It’s not bad for the first session after a meet. I pulled 505x3 from a deficit a few months back so I should be aiming for something well beyond that in the near future.
Monday, May 13 - Main bench day
Wider grip bench
320x5 paused - pretty sure I could do 7 reps, maybe easier than last week
280x5x5+ t&g - 2 min. rest - only 6 reps on the last set again. Last week the last couple sets were kind of slow but today I was able to maintain explosiveness until just before the end. The bar moved fast until the last 2-3 reps, I grinded out the very last one and doubt I could have done another. It’s worth mentioning that even on the AMRAP set I’m trying to move the bar as explosively as possible, if I was just putting the minimum effort needed to lift it I could probably get another rep or two but that would defeat the purpose here and I don’t care about fatigued rep PRs.
Dips
bw x13, 11, 9 - Making some fast progress here, two weeks ago I was all shaky and weak as hell. I suppose I could add some weight next week
Incline flys
35’s 20, 12, 10 - this is 5lbs more than last week, I don’t know what happened on the first set. I would have stopped at 15 but it was too easy so I kept going.
Band pushdown
light band x14, 9, super mini x12
Neutral grip chin ups
bw x12, 10, 7
Tuesday, May 14 - Main squat day
SSB squat
380x5 - could do 2 more for sure, overall this felt better than last week.
Paused Hatfield squat
470x6x3 sets - Not as horrible as last week, I only felt like dying for abut 2-3 minutes after each set. I could have done another set if I really wanted to but I figured doing some split squats might be better, and that was the original plan after all.
Sumo RDL w/band around waist
200x15x3
Bulgarian split squat
65x10x2 sets - I was going to go for 10-15 reps but my quads are dead. I put 10lbs on each side of the transformer bar because with no weight it feels too unstable, bad things could happen.
Last exercise: Max Effort walking up the stairs - my legs are dead. But I still feel mostly alive, unlike last week. I take that as a sign that my work capacity is coming back. Last week I felt like I had zero endurance, probably part of that was psychological since I didn’t really do anything over 3 reps for some time.
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Thursday, May 16 - Bench assistance day
Close grip floor press
285x8, 7 - Went for a 9th rep on the 1st set and failed. I was sure I could do more, only explanation that I can think of is that I went into this with the intention of moving each rep as explosively as possible, I think around the 7th rep it slowed down a little bit and then I just couldn’t finish the 8th. The idea is that even with high rep stuff I’m trying to produce max force rather than just put the minimum effort into each rep so that I can get more reps, so it might limit the number of reps I do but it should be more conducive to strength gains. The 2nd set didn’t feel as explosive, despite trying to make it so, but oddly enough I managed one rep less. Seems a bit weird, but whatever.
Military press
185x12, 10, 9 - This is a bit stronger than last week, probably could have done 2 more on the first set and last week 180x12 was RPE10.
Neutral DB pushups
+mini band x14, 11, 9
Floor pause tricep extension
135x9, 8
Duffin upright row
20x20, 15, 12
Barbell row
75x26, 15, 10 - My arms and shoulders didn’t feel as handicapped as last week but I wasn’t expecting 26 reps, that is just ridiculous. More weight next week.
Friday, May 17 - Light squat/main deadlift day
1 1/4 squat - transformer bar
315x2x6 - 45 sec. rest
Deficit Deadlift (sumo)
440x6x2 sets - felt even better than last week, could probably pull another 3 reps. I’m just going to keep adding weight each week and see where this leads, when I get back to pulling from the floor it should feel like a rack pull.
Snatch grip rack pull
420x10x2 sets - a bit of cardio can’t hurt
Dumbbell row
110x15, 11, 8
Depending on how I feel at the end of next week I will decide on whether to go with 3 or 4 weeks between deloads. I know that when I’m working with 90%+ on a regular basis I can’t usually keep pushing it for more than 3 weeks but right now the weights aren’t so heavy and I’m also not about to compete soon so 4 weeks might work fine for now. In meet prep cycles I’m going to stick with 3 weeks between deloads though.
Monday, May 20 - Main bench day
Wider grip bench
325x5 - paused - again, could do a couple more reps. Weight keeps going up each week but it isn’t getting harder.
285x5x5+ - T&G - 2 min. rest - only 6 reps on the last set again
Dips
bw+10x13, 10, 8
Incline DB flys
45’s x14, 9, 8
Band pushdown
light band x16, 10, 6 - next week I will set the band differently to increase tension and rest a bit longer, this was with 60 sec. breaks
Chin ups - neutral grip
bw x14, 9, 6
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Tuesday, May 21 - Main squat day
SSB squat
395x5 - definitely could do 2 more, maybe 3. This was probably the easiest part of the whole workout.
Paused Hatfield squat
485x6x3 sets - The very last rep took everything that I had, RPE10. Feeling nauseous after this. These better pay off because I don’t enjoy this one bit.
Sumo RDL w/band around waist
225x15x3 - I’m slowly increasing the weight, for now these sets aren’t too challenging but this is also a sort of glute activation/coordination exercise, I’m trying to focus on maintaining spinal position and making each hip work the same way. I seem to have some minor imbalances, on the right side the glute is working harder and on the left the adductors are working harder. I also felt like puking the whole time, thank you Hatfield squats.
Bulgarian split squat - SSB
95x10x2 each side - 20lbs more than last week and it felt better too, despite me feeling worse at this point. These are like RPE8 or so.
This is one nausea-inducing workout. If I added an AMRAP set with 405 or something like that to the Hatfield squats I would have puked for sure. This is by far the hardest session of the week.
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Killer workload in here. What benefits do you notice from Hatfield Squats in your comp squat?
They make you stronger and make your quads grow. It’s kind of like doing forced reps, except you are your own spotter. I’m not sure I could do 485 for a paused single with the safety bar, like this I’m doing sets of 6. Don’t think that because you are using your arms to help lift the weight it’s easy, it’s not easy at all.
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Like lifting in gear isn’t easy, in fact it’s mind-bogglingly difficult; you can just lift more weight for more reps. I know what you mean. It’s like touch and go deadlifting, at least for me. More weight used for more reps; but it’s harder because it’s a top-end overload.
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Seems like you are starting to fly after the meet
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Yeah, it looks like I’m making some progress already. The thing is to keep it going for month after month, then maybe it will add up to something.
Thursday, May 23 - Bench assistance day
Close grip floor press
290x8, 6 - I’m seriously confused as to how I managed 280x10 2 weeks ago. I’m totally recovered here but can’t match that.
Military press
190x12, 10, 9 - could do another rep or two on the first set but I fatigue fast on this, next 2 sets were relatively harder.
Neutral dumbbell pushups
+super mini band x15, 10, 9
Floor pause tricep extension
140x10, 8
Duffin upright row
25x16, 14, 11
Barbell curl
85x18, 14, 10
Upper body days feel real easy. It’s that Tuesday squat workout that absolutely kills me, but it makes everything else feel so much easier too.
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Friday, May 24 - Light squat/main deadlift day
1 1/4 squat - Transformer bar 1.5d
315x2x6 sets - 45 sec rest
Deficit Deadlift (sumo)
455x6x2 sets - still easy, could do a couple more reps on each set. Next block I want to pull 500+ for 6.
Snatch grip rack pull
435x10x2 sets
Dumbbell row
115x15, 10, 8
I feel tired after this but I think I can still push it for a 4th week before deloading. That’s the plan, but I will see how I feel after the weekend. Another week of hard training would be good, but if it’s not productive and performance is down then it would be better to deload sooner.
Monday, May 27 - Main bench day - no deload yet
Wider grip bench press
330x5 paused - this matches a PR but this isn’t my comp. grip and I could still do another rep or two. Things are looking good
290x5x5 T&G - 2 min. rest - no way I could do another rep on the last set today, that’s all. I need to either increase breaks to 3 min. or switch to triples because I’m staling on this.
Dips
bw+20x12, 9, 7
Incline DB flys
50’s x13, 9, 7
Band pushdown
light band over 2 bars x15, 10, 6
Neutral grip chin ups
bw+10x11, 8, 6 - did a 12th half rep on the 1st set but it doesn’t really count
Tuesday, May 28 - Main squat day
SSB squat
410x5 - this must be some kind of PR, but I can still do another rep or two. I’m going to keep pushing this for 5’s and see how far I can go, 440 for sure and maybe 455-470.
Paused Hatfield squat
500x6x3 sets - too agonizing to get excited about
Sumo RDL with band around waist
245x15x3
Bulgarian split squat
105x10x2
Thursday, May 30 - Bench assistance day
Close grip floor press
295x7, 6 - Maybe could have pushed for an 8th rep but I’m starting to burn out a bit. Performance is still about equal to last week so at least it’s not time wasted.
Military press
195x11, 9, 8
Neutral DB pushups
+light band x10, 8, 7
Floor pause tricep extension
145x10, 7+1 cheat rep - it turned into a pullover and press so I won’t count it
Duffin upright row
25x18,12,11
Barbell curl
85x20, 15, 11
After Tuesday I feel like I’m ready for a deload. Just one more day to go.
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Friday, May 31 - Light squat/main deadlift day
1 1/4 squat - transformer bar
315x2x6 - 45 sec. rest
Deficit deadlift (sumo)
470x6, 5 - running out of gas on the 2nd set, a 6th rep would have been ugly. Not bad considering that I’m burning out.
Snatch grip rack pull
450x10x2 sets - felt a bit harder than before and killed my glutes and lower back
Dumbbell row
120x15, 10, 8 - my QLs cramped up hard from this, I had to lay down with my feet up on the bench as soon as I finished. Chest supported rows would be nice instead.
Now it’s deload time.
Monday, June 3 - Main bench day - deload
Wider grip bench
300x3 paused
265x4x3 sets T&G
Dips
bwx8x2
Incline DB flys
45’s x7x2
Band pushdown
light band x8x2
Neutral grip chin ups
bw x5x3
Tuesday, June 4 - Main squat day - deload
SSB squat
370x3
Paused Hatfield squat
450x4x2 sets
Sumo RDL w/band around waist
225x12x2
Bulgarian split squat
95x5x2