So I took part in my first (novice) meet at the start of February and had a fine time with some good results. After that event I resolved to get more serious and take part in a sanctioned competition. I’ve now found a local open meet running in ten weeks, and I’m going to sign up later tonight. I want to see if you fine people think the following program plan makes some kind of sense.
The meet is on 12-April, 11 Sundays from now. I don’t have any events planned between now and then, so my schedule is pretty clear. I don’t really care about my weight class or results (I’m 41 and under-trained), I just want to attend and try for some PRs. I’m currently on week four of the 4-day Hypertrophy template, and it’s been going fine. Whatever else, I’ll finish out this week as programmed. Prior to this I ran the 12-week Strength template right up to my first meet, with good results.
To my mind, I’ve got a couple of options: 1. Finish the Hypertrophy template, leaving seven weeks. Do weeks 2-5 of the 12-week Strength template, then weeks 10-12 to peak.
2. Abort the Hypertrophy template after this week, leaving ten weeks. Do weeks 2-8 then weeks 10-12 of the 12WS. Rationale for 1: the rest of the Hypertrophy template reintroduces heavy singles, plus a bunch of useful volume, and I’m only fours weeks off the last go-through of the 12WS. Rationale for 2: four weeks of hypertrophy is probably a nice microcycle, and 12WS is a more sport-specific template anyway.
Any thoughts/wisdom from the crowd is most welcomed.