Codger's Quest

[codgerus maximus]

Week 13 day 2

Worked up to the openers in the squat and bench for my at-home meet on Saturday:

Squat with belt: [email protected]

Bench: [email protected]

[gymdad150]

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Go get you some!!!

[codgerus maximus]

Thanks, Chas! I think my squat and deadlift will probably be less than what I lifted at my last real meet but I'm hoping my bench will be a bit higher than my last few meets.

[codgerus maximus]

Today was my mock-meet day, the last day on the Strength 1 template. I rested for 7 minutes between attempts. Results were mixed:

Squat with belt: 320x1x1; 330x1x1; 345x1x1. The last single wasn't a grind at all. I think I could have added another 5 to 7 pounds, which would have been a bit better than my best squat at a USAPL meet in February, but still about 25 pounds below my official meet PR of 375 three years ago.

Comp bench: 230x1x1; 237.5x1x1; 247.5x1x1. This was a pleasant surprise. That last rep went up pretty smoothly. I think I could have added at least another 2.5 pounds. At last February's meet I failed at 110 kg (242.5 pounds).

Deadlift with belt. 430x1x1; 445--failed! This really surprised me. I was planning to hit at least 470 for the third attempt, since I pulled 450 for a single at RPE 9 just a couple of weeks ago, not to mention pulling 485 at the February USAPL meet. But today 430 felt like a 10, and I had to bail on 445 just a few inches off the floor. Not sure what the problem was. Maybe I've been doing too much conditioning? For several months now I've been doing brisk walking on the treadmill, often with steep inclines, for at least 4 hours a week. Might need to check in with the BBM crew to ask their advice.

I weighed 183.5 this morning before eating, so I'm about 7 pounds lighter than I was for my last real meet. Still not solidly in the 83 kg class yet though.

Well, onward. This week I'll start the Powerlifting 2 template.

[gymdad150]

Hmmmm, not what I was expecting to see as well.

I'll be interested to see what the BBM team has to say. I can't think that the conditioning work is hampering you strength display.

[codgerus maximus]

I'll be interested to see what the BBM team has to say. I can't think that the conditioning work is hampering you strength display.

I'm hoping it was just a weirdly bad day. I'll see what happens over the next three or four weeks. If the deadlift remains stalled I'll check in with the BBM coaches.

[codgerus maximus]

Started the Powerlifting 2 template today, four days a week, plus GPP.

Squat with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Comp bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Press, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 2

Deadlift with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Four to five minutes rest. I switched back to the hook grip today after several months of using a mixed grip. I lightened the load a bit to let my thumbs adjust! It was still a little uncomfortable.

Floor press: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

3-0-3 tempo squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest. Phew. I think I can add 10 pounds to these next time.

[gymdad150]

You're hook gripping???

You beast!

John La Flamme showed my how he hooks things. It's a hybrid hook, can't explain it, other than to say it was "interesting". But hey, it works for him!

[codgerus maximus]

You beast!You're hook gripping???

You beast!

A wannabe beast. Would that be a wannabeast? I used to hook grip all the time until I tried changing things up last fall. It's going to take me a while to get used to it again. The old thumbs are still complaining about this afternoon's workout.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 3

Squat with 80 pounds of chains, no belt: 305 (225 plus chains)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Touch and go bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest. I overshot the last set a bit. It was supposed to be RPE 9, so I should have gone with 215, maybe even 212.5.

DB press: 37.5 (each)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 1 day 4

Banded deadlift: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest. I think I'll add at least 15 pounds to these next week. I went back to mixed grip for these; the combination of bands plus hook grip was holding me back.

Slingshot bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Four to five minutes rest.

Lever rows: 55 (just counting plates, not the bar weight)[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Three minutes rest. First time I've tried these. I'm also doing DB rows on GPP days.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 2 day 1 on the Powerlifting II template

Squat with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 262.5x5x3. Four to five minutes rest.

Comp bench: [email protected]; [email protected]; 192.5x4x4. Four to five minutes rest.

Press: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 102.5x8x1. Three to four minutes rest.

DB curls: [email protected] Three minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: [email protected] Three minutes rest. I'll probably scale back to 80 on these next time. The last rep of the third set was a struggle.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 2 day 2

Deadlift with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 336.25x5x3. Four to five minutes rest.

Floor press: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 197.5x6x1. Four to five minutes rest.

3-0-3 tempo squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 175x10x1. Three to four minutes rest.

Upper back work, amrap in 7 minutes. Single-arm DB row with 75 pounds: 18 total reps; lat pulldown with 115: 18 total reps.

Dialed back the deadlifts a bit since I didn't do so well in my mock meet last week. 415 went up fast so I'll add at least 5 pounds next week.

[gymdad150]

Week 2 day 2

Deadlift with belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; 336.25x5x3. Four to five minutes rest.

Floor press: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 197.5x6x1. Four to five minutes rest.

3-0-3 tempo squat, no belt: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; 175x10x1. Three to four minutes rest.

Upper back work, amrap in 7 minutes. Single-arm DB row with 75 pounds: 18 total reps; lat pulldown with 115: 18 total reps.

Dialed back the deadlifts a bit since I didn't do so well in my mock meet last week. 415 went up fast so I'll add at least 5 pounds next week.

If you follow what Austin's been up to recently, you'll be pleasantly surprised that know that you don't have to pull "heavy" all the time to make substantial progress.

Shocked the hell out of me it did...