TRAINING LOG for 3rd competition
Here is a basic outline of my recent training. It involves the basics but I do not necessarily include all of the small things that I do for fun on my spare time ie: lever and let-down attempts using the rings or practicing muscle ups on the bars. I generally train 6 days a week. 3 Upper body days and 3 lower body days(2 push, 1 pull). I do not consider my upper body days to be taxing on my nervous system at all so training this way has given me consistent gains over the years. My next meet is January 9th where I will be competing in Montreal. I will be lifting RAW(the only way to lift in my eyes) although there will not be a RAW division at this competition. Being a sport that is more about testing yourself than beating others I do not care and am just using the competition as a day to test my maximums. A testing day.
A lot of people, including my training partner, often think I am overtrained. But in my eyes, that’s how a person should train. The definitions of overtraining may be inconsistent across discussions, but in general, I do not agree in always feeling your strongest and fresh all the time…..feeling strong and fresh is for the day of your competition. So over the next 5 weeks, I will be lifting heavy and often…and as I approach my competition I will simply enjoy the rebound effect I get as my body supercompensates from a longer period of ‘planned overtraining.’
***Last Meet – Raw World Championships in Russia my lifts were : SQ 302.5kg, BP 195kg(430lbs), DL 300kg(661lbs) for a 797kg Total…my goal for Russia was 800kg. Had I hit my 3rd attempt BP of 197.5kg or increased my DL to 302.5 kg I may have hit my goal….but ‘IF’s aren’t what testing yourself is about.
FOR MY UPCOMING MEET/TEST MY GOALS ARE : SQ 300kg, BP 200kg, DL 315kg and Total 815kg
**DEC 1 -4 planned overtrain ( Originally I wanted to compete at the CPO Provincials in Brantford on the 7th but had a sore knee so I decided to sit out as its tough to squat a tone of weight when you are thinking about your knee)
December 1st
Backsquat: 550x5(decent)
550x5(tough)
550x4(decent)
550x3(decent)
550x3(smooth)
550x4(tough)
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December 2nd
1)Conventional DL SUPERSETtwith Benchpress
8sets of 3 reps @550lbs and 8sets of 3 reps 370lbs(pause on chest)
2)3 sets of Hipswings 40 kilos x 25
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December 3rd
RingChins 12x12
RingShrugs 3 xburnout(25-40)
Ring Let Downs x burnout (7-12)
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December 4th
Backsquat: 260kgx3 x 5sets w Benchpress 360lbsx4x8sets
Trapbar Deadlift 516lbs x 10 x 2 sets
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December 5th to 7th off( competition in Brantfrod, I just helped coach)
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December 8th
Worked up to a 1rm in the backsquat at 280kg then did 260kg for 6 triples and failed on the second rep of the 7th set.
Hipswings and v-ups
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December 9th
Bench Press: I worked up to a double with 400(paused) and then another paused single. 365x5, x5, x4, x4, x3, x3
Supplementary Handstand Pushups 3 sets of 12 with Chins 2 sets of 35
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December 10th
Deadlift(conventional)
255kx3
260kx3x 7sets
Supplementary Hipswings with a 40kg kettlebell, 2 sets of 25
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December 11th
Benchpress: 185kg x 8 singles Downset of 185kgx3 off foan(paused)
Supplementary handstand pushups: 3x(10-15)
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December 12th
Backsquats: 265x2, 268x2, 270x2, 273x2, 275x2
Lockouts from 9th pin: 345kgx10
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December 14th
BenchPress: 177kgx3(paused) x 4 sets, downsets: 165x4(no pause)x2 sets
BandTricep press downs and handstand pushups(2 sets of failure each)
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December 15th
Backsquats: 253kg x 4 x 5 sets,
Lockouts from 9th pin: 345kgx8 (rough on back)
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December 16th
Bench Press: 170kg x 3(paused) x 8sets
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December 17th
Deadlifts(conventional): 265kgx3x6 sets
Later that day: 12 sets of 12 ring chins
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December 18th
Bench Press: 168kg x4 x 5sets
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December 19th
Irritated knee wrestling buddy. Felt fine but once I hit 200kg my knee felt sore so I aborted the squat and superset (20x40kg Hipswings w 20Chins ) x 8 rounds
Did some inverted ring shrugs: 2 sets to failure
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December 20th
NOTHING KNEE WAS SORE YESTERDAY…frustrated bc knee soreness is not going away. It is affecting the decent of my squat and causing my technique to feel off… thus lowering the amount of weight being moved…..with a testing day coming up, January ninth, this is very frustrating.
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December 21st
I decided to let my knee relax completely for a few days so during my bench workout I opted to lift legs in the air. Since I wouldn’t be able to handle the same tonnage I also opted for close grip.
Close-Grip-Legs-up-Benchpress: 160kgx3 x 10 sets
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December 22nd
Ring Chins x12 SUPERSET w KettlebellSwings 40kgx20. 10 rounds (no swings last 4 rounds)
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December 23rd
Close Grip Bench Press with Feet in air: 173kg x2reps x 10 sets
Handstand Pushups 4 sets of 10
Tricep Pressdowns with bands 3 sets failure
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December 24th
Conventional Deadlifts: 270kgx3(decent)
270kgx3(tough)
270kgx3(decent)
270kgx3(grind)
270kgx3(good)
Kettlebell swings 1 set of 35 with 40kg
Ring Chins 4 sets of 15
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December 25th – OFF
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December 26th (Knee feel much better 75%)
Backsquat: 260kgx3(good)
265kgx3(good)
268kgx2(decent)
268kgx2(grind)
Downset 250kgx4(tough went for 5th rep no go)
BenchPress: Worked singles from 170kgx1(easy), 180kgx1(smooth), 190kgx1(good), 195kgx1(decent), downset 205kg to foam x2 reps
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December27th- OFF
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December 28th
Bench Press: 177kgx3 paused(smooth)
177kgx3 paused(smooth)
177kgx3 paused (good)
177kgx3 paused (tough)
Handstand Pushups 2 x 15
Ring Dips 1 set of 30
Inverted Ring Shrugs 3 sets of 50
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December 29th
I was not feeling very confident today as my right knee was still bothering me. So I really had to take the squat descent conservatively slow.
Front Squat: 70kgx3, 120kgx3
Backsquat: 170kgx2
210kgx1
240kgx1
265kgx2(tough)
268kgx2(good)
270kgx2(tough)
273kgx2(grind)
275kgxfailed set
Hipswings w 40kg Kettlebell for 2 sets of 30
*****a Little disappointed and frustrated…I am not sure how I am ever going to squat 302kg(667lbs) again when this kind of weight is feeling so damn heavy. I just need to remind myself that I am constantly taxing my nervous system.
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December 30th
Bench Press(all reps with a 2-count pause on the chest):140kgx2, 160kgx2, 170kgx1, 180kgx1, 185kgx1, 190kgx1, 195kgx1
Downset of 200kg x3 off of the foam
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December 31st
Conventional DL (last Deadlift before the meet)
120kgx5
160kgx3
200kgx2
240kgx1
260kgx1
280kgx1
290kgx1
295kgx1
300kgxfail, done workout. No need for assistance as the meet is just around the corner.
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Jan 1st – OFF
Given my sore knee situation I decided to take a few days off. This would normally be a bench day but I felt that even the leg driving involved in the bench press was slowing down recovery.
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Jan 2nd – OFF
Saturday is normally a day when I get to take my time training, and focus on moving some heavy weight along with a decently high volume. This was also very hard for me as not training inhibits my appetite and creates tension, so given that this was my second day off in a row(which I am rarely used to) I really wanted to train.
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January 3rd – OFF
Really wanted to train. When I woke up this morning my knee was feeling sore(nothing new) so telling myself to relax and save it for next Saturday was easy. Took some extra time to ice and heat my knee a few more times than usual today.
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January 4th
Given that I have been nurturing my knee all weekend I decided to bench press feet up to avoid involving the leg drive. I also decided on close grip.
Close-grip-feet-up Bench Press
70kgx10
110kgx5
140kgx3
160kgx2
175kgx2(easy)
175kgx2(good)
175kgx2(good)
175kgx2(good)
Stop and no supplementary exercises as meet is 5 days away.
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January 5th
My right knee was still a little bit sore but I felt uncomfortable going into a meet without activating my legs at all this week. So I opted to do some light squats
I worked up slowly and cautiously to 200kg x8 for 3 easy sets. Felt nice. Took about 15 minutes.
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January 6th
I simply wanted to handle some weight on the heavier side of things without taxing myself. I only did singles up to a max determined by a bar speed that was no longer smooth. Also, no use of legs again.
Close-grip-feet-up-Bench Press
70kgx5
110kgx5
140kgx3
160kgx2
180kgx1(fast, easy)
190kgx1(smooth)
195kgx1(decent)
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January 7th and 8th - OFF
Given that for over a week I have performed practically none of the volume of punishment that I am accustomed to and that I rarely train less that 6 days a week…. I feel skinny, saggy, and weak. I have no appetite, I am having a difficult time sleeping, and I feel demotivated for my meet and anxious to see if I will rebound the way I usually do. **** While feeling this way, I note to myself that I felt the same way going to Russia to compete where I set New PR’s across the board for myself.
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January 9th – TESTING DAY----- ITS GO TIME!!
I wake up feeling skinny-fat, weak, and groggy. No appetite. I chug some water and a shake and meet the boys to drive down to Montreal. Get to the meet to do my thing.
We get there and I weigh in at 103kg. So basically Im competing in the 110kg(242lbs) weight class 7kg(15lbs) underweight. This doesn’t really matter to me because my primary goal for this meet was to beat my total from Russia. This is why I considered it a TEST.
SQUAT:
1st attempt: 285kg(628.5lbs) GOOD: I went into this one not sure if it was too aggressive an opener. As I hit the bottom of my squat I fell out of groove but recovered and grinding it up. I shook my head pissed off as I stood up with it. L
2nd Attempt: 295kg(650lbs) EASY: I really psyched myself up and focused on being aggressive…this was the fastest 650lbs squat I have ever performed. Deciding on my 3rd attempt I wanted to jump to 310kg bc 295 felt so light…but I though sensibly and just went to beat my Russia squat of 667lbs by 5 more.
3rd Attempt: 305kg(672lbs) NOPE>>BUT A WIN IN MY EYES. It felt good on my back and I was AMPED for this lift!! I went down with it and worked my way up to a point where I thought I had it and then NOPE…. I KNOW I WILL GET IT NEXT TIME!! This was a win for me because going into this competition with a nagging knee and questioning my capabilities of ever replicating what I did in Russia and I ended up attempting more and almost nailing it. I am content
BENCH PRESS:
I have never considered the Bench Press to be taxing and even during competitions I find it to be a nice break between amping yourself up for the squat and then having to amp yourself up for the deadlift.
1st Attempt 185kg(407lbs)- EASY
2nd Attempt 195kg(430lbs)- EASY
3rd Attempt 205kg (452lbs)-SMOOTH!!!!!!!
Felt awesome about this because I felt, and the judges as well, that I had a 465lbs or even 470lbs in me. I just didn’t know how hard to push it as I had never pressed so much before. ******for my first two meets I benched closegrip no arch because of a rotator cuff problem, so Over the past two months I’ve focused on finding a proper bench technique.
DEADLIFT:
I wasn’t extremely confident in what I was capable of but wanted to end up around 315kg or even 320kg as my 3rd attempt. So I aggressively opened with a 300kg knowing that I can absolutely do it given that I did it on Dec 31st in an overtrained state.
1st Attempt: 300kg(661lbs)-NICE AND SMOOTH
2nd Attempt:310kg(683lbs)- NOT SMOOTH BUT GOOD off the ground…rough up top
3rd Attempt: Decided not to take a 3rd as my 2nd was a little rough.
TOTAL: 810kg
*** 810kg was less than my initial goal of 815kg but given that I KNOW I would have nailed a 300kg squat, and could have Benched a few more kilos, I am happy. A PR BP, a PR DL, and a PR TOTAL and all at a kilo lighter than Russia as well. Since, to me, this is a sport where my competition is, in the short run, MYSELF…..I won. And plus at the end of the day I still won my weight class and got a trophy so that was cool too!! J
********GOALS for JUNE 19th 2010, RAW Nationals
SQUAT: 310kg(683lbs) , BENCH PRESS : 215kg(474lbs), DEADLIFT 320kg(705lbs) = TOTAL 835kg(1841 lbs)
