Training for 2009 USAPL Raw Nationals

[K.Diesel]

Gary, congrats on your raw records at the Navy Open! I'm a USAPL lifter in MD, and am competing raw at the Richmond Open on April 11. This will be my 3rd meet, and 1st full raw meet - I did my 1st 2 w/a squat suit but no bench shirt. Toying with the idea of Raw Nationals as well. Definitely will be keeping up w/your thread, best wishes to you and will give any input if I think it can help.

[Gary Gibson]

Thanks much, K.

Sorry you couldn't be in Annapolis, but I hope to see you at the Nationals. I haven't entered yet because I want to make sure that my lifts are actually moving up first. I need to add well over 100 lbs to my total to be competitive. *

I'll be keeping an eye on your journal, too. Good luck at your meet. I MAY get down there as a spectator. White lights!

*Toying with the idea of another run at Smolov base phase in June. That would add over 100 to my SQ+DL, but only if I'm ready for it.

[Gary Gibson]

3/16/2009

BP 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 155x3, 175x1, 185x5x5
OHP 45x5, 65x5, 95x3, 110x5, 100x5x2
CU +0x3, +30x5x5

Long rests between all sets, about 5 minutes, more toward the last sets of chins.

As I suspected, got all BP sets with 185 when fresh. 110x5 OHP was very hard tonight and I wonder if it's smart to attempt 110 as the work weight on Thursday.

Sleep schedule all messed up. Did this very early (1-3) Monday am. Will sleep early tonight and then SQ and PC tomorrow pm.

[Gary Gibson]

3/17/2009 3am

SQ 45x5x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225, 245, 275x5 failure, 295x2 failure, 315x0

Full Hanging Leg Raise x5, x4

Ran hard into my 5RM rather unexpectedly. I knew there was no way I was getting another set of 5 w/ 275 so I decided to pile 20 then 40 lbs on to see what I could do.

Not much.

Did some snatches with empty bar and then a lackluster clean with 135. No explosion left in me after 275x5 SQ, however, and I decided to up the volume with a burn set of 225. No energy available and just reracked without a single rep.

Real disappointment tonight. Sort of a surprise considering I eked out 265x5x5 just last week Tuesday. Sleep and nutrition are shit, so what can I expect.

Do I reset? Even with a reset, my chances of getting to 405 by July seem slim...

Smolov + Feduleyev? Tempting... Just enough time to start at 225x9x4 if I spend a week ramping my beltless 1RM to 325. Bench won't go anywhere, though.

[Gary Gibson]

I could spend the next six weeks linearly progressing on the BP, OHP and chin up while I work triples, doubles and singles for the SQ. It would be nice to get to 205x5x3-5 BP, 125x5x3-5 OHP and +70x5x3-5 in the chin up before embarking on Smolov. Then I could mostly drop OHP, focus on upping the squat and maintaining a 235 touch-and-go bench/225 comp bench.

[Gary Gibson]

03/19/2009

OHP 45x5, 65x5, 85x3, 105x1, 110x5x5
BP 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 155x1, 175x1, 185x5x2, x4 (fail 5)
PU x6x4

Last set of OHP 110x5 was a lot stronger than I thought it would be. Have to consider very carefully if I want to go up to 115 next time.

BP was strong w/ 185 initially, but I failed with that last rep. Not too disappointed because I set a personal best with OHP.

Still can't press 24kilo kettlebell weighted to 59 lbs w/ left arm, however. One-arm press is a bit like a pistol and different muscles are emphasized in the unilateral version, but still...

Skinny PT who partial knee bends 135 in the smith worked bench next to me and outbenched me by 15 lbs on his set of 5. My bench really sucks.

I should be fine for 190x5x5 next week, however. Should probably press 112.5x5x5 next Thursday. Light SQ w/225x5x3 tomorrow, then SLDL heavy with 285 for sets of 5.

[Gary Gibson]

3/20/2009

Belt goes on for last warm up and work sets from here on. DL slippers used for deads.

SQ 45x5x2
Power Snatch 135x1x2
SQ 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x1, 255x5x3
Sumo 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x5 (MOST EVER W/ 405)

Killed it today.

An explanation first.

Guy was setting up for deadlifts w/ 135 directly in front of the squat rack. He saw me eyeing him and putting on my squat shoes. "There's powerlifting downstairs, a whole room set up for it" he warned. I explained to him that that room was for weightlifting, that I didn't have access to it and that I was there to powerlift, i.e. squat, bench press, deadlift. I told him I'd wait. I warmed up with just a bar off a bench for SQ and then did a couple power snatches with the amount of weight he was using for deadlifts. He very quickly ran off.

Jumped right into SQ 135 which felt great. Pulled up the knee sleeves and put on the belt for 245. 255x5x3 was a little tiring, but entirely doable. Very happy with my form. Everything taken to a proper depth.

I was a little pissed at that guy getting in my way (deadlifting almost in the squat rack then getting snippy when someone who clearly wanted to squat came around). My anger had me sort of rushing through everything and I had to force myself to slow down. The sumo ramp up felt horrible, but I spent nearly ten minutes after the single with 365 just standing at the ready over the 405lb bar with my hands chalked. When I felt focused, I dipped down and pulled off a rep personal best!

[BigJavs]

Man, I know how you feel waiting for the squat rack while people are using it to curl, shrug, 1/4 squats, 1/8 squats... My girlfriend got so frustrated one time while a guy was doing horrible quarter squats that she actually stood by the rack and said "You call that a squat?!" Needless to say, he wasn't kind enough to deload the barbell after he was done. haha

[Gary Gibson]

I like your gf's style.

There were a couple of bigger guys with 300+ bench presses who used to use the rack to quarter squat 225. They've stopped doing that since my scrawny ass has started doing that weight below parallel as a ramp up to my work sets. These guys could tear me in two with their impressive upper body strength (some repping well over 3 plates for many reps), but they don't like to look bad when I outsquat them by 100 lbs on the bar and a foot and a half of depth. Of course, I hate benching while they bench because then I look silly.

Not to brag, but I have most of the gym conditioned to scurry away from the rack when they see me approaching. I went at a very different time today and this guy just didn't know the deal.

[Gary Gibson]

Still feeling very good about today's performance!

I can't believe I was still able to power snatch 135. My technique was "no technique." Just pulled from a snatch grip start and didn't even bend my knees to catch, technically a "snatch grip long pull." Leads me to believe that if I were to brush up my technique for a couple of months, I could get well over a bodyweight competition snatch.

My right knee's plica has been acting up again. I got through today's session without a hitch, but I've had significant swelling of the plica since the tonus died down. Have been abusing Motrin and compression to get it back in line. Will start power icing the area this weekend.

Today's numbers lead me to believe that I will pull over 500 lbs in July. The trick is not to deadlift heavy too often. I've been doing it either once per week or once every two weeks. Next week, I will use SLDL for both Tuesday and Friday training, then hit sumo again the week after that. This should keep me fresh for the really heavy pulls.

My unwavering goal is to total at least 900 lbs with the SQ and DL as meet time approaches. If I can do that, then I will be competitive with a bench below 250. If not, then I'm going into the fight unarmed. It would be great if I could get my raw squat over 400 lbs, but I think it's more likely that I will come in a little under that while my sumo deadlift will be comfortably over 500. If I SQ over 400, my sumo will approach 550 and I would be very competitive in the 75kg class indeed.