Finally back into normal training. I learned a bunch at PTC, but the hours are simply too awkward and take away from the little time I get with my other half and the little one. The tipping point for me what when I realised the little one actually noticed he was getting less time with me and I felt like a complete c#%t. Given he’s my stepchild the bond I have with him is even more special to me (I know that’s mushy. So sue me).
The two weeks with reduced load and volume has done me a lot of good. I now have 10 weeks until the GPC Canberra Cup. I decided to start using the program I’ve been tinkering with for a few months - I can fit in two mesocycles of it, and have two weeks left over before the Cup which is pretty ideal.
It is similar to what I’ve been doing recently, still have days where I work on speed and then on maximal strength but the progression is much slower and I manipulate both volume and intensity instead of just intensity. I figure this will make it more sustainable in the long term. If the next eight weeks go well, this is probably going to be the approach I follow for a long time.
It is set out so every two weeks I train in three two day blocks, with rest blocks of two or three days - same old, same old.
The first mesocycle has each two day block going day one for speed, day two for heavy work. One day is for squat and one for bench and DL. In a mesocycle, I have three speed days and three heavy days. The speed day progression sees 5% increase in load in the competition lifts for eight sets of two going from 60% to 70%. The heavy days see 5% increases in load on the competition lifts but those go hand in hand with one less rep per set so I got 5x3 @ 85%, 5x2 @ 90% and 5x1 @95%. I’ve also drastically increased my bench volume so that I bench (regular competition style) every time I train. Combined with the technical improvements I’m hoping this will drive my bench well.
The second mesocycle has exactly the same scheme for the heavy days, except everything goes up 2.5% at the beginning (so it starts 5x3 @ 87.5%). However, the speed days change to hypertophy days where I work the competition lifts in three sets of six to eight reps. For both mesocycles, my speed or hypertophy DL is sumo (as I can tolerate more pulling that way), but my heavy DL is conventional for the first mesocycle but snatch grip for the second. I chose to do this because the hypertrophy cycle will probably tax my recovery a bit more, and snatch grip forces me to pull less weight while still using an almost identical pattern to conventional while seriously taxing my upper back. Especially with the new conventional technique I used, snatch grip is even similar so I’m expecting the carryover to be good.
Assistance exercise are pretty much front squats (lots of these), Kroc rows, barbell rows, incline presses with bar and dumbbells, lunges, pull-ups, dips and hack squats with some tricep pushdowns and bicep curls to keep my elbows happy. The row and incline press variations I use one per mesocycle.
Once I complete the second mesocycle, I can test my maxes and start again - or even go into another first mesocycle straight away adding 2.5-5% to the speed days and another 2.5% to the heavy days.
For the GPC Canberra Cup I figure the second mesocycle will end two weeks out, so I’ll work on my openers and second attempts in the first week and then have a single opener test in the second week.
Now, today’s training (holy crap it felt good to train properly again):
Squat against bands (about 88 lbs at the top)
8x2 @ 286 lbs + 88lbs - narrow stance with Oly shoes and the new cues feel very, very good indeed. I felt fast and stable throughout, with tidy walkouts. I also deliberately took less time between sets for these and front squats. It felt good.
This is my first set
Front squats
3x5 @ 220 lbs - these felt awesome. I did 6 for the last set and would’ve gone for more if my grip hadn’t slipped
Bench press
3x5 @ 185 lbs - the new cues make a world of difference. So does the set-up
This is the second set
Kroc rows @ 110 lbs - well, attempted Kroc rows. My upper back was trashed and my grip didn’t do much
3 sets: 11/10, 10/10, 5/6 (L/R).
Tomorrow: heavy bench and DL. Excited to test out DL especially.
