Thursday, February 15, 2007

2007 Virtual Meet: February 09

I had military work on the 10th and 11th so the only real day available to me was the 9th. After work and making sure the family was fed, that meant starting the lifting at about 9:30 PM Pacific Time. Since I have no real friends nearby and my wife was manning the camera, I had to make sure the pins were set on the rack. But despite all this, I was hyped and ready to go. What I will write will get revised when the results get published on Virtualmeet.net: I know about some of the lifts passing and am waiting on the others.

I warmed up with a 5-3-1-1 rep progression for a warmup, using a 13" box touch and go to get my depth dialed in the squat and 5 minute rest periods. After a final warmup set at 255, I went for a 295 opener and sunk it. The 315 went, too, but was tougher as I might have held it at the bottom too long to 1.) make sure I got depth and 2.) to make sure I didn't hit the pins. I bombed on my final attempt at 330 lbs, I just couldn't rise with it. No surprise there, really: with a 30 lbs carryover, my 14" box squat the Saturday prior hinted at a 315 max. I'm back to where I was and can now build from there.

I went 1 for 3 on the bench. My first attempt at 215 was well controlled, paused, and pressed ( I was happy, since I haven't been training with a pause.). I had nothing left to lift 225 on my second attempt. The third attempt was disqualified for two reasons: 1.) I had gone down in weight to 220, and I was told you can't go down on an attempt (that had never occurred to me) and 2.) the bar hit the left pin because I couldn't fully control the descent. In retrospect, I should have set my attempts at 210, 220, and 225 but now I know.

I'm gonna guess and say that I went 3 for 3 on deadlifts, since Kris told me that my deadlifts were smooth. I decided to pull conventional since I can pull more this way, and felt that the snatch grip deadlift/front squat work I have been doing would lend itself to a better conventional deadlift. Since I haven't been training this way, I based my first attempt on my squat and opened with 315, and that was easy. 345 also went up quickly. My wife (cameraperson) wanted to get to bed and I had to get up early in the morning to drive to work so I took my 365 third attempt 2 miinutes after my 2nd attempt. I put my all into this one, and got it: the most I have ever deadlifted is 400 super slow, and this was my fastest 365 ever. I think I've found what works for me for the DL: lots of GHRs and upper back work, twice a week deadlifting, snatch grip work, and front squats.

I'll post the videos as soon as Kris gives me the final word and a link. This was lots of fun and I can't wait for the next one.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

SOB Training/Perfect 10

Perfect 10 (Week 2 Workout 1):
DB Shoulder Presses: 55x3x7
DB Rows (Elbows Out): 55x3x7
Preacher Curls: 65x3x7
GHR (Monster Minis on front hooks for resistance): 4 sets of 3
GHR (BWT+10 lbs): 2 sets of 3
GHR (BWT only): 1 set of 3

SOB Training (Day11):
14" SSB Box Squat: 115x15, 145x15, 155x15, 130x15.
Seated Cable Rows: 80x15x4
Close Grip Pause Pushups" BWTx15x4
Lateral Step Ups: BWTx15, 10x15,15x15, 20x15

Whether this cycle is finished in February or not (I will try to finish it), I will wrap it up on February 28 so as to throw myself into a fat burning weightlifting cycle. My next lifting day is the Virtual Meet.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

SOB Training: Workout 5

All Notation: Weights x reps x sets.

Last heavy workout before the Virtual Meet. My goal, aside from the workout, was to test squat and get an idea for attempts. I do educated guesses most of the time but felt like this time I wanted to go and see where I really stood.

Flat Bench Press w/1 pair of chains: 105x5, 125x5, 145x5, 165x5x6. The first 3 sets were hard, then it got easier. Part of that was getting my leg drive down pat, the other I don't know. I might train this way until SOB is over. SOB has one leave a few in the tank rather than go to failure; I'm gonna fill the tank with a little chain.

14" SSB Bar Squat: 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 225x5, 255x5, 285x1 (PR), 215x5x3. Considering that I have a 30 lbs carryover from box to free bar, I might be looking at a 315 final attempt. But 285 almost felt like it was gonna crush me. Of course, that's the SSB bar at work. But I know that I'm gonna have to hold this one up with nothing, not even a Manta Ray, for the meet. I'm hoping all the deadlifts and back work make for a nice little shelf.

Chinups (Green Band): 6 sets of 5.

Snatch Grip DL: 215x5x6. With all the squatting, I skipped the warmups and added 10 pounds to the bar. Supersetted the SGDL and chinups so I could hurry and shower and catch the Super Bowl. That, and I was just beat. I'll probably pull conventional for the meet, and I'll probably wing it. I don't know my carryover from the SGDL to conventional. Since I can pull a 265 double with a snatch grip, I'll probably open with 295 and go from there.

After dinner nutrition consisted of Kentucky Fried Chicken and beer. Yummy!!!!

Friday, February 02, 2007

The Week in Review

This was a chaotic week for working out, too many things popping up at odd times. But it was a good week.

Sunday:
This was all I had time for, or my lazy ass should have gotten up. I tested up to a 205 double and a 215 single, 5 lbs better than last time. Needed to pause the 215 longer, though, for this meet. I might take 205 for a second attempt at the Virtual Meet. I want to go for broke at 225 but we will see.

Monday:
Perfect 10 for lunch:
DB Shoulder Press: 45x10x3
DB Rows (Elbows Out): 45x10x3
Preacher Curls: 50x10x3
GHR in the evening(Purple Band): 3 sets of 10
Tested the Snatch Grip DL at lunch: 135x3, 160x3, 185x3, 215x3, 245x3, 265x2 (PR). Last two sets were done with an alternating grip. Then I did 7 sets of 3 at 230 lbs in the evening. I may have myself a 300 lbs SGDL at the end of SOB.

Tuesday:
Did nothing. With the overtraining tightrope I'm walking just doing SOB, I should have known testing two lifts in two days would be a disaster. I'm so edgy and headachey right now.

Wednesday (SOB Training: Workout 3)
RDL: 115x30x2. No puking here. My hands were the first things to go: after the 22nd rep, my forearms were on fire and I could not hold on to the bar. Then my lower back and hams followed. Rest paused the rest using 5 second breaks.

Static Lunge: BWTx30x2. I should have done these sooner, I think they will definitely add something to my squat. I felt these in all the right places.

DB Rows (Elbows Out): 25x30x2.

Pushups: BWTx30x2. Hard at the end, especially with my back tired.

Thursday (SOB Training: Workout 4): Have a car service appointment on Friday in Tacoma (between the drive back and forth and waiting in traffic to cross the bridge, I bagged Fridays workout) and I want my last heavy day before the meet to be Sunday, so I moved Perfect 10 to Saturday and did workout 4.

14" Front Box Squat: 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 195x2 (PR), then did 170x3x6.

Wide Grip Pullups (Green Band): 10 sets of 3

Dips (Monster Mini-Black Band): 10 sets of 3

Standing Barbell Curl: 75x3x10.

GHR (Tested band combinations):
BWT only: 8 reps
Black Bands: 10 reps
Purple Bands: 12 reps
Purple/Black Bands: 16 reps
Green Bands: 18 reps
Green/Black Bands: 22 reps
Green/Purple Bands: 25 reps
Green/Green Bands: 5 reps. I had nothing left at this point even with the band tension.

Today:
Who was I kidding with the excuses. Got up early and knocked out Perfect 10 minus the GHRs:
DB Shoulder Press: 55x5x5
DB Rows (Elbows Out): 55x5x5
Preacher Curls: 60x5x5