Singles??

[Cooper72]

Currently 41 years old. Like many, I've been in and out of the gym since high school. Never really took it seriously until last year when I decided to enter my first PL meet. Placed dead last, but managed to hit PR's in each lift. While it wasn't much, I was officially stronger than I was as a teenager. A few months later, I signed up for a push-pull meet and went home with two more PR's. I guess I was hooked.

Last meet was here in Vegas on March 22. Lifting in the Raw 220 weight class. Can't post the vid yet but finished with 375/275/470.

Current routine is pretty basic using mainly singles for the big 3. I've actually been on the singles kick for over a year now and while the gains have been slow, I've managed to stay injury free. Knock-Knock!

[Cooper72]

04/03/2014

SQUATS
45x2
135x2
185x2
225x2
245x1
275x1
295x1
315x1, 10 sets

PAUSED SQUATS
225x2, 10 sets

CHINS
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

[Cooper72]

04/04/2014

REVERSE-GRIP BENCH (Paused)
45x2
135x2
185x2
205x2
225x2
235x1
245x1, 10 sets

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH
185x3, 10 sets

BB ROWS
135x3
185x3
225x3, 10 sets

[Cooper72]

04/06/2014

DEADS
135x1, 2 sets
225x1, 2 sets
315x1, 2 sets
365x1, 2 sets
405x1, 10 sets

SUMO DEADS
225x1, 2 sets
245x1, 20 sets

[Cooper72]

04/07/2014

SOHP
45x3
65x3
95x3
115x3
135x3
145x3
155x3, 10 sets

EZ BAR CURLS
Lots

[Cooper72]

04/09/2014

SQUATS
45x4
135x2
185x2
225x2
245x2
275x1
295x1
315x1
320x1, 10 sets

PAUSED SQUATS (2 ct)
225x2, 10 sets

CHINS
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

[Cooper72]

04/10/2014

REVERSE-GRIP BENCH (Paused)
45x2
135x2
185x2
205x2
225x2
245x1
250x1, 10 sets

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH
135x3
185x3
195x3, 10 sets

BB ROWS
135x3
185x3
225x3
235x3, 10 sets

[Cooper72]

04/12/2014

DEADS
135x1, 2 sets
225x1, 2 sets
315x1, 2 sets
365x1
405x1
410x1, 10 sets

SUMO DEADS
225x1
245x1
265x1, 20 sets

[Cooper72]

04/13/2014

SOHP
45x3
65x3
95x3
115x3
135x3
145x3
155x3
160x3, 10 sets

SOHP (DB's)
40x3
45x3
50x3
55x3
60x3
65x3

EZ BAR CURLS

[Cooper72]

04/15/2014

SQUATS
45x2
135x2
185x2
225x2
245x2
275x1
295x1
315x1
325x1, 10 sets

HB PAUSED SQUATS
225x2, 10 sets

CHINS
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

[Cooper72]

04/16/2014

REVERSE-GRIP BENCH (Paused)
45x2
135x2
185x2
225x1
235x1
245x1
255x1, 10 sets

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH (Paused)
135x2
185x2
195x2
205x2, 10 sets

BB ROWS
135x3
185x3
225x3
235x3, 10 sets

[Cooper72]

04/18/2014

DEADS
135x1, 2 sets
225x1, 4 sets
315x1, 2 sets
405x1
415x1, 10 sets

These were slow. Will probably repeat this weight.

SUMO DEADS
225x1, 2 sets
245x1
265x1
275x1, 20 sets

[Cooper72]

04/19/2014

SOHP
45x3
65x3
95x3
115x3
135x3
145x3
155x3
165x3, 10 sets

Couple of third rep grinders in there.

SOHP (DB's)
40x2
45x2
50x2
55x2
60x2
65x2
70x2, 2 sets

EZ BAR CURLS

[Cooper72]

04/22/2014

SQUATS
45x2
135x2
185x2
225x2
275x1
315x1
330x1, 8 sets

These felt heavy today.

PAUSED SQUATS
225x2, 10 sets

CHINS
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

[Korr]

Damn didn't know you jumped in to competition.

I've never lifted for USPA before (your March 22 meet), but would like to in the future.

What future meets are you planning to do?

[Cooper72]

Well I didn't qualify for Nationals this year. I'm still about 50-some pounds shy of making class II. I'll probably do the Nevada Police and Fire Games again (Push-Pull) in August and the USPA regionals next March or April. That should give me plenty of time to get it together.

Looks like I'm finally able to post a vid. This is from the March meet. Hoping to build from here.

[Cooper72]

04/23/2014

BENCH (Paused)
45x2
135x2
185x2
205x2
225x1
245x1
255x1, 10 sets

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH (Paused)
135x2
185x2
205x2, 10 sets

BB ROWS
135x3
185x3
225x3
235x3, 10 sets

[Korr]

Well I didn't qualify for Nationals this year. I'm still about 50-some pounds shy of making class II. I'll probably do the Nevada Police and Fire Games again (Push-Pull) in August and the USPA regionals next March or April. That should give me plenty of time to get it together.

Looks like I'm finally able to post a vid. This is from the March meet. Hoping to build from here.

Nice.

Looks like you nailed each one of those without too much effort. Each lift flew right up. You have a lot more potential.

[PrivateFreedom]

Well done, sir!

Best wishes, Private Freedom

[Cooper72]

^ Thanks for stopping by, Brother!

[Cooper72]

04/25/2014

DEADS
135x1, 2 sets
225x1, 2 sets
315x1, 2 sets
365x1
405x1
415x1, 10 sets

Better than last session. Lost form on last single.

SUMO DEADS
225x1, 2 sets
275x1, 2 sets
285x1, 20 sets

Still playing with foot placement.

[Cooper72]

04/26/2014

SOHP
45x3
65x3
95x3
115x3
135x3
145x3
155x3
165x3, 10 sets

Not as many grinders but not one set was easy.

SHRUGS
135x10
225x10
315x10, 3 sets

EZ-BAR CURLS

[Cooper72]

Back from a few days in Madrid where I did nothing but eat and drink.

05/01/2014

SQUATS
45x2
135x2
185x2
225x2
245x1
275x1
295x1
315x1
325x1
330x1, 9 sets

PAUSED SQUATS
225x2, 10 sets

CHINS
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

[Jtbny]

Holy hell you looked like you had no trouble at all with any of your lifts at the meet. Nice job!

Also I've never seen anyone do a reverse grip bench at a meet. Pretty cool.

Subbed in to follow along!

[Cooper72]

^ Thanks! They definitely felt tougher than the vid shows though. Not sure about the other Feds, but USPA allows reverse and thumbless benching. All my working singles are paused reverse-grip, I just hate typing it all out.

[Cooper72]

05/02/2014

BENCH
45x2
95x2
135x2
185x2
205x2
225x1
235x1
245x1
255x1, 10 sets

First 5 singles were horrible. Almost felt like I had forgotten how to bench. Last 5 were better once I started using some leg drive.

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH
135x2
185x2
205x2, 10 sets

BB ROWS
135x3
185x3
225x3
235x3, 10 sets

Whether from yesterday's squats or today's bench, I managed to tweak something in my lower back. These sets were manageable but tougher than the last couple of sessions.

[Cooper72]

05/04/2014

DEADS
135x1, 2 sets
225x1, 2 sets
315x1, 2 sets
365x1
405x1
415x1, 10 sets

SUMO DEADS
225x1, 2 sets
275x1
285x1, 20 sets

Put the belt on after the 8th single. Definitely easier.

[Jtbny]

Interesting idea about doing singles instead of reps. Is this something you've done for awhile? Any reason you don't go rep work? I ask because I've recently added in singles to my 5/3/1 program but that's after my rep work and out of necessity because of dieting. Something I might keep doing when the diet ends.

[Cooper72]

I actually started with the 5/3/1 program and even messed with the 5/1/3 variation. Just before my first meet last April I whittled things down to singles and haven't come off of them since. I could probably have made better gains with a more traditional approach but singles appeal to the lazy side of me.

Speaking of singles, your 425 pull is faster than my 405...

[Jtbny]

I actually started with the 5/3/1 program and even messed with the 5/1/3 variation. Just before my first meet last April I whittled things down to singles and haven't come off of them since. I could probably have made better gains with a more traditional approach but singles appeal to the lazy side of me.

Speaking of singles, your 425 pull is faster than my 405...

Thanks for the info. I've been on 5/3/1 for a little over a year now and really never did singles just the as many reps as possible sets and maybe a single after that. Diet has been wrecking my stamina so reps have been hard to come by when the weight gets heavier so I started messing with singles a few weeks back. I actually like the idea. Been toying with the idea of adding them in but wanted to see someone who used them successfully like you.