Return of the King

BossArky wrote: »

Powerlifting Competition: 21.06.2015

Short Version: Went 7/9 for 442.5kg (+2.5kg) PR total. The day went from bad to good.

A short video rendering the past weekend in alliteration: crayon, cake & competition.

Friday June 26th: Bench Day 1

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
75kg - 6x6

Chin Ups
bodyweight - 6x6
---

Blasted through those. Gonna include chins ups for back for a change & also because it targets arms at the same time (more so than T-Bar rows... & as Arnie would say "big guns big - pay checks"). Writing this a couple of days later and DOMs in lats and biceps/forearms is off the scale.

Trained the above on Friday morning, less than 12 hours after the Squat session before on Thursday night... so was low on energy due to no food. Wanted to have the weekend off so scrunched it in.

Tuesday June 30th: Bench Day 2

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 6x5

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 3x8 ... may have actually been 8, 10, 12... cannot really remember

One Arm DB Row
30kg per arm - 3x8
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 3x5

Rev Fly (lying on T-Bar Row incline bench)
2.5kg per arm - 3x10 ... very light getting used to a movement I haven't done in years
---
Tricep Extension with Sled
sled +20kg - 2 lengths
sled +40kg - 6 lengths

Row with Sled
sled +40kg - 4 lengths
---
Lat Raise
2.5kg per arm - 3x10 ... again very light getting used to a movement I haven't done in years
---

Avid readers of my log will notice that I'm limiting the sets to the day 1 number per Squat and Bench workouts (i.e. keeping sets to 4 and 6 respectively). This gives me additional time to do some other brain entertaining accessorising. It also means that when I get back onto a 12 week competition prep cycle in a few weeks I'll be able to up the volume back to normal epic levels and reap the rewards as body goes into catabolic decline quickly followed by super-compensation.

The tricep extension with sled gave some incredible and focused burn in my back of upper arm. Got this idea whilst watching Matt Wenning on SuperTraining TV. He advocates 70% of his upperbody training aimed at triceps and upperback. I was impressed by the level of fatigue the sled extension can build up.

Quite enjoyable training session. Got the bench worksets done (plus the associated super sets for barbell and one arm rows) in 23 minutes. The next 45 mins or so was messing about having fun. Got a nice pump!

Friday July 3rd: Bench Day 3

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
72.5 - 1x3
85kg - 6x4

Pull Up
6x4
---

Quickest workout ever: 12 worksets sets above done in 11 minutes. Everything more or less back to back.

Bench was easy.

First time doing proper palms away (vs. palms to face or parallel) pullups in ages. Felt good. All the double overhand Deadlifts improving grip.

Did the above in evening.... as turned up in morning at 6am but no one opened so had to come back a second time later in day.

Tuesday July 7th: Bench Day 4

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 4x3 ... realised once I was home that I should have done 6 sets, not 4.

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 3x8

One Arm DB Row
30kg per arm - 3x8
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
35kg - 1x3
45kg - 3x5

Rev Fly (lying on T-Bar Row incline bench)
5kg per arm - 3x8
---
Tricep Extension with Sled
sled +20kg - 1 length
sled +40kg - 1 length
sled +60kg - 1 length

Row with Sled
sled +20kg - 1 length
sled +40kg - 1 length
sled +60kg - 1 length
---
Lat Raise
5kg per arm - 3x8
---

Friday July 10th: Bench Day 5

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 6x6

Pull Up
bodyweight +5kg - 6x4
---

Did the worksets (Bench & Pull Ups) above supersetted back to back in 14 mins. The upperbody fatigue from the crossfit style approach had me almost fail on the last set of Bench. Chest was on fire even though weight was lighty. Tasty DOMS after!

Was initially disappointed as I remembered that the Friday session last week only took 11 mins. Realized later that it was ok as tonight I was doing 2 extra reps per bench set.

Tuesday July 14th: Bench Day 6

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 6x5

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 3x8

One Arm DB Row
32.5kg per arm - 3x8
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x3
50kg - 3x5 ... alright

Rev Fly (lying on T-Bar Row incline bench)
2.5kg per arm - 3x8
---
Machine Rows (4 handles)
60lbs - many reps suppersetted across the 4 handles in three giant sets.

Lat Raise
2.5kg per arm - 3x8
---

Good. Did some nice machine rowing on a new old school 4 handle row.

Friday July 17th: Bench Day 7

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 6x4

Pull Up
bodyweight +7.5kg - 6x4
---

The 12 supersetted bench & pull up worksets above completed in 17 mins. Good.

Tuesday July 21st: Bench Day 8

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 6x3 ... easy. No wrist wraps

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 3x8

One Arm DB Row
32.5kg per arm - 3x8
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 1x3
52.5kg - 3x5 ... fine. Probably a PR although its been years since I went "heavy" / even did these

Rev Fly (lying on T-Bar Row incline bench)
2.5kg per arm - 3x12
---
Machine Rows (4 handles)
100lbs - 4x4x10 ... 160 reps

Lat Raise
2.5kg per arm - 3x8
---

Pretty happy with the above. Bench feels incredibly easy. Think the reduction in volume in recent weeks has granted a bit of room for recovery / super compensation. Didn't bother with wrist wraps on the 95kg worksets. Usually I'd throw them on from 90kg upwards. Didn't notice much difference (i.e. was easy).

12 worksets (6+6) on bench and BB rows/DB Rows completed in 29 mins.

BossArky wrote: »

Thursday July 23rd: Squat Day 9

Squat
110kg - 4x9 ... video'd 4th set
---

Just doing the work.

Monday July 27th: Squat Day 10

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 1x3
105kg - 1x2
**add belt & wrist wraps**
120kg - 4x7 ... video'd last set
---
Deadlift (sumo, double overhand)
70kg - 1x5
120kg - 3x5 ... easy
---

It was 5 degrees this morning, which felt like a nice balmy summers evenings verus the -1 this time last week.

Squats were fine. Discovered that if I concentrate on pushing elbows / rotation shoulders it keeps bar from rolling around like a ping pong on my shoulders. Feels tighter and less strain on shoulders/wrists. Will attempt this at heavier weights in the coming weeks and see what happens.

Reduced volume on Deadlifts as was feeling a bit battered in the lower back the past few days. May just do sumo the next few sessions as weights get heavier. Conventional has served its purpose and I'll give it a few until I begin the second 6 week cycle in 2 weeks time.

Here are the Squats:

Thursday July 30th: Squat Day 11

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
90kg - 1x3
110kg - 1x2
**add belt & wrist wraps**
127.5kg - 4x5 ... video'd 4th set
---
Deadlift ... sumo & double overhand
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x3
130kg - 3x5 ... double overhand grip went on last rep. Reset and took it again as you'll see on 3rd set video. Weight felt easy apart from grip.
---

Eating too much too close to Squatting on Thursday evenings. First couple of sets feel uncomfy.

Deadlift felt pretty easy.

Place a bet with another 83kg training buddy. The race is now on - first to 120kg bench. He repped out a pretty easy 97.5kg 3x6 touch and go. My best on 97.5kg is 8x4 paused from alst cycle. This cycle should see me get up to 100kg 8x4. His best in comp is 117.5kg, mine is 110kg. I reckon my bench is going well though so we'll see what happens by year end.

Friday July 31st: Bench Day 11

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 6x4 ... easy & didn't bother with wrist wraps. Video'd last set

Pull Up
bodyweight - 6x4. Video'd last set.
---

Pretty handy session, which is good given that it is the 2nd heaviest of the first half of this cycle. Made a couple of vids of the final sets.

Monday August 3rd: Squat Day 12

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 1x3
105kg - 1x2
**add belt & wrist wraps**
120kg - 1x1
132.5kg - 4x3 ... video'd last set
---
Deadlift (sumo, double overhand)
70kg - 1x5
120kg - 1x3
140kg - 3x5 ... double overhand (& beltless) PR I'm guessing.
---

There ends the first 6 week peak. Squats were fine. Was yawning my way through them. Will reset and add 10kg to Squat for next 6 weeks.

Double overhand sumo beltless Deadlifts were good on 140kg 3x5. Pretty happy with the grip strength increase the past 4.5 months.
- 1st set fine
- 2nd lost grip at the top of 5th rep
- 3rd set better but grip still going on rep 5.

Tuesday Aug 4th: Bench Day 12

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
90kg - 1x1
100kg - 6x3 ... easy peasy. No wrist wraps. 35 mins including supersets. Felt so light. Video's last set.

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
70kg - 3x8

One Arm DB Row
35kg per arm - 3x8
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 3x8 ... getting a pump

Rev Fly (lying on T-Bar Row incline bench)
2.5kg per arm - 3x15
---
Machine Rows (4 handles)
100lbs - 4x4x10 ... 160 reps

Lat Raise
2.5kg per arm - 3x15
---

Bench was really easy. Confident I'm at all time best strength levels now on bench. Will reset now and add 5kg to peak at new PR of 105kg 6x3 paused in 6 weeks. Have placed a friendly bet with a training buddy regarding who'll bench 120kg first before end of year. Reckon I'm good for 112.5kg/115kg at the moment.

Enjoyed the rest of the session which was largely high rep bodybuilding.

I miss walking to/from work. For one reason of another I've stopped doing that every day in the past 6 months, which means I'm 25kg of steady state cardio down each week. Need to get back into it for the sake of health. It rests the eyes from staring at screens/books and gives me some general me time.

Here is the Bench vid:

Monday August 10th: Squat Day 1 @6am

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 1x3
**add belt & wrist wraps**
105kg - 4x9 ... fine
---
Deadlift
70kg - 2x5 ... alternating convo/sumo. Double overhand
120kg - 2x3 ... alternating convo/sumo. Double overhand
150kg - 3x2 ... mixed grip & beltless.
---

Squats were fine.

Deadlifts felt weird using mixed grip for the first time in about 8 weeks on top sets of 150kg 3x2. Didn't bother with belt. Felt ok.

Thursday August 13th: Squat Day 2

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x2
**add belt & wrist wraps**
115kg - 4x7 ... video'd last set
---
Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 6x5 ... easy

Deadlift (alternating convo & sumo)
70kg - 2x5
120kg - 6x5 ... double overhand & beltless
---

Had to squeeze the big 3 in to the usual SQ/DL slot today due to commitments tomorrow.

Supersetting Deadlift and Bench was a new sensation. Body is some brainwashed into Squat/Deadlift together and Bench on its own with bodybuilding. Felt weird, lol.

Rattled through them all and got 'em done just before gym closed.

Monday August 17th: Squat Day 3 @6am

Squat
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
90kg - 1x3
**add belt & wrist wraps**
110kg - 1x2
122.5kg - 1x2 ... supposed to be 4x5 but just couldn't be arsed.
100kg - 3x5
---
Deadlift (sumo & double overhand)
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 3x5
---

Squat - went into this session with the same mindset as any other... but after 2 reps of the 1st work-set I just racked it. Could have repped it out but sick and tired of the grind. Will reset and try a more relaxed linear periodization program to gradually build up to comp in the next 8 weeks. Getting a bit bored of such high Squat volume for the past 8 or so months and sore knees/elbows. Gonna quit whilst I'm ahead & take it easy for a while and gradually ramp up to Oct 11th comp with linear 3x5s. Also just gonna Squat heavy once a week for a while (with a light day also).. instead of 2 heavy days.

Well, that was unexpected.

Thursday August 20th: Deadlift Day

Squat (flat shoes)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 3x5
---
Front Squat (flat shoes)
60kg - 1x5
---
Deadlift (sumo & double overhand)
70kg - 1x5
110kg - 1x3
130kg - 3x5
---

Bit of a deload session. Nice easy Squats. Aim was to go light, recover, have no joint stress at wrist or eblow, not have to wear belt, elbow sleeves or put any sort of load on myself... whilst getting proper depth in flat shoes. Want to go back to flat shoe squatting for a while, for the sake of variety.

Deadlifts felt good. Was reading an article recently which noted a correlation with overall immune system health and grip strength. Did the first set of 130kg double overhand, then alternated the mixed grip for the last two. Surprisingly the 1st set of 130kg 3x5 doubleoverhand felt hard on the grip and bar kept slipping. I've easily done 140kg before in the past month. This prooves my theory that I'm currently a bit smashed from training.

In other news: I bought an Eleiko bar, an ER IPF approved combo rack and bumper plates for home training. Moving home in the next couple of months and plan is to cancel 1 of my 2 gym memberships and train at home 3 of the 4 training days at whatever time I choose. Cannot wait! ER Rack looks particularly beautiful! It's the most widely used IPF approved rack in the world. Sticking to the maxim of "buy once, buy quality". Bar and rack are expensive, but will have them for live.

The bumper plates are:
4x25kg red
2x20kg blue
2x15kg yellow
2x10kg green

I already have a collection of fractional plates from about 6 years ago which are:
2x2.5kg red
2x2kg blue
2x1kg white
2x0.5kg green

This means that I'll be future proof for the next year or so with 222kg of weights for home training (20kg bar + 190kg bumpers + 12kg fractional plates).

Pretty excited about the above ^^.

Friday August 21st: Bench Day 4

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
95kg - 4x3 ... easy & didn't bother with wrist wraps.

Pull Up
bodyweight - 3x3 & 1x5
---

Got through the above in about 15 mins flat.

Bench should have been 6 sets but forgot and just did 4 as mixed it up with Squat workset numbers.

Within that 15 mins I also managed to get into a heated inter-fed debate with a training buddy. Lol.

The next day I went and picked up my bumpers for home gym. They're currently sitting in the storage room nicely packaged up and waiting for unveiling in a couple of months. 25kg plates feels a lot heavier when you're lifting it out of the car boot/footwell vs. when you're horsing it onto the bar in gym.

I've noticed a strong correlation benching and shredding (electric guitar). Having grip nicely warmed up from bench/pull ups and then quickly coming home, having a shower and picking up guitar negates the need to go through many usual speed/scale warm ups.

Eleiko bar arriving on Tuesday.

Here's the IPF comp spec ER combo rack I'm getting.

Tuesday Aug 25th: Bench Day 1

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 6x6
**add slingshot & wrist wraps**
100kg - 1x3
107.5kg - 1x3
112.5kg - 1x3 .. easy

Barbell Row
20kg - 1x10
50kg - 6x12
---
Military Press
20kg - 1x5
40kg - 3x8

Lat Raise (on T-Bar row face down)
5kg - 3x15
---
Machine Rows (4 handles)
100lbs - 3x4x10 ... 120 reps

Lat Raise (standing)
5kg - 3x15
---

Repeating the past two weeks of bench program so it peaks at right time ahead of next comp on Oct 11th. Good pump. Worksets done in 36 mins.

Friday August 28th: Bench Day 2

Bench (all paused)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
85kg - 6x5 ... easy. Worksets done in 19 minutes including pull up supersets

Pull Up
bodyweight - 6x3
---

Easy.

edit - forgot to mention I got hit by a car when walking home approx 2 hours before the above. Was crossing the road and someone was driving one way, but looking the other whilst coming out of an entrance. THey didn't bother looking so see if any pedestrians were crossing. I caught sight of the bonnet out of the corner of my eye and then got smacked by the driver side front/door area as he turned into me. Got a mark on right forearm where car hit me and sore right foot where either the wheel rolled over my foot or I hurt it hopping out of the way. It's a bit of a blur. The driver stopped and was apologizing, etc. I just gave him the evil eye, shrugged shoulders and walked on counting my blessings I didn't just die. Was probably in shock for the rest of the walk home, so went to the gym as normal. Jaysus.

Monday August 31st: Squat

Squat (flat shoes, beltless)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 1x3
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x1
132.5kg - 1x2 ... top set double. Bit too much of a good morning
115kg - 3x5 ... worksets. Easy
---
Front Squat (flat shoes)
60kg - 3x5
---
Deadlift (sumo & double overhand)
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 3x5
---

Flat shoes are making me god morning the weight up when it's heavy. Nicer on the knees but putting more stress on the lower back. May go back to the heels on Thursday.

Pretty straight forwards training otherwise.

Thursday September 4th: Deadlift Day

Squat (flat shoes)
20kg - 1x5
60kg - 1x5
80kg - 3x5
---
Front Squat (flat shoes)
65kg - 3x5
---
Deadlift (sumo)
70kg - 1x5
100kg - 1x3
120kg - 1x3
140kg - 1x1
160kg - 1x2 ... top double. Fine & mixed grip. With Belt.
140kg - 3x5 ... worksets. Fine. Beltless.
---
GHR
3x8
---

That was fine. Doubleoverhand gave out on the drop set/workset #1 of 140kg 3x5 on the way down after 160kg. Going back to mixed grip for the rest of the sets feels so easy.