TM for powerlifting - 10 weeks to 1400, courtesy of PPST3

[DeriHughes]

Arrogantly promoting myself to the highest echelon of the forum: the Competitive Lifter Training Logs. I'm not sure I'm technically "competitive", but I am preparing for my second meet so fuck it - I'm jumping in the big boy's pool.

My old log is here: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=43264

Background detail: 34, married, 16 month old daughter, work a desk job in London which means 12 hour days out of the house. I train late at night and weekends in my garage. The floor isn't flat and there isn't enough room but I get the job done.

I’m 6’1, 121kgs (267lbs), and I have incredibly short legs. Laughably short. And long arms. I basically look like a puny silverback gorilla. Which means I can squat, but my bench is useless.

I lifted a bit about a decade ago when I was playing rugby / studying. I've dabbled since then but started properly again last September, running SS through until this week when I called time on my Advanced Novice programming. Since my first forum post on September 25th last year my training lifts have gone:

• Squat: 100kg x 5 x 3 --> 195kg x 5 x 3 (220lbs / 430lbs)
• Bench Press: 80kg x 5 x 3 --> 115kg x 5 x 2 (176lbs / 254lbs)
• Deadlift: 130kg x 5 --> 205kg x 4.5 (287lbs / 452lbs)
• Press: 50kg x 5 x 3 --> 82.5kg x 5 x 3 (110lbs / 182lbs)

I’ve powercleaned 85kg x 5, but I don’t really clean any more because I’m focused on preparing to compete now and my cleans are too weak to drive my deadlifts. Fuck cleans.

I totalled 560kg / 1234lbs in my first meet (in the BDFPA) in January this year. My 1 rep PRs from that meet are:

• Squat: 215kg / 474lbs
• Bench: 125kg / 276lbs (paused)
• Deadlift: 220kg / 485lbs

I'm targeting a 640kg / 1400lb total in my next meet on 18th May. I’ll do a new post to talk about my programming as this is dragging on a bit.

Oh, and I've just started coaching my wife, so will sometimes log her sessions on here as well. She's already surprised herself with how strong she is. SS is awesome like that.

[DeriHughes]

Will be running TM for powerlifting from PPST3. This basically means Texas Method, but start light so you don't hit the wall three weeks before your meet. I will be hitting multiple singles across on Intensity Day from the off, which I'm looking forward to.

My set up is...

Thursday night:

• Squat 5x5 @ 70% of 1RM (starting at 160kg)
• Bench 5x5 @ 70% of 1RM (starting at 95kg with a close grip)
• Stiff Leg Deadlift 5x2 @ 70% of 1RM (starting at 150kg as I haven't done these before)

Saturday:

• Light squat 5x2 @ 80% of Thursday
• Press 5 x3
• Banded chins - starting at 20 total reps and adding a rep each week (I can't chin for shit, so I use a band rather than a jump to do fat boy assisted chins)

Monday night:

• Squat 1 x 5 @ 90% of 1RM (starting at 205kg)
• Paused Bench Press 1 x 5 @ 90% of 1RM (starting at 120kg)
• Deadlift 1 x 3 @ 90% of 1RM (starting at 210kg)

I've set out every session before my meet. 25 training sessions and then go 9/9 at the meet and I'll have 1400 in the bag. All I need to do is hit every rep with no slip ups between now and then.. Easy, right..?

Here's the plan:

[carson]

What is a stiff legged DL? Why do you do it?

[DeriHughes]

Stiff leg / straight leg are the same thing - basically a deadlift with your knees locked as straight as you can get them without losing lower back tightness.

I'm doing them to add some pulling volume and get my deadlift moving. They're less stressful than a full deadlift but I can use more weight than a power clean. I might rotate them with some other deadlift variations - RDLs, haltings, rack pulls - but I'll see how they go first.

[Derf123]

640 would be awesome. I better do some work. We're quite close, though our squat/deadlift are opposite.

[DeriHughes]

I like your tables

Thanks. I'm a bit of an Excel geek. And it allows me to naively kid myself that making progress will be smooth and easy. I prefer to start in denial.

[DeriHughes]

640 would be awesome. I better do some work. We're quite close, though our squat/deadlift are opposite.

My deadlift hasn't really moved in three months, that's the one I'm worried about. Happy to race you though!

[DeriHughes]

I'm confident I could hit the week 4/5 numbers today, so it's a fairly slow start. After that we'll see if I've made any progress..

[Derf123]

My deadlift hasn't really moved in three months, that's the one I'm worried about. Happy to race you though!

Yeah I've been stuck at 240 kg for awhile as well. Hoping for a 500 lbs x 3 tomorrow.

[DeriHughes]

Thought you only did 40 rep deadlift sessions..? ;-)