Nikola Competes

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Me. A 34 year old dad with a basement gym. I like nice guns, good food, and strong drink.

My physical stats.
- 6'0" in height
- 245 pounds in weight

Why do I train.
- I want to be harder to kill as I cruise into middle age.
- I want my daughters to see their dad doing things that are hard.
- I want to put up big numbers on the platform.

My training history.
I am a self-coached lifter. My resources are the blue book, the gray book, Andy Baker's blog, and SSC podcasts.
See my NLP log here: A Blessing in Disguise - Starting Over the Right Way with NLP
See my Intermediate log here: Harder to Kill - 5 Pounds at a Time

My competitive history.
USAPL Maine State Championship July 2021.............441/287/474, 1201 total
USAPL Maine Event Winter Open January 2022.........502/325/513, 1339 total
USAPL Maine Event Summer Showdown July 2022....513/320/529, 1361 total and third place medal

My competitive bucket list.
- Compete in USAPL Military Nationals.
- Compete in a weightlifting meet.
- Compete in a WFAC strengthlifting meet.

Where am I going?
I believe I am at the point where the easy gains and weekly PRs are behind me. I've had some success with Heavy/Light/Medium and conjugate-type training with runs of the Texas Method for peaking, and it's time to settle in and focus on making long, consistent runs of advanced programming. I want to continue pursuing my competitive career with about one meet a year.

[J. Killmond]

Congratulations--fun to read your post!

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Congratulations--fun to read your post!

Thanks!

---

Tuesday 8/2 - Combine
Bench..............225x16

Thursday 8/4 - 1000 Pounds for Time
Squat..............365x1
Bench..............230x1
Deadlift............405x1
Time: 26.77

Friday 8/5 - Bench Day
Bench..............240x8x3
DB Bench.........95x10; 85x11,8
Dips.................BWx12,11,10+4+3
Barbell Curl.......95x12; 85x12; 75x12
DB Curl.............35x10; 30x15x2

Spent a couple days doing some post-meet bullshitting around in the gym. I got 16 reps with 225, which is the same I got back in January. Makes sense - my bench isn't much stronger. The 1000 pounds for time thing is just a fun challenge. Timer goes from the beginning of squat descent to deadlift lockout. I'm able to do this because I have enough plates to load three bars.

Ok, back to work. I am going to try a Baker-inspired 8-5-2 OLAD split (combined with some of the principles I learned trying Baker-style conjugate programming) with a dedicated back day. For now, I am going to spread out the five days over a four day training week to keep my weekends free.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 8/8 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............375x8x3
TnG Deadlift......335x8; 315x10; 275x12
TRX Leg Curl.....15,15,10
TRX Crunch.......3x10
Calf Raise..........45x15,20,15

Tuesday 8/9 - Press Day
Press...............140x8x3
DB Press..........30x16; 35x16; 40x12
Lateral Raise.....20x10x3
CG Bench..........225x8; 185x10; 155x12
LTE...................105x8; 85x10; 65x12

Thursday 8/11 - Back Day
Chin Ups...........BWx8,7,6
Band Pull Ups....7,8,8 green band
Barbell Row.......225x12x3
DB Row.............125x8; 85x18
Barbell Shrug.....225x15x3

Friday 8/12 - Squat Day
Squat...............360x8x3
HB Pause Squat.225x8x2; 185x10
Band Leg Ext.....30,10 green band
Band Crunch......20,10 purple band
Band Calf Raise..20,20 green band

8s are a journey. Moving on to 5s next week. Feeling out configurations for makeshift isolation exercises with dumbbell handles, bands, and stuff I have laying around.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 8/15 - Bench Day
Bench..............275x5x3
DB Bench.........95x10; 85x7; 75x10
Dips.................BWx13,10,10+3+2
DB Curl.............65x5; 60x8; 55x7
Barbell Curl.......75x16; 65x12; 55x14

Tuesday 8/16 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............425x5x3
TnG Deadlift......345x9; 315x11; 275x13
Band Leg Curl....3x10 green
TRX Crunch.......3x11
Calf Raise..........95x20x3

Thursday 8/18 - Press Day
Press...............160x5x3
DB Press..........40x16,12,12
Lateral Raise.....25x10x3
CG Bench..........230x8; 185x10; 165x14
OH DB Ext.........35x15; 30x10; 25x12

Friday 8/19 - Back Day
DB Pullover........30x20; 40x16; 50x20
Chin Ups...........BWx8,6,6
Barbell Row.......275x8; 225x14,12
DB Row.............125x10; 85x20
Barbell Shrug.....245x15x3

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 8/22 - Squat Day
Squat...............415x5x3
HB Pause Squat.275x8; 225x10; 185x12
Band Leg Ext.....30,15 green band
Band Crunch......25,10 purple band
Band Calf Raise..25,25 green band

Tuesday 8/23 - Bench Day
Bench..............310x2x3
DB Bench.........95x9; 85x11; 75x10
Dips.................BWx14,11,10+3+3
Barbell Curl.......100x12; 90x12; 80x12
DB Curl.............40x12; 35x15; 30x15

Thursday 8/25 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............475x2x3
TnG Deadlift......345x10; 315x12,8
Band Leg Curl....20,15,10 green band
TRX Crunch.......3x12
Band Calf Raise..35,35 green band

Friday 8/26 - Press Day
Press...............180x2x3
DB Press..........45x12; 40x16; 40x14
Lateral Raise.....30x10x3
CG Bench..........230x9; 185x12; 165x12
French Press......75x12; 70x10; 65x12
Band Pressdown.20+10+10 green band

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 8/29 - Back Day
DB Pullover........55x15; 60x12; 65x12
Chin Ups...........BWx8,6,5
Barbell Row.......275x12,8; 225x12
DB Row.............125x12; 90x16
Barbell Shrug.....275x15x3

Tuesday 8/30 - Squat Day
Squat...............465x2,1,1
HB Pause Squat.315x8; 275x10; 225x12
Band Leg Ext.....35,20 green
Band Crunch......30,15 purple
Band Calf Raise..25,20 purple

Thursday 9/1 - Bench Day
Bench..............245x8x3
DB Bench.........95x11; 85x12; 75x12
Dips.................BWx14,13,11+4+2
DB Curl.............65x7; 60x8; 55x8
Barbell Curl.......80x16; 70x16; 60x16

Friday 9/2 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............380x8x3
TnG Deadlift......355x8; 335x8; 315x9
Band Leg Curl....30,20,15 green
TRX Crunch.......3x13
Band Calf Raise..30,25 purple

465 should have been safe squat doubles. Not sure what's up with that - maybe I was fatigued from back day. I should consider swapping squat day and back day.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Monday 9/5 - Press Day
Press...............145x8x3
DB Press..........50x12; 45x14; 40x16
Lateral Raise.....30x11x3
CG Bench..........230x9; 185x14; 165x14
Rolling DB Ext....50x6; 40x14; 30x15

Tuesday 9/6 - Squat Day
Squat...............365x8x3
HB Pause Squat.315x9; 275x11; 225x13
Band Leg Ext.....35,25 green
Band Crunch......35,20 purple
Calf Raise..........225x20x3

Thursday 9/8 - Back Day
Band Pullover.....50 reps green
Chin Ups...........BWx9,8,6
Barbell Row.......315x6; 275x10; 225x16
DB Row.............130x12; 90x20
Barbell Shrug.....315x15x3

Friday 9/9 - Bench Day
Bench..............285x5x3
DB Bench.........100x10; 90x10; 80x12
Dips.................BWx17+6+3
Barbell Curl.......105x10; 95x10; 85x10
DB Curl.............45x10+6+4

Incorporating the rest-pause method on some exercises to save a little time. I've swapped back and squat days in the rotation.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

This is my first post in a while. I’ve been mobilized to active duty for a deployment, so life and training have been hectic. Here’s my last month of training:

--Still at the home gym--

Monday 9/12 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............430x5x3
TnG Deadlift......365x8; 335x10
Band Leg Curl....20+10+7 green+red
TRX Crunch.......3x14
Band Calf Raise..30+16+12 purple

Tuesday 9/13 - Press Day
Press...............165x5x3
DB Press..........55x10; 50x12; 45x12
Lateral Raise.....30x12+7+5
CG Bench..........235x8; 205x10; 185x14
LTE………………....105x10+4+3

Thursday 9/15 - Squat Day
Squat...............420x5x3 (PR)
HB Pause Squat.365x4; 315x8
Band Leg Ext.....30+15+12 green+red
Band Crunch......30,20 purple+red
Calf Raise..........275x25+15+10

--Norfolk base gym; trying out some machines and new equipment--

Monday 9/19 - Bench Day
Bench..............315x2x3
DB Bench.........100x11; 90x10; 80x10
Dips.................BWx13+4+2
DB Curl.............70x4; 65x5; 60x6
Barbell Curl........85x12+7+5

Tuesday 9/20 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............480x2x3
TnG Deadlift......365x9; 335x11
GHR.................3x10
Rev Hyper.........90x10x3

Thursday 9/22 - Press Day
Press...............185x2,2,1,1
DB Press..........55x12; 50x13; 45x13
Lateral Raise.....30x13+7+5
CG Bench..........235x5; 205x10; 185x10
Pressdown.........62.5x25+12+8

--At an army base gym in South Carolina with extremely limited equipment. Military training schedule is also highly fatiguing. Doing what I can--

Saturday 9/24 - Squat Day
Leg Press...............505x8x3; 405x12; 350x14
Step Ups................3x15
Machine Crunch.......130x20; 150x15
Calf Machine...........270x12+7+5

Monday 9/26 - Bench Day
DB Bench.........100x12,10,6
DB Incline.........55x15; 50x10; 45x12
Dips.................BWx14+5+3
DB Curl.............70x5; 65x6; 60x6
DB Preacher.......25x10; 20x12; 15x14

Tuesday 9/27 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............385x8x3
Leg Curl...........110x15+7+5

Monday 10/3 - Bench Day
DB Bench.........100x13,11,8
DB Incline.........65x8; 60x10; 55x12
Dips.................BWx15+6+4
Incline Ext........75x10+6+4

--Back in Norfolk; getting back into consistent training--

Tuesday 10/11 - Bench Day
Bench..............245x8x3
Incline.............135x10; 155x8; 175x4
Dips.................BWx16+7+4
Barbell Curl.......100x10; 90x10; 80x10
Incline DB Curl...30x10+7+6

Wednesday 10/12 - Deadlift Day
Deadlift............385x8x3
TnG Deadlift......315x8
GHR.................3x12

Friday 10/14 - Press Day
Press...............145x8x3
DB Press..........60x8; 55x8; 50x8
Lateral Raise.....35x14+7+4
CG Bench..........235x6; 205x9; 185x10
Pressdown.........72.5x17+9+6

Saturday 10/15 - Squat Day
Squat...............355x8x3
Hack Squat.......1.5plx10x3
Leg Ext............120x10+6+5

I’m heading overseas tomorrow to a hopefully good, consistent gym situation for about nine months. You can see I’ve had to do some adapting and some deloading, especially without having been able to squat for a few weeks. Training continues.

[Nikola Blagojevic]

Thursday 10/20 - Upper
Bench..............275x4; 265x5x2
Press...............145x5x3
Dips.................14+8+5
Pressdown........77.5x17+7+4

Friday 10/21 - Lower
Squat...............355x5x3
Deadlift.............415x5

Monday 10/24 - Upper
Bench..............265x5x3
Press...............147x5x3
Decline Chest....1.5pps 20+12+10
Pressdown........82.5x15+10+8

Tuesday 10/25 - Lower
Squat...............360x5x3
Deadlift.............425x5
Row 2000m 8:49

Thursday 10/27 - Upper
Bench..............270x5x3
Press...............150x5x3
Decline Chest....2pps 20+9+6
Pressdown........85x18+10+7

Friday 10/28 - Lower
Squat...............365x5x3
Deadlift.............435x5
Row 2000m 8:32

Monday 10/31 - Upper
Bench..............275x5x3
Press...............152.5x5x3
Decline Chest....2.5pps 16+8+5
Pressdown........100x10+5+4

Tuesday 11/1 - Lower
Squat...............370x5x3
Deadlift.............445x5
Row 1000m 4:40

Thursday 11/3 - Upper
Bench..............280x5x3
Press...............155x5x3
Decline Chest....3pps 16+6+4
Pressdown........100x12+7+5

Friday 11/4 - Lower
Squat...............375x5x3
Deadlift.............455x5


Settled in to my new digs in the corner of Africa. This gym isn't bad. Three power racks, a deadlift platform, decent bars and plates, and a full collection of those plate loaded Hammer Strength machines. I'm running a split LP to recover from all the inconsistency and poor sleep and nutrition over the month before I got here. This LP has maybe a week or two left in it, and then I'll get back to the 8-5-2 split I was doing before. Since I'm here, I'll make use of the machines and stuff while I have them. Dips have been irritating my chest, and the decline chest press machine seems like a good substitute. Notation is plates per side. No idea what the actual weight at the handles is.