The road to 2011 collegiate nationals

[matt23]

Background:
20yr old senior at Texas A&M university. I compete with the club powerlifting team. Recently placed 6th in the 132lb class at USAPL 2010 collegiate nationals with an ~1100lb total. I actually tied for 4th and lost to two people on bodyweight. Talk about demoralizing.

I also did powerlifting in high school. I was also a 132 then and now its time to move up a weight class.
I'm way too tall for this weight class and I'm hoping the weight gain will come with significant strength gains. Plus, cutting sucks.

Goals:
1)First and foremost I need to put on mass. I want it to be lean mass so for the summer my routine will have a lot of hypertrophy work in it (isolation exercises, high volume etc) My reasoning is that the lean mass will serve as a base to put on the real strength when school starts up again next fall. However I'm hoping there will be an appreciable gain in strength with the mass gain until then.

2)I'd like to maintain or drop body fat with a 10lb increase in weight. This will be tough.

3)build calves and legs. Mine are pretty bad. I know powerlifters arent suppose to care about appearance but I need to fix this haha

4) Place atleast 3rd at 2011 collegiate nationals/total 1300lbs

My best meet lifts are 300 bench, 375 squat and 440 deadlift. Raw gym lifts are ~280 bench, 300 squat (belt, bad, I know), and 415 deadlift.

I'm shooting for a 430 squat, 335 bench, and 475 deadlift at my first meet as a 148 in november.

Supps:
sci fit kre alkalyn
Gluta-lyn
muscle milk
Dymatize elite whey
CLA
Oxy elite pro-a fat burner. I'm not sure how this will effect strength gains if at all. I'll be comsuming more food but this may end up getting cut from my stack. Thoughts?

Anyways, first workout is tomorrow after the long drive home. Any and all comments/critique are welcomed.

Thanks

[Ahlim]

Yea buddy, subscribed.

4 years ago I remember asking you to make a log. Cool stuff man. Looking forward to your new records.

[matt23]

Thanks man. glad I already have someone following.

Bench
barx10
125X10
175X6

4x10 @ 200

Close grip 3 board press
215x6
200x8
200x10

Tricep pull downs
80x12

rotator cuff work

Workout was decent today considering the long drive home and I just finished taking my finals and hadn't been getting the best sleep/nutrition. I actually went for burnout on my last set of 200. was hoping for 12 only got 10. Oh and I found out my olympic bar was 35lbs today. hence the awkward warm up weight. I had been using that bar for years. the whole time I was doing 5lbs less than I thought. lol

[matt23]

bwt: 137.4

squat, no belt
bar
125x10
175x8
200x10 3 sets

SLDL/RDLs
125x10
175x10 3 sets

standing barbell calve raise/seated barbell calve raise superset
Standing 125x10, seated 100x20
3 sets

leg extension
100x12 3 sets

abs
crunches, russian twists, jackknife sit ups superset 20-30 reps each. 3 sets

Squat felt pretty weak today, a few reps shorter of what Ive done in the past. hopefully will be better next week.

[Ahlim]

Workouts looking great and nice core work

[SuicideGripMe]

Subbed and repped. Hope to see some good work in here.

[matt23]

Subbed and repped. Hope to see some good work in here.

Thanks man

Back, Bis, abs

Lat pulls wide grip
120x10
130x10 2 sets

close grip lat pull down
120x10 3 sets

Shrugs
135x10
185x10
205x10 2 sets

EZ bar curls
50x10
60x10
70x10

Zottman curls
20x8 3 sets

Weighted cable crunches

jackknife sit ups, oblique side crunches, and hip-leg raises. 20 reps each super setted.

decent light workout.

[matt23]

5/17/10 workout. bwt 138

Bench
bar
125x10
175x8
210x8 3 sets
215x9

close grip incline
125x10
135x10
140x10

skull crushers
did about two sets before i remembered why i never do these. damn things kill my elbows.

tricep pull downs
4 sets

[matt23]

5/18 workout

pause squat w/o belt
bar
135x8
175x8
195x6
215x6
225x6

lunges gripping the lip of 35lb olympic plates, about 40 yards. 3 sets.
these absolutely sucked in the hot ass sun, but ill be doing them some more.

standing calve raise
135x10 3 sets

seated calve raise
110x15 3 sets

leg extensions
90x10
100x12
110x12

squat felt much better than last squat workout.

[Ahlim]

Nice volume. Yea my assistance is pretty much the triceps pushdown due to limitations by elbow pains.

[inarius]

Haha good luck at Scranton man! I was down in Orlando with the Penn State team. I didn't compete due to an injury. Hopefully, I'll be able to come up and watch the Scranton meet (I graduated). It's not too far from home for me. Definitely subbed in here to watch your journey.

[matt23]

Haha good luck at Scranton man! I was down in Orlando with the Penn State team. I didn't compete due to an injury. Hopefully, I'll be able to come up and watch the Scranton meet (I graduated). It's not too far from home for me. Definitely subbed in here to watch your journey.

Thanks man. Really looking forward to the meet hopefully it'll be bigger than orlando's which was already massive.

[matt23]

5/20 bwt 138.4

3 board press
135x10
185x10
205x10
235x6
255x6
265x6
275x6 PR, pretty easy good for 1 or 2 more

DB bench
52.5x10
52.5x12
52.5x15

52.5lbs was the most i had (it was using bowflex selecttech dumbbells lol)

BB incline press
135x8
150x8
155x8

deadhang pull ups
16
12
9, spent.

Good workout. PR on the board press was nice since I havent done them in a month or so. Also decided to throw in some deadhang pull ups for a competition im considering joining from the bb.com misc section haha. If I can get to 20-25 in the next week or so I'll be happy.

[Ahlim]

Beastly work right there.

[matt23]

thanks man. definitely feeling stronger.

squat warm up
bar
135x10

zercher squats no belt
175x6
195x6
205x6
205x7, PR maybe?

RDLs
145x10
175x8
195x8
195x8

Lunges w/35lb plates 40 yards. 3 sets

standing DB calf raise
40lbs each hand 4 sets of 15

crunches
3x20
side crunches
3x15 each side
hip leg raises
2x20

legs were a little sore didn't want to do normal squats today turned out to be a decent workout though.

[SuicideGripMe]

How do you like zerchers? I found them to be the easiest/most benefical doing them from the pins because then my depth and set up was always on point.

[matt23]

Always done them from the pins. sometimes I'll barely touch the pins to keep the bar constantly moving but on higher weight i usually make sure my set up is right after each rep so it doesnt get sloppy. I actually havent done them in a long time but they help my deadlift alot and since i cant really dead lift at home ill be doing a lot of these and RDLs over the summer.

[matt23]

5/23 workout

lat pull downs
warm up
100x10
120x10
130x10
130x10

dead hang pull ups
12,11,11,13

DB shrugs
52.5x12 3 sets

T bar rows
85x10
105x10
105x12

EZ bar curls
65x10
65x12
70x10

hammer curls
20s 10x
25s 10x
25s 12x

pretty weak back workout, especially the deadhangs. my competition aspirations may be a phail lol.

[matt23]

bwt 138.2, again. not eating enough. upping my intake.

bench
bar
135x10
185x8
205x6
225x6
230x6
230x6

DB incline
52.5x10
52.5x12
52.5x15 I think I need heavier dumbbells

close grip 2 board
195x8
205x8
215x8

close grip bench
105x15 3 sets

decent workout

[inarius]

Thanks man. Really looking forward to the meet hopefully it'll be bigger than orlando's which was already massive.

haha Scranton is not bigger than Orlando... They have a bowling alley and that's about it...

[matt23]

haha Scranton is not bigger than Orlando... They have a bowling alley and that's about it...

I figured but I was hoping there would be more competitors. we'll see though.

[matt23]

5/25 workout. pretty bad about updating this the day of.

squats
warm up
bar
95x10
135x10
175x10
205x8
215x8

w/belt
225x8
230x8
weak sauce. hammy hurting a bit after this

GMs
95x10
115x10
120x10

lunges 40 yards 45s each hand
2 sets, failed on the 3rd set. dropped the plates 2 or 3 times and gave up hamstring started hurting again

donkey calf raise. no homo.
15-20reps 3 sets

abs
crunches, side crunches, leg raises supersetted

leg throws 2 sets of 25

[matt23]

5/28 bwt 139

bench
bar
135x10
185x10
205x8
215x8
215x8
215x10 pr

DB incline
52.5x10
57.5x10 3 sets

3 board normal grip
245x5
245x6
245x6

Dips
3x15

[SuicideGripMe]

Bro I dont know how you stay so lean and keep getting PR's. You must put some good work into your training and diet.

[matt23]

Bro I dont know how you stay so lean and keep getting PR's. You must put some good work into your training and diet.

Haha even though im only weighing about 139 its still the heaviest ive ever been so the weight gain is probably helping a lot. although my squat is still lagging and i need that to go up the most.

[matt23]

5/30

squat warm up
bar
135x10
box squat, parallel
185x6
195x6
205x5
205x5

GMs
115x10
115x10
115x10

leg extensions
100x10 3 sets

standing DB calf raise
45'sx15 4 sets

DB side bends
45x15 each side. 3 sets
more abs

light workout. felt decent. although as I'm writing this the day after, my lower back/obliques are killing me. Not sure if its from the GMs/side bends or something that may have happened last night while drinking. wouldn't be the first time ive screwed up my back partying.

[muscle_g]

Looking strong man! You compete geared or raw? What are you hoping to hit at Collegiates?

[Ahlim]

Hey how is the hamstring? (referring to previous posts)

Training looks solid

[matt23]

Looking strong man! You compete geared or raw? What are you hoping to hit at Collegiates?

Thanks. I compete geared but I hate it. I get about 25lbs carry over in a rage x lol. Texas A&Ms powerlifting team competes in the geared division with the usapl so I don't really have a choice.

My goal by nationals is 1300 at 148 with something like 440/345/515.

Hey how is the hamstring? (referring to previous posts)

Training looks solid

not bad. its actually the same injury that was bothering me right before and up to nationals. It never fully went away so now I'm just icing and stretching everyday.

[matt23]

5/31

floor press
bar
135x10
185x5
205x5
220x5
230x5
230x5
230x5

BB incline
135x10
145x9
140x8
125x10

DB bench
52.5x10
52.5x15
52.5x15

light rotator cuff work

Floor press was decent today. I havent done them in a few months so im pretty happy with the weight put up.