Conjugate Training

Training Logs
1

Intro: I competed in my first meet in January, 2006. I totaled 1289 @220 (407, 341, 540). I was training in a commercial gym and used linear periodization. Then I found out about Westside Barbell. I started reading everything I could on their training. I talked to anyone I could that had trained there. I started taking my own bands and boards to the commercial gym.

In November, 2008, I bought equipment to start training in my 1 car garage and Wild Iron Gym was started. We started with 2-3 guys. By June, 2009, we were up to 8 people, and the garage was too small. I rented an 840 sq ft of commercial space. October, 2009, I totaled 1940 @ 242 (733, 523, 683) for my first elite. Now we’re up to 14 members (3 elite lifters). My best lifts are 733, 529, and 710.

Training days are:
Sunday: DE bench
Tuesday: ME lower
Thursday: ME bench
Saturday: DE lower

We post a video clip from each training session on YouTube. We also take questions via e-mail, video the answers, and post them every Sunday. Our website is www.wildirongym.com

I have 2.5 weeks of real training left before a meet on February 6th in Kansas.

3 inch deficit deads
405 x 1 add belt
495 x 1
545 x 1
585 x 1
605 x 1 20 lb PR

Old PR was from a couple of weeks before I hit 710 at a meet. This was the last heavy deadlift before the meet.

Box squat with buffalo bar (~1 inch high off foam)
145 x 5
235 x 5
325 x 5
415 x 5
465 x 5
505 x 5 foam definitely compressed more

These felt great.

Band leg curl
green 4 x 10

Ice ankle which looks pretty gross but could have been much worse. Saturday, a 45 lb plate flew off the reverse hyper and hit me on the side of the ankle while I was walking by it.

Video of training:

2

ME shirted
495 x 1 2-bd
515 x 1 1-bd
525 x 1 touch
545 x 1 2-bd for the rest
565 x 1

Everything felt crappy but I got in the work I needed.

Panora press
MM + micro 4 x 8

T-bar row
5 plates 3 x 8

Face pulls
MM doubled 3 x 8

3
4

What does your training look like for bench press the last couple of weeks before a meet? When is your last bench session, how heavy do you go? Do you cut your volume of tricep work close to the meet? When is the last time you train triceps prior to a meet? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! I am 2 weeks out presently and have always done some sort of volume phase followed by a taper. This time my shoulder is screwed up so I have been doing most of my bench training with my shirt and haven’t built up much fatigue.

5

The last 4 weeks are:

Week 1: Heavy in shirt and full assistance work. I make sure I touch one rep, but mostly do 2-bd.
Week 2: Raw full ROM vs bands or chains and full assistance work.
Week 3: Hit my opener. Taper the assistance work.
Week 4: I don’t lift the week of the meet.

I bench on Thursday, so my last bench session is 9-10 days before the meet. A lot of the meets in California are on Sunday. I use a lot of 2-bd because my 2-bd is within 20 lbs of my full ROM. We have people with a bigger difference, and they touch more often. Normally, I only wear the shirt once a month, but I wear it twice in the last month.

Today’s training.

DE raw box squats with 80lbs of chains
285 8 x 2

SLDL with 6" deficit
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 2 x 5

I’m going really heavy on squats Tuesday so that’s it.

6
7

You’ve been extremely helpful, thank you sir!

8

Where exactly in California are you located? Im usually out there during the summer.

Glad to see another elite lifter keep a log on here.

9

No problem. Glad I can help.

We are in Santa Clara. We’re very close to the San Jose Airport. In some of the videos, you’ll notice the planes are super loud.

DE bench with 75 lbs of chains
155 8 x 3

Floor press with 75 lbs of chains
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5

Triceps are definitely what limit me on these. I can do 295 x 5 with straight weight.

Panora press
mini doubled 4 x 25

10

Video of Training:

Video Q&A:

I posted a thread for this in the powerlifting section. We take questions every week, record the answers on video, and post it on YouTube.

11

ME squat with 100 lbs band tension and 120 lbs of chains 14.75" box and foam
345 x 1
435 x 1 add briefs
525 x 1
615 x 1 add suit
635 x 1

Band leg curls
green 4 x 12

Band GM
blue 2 x 15

Spud abs
90 3 x 15

12
13

ME floor press with 120 lbs of chains
155 x 3
195 x 1
245 x 1
265 x 1 20 lb PR
275 x miss. I tucked like I was wearing a bench shirt.
155 2 x 5
175 x 5

I was having trouble with my left shoulder flaring out until I tucked too much on the last one.

Barbell rows
225 3 x 8

Band pull aparts
purple 3 x 8

14
15

Could you explain the band leg curls. Are you adding a band to a leg curl machine or just wrapping it around a rack and doing leg curls with the band?

16

I just hook it around the rack. I can’t do GHR right now, because of my ankle. Driving my toes into the toe plate hurts.

17

DE box squat with green band and briefs
375 6 x 2

I’m taking my opener Tuesday. It’s weird to not deadlift.

18

Squat video:

DE bench with MM under the bench:
175 8 x 3

H-roll:
25 3 x 10

Panora press:
MM doubled 4 x 15

MM is kind of easy now.

Face pulls:
mini doubled 3 x 10

Bench video:

19

ME squat opener
435 x 1 briefs on
525 x 1
615 x 1 suit on
705 x 1 straps up
755 x 1

Band leg curls
green 4 x 15

Back extensions
45 2 x 8

20

ME bench opener
455 x 1 3-bd
495 x 1 2-bd
525 x 1 touch

Panora press
mini doubled 4 x 25

Rolling DB extensions
55 3 x 8