Tuesday February 5th 2019
Bench
222.5 X1 ~ Paused
237.5 X1 ~ Paused
209 X4X4 ~ All reps paused
LBBS
345X3
345X2X4
20/0
Thursday February 7th 2019
Bench
225 X1 ~ Paused
240 X1 ~ Paused
197.5 X5X5 ~ All reps paused
DL-conv-hook
385 X1X9 Groups of 3 singles w/ 45 second rests. Groups emom.
21/0
Saturday February 9th 2019
Bench
225X1 ~ Paused
240X1 ~ Paused FAIL
240X1 ~ T&G
223.5 X2X3 ~ Barely paused
225 X1X3 ~ Good pauses
LBBS
305X1
325X1
345X3X2
345X2X3
This is week 11 of bumping my bench 1% a week. (4Xweek 4 way DUP)
All paused triples on heavy day have reached my limit at 223.5
Instead today i did three doubles there with crappy pauses, then shifted up to 225 and did three solid paused singles.
Top single has been progressing on its own schedule. I got 240 paused thursday, but failed it today, and then just did it T&G.
I think it is a combination of an off day, and simply reaching a limit on this exact scheme for heavy day.
Meet is April 6th.
My thoughts on heavy day now are 9 well paused singles instead of doubles or triples, which i’m not hitting well.
I’m sticking with 240 for the top single. I’ll still try for the pause, and then do T&G if i fail.
I do the top single 4 times a week, so i should dial it in soon enough.
22/0
Sunday February 10th 2019
Bench
225X1 ~ Paused
240X1 ~ Controlled T&G
188X6X6 ~ Controlled T&G
Moved grip back in to ring fingers on rings, so had to concentrate on tucking elbows since the bar was getting forward.
Fixed that by the later worksets.
I may start doing two weeks before bumping weight now, since this is week 12 of 1% weekly bumps.
Gun shy of a pause with 240 after failing the paused rep yesterday. Just going to work with it till the pause comes.
23/0
Bench adjustment
Firstly, the state bench record for my class (93kg M2B) was just bumped 2.5kg, meaning i would have to hit 115kg/253lbs to break it.
That isn’t feasable for this meet, so i am focused on making my 110kg/242.5lb a sure thing, working up to long pauses with that weight.
I’ve hit 240 paused once this cycle, and failed it once, with a further two controlled T&G reps so far. Top singles have been 4X week from the start of the cycle.
Starting tomorrow, i’m bumping to 242.5, and will just get used to handling that weight 4X week with work on extending the pauses (once i get it paused anyway). This gives me 6.5 weeks at 4X week to dial this in.
Perhaps longer than i need, but mentally i can feel the pressure eased since i’ve made the descision.
Plan being to get that a sure solid for my 2nd attempt, and go for 248 at the meet if i get the chance. I’m not going to worry about 248 in training unless things somehow get a lot better a lot faster than i think they will. 242.5 will be a 2.5kg meet PR
Secondly, i have taken my 4 day bench DUP up 1% a week for 10 weeks now, and the pauses are getting hard to do well for all reps all sets. I need to be doing really good paused work now.
The scheme started with a conservative training max of 235
3X3 @85% - now - 95%
6X6 @70% - now - 80% (doing these T&G)
4X4 @80% - now - 90% (this would be tomorrow)
5X5 @75% - now - 85%
I’m changing it to -
2X4
5X7
3X5
4X6
With the emphasis on quality pauses.
I plan on no weight bump for next week.
This and the single rep per set reduction from the modified rep scheme, will be sort of a minor deload i guess.
If it then feels like i can do 1% a week again, i will. Otherwise i’ll do two weeks per 1% bump.
Increases in pause time will be another metric.
Lastly - I’m actually glad the other guy bumped the record up, as it has allowed me to re-focus in a more realistic way.
After the meet, i’m hitting the new Hanley bench plan hard, and seeing where that takes me.
Dude beat my 200kg DL by 2.5kg, but i already had 205kg as my goal for this meet.
I retain the squat record by a wide margin, and the total record by 5kg.
500kg/1,102 + total is the main goal for this meet.
Dumpster fire…
Tuesday February 12th 2019 - Part 1 (squats later today)
Bench
225X1 ~ Well paused
242.5 ~ XFXF
235X1 ~ T&G very ugly. Moving on.
210X3X5 ~ All reps paused ~ These went well. Salvaged my mental state.
So 1rm capacity has collapsed. I’m going to try just 235 for my top single Thursday and see how that goes.
Evidently my near max single every session approach only works for so long.
I assumed a T&G 242.5 would be cake. Nope.
I’m actually going to switch to the bench portion of Hanley’s 2 week MM plan.
I can run three cycles of that, and still have a week before meet week to tune up heavy singles.
What i’m doing has reached a point where it’s not working for 1RM, so all i need is to not regress for this to be a safe bet.
I’m still on track for squat, deadlift and total goals for my meet.
Thank Jebus for squats.
Tuesday February 12th 2019 - Part 2
LBBS
345 X3X3
345 X2X2
24/0
Thursday February 14th 2019
Bench ~ Start of Montana Method for bench.
225X1 ~ Paused ~ (i’m adding an easy single to H day)
167.5 X5X7 ~ All reps paused
DL- conv- hook
392.5 X1X8 ~ Emom
Back into the 400s next week
25/0
Saturday February 16th 2019
Bench ~ Official start of MM 2 week template for bench.
225X1 ~ Paused (adding the easy single to H days)
167.5 X5X7 ~ All reps paused, 2min or less rest.
LBBS
345X3X4
345X2X1
Second last day of the last LBBS meso before strengthening/peaking.
26/0
February 19th 2019
Bench ~ MM 2 week template.
145 X3 ~ Paused
167.5 X2 ~ Paused
185 X1X2 ~ Paused
205 X1X3 ~ Paused
CGBP
155 X8X3
LBBS ~ Last day of last meso, plus first day of 3 week strength block.
345 X3X5
365 X1X3
Felt a little puny today. Had a couple good morning-ish looking reps from leaning too far forward.
This was the best looking workset. Main thing is, all reps were deep, and i finished.
Best looking single, and that’s not saying much.
27/0
Thursday February 21st 2019
Bench ~ Hybrid P/S day
215 X1X3 ~ Paused
225 X1 ~ Paused
197.5 X3X4 ~ All reps paused
DL- conv- hook
402.5 X1X6 emom
Six again next week with 415.5. I’ll likely start with longer rests then.
28/0
Saturday February 23rd 2019
Bench
225X1 ~ Paused
180X4X3 ~ All paused
180X3X4 ~ All paused
LBBS ~ End week one of strength phase.
365X1X3
Felt like vacation. Increasing doubles with same weight next two weeks, so vacation is over.
29/0
Tuesday February 26th 2019
Bench ~ Power day (reps/sets) All paused except CGPB
145 3X1
167.5 2X1
185 1X2
205 1X3
225 1X1
CGBP
155 8X3 ~ Guess it only took one session to get used to these. No instant soreness this time.
LBBS ~ Day one of heavy doubles
365 2X2 ~ Matches rep PR ~ Did one double at this weight over a year ago.
Reached some on the last rep. Nearly paused it.
I’m fine with it. Went deep, came back up.
30/0
Thursday February 28th 2019
RepsXSets
Bench~ All paused
225X1
230X1
205X1X8
DL
415 X1X6 ~ Appx. 2 minute rests
31/0
Saturday March 2nd 2019
Bench
227.5 X1 ~ Short pause
170 X5X7 ~ All paused
LBBS
365X3 ~ PR for triple!
365X2X2
The two doubles with 365 last session just wasn’t enough stress. Had to bump things up.
I need to be sure i’m strong enough to hit those final singles with 415 when i get there.
I had in my mind last night that i would go for a triple today -
This makes me laugh. One fast ass to grass, and one basically paused -
Last double looking better -
32/0
Tuesday March 5th 2019
RepsXSets
Bench ~ Paused
145X3
170X2
187.5 X1X2
205 X1X3
CGBP ~ T&G
157.5 X8X3
LBBS
325X1
345X1
365X2X3
I had more juice for these last session, but got 'em done nonetheless.
33/0
Thursday March 7th 2019 ~ RepsXSets
Bench
217.5 X1X3 ~ Paused
227.5 X1 ~ Short pause
200 X3X4 ~ All paused
Deadlift
427.5 X1X5
I wanted a longer pause, but managed to not try this again, and just settled for doing my worksets well paused.
Hitting this a few more times next week, as well as 232.5, so i’ll have my chance to try again for better pauses.
Somehow my camera failed to capture reps 2-4. Possibly the impact of the weights coming back down.
I’m pretty displeased at that since i really benefit from seeing how i did.
1st single ~
5th ~
34/0
Saturday March 9th 2019
RepsXSets
Bench ~ All paused
182.5 X4X3
227.5 X1 ~ Forgot to do this before the first workset.
182.5 X3X4
LBBS ~ Last day of heavy doubles.
365 X2X4
Mentally holding back on doing a longer pause.
It’s clear from how it felt that i am well capable. Next time.
Third set was parallel 1st rep, then dive bomb, knee slide, kick forward and a good morning finish.
3/10 will probably do again. :lol:
35/0
Tuesday March 12th 2019
RepsXSets
Bench ~ All paused
145X1X3
170X2X1
187.5 X2
187.5 X1
205 X1X3
227.5 X1
CGBP ~ T&G
157.5 X8X3
LBBS
375X1
386X1X3
Got a longer pause on this. Not as long as i had envisioned, but i moved on instead of trying again. #StickWithTheProgram
Slow on the second, finished strong with the third.
36/0
Thursday March 14th 2019
REPSXSETS
Bench ~ All paused
205X1
227.5 X1
232.5 X1
205 X1X7
DL
437.5 XF XF
427.5 XF
405 X1X2
410 X1X2
415 X1X2
Bench went well. Better pause on 227.5, and then a shortish pause on 232.5
Couldn’t deadlift even the same weight i did last week for 5 singles.
I wanted to quit the session, but i just adjusted the loads.
Fortunately, i have written in an extra week to the deadlift schedule.
I was going to use that to hit my new PR two weeks in a row, and then rest, but now at least i can have a go again at what i was supposed to do today, which was 437.5 for 4 singles, which is 3.5lbs off my all time PR
My last warmup was 405. I may need to just go in 10lb increments from there.
I dunno. It’s fucking depressing, but i’ll keep trying. Tried 420, and it was going to come out of my hands, so i put it down.
The 415 reps actually were the best, so there’s that. And i got some work in.
I want/wanted 205kg at the meet for a new M2B state record, but i think i can still get my 1,100+ total with a 200kg pull.
EDIT TO ADD- my total now is 490kg, and i’ve decided that any improvement on that is my goal.
If i keep thinking about DL record, and 1,100+ this meet, it’s only going to hurt me mentally going forward.
If things turn out better than it looks like they might, fine, but i believe i can realistically improve my total.
Hopefully squat and bench keep going well.
I have been eating 200 less calories a day for about a week. I didn’t think that would have a great impact, and it may not have.
But i’m bumping it back up to 3,200 nonetheless.
37/0