SATURDAY PM
Power Snatch 65,75,85,95x3 rusty
A) SSB Squat: 275,295,315,325x3 PR
B) Ab/Ad Band Goblet Squats: (50,75,110+Mini)x12
C) GHR: BWx4x10
Fast paced at Hobart.
SUNDAY PM
A) DE Bench: (60%) 175x12x3
B) HS Iso Row: (115/side)x4x10-12
C) Close Grip Bench: 175x15,10
D) Supinated Band Pullapart: (Mini)x2x25
E) DB Pullover-Extension: 60x15,12,12
F) DB Pinwheel Curl: 40,50x10
Four weeks before transitioning to THE CUBE
MONDAY PM
Broad Jump 3x4
A) DE Squat (Free): (60%/215+80 chain)x10x2
B) DE Pull: (60%/305)x8x1
C) SSB Forward Lunge: 150x3x6/side
D) Standing Ab Wheel to Wall: x8, 3x6 working out further each set
60 second rests on DE work. Explosiveness was fucking awesome today despite the busy weekend.
TUESDAY PM
Scap Floor Slides/Band Wall Slides
A) Weighted Pullup (Medium Neutral): (+35)x7,6
B) Deadstop One Arm DB Row: 120x2x8/side
C) Seated Cable Row (Medium Neutral): 150x2x8
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 135x2x8
E) Barbell Curl Against Rack: 75x2x8
Kayak Rows 3x15
Taco Bell’s Steak Cantina Burrito is actually pretty awesome.
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press
A) Fat Bastard Pin Press: 255,265,275,285,295x1 PR (5 ct pause on pins)
B1) Wide Blast Strap Inverted Row: 3x8 paused
B2) Incline Bench Press: 185x4x5
C1) Barbell Shrug: 315x3x12
C2) JM Press to Pins: 95,115,135x8
D) Prone Lateral Raise: 30x2x15
Extra: Band Pushdown, Supersuck Band Pullapart, 4-Way Neck
Pin Press was a 10 lb PR over regular bar and equal to my best bench.
FRIDAY PM
Seated Vertical Jumps 20x5x2
A) Block Pull: 455,475,495,505,515x1 PR
B) Sumo Pull from Blocks: 315x2x8
C) GCB Good Morning: 165x3x8
D) Wide Stance Anti-rotation Chop: 60x3x8/side
The blocks that I’m referring to are aerobic platforms, which I believe are 3.5 or 4 inches?
Time will tell if the pulls have decent carryover to my regular deadlift or not. They seemed easier than a mid shin rack pull from the same height. Sumo pulls will definitely serve as good wide stance posterior chain assistance.
The wide stance chops come from a bit of a tinfoil hat theory by a few coaches that seems to make sense - working on stability in a wide stance at the same time you are reinforcing mobility will cause greater flexibility gains than the same program without them.
SATURDAY AM
A) DE Bench w/Chains: (50%/150+40C)x10x3
B1) Fat Bar Close Grip: 205x8,8,6
B2) Chest Supported DB Row: 65x4x10
C1) Fat Bar Zydrunas Press: 85x2x8
C2) Hand Over Hand Prowler Pull: (45,70/side)x50 feet
Battle Ropes (:20/:40)x5
Quick and exhausting. That Z-Press and Hand Over Hand Pull superset is a straight up murderer.
Close grip has come a long ass way from the beginning. I can remember when I had difficulty with 95 pounds.
MONDAY PM
KJ to BJ 4x4 much better this week
A) DE Squat w/Chains: (55%/235+80C)x10x2
B) DE Pull: (65%/335)x8x1
C) SSB Split Squat: 160x3x6/side
D) Standing Ab Wheel to Wall: BWx8,3x6
Lower back is still absolutely thrashed from Friday which held the ab wheels back a bit. Despite that my squat and jump explosiveness has never been better. I moved my low bar position down a little bit more to my spine of scapula and it felt amazing.
TUESDAY AM
Scap Floor Slide/Band Spider Crawl
A) Weighted Pullup (Medium Neutral): (+35)x7,6
B) Kayak Rows: 60,70x8
C) Seated Cable Row (Medium Neutral): 150x2x10
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 135x2x10
E) Barbell Curl Against Rack: 75x2x10
Tweaked my oblique something nasty on the ab wheels yesterday so DB Rows were out for today (I could feel it even with 60 lbs). Right pec/subscap has been unpleasant too so I’m hopefully going to get some ART today.
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press 55 hold, 35x8
A) Pause Bench Press: 275x3x1
B) Fat Rope Inverted Row: BWx10,8,8
C) Incline Bench Press: 185x6,6,8
D1) Prone KB Shrug: 55x4x15
D2) JM Press to Pins: 95,115x8,135x10
Battle Ropes (Total Body Slams): 5x(:20/:40)
Plan was to work up to a 1RM on Reverse Band Bench only to find that the racks weren’t tall enough. Oh well.
Prone shrugs are amazing.
Going five days a week because of SAT/SUN drill, deal with it.
THURSDAY AM
Band Squat Pulldowns (might be useful), Bench Vertical Jumps BW,10,15,20,25x3
A) Reverse Band (Light) Squat: 405,425,435,445,455x1 PR
B) Sumo Pull from Blocks: 325x2x8
C) GCB Good Morning: 175x3x8
D) Wide Stance Anti-rotation Chop: 60x8,70x2x8/side
Definitely was expecting to be a bit stronger with the Reverse Bands but the top end is my weak point. Still very good reps and transition out of the hole.
FRIDAY PM
A) DE Pause Bench: (55%/165)x8x3
B1) Chest Supported DB Row: 40,60x10,80x2x8
B2) Close Grip Bench: 225x2x5
C1) Band Pushdown: (Light)x100 reps
C2) Supinated Band Pullapart: (Mini)x100 reps
Five days is a row is not very conducive for training motivation.
MONDAY PM
KJ to BJ 3x4 better this week
A) DE Squat: 80%/340x2, 60%/255x6x2
B) SSB Split Squat: 170x3x6/side
C) Dynamic Iso Ab Wheel: BWx3x6 (3 second pause in 3 positions)
Extra: Leg Extension 50x2x20, KB Swing 55x40 reps in 1:25
Speed and set up are good, I’m feeling confident.
The dynamic iso ab wheels are the definition of suck. Goddamn.
TUESDAY AM
A) Weighted Pullup (Medium Neutral): (+35)x2x7 rough
B) Kayak Rows: 60,80,90x6
C) Seated Cable Row (Close Neutral): 165x2x8
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 150x2x8
E) Barbell Curl Against Rack: 80x10,8
The stretch marks on my lats are getting outlandish and I have only the Spud Strap Pulldowns to thank.
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press 45x5, 35x13
A) Pause Bench Press (5ct): 225x3x1
B1) Fat Rope Elevated Inverted Row: BWx10,9,6 grip
B2) Incline Bench Press: 185x3x7
C) Prone DB Shrug: 60x2x15
D) Prone DB Lateral Raise: 40x2x15
Extra: Band Pushdowns 75 reps, Supersuck Band Pullaparts 40 reps, Lying External Rotations 30 reps
Battle Ropes (Double Waves): 6x(:15/:45)
I guess yesterday’s didn’t post? Hmmm.
FRIDAY PM
Concentric Vertical Jumps 3x3
A) Deadlift: 405x2 (DOH PR), (60%/355)x6x1
B) Sumo DL from Blocks: 335x8 easy
C) GCB Good Morning: 185x2x8
SATURDAY AM
Body Clap Pushups 3x3
A) Supinated Band Pullapart/Face Pull w/ER: Mini/Micro x 50 each
B) Hand Over Hand Prowler Pull: 45x1, 70/side x 2
C) Band Pushdown: Light x 100 reps
Battle Ropes (Alternating Waves): 6x(:15/:45)
Women’s Lax took over the gym so no opportunity to get a barbell in my hands. No problem.
MONDAY PM
KJ to BJ 3x2
A) Backward/Forward Sled Pull and Prowler Push: 70/side x 3 sets each
B) Chain Lunge: +20C
C) Dynamic Iso Ab Wheel: 7,6,6
Extra: Leg Extension/Leg Curl 55x2x20
Deloaaaaaad
TUESDAY PM
A) Sled Press/Row: (45/side)x3 trips each
B1) Band Pushdown: (Light)x100 reps
B2) Sled Face Pull: (45/side)x3
C) DB Lateral Raise: 20x2x15
D) Band Face Pull ER Iso Hold: (Micro)x2x(:30)
Easy
A WILD MEET APPEARS
2013 Ultimate IPA Powerlifting @ Ultimate Athletics in Ithaca, NY
Went 9 for 9 at 220 for a 1240 total.
My confidence was not very high going into this based on my disastrous max day with my fresh hip incisions from my heart surgery at the end of January. Everything seemed to come together once the lifting started though.
Squat - 365, 405, 430 (all time PR)
My warmup went merely ok - dynamic warmup, 45-315x1 in 45 and quarter jumps. This was the first time I’ve ever squatted without a mirror so I had to rely on some different cues. 365 and 405 were fine but nothing special, but they did increase my confidence a lot which was my intent. 430 just flew up, 450 would have easily been in the cards. I got a lot of compliments on my technique and a couple “too lows” haha. I believe this was the third highest no knee wrap squat of the meet? The IPA allows knee wraps in the raw division so it’s just bragging rights but I thought that was kind of cool.
Bench - 255, 275, 285 (meet PR)
It took about three hours to get through all the squatters (some recincarnated Viking of a gentleman who I found out later was Bill Crawford squatted 915 and there were some 550-650+ raw squats) so I started warming up once second attempts started on the first flight of bench. I felt 100% rested in the upper body so I knew it was going to go well. Dynamic warmup, 95-135-185-225 on the bar plus some clap pushups to keep warmed up and I was good to go. 255 and 275 were great, the pause was very reasonable and you couldn’t ask for a better bench. Ego was yelling in my head to choose 300 for an all time bench PR but I thought 285 would be the wiser choice, and still a pause bench PR. This was the right decision because I had a nice grinding battle with 285 but it still went up very clean.
Deadlift - 455, 500, 525 (all time PR)
Bench took even longer as usual because of the number of bench only lifters who jumped in. I don’t recall what the best raw benches were but Crawford benched 825 equipped which broke the IPA WR in the master’s division. I was 6/6 at this point and really eager to see what I could pull on an actual deadlift bar. I towards the end of the second flight so I had a little extra time to warmup. Dynamic, 135-225-315-405 on the bar very fast and some kneeling and broad jumps. I actually warmed up a little too quickly I think and had lots of time to watch the lifters before me. 455 and 500 were easy lifts so I knew I had to pick wisely on my third. Once again ego was screaming at me to go for the 540 because of the nice round numbers but I also liked the sound of 525. It was a great choice, not the worst grind I’ve ever done but still a nice one. I think 535 might have been doable but 540 a shot in the dark. The third flight was intense with many 600+ pulls. One guy whose name sadly escapes me drove up all the way from NYC just to compete, he ended up pulling 850 raw @ 242. Just plain awesome.
It was a great experience overall, the polar opposite of the Push/Pull that I did my junior year of college. This was during my most intense phase of ROTC where I was getting 4-5 hours of sleep every night, running 4 days a week, ruck marching 2.5 hours another day and doing a retarded lifting program designed by one of the MS4s at PT with 20+ sets to failure every session. I went into the meet having had to bench the day before, no rest at all and ended up benching 195 and pulling 365 and missing all of my other attempts because I wanted “the experience”. It was terrible and put me off from competing for years. It was very gratifying to come here and have no fewer than 3 people tell me what an awesome lifter I was and how much they would enjoy seeing me next time.
Props to the IPA for putting on such an awesome meet, Ultimate Athletics for hosting it and James Howell for letting me jump in only two weeks out. Steve ended up totaling 1000 @ 148 and Alex broke 1600 @ 242 so it was a good show all around. I got a sweet skull laden machete as a trophy for the junior amateur 220 class and I plan on making the October meet @ 198.
Holy crap,awesome log man! and the meet sounded awesome, will be following.