Wow that's great deal I would have jumped on that too just for the pull down.
I drilled holes in my old rack to raise up the height and it worked fine so you should not have any problems. I really liked having 8 45s too it made life easy to have extras.
Yah, the last two 45s were a bit of a caprice, since I could get there with two 25s, two 10s, and four 5s, which I need anyway if I want to be able to move up or down in 10-pound increments for the lighter lifts, but it's motivation now to help me get up to 405, and see those four plates lined up neatly on either side. The plates themselves are massive. I had forgotten how big Olympic plates are. One advantage is that my deadlifts are easier now, since I'm starting from a slightly higher bar height. I didn't get around to working out yesterday, since setting everything up took more time than I thought, but I'll try the deadlifts today. I wouldn't be surprised if the greater height allows me to bump up the weight by 20 pounds or so.
So anyway, got the holes drilled yesterday with my dad's drill press. Screwed up on one hole, which is a little out of alignment but it's in-between bench press and squat height so it should be OK. I also had to grind off part of the rack clips, which were absurdly long and would make me have to clear the bar about 3-4 inches off the rack. Now the clips are about flush with the top of the bar in the rack. I might also throw some 4x4s under the whole thing to elevate it so that the garage door can open all the way. Right now it only opens about five and a half feet high, which is OK, but it would be nice not to have to stoop. I also gotta get some bolts to make safety latches for the bench and squat. I think I can use the same height for both. Feels good to do some honest work with my hands.
I really like the extra floor space with this new set-up, and having it all clear in the middle. I got my dumbbells on one side and my plates and bars on the other. Still, I feel a little bit ambivalent about stacking my standard bar in the corner. That thing has served me well.
Got this for doing dips, arriving today hopefully:
I'll just hang it from my bar at squat height or so.
Sid, by the way, that power block looks awesome. A great space-saver. If I could afford it, I would get these:
http://www.powerblock.com/prod_homeuse_xxxl125.php; or these http://www.powerblock.com/prod_homeuse_xxxl175.php. But I don't have enough heavy dumbbell exercises in my repertoire to justify the expense, even if I had the dough. Just db rows and db bench presses. Sounds perfect for your program though.
Abide, I liked that article on quality versus quantity. And that PRISE mix seems about right. I really like doing sprints down on the local track. And I eat protein with every meal, that's for sure. Really helps keep my (mild) hypoglycemia at bay. The resistance + endurance training of course is what this thread is all about, and it seems like most of the active participants on this thread have concluded that the anti-stretching campaign is bogus. I can't believe how good my shoulder's been feeling since I started stretching it out more. I don't think it will ever be 100% normal again, but I can manage the issue this way.
Rippetoe's article on abs also seems correct to me, although I still like my crunches (lay down on the floor and then crunch into fetal position, with just your butt touching the floor), hanging leg raises, lifts, swings, and so on. Mobility exercises like mountain climber or donkey kick also work the abs. And doing kicks is also a great way to work the abs--because to kick the abs must contract, they're not used only isometrically. I like the do the knee kick in particular, as if you're kneeing someone in the face. But as some of the commentators point out, extreme ab work has been a no-no for quite some time. I think my older brother or someone told me 30 years ago not to lock the feet under something or have a spotter hold them down while doing sit-ups. And those Roman Chair sit-ups have received a lot of criticism.
Glad my proposed routine gave you some ideas for variation. I'm still not completely sold on the volume approach though. And it just seems hard mentally to keep doing the same set of squat, hinge, push, pull, and loaded carry over and over, even if you're varying the exercises. Also, if you focus on, say, deadlifts for 20 workouts, but then move on to another focus, don't you begin to lose whatever you gained on the deadlifts? Anyway, since I missed yesterday, I'll stick to my three-day "intensity+duration" routine this week and then maybe try your four-day "intensity+frequency" (volume) routine next week.
By the way, the guy I bought the Olympic plates from competes in strong man contests. He was working out with his buddies when I came by. Some serious lifters, very friendly. They liked the fact that an old guy like me was still going at it.