Journal headed into my 2nd lifting competition

[K.Diesel]

Peace and best wishes to everyone on this board for strength and health. This is my first time posting online, and I'm doing so at the request of my buddy Locutus, who I met this summer.

Like the thread title says, I'm preparing for my 2nd meet, which is in 5 weeks (11/22) in Annapolis, MD. I compete in squat suit for squat/deadlift, and raw for bench. I have a bench shirt, but sadly I don't know any other powerlifters/enthusiastic helpers near me who can help me get it on properly on a regular basis. I do plan to use it in my 3rd meet though.

My first meet was in August of this year. I weighed 192 1/4lb. Best lifts were -
squat: 453
bench: 275
dead: 512
total: 1240

My goal for the next one is a 1300 total. I'm doing two things differently in my training this time. #1 - training every other day instead of 4 set days per week. #2 - The first training day of the cycle, I train squat, bench, dead together, which I've started to call "competition day". So it looks like
Day 1 - comp. day
Day 2 - off
Day 3 - squat/dead assistance
Day 4 - off
Day 5 - bench assistance
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - comp. day (cycle repeats)

If anyone out there has trained all 3 lifts on the same day for any length of time, please post some feedback and let me know what your results were.I've only read about one person who did this, and I think it was a strongman whose name I can't remember. My rationale was based on a coach/lifter who was helping me made at my 1st meet. He mentioned that I was probably stronger on the bench than I performed, but I never squat before I bench in training. He didn't suggest that I do that, but I thought I would give it a try and see if it made a difference.

Ok, enough background on me. My last training session was Tues. 10/14, and it was my 1st time using the suit since my last meet. FYI - my notes are written weight/reps x sets.

Squat
bar/5
135/5
175/4
225/3
275/2
325/1
375/3
375/6 straps were down on suit for all sets. Wore a belt for the last 2 sets. Had a 7th rep, but I'm not trying to go all out

Bench
bar/6
95/5
135/4
175/3
200/2
225/3
225/5 last set was to failure. didn't plan that - wanted to stop one short but didn't think it would be that tough

Deadlift
225/3
315/1
365/1
415/1 x 8 again straps down. Belt for last warmup and the singles

Had to leave gym a little early, was supposed to do ab work also. Will do that later, and post today's workout tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for your feedback - supportive praise or constructive criticism:)

[Locutus]

Hey K.Diesel, welcome to the boards. I think it's more common in America to use sets x reps in the notation.

I think you'll get some good feedback here, as many lifters here are familiar with full body programs.

You may want to consider making a duplicate journal at wannabebigforums.com. They seem to have a very active community.

I'm thinking of doing a Strongman competition in December - (as a "Novice"). Will let you know if I choose to.

Good liftin'!

[KSC]

K.Diesel -

I have trained all three lifts together before, but I found that trying to go heavy on squat and deads each time didn't last too long, especially if you train with any appreciable amount of volume. Not sure how familiar you are with speed stuff, but I found that either of the following set ups worked well:

Dynamic Effort Box Squat 12 x 2

Bench Press

Deadlift

or

Heavy Squat

Speed Bench

Rack Pull

Working in the lighter dynamic effort stuff makes the workout more doable (for me) and I actually found my deadlift felt stronger after the explosive box squatting.

With the second model, I found that I could pull with bigger weights if i did so out of the rack so I had less quad involvement which the heavy squats do a thorough job of exhausting.

[Locutus]

Working in the lighter dynamic effort stuff makes the workout more doable (for me) and I actually found my deadlift felt stronger after the explosive box squatting.

With the second model, I found that I could pull with bigger weights if i did so out of the rack so I had less quad involvement which the heavy squats do a thorough job of exhausting.

Interesting ideas here, KSC.

I think I may do the first model (on texas method intensity day) for several weeks at a time, until I want to test my squat 1-5RM (to make sure I'm in the 50-60% range for box squats), and then use the second workout for that purpose.

Some other questions: what are good set/rep schemes for speed bench? I haven't read much about how to go about that. Should one include a pause with speed bench?

Lastly, in some of your templates I've seen you list "1x5" for the deadlift. Why 1x5 as opposed to working to a 1,3, or 5RM? Is it just to ensure that the deadlift at least gets some volume?

[KSC]

Speed Benches - Louie recommends 10 x 3 for speed benches. He also lists several ways in which they can be performed. One is ballistically, where the reps are basically performed as explosively and as fast as possible while still controlling the weight. Generally on these you will stop the bar about an inch or so before you hit your chest. Other methods include a brief pause on the chest (like in a meet) then exploding up, or pausing on pins set a few inches above the chest, or floor presses can also be used for DE benching. I am not an expert on Westside but I have researched the methods quite a bit and expiremented with many of them myself. I have always done between 40-50%. Some guys go heavier than that, but to me, I want to be as explosive as possible, and the weight starts to slow around 55-60%. I wave load the benches meaning week 1 = 40%, wk 2 = 45%, wk 3 = 50%, wk 4 = repeat. I don't use bands or chains, so you'll have to talk to someone who has to get more info on that.

Yeah, sets of 5 are a good happy medium for most of the yearly training cycle. Occassionally I go higher, occassionally I go lower.

Let me know how your Texas Method Plan goes.

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight is 197 right now.

"Squat rack" at the gym was occupied, so I warmed up with deadlift variations at 135.

Box squat
200+/2 x 9

I know this sounds ridiculous, but the + means that I'm using bands, and I have no idea how much tension the bands add. I just count the bar weight. The crazy thing about this day was that these bands aren't even the ones I normally use. I left mine at home, but the guy who was using the squat rack when I arrived happened to be using some too. Speed was great for each double.

Sumo deadlifts
225/3
315/3
365/3
415/3
465/2 x 3 Happy with these. I lift conventional in competition, so I use sumos as an assistance exercise.

Zercher Squats (These were alternated with sets of the glute/ham raises, about 2-3 minutes rest between each set.)
205/6
225/6
245/5
245/11

Glute/Ham Raise
15, 20, 20 These are done with my ankles hooked under the pad of a lat pulldown machine. I hold onto a pole with one or two hands for balance. Control on the negative, and explode up with hams/glutes on positive.

Hanging leg raises (dip station)
12, 8, 9 - each of these to failure with a 30lb. dumbell between my feet.

By the way, thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming!!

[K.Diesel]

Hope the weekend is good for everyone and hope you start the week even stronger.

Speed bench w/bands (please read yesterday's post for explanation on my band use - today I did use my normal ones)
bar/6; bar+/6; 75+/5; 105+/3 (all warmup sets)

135+/3 x 8 sets - good speed on all of these

2 Phone Book Bench Press - I use phone books since I don't have boards
185/3; 230/3; 260/3 (warm-ups)

285/2 x 3 sets - 1st set easy, 2nd set tougher, 3rd set hard

After those, alternated sets of dips and chins off of rings suspended from/wrapped around chin bar

Dips: 5 x bwt, 5 x bwt, and after getting a whole new respect for gymnasts, went to regular dip station and did 6 reps x 90+bwt

Chins: 8 x bwt, 6 x 45+bwt, 6 x 45+bwt

Pressdowns: 150/12

Had time constraints, so I felt rushed today. Head was not as into it after the phone book presses. Will regroup tomorrow and look forward to Monday's session w/the big 3. Peace

[K.Diesel]

Weighed 198 Sunday morning.

Time was not my friend again today. Did not get off work until 7:30 pm, got in gym at 8:30, had to wait about 5 min for the "squat rack". They close at 9:45. So instead of rushing through the 3 lifts, did just squat and bench.

Squat (squat suit, straps down)
bar/5; 155/5; 200/3; 250/3; 300/2; 350/1 - all warm up sets, added belt on last set

400/2, 400/4 - 1st set was harder than the 2nd. Think I will take smaller jumps in weight as I get closer to working weight. Rested almost 10 minutes before 2nd which felt really good.

Bench
bar/6; 135/5; 175/4; 205/3; 225/2 - warm ups

240/3, 240/4 - probably 1 more in the tank on each. Pause on chest each rep.

Probably good that I didn't have time to do deads. I was thinking of skipping them anyway, since I plan to do heavy sumo singles next workout for assistance work. Will shoot for 425 squat, 255 bench next time.

[K.Diesel]

I apologize to any who have been following this thread for the delayed post on this one.

Bodyweight this morning was 195.5.

Box Squats w/bands
bar+bands/4; 135+/3; 185+/2 (warm-up sets)

225+/2 x 8 sets

Sumo deadlift
225/3; 315/3; 365/2; 405/1 (warm-ups)
435/1
465/1
495/1
515/1 * Big PR! What makes this so satisfying is that I use sumos as an assistance exercise b/c I really think I'm stronger pulling conventional. The 515 is better than my PR from the meet (512). I'm not getting big headed, but this was a big confidence booster 4 1/2 weeks out. Will switch to another exercise next week.

Walking lunge w/dumbells
45s/8 steps each (warm up)
75s/9 each; 75s/11 each - 2nd set to failure

I alternated sets of the next 2 exercises, w/about 60-90 sec. rest between each
Glute/Ham raise - done w/feet hooked under pads of a lat pulldown station
2 x 20 reps

Leg raises -done at dip station w/30 lb. dumbbell between my feet
2 x 15 reps - these were to failure

Ended w/Calf Presses done on a Cybex Leg Press machine w/about 30-60 sec between sets
150/6; 200/5; 250/5; 300/5
350/5 x 4 sets
250/10

[K.Diesel]

Speed Bench w/bands
bar/5; bar+bands/3; 95+/2; 135+/2 (warm-ups)

150+/3 x 9 sets - alternated grip between wide, normal, close

Bench Press w/1 phone book
150/3; 185/3; 225/3; 245/3 (warm-ups)

255/3 x 3 sets - This was my 1st week going from 2 books to 1. Took awhile to find a good working weight. 3rd set was actually easier than the 2nd, think I had at least a 4th rep.

Barbell Rows
135/12; 165/8; 195/7 (warm-ups)
225/8
245/9 - failure, cheated the last 2 or 3

Tricep Pressdowns done at lat pulldown machine.
50/15 (really easy); 70/9 (kinda hard); 90/7 (really hard)
I don't know if it's because of leverage, lever systems, or what, but the weight on this stack feels a lot heavier than the same setting on the normal pressdown station (one of the ones where you can adjust the height of the cable). But if anyone has an explanation for this, please let me know why I can do 11-13 reps w/150(whole stack) on one station, but only 6-7 at 90 on this one.

Finished by alternating sets of the next three exercises, w/1-2 min. rest between each set

Seated Overhead press - done on smith machine (I know, I was working in w/a friend)
100+bar/7; 100+/6; 100+/8

E-Z Bar Curls
30+bar/12; 50+/8; 80+/7, last set to failure

Bent-Over Laterals
45s/12 x 2 sets, each to failure

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight 195.5 this morning.

Squat - done w/ suit on, straps down
bar/5; 135/5; 225/3; 315/2; 350/1
380/1 (added belt and wrist wraps here to end)
400/1
425/2 - felt really strong. Took cell phone video and 1st rep was just over 2 seconds. Didn't have lots of time so skipped 2nd set to start benching

Bench Press
bar/5; 135/5; 185/3; 215/2; 235/1 (warm-ups)
255/2 - sure I had a 3rd but...
255/2.75 - thought I would try the 3rd here, but I couldn't finish it. I had the bar higher than the rack, but just couldn't lock out.

Deadlift
230/3; 320/1; 370/1; 410/1; 440/1 (warm-ups)
470/1 x 4 - about 1-2 minutes between reps. felt slow doing them, but looked at video and they were just under 3 seconds each

[K.Diesel]

Once again, time was not my friend. Had to blaze through a workout. Really need to keep my ab work up, if not at gym then at home. Anyway...

Box Squat w/bands
bar+bands/3; 135+/2; 185+/1; 220+/1 (warm-ups)

250+/2 x 9 sets - all felt pretty good and fast (actually better than 225+ last week), except for sets 5 & 6. Think I lost concentration while someone was talking to me, plus I was rushing.

Hanging Deadlifts - Have never done these before today and never heard of them before 2 weeks ago.

Maybe Paused Deadlifts or Stop/Start Deads are a better name. But either way, I heard of these from a friend who has been competing (successfully) for more than 10 years. So I decided to try them for an ME assistance exercise. Basically you start a deadlift, hold it at your knees for 2-3 seconds, then lock out. Since I needed it explained to me, I figured I'd explain it here for those who were in the dark on it like I was. But if I was the last to find out about them, then I feel like an a$$.

135/5; 225/4; 275/2; 315/3; 365/3 - added wrist straps at 315. Counting these as warm-ups
405/3 x 2 sets - I really liked these. Its like stalling on purpose and teaching yourself to grind through it. Will go for doubles next week.

Romanian deads - done on a step
315/9 - done to failure

That was it. Told you time was not my friend. All done in 60 minutes. Need to rearrange my schedule for this week, so I will hit bench assist tomorrow, then hit competition day on Friday

Peace and sorry if I rambled. It is 2:50 a.m. Insomnia sucks

[K.Diesel]

I was in a minor auto accident yesterday that caused major damage to my car - either that or it exposed problems that were already present in my front axle and suspension. I wasn't hurt, just shaken up a little. Only ran up on a curb and into a sign (like a stop sign size). The point is, now I'm sharing a car w/my wife and getting to work on public transpo which will affect gym time. So workouts may get shorter or be rushed for a while. On to the lifting...

Bench press w/bands - done fast, alternating grip from wide, normal, close
bar+bands/5; 95/4; 135/3 (warm up)
165/3 x 8 sets

Bench Press off 1 phone book
185/3; 225/3; 255/2 (warm up)
275/2 x 3 sets - 1st set was harder than the 2nd set, but the 3rd was hardest of all

"T-Bar" row - done w/plates on 1 end of bar and v-grip handle from seated row machine
135/10
225/8
270/6 to failure, ROM was getting short

Chins
bwt/5 (warm up, wide grip)
+45/6 - wide pronated grip
+45/8 - supinated shoulder-width to failure
+45/8 - v-grip handle to failure

Pressdowns
50/6 - lat pulldown stack
90/7 - to failure at pulldown stack
150/10 - to failure at crossover stack

[K.Diesel]

Felt like today would be good. Got extra sleep thanks to DST ending last night. Went to a breakfast buffet this morning. Plus the Ravens won on the road, swept the Browns this year, and haven't fallen apart yet halfway into the season. On to the lifting...


Weighed in at 195.5 (before the buffet).

Squat
bar/5; 135/5; 225/3
315/2 (added wrist wraps)
370/2 (added suit, straps down)
405/1 (added belt)
430/1 (added knee wraps)
450/3 (all of the above) - *BIG PR triple!* The guy spotting me was nice and all, but this dude kept putting his hands on my elbows on the reps. I had a mouthpiece in and was holding my breath, so I couldn't yell for him to get off. But I'm claiming those reps, and know I would have got them anyway. Fought a little for the last one. I'm fired up though - 453 was my best squat from the last meet.

Bench
bar/5; 135/5; 175/3; 210/2
230/1 (added wrist wraps)
255/1
275/1 + 1 failed - the 1st rep matched my PR from the 1st meet, and felt like I had a 2nd. So I figured I'd go for it and only got it 1/2way up. Spotter helped me finish #2. Think I held the pause too long.
285/0 - waited 5 or 6 minutes and said what the heck, that 1st 275 felt like I had more, but should have known that forced rep spelled doom for me. Anyway, got it a few inches off my chest and that was it.

Deadlift - all done in squat suit w/straps down in interest of time
250/3 (normal grip)
340/2 (staggered grip)
410/1 (added chalk)
440/1 (added belt)
470/1
500/1 x 3 - *another BIG PR triple!* I pretty much do all deads as singles, but I count them as doubles, triples, etc. depending on the rest time between them. Watched the clock and rested 60 seconds for #2 and 90 for #3. This was pretty hard but satisfying. Only 12 pounds from my best at the last meet.

All in all, this was quite a good day, even though the bench remains a weaker link than I hoped. God willing, we'll try it again in a few days.

[Locutus]

Still liftin'? Haven't seen you post in a week. When's the comp again?

[K.Diesel]

Still liftin'? Haven't seen you post in a week. When's the comp again?

Yes sir, I've just been lazy about posting. Plus tired. If I didn't mention it in a previous post, my day job is carrying mail. For several months, I a circuit of 5 routes where I only had to walk 1 1/2 days a week, and the other 3 1/2 days I delivered from the truck. Last week, I started a route where I walk 5 days a week again, with lots of stairs. So I had to go low volume until the meet while I adjust to my new GPP load. I've gained strength/muscle/lean mass while walking routes 6 days a week before, I just need to adjust again. So, thanks for your patience - Locutus and everyone else who's been following this journal..

Oh, the meet is Sat. 11/22

Ab circuit alternating sets of each exercise with about 60 seconds between each

Hanging knee raise (at dip station) - body/15; body+30/13; body+15/14
the last 2 sets were to failure, with the added weight from a dumbbell between my feet

Side bends w/dumbbells - 25s/20 each side; 75s/20 ea.

Standing rope crunch - 80/20; 150/9; 120/19
last 2 sets to failure

Miscellaneous circuit - i just picked these at random, and did 3 sets of each, alternating

Dips - body/12; body/8; +85/8 + body/11 (drop set, I can't remember the last time I did one of those)

Chins - body/6; body/7; +50/4+4+4
the first 2 sets were warm ups, I felt something weird in my forearm on the first set. Maybe still stressed from the deadlifts on Sun. Felt fine on the second. The last set was groups of 4 at wide, underhand, and neutral grip(v-handle)

Glute-ham raises - 12, 15, 20

[K.Diesel]

The idea was to get some work in on legs and triceps, and do light reps on the big 3. Had one of my brothers giving me the competition commands on each of those.

BW = 193

Leg Press
230/10; 360/8; 540/6; 720/4; 855/3 (warm ups)
945/9 - may have had another rep, not sure. Wrapped knees for last set, just to get used to the feel of them again, and to practice wrapping. Someone else wrapped me at my last meet, but I may have to do it myself this time. But wrapping for leg presses is not normal for me.

Pressdowns at crossover station
105/8 - short bar warm up
105/6; 125/3 - rope warm up
150/6 - rope to faillure
150/11 - short bar to failure

Rope crunches - 120/20

Big 3 practice - did 4 singles each. Squat was 185, bench was 150, dead was 200. This was just to practice form and lifting against the commands. I've had others help with this over the last few months as well.

The game plan is to do a "2/3 dress rehearsal" on Thu. 11/13. Full gear on squat, and my plan is to warm up and do 3 singles for squat and bench like at the meet, but not quite as heavy. One of my attempts tomorrow will be 475 though. Bench will probably go up to 275/280. Don't know if I'll deadlift or not, thus the 2/3. Maybe the warmups, but don't want to tax my lower back too much 9 days out.

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight this morning was 192.5

Squat
bar/5; 135/5; 225/3
315/2 (added wrist wraps)
365/1 (added belt)
405/1 (added suit, straps down) - this rep felt a little toughter than expected. probably cooled off a bit going to the locker room to put on the suit

435/1 (added knee wraps).
455/1 (straps up) - PR! best at 1st meet was 453
475/1 - PR!!
500/1 - :D Super PR!!! was going to stop at 495 but friends convinced me to go for it. Would post the video but it's on my phone and I don't know how to upload it. Honestly felt like I was good for 10 more lbs.

Bench
bar/5; 95/5; 135/3; 175/3
205/1 (added wrist wraps)
225/1 (added belt) - low back needed help after squats
240/1
255/1
270/1 - tougher than I expected
285/0 - Damn!!!!! I'm nervous and disappointed because if this is where I am, that means all my training hasn't netted me a 10lb increase in my bench since 8/30/08. I'm trying to blame it on any of the following factors:
* general fatigue from my new route
* fatigue in this session - I took 90 min. to squat (the last 3 attempts had about 8 min. rest in between) and then rushed through the bench in about 30-40 min. due to gym closing time
* mental block/focus
* drop in bodyweight
If any of this seems reasonable, or if there are any other factors that I've overlooked, please give some feedback. I'd hate to think I haven't made any progress on this lift in 3 months.

Even still, I'm happy with the squat. Even if my bench is stuck, I think I have a good shot of hitting my goal: 1300 total next Saturday. Will have 1-2 light sessions between now and then just to keep muscles awake.

[K.Diesel]

My 1 - 2 light sessions after the dress rehearsal ended up as sporadic pushups and bar squats at home.

Weighed in at 189.5 - so much for the accuracy of my home scale. I weighed 192.5 at home that morning.

Went 9 for 9!
Squat = 457, 479, 501. - suit and wraps
Bench = 259, 275, 281. - raw
Dead = 485, 507, 518. - squat suit
Total = 1300 (590kg). Every squat, my 3rd bench and 3rd deadlift are all PRs, plus I hit a new total PR with each deadlift (total from the 1st meet was 1240/562.5kg)! Finished 1st in my weight class. No complaints at all about anything.

Will likely compete again in February or March, and will keep my log going here. Thanks for the feedback and following my journey. Should return to the gym in a week - my back needs a break right now.

[Locutus]

Congrats!

[K.Diesel]

Thanks Locutus!

Looks like my next meet will be Feb. 21, waiting on confirmation of the date.

Got back in the gym today, as I realized I have a class to take Mon and Tue after work next week, so I didn't want to wait until next Wed to get back in. Decided to go in for a bench day.

Dumbbell raises - for warm up
10 lbs: front x 12, side x 14, rear x 14

Bench Press
bar/11; 100/8; 150/5 - warm up sets
195/5 x 4 sets - 70%1RM, pretty easy. All reps with pause.

Military Press
45 plate/6 - done unilaterally, holding plate like a kettlebell
135/5
155/5 x 3 sets - may have been ME on 2nd set, definitely 5RM on 3rd.

done as alternating sets w/

Underhand Chins
body/11
body+50/8, 8, 5 - ME on 2nd set, probably same for 3rd. did several partials after that 5th rep

Dips
body/10 - was going to be a warmup for weighted, but changed mind

Pressdowns
150/8 - ME, done at crossover station. didn't rest long enough after those dips

Seated cable row
200/1 - that's the whole stack, didn't have it today!
160/8 - ME

[K.Diesel]

Looks I won't be back in the gym until Thursday - forgot about an appt. on Wed after work.

Decided last week I would try switching my DL style to sumo. I pulled 515 sumo about a month before the meet, and thats only 3 pounds off my heaviest last Sat. One of those "what the hell, why not" type experiments.

Warmed up w/empty bar squats, GMs, Front squat, RDL, Stepups

Speed sumos
140/8, 140/3, 190/4, 230/2 - warm ups
260/2 x 8 sets - easy enough, pretty fast. Looked like 1 sec up for each. Took 30-60 seconds between sets. Thought my lower back was more sore than it should be after. Don't know if it's working crazy OT Fri and Sat or not enough sleep or what. Will probably cut down to six sets next time. Plus cut down some of the warm up reps. Just wanted to get more familiar with the sumo pull.

Good morning
bar/5, 95/5, 135/5, 185/5, 225/5 - found today's 5RM on lasat set

Walking dumbbell lunge
40s/10 steps each
60s/11 ea, 10 ea - probably 1 rep short of failure on each set

Standing cable crunch
100/12, 150/2(too much!)+130/11, 130/9 (ME)

alternated w/sets of

Glute Ham Raises
5, 10
note: I do these at a lat pulldown station with my feet under the knee pads. Previously I held a hollow bar for balance. Just started doing them w/o it, and push off the floor w/my hands just enough to get going.

Calf Press
270/15, 11 (ME) - done on plate loaded leg press. Don't know how much the sled weighs

Time: 1hr, 7 min including warm up and stretching at end

[Locutus]

Nice. I think the squat suit is supposed to give more for sumos, too?

[K.Diesel]

Don't know, but I can see why it should theoretically. The hip and leg position for a sumo dead is much closer to a squat than conventional deads, so I can see the suit giving you a little more help on liftoff, especially the lower you get your hips.

Funny, some guy at the meet was telling me about a single-ply DL suit, I think by Inzer, that is supposed to help conventional lifters much more than sumo. Oh well. I don't plan on buying anymore gear anytime soon, so lets hope you're right

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight on my scale - 194.5 Fri morning. Even though it seems to be off from the meet scale, it's an increase of about 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks or so. That 3 qts - 1gal milk a day is working very nicely.

Bench press
bar/5, bar/15, 95/5, 135/5, 185/3 - warm ups, all paused except for bar/15 which were fast as possible

210/5, 210/7 - 1 short of ME on 2nd set

Close grip bench
135/7

Chins
body/5 (wide grip), body/5 (wide), body/5 (underhand) - warm up

body+50/7 (wide), body+50/7 (under) - ME on 2nd set

alternated sets of chins w/

Standing Overhead Dumbbell Press
30s/11 (warmup)
65s/7 x 2 sets (ME on 2nd set). 45 sec rest, then...

Lateral Raises
20s/8 - done simultaneously

Seated Cable Row
160/8, 160/9 (ME). 45 sec rest, then...

Bent Lateral Raises
30s/11

Dips
body+90/7 (ME) don't know why 7 seemed to be the cutoff point for everything

Rolling Tricep Press
30s/11, 50s/12 - don't really know what these are called. I saw some westsiders doing them on youtube and they seemed like I might want to try them. You can see them at this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma-9KdEVtpg

Standing cable crunch
125/15, 135/11

Hammer curl
50s/5 sim. + 3 ea.

Total time 1:06. Like the post title, this was just to get back in and have some fun and try a few new things. Accomplished everything I wanted to.

[K.Diesel]

Feb. 21 is still the tentative date for my next meet. I'm going on the assumption that the date will stand and starting to prepare. If they reschedule, I guess I'll be in the gym on that day or Sun. 2/22 and testing my max in everything.

Family and especially work are causing me to switch to a 3-day a week training regiment. My new route is long with lots of stairs (3.5-4 hours of actual walking/hiking time, and with the overtime that I work, it's really draining me some days. The plan is to train on Sun (squat), Tue (bench), and Thu (deadlift), since I'm off 2 of those days. I think I will recover much better and be stronger from day to day. We start tomorrow -10 weeks to go.

I should be visiting my coaches this week and finally learning how to use my bench shirt! So this week I'll switch bench and dead days.

Lastly, anyone know if you can change the name of your thread? This journal is going beyond my 2nd competition now. Didn't have the foresight to realize that when I named it, but hey, this is my 1st time posting on a forum anywhere.

[K.Diesel]

5:00 warmup on treadmill @ 3.5

Squat
bar/5, 140/5, 230/4, 280/3, 315/2 - warm up
350/5 x 2 sets - used belt. grinder on 4th & 5th rep of 1st set. maybe had 6th rep on 2nd set

Good mornings
195/5, 235/5 x 2 sets - never sure if I'm doing these right because I feel a lot more strain on low back than hamstrings. Is that how it's supposed to work?

Front squats
235/3 x 3 - Hey Locutus, I tried to use the clean grip, but could barely unrack it! Had to go stay with the cross-arm style.

*next 2 exercises done as alternating sets*
Glute/Ham raises
9, 10(ME 2nd set)

Walking Lunge
65s/10, 11(ME 2nd)

*next 2 exercises done as alternating sets*
Side bends
65s/15, 16, 15

Calf Press - done on plate loaded leg press
360+sled/14, 13(ME), 11(ME)

Total time - 1:19

[Locutus]

Front squats
235/3 x 3 - Hey Locutus, I tried to use the clean grip, but could barely unrack it! Had to go stay with the cross-arm style.

What exactly was the problem? Most people try to support too much in their palm, but you only need 2-3 fingers touching the bar. Not sure if that's your problem.

[K.Diesel]

Don't know what it is. I got under the bar, felt it across the front of my shoulders, put my hands under it, and tried to stand up. Beyond awkward. Practiced with an empty bar last week, and it felt awkward but doable. Think the awkwardness will go away with more practice, but I didn't think it would be that bad with weight on the bar. If I can get my wife or a friend at the gym to video, I'll post some footage.

[KSC]

My two cents:

Unless you do full squat cleans as part of your training regimen, and it is necessary to catch the bar in the front squat position, it is unnecessary to use a clean grip on a front squat if you are limited by wrist flexibility. I have always front squatted with a cross arm style and have done just fine. I haven't heard a convincing arguement yet as to why I should switch grips. Again, just my opinion and I'm not really an authority on anything.

[K.Diesel]

With my car probs, no chance of driving the 30 highway miles each way to my coach for help with the bench shirt. So I decided to try it out on my own, based on my past experiments with it and what I could read/see online.

I have 2 shirts, the Titan Fury (I think) and the Inzer HD Blast. Have had both of them on, but never used the Inzer before because it was so much tighter than the Titan. This time, I decided to go with the Inzer thinking it might work better.

Bench
95/5, bar/15 (quick), 140/5, 190/3, 240/2 - warm up

Put on shirt, took 5 - 10 minutes including walk to and from locker room, then reclaiming my bench. Not bad, especially since the guy helping me had never put one of these on someone before.

275/1 - got stuck on the way up at the point where the shirt stops helping, because I didn't see it coming. Now I understand board and band work. Realized I have to pull the bar into my chest and push hard all the way through to beat the shirt.

285/1 - flew off my chest all the way up to lockout! The fastest heavy bench of my life.

285/1.5 - figured I'd go for a double, but lost the 2nd rep because I paused too long after the 1st, and didn't bring the bar down right.

Game plan for rest of this training cycle is to do an increasingly heavier single, then drop weight and do 3-5 reps. Similar to Gillingham bench routine. Will probably deload/reset once after 5 weeks. Hope this works.

Took shirt off, then...

2 Phone Book Bench - in place of boards
245/4, 265/3 (ME), 265/2 (ME)

alternated sets w/next 2

Seated Overhead Pin Press
135/6 x 3 sets (ME last set)

Dumbbell raises
15s/15 (front), 15s/11 (side), 30s/13 (rear) - ME all sets

alternated sets w/next 2

Rolling dumbbell extension/press - made a T out of 2 benches instead of doing them on the floor this time
30s/8, 65s/7, 65s/8 (ME)

Hammer curl
50s/7 + 3 unilaterl (ME)

Standing cable crunch
60/19

Time - 1:31 Longer than I wanted, but hopefully it will go smoother on future shirt days.

[K.Diesel]

KSC - I'd like to be able to do full clean and presses and snatches (properly) at some point. That's my real motivation for trying them with a clean grip. For better or for worse, I'm too preoccupied with the 3 powerlifts for the last year or so, and don't have the time and/or patience to teach myself how to use the clean grip right now. I think my back squat has been improving pretty well with the cross arm front squat as an assister. So I think I'm with you for the forseeable future.

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight 197.0, waist 33". Online calculators have me anywhere from 11-13% BF. I'll call it at 12%.

* From now on, when I do sets of alternating exercises, I'll just use a 1A, 1B format. Sorry I didn't think of this earlier.

1. Rack pulls - sumo stance, bar just below knees
140/8, 230/4, 320/3, 410/1, 500/1 (added belt) - warm ups
540/3 x 2 sets - a little disappointed. Thought I would get 5 reps today. Maybe I gotta get used to the sumo pulls. This was actually the first time I ever did rack pulls w/sumo stance, so I guess I should be happy.

2A. Zercher lift - bar a few inches higher than normal floor pull (bottom of a shoulder press rack)
225/5, 245/5, 265/3 (ME) - this last set snuck up on me! Will get 5 reps next time.

2B. Shrugs
315/11, 355/8 (ME), 355/9 (ME)

3A. Chins
body/6 wide + 6 under, +60/6 (wide, ME), +60/5 (under, ME)

3B. Standing cable crunch - back to crossover station
120/15, 130/12, 130/13 (ME)

3C. Seated cable row
165/9, 165/10 - both ME, with a controlled cheat to start the pulls

Time - 1:15, could have been shorter, but was helping my wife w/her workout

[K.Diesel]

Even after firing Brian Billick, the Ravens can't catch a break from the refs in the NFL. At home either. Even my wife, who is from DC and hates the Ravens, said that last play was not a TD. Anyway, there's still hope...

Total workout time = 1:25, which included watching football, a trip to the bathroom, and a phone call.

Treadmill warmup - 5:00 @ 3.5 for .28 mi

1.Squat
140/5, 230/4, 280/2 (wrist wraps), 320/2 (belt) - warm ups
370/4 - ME, last 2 slow but satisfying
370/2 - maybe/probably had 1 more rep, but no spotter or safety pins + more doubt than confidence meant no attempt for 3

2.Good morning w/belt
245/2 + 3 - bar slipped after 2nd rep, put some chalk on the bar and did 3 more
245/5 - I don't like good mornings and I don't know if they really help me. When I go heavy on them, I feel like I'm fighting more to keep my spine from exploding than I am to move the weight. Starting next week, I'm doing RDLs or SLDLs.

3.Front squat
245/3 x 3 - not as deep as I remember going, but I think I at least hit parallel on each one.

4.Pull-thrus
120/12, 120/15 (ME)

5.Walking dumbbell lunge
70s/11each x 2 sets - one short of ME on each set

6a.Calf Press - on plate loaded leg press
320+sled/11, 13, 14 - ME last 2 sets, did reps faster on each set

6b.Side bends
65s/10 ea, 15ea

[K.Diesel]

1. Bench press
bar/20 (quick pumps), 95/5, 140/4, 190/3, 230/2, 250/1 - warm ups

The shirt, part 2
280/1, 305/1 x 2 sets(?) - spotter interference! Not sure if I got those last singles all by myself. The spotter put his hands on the bar, even though I hadn't stalled and the bar wasn't coming back down. I'll have to do that weight again next time.
275/2 x 2 - 2nd reps tough after the singles

2.2 phone book press - shirt off
250/3, 280/1, 290/1 - probably within 5 lbs. of ME

3a.Dips
90+body/5 x 3 sets

3b.Seated OHP
145/5 x 2; 145/4 - last set standing because the gym was crowded and someone snuck in, removed the seat from the rack and started warming up for squats. Wouldn't have been upset if he was at least hitting parallel.

4a.Reverse curl - done with cambered bar
40+bar/10, 50+/12

4b.Dumbbell bench press - bottom 1/2 of ROM
80s/7, 6

4c.Standing crunch
60/18 (on lat pulldown), 140/12 (at crossover)

4d.pressdown
60/11 (lat pulldown, w/rope), 150/7 (crossover, w/short bar)

Time - 2:31. I am so mad about this workout's length. Contributing factors include finding someone to help put my shirt on, putting it on, taking it off, getting a (usually) reliable spotter, long rest periods during the bench, and adjusting my plan for the unusually large number of people in the gym. Folks must be getting a jump on those New Year's dreams.

[Locutus]

I always hated asking for a spot in that gym. I think I had less than 25% "good spots" while there.

[K.Diesel]

1.Deadlift
140/5 x 3 sets, 230/3, 320/3, 410/2, 450/1 (belt) - all sumo
485/1 x 5 - 1st 2 were sumo, and felt exceptionally hard. Maybe I'm just not used to them, but I didn't feel like I had any real starting power. Did the last 3 conventional for comparison, and they were tough, but not like the sumo. Maybe I should keep things as they are (lift style)? Suggestions welcome.

2.Romanian deadlifts - standing on step
225/6, 315/6, 365/5 x 2 (ME last set)

fyi, if I've ever referred to stiff legs earlier in this thread, they're really romanian. I always keep the bar on/right next to my shins and thighs.

3.Chins
7 wide, 60+body/6 wide, 60+/6 underhand (ME both sets)

4.Dumbbell row
80/7 ea, 100/9 ea, 100/10 ea (ME)

5.Dork row - saw these in a magazine a few months ago, been meaning to try them
50s/8, 40s/14 - not bad, may use them again, can't go heavy with them at least not near end of workout

6a.Side bends
65s/15 x 2

6b.GHR
8 (ME), 20 (used pole for help)

Time - 1:37

[Locutus]

Were those with the suit? Do they also seem weaker even with help from the suit?

[K.Diesel]

No, these are raw. I have never done sumos in the suit. Will probably try them in the suit next time I do pulls, which should be in 2 weeks. Plan is to alternate rack pulls 1 week w/pulls from the floor the next

[Locutus]

Interesting. I wouldn't abandon the sumos quite yet. It might be the case you're better at repping out conventional than sumo, but better at 1RM with sumos?

Plus I'd be interested to see what kind of carryover the suit gives the sumos.

[K.Diesel]

Treadmill - 5:45 @ 3.5 for .33 mi

Squat
bar/5, 140/5, 230/4, 280/2 (wrist), 320/1, 355/2 (belt)
390/2, 390/3 - BIG PR TRIPLE! Wanted 2 sets of 3, but was timid on the 1st set. 2nd set was a real confidence booster. 3rd rep never got stuck but was a slow grinder. Now I wonder if I've been pushing myself enough.

Box Squat
210/2 x 8 sets - pretty quick. No bands today. 30-40 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Walking Lunge
75s/12 ea, 75s/11 ea - possible ME 1st set, definitely 2nd set

Pull-thru - at cable crossover
130/15 x 3 sets - hard, harder, hardest

Leg Raise - done at dip station w/dumbbell
30/10, 30/11 + body/6 (drop set)

Calf Press - on Cybex leg press machine
200/24, 21, 18 - quick reps, full ROM. Read article by Bill Starr saying work calves w/high reps, like 30+. Gotta build my mind up for that. Hate the idea of high reps for anything.

Time - 1:21 very happy with that

[K.Diesel]

Bodyweight 193.5. Now I know why I can't hold weight. It's not my route, its these long bench sessions burning too many calories.

Shoulder rotations w/5 lb plate, different directions, 50-60 reps total

1. Bench
bar/20 (pump), 140/5, 190/3, 230/3 (wrist), 255/1 - warm ups

INSERT THE 25 MINUTE BREAK/TIME IT TOOK TO GO TO THE FRONT DESK, GET A STAFF MEMBER TO HELP ME PUT ON MY SHIRT, TAKE IT OFF BECAUSE IT WAS TWISTED AROUND, PUT IT BACK ON, THEN LAY DOWN AND BENCH

250/3 (just to get warm again, tried hard to make them touch)
285/1, 295/0.5, 290/1 (perfect rep! leg drive, arch, stroke fired just right, no hitch), 270/3(?) - spotter touched bar on 3rd rep

2. 3 Phone Book press
270/3, 285/3, 300/3 - not so hard, kinda hard, hard

3. Seated Overhead Press
135/5 x 3 sets
155/3.5, couldn't finish 4th

4a. Weighted dip
80+/7, 70+/7, 60+/6.5

4b. Dumbbell incline press
80s/5.5, 70s/6, 60s/6.5

5a. Standing crunch
130/15, 150/9 + 130/7 (drop set)

5b. Lying pressdown w/rope
80/12, 110/6 + 90/3 + 70/4 (drop set)

Time - 2:38. I don't know if its the shirt, resting too long, too much volume or what, but I gotta figure out how to cut this down by an hour in the next 7 days.

[K.Diesel]

1. Sumo rack pull, just below knee
140/8, 230/4, 320/3, 410/2 (chalk), 480/1 (belt)
520/1 - sloppiest deadlift of any type I can ever remember doing
555/1, 1, 0 - palms looked and felt like they were going to be ripped off my hands after the 2nd. showed them to a buddy who said I better put on gloves. Can't do that - at least not for pulls. So I put on straps and tried for a third and failed.
505/1, 1 - did these w/straps so I would get a little more volume in. Goal was 5 at 555

2. Zercher lift
245/5, 265/5 (PR I didn't get last week!), 265/3 - tank was empty on last set

3. Shrug
315/10, 365/10 - didn't like the way that 2nd set felt. Didn't hurt, but didn't feel like it was helping anything

4a.Chins
body/8, 60+/7 wide grip, 60+/7 underhand - Yay! 1 rep improvement on the weighted sets from last week

4b.GHR - at lat pulldown station
12, 10 (ME) getting better at doing these unsupported

5. Weighted Plank
45/1:03 - wanted a change of pace for ab work and had someone put a plate on my back while doing a plank. Really liked this and will add these to the mix for a while.

Time - 1:40. My mind wasn't in this workout, and I felt lethargic the whole time. I'm a bit irritable, and don't want to go to work (normal) or gym (abnormal). I have been sleeping 6 hours a night at best lately, and think if I can crank that up to 7-8, I'll feel much better. If the Ravens win today and make the playoffs, I'll certainly feel better.

[K.Diesel]

7 weeks of training before my 3rd meet. BW = 196.5. Good eating + milk

Warmed up on treadmill 6:00 at 3.5

Squat
bar/5, 140/5, 230/4, 300/2, 340/1 (belt)
380/1
410/1.5 - most satisfying failed rep ever! That's because the 1st rep was my new raw PR!! Doubted the success of 2nd rep, but tried it anyway. Damned good spotter helped me finish it after I stalled a few inches out the hole.

Dumbbell Walking lunge
40s/6 ea - warm up
75s/11, 10 - ME each set

Time - :55
Seeing how my lunge reps went down using the same weight from last week, I figured the ME squat had taken enough out of me and it was time to shut it down. My plan was to hit 2 reps w/410 today and try 415 or 420 for a raw 1RM next week. Not sure if I'll do that now or deload for a week. Either way, 1/10/09 I'll start adding suit and knee wraps to peak for competition.

Too bad the gym closes at 7 on Sundays. I bet if I lifted after the Ravens game, I would have made that 2nd rep. Oh well. After 5-11 last year, the skies are purple in Baltimore!!

[K.Diesel]

Got off work early - always the makings of a good day. However, that meant I was going to the gym early, with no chance of seeing anyone I would know. It's a little awkward to say to a stranger "Hey, nice to meet you. Want to go in the locker room and help a man you don't know squeeze into a tight polyester shirt?" So today's session was raw.

Shoulder rotations/raises w/5 lb plate. Different directions. 50-60 total

1. Bench
bar/20 (fast pump), 140/5, 185/3, 230/3
250/3, 3, 2 + 1 forced - each 3rd rep was really tough, and the spotter had to help me finish my 3rd rep on 3rd set

2. 3 Phone book press
290/3 - poor set up by me and the guy holding the books, feet and shoulders shifted, and I'm not even sure if I got help on any of the reps or not
290/2 + 1 forced - failed on 3rd rep, spotter helped
280/3 - all mine, hard earned
260/5 + 1 forced

3. Dips - single drop set
90+/5 + 45/5 + body/5 - this was a lot harder than I thought it would be

4a. Standing cable crunch -at crossover station
130/17, 150/8

4b. Pressdown - short bar
150/8, 120/10

Time - 1:01!!!! This was the best bench session I've had in 3-4 weeks, and not just because of the time. Would have done more for triceps, but my wife and I are sharing a car and I had to leave to pick her up. In hindsight, going without the shirt today was probably the winning factor. Think I found out how to keep the sessions at 90 min. when I get back to it next week.

[K.Diesel]

Hope everyone on the board sets many PRs in 2009!

Body stats: 193.5 lb (where are my 3 lbs from last week?), 32 1/2" waist, haven't calculated BF% yet

warmed up with empty bar hang cleans and snatches

Deadlift - c = conventional, s = sumo, starting w/straps down
140/3s + 3c; 230/2s + 2c; 320/2s + 2c;
410/2s + 1c (belt)
450/1s + 1c (straps up) I'm convinced now - I don't like sumo deadlifts
500/1c

Grip and drive were gone, so I did about 6 or 7 chins and 2 sets of seated cable rows.

Time - :48

Revelation time. This was a 1RM, and 18 lbs less than my best at the meet. Maybe I warmed up too much, but my gut is telling me that this lift, plus last Sunday's squat, plus my lack of notable bench progress lately, plus walking this long a$$ route 5 days a week with little sleep to boot means I'm burned out. I'm going to skip this week's squat and dead sessions, may skip bench, and am going to make myself sleep at least 7 hours a day and consume 6,000 calories daily. Will get back in the gym on 1/11 and try a 5 week peaking cycle before the meet. Wish me luck!