I’m competing for the first time in a multiply meet this coming april. Today was my first workout of the cycle and it broke down like this.
Shirted bench-1 board
315x4x3
345x2x2
Tricep Rollouts
FacePulls
Snatch Grip Shrugs
Standing Abs
I’ll post my plans and goals in my next post.
So here’s the plan. Depending how my weight fluctuates, i will either compete at 198 or 181. I’m about 200 pounds right now. I have all my training written out for the next 20 weeks. I’m looking to go 600/400/550.
My best lifts are a 445 raw squat, 475 raw dead, and a 365 shirted bench. I’m getting into my briefs and a mono for the first time this weekend. During the week i lift at school.
Sunday i drive to lift with my training partner at a small garage gym. The guys there include a number of elites and one really well known lifter. i dont want to name drop. They know what theyre doing and i’m determined to have a great training cycle. my training will consist of a lot of heavy triples and doubles in varying amounts of gear. I will deload by feel as i need as much time in the gear as possible. I will only be pulling from the floor every few weeks as my back is still healing up. Looking forward to getting going!
Lower Accessory work
Got in early this morning and worked out with one of my old wrestling teammates. Gonna really focus on the hamstrings and the quads with my accessory work.
Zercher Squats- Normally these would be front squats but benching yesterday aggravated the wrists a little.
4x10 ramp weight
Pulls Throughs
Hamstring Curls
Standing Pulldown Abs
Russian Barbell Twists
Off tomorrow, Thursday is Accessory Upper then squatting Sunday.
Accessory Upper
Flat DB Press
Rollout extensions
Front Raises
Neutral Grip Pull downs
DB rows
Direct bicep work
Heavy standing abs
Going to really focus on getting my ab and core strength in to be ready to handle the heavier loads in full gear. Ab work will be done at every workout except for my shirt workouts.
Squat/DL work
Today was my first day in my 2ply briefs and it was a good time. The plan was to hit a triple at 500 with my best raw squat being 445. I warmed up to a triple at 325 then put on the briefs. Took a few sets at 325 then it broke down as such.
405x2x3
455x2x3
505x1x2
It worked out pretty well, my last set at 505 was solid. Both reps sunk deep and it felt like i was waiting all day for the up call. The first one came up quick, the second rep my knees came forward and i forced it up. Worked the DL in briefs too.
DL in briefs
225x2x3
315x1x2
405x4x1
I dont think i will pull in briefs, it doesnt feel right. will most likely pull in just the squatter or a DL suit if i can afford one before the spring.
GHR
Standing abs
I had a terrible fucking upper session last night. I dont think i should have squatted heavy in briefs then shirted up the next day but i had to due to scheduling issues. I was all over the place. COuldnt get the bar in the right place. Thinking about taking boards out of my cycle completely just because i feel like my stroke changes to accommodate the board. will wait for another session before i decide.
[quote]bjjwannabe152 wrote:
I had a terrible fucking upper session last night. I dont think i should have squatted heavy in briefs then shirted up the next day but i had to due to scheduling issues. I was all over the place. COuldnt get the bar in the right place. Thinking about taking boards out of my cycle completely just because i feel like my stroke changes to accommodate the board. will wait for another session before i decide.[/quote]
Brady Stewart has some interesting ideas about bench training:
Error.
He does NOT believe in benching in the shirt while using boards. He has similar reasoning as you.
[quote]mrodock wrote:
[quote]bjjwannabe152 wrote:
I had a terrible fucking upper session last night. I dont think i should have squatted heavy in briefs then shirted up the next day but i had to due to scheduling issues. I was all over the place. COuldnt get the bar in the right place. Thinking about taking boards out of my cycle completely just because i feel like my stroke changes to accommodate the board. will wait for another session before i decide.[/quote]
Brady Stewart has some interesting ideas about bench training:
Error.
He does NOT believe in benching in the shirt while using boards. He has similar reasoning as you.[/quote]
Great link, thanks. Also, BJJ good luck. Training with a good crew is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle IMO.
I have two great partners here at school. and two of us travel 3 hours every sunday to train with a few REALLY good guys. the first time i went down i hit a huge bench pr. THe crappy thing is ill be squatting most of the time there to take advantage of the mono. We’ll be there more often in the spring but for now just once a week.
thanks for the link, mrodock. I can just feel the difference between boards. im taking it extra low, rolling the wrists back, not getting it done. I’ll most likely start going to the chest full time but only touching the top sets
man the last 5 days or so has kicked my ass sleep wise. ive bee taking much needed naps at 5pm, waking up at seven then being awake until the next morning working on finals and such. if i fall asleep tonight,
ill finish my accessory lower early tomorrow morning. Accessory upper the next day, squat in briefs saturday, fly home for break sunday. this week has been an absolute bitch. but ill deal.
One of my partners did a great job getting me out of my sleep funk and busting ass back in the gym. We did upper accessory work today.
Light incline presses-Just to kill time as the gym cleared out and to get some blood going.
DB presses
Decline Pullups/ Fatman pullups
V bar pulldowns
Tate presses on the floor using a barbell (these were great)
Reverse pecdeck
Some arm work for teh gunz. haha not really, just to fill out my benchshirt a little better.
Heavy Standing Abs
After we got our work in, we played around with some setups using the short bands. I saw how cheap they were and picked up some minis and some monster minis. We doubled them in the rack for rack pulls. There was good tension with the monsters but not quite enough with just the minis. Then we hooked them to dumbells to bench. Also tried a crazybell bench with hanging plates. that was cool as shit. Will work that into my accessory days.
Tomorrow, gonna get in, early afternoon after my final, and squat and pull in briefs. Looking to triple somewhere around 500 and continue to look for depth and breaking in the briefs. Last week i hit 505x2 so i will be looking for something similar, if not better as i get used to the briefs. Will pull for speed again.
Last night squatted in briefs, in a power rack, which means i walked it out which means my life sucked last night haha.
bar by a lot
135
225
315 (briefs on)
405
455
495
510
All were for doubles and the 510 felt great. we videoed it and it was pretty damn close to parallel. I pulled for speed after this but was having trouble with my belt and briefs. I was getting bound up and unable to drop my hips down. it was weird.
Probably had my best squat day since pre-injury. Met some great new training partners and learned a shitload. Still had to walk my weights out though haha. That blew.
Squat
bar x whatever
135x5
225x5
315x2x2
Briefs on for doubles
315
365
405
455
500
545x2+loose wraps
565x1+tight wraps
Had another one in the tank but lost my arch so i just racked it. Didn’t pull either, i was spent as shit. Will do some DL assistance work tomorrow. Did some ab work and tried to GHRs on the piece of shit they have at this gym but it didnt work out. Will be shirting up for triples on Wednesday
trained pretty much by myself last night. Did some raw pulling and benching. These guys im training with over break follow a sheiko-esque training scheme. Which is cool. I’ll roll with it.
Dl
Pulled a double at 405 raw and it felt crappy
Bench
225x2x5
My training was spotty this week but ill be banging out the accessory work over the next two days and ill really get after it there. Next week ill be hitting some more time in gear as everybody’s holiday schedules even out.
Training has been all over the place. Had a soso squat session by myself last week. A raw bench session. HOpeing to get some good solid work in today with partners. will see what happens.
Had a few great training sessions and a few crappy ones. mostly great. Ive hit a few easy doubles in briefs and a 565 in briefs and wraps. Did some pulling in suit bottoms to get a feel. taken 365 to the chest twice. BUT i’ve been noticing some elbow issues on the left one in the bottom of the bench. will see what happens. going back to pennsylvania in two weeks and the training kicks into high gear until april.
Finally back in the keystone state and its good to be here. Had a pretty good squat session yesterday. With green bands choked around the mono:
barx a lot
135x5
225x5
315x3 (briefs on)
405x3
455x1
455x1
500x1 (suit bottoms)
500x1
Take bands off
500x2
545x2
595x1
This was a lot more work than i had planned to do but after talking to some of the more experienced guys decided to take some straight weight in the gear because there was only about 50lbs of tension at the bottom. In the suit bottoms, my good sets were about 2 inches above parallel, the bad sets were sky high haha. the 595 was 2 inches so thats good. That was the first time in the suit and the pressure felt fine just need to let it stretch and such. Hitting 595 in bottoms without knee wraps felt good seeing that my original goal was 600 for this meet. GOing to bump that up to 650+.
GHR’s
Abs
Shirted bench workout
Worked up to a double at 365 that didnt touch but havent felt so in control of a weight in a shirt until tonight. Elbow pain is gone as well. The gym was closing up so will take care of the accessory work on friday. Planning on pulling in suit bottoms tomorrow.
Tried out my suit and briefs for the deadlift. Didn’t go well. I’m either going to pull raw or just in the squatter sans briefs.
Hit 4 doubles at 405 in the suit bottoms. Feels like crap. Wish I could still pull conventional.
Squatted at school today and took everything back intensity wise and worked on finding that magical key to hitting depth in gear. And I think I found it.
Barx a lot
135x2x5
225x5
315x2x3
Suit on (no briefs)
315x3x3 (depth!) The last set i put the straps up and still hit depth
Suit off-briefs on
405x4x2 (had depth calls the entire time)
DL-first time conventional since back injury
135x2x3
225x2x3
315x2x3
These actually felt pretty damn good but my setup and form were all over the place. Will start warming up conventional and see how that progresses over the next few weeks.
Lots of Ab work
The thing about finding depth today; I had always assumed i was forcing my knees out because they never caved in, geared or raw. What i didn’t realize was that in full gear and even just briefs that forcing your knees open to the point it feels like you’re going to roll your feet outward opens up your hips and groin and doesnt make you get bound up. It felt good to consistently hit depth over and over again. Next week Sunday, I’ll be in briefs and suit bottoms again and hope to find that depth again. Felt great though.