The Beast Rebuilds Powerlifting-Style!

[Beast]

The Beast Takes On Sheiko #29

I am going to journal my experiences with my run-through of Sheiko #29, a Russian powerlifting program. The Skeiko program has you benching 2-3X a week, squatting 2X a week, and deadlifting once a week. My goal is compete in a powerlifting competition in March/April and then start prepping for a bodybuilding competition. I did 3 bodybuilding competitions last year but am taking this entire year off of competing. I currently weigh 206 lbs, which is about 12 lbs above my competition weight last year:


Diet
I currently eat 5 meals on workout days (250g Protein, 300g Carbs, 100g Fat) and 4 meals on non-training days (200g Protein, 200g Carbs, 80g Fat).

Supplements
I take 1 serving Xtend + 1 serving Novem (plus other random goodies depending I what I feel like taking, for example L-Carnitine L-Tartrate) pre-workout. I usually have another 1 serving Xtend + 1 serving Novem in the afternoon between meals #3 and #4. On off days I usually have 1 serving of Xtend between meals 1&2, 2&3, 3&4 (3 total servings). I am also taking NOW FOODS Adam Multi, Essential EFA, and Elastamine.

Training
My goal is to get back to my strength levels before I injured my lower back way back in 2006 (that seems like so long ago!). My old PRs are:
Squat = 585 X 3
Bench = 365 X 3
Deadlift = 585 X 3; 600 X 1

My current 1-RM’s are:
Squat = 405

Bench Press = 375

Deadlift = 515 (felt a strain in my lower back so stopped at 515, though I hit 585 in Feb)

545 X 1 and 585 X 1 in Feb:


I set my 1-RM’s for Sheiko at
Squat = 405
Bench Press = 365
Deadlift = 545

I will be weight training on Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat. Mon-Fri are the Sheiko workouts and Sat will focus on back, biceps, and other things that don't get focused on during the week. Hopefully this journal will help offer some insight into the Sheiko program for those interested in trying it.

[ShadowWolfe]

nice, in on this.

[naturalguy]

I'll be following, interested in learning more about Sheiko.

If the goal is to do a meet, why use straps on deads?

[Pazienxa]

Solid looking lifts. I also plan on doing 29 after a few cycles of 531. Very interested in following a log in real time and see the progress you make on it. Best of luck.

[Beast]

I'll be following, interested in learning more about Sheiko.

If the goal is to do a meet, why use straps on deads?

Great to see you here! I have been limiting my use of straps as of late to just my heaviest set of deadlifts (don't use them on any other exercises) and including additional grip workout (which I will be doing on Saturdays). My grip is definitely my weak point on deads and I will be working to improve it. I have always trained deadlifts with a double overhead grip though I may start trying out the over/under grip for my heavy sets.

[Beast]

nice, in on this.

Thanks for following!

Solid looking lifts. I also plan on doing 29 after a few cycles of 531. Very interested in following a log in real time and see the progress you make on it. Best of luck.

Thanks. 5/3/1 is a solid program. I did it for the last two months before starting Sheiko.

[Beast]

Monday August 27, 2012- Week 1 Workout #1

Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 2 X 4
260 2 X 3
275 5 X 3

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 5
245 2 X 5
285 5 X 5

Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 1 X 5
260 4 X 4

DB Flies 5 X 10
Good Morning 5 X 10

Looking at the workout for today on paper I did not think it was going to be as hard as it was. During the first bench press portion of the workout I paused at the bottom of every rep as if I was competing in a powerlifting meet which increased the demand of each set. By set 3 of 5 with 275 lbs I was feeling toasted. Even though the weights are sub-maximal all the volume adds up. I hit all of my targeted sets and reps for bench press and then moved on to squat. Again, on paper I didn’t think these 8 sets of squats were going to be super taxing given that they were well below my 1-RM but that 5X5 with 285 was killer! 205 X 5 and 245 for 2 sets of 5 went well as did the first 2 sets of 285 X 5 but by set 3 I was tired and had to rest longer between sets. I completed all 8 sets of squats and then it was back to bench press for 6 more sets. After already completing 10 sets of bench press followed by 8 sets of squats I was fatigued. For the final 6 sets of bench press I did not pause at the bottom of each rep like I did at the beginning of the workout as I didn’t think I would have completed the targeted 4X4 with 260 lbs. After completing the final 6 sets of bench press instead of doing the DB Flies and Good Mornings I did 5 sets of 10 reps of band pull-a-parts because I felt my chest and lower back had been sufficiently worked and I would benefit more from targeting my upper back. Total training time was 1 hour 45 minutes. The best train for me to describe day #1 is to say it doesn’t feel like a workout, it feels like you are TRAINING. This was definitely the most demanding workout I have done in a long time. I was super hungry for the rest of the day and had some extra calories… ok a lot of extra calories LOL. After eating a meal I didn’t even feel like I ate anything! Day#1 was very challenging and I loved it. Tomorrow will just be foam rolling and stretching (as well Thurs and Sun).

[Beast]

Wednesday August 29, 2012- Week 1 Workout #2

Deadlift (to knee)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
275 1 X 3
330 2 X 3
385 2 X 3
410 3 X 4

Military Press 5 X 5
Dips 5 X 5

Deadlift (from boxes)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
300 1 X 4
355 1 X 4
410 2 X 4
465 4 X 3

Lunges 5 X 5
Abs 3 X 10

Today was the first time I ever did deadlifts with a pause at the knee. The pause at the knee made the lift more challenging and should definitely lead to some increased lockout power. I opted to go straight from the deadlifts off the ground to deadlifts off of boxes since I already had the deadlift bar (yes my gym has an actual deadlift bar!) with weights on it. I dragged the deadlift boxes over and then put the barbell (one side at a time) on the boxes. I stood on a wood platform to put the bar below the knees. After deadlifts I performed my five sets of military press, dips, and face-pulls (did in place of lunges) along with 3 sets of hanging leg raises. The sheer volume of 16 sets of deadlifts is demanding, but I loved every set! I don’t see how I won’t get stronger training like this!

[Pazienxa]

Good thing I saved Sheiko for when I don't have class, 1hr 45min is a ridiculous amount of time. How long did workout 2 take and how much rest between set on avg would you say you took?

When I looked at the exercise choices for Sheiko, one of the biggest things that stuck out at me was the lack of direct upper back/lat work. When I start 29, I am considering swapping out stuff like the DB Flyes or Dips for something like pull-ups.

[naturalguy]

Great to see you here! I have been limiting my use of straps as of late to just my heaviest set of deadlifts (don't use them on any other exercises) and including additional grip workout (which I will be doing on Saturdays). My grip is definitely my weak point on deads and I will be working to improve it. I have always trained deadlifts with a double overhead grip though I may start trying out the over/under grip for my heavy sets.

Makes sense. Looking forward to your progress

[Beast]

Good thing I saved Sheiko for when I don't have class, 1hr 45min is a ridiculous amount of time. How long did workout 2 take and how much rest between set on avg would you say you took?

When I looked at the exercise choices for Sheiko, one of the biggest things that stuck out at me was the lack of direct upper back/lat work. When I start 29, I am considering swapping out stuff like the DB Flyes or Dips for something like pull-ups.

Same about one hour 45 mins.

Agreed, that is why I switched some stuff to upper back work.

Makes sense. Looking forward to your progress

Thanks. I assume you will be at the Olympia in a few weeks?

[Beast]

Training 8-31-12 Sheiko #29 Workout #3
Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 1 X 5
260 1 X 4
275 2 X 3
295 2 X 2
275 2 X 3
260 1 X 4
220 1 X 6
185 1 X 8

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 5
245 2 X 4
285 2 X 3
305 5 X 3

5 sets of hip thrusts and band pull-a-parts. Week #1 is in the books! Also filmed my first ever video log.

[Beast]

Training 9-1-12 Auxiliary Workout

Note today’s workout is not part of the Sheiko program, just some additional work for things I didn’t target during the week.

Chin-Ups- 3 sets

Close Grip Pulldowns super-setted with Seated Cable Row- 3 sets each

Reverse Barbell Curl super-setted with Barbell Curl (using FAT GRIPPZ)- 2 sets each

Cross-Body Hammer Curl (using FAT GRIPPZ)- 2 sets

Plate Pinch Wrist Curls- 2 sets

Plate Pinch Holds- 5 sets, 10 sec holds each set

Hammer Strength Gripped- 2 sets

Shrugs- 2 sets

Total workout time = a little less than an hour

As I said in my VLOG, I am focusing on building up my grip strength. By the end of this workout my forearms were swole! After the 3 Sheiko workout this workout felt easy LOL.

[Pazienxa]

Nice, did you feel at all tired or worn down from the previous 3 Sheiko workouts?

I liked the vlog too, keep it up.

I am looking forward to getting back to the gym with 2nd cycle of 531 after a 5 day passive deload tomorrow.

[jeffc1110]

Awesome work D. I cant wait to get started on Sheiko 29. It looks nice and brutal. Just what the doctor ordered.

[Beast]

Awesome work D. I cant wait to get started on Sheiko 29. It looks nice and brutal. Just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks Jeff! It is pretty brutal but I am loving it so far.

[Beast]

Training 9-3-12: Sheiko #29 Week 2 Workout #1

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 5
245 1 X 4
285 2 X 3
325 5 X 2 (Shown in video)


Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 1 X 4
260 2 X 3
295 5 X 3

Push-Ups 5 X 10
Band Pull-A-Parts 5 X 10

Front Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 2 X 3
225 2 X 3
245 4 X 2

Squats felt really good today. Working on keeping my knees out and not caving in. Also saw a pelvic tilt issue on some of the reps I will focus on fixing. I seem to also put my right leg out a little farther than my left leg. Taking videos can help you see what you need to work on

[robertfah]

Nice workout Beast....vid looks great too....I agree...it's a great way to check out your form if you don't have a training partner.....I use my camera all the time

[aj21]

Awesome log looking forward to all the training vids

[Beast]

Nice workout Beast....vid looks great too....I agree...it's a great way to check out your form if you don't have a training partner.....I use my camera all the time

Thanks Robert! Still some form things I need to work on, but getting better.

Awesome log looking forward to all the training vids

Thanks AJ. Glad you like the videos.

[Beast]

Sheiko #29 Week 2 Workout #2

Deadlift (to knee)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
275 1 X 3
330 1 X 3
385 2 X 3
410 4 X 2

Bench Press (from boxes)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 6
220 2 X 6
240 4 X 6

Deadlift (from boxes)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
300 1 X 4
355 1 X 4
410 2 X 4
440 4 X 4

Reverse Hyper-Extensions 3 X 10
Hanging Leg Raises 3 X 10

I am too tired to think of anything to type LOL. I only used straps on my heaviest sets of Deads from boxes (440 X 4). Grip strength is definitely increasing. Hands are fried!

[MR DEADLIFT]

Great work Derek, definately inspiration us all.

Keen to get back to my PB again...265lb deadlift x 5 @ 143lb bodyweight.

[MR DEADLIFT]

Sheiko #29 Week 2 Workout #2

Deadlift (to knee)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
275 1 X 3
330 1 X 3
385 2 X 3
410 4 X 2

Bench Press (from boxes)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 6
220 2 X 6
240 4 X 6

Deadlift (from boxes)
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
300 1 X 4
355 1 X 4
410 2 X 4
440 4 X 4

Reverse Hyper-Extensions 3 X 10
Hanging Leg Raises 3 X 10

I am too tired to think of anything to type LOL. I only used straps on my heaviest sets of Deads from boxes (440 X 4). Grip strength is definitely increasing. Hands are fried!

Something i need to work on is my grip, my weakest link to my deadlift.

Have you tried "static holds" to work on your grip ?

[fltallpaul]

I know you are going to just explode with this program. It really starts to just feel like the same thing over and over but that is what improves the skills which add the strength. I got caluses on my lower back from squatting with a belt three times a week, as well as deadlifting. I did 3 programs back to back with 29, 37 and then 32 and really improved. I think you are making some great decisions.

[Beast]

Great work Derek, definately inspiration us all.

Keen to get back to my PB again...265lb deadlift x 5 @ 143lb bodyweight.

Thanks! 265 X 5 at 143lbs is impressive. I am sure you can get back there.

Something i need to work on is my grip, my weakest link to my deadlift.

Have you tried "static holds" to work on your grip ?

I am doing some with the plate pinches and also hanging from the chin-up bar and I would think the Fat Grip Hammer Curls qualify for this as well. But I have never done static hold in the deadlift position.

I know you are going to just explode with this program. It really starts to just feel like the same thing over and over but that is what improves the skills which add the strength. I got caluses on my lower back from squatting with a belt three times a week, as well as deadlifting. I did 3 programs back to back with 29, 37 and then 32 and really improved. I think you are making some great decisions.

Thanks Paul! I have already felt a big improvements on my bench press technique from benching so much. Noticing some improvements on squats as well. The high volume and frequency is definitely paying off.

[ShadowWolfe]

Are you planing on running any other Sheiko programs after this one? Like 37?

[Beast]

Are you planing on running any other Sheiko programs after this one? Like 37?

In the future yes, though I may do the Smolov squat program next.

[Beast]

Training 9-7-12: Sheiko #29 Week 2 Workout #3

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 5
245 1 X 4
285 2 X 3
325 5 X 2

Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 1 X 4
260 2 X 3
295 2 X 2
275 1 X 3
240 1 X 5
205 1 X 7

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 5
245 2 X 5
285 4 X 4

The second block of squats was pretty brutal. I sane person would leave after the bench press sets, but Sheiko must have been insane when he created this program LOL... wait I guess that makes me insane for doing it!

A sign of a good workout

Things are going very well. I feel like my bench press technique has improved greatly already. I am at the halfway point right now, two more weeks to go.

[Beast]

VLOG 9-7-12


Training 9-10-12: Sheiko #29 Week 3 Workout #1

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
225 1 X 5
265 1 X 4
305 2 X 3
345 5 X 2

Bench Press
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
185 1 X 5
220 1 X 4
260 2 X 3
295 6 X 3

Squats
Weight (lbs) Sets X Reps
205 1 X 3
245 1 X 3
285 1 X 3
325 4 X 3

Band Pull-A-Parts 5 X 10
Hanging Leg Raises 3 X 10

Another tough but solid workout. The second block of squats is killer. It is both mentally and physically harder to get back under the bar again but that is why this program is so great, it pushes you beyond what you are used to doing. It think this squat branding is going to become permanent LOL.

[robertfah]

Great stuff Derek! Sheiko has a way of bringing out the hurt in everyone!