Thursday, February 03, 2005

Wk2: Prilepin Bench/Back

Lunchtime:
T-Bar Rows (150): 35x6, 45x4, 57.5x3, 70x3, 82.5x3, 95x3, 105x3, 120x3x5.

Evening:
Hoist Neutral Grip Chins (142.5 lbs; bodyweight today was 238.4). I put a 1 lbs weight collar in my pocket to get closer to target weights: 79.4x6, 89.4x6, 99.4x6, 109.4x3, 120x3x4, 120x6 (Ok, I just felt like it).

Trap Bar Deadlift: I wanted to see if the GMs and GHRs were really working (Muscle wise , they are). So I tried 365 lbs first, since this was my last lift in late December (conventional), and was surprised when it was easy. So I attempted my first 400 in anything: 405. That was harder, but that, too, came up. Woohoo!!! My hamstrings didn't seem to work hard and my lower back was rock solid. A 40 lbs gain with no deadlifting!!!

Incline Pushups (feet 18" high with bars): 8 sets of 3

One Arm Reverse Pressdown (60): 30x10, 40x8, 45x6x2

Decline Tricep Extensions (80): 40x10, 50x8, 60x6

Incline situps: failure at 16, 11, 9, 6

Lying Leg Thrusts: failure at 6, 6, 5, 5

High Intensity Interval Training: 2 sets (30 sec sprint at 9.0 MPH, 30 sec jog at 6.0 MPH).

Bring on Week 3!!!

6 comments:

John said...

Good job, Alberto... I bet you'll find that your squat has gone up as well.

Alberto said...

At the end of this cycle is when I'll test squat. Right now, my deadlift is outrunning my squat. I'll probably just work front squat and GMs until June or July; my goal is a clean 300 lbs front squat by July. That kind of workout, plus an increase in GHR strength and volume, will care of the regular squat and DL.

Kris said...

Good going, Alberto! Makes me want to try a trap bar...

Alberto said...

I've done so many DLs with the bar in front that once I start up again on it, the Trap Bar will be my choice for a spell. Just another tool in the arsenal.

Kris said...

Where is your sticking point with a regular bar? If memory serves, a trap bar will make the start a tad heavier but the lockout a lot easier.

Alberto said...

First DL I trained seriously was sumo. In the sumo DL, my lockout was strong but my launch was weak. This was fixed by using parallel and low box squats on speed day, and heavy RDLs preexhausted with heavy leg curls on ME day. That Prilepin Program you have on your site is awesome. The hips/posterior chain need to be strong for this lift, your quads won't help much. Pull throughs would also have helped.

In the conventional DL, it was the opposite problem: The launch was easy, the lockout was harder. Your quads can help you get it up. Because of the closer stance, your hips/posterior chain doesn't have the same advantage. Arched back GMs and lots of GHR have helped, but during the month I raised my CDL from 275 to 365, I was doing the Prilepin Bench Program on ME Day adapted for use with the GMs (Heavy)and leg press (Light)on the same day (Like training the DL in two pieces), and on my speed day I did low box front squats and 15 fast high pulls for power. This helped everything. Fast pulls like the high pull, snatch, and power clean teach you to pull all the way; power busts through sticking points.

Since I did a lot of GMs 2 days before, I wanted to test DL but not tax my lower back and affect my recovery from that workout. Thus, the Trap Bar. But I would use this for variety's sake. You have to change your leverages by any and all available means. This bar is also great for shrugs and farmer's walks.