I do love the comradery of competing in person etc. That is awesome. At the same time there isnt any body in my country I am really competing with. Mostly because I just dont care but also of the 3-5 people stronger than me in this country only 1 is in my class. The rest are all heavier and/or wrapped.
That and my experiences with meets has soured my opinion of meets. Even top ones that I watch on Stream I am like WTF sometimes.
The 2 that I have been to were ran poorly. The Local meet was actually ran better than the WPC Nationals where it started 4 hours late and we had 30 minutes between Squat attempts because people were having their name called THEN they start wrapping (I know that isnt the wraps fault but it is another reason I am not a fan of wraps LOL). There were a ton of other issues with that meet.
Then you have the expenses (travel, fees etc) for 0 cash prizes makes it just seem like a money grab to have somebody āvalidateā your lifts. I really dont need that.
The really cool thing about Powerlifting is it is one of the few sports you could do vs somebody in a completely different part of the planet. All this bullshit about āyou dont know what you could have totaled unless you were there in those circumstancesā is just that, bullshit. Poorly ran meets, bad equipment and bad officiating shouldnt be a factor. Its like saying āOh in Utah the Baskets are half the normal size so we all shot half our normal shooting percentageā. You wouldnt do that.
Honorable mention to baseball one of the coolest things about that sport is that the ballparks are all different giving different advantages here and there.
Pretty Annoying
Beltless Deads
1s at 405-495-545
Comp Squat
1s at 405-495-525
Pullups
Barbell Rows
Axle Iso Holds
Gorilla Iso Holds
Grip broke again in my right hand. I legit think it is because of the lotion and oil use of my household. THEY USE SO MUCH and it gets everywhere. Coconut butter and Olive oil in their hair and everywhere else. Then actual lotion. I think they need an intervention. I grabbed the door handle to leave the house and it slipped through my right hand. Same hand the grip broke with.
Either way not sure if Axle or Gorilla is the way to go so I am going to do both. I will also start sinking my thumb in more.
Really no idea what is going on with deads. It isnt fatigue/drugs or whatever other environmental issues as I hit a real smooth Squat single AFTER deads.
I will give the current plan another 3 weeks but I might have to move Deads to once a week for progress.
Week 3 (this week): All Deads Beltless
Week 4: Repeat Week 4
Week 5: Add belt for Heavy singles
Week 6: Repeat week 5
If after that my deadlift isnt responding I will just combine the 2 Dead days into 1 day.
OK Off to do some Tandem Cardio. THen nap, then work, then videio games.
You make some good points, the bullshit going on in some meets and some feds makes competing seem much less appealing.
I never even went out of town for a meet yet, I was going to go to one in Kingston which is about 1 1/2 hour from here but it got cancelled due to the COVID bullshit. I agree that itās not really worth travelling out of town for most people. Unless you are trying to win a significant prize, set a record (one that actually counts for something), or qualify for a bigger meet, it is kind of a wast of money and worse if the meet sucks. I was hesitating to sign up for the Kingston meet for the same reasons, but it was either go out of town or do a local IPF-affiliated meet and Iām not about to do that.
I totally agree, whatās the point in having records or qualifying standards if the meets arenāt all run at the same standard? At a lot of the IPF-affiliated meets they pull some bullshit like switching the flights around at the last minute, the last one I did that happened and I had maybe 20 minutes until my squat opener and I didnāt even have my singlet on yet, plus they said it was too late to change openers. I considered just walking out. Another guy there was telling me that at another meet he got screwed over like that and only had time for 2 or 3 warmup sets, he wasnāt lifting much but imagine you were opening with 600 and that happened, good chance you will get injured. And of course the judges tell you some bullshit about āitās your responsibilityā, like you should be honored that they let you compete in their meet.
I would most likely do a local meet because I wouldnt have to travel and I would have 0 expectations of how it was ran. That probably just isnt happening though.
Yea nightmare scenario. They dont realize that shit ruins it for so many.
Cringe, pay dues, frees travel and be honored with 0 cash prizes LOL ugh
AM Weight: 101.7kg Very happy with that. I dont look sloppy and my belt was on the 4th notch so going from Jan to now I gained 1.7kg but am significantly leaner.
Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes (or you know, legs)
RDL at BW
Comp Squat
2x2 at 525
Axle Deads - Double Overhand
10 at 90-180
5-1 at 270
Pullups
Barbell Curls
LOL Grip is super important. So that last set of Axle Deads I missed my first rep. It wasnt exactly because I couldnt hold on to the bar but it felt so heavy it shocked my body into not lifting it. I refocused though and did get a good iso hold out of it.
Squats felt a smidge heavy. I have already adjusted next weeks workout because what I scripted would probably be RPE suicide.
And in mixed bag news there is a good chance that our family has Covid. The upside to this is that none of our symptoms are life threatening (yet, but it has been about a week) so hopefully we are the lucky percentage that this isnt super serious for. My Wife included. The one that got hit the worst (so far) is Mi Hermanita and she should have been the least likely.
In other mixed bag news gyms are supposedly opening next Monday. They have to be checked out which is happening 1 at a time so we minds well say they arent opening yet. I am also not sure if I will go immediately back. I really want to train in a better spot but I have no idea what the scenario will be.
False alarm on the Covid so thats good news!! I mean sort of. If we got it and thats all it was for us then we are most likely safe and done with it. The way Torreon is going pretty sure the entire city will get it. I would rather get it and be done with it.
AM Weight 102.65kg And a bit fat. Diet starts nowish. Minus my Churro and Cajeta Ice Cream!!! Also a cheat on Sunday for Daddyās day.
Boobies
Comp Bench
3s at 315-335-350
Board Press
8 at 260
Skull Crushers
Crunches
OK done with work so yea, gonna fk off and eat all day.
Churro and Cajeta Ice Cream Sunday Review: FAIL Flavor was great. So I let it freeze over night and the churros got really hard and lost all their flavor. If you do this build it and eat it at the same time. I would have but it got very melty and wasnt even ice cream anymore so I had to freeze it. Also add Chocolate Sauce, store was out so I didnt but it is a great touch.
I would say that Cinnamon Toast Crunch subbed for churros is better. You can freeze it and the texture should be awesome (crunch and chewy) with the same flavor.
Deads
Beltless Deads
5x1 at 425
Comp Squat
1s to 405
Axle Holds
Pullups
Barbell Curls
Lol my grip. Today I noticed that my index finger on my right hand was barely touching my thumb (even after making it a point to grab the bar). That would definitely cause the grip to slip/break. So I have gone back to how I use to leave it low in fingers but now am actually gripping with my index finger too. Hope that helps but we arenāt stopping the grip gain train either. I was actually doing this on the axle too so itās like my index finger wasnāt doing anything until it absolutely had to.
Ok gonna go get some vitamin D and electrolyte cycle for life balance. #stayhome ā¦but at the beach.
AM Weight: 103.85kg LOL WOW I didnt feel that fat until I srtarted drinking water and it was like a sponge. Diet is back on.
Boobies
Comp Bench
1s at 140-165-180kg
Board Press
7 at 140kg
Skull Crushers
Crunches
Whole workout took under 30 minutes. I spent more time trying (and failing) to teach my dad how to send an email from his phone. Top set didnt feel heavy but it was slow AF. Any who, maintaining 90% through this time of TRT and shit hydration choices is pretty good.
Technology Should have to pass the Parent Test. If your parents cant use it, then its shit technology. The whole point of technology is to simplify a life, not complicate it.
AM Weight: 103.85kg and woke up hungry for the first ever while being over 100kg (probably). I think thats a sign I am growing into this weightā¦and hoefully not just being a fat ass. Belt was on 3.5th hole too so thats not terrible. I am back on bikini prep starting today though.
Hamstrings
Beltless Deads
1s to 495-545
Comp Squat
1s to 405
Axle Deads
1 ish at 310
5 ish at 270
Pullups
Barbell Curls
I really wanted 585 but I really didnt earn it with all the drinking. Its hard to give an honest critique of this program because of that. That 545 was easier than last weeks though.
And with this workout I am done with the Beltless Deads.
New program starts Monday. I will probably have a goof off dead workout later this week then get back at it.
New program is pretty much set and scripted just not sure exactly what to do with Squats.
AM Weight: 101.75kg Day 2 of the diet and I am already getting hypoglycemic. Thats a PR. I am feeling a ton harder today though which is awesome.
New Program: Seriously Deadlift Focused (this time)
I really dont think Squats have much of a negative impact on Deads but at the same time if this doesnt get my Deadlift moving then nothing will.
Finally going to take advantage of the gym being open 7 days a week. So 3 day rotating split. I will take an extra day when needed.
Deads: Main/Singles work is comp specific. Max Sets are beltless and touch and go. I want to go back to TnG as I think the eccentric is really good at building the Upper Back and Jessica Buetner said that so that got me back on the TnG train. Anytime I feel rough I will do the ~5*1 with ~455 and the Targeted single gets bumped to next workout.
Bench: 3 or 5 working sets not sure (probably 3). Starting with with 5 reps and if I dont get an extra 3 reps on the last set I lower reps next workout. Board Press
Squats: Just there as support to Deads. I figure beltless is the way to go to build that coreā¦and help limit weight.
GOALS:
Get at least a 600+ dead.
Survive.
If it goes well I will move Deads to once a week and Bring back Squats 3x a Week.
AM Weight: 102.75kg feel good,feel harder, look worse as the glycogen goes.
Dead Workout #1
RDLs at BW 3x5
Comp Deads
1 at 405-495
Beltless Touch n GO Deads
2x10 at 315
High Bar Squats No Belt No Sleeves
10 at 225
Gorilla Holds
3x10 seconds at 315
Crunches
Back was lit after deads so Squats didnt go great. Going with Gorilla holds as I think that will have more direct carry over than Axle Holds. Went back to sinking my thumbs deeper and that felt a lot more solid but pretty sure calous tears are in my futureā¦or maybe not as I wont be doing reps with Hook.
Back Up Plans: My original plans.were to bail on PLing if my Deads dont pick up but I was looking through my old sheets and when my Dead miraculously went from 635ish to 675ish I was doing almost no singles, chronically missing deadlift sessions and the ones I did hit here AMRAPs with straps in the 6-15 rep range. So if this isnt working I will drop all singles. The issue will be maintaining my Hook grip but that wasnt a problem then and I really think its mostly technique issues from my fat thumbs.
Bench WO#1
Comp Bench
5-5-8 at 275
Board Press
10 at 225
Pullups ish
Barbell Rows
Barbell Curls
Planks 60-40-40 seconds
Going with 3 working Sets. Pullups sucked. Bench wasnt great. Just 8 reps on my AMRAP is kind of sad. Also delt felt like shit.
Plank Bet My wife bet me I couldnt do a plank for longer than her but her mistake was giving me 2 weeks to prepare because I have never really done them and she does them all the time. We havent set stakes yet (but hopefully soon). Strong chance I quit this though because getting onto and off the floor is the hardest part and all that pressure on my toes hurts kind of bad.
Dead adjsutments: Dropping all singles. I am just going to keep working those AMRAPs for a while then as it gets heavier I will taper frequency.
AM Weight: 102.85 #fkoff LOL yea no i deserved that. My new diet is super teen idiot (but effective). I am having a normal breakfast then my next 4 meals are chicken sandwiches. Just chicken and bread. I add ketchup post workout and the other 3 are either dry or with low calorie hot sauce.
Cardio and Abs
Deads TnG No Belt
2x10 at 345
High Bar Squats No Belt
Pause 1s at 315-405-435
2x10 at 225
Grip Crushers
Iso Holds (gorilla then 2 mixed)
Very happy with that. Volume capacity got better way fast. Back was lit AF after those Squats though.
AM Weight 102.3kg Gyno almost gone. BF% seems to be the major factor right now so if I get that down I should be good. Hormones are balancing too after the Tren shut me down. I also have acne which is usually a sign of high estrogen for me (or Masteron).
āArmsā as my wife calls any upper body movement LOL
Comp Bench
4-4-10 at 285
Board Press
10 at 235
Pullups 3x5
Barbell Row 10s to 2x10 at 155
Barbell Curls
Lateral Raises
Plank 1 for 90 seconds
I am going to rebuild my Barbell Row from the ground up.
Diet/Weight: Been bouncing around the 99-102 mark but with the cancellation of weekends for a while I am going to look to get that down to 97ish. I have been having a big carby fatty breakfast, going to the gym, then cutting carbs the rest of the day. Its working really well.
Program: Lower Upper Rest repeat. No Belt. I am trying a couple new things. Alternating Bench with Board Press each workout (until the end). Relying on AMRAPs to train Squats and Deadlift (not new but havent ran it like that in a while).
Progress: Ok so the grey blocks have yet to be done. As you can see some adjustments have been made and I guess this would be Phase 2 starting now.
Goals: Beltless Total of 1550+ (550-425-585). I figure if I get 2-3 reps on my last AMRAPs that should be in the bag. I think I should be able to get more than that on Squats and Deads.
OK Work has been going well and Wifey life too. I have been pretty stressed for money lately but funny story I made an accounting error and we had some extra funds so that was an awesome surprise. Wifey gettin her hair did LOL.
Pretty fkn pissed. This gym has a few great qualities. Like, its open. It has AC and I can pick the music usually. After that this place fkn sucks. Most days I come in and their are plates and what ever other shit everywhere. Then everything in the gym is set up to either destroy barbells or help the owner look a little stronger. Well today I tripped over the Squat safeties which the only reason to have them that low would be for destroying barbells, I mean rack pulls. And yes all of his barbells are bent. Every single one. So yea sprained my wrist. Not sure how bad it is but typing sucks and also scraped my shin real bad but that is superficial. I just wont shower for a few days. OK End rant.
Other than that Training has been going great. Knocked out a couple more workouts and a day early. Although I think that day will be spent on getting my wrist healthy.
Work has been going great. Best month since December and aside from a freeroll today I will be taking the rest of the weekend off to play Doom 64 and/or GTA Vice City if my hand allows.
DIet: Been pretty solid and my weight has now been under 101kg for 5 straight days. The down side is the amount of food I am going to be able to eat to keep getting leaner is not a lot. My body is pretty fkn stubborn.
Squat / Deadlift / Bench / Board Press
My hand is really starting to hurt now. So we will see what I can do over the next few days but some things might be getting changed.
On a funny note My mother in law bought my Wife and her Sister matching PJs. I mistake them sometimes in unmatching clothes. Pinching the wrong booty is only a matter of timeā¦and marriage counceling.
LOL No jking I can pick out my wifeās booty from the Moon.
OK after a few days off the wagon, or on it. Whichever is the traditionally bad one. I am back on the wagon? I am eating right and training. Joined Nexgym today. Music didnt suck, it was empty (so they dont care about how long you stay) and they lowered their prices.
AM Weight last 2 days was 103.7kg I ate very little yesterday but pretty sure that is still leftover food from Tuesday.
Today I did a Bro Leg workout. My hand is probably about 50% so I should be good to train Deads, Back and Leg Machinesā¦and with any luck Biceps. Mobility just started to come back so maybe next week Squats and Bench will be on the table.
I hope to run this for 4 Weeks and then make some harder decisions. Its some PLing but a lot of Hypertrophy work. Obv skipping the shit my hand wont let me do.
Powerlifting: I went through and found what I did on Deads to get them to their best a few years ago. So I will try that again. It was really only a 5 week prep. Bench and Squats I think I have figured out. Although going through that old program I did see what went wrong there with Squats.
OK Work is done time to play video games for as long as my thumb allows.
I really dislike this exercise too. I was doing them as programmed by my coach in my home gym during lock down. I put padding on the safeties, but still lowered my bar far slower than I preferred.
If you have blocks, there is no reason to do a rack pull IMO.
