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Thread: Blalock's Training Log

  1. #1
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    Default Blalock's Training Log

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    Adam Blalock's Training Log

    I’ve lurked long enough in the world of Starting Strength and am now pulling the trigger on sharing my training log, as well as other experiences, on the forum. It is my hope to become more involved in this community and earn the SSC credential. As Rip’s newest article (as of this date), The “Corporate Culture” of the Aasgaard Company, says: “We have Starting Strength Coaches all over the world, affiliate gyms all over the country, and advocates of the method everywhere.” I have been one of those advocates for quite a long time and it is time to step up my game.

    Instead of boring you with my entire training and career history in my first post I will write about what I have most recently done, am currently doing, and where I would like to go.

    Recent Competitive Results:
    4/14/2018 USAPL Georgia Spring Open, Savannah
    Bodyweight at Weigh-in: 125.7 kg 40 years old at the time
    Squat Attempts: 235 kg (518 lbs), 247.5 (545), 252.5 (556) miss = 247.5 kg competition PR
    Bench Attempts: 152.5 (336), 157.5 (347), 160 (352) = 160 equals competition PR
    Deadlift Attempts: 265 (584), 287.5 (633), 292.5 (644) miss = 287.5 competition PR
    Total: 695 kg competition PR

    I trained in a smart and relatively focused manner leading up to this competition and hit training lifts of 545/1 in the squat (quite easily too), 335/3 and 350/1x3 in the bench, and 585/1 in the deadlift. I was expecting to hit 255 kg/165 kg/295-300 kg in the competition. The taper week saw me catch a mild illness that affected me more than I thought it would. Through smart attempt selection I was able to avoid backsliding in my total and even hit a competition PR.

    It should be noted that I usually train and compete completely raw. I don’t wear knee sleeves or even a belt. I use a hook-grip for the deadlift and tape my thumbs. Sometimes I give-in and wear wrist wraps for the bench.

    Training was haphazard at best after this time and throughout most of the summer and unfortunately could be described as “exercise”. “Training ADD” struck again.
    Around mid-August I found a USAW competition nearby and didn’t want to pass up the chance. I trained intelligently and ended up in pretty good Weightlifting condition with improved flexibility and smooth technique. Highlights of training included 110 kg (242) in the snatch and 130 (286) in the clean &jerk along with several singles at 138 (305) in the clean. I’m usually much better in competition so this was promising.

    9/22/2018 Lion’s Roar Open, Greenville, SC
    Bodyweight at Weigh-in: 126.8 kg 41 years old at the time of competition.
    Snatch attempts: 105 (231), 115 (253), 120 (264)
    Clean & Jerk attempts: 130 (286), 140 (308), 145 (319)
    Total: 265 kg

    I was pleasantly surprised with this performance. I left at least five kilos on the platform for the clean & jerk. I basically used my openers as my last warm-up but even they felt too light and almost wasted. The last snatch was the most I have done in at least seven years and it was certainly all I was capable of that day. In the clean & jerk I probably should have opened with 135 and jumped to 143 for my second and then 150 for my third attempt. The clean would have been “unconscious” like my previous attempts but 150 might have revealed my “Master’s elbows”.

    After the competition I took a week to recover and have been “exercising” since. That ends now, it’s time to train again. While I’m not a novice I will run the NLP progression and start very light to try and make a nice run into some heavier weights. When progress stalls I will most likely switch to HLM programming. The keys for me are to stay focused and not get training ADD and not destroy myself in any one session and allow for recovery.

    Where I would like to go? I want to qualify and compete at USAPL Raw nationals and not just as a Master but qualify and compete in the open division. I would also like to compete in the USSF too, eventually pressing 125 (275) – 137 (301). I think 275 (606)/185 (407)/300 (660) are reasonable and still achievable goals for PL. I would also like to compete in a Masters National championship or even Worlds for Weightlifting if the travel is not exorbitant.

  2. #2
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    My training situation is good. At home I have an 8'x8' platform covered in 3/4 inch mondo rubber. I also have a very old Joe Weider Squat/bench uprights from Service Merchandise (1991 maybe?) that you definitely have to be careful with, it's sketchy. I have a Mav-Rik barbell along with plenty of Mav-Rik bumper plates. It is truly a great bar and has served me well since 2001. I have a total of 227.5 kg in weight plus some tiny record discs. I do plan on purchasing some iron 25 kg plates for home as the need arises. Where I teach, Limestone College, I have access to a York B&R bar (I bought it before they moved operations to Canada), plenty of power racks and poundage bumper and change plates. The only item that I do not have is a back extension/GHR bench. With that said you will see some log entries with odd poundages when I train at home on my kilo set and the normal 5 pound increments when I train at work.

    10/20/2018
    Squat: 44/5x2, 154/5, 209/4, 264/3, 308/2, 325/5x3
    Bench Press: 44/10, 132/5, 176/4, 209/3, 237/5x3
    Deadlift: 154/5, 264/5, 352/5, 407/5

    The squats and bench presses were very easy. The deadlifts were easy too and performed with a hook-grip for each set. As the weight increases on the deadlift I will most likely perform my heaviest set with a hook-grip on the first rep and utilizing straps on the remaining repetitions. This has served me well in the past for training and the hook-grip has never let me down in competition, especially with IPF knurling.

  3. #3
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    Nice lifting Adam! I noted that you don't wear knee sleeves. You should try them as you get a little extra pop out of the hole, plus they keep your knees warm. I wouldn't squat without them now.

  4. #4
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    Hey Skid,

    I've owned a couple of pairs of sleeves over the years, high quality Rehbands. They certainly do keep the knees warm and add pressure. They have never been comfortable for me as they seem to bunch up behind the knee more than I care for. The added pressure also compresses my patellas and ends up causing knee pain in the long term. My knees actually make loud clicks when wearing sleeves. I haven't wore a belt in at least eight years but may invest in a high quality one in the future.

  5. #5
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    10/23/2018

    I usually press very strictly and have a lot of admiration for the Weightlifting competitors of the first half of the 20th century. They way the lift was performed then was incredibly difficult and the results those men achieved are very impressive. I have pressed 240 lbs in what most would consider the 2nd edition style or 1.0 style and I have performed a true military press, with heels together, no body movement whatsoever, and each and every rep starting from a resting position on the clavicles, with 225. I'm now going to give the 2.0 version a solid run. I'm starting light so that my hips and back adapt appropriately to a new movement and hoping to push past bodyweight in this lift. It was a decent start today and in the future I will most likely use the military press again as an assistance lift for the press. Maybe in the form of back-off sets or as assistance on bench press days. I narrowed my grip by two inches from my usual position and this made the 2.0 version feel better.

    A very simple session today. Things will be much more interesting in a month.

    Squat: 45/5x2, 135/5, 185/4, 225/3, 275/2, 335/5x3
    Press 2.0: 45/5, 95/4, 135/3, 155/2, 165/5x3
    Deadlift: 225/5, 315/5, 365/5, 415/5

  6. #6
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    10/25/2018

    Squat: 45/5, 135/5, 185/4, 225/3, 275/2, 315/1, 345/5x3
    Bench Press: 45/10, 95/5, 135/4, 185/3, 225/2, 245/5x3
    Deadlift: 225/5, 315/5, 365/5, 425/5

    I have now bench pressed on 10-10, 10-16, 10-20, and today. My previous bench press session was way back in June but I know that all the strict military pressing in the summer maintained a high degree of pressing strength. With that said I do not plan on testing myself for quite some time. It is going well right now and I plan on programming jumps of 5 lbs or less for each session so I don't screw up the rate of progress. I think I should be able to move up to 300/5x3 without a hitch if I don't get greedy.

    The top set on deadlift today was tough on the thumbs and I found myself concentrating on that. The weight was not particularly difficult but definitely productive and that is where I want my focus; productivity of the major muscles, not my thumbs. I'll pull the first rep with a hook grip and straps for the remaining. As I've stated previously, this has worked well in the past for me. I will add in the Power Clean next week on the Bench Press day.

  7. #7
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    10/27/2018

    Squat: 44/5x2, 154/5, 209/4, 264/3, 308/2, 352/5x3
    Press 2.0: 44/5, 88/4, 132/3, 154/2, 170/5x3
    Deadlift: 264/5, 352/5, 429/5

    The 2.0 version press is coming along and my last set was my best set. I do foresee a belt purchase in the future as the initial position could be problematic due to the overall spinal loading be so great in this type of training. On the deadlift I used a hook-grip for my first rep on each set and then straps for the remaining reps. This worked well and allowed me to focus on the hips and back. With that said I will start including the clean/power clean to provide some recovery from the deadlift; it's getting heavy and I want to keep the progression going linearly as long as possible. I'm also entertaining the thought of entering a WL competition on 12/8/2018 that a good friend is putting on. If so I will most likely change the training to the following scheme: "A" Squat, Press, Deadlift/Clean - "B" Squat, Bench, Snatch. I think this outline will allow for recovery from the deadlift and enough power/technique work to reveal performance gains in the WL exercises by the 8th of December.

  8. #8
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    10/30/2018

    Morning Bodyweight: 270.6 lbs
    My scale is not accurate and that needs to be corrected. I think that I probably weigh closer to 280 lbs since I weighed 126.8 kg in September on an official scale. The morning of that competition I weighed 269.8 lbs (122.38 kg) at home and I certainly don't think that I consumed that much between the morning and the afternoon. Either way, I have started cleaning up my diet for health and performance purposes such as to drop below 120 kg for USAPL competitions. My blood lipids, blood pressure, and glucose are all within reason but the lipids are starting to creep up and I am over 40 so the party's over! I know what to do so I simply need to stop being lazy about it.

    Training Session
    Squat: 45/5x2, 135/5, 185/4, 225/3, 275/2, 315/1, 360/5x3
    Bench Press: 45/10, 95/5, 135/4, 185/3, 225/2, 250/5x3
    Power Clean: 135/3, 185/2, 215/3x5

    Bringing back the Power Clean was a good change of pace from the deadlift. A student came in for advising so in between sets of Power Cleans I would work on his schedule. This led to longer than normal rest periods, 5 to 6 minutes, but did not detract from the overall quality of the session. Squats and Bench Presses all moved very well.

  9. #9
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    11/1/2018

    Squat: 44/5x2, 154/5, 209/4, 264/3, 319/2, 369/5x3
    Press: 44/5, 88/4, 132/3, 154/2, 176/5x3
    Deadlift: 264/5, 352/5, 440/5

    Good Session overall. Press 2.0 is coming along. I could probably use an extra set during the warm-up to fine tune technique as the first and second set were not as good as they could be. The last set was the best set and moved very well. Squats and deadlifts moved well and are progressing as expected.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    11/3/2018

    Squat: 44/5x2, 154/5, 209/4, 264/3, 319/2, 380/5x3
    Bench Press: 44/10, 88/5, 154/4, 198/3, 231/2, 255/5x3
    Power Clean: 154/3, 187/2, 220/3x5

    Training went very today. Squats and bench presses are still moving easily. The power clean felt great today but triples are certainly fatiguing. The opportunity for plenty of rest between sets helps out on Saturday sessions.

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