From this point onward I’ll be spending the ‘pre-meet’ period (the next 9 weeks) focusing on building some strength and addressing some weaknesses (triceps, upperback and deltoids). The following nine weeks will feature more volume and be followed by another three-four week peaking process where I’ll retest my maxes; on meet day I was surprised at my movement quality and barspeed and felt that I left a little on the table. Before I PCS to my next location and have my son in June, I’d like to see how far I can push my strength.
The general plan will look like this (Plan ‘A’ is the pre-meet and Plan ‘B’ is the taper):
Plan-A (initial 9 weeks)
Volume Day:
- Squat: 3-wk cycle 5xtriples, 4xfours, 3xfives, reset & add weight
- Bench:4-wk cycle 5x10 @ 60%, 3-5x8, 3-5x5, 3-5x3 with progressive intensity (as outlined by Matt ‘Kroc’ on T-Nation)
- Close-grip Bench: modified 5/3/1; 3-wk wave of 8’s, 5’s, 3’s with 2 back-off sets of 12, 10, 8 around 80% of the top set’s intensity (borrowed this set-up from Kale Beck on StartingStrongman.com)
- 3-Way shoulder complexes: 3-sets of maximum reps (striving for 50 total reps prior to adding weight – i.e. 20, 17,13)
Assistance Day:
- Face-pulls: 5 sets of 20
- Parallel Grip Chins: 3 sets to failure (adding weight around 3x10)
- Barbell Row: 3x6 with a back-off set or two in the 12-15 rep range (‘Yates/Coan’ style)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 1 set of 20-30 reps (upping the weight at 30 – ‘Kroc’ style)
- Reverse Ring Fly: 3-4x8-12
Light Day:
- Front Squat 3x6 @ 70% of Volume Day’s Intensity
- Press: 3-sets of maximum reps (striving for 50 total reps prior to adding weight – i.e. 20, 17,13)
- Neutral Grip Curls: 3-sets of maximum reps (striving for 50 total reps prior to adding weight – i.e. 20, 17,13)
Intensity Day:
- Squat: two ascending sets of 3, then three ascending sets of two
- Bench: rep max mirroring the volume load (i.e. 10RM, 8RM, 5RM, 3RM)
- Deadlift: 4-wk cycle; 3-5x5/3/1 reps, 4th wk consists of banded good mornings 3x20
- Weighted Dips: 3-wk cycle; 3x10/8/6 (a gem from one of Bill Starr’s articles)
Every-Other-Day:
- 100 repetitions of band pull-aparts
- 100 repetitions of neck harness “yes/no”
Plan-B (last 3-4 weeks)
Volume Day:
- Squat: same
- Bench: same
- Close-grip: same
Assistance Day:
- Face-pull: same
- Parallel Grip Chins: same
- Barbell Row: 3x6
Light Day:
- Back Squat: 3x5 or 3x3 at 80% of Volume Day’s Intensity
- Press: same
Intensity Day:
- Squat: 3-5 ascending singles with wraps
- Bench: same
- Deadlift: same, ending 2-weeks out
- Dips: 3x5-6 or 3xbody weight
Goals:
- Back Squat: 600 with wraps (any body weight)
- Bench: 390+ (any body weight)
- Deadlift: 625+ (any body weight)
- Total: 1,600 (around 220-lbs body weight)
Following this plan, I will spend a couple months focusing on my overhead strength and then start a fat-loss / distance running phase of 3-4 months prior to my annual fitness test.
03-01-2016, 02:41 PM
SClark08
Monday 29-Feb 2016: Volume Day
Body weight: 218 lbs Training Time: 75 minutes
****This workout felt like crap... now that I'm out of meet prep I'm back to training with the squadron once per week; couple that with chronic sleep disturbances the planned assistance work is a little excessive for me. I had nothing left when I got to training after PT this morning; at the meet I easily rowed 315 for a crisp single (beltless). Today 275 for 3 (with a belt) felt like death.
Had yet another scheduling change at work... I decided to simplify training by combining the PPST3, Chapter 7 recommendations for power-lifting as well as the recommendations from Justin Lascek's e-book "Texas Method Advanced." Hopefully I can find some continuity for the next couple of months (and have a productive training 'cycle').
Thursday: Volume Upper Body (in place of Squadron PT)
Friday: Volume Lower Body (in place of Squadron PT)
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Intensity Upper Body
Monday: Intensity Lower Body
Tuesday: Squadron PT (GPP)
Wednesday: Off
_________________________________________
Sunday, 6-Mar 2016
Weight: 220 lbs, Training Time: 75 minutes
Warm-up Superset:
- Press: barx10, 135x5, 165x3, 185x3
- Band YTWL 4 sets of 6 (each movement for 6 followed by the next for 6... etc.)
Intensity Press: 215x2 @RPE9 (belt, elbow sleeves, cleaned from the floor, hand-placement: distal phalange+ of the thumb on the smooth)
Bench: 45x5, 135x5, 225x4, 275x3, 315x2, 345x2 @RPE8, 355x2 @RPE8.5, 365x2 @RPE9 (belt, light wrist wraps, elbow sleeves, hand-placement: distal phalange+ of the thumb on the smooth)
Close-grip Bench: 235x8, 265x5, 305x6 @RPE9.5, 245x8,8 (80% back-off sets) (belt, elbow sleeves, hand-placement: index finger on the smooth)
Push-Press: 235x2 @RPE7, 240x2 @RPE8, 245x3 @RPE8.5 (belt, elbow sleeves, cleaned from the floor, hand-placement: distal phalange+ of the thumb on the smooth)
Notes: This session actually felt decent. I benched 225 for 5 sets of 8 on Monday and attempted a repetition maximum on Friday with 315. I only collected 6 reps and missed the 7th at lockout. Considering how I was feeling not 48 hours ago; today went well. Monday's squat was a train wreck; 445 for 3 sets of 5 across. All felt like RPE 8.5s. Beltless front squats on light day (Wednesday) were pretty crisp; 3 sets of 3 across at 315. Light Day's press was a higher volume approach (I tend to do better if I use a higher rep range and 'groove' the bar path prior to pressing a heavier weight later in the week' I shot for 3 sets of 10-20 reps, with the goal of achieivng 50 reps across three sets. I set 2-minute rest periods which would have been better had I extended them to 3-minutes; 135x20,12.5,6... collected about 38 reps (I assume a little longer rest time would push me to 45 reps next time - once I get into the 48-50 rep total I'll increase the weight). I opted for some Dynamic Squatting on a one-minute clock for Friday's Intensity squat session (to accomodate additional pulling volume); 10 sets of 2 at 345 felt like RPE8's instead of 7's... I wasn't happy about that. When it came time for pulling (conventional), I intended to do 3 sets of 5 with 455 (75%), but I was only able to manage 2 sets with the last rep of the second set having some grip issues. Both sets felt like RPE 9.5s (I have a hard time with deadlifting - its by far my strongest lift but I need a solid 2-3 weeks between intensity sessions to feel recovered enough -- hence the alternate week relationship between my DE/ME squatting and ME/DE pulling).
03-07-2016, 06:05 PM
SClark08
Monday, 7-Mar 2016
Weight: 221 lbs, Training Time: 70 minutes
Warm-up:
Back Squat: barx10, 135x8, 225x6, 315x4, 405x2, 455x1, 495x1
Reverse Band Squat (0lbs at the top, 40-50 lbs at the bottom): 535x2 @ RPE8, 545x2 @ RPE8.5, 555x2 @ RPE9 (Belt, cheap knee sleeves)
Dynamic Sumo Pulls @ 60%: 135x2, 225x2, 335x 7 sets of 2 (on the minute, belt, cheap knee sleeves, olympic shoes)
Band Good Morning: 3x15 approx 45-50 lbs
Kettle Bell Swing: 10x10 50 lbs (1:4 work-to-rest)
Notes: Like the bench session yesterday, this session felt great; I was able to get a decent amount of work in and feel strong/confident, yet didn't overdue it with excessive movements/too much stress from doing all three lifts in one training session. Next time (in two weeks) I plan on bringing a pair of short bands to make the speed pulls more effective. Alternatively, I considered pausing the speed sumo pulls an inch off the floor for a 3-count and then exploding to lockout. I suspect this will help build up some extra hip-strength which is the area I lack in my squat (fast off the floor with a paused sumo == bigger squat and conventional pull).
03-08-2016, 06:10 PM
SClark08
Tuesday, 8-Mar 2016
Weight: 219 lbs, Training Time: 25 minutes
Squadron PT this morning:
Warm-up:
5-minute dynamic: jogging, karaoke, high-knees, butt kickers, arm circles (forward and back)
2-Count Paused Bench 315 x5@RPE9 (belt, elbow sleeves, feet flat, low arch). 5% Fatigue: 300 x5@RPE8.5, x5@RPE9
Press barx5, 135x15, 12, 10 (3-minutes between each; belt, elbow sleeves)
Flat DB Bench 5x10 @80lbs (nothing over RPE8)
Weighted Dip: 90 x8,6 45 x10, bodyweight x10
Overhead Dumbbell Extension 80x12, 90x11, 90x10
Lateral Raises 40 3 sets of 15 (1.5 rep style), last set with double drop (1.5 rep style); 35 x6, 30 x6
Notes: I've been playing with my bench setup lately - focusing on using a belt and arching less, using flat feet and incorporating more deliberate pauses. Today was the most solid my bench has felt in the past year.
03-13-2016, 12:02 PM
SClark08
Friday, 11-Mar 2016
Weight 220lbs, Training Time: 75 minutes
Volume Lower Body
Squat 45x10,135x8,225x6,315x4,405x2,455x1,475x1,495x1, 450 3 sets of 5 @RPE8.5,9,9.5
RDL 275 3 sets of 5
Bent Row 265 3 sets of 5
P-grip Chin 3 sets of 5 @45
P-grip Curl 60x20,15,12
High cable face pull 60x5x15
Felt like crap
03-13-2016, 12:06 PM
SClark08
Sunday, 13-Mar 2016
Weight 221, time: 70 minutes
Intensity Upper Body
Band YTWL 4 rounds of 6
Bench: 45x15,135x10,225x8,275x6,315x4, 345x3 RPE8.5, 355x3 RPE9, 365x3 RPE10
Felt halfway decent today. Forgot lifting shoes for overhead work so I skipped a max effort press and didn't go nuts on the push presses. Couldn't stay in control with minimalist shoes
Dead Stop Press (elbow sleeve and belt): 135 x14,13,11
Incline BB 135 5x10
Seated Overhead DB Ext 105x12,8,8,8
Incline Rear DB Fly 30x15,12,10,8
Notes: bench moved well. I strained my left wrist on push press Sunday morning. So press and incline felt horrible - had to use wrist wraps on the press to mitigate some pain. Couldn't perform dips today as a side effect. No biggie - I'm still making progress