Training for Powerlifting at Planet Fitness (I’m not joking!)
Disclaimer: I know that this could be a complete disaster. I don’t have any expectations. I’m just trying to have fun while making the most of my current gym situation.
That said, thanks for stopping by! I’m 44 years old, 5’8”, and 210.6 lbs (on Sunday morning). I’ve been a member of this site since the Strengthmill days, and I’ve had logs on here before. I decided to log this experiment mostly because I haven’t seen anyone try this before (I’m sure there’s good reason for that. ;))
I’ve been competing in powerlifting since 2008, all USAPL, and since 2011 all “raw” (belt, knee sleeves, wrist wraps). My best competition lifts are:
SQ - 240.0 kg (529 lbs)
BP - 147.5 kg (325 lbs)
DL - 262.5 kg (579 lbs)
TOTAL - 645 kg (1422 lbs)
Most of those numbers (SQ, BP, TOTAL) happened in 2018 at a body weight of 223 lbs. Since then, work and life helped drive a regression in my lifting and eating. Then Covid-19 came about, and gyms shut down. Like many people - maybe some of you - I didn’t train for 3 months as I have no equipment at home, and I quickly got bored with push-ups and pull-ups. When gyms in Baltimore were allowed to reopen, my gym decided to remain closed, and still hasn’t opened. That gym is 5-7 minutes from home, open 24 hours, and has a rack, bench, and allows deadlifts. Because of my work schedule, I really need a place that is close and open anytime. (Side note: I’m a mailman, and things are so hectic now that a 10 hour day feels like I got off early)
Guess what nearby “gym” checked those boxes for location and hours? If the title of this log didn’t give it away, it’s Planet Fitness. I visited the one closest to me (4-5 minutes), heard that a powerlifter works there at night, and saw that the rest of the night staff spends most of their time watching television rather than enforcing any rules. I figured since I had no plans to compete anytime this year, I’d give it a shot for $22 a month. I just wanted to lift something again, and I was sold on the massage beds and chairs (they’re fantastic!). So since the last week of June, that’s where I’ve been training, with a focus on hypertrophy.
Then I heard about an upcoming meet in northern Virginia on November 14 (a little over an hour away), and started wondering how I would do if I actually did a meet while training at PF. The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed, which oddly enough made me think it would be fun to find out. So with the hope of doing something to make my 2020 a little better than it has been, I entered the meet. I’ll be in the Masters 1 and Open, 105 kg (231 lbs) weight class.
Now after all of that (thank you if you’ve made it this far!), my first training entry in this log isn’t from PF. One of my 5 brothers has a rack, bench, barbell and weights at his house. But he lives in a different part of Maryland, an hour or so from where I live in Baltimore. Getting there isn’t convenient, but he’s letting me use his stuff whenever I can get there. My plan is to go every other week until I’m 4 weeks out, then weekly until the meet.
My first visit was on Sunday 9/13, and that was my first time touching an actual barbell in 6 months. On the final weekend before our gyms closed, I tested my lifts knowing that a closure was coming. In March, I squatted 500, benched 300, and deadlifted 530. On Sunday, I didn’t... :D
Sunday, 9/13/20 - Brother’s House
Squat
bar/7
135/5, 3
205/4
275/3
325/2 - added wrist wraps
365/1 - added mouth guard
405/1 - added belt on first set
405/1
430/1 - looked much faster than it felt
430/1 - thought about going up, decided against it
I felt like I had been compressed by an inch or two after these. My insides hurt from my chest/lats down to my hips.
Bench Press
bar/10
105/10
155/7
205/5
235/3 - added wrist wraps
255/2 - started pausing each rep
265/1 - felt shaky
265/1 - started getting handoffs from my wife, made a huge difference
275/1 - felt better than the first 265
Deadlift
225/4
315/3 - started using Versa Gripps, I hadn’t asked my brother about chalk and he didn’t have any
365/1 + 1 - maybe 20 seconds between reps
415/1 + 1 - added belt, maybe 30 seconds between reps
455/1
That 455 felt and looked slow off of the floor. 75 lbs less than my heaviest deadlift 6 months ago. I have 8 weeks to train for this. Fingers crossed...
Sat. 9/19 - Deadlift Party
It’s funny how things work sometimes. My scheduled days off are Saturday and Sunday, but it’s not uncommon for me to work on a Saturday. That was my plan all week, until I went to sleep with a dull headache on Friday night. Then I checked and realized that I’d just worked 62 1/2 hours in the prior week, and decided to take my whole weekend.
Planet Fitness in Baltimore isn’t 24/7 right now. It’s more like 24/5, and they close at 7pm on weekends. I didn’t get to the gym until 6:10pm. Somehow, I gave myself less time to train on a day off than I do on a work day. Go figure. Rather than trying to squeeze in several movements, I thought I would get the most bang for my buck by deadlifting for 45 minutes. Smith machine deadlifts, but still...
Sat. 9/19
Smith Machine Deadlift*
* On the Smith machine, since I don’t know how much the empty bar actually adds (I know it isn’t 45 lbs, and I don’t trust the label), I just log the weight of the plates. So I notate that as WEIGHT+ (i.e. 90+ is a 45 on each side, looks like 135 on a real bar).
90+/5 - standing on 25 lbs plates
90+/5 - standing on 2 25 lbs. plates.
I’ve been standing on one plate since my 2nd time deadlifting in PF. After having done a real deadlift last week, I tried standing on 2 plates, and it felt much more like the range on a normal deadlift. This is a necessary adjustment, since the weight at the bottom of the Smith machine isn’t on the floor. I can’t get the bar any lower, but I can elevate myself, so that’s the standard going forward.
180+/5
270+/5
320+/5 - started using Versa Gripps
370+/3 - started wearing belt
420+/3 - started using mouth guard
440+/1
450+/1
380+/3
380+/3
300+/10
As I type this on Sunday night, my lower back is still fried. And my youngest child starts going back to school - in person - tomorrow, which means I have to start getting up maybe an hour earlier than normal. My plan was to train at PF on M/W/F this week, then visit my brother’s on Sunday for more practice with real weights. In light of how my back feels, and my new sleep and commute schedule, I think I’m going to train any 2 days between Tuesday and Friday, then train at my brother’s on Sunday.
Test Video, Tue. 9/22 and The Miracle of Active Recovery
Before the next recap, here’s the video of my 1st real squats, benches and deadlifts in 6 months that I logged a few days ago. These are at my brother’s house, and this is where I plan to get some exposure to actual barbells before the meet. Feedback is welcomed!
https://youtu.be/sscfJf9GWjc
Quote:
Originally Posted by
K.Diesel
As I type this on Sunday night, my lower back is still fried. And my youngest child starts going back to school - in person - tomorrow, which means I have to start getting up maybe an hour earlier than normal. My plan was to train at PF on M/W/F this week, then visit my brother’s on Sunday for more practice with real weights. In light of how my back feels, and my new sleep and commute schedule, I think I’m going to train any 2 days between Tuesday and Friday, then train at my brother’s on Sunday.
I’m probably not going to deviate from this plan. But sometimes, all of the urban hiking I do for work brings the benefit of helping me recover from certain aches and pains faster than I would if I sat on a couch or chair all day. At other times, it makes aches and pains worse. It just depends. This time was an example of the former. By the time I finished work yesterday, my lower back felt normal, plus I got off “early”, so I decided to train. By early, I mean a 9.5 hour day, and the overtime was in the office, not on the street delivering part of another route.
Tue. 9/22
Work: 9.5 hours, 7.6 miles, 17,027 steps, 10 floors climbed
Note - since all I delivered was my route, this is roughly what a normal workday for me would be without overtime on another route.
* On the Smith machine, since I don’t know how much the empty bar actually adds (I know it isn’t 45 lbs, and I don’t trust the label), I just log the weight of the plates. So I notate that as WEIGHT+ (i.e. 90+ is a 45 on each side, looks like 135 on a real bar).
Smith Machine Squat
bar/6
90+/6
180+/6
270+/4
320+/2
360+/2 - started using mouthguard
400+/2 - started using belt
Cluster - did these with no more than 2 minutes rest between each set
420+/2, 2, 2, 2 (4 sets) - final rep was @9 or 9.5 RPE
Backoff - rested 4 minutes after the end of the cluster
370+/6 @8.5 RPE
Smith Machine Bench Press
bar/15
90+/9
140+/5
170+/4
195+/3
220+/2 - started using mouth guard
Cluster - did these with 60-90 seconds rest between each set
235+/2, 2, 2, 2, 2 (5 sets) - @9-9.5 RPE on the final rep of the last 2 sets
Rested 4 minutes, threw on Titan Ram (like a Slingshot, but different brand and design) for overload
235+/7 @10 RPE
Backoff - back to raw for this, rested 3 minutes after Ram set
200+/6 @9.5 RPE
Smith Machine Barbell Row
90+/10
140+/10
180+/10 - started using Versa Gripps
205+/10 - started using mouth guard
230+/10 - I know I cheated the last few reps here, but I think they were productive cheats. My upper back got hit hard.
Hammer Strength Ab Crunch Machine
50/15
80/10 + 5 - took 5 or 6 deep breaths in the break
70/4 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 - I must not have rested enough after the previous set. This felt like murder. Good way to end the night.
Squat Video and Quick Session 9/25
Quote:
Originally Posted by
J. Killmond
[I leave form comments to those who know what they're talking about.]
Video was a great watch--impressive session for anyone, much less your first time with actual barbells in six months! One note on the bench--the rack has large gaps between holes (probably three inches), which can leave you with an in-between hook placement that is either too low (in this case) or too high. I don't think there is anything you can do about that.
God bless your wife on her recovery and good luck in your meet prep.
Thank you for the kind words! And unfortunately, I think you’re right about my brother’s bench. Next visit (tomorrow), I’ll look to see if there’s any way to safely raise the bench.
I’m trying to get caught up on video uploads over the next few days. Part of my plan for that is to make shorter videos of certain workouts or lifts, rather than a week-long summary. Here’s the video from my squat session on 9/15, when I topped out at 410 lbs (+ the Smith bar) for a triple. Any feedback is welcomed!
https://youtu.be/fXoXmiiDdLw
Last night, I only had 30 minutes to train before the gym closed. (NOTE: The PF’s in Baltimore are open Monday morning all the way through 10pm Friday, then 7a-7p Saturday and Sunday.) Since I had a pretty hard session on Tuesday, and I’m planning on training heavy at my brother’s tomorrow (Sunday), I was already planning on a lighter session. The time constraint made sure of it.
Fri. 9/25
Work: 10.5 hours, 8.4 miles, 18,209 steps, 12 flights climbed
Superset
1a) Rear Delt Machine
70/20
rest-pause: 100/15 + 5 - I didn’t expect this to require a pause before 20 reps
rest-pause cluster: 115/13 + 4 + 3 - just 2-3 deep breaths at each pause
1b) Pec Deck Machine - same machine as the rear delt, just flipped the handles around
70/20
rest-pause: 115/15 + 5
rest-pause cluster: 145/10 + 5 + 5 - maybe 5 deep breaths at each pause (about 15 seconds)
Pull-up - All done with just bodyweight
jump to negatives/10 reps - my way of warming up for pull-ups. I give myself a leg boost into each rep, then do a controlled (not slow) negative
BW/11 - wide, neutral grip
BW/10 - medium, overhand grip
BW/10 - narrow, neutral grip
I only rested 60-90 seconds between sets. I didn’t have my elbow sleeves with me, and the inside of my left elbow (by the biceps) didn’t feel so good, so I shortened the ROM. I know a pull-up purist would say they don’t count, but I felt them. I’m counting them. ;)
Superset
3a) Leg Extension
90/13
145/10
rest-pause cluster: 190/9 + 2 + 4 - I hit the wall in a weird way on this one. I probably had 6-7 minutes to close when I started this superset, so I know I wasn’t rested. No big deal. I got what I was looking for from it.
3b) Seated Leg Curl
70/15
125/10
165/15 - I took an extra deep breath between the last 5-6 reps or so, but it was literally one breath, not enough for me to call that a rest-pause.
Not a bad way to spend a half hour. I’m looking forward to squatting, benching, and deadlifting a real barbell at my brother’s house tomorrow.
Bench/Deadlift Video, and Recap of Lifting Real Weights
I’m about a week and a half behind on video uploads. But I’m hoping to get caught up over the next week. Here’s the video from last week’s bench press and deadlift sessions:
https://youtu.be/-S8SGglYWvg
I was able to visit my brother’s house again on Sunday and lift some real weights, as in a barbell and iron plates in an actual rack. Some of it was good, and some of it wasn’t.
Sun. 9/27
Squat
bar/5, 5
135/5
205/3
275/2
335/2 - started using mouth guard
375/1 - started using wrist wraps
415/1 - started using belt
440/1
455/1 @10 RPE*
405/3 @10 RPE*
* After looking at the videos, I think they were really @9. I think I’m out of practice in rating RPE for heavy singles.
2 weeks before this, my heaviest squat was 430, which I did for 2 singles. So going up by 25 lbs is pretty good. But that weight feels so heavy on my back. I mean, I feel like I’m getting crushed by the bar as soon as I take it off the rack once I get around 4 plates. It reminds me of when I was lifting equipped several years ago, and I would walk out a weight that was way over my raw max and somehow squat it anyway. I’m not sure how to fix that in 6 weeks, or if it can be fixed in 6 weeks. I’m open to any suggestions.
Bench Press
bar/15
135/10
185/5
215/3
235/2
255/1
275/1
290/1 @9.5 RPE
290/1 @10 RPE
260/3 @10 RPE
I benched inside the rack this week, and had the rack set at a much better height. I was also using the safety pins. My wife wasn’t there, so I didn’t have a spotter. But the way his rack is set against a wall, you can’t bench inside the rack unless the spotter was going to straddle you or stand to the side. I don’t mind my wife doing that, but it’s just not practical in the middle of a heavy set.
I skipped deadlifts. My son was there with me, and I thought he had school the next day, so I didn’t want to be out too late with him. I forgot that his school was closed for Yom Kippur on Monday, so I could have stayed longer. :(
I’ve been running a terrible sleep deficit this week (worse than normal), and haven’t trained since Sunday. I’m going to try to get 2 sessions done Thursday and Friday, then get back to a better split next week starting this Sunday.
My Wife’s Birthday Weekend
Quote:
Originally Posted by
K.Diesel
The plan is to go in tomorrow, and do some goofing around with pressing and rows. Starting on Sunday/Monday, a lot of the fluff gets cut out for 5 weeks. I know - I’m at Planet Fitness, so it’s all fluff. ;) But really, I’ll be doing much fewer movements as I go into the meet (November 14).
So... the above referenced “tomorrow” was Friday, October 2, which was also my wife’s 41st birthday. I had managed to convince myself that I would still be able to get in the gym and squeeze something in, but it didn’t happen. But after eating a lot of calorie dense, high protein foods over the weekend, I was ready to get in there yesterday. This was also at a PF on my mother’s side of town, since we were having dinner there yesterday.
Sun. 10/4 - weighed 211.2 lbs upon waking (-0.4 lbs from last week)
Smith Machine Pause Squat - paused for a 2-3 count at the bottom of each rep
bar/5, 5
90+/5
180+/5
270+/3
320+/3 - started using belt
360+/3 @9 RPE - started using mouth guard
360+/2 @9 RPE
360+/2 @9.5 RPE
Smith Machine Squat
360+/5
I essentially did a normal set of squats as a back-off set for the pause squats.
Smith Machine Sumo DL - standing on 2 stacked 25 lbs plates (each leg)
bar/5
90+/5
180+/5
270+/5 - started using Versa Gripps. My low back didn’t feel so good at this point.
360+/1 - started using belt.
I aborted this experiment after one rep with 4 plates because I didn’t like how my lower back was feeling. I haven’t had any trouble with it doing conventional DL on the Smith machine, so I don’t know if it’s my back angle while doing sumo, or something else. But it’s no big deal. I haven’t pulled sumo in several months - maybe longer - and I just wanted to see how it might work on this setup. I’ll stick with conventional. When I can get back to real DL from the floor, maybe I’ll try sumo again.
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift - Versa Gripps and belt both sets
180+/10
270+/10
Prone Leg Curl Machine
60/10
105/10 - started using mouth guard
drop set: 150/7 + 135/3
As I’ve mentioned in a previous log entry, I love this machine and I wish the PF closest to me had one.
I switched my work schedule so I could surprise my wife and take her out this morning to conclude her birthday weekend. I’m also going to take advantage of not having delivered mail for 2 days, and go to bench press and do more upper body work in a few hours.
A Literal Pain In The Neck
Today’s weigh-in: 211.6 lbs (basically unchanged)
My plan after Monday was to rest 2 days, train at PF on Thursday, rest 2 more days, then train at my brother’s with a real barbell today. Unfortunately, my teenage daughter had a serious asthma attack, and ended up being admitted to the hospital on Thursday morning. Fortunately, she was home by late Friday night. We had to juggle some things at home (this isn’t new for us), and I planned to train after work on Friday, then keep the plan for today.
On Friday morning, I woke up with a pain in my chest (sternum), as well as a pain at the base of my neck that seemed to radiate up and down my spine, as well as across the back of my shoulders. I took some non-opioid pain relievers and went to work, delivered my route, and went to the gym with plans for Smith machine deadlifts, RDL, presses and either rows or pull downs. Here’s how it went:
Fri. 10/9
Smith Machine Deadlifts (standing on 2 stacked 25 lbs plates)
bar/10
90+/6 + 6 RDL
180+/5 - started feeling a little more aching in my neck
270+/2 + 2 - used alternating grip, and took maybe 5-6 deep breaths between doubles
320+/2 - started using mouth guard, pain in my neck started flaring up more
370+/2 - started using Versa Gripps, double overhand grip
420+/1 - started using belt
450+/1 - seriously thinking about quitting here
475+/1 - convinced myself that it wasn’t that bad
475+/1 - wanted to go up to 500 in plate weight, but it felt like I was pushing off of my toes on the previous set, so I repeated the weight
420+/3
420+/3
After that last set, I stripped it down to 270+ with the intention of doing 1-2 sets of RDL. Then I sat down and looked at the video of the last few sets. By the time I got up, my the back of my neck and shoulders were so achy and stiff when I moved that I said forget it, and stripped all the plates off. I thought that maybe some machine presses might not be too bad...
Hammer Strength Incline Press
60 per side/10
90 per side/3 - aborted mission
I don’t think the presses hurt my neck any worse. But I felt like I wasn’t able to generate much force for them, and decided to call it a day.
So the good thing is that I got some decent deadlifts in. The bad thing is that I may have made a problem with my neck worse. Remember, I don’t know why it hurts in the first place.
I also realize that I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for far too long. I didn’t work yesterday. My wife and I went to a local bodybuilding show, and I ended up going to sleep at 9:30 pm last night. I woke up around 10 or 11 am this morning. I actually feel well rested for once.
I wouldn’t describe my neck and shoulders as painful this morning and afternoon, but stiff. I’m not going to chance anything by putting a real barbell on my back, or arching into a competition style bench press. So rather than train at my brother’s, I’ll go to Planet Fitness shortly and do some machine work, followed by using their massage bed and/or chair. With just 34 days until the meet, I hope this isn’t anything major.
Video From 10/18 - Squat & Deadlift (REAL WEIGHTS!)
As I mentioned in my last entry, I left my brother’s house yesterday feeling optimistic about my prospects for the meet. Here’s the video from my squat/deadlift session. I topped out at 475 on the squat and 500 on the bench, weighing 210-211.
https://youtu.be/t0z89CfrR0Q
Right now, the plan for this week is to train twice between tomorrow (or today at this point) and Friday at PF, then back to his house on Sunday.
Fri. 10/23 - Short & Sweet
Planet Fitness in Baltimore City is open continuously from Monday morning through Friday at 10pm, then 7am - 7pm on weekends. I didn’t get home from work tonight until after 8pm, so I knew I’d have to try to cram a lot into less time than I wanted. Here’s how things went...
Work: 9.5 hours, 9.0 miles, 19,432 steps, 6 flights climbed
*Reminder* - on Smith machine exercises, I only list the weight of the plates, and the bar is represented by “+”. There’s a label on the machine saying the bar equals 20 or 25 lbs (I don’t remember), but I don’t trust it.
Smith Machine Squat
bar/6 x 2 sets
90+/6
180+/5
270+/4
310+/3 - started using mouth guard
340+/2 - started using wrist wraps, first time using them at PF
370+/2 - started using belt
400+/2
425+/2
450+/2 @9.5 RPE, heaviest squat at Planet Fitness so far
410+/4
In terms of controlling my depth, this might have been the best session I’ve done either at PF or at my brother’s. I tend to go extra deep on squats, which is better than struggling to hit legal competition depth. But I would prefer to stay tight and remove some ROM to make my squat more efficient. Hopefully, I can keep this going at my brother’s over the weekend.
Smith Machine Bench Press
bar/10 (maybe more, I lost count)
90+/8
140+/6
180+/4
210+/2 - started using mouth guard
230+/2 - started using wrist wraps
250+/2
260+/2 @9.5 RPE
drop set: 260+/2 + 230+/3 @10 RPE
Seated Dual-Handle Cable Row - these sets were actually alternated with BP after the 230+ set
50/10
90/10
130 (whole stack)/8 @10 RPE
The weight on this stack was deceptive. I’ve rowed much more than 130 on several machines, so maybe the number on this stack means the resistance for each hand. I don’t know, but it feels like it worked well enough as a substitute for the Smith machine barbell rows I ran out of time to do.
The entire workout was done in 1 hour 15 minutes. 22 days to go until the meet.
10/26, Short & Sweet, Again
I got off work early yesterday because I had an appointment with an optometrist. Not only did I walk less than I normally would, I ended up training in contacts for possibly the first time ever. It has been so long since the last time I wore contacts, I don’t know if I’ve ever lifted in them, and I’ve been in the gym for about 16 years now. I won’t be wearing them everyday, but not having glasses in the gym can be helpful, especially wearing a mask.
Work yesterday, 10/26: 6 hours, 6.3 miles, 14,185 steps, 9 floors climbed
Work today, 10/27: 11.5 hours, 10.2 miles, 22,076 steps, 8 floors climbed
Mon. 10/26
NOTE: on Smith machine exercises, I only list the weight of the plates with a + to represent whatever the bar adds (i.e. “90+” looks like 135)
Smith Machine Deadlift
90+/6
180+/3 x 2 sets
270+/3-4 - I don’t know how I forgot the number of reps I did by the time I went to write it down. Old man problems, I suppose.
340+/2 - started using mouth guard, as well as alternating grip
390+/2
430+/1 - started using Versa Gripps
460+/1 - started using belt
480+/1
500+/1 + 1 @9.5 RPE
On that set, I did one, stood up to take a breath, and started setting up a second rep. I was recording the set, and I noticed someone walk over and stand right in front of my phone. So I asked him to move, and went back through my set up. It was about 30-40 seconds between reps. That’s not enough for me to call it 2 sets, but too long to call it “2 reps”, so I’ll count it like a cluster of 2 singles.
450+/3 @9 RPE - did the backoff sets double overhand with the Versa Gripps
450+/3 @9.5 RPE
Smith Machine Barbell Row
180+/8
230+/8 - started using Versa Gripps
270+/6 - cheated a little more than I would have liked on these, but I’ve seen worse
230+/10 - cheated some of these too, but that was by design
Hammer Ab Crunch Machine
5 sets total, 10 reps each w/30, 50, 70, 60, 40
Did this in just under an hour. I only plan to deadlift one more time - twice at the most - before the meet (November 14), and that will be with a real barbell.
An Example Of Why I Don’t Plan Deload Weeks
Unfortunately, more mailman urban hiking (last 2 days: 17.8 miles, and just under 40,000 steps while working 21 hours) plus a chronic lack of sleep and an increase in life stressors have caught up to me. I had every intention of training yesterday, but got home and crashed hard. Couldn’t think straight, couldn’t move off my couch and fell asleep sitting up, then got in bed and slept through my alarm this morning. I figured I’d train today, but I guess I’m still pretty beat, and the fact that it rained all day in Baltimore today didn’t help (minor effects from Zeta passing to our south).
I have to train at my brother’s on Sunday, to get another exposure to a real barbell 13 days before the meet. If I can get in the gym tomorrow, I don’t want to do anything that will beat me up, or prevent me from giving everything I can at his house. So I’ll probably do something on machines that is very non-specific to powerlifting (more non-specific than training at PF in the first place 😁). Either that, or relatively light squats and benches on the Smith machine - something I can recover from by Sunday.
At this moment, I feel better than I did last night. I’ve eaten quite a bit, and after I post this, I’m shutting down and getting at least 6 hours of sleep (that’s an improvement for me). Sunday is a big deal: my goal on this visit to my brother’s is to settle on my openers. From there, I’ll set up my game plan for meet day (warm ups through possible 3rd attempts).
Sun. 11/1, back under a real bar
I made it back to my brother’s house on Sunday. I’ve just been working late and haven’t been online much after work. That’s why I haven’t updated the log. Unfortunately, I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep. I’ve just been zoned out on the couch. Fortunately, the American Presidential Election is over now, at least for me in terms of being a mailman during the election with the most votes cast by mail ever. If all goes well, there will a lull before the December holiday season kicks in. I’ll still have to work a lot of overtime, but the volume of mail I’m carrying should be down.
When I woke up on Sunday, I weighed 207.8 lbs. That means I’ve lost almost 4 pounds in the last couple of weeks. When you’re 2 weeks from a meet, and you’re not trying to make weight in a certain class, that’s a bad sign.
Squat
bar/8
135/5
205/3
275/2
335/1 - started using mouth guard
385/1 - started using wrist wraps, felt twinge in my lower back
425/1 - started using belt
455/1 @8.5 RPE
455/1 @9 RPE - started wearing a mask. I’ll wear one at the meet.
457.5/1 @9 RPE - this was a psychological lift. My brother has micro plates, so I loaded the bar to 207.5 kg
Bench Press
bar/12
135/6
185/4
225/3
255/2 -
275/1 - started using wrist wraps
290/1 @10 RPE - this was way harder than the 290 I did a few weeks ago. I attribute it to my weight loss.
275/2 - started wearing a mask
275/1 - no doubt about the pause on this one
Deadlift
225/4
315/2 - started using mouth guard
385/1 - started using Versa Gripps. Forgot to talk to my brother about chalk. Might haunt me later.
445/1 - started using belt
485/1 @9 RPE - started wearing mask
505/1 @10 RPE - very difficult off the floor, then accelerated through the finish.
I did this in about 2 1/2 hours, while trying to help my son navigate a virtual reality video game that I have no experience on. My trouble with the deadlift could have been due to fatigue, as this was the first time I’d done all 3 lifts on a barbell in the same session since September 13, and only the second time since maybe some time last year. I pulled a relatively easy 500 a couple of weeks ago - much easier than this 505 - but I only squatted before hand.
At this point, barring something crazy happening, my planned openers are:
SQ: 207.5 kg (457.5 lbs)
BP: 125 kg (275.6 lbs)
DL: 217.5 kg (479.5 lbs)
As I’ve said all along, my goal is to get as close to, or surpass 500 in the SQ, 300 in the BP, and 530 in the DL - the numbers I hit when I tested my lifts the weekend before gyms closed for Covid. Not much longer until we find out. 😁
Last Heavy Session At Planet Fitness + Video
Quote:
Originally Posted by
carson
I love watching your videos and listening to you great commentaries. I plan to sign up to your videos. I think I have watched you in the past.
There are two SS gyms in the Baltimore area or at least there used to be. I'm sure you know about them. Are they still closed?
One comment on squats: I feel like a neophyte asking a masters athlete but you seem to drop rather fast on your squats. Maybe it's just the lighter ones
Best wishes on your competition later this month. Good work young man.
Thank you so much! I appreciate your watching, and your support. On the SS gyms, I’ve only known about one in Westminster, Maryland, which is about an hour or so from Baltimore City. As far as I know, it’s still open. On the squat descent, it is pretty quick these days. It probably has been like that for a long time, unless I’m doing pause squats. I never feel like I’m out of control, and as long as I stay tight, I think it’s pretty safe.
This is it. Meet week is here! Here’s the video showing my heaviest lifts from my brother’s house (logged in my previous entry) as well as the ones I did on Sunday at Planet Fitness (logged below the video).
https://youtu.be/R_3vpsLmlIk
Sunday 11/8
* On the Smith machine, I only count the weight of the plates, so the bar on the machine is represented by a +
Smith Machine Squat
bar/8
90+/6
180+/4
270+/3
320+/2 - started using mouth guard
360+/2 - started using wrist wraps
400+/2 - started using belt
420+/2
435+/1
450+/1 @9 RPE
Smith Machine Bench Press
bar/12
50+/8
100+/6
140+/4
180+/2
210+/2 - started using mouth guard
230+/2 - started using wrist wraps
250+/2
270+/2 @10 RPE
270+/1 @9.5 RPE
About 30-60 seconds after the last bench press, I felt a pain in my right shoulder where it meets the pec. A few hours later, and the next day, the pain had moved from that spot to more of the top of my shoulder. I can’t think of anything I did to injure it. As of today, it feels mostly normal.
Seated Row Machine - neutral grip
70/15
130/12
175/10
205/8 @8.5 RPE
The game plan from here is to train one more time tonight. That will be a Smith machine squat, a machine chest press (not the Smith, because of the pain I had), rear delts and abs. Maybe 1-2 sets of rows. I have a formula for a meet week session that I got from my first powerlifting coach 12 years ago, and my revised version still works well. But I have no idea how to use that in this setting. So I’m basically winging it based on experience and knowing my body well enough to call it on the fly.
As far as my body weight, things went backwards somehow. I weighed 207.8 on Sunday. I know I’ve been eating more calories for 3 days, even some dirtier than normal ones for this week just to get them in. And this morning, I weighed 206.0. That could be due to dehydration, because I was urinating a lot more than normal for some reason last night. But just in case, I’m taking advantage of having today off (Veterans’ Day) by pounding down as many calories as I can stomach without feeling sick.
The most unconventional meet week workout of all time
Yesterday - Wednesday, November 11 - was Veterans’ Day in the United States, a federal holiday to salute all those who have served in the American armed forces. That means there is no mail delivery, so I had the day off. It rained all day and night here in Baltimore, so for me, the holiday couldn’t have happened on a better day. My wife is also a government employee, and our teenage daughter’s school is closed every Wednesday (Covid stuff). So the three of us went to brunch at a popular local, socially distanced restaurant. I tried to knock down about 2,000 calories in there, with the hope of getting a big mid-week surplus with little activity.
My wife takes a nap every day after work (I’m so jealous). Even on her day off, she wanted to keep up with that habit. I decided to do the same, and figured I’d sleep for about 2 hours. I woke up four hours later 😂 and felt great. But it meant that by the time we fed dinner to our clan, and got everyone ready for bed and school the next day, we didn’t get to Planet Fitness until after midnight.
Wed. 11/11 (but technically Thu. 11/12)
Smith Machine Squat
bar/5 x 2 sets
90+/6
180+/4
270+/2
320+/1
I used my older and looser Rehband knee sleeves rather than my SBD’s. Also, I did not use my belt, wrist wraps or mouth guard.
Hammer Strength Chest Press
30 per side/12
60 per side/10
80 per side/8
100 per side/6
Rear Delt Machine (the pec deck flipped around)
70/15
100/12
130/10 x 2 sets (I wrote down 8 reps for these, but I’m sure I did 10. It was almost 1 am, so ???)
Hammer Strength Ab Crunch Machine
40/15
60/10 x 2 sets
That last set of abs was the hardest thing I did the whole time. Done in 42 minutes, and that included stops to give my wife some input on her workout.
That’s it! God willing, the next time I lift something, it will be at the USAPL Winter Wrecker on Saturday. If my bodyweight hasn’t crept back up to at least 209 lbs by then, then I’m going to reduce my squat and deadlift openers by 5 kg, and my bench opener by 2.5 kg from what I have planned (logged a couple of entries ago).
As for my last 2 days before the meet: I worked a ridiculous 13 hour day today (why is the mailman getting off work at 10:30 pm?). I’ll probably only sleep 5 1/2 hours tonight. But the long nap yesterday helped a lot. I didn’t need any caffeine today beyond my morning cup of coffee. And I’ve already arranged with work that I’m going to have an 8 hour day tomorrow. So my wife and I are going to leave for Virginia by 6. We should be there by 8 at the latest, stopping for food on the way. Our room has a jacuzzi tub, so I’m going to lounge in there like Tony Montana for at least half an hour. Plan is to be in bed by 11 at the absolute latest. If all goes well, I have a legit chance to sleep 7 hours before I leave for weigh ins (I’m in the morning session). That’s 1.5-2 hours more than I get on most nights, so I’ll gladly take that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
J. Killmond
The 505 deadlift flew up. When you put down both deadlifts, I know you were protecting your brother's floor, but you looked really strong the way you carefully placed the bar down on the mat. You even wiggled the bar a little bit to get it off the rails at the bottom of the rack. You've got to be strong to baby the bar like that--most deadlift work reps get set down hard because the lifter doesn't have any choice but to put it down quick!
The squats also looked strong (and didn't look like you felt they were heavy on your back, which you mentioned before).
At any rate good luck on your meet--go crazy, but not too crazy (given your limited prep on actual barbells). We look forward to a report next week!
Wow, thank you! Yes, I did feel much more comfortable and confident with the bar on my back. It’s weird - most of these lifts feel harder than they look. I need to remind myself before, and in the moment, that I’m not attempting to lift anything that I haven’t lifted before. The mental aspect of this is very real.
Meet recap - mission accomplished!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bill Anders
I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks, Kaisheem, and am looking forward to your success this weekend. Good luck!
Thank you sir! I’m glad to have you following this.
Peace everyone! First off, thanks for everyone who has followed this experiment so far, whether you’ve been lurking, or commenting and offering feedback. I competed in the USAPL Winter Wrecker in Ashburn, Virginia on Saturday, November 14. Here’s the meet recap. First up is the video, along with time stamps below the thumbnail (it’s kind of long).
https://youtu.be/A4GODb0_sWw
Intro - 0:00
Backstory (Planet Fitness) - 0:22
Meet Footage - 9:03
Epilogue (Final Thoughts) - 16:16
USAPL Winter Wrecker, 11/14/20
First off, if you don’t watch the video, it’s hard to describe just how incredible the production value of this meet was. I knew the meet director had a reputation for excellent meets, and he exceeded my expectations. If you’re anywhere in or near Virginia, and you want to compete in powerlifting, and you see Sabre Schnitzer is promoting a meet, sign up for it ASAP.
I was in the morning session, starting at 9am. I arrived at the venue around 7:30-7:40. I checked in, submitted my rack heights and openers, then weighed in. I was exactly 94.00 kg (207.2 lbs). Since I’d lost about 4.5 lbs in the last couple of weeks, I lowered my squat and deadlift openers by 2.5 kg each. My strategy was to remain confident in getting on the board in each lift, while still keeping myself in striking distance of my hopes for 3rd attempts.
SQUAT - warmups and attempts
bar/8
135/6
225/4, 1 - my wife (game day coach) had me do the single because she wanted to double check my depth
315/2
385/1 - added wrist wraps and mouth guard
425/1 - added belt
1st attempt: 205.0 kg (451.9 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
2nd attempt: 217.5 kg (479.5 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
3rd attempt: 227.5 kg (501.5 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
BENCH PRESS - warmups and attempts
bar/10
95/6
135/5
175/3
205/2
235/1 - w/commands, added mouth guard
255/1 - w/commands, added wrist wraps
1st attempt: 125 kg (275.6 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
2nd attempt: 132.5 kg (292.1 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
3rd attempt: 137.5 kg (303.1 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
DEADLIFT - warmups and attempts
135/2
215/2
315/1 - started using over/under grip
390/1 - started using chalk, added mouth guard
450/1 - added belt
1st attempt: 217.5 kg (479.5 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
2nd attempt: 230.0 kg (507.1 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
3rd attempt: 240.0 kg (529.1 lbs) - GOOD LIFT!
TOTAL: 9/9 (27 white lights!), 605.0 kg (1333.8 lbs)
Summary
• At my old gym on March 13 & 15 - exactly 8 months ago - I weighed 217.8 lbs, and I squatted 500, benched 300, and deadlifted 530.
• At the meet on November 14, I weighed 207.2 lbs, and I squatted 501.5, benched 303.1, and deadlifted 529.1.
• I did not train for more than 3 months, except for some occasional push-ups and pull-ups.
• My first workout at PF was June 28, and I didn’t enter the meet and start training for powerlifting again until August 19.
• I only trained with a real barbell on 4 occasions before the meet (9/13 - all 3 lifts, 9/27 - SQ & BP, 10/18 - SQ & DL, 11/1 - all 3 lifts). I finished the meet 9/9, with 27 white lights, which tells me that my technical proficiency was good in spite of limited practice with barbells.
I believe this experiment demonstrated that in at least some cases, a powerlifter can successfully train for a meet at what may be the most anti-powerlifting gym in America.
So, what’s next? For now, I plan to continue training at PF. I have been accumulating some equipment for home, but it requires some assembly and some rearranging in my basement. I also don’t have enough weight for squats and deadlifts, so I still can’t do everything I want to at home. Plus to be honest, I really like some of the machines at PF. But Covid is going to dictate what USAPL does, as well as our access to gyms. There’s nothing geographically close to me on the USAPL calendar yet for the spring. Nothing has been announced for Regionals or Nationals for 2021. Right now, it’s a waiting game. My next order of business is to regain the weight I lost.
I plan to keep this log going, and I invite you all to continue following it. Even though I don’t have a meet on the horizon, I’m still training for powerlifting at Planet Fitness. Based on how things went this weekend, I don’t have any reason to think I shouldn’t.
Thanks for reading all of this! ✌🏾
2 For 1 - 11/21 and 11/24
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bill Anders
As a fun aside, as soon as we finished watching your meet video, the suggestion (on Friday) was the live stream of the US Collegiate Powerlifting meet. They had two platforms, which meant two streams. We set them up split screen and could barely keep up with how fast they were moving through the competitors. We knew it was live, since we could hear the announcer from platform one bleed over into the feed for platform two. It was a smooth, almost flawless operation through the deadlift sessions.
Also, we saw some very, very, very interesting techniques to pull the bar off the floor. Some worked.
Wow, now I need to go look at some of those deadlifts. The way your phrased that is funny! I’m visualizing all kinds of goofy pull methods.
**********************************************
I need to log 2 sessions in this post, so please forgive me for a longer entry.
Sat. 11/21 - A2: quads, hamstrings, calves, abs, triceps, traps/rear delts
I went to work on one of my off days. As we head into our busiest time of year, that’s probably going to be fairly normal in December. In this case, it didn’t feel too bad because I had been off on Monday, making this essentially the 5th day of a work week. Plus, I only had to deliver my route without part of another route tacked on.
Work: 8 hours, 7.9 miles, 17,485 steps, 4 flights climbed
Smith Machine High Bar Squat - weight notated as plate weight +Smith bar
bar/8
90+/8
180+/8
270+/8 - started using mouth guard
320+/8 @9 RPE (took 2 deep breaths after reps 4 and 6, never re-racked it)
Oxygen gave out before my quads on the top set. If I never mentioned it, or if you missed it previously, I have asthma and squats tend to make me remember that. High bar is not comfortable at all. I was seriously considering using that pad for the bar, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. 😁
Leg Extension
100/10
150/10
200/15 @9.5 RPE - used mouth guard
Prone Leg Curl - we weren’t at our normal PF, so I had to take advantage of having this available
75/10
120/10
Drop set: 140/6 + 125/4 + 105/6 - used mouth guard. The drop was unplanned. I overshot the starting weight by a lot. Chalk it up to not using this machine regularly. If I go back to this particular PF soon, I’ll top out at 125-130.
Weighted Calf Stretch - on horizontal leg press
100/45 seconds right, then 45 left, then 45 right, then 45 left, then 160/90 seconds with both feet
Triceps Press Machine
100/12
160/15
205/14 @9 RPE - used mouth guard
Rear Delt Machine
60/10
100/10
150/10 @9.5 RPE - should have used 135-140
Total Gym Abs Sled
3 sets of 12
Tue. 11/24 - B2: chest, delts, back, biceps, calves, abs
Work: 10.0 hours, 9.5 miles, 20,647 steps, 29 flights climbed
Torso Rotation Machine
50/25 right + 25 left
75/25 right + 25 left
100/25 right + 25 left
Calf Extension Machine - finally figured out how to use this. PF is the only place I’ve ever seen it.
70/10
130/10
Weighted stretch: 70/30 seconds left + 30 right + 60 seconds left + 60 right
150/15
Weighted stretch: 150/60 seconds both
Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
30 per side/15-18 (lost count)
50 per side/10
70 per side/10 - put on elbow sleeves, stayed on for the rest of the workout
90 per side/10 - added mouth guard
100 per side/10 @9.5 RPE
Hammer Strength Pulldown - underhand grip
50 per side/15
80 per side/12
100 per side/10 @8 RPE - added mouth guard
120 per side/11 @10 RPE - added Versa Gripps
Hammer Strength Chest Press
40 per side/12
80 per side/10 @7.5 RPE
Drop set: 100 per side/8 + 90 per side/3 @10 RPE - used mouth guard. Drop was unplanned. I just didn’t want to be under 10 reps on my top set this early in my new training cycle.
Hammer Strength Row - underhand grip
50 per side/16 - stopped after 6 to adjust seat and chest pad
80 per side/10 @7.5 RPE - added mouth guard
100 per side/12 @10 RPE - added Versa Gripps
Spent about 10 minutes at the end of this session doing DoggCrapp style stretches for pecs, lats, delts and biceps.
I’m still feeling a few things out on some of these exercises in my first round through these workouts. God willing, I’ll do A3 tomorrow and B3 on Friday. But Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. The last day I worked after a federal holiday (Veterans’ Day, 11/11), I didn’t get off until 10:30 pm. So I know there’s a chance that B3 won’t happen until Saturday. That’s fine if that’s how it goes. Next week, I’ll start this rotation again with an increased emphasis on driving my top set to failure on just about every exercise except squats, leg presses, deadlifts and abs. Also, I’m going to try to make sure I call the right weights for my top sets, because I don’t want to be doing drop sets yet. 😄
Tue. 12/1 - Start of 2nd Cycle
Weighed 211.4 yesterday morning, and 210.0 this morning. That’s a nice trend in the right direction (up from 206.8-207.4).
12/1 Work: 10.0 hours, 8.9 miles, 19,040 steps, 16 flights climbed
A1: quads, hams, calves, abs, traps/rear delts, triceps
Calf Press & Stretch - on Hammer Strength leg press, listing weight of plates + sled
90+/20 - 3 second negative on each rep
Stretch: 90+/30 seconds, bilateral
180+/25 - quick tempo, pump reps
Stretch: 180+/60 seconds
Leg Press - Hammer Strength, listing weight of plates + sled
90+/10
180+/12
270+/12
360+/10
450+/10 - added mouth guard, wasn’t sure how this would go
550+/4 - primer set
500+/15 @9 RPE
Seated Leg Curl
70/15
100/12
145/5 - primer set
130/20 @8.5 RPE - I don’t know if I would have failed within 1-2 reps or not. I just know I couldn’t tolerate the burn/pump any more.
Triceps Pressdown - w/rope attachment, flaring ends of rope out at the bottom of each rep
40/15
65/7 @8.5 - probably too hard to consider a primer set
Drop set: 60/10 + (no rest) 50/5 + (3 deep breaths) 50/3 + 1 cheat rep w/slow negative
Rear Delt Machine
70/12
100/10
115/10 x 2 sets
Torso Rotation Machine
70/25 left + 25/right x 2 sets
Also did DC-style stretches (60 seconds+) for quads and hamstrings (both after leg press) and triceps (after the rotation).
1 hour, 12 minutes total
Back To Back Days, Plus An Update
BACK TO BACK DAYS
I was more tired than normal on Thursday, so I decided to skip it and train on consecutive days Fri/Sat. This way, I could stay on my normal schedule as far as the week goes, and I would have off two days before a planned session on Tuesday.
Fri. 12/4 - B1: chest, delts, back,abs (skipped abs, biceps)
Work: 9.0 hours, 7.7 miles, 16,439 steps, 19 flights climbed
*Reminder: Smith Machine exercises are listed with plate weights + bar*
Smith Machine Decline Bench Press - low decline, foot of bench was elevated by 2 10-lbs plates
bar/15
90+/10
140+/10
180+/8 @7.5 RPE - last time, my heaviest set of this exercise was 180+/11 @10 RPE
220+/3 - added mouth guard; primer set, but probably a little heavier than necessary
rest-pause: 195+/9+2 - took 10 deep breaths after the 9 reps; static hold after the 9 and the 2
Smith Machine BB Row - doing these much more strictly than normal, so weights are down from last time
bar/10
90+/10
140+/10 - added Versa Gripps
180+/7 @9 RPE - added mouth guard; felt hips rise on last rep, so I shut it down
160+/10 @10 RPE - stopped once I felt I couldn’t keep my low back from rounding
Smith Machine Standing Overhead Press - started each set/rep with a negative
bar/10
50+/10
80+/8
100+/4 - primer set; added mouth guard
90+/8 @10 RPE
Pull-ups - left the bar locked at the top, and did these on the Smith machine
BW/10 wide overhand
BW/10 medium overhand
BW/10 medium underhand
Done in 55 minutes.
Sat. 11/5 - A2: quads, hams, calves, traps/rear delts (skipped abs, triceps)
Last cycle, I did squats on A2 and deadlifts on A3. I switched them this time, so I could have an extra day off of training after deadlifts. I’ll do squats on A3. I also did this session at a PF with a prone leg curl, so I did those, and will plan to do RDL on A3 after squats.
Calf Press & Stretch - on horizontal leg press (Life Fitness machine)
Stretch: 100/60 seconds left + 60 seconds right
Press: 205/20 - controlled, 1 second negative on each rep
Stretch: 205/60 seconds both
Smith Machine Deadlift - standing on a pair of 25 lbs plates (per foot)
bar/15 - first 10 on floor, then added plates; also did 10 squats before standing on the plates
90+/8
180+/8
270+/8 - added Versa Gripps
320+/8 - added mouth guard
360+/10 @9.5 RPE - 2 more reps than I got with this weight last time
Prone Leg Curl
60/12
90/10 - hamstrings were pumped - I wasn’t sure I should go up on the next set
drop set: 120/12 + 105/7
Standing, unilateral hamstring stretch: 45 seconds left + 45 right + 30 seconds left + 30 right
Leg Extensions
90/15
130/12
165/20 @10 - added mouth guard; had to pause for a deep breath after reps 17 and 18
Standing, unilateral quad stretch: 60 seconds left + 60 right
Done in 60 minutes.
UPDATE
So... I may have mentioned that I have asthma in this log before. Earlier this week (Tue/Wed), my chest was feeling tight when I woke up. That’s unusual for me in the morning, but my inhaler seemed to give me some relief. I also started coughing a bit with the tight chest - normal when my asthma flares up. By yesterday, I also had this odd feeling of being congested and coughing, but never coughing up anything. I also noticed that I was a little light-headed and getting out of breath even more easily, like from going up or down the stairs. I said that I thought I should go to an urgent care center, and my oldest daughter (15) who has worse asthma than me asked if she could go with me, because she had been feeling similar symptoms for a few days. I didn’t know that until she told me yesterday.
So with 2 of us experiencing respiratory problems, you can imagine what I was thinking. Sure enough, we went and both of us got tested for Covid. I also got an x-ray because I started feeling a pain in my chest, just right of center. The x-ray was fine, but we won’t have our results for a few days. My wife, who had started feeling bad herself, said that while we were out, she had developed a sore throat as well, so she went after we got home, and they tested her too.
For the time being, we’re all quarantined at home until we know our status. Needless to say, I won’t be at Planet Fitness this week. I suppose this is a good time to assemble the rack and bench I’ve purchased, and organize the basement so I can eventually train at home, at least part time. I don’t have enough plates to do what I need to do here, and I’ve actually come to like some of the equipment at PF. I can see myself splitting my training between here and there. But first, I need to find out whether I’m dealing with coronavirus or just some random respiratory illness. I’ll update once I find out.