All,
This will be my second BBM template, having just completed the 7-week hypertrophy. I logged it here: https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/fo…hy-4-day-split).
Overall, the 7 week has me in a great spot leading into this. I was hitting PRs at the end of that program - even on singles - when that really wasn’t the focus of the program. I feel my work capacity is definitely improved, and I’m more comfortable with some of the variations we’ll be using in the strength focused template.
Coming into this:
HT: 5’11
WT: 202-203
Waist: 35.5"
Bench - 295x1 @ 8.5; 257x6 @ 9.5 - E1RM is around 310
Squat - 460x1 @ 9; 380x6 @ 9 - E1RM is around 470
Deadlift - 545x1 @ 9; 470x6 @ 9 - E1RM is around 560
Press - 185x1 @ 9; 165x6 @ 10 - E1RM is around 195
I’d love to hit 500/350/600 @ <210 BW on the mock meet day at the end of the program, but we’ll see. I feel like with a good block of training the squat will be there, and possibly the deadlift. The bench may be optimistic, but we’ll push hard and see where it lands.
Edit: Since I’ll be out of town this week (Thursday night - Sunday), I will be training four days in a row here at the start of the week.
Week 1, Day 1
Squat w/ Belt
335x5 @ 6
365x5 @ 6
405x5 @ 9 - PR tie
Bench w/ Belt
225x5 @ 6
245x5 @ 6
265x5 @ 9
Pendlay Rows
175x10 @ 6
185x10 @ 7
195x10 @ 8
This was an easy day compared to the end of the hypertrophy template. 405x5 was a great set, and ties my all-time PR. I thought I had recorded it, but didn’t hit record, so missed it unfortunately. I had a bunch of soreness still in my chest and delts, so bench felt a little heavier, but 265x5 is still solid for me.
Week 1, Day 2
Deadlift w/ Belt:
385x5 @ 6
435x5 @ 6
500x5 @ 10 (PR)
Press w/ Belt:
135x5 @ 6
150x5 @ 6
171x5 @ 10 (PR)
3-0-3 Tempo Squat
135x10 @ 6
155x10 @ 6
165x10 @ 6
Humbling exercise; was very conservative on loading. I have beltless squats tomorrow, so didn’t push it too hard.
Week 1, Day 3
Had a lot of back soreness and stiffness today (knew I would), so played it a little conservative on squats.
Beltless Squat
295x4 @ 6
315x4 @ 6
335x4 @ 7
I’ll bump these up more next week.
Pin Bench
255x4 @ 6
275x4 @ 7
295x4 @ 8
Beltless Paused Press
95x10 @ 6
115x10 @ 7
125x10 @ 8
Week 1, Day 4
CG Bench
225x4 @ 6
240x4 @ 7
250x4 @ 8
Mid Shin Rack Pull
345x4 @ 6
395x4 @ 7
415x4 @ 8
These were harder than regular deadlifts for me for some reason. Hopefully I’ll see some good progression in the coming weeks.
Beltless RDLs
225x10 @ 6
245x10 @ 6
265x10 @ 7
Myo-Rep Plate Curls
45 x 20-15-15-15 (65 reps)
Week 1, Day 5 - GPP
Pull-Ups - 2, 3, 16, 8, 6 - 35 total reps
DB Curls - 25 x 10 x 4 sets
Tabata KB Swings - #60 x 104 total reps (13 reps on all work intervals)
Abs - 1:15 lever, 0:30 l-plank, 0:30 r-plank, 0:45 plank
Ended up doing some GPP this week, since I had some free time. I wouldn’t normally do Tabata for GPP, but I had no stationary bike and am trying to avoid any sort of running, as it irritates my right knee.
This week is going to be a bit of a mess. I had planned to drive back home on Monday, but I will be staying with my mom to help her after having gallbladder removal surgery on Friday. She still needs some help getting around a bit. I’m not sure if i’ll be here until Thursday or Friday, it will just depend on how she progresses. As such, my training this week will be a bit erratic. I will probably do some form of light workout tomorrow (Monday) and then maybe something on Wednesday if I end up staying until Friday. I have a pull-up bar, #60 KB, #35 KB, a pair of #25 DBs, and a pair of #10 DBs. I can usually get an upper lift in decently enough with that, but lower is more challenging. Oh well, I’ll make it work. Then next week we’ll be back for Thanksgiving, so I will have another extended break towards the end of the week. When I was in Ireland, I went 8 days without any training and didn’t feel like I lost anything, so I’ll be fine
Week 2, Day 1
Ended up doing two days of GPP since the last post, but not posting because they were boring and nothing special. Back at it today after six days off from barbell training.
Squat w/ belt
415 x 1 @ 8
330 x 5 x 5 sets - all of these were about RPE 7
Bench w/ belt
275 x 1 @ 7
285 x 1 @ 8
225 x 5 x 5 sets - all of these were also about RPE 7
Pendlay Rows
165 x 10 @ 6
180 x 10 @ 7
190 x 10 @ 8
180 x 10 @ 7
I can already tell I’m going to be very sore after this one. I think a combo of the volume and layoff is going to get me tomorrow. I had planned to deadlift and press, but may need to modify.
While out of town, I didn’t have a scale to keep an eye on BW, and was down a few pounds today. Probably a contributing factor for this workout not feeling too great.
Week 2, Day 2
Deadlift w/ belt
505 x 1 @ 8
405 x 5 x 5 sets @ 7
Press w/ belt
175 x 1 @ 7
140 x 5 x 5 sets @ 7
Tempo Squat
140 x 10
160 x 10
180 x 10
170 x 10
These continue to be pretty unfun, especially with very sore quads and hamstrings.
Better workout today. Press felt very good, definitely the best of the four competition lifts over the last two days. Deadlifts felt so-so.
Week 2, Day 3
Pin Bench
255 x 4 @ 6
285 x 4 @ 8
305 x 4 @ 9
290 x 4 @ 8
290 x 4 @ 9
*Good improvement from last time.
Beltless Mid Shin Rack Deadlift
355 x 4 @ 6
380 x 4 @ 8
400 x 4 @ 9
380 x 4 @ 8
380 x 4 @ 9
*These are not very strong. Definitely harder for me than comp deadlift.
Beltless Press
95 x 10 @ 6
115 x 10 @ 7
125 x 10 @ 8
130 x 10 @ 8
*Messed this one up. Was supposed to be paused, but I forgot. And I ended up doing another set at the end instead of taking a load drop. No biggie though.
Week 2, Day 4
Beltless Squat
275 x 4 @ 6
305 x 4 @ 6
335 x 4 @ 6
350 x 4 @ 7
340 x 4 @ 7
These were excellent, and I was too conservative with my planned sets. Next week I’ll make some bigger jumps.
Beltless RDLs
225 x 10 @ 6
250 x 10 @ 6
275 x 10 @ 7
245 x 10 @ 7
Did all of these double overhand, which was a bigger limiting factor. Next week I’ll add straps and some weight.
CG Bench
225 x 4 @ 6
240 x 4 @ 7
255 x 4 @ 8
235 x 4 @ 7
235 x 4 @ 7
This moved very well, too. Fourth day in a row some form of pressing, and didn’t have much soreness or fatigue at all.
Pull-Ups - BW x 10 x 2 sets
BB Curls - 75 x 10 x 2 sets
Little GPP since I didn’t get any in on the other three workouts for the week.
Surprised myself with this workout. I had to train four days in a row again, but made the most of it.
Week 3, Day 1
Squat w/ Belt
375 x 1 @ 6
425 x 1 @ 8
340 x 5 x 5 sets @ 7
Bench w/ Belt
275 x 1 @ 7
290 x 1 @ 8
230 x 5 x 5 sets @ 7
Pendlay Row
155 x 10 @ 6
175 x 10 @ 7
195 x 10 @ 8
185 x 10 @ 7
Week 3, Day 2
Deadlift w/ Belt
455 x 1 @ 6
515 x 1 @ 8
410 x 5 x 5 @ 7
Whew, tough day on deads - lots of work.
Press w/ Belt
160 x 1 @ 6
180 x 1 @ 8
145 x 5 x 5 @ 7
These felt great again.
Tempo Squat
165 x 10 @ 6
185 x 10 @ 7
200 x 10 @ 7
195 x 10 @ 7
All beltless and without sleeves.
I will not be doing any barbell training until next Monday, so it’ll be nice to have some rest days. I ended up training six out of the last seven, so ready for it.