Meet Prep With Basic Barbell Training

[ReconquistaBarbell]

Week 9/15 - 02/23 - Volume day

Squat
320x5x5

Bench press
242x5x5

Wide grip bench press
200x7

Deadlift
428x5

Barbell curl
66x10x3

LTE
88x10, 10, 4

Bodyweight fasted: 197.3

The meet got postponed 5 weeks due to this corona crap. Increased squat volume, the goal is to ramp to a new 5x5 PR and then a new 3x5 PR. For the bench I'm trying to improve my set-up and pause the first rep of each set. Got a new deadlift PR today. I'll give the halting/rack pull/power clean/shrug program a try, let's see how the next 6 weeks go.

[ReconquistaBarbell]

02/25 - Light day

Front squat
240x5x3

Press
155x5x5

Weighted chin-up
35x5x3

Back ext.
35x10x5

Sit-up, hips 90°
48x10x5

Bodyweight fasted: 197.1

[ReconquistaBarbell]

02/27 - Intensity day (should probably call this Volume day II)

Squat
385x1x3
365x5

Bench press
275x1x3
260x3x2

Close grip bench press
230x5x3

Power clean
175x3x5

Press
168x1x7

Bodyweight fasted: 197.8

So, we just got lockdowned again. Funny how the governor got money from the federal government to better prepare the health care system, instead he used it to pay all his civil servants, now the ICUs are all packed and obviously lockdowns are the answer... Thank God I have the keys to the gym, it was rather nice to train by myself, listening to some Lynyrd Skynyrd, instead of the usual crowded place with crapy loud music.

On another note, I read This a couple of weeks ago when it got reposted and it got me thinking today during the second half of the workout. The closest to playing football I ever did was getting my nose broken playing rugby when I was a 135 pound weakling, and I'm not even close to lifting numbers worth noticing, but I'm glad to know stories like this, and maybe become a link in the chain of this lifting weights thing.

Also, Thursday was my fiancee's birthday, I took advantage of the situation and upped my carbs for a couple of days, gained ALMOST one full pound in three days

[ReconquistaBarbell]

Week 10/willthemeetevenhappen? - 03/02 - Volume day

Squat
330x5x5

Bench press
245x5x5

Wide grip bench press
220x8

Block pull
440x3, 2

Barbell curl
57x10x5

LTE
80x10x3

Bodyweight: 196.4

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03/04 - Light day

Front squat
245x5x3

Press
160x5x5

Weighted chin-up
37x5x3

Back ext.
40x10, 10, 10, 10, 5

Sit-up, hips 90°
53x10x5

Rear delt. shenanigans

Bodyweight: 197.3

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03/06 - Intensity day, part I

Bench press
275x1x3
258x3x2

Close grip bench press
235x5x3

Press
172x1x7

Bodyweight: 197.8

Went for 258x5 on bench, had to settle for 2x3. Probably still tired from Thursday's workout.

This lockdown bull*** will go on for at least another two weeks. The meet will probably be postponed again or canceled. I'm switching back to a 4-day split.

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03/07 - Intensity day, part II

Squat
390x1x3
350x3

Shrug
190x2x6

Bodyweight: 196.0

I was even more tired than the day before. Not sure what happened to the bodyweight or the strength... Failed my first set of power cleans, the mood just wasn't there. Did the assigned volume with shrugs and called it a day...

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03-09, 4-day split, day 1

Bench press
245x5
240x5
235x5

Press
145x5x3

Dumbbell bench press + Dumbbell fly + LTE

Bodyweight: 197.3

Funny thing about Starting Strength stuff, no matter how many times you read or watch, you can always go back and learn something new. Whilst perusing through some articles and videos, I got some ideas for my upper body lifts that I'll implement in this new training split.

The template is simple
Day 1: bench + press
Day 2: squat + deadlift
Day 3: press + bench
Day 4: squat + power clean

Squats will follow the plan as usual, work up to a new 5x5 PR and then a 3x5 PR on day 2. I'll probably do a couple of 1's and a five-rep set back-off on day 4 while I'm on the 5x5, and a couple os 1's and 1-2 three-rep sets when I switch to the 3x5. I may do some extra light squats after power-cleans, let's see though...

I'll stick to the current plan for deadlifts too: ramp up to a new 5RM, switch to block pulls until a new 5RM, repeat. For power cleans I'll probably do 3's one week, 2's the other and shrugs on the third week. I'll make sure that the deadlift workout the week after shrugs is the lightest of the run, either from the floor or from blocks.

For the bench and the press, I changed my form a little bit: press 1.0, lowered the arch on the bench and I'll pause the first rep of each set. I'll run a pseudo-LP for them, going from 3x5 to 5x3, to 15 reps total no matter how, to a TM template doing 5x5 for volume, initially sets across and as the weight gets heavier, within a 10-20 pound range, and for intensity, probably sets of 1-3 reps for 5-7 total reps done as a cluster, initially for sets across and eventually within a range. The pseudo-LP will give me a starting point to titrate volume, fatigue and loads.

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03-10, 4-day split, day 2

Squat
340x5x5

Block pull
455x5

Weighted chin-up
40x5x3

Barbell curl
62x10x4

Bodyweight: 197.8

Five pound block pull PR, after almost-volume day PR squats, I'll take it! Also, forgot to mention, while I won't actively try to gain bodyweight, I won't hold it down anymore.

[ReconquistaBarbell]

03-12, 4-day split, day 3

Press
147x5x3

Bench press
245x5
240x5x2

Dumbbell press + lateral raise + JM press

Bodyweight: 196.8

Had to press with a 15 kg semi-bent bar today. The good bar was available for bench.