February 06, 2013 – Overhead Training & February 07, 2013 – Squat Training

February 06, 2013 – Overhead Training

Dynamic Warm-ups

12" Log Jerks
90x5
90x5
125x3
160x3
195x2
210x2
225x2
240x2
255x2
235x5

12" Log Clean & Jerks
190x6
190x6

12" Log Jerks w/ 40lbs of Chains
225x1
225x1
225x1
225x1
225x1
225x1

Dumbbell Overhead Extensions (standing)
105x12
105x12
105x12

Incline Chest Supported Dumbbell Rows
105’sx6
105’sx6
105’sx6
105’sx6
105’sx6

Band Triceps Pressdowns
MBx25
MBx25
MBx25
MBx25

31 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Quite odd coming back to log pressing after a hiatus from jerks. Strict pressing tends to bother my lower back when I get fatigued (hence benching for the shoulders) so sticking with jerks to keep the overhead strong and to get used to moving under the weights again. I'm always shocked with how awkward the log feels on my chest, even with light weights when I come back to it. Feels like it is going to fold me over backwards or crush my lungs. Form was slightly off but hit all the planned weights. Taking a page from Jenkins in training the rack work first and heavy to get the press up and save the lower back for lower body stuff. Used lower weights for clean and jerks every rep. Only thing I've been doing with log has been lightish cleans for reps. Pretty easy, just a little off on my balance locking out the weights from a clean. Just about uppercut myself on the first rep of the second set haha. Not trying to push this, just want to stay familiar and work up to a decent weight come contest time. Went on to do more rack work against light chains. Add a bit of a challenge by having the chains complete come off the ground to make lockout even tougher. Most of the reps felt good and easy. Finished up with overhead triceps work and chest supported rows. Really felt good doing those. Finished up with bands to keep the elbows happy.



February 07, 2013 – Squat Training

Dynamic Warm-ups

18" Box Squats
45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x3
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x3
340x3
340x3
340x3
340x3
340x3

Front Squats
50x3
100x3
150x3
190x1
230x5
230x5
230x5

Safety Squat Bar Dead Squats (short rests)
305x1
305x1
305x1
305x1
305x1
305x1
305x1
305x1

Single Leg Dumbbell Squats
65'sx10/10
65'sx10/10
65'sx10/10

One Legged Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
80'sx5/5
80'sx5/5
80'sx5/5

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: This workout took a while. Didn't look like it would on paper haha. I'm switching to box squats over free squats as I'm not worrying about squats. Deadlifts are contested way more often and I feel that my pull and hamstrings felt their strongest when I was doing frequent box squat with the bar on my back, either heavy or for speed work. I can use more weight here than I can for a good morning as well and I can use my heavy duty ratchet belt to keep my lower back in a tight position. I can really sit back and hit the hamstrings without the issue of falling forward. Obviously I'd change this training if the contest require squats. I initially set the workout to go off of my 570lbs PR but thought that perhaps I should readjust since I haven't done box squats since late 2011. I decided to see how the weights felt a go from there. 405lbs didn't feel too bad so I stuck to my original goal. 455lbs was tougher than I would have liked for a triple but too late now haha. The adjusted goal would have just been 10lbs less. Really felt the hamstring working on these, more so than when I was squatting free style. Speed work even felt better, actually felt fast. Went to front squats after that. This is my compromise to keep full range free squats in the mix. No point in doing high bar squats when I can front squat and hit the same muscles but put more emphasis on my weak points. I did have to warm-up for these as the depth and movement are very different from box squats. Felt surprisingly easy. From there came dead squats with the ssb. Jenkins' ssb is heavy duty, custom made and is 85lbs empty. I used the straps rather than pins. Had them set lower than I usually do so I really had to squeeze under it. Not bad but boy were these tough. The thing that sucked the most this workout was actually the assistance work. One leg stuff can eat it, I'm so very sore from doing them. Range of motion wasn't the goal, just constant tension. Just wanted to sleep when I was done haha.