Powerlifting Past 40: Doing the Best I Can with What I Have

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Peace everyone! I've been meaning to start a new log for some time, and I figured now would be as good of a time as any. I just competed in the USAPL Mid-Atlantic Regionals on Sunday, and had a great time. Before I get into the details of the meet and future plans, here's some brief background info:

I'm 41 years old, have been training for 13 years, competing for 9, and refereeing and coaching for about 7. Currently, I compete in the 105 kg (231 lbs) weight class, and am nowhere near that ceiling. My goal is to ultimately grow up to 225 lbs or so, and see how walking around and living at that size is. My gut tells me that I don't want to be walking around at 235-240 and cutting to 231, but I have a long time before I need to worry about that. As for my lifts, I just want to see how far I can go with this thing before Father Time continues his undefeated streak with me.

I work as a mailman, carrying loads of various weights anywhere from 6-9 miles in urban hiking per day, depending on overtime. I've been married for 16 years, and we have 3 children, ages 12, 7 and 4. My wife competed for a few years, but 2 surgeries in 2016 followed by a stroke in January of this year have put her on the sidelines for the time being. Her survival was a miracle unto itself, let alone the extent of her recovery. She continues to improve, has returned to work and just about all activities, and refereed at a meet here in Baltimore last month, and did a fabulous job as my game-day coach on Sunday. I mention all of that because that stuff - work, family, outside sources of stress, etc. - can affect eating, sleep, training, and performance. I'm not different or worse off from any of you in that regard, because we all have lives and what not. But since it's my log, I figured I'd give you a peek at what goes on with me outside of the gym.

With all that covered, here's a written and video summary of the meet, which serves as our starting point:

USAPL Mid-Atlantic Regionals, 8/6/17, Morristown, NJ

Weighed 97.7 kg (215.4 lbs)
Competing in 105 kg (231 lbs) class, Open and Masters 1 (40-49)

SQUAT: Warmups were 135/4, 225/2, 315/1, 365/1, 415/1, 455/1

1st: 217.5 kg (479.5 lbs) - GOOD!
2nd: 227.5 kg (501.5 lbs) - GOOD!
3rd: 235 kg (518.1 lbs) - GOOD! PR! Felt like I had at least 2.5 kg left in me.

BENCH: Warmups were 135/6, 185/3, 225/1, 225/1, 245/1, 265/1, 285/1 - I've had some shoulder injuries and problems, so I take longer to warm up on bench. This is also part of the reason my bench is still so weak after all of these years.

1st: 137.5 kg (303.1 lbs) - GOOD!
2nd: 142.5 kg (314.2 lbs) - GOOD!
3rd: 145 kg (319.7 lbs) - GOOD! PR! Felt like I was good for 147.5 after the 2nd, but I wasn't sure I could lock it out cleanly. Went for the safe call.

DEADLIFT: Warmups were 225/2, 315/1, 405/1, 475/1

1st: 235 kg (518.1 lbs) - GOOD!
2nd: 247.5 kg (545.6 lbs) - GOOD!
3rd: 255 kg (562.2 lbs) - GOOD!
Note - I just switched back to conventional deadlifts 8 weeks ago. After starting as a conventional deadlifter, I'd been pulling sumo for the last several years. I topped out 2 years ago at 262.5 kg (578.7 lbs), and it has been declining ever since. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I tried conventional again. My deadlift is improving again, so I'll stick with it for a while.

TOTAL: Went 9 for 9 with 27 white lights. 635 kg (1400 lbs) - ties PR! 1st place, M1, something like 5-6 in the Open - not mad since I was the lightest and oldest guy in the Open. I also qualified for Raw Nationals as an M1. Since the 2018 Nationals are all in Spokane, Washington, I might make the effort for a trip to Orlando this October. I doubt I'm flying to the west coast next year, unless I somehow become a favorite to get on the podium.

Here's the video from the meet.



Thanks for reading and watching all of this. We leave for Disney World on in 13 days, so I'm kind of treading water when it comes to training. There's no need in starting something serious between now and then, since I won't have access to a real gym until I get back on the 28th.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

8/9/17

On the way home from the meet, my right forearm - middle/inside, from my elbow to wrist - starting hurting pretty badly. I figured it I strained it at some point during the meet, and the adrenaline didn't allow me to notice until a few hours later. It hurt as in it was painful to steer our vehicle, let alone pick up anything. It was no better on Monday. That, along with some pain and reduced mobility in my right shoulder which had been present for a week or so before the meet, was enough to send me to a nearby urgent care center on Monday. So far, my forearm has responded well to a muscle relaxer and topical ointment. My shoulder - not so much luck there. I'm going to have to be more aggressive in treating it, and I hope it won't require another round of physical therapy, or worse.

Meanwhile, I tried a yoga program for the first time today. It's a Beginner's Yoga DVD that we got some time back from Walmart. I figured today was as good a day as any to try it, and I actually enjoyed it. I sucked at it, but it was a good enough experience that I'd be willing to try it again with some regularity. For now, I'm thinking once a week, maybe twice, is realistic. We'll see.

If any of you have experience with yoga or any other regular activity besides lifting heavy stuff, what are you into? Does it help your lifting, or is it just something that enriches your life in another way?

Right now, my plan is to hit the gym tomorrow. Just winging it, and I'm probably not benching or squatting.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

I had some errands to run today, including one in Harford County, MD which is about 30 minutes northeast of where I live. I train at a YMCA in Baltimore, and the membership extends to all of them in central Maryland. So I ended up going to the Y in Harford, and literally had no plan in mind when I walked in the door, other than not to hurt anything or lift anything very heavy. I almost succeeded.

1. T-Bar Row
10 reps each at 45, 95, 110, 145, 160 - put Versa Gripps on for the last 2 sets. I wish my gym had one of these.

I aggravated the strain in my right forearm (with no weight on the bar!?!?!), and got a twinge in my right bicep, but this is still better than it felt Sunday - Monday.

2. Bench Press
135/10 x 3 sets - close grip for set 1, normal competition grip for sets 2 & 3

3. Incline Bench Press
135/10 x 2 sets

Yesterday, I didn't think I'd be benching today. I ended up doing some because I worked in on what was close and available. I didn't want to be there long, because the longer I would have stayed, the more I would have lifted. Hopefully, I'll do a little lower body stuff after work tomorrow, and then a more legit session on Sunday. "Legit" in this case meaning work up to singles around 70-something percent of what I did at the meet. That shouldn't be hard, but enough to hold me over.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Change of plans: yesterday, when I was thinking about training today, I'd forgotten that my wife had somewhere to go tonight, and that I'd agreed to stay home with the children after work. So I won't get back into the gym until Sunday. Saturdays hardly ever happen - literally once or twice a year - because I work every Saturday, and never get off in time (gym closes at 7pm).

Here's something that I'll add today, and it may end up being a regular part of the log - a summary of my daily "urban hiking". It has a direct effect on my energy levels, body weight, aches, pains, stress, and more, so I suppose it's relevant. Any data will come from the Health App on my iPhone. I have no clue about how accurate it is, but assuming it's at least consistent, then it's still a helpful tool in comparing one day's activity to another.

8/11/17

Walking + Running Distance: 8.4 miles
Steps: 19,488
Flights Climbed: 15 floors

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

I got back in the gym on Sunday, topping out right around 80% of my best lifts at Regionals. Here's how it went, along with the last few days of hiking totals:

Sun. 8/13/17

1. Squat
135/6; 205/3; 275/3
added mouthguard (more of a comfort and psychological aid than anything)
345/3
added wrist wraps
385/3
added belt
415/5 @6 RPE

2. Bench Press
95/5; 145/5; 185/5; 225/5
added wrist wraps and got a handoff
255/5 @7 RPE - this felt like an 8, but I dropped the rating by 1 after looking at it.

3. Deadlift
205/3; 315/2
added Versa Gripps
385/2
added belt
455/1 x 7. Completed the 7 singles in just over 7 minutes. I wouldn't rate any of them higher than a 6 RPE. FYI - almost all of my working sets of deadlifts are singles, done on the clock.

Nothing hurt more than it did when I went in. I count that as a win. The plan is to do singles around 90% on Thursday.

Urban Hiking Log

Sat. 8/12/17*
Walking & Running Distance: 8.6 miles
Steps: 19,076
Flights Climbed: 14 floors

* I had to leave the phone in my van to charge for about 45-60 minutes. The actual numbers are higher.

Mon. 8/14/17
Walking & Running Distance: 8.9 miles
Steps: 20,377
Flights Climbed: 7 floors

Tue. 8/15/17
Walking & Running Distance: 6.5 miles
Steps: 15,281
Flights Climbed: 10 floors

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Here are the top sets from Sunday's session, my first real session since the meet. If all goes well, I'll train again tonight, and then I'll just be goofing around at the Disney resort gym until Tue. 8/29.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

If all goes well, I'll train again tonight, and then I'll just be goofing around at the Disney resort gym until Tue. 8/29.

I did train that night, and I thought I posted the session here. Obviously, I was wrong, so I'll include it in this post. Also, it turns out the resort I stayed in was one of the only Disney deluxe resorts that doesn't have its own gym. So I ended up going 13 days without training. I hope it was all for the best, but time will tell.

Thu. 8/17/17

1. Squat
135/6; 205/4; 275/2
added mouthguard
345/2
added wrist wraps
385/2 @7 RPE
added belt
425/2 @6 - got a serious boost from the belt
445/2 @7
465/2 @8.5
415/4 @7

2. Bench Press
95/6; 145/4; 185/2
added mouthguard
225/2 @5
added wrist wraps
250/2 @5 - my benches tend to get better from set to set, up to a certain point of course.
270/2 @7
280/2 @8
290/2 @9.5 - I probably could have doubled 295
255/4 @8

3. Deadlift
225/4; 315/2; 395/1
added belt & Versa Gripps
445/1 @5
485/1 @7
505/1 @8, 1 @8.5

Wed. 8/30/17

* NOTE: I weighed 217.2 lbs this morning.

1. Bench Press
95/5; 145/5; 185/5; 215/5
added mouthguard
235/5 @6
255/5 @7.5
265/5 @9.5
275/2 @8
285/1 @9
225/9 @9 - this last set was with a close(r) grip

I didn't have a spotter, so no handoffs in this session. Also, flying solo with no safeties meant that after the first rep at 285, I knew I'd better rack it instead of trying an @10 second rep on my own.

2. Barbell Rows
135/8; 185/6; 235/6 @7
added Versa Gripp
255/6 @8
added lighter belt
275/8 @6.5
295/8 @8
245/10 @8

3. DB OHP
30's/12; 50's/10; 65's/10 @8.5

NOTE: I've had a nagging pain in my right forearm/bicep for a few weeks. It got no better during a long rest. It flared up worse than ever during this session. Today, it felt/feels much better. I don't know if the relief will last long, but if it does, I have no answers.

Thu. 8/31/17

1. Squat
135/6; 205/4; 275/4;
added mouthguard
335/4
added wrist wraps
385/4 @6.5
added belt
425/4 @7.5
315/10 @6

I was sharing a rack with my 6' tall cousin, and we went with a rack height that is 1 more than I normally use, and one shorter than he would normally use. Clipping the hook of the rack at 425 took too much out of me, and I knew it would only get tougher with more weight.

2. Leg Press (on "Squat Press" Machine)
180/20
360/15
540/10 @6
720/8 @7

This part was my cousin's idea.

3. Deadlift
155/4, 3 - break between sets was long, because I had to get my son out of Stay & Play on another floor, then set him up somewhere else in the gym near me.
245/3; 315/2;
added Versa Gripps
365/2
Added belt. Also, by this time, it had become a pull party on the platform, with 4 guys deadlifting on the same bar. So instead of doing singles on the clock as usual, I just did a few multi-rep sets.
415/3
465/4 @7
505/3 @8.5

Hopefully, I'll get some video up tonight, but I keep telling myself that I'm going to cut my vacation a few days short and return to work tomorrow. Either way, I need more food and more sleep right about now.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Here are some of the sets from the 8/30 session recorded in my last post. In this clip, I top out with 265 x 5, 275 x 2 and 285 x 1.



Also, here's how much hiking I did in Disney World. It's almost like I was work, just without the stairs. No wonder I barely gained any weight, even with all the buffets and desserts.

Mon. 8/21 (airport and Polynesian resort): 4.6 miles; 12,353 steps; 4 floors climbed

Tue. 8/22 (Epcot): 6.2 miles; 17,676 steps

Wed. 8/23 (Magic Kingdom): 6.3 miles; 19,503 steps; 1 floor climbed

Thu. 8/24 (Disney Studios): 4.6 miles; 14,433 steps; 2 floors climbed

Fri. 8/25 (Animal Kingdom): 6.2 miles; 17,100 steps; 2 floors climbed

Sat. 8/26 (Hollywood Studios): 6.5 miles; 19,445 steps

Sun. 8/27 (Disney Studios & Polynesian/Grand Floridian): 4 miles; 11,924 steps; 1 floor climbed - We ate dinner at the Grand Floridian, and when we went to return to the Poly, the monorail was down, so we walked back.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

I didn't plan to do any training on Friday. My wife decided to go to the gym, and she asked me to go with her, so I found something constructive to do while there.

Fri. 9/1/17

1. Unilateral Leg Curl - plate loaded machine

25/10L + 10R; 50/10L + 10R; 70/10L @8 + 10R @9; 80/8L @8 + 8R @9

I'm not sure why I feel off-center on this thing when doing my right side, but whatever. They're leg curls.

2. Barbell Push Press

95/6; 115/6; 135/6 @6; 155/6 @7.5; 165/6 @9; 135/10 @8

Right shoulder was feeling all sorts of weird. Mercifully, my wife was done, because so was I. A few hours later, and my shoulder felt fine with no ice, extra stretching or pain relievers. I give up on trying to figure this out.

Sun. 9/3/17

1. Squat
135/5; 205/4; 275/3
added mouth guard
335/2
added wrist wraps
385/1 @5
added belt
435/1 @5
460/1 @7.5
480/1 @8.5
405/5 x 2 sets. RPEs were @7, @8

2. Bench Press
95/5; 145/5; 195/5
added mouth guard and wrist wraps
225/5 x 4 sets. RPEs were @5, @6.5, @7, @7

Mon. 9/4/17

1. Bench Press

135/6 - this was actually an incline press. The gym closed at noon, and we got there after 11am, so I started warming up while someone finished on the flat bench. Once I got on the flat bench...

185/4; 225/2; 245/1
added mouth guard and wrist wraps
265/1 @6
285/1 @7.5
300/1 @9
250/5 x 2 sets. RPEs were @7, @8

2. Seated Cable Row
105/15; 150/10; 180/10; 210/10; 240/7-8 @8. I lost my count, and my grip (no Versa Gripps today).

I actually started alternating sets of rows and BP after the 225 BP set. Time was short. Considering I got all of that done in 35-40 minutes, I'm happy.

Also, here's the video from the 8/31 squat session. Among other things, it shows why I don't like sharing the rack with tall people.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

After working 2 straight days of 11-12 hours, I was more than happy to be left off the schedule for today (my regular day off). They called me this morning - half hour before the report time - to ask if I was available to come in. Not happening, captain. But, it turned out to be a near perfect day to get in the gym during the afternoon.

9/7/17

1. 2-count Pause Squat
135/4; 205/4; 275/4
added mouth guard
325/4 @5
added wrist wraps
370/4 @8
added belt
405/4 @9
425/2 @8
445/1 @8

2. Inclince Bench Press
95/8; 135/6; 165/6 @6
added mouth guard and wrist wraps
185/6 @7
205/6 @8
225/4 @8

3. Deficit Deadlift - used 35 lbs plates to create the deficit
185/3; 255/2; 325/1, 1
added Versa Gripps
395/1; 445/1
485/1 @6
465/5

This was a different YMCA than the one I usually go to. One of my primary reasons for going there are because they have 35 lb plates, which allow thI e safest, most consistent way of doing deficit deadlifts IMO, even though you're limited to how high or low the deficit will be. I wanted to go heavier than the 485, and have done so before here, but I must have used a different bar before. I didn't have enough room for all of the plates. Once I saw how it was going, I aborted the mission and backed off from there.

4. Prone Leg Curl

90/12; 115/10; 135/8; 150/6 @8


Also, here's the video from the Labor Day session that I logged in my last post. Thanks in advance for watching!

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Here's the video for the session I logged in my last post. That one included pause squats up to 445 x 1, incline bench up to 225 x 4, and deficit deadlifts up to 465 x 5.



Sunday's session marked the first time in a long time that I did 2 consecutive sessions at a gym other than my normal one. I expect that I'll be back at my normal Y this week. If you're in MD, this is the YMCA in Towson.

Sun. 9/10/17

1. Squat
135/4; 225/3
I actually switched bars here. For some reason, the one I was using kept clipping the hook on the rack.
295/2
added mouth guard
355/1
added wrist wraps
405/1 @5
added belt
445/1 @6
475/1 @7
495/1 @8
425/5 @8

NOTE: 2a/2b means I was alternating between exercises, but with the same rest periods (one set of a, then one set of b, then one set of a...)

2a. Bench Press
135/5; 175/5; 205/5
added mouth guard & wrist wraps
230/5 x 4 sets. RPEs were @5, @5.5, @5, @6

2b. Barbell Row
135/10; 185/8; 225/6 @6
added Versa Gripps
255/6 @8
added small belt
285/6 @8; 6 @8

Overall, I felt much stronger during this session than I did in the comparable session 7 days prior to this one. I'll take that.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

Here's the video from the session I logged in my last post, where I topped out squats with a 495 lbs single, and then 5 reps at 425 lbs.



Body weight this morning: 215.2 lbs (down about 2 lbs)

Since returning to work after Labor Day, the EARLIEST I have punched out is 7:30 pm. For a mailman, those are crazy hours. Twice in the last week, I've been delivering up to 9:00 PM. Gym time has been scarce. I haven't been eating as much either, so I'm not surprised by the small weight loss. I'm off today, so I definitely plan on training this afternoon. Meanwhile, this is what my phone says I've been doing lately in terms of urban hiking:

Tue. 9/5 - 7.8 miles, 18,133 steps, 13 floors climbed
Wed. 9/6 - 6.2 miles, 14,495 steps, 13 floors climbed
Thu. 9/7 - 1.0 mile, 3,033 steps, 9 floors climbed * this was a day off. I don't know how I did so many floors.
Fri. 9/8 - 7.6 miles, 17,967 steps, 18 floors climbed
Sat. 9/9 - 9.0 miles, 20,708 steps, 28 floors climbed
Sun. 9/10 - 1.0 mile, 2,965 steps, 2 floors climbed * this was a day off.

Mon. 9/11 - 9.0 miles, 22,253 steps, 19 floors climbed
Tue. 9/12 - 9.7 miles, 22,303 steps, 26 floors climbed
Wed. 9/13 - 10.6 miles, 24,424 steps, 22 floors climbed

Finally, I decided not to enter USAPL Raw Nationals after all. The main factors were travel time, costs for flights/hotels, not having a lot of leave left at work (I used A LOT due to my wife's illness) and wanting to make sure I have enough for a cruise we have planned in November. I must have made the right decision, because I felt relieved. While this means I'll have to wait at least a year and a half before I have a chance to get in the selection pool for the USAPL's masters team at the NAPF championships (I think either Raw or Equipped World's is a really LOOOOOOOONG shot), I'm content. I' m planning on doing a small meet in Delaware at the end of October. It's on a Sunday (10/29), and with such a short drive from Baltimore, I won't have to miss any time from work. Sounds good to me.

I'm seriously considering doing an OCB bodybuilding show next March. I've been a bodybuilding fan for most of my life, and I've thought about doing one myself for years. The show is in Baltimore County, and there's nothing major on my powerlifting horizon in early 2018. It feels like one of those situations where the proverbial stars are lining up, and allowing me to scratch another item off of my bucket list. We'll see.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

I'm seriously considering doing an OCB bodybuilding show next March. I've been a bodybuilding fan for most of my life, and I've thought about doing one myself for years. The show is in Baltimore County, and there's nothing major on my powerlifting horizon in early 2018. It feels like one of those situations where the proverbial stars are lining up, and allowing me to scratch another item off of my bucket list. We'll see.

After watching the Mr. Olympia festivities, I'm even more intrigued now by the new "classic physique" division. For one, there are less poses to do. Second, the trunks provide much more coverage than the bodybuilding speedo/thong. That might be a happy medium, because I surely have no interest in "physique" (the board shorts division), and I know I'd be more comfortable in something that looks like underwear that I actually wear. We'll see what the next couple of months bring.

Meanwhile, here are the last 3 sessions I've done, along with video for the first one. Neither session was very long, so this recap won't take much time.

Thu. 9/14/17

1. Bench Press - I would have squatted first, but someone was in the rack when I got there. He was done before I finished my 2nd warm up set, but I didn't want to move at that point.

95/5; 145/4; 185/3; 215/2; 245/1
added mouth guard
245/1 - better than the last one. I find that my bench presses tend to improve as the session goes on.
added wrist wraps
265/1 @5
started getting handoffs
285/1 @7
300/1 @8.5
305/1 @10 - I was hoping this would be a 9-9.5, but I don't think I could have pressed another ounce.
back to unracking it myself
260/4 x 2 sets. @8 -set 1, @9 - set 2

2. Squat
135/6; 225/4
added mouth guard
315/4
added wrist wraps
365/4 @6
added belt
405/5 x 2 sets. @7 - set 1, @8 - set 2

Here are a few video clips from this session:




Sun. 9/17/17

1. Squat
135/6; 225/3
added mouth guard
315/3
added wrist wraps
375/3 @7
added belt
425/3 @7
455/3 @8

2. Bench Press
95/6; 155/5; 205/4
added mouth guard and wrist wraps
240/4 x 5 sets. RPE's were @6, @6, @6, @7, @7.5

3. Deadlift
155/4; 245/2; 335/1 x 2 sets
added mouth guard
405/1
added belt and Versa Gripps
455/1 @6
485/1 @7
515/1 @8
535/1 @9.5 - probably good for 540-545.
465/1 x 5 sets. Did the singles in 5:00 (end of 1st to end of 5th).


Thu. 9/21/17

1. Squat
135/5; 225/4; 295/3
added mouth guard
365/2
added wrist wraps
415/1 @5
added belt
445/1 @5
480/1 @8
My wife said I was going too deep on these squats, and she was probably right. I could cut a bit off of it and still hit legal depth. Plus I'm just realizing that I took a bigger jump from 445-480 than I took from 415-445. I never do that. Not sure what was up with my math here.
495/1 @9.5 - Went just as deep as I had the set before. This was 1/2 an RPE harder than I expected. I was hoping for @9.
450/3 @8
410/5 @8

That was a wrap.

Body weight this morning was 215.2 lbs.

As I write this, I'm optimistic that my work schedule is getting back to more of what I consider "normal", meaning I may only work 9-10 hours a day instead of 11-12. This should allow me to get back to training 3 days per week, with a little more time and energy to commit to the gym. We'll see. I have too much other life stuff to do to get in there today. Sleep has been really odd the last few days, and I've had a strange feeling in my neck upon arising and at different parts of the day. I don't know that it's pain, but that's about the best way I can describe it. There's also a WWE pay per view tonight, and depending on how good it is, I may watch Raw for followup tomorrow night and get back to training on Tuesday. I know, I know...

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

After a few haphazard and lackluster training sessions in the last week of September, along with some solicited feedback from my wife, I've decided not to do the meet on October 29. She told me that she believes I'm stressed out, and right now I don't need the added pressure that I inevitably put on myself when getting ready for a meet. I'm inclined to think that she's right. I haven't been sleeping much, or well, and I don't know that my nutrition - macros and micros - has been where it should be either.

Sleep and nutrition are simple, though not necessarily easy, to fix - especially sleep. I would imagine that I'm not the only sleep deprived or challenged person in here. Training is a bit more complicated, but for me, it's the most fun problem to tackle. My main focus for the next 2-3 months is hypertrophy. If I end up doing the bodybuilding show in March, this will set me up well for it. If I don't, but I find a meet to do sometime between January and March, then any additional muscle can only help since I routinely give up 15-18 lbs of bodyweight to the top of the weight class. If I end up getting back into equipped powerlifting, then it will help me fill out the old suits and shirt that I already have.

For now, I'm planning on training 2-4 days per week, rotating through a 3 day cycle. I'm going to do a heavy single and backoff for each competition lift (or a close variation) once per week. If I'm really short on time or energy, I'll skip the backoff set. This will be just to monitor where my strength on them is. I don't expect a big return as far as 1RM gains, and for the moment, that's fine. It's about the SWOLE right now. After the competition lift, then I'll have something of a bodypart split for each day with a higher intensity/lower volume approach, using some combination of straight sets, rest-pause sets, and drop sets. With the competition lifts, everything should be getting trained 2-3 times per week.

The Split
Day 1: Squat (single & backoff), horizontal press, horizontal row, biceps, abs and/or calves
Day 2: Bench (single & backoff), lower body: quads, hamstrings, abs and/or calves
Day 3: Deadlift (single & backoff), vertical press, vertical pull, triceps, abs and/or calves

I got started with this today. Here's how it went:

Thu. 10/5/17 - Day 1

1. Squat
135/6; 205/4; 275/2
added mouthguard
335/1
added wrist wraps
385/1 @5
added belt
425/1 @5
455/1 @6.5
475/1 @8
415/5 @8

2. Incline Bench Press
bar/10; 95/10; 145/6; 185/5
added mouth guard and wrist wraps
Rest-pause set: 205/12 total reps (6 @9 + 3 @8 + 3 @9)

3. Seated Cable Row - medium width "W" shaped bar until final set
90/12; 135/10;
added mouth guard
180/8 @6
Rest-pause set: 210/14 total reps (8 @8 + 6 @8) - switched to the close-grip "W" shaped bar during the rest

4. EZ-Bar Curl - I'm not sure if the bar is 15 or 20 lbs, so I'm only listing the weight of the plates.
25/10; 50/10
added mouth guard
Rest-pause set: 75/15.5 total reps (8 @9 + 4.5 @10 + 3 @10)

5. Ab Wheel - done at home, 4.5 hours after I left the gym
BW/10, 10, then an unplanned rest-pause on the 3rd set that went 5 + 3 + 1.5 where I just collapsed on the extension. My abs were cramping up in a serious way on that last set.

I was in and out of the gym in 75-80 minutes, and felt like I did some decent work in a fairly short amount of time. I was cutting it close on getting children from school, so I didn't get to the ab wheel until I got home. This was fun, and somewhat refreshing. I liked it, and I'm looking forward to the next session (hopefully after work tomorrow). My wife and I are taking advantage of the federal holiday on Monday with an overnight getaway on Sunday. Unless there's a miracle and I get off work early on Saturday, then tomorrow is my last chance to train until Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks for reading all of this and for being along for the ride! I hope you'll stick around.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

1. Bench Press
95/5; 135/5; 175/4; 205/3; 225/2; 245/1 @6
added mouth guard
265/1 @6.5
added wrist wraps
280/1 @7
290/1 @8.5
300/1 @9 - this felt almost exactly like the 290, if not smoother
260/5 @9

2. Squat Press (plate loaded machine, sort of a "floating" leg press that doesn't slide on a track)
180/10; 360/6; 540/6
added mouth guard and thin velcro belt.
720/6 @7
810/6 @8
900/6 @9
650/12 @9 - I wouldn't call this a "rest-pause set" because I never re-racked it, but I took a few seconds to catch my breath after reps 5 and 10. Had I done this again, I could have done more than the 12, but I'm calling it @9 because I more is all I had left without another breather.

3. Snatch Grip RDL (changed from Oly shoes to slippers)
135/10
add Versa Gripps
225/8
added mouth guard
275/6
315/6 @8
245/12 @8

4. Calf Press (on the actual leg press)
4 sets w/180: 10 slow reps, 10 slow reps, 15 moderate reps, 20 fast reps

Done in 1 hour and 50 minutes. It took a while to load and unload those plates, but other than that, it was another good session. I hope this plan yields some positive results, because so far, this is fun.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

5 days without training, and it felt like 2 weeks. Time really does fly.

1. Barbell Overhead Press
bar/10; 85/8; 105/6; 125/6
added mouth guard
145/5 @7
added wrist wraps
165/5 @9
added belt
extended set: 175/4 @9 + 4 push press reps @10

2. Deadlift
135/5; 245/3; 335/2
added mouth guard
395/1; 445/1 @6
added belt
485/1 @7 - lock out wasn't clean due to grip (no chalk, no straps/Gripps)
added Versa Gripps
515/1 @8
535/1 @9 - this was HEAVY!

3. Dual Handle Pulldown
90/10; 120/10
cluster set: 150/6 x 6 sets done in 6 minutes

I didn't have time to do the close grip bench presses I had planned. Hopefully, I'll train tonight (Day 1) and they'll be a part of tonight's session.

[BodyBldgPwrLftr]

I tend to get behind on videos, but my goal is to keep those running as a sort of companion to the written log. Speaking of which, here's one I uploaded several days ago, but forgot to make it public when I did. This one is from the 10/5 session, and included a 475 lbs squat with a 415 x 5 backoff set, incline press, seated row and curls.



Fri. 10/12/17 - Day 1

1. Squat
135/5; 225/4; 295/3
added mouth guard
355/2 @5
added wrist wraps
405/1 @6
added belt
435/1 @6
465/1 @7
485/1 @8
420/5 @8

The top @8 single was up 10 lbs, and the 5-rep backoff was up 5 lbs from my last day 1 session (10/5). Nothing but happy about that!

2. Decline Closer-Grip Bench Press - not exactly "close-grip", but closer than my normal BP grip.
95/10; 145/10; 185/6
added mouth guard, wrist wraps & started getting handoffs
225/5 @5
rest-pause set: 250/12 total reps (7 @9 + 5 @9)

I haven't done decline benches in years. Generally speaking, I don't like them because your feet aren't on the floor when doing them. They felt okay, and I'm just playing around with some different exercises. I'll probably keep them in the rotation for a while, but I would definitely want a spotter and handoffs for the "heavy" sets.

3. Incline Pull Machine - Cybex machine that is sort of a hybrid between a pulldown and seated row
70/10 left + 10 right; 130/10 left + 10 right
added mouth guard
190/6 left + 6 right
extended set: 250/12 left + 12 right + 6 both arms

The weight stack on this machine only goes up to 295, and I'm pretty sure it's designed to be done with 2 arms at a time. I'm almost rowing the whole stack with one arm. I might keep this in the rotation as a ego booster, if nothing else.

4. Dumbbell Curls - hands neutral at the bottom, supinated at the top
30's/8
drop set: 45's/8 + 40's/5 + 35's/5

5. Hanging Leg Raise - at dip station
bodyweight x 10 x 3 sets

Session done in 90 minutes


Sun. 10/15/17 - Day 2

1. Bench Press
95/5; 145/5; 185/3; 215/2; 245/1 @6, 1 @6
added mouth guard
265/1 @7
added wrist wraps
280/1 @7
290/1 @7.5
300/1 @8
270/5 @9

I topped out at 300 x 1 on my last Day 2 (10/6) , but 1)that was an @9, and 2) I think this was the first time I ever benched 300 raw without a spotter or a handoff. That's quite a reach, but I'll take a W any way I can get it. Also, the 5-rep backoff set was +5 lbs from last Day 2.

2. Front Squat - using straps around the bar, and wore Rehband sleeves instead of SBD.
135/6; 185/4; 235/4 @5
added mouth guard
275/4 @7.5 (legs felt like @7, upper body felt like @8)
added belt

295/1 - not sure how to rate this. I wasn't going for a single. The bar felt like it slipped near the top on my right shoulder, and I never felt like as stable holding the bar as I should.

225/10 @7

I haven't done front squats in a while, so I didn't expect to be as good at them as I used to be, but this was still disappointing. My all-time PR is 375, and doing 315 for a set of 3-4 was normal. If I'm going to make them a regular thing again, I need to get used to holding the bar more than anything. My legs felt like they had plenty left.

3. Prone Leg Curl
80/10; 110/10 @6
added mouth guard
135/10 @8
150/8 @9

4. Seated Calf Raise
70/15-16 (lost count) - I actually did this set while waiting for the leg curl machine.
70/10
100/15 @9 - medium-slow on the negative, hard flex at the top

5. Standing Calf Raise
90/10
115/12 @BURN

2 calf exercises in one session? I must really be giving serious thought to this bodybuilding/classic physique thing. In and out in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Hopefully, my next session can happen after work either tomorrow or Tuesday. My wife and children were gone to a dance conference for my oldest daughter all weekend (she won a scholarship there!!), so it's probably best if we all have dinner and hang out tomorrow. I won't be mad if I can't squeeze the gym in until Tuesday. Thanks for reading all of this and keeping up with me.