Update - February 03, 2013 – Bench Press Training & February 04, 2013 – Deadlift Training

I figure I should elaborate on the last post. I was making good progress on the program but my schedule had changed and it was making it harder to complete the workouts. The workout before the last deload did something as I was having twitches in my back and hamstrings. Made me apathetic and hampered things more. Chiropractor said that my hips were a bit more out of alignment than usual. Certainly feeling better after the adjustment. Going to try and work around it and I'm certainly keeping ideas from training with Mr. Bryant as they were working and I may have his assistance again when things aren't so chaotic. The workouts week is going to be bench, deads, off, overhead, squat, off, events. Main thing I'm aiming for is getting the deadlift and overhead lift up. Swallowing my pride and basing my deadlift off of a 600lbs max with how the weights have been feeling. Changing squats to box squats as I feel that my hamstring and deadlift were strongest when I was doing them. Overhead is going to be just jerks as strict pressing tends to put more stress on my back. Deload will be every four weeks. Contest I'm planning on is April 06, 2013. Might do a Pro/AM in Louisiana in May as well. Just have to see.

February 03, 2013 – Bench Press Training

Dynamic Warm-ups

Close Grip Barbell Bench Presses
45x10
95x5
135x3
185x1
225x1
250x3
265x3
280x3
300x3
315x3
290x4

Wide Grip Barbell Bench Presses (paused)
250x6
250x6

Close Grip Barbell Dead Presses (short rests)
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1

Parallel Bar Dips
bwx3
bw+45x3
bw+90x5
bw+90x5
bw+90x5
bw+90x5
bw+90x5

Dumbbell Front Raises
35’sx6
35’sx6
35’sx6

IYT’s
5’sx12
5’sx12
5’sx12

30 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Trying this again, slightly different cycle. Benching didn’t feel too bad, weights felt heavy but moved fast. Just used to doing a few doubles as of late. Hopefully I can form it up next time. Assistance work wasn’t bad, most of it was quite easy. Hopefully it means big things to come. Wide grips felt fine and dead pressing was flying up. Only real challenge with dips was getting used to the volume again and keeping my balance as most sets felt like speed work. Decided to give front raises a try for shoulders. Pretty challenging even at this weight. Probably because of my orangutan arms. Finished up with IYT’s for the tiny back and shoulder muscles and stretched.



February 04, 2013 – Deadlift Training

Dynamic Warm-ups

Deadlifts
135x5
185x3
225x3
275x3
315x3
365x1
405x1
455x1
500x3
415x4
415x4
415x4
415x4
415x4
415x4

Deadlifts w/MMB’s dbl (+80lbs)
365x1
405x1
455x1

3" Platform Deadlifts
405x3
405x3

Glute Ham Raises
bwx8
bwx8
bwx8
bwx8

Spread Eagle Sit-ups
bwx8
bwx8
bwx8

28 Minutes of Stretching

Comments: Well, starting again. Really apprehensive going in to this after the last time I tried a heavy deadlift workout. Just told myself to brace and pull fast. 500lbs for triple wasn’t super easy but it wasn’t terribly hard either. I’ll take it as a place to build from. For the sets after that, I just shouted “speed” to myself before pulling. A little tiring but still feeling fine. 365lbs with the bands felt like a joke, 405lbs felt like I had weight and 455lbs felt like a good note to end it on. I was debating between doing platform pulls or car deadlifts as that is coming up at the contest. I decided it would be worth my while to do platform pulls to work my start, especially with it being 22 degrees outside and snowing. Might just do that on event day instead. Platform pulls felt fine. First set was easy but I gripped it wrong on the second so it really hurt my hand’s skin on that set. Did glute hams and sit-ups to finish up the day. Plan on adding a bit of weight to those next time so should be interesting.