52 Weeks To My 1st USAPL Raw Nationals as a Masters 1 (age 40-49) Lifter
Peace everyone! New goal, new project, so a new log.
Quick background and stats on me if you've never seen any of my other logs: I'm 42 years old, 5'8", and as of this morning, I'm sadly down to 212.6 lbs. I've been training since I was 28 years old, weighing a lean, mean and weak 157 lbs. I've been competing in powerlifting - all with USAPL - since 2008. Along the way, I've also become a state referee and certified as a club level coach.
My best meet was in February of this year, when at a weight of 101.3 kg (223.3 lbs), I totaled 645 kg (1,422 lbs). That included a PR squat of 240 kg (529 lbs) and bench press 147.5 kg (325 lbs). My best deadlift was a few years ago, pulling a modified sumo in the 93 kg class with 262.5 (578.7 lbs). For some reason, my deadlift gradually declined after that. I've since switched back to conventional, and got it back up to 257.5 kg (567.6 lbs) in February.
I have competed in Raw Nationals twice, in 2009 and 2015. Next year's event in Lombard, Illinois will be my first time at Raw Nats as a Masters 1 (age 40-49) athlete. With the numbers you see above, I have no illusions about my competitive prospects. I know I'm not going to win this thing, and that's okay. I do this because it's my favorite hobby, and I want to see how I stack up against others with similar interests and pursuits.
My goals for the meet, in order of importance are:
1. Hit a PR total, and at least one lift PR.
2. Based on current Marlyand state records, I'd love to set new M1 records at 105 kg for the squat and total.
3. If the right people miss lifts, sneak onto the platform.
The dates for Raw Nationals 2019 are October 16-20. Last week, it occurred to me that I was 52 weeks away, and that it might be fun to chronicle my one year journey to the meet. So that's how this project came about.
Thanks for reading all of this, and if you come back, welcome aboard!
End of Week 2 and Start of Week 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by
codger
Hey, good to see you back. I'm hoping to make it to the raw nationals next year too as a masters 3 lifter.
Thank you my friend, and that's great news! Hopefully, we can finally shake hands. :)
I planned on squatting along with the other lifts on Sunday. However, I finally replaced my gym bag (poor thing was falling apart), and forgot to put my knee sleeves in the new one. So squats had to wait an extra day, and led to an early start for week 3 of 52.
Also, I don't think I've mentioned my next meet. I'll be competing at a small meet (50 lifters) in southern Maryland on January 13. My goal there is simply to qualify for Raw Nationals. The qualifying total for M1 at 105 kg (231 lbs) is 612.5 kg (1,350 lbs). I don't expect to miss that, but I try not to take anything for granted. Anything else is a bonus.
Sunday, 10/28/18
5:45-7:00 pm
1. Bench Press
95/8
145/6
190/4
225/3
255/2 @6.5 - with mouth guard
275/2 @8 - with wrist wraps
285/2 @9.5 - with handoff, and spotter who didn't help, but still put his hand on the bar halfway through the second rep after a pre-set tutorial. :mad:
240/5 @8; 5 @8; 5 @8 - no handoff for these, with longer rest between sets because I was alternating with pull-ups.
2. Pull-ups, alternated with bench after the first set with 240
Full stack assisted/15
1/2 stack assisted/10
BW/10 x 5 sets - used wide overhand, wider underhand, medium overhand, neutral, and wide overhand grips
3. Lying Tricep Extensions - I found a video of Mark Rippetoe teaching how to do these with an EZ curl bar, and decided to try them. Instant favorite.
60/10
70/10
80/8
All of these weights are assuming that the bar is 20 lbs.
4. Ab Machine - like a crunch/sit-up machine.
90/15
110/15
120/15
Monday, 10/29/18
7:20-8:15 pm
1. Squat
135/5
225/5
315/3 - with mouth guard
375/2 - with wrist wraps
415/5 @8; 5 @8; 5 @8.5 - with belt. 6 minutes between sets 1/2, and 7 minutes between sets 2/3.
2. Torso Rotation Machine
100/15 left + 15 right, 2 sets
* I did 1 set before squats, while waiting for the rack. The second set was done on my way out of the gym.
Week 2 Video, Week 3 Concluded, and Asthma Returns
As I wrap up week 3, here's the video recap of week 2. Thanks in advance for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtfHtcia6gQ
Here's how Week 3 finished. It would probably be useful for me to make notations in the log as to which day I'm on in my 4 day training cycle. I've been some form of it for several weeks before this 52-week marker, with some tweaks here and there. I'll modify this about 4-6 weeks before the meet in January. The four days are stretched over two weeks, and should look like this:
* Day 1: 5x5 SQ (1 top set), heavy DL, volume BP.
* Day 2: volume SQ, heavy BP variation
* Day 3: heavy SQ, lighter DL variation, volume BP
* Day 4: volume SQ, heavy BP
I'll say up front that because of some scheduling mishaps, I had to deviate from my twice-per-week lifting template. Plus I have some other health issues that have come up (more on that at the end). I did the best I could. Here it is...
Thursday, 11/1/18, Day 1
7:00-8:00 pm
1. Squat
135/5
225/5
315/5 - with mouth guard
375/5 @7 - with wrist wraps
425/5 @8 - with belt
2. Incline BP
85/8
135/6 - with mouth guard
175/6 - with wrist wraps
195/6 @8 - with handoff
215/6 @9.5 - that's +5 lbs with the same reps from the last time I did these. I wasn't breathing well. My friend who handed off and spotted me said "your voice is wavering in a way that I've never heard it before". I was confident that I could do this set though. I skipped the planned backoff set, and left the gym without deadlifting to pick up my children from dance. I committed to finishing this session the next day. I wouldn't get the chance until Saturday.
Saturday, 11/3/18, Day 1 cont.
6:15-6:55 pm
1. Deadlift
155/5
265/4
355/3 - started using over/under grip
415/2 - with mouth guard
455/1 - with Versa Gripps, double overhand
495/1 x 10 - with belt. 13:00 elapsed from the end of first single to the end of the tenth, so that's an average of about 86 seconds between pulls. I probably got up to an @8 RPE on the last 1-2 singles. The first ones were probably @6, and @7 in the middle.
Sunday, 11/4/18, Day 2
5:50-6:55 pm
1. Squat
135/5
225/5
315/5 - with mouth guard
365/5 @6 - with wrist wraps
405/5 @7 - with belt
My lower back was a bit tight after the DL's yesterday, so I scrapped the plan for 3 sets of 5 with 420, and figured I'd just ramp up to one top set of 425-435. The 405 moved well enough, but my lower back insisted that I not go any heavier. I listened. :)
2. Extended Pause BP (2-3 count in my head)
95/6 - touch and go to warm up
145/5 - started the extended pauses here
185/3
225/2
255/2 @7 - with mouth guard and wrist wraps
280/1 + 0 @10 - ran out of gas and missed the 2nd rep. Saved by spotter.
280/1 @9 - got a handoff, and did not go for a 2nd rep
235/5 @9 - repeat of the backoff set from the last time I did these
3. Seated Cable Row - medium width, neutral grip handle
105/12
150/10
195/10 @9 - with Versa Gripps
225/6 @9.5 - damn, this was heavy.
Everything felt especially heavy tonight. I came into the gym feeling odd, as in groggy and weak. I still feel like that as I'm typing this. I had plenty of sleep last night - thank you daylight savings time! - but something is up.
It may or may not be related to the resurgence of asthma that I've experienced in the last week to week and a half. I'm convinced that chronic stress has caused or allowed something that hasn't been a problem for me in 30 years to come back, and worse than I remember it. So while I'm looking at ways to reduce stressors, I'm trying to grab the low hanging fruit on the tree of "get better soon". Those are things like sleeping more and better, eating more and better, staying hydrated, and taking these meds and inhalers as instructed. Honestly, hiking 6-9 miles outside for work every day isn't going to help, so I'll just have to manage that. Tonight's session notwithstanding, it seems like I'm holding up in the gym. We'll see what happens, but I don't see this being something that will derail me.
Bodyweight, Training and Other Updates
After five days on prednisone, yesterday morning my weight was up about 5 lbs to 217.6 lbs. I'm sure I can't ascribe that to "gainz", but seeing that number caught me off guard. Meanwhile, I have been eating more food on a daily basis. Hopefully, that is going to lead to some lasting gains - or re-gains in this case - that pay off with added weight on the bar down the line.
Speaking of those meds, my improvement with this asthma treatment has stalled quickly. I'm following the instructions, and I'm still sucking for air all day at work, and to a lesser degree at home before and after work. It's just a little better than when I went to the doctor last week. I guess a follow-up is in order.
Instead of shooting for training on Thursday/Sunday this week, I might plan for tomorrow and Friday. I'm going to a banquet with my wife on Sunday afternoon when I usually go to the gym. I could get up early and train Sunday morning, but honestly, I might prefer to sleep in. I'm off on Monday for Veterans' Day, so there's another opportunity there. We'll see.
A Nice Stretch, a Curveball, and Maybe a Huge Discovery
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DavidCC
Good work!
Thank you!
I've trained 4 times since my last post, and I've worked a lot of hours delivering mail and packages. Hopefully the latter will start to slow down within the next week, and I'll be able to eat, train and sleep my way into the meet on 1/13. Speaking of which, here's a brief discussion of the curveball I was thrown by USAPL with their new qualifying totals for national meets. The short version is that the number I knew I could coast to on a bad day is gone, and now I need a 10 kg PR total to qualify. I don't know if I'll be able to pull that off in 2 weeks. We'll see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvnWwroyvx8
Tue. 12/18/18
8:43-10:00 pm
1. Sumo DL - on a whim, I decided to try sumo pulling for the first time in 2 years
155/3, 3 - did these in my weightlifting shoes
155/3 - switched to slippers
265/3
355/3 - added mouth guard
425/3 - added Versa Gripps
475/1 @5 - added belt
505/1 @6
535/1 @7
555/1 @8
495/1 + 1 + 1 - cluster set
495/3 @8
495/4 @8.5
The discovery is that my sumo deadlift might have somehow gotten much better... by completely abandoning it for conventional deadlifts. The 555 lbs is the heaviest deadlift I've pulled in the gym in forever, and maybe even the heaviest I've ever done (gym PR?). Honestly, I don't know. My meet PR is 578.7 lbs (262.5 kg), which I pulled sumo at <205 lbs 3-4 years ago. After that meet, my deadlift started declining for reasons I've never been able to identify. Once my DL dropped by 15 kg, I got desperate, so I switched back to conventional, and it started improving. I'm not desperate now, and I'm excited by this development. If things go well again on Sunday, I'm rolling with this at the meet.
2. Ab Machine
100/15
125/15
140/15
Wed. 12/19/18
8:33 - 9:53 pm
1. Bench Press
95/6
155/5
205/4
235/3 - added mouth guard
260/3 - added wrist wraps
280/3 @8
280/2 @9
280/2 @9
280/3 @9.5 - did 2 sets of chins before this set, so I guess the extra rest helped
265/5 @9.5
2. Pull-ups
Assisted - full stack/12 wide overhand
Assisted - half stack/10 wide overhand
BW/10 x 4 sets - grips were wide overhand, medium overhand, medium underhand, and medium neutral
3a. DB Incline Press - alternated with 3b
85's/10 @8.5
75's/11 @10 - tank must have hit E
3b. Face Pulls
40/1 (too heavy) + 25/5 (too light) + 32.5/15
32.5/20
Sun. 12/23/18 - a problem with my right shoulder has resurfaced, and a new problem with my right elbow has developed. It feels unstable.
5:28 - 6:53 pm
1. Squat - used my rarely used competition SBD knee sleeves. They're the same size as my normal training sleeves, just tighter from having less wear and tear.
135/3, 3
225/2, 2
315/2
375/1 - added mouth guard
415/1 @5 - added wrist wraps
445/1 @5.5 - added belt
470/1 @7
495/1 @8 - wasn't sure that I hit depth on this, even after watching it, so I repeated it
495/1 @8.5 - good lift
515/1 @9 - maybe even @9.5... I folded/pitched forward a bit in the hardest part of the lift.
455/3 @8
455/5 @8
2. Bench Press
95/6
145/5
195/3 - right elbow felt shaky
225/3 - added light elbow sleeve
245/3 - added mouth guard
265/3 @8 - added wrist wraps
265/3 @10 - something is clearly wrong with that arm
Wed. 12/26/18
8:55 -9:55 pm
1. Bench Press
95/5
145/5
185/4
215/3
240/2
260/1 @5
275/1 @5.5 - added wrist wraps
290/1 @7
305/1 @8
315/1 @9 - used Titan Ram here. I could tell it was out of position after I unracked it, and shifting things around while holding the bar probably cost me a rep or two.
265/5 @9.5
265/5 @10 - touch & go set
2. Seated Row - used triangle handle
120/11
180/13 @9
210/8 @9
3. Ab Machine
100/15
125/15
Back To the Lab: January 16 & 17
On Wednesday morning, I weighed 215.8 lbs. I'm not sure how I dropped to 214-something a week ago, but no big deal. My weight is trending the right way! https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...lies/smile.gif I have tendonitis in both elbows, and maybe my right shoulder. Plus, something is causing a dull pain and warming sensation in my right hip (sciatica?).
I'm also 4 weeks away from a 6-day family cruise with my wife, children, mother, and 2 of my 5 brothers. With that deload coming, and the nagging injuries still, well, nagging... here's my plan for now on training days:
* Work up to a single @7 RPE on the competition lifts. That's about 89% of E1RM, and down a bit from the singles @8-9 that I've grown accustomed to. I'll get back to the heavier singles @8 for the 6 weeks after the cruise.
* For back-off sets and volume work, follow a linear periodization format week to week, based on the E1RM from each week's heavy single.
* Do more unilateral stuff.
* Do abs just about every day.
* Generally speaking, train harder and smarter, eat and sleep more.
With the prelude out of the way, here's the training...
Wed. 1/16/19
8:43 - 9:55 pm
1. Squat
135/4
185, 235, 285/2 each
335/1 - added mouth guard
385/1 - added wrist wraps
425/1 @5 RPE - added belt
455/1 @6
475/1 @7 ---> E1RM = 534
(65%) 345/6 x 3 sets
2. Unilateral Leg Press - done on a Cybex machine instead of plate loaded press for safety
100/8 left + 8 right
150/8 left + 8 right x 3 sets
The next 3 exercises were done as a circuit with 2 rounds.
3. Leg Extension - plate loaded
160/10 x 2 sets
4. Single Leg Curl
80/8 each x 2 sets
5. Ab Machine
125/15 x 2 sets
Thu. 1/17/19
8:35 - 9:55
1. Bench Press
95/6;
145/5
185/4
215/3
235/2
255/1 @5- added mouth guard, ended up using it for the rest of the session
275/1 @6
290/1 @7.5 ---> E1RM = 320
(~65%) 210/6 x 4 sets
2. Torso Rotation Machine - I started alternating sets with BP after the 290 single
125/15 left, 15 right, 15 left, 15 right
3. Barbell Row
135/8
185/8
215/8 - added Vera Gripps
250/8 x 2 sets
4. DB Incline Press - low incline
75s/10 x 2 sets
5. Seated One Arm Row - with cable
75/8 left + 8 right + 8 left + 8 right x 2 sets
God willing, I'll be back at it tomorrow and Monday - two straight days without delivering mail! https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...es/biggrin.gif
2 Tough Sessions: 1/20 & 1/21
If I don't make the qualifying total on April 6, I will not allow it to be because I didn't train hard enough.
Fri. 1/18/19
sometime after work
Ab Wheel: 3 sets of 10
Sun. 1/20/19
2:27-4:29 pm
1. Squat
135/6
225/3
295/3
(~65%) 345/3 x 8 sets - used mouth guard and wrist wraps, but no belt. Got tired, but everything went deep and moved fast. I'll take it!
2. Deadlifts - I knew I wanted to pull sumo and conventional today. This is what I came up with as I went.
Sumo:
155/3, 1
265/3
355/1, 1
425/1 - added mouth guard, started using chalk
475/1 @6 RPE - added belt here
505/1 @7, 1 @8
Conventional:
505/1 @7 + 1 @8.5 - While I treated the 2 sumo singles as separate sets, this was more of a cluster set. I took just long enough to reset.
(~65%) 365/6 - added Versa Gripps here
Sumo: 365/6
Conventional: 365/6
3. Snatch-Grip Romanian Deadlift - stayed with Versa Gripps
265/10 @8
265/10 @9
4. Ab Machine
110/15 x 2 sets - lower abs started cramping during the 2nd half of each set
5. Calf Machine
125/10 slow reps + 10 pump reps
slow = 3 count negative, hold, contract at top and hold for a 3-5 count
I don't know if it was solely from this session, or the cumulative effect of a week with these training sessions and walking 6+ miles on snow/ice every day, but after sleeping 8 hours last night, I woke up and ate on the sofa in our living room. I planned to get up and go to the gym right then, but all of my body below my brain said "you're not going anywhere!". Between dozing off and just feeling exhausted, I couldn't get off of that sofa until about 4pm. I felt fine by the time I got to the gym.
Mon. 1/21/19
6:40-8:20 pm
Alternated sets of the first 2 exercises.
1. Bench Press
6 reps each at 95, 145, 185
(~65%) 210/5 x 6 sets - sets 1, 2 & 6 all had 2-3 count pauses.
2. Pulldowns
Normal bar w/wide, overhand grip:
10 reps each at 75, 105, 135, 165 @7 RPE, 165 @8 RPE
<| handle:
165/9 @9.5
150/10 @8
Unilateral - did these on a different stack. The weight must be distributed differently, because these were easy.
75/15 left + 15 right
90/10 left + 10 right + 105/10 left + 10 right
3. Seated DB OHP
35s/12
45s/10 @7
50s/10 @8
45s/10 @9
Alternated sets of #4 & #5
4. Lying Tricep Extensions w/EZ bar
70/8, 10
5. Standing DB Curls
30s/8, 10
6. Torso Rotation
90/15 left + 15 right x 2 sets
Tonight was a planned light(er) volume day for bench and upper body lifts. It turned out that I didn't feel a need to use my mouth guard, wrist wraps or Versa Gripps. Nothing hurts more than normal, so that's good. Back to work tomorrow. Back to the gym on Thursday.
Video and Tonight's Audible
Here's a video recap of the competition lifts detailed in my last 2 posts. The commentary features some musings on the dilemma between short term goals and long term goals and health. Thanks for watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BotfQzjw-6s
Tonight, I walked into the weight room 57 minutes before the gym was to close. I knew that I wouldn't have time for all of the assistance stuff I did on my last "heavy" squat day, so I decided to stay in the rack, but to go heavier than I initially planned to.
Fri. 1/25/19
9:03-9:57 pm
1. Squat
135/6
2 reps each at 185, 235, 285, 335 & 385. Added mouth guard at 335, and wrist wraps at 385.
425/1 @6 - added belt
460/1 @6.5*
* This looked like it moved at the same speed as the 425. I was also more assertive with the bar off of the rack, so it didn't feel much heavier than the 425. I just think it's unlikely that I went up 35 pounds at this weight, but had the exact same degree of difficulty as the lighter weight. That's why I rated this a 6.5 RPE.
485/1 @7.5 --> E1RM = 536
435/4 @7 x 2 sets - 8 minutes rest after the 485 single. 6 minutes rest after the first 435 set.
My lungs felt like these backoff sets were @8, but based on bar speed, I know I had enough to move 3 more reps on each set. Today was a tough asthma/respiratory day for me, so I wasn't surprised by that.
2. Ab Machine (crunch/sit-up)
15 reps each at 100, 120 & 140.
2 Weeks of Short Sessions
One of our vehicles has been down again, and unfortunately, it looks like it has had its last hurrah. It's a 2001 Ford Focus that my wife and I bought a month after we got married. Frankly, our family of 5 has outgrown it anyway. It's primary use in recent years had been to get me to and from work (I live a mile away) and the gym (15 minute drive), and occasionally picking up a child or two. But when we don't have it, I end up losing valuable sleep, gym time, and generally time for anything else that I like to do. That has been the case since my last post, and will be the case until we replace the vehicle. Such is life. https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...lies/frown.gif
Since I'm even more tired than normal lately, and have less time than I expected, I have temporarily aborted any of the periodization ideas I had to get me to April 6. Lots of freestyling going on right now...
Mon. 1/28/19
8:55 - 9:58 pm
1. Bench Press
95/6
145/5
195/4
230/2 - added elbow sleeves
255/1 @5 - added mouth guard & wrist wraps
280/1 @7
300/1 @8; 1 @9
235/5 x 4 sets
2. Pullups
BW/13 wide overhand, 13 medium overhand, 11 medium underhand, 13 neutral = 50 total reps in 4 sets
3. Torso Rotation
110/15 left + 15 right, 15 right + 15 left
Thu. 1/31/19
1. Squat
135/5
185/5
235/4
283/3
335/2
375/5 - added wrist wraps
375/5 - added belt
375/5
2. Deadlift
Conventional: 155/4
Sumo:
155/4
265/3
355/1 - double overhand, might be a PR (no hook, no chalk)
355/1 - started over/under and started with chalk
425/1 @7 - added mouth guard, and why was this so heavy?
475/1 @9 - what the hell?!?!
Those last 2 pulls were way too slow and heavy. I was already dragging before I got to the gym. I felt so bad that I just scrapped the rest of the session, and went home and almost straight to bed. I didn't even note what time I left the gym.
Sun. 2/3/19
6:05 - 6:55 pm
Alternated sets of 1 & 2
1. Bench Press
95/6
155/4
195/4
225/2
245/2 @6- added mouth guard
265/2 @7 - added wrist wraps
285/2 @8.5
295/2 @9.5
255/5 @8
2. DB Chest Supported Row - on an incline bench
30's/6
40's/6 + 6 - changed bench angle
50's/8
60's/6
70's/6 - added Versa Gripps
80/s'6
65's/13
Wed. 2/6/19
8:32 - 9:03 pm
1. Squat
135/6
185/4
235/2
285/2
335/2 - added mouth guard
385/2 - added wrist wraps
425/2 @6 - added belt
455/2 @7.5
475/2 @8.5
Fri. 2/8/19
8:12 - 9:40 pm (spent time helping a couple of young guys who had questions)
1. Bench Press
95/8
145/6
185/4
215/4
235/2
255/2 @6 - added mouth guard
275/2 @7 - added wrist wraps
290/2 @8.5
300/2 @9.5 - got a handoff
270/4 @9
Alternated sets of 2 & 3. Used the same bench and dumbbells.
2. DB Chest Supported Row
45's/10
55's/10
65's/10
Drop set: 85's/7 + 75's/7 - used Versa Gripps
3. DB Incline Press
45's/10
55's/10
65's/10
Drop set: 85's/10 + 75's/6 - used wrist wraps