Category: Elitefts
Pictures From My Photo Shoot - Diet Wrap up
(This is a re-post from www.elitefts.com)
Pictures from my Photo Shoot - Diet Wrap up
First my apologies for my lack of posting this last few weeks. I have been buried with work and some very frequent training as I entered the final phases of my diet and prep for the photo shoot.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I did this. Really it just boiled down to doing something different. With my current schedule training for a competition was out of the picture and I wanted to have a little bit of an understanding of what bodybuilders go through. My friend Amit Sapir managed my diet leading into this.
You will have to click on each image to see the entire photo.
All in all it was a good experience and I plan on rebuilding to a leaner powerlifter allowing me to not have to do the giant weight cuts I’ve done in the past.
Photo’s courtesy of Jack Donovan
The Role Of A Team In Individual Sports
People often under value the role of a team in individual sports. That statement is not an oxymoron as team and individual performance are not diametrically opposed. While it is true that lifting can, and is, done by some individuals entirely by themselves there are substantially more strength athletes who gain from relying on their team.
The role of a team in an individual sports such as powerlifting, olympic lifting and even to some degree bodybuilding is:
- Encouragement – That encouragement or support to dig deeper and push harder
- Reality Checks - Calling out your depth isn’t good or that you didn’t lock that out. Or you just being flat out stupid with your training
- Remove Obstacles – Assisting lifters at meets, reminders to stay hydrated or just keeping the focus on a big training day.
- Physical Support – Spotting, loading, lifting off, or helping with gear
We are social beings and we simply perform better in supportive groups than when we do alone. I am a big proponent of training in teams. Even without a team physically present we can see people using social media to seek out and fill those same team roles noted above.
It’s not just powerlifting or strength training that operates this way. Many ‘individual sports’ you see today require teams to succeed. Look closely and you will see them. MMA, NASCAR, Golf you name it and there will be at least a small team supporting them.
Do you want to realize your peak potential? Then find a group of like-minded individuals that have those needed skills and create a team. This is what we have done at Elite Performance Center building numerous world Champions and All-Time record holders and what you can see with my online team at EliteFTS.
Spotters in my other hobby - saving my ass
EliteFTS and the Community We Serve
If you get a chance to checkout the new EliteFTS website do so. I post detailed training log’s with Dave Tate and EliteFTS. The other featured athletes I have the opportunity to share this with are phenomenal, world class and strong. Take a look around, engage EliteFTS and the community we serve. Join in and take part to increase the amount of good information we share (via tweets, reposts, links etc…) to keep our community of athletes growing, mobile, healthy and STRONG!
Don’t forget to checkout our Whiskey & Deadlifts article and t-shirts.
Dieting & Staying Strong - Week 2
Dieting & Staying Strong wk2 - 2014wk50
Week 2 of my diet. Dropping some pretty decent weight but still feeling strong. My waistline has dropped 1.75” so far but not much change on the calipers yet so its mostly visceral fat loss as this point. Pleased with the results and will keep at it.
MONDAY
ShouldeRok Swings x 3 sets
Curls x 3 sets
Bench
135×5
225×3
315×3
405×2
455×1
495×1
405×8
Dips
Bw+160×12,10,8
Machine shoulder press
Stack x 15,15,15
Overhead tri extension
X12,12
WEDNESDAY
ShouldeRok Swings x 3 sets
Deadlift off 3” Blocks w/50lb band on hips and 40lb band on shoulders
155×5
265×5
375×5
485×3
595×3
685×6…. Nice pull for me with no straps
Pause Squats w/5 sec pause
335×3
425×5,5
THURSDAY
Fasted training for first time in long time.
Dips x70,50,50,50
Leg Extesnion stack x20,20,20,20
KB Front Twist Raise 26×16,14,14
One arm hangs (Sec) 25s, 25s per side
SATURDAY
ShouldeRok Swings x 3 sets
RDL’s off 3” block
265×1
375×1
485×1
595×1,1
I had some excruciating back pain thus doing singles and not doing reps. Finally had to just call the workout a wash and quite.
Seated Machine Rows
Stack x20,20,20,20
Pullups x16,14,8
My wife dropped off the kids with me at the gym but they were entertaining themselves well so I got a massage from our practicing masseuse student who was in that afternoon. Found some serious triggers in my piriformis and got my psoas to release. Back pain alleviated. I would love to get a makeup workout in on Sunday but since I’ll be out of town for work most of next week its not gonna happen.
Make sure to visit my sponsor and fellow teammates at EliteFTS.
Chris Duffin’s 3-Step Fix for Amit Sapir’s World Record Squat
I recently had the pleasure of working with IFBB Pro Amit Sapir as he preps for an all-time world record squat at GPA worlds in a few weeks. Amit had some obstacles to overcome based on his body structure and his past experience as an Olympic lifter. His squat pattern combined with his body structure simply would not allow him to physically hit depth, even with his hamstrings sitting on his calves. I took him all the way down to a 10-inch box but, due to the extreme leg dive and his massive leg size and small knees, he was still squatting high.
With only a few days to work together and the meet in only a few weeks, there was no chance of completely rebuilding his squat into a powerlifting squat. We simply couldn’t address every issue.
This is the approach I used to improve his squats in just three training sessions over the course of three days.
Day 1
Step 1: Assess
I watched his current squat pattern from multiple angles, looking at the movement and watching to asses several specific aspects of his movement:
- What was tight and engaged, what was passive, and what was firing movement
- Breathing and core stabilization (also tested physically)
- Natural stance and breathing patterns (what position is he in when standing and breathing normally?)
- Restrictions due to mobility
- Stance, foot placement, bar placement, and basic movement pattern
Step 2: Test
With the meet right around the corner I could only make changes that he could retain quickly without spending significant time to ingrain. We tested a number of different things to see what was manageable and to push him to experiment with entirely new patterns and see how he responded…. Content continued here
Huge Bench, Squat, & Pull This Week - Kabuki Warrior Chris Duffin’s Training Log: 2014, Week 44
This was a big bench, squat and deadlift week for me. I did miss a lot of volume training on Saturday due to having a bad cold.
MONDAY
Shoulderok Swings 3×10/side
Curls 35 x16,16,16
Bench Press
135×20
225×10
275×5
335×5
405×11 PR
455×3.5
475×1
Dips
BW+180 x10,10,8
Machine Shoulder Press
Stack x15,15,15
WEDNESDAY
Squat
165×5
275×5
385×3
495×3
605×1
715×1
825×1
860×2 setups and unracks
860×1
Sumo Deadlift – straps
705×3
815×5
Felt cold coming on
See the rest of my training log for the week at my sponsors site EliteFTS
Chris Duffin CAPO Training Log - EliteFTS
Definitely upped my volume dramatically this week and also condensed my schedule to make room for Clinical based DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) course from the “Prague School To Athletic Development”. The course was well worth the adjustment in schedule and cost to shore up some gaps in my knowledge and assessment ability. This was just the first 3 days with another 3 days this spring as well as an additional 2 day DNS Exercise course I have planned to take.
MONDAY
Mace Swings 3×10/side
Curls 35 x16,16,16
Bench Press
135×20
225×10
275×5
335×19… damn not 20
405×8
455×1,1
Dips
BW+180 – felt to heavy
Overhead Tricep Extension
Stack+ band x20,17,14
WEDNESDAY
Sumo Deadlift – Hook Grip
155×5
265×3
375×3
485×2
595×1
705×1 nice and easy with a holdout – tore hand due to bar rolling
add straps
771×3
(see the rest of my log here)
Chris Duffin
Deadlift Problems & A Path Forward - Training Log Week 41
Link from my sponsor EliteFTS with videos
First week back after the meet over the weekend. Remember it was supposed to just be test meet so no deload after the meet. Well I rarely do anyway. I’m usually ready to train after my deload into a meet, just not with the same level of strength due to condition of the body.
MONDAY
Mace Swings 3×10/side
Curls 35 x16,16,16
Bench Press
315×23,20
Dips
BW+180 x8,6,6
Overhead Press (Machine)
Stack x16,16,16
WEDNESDAY
Sumo Deadlift off 3” blocks
Squats
155×5
265×3
375×3
485×2
595×1
705×2,2 with a nice pop in my bicep on second rep
Pause Squats w/5 seconds in hole
425×5,5
1 arm dead hangs
2-3 sets per side @ 10-20sec each
THURSDAY
Circuit Training
BW Dips x 65,65,65
Leg Extensions – Stack x20,20,20
Leg Curls – 3/4stack x20,20,20
Mace Swings x20,20,20,20
Cool Post From My Sponsors at EliteFTS
I get to work with some damn strong, damn good people. This is a post from the team at EliteFTS focused on me and fellow team member Chris Janek recapping our recent successes. Enjoy!
“Knocking out multiple international accolades in one weekend, Chris Duffin and Chris Janek made it clear why they belong with elitefts™. Janek, the newest equipped lifter of the team, won a world title at the GPC World Powerlifting Championships in Argentina. Duffin set a new all-time world record squat for the 220-pound weight class, breaking his own previous record. He now holds the heaviest-ever four-times bodyweight squat, at 881 pounds. (more…)”
Is Hand and Elbow Position Sabotaging Your Squat?
Learn the impact shoulder mobility and hand position can have on working against proper positioning.