Squat Training - November 28

Had a very good day on the Squats. Not sure if it was just one of those days or all the calories I ingested over the past several...but regardless, felt strong.

I continue to use a wider stance, even when squatting raw. This will train my hips and improve flexibility. I am just at parallel at the bottom and need to loosen the hips to sink deeper. If I can do this with a wider stance, I am guaranteed to hit a personal best at my next meet. Good times.

Box Squats (w/ 1 board and black tape box) - used Monolift

325 x 3

375 x 2 w/ 1 chain (on each side)

375 x 2 w/ 2 chains

415 x 2 w/ 2 chains

415 x 2 w/ 3 chains

415 x 2 w/ 4 chains

415 x 2 w/ 4 chains

475 x 1 w/ 4 chains ( added suit with straps up)

495 x 1 w/ 5 chains

515 x 1 w/ 5 chains

515 x 1 w/ 5 chains (removed 1 board and went deeper onto box)

Front Box Squats w/ Mastodon Bar

240 x 6 x 3

Hip Band Pulls (duck stance - wide with side of feet pressed against platform)

Green/Blue Band x 15 x 3

Standing Calf Raise

180 x 12 x 3

Thanksgiving Morning Training - 11/26/09

Came to the gym bright and early. My wife, daughter, and I were walking the Run to Feed the Hungry in Sacramento so I needed to get in and get out. Still managed to get some modest training in but my bench felt REAL heavy. Not that my bench is awesome to begin with but I am pretty sure the rack pulls with bands two days earlier didn't help. Those things tear you up. I started back up at the beginning on the Ed Coan Bench Press Training Cycle. Again, let's see how it goes. Of course, after talking to Ed at the Worlds, who knows if this is his actually workout...there are a lot of imitations out there.

All work done without equipment

Bench Press

*warm up to 215

215 x 10 x 2

Narrow Grip Bench Press

185 x 8 x 2 (I am supposed to do 10 but ran out of steam)

Incline Bench Press

175 x 8 x 2 (again, supposed to do 10. The Incline is definitely a weak point)

2 sets of Dumbell Kickbacks

2 sets of Cable Rope Pulldowns

Now off to eat some bird. Good times.

P.S.

I modified a no bake pumpkin pie recipe to make it low sugar and low fat. If it turns out well, I will post it on my blog.

Deadlift Training Day - 11/24/09

With Thanksgiving coming up, my schedule will be modified for the week. Today, I trained in the afternoon (late lunch) as I had plans in the evening. Tomorrow, I will train chest and bench.

As for today, the gym seemed extra cold so I decided to do some warm ups with plyometrics. Those things get your blood flowing and did a great job warming up the hips. I may make them a staple as warmups before squat and dead training. I opened with rack pulls in lieu of deadlifts. Rack pulls with bands are great because they really challenge your grip and get you used to handling big weight. When pulling from the rack, I like to start the bar mid shin...it is amazing how much more weight you can pull by starting just a few inches more from the floor.

Anyway, here is my training.

Rack Pulls w/ quad black bands (rack set at low pin)
315 x 6
405 x 4
495 x 2 add belt
495 x 2
505 x 2
505 x 2
525 x 1
525 x 1

Bent-Over Rows
225 x 8 x 3

Undergrip Lat Pulls
140 x 8
160 x 8
150 x 8

Stiff legged Deadlifts
315 x 8 x 3

Fast Food Choice of the Day - Starbucks Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich

Now...I know the best choice for breakfast is what you make at home...egg whites, oatmeal, whole wheat toast, fruit, etc. However, we all know how hard it is to get to work on time, let alone be able to make breakfast. So, instead of going without, when you make a trip for your daily coffee (which we all find time for), don't forget about actual healthy calories. Starbucks has done a fine job catering to those on the go. For those that know me, they know Starbucks is my second home, so I was pleased as anyone when they came up with their breakfast menu. Their reduced fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich is fantastic. High in fiber and protein, not to mention tasty. It does have a little more fat than I would like but giving the alternative (which would be nothing), it is a great choice. Here is the nutritional breakdown:

Calories: 340

Fat: 10 gms.

Carbs: 47 gms.

Protein: 22 gms

Fiber: 3 gms.

Good times...

Squat Training - November 21

First squat training in two weeks...post layoff from meet.

Typically, I am a narrow stance squatter but as any powerlifter will tell you, the power is in the hips. The wider your stance, the more hips and hamstrings doing the work. A good wide stance requires some flexibility in order to break parallel...and this is something I will be working on. This day's squat session featured the monolift, foam box squat, and a much wider stance. All in all, I felt good. I will keep working on and incorporate it in my next meet.

11/21/09

Box Squats with foam and green bands w/ chains

*all sets performed with green band on each side

325 x 2

325 x 2 w/ 1 chain (each side)

325 x 2 w/ 2 chains

345 x 2 w/ 2 chains

375 x 2 w/ 2 chains

375 x 2 w/ 2 chians

235 x 20

Front Box Squats

145 x 12

235 x 8

235 x 8

Hip Band Squat Pulls

Blue & Green Band x 15 x 3

Standing Calf Raise

180 x 15

230 x 15

230 x 15

Dumbbell Calf Raise

105 x 10 x 3

NOTE: I did perform a bench workout this week but it was just for a few sets to get me back in the routine. Thanksgiving will make next week tough but I will get my training in. Good times.

Return to Training - Post Meet

This is my first training session since the Nov 7 meet and the first non-meet training in two weeks. So, I didn't push it too much but did manage to get to one max set.

One of the issues I rediscovered at the meet is that not all federations use the same type of bar for the deadlift. The USAPL for example uses the same bar for all three lifts. If you squat and bench with it, you deadlift with it. In training, I have been using a deadlift bar that has a flex to it. The bar at the meet did not have a flex and it caused me some difficulty. So I figured the best way to prepare for something like that is to train with a "worst case" scenario bar...the Mastodon. The Mastodon weighs 15 lbs more than the standard bar, has no flex, and is the thickest bar I will ever wrap my hands around to pull. If I do more work with this heavy bar, I should be prepared for anything that is thrown my way.

Deadlift w/ Mastodon Bar and Chains
420 x 2 w/ 2 chains
420 x 2 w/ 6 chains
420 x 2 w/ 6 chains
470 x 2 w/ 6 chains
510 x miss w/ 6 chains

Close Grip Rope Pulls
100 x 12
110 x 12
120 x 12
130 x 12

Bent Over Rows
225 x 10 x 3

GHR's
Thin Blue Band for 3 sets

WPF Worlds in Las Vegas

I just returned from the World Powerlifting Federation World Championships in Las Vegas...and I had a blast.

This was my first international event and it was amazing to see lifters from all over the globe recognize and respect Team Supertraining. Mark Bell has done a fantastic job with this sport and I only expect greater things for the future.

This is my first long distance meet in support of my teammates and now I am wondering why it took me so long. Janet Loveall, our star female athlete, had an outstanding day and was just edged out for best lifter by phenom Liz Freel.

Greg Buffington also had a great day on Thursday...which included a controversial two red light call on the deadlift for letting the bar down "to fast." This call messed up his strategy which otherwise would have allowed him to pull big to win his class. Regardless, he successfully pulled his third attempt and finished it with a deliberate "shhhh" finger to his lips...prompting a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Now, I know Mark was hoping for a better day but he still amazed the crowd with his lifting. He broke two world records...one in the bench and one for Total in the 308 lbs class. It was a great week if you ask me.

However, I have to say the highlight of the week was being able to hang out with powerlifting legend Ed Coan. What Michael Jordon is to basketball...Ed Coan is to powerlifting. He is the great one. And there I was...having a beer and joking around with this guy. While we didn't talk much training, he did say he was impressed with my deadlifting which...honestly...is crazy! The fact that Ed Coan associates with Supertraining and hangs out with us as equals just shows how lucky I am to be a part of this team. It was truly remarkable and I can't wait to get back to the gym.

P.S.

Sacramento Kings and The Palms casino owner, Gavin Maloof, was in attendance. Apparently, he has an interest in powerlifting and is even thinking of hosting a meet at his casino. Wow is all I have to say.

Oh yeah...

Qualified for Nationals but did not perform as well as I wanted

I was hoping to acquire an elite total but failed with a 1476 total...in fact, I have yet to break 1500. I don't know why I can't transfer my success at training to a meet. I definitely have some work to do.

Anyway, I did 551 lbs at the squat (need to get over 600 lbs), 325 bench (need to at least get 375 lbs), and 601 deadlift (need mid to high 600's).

I had a weird experience at the deadlift. On my first attempt, I held the bar too far from my body and used most of my back. 601 lbs is still a lot of weight and it completely pulled me forward. As I placed the weight down...it flung me forward and right into the head judge. Needless to say, I received two red lights and had to perform the same attempt on my second lift. I was successful but missed an attempt at a state record of 666 lbs. Oh well, next time.

Goals for tomorrow's USAPL meet in San Fernando Valley - 11/7/09

It is the day before the meet and I am right at my competitive bodyweight (165 lbs)...feeling good. I haven't trained since last Saturday and even then, I was only testing my squat suit. I did run into a problem this week with work as we pulled one allnighter which wreaked havic on my sleep. With that and cutting weight, I am a little tired but will suck it up.

While my lifts will ultimately depend on how I feel tomorrow, here are my initial goals:

1. Qualify for Nationals - this requires a 1400 total. The only reason I do not get this is if I bomb out...which will NOT happen.

2. Achieve an Elite Total - this requires a 1527 total. This will take a few USAPL personal records but not out of the question.

3. Break a 1600 lb Total - This will only occur if I go 9 for 9. It is a bit of a lofty goal for an athlete that hasn't competed in this federation for some time. But I can do it if I hit PR's on all three lifts. If it doesn't happen Saturday, no worries...I will get it another time.

Good times.