Last couple before the meet.

Sorry for the lack of posting, school and the recent holiday have had me running around like a mad man. Nothing too exciting happening in the gym right now anyways. Here is a quick summary of what I have been doing in the last week before the meet.

Friday 4/22/11
Took some free squats in briefs
Worked up to 505 for 4 x 1. Just trying to get comfortable free squatting and hitting depth, weight felt light.

Speed pulls in briefs
Worked up to 405 for 3 x 1 , just worked on positions and set up, weight moved really fast.

Monday- 4/26/11
Did some raw free squats just to stay loose and have a bar on my back to stay comfortable. Worked up to 335 for 3 x 1.

Speed Pulls
Worked to 315 for a few sets

GHR's
3 x 10

Seated Rows
3 x 10

Cable Crunches
3 x 10


 Will do some light benching tomorrow and then we are done until meet day! It has been a long road to this meet and I can't wait to step on the platform!

Almost Time!!!!

4/20/11- Max Effort Bench

Bench 1 board + foam
Worked up to 415 x 1 PR!
None of us had any intentions of setting a PR in the gym today, the goal was to just do something fairly heavy but we all felt really good and we all ended up breaking PR's. Tom also made 415 and Nate took 545 and his looked easy!

KB tricep extensions
3 x 8-10

Pull Ups ( multiple grips )
4 x 8-10

Side Bends
2 x 12 each side

Standing Cable Abs
2 x 12

4/18/11- Good Mornings

Max Effort Good Mornings- Giant Cambered Bar
Bar x warm up
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
285 x 5
325 x 3
375 x 1
415 x 1

This was not a true max effort as I had probably 2 more jumps in me, but our goal today was to just do something somewhat hard. Nate also left a couple sets in the tank.

Back Attack on GHR
3 x 8-10
This is an exercise that Nate came up with. I have video of it I will put up the next time I do a video. Basically you place he cambered bar on your back and bend over the GHR pad with your feet on the floor and the pad in your belly. You then arch out of it keeping your belly on the pad.. It is an ass kicker.

Chest Supported Row
3 x 12

GHR w/ mini band
3 x 10

Weighted Sit ups
3 x 10

Friday we will put the gear on one more time and just take something light and make sure everything is comfortable. I recently had my straps redone on my suit so I would like to see how those feel as well now that they are the way they should be. I bought my suit used so I have had to make a couple adjustments on it, can't complain though, it fits great and got it for half the price of a new one!

4/17/11- DE Bench

DE Bench
All sets done with 5 chains/side

155# + chains 6 x 3
185# + chains x 3

4 board- competition grip
225 + chains x 6
315 + chains x 4

Lat Pull Downs close grip
4 x 10

KB Shrugs
3 x 20

Y, T, W's
4 x 10

Side Bends on back ext.
3 x 12

Today was a very uneventful day. Nate and I both agree we are tired of training and just want to get to the damn meet! Hopefully tomorrow will be alittle more lively!

4/15/11 Circa Max Week 2 and Deadlift Opener

Circa Max Squat Week 2- 
All sets done with 2 green bands ( around 325# @ top)
All sets done in briefs only

145 x 2
195 x 2
235 x 1
285 x 1
325 x 1
375 x 1
415 x 2 sets x 1

Weight felt ok, would have liked it to move a little faster but not to bad. Upper back is very tight and needs to be adjusted big time.

Deadlift Suit Work- Last try to find an opener
Did some singles up to 585.
Everything felt very good. The last time we pulled in the suit I took it off, tody it felt perfect! 585 will be my opener, it is pretty easy for me to pull and I should be able to pull it no matter how smoked I am @ the meet. Hoping to go 630 + on the third depending how I feel.

GHR
3x12

Seated Row Neutral Grip
3 x 10

GHR Situps
3 x 12

My openers will be as follows

Squat: 675
Bench: 465
Deadlift: 585

All three of these should be fairly easy lifts to take the pressure off and keep me in the meet. I am very excited for the meet, training has been great and I have never felt stronger. So in the words of Bart Scott: "CAN'T WAIT!"

4/13/11 & 4/11/11

Sorry for the lack of posts but I had 2 exams this week that took over my life.

4/11/11- RE Belt Squat

Our Max Effort days will be more of a repetition effort day during meet prep because our circa max training is done on what is normally a dynamic effort day.

Belt Squat

5 x 6-8
Worked up to 3 plates and a quarter.

Bent Over rows
4 x 6-8

GHR
3 x 10

Weighted Abs
3 x 10-12

Short day, we all felt pretty tired from the past week and needed to back off a little.

4/13/11

RE/ME 3 board

Worked up to 365 x 5.
405 x 1 - I decided to just take this because, well, it was on the bar for Nate and I have only done it once before so it was a nice confidence booster to know that I could take it. My board pressing sucks so this was great or me.

Cable Tricep Extensions
4 x 12

KB Shrugs
2 x 20

Lat Raises w/ chains
3 x 10-12

Barbell Curls ( Done in the squat rack of course! )
3 x 10

Friday is our second circa max day in the squat, we will use the same band tension but less bar weight and speed things up a bit.

Just about 2 weeks out!!!

4/10/11- Shirt Work

Shirt Work

Worked up to 365 x 1 raw
Added Shirt
405 x 1 no touch
455 x 1 no touch
475 x 1 very close
495 x 1 touch and pressed!!!!

Finally starting to understand the shirt and it felt greatto finally have a good day and press  descent weight. I plan on opening @ 455 and probably taking 500 for a second attempt.

Tom also pressed 495 today and Nate had a strong 675 and just missed 725.
Paul Childress got some wok in his new Inzer Phenom today and made 765 look like speed weightoff a 2 board.

Light DB bench
3 x 12-15

DB Tricep Ext.
3 x 12

Body Weight Rows
3 x 12

Cable Abs
3 x 10

Could only get vido of Nate and Pauls last attempts today but they are worth the look. Both will put up some great numbers this month!

4/8/11- Circa Max week 1

Warm up

Bar x 10
Added 2 heavy bands  325# @ the top
Bands x 5
145 + bands x 2
195 + bands x 2
235 + bands x 1
Put Briefs on
285 + bands x 1
325 + bands x 1
375 + bands x 1
Put suit on
415 + bands x 1 Straps down
465 + bands x 1 Straps down- got squirley on the bottom with this, but still fought through it
505 + bands x 1 Straps up- This was the most weight (with bands) I have ever taken. Felt pretty good.

Tom hit a nice 465 + 295 bands.
Nate made a solid 600 + 425 in bands after missing it!




KB Swings- Various stances
5 x 10

Bent over rows
4 x8-10

GHR
3 x 10

Landmines
3 x 10

Everyone is looking strong and healthy. Only 3 weeks out and I can't wait!

4/6/11- Max Effort Bench

Max Effort Bench- Buffalo Bar + Quaded purple bands (medium bands)
Worked up to 225 + bands for triples
255 x 1
275x1
Added homemade slingshot
295 x 1
315 x 1


Fat Bar Incline Bench
135 x10
185x8
225 x6

Straight Bar Tricep Extensions on Floor
3 x 8-10


Pull Ups - Various Grips
3 x 8-10


Side Raises and Front Raises
2 x 20


Cable Sit Ups
3 x 8-10

Came into the gym with a much better mentality today. It paid off with some descent benching. I feel strong and my body feels pretty good with no injuries. The next three weeks are going to be all about getting mentally focused for this meet. I have not competed in anything since the first round of NCAA's last spring, so I am ready to get on the platform and get after it! I have to focus on cleaning up some technique stuff and stay healthy until meet time. I am going to compete @ 275 so I plan on trying to put a few extra pounds on in the next few weeks as I am about 264 right now. BRING ON THE FOOD!

4/4/11- ME Deadlift- Finding an opener.

Today was uncomfortable right from the start. Life outside of the gym has been wearing me down a bit and it couldn't be happening at a worse time in regaurds to training. I came into the gym completely flat and the weights made me pay for that...

135 x warm up
245 x 2
335 x 2
425 x 1
Added suit
515 x a very uncomfortable and painful 0. I could not get down to the bar properly in my suit and my left hamstring felt like it was going to rip off as I pulled the weight so I just dropped it. I tried to adjust my suit a bit but was just not even close to being comfortable. Took it off and put briefs on.

515 x 1
565 x 1 felt like 765 but after watching the video it looked easier then it felt.
605 x 0 got it to my knees and just stalled. Kept good position, but just didnt have it in the tank today. This is my current PR so not a huge deal that I missed it. I wat to break it in the meet not the gym.

As for an opener, I am thinking 580. I have to remember that we are pulling with a crappy bench bar in the gym with barely any grip. A deadlift bar will feel much better and should move a little quicker at the meet.

Reverse Hypers
3 x 10

Neutral Grip Pull Downs
3 x 10

Various Weighted Abs
5 x 10-12

I have some video I will try to get up tomorrow night.

4/1/11 and 4/3/11- Suit and Shirt Work

I went up to Absolute the past 2 training days to get some help and coaching from Paul Childress. Nate, Tom, and I all put the suit on Friday with the goal of finding a comfortable weight to open at.

Suit Work
Worked up to 505 in briefs
Put suit on
605 x 1 straps down
655 x 1 straps up- had trouble setting up and getting into position but the weight was still easy. This will be my opener.
655 x 1 Much better set up, still some things to work on
695 x 1 Felt pretty strong

I got a lot of coaching from Paul, especially when I take the bar out of the rack. I tend to shrug the bar out and don't have my hips underneath me enough. It sounds small and meaningless but if you start wrong you spend the entire lift trying to fix things and that doesn't work undr big weights. I will be squatting up at absolute a couple more times totry and fix this with Pauls coaching.

Prowler Push
3 trips x 100 yards

Pull Ups
3 x 10

Abs



4/3/11- Shirt Work

Worked up to 365  x 1 raw
Added shirt
405 x 1 no touch, about a two board
455 x 1 very close to touching pressed well
455 x 1 pressed over face, thanks Paul for saving my skull!
455x 1 miss grooved, no go

The goal today was to try to find an opener. I thought 455 might be it but after today I need to put the shirt on one more timeand try to touch something lighter. Paul suggested moving my feet out from underneath me. I used to bench raw that way but felt better with my feetunderneath with the shirt. I will give it a shotnext session.

DB Bench
4 x 12-15

Seated Row
3 x 10

Y's and T's
3 x 10-12

Straight bar tricep extensions- light
3 x 10