[quote]Phillip Wylie wrote:
RTS appears to be working well for you. When I decided to try block periodization, it was a choice between that and RTS. Actually Mike’s book made me consider RTS and block. Do you deload between blocks?[/quote]
Not an explicit deload per se; however, the intensity is scaled back quite a bit on the first week of accumulation so that provides a bit of a break.
12/17/09
Accumulation block
Wk 2 Day 2
[i]Bench press +200 lb chain (x3, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
165x3@7.5
185x3@7.5
205x3@8
190x3x3@8,8,8
[i]2" Deficit DL (no belt) (x4, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
365x4@7.5
395x4@8.5
370x4x4@7.5,8,8,8.5
[i]CG 3-board press +90 mm (x10, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
185x10@8
215x10@8.5
200x10@8.5
Notes: Good session today. Upped the estimated max on the chain benches and my back is also feeling better by the day. I could’ve gone heavier, but I think I’m getting a lot out of going with a lighter weight with a bit more volume. Ten reps with the close-grip 3-boards and doubled minis was a killer and just completely punishes the triceps. They were screaming by the last rep on every single set.
12/19/09
Accumulation block
Wk 2 Day 3
[i]Squats +90c (x3, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
285x3@7
305x3@7.5
330x3@8
310x3x3@7.5,8,8
[i]CG bench press (x4, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
270x4@7.5
295x4@8.5
275x2x4@8,8.5
[i]Good mornings (DL stance) (x10, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
195x10@7
225x10@8
245x10@9
Notes: Squats felt really strong tonight and form was spot on as well. I bonked my right elbow earlier today and I had to slow down the negative on the close-grip benches so I kept the weight on the low side. Ten-rep sets for good mornings should make for a fun day tomorrow when I have to shovel two-foot deep snow out of the driveway tomorrow.
12/20/09
Accumulation block
Wk 2 Day 4
[i]3-count bench press (x3, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
285x3@7.5
305x3@8.5
285x3x3@8,8,8.5
[i]3-board press (x4, 7%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
345x4@8
375x4@8.5
350x2x4@8,8.5
Notes: Bench session was OK, but my arms were thrashed because I had to shovel 2-feet of snow out of my driveway after yesterday’s snowstorm. Paused benches had good speed off the chest through to lockout, and I held the pauses for a longer 3 count this week. Lifting off was a little tough on the 3-boards, but all the reps flew up nice and strong.
Shoveling 2 feet of snow sounds way below average.
Your training is looking really damn strong.
[quote]mrodock wrote:
Shoveling 2 feet of snow sounds way below average.
Your training is looking really damn strong.[/quote]
For Virginia it is a 100-years event. In Wisconsin, they call it Thursday.
12/22/09
Transmutation Day 1
[i]Squat w/ belt (x2, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
325x2@7.5
360x2@8
395x2@8
425x2@8.5
400x2x2@8,8.5
[i]Bench press +200 lb chain (x2, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
180x2@8
205x2@8
225x2@8.5
215x2x2@8,8.5
[i]Military Presses (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
125x4@7.5
145x4@8
165x4@9
155x2x4@8.5,9
Notes: DC-area traffic is killing me. My commute home over the past two weeks has been at least two hours long and at times I think I’m bordering on going insane, LOL. Needless to say the long ride home is making my hips tighter than a slingshot. I had to some extra warm-up to make sure I don’t tear anything.
Squats went well for the most part. Top set of 425 would’ve been better had I not taken too wide of a stance. Drop sets w/ 400 were the easiest that weight has ever felt. Bench with chains were very strong as well and I probably could’ve gone heavier, but arms were still achy from all the stupid snow shoveling of the past couple of days. Military presses just feel awkward to me. Even though the weights were easy, the exercise still seems odd.
12/26/09
Transmutation Day 2
[i]Deadlift w/ belt (x2, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
435x2@8
465x2@8
485x2@9
460x2x2@8.5,9
[i]Competition raw bench (x2, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
290x2@7.5
315x2@8
330x2@8
340x2@8.5
320x3x2@8,8,8.5
[i]CG 3-board press +90mm (x5, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
230x5@8
250x5@9
235x5@8.5
235x5@9
Notes: Wasn’t able to get a session in on Thursday because all the gyms near my parents’ house closed really early. I modified things a bit today and integrated the main exercises from Tuesday and today’s session and it worked out OK. The bar that I used for deadlifts was awful. It had no flex coming off the floor, but when I got it near lockout on my top set it looked like it was going to snap, lol.
This was my heaviest deadlift session in quite a while and to get 485 like that with the world’s worst bar is pretty good. The bar for bench wasn’t much better; plus, the bench was about 5 inches wide, had low j-hooks and had a bunch of foam on it that made it mushy. CG presses were tough and I think I started off a little too heavy, but everything felt solid.
That sounds like a fun session, with crappy equipment. I usually hate going to different gyms because I am used to the bars and plates at my gym. When I go to a anytime fitness or whatnot, everything just feels weird. I have been lucky enough to find a good gym in little rock and a good “stand-by” gym in nw arkansas to use.
Btw, 340 for a double at 8.5? Strong pressing, bro.
[quote]undesired08 wrote:
That sounds like a fun session, with crappy equipment. I usually hate going to different gyms because I am used to the bars and plates at my gym. When I go to a anytime fitness or whatnot, everything just feels weird. I have been lucky enough to find a good gym in little rock and a good “stand-by” gym in nw arkansas to use.
Btw, 340 for a double at 8.5? Strong pressing, bro.[/quote]
Believe me, it felt weird. The place was kind of sad. There were more treadmills and various other pieces of aerobic equipment than there was strength training equipment (free weights and machines combined). I’m glad I didn’t have to squat because the rack had the biggest spacing between the pins I think I’ve ever seen in my life.
Also, while I was there I actually saw a guy use the manta ray for lunges - now that’s some funny shit. As I was leaving there was another guy warming up in the squat rack, but needless to say you couldn’t call them legal squats unless they dramatically relaxed the rules for what constitutes parallel.
12/30/09
Realization Day 1
[i]Squat w/ belt (x1, 3%, RPE 9-10)[/i]
345x1@7.5
380x1@8
415x1@8.5
445x1@9
Notes: At some point yesterday I started to develop the early signs of a cold or some other malady. I woke up this morning and my throat felt like I swallowed broken glass and I just felt like a big pile of crap in general. I thought I’d be able to tough this one out, but it just wasn’t happening. Everything felt really heavy - heck even a warmup with 235 felt lousy - and it was hard to keep my air. There was no reason for me to keep going and end up just beating myself to a pulp, wrecking any opportunity of recovering from this stupid cold anytime soon.
1/1/2010
Not a Happy New Year, yet
Colds don’t normally keep me from training, but this one has sapped my strength and my appetite. A no-go on training today, so I’m really hoping that I can salvage this realization week and get something accomplished on Sunday. We’ll see. Fingers crossed.
[quote]novaeer wrote:
1/1/2010
Not a Happy New Year, yet
Colds don’t normally keep me from training, but this one has sapped my strength and my appetite. A no-go on training today, so I’m really hoping that I can salvage this realization week and get something accomplished on Sunday. We’ll see. Fingers crossed.[/quote]
Worse comes to worse you can always get jacked up on caffeine come Sunday, all the best!
[quote]mrodock wrote:
Worse comes to worse you can always get jacked up on caffeine come Sunday, all the best![/quote]
Chip, I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!!
[quote]novaeer wrote:
[quote]mrodock wrote:
Worse comes to worse you can always get jacked up on caffeine come Sunday, all the best![/quote]
Chip, I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!![/quote]
Chip, I’ll scissor kick you in the back of the head!!
[quote]mrodock wrote:
[quote]novaeer wrote:
[quote]mrodock wrote:
Worse comes to worse you can always get jacked up on caffeine come Sunday, all the best![/quote]
Chip, I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew!![/quote]
Chip, I’ll scissor kick you in the back of the head!![/quote]
Dear tiny baby Jesus…
1/5/2010
Accumulation
Week 1 Day 1
[i]Squats w/ belt (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
335x4@8
365x4@9
345x2x4@8,9
[i]Deadlift +90c (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
325x4@8
355x4@9
340x3x4@8,8,8.5
[i]SSB squats +90c (x6, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
215x6@8
235x6@8.5
255x6@9
240x6@9
Notes: First day back training after being afflicted with a cold followed up by some GI issues. My weight is down about 10 pounds and I felt kinda weak plus my endurance was almost nonexistent. The first two reps would be fine, but after that I had little ability to generate much force. I figure a week or two should get me back to form and feeling stronger. Adding chains to SSB squats as the last exercise borders on cruel punishment.
1/7/2010
Accumulation
Wk 1 Day 2
[i]Competition raw bench (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
275x4@7.5
295x4@8.5
280x3x4@8,8,8.5
[i]2-board press (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
305x4@8
325x4@8
335x4@8.5
320x2x4@8,8.5
[i]Military press (x6, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
125x6@7.5
145x6@8
165x6@9
Notes: Finally, I feel like I’m shaking off the effects of being sick, although my legs are extremely sore from Tuesday. Bench was pretty good tonight. All the reps moved with good speed and form was solid from rep to rep. I haven’t used the 2-board with straight weight for a long time so I was going mostly by feel here. Looking back at some of my sessions from a year ago, I was barely able to get a triple with 335 on the 2-board. Military press felt very awkward today, even moreso than usual, and I just didn’t have enough left in me to do a drop set.
1/9/2010
Accumulation
Wk 1 Day 3
[i]Deadlift w/ belt (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
385x4@7.5
415x4@8
440x4@9
420x2x4@8.5,9
[i]Squat +blue bands (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
245x4@8
265x4@8.5
285x4@9
270x4@9
[i]Stiff-legged DL (x8, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
275x8@7.5
300x8@8.5
315x8@9
Notes: Felt good today, although still lacking a bit in the endurance department. Form was good on the deadlifts, although the lower back was getting pretty tired by the end of things. I forgot how hard squatting with the strong bands was, not to mention just walking out and setting up. I could only muster one drop set.
I haven’t used stiff-legged DLs in a couple of years, but I think they’re going to help a lot because every rep felt like it was emulating how I miss a max pull. Still, doing them for 8 reps made me nearly puke and/or pass out when I was done.
1/10/10
Accumulation
Wk 1 Day 4
[i]Bench press +180pp (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
185x4@8
200x3@9.5
175x3x4@8,8,8.5
[i]Ply press (x4, 5%, RPE 8-9)[/i]
275x4@8
295x4@8
315x4@9
300x2x4@8.5,9
Notes: Got a late start on today’s session and only had time to get in the first two exercises. I really underestimated how difficult the bench was going to be with the doubled light bands. Apparently, I had been using my old purples previously so as soon as I started getting a little bit of weight on the bar I knew things felt very differently. I had to stop at the 3rd rep w/ 200 because it was hard enough and I didn’t want to kill myself during an accumulation week. I took a bigger drop than I was supposed to just to get in a little more volume. Ply press was OK, but the band benches had wiped me out so 315 was feeling heavier than normal. First week back from the sickness and things went decent, just gotta get back to previous conditioning level.