10/4: Body is pretty beat up so instead of stepping away from gym, taking next two weeks as a deload instead of waiting until next week. Felt much better today. Will focus on speed next two weeks leading up to meet.
Deadlifts (W/EliteFS orange short bands)
225x1x3
315x1
365x2x8
10/6: Use the Long Band Monster minibands for Bench and wrapped them around a 100Lb plate. so the base was wider than the prescribed 4x4. These bands were suprisingly strong.
Bench
Bar only 3x3
135x3x2
225x3
Pause n Press
250x2x6
Must say this deload feels good, I’m coming to the gym refreshed and not so beat up. I will continue to use bands for the next week and half leading up to meet to work on speed, technique and form.
10/8: Used Long Band monster minibands doubled wrapped around power rack along with my blue bands. The tension equated to approx 100Lbs at bottom and 150 to 160 at top.
RAW Squats no belt, knee sleeves or wraps
Black minis first
Bar only 2 sets of 2
Blue and Black bands
Bar only 3 sets of 2
135x3x4
NO bands
225x3x3
Walkouts
405 15 seconds of moving around
455 15 seconds of moving around
525 15 seconds of moving around
This session was to focus on form, technique and speed.
10/10: Kept things light today and explosive.
Squat (Monster Mini’s and Blue Band…aprox 150lbs of tension)
Bar only 2 sets of 2
150x3x3
Bench (Monster Mini’s and Blue Band…aprox 150lbs of tension)
Bar only 1 set of 3
135x3x3
Deadlifts (Orange short minis)
315x2x3
10/12: Kept things simple today before saturday’s meet.
Squat (No Belt, sleeves or wraps)
205x1x3
225x1
255x1
275x1
305x1
330x1
DL
335x1x2
405x1
450x1
500x1x2
Bench
225x10
Pause n Press
275x1
315x1
350x1
So openers for this weekend will be 350/350/500. One day my squat will be higher than my bench:( Oh well, marathon race here I come.
10/16: Competed this weekend at NASA unequipped nationals. Planned to compete at a heavy 242 but I carbed loaded too early and held on to some extra water and weighed in at 246. so I was a light 275. Oh well.
I PR total of (27Lbs) 1328 for weekend since last meet. Very excited since my last meet I dropped 60 pounds and had to work extra hard to regain lost strength. My damn camera man (brother) had to leave before end of meet so only vid of squat.
Finished day (402/375/551) + 27 PR from Jan.
Here is how the day went:
Squat
353 Good
375 Good
402 Good
Bench:
350 Missed. I beat the press command. I typically count 2 secs in my head and then press, this guy was making folks wait forever. Not happy, oh well, thats the rules of the game
375 Good
391 Missed, said I had a dip during my acceleration up. Mad, put kept my cool
DL:
507: Good
535: Good
551: Good, went up pretty well, felt like I had 10Lbs in me for a slow grind.
My damn camera man only got my squat (my brother) because he had to go.
Food for the day, ate an enormous amout:
2 footlong subway oven roasted chicken breast
3 power bars
(3)-32oz Gatorades
(2) 40oz of Water
(2) 48gr shakes of protein mixed with 75 gram of carbs
1 giant soft taco from a mexican restaurant.
All of this was needed for this long ass day and to fuel my Max effort lifts. Will keep this in mind and repeat again at next meet.
10/18. Now that I got maxes set and good baseline. I can progress and train based on a new projected max for next meet in 13 weeks.
Projected max for next meet 450/400/600 from current meet results 401/375/551
Squat (50%) with long mini bands (39Lbs of tension bottom and 67Lbs of tension at top according to long band calibration chart)
135x3x2
185x3
225x5x4 This was very mental for me. Anything over 3 my mind shut down and I wanted to quit but I pressed through
Bench (50%) with Blue bands (40 @ bottom 80 @ top)
135x5
185x3
200x5x4
DL (50%) with Short minis
300x3x4
Oct 20: The program calls for big 3 three times per week. Was I sore today. Thank goodness for bengay extra strength!
Squat (50% Bar weight + 60Lb of chains) Again, no wraps, no belt
135x3
225x5x4
Bench (50% Bar weight + 60Lbs of chains)
135x3
205x5x4
Deadlift (50% Bar weight + 60Lbs of chains)
315x3x4
Pullups
Bent over rows
Upright rows
10/22: 60% Day
Squat:
135x1x3
225x1x2
Added belt because back was feeling weak and tad bit fried
270x5x3
Bench Pause n Press:
135x3
225x1
245x5x3
DL
360x2x3
Summary from the week. I feel good but I’m sore as hell. May switch things up and use Weds and Thurs as a upper and lower accessory day. Will see after this weekend of rest and recovery.
10/25: Decided to make initial bar weight on all exercises 50Lbs by adding 5Lbs and then use that as the baseline. However, I do not count the 5lbs. For example eventhough the bar weight may say 140, I count it as 135 so the 5 pounds is neglible in essence.
Squat (50% projected max + Long bands + 30Lbs of Chains)
Barx3
135x3
185x1
225x5x4
Bench (50% projected max + Long bands + 30Lbs of Chains)
Barx3
135x3
185x1
205x5x4
DL ( 50% projected max + Mini’s + 30Lbs of Chains)
225x1
275x1
315x1
added chains here
315x2x4
I decided to cut out the Wednesday training and make that a military training day for my physical accessment. Will not hit the Big 3 again until Friday. However, Wednesday will do accessory exercises like curls, pullups, standing presses and so forth.
10/29: Reducing the training to twice per week with all big 3 felt better this week in conjuction with my other training tasks for the week.
Squat (65% of projected max)
135x1x3
225x1x2
275x1
Added Belt
295x5x3
Bench (65% of projected max) All Pause n Press
135x3
225x3
275x5x3
DL (65% of project max) Touch n Go
225x1
315x1
405x2x3
Next week is the last week of my high volume phase of training. Then I roll into a competition phase and work up to 95% over the next 5 weeks. Each cycle is 8 weeks in length which is consists of high volume not exceeding 68 to 70% and the last 4 progressing up to 95%. After each 8 week cycle I hope to hit my projected max or close to it and then revamp for an increase of projected maxes. I will evaluate and see how each 8 week cycle goes. So far so good.
11/1: 55% Day. And based on the amount of tension I use, 55% bar weight of my projected max is at my max for the speed work and still remain explosive.
Squats (55% or projected max + Band Tension)
135x1x3
185x1x2
225x1
250x4x2
250x3x2
Bench ( 55% or projected max + Band Tension)
Barx3
135x3
185x1
230x3x4
DL ( 55% or projected max + Band Tension)
245x1
335x2x4
11/5: Wanted to do some box squats.
Squats (60 Lbs of chains)
135x1x5
185x1
225x1
added Box
245x1
225x1
205x3x4
Bench (55% of projected max + 60Lbs of Chains)
135x3
185x1
230x3x3
DL (55% of projected max + 60Lbs of Chains)
315x1
315x3
340x2x3
I have one more week of volume training before switching to peaking for 4 weeks.
11/8:
Squat (Wanted to split band tension and bar weight of 50-50 ratio and still remain explosive)
Tension was approx 160-175Lbs
Bar: x1x3
135x1
185x1 Too much towards strength and explosion decreased
160x2x6
Bench (used Blue bands only double wrapped around base of squat rack)
Barx3
135x3
185x3
225x2x5
DL with Mini bands
245x1
335x1
350x1x5
11/12: Last training session before going into peaking phase. So far, training going good and feel pretty good about my results so far.
Squats (Wanted to work between 60-70%)Again, all RAW, no sleeves, no wraps, just belt @ 275Lb
135x1x3
185x1
225x1
255x1
275x1
280x3x3
300x3x2
315x2
Bench (miscalculated and went over 70% of projected max of 410Lb. wanted to stay between 60-70%)
135x3
Pause n Press
185x3
225x1
275x3x2
295x3
315x3
DL (Did not have any more gas left in tank so stayed at 405 for singles roughly 68%)
315x1
365x1
405x1x3
I enjoyed training the big 3 all in one day. My conditioning improved. I am going back to training 3 days a week but have not decided on if I will split the big 3 up on their separate day or continue to do all 3 on the same day. If I decide to do all 3 on same day, only one of the lifts will go up above 80% for 1 to 2 reps while the other stay at 60% for 3 sets of 3; no more. Will marinate on that this for the weekend. Until Monday!
11/15: 4 weeks of peaking
Decided to keep doing the big 3, but on the other two exercises do a variation of the lift but at 60%
DL (80% of projected max)
225x1
315x1
405x1
455x1
485x1x2
3-bd Bench Press Pause n Press
225x3
275x3
315x3x3
365x2
Suspended Chain Good morning
135x3
225x3
250x3x3
11/17: Today’s focus is a projected 80% of max Bench Day with a variation exercise
Bench:( 80% of projected max of 410)
135x3
Pause n Press
225x3
275x1
315x1
330x1x2
Suspended Chain Good mornings
135x3
225x2
275x1
315x1 Very max of all maxes. This was a strain but I muscled it up. I am really liking this exercise and will continue to do these. I feel it in hamstrings, lower back, and glutes. Great for muscling up a squat on a max effort.
11/19: Today is projected 80% of max squat. Should not have played basketball in over 30 intramural league yesterday. Legs felt like they have not fully recovered for squat day.
Squat: (80% of projected max of 450)
135x1x3
185x1
225x1
275x1
315x1
Added belt and old worn training wraps
365x1x2
3-bd Bench Press All Pause n Press
225x3
315x3x2
Rack Pulls set at level below knees
315x1
405x1
455x2x2
11/22: Bad training day because I am out of town and the gym kept losing power due to the storm. only had opportunity to do Dead lifts.
11/24: Today is 85% projected max Squat day
Squats
135x1x2
225x1
275x1
Added Belt and Wraps
315x1
345x1
375x1
385x1x2
3-Bd bench Press all pause n press
225x3
295x3
330x3x3
Sumo DL’s
315x2
385x2x2 Wanted to do more DL’s, but I had nothing left in Tank. Plus sumo DL felt weird since I had not done sumo in a long time. Mechanics of sumo almost threw me off balance at first until I settled into lift.
11/29: Today is 90% projected max DL day
DL
245x2
335x1
440x1
500x1
530x1
550x1 Tied Meet PR. Weight went up fast, but slowed considerably at lockout. Hopefully I can add another 10-15Lbs next week.
Box Squat at Parallel, wider stance than normal
135x3x2
225x2x4
3-Bd Bench Press
225x3
275x3
335x3x3