Former College Athlete Building Strength

@BigRedMachina Thanks for commenting. I did warm up on the Rogue squat racks–I was a little nervous to ask what appeared to be “seasoned vets” if I could jump in on the monolifts while they were warming up. For the future, I’ll try to do what you prescribe–using equipment that is as similar as possible to what is being used on the platform. Congrats on your success at the meet!

Thursday 7/17

Upper Body

Bench Press: 185x10, 195x8, 200x8, 210x6
Pull-ups: 3x12 at BW
Seated Military Press: 95x10, 115x8, 125x6
DB Rows: 4x10 at 90
Dips: BW+45x10, 2x6 at BW+55

Friday 7/18

Lower Body

Clean: 135x3, 145x3, 155x2, 165x1, 170x1
Back Squat: 225x10, 235x8, 245x8, 255x6
Front Rack reverse lunge: 3x12 at 165
GHR: 3x12 at BW+25

Saturday 7/19

Upper Body

Strict Overhead Press: 105x8, 110x8, 120x6, 125x5
Pull-ups: 3x12
Incline Bench Press: 135x10, 2x8 at 155
Barbell Row: 3x8 at 165
KB Swing: 2x25 at 50

Probably could have fought for a sixth rep at 125, but didn’t feel the need to push it. Felt good this week; other than the meet last Saturday, I haven’t done anything close to max effort work in two weeks. Will probably start a new cycle on Monday–want to start lifting heavy weights again.

Add Conditioning

On the track
3x200m
3x300m
2:1 rest:work

Monday 7/21

Lower Body

Snatch High Pull: 4x4 at 135
Front Squat: 185x5, 195x5, 205x5
Reverse lunge: 185x10, 195x10, 205x10, 215x10
Waiters Walk: 3x80 feet with 75# DB. Did some anterior core work in between sets.

Tuesday 7/22

Upper Body

Bench Press: 205x5, 210x5, 210x4, 185x8
SS: Alternating KB Press: 3x16; Pull-ups: 3x6 at BW+30, BWx10
SS: Barbell row: 3x5 at 175; Weighted push-ups: 2x20 at BW+45, BW+45x15

Two bad lifts to start my week. Awesome. Next two this week will be better.

Hey Mike,

Congrats on the meet, I was on vacation for a few days so I didn’t get to pop in and read your write-up until now. A 1,000 pound raw total at your size, in your first meet, just a few months removed from 4 seasons of college basketball (with quite different fitness demands than powerlifting), is nothing to sneeze at.

Well done, and a nicely written meet report!

@ActivitiesGuy Thanks, man. All things considered, I was pretty happy with how it went.

Wednesday 7/23

On the track

200-300-400-400-300-200
2:1 rest:work

Update on the past few days

Thursday 7/24

Lower Body

Back Squat: 235x5, 255x5, 275x5, 300x5
RDL: 2x8 at 185, 205x5

Conditioning
3 rounds
250m row
24" box jumps
Alternating DB snatch at 60#
One minute plank between rounds

Did this finisher with a few of my buddies. We worked at stations, and the box jumps and snatches were done for the duration of someone else’s row.

Friday 7/25

Upper Body

Strict Overhead Press: 120x5, 125x5, 125x4, 95x9
Pull-ups: 4x6 at BW+30, BWx10
DB Incline Chest Press: 3x8 at 75
DB Row: 3x8 at 90
Ring Dips: 3x12

Sunday 7/27

Lower Body
Clean Complex (power clean, clean, front squat): 135, 145, 2x150
Deadlift: 315x5, 335x4, 335x5, 345x5
Reverse lunge (Front rack): 185x8, 195x8, 205x8
KB Swings: 3x25 at 45

All in all, this was not my best week of training. Hope this coming week is better.

solid work

@JonathanByrd Thanks, man.

Monday 7/28

Upper Body

Bench Press: 215x3, 2x3 at 225, 230x2, 205x6, 185x8, 135x16
Pull-ups: 4x6 at BW+30
1-arm DB Shoulder press: 3x6 at 55
Barbell Row: 3x5 at 185

Conditioning

4 minute jump rope TABATA
3 minute push-up TABATA
2 minute jump rope TABATA
1 minute push-up TABATA

Quick note: Didn’t have a spotter for any of my bench sets today (literally no one else in the gym), so I was a little nervous to push things. 95% sure I had another rep at 230, and, with adequate rest, probably had a triple at 235, as well.

Tuesday 7/29

Lower Body

Hang Clean (in Kilos): 60x2, 65x2, 70x2
Clean Complex (power clean, clean, front squat): 60x3
Front Squat (in LBs): 135x5, 185x3, 205x3, 215x3, 230x3, 235x3, 2x5 at 135
KB Complex: 10 swings, 10 high pulls, 10 goblet squats, 10 alternating overhead lunges (w/each arm, so 20 total) X2
Decline sit-ups: 2x25

Broke my old front squat 3RM by 10 pounds today. Pretty happy with this.

Thursday 7/31

Upper Body

Strict Overhead Press: 95x5, 115x3, 125x3, 135x3, 145x3, 2x6 at 115
Pull-ups: 4x5 at BW+35, BWx12
Incline Bench Press: 4x6 at 165
DB Row: 4x6 at 95
Dips: BW+45x6, 2x8 at BW+60, BWx12

On the track

3x600m

3:30 rest in between runs. Times were 1:53, 1:54, and 1:52.

Friday 8/1

Lower Body

Clean (in KGs): 60x2, 65x2, 70x2, 75x1, 77.5xMiss
Power clean: 60x3, 2x3 at 65
Back Squat: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 265x3, 285x3, 305x3, 315x1, 2x5 at 225
SS: KB Swing: 2x12 at 70; KB lunge (goblet hold): 2x12 at 70
Decline sit-ups: 2x25

Back squats didn’t feel right today. Guess the heavy front squats/track workout last night took more out of me than I thought.

For the weekend (8/2-8/3)

Saturday 8/2

Conditioning

3 rounds

21 deadlifts at 135
15 pull-ups
9 front squats at 135

Sunday 8/3

On the track

4x400
1x300

400s were 1:13, 1:12, 1:14, 1:11. 300 was 51.

Monday 8/4

Upper Body

Bench Press: 225x2, 230x2, 235x2, 185x6, 195x6, 205x6, 210x5
Pull-ups: 5x4 at BW+40, BWx12
DB Shoulder press: 3x8 at 50
Barbell Row: 185x5, 2x5 at 195
Dips: 3x5 at BW+70

Bench sucked. Getting better at weighted pull-ups, though.

Tuesday 8/5

Lower Body

Hang power clean (kilos): 60x3, 65x3, 70x2
Clean complex (power clean, front squat, hang clean, front squat): 3x60
Front squat: 135x5, 185x3, 205x3, 225x3, 245x2, 255x1, 260x1, 2x5 at 185
RDL: 2x6 at 185, 2x6 at 195

15 pound front squat PR

4 minute jump rope Tabata

Wednesday 8/6

Upper Body

Incline Bench Press: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 185x2, 2x6 at 155, 2x8 at 135
Pull-ups: 6x3 at BW+45, BWx12
Strict Military Press: 115x5, 120x5, 125x4, 125x3
DB Row: 4x6 at 100

Thursday 8/7

Lower Body

Hang power clean (kg): 60x3, 65x2
Power clean (from floor): 70x2, 75x1, 77.5x1
Clean Complex (clean low pull, power clean, front squat, hang clean): 65x5
Back Squat: 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 255x3, 285x3, 305x2, 315x2, 330x1, 2x5 at 225
KB Swing: 3x20 at 50

On the track

6x300m
90 second rest between runs
Times were 51, 52, 52, 53, 52, 49

I didn’t intend on it, but this pacing is right above the pace for a 4:40 mile (probably around 4:42). One goal of mine that does not align well with my strength goals is to run a sub-five minute mile again–I ran track in high school, and, though not good by any stretch of the imagination, ran a 4:39 mile. I don’t think this is doable, but I’d like to get back under the five minute mark.

Saturday 8/9

Total Body

Bench Press: 135x6, 185x5, 205x3, 215x3, 3x2 at 225, 230x1, 205x4, 185x7, 145x19
Deadlift: 135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x3, 345x3, 365x2, 385x1, 405x1
SS: Pull-ups: 4x3 at BW+50, BWx12; Reverse lunge (front rack): 4x10 at 165

Though I did some heavy stuff and didn’t feel great this past week, I didn’t do much this weekend outside of this lift. I’m going to start a new program–the “915” program that was posted on Wednesday–tomorrow.

Monday 8/11

“915” Week 1, Day 1

Bench Press: 5x4 at 205
Front Squat: 5x2 at 210
Push Press: 5x5 at 135
Dips: 4x6 at BW+55

I’m going to substitute front squat for back squat because my front squat sucks.