MikkoM: Powerlifting Log

MikkoM

Gender: M
Born: 1971
Height/Weight: 180 cm / ~105 kg
Location: Tampere, Finland
Team: Tampereen Voimanostajat
Training Background: General weight training 1986-2009, competitive powerlifting 2009-

Personal Bests in Contests at the Start of This Log:

IPF Equipped -105 kg: BP 190 kg, DL 260 kg (Dec 2011)
IPF Raw -105 kg: SQ 175 kg, BP 140 kg, DL 225 kg = Total 540 kg (Mar 2012)

Achievements in PL at the Start of This Log:

IPF Finnish Championships Equipped 2011 M40 -105 kg: 4th
IPF Finnish Championships Raw 2012 M40 -105 kg: 5th

This has been my basic training template for quite a long time:

Mon & Thu:

  1. Rotating Bench Press Exercise 2x3-6
  2. Rotating Squat or Deadlift Exercise 2x3-6
  3. Assistance Exercises (Lats, Abs etc.): a Few Sets Total

I’ll log in kilos.

26 Apr 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 130x4 117.5x6
Harness Front Squat 118x4 105.5x6
Assistance (KB Snatch, Seated Row, Ab Machine: 1 set each)

30 Apr 2012 (BW 105)

Floor Press 137.5x3 122.5x5
Sumo Deadlift 205x3 185x5
Assistance (Side Lateral, Lat Pulldown, Sit Up: 1 set each)

3 May 2012 (BW 104)

Incline Press 117.5x4 105x6
Squat 155x4 140x6
Assistance (KB Swing, Lat Pulldown, Leg Raise: 1 set each)

I go well below parallel in every squat variation and pause all bench exercises.

7 May 2012 (BW 105)

Close-Grip Bench Press 122.5x4 110x6
Sumo Deadlift 210x3 190x5
Assistance (Side Lateral, Lat Pulldown, Ab Machine: 1 set each)

10 May 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 132.5x4 120x6
Killbar Squat 161x5 146x6
Assistance (KB Swing, Lat Pulldown, Leg Raise: 1 set each)

I have lately equalled or exceeded my all time PB’s in most exercises.
Tomorrow to USA for a two week driving holiday.

So after the last post I was two weeks in USA. Did there Push Ups (w/wo band), Band Rows, Chair Pistol Squats and Bicycle Abs twice a week. After that holiday I had 5 pretty ordinary sessions with bit diminished strength. No reports of those, but here are my latests:

14th Jun 2012 (BW 105)

Squat 150x5 135x7
Close-Grip Bench Press 120x4 107.5x6
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Leg Raise 1 set)

18th Jun 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 125x5 112.5x7
Box Squat 130x7 117.5x9
Assistance (Lat Pulldown 2 sets, Sit Up 1 set)

21st Jun 2012 (BW 105)

Incline Press 117.5x4 105x5
Sumo Deadlift 200x5 180x7
Assistance (Side Lateral, Lat Pulldown, Leg Raise: 1 set each)

25th Jun 2012 (BW 105)

Squat 152.5x4 137.5x6
Floor Press 130x4 117.5x6
Assistance (Lat Pulldown 2 sets, Sit Up 1 set)

28th Jun 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 130x4 117.5x5
Box Squat 140x6 125x7
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Leg Raise 1 set)

2 Jul 2012 (BW 104)

Dumbbell Bench Press 52.5x5 47.5x6
Sumo Deadlift 202.5x5 182.5x7
Assistance (Side Lateral, Lat Pulldown, Leg Raise: 1 set each)

5 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Squat 155x4 140x6
Floor Press 132.5x4 120x6
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Leg Raise 1 set)

9th Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 122.5x6 110x8
Box Squat 145x5 130x7
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Sit Up 1 set)

12th Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Dumbbell Bench Press 52.5x4 47.5x6
Sumo Deadlift 205x5 185x7
Assistance (Side Lateral, Lat Pulldown, Leg Raise: 1 set each)

My next contest will be Raw Bench Finnish Champs on 19th Aug. On Monday I benched my heaviest 6 rep bench set ever, but Thursday’s DB Benches went bad because of left shoulder pain, muscle fatigue and balance problems. Over the weekend I have to plan how to proceed to that competition. Deadlifting is now better than ever. Keeping hips higher and squatting often has helped off the floor tremendously.

Welcome to the site. I will be following your progress. Good luck for the future.
Tell me,do you work your heaviest first and then drop the weight down or is it just the way you have written it down?

[quote]Nobby wrote:
Welcome to the site. I will be following your progress. Good luck for the future.
Tell me,do you work your heaviest first and then drop the weight down or is it just the way you have written it down?
[/quote]

Thanks and nice to have audience here!

After a few non-taxing warm up sets I do my heaviest set. I terminate that set when I know that no more good reps are possible. Then I rest quite long and decrease weight by 10%. I try and often get 2 reps more than in the first set.

I have most of my 25 training years followed this low frequency, low volume, basic exercise rotating, heaviest work set first, maximum possible reps -style.

16 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 127.5x5 112.5x7
Killbar Box Squat 136x5 121x7
Assistance (Lat Pulldown 2 sets, Sit Up 1 set)

19 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Squat 157.5x4 142.5x6
Close-Grip Bench Press 117.5x5 105x7
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Leg Raise 1 set)

where have you gone to?

23 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 132.5x3 132.5x3
Sumo Deadlift 207.5x5 187.5x6
Assistance (Lat Pulldown 2 sets, Sit Up 1 set)

26 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Squat 160x4 145x6
Close-Grip Bench Press 2x5-7
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Sit Up or Leg Raise 1 set)

30 Jul 2012 (BW 105)

Bench Press 140x1 140x1 140x1
Killbar Box Squat 136x6 123.5x7
Assistance (Seated Row 2 sets, Leg Raise 1 set)

My all time best sets in Squat and Deadlift! Too bad my next full meet is only at October.

In Bench I’m having a few workouts with >90%1RM to peak for 19th Aug. Unlike in my off season higher rep training and to avoid overstraining CNS, I leave something in the tank in those >90%1RM sets.

2 Aug 2012 (BW 105 kg)

Dumbbell Bench Press 47.5x7 47.5x6
Squat 145x6 130x8
Assistance

6 Aug 2012 (BW 105 kg)

Bench Press 142.5x1 142.5x1 142.5x1
Sumo Deadlift 210x4 190x6
Assistance

9 Aug 2012 (BW 105 kg)

Dumbbell Bench Press 47.5x7 47.5x6
Box Squat 2 sets
Assistance

13 Aug 2012 (BW 105 kg)

Bench Press 130x1 130x1
Leg Press 2 sets
Assistance

On Sunday 19th Aug I’ll compete in BP. Probably 140-145-147.5.
My knees are tired and sore, Squat wasn’t okay, Leg Press was.

19th Aug (103.2 kg)

IPF Finnish Raw Bench Press Championships M40 -105 kg

145 kg Very tight 3-0
147.5 kg Stopped a few cm’s above the chest 0-3
147.5 kg Did’t even budge from chest 0-3

So that 145 kg was 5 kg more than in my one and only raw contest before, which was a full PL contest. I placed 9th out of 10 in my class. Well, contest PB is always nice, and it was nice finally officialize that 145 kg which is very familiar gym PB for me over the years. But now I have to find ways to progress! There sure is some room for improvement. Heaviest lifts in Finnish Championships: Smulter 255 kg, Korkia-Aho 245, Hokkanen 238, Seppanen 235…