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A Taste of Cherry: Training for My First Meet, Part I
By Casey S. Rusbridge
For www.EliteFTS.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On April 14, 2007, I’ll be taking the plunge and losing my cherry at the St. Thomas Open IPF meet in St. Thomas, Ontario (Canada). Over the next twelve weeks, I’ll be opening my training log and giving you a rep-by-rep account of my progress leading up to the contest. I’ll recount every training session and include any relevant notes from that day in a “blog” format. These will be uncensored and will hopefully offer some insight into how I was feeling. Each article will cover four weeks of training, and the final installment will detail my meet results, reflections, and future plans.
Unlike most of the authors on EFS, I have yet to accomplish anything in the sport of powerlifting. With these articles, I hope to inspire and educate those new to the sport or those who have yet to step onto a platform. Perhaps this will invoke some nostalgia in veteran lifters. While there are a dozen articles about max effort waves or weak point training, there’s a lack of information on meet preparation for rookies. Hopefully, some of the readers out there will glean some kind of inspirational spark and pick a meet to make their debut. Perhaps others will learn from any mistakes I make along the way or find the method to my madness that will make the difference in their training. Either way, these articles should be mildly entertaining.
Who is this guy?
In the summer of 2004, I decided that a general bodybuilding program just wasn’t cutting it for me. After reading everything Louie Simmons had written, I stumbled across EFS and read Dave’s work in its entirety. Since I had little access to experienced lifters, I knew I had to take my education a step further so I purchased several of Louie’s tapes as well as Dave’s Westside seminar. Without question, those seminar tapes were the most valuable purchase I’ve ever made. The “hands on” tape taught me how to perform each of the lifts properly and gave me a point of reference for eliminating any technical errors I had developed.
Early on in my training, a previous shoulder injury flared up, and I spent over eight weeks going through ART therapy. This set my bench training back several months but enforced the need for shoulder balance in my training program. After several months on the conjugate system, my squat jumped up 200 lbs and my deadlift almost 300 lbs while my bench was still behind. The year 2005 brought many challenges, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Early in the year, I sustained a hip flexor injury that set back my squat training and reinforced my need for proper warm ups. In August, I entered an unsanctioned push/pull meet that will forever be one of the greatest days of my life. I completely bombed out in the bench—two technical errors and a final attempt that left me stapled to the bench. I set a 20 lb PR in the deadlift and missed a 50 lb PR due to poor technique. The support of family and friends was tremendous, and I’ll never forget it! In the fall of 2005, I sustained a second shoulder injury (to what was my healthy shoulder) that has never quite healed. Eventually, I’m going to head back for more ART treatments to take care of it.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in film this April, I moved home to work my way out of debt. Since I’m on a three-shift rotation, it’s nearly impossible to find a steady training partner or make it to the local “fitness center” on a regular basis. This left me with little choice so I did what any other fiscally responsible postgraduate would do and purchased a combo rack through EFS. Although currently unnamed, my garage gym is decked out with the absolute basics—combo rack, Texas power bar, chin bar, bands, boards, chains, EFS box squat box, chalk, blast straps, and a *****in’ stereo. What more could a man ask for? Because I’m dealing with the cold Canadian winters, my kerosene heater has been my bane and savior (more on this later).
On with the show
Alright, enough is enough. I think I’ve introduced myself enough. I’ll give you a basic format for my training structure as well as my training log.
Being on a three-shift rotation means that every two weeks my sleep schedule and training time changes. This can pose a bit of a problem, but this is the reality I’m dealing with. On the plus side, I can eat every two hours at work, which makes gaining weight/maintaining my current weight much easier.
At this point in time, my work schedule allows me to follow the traditional “Westside” training template—Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Right now, I’m not performing any extra sessions.
Unfortunately, I’m training alone for 100% of my sessions, which raises plenty of difficulties. Instead of seeing this as a complete handicap, I try to be as analytical as possible and keep heavily detailed notes on my training. This has helped me identify many technical issues, and EFS’s exercise index has allowed me to compare my technique to the examples and better coach myself. Yes, I realize this isn’t ideal for my long-term goals in powerlifting, but it will do for now.
As of today (February 16, 2007), I’m sitting in the mid 220 lbs, and I don’t plan on dropping weight. My justification for this is that it’s my first contest, and as Jim has said before, I’m not trying to split the atom here. With some luck, I’ll be able to step on to the platform at close to 230 lbs. I’ll consider cutting weight when it looks like I can set a class record, but that time isn’t in the immediate future.
I like to keep things loose and not train with anything more than a general template. However, this has proven to be a weakness and has led to subpar performance in the past. I’ve created a 12-week cycle for my DE days, and I’ll base my ME work on an “as needed” basis.
The log
Week one: January 21–27, midnight rotation
DE bench
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 15 X 2, 95 X 8, 135 X 3, 155 X 3 X 8
5-board: 225 X 8, 265 X 6, 295 X 5, 335 X 4 (ring on ring grip)
4-board: 335 X 2 (ring on ring grip)
Blast strap push-up: body weight X 10 X 4 (straps hanging 12 inches from floor)
Fat man pull-ups: body weight X 15 X 3
Hang cleans: 95 X 8 X 3
Notes:
Cleans and pull-ups were done in a superset fashion.
My bench grips for all speed work was ring on ring, pinky/ring, and three inches from the smooth part of the barbell.
ME squat
Sumo pull: 135 X 5 X 2, 225 X 5, 315 X 3, 405 X 2, 455 X 1
Med. stance good morning: bar X 9, 95 X 8, 135 X 6, 185 X 5 X 3
Pull thru: green band X 15 X 4
Roman chair abs: body weight X 20 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2, 25 X 10 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2
Notes:
I used an exaggerated sumo stance to really push my hips back and place the stress on my hamstrings. I rarely pull sumo, but this wasn’t too bad.
All weighted Roman chair work was done with a plate behind my head.
ME BE
This is where things get interesting when training in your garage. My heater **** out on me, and I was really strapped for time as I train before going into work. After fiddling with the heater for the better part of 20 minutes, I had to abandon the session because there wasn’t enough time to get packed up and head to the local “fitness center.”
DE squat
Box squat: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 3, 135 X 3, 185 X 2, 225 X 2 X 8
Box squat: 275 X 2, 315 X 2, 365 X 2, 405X 2
Conventional deadlifts: 135 X 3, 225 X 3, 275 X 2, 315 X 1 X 5
Good morning with bands: Gr X 25 X 3
Blast strap reverse fly: body weight X 10 X 3
B.S. ab fallouts: body weight X 8 X 3
Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, all of my DE work was done with the straps down on a Metal V-Type IPF squat suit.
I skipped using a belt on my speed work today but added it in for my heavier box work.
My quads were really dominating during my squats. This needs to be addressed.
Speed was great for the deadlift. Over the summer, I became an excellent rack puller, but I sucked when the bar hit the floor.
EFS box height—about 1–2 inches below parallel.
Big changes! So at this point, I realized I was falling into a trap that had caused me two injuries in the past. Once I enter pre-contest mode, I try to do too much too often and end up blowing something out. Thus, a countermeasure was required, and I decided to restructure things and develop a template.
ME squat: hamstring focus
DE squat: low back focus
ME bench: accessories/supplemental focus
DE bench: triceps focus
To keep my training volume/training economy in check, I didn’t allow myself more than five different exercises per session including abdominal work. This kept me focused and likely free of injuries caused by overtraining.
Week two: January 28–February 3, day rotation (training at 7 pm)
DE bench
Shoulder warm up: 5 X 10
Bench: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 3, 135 X 2, 155 X 2 X 8, 185 X 2, 225 X 2, 225 X 1 X 2
Barbell extensions: 95 X 11 X 2, 115 X 7 X 2
Incline Tate extensions: 20 X 10, 40 X 8 X 3
Band face pull/high row: purple X 15 X 4
Dumbbell curl: 40 X 6 X 3
Notes:
I completely geeked out and wrote a step-by-step instruction of my bench set up. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been tweeking my setup to improve stability, leg drive, etc. I finally feel like it’s in the “suck” category.
After rereading one of Dave’s articles on benching, it FINALLY sunk in that I should pull the bar apart when benching. Guess what? All shoulder discomfort disappeared, my speed increased, and I felt 900 times more stable during each rep! Sometimes it takes a while, but if you reread the material that’s out there, you’ll find a nugget that can improve your lifts dramatically.
I don’t have an incline bench so instead I propped the bench up on the safety pins. This is clearly not very safe, but it works well enough.
My shoulder warm up is complex and starts with front delt raises, side delts, shrugs, and rear raises. This is a quick warm up that I picked up in my first week of training at my university weight room (the first “commercial” establishment I trained in). It works well for getting a little blood into the joint and allows me to center myself before training.
ME squat–DE squat
I had to take the rest of the week off because I caught a nasty cold. When all was said and done, I lost about five pounds and a full week of training. On the plus side, my Metal IPF Viking Presser arrived! How exciting!
Week three: February 4–10, day rotation
DE BE
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 10 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 3, 155 X 3 X 3, 155+ 30 lbs chains X 3 X 5
Bench with Viking presser: 225 X 1, 265 X 1, 295 X 1 (ring on ring grip), 315 X 1 (pinky/ring grip)
Band press downs: blue X 15 X 4
Dumbbell shrug: 40 X 25 X 3
B.S. scarecrow: body weight X 8 X 3
Shoulder traction, right arm only
Notes:
My speed was great. This is only the second time I’ve ever used chains, and I was happy with the movement.
The shirt COMPLETELY changed my set up, and I’m an idiot for trying to touch every rep. Early on, I rolled my shoulders forward while trying to touch and felt a bit of a pull in my trap. But nothing too serious. From now on, I’ll use boards to help me limit my ROM or stop a few inches from my chest to avoid going any further.
Even during my press downs, I focused on pulling the band apart. Since I’m trying to “relearn” the bench by pulling the bar apart, I need to practice on every single rep of every movement I can. Some may call this extreme, but I call it my learning curve.
ME squat
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
One inch below parallel squat: bar X 6, 135 X 5, 225 X 5, 315 |X 5, 405 X 2, 495 X F, 495 X 1, 525 X F
Romanian deadlift: 135 X 6, 185 X 6, 225 X 6 X 3
Band leg curl: blue X 8 X 3
Roman chair abs: body weight X 15 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2, 25 X 8 X 2, 10 X 10, body weight X 15
Notes:
Missing 495 lbs really pissed me off. A few months ago, this was a warm-up weight and wasn’t a big deal. After missing many squat sessions over the last couple months, my strength has really dropped. I had to get fired up and nailed the weight easily after that. When it came to 525 lbs, I decided to throw the straps up on my suit and give it a shot. This was dumb, and I was crushed. Having only squatted twice with the straps up, I was not remotely prepared for how it positioned me at the bottom of the squat.
You may notice that my abdominal training is a little different, but I’m trying to improve my conditioning. As I go deeper into my squat work, I’ve noticed that my abs tire and I end up blowing the lift because I can’t keep tight. My remedy for this is to increase my “core” conditioning and strength.
Romanian deadlifts were done with a slight pause on the floor and with an exaggerated stretch to kill my hamstrings.
Yeah, today sucked big time.
ME BE
Shoulder traction
Shoulder warm up
2-board: bar X 10 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 6, 185 X 5, 225 X 3, 265 X 1, 295 X 1, 325 X F, 325 X F
2-board rep work: 225 X 8 X 2
B.S. push-up: body weight X 8 X 3
Dumbbell shoulder press: 40 X 6 X 2
Power cleans: 135 X 6 X 3, 95 X 6 X 3
Barbell curl: 95 X 6 X 2
Notes:
Wow, if yesterday sucked, I don’t know what to call today! Missing 325 lbs TWICE really hurt my confidence, especially when 315 lbs felt pretty light in the shirt. I know my strength has dropped since I stopped training regularly over the summer, but this is sad. My grip was pinky/ring.
My right trap seized up pretty hard early on. Maybe my shoulder roll on Sunday was a little more serious than I thought.
The blast strap push-ups were shaky as hell and kind of sad. They were a microcosm for the entire day—weak and embarrassing.
DE squat
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Box squat: bar X 5 X 2, 135 X 5, 185 X 3, 225 X 2, 245 X 2 X 10
Deadlift: 135 X 2, 225 X 2, 315 X 1 X 6 (no belt)
Med. stance good morning: 135 X 5, 185 X 5, 185 X 3 X 4 (raw doggin’ it)
Band reverse crossover: minis X 20 X 4
Roman chair abs: body weight X 20 X 3, 10 X 15 X 3
Notes:
Well, this was an improved training day to say the least. I dropped the “briefs” and went bareback today. The box height was one inch below parallel.
Deadlifts: The technique was a little loose, but I feel much better pulling from the floor than I did a few weeks ago.
To counteract my quad dominance from last week, I altered my walk out and really focused on sitting further back in the squat. This nailed my hamstrings, and I felt that my speed increased the further I went into my sets.
Week four: February 11–17, afternoon rotation (11 am training)
DE BE
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 6, 135 X 3, 155 X 3, 155 + 30 lbs chains X 3 X 8
3-board shirted: 185 X 1 (raw), 225 X 5, 275 X 5, 295 X 3, 315 X 3
Barbell extensions: bar X 8, 95 X 8 X 2, 115 X 6, 125 X 5 X 3
Pull-up: body weight X 5 X 6
Notes:
I was dragging my ass around today so instead of pushing the pace, I increased my rest periods slightly. My set up on the shirted work has improved.
After Friday’s raw doggin’, I could feel a little DOMS in my hips. So between the first few sets of my speed work, I did some hip swings. Nothing crazy—I just needed a quick stretch.
ME squat
Shoulder warm up
Pull-up: body weight X 5 X 2
Rack pull: bar X 5, 135 X 5, 225 + 30 lbs chains X 5, 315 X 3, 405 X 1, 495 X 1, 545 X 1, 545 X 1 (no chain)
Leg curl: Gr. X 10, blue X 10 X 4
Pull thru: Gr X 10 X 3
Standing abs: Gr X 10 X 5
Notes:
Since I felt like experimenting today, I tried rack pulls with chains. At this point, I haven’t decided if I prefer pulling against bands or chains so further experimentation will be required. The pin height was “pin two” (third pin from the bottom of the EFS rack; don’t ask why I call it pin two, ok?).
I did 545 lbs plus chains, and it wasn’t easy. I had to get a little worked up, although I think the rep without chains was harder. Explain that one to me!
ME BE
Shoulder traction
Shoulder warm up
2-board: bar X 8 X 2 (to chest); 95 X 5; 135, 185, 225 X 5; 265 X 2; 305 X 1; 275 X 2 X 2
B.S. push-up: body weight X 10 X 3
Barbell row: 135 X 10 X 2; 185 X 8 X 2
Plate raise: 25 X 12, 45 X 10 X 2
Band high row/face pull/whatever: mini X 20 X 2, purple X 15 X 2
Alternating curls: 40 X 15
Notes:
Finally, 305 lbs felt easy, and I left “plenty” in the tank. However, I thought I should call it quits instead of pushing things. This will keep me motivated for next week and allow my confidence to build.
My rows were done in the same path as my bench. After dropping this movement from my back training, I can clearly see that was an error in judgment! I can foresee these becoming a staple for the rest of my training for the meet.
My grip on the bench was pinky/ring.
Yet again, I violated my “five movements and done” rule, but I figured that I could “reward” myself for the successful bench with one set of curls. C’mon, let’s be real. Chicks dig a set of anacondas…
DE squat
Shoulder traction
Box squat: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 3, 185 X 2, 225 X 2, 245 X 2, 245 X 2 X 10
Deadlifts: 135, 225, 315 X 2, 405 X 1, 455 X 1, 525 X 1, 565 X F, 565 X F
Notes:
I felt like crap today and almost lost my breakfast before training—not a great start. I popped in Chuck’s XXX Squat tape and tried to set the mood for today. A couple of Spikes helped dramatically.
I dropped the box height this week and left the “briefs” in the closet. Initially my speed was down, but I rebounded as the sets went on. About midway through I stopped squatting “duck toe” (feet angled out) because this was taking my hamstrings too far out of the movement. This helped a ton!
For whatever reason, I felt like pulling HEAVY today. The speed work drained me, but I had to give it a shot anyway. My 405 lbs came up like a dream and 525 lbs felt pretty easy. I went for a 10 lb PR today and failed. On the second attempt, I got the bar further off the ground, but I still didn’t clear my knees. This was only slightly disappointing. When I made 565 lbs, I was about 10 lbs heavier and was able to nail a 675 lb rack pull so I really can’t be too upset.
The month in review
It’s hard to believe that one third of my training for the meet has already passed, and a quarter of that was a sick week! I’ve still got plenty of time before April and consider this my “reentry” phase to consistent training. The next eight weeks will be interesting, and if I continue to push hard and stalwart, I know I will be proud of my results.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, and I want to thank Dave and the EFS staff for allowing me the honor of writing for the site. Stay strong and have fun. I’ll see you all next month!
By Casey S. Rusbridge
For www.EliteFTS.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On April 14, 2007, I’ll be taking the plunge and losing my cherry at the St. Thomas Open IPF meet in St. Thomas, Ontario (Canada). Over the next twelve weeks, I’ll be opening my training log and giving you a rep-by-rep account of my progress leading up to the contest. I’ll recount every training session and include any relevant notes from that day in a “blog” format. These will be uncensored and will hopefully offer some insight into how I was feeling. Each article will cover four weeks of training, and the final installment will detail my meet results, reflections, and future plans.
Unlike most of the authors on EFS, I have yet to accomplish anything in the sport of powerlifting. With these articles, I hope to inspire and educate those new to the sport or those who have yet to step onto a platform. Perhaps this will invoke some nostalgia in veteran lifters. While there are a dozen articles about max effort waves or weak point training, there’s a lack of information on meet preparation for rookies. Hopefully, some of the readers out there will glean some kind of inspirational spark and pick a meet to make their debut. Perhaps others will learn from any mistakes I make along the way or find the method to my madness that will make the difference in their training. Either way, these articles should be mildly entertaining.
Who is this guy?
In the summer of 2004, I decided that a general bodybuilding program just wasn’t cutting it for me. After reading everything Louie Simmons had written, I stumbled across EFS and read Dave’s work in its entirety. Since I had little access to experienced lifters, I knew I had to take my education a step further so I purchased several of Louie’s tapes as well as Dave’s Westside seminar. Without question, those seminar tapes were the most valuable purchase I’ve ever made. The “hands on” tape taught me how to perform each of the lifts properly and gave me a point of reference for eliminating any technical errors I had developed.
Early on in my training, a previous shoulder injury flared up, and I spent over eight weeks going through ART therapy. This set my bench training back several months but enforced the need for shoulder balance in my training program. After several months on the conjugate system, my squat jumped up 200 lbs and my deadlift almost 300 lbs while my bench was still behind. The year 2005 brought many challenges, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Early in the year, I sustained a hip flexor injury that set back my squat training and reinforced my need for proper warm ups. In August, I entered an unsanctioned push/pull meet that will forever be one of the greatest days of my life. I completely bombed out in the bench—two technical errors and a final attempt that left me stapled to the bench. I set a 20 lb PR in the deadlift and missed a 50 lb PR due to poor technique. The support of family and friends was tremendous, and I’ll never forget it! In the fall of 2005, I sustained a second shoulder injury (to what was my healthy shoulder) that has never quite healed. Eventually, I’m going to head back for more ART treatments to take care of it.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in film this April, I moved home to work my way out of debt. Since I’m on a three-shift rotation, it’s nearly impossible to find a steady training partner or make it to the local “fitness center” on a regular basis. This left me with little choice so I did what any other fiscally responsible postgraduate would do and purchased a combo rack through EFS. Although currently unnamed, my garage gym is decked out with the absolute basics—combo rack, Texas power bar, chin bar, bands, boards, chains, EFS box squat box, chalk, blast straps, and a *****in’ stereo. What more could a man ask for? Because I’m dealing with the cold Canadian winters, my kerosene heater has been my bane and savior (more on this later).
On with the show
Alright, enough is enough. I think I’ve introduced myself enough. I’ll give you a basic format for my training structure as well as my training log.
Being on a three-shift rotation means that every two weeks my sleep schedule and training time changes. This can pose a bit of a problem, but this is the reality I’m dealing with. On the plus side, I can eat every two hours at work, which makes gaining weight/maintaining my current weight much easier.
At this point in time, my work schedule allows me to follow the traditional “Westside” training template—Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Right now, I’m not performing any extra sessions.
Unfortunately, I’m training alone for 100% of my sessions, which raises plenty of difficulties. Instead of seeing this as a complete handicap, I try to be as analytical as possible and keep heavily detailed notes on my training. This has helped me identify many technical issues, and EFS’s exercise index has allowed me to compare my technique to the examples and better coach myself. Yes, I realize this isn’t ideal for my long-term goals in powerlifting, but it will do for now.
As of today (February 16, 2007), I’m sitting in the mid 220 lbs, and I don’t plan on dropping weight. My justification for this is that it’s my first contest, and as Jim has said before, I’m not trying to split the atom here. With some luck, I’ll be able to step on to the platform at close to 230 lbs. I’ll consider cutting weight when it looks like I can set a class record, but that time isn’t in the immediate future.
I like to keep things loose and not train with anything more than a general template. However, this has proven to be a weakness and has led to subpar performance in the past. I’ve created a 12-week cycle for my DE days, and I’ll base my ME work on an “as needed” basis.
The log
Week one: January 21–27, midnight rotation
DE bench
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 15 X 2, 95 X 8, 135 X 3, 155 X 3 X 8
5-board: 225 X 8, 265 X 6, 295 X 5, 335 X 4 (ring on ring grip)
4-board: 335 X 2 (ring on ring grip)
Blast strap push-up: body weight X 10 X 4 (straps hanging 12 inches from floor)
Fat man pull-ups: body weight X 15 X 3
Hang cleans: 95 X 8 X 3
Notes:
Cleans and pull-ups were done in a superset fashion.
My bench grips for all speed work was ring on ring, pinky/ring, and three inches from the smooth part of the barbell.
ME squat
Sumo pull: 135 X 5 X 2, 225 X 5, 315 X 3, 405 X 2, 455 X 1
Med. stance good morning: bar X 9, 95 X 8, 135 X 6, 185 X 5 X 3
Pull thru: green band X 15 X 4
Roman chair abs: body weight X 20 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2, 25 X 10 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2
Notes:
I used an exaggerated sumo stance to really push my hips back and place the stress on my hamstrings. I rarely pull sumo, but this wasn’t too bad.
All weighted Roman chair work was done with a plate behind my head.
ME BE
This is where things get interesting when training in your garage. My heater **** out on me, and I was really strapped for time as I train before going into work. After fiddling with the heater for the better part of 20 minutes, I had to abandon the session because there wasn’t enough time to get packed up and head to the local “fitness center.”
DE squat
Box squat: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 3, 135 X 3, 185 X 2, 225 X 2 X 8
Box squat: 275 X 2, 315 X 2, 365 X 2, 405X 2
Conventional deadlifts: 135 X 3, 225 X 3, 275 X 2, 315 X 1 X 5
Good morning with bands: Gr X 25 X 3
Blast strap reverse fly: body weight X 10 X 3
B.S. ab fallouts: body weight X 8 X 3
Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, all of my DE work was done with the straps down on a Metal V-Type IPF squat suit.
I skipped using a belt on my speed work today but added it in for my heavier box work.
My quads were really dominating during my squats. This needs to be addressed.
Speed was great for the deadlift. Over the summer, I became an excellent rack puller, but I sucked when the bar hit the floor.
EFS box height—about 1–2 inches below parallel.
Big changes! So at this point, I realized I was falling into a trap that had caused me two injuries in the past. Once I enter pre-contest mode, I try to do too much too often and end up blowing something out. Thus, a countermeasure was required, and I decided to restructure things and develop a template.
ME squat: hamstring focus
DE squat: low back focus
ME bench: accessories/supplemental focus
DE bench: triceps focus
To keep my training volume/training economy in check, I didn’t allow myself more than five different exercises per session including abdominal work. This kept me focused and likely free of injuries caused by overtraining.
Week two: January 28–February 3, day rotation (training at 7 pm)
DE bench
Shoulder warm up: 5 X 10
Bench: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 3, 135 X 2, 155 X 2 X 8, 185 X 2, 225 X 2, 225 X 1 X 2
Barbell extensions: 95 X 11 X 2, 115 X 7 X 2
Incline Tate extensions: 20 X 10, 40 X 8 X 3
Band face pull/high row: purple X 15 X 4
Dumbbell curl: 40 X 6 X 3
Notes:
I completely geeked out and wrote a step-by-step instruction of my bench set up. Over the past several weeks, I’ve been tweeking my setup to improve stability, leg drive, etc. I finally feel like it’s in the “suck” category.
After rereading one of Dave’s articles on benching, it FINALLY sunk in that I should pull the bar apart when benching. Guess what? All shoulder discomfort disappeared, my speed increased, and I felt 900 times more stable during each rep! Sometimes it takes a while, but if you reread the material that’s out there, you’ll find a nugget that can improve your lifts dramatically.
I don’t have an incline bench so instead I propped the bench up on the safety pins. This is clearly not very safe, but it works well enough.
My shoulder warm up is complex and starts with front delt raises, side delts, shrugs, and rear raises. This is a quick warm up that I picked up in my first week of training at my university weight room (the first “commercial” establishment I trained in). It works well for getting a little blood into the joint and allows me to center myself before training.
ME squat–DE squat
I had to take the rest of the week off because I caught a nasty cold. When all was said and done, I lost about five pounds and a full week of training. On the plus side, my Metal IPF Viking Presser arrived! How exciting!
Week three: February 4–10, day rotation
DE BE
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 10 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 3, 155 X 3 X 3, 155+ 30 lbs chains X 3 X 5
Bench with Viking presser: 225 X 1, 265 X 1, 295 X 1 (ring on ring grip), 315 X 1 (pinky/ring grip)
Band press downs: blue X 15 X 4
Dumbbell shrug: 40 X 25 X 3
B.S. scarecrow: body weight X 8 X 3
Shoulder traction, right arm only
Notes:
My speed was great. This is only the second time I’ve ever used chains, and I was happy with the movement.
The shirt COMPLETELY changed my set up, and I’m an idiot for trying to touch every rep. Early on, I rolled my shoulders forward while trying to touch and felt a bit of a pull in my trap. But nothing too serious. From now on, I’ll use boards to help me limit my ROM or stop a few inches from my chest to avoid going any further.
Even during my press downs, I focused on pulling the band apart. Since I’m trying to “relearn” the bench by pulling the bar apart, I need to practice on every single rep of every movement I can. Some may call this extreme, but I call it my learning curve.
ME squat
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
One inch below parallel squat: bar X 6, 135 X 5, 225 X 5, 315 |X 5, 405 X 2, 495 X F, 495 X 1, 525 X F
Romanian deadlift: 135 X 6, 185 X 6, 225 X 6 X 3
Band leg curl: blue X 8 X 3
Roman chair abs: body weight X 15 X 2, 10 X 10 X 2, 25 X 8 X 2, 10 X 10, body weight X 15
Notes:
Missing 495 lbs really pissed me off. A few months ago, this was a warm-up weight and wasn’t a big deal. After missing many squat sessions over the last couple months, my strength has really dropped. I had to get fired up and nailed the weight easily after that. When it came to 525 lbs, I decided to throw the straps up on my suit and give it a shot. This was dumb, and I was crushed. Having only squatted twice with the straps up, I was not remotely prepared for how it positioned me at the bottom of the squat.
You may notice that my abdominal training is a little different, but I’m trying to improve my conditioning. As I go deeper into my squat work, I’ve noticed that my abs tire and I end up blowing the lift because I can’t keep tight. My remedy for this is to increase my “core” conditioning and strength.
Romanian deadlifts were done with a slight pause on the floor and with an exaggerated stretch to kill my hamstrings.
Yeah, today sucked big time.
ME BE
Shoulder traction
Shoulder warm up
2-board: bar X 10 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 6, 185 X 5, 225 X 3, 265 X 1, 295 X 1, 325 X F, 325 X F
2-board rep work: 225 X 8 X 2
B.S. push-up: body weight X 8 X 3
Dumbbell shoulder press: 40 X 6 X 2
Power cleans: 135 X 6 X 3, 95 X 6 X 3
Barbell curl: 95 X 6 X 2
Notes:
Wow, if yesterday sucked, I don’t know what to call today! Missing 325 lbs TWICE really hurt my confidence, especially when 315 lbs felt pretty light in the shirt. I know my strength has dropped since I stopped training regularly over the summer, but this is sad. My grip was pinky/ring.
My right trap seized up pretty hard early on. Maybe my shoulder roll on Sunday was a little more serious than I thought.
The blast strap push-ups were shaky as hell and kind of sad. They were a microcosm for the entire day—weak and embarrassing.
DE squat
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Box squat: bar X 5 X 2, 135 X 5, 185 X 3, 225 X 2, 245 X 2 X 10
Deadlift: 135 X 2, 225 X 2, 315 X 1 X 6 (no belt)
Med. stance good morning: 135 X 5, 185 X 5, 185 X 3 X 4 (raw doggin’ it)
Band reverse crossover: minis X 20 X 4
Roman chair abs: body weight X 20 X 3, 10 X 15 X 3
Notes:
Well, this was an improved training day to say the least. I dropped the “briefs” and went bareback today. The box height was one inch below parallel.
Deadlifts: The technique was a little loose, but I feel much better pulling from the floor than I did a few weeks ago.
To counteract my quad dominance from last week, I altered my walk out and really focused on sitting further back in the squat. This nailed my hamstrings, and I felt that my speed increased the further I went into my sets.
Week four: February 11–17, afternoon rotation (11 am training)
DE BE
Shoulder warm up
Shoulder traction
Bench: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 6, 135 X 3, 155 X 3, 155 + 30 lbs chains X 3 X 8
3-board shirted: 185 X 1 (raw), 225 X 5, 275 X 5, 295 X 3, 315 X 3
Barbell extensions: bar X 8, 95 X 8 X 2, 115 X 6, 125 X 5 X 3
Pull-up: body weight X 5 X 6
Notes:
I was dragging my ass around today so instead of pushing the pace, I increased my rest periods slightly. My set up on the shirted work has improved.
After Friday’s raw doggin’, I could feel a little DOMS in my hips. So between the first few sets of my speed work, I did some hip swings. Nothing crazy—I just needed a quick stretch.
ME squat
Shoulder warm up
Pull-up: body weight X 5 X 2
Rack pull: bar X 5, 135 X 5, 225 + 30 lbs chains X 5, 315 X 3, 405 X 1, 495 X 1, 545 X 1, 545 X 1 (no chain)
Leg curl: Gr. X 10, blue X 10 X 4
Pull thru: Gr X 10 X 3
Standing abs: Gr X 10 X 5
Notes:
Since I felt like experimenting today, I tried rack pulls with chains. At this point, I haven’t decided if I prefer pulling against bands or chains so further experimentation will be required. The pin height was “pin two” (third pin from the bottom of the EFS rack; don’t ask why I call it pin two, ok?).
I did 545 lbs plus chains, and it wasn’t easy. I had to get a little worked up, although I think the rep without chains was harder. Explain that one to me!
ME BE
Shoulder traction
Shoulder warm up
2-board: bar X 8 X 2 (to chest); 95 X 5; 135, 185, 225 X 5; 265 X 2; 305 X 1; 275 X 2 X 2
B.S. push-up: body weight X 10 X 3
Barbell row: 135 X 10 X 2; 185 X 8 X 2
Plate raise: 25 X 12, 45 X 10 X 2
Band high row/face pull/whatever: mini X 20 X 2, purple X 15 X 2
Alternating curls: 40 X 15
Notes:
Finally, 305 lbs felt easy, and I left “plenty” in the tank. However, I thought I should call it quits instead of pushing things. This will keep me motivated for next week and allow my confidence to build.
My rows were done in the same path as my bench. After dropping this movement from my back training, I can clearly see that was an error in judgment! I can foresee these becoming a staple for the rest of my training for the meet.
My grip on the bench was pinky/ring.
Yet again, I violated my “five movements and done” rule, but I figured that I could “reward” myself for the successful bench with one set of curls. C’mon, let’s be real. Chicks dig a set of anacondas…
DE squat
Shoulder traction
Box squat: bar X 8 X 2, 95 X 5, 135 X 3, 185 X 2, 225 X 2, 245 X 2, 245 X 2 X 10
Deadlifts: 135, 225, 315 X 2, 405 X 1, 455 X 1, 525 X 1, 565 X F, 565 X F
Notes:
I felt like crap today and almost lost my breakfast before training—not a great start. I popped in Chuck’s XXX Squat tape and tried to set the mood for today. A couple of Spikes helped dramatically.
I dropped the box height this week and left the “briefs” in the closet. Initially my speed was down, but I rebounded as the sets went on. About midway through I stopped squatting “duck toe” (feet angled out) because this was taking my hamstrings too far out of the movement. This helped a ton!
For whatever reason, I felt like pulling HEAVY today. The speed work drained me, but I had to give it a shot anyway. My 405 lbs came up like a dream and 525 lbs felt pretty easy. I went for a 10 lb PR today and failed. On the second attempt, I got the bar further off the ground, but I still didn’t clear my knees. This was only slightly disappointing. When I made 565 lbs, I was about 10 lbs heavier and was able to nail a 675 lb rack pull so I really can’t be too upset.
The month in review
It’s hard to believe that one third of my training for the meet has already passed, and a quarter of that was a sick week! I’ve still got plenty of time before April and consider this my “reentry” phase to consistent training. The next eight weeks will be interesting, and if I continue to push hard and stalwart, I know I will be proud of my results.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article, and I want to thank Dave and the EFS staff for allowing me the honor of writing for the site. Stay strong and have fun. I’ll see you all next month!
