Reply With QuoteWow, perfect prep. I'll see you up there!
Member
10/4/18
Peaking Week Two reps/sets
Deadlift - 212.5kg *1, 190kg 2*2
Bench - 90kg 2*3
And that's a wrap. The single matches my competition PR. Not 100% today, so I'm pretty happy with the pull.
The Bench was difficult, but I was able to dig in and hit the second rep of each set, even though I thought I was dead on the chest.
We end the training with gym PRs on the Squat by 10kg, Bench 2.5kg, and Deadlift 5kg...and lots of room left to go higher.
As of this moment I think attempts will look something like:
Sq: 150 / 160 / 170
B: 87.5 / 95 / 100
D: 197.5 / 210 / 220
Which would give me PRs on all three lifts, plus a total PR of 27.5kg
Everything is based of how hard the 3rd Squat is. Generally, the adrenaline of the day carries me through max efforts.
We.Shall.See.
I feel tired, but not beat up. It's been a major mental effort to have hit all the top sets this cycle, hence the tired feeling.
Gonna get some body work done, cut off the caffeine, and have two light sessions before flying to Spokane.
Last edited by Browndog; 10-04-2018 at 05:19 PM.
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Wow, perfect prep. I'll see you up there!
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Looking forward to it!Originally Posted by codger
Member
10/6/18
Peaking Week Two rep/sets
LB Squat - 330lbs 2*3
Bench - 205lbs 2*4
Kroc Rows - 75lbs 8*2
Close Grip Tri Pulldowns - 75lbs 8*2
Hammer Curls - 50lbs 8*2
Dips - bw 10*2
Straight Bar Curls - eb 20*2
Back at the old gym for today's session. A stimulant free session to boot...no caffeine makes a difference...huge.
Squat moved s.l.o.w.l.y.
Bench was surprisingly strong.
Some light Squats Monday or Tuesday, as well as light Bench...no Deads.
Body work Monday, massage on Wednesday.
Flight to Spokane Thursday.
On the platform Saturday morning. Nice to be on Western time. Don't have to get up at 0'Dark Thirty. I'll be at weigh ins at 10:00est and Squat starts at 12:00est...what a gift.
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That time change will definitely be nice. I'll keep my eyes peeled for any YouTube live stream on Saturday morning.
I admire your discipline, including the temporary fast from caffeine.
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The caffeine embargo continues, I hope it bears fruit...
Member
10/9/18
Well, we're all finished. Training is done. Nothing left to do but some laundry, and pack my gear.
reps/sets
LBS - 135kg 1x3
Bench - 85kg 1x3
I can honestly say that these have been the best training blocks I've engaged in to date. It's been a long process, that started back in February/March.
I'm relatively pain free, and not worn to a frazzle mentally.
I'm positioned to hit some solid PRs, the good lord willin' and the creeks don't rise.
I'm grateful to all those folks who've assisted me in this quixotic journey.
To all y'all in this electronic ether, I'll see ya' back here on 10/15/18
Member
10/15/18
We're back! Damn close to 20 hours travelling, but we're home and eating everything in sight.
Where to start, where to start. Normally I'd recap the meet, but I'm going to start at the end, so to speak.
God bless Codger and his bride.
They showed up to "pick up his jacket", and watch the 93kg Masters Three flight. They did more than that, they acted as my on site Starting Strength rooting section. Even after a late injury kept Codger from competing, he still came up from the Great Southwest to Spokane because we made a promise to each other to attend this event and step on the platform together. I was, and am, very honored that they went the extra mile.
Additionally, they feted me after the meet, with a medalist's dinner. I will take this opportunity to apologize to them for breaking one of my life rules: talk less / listen more. Flush with the excitement of the day Codger and the Mrs. allowed me to babble before, during and after a lovely dinner. One would be hard pressed to find two, more gracious people.
A tip of the cap to Mrs. Codger. She watched hours of lifting, and displayed a keen eye and appreciation of the efforts put forth by the men and women competing. She's a keeper Codger!
So after tipping my hand to a degree, I'll go with a tl:dr recap and then close with some observations.
Squat: We almost bombed out. Jumped to start command on the first. Got called on depth (very questionable call) on the second. Coach pushed all the chips into the middle of the table as we went for a small PR on the third. In the most important moment of my sporting life, I responded with a superb effort. Sad to say there was another 10kg available.
Bench: We almost missed the first attempt. Not because I couldn't move the bar, but because we almost missed the start of the flight. I had four minutes to warm-up and get upstairs to the platform. Out of breath, and dumping adrenaline all over the staging area, I hit all three attempts. We went with a conservative third for a small PR based on the fact that we were in a circus environment and if anything could go wrong it would. It's too bad, because the third was a smoke show; 100kg was there to be had.
Deadlift: Time to relax. We know what to expect. It's my best lift. Hit the first. Went out for the second, and just as I stepped to the bar, it felt like someone opened a valve and drained out all my energy. I pulled what I thought was a good lift, only to get called for up and down. I was crushed. There went any hope of pulling 225kg. My coach reminded me that I still had two PRs and a shot at a total PR, "YOU.CAN.DO.THIS" he whispered in my ear. And with an effort I thought was beyond me I pulled 212.5kg on short rest.
Observations:
Depth: I need to be more vigilant in the gym and not think I can turn it on when I need it. Practice like you compete, so you can compete like you practice.
Conditioning: This meet moved extremely quickly. The plate loaders could have doubled for a Formula One Pit Crew. Athletes were on and off the stage in the blink of an eye. I need to be able to handle quicker turnarounds of 6-7 minutes, not 12-14 minutes. Gym work cannot be on "old man time".
Perspective: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll find you get what you need. I wanted big numbers - 170kg Squat, 100kg Bench, 225kg Deadlift, 490kg+ Total...and I fell way short, even with the best programming, training and peaking possible. Was I, in the moment, disappointed? No! I was and am ecstatic. I learned I'm far more resilient than I knew. I faced the prospect of losing eight months of hard work, and I rose to the challenge and survived the tests.
And finally, I cemented an on-line friendship with two delightful people.
Squat: 157.5kg +2.5kg PR
Bench: 97.5kg +2.5kg PR
Deadlift: 212.5kg matches PR
Total: 467.5kg 5kg PR
3rd Place finish Raw Masters III
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I was glad to be able to watch on YouTube. Great comeback lifts! Yeah, your flight and platform did move really fast. Forgive me if you've already covered this in your log, but...how tall are you!? Boy, those rack heights...
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I'm 6'3", with a wing span of 79"
The Squat stand was one hole high.
And just like Orlando, they had the Bench height all fubar'd. At least I had enough presence of mind to tell them to adjust it before I made my attempt. In Orlando, I just got under the bar and had to bench it out just to get a start command.
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