MEET Report (SS Coaches Ryan and Damon)

[damonwells]

27 MARCH 2010

A nice, low key APA meet in Edison, NJ. Held at Apollon Gym (apparently owned by Dorian Yates).

Ryan went 7/9, hitting 515/295/490 at a bodyweight of 178lbs, RAW. Won 181lbs open weight class. He smoked most of the guys up to the 220lbs weight class.

I went 9/9, hitting 590/435/625 at a bodyweight of 254lbs, RAW. Seriously left weight on the platform for squat and deadlift, but it was my first raw meet so gauging attempts was hard. Won 275lbs submaster weight class.

http://www.youtube.com/legionpowerlifting




D

[Ryan Long]

For a change of pace I'll be continuing this log to demonstrate the compatibility of barbell training and 'fitness' in the Army. Damon and I have both focused almost exclusively on powerlifting for the last 12 weeks, running less than once per week each, and never doing situps or pushups. Well yeah us, we are scheduled to take an APFT (Army Physical Fitness Test) on 28 April. Our training over the next 4 weeks will change to reflect this mission.

The basic weekly plan is as follows.
Monday: Assessment (2 Mile Run, 2 minutes pushups, 2 minutes situps)
Tuesday: 400 meter intervals, Tabata interval pushups and situps
Wednesday: Squat
Thursday: 3 mile run, Bench, Deadlift
Friday: 400 meter intervals, Tabata interval pushups and situps
Saturday: Press, Power Clean.
Sunday: Rest.

If anyone has tried to pull this off before I'm open to feedback. I normally cycle my training to train what I want to train most of the year and prep for the APFT on the 6-8 weeks prior, but this will be the most extreme time I've done it (the least maintenance APFT work and the shortest build phase).

I'm personally interested to see what happens. Last week I ran two miles in 16:50, ugly but passing. My goal is to run 13:00 2MR, 85 pushups, 85 situps.

Now the real pain begins.

[Ryan Long]

Day 1 of APFT Prep:

Sitting here trying to recover from the running induced pain I'm going to my happy place and recapping the meet from this past Saturday.

Last Monday was our last lifting day. We did a few easy sets of 5 of squats and bench. Only went up to 315 on squat and 225 on bench. Wednesday I still weighed in at 187 pounds, not a hard cut to 181, I increased my water consumption in order to ease the coming cut in food. Thursday morning I cut out as much sodium from my diet as I could to prevent water retention and increased dietary fiber. Friday breakfast was my last normal meal, lunch and dinner were light but not painfully so. Cut off water Friday night at about 8 PM. Tried the hot bath trick Friday night to cut water weight as the sauna t the gym wasn't available, I dropped 2 pounds in half an hour without feeling it. Woke up Saturady morning at 0530 weighing 178 pounds, 3 pounds under! At and drank a small amount and headed to the meet. Weighed in still at 178, sounds small just typing it.

It was a small meet with about 25-30 lifters, good size for my first PL meet.

Squat:
I warmed up for the squat with 135x5, 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, ready to go. My 1st attempt was 455 based on 90% of my gym 1RM, too easy. 2nd attempt was 495, I had planned on going to 485 (97% of my gym 1RM) but 455 felt so easy I felt I could handle it. It was the right decision. 3rd attempt I called for 515, again 10 pounds heavier than what I had planned on doing but everything felt light and the judge was even telling Damon and I that we were going too low on our squats so I figured I had plenty in the tank. 515 felt easy until I stood all the way up and locked out my knees, the bar slid off my left shoulder and into the crook of my elbow. The judge had already called for me to rack it so he gave me the lift. Upon looking at the film frame by frame I think the spotter on the monolift moved the hooks back too early and the hook hit the bar just outside my left shoulder. Luckily the guy spotting behind me was a mammoth so we all managed to get the bar back on the monolift.

Bench:
I warmed up with 135x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x1. Opened with 265, felt good, even felt like I got my legs into well. I'm relatively new to benching as I cam from olympic lifting, but I'm trying. 2nd attempt was 295, 285 was the plan but I think my ego got in the way (see a trend?). I hit 295 ok but it was a little slow, analyzing the film I saw my right foot slide forward on the ground a few inches, I wonder what my left foot was doing, probably the same. No effective leg drive. Both hip flexors and my back cramped up too, probably from trying to hold the position without my feet firmly into the floor. I didn't feel it at the time and Damon didn't see it. I asked for 305, probably should have just gone with 300 based on the technical errors I'm still working through. You probably already guessed it, 305 didn't get more than an inch or two off my chest before my feet moved and the bar came back down. The spotters did a great job. 300 was my gym PR but 275 was my previous pause rep PR, so I'll take the 295 with pride (for now).

Deadlift:
Warmed up with 135x5, 225x3, 315x3 and 405x1. Right about now I'm getting tired from the early morning, drive, and long day and I for some reason to try lifting with a double pronated grip, ha! I dropped my 405 warm up and have a fit wondering why I can hold onto the f-ing bar! I try again and Damon and a fellow lifter start laughing at me, thank good I'm just stupid and not weak! I mix my grip and 405 comes up no problem, dumb ass. I opened at 455, I rushed my set up but it was light enough that it wasn't an issue, 455 was about 90% of my gym PR. 2nd attempt I take 490 for a new PR (damned ego stepping in again). I pull on the bar for about 5 seconds and finally lock it out, slow but without hitching. There is no way I could have locked that out without 50 strangers yelling for me, I slammed that bar on the ground like it insulted me wife. I considered passing on my 3rd attempt, realizing I just shot my wad, but I knew that was a chump way out. I called for 500 for my 3rd attempt, mainly because it sounded good, not because I thought I could pull it. As predicted I pulled like hell, rounded my back like hell, but that bar probably didn't move more than 2 inches. Next time.

So that was a fun first meet. I enjoyed competing raw, even though my numbers are a little smaller as a result, watching the other lifters getting their gear on and off looked like a pain in the ass. Hopefully I can get to a USAPL Raw Nationals in the next few years if it's ever close by.

Now for the pain. Day 1 APFT training, 30 days to go.
65 pushups in 2 minutes, perfect form because I hate shitty form.
80 situps in 2 minutes.
Slow run to the 2 mile run course.
Ran 2 miles in 15:20. Painful but I think I could have pushed harder.

By Army standards that was mediocre at best, 262 out of 300 points, but I'll take it considering I'm 185 pounds at only 5'4" and can squat 515! I hope like hell I can get to 85 pushups, 85 situps, and a 13 minute 2 mile run in the next 4 weeks. If so I feel like I'll have validated this training methodology.

Again, I'll take feedback from anybody that has tried this before!

[A J]

Ryan - Damn bro, i figured you could squat at the SSS but 515?! Holy shit!

Damon, I'm more impressed that you weighed in at 254 haha, figured you were going SHW

Great work on both accounts, keep spreading the word.

-AJ (the kid with 1 short leg at the SSS)

[Ryan Long]

AJ, Great to hear form you!

Don't worry about my squat, I'm pretty sure you still crush me on the bench and deadlift. I'll keep working at it though so don't get lazy!

[K.Diesel]

Hopefully I can get to a USAPL Raw Nationals in the next few years if it's ever close by.

July 2011, Scranton, Pennsylvania. Hope to meet you there. You should be putting up even more ridiculous numbers by then.

Congrats on a great meet guys!

[damonwells]

AJ, yeah, I let myself go! It's a careful balance between Army "fit" and Army Strong.

The two miles we ran yesterday tore me up. It will be interesting to see how much strength I lose by the end of this 30 days.

How's your short leg doing? He was always my favorite.

D

[Ryan Long]

Day 2 APFT Training:

4 x 400m intervals (3:00-3:30 rest between sprints)
1:22
1:29
1:26
1:28

Tabata Pushups, 10 each round
Tabata Situps, 12 each round

[damonwells]

AND... my legs hurt...

[cjangelo]

Watched your videos, Damon--you must be new to powerlifting, because you took your warm-up as your 3rd attempt!

Hell of a squat, Ryan.

Keep us posted, fellas.