Thursday Dec 27th 2012 - Squat Day
Squat
20kg (44 lbs) x 10
50kg (110 lbs) x 5
80kg (176 lbs) x 5
100kg (220 lbs) x 3
130kg (287 lbs) x 1
150kg (331 lbs) x 5,5,5,5,5,5 (6)
Press
50kg (110 lbs) x 5
60kg (132 lbs) x 5
70kg (154 lbs) x 1
75kg (165 lbs) x 1
80kg (176 lbs) x 1
Had planned 72.5 for 8x3 but didn't have time. Squats took time.
Not really, but thanks, OCG (I think).
I am currently running the Russian Senior progression, sometimes called the 9-week "extended" powerlifting cycle or 9 week Russian Peaking cycle. It is believed to be one of Sheiko's earliest programs and not quite as taxing as his and Smolov's later efforts. I have used it often and like it very much. Here's a spreadsheet for it if you're interested near the bottom.
Basically it starts with a 4 week "accumulation" phase (increasing volume) where you use 80% of your 1RM for 6x3, 6x4, 6x5, 6x6. I have found you need 85% on the upper body lifts (not lifting bodyweight makes a difference). There is also a "light" day where you use 80% for 6x2 throughout the 8 week cycle. This is a little high for me in the squat (takes too much time because I need 5-10 min rest) so I use somewhat less weight.
After that is a 4 week "intensification" phase (increasing weight) where you add 5% each week, 85% 5x5, 90% 4x4, 95% 3x3, 100% 2x2. I find I have to adjust these down a little, aiming for a 2.5kg PR in each week's sets. I have never managed to use my old 1RM for 2x2 for example.
Finally you enter a meet or test your new maxes in some way, aiming for a 5% (arbitrary) improvement. I have managed a 2.5kg (5 lbs) bench improvement each time I have run this (6 times I believe) and slightly more in the squat (but not as often).
For the deadlift, I find the volume is a little too high so I use a slightly different system for that.
Friday Dec 28th 2012 - Bench Press Day
Power Snatch
20kg (44 lbs) x 5
40kg (88 lbs) x 3
50kg (110 lbs) x 2
60kg (132 lbs) x 2
65kg (143 lbs) x 1
70kg (154 lbs) x 2
Bench Press
60kg (132 lbs) x 8
100kg (220 lbs) x 3
120kg (265 lbs) x 5,5,5,5,5,4 (5x5 PR!)
Power Clean
70kg (154 lbs) x 2
80kg (176 lbs) x 2
85kg (187 lbs) x 2
Deadlift
120kg (265 lbs) x 3
150kg (331 lbs) x 1
180kg (397 lbs) x 1
200kg (441 lbs) x 1
225kg (496 lbs) x 1
Monday Dec 31st - Squat Day
Squat
20kg (44 lbs) x 10
50kg (110 lbs) x 5
80kg (186 lbs) x 5
100kg (220 lbs) x 3
130kg (287 lbs) x 1
150kg (331 lbs) x 6,6,6,6,6,6 (6x6 PR)
Very pleased with this, especially as this was a morning session and I'm usually weaker in the morning.
[B]Press[b]
50kg (110 lbs) x 5
60kg (132 lbs) x 8
Bench Press
60kg (132 lbs) x 8
100kg (220 lbs) x 3
120kg (265 lbs) x 1
130kg (287 lbs) x 1,1,1
Chinup
BW x 12
Very enjoyable session with members of 6 different powerlifting clubs and 2 Olympic lifting clubs. A great way to end the year.
Wednesday Jan 2nd 2012 - Bench Press Day
Power Snatch
20kg (44 lbs) x 8
40kg (88 lbs) x 3
50kg (110 lbs) x 2
60kg (132 lbs) x 2
65kg (143 lbs) x 1
70kg (154 lbs) x 1
72.5kg (160 lbs) x F,1
Bench Press
60kg (132 lbs) x 8
100kg (220 lbs) x 1
130kg (287 lbs) x 1
120kg (265 lbs) x 6,6,5,5
Getting very grindy so I stopped for now. Pleased to get two sets of 6 which is a slight improvement.
Power Clean (done in the pauses between bench sets)
70kg (154 lbs) x 1,1,1,1,1
80kg (176 lbs) x 1,1,1,1,1
Military Press (+Push Press, +Jerk)
50kg (110 lbs) x 10+5+3
Looks good in here man! Why the snatches and cleans? Are you doing them simply because they're cool and badass lifts (which they are), or do you find that they help some of your powerlifts?
Thanks K. Mostly I just enjoy doing them and would like to keep up the ability to do them. I don't think they help the powerlifts.
If you look at yesterday's workout, the snatches were just warmup and because I was resting a really long time (5-8 min?) between bench sets, I was just doing some light cleans to kill time.
At one time I thought I might segue over into Olympic lifting, but discovered that my 3 hour-long sessions a week were not enough to build real skill in the Olympic lifts and not enough to maintain my strength, so the quick lifts actually dropped when I did more of them. Now I just think of them as active recovery or something and try not to think too much about the numbers.
There is something very invigorating about doing them though and they make me feel good. So I keep messing about with them.
Friday Jan 4th 2013 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift
70kg (154 lbs) x 5
120kg (265 lbs) x 3
150kg (331 lbs) x 3
180kg (397 lbs) x 1
200kg (441 lbs) x 1
210kg (463 lbs) x 3,3,2 (lost grip)
200kg (441 lbs) x 3
The rest of the workout went into aborted attempts to get into and use a smaller bench shirt than mine. I managed 140x3 onto three boards, failed spectacularly and half-strangled myself with 170, Took 15 minutes to get the damn thing off afterwards (forearm too thick). I think not.
Tuesday Jan 8th 2012 - Squat Day
Squat
20kg (44 lbs) x 10
50kg (110 lbs) x 5
80kg (176 lbs) x 5
110kg (242 lbs) x 3
130kg (287 lbs) x 1
157.5kg (347 lbs) x 5,5,5,5,5 (5x5 PR)
And considerably easier than when I last PRed at 155 x 5x5, precisely 2 years ago. That time, I thought I'd die, this time I had something left in the tank. This bodes well for the next few weeks. I see I did 165 4x4 that same month. So I'm going to try 170 next week, which is my best 3x3. 175kg for 3x3 in two weeks?
Bench Press
60kg (132 lbs) x 8
100kg (220 lbs) x 3
130kg (287 lbs) x 1
120kg (265 lbs) x 2,2,2,2,2,2