Nationals Prep

Training Logs
1

March 19th, 2011 workout

Squat: All raw (no special shoes, no wraps, no belt, no briefs, etc)
135x10
225x5
315x3
405x3
405x3
500x3 (added a neoprene belt for this set)
All squats were below parallel.

Bench: All Raw
135x10
225x5 (paused)
275x3 (paused)
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1 (all sets of 315 were performed with a slow negative, long pause on the chest, and fast positve. Weight was kept light to get used to using different methods of bench pressing)
315x15 (Using Mark Bell’s Slingshot)
365x9 (Slingshot)
405x3 (Slingshot) (other sets were to failure, but 405 felt easy, should have tried for 5)

Pretty taxed by this point. Was working out on an empty stomach (early morning workout, no food that day) and had been in the gym for 2 hours.

Deadlift: All Raw
135x5 (double overhand 4 finger grip)
225x3 (double overhand 4 finger grip)
315x1 (double overhand 4 finger grip)
405x1
500x1
550x1
500x1

Done for the day. Still waiting on my RDC suit and briefs to show up. Also have a Metal Pro Squatter on its way. Still need a real belt.

2

To show my squat depth and bench technique, these are two videos. The one with me squatting goes like this.
I had never tried 500 without doing a box squat, so it was my first attempt at a real, full depth squat with 500, so I only did a single.
Rocky wanted me to have some kind of support, so he put me in his old RDC suit. The suit is about 12 years old, and was sized for Rocky (who is 6’3" and 275) so it offered me no support. I was able to put it on with no trouble at all, and it felt like a singlet.

I noticed after the squat that I was able to squat down ATG (literally sitting on my ankles) with no weigh on my back and the suit never supported me. So the following week he had me try 500 again, but with no suit, and I nailed it. Then this most recent workout I was again raw, but after doing one easy rep, he said “do another” so I did, and after that he said “give me a third”, so I did, and then the set was done, having done 500x3 all raw.

The depth in the video is the depth I always hit with heavy weight. Anything 405 or less, though, I go ATG Olympic style.

This next video is me workout out at home. I know that the weights don’t look like they add up right. I know, I get a lot of shit about it from every single YouTube expert out there. The fact is, I have about 4 different brands of plates, and they are all different. For example, a few of the plates that look like 35’s are actually Gold’s Gym Brand 45’s that I bought at Walmart.

Also, All I took all my plates to a powerlifting gym to have them weighed.
The first 45’s (gray) weigh 50, the second 45’s (big black) weigh 47.5 and 45.5, the third 45’s (look like 35’s) weigh 46, all of my 35’s weigh 36 to 36.5, my 25’s weigh 25 and 27, all my 10’s weigh 10.5 etc.
I prefer this though. Because with my crappy home set up, using a nearly gripless, warped bar, and using uneven weights (one side almost always weighs more than the other) I notice that what is hard to do at home is very easy to do in an actual gym, with good bars, good plates, good equipment, etc.

3

March 24th Workout.

Bench Press: All raw
135x10
225x5
315x5
365x1
385x1
405x1
All benching was done totally raw, and with strict form. I did not pause, though. This was all performed touch and go style. However, I do mean touch and go, not bounce it off my sternum and go, lol.

Squat: RDC Briefs (first time ever trying them)
135x5
225x5
315x3
315x3
405x3
500x3
585x3
Wanted to go heavier, and see how far the briefs could take me, but I had no spotter.

Narrow Tricep Bench Press:
135x8
225x5
315x5
325x3

This was it for today. Cant’ wait to see what kind of numbers I will hit when my RDC suit is here. Then what they will be with the suit and briefs together. And after I get used to all that, I also have a Metal Pro Squatter on its way.

4

720×960 155 KB

April 9th Workout

Started with Squat.
135x5
225x3
225x3
315x3
315x3
405x3
405x3
500x3
535x1
405x3

Next was Bench Press:
135x8
225x3
315x3
365x1
405x1 Bench Shirt
455x1 Bench Shirt
455x1 Bench Shirt
405x3 (Raw, New PR)

Next was Deadlift:
135x3
225x3
315x1
405x1
500x1
550x1
600x1* (Came up fast and easy, but I forced my hips forward too fast, and leaned back too hard, and about an inch before lockout, I nearly fell backwards, and hard to drop the weight)

Ended with Rack Pulls:
135x3
225x3
315x1
405x1
500x1
600x1
700x1 (Ripped my grip off the my left hand on this set)