxes. My Overhead Press progress hasn't been as dramatic but I'll retest it anyway.

IsoMax 6x6: Week 1

The Strength Side Youtube channel was mentioned a few times on the Strongfirst forum, so I started watching some videos on it. This led to buying their Master Mobility program. This program has exercise routines designed to be practiced 2-3 times a week. It also has exercises that should be practiced daily. Thus, I adjusted my warmup routine for 6x6 as follows:

1. GMB wrist routine (quick version) - Overhead Press and Drag Curl on the IsoMax bar both work the wrists. I feel the thumb side of the forearms working hard on the overhead press. I feel the wrist flexors working on the drag curl.
2. Diaphragmatic breathing in Child's Pose 1 min. - Breathing practice to wake up the core. Helps loosen the lower back
3. Dead Bug 1 min. - Activates reactive core stabilitye
4. Crab Walk 1 min. - Warm up the posterior chain and stretch the anterior chain including the pecs
5. Bear Walk 1 min. - Stretch the posterior chain, warm up the shoulders, etc.
6. Tabletop Hold (also called Crab) 30 sec. - One of the dailies from Master Mobility. Warm up the glues. More intense stretch of the anterior chain (hip flexors, pecs, etc.)

As usual, I recorded the max force on the last rep for each exercise. My Zercher Squat max jumped from 84 lbs. on Wednesday to 137.6 lbs on Friday. I think most of the gain is from looking for body positioning that makes me feel confident I can exert as much force as possible without pain in the lower back. I was tentative in my Zercher Squat execution on the testing day, and on the first day of 6x6 training. On Friday I felt like I found a good body positioning and thus more confidence, which was reflected in the force increase.

My Overhead Press performance was more modest. I'm more familiar with this drill, so a dramatic jump from first to second session was not to be expected. Lingering sensitivity in my right wrist, on the thumb side, had some impact on how much force I could put out. For the Friday session, I tried different grip widths. I could feel that sensitive thumb side of the wrist get irritated when the grip was too narrow, as well as too wide. On the final rep I settled on a grip that was slightly wider than the grip I used on Wednesday, resulting in about a 10 lb. force gain.

I did the initial assessments for Master Mobility. Pike assessment was not good. Hamstring flexibility was the limiting factor as always. Couch stretch assessment looked great but maybe my knee was too elevated. I had not trouble sinking low enough into Horse Stance that my thighs were parallel to the floor while still maintaining an upright torso.