Why is it I’m able to deadlift heavy all of a sudden? It’s simply because maybe I already do have strong and big quads! I was looking for deadlifting videos in youtube and came across this excellent video by Jeff Cavaliere who owns the AthleanX youtube channel which is really great.

This guy describes that the deadlift and leg press are both pretty much the same thing which is pretty much true really. The deadlift is a pushing exercise and you use your legs to help push the bar off the floor when doing the deadlift which is pretty similar to the leg press. In reality, the deadlift is a leg press workout. I have noticed that the deadlift is a lot of leg work, though. Yep, so this is why I’m able to deadlift heavy ’cause my legs were already pretty strong.

For the past 10 years or so I’ve been working out, I’ve been doing a lot of leg workouts which was how I was able to get more strength on my legs. Plus doing a lot of cardio over the years… running, jogging, walking and biking will all help me get strength in my legs too.

Ya know, now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn’t give up the leg press at all ’cause it can be pretty useful for deadlifting and squats. I probably won’t ditch the leg press at all then… just gotta correct my form and I’ll probably lift lighter weights on the leg press next time I do leg day this week.

Ya know, I can’t tell my own strength and I even surprise myself when I found out that I could deadlift a whopping 200 lbs. which was incredible. I thought to myself, “If I can deadlift heavy then I could probably squat heavy”. The heaviest I can go on squat for now is 105 lbs. for one rep which is pretty good for someone who is just starting out squatting. I still need to get the form on squats right too and I’m learning. Doing research and studying.

Kev

Ya know, after thinking about trying to work on my form for leg press, I’m thinking of ditching that workout completely. I don’t really need to do barbell squats and leg press on the same leg day. I’ve been noticing that doing both is too much for the quads, ya know? I’ve been reading bodybuilding and fitness forums online and many lifters say that you should do both squats and leg press. I disagree.

If you think about it since I’m gonna do deadlift and barbell squats full time that’s good enough for the legs. Doing research on deadlift, I’ve read that the deadlift targets muscles on the whole body pretty much including the quads and hamstrings. All the leg press targets is mostly the quads and some hamstring, that’s about it. I was never a big fan of the leg press anyways so I’m thinking of ditching it from my leg day routine and just do squats and deadlifts from now on. Both squats and deadlifts work the quads pretty good. Doing squats, deadlifts and leg press all at once… oh man, that’s gonna make your legs really sore all week and my legs are pretty sore right now. Another thing, I think doing too much to your quads is a bit overkill and over training, in my opinion and won’t give you enough growth. So again, doing deadlifts and squats is good enough for my leg work.

Not sure if I’ll give up the leg press for good, I’m only thinking about it. I’m probably gonna end up doing it ’cause I’m afraid doing leg press will weaken my squat work. I think I’ll definitely get way more strength doing squats if I ditch the leg press. I want to get more leg definition and get bigger quads and the squats will do that to you. I’ve also read doing research about squats is that squats also works out the entire body just like the deadlift. Squats and the deadlift are both compound exercises so that means they’re gonna target more than one body part.

It’s interesting. In the past, I was gonna avoid benching, squats and deadlifts but now I’m getting into all three full time for powerlifting competitions. I can lift heavy on deadlift but not yet a heavy lifter on bench and squats but working on it. For bench and squats I can only do 70 lbs. for 4 sets and 10 reps each both exercises, the deadlift I can lift heavier for whatever reason. I used to not be a fan of these workouts but I’ve grown into loving them now.

Thank god my hometown of Greenwich has a gym that allows benching, squats and deadlifting thanks to the Battenkill YMCA. There used to be a different bodybuilding gym that I used to go to in Greenwich before the Battenkill Y but then the YMCA took the other place out.

I want to get more strength and get bigger in size. I think benching, deadlifting and squatting will all help me greatly. Free weights is definitely the way to go… fuck the machines. When I first started lifting, I started out using machines then I made my way to barbells and dumbbells which is what I prefer more.

Kev

A lot of people assume that dead-lifting is a dangerous workout; mostly people who don’t workout or newbies believe that. Dead-lifting is not dangerous at all… as long as you do them correctly and responsibly, dead-lifts can be very easy and safe. I think dead-lift is the easiest workout in the gym ’cause all you do is pick the bar up off the floor, that’s it!

A lot of people are scared to do dead-lifts for whatever reason even I’m guilty of that admittedly. Doing my very first powerlifting competition in dead-lifting gave me a lot more confidence in dead-lift and I’m going to stick with dead-lift for a pretty long time… probably for the rest of my life.

Dead-lifting can have many great benefits like if you want sexy legs and a sexy ass, the dead-lift will do that to ya. Dead-lift can also reduce and prevent lower back pain. The dead-lift can be VERY GOOD for the back. It’s not bad for the back like some assume. Dead-lift not only works out the lower body, it can workout the entire body pretty much. It can also be the best fat burner exercise too.

The dead-lift can also help you in real-life situations outside of the gym for example you can help people move heavy furniture, do heavy lifting at your job and things thing like that.

Check out this interesting article here:

http://www.justinkavanaghfitness.com/20-benefits-of-deadlifts-you-probably-never-knew/

Some people will get all worried and stuff about you dead-lifting when they shouldn’t. Dead-lifting is the most easiest and safest workout there is, in my opinion.

Another great benefit that the dead-lift can give ya is that it helps give you more strength for other workouts too for example the bench press and squats. Doing dead-lift could help you bench and squat a little heavier the same for every other exercise in the gym.

Dead-lifting is also the best stress reliever exercise there is, in my opinion. For some reason, each time I dead-lift, I feel real good after that. It does make you a happier person and helps gets things off of your system.

You guys out there want to look great wearing tight jeans and attract the ladies, the dead-lift will do that. You want to look sexy wearing nothing but underwear or boxer shorts… again, the dead-lift. That’s another reason why I want to get into dead-lifting and squatting full-time so I can improve my lower body.

I’m sure bench press and squats have some great benefits too and I’m about to look them up.

Kev

Just hit the gym first thing early this morning to get back day out of the way. That means it’s dead-lifting day ’cause I do dead-lifting on back day. Here is me in my latest dead-lifting video attempting to do a 200 lbs. dead-lift which was a success as you can see. I thought to myself, “As long as I can dead-lift 190 lbs. easily then why not add another ten?”. So I did just that and it was a piece of cake.

I did pretty good in the form in this one except I could keep the bar a little straighter but other than that, pretty damn good

I’m gonna stick with 200 lbs. as my personal record for a while. Not gonna go above that for a long while. That felt pretty damn good, though.

I never thought I would be a 200 lb. lifter but ya never know, just gotta give it a try. If you can’t lift a heavy dead-lift then don’t do it. That’s gonna be my rule in power-lifting, same for bench and squats.

For bench and squats, I can’t do 200 lbs. yet but gonna make my way there but very slowly. Don’t wanna rush.

Kev

Earlier this morning at the gym was chest day and I mostly did barbell work for chest. For bench press, I did 70 lbs. for 3 sets and 8 reps each and did one more set for 95 lbs. and one rep. Then I did incline bench for 30 lbs. for 4 sets and 12 reps each. For the bench, I’m training for powerlifting meets and trying to build more strength so to build more strength on that, I just do 3 sets of regular lifting and do 1 rep of heavy lifting to see what my latest personal record is. For now I’m going to stick with 95 lbs. on the bench for a bit before I hit the big 100. I tried the big 100 lbs. just last week but failed that rep so I got a little more work to do. Maybe I’ll try the 100 lbs. next week. I’ll give it a go.

I am liking benching more and more. It’s not that bad really. My goal one day is to hopefully become a super heavy lifter but I’m not gonna rush and take my slow time. That’s how you wanna do it, ya know? So many guys in the gym are in such a rush to lift heavy when they shouldn’t. I know you guys wanna feel tough and feel strong in the gym but you could risk injury the more your ego gets so big.

Next week, I’m going to do something a little different when benching. I’m going to start doing 5 sets of benching every week. First four sets will be regular bodybulding lifts and the final set will be 1 heavy one for powerlifting. That’s how I’m going to do things every week from now on. That’ll be my secret for building strength. Benching is pretty awesome ’cause I do notice more strength the more I do it. If I want to get bigger chest results then bench is the probably the best way to go. If I want to get big pecs like Arnold’s earlier days and pecs like those wrestlers you see on TV, I should stick with benching full time. Yeah, I really want a big muscular look. Get big like those dudes you see in action movies and in pro wrestling. A lot of people think it’s impossible to get that look without steroids but I disagree. It is definitely possible to get that look naturally. As long as you work hard (meaning work out with extreme intensity), eat right, don’t give up… you can easily get a body like Hulk Hogan, Dave Bautista and even Brock Lesnar. That’s the kind of look I’m trying to go for. I feel like I already got that look sort of but I got lots of work to do still. I like what I see so far, though.

It’s part of why I got into powerlifting ’cause it can be pretty useful for my regular bodybuilding too. As far as weightlifting  goes, will I get into Olympic lifting? Ya know, the clean and jerk movement they do? No way.  I don’t think I’ll ever do the Olympic clean and jerk lift. I’m just gonna stick with bench, deadlift and squat. I’m gonna stick with powerlifting, not Olympic lifting ’cause I never want to be an Olympic lifter.

It’s funny ’cause I was never meant to become a powerlifter at all but what changed you ask? Well, I have a few friends that do powerlifting meets and they’re always posting live facebook videos of their meets so that got me interested in giving it a try so those friends of mine ended up asking me to be a part of a powerlifting meet which was how I was able to do that one in Albany. That’s how I got into powerlifting. A few friends of mine talked me into it was pretty much how. I’ve gotten into really liking it a lot so I’m sticking with it. Gonna do both bodybuilding and powerlifting.

In the past, I never really cared how much I could bench or how much weights I could lift. I just wanted to get muscular and get in shape but I guess it is important for me to find out what my personal records are. Now I am curious of how heavy I can lift. You see, I can’t tell my own strength and now powerlifting will help me be able to tell how strong I actually am.

Last time I deadlifted in the gym was a big 180 lbs and tomorrow I’m going to go for a big 190. I think I’ll film myself doing it too.

Back to benching, it is awesome and it’s a real challenge for sure. I actually don’t need a spotter at the gym for benching ’cause the bench there has spotter arms on the sides of them so I’m all good doing bench by myself at the gym.

Kev