Still on the Right Side of the Grass

[Browndog]

12/3/22

Mayhem Prep - m2 / w2 reps/sets

Squat -
Two top sets at 122.5kg for 3 reps; down sets at 110kg 3*3; Tempo Down Split Squats at 20kg 8*3; 5 Count Larsen Bench 65kg 4*4.
Pretty good Squats, and the Bench moved nicely.

Bench -
Two top sets at 83.5kg for 3 reps; down sets at 75kg 3*3; Larsen bench at 71kg 8*2. Some cable work, along with Bi's and Tri's.
Pretty peppy presses...

Deadlift -
Two top sets at 175kg for 3 reps; down sets at 150kg 3*3; Paused Deads at 130kg 8*2; Close Grip Bench at 70kg 8*2. Some upper back work, along with single leg assistance sets.
Good Pulls, the Paused sets really are cardio...

SBD Saturday -
Paused SSB at 115kg 6*2 (90 seconds rest); Paused Bench at 82.5kg 6*2 (90 seconds rest); Big Wheel Pulls at 203kg 2*1. Lots of assistance work chest and upper back work, single leg work.
Strong Squats, tired Bench, good Pulls. Survived the assistance work...it's a lot of sets and reps on top of the SBD work, but I'm handling it reasonably well at the moment.

The next two weeks will give us a good idea of where we can go at this upcoming meet. I'll be Squatting sets at 130 / 137 kg for triples; Benching sets at 87.5 / 90kg for triples; Pulling sets at 185 / 195kg for triples. If (when) I hit those numbers, I should be in line for a a single Squat around 160kg; Bench around 100kg, and a Deadlift in the low 220's...and that's with a month of training to go.
#fingerscrossed

Oh and I'm on the Livestream tomorrow as we're hosting a Rookie / Novice meet at our gym. Getting my work in to prepare for calling NY Prime Time in early January.

[Browndog]

12/10/22

Mayhem Prep - m2/w3 reps/sets

Squat -
Top set of three at 130kg; down sets at 112.5kg 3*4; Tempo Down Split Squats 20kg 8*3; 5 Count Larsen sets at 67.5kg 4*4. Rows and Single Leg work for successories.
Great top set, strong down sets. I only did one top set, but added an extra down set. The Larsen Bench was solid as well.

Bench -
Top set of three at 87.5kg; down sets at 77.5kg 3*4; Spoto sets at 72kg 8*2. Lots of arm and chest work for successories.
Again, just one top sets, and an added down set. For having tired shoulders, I thought it was a good day.

Deadlift -
Top set of three at 185kg; down sets at 160kg 3*4; Paused Deads at 140kg 8*2. Close Grip Bench at 72.5kg 8*2, along with rows and pulldowns for successories.
Great top set, and strong back off sets. Great day with the bar in hand. Again, just one top set. Added an extra down set. The Paused Deads were cardio, cardio, cardio...

SBD Saturday -
Paused SSB at 120kg 2*6, 90 seconds rest; Paused Bench at 85kg 2*6, 90 seconds rest; Big Wheel Pulls at 203/213kg for 1. Chest and shoulder work for successories.
Great end to week three, I'm right where I want to be going into week four.

Not much more to say about another good week of training. I'm working on being as dialed in as I can on food and sleep.

[Browndog]

12/17/22

Mayhem Prep - m2 / w4 reps/sets

Squat -
Top set of three at 137.5kg, downs sets at 120kg 3*3,Temp Down Split Squats at 20kg 8*3; 5 Count Larsen at 70kg 4*4. Rows, single leg work, and back extentions for successories.
The top sets was fairly easy. I haven't had that weight on my back for that many reps in a long time. I handled the down sets with ease as well. Nice way to start week four. Strong bench sets too.

Bench -
Top set of FOUR at 90kg!!! Yes indeed, that's a PR...not a post cancer treatment PR, not a show up everyday PR...it's a legitimate training induced PR, three years in the making. I was programmed to do three reps, but the third moved so well, that I kept the bar in hand and did the fourth, much to my coaches amazement. Might have had a fifth as well...the butt might have come up, but I could have done it if pressed. Down sets at 80kg 4*3, Larsen sets at 75kg 8*2. Cable work for chest and shoulders; Bi's and Tri's as well.
What a great day. It's been so long that I've had a PR that I felt like a novice again.

Deadlift -
Top sets of 3 at 195kg, down sets at 170kg 3*3, Paused Deads at 150kg 8*2; Close Grip Bench at 70kg 8*2. Some single leg work and Copenhagen Planks to round out the successories.
I was a little tired today...the downside of yesterday's out of body experience. I was probably good for another rep..an ugly rep at 195kg, but I stayed with the program. Strong down sets, and I was really pleased with the Paused Deads...8 of those bad boys at 150kg was stout work.

SBD Saturday -
Paused SSB at 110kg 8*2 (90 seconds rest); Paused Bench at 80kg 10*2 (90 seconds rest); Big Wheel Pulls at 193kg 4*1. Rows and Pulldowns, as well as single leg work and Copenhagen Planks for successories.
Coach enforced a 5-10% drop in weights across the board on the main work, but allowed me to add sets to make up for the drop in weight. His thinking was that we pushed hard enough during the cycle, especially week four, that a drop in intensity was called for...just to be safe.

That is the best cycle of training I've experienced since 2019. I'm very appreciative of having had the opportunity to re-experience the highs of a good training cycle.

Another 4 week cycle, and then a 2 week peak into the competition in February. Fingers crossed that nothing de-rails the training...

[Bill Anders]

Fantastic results this week, BD! Enjoy floating on that well-deserved high.

[Mr. Bingley]

Great work BD

[Browndog]

Bill, Mr. B...

Thanks. It was a great way to end a cycle...

[Browndog]

12/24/22

Mayhem Prep - m3 / w1 reps/sets

Squat -
Top single at 132.5kg; down sets at 120kg 3*2; 5 Count Bench 80kg 3*3. Cable Mid Rows, Pulldowns, Dead Bugs, and single leg work for successories.
Pretty much in competition mode now. Getting lot's of practice at singles. Coach has this planned out as a week four single at 155kg

Bench -
Two top singles at 87.5kg; down sets at 80kg 3*3, 3 Count Spoto sets at 80kg 2*3. Dumbbell Larsen sets, LTEs, Tri Pushdowns, and Curlz for succesories.
Shoulders were a little tired, which surprised me. Anyway, coach hass this planned out to end at 96/97kg in week four.

Went down to Cleveland after my Bench session for a holiday gathering of a group of classmates that's been taking place for 50 years...I've been a no show for too many of them...glad I went.

Unfortunately, I missed my Deadlift session on Thursday due to traveling. I had planned to get it in Friday, but this crazy winter storm hit, and the area shut down in the early AM Friday.

And, the weather is even worse today, so no training today. It's been 36 hours of whiteout / blizzard conditions. I lived through the Blizzard of '77, and this is just as bad. The only difference is that Lake Erie isn't frozen...so the winds can't whip the snow down the lake ice and dump it in Buffalo, like what happened in '77. Still, this is pretty bad, it'll be days before we get dug out and can travel anywhere.

I'm glad this interruption in training is happening a month out, if it was a two weeks before the meet, I'd be freaking out. As it is new York Prime Time is being held at our gym a week from next Saturday, and out gym has a number of lifters in the competition. They're all house bound, some without power, and no place to train, cook a hot meal....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I'd be beside myself.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all y'all. See you when we dig out and can get back to the gym!

[ColoWayno]

That weather sounds awful. We had the low temps here (-15f) but minimal snow a few days before Christmas. By Christmas Day it was t-shirt (or two) weather again.

Our furnace managed to go out on the coldest day but we got it running again pretty quickly.

[Browndog]

That weather sounds awful. We had the low temps here (-15f) but minimal snow a few days before Christmas. By Christmas Day it was t-shirt (or two) weather again.

Our furnace managed to go out on the coldest day but we got it running again pretty quickly.

In my previous life, we installed a generator at our house after a particularly nasty weather event that left us without heat/power for 72 hours. I don't think most people realize how vulnerable we are until the power goes out for more than a day.

Anyway, I'm still snowed / plowed into my apartment complex. We've got snow walls along the road that are 6 feet high and just as deep, of plowed, compacted snow. The apartment manager says they're "working" on getting us open, but it may not be for another day...maybe two.

I've got just enough wet goods to last that long.

[Bill Anders]

Yikes! Hopefully you get the warmup that we're getting right now, just watching the piles of snow dwindle down to not-so-much.