Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 2, Body/Bench Day
Bench (all paused)
bar, 10@65, 6@95, 6@105, 6@115, 4x6@120…paused PR
BB OHP
10@bar, 4x8@55
BB Bent Over Row
12@95, 3x10@115
Iso Low Row
4x12@2 plates
Chest Press
3x8@95lb plates
Cable Triceps Pushdowns
2x10@40
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 2, Deadlift
Deadlift
bar, 5@135, 5@185, 4@225, 4@245 (belt), 4@265, 4x4@275 (another rep PR!)
Deficit DL
4x4@225
Box Squat
2x5@135, 4@155, 3x4@165
Hanging Leg Raise
3x12
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 2, Bench
Bench
bar, 8@65, 6@95, 4@105, 4@115, 4@120, 5x4@125 (all paused…BIG PR)
*Previous PR on 125 was not paused 5 reps only so I added a good amount of volume. Very happy with some progress here.
Sling Shot Bench
4@135, 3x4@155
Assisted Pullups
2x10, 8@1 light band
DB OHP
3x10@25s
Cable Triceps Pushdowns
3x15@80
DB Seated Reverse Flies
3x10@10s
Cable Seated Low Row
3x10@105
DB Curls
3x12@15s
Hanging Knee Raise
2x15
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 3, Squat
Squat
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 4@155, 3@185, 3@205, 3@215, 3x3@225 (2 set PR), 3@205
Paused Squat
3x4@165
Block Pulls
5@135, 4x5@225
Leg Press
4x15@2 plates
Hamstring Curls
3x10@50
Hanging Leg Raise
3x10
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 3, Body/Bench Day
Bench
bar, 8@65, 6@95, 3@115, 3@120, 3@125, 3@130, 3@135(2 rep PR), 3@115 (paused), 2x3@120 (paused)
Pendlay Row
10@115, 4x6@130ish
Cable Lat Pulldown
4x10@105
JM Press
10@bar, 3x10@65
DB Lateral Raise
3x10@10s
DB Curls
3x15@10s
OHP
10@bar, 10@55, 10@65, 2x6@75
Hanging Knee Raise
3x10
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 3, Deadlift
Deadlift
bar, 5@135, 5@185, 3@225, 3@255 (belt), 3@275, 3@285, 3@295 (video to prove it! 1 rep PR), 3@285
Paused Deadlift
5@225, 3x4@225…fucking terrible. These are super difficult and I am not a fan, so maybe I need to keep these in the program sigh
Box Squat
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 3x5@165, 5@155
*Finally making noticeable progress on these babies. The 165 was rough but then when I went back down to 155 it was cake. So whatever, these clearly are helping something because my squat and deadlift have both been going up.
Hanging Knee Raise
3x16
Hypers
2x12@30lb, 2x10@BW
3@295 Deadlift PR
Howdy Cam, congratz on the Deadlift Pr! That’s the way to do it, pr an inch at a time and before you know it you’ll have come miles!
Thanks, FarmerOwen!!
Cycle 2, Volume Phase, Week 3, Bench
Bench
bar, 8@65, 3@95, 3@115, 3@120 (paused), 3@125(paused), 3@130(paused PR), 2.5@130 (I hit my first and second really well and just didn’t have the strength for the 3rd but still a paused PR), 2x4@125 (paused)
Close Grip
3x6@115
Kroc Rows
3x15@60 R/L…youch!
DB Bench Press
12@30s, 2x10@40s…these were super difficult. I know I was very fatigued today but this was frustratingly difficult
DB Laying Flies
10@10s, 2x12@5s
Banded Pull Aparts
3x15
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Squat
Squat
bar, 5@95, 5@135, 5@155, 2@185 (belt), 2@205, 2@215, 1.5@225 (terrible, needed a touch of help from my spotter, my form was just off and I felt like I was leaning forward too much), 4x2@205
Paused Squat (pause at ascent)
5@135, 4x5@155
Straight Legged DL
10@135, 3x10@155
Hanging Leg Raise
3x10
Random stretching and abs
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Body/Bench Day
*So my second powerlifting meet ever is exactly 3 weeks away. I am attempting to make weight for the 165 class, but have ohhhh 10 lbs to lose if I want to do that. Diet starts today and we’ll see where it puts me. Meanwhile, gym work is looking pretty good, I’m keeping volume in my workouts for the next week because I tend to do pretty well keeping the volume up. I really taper the week before the meet though, plus I’ll be in calorie deficit and adding 2 days of light cardio into my workouts per week. Yay.
Bench
bar, 2x5@95, 2@115, 2@120, 2@125, 2@130, 2@135 (all were touch and go…1 rep PR)
Paused Bench
3x1@135…easy and thinking about having this be my opener or 130.
Regular Bench again
4x6@115
Banded Lat Pulldown
3x10@1 light band
Banded Pull Aparts
3x15
Cable Triceps Pushdown
4x15@80
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Deadlift
Deadlift
bar, 5@135, 3@185, 2@225, 2@245 (belt), 2@275, 2@295, 1@305(was going for 2), 1@305(was going for 2 again), 2x2@275
*I think I had the strength for the first attempt at 2@305 but my form was off. I was squatting down too much and it messed up my form on the first rep and I expended more energy than needed so the 2nd rep didn’t even get off the ground. The 2nd attempt was similar. The 275 felt like speed work though.
More Deadlift
7 singles @225 with no belt. I was testing out my set up and trying to figure out was had been doing wrong with the 305 doubles.
Box Squat
bar, 3x5@135, 2x5@155
*My exhaustion set in hard and I had little motivation too. Those workouts happen but it sucks when you’re so close to a meet which is on Oct 25.
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Bench
Bench (all paused)
bar, 2x5@95, 2@115, 2@125, 3x2@130…the second reps ended up being grinders. But it also showing how far I have come in my ability to grind. I use to just fail immediately but now I have some ability to keep the bar moving.
More Bench
2x6@120, 2x6@115…touch and go just for some volume
Cable Lat Pulldown
4x12@105
DB Incline Bench
4x10@25s
BB Curl
4x10@bar
Cable Face Pulls
3x15@60
Triceps Pushdowns
3x15@80
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Squat
*2 weeks out from meet day!
Squat
bar, 6@95, 5@135, 4@155, 2@185 (belt), 2@205, 2@215, 2@225, 2@235 (1 rep PR!), 2x2@225
More Squat
8x1@185…Normally I do paused squat for volume, but as I’m 2 weeks out from meet day, I decided so fast singles would benefit more. These went really well, just practiced on stepping out from the rack and getting my feet placed without having to look down at my feet.
Deficit Deadlift
4x6@135…kept it light as my back was sore at this point.
Hypers
2x10@BW
Abs
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Body/Bench Day, Week 2
Bench (all paused)
bar, 5@95, 4@115, 2@125, 2@130, 2x2@135 (1 rep PR plus one extra set), 1@135(barely missed the second rep, spotter said he only helped me to keep the bar moving)
Bench (touch and go)
3x5@120
Bent Over T-bar Row
12@1 plate, 4x12@1.5 plates
DB OHP
3x12@20s, 10@25s
Cable Triceps Pushdown
4x15@80
DB Curls with slow descent
4x10@15s
Cycle 2, Intensity Phase, Week 1, Deadlift
*This was my last heavy deadlift workout before the meet, so I went for heavy doubles again.
Deadlift
bar, 2x5@135, 5@185, 2@225, 2@245, 2@275 (belt), 2@295, 2@305 (1 rep PRRRR, and last week I failed this attempt twice. This week I had better form), 2x2@295…more PRing as far as heavy volume sets
More Deadlift
3x1@275…this will be my opener, so I did some singles and they went really well. I felt explosive and very comfortable with that weight.
Box Squat
bar, 5x5@135…kept it light and explosive
Hanging Knee Raise
2x12
Spud Cable Ab Pulldown
2x10@90
*I will preface this entry with a setback in my training for the meet on Oct 25 that came about in the last 2-3 days. About 5 days ago I was bitten by some kind of bug, possibly a spider, on my right middle finger right in between the nail and the first knuckle. The bite turned into a staph infection that has tortured me mostly the last 2 days.
The bite site was a pus bump and black and around the site the skin was inflamed and my entire finger swelled up to twice it’s size. Anyways, little sleep the last 2 nights and luckily I got my Deadlift workout in before the pain was so bad. But I went in tonight to attempt a bench workout without using my right middle finger so obviously couldn’t go as heavy as I would to have like. On the plus side, Ive been put on heavy duty antibiotics and my finger swelling is going down which is dissipating some of the pain too.
Bench
bar, 8@65, 5@95, 5@105, 3@115, 5x3@125 (first 2 sets paused and last 3 were touch and go due to hand pain because I couldn’t grip the bar very tight on the right side. 4x6@105
Cable Face Pulls
3x15@60
Cycle 2, Week 2, Intenisyt Phase, Squat
Squat
bar, 2x5@135, 5@155, 3@185, 2@205 (belt), 5x2@225
*So I’m still dealing with my staph infected finger but it is slowly getting better and the swelling is going down. So I forced myself into the gym again tonight to get my squat work in. I haven’t felt so amazing on squat in a while. I popped 225 for double pretty easily and would have done even better if my right hand could have held the bar tighter. So I’m happy about where I am right now and just want to maintain until meet day.
Paused Squat
3@135, 5x3@155
Hamstring Curl
3x15@50
Hanging Leg Raise
3x12
Glad you’re hands doing better.
So…have you started climbing the walls and shooting webs yet 
Silverblood: Thanks and I wish!!
Week of the meet; Opener Workout
*So it is Monday and my meet is on Saturday. Weigh-ins are Friday. I am water loading at the moment and then cutting it so that I hope I make weight. I’m at 176 right now and want the 165 class buuuut we’ll see what some water cutting can do. It’s not a big deal to me if I dont make it but I’m going to try anyways. Tonight was only warming up for the openers at the meet.
Squat
5@135, 3@135, 1@155, 1@185 (belt), 1@205, 1@225
*My opener will be at 215 but 225 felt great too. Either one I choose on meet day will be fine though.
Bench
bar, 6@65, 1@95, 1@115, 1@125, 1@130
*Did this with the pause commands, I should do much better this year as I have actually practiced these commands instead of just hoping I could bench with a pause and do well. Sorry, that does not happen!
Deadlift
bar, 3@135, 2x1@135, 1@185, 1@225, 1@245 (belt), 1@275,piece of cake, felt great as my finger is pretty much healed. The bite site is scabbing over but the swelling is gone so now I have no issue gripping the bar and come Saturday there shouldn’t be any issues.
Water Loading:
Drank about 200 oz of water today (~1.25 gallons) and doing the same tomorrow. Cutting it to 120 oz on Wednesday, 32 oz on Thursday, then shutting off water and food at around 2pm on Thursday which is around 24 hours out from weight ins on Friday. I personally think it will not happen for this water cut to help me lose essentially 10-12 lbs for weigh ins but I am curious to see what my body does so I’m giving it an honest try.
Howdy Cam! Good luck on your meet chica and glad to hear your healing up well!